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[atlanticwrapsnc]

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[jerrytalbotta]

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[williamheins]

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[lady-charinette]

The lucid moments of Queen Charlotte & King George:

they sometimes hide from the heavens under the bed and George asks how their kingdom is doing. Charlotte quietly confesses how sometimes, the world seems to close in on her too & she feels like she might just hide from the heavens forever. George cradles her hand whispers lovingly:"You've always been the stronger one of us." Charlotte:"Only because you gave me half of your strength."

George sometimes escapes his confinement and bursts into meetings, but he's lucid. Charlotte is momentarily stunned, but relaxes when George speaks normally with the higher members of the ton. She smiles and watches her husband, the king, attend to his duties. In these little moments, she feels like the paintings didn't have to add George in later, she feels like he was there all along for the still sitting.

George still goes to the fields, he's old now, but he can pick at the weeds and plant some vegetables at least. Brimsely swore he would always attend to Her Majesty the Queen, but whenever her husband is outside, he temporarily serves the King, on orders of Her Majesty. Brimsely knows the Queen trusts him above all to protect her king in Reynold's place

George sometimes draws her, draws her face, his artistic skill curiously weakens when he's of sound mind, but Charlotte doesn't seem too offended when she spies her likeness on their wall. She smiles brighter than the sun

They reminiscent of their youth together, George remarks on the make of Charlotte's dresses, they look just like they had when they were younger. Charlotte is too prideful to admit she still orders these dresses to be made because it's the only thing of George she can have with her everyday to keep her grounde

Amelia's passing wounded everyone deeply, George had still been lucid enough to have learned of it, which ultimately crumbled the pieces of his sanity over time. His lucid moments grew fewer and farther in between and Charlotte felt like she had not only lost a daughter, but her husband as well

George has his observatory in his residence at Kew, and sometimes when he gazes at the stars and searches for a glimpse of Venus, his clarity returns with full force. In those moments, he quickly writes down whatever thoughts flood his clear mind, to not forget them, forget that deep down in his madness, there is still a man. Charlotte occasionally visits his observatory and she always checks his journals for new notes. Little things he intended to remember. The names of all their children and their birthdays. Thoughts of Charlotte and how much he misses her. Most of them speak of Venus, how much he loves and adores her. The Queen learned early on that Venus has quite a few names. The Great Star. Goddess of Love. Charlotte. Lottie. And sometimes, his Queen.

"Tell me, Lottie, how are the gardens?". She smiles, "In full bloom, my dear.". There was an uncharacteristically but not unfamiliar grin on the king's face. "And tell me... how is your garden?" Charlotte laughed, spying the mischievous twinkle in her husband's eye. "It definitely could use some tending. Some watering. Some fierce plowing." Brimsely knew better than anyone to immediately send the guards and attendants away once the Queen hitched up her skirts and moved over to sit on the King's lap.

"I'm sorry, my dear Lottie." George spoke softly into their quiet bedroom. Charlotte tried to discern his expression through the darkness. "Whatever for, George?". George sighed deeply, "For not giving you as much comfort and support as you do for me, once my mind wanders again.". Charlotte can only hold her husband close to her and kiss his forehead, whispering softly into his thinning hair. "You do give me comfort, my dear. So much."

George often has nightmares during the night, whenever he calls for his attendants, more often than not, it's his wife that hurries to his bedside. She always manages to quench his demons. He's heard the whispers in the halls, about how cruel and cold his queen was. But not to him. To him, she was soft and warm. Oh, so warm.

At the birth of their last child, George worries for Charlotte's health and urges her to not have anymore babies. She tries to argue with him, but George snaps:"We have enough heirs! I know what it is that you try to do, I know my...my madness may pass down to any one of our children, but if I were to lose you while you give birth to another child madness shall consume us all! What shall I do mad with fourteen children to care for instead of enjoying the moments I have left with you by my side?"

George sometimes reads manuscripts of the love stories between older kings and their queens, he sometimes forgets them and discovers them anew, but he always remembers what each of these stories lacked to him. None of these love stories could come close to describe the endless well of love he harbors for his wife, in madness and in sanity.

Charlotte finds reading poems to be a waste of her time, but she keeps the small, crumpled pieces of papers very close to her heart. The handwriting is not always neat, not always eligible, but she knew them all by heart anyway. Even though he may not be physically near her, Charlotte knew she was never alone in ruling their kingdom with George's heartfelt poems tucked safely into the sleeves of her dress.

They sometimes run into each-other in the kitchen at night, it's always a fright at first, Charlotte doesn't know if George is in his right mind, but he always quells her fears with a boyish smile. "Fancy meeting you here, my queen. Care for some of the best pudding in all of Britain?" Charlotte smiles, her eyes misty. "Oh, you old fool. You'll upset your stomach if you continue eating pudding every night.". George caressed her cheek. "That never stopped you before, has it?" Charlotte sighed. "Oh, just give me that spoon."

Sometimes, in his calm state of mind, George wonders if his body subconsciously enters into madness on purpose. Not to drive him mad, no, a much simpler reason. Sometimes, George wonders if he falls back into madness because he knows if he does, Charlotte would always come to visit and spend time with him. Somewhere in the deepest corners of his mind, George doesn't mind being called the Mad King if it meant spending time with his dear wife.

Charlotte is Queen during the day, but when she visits George at night, she turns young again, the ache in her bones recedes and she's just a simple maiden with her farmer. Just Charlotte. Just George. Just them.

[coolemmasulivan2]

Rewinding Us | 3

Pairing: Mason Mount x Reader

Summary: You and Mason built a love story over five years, but after an accident, your memories are wiped away, including any feelings for your constant bickering "rival". Can you remember your love story with Mason, or will you have to start all over?

Word count: 3826

You can read more chapters here.

I slip and wonder who I'd be If I never found you and you never found me Well, I don't wanna see

The hospital waiting room was a clean expanse of white, the walls gleaming as if freshly painted. Mason sat on the edge of a blue chair, his leg bouncing nervously. A heavy silence pressed down on him, broken only by the soft voices of nurses and a few others just like him, waiting for their loved ones.

He was alone. The others were already on the plane, on their way home. Charlotte had promised to catch the next flight out as soon as she landed in London, but until then, he was alone and in fear.

His mind raced back to the villa. He ran after you, but you'd always been surprisingly fast, a burst of unexpected energy that often caught him off guard. He remembered the times when you would run away from him, with laughter echoing through the house, often triggered by a harmless joke or the sudden appearance of an unwelcome spider.

The car had appeared out of nowhere. It was as if the world had slowed down. He remembered the shock that froze him in place, the desperate shout that tore from his throat.

Now, alone in the white room, the weight of everything pressed down on him. He should have been faster. He should have protected you.

A voice cut through the room, bringing him back to the present. “Family of Miss Y/l/n?” The doctor, a man with tired eyes, stood in the doorway.

Mason jumped to his feet, his voice hoarse. “How is she? Is she okay?”

The doctor adjusted his glasses. “Miss Y/l/n has sustained multiple injuries, primarily to her leg and arm. She’s currently in surgery to stabilize her condition.”

Relief washed over Mason. “Will she be okay?” His voice trembled slightly.

The doctor nodded. “We’re optimistic about her recovery. The injuries are serious, but she’s young and strong.���

He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "Ahm-- Not long ago, she was involved in a car accident. A drunk driver hit her car and she lost her memory. Can this…?"

"We’ve conducted tests, and thankfully, this accident hasn’t caused any further brain damage.” Mason's heart pounded in his chest. A wave of gratitude washed over Mason. The doctor continued: “We’ll keep you updated on her condition. Someone will inform you as soon as she’s out of surgery.”

Mason nodded and managed a weak smile. “Thank you!”

It was a sunny afternoon, and the air was thick with the sweet scent of jasmine. You and Mason were attending a friend's wedding, and the sound of laughter and clinking glasses filled the air.

You never used to care about catching the bridal bouquet, but your friends teased you and something sparked inside you. With a burst of unexpected agility, you managed to catch the delicate bouquet of flowers. Cheers erupted from the crowd, but your eyes locked onto Mason's, his expression a mix of amusement as his friends made fun of him.

"Well, well, well!" His friend Toby teased him. "Looks like someone's future is looking bright."

Mason grinned, taking a sip of his champagne. You walked through him, the bouquet clutched triumphantly in your hands, a smirk playing on your lips.

"I think I need a ring on my finger, Mount!" You teased, leaning in to kiss his lips.

A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. "About that…" he began, his voice trailing off as he reached into his pocket. Your heart pounded in anticipation. "I haven't picked out the perfect one yet." He pulled his hand and it was… empty. "But I promise, it's coming."

Relief washed over you, mixed with a touch of disappointment. You hit his chest playfully. "Don't tease me like that, you idiot!"

He laughed, wrapping an arm around your waist. "I couldn't resist." He said, his voice soft. "But seriously, I can't wait to make you my wife." He pecked. A blush crept up your cheeks. You'd talked about marriage before, but hearing him say it so openly, with such conviction, made your heart flutter. You leaned into his embrace, feeling safe and loved.

"Don't say that to our moms," you teased, burying your face in his neck to hide your blush. "They'll probably start organizing the wedding the next day."

He chuckled, tightening his arm around you. "Who do you think is helping me find the ring?" He murmured, his breath warm against your skin.

You pulled back to look at him, a playful glare in your eyes. "Stop it. You're trying to embarrass me."

"I'm always trying to embarrass you," he replied, a mischievous glint in his eyes. You playfully punched his arm, but couldn't hide the smile that spread across your face. "I can't wait to marry you."

Your eyes felt heavy, refusing to open against the bright light. Your body was a battlefield of pain, and every muscle hurt. A desperate need to call out, to reach for someone, filled you, but your throat was parched.

With a huge effort, you forced your eyelids open. The room was a blur of white, the silence broken only by the steady beep of a machine. Fear and cold ran through your consciousness. You wanted to sleep, to escape the pain and confusion, but a primal instinct to survive kept you tethered to the waking world.

Your eyelids grew heavy once more. With a resigned sigh, you surrendered to sleep, hoping to find peace in the silent depths of your unconsciousness.

"The guy wasn't being friendly with you. He wanted to get in your pants." Mason said, standing before you and Declan.

You were shaking, not from the cold but from anger. Declan sensed it and placed a comforting hand on your back.

"Mase, come on!" Declan said, giving him a warning look.

Mason ran a hand through his hair. "It's true. The guy had his hands practically inside her dress."

That was it. You stood up, your voice trembling. "And what does that matter to you? You're not my boyfriend, we're not even friends, so stop pretending and don't interfere in my life."

Declan gently pulled you away from his best friend. "We're just worried about you! The guy didn't look friendly and the bruise on your wrist confirms that."

You rolled your eyes. "I had everything under control until Mount decided to step in and ruin everything."

Mason let out a frustrated sigh. "I saved you!"

"I don't need you to save me." You retorted.

"Good!" Mason shouted, with his hands in the air. "I don't intend to do it again."

You slowly opened your eyes, and as your vision adjusted, you gazed through the window on your left, realizing it was dark outside. You could hear the soft murmur of voices from the hallway, however, what truly caught you off guard was the fact that you were no longer alone.

Mason was sound asleep in the cosy armchair beside your bed. His hand was propped against his head, holding it up, while his unkempt hair suggested that he had been running his hands through it too many times.

You took another sweeping glance around the room and spotted a plastic cup filled with water. Carefully, you reached out, stretching your arm to grasp it. As your fingers nearly touched the cup, it slipped and tumbled to the ground.

The noise woke Mason up from his nap, and his heart instantly started beating faster, afraid that something had happened. But when he saw that you were awake, he let out a sigh of relief. He stood up and approached your bed.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" You tried to speak, but your throat was too dry for the words to come out. Mason realised and picked up the cup from the floor, throwing it in the trash. "I'll get you another cup. I'll be right back."

He quickly exited the room, only to return a few minutes later with a cup of water in his hand and a doctor right behind him.

"Miss Y/l/n, good to see you awake." The doctor began, his voice laced with professional concern. "How are you feeling? Any pain?” With your throat dry, still no words seemed to want to escape.

Mason stepped in to help when he saw your silent plea. “Here!” He said softly, pressing the cup into your hands. With weak hands, you brought it to your lips and took small sips of the cool water.

After a brief but intense check-up by the doctor, you were left alone with Mason.

Being alone with Mason felt weird. A depth of unspoken words and unanswered questions hung heavy in the air. If only you hadn't run from him, from that kiss, you wouldn't be in the hospital. But it had all been too much.

Mason pulled the armchair closer and sat down. His hand found yours, and a gentle squeeze was all the comfort you needed. "The others landed in London, but Charlotte's already on her way back!" He said, his voice low. You nodded, taking another sip of water. His eyes held worry. "Are you really okay? Do you need anything?"

You shook your head. “I’m fine." You whispered. The moment your gazes met, the weight of his worry seemed to lift. Your eyes drifted to your intertwined hands, his long fingers tracing gentle patterns on your palm. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

His eyes held yours. No more words were needed. “How could I?” He began. "You had no memory of us! Saw me as nothing more than the guy you despised." His gaze fell to the floor. “I thought maybe you’d be better off without me, without the chaos of my life. You never complained, but I could see the stress it had on you. Dealing with the media, the fans—it’s a heavy burden. I wanted to give you a chance at a normal life.”

You looked up at the ceiling, your voice rising slightly. “That was not your choice to make!”

"I know." He whispered, his voice barely audible. "I just wanted to protect you."

A heavy silence settled between you. You squeezed his hand back. "I appreciate it. Believe me, I do." You said softly. "But If I didn't like the life we had I would have told you."

Mason emerged from the kitchen, a saviour with a pizza box in one hand and a mischievous sparkle in his eye. "Pizza break?" He offered, his voice filled with amusement.

"What about your diet?"

Mason shrugged. "I will put in more effort during the next training session." You collapsed onto the sofa, relief washing over you. As you devoured your slice, the cheesy goodness melting in your mouth, Mason leaned in, brushing a stray piece of cheese from your lip with his thumb.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this!" He said, his voice soft.. You looked up at him, your heart full. The house, once empty, was slowly transforming into a home.

"Me neither." You replied, your voice filled with happiness. "It feels surreal."

Mason smiled. "Surreal in a good way, right?"

You nodded enthusiastically. "Definitely!" You took another bite of pizza, savouring the moment. As you finished the last slice, Mason stretched out beside you, his arm draped casually over your shoulder. "I can't wait to make more memories here." You said, your voice filled with joy.

Mason turned his head and looked at you, his eyes soft with affection. Slowly, he leaned in, his breath warm against your lips. You closed your eyes as his lips met yours, a gentle and sweet kiss.

Charlotte entered the room, her eyes red and swollen. Mason followed close behind. You were lost in a drugged sleep, oblivious to the storm of emotions in your best friend.

She sank into the chair beside your bed, her hand immediately reaching out to caress your hair. Tears streamed down her face as she whispered, "Oh my God, why does this always happen to her?" She leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead. "First the drunk driver, and now this!"

Mason leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. "It's been a rough year, that's for sure!" He muttered, his voice barely audible.

Charlotte's gaze snapped to him. Her eyes, filled with concern, held him captive. "Are you okay?"

He offered a weak smile. "I'm fine. Just worried about her."

She knew him too well. "Don't lie to me, Mason." She said softly. "I can see right through you."

He sighed, his shoulders slumping. "It's been a hell of…" He admitted, his voice raw. "What time is it, anyway?"

Charlotte stepped closer, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She's going to be okay, Mason. We'll wrap her in bubble wrap and keep her safe." A small smile tugged at her lips as she tried to lighten the mood.

Mason chuckled. He pulled her into a tight hug, kissing the top of her head. "I guess we have no choice!"

.

You finally returned to London after spending four days in the hospital. You flew back with Mason and Charlotte, and because your parents were worried about you, you spent the weekend with them.

"Are you going to fly back, or will you catch a ride with Mason?" Your Mom asked you.

Thinking it through, everything was clear now. Living in Manchester, having a big house you couldn't afford with your salary, the lifestyle, the constant attention from people on the street - it was all Mason's.

"Um, Mason said I could go with him." You replied your voice barely a whisper.

Your mom's face lit up with a delighted and conspiratorial grin. Since you told her what happened at the villa, she'd been on an overdrive of matchmaking, talking about how happy she was and about what a good couple you used to be.

"That means you're re-" She began, her voice dripping with excitement.

You cut her off, burying your face in your Dad's shoulder. "That doesn't mean anything!" You protested. Your Dad slyly winked at your Mom across the sofa. "It's just easier and cheaper to go with him. so stop organising our wedding in that little head of yours."

Your Mom's lips curved into a knowing smile. "That's already planned!" She muttered under her breath.

You raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "Did you say something?"

She shook her head, a playful glint in her eye. "Me? No, not at all. Just focus on the show."

Monday morning had the sky in soft hues of pink and gold as Mason pulled up to your parents' house. The familiar sight of the old brick house brought him a wave of nostalgia. He stepped out of the car, a gentle breeze carrying the sweet scent of the morning.

Your mom was waiting for him at the door, her face lightened with a warm smile. "It's so good to see you, Mason!" She exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.

"It's great to see you too." He replied, returning the embrace. Their relationship had always been easy, even during the wild times of your on-and-off hating relationship. "It's good to be back."

Your mom led him inside, the house filled with the comforting aroma of coffee. In the kitchen, your dad was holding his special mug, the one you had made him when you were a kid. "I see some things never change." Mason commented, a smile playing on his lips.

Your dad looked up, his face breaking into a wide grin. "Mason!" He exclaimed, standing up to offer a hearty handshake. "Welcome back, boy."

"Did you have breakfast, Mason?" Your mom asked him.

"Yes, thanks!" He replied, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of you. It wasn't surprising when your mom told him that you were still in bed. You'd always been a non-moring person.

"Why don't you go wake her up?" Your mom suggested.

Mason's heart skipped a beat. "Me?" He stuttered, blushing. "I-I don't think that's a good idea."

Your mom chuckled. "Oh, come on! You've got to win her back, don't you?" She teased. With a gentle push, she directed him towards your room. "Go on, then. Start by waking her up."

"But that's a terrible first step!" He muttered.

Mason hesitated, his mind and heart racing. He knew the best way to wake you up was with soft kisses, but that seemed like a recipe for disaster at this early hour and he would surely get slapped.

The door was slightly open and the sunlight streamed through it. Mason's hand hovered over the handle, his heart pounding in his chest. Before he could knock, the door swung open, revealing you, already dressed and with the luggage in hand.

Surprise flickered across your face. "Mason? What are you doing here?"

He took a moment to drink in your appearance. He didn't know how, but every day you became more breathtaking. "Uh, your mom asked me to wake you up." He stammered, his voice catching in his throat. "But I see you're already awake."

You quickly shut the bedroom door, avoiding his gaze. "Yeah, I had… a nightmare." You explained, clearing your throat. The way you averted your eyes told him the nightmare was about him, but he chose to stay silent, afraid it would cause an argument.

"Let me help you with your suitcase." He offered, trying to change the subject.

"I don't ne--" You hesitated, torn between your pride and being grateful for his help. Finally, you gave in. "Thanks!" You mumbled, handing him the suitcase.

After having breakfast, you and Mason left for a four-hour drive back to Manchester. With the open road stretching before you, the quiet was overwhelming. Your heart was racing. What were you supposed to do for four hours trapped in a car with Mason, alone?

The radio was on and its soft hum filled the car. Traffic was surprisingly light for a Monday. Your eyes wandered around the spacious interior of the car. It was very clean but there were two Starbucks cups, that he had brought. One for you and one for him. A business card from a car dealership, house keys, and a pair of earrings.

Mason must have noticed your curious gaze. "You left those here last time you drove it." He explained.

"I drove this?" You asked him, astonishment filling your tone. The image of yourself behind the wheel of the gigantic car was absurd.

Mason chuckled. "A few times, actually." You stared at him, disbelief written all over my face. "Why so surprised?"

You tucked a stray strand of hair behind your ear, feeling a blush creep up your cheeks. "I don't imagine myself driving a car like this." You confessed.

"Well, you weren't exactly a natural." He teased. "But hey, we all start somewhere."

Your mouth opened, pretending you were offended. "I'm an amazing driver, Mount!" Mason laughed and you couldn't help but smile. "I just… I like my mini Cooper."

"I know, I know."

An unexpected calm settled over the car. It was a surprisingly comfortable silence. Lost in the calm of the road and the melody of the radio, you found yourself enjoying the ride.

But the desire to break the silence surprised you. Five years was a long time, and curiosity was killing you. I wanted to know what his life had been like, to understand what kind of relationship we had.

"How's Manchester United treating you?" You asked, breaking the silence.

Mason glanced at you, his expression a mix of surprise and curiosity. He'd clearly been lost in his own thoughts, and your question seemed to jolt him back to reality.

"Oh, yeah, it's been amazing." He replied, a genuine smile spreading across his face. "They've welcomed me with open arms. It feels like a family." His eyes held a warmth that was unfamiliar yet comforting. "It was a big change, but everything fell into place. I'm very happy."

You nodded, your heart pounding. It was now or never. "And… I went with you?"

He placed his hand on his leg, resisting the urge to place it on yours, a habit of his. "Yeah." He said, his voice low. "You asked for a transfer and moved with me. Didn't even hesitate."

"So the house where I've been living is ours?" You asked. Mason nodded, his expression serious. "And where have you been living?" A wave of questions formed in your mind, each one more pressing than the last.

"I rented a place." Mason replied. "Luke and Anouska have two houses for rent, and one was empty."

"Oh." You murmured, still processing the information. "Sorry about that."

"Don't apologize." he said quickly. "I chose not to tell you the truth, so it's my fault." A comfortable silence settled between you as Mason seemed to be waiting for you to continue. "We have a long drive ahead. Ask me whatever you want."

"Good, because I have a lot of questions." You admitted.

He chuckled. "Bring it on."

"How long have we been together?"

"Five years."

"Who made the first move?"

"You did!" His answer was quick.

You raised an eyebrow. "Don't lie to me, Mount! I remember the first kiss. The prank. I confronted you about it."

Mason burst out laughing, his laughter infectious. "Oh, shit, yeah!" He admitted between chuckles. "I forgot about that."

This felt right, natural. "Okay, so… how did you know you didn't hate me anymore?"

"I never hated you--" He began.

"You know what I mean."

Mason hesitated, his eyes darting away from you. "I think… I think I always had a crush on you." He finally managed to say. Your heart pounded in your chest as you tried to process his words. "When we first met, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. But you were with that guy, and… I didn't know how to approach you, so I acted like a jerk." You swallowed hard, trying to comprehend the man sitting beside you. "The prank… when they made me kiss you, something clicked. It wasn't just a crush anymore." You hadn't realised, but he had pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the car. His hand found yours, and his gentle touch sent shivers down your spine. "After that, I knew I had to make you fall for me. I couldn't let you slip away. I couldn't waste any more time when I had the love of my life right in front of me."

His eyes held a vulnerability you'd never seen before. Your heart was pounding so hard you thought it might burst. His gaze locked onto yours. Slowly, he leaned in, his breath warm against your lips.

For a moment, the world seemed to stand still. Then, his lips met yours in a soft, tender kiss. As your lips moved together, a wave of emotions washed over you. Love, hope, and a sense of coming home all at once.

[bubbleddisasters]

Bored SO

What Genshin Vision and Weapon I think Each TWST Character would have!

(I’m going solely off Vision Requirements/Traits (Ex: Anemo = Desire for Freedom) so some may seem different then expected)

Reminders:

Anemo= Desire for Freedom, often but not always accompanied with the loss of a loved one.

Geo = Strong and Unwavering in pursuing their ideals, beliefs and goals.

Electro : Eternal Determination/ Those who may be seen as strange, but will not change themselves for others.

Dendro: The Desire for Knowledge, (Plus Human Connections.)

Hydro: A strong sense of Justice and Protection/Care of others.

Pyro : Dedicating their life to their Passion.

Cryo : Resolution in moment of conflict.

—————

Riddle: Pyro or Anemo, Sword: I believe that as his mom wanted him to be a healer, which is usually Dendro or Hydro, and Riddles Passion for Order and/or Desire for Freedom and loosing his friends granting him the opposite, could be very good additional angst material. Also Swords are elegant, and the Original Beheading weapon.. Hehe.

Ace : Geo, Hydro or Electro, Bow: I think Ace fits both Unwavering Beliefs and Not changing themselves for others very well, but also Justice and Care extremely well in Book 1.

I think it would be also amazing for him to get his vision right as he gave his speech after punching Riddle. Hydro could also be very interesting and seeing Riddle be Jealous of it, as it Represents Justice and Care, and its what his mother wanted him to get, adding another layer of rage to it all, plus aiding in dowsing Riddles Flames.

Bow wise, I think the term an “Ace Shooter” was fun irony, as well as “Trick shot”

Deuce: Cryo, Claymore: You all should have seen this coming. Got it when he decided to better himself for his mother’s sake. Geo also works I suppose. Claymore because duh. Plus it would be a fun comparison to Ace having the most lightweight physical weapon.

(Chongyun 🤝 Deuce

Cryo Claymores with Hydro Boyfriends who like to prank them)

Cater: Anemo, Spear: I won’t go into full detail, but if you know Caters backstory, you know damn well why I chose Desire for Freedom. Spear doubles as a Selfie stick, would have atleast one attack similar to Charlotte’s.

Trey: Dendro, Cataylst: Trey mentions wanting to learn all kinds of desserts, and as the mediator, fits the human connections piece well. Catalyst either paints the enemy or throws baking materials / Bakes the Enemy/Decorates them.

Leona: Dendro, Spear: I can’t explain it, but Dendro just fits him very well, specifically the knowledge piece. Also Spear because its lighter weight and has range + if you’re especially good at it could probably be used while lying down. Lazy ass Lion.

Ruggie: Geo, Bow : When I tell you he was extremely pissed upon receiving his—Anyway, this man perfectly embodies unwavering determination for their goals.

Like pre-mentioned, was extremely pissed because he originally thought it was useless compared to Hydro or Dendro, but that changed when he realized he could make shelter for the people on his street and also get alot of high paying construction jobs easier.

Bow is lightweight, and easier to use while running away aslong as you have good aim.

Jack : Hydro, Claymore: Justice and Care is literally half or more of his Savanaclaw ark. It fits Jack so insanely well (or Geo but shhh). I think Hydro would be sweet because everyone expects him to have Geo because it’s tough and strong, but sike. He uses it to water his cactuses and to cool off / Hydrate during workouts. Claymore because the guy is a walking gunshow he can lift that thing with one hand.

Floyd : Electro, Catalyst: So far the hardest to choose, but also being considered strange yet refusing to change for others is very Floyd. Physical DMG Catalyst like Wrio or Heizou, I pray for the enemy. Like:

Floyd : “I’m as cold as a lion with no hair: If you ever see me fighting in the forest with a Mitichurl, HELP THE CHURL. Cause that b*tch gon need it-“

Jade: Dendro, Sword: Knowledge and Jade go hand in hand. Also his plant obsession makes this funnier. Sword is very elegant but deadly, that also fits Jade. Electro is also an option, but considering the OG Flotsam and Jetsam died via Electrocution—Oh the Irony if both of them were Electro

Azul : Anemo, Geo or Cryo, Catalyst: Desired freedom from bulling and torment? , Unwavering Determination to reach goals? Conflict and Resolution? Yea. I would go with Dendro cause knowledge, but didn’t feel as fitting. Catalyst because obviously.

Anemo could help him in the water to swim faster, and blow away Jade and Floyd as kids, but they kept coming back so he gave up. Cryo or Geo to make a octopus pot but they blew it open.

Kalim: Pyro, Dendro or Hydro, Catalyst or Spear: Passion suits Kalim incredibly, but so does Human Connections and the desire for knowledge to help others. Hydro fits in the care department, but not as much in justice.

Alot of his attacks would be similar to Yun Jin or Nilou, (based in Traditional dance from the Middle East obviously) and adding some jumpiness to it, but I imagine his skill or run is just running people over with the magic carpet and you get to fly without stamina issues (5 star type perks lmao)

Jamil : Anemo, Spear or Sword: Desire for Freedom?!?! Thats Jamils Ark in a nutshell. Friend loss? Kalim when they were kids. (Because his parents made him stop being friends with Kalim and focus on his duties as a servant to him). I think Jamil having a Scimitar like the ones in the original Aladdin movie or a spear similar to Jafars staff would be a fun reference.

Epel : Anemo or Dendro, Claymore: Desire for Freedom coming from his own insecurities on his appearance or Desiring the Knowledge to Change it. Literally hated his vision for a long time, thought wind/nature powers were kinda stupid, useless in a fight and girly until Vil rocked his shit with Dendro in the OB fight.

Can barely lift the Claymore but by god will he try. (Similar to Razors attacks like the guy is trying his best but the claymore literally almost sends him flying)

(A bow is also a fun option and he would definitely pull a Childe and just hit the enemy with the bow itself.

Catalyst he just throws rotten / poison apples at the enemy. )

Rook: Electro, or Pyro, Bow: Strange but would never change for someone else? Rook. Passion? Also kinda Rook. I could see him receiving his vision at his first play, and using his hat to dim the light so it didn’t affect the actors and other watchers. Bow was also an obvious choice.

Has a skill that reveals all hidden quests available and how to access them.

Vil : Dendro, Catalyst : The Desire for Knowledge to attain Beauty. Saw Epel hating on Dendro Visions and took it personally. Catalyst because he can’t bother to get his hands dirty.

Idia: Anemo, Catalyst or Claymore: Desire for Freedom and Dead person you cared for? Check. Found it on his bedside when he woke up after Orthos death and called it “a Pity Prize” for him surviving. Completely pulling a Silver Wolf with the Digital / Glitch like attacks and if he has a Claymore, a Kaveh, although his little skull thing would be his Merhak.

Ortho: Non Specific (until after book 6, then Dendro), Catalyst or Bow: Kinda Similar to the Traveler, but you’d have to get into Ignihyde and use a disc drive to change his. If after Ignihyde chaps, Dendro. Similar to Nahida, Desiring Knowledge of Humans. Shoots literal laser beams at enemies.

Malleus: Dendro, Catalyst: Like Ortho, Desiring Knowledge of Humans, and from Human (I guess in this case just emotional) Connections. Specifically one day after building up the courage to hug Lilia after he helped him find Gargoyles around a town. (Accidentally called him Father in that moment, and then the Vision Appeared)

Catalyst….duh. I can see the attacks either being fireflies or mini Dragons (like how Baizhus is snakes)

Lilia: Cryo or Anemo, Bow, Claymore, Sword or Catalyst (I don’t have a bias to Catalysts I swear) : Got his after Melanors Death (F) or Malleus Hatching, and like how its mentioned Venti was once a Catalyst user in lore, and puts his bow away like one, Lilia does pretty much the same, but puts it away like a Sword.

Catalyst wise, definitely physical, bro is bouncing off the enemy and teleporting around them, same if sword. Claymore would be fucking hilarious because this tiny man having a fast attack speed while using a weapon almost the size of him is just generally hilarious. Has an attack similar to Fischls Oz , except it is instead a Bat, and yes you can fly / teleport with him.

Also like Raiden, the game prevents you from cooking as him / all the meals you make will be suspicious ones.

Silver: Hydro, Sword: Justice and Care? Silver. Definitely. Sword also seems pretty obvious, and definitely has an ability that not only has wild animals not running from you, but will come closer to you if in the area.

Sebek: Electro or Geo , Sword or Claymore: Eternal Determination and not changing for others is very Sebek, but so is Unwavering Determination to reach goals, and I think Sword and Claymore are both Obvious.

Che’nya : Electro, Catalyst: Not Changing for Others fits this wacko so well. Catalyst because obviously. His E skill makes you invisible to the enemy and wild creatures. Enemy wise, scares the shit out of them and does 80% extra damage if you hit them from behind with it.

———-

OK BYEEEE

[cinnamongorll]

a fragile line - chapter 29

Read on ao3! (135k words) | previous chapter | next chapter | masterlist

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female OC

Series tags: extreme slow burn, age gap, older man/younger woman, protective joel, jealous joel, hurt/comfort, pov third person, mutual pining, angst, sexual tension, friends to lovers, canon-typical violence, feral joel, parental abuse, eventual smut.

Series synopsis: three years ago, Juliet escaped her father's religious survivor camp, ending up in the Boston QZ. Juliet created a life for herself in Boston, desperate to forget the trauma of her upbringing. One day, Juliet arrives home to find a mysterious letter which forces her to return to her home town. Juliet can't travel the harsh post-apocalyptic landscape alone, so she enlists the help of the grumpy and, at times, frightening man she works alongside: Joel Miller.

Word count: 10.7K

Chapter 29

Juliet's POV

One Month Later:

“But she lives right across from you”

“I know” 

“If you don’t do it, I’ll have to walk all the way over there and back… and it’s snowing! What if I hurt myself?” 

“That’s not the argument you want to make right now.” 

“Juliet, please.”

“Fine.”

“Excellent.” 

Charlotte smirked as she handed over the woven box filled to the brim with a variety of bottled herbal remedies. They rattled as Juliet took the weight in her arms and her scowl deepened . 

“Tell her these ones are to help with the vomiting,” Charlotte reached into the box and ran her fingertips over a couple glass rims, “and these are vitamins to help keep her strength up.”

Despite her mild annoyance, Juliet nodded and promised that she would relay the message to Maria. There really wasn’t much she wouldn’t do for Charlotte, even if delivering her remedies meant directly interacting with the town’s leader.

The ice between Juliet and Maria had never truly thawed from their first conversation almost two months ago now. They rarely saw each other, only subtle nods of acknowledgement across the street or quick conversations about patrol, and Juliet preferred it that way. 

Tommy, though, Juliet had grown quite fond of. He would always greet her with a smile on his face and some joke about her performance on patrol. Juliet would roll her eyes and demand to know how many times he would bring up that one time she fell off her horse. 

Maria announced her pregnancy only a couple weeks ago. Juliet tried to congratulate Tommy but his smile grew strained and his eyes darted away from her towards a hulking figure she chose to ignore. Juliet tried not to question it; she realised a while ago that she would never really understand the inner workings of the Miller brothers’ minds, so she stopped trying… and she didn’t bring up Maria’s pregnancy again. 

Now, thanks to Charlotte’s repulsion of cold weather and her never ending list of errands, Juliet was forced to face Maria and the stiff tension which lingered behind their every interaction.

“Thanks, by the way,” Charlotte said with a wink. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Juliet scoffed as she turned and headed towards the door. Charlotte beat her to it and pulled open the clinic door, shivering slightly as the cold air battled with the stifling heat of the fire. 

With a thin smile, Juliet tightened her hold on her box and stepped outside. It was snowing, just as Charlotte had predicted, and each flake added to the already solid sweeping of pure white which had painted Jackson for several weeks now. 

Juliet hunched her shoulders together to push the collar of Joel’s jacket higher on her neck and started walking down the porch steps, moving the box out of her line of sight to watch her feet on the slippery stairs. 

“See you tonight?” Charlotte called after her. 

Juliet paused and turned slowly. Charlotte stood with her arms crossed over her chest and her eyebrows raised. 

Tonight.

The dance. 

The dance that she couldn’t even pretend to have forgotten about, when every inch of Jackson was papered with handmade flyers advertising the big event. 

“Don’t even think about not goin,” Charlotte warned, standing straighter. “You promised me you’d go.”

Damnit, she had promised. 

“I’ll be there,” Juliet assured her, projecting some cheerfulness into her voice to ease the lines on Charlotte’s forehead. 

“Great!” Charlotte practically sang. “See you at 7?” 

Juliet nodded and forced a smile on her face. 

“You better head back in, you’ll catch a cold,” she cautioned evasively, looking Charlotte up and down. 

Her friend rolled her eyes. “You’re not gettin out of this, I’ll come and find you if you’re not there for 7.” 

Juliet knew she wasn’t kidding. 

“I know,” she laughed, then lifted two fingers off the box in a wave goodbye before Charlotte decided to pull out a pen and asked her to sign a contract declaring her attendance at the dance. 

“Oh! And don’t forget to look for those vhs tapes!” Charlotte called after Juliet as she began to make her way down the porch steps, heading out onto the street. 

Charlotte had been searching for a tape of some old movie she used to watch when she was younger, she was desperate to show it at a movie afternoon. ‘Pretty in Pink’ Juliet recalled.  Tommy was convinced that there was a box of tapes in Juliet’s house and so another task was thrust upon her. 

Juliet turned and nodded very dramatically at Charlotte. “First thing tomorrow, I promise!” she shouted back then sped up to avoid another request. The snow was getting heavier and Juliet secretly hoped that it would get so bad that they might have to cancel the dance. 

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go… 

Okay, she just didn’t want to go. 

For many reasons… one being the confirmed attendance of the man she’d managed to avoid all contact with for the past month. 

She’d overheard Tommy mention the other day that he’d convinced Joel to come along and Juliet almost tripped over her own feet. 

The sharp bite of his rejection still burned, but the hole in her chest was starting to heal over. It was little things at first: like when she stopped waking up in the middle of the night looking for him, then when her first thought in the morning drifted to something other than him, and finally when she walked past his house and didn’t hasten her footsteps, Juliet knew that scar tissue was forming. 

But this all relied on not seeing him, because when she did… when Juliet caught sight of him in the stables or grabbing some food in the mess hall… she swore that she was back outside her house listening to him say those words and brush off everything they had built together. 

He made her feel like a little girl who’d gotten attached to someone she shouldn’t have. 

He made her feel stupid. 

He made her feel like every look and every touch between them meant nothing. 

And all of that rushed to the surface when she looked at his face. His hard, angry and devastatingly handsome face. 

Tonight, at the dance, she couldn’t avoid him. She’d have to look into those hollow eyes and pretend that he hadn’t meant the entire world to her only two months ago. 

Juliet blinked away the threat of tears and started walking quicker. 

Walking past the mess hall, Juliet watched a man on a ladder attempt to fix one of the broken twinkly lights on a large evergreen tree outside. 

It was a strange sight, the lengths Jackson’s residents went to to celebrate Christmas. 

Juliet had never known it to be a joyous occasion.  

With her father, Christmas had only ever been a sad, cold affair with stiff, awkward gatherings and blurred lines. 

There was no singing, no laughter, no trees, no lights. Her father’s community would instead join together for a reading in the community centre. Juliet would sit in the front row with her hands clasped on her lap, terrified to make even a single movement, lest she show that she wasn’t deserving of dinner. 

Christmas was the only time of the year her father drank. After their meal, he would ask for whatever alcohol they could spare to be passed around the men of the community and every woman would straighten their spines. 

Juliet tried her best to bury her memories of those Christmas nights, leaving behind only a murky recollection of one of her father’s men pushing her up against a wall and every muscle in her body stiffening. 

The feeling of hot, sweaty hands pushing her further into the wall, holding her steady as he nudged his face into her neck and his lips spread across her collarbone. Juliet always held her breath, hoping that maybe she’d pass out before his hands drifted further. 

Juliet tried to close her eyes, she always did, but the sight of her father watching them over the man’s shoulder was too vividly sickening to ignore.

Every year he allowed his men to have a taste of her… like she was a delicately wrapped present just waiting for their hungry hands to rip apart. 

But it was only ever a taste. 

When their fingers would drift lower and lower, starting to pull up her skirt, that’s when her father would walk over and place his strong hand on the man’s shoulder. Declaring his ownership. 

Christmas always left a bitter taste in her mouth. 

“Juliet?” 

Matt’s voice was drowned out by the piercing sound of glass bottles rattling against each other. Juliet gasped and blinked up at her patrol partner’s concerned face as he reached out to stabilise the box in her arms. 

“Shit, sorry I wasn’t looking where I was going,” Juliet stuttered. 

“Are you okay?” he asked with hunched eyebrows and a serious gaze.

Juliet looked down at her box and pulled it closer to her chest, then tilted her chin back up to meet Matt’s eyes.

“Yeah, I’m good!” she replied, injecting false cheer into her voice.

“But you’re crying?” Matt pointed out quietly as his hand gently curved around her damp cheek. 

“Oh,” she gasped, embarrassed, “must be the cold air.” 

Matt gave her a look that said he didn’t even remotely believe her but he knew her well enough not to push the issue. Juliet knew what she looked like in that moment: red rimmed eyes and a haunted expression. 

With one last swipe of his thumb under her eyes, Matt removed his hand and brought it slowly back to his side. 

“Where you going with all that?” he asked, pointing to the filled box in her arms.

“It’s for Maria, Charlotte asked me to - ” she paused as a cold shiver rippled across her back.

For a second, Juliet felt the sharp awareness of a gun trained on her and her body instantly stiffened.

But it wasn’t a gun, it was worse.

Joel stood on the porch of the mess hall, his large leather jacket hanging over one shoulder as though he was putting it on but stopped suddenly. He was still, so still that Juliet wondered if time had stopped. 

Her eyes washed over him despite her brain screaming at her to look away, but it was impossible when his dark eyes were focused on her like the sharp gaze of a hunter. 

Slowly, his eyes moved to the man beside her and Juliet watched as his fists curled and his jaw moved before he sharply looked away.

The second his eyes left her Juliet inhaled a deep breath and quickly returned her gaze to Matt, who stood looking down at her with confusion written all over his face.

“Sorry,” she coughed, “these are for Maria, I’m just heading over there now,” Juliet explained, lifting the box and cringing as the bottles rattled again. 

Matt watched her curiously for another second before his signature smile donned his face again.

“I’ll walk with you,” he decided and reached down to take the box out of Juliet’s hand, tucking it beneath one arm and pivoted to hover his other hand on the small of Juliet’s back.

Juliet didn’t look at the mess hall as they walked passed, not even when he felt that dangerous awareness spread over the back of her neck. She just focused on the crunch of snow beneath her feet and watched the clouds of breath hang in the air in front of them. 

Their conversation was easy, as it always was. 

Matt would recognise when Juliet’s mind drifted elsewhere and he would fill the space with chatter about his big plans for the week. And that day, the topic on his mind was the dance.

Juliet tried not to roll her eyes.

“So, are you coming?” he asked with a smirk. 

Juliet shot him a dark look. “I think Charlotte would have many creative ways of murdering me if I didn’t show up,” she explained. 

Matt’s laugh was warm and playful. “I wouldn’t put it past her.” 

Juliet’s mouth cracked a smile. 

They walked in silence for a while until they reached the turn off towards her street. Matt stopped in front of her and carefully passed the box back into Juliet’s arms.

“Save me a dance?” he asked with raised eyebrows. 

Juliet laughed. “Sure.”

Matt ran a hand through his hair and stepped backwards. “Don’t sound too excited, Jules,” he said with a wink, and then he was gone, heading in the other direction with his hands in his pockets. 

Juliet let out a slow breath and closed her eyes. Matt’s presence was a welcome distraction but the memory of her father lay steady on her shoulders, weighing her down. 

He was never far from her mind, even on her good days. Charlotte spoke to her about ‘closure’,  allowing herself to face what her father did to her and move past it. But that sounded like a child’s fantasy, as if she could actually ever rid herself from his memory. As if she could ever untangle herself from him. 

His initials were burned into her skin but his ghost had sunk deeper into her bones, burrowing himself there and haunting her every movement. 

Closure was a privilege not offered to her. 

She’d had enough conversations with Charlotte to recognise that he was her abuser, although Juliet still struggled to voice the term. 

He was her father, part of her DNA. How could she ever truly rid herself of him? 

Juliet had tried taking herself back to that final night in the basement before Joel had found her. She thought if she allowed herself to remember everything that had happened she might be able to work through it and rid herself of some of fear eating away at her, but there were still gaps in her memory; large stretches of blackness behind her eyes where more horrors were hidden.

So, no, she wasn’t excited for the dance, or Christmas, or anything really. 

Juliet was still drowning beneath the memory of her father and her only lifeline had abandoned her. 

……………………………….

Charlotte’s box of remedies sat on Maria’s porch as Juliet knocked on the door for the third time. 

Her knuckles struck the wood but there was still no answer. 

She glanced behind her then her gaze dropped to the handle and the impulsive, impatient part of Juliet reached for the metal knob and turned.

It opened. 

Juliet paused, unsure what to do. Maybe Maria was sleeping or just hadn’t heard the door… maybe she should sit in the box in the house then leave. 

Juliet bent and lifted the box into her arms again and stepped into the house. It was almost an exact replica of the layout of her and Ethan’s and her feet took her into the living room before she could stop herself. A part of her was curious about how the town’s leader lived. 

The room was well decorated with soft throws over the couches and trinkets on almost every surface. Juliet kept walking, slowly taking in all of the details around her. 

After a moment, she spotted what looked like a small chalkboard over the fireplace and her curiosity took her there immediately. There, written on the black surface were two names:

Kevin 4/3/00 - 9/29/03

Sarah 7/20/89 - 9/27/03

A sinking feeling settled in Juliet’s gut. 

They must be Maria’s kids… Joel had never mentioned being an uncle.

God, they were so young when they died. Juliet couldn’t even imagine the trauma that would leave on a person, what might happen to their perception of this already very dark world. 

“Juliet?” 

Her head whipped around to find Maria standing in the entrance to the kitchen, gripping a pair of scissors tightly in her hands. 

“Sorry, the door was open…” Juliet trailed off, realising now how strange it was that she just walked right in. 

Maria raised her eyebrows. “What’s this?” she asked, using the scissors to point towards the box in Juliet’s arms. 

“Remedies,” she answered quickly, “from Charlotte.” 

Maria’s face instantly softened and she tucked her scissors into her back pocket. 

“Thanks,” she murmured as Juliet passed the box to her and relayed Charlotte’s message. 

Once the box had left her hands, Juliet stepped backwards, feeling the awkwardness that lay thick between them. It was obvious Maria felt the same. 

“Well, I better get going,” Juliet said quietly, already turning towards the door. 

“Wait.” 

She stopped, tilting her head back around to the town’s leader. Maria looked her up and down. 

“Who’s been cutting your hair?” she asked while adjusting the box in her arms. 

Juliet’s eyebrows furrowed and her chin dipped to look at her dark brown hair falling several inches below her breasts. 

“No one,” she replied, sounding more like a question, as she self-consciously tugged on the ends of her hair. 

A smile approached the corner of Maria’s mouth before she placed the box on the coffee table and pulled the scissors from her pocket, waving them slightly. 

“No,” Juliet argued, “I couldn’t ask you - “

“It’s no problem,” Maria replied in that hard, matter of fact tone of her’s. 

Before Juliet could reply, Maria had already turned and walked into the kitchen. 

Juliet didn’t really have an option but to follow.

………………………….

Maria’s kitchen was a lot nicer than her and Ethan’s. 

Juliet sat on a wooden chair with a towel draped over her shoulders, flinching as Maria sprayed her hair with water. 

“Just a trim or are you looking for a chop?” Maria asked suddenly, startling Juliet who had gotten used to the silence between them. 

She wasn’t sure what to say. She wasn’t even sure when the last time she had her hair cut was. It must have been when she had first arrived in the QZ when Juliet’s hair was so coated in blood and dirt that she ended up taking her blunt knife to it. 

Maria’s scissors looked a lot sharper. 

Juliet thought about her question and about everything that she’d been through since that last haircut. 

Her hair had grown as she worked those years with Joel, and longer as she travelled the country with him. Now all she had to show for it was the length of her dark brown waves…

Juliet didn’t want to carry that weight anymore. 

“A chop,” she answered finally. 

Maria’s surprisingly skilled fingers began to separate parts of her length and when the first inch of hair fell to the floor next to her feet, Juliet breathed a sigh of relief. 

After another few inches hit the floor, Maria broke the silence:

“You were looking at the memorial Tommy made?” she asked. 

Juliet stilled the nervous tapping of her foot and swallowed awkwardly. 

“I’m really sorry about your kids,” Juliet murmured as she wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans, feeling her heart grow heavy for the woman who stood behind her.

“It’s okay,” Maria replied, in her usual even tone, “and kid… just Kevin.” 

Another apology almost slid from Juliet’s mouth but her confusion held her tongue. She hadn’t realised that Tommy was once a father -

“Sarah was Joel’s daughter.” 

Juliet’s breath caught in her throat. 

Joel had a child? A child who died? 

Every interaction they’d ever had, every cold word from his mouth, and every sad look in his eyes flew through Juliet’s mind. Her heart had dropped to her stomach and a cold chill ran down her spine. 

She wasn’t sure how to process this information.

He never said anything. Never even hinted at the loss he’d suffered. But as the realisation washed over her, Juliet realised that he had. It was written all over his face; in the hard line between his eyebrows; in the deep grooves around his mouth, echoing a memory of a time when laughter came easily to him. 

“Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything…” Maria said hesitantly. 

“No,” Juliet heard herself say, “thanks for telling me.” 

Her heart ached for Joel and there was nowhere to put the feelings inside her chest. She couldn’t go to him, she couldn’t talk to him about it. 

Juliet was left to reevaluate everything she knew about Joel as inches upon inches of her hair continued to fall on the floor around her feet.

…………………..

Juliet’s steps were sudden and heavy as she ran up the stairs to her bedroom. It was strange, she thought, not feeling the weight of the last few years swinging around her face. 

Juliet’s hair now fell just below her shoulders and she wasn’t sure how to feel about it. When she reached her room, she headed straight for the floor length mirror balancing on the wall near her window. Her chin tilted upwards as she admired the way her hair moved.

This was a good thing, she decided. A new start. 

Maybe, when she went for her next haircut, there wouldn’t be as much baggage to remove. 

Her heartbeat quickened as she turned towards her very vacant closet, remembering the dance that rapidly approached and her complete lack of an outfit. 

Juliet had been at Maria’s longer than she realised, and the sky was fading into a worrying dark blue as the minutes ticked by. 

Her fingers flicked between the hangers in her closet but her mind was elsewhere. 

Joel had lost his daughter. 

She couldn’t even imagine the pain.

Her grief for her father was a dark, guilt drenched lump in her throat that choked her whenever her mind drifted his way. 

Her grief wasn’t a byproduct of her love for him; it was an aftermath of her fear. 

Juliet didn’t miss her father. She was still afraid of him. 

But Juliet knew that Joel’s grief was different. It made sense now, why his protective instincts ran so deep, and why his eyes were black wells of sorrow and remorse. 

Joel’s grief for his daughter was a smouldering fire. It burned hot and, though its flames dwindled, it never went out. 

It made sense, that Joel had lost someone.

This whole time, when she witnessed the haunted look in his eyes, Juliet had assumed it was Tess. Maybe Joel regretted letting her go, maybe there was another woman who he still felt the loss of.

But it was deeper than that. 

Maria’s reveal was the final piece in the very complicated puzzle of Joel Miller. 

Joel was dark and messy and haunted. And, finally, Juliet understood why. 

Juliet unhooked a hanger from her wardrobe. On it was the only dress in her possession, one gifted to her from Charlotte. 

It was long, falling below her knees, and it hugged her body in a way that made Juliet’s cheeks flush. The straps were thin, barely holding the dress up. 

But the best part, in Juliet’s opinion, was the colour. It was a combination of various shades of dark red, all merged together.

It was perfect. 

Juliet slipped the dress on and walked back over to her mirror, reaching to tuck her shortened hair behind her ears.

She barely recognised herself, and the thought was a welcome one. 

The sky was black, and Juliet knew it was time to go. Charlotte’s threats were not to be taken lightly. 

Her steps down the stairs were softer, nervous even.

He would be there. At the dance. 

The hairs on her bare arms raised at the thought of Joel’s eyes finding her in this dress. Then she blinked suddenly, erasing the image in her mind.

No. Joel had hurt her. She couldn’t think of him that way anymore. 

Juliet shook her head and reached for her boots, lacing them up as she sat on the bottom step. 

Juliet’s feelings towards Joel were so tangled up, it was becoming impossible to unravel them all. And, now, finding out something so devastating about him just added another thread to the mess. 

She stood and walked towards the front door, where her jacket hung from a hook. Its dark green canvas material still smelled like him. Juliet had to stop herself from lifting it to her nose. 

It was worrying her that the thought of seeing Joel brought with it the feeling of butterflies in her stomach. Or were they moths? Churning around in the memory of the way Joel had once made her feel. 

As Juliet put her arms through the sleeves, and savoured the warmth it brought, she realised that slowly her anger towards Joel had begun to fade. 

He didn’t want her, and that hurt. But the bitterness within her had lessened. 

In its place, were recurring waves of sadness and disappointment. 

Joel didn’t want her, and it hurt; it left that deep, dark hole in her chest surrounded by a graveyard of misguided expectations. 

Joel didn’t want her. But she was still here. She was still surviving. 

Juliet would repeat those words at the dance, reminding herself that Joel didn’t have space in his haunted heart for her. And she would have to let him go. 

………………………………

The door creaked when she entered, but no one heard.

The mess hall had been entirely transformed. The seats were pushed to the side to make room for couples to dance. There were even more twinkly lights than usual, covering every wall. Candles covered every surface, and a band was set up on a makeshift stage, playing an upbeat song. 

Juliet let the door close behind her as she stood in awe, watching as people laughed and twirled and drank. 

“You made it,” Ethan beamed beside her, pulling Juliet in for a hug. 

Juliet circled her arms around Ehtan’s back, breathing a sigh of relief at his warm familiarity. 

“You’re okay,” he whispered in her ear and then pecked a kiss on her cheek before he let go, straightening his back and looking down at her. 

Juliet nodded, and a real smile started to twitch at the corners of her mouth. 

“Charlotte will be glad to see you, she almost had a search party out,” Ethan said teasingly, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows.

Juliet scoffed. “I’m like two minutes late.” 

Ethan laughed and lifted his eyes, nodding as another person approached.

“Your jacket, miss?” Matt requested in what Juliet had been told was a french accent, a very bad version of it she assumed, and raised his arm, waiting. 

Juliet’s eyes hit the ceiling as she shrugged off her coat and placed it in Matt’s arms. She felt her cheeks warm as the cold hit her bare arms but she straightened her back and tilted her chin up, making an effort to not be embarrassed. 

Matt blew out a low whistle as he tugged her jacket under his arm. 

“You cut your hair,” Ethan breathed, lifting a hand to tug at the chopped length.

“Yeah,” she replied, darting her eyes between her two friends, “just felt like a change.” 

“You look beautiful,” Matt said roughly after a long moment. 

Ethan cut Matt a sharp look and tilted his head towards the sea of people gathered around the tables. “Come on,” he urged. 

Juliet looked up at Matt who gave her a wink and a teasing smile, then settled his free hand on the small of her back and led her through the crowd of people. 

“You’re here!” Charlotte screamed into Juliet’s ear as she pulled her in for a hug. “Your hair! And that dress! I was right, it looks amazing on you.”

Juliet felt her cheeks redden even more and she pulled back from the hug, allowing her eyes to drift down Charlotte’s outfit. 

“You look gorgeous,” she told her friend earnestly. 

Soon, the four of them settled down at a table with drinks in their hands. Juliet winced slightly as she tipped the whiskey to her lips and felt it burn as it went down her throat. It wasn’t the taste that bothered her, more the memory of it. 

Juliet couldn’t help it, after a moment she began to drift away from the conversation as her eyes searched for familiar broad shoulders and grey speckled brown hair. 

She convinced herself she wasn’t disappointed when there was no sign of him. It was a relief she felt, of course. 

Juliet’s focus returned to the table just in time for Matt to share another embarrassing patrol story. 

“I told her not to go in, but she did it anyway,” Matt explained, raising his hands as his mouth stretched further to accommodate his beaming smile. 

Juliet covered her mouth as Charlotte and Ethan’s eyes swung her way. 

“Admit it,” she demanded, turning back to face Matt, “you were just scared.” 

He barked out a laugh and took another long sip of his whiskey. “If that’s true, what about that -”

Matt was cut off by Charlotte’s excited scream. 

“I love this song!” she screeched, reaching for Ethan’s hand and dragging him to his feet, “we have to go dance.” 

Charlotte led Ethan to the dancefloor, and Juliet watched as their fingers quietly interlaced in the space between them. 

When her gaze returned to Matt, he was looking at her with a curious expression but chose not to voice his thoughts. 

If Charlotte and Ethan had something between them, Juliet was happy for them. She left her feelings for Ethan behind a long time ago, and their friendship had transformed over the last couple months; becoming more mature and grounded on something other than their mutual fear. 

“Wanna join them?” Matt asked, nudging his head in the direction of the couples dancing. 

Juliet was ready to shake her head but the look in his eyes was so hopeful that she couldn’t bring herself to say no. 

Instead, Juliet reached for her glass and swallowed the remainder of whiskey, then nodded sharply and rose from her seat. 

Matt laughed in response, reaching suddenly for her hand as they made their way to the floor. The music had settled slightly, it was smoother, slower and she watched as the couples around them began to sway. 

Matt looked down at her, sweeping his gaze all the way down her dress and back up to meet her eyes. Then his hand wrapped around her middle and his fingers spread out across her back. In one sudden movement, he pushed and their chests were flush and his other hand was entwined with her own. 

Juliet’s heart started to race. This was unexpected, she hadn’t been this close to someone since…

Thankfully, the alcohol drowned out most of her nerves and Juliet pushed away all traitorous. 

As they moved to the music, Juliet’s chin tipped up to admire the lights hanging above them. They looked like stars falling above their heads, and Juliet noticed the small reflections in Matt’s eyes. 

Matt’s warm expression quickly shifted as his eyes latched onto something behind her, his eyebrows began to furrow and he tightened the hold on her hand. Then slowly, he bent to whisper in her ear.

“What’s got into him?” he murmured. 

Juliet knew who it was before she turned her head. There was that awareness on the back of her neck again, warning her that something dangerous, someone dangerous, was watching her.

Still, her head swung with such speed her hair whipped around her. 

There, leaning against the bar, was Joel. 

The first thing Juliet noticed was his green shirt, and the few buttons open at the top. 

The second thing she noticed was the murderous intention in his eyes.

He watched her like a serial killer stalking his next victim. His eyes didn’t stray from her face, not even as Matt tapped her cheek to pull her attention back to him. 

Juliet was caught. 

And the wound in her chest poured open again.

If he didn’t care, if he didn’t want to be with her… Why look at her that way? Why demand her attention? 

“Juliet? Are you okay?” Matt asked, concern seeping into his voice.

“Yes,” she answered quickly, finally pulling her attention away from the man who was still watching her. 

“Yeah I have no idea what’s up with him,” she laughed nervously, settling her hand back into Matt’s. 

Matt looked back over at Joel then down at Juliet. “He looks like he’s gonna kill someone,” Matt said with a shocked laugh. 

Juliet’s responding giggle was a little too high to be believable. But, again, Matt was too nice to ask her about it. 

As the next song played, and they continued to dance, Juliet struggled to ignore Joel’s presence.

And she felt that anger start to churn in her gut again. 

“Sorry, I’ll just be a minute,” Juliet apologised to Matt in a voice that sounded very far away, unlatching their fingers as she began to march across the dancefloor to the man simmering at the bar. 

 Her footsteps faltered as she approached him, but Juliet kept her chin up, urging herself not to be intimidated by the rage in his eyes or the way he towered over her.

Within seconds Juliet stood in front of Joel Miller for the first time in a month.

She underestimated how much it would hurt.

His black eyes scanned every inch of her face with a feverish intensity. Juliet knew she had to say something before she lost her resolve.

She licked her lips and ignored the way Joel’s eyes followed her movement. 

“Is there a problem?” she demanded. 

Joel took a deep breath and the scowl on his face deepened as he crossed his arms over his chest. Juliet also ignored the way the material of his shirt stretched to accommodate the size of his biceps. 

“You cut your hair,” he said roughly, ignoring her question. 

Juliet’s fingers instantly reached to touch the blunt ends of her hair. 

“Is that why you’ve been staring at me?” she questioned, dropping her hand back to rest against her leg. 

Joel’s jaw shifted. “What are you doin’ with him?” he ground out, looking behind her before his eyes returned to her face. 

“Who? Matt?” she asked, confused. 

The smallest tilt of Joel’s was confirmation enough. 

“He’s my friend,” Juliet answered defensively, straightening her spine. 

Joel scoffed and reached a hand up to rub his jaw. 

“If that’s what you wanna call him,” he murmured under his breath as corners of his mouth curved into a sick smile.  

Rage shot through her, hot and fast. 

“What is it to you?” Juliet fumed. 

Joel’s expression hardened. 

“You need to be careful,” he warned, darkening his tone.

Juliet felt like she’d been slapped. Every interaction she’d had with Joel over the past two months had been strange, cryptic and insulting… and she was so sick of it. 

“Of what?,” she demanded, raising her hands in the hair, “of Matt?”

Joel said nothing; his silence was his answer. 

“Why?” Juliet urged, “because he might hurt me?” 

Her mouth took on a snarl. 

“I think I know who I should be careful of, Joel,” she seethed, breathlessly, “I think I know who might want to hurt me.”

Joel’s stone face flinched. 

Juliet stepped back, breathing heavy. She didn’t have anything left to say to him. 

It didn’t have to be like this between them. If Joel didn’t want her, they could have remained friends. But why did he have to keep pulling her back in, giving her signs that he might still feel something for her, only to stab her in the heart with his cruel comments time and time again? 

The music finally reached her ears again and Juliet wiped the tear from her cheek, moving to turn and return to her friend on the dancefloor and try to salvage the evening. 

But before she could take a step away from him, Joel’s strong fingers wrapped around her wrist, stilling all movements. 

Her face was turned away from him and she didn’t dare attempt to meet his eyes. So, Joel stepped forward until his front was flush with her back and dipped his head until his lips met her ear.

Juliet shivered as though the cold from outside had pushed through the walls. 

“Juliet,” he murmured against the shell of her ear. 

Her eyes closed as another tear leaked out. 

“I was wrong,” Joel whispered and every cell in Juliet’s body set alight. 

She gasped, waiting for him to say more… 

“Juliet, is everything okay here?” Matt’s voice was like a bucket of cold water thrown over her head. She wrenched away from Joel, pulling her arm free from him. 

“Everything’s fine,” she assured him, hoping he hadn’t noticed the crack in her voice.

Matt looked between them, unconvinced. 

Juliet reached for her friend’s hand, pointedly ignoring the feeling of Joel’s eyes on the back of her head. 

“I think Charlotte’s waving us over,” Juliet said quickly, pulling him in the direction of the dancefloor. 

The distance between her and Joel did nothing to slow her heartbeat or erase the sound of his words from her mind. 

“What was that about?” Matt asked when they finally stopped in the middle of the crowded floor. 

“Nothing,” she replied. Then before he could ask anymore questions, Juliet pulled him close and started moving to the music.

After a moment, Matt’s muscles relaxed and a smile returned to his face.

Juliet tried not to, but she turned and caught sight of Joel at the bar. He had one empty whiskey glass in front of him, and another one at his lips. 

She flinched as she heard that second glass hit the wooden surface of the bar with the force of Joel’s hand. 

…………………………

Hours later, the world had grown a little blurry. 

The four of them were back at the table, laughing over some joke that wouldn’t have been funny in the light of day. Juliet’s arm was slung over Charlotte’s shoulders as they watched Matt and Ethan arm wrestle. 

Juliet had drunk enough to dull the memory of Joel’s lips against her ear, and she had managed to continue the evening as normal, as though Joel hadn’t reignited some hope in her chest that was bound to cause her even more misery. 

The lights looked brighter overhead somehow, and Juliet’s chin kept tilting up to watch them flicker. 

In the corner of the hall, she heard a christmas carol being sung by a group of drunk men. For a quick second, the memory of Christmas with her father almost pulled her under… but then she looked in front of her, and watched as her friends began to join in. Their voices were loud and frighteningly out of tune, but they were joyful and they weren’t frightened. They were happy. 

Slowly, Juliet's quiet voice blended with theirs and a similar smile approached her face. She pulled Charlotte closer, and felt a strange rush of comfort flow through her. Maybe this was what it was like to have a family. 

When the song ended, everyone clapped and laughter rang throughout the hall. Juliet sat back against her seat with a true smile on her face.

Out of the corner of her eye, Juliet noticed Matt shift his chair closer to her and she felt his fingers brush across her hair. 

“You havin’ a good time?” he whispered in her ear.

Juliet turned to face him and their cheeks almost touched. Her breath caught in her throat. 

“Yeah, are you?” she choked out. 

He nodded against her hair, then he pulled back and gestured towards her empty glass. 

“Want another drink?” Matt asked. 

Juliet probably should have said no, she’d had more than enough. But looking around, it very much seemed like the night was still young. So, she smiled up at Matt and nodded. 

Matt winked back at her and told her he’d just be a minute as he lifted their empty glasses and left the table. 

Juliet leaned back in her chair and adjusted the straps of her dress, suddenly feeling a bit nervous. 

It wasn’t supposed to be like this between her and Matt. He’d always been flirty, yes, but Juliet had assumed it was just his personality. 

But under the christmas lights and the influence of alcohol, Juliet didn’t mind his casual touch and whispered words. 

Moments later, a woman’s scream cut through her thoughts.

Juliet’s head whipped around, and her view of the world tilted slightly. Her eyesight was diluted and she struggled to see what had caused a crowd to gather around the bar.

Juliet stood on shaky legs, readying herself to grab Charlotte and Ethan and run. 

Just as she turned to shout an order, Juliet spotted Tommy hauling someone away from the bar. 

It was Joel. 

His hair was drenched in sweat, and his curls were plastered to his head. Juliet’s mouth gaped in shock and she started moving, pushing through the crowd of people, desperate to see what had happened. 

But the blood on Joel’s knuckles told her more than enough. 

Matt crouched on the floor beside the bar with blood flooding from his nose. A woman passed him a towel and he held it to his face as his eyes closed in pain. 

Juliet’s ears were ringing in that high pitched sound. 

She should have crouched down with Matt, helped him clear the blood from his face, asked him what happened, and comforted him the best she could. 

But she didn’t. 

She couldn’t. 

Juliet turned before Matt caught sight of her in the crowd and she pushed against more people until she reached the exit of the mess hall, where Tommy had just dragged Joel seconds earlier. 

She didn’t even hear the sound of the door slamming against the wall as she kicked it open. The skin on her arms pebbled as soon as she stepped outside into the cold, but Juliet couldn’t feel it. 

Her head turned to find Joel slammed against the wall with Tommy’s hand on his chest. 

“Joel” Juliet shouted as she marched towards him. She didn’t even recognise her own voice. 

“Juliet?” 

Her name fell from Tommy’s lips and Joel’s eyes locked onto her. 

“Go back inside, I’ll be in in a second,” Tommy urged her, using his most commanding voice. 

Juliet could see the fear and worry in his eyes. Tommy loved his brother but knew that he couldn’t protect him from himself. 

“No,” she said loudly, “I need to speak with him.”

“Juliet this isn’t a good idea -”

“I’m not gonna hurt her,” Joel growled as he pushed against his brother. 

Tommy looked between them both. “You have two minutes.”

As soon as the door shut, Juliet launched herself at Joel. 

Her hands planted firmly on his shoulders and she pushed hard, backing him further into the wall behind him. 

The way his head rolled and the stink of his breath as it hit her nose told her that he was as drunk as her, drunker probably. 

“What the fuck was that?” she sneered. Juliet was breathless, fueled entirely by her own shock, confusion and anger. 

Joel said nothing, just started down at her with half open eyes. 

Juliet pushed him again, hard enough to hear a groan release from his lips. 

“Why would you do that!? He’s my friend, my patrol partner,” she demanded, the words spilling from her mouth in a breathless rush. “Why would you want to hurt him?” 

Joel straightened against the wall and Juliet’s hands fell to rest against his chest. The movement of her arms mirrored each breath he took. 

“He can’t protect you,” Joel murmured, tilting his chin down to meet her eyes. 

“What?” Juliet breathed. 

“On patrol,” he clarified, “he can’t protect you.” 

Juliet pulled back to search Joel’s face. Maybe this was some elaborate joke. She certainly felt like laughing.

But the look in his eyes told her that he was serious. And that just made her blood boil.

“I don’t need to be fucking protected Joel, don’t give me that,” she argued. 

Joel ground his jaw. His eyes were black holes, and Juliet couldn’t see what lurked in them. 

“Are you jealous?” Juliet whispered, terrified to even say the words. 

Joel pushed against her until Juliet was forced to take a step back. 

“Not fuckin’ jealous,” he seethed, then scoffed like it was a joke. “You’ve no idea what you’re talkin’ about.” 

Juliet flinched. 

“Then make me understand,” she begged, “because I can’t make sense of it anymore.”

Juliet paused, inhaling a deep breath and running a hand through her hair. 

“You don’t want to be with me,” she started, “I can understand that, that makes sense to me.” 

Her voice cracked and her eyes filled with tears, but she kept going.

“But why won’t you just leave me alone? You keep haunting me Joel, I can’t escape you,” Juliet sobbed, using her trembling hand to wipe her nose. 

Joel was silent, his face was wiped clean of any emotion. 

“Now you’re punching my patrol partner? What makes you think -”

Juliet’s words caught in her throat as Joel’s hands gripped her shoulders and spun her around, pushing her against the same wall he was up against only seconds earlier.

He planted his hands against the wall on either side of her head, crowding her with his body. 

“You wanna know why?” he murmured. Joel’s face was so close his breath warmed her cheeks. 

She couldn’t help herself, Juliet’s chin dipped in a nod almost instantly. 

“Because if it came down to it and a fuckin’ clicker was backin’ you up against a wall like this,” Joel pushed his chest against hers and Juliet gasped, “he would save himself, he wouldn’t save you.” 

Juliet’s mouth opened and closed but no words came out. Joel’s breathing had grown heavier and his hands curled into fists against the wall. 

“And you would?” Juliet asked, her voice barely above a whisper. 

Joel let out a humourless laugh and moved one of his hands to cup her cheek. Juliet was always surprised by how gentle his touch could be. 

“I’d let myself die to save you,” he vowed roughly, then shook his head slightly and moved his thumb against her cheek, “and I’d let other people die too if it ensured your safety.”

“He couldn’t say the same,” Joel finished in a low voice, his voice a growl against her skin. 

Juliet’s heartbeat roared in her ears. 

“What -” Juliet started, pausing to catch her breath, “what did you mean earlier? What were you wrong about?” 

Joel’s pupils flared and he swallowed rough. 

Juliet watched what looked like a thousand emotions pass through his eyes, and she held her breath, waiting desperately for his answer. 

“I was wrong to think I could stay away from you,” Joel explained in a voice like gravel. 

Juliet swore her heart stopped. 

Joel’s head dipped until his forehead pressed against her own. “I thought I could let you go,” he continued, “I thought it’d be better for you.” 

So many questions lingered on her tongue, but Juliet stayed quiet. 

“I was wrong,” Joel stated. “I can’t stay away from you.” 

“And seein you go behind the fence and havin’ to stay behind, not knowin’ if you’re okay,” he paused, pulling back to search her eyes, “it’s killin’ me, not being near you.”

“Then don’t stay away,” Juliet urged, her voice desperate, “be with me.”

Joel’s thumb moved to her lips, tracing the edge of her mouth. 

Juliet had laid her heart out on the table. It was broken and scarred, but it could be his, if he wanted it to be. 

His head shook ever so slightly and Juliet began to tremble. 

“I want to, god I want to,” he murmured, staring intensely at her lips, “but I’m not good for you, baby.” 

“Stop,” Juliet said suddenly, pushing against him. 

“I’m not a child,” she nearly screamed, “I decide what’s good for me, not you.” 

“We live in a fucked up world, and I know how to survive it. So do you. I don’t need to be protected from it, and I definitely don’t need to be protected from you,” the words rushed from her and Juliet was sick of censoring herself. “These past couple months I’ve been so angry at you, so angry, because you’ve taken my choice away. You decided that we shouldn't be together. If I want to be with you then that is my decision.”

Juliet’s heart beat so fast she was sure Joel could hear it. 

He stood a couple steps away, looking down at her with his mouth agape. 

Then suddenly, he took a step forward, and another one, until their bodies were flush again and his hands were on either side of her face. 

“I’m too old for you,” he cautioned. 

“I don’t care,” Juliet responded quickly, holding her ground. 

“I’m not who I was. I’m too slow and I -” 

“I don’t care,” she repeated, firmer this time. 

His eyes had grown glossy and Juliet pushed her heart towards him again, wondering if he’d take it this time. 

“You have no idea what you do to me,” he nearly growled. 

“Show me,” she whispered, then held her breath. 

Joel’s mouth was on hers not even a second later. His hand curled around the back of her neck as he tilted her face up to meet his. 

Juliet responded instantly, gripping his shirt with her fingers, moaning into his open mouth, trembling under his touch.

“You’re mine,” he murmured against her skin when his lips moved to her neck. “Not lettin’ you go again,” Joel vowed. 

She pulled harder against his shirt, needing him closer. Joel must have felt the same because his hands slid down to her waist and his fingers curled against her, tugging at the fabric of her dress. 

“So goddamn beautiful,” he growled in her ear when his hands found the end of the dress and feverishly began to climb up her thigh. 

Joel’s lips suddenly wrenched from her skin when the door to the mess hall opened and a group of people spilled out, laughing and singing. 

Joel gripped Juliet’s arm and pulled her into a dark corner, away from the lights in the street. 

A bucket of cold water had been thrown over them, but Joel didn’t look regretful. He looked down at Juliet like he was seeing her for the first time. His eyes were warm and hopeful. 

A cold wind blew around them and Juliet shivered, rubbing her arms. 

“Where’s your jacket?” Joel demanded, instantly reaching to shelter her from the cold. 

“Inside,” she murmured against his chest. 

Joel groaned. “If I go back in there just now, think Tommy might just throw me out.” 

“Well, you did punch someone,” Juliet reminded him, and cringed as she remembered the look on Matt’s face. A fierce ball of guilt grew in her chest. 

Joel pulled back to give her a dark look, then he bent and tucked his arms under her legs, hauling her to his chest. 

“Hey!” she screeched.

“We better get you home then, before you freeze to death,” Joel deadpanned as he carried Juliet round the corner and onto the mainstreet, heading for their street. 

“This is completely unnecessary,” she argued, “I can walk.” 

Joel ignored her. Instead, choosing to tuck her closer to his chest. 

The lights that covered the mainstreet were gorgeous against the night sky, but Juliet couldn’t keep her eyes off Joel as he carried her all the way home, not even breaking a sweat. 

When her feet hit the ground, they were standing on her porch. Juliet looked up at him, disappointed that they weren’t at his. She didn’t even want to spend a night apart. 

“Don’t,” Joel whispered against the side of her head. “We’re gonna do this the right way.” 

Juliet rolled her eyes. “That’s not fair,” she groaned. 

“Get inside,” he ordered, “put a fire on, I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

Juliet watched him for a second, hoping he’d change his mind and throw her over his shoulder and they could resume what started on his couch almost two months ago. 

But no, Joel was being serious. 

Before she could stop herself, Juliet stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips. She felt his hands curl into fists by his side as he attempted to restrain himself from grabbing her. 

“Goodnight, Joel,” she whispered as she turned the handle to her house.

For the first time in a long time, Juliet left him without fear that it would be forever. 

……………………….

Her mind repeated her conversation with Joel as she unlaced her boots. With each movement of her fingers, Juliet’s smile grew. 

Joel wanted her. 

It wasn’t all in her head. 

Juliet climbed the stairs quickly, desperate to take off her dress and get into bed. As she lay in the dark she would replay every second of her kiss with Joel. 

But as soon as her foot hit the top step she remembered something. 

“Urghhhhh,” Juliet groaned as she dropped her head in her hands. 

She’d forgotten to look for Charlotte’s vhs tapes, and Juliet told her she’d have them to her in the morning. 

It was fine, Juliet knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway. 

For the next hour, as the alcohol faded from her bloodstream, Juliet searched high and low for the box of tapes Tommy had sworn were in his house. Sweat dampened her forehead and Juliet was growing tired. But she couldn’t disappoint Charlotte. 

As she walked along the downstairs hallway, Juliet realised there was one place she hadn’t checked: the basement. 

Her feet paused outside the door. 

Juliet had yet to step foot in the basement of her new home, terrified that it might in some way resemble her father’s. 

Time seemed to slow as her eyes traced the pattern on the door handle, and her mind debated what to do. 

She could wait for Ethan to get home and ask him to check. He would do it, of course. 

But Juliet was sick of living with this fear all the time. She wanted what Charlotte had spoken about. She wanted closure. Maybe walking into this perfectly safe basement would grant her that. Maybe she’d realise that her father was truly gone and that she didn’t have to be afraid of these things anymore. 

Despite her best intentions, Juliet’s fingers still trembled as she reached for the handle. She paused before the door opened, breathing deep as she attempted to calm her racing heartbeat. 

If she wanted to move on with her life, she had to do this. 

She needed closure. She wanted closure. 

Juliet’s wrist turned and the door popped open, releasing a draft of cold air that settled on her skin. 

She shivered but fought against the chill. 

Juliet squared her shoulders and walked through the doorway. Her fingers felt against the wall for a lightswitch but she realised soon that there wasn’t one. 

She nearly turned back. 

But Juliet knew that she had to do this. 

She tried not to count the steps as she walked down them. This wasn’t her father’s basement, she didn’t need to do that anymore. 

When she reached the bottom step, Juliet took a deep breath, ignoring the dust that settled on her tongue. 

The light from the hallway upstairs allowed her to see somewhat okay, and Juliet felt confident moving forward towards the row of boxes against the back wall. 

Her fear settled with every step she took, and Juliet was beginning to realise that she had no reason to be afraid. Maybe she was doing better than she thought. 

Juliet hit the floor before she even realised what had happened. 

Her hands flew out to protect her face, but her knee burned as she hit the hard ground.  

She must have tripped on something. 

But Juliet wasn’t worried about that. 

Her fall had sent adrenaline flowing through her body and, as she lay on the cold concrete ground, Juliet swore she saw her father standing over her. 

“No,” she whispered as she covered her eyes with her hands. 

When she opened them again, she wasn’t lying on the ground anymore. Instead, she sat in a metal chair in the middle of the room as a roaring fire illuminated the snarl on her father’s face. 

Her arms and legs were strapped down, she couldn’t move. 

This was the night her father died, before he had branded her, before Joel and Ethan had found her. 

This was the part of that night her brain wouldn’t let her remember…

Until now. 

Juliet struggled against her restraints as the memory choked her. 

“The world is not safe, Juliet ,” her father whispered, just inches from her face. Her name dropped from his lips like a curse. “There are demons, yes. Those infected monsters, with their peeling faces and sharp teeth. But there is worse out there. Hunters, raiders who crawl the country, killing and gutting people with no remorse -” 

Elijah cut himself off with a heavy sigh, then his words became frenzied. “I kept you here, I kept you safe from that. I kept you safe because you are my property, you are mine to protect. And I will not lose another daughter to -” 

He stopped, letting go of her wrists immediately. The blood rushed back into them and Juliet began to feel her fingers again, but that relief was the furthest thing from her mind. 

Another daughter? 

Her father staggered back another few steps, he looked horrified. His mask slipped right off his face as he said those words, now he struggled to put it back on. He wiped a hand over his forehead and when he brought it back down, the horror was gone. He was seething, his whole body moved with the force of his brutal breaths. 

“What do you mean, another daughter?” Juliet whispered, but her voice sounded far away. 

Her father flinched. Juliet was unsure if what she was experiencing was real, or a dream. Maybe she passed out when he hit her, maybe this was all in her imagination. Because her father’s bravado had never faltered, and yet here he stood before her, visibly flinching at her words. 

Elijah started to pace in front of Juliet’s chair, his steps brisk and savage. Juliet’s mind was still clouded, so it took her a few seconds to realise he was mumbling to himself. 

Then he stopped, turning to face Juliet. He looked like he was arguing with himself, he was losing control, unravelling right in front of her. For the first time since she could remember, Juliet looked at her father and saw weakness staring back at her. 

“Your parents couldn’t protect you, sweet Juliet,” he began. His eyes had a detached look in them, like he wasn’t really standing in front of her. 

Juliet swore her heart stopped at his words.

“They didn’t have what it took to survive. They didn’t have the determination to keep you safe,” Elijah continued, raising his bible in the air as he spoke.

Nausea washed over her. 

“I saved you. I saved you from them . And then I spared them any more suffering.”

He paused to inhale a deep breath, as though his words were suffocating him. But he wasn’t finished. 

“You looked so much like her, with your brown eyes and curls. And your cry, when your parents died, God, it sounded so much like her’s.”

Juliet didn’t know how much more of this she could take, the nausea was overpowering her. 

“I knew at that moment that you were mine, that you were my second chance. I could take you in, protect you, make sure you were never taken from me. Never stolen away.”

The ringing in Juliet’s ears returned, and she leaned forward and vomited all over the floor. 

Juliet was shaking when she returned to her body, when the firm grip of her memory released her. Every inch of her body trembled. 

She lay on the ground staring at the ceiling, like she had done so many times in her father’s basement. 

But he wasn’t her father. Was he? 

Juliet couldn’t figure out if her mind was playing tricks on her, or had it been trying to protect her this whole time by shielding her from this memory.

He wasn’t her father, not truly. 

The man who had hit her, suffocated her, branded her, kept her locked up for days, weeks at a time… wasn’t actually her father. 

He had kidnapped her.

Juliet felt a similar nausea rise in her at that moment. 

Her real parents were dead. 

She began to crawl on her hands and knees towards the stairs, ignoring the blood trailing in her wake. Her knee wasn’t broken but the skin was burst. 

But Juliet felt no pain. Her mind was too consumed by its own horror. 

She had to get out of here. Juliet reached the stairs and, by some miracle, stumbled up them and closed the basement door. She leaned against it, ensuring it was closed and that nothing else down there could hurt her. 

Her body felt like it was shutting down.

Her whole life, Juliet had wondered if she was like her father. They shared blood, after all, how could they be different? She lay awake at night, terrified for the day she would become like him. 

She gasped out a choked sob when she realised that everything she knew was a lie. 

He was a madman, a psychopath. And she was his victim. 

Juliet slid down the door when her legs gave out on her. 

She’d had parents, real parents who might have loved her. Did other people know? In her father’s community surely people would have questioned him when he returned with an infant who he had no relation to. Wouldn’t they? 

Someone there had to know where she came from. Someone in her father’s community had to know the truth about her. 

Juliet’s mind was racing and her blood roared in her ears as she stood on trembling legs. 

She couldn’t stay here, in Jackson. Juliet needed closure, she craved it now. 

It was the only thought in her mind as she sped up the stairs and changed into the clothes she usually wore for patrol. Ten minutes later, her bag was packed and her boots were laced. 

Juliet thought of nothing but a hazy imaging of her parents. She flinched every time her father’s face entered her mind, gloating about the way he had killed them. 

She would go back there and find out who her parents had been and where she came from, then she would return with the closure she so desperately needed. Juliet would move on, she would be with Joel, everything would be okay. 

Some distant part of her brain screamed at her to slow down, to think things through, to sleep on it. Her muscles urged her to change her mind, to tell someone, to stop being so reckless. 

But how could she tell someone what raged in her mind? No one would understand. 

Juliet had just learned that she wasn’t actually destined to become her father’s daughter, she was never supposed to have been raised by him, never supposed to have been hurt by him. 

She had been stolen, her fate had been altered. 

And so she had to steal it back. 

………………………….

The streets were dead as she raced through them. Most of the town’s residents were still at the dance, leaving the path to the stables clear of any onlookers. 

Juliet kept her mind focused on her task. She couldn’t allow herself to think of anything else, anyone else. She would come back, she knew the way. 

The stables appeared before her quicker than she had expected but Juliet didn’t allow any fear to enter her body. She sprinted to her horse, apologising to her as she readied her for travel. 

Juliet could feel wet tears on her cheeks but she ignored them. 

Her horse was almost ready when she heard the stable doors open. 

Juliet kicked her bag out of sight and planted herself against the wall as she held her breath. 

Irritation pulsed through her. Every delay was another second where she didn’t know the truth about herself. 

Juliet gasped when a face appeared before her. 

A very angry face. 

“What the hell do you think you’re doin’?” he demanded, breathing heavy. 

“Joel,” Juliet whispered.

_______________________________

@amyispxnk @casa-boiardi @http-paprika @shotgun-shelby @weeping-werewolf @mysaviorjoelmiller @chlojoceycom

[tetsunabouquet]

Can you write a headacanons of Carstairs Fam? Where they have one more child beside Mina and Kit? 🤍

-Considering Mina as kidnapped when she was young, I imagine Jem would be even more vigilant when they have their third child. -Which is also why shortly after their third child as born, they adopted a puppy of a big breed so it could grow up into their guard dog. -Their guard dog acts like the dorky side-kick to Irene whenever Ty is coming over. It was very amusing to watch Irene teach their dog some basic hunting skills with an expression that seemed to say, 'Just how stupid are you?' -Kit remains protective older brother towards the two. Precisely because his father failed him, Kit's fearful of all things that could go wrong and just wants them to grow up happy. -Their third child is obviously yet another nod to the people they lost. They decided that it would be named Henry if it were a boy, and Charlotte if it were a girl because they really were like parents to Will, Tessa and Jem. -Both Kit and Jem have allowed Mina to do their hair and paint their nails, with Tessa just watching on incredibly amused. If there is one perk about the advancement of beauty products and hair accesoires in the modern era, its certainly this if you ask Tessa. She made plenty of pictures to ensure she remembers these moments forever. -Tessa became quite the photo-taker. Because her first family already died of old age, she knows the heartbreak what's going to await her once they died of old age, so she tries very hard to enjoy the moments whilst they last and prepare herself for once Jem and the kids are gone. -With Kit being a Herondale, he ended up being recruited for his school's soccer team even though he doesn't really cares for the sport. He honestly sees it as a way to have more time to socialize and learn how to be more like a British teenager. Somewhere, a certain Ashdown boy is incredibly jealous, but Kit remains unaware. -Kit always plays soccer with the Lightwood-Bane boys whenever they're coming over. -Mina as an older sister and middle child would generally be the one to explain what Kit, Tessa and Jem think whenever they try to tiptoe around their fears temming from their various traumas in a language the little one can understand. She really takes after Tessa's mature and wise nature and understands why they can sometimes act overprotective or seem to fear things like interacting with the Fair folk. -Because Mina was so young, she doesn't remember being kidnapped and has no reaction outside for the strange urge to start crying when someone brings it up. Kit is very grateful that she doesn't remember it. -Speaking of memories, something Kit would frankly like to forget are the lyrics to Baby Shark. He had to sing it so often to Mina and the baby, that he can sing the entire song even years later. He really hopes Jem was right that all children's songs blurr together through the sands of time. -Whilst Kit and their youngest isn't too musically inclined, Jem was happy to take notice that Mina enjoyed listening to the violin, and learnt her to play when she was old enough. -The Herongraystairs family have attended many a violin performance at the local music theater showcases where young talent would perform. One time, Jem could have sworn he saw the fleeting ghost of Will watching Mina's performance from the back of the theater. -Obviously that wasn't the only time where Will's spirit has been spying on the Herongraystairs family, as he watches over them all the time.

[crazyunsexycool]

Honey Bee using Steve's Shield like a toy!

She sits on it and spins until she feels dizzy, she uses it to slide down slopes, like a sledge, she puts it on her back and crawls all over the house like a turtle. She paints on it to make it prettier.

Tony saw this and made her a shield! It was customized based on bee's demand!

I love Bee getting spoiled just like the Barnes kids….

Bee’s-Steve’s Shield

Bee playing with Steve’s shield would include:

She loves putting it on her back and crawling around like a turtle. The first time it happened it was a bit too heavy for her so she kind of collapsed. Honey and Steve spent a few very terrified minutes looking for her before realizing that the shield shouldn’t be laying in the middle of the floor. Bee was all giggles when she was flipped over.

Bee also has a knack to use it as a basket. She’ll put all of the toys she wants to use for the day in it and drags it out of her room and into the living room. Steve has lost count the amount of times he’s found the shield under a pile of stuffies.

Bee used it as a mixing bowl once. She poured her cereal into it and tried to eat it out of there. Honey got to her on time.

With the help of Henry and Charlotte Bee has filled it with water and poured it over Sam as a prank.

When she was small enough Honey actually hired a photographer to do a session of baby Bee on the shield and with Steve’s dog tags. There’s one picture where she’s all wrapped up in a blanket and taking a nap in the shield. She’s recreated that one a few times.

Bee has convinced auntie B to move the shield around with her abilities. Now Bee sits in the shield while auntie B flies her around outside.

Bee and Lottie make the shield prettier by painting it and adding glitter to it.

The kids take turn sitting in the shield and spinning each other until they’re too dizzy to walk straight.

After a snow storm Bee will insist on wearing her winter gear and heading outside. The shield comes with her of course. She fills it with lopsided snowballs and no one is safe! She also loves to use it as a sled. Don’t worry though, auntie B is there to control it and make sure Bee doesn’t get hurt.

The shield is such an important part of Bee’s early childhood that when Steve finally gives it up in order to retire Tony has to make her a new one. He lets her customize it however she wants and what do you think she chooses? A little honey bee wearing a captain america suit in honor of her daddy. She won’t forget her momma though, there’s another honey bee wearing a lab coat and protective glasses of course.

[atlanticwrapsnc]

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[fool-counter]

Chapter 3

Chapter

Chapter 3("Chapter 3")

AN: STOP FLAMMING DA STORY PREPZ OK! odderwize fangs 2 da goffik ppl 4 da good reveiws! FANGS AGEN RAVEN! oh yeah, BTW I don't own dis or da lyrics 4 Good Chralotte.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

On the night of the concert I put on my black lace-up boots with high heels. Underneath them were ripped red fishnets. ThenI put on a black leather minidress with all this corset stuff on the back and front. I put on matching fishnet on my arms. I straightened my hair and made it look all spiky. I felt a little depressed then, so I slit one of my wrists. I read a depressing book while I waited for it to stop bleeding and I listened to some GC. I painted my nails black and put on TONS of black eyeliner. Then I put on some black lipstick. I didn't put on foundation because I was pale anyway. I drank some human blood so I was ready to go to the concert.

I went outside. Draco was waiting there in front of his flying car. He was wearing a Simple Plan t-shirt (they would play at the show too), baggy black skater pants, black nail polish and a little eyeliner (AN: A lot fo kewl boiz wer it ok!).

"Hi Draco!" I said in a depressed voice.

Hi Ebony." he said back. We walked into his flying black Mercedes-Benz (the license plate said 666) and flew to the place with the concert. On the way we listened excitedly to Good Charlotte and Marilyn Manson. We both smoked cigarettes and drugs. When we got there, we both hopped out of the car. We went to the mosh pit at the front of the stage and jumped up and down as we listened to Good Charlotte.

"You come in cold, you're covered in blood They're all so happy you've arrived The doctor cuts your cord, hands you to your mom She sets you free into this life." sang Joel (I don't own da lyrics 2 dat song).

"Joel is so fucking hot." I said to Draco, pointing to him as he sung, filling the club with his amazing voice.

Suddenly Draco looked sad.

"What's wrong?" I asked as we moshed to the music. Then I caught on.

"Hey, it's ok I don't like him better than YOU!" I said.

"Really?" asked Draco sensitively and he put his arm around me all protective.

"Really." I said. "Besides I don't even know Joel and he's going out with Hilary fucking Duff. I fucking hate that little bitch." I said disgustedly, thinking of her ugly blonde face.

The night went on really well, and I had a great time. So did Draco. After the concert, we drank some beer and asked Benji and Joel for their autographs and photos with them. We got GC concert tees. Draco and I crawled back into the Mercedes-Benz, but Draco didn't go back into Hogwarts, instead he drove the car into... the Forbidden Forest!

Chapter 3

Chapter

Chapter 3("Chapter 3")

AN: STOP FLAMMING DA STORY PREPZ OK! odderwize fangs 2 da goffik ppl 4 da good reveiws! FANGS AGEN RAVEN! oh yeah, BTW I don't own dis or da lyrics 4 Good Chralotte.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

On the night of the concert I put on my black lace-up boots with high heels. Underneath them were ripped red fishnets. ThenI put on a black leather minidress with all this corset stuff on the back and front. I put on matching fishnet on my arms. I straightened my hair and made it look all spiky. I felt a little depressed then, so I slit one of my wrists. I read a depressing book while I waited for it to stop bleeding and I listened to some GC. I painted my nails black and put on TONS of black eyeliner. Then I put on some black lipstick. I didn't put on foundation because I was pale anyway. I drank some human blood so I was ready to go to the concert.

I went outside. Draco was waiting there in front of his flying car. He was wearing a Simple Plan t-shirt (they would play at the show too), baggy black skater pants, black nail polish and a little eyeliner (AN: A lot fo kewl boiz wer it ok!).

"Hi Draco!" I said in a depressed voice.

Hi Ebony." he said back. We walked into his flying black Mercedes-Benz (the license plate said 666) and flew to the place with the concert. On the way we listened excitedly to Good Charlotte and Marilyn Manson. We both smoked cigarettes and drugs. When we got there, we both hopped out of the car. We went to the mosh pit at the front of the stage and jumped up and down as we listened to Good Charlotte.

"You come in cold, you're covered in blood They're all so happy you've arrived The doctor cuts your cord, hands you to your mom She sets you free into this life." sang Joel (I don't own da lyrics 2 dat song).

"Joel is so fucking hot." I said to Draco, pointing to him as he sung, filling the club with his amazing voice.

Suddenly Draco looked sad.

"What's wrong?" I asked as we moshed to the music. Then I caught on.

"Hey, it's ok I don't like him better than YOU!" I said.

"Really?" asked Draco sensitively and he put his arm around me all protective.

"Really." I said. "Besides I don't even know Joel and he's going out with Hilary fucking Duff. I fucking hate that little bitch." I said disgustedly, thinking of her ugly blonde face.

The night went on really well, and I had a great time. So did Draco. After the concert, we drank some beer and asked Benji and Joel for their autographs and photos with them. We got GC concert tees. Draco and I crawled back into the Mercedes-Benz, but Draco didn't go back into Hogwarts, instead he drove the car into... the Forbidden Forest!

fool count: 16

quickly! someone submit chapter 2!

[the-bar-sinister]

Deicide: Red Shift (53912 words) by VickytheSnake, thesavagesabretooth Chapters: 12/?

Summary: A mysterious signal is drawing ships across the Grand Line to a place called Elegia for the first ever concert by the rising star singer, Uta. Following the signal are Cross Guild and fallen emperor Shanks, the Charlotte family, the Donquixote Pirates and the shattered remnants of Law's crew, and Kid's crew, and Cavendish and Bartolomeo.

And the Straw Hats and their captain Luffy, who hasn't seen Uta since they were both little children at their idol Shanks' knee.

Perhaps this meeting was ordained by fate. Perhaps, in the end, there was only ever one tragic outcome possible.

But Luffy has other plans.

catch up here

-

"Well I can't find anything wrong with her," Caesar said. He gestured to Chopper. "And you can't find anything wrong with her. And Law couldn't find anything wrong with her. Ergo, my diagnosis is a panic attack of some kind. Which we can't confirm until she wakes up."

Caesar Clown had never expected to be within spitting distance of the Donquixote family again, much less to be examining one of the family. And yet, here he was.

Chopper's eyes fixed on the unconscious VIolet with worry. "It's got to be some sort of panic attack—she doesn't appear to be in any danger, but, it's weird isn't it? Caesar, she used to be so…so, you know—"

"Composed?" Caesar guessed, making a face. He hadn't spent a great deal of time around her, but he had spent some, and she certainly had a reputation. "Yes, anything that could rattle her is– eugh. I don't like to think about it. What was it she said before she went down?"

She wasn't even unconscious now. If she had been unconscious that would have been something to worry about. She was just, it seemed, asleep. Like her mind was protecting itself.

Chopper nodded at him, sitting by his side with a huff of breath. 

"She said something about how she was blind—perhaps her power was impeded? She also said something to the effect of 'this island', meaning Elegia—but then she fell asleep." The small reindeer man put his fingers to his chin with a frown. "---so maybe something about the island spooked her?" 

Caesar rubbed his neck, thinking about all the horrifying myriad possibilities of what could be wrong. What could send the all-seeing Violet into the quietude of sleep to save herself from the answer.

"Well that's just great," he croaked. "We have nothing to worry about, do we, Doctor Chopper?"

Chopper poked his fingers against his arm. "That's the opposite of what I'm saying!" he chided

Caesar pressed his fingers together and sighed, looking down at the precious little reindeer man doctor. "Yes, darling, I know, I was being sarcastic."

"I know that too!" Chopper stuck out his tongue. "You're ALWAYS sarcastic, it's one of the things I—"

There was a sudden knock at the door, and Sugar poked her head in with a thin smile. "Paging Doctor Caesar. Paging Doctor Chopper." 

Caesar swung around, clasping his hands tightly together as he painted on a wide, inviting smile. "Ahhh, Miss Sugar, pleasure to see you! What can I do for you?"

Chopper pulled down the rim of his hat, shifting himself up into a proper sitting position with a smile at the newcomer. "Oh ah…I remember you! Hello Miss Sugar, here to check on Vi?"

"Kinda!" Sugar snickered—there was something odd about her voice, and about the grin that parted her lips. "First—is Vi doing okay ? You think she's gonna pull through?" 

Caesar's nose wrinkled as he tried to place what seemed so odd about Sugar. Usually she was much quieter than this, admittedly. There was something familiar about her attitude.

"Why yes in fact, you can let dear Doffy know that Violet should be fine, as soon as she wakes up. There's nothing wrong with her so to speak, she just seems to have had a fright. Isn''t that right, Doctor Chopper?"

Chopper nodded with a little 'uh huh, uh huh, uh huh'. "That's right, Doctor Caesar. She had a sort of panic attack and her mind put herself to sleep for a bit. Once she wakes up—we'll have a better idea of just what happened."

"Cool, cool cool…" Sugar looked down at Violet with a fond smile before she tilted her head, as if listening to something "heh. Yeah…."

She turned her good eye to Caesar, seeming to stare him down for a long moment with a wistfulness to her expression. "Good to see you too, though. Doctor." 

Caesar frowned.There was definitely something off. He put his fingers together and pointed them at Sugar. "The pleasure's all mine. But, ah, if I may– you seem a trifle… how do I put this…"

He trailed off, hoping she'd fill in for him. Or maybe she'd just stare dismissively at him which would be much more normal for Sugar. For a moment she almost did seem normal—in that she was silent for a second with a half-lidded stare—before she flashed a lopsided grin and shrugged. "Not myself? Animated? Geeze, doc. You're going to hurt my feelings."

"Uh…" Chopper's brow furrowed. "I don't know Miss Sugar very well but—Usopp always made her out to be a little more—stoic?" 

"Exactly! Exactly both of you," Caesar nodded deeply as he stood and brushed his robes off. "Not to be er… impolite, Sugar, but I do admit I'm curious what's gotten into you! Is it drugs?"

Drugs seemed like the likely answer. Some of them could really put a pep in your step.

"Sugar doesn't usually take uppers," she responded. In the third person.

Caesar stared at her for a long moment, and tapped his fingers together thoughtfully. "Sugar also usually isn't cutesy enough to refer to herself in third person."

Poor Chopper was just glancing between them with an expression of growing concern. 

"Is…is she having an episode too?"

"Kinda," Sugar snickered. "And no, she isn't—I gotta say I was surprised to find out you'd joined up with the Straw Hats after everything, Doc. I mean, in your defense—they seem like a pretty cool bunch and all now that they're not trying to kill us." 

"They…. do, yes. I've found myself growing rather disgustingly fond of them. They grow on you like a fungus." Caesar set his jaw. He knew when he was being mocked. Or being teased. Sugar was playing some kind of game here, he just had to figure out what it was. Her manner of speaking, there was something familiar about it.

It reminded him of Sugar's sister, Monet. 

Caesar's dearly departed laboratory assistant on Punk Hazard.

He tapped his nail on his chin, thoughtfully.

"A pretty cute breed of fungus if we're going by your new assistant," Sugar grinned.

Chopper's ear flicked, and he huffed out a sweet, yet indignant. "Caesar's my assistant!" 

"That's right," Caesar drawled, his eyes narrowing at 'Sugar'. It was all semantics of course, but he still rankled somewhat about being ranked below Chopper. Not that Chopper wasn't a prodigious scientist, but it was the indignity of it. Luffy had insisted as a condition of his joining the crew– if there was a place for him in the Straw Hats it was as Chopper's 'assistant'. He cleared his throat. "I haven't had an assistant since Punk Hazard. Alas."

"Too bad, but maybe for the best," Sugar tapped the side of her nose. "The one you had was probably the best in the whole Grand Line~"

Chopper bumped his shoulder against Caesar with a questioning look. 

Caesar was growing more and more uncomfortable. Feeling more and more like he was being toyed with. He shrugged at Chopper with a dubious look, and his hand lingered on his horns as he turned his gaze back to Sugar.

"And what makes you say that?" he asked. A ridiculous possibility had entered his mind. Impossible. Farcical. 

But it felt like he was talking to Monet. 

He'd killed Monet. Very accidentally and very dead. 

If there was anything he felt bad about it was that. He really preferred to kill people intentionally. He had rather liked Monet.

"Because sometimes a girl's gotta be her own hype squad, even if it ain't through her own mouth." Sugar sniffed, a hand on her hip before she reached up and adjusted her monocle in a very familiar fashion—the back of the hand, as if she were using a wing.

Just like Monet used to after her wing transplant. 

Caesar's mouth fell open. He had lots of things to say, and more things to ask. First among them.

"Monet? How?" An idea came almost unbidden to his genius mind. Strangely enough there was someone with the Donquixote pirates that could put the personality of one person into the body of another. "Did Law do something?"

He didn't know how it was possible, but it was at least theoretically possible.

Monet's smile split Sugar's face as she leaned forward and into the room. 

"Kinda—though mostly I hitched a ride with Doffy and then my little sis when they buried me. The miracle of a bond between found family, I guess. Law confirmed it with his power and everything."

Chopper's eyes went wide. "Oh my gosh, you mean, you mean—you're TWO souls living in one body?" 

Caesar's eyes lit up. If Law had confirmed it then it meant it wasn't simply a delusion. It was a scientific miracle. He scrambled forward and grabbed Sugar's– Monet's– hands. 

"Oh this is fascinating! This has to be studied! Think of the research grants! Oh, and welcome back, Monet."

Monet laughed, before she pulled her hands out of his and gave him as big a hug as Sugar's arms could manage. 

"Still the same goddamned Caesar Clown, that's for sure! Even the Straw Hat pirates couldn't take that 'science first, tact second' mentality from ya! I missed you, you weird freak of nature!" 

-

This was a shitshow. A fucking SHITSHOW. 

Bonney couldn't overstate how absolutely FURIOUS she was ever since the concert she was so damned excited for went from a wonderful time with old friends to an absolute nightmare of problem after problem.

First came the staff—fanatical, music obsessed weirdos who accused them of interrupting 'the ceremony' and decried them as pirates only out to ruin Uta's concert. The stupid merchant that she'd de-aged had tipped them off, maybe—and they'd assailed them right in the middle of Uta's big act with fucking Straw Hat Luffy, of all people.

So they'd fled—and in fleeing? They ran into some weird, faceless freaks! Shuddering monstrosities that came out of the woodwork with uncanny eyeless faces and unpleasant smiles stretching across their faces under ramshackle armor shaped like musical notes.

These freaks—they were more tenacious than even the staff. Everywhere she, Kid and his crew of Wano girls, Basil and Killer, Bartolomeo and Cavendish went—they seemed to find them with a musical cackle and lances drawn.

It was absolute bullshit. They'd been eating! Watching the concert in peace! Gossiping, being HARMLESS, and then these pricks show up to ruin everything?

They'd escaped the festival grounds through several near misses, and wound up stumbling through an old section of the town. Old buildings, used but rarely so, provided plenty of cover as they fought a seemingly endless barrage of what must have been someone's devil fruit power.

When a whole slew of them appeared on the horizon, through one of the larger alleyways along with a bunch of those music-loving townies in tow—they'd backed into a large, old building and worked to fortify it for their last stand.

Who knew how long it was—how much time they'd wasted when they coulda been listening to Uta sing—but it was long enough for those freaky guardians to break through their defenses and drive them back again.

She'd used her new special technique (a form of variable aging on herself), along with Killer's ferocious blades and the deadly combined might of the Supernovas and their people to finally silence the lot of them long enough for them to find the passageway deeper into the earth.

It was exactly why they were all skulking about in the fucking musty, mildewy air of some fucking creepy passage through the underground of Elegia.

"Why the hell do they even have this thing?" she muttered bitterly. 

"Good fucking question," Kid grumbled. "Anybody know shit about this island?"

"It's off the log pose, captain" Killer answered.

"Great. Hawkins, any occult shit for us? Is this occult shit?" He gestured at the walls of the passageway, some areas of which did seem to have scribbles and scrawls carved deep into them.

Basil rubbed his chin with straw fingers as he leaned towards the wall with a soft 'hmm'.

"...they're inscriptions. Likely in relation to local religious practices. I'm afraid I'd have to study them for more information."

Speed trotted up alongside Bonney, within ear range of Kid and Killer. "Those staff guys seemed awfully excited about some 'ceremony' right? I mean. That's a weird way to put a music festival." 

"Damn fucking weird," Killer agreed with a nod.

A soft snort from Barto heralded his unsettled reply. "Man–I just came here for a good time and some music. Why'd they have to send the freak brigade after us?"

Bonney looked up at the ceiling instead of taking accountability for her own actions— besides, these bastards stole from the merchants too! 

"So they're religious—but that's not our problem. Our problem is the fact that they want to kill us for ripping off like— a handful of guys." 

"Certainly a disproportionate level of retribution!" Cavendish nodded. "Typically they only cut your hands off for things like that. In barbarian countries, anyway."

They came to the bottom of the stairwell, facing a dark, cavernous room.

Kiku hummed softly, looking towards the darkness beyond with her hand on her chin. "I must admit—this place is fascinating from a cultural standpoint. I've yet to see much of any culture outside my own. What's in this room?"

"Whatever it is, if it's more of those guys we'll kick their asses!" The short one—Otama? asserted as she punched her hand on her palm.

Bonney snickered quietly. "We sure will. Even if we're missing the concert for this shit—ugh. Let's push through huh? The sooner the better." 

"Does anyone have a light?" Cavendish asked. "I'd love to see more of this room…"

"Hang the fuck on," Kid grumbled. There was a tremble of power, and he walked over to the wall. Flicking a lighter, he lit a metal brazier that was ensconced there, and then another lit beside it, and another, until the room was well lit.

It was some kind of enormous library full of books and statues and scrolls. It wasn't well maintained though— some kind of ivy was growing over the stones.

"Oh!" Basil suddenly seemed rather animated as he walked further into the room with a crooked smile. "Captain, I hope you don't mind but I'm planning on investigating this room thoroughly."

Kiku chuckled quietly. "I'm going to help, if you don't mind."

"A library." Bonney's nose wrinkled. It wasn't like she didn't like libraries! She did—she used to love reading. But if she was being honest she was kind of hoping for a food storeroom or something.

"Not like we have anything fucking better to do," Kid said, throwing himself into one of the old chairs that were scattered around a big stone table. "Maybe if we wait a few hours they'll forget about it. Anybody who doesn't wanna hang around is free to leave."

Otama curiously poked around, brushing dust off an old mirror to peer inside it at her own reflection. "No way, Captain. I mean, this thing's gonna last for three days right? What's a few hours in a weird old archive?"

Barto stuck his hands in his coat pocket. "Shit that's a lotta books. Like a LOTTA books. Old as shit too."

With a shake of her head, Bonney eased her way over to plop down on the arm of Kid's chair with a huff. "I guess if we're going to kill a few hours we might as well read a bit, yeah?" 

-

The girl had pipes, that was for sure. Uta was a hell of a singer up there on the stage. Energetic, passionate, flashy—it was impossible not to like her as she sang her heart out on the stage—even if Buggy could read between the fucking lines on some of her songs.

There was an animal rage there, a genuine and powerful rage hidden under a candy-layer of twee. The others hadn't seemed to notice—hell, Shanks had a huge smile on his face with every word as he watched his daughter sing.

He really must have missed her. She'd just finished a song she called 'New Genesis' when she announced she'd be singing one of her 'big hits', Backlight. Buggy glanced sidelong at Crocodile and MIhawk.

Mihawk—per usual—seemed as utterly stoic as a gravestone. 

"She's amazing," Shanks said, for what had to be the thirtieth time. He was half draped over Buggy, his borrowed tropical shirt mostly open, showing his scarred, red haired chest, and a wine bottle dangling from his fingers.

"She's got balls, that's for sure." Crocodile wasn't nearly as stoic as Mihawk– Buggy had caught him smiling a little, even tapping his foot. But he wasn't drinking, and he'd gone through several cigars. Buggy could tell he considered this 'business', not pleasure.

Given the size of the projected marine fleet headed their way, he couldn't blame him. As fun as it was, at the end of the day this was gonna turn into a shitshow. He gave Crocodile a half smile before he looped his arm around Shanks.

"I'd say, she's one hell of a gal! And hey—that last song was pretty hopeful for an open declaration of uh—" antagonism? War? Against the world government. "You know…"

"An open declaration of rebellion against the World Government. The desire to shape 'her own era'. " Mihawk murmured. 

"And everyone listening to the broadcast heard it," Crocodile nodded.

"Can't imagine the world government's liking it much," Cabaji murmured. Buggy's swordsman was tense and alert. Much like Mihawk, he wasn't the type to loosen up in a situation like this. Buggy knew he was more comfortable with small gatherings and familiar people– for Cabaji, crowds meant work of one kind or another, though in the past they'd been the ones on stage.

"Probably not, but that's what we're here to help with, right?" Buggy reassured them with a laugh. "I mean—she's calling the world government down on her, sure, but we're gonna fight 'em off so Shanks can have his—"

Uta had started singing again to the sudden flashing of cannonfire and blazing pistols, fire and skeletal hands framing her as she launched into her next song with a visceral, growling intensity.

My memories so good and awful, It seems they gave me a grudge, But I have left bitterness and resentment behind me, And it is all thanks to him

"His reunion with…." 

Hooo boy, that didn't sound like a happy song at all. 

Buggy saw the look on Crocodile's face as the song opened. "... I'm gonna go transponder in and see if I can get an estimate when the rest of Cross Guild will get here. Or if I can fucking get ahold of Doffy. I saw his ship when we got here."

Buggy sucked a sharp breath in through his teeth as he leaned on Shanks with an arm wrapping tightly around his shoulders. 

Goddammit, goddammit , goddammit. "Sounds great to me, Croccy! Drag him over here if you find him!"

He glanced sidelong to Shanks as the song continued.

Oh look it's the clowns who think they know how crushing loneliness can be, You know nothing 'til you come with me! And run wild. Release your rage. Let the winds of wrath blow them away

Uta seemed to be getting more worked up the more she sang, almost hissing the lyrics at times as the crowd cheered around them. This was—yeah This was a 'i'm fucking mad as hell' song, if he ever heard one. 

Shanks' smile had faltered, and he was looking at the stage with wide, confused eyes. Yeah, even he could tell that this was bad news.

"Man uh, Shanks…." he murmured into his ear "she doesn't sound happy, does she?" 

Not gonna live in compliance-iance-iance, I'm not playing the victim no more. Time to go rage, Let's punish them all for their love, I'm done trying to trust… 

Uta's eyes narrowed as the phantom cannons fired, and backup dancers moved to the sway of the flickering projected flames on the stage behind her. Backlit by the flame. 

Shanks stared from the stage, to Buggy, and back again. He could feel the red haired pirate shake slightly against him.

"What the hell happened to her? It's… that doesn't feel like an act, Bug…"

"No this feels pretty fuckin' genuine, Shanksy—" Buggy swallowed thickly. She was furious, this was the kind of flashy anger that showed when someone was really, genuinely fucked up about something and venting it straight into their art.

He'd seen it, plenty of times, as a showman. Uta was furious, hurt, and lonely, and it was pouring into her music like salt in an open wound. Maybe she felt abandoned—-Buggy could understand that, sometimes he worried his sister felt abandoned when he fled home to stow away on Roger's ship.

But Shanks had said she'd stayed willingly. "She's hurting real bad." 

Quietly Shanks asked, "You don't think she's mad at me, do you?"

To Cabaji's credit, Buggy heard him at least try to hide the snort of disbelief at the question.

MIhawk had slipped off with Crocodile—leaving Buggy in the middle of this hideously awkward situation.

He swallowed thickly and bumped Shanks's shoulder. "Yeah Shanks, I think she might be—I'm starting to wonder if maybe there was some kind of horrible miscommunication there." 

-

Crocodile had headed to the edge of the field, far enough from the crowd and the stage to hear himself think, and to hear the other party on his transponder.

If he'd been able to raise a single other party on his transponder.

Unfortunately all that was coming through was the Uta concert. No matter how he reconfigured the signal. He stared up at Mihawk with increasing frustration– frustration that was quickly turning to anger, and, he didn't want to admit it, sharp concern.

"It's odd. I know she's jammed most of the signals going around with her hijacking, but you would think there'd be a few gaps. She's one girl and a small island." Mihawk mused softly. 

"We were communicating just fucking fine before we got to the island," Crocodile growled. "How the hell would she even blank out the whole communication spectrum? I don't like it, Hawk."

"I don't like it either. I wished to check on Hancock and her sisters, and see how they fared on Amazon Lily." He was getting irritated too, nervous. His fingers were tapping on his arm. "Do you think there's some sort of jamming snail on the island?" 

"Maybe." Crocodile put the snail away, and looped his arm around Mihawk's shoulders, grimacing. "They could be trying to jam up marine communications and disrupt an attack's coordination."

"Smart strategic move on her part if so—" Mihawk leaned against him. "But bad for us. Still—such a complete blackout is—odd." 

"I don't fucking like it," he repeated. Being in the dark made everything all the more uncertain. Crocodile hated unanswered questions, unless he was the one refusing to answer. "We need to round up the rest of the crew, and Doflamingo and his crew. Being spread out's only going to hurt us if we can't communicate."

Mihawk nodded grimly. "Especially when the Navy gets here. We're disorganized as is, we don't even know if we have further allies in the area to help back us up when things become— troublesome." 

"Troublesome," Crocodile huffed. That was Mihawk-speak for a complete fucking tits up disaster. And he was absolutely right. "Yeah I'll say."

He took the smoked-down stub of his cigar out of his mouth and tossed it on the grass, grinding it under his heel. "Alright, c'mon, Hawk. We knew this wasn't gonna be a picnic. No sense wasting any more time. I could use your famous eyes for picking people outta the damned crowd."

"As you wish, Captain. And then we can figure out what to do about Shanks' daughter's tangible wrath." 

 Mihawk, in a rare display of open affection, leaned over to kiss his cheek. Crocodile looped his arms around him, taking comfort in his long-former and now-returned first mate's presence. He pulled him into a brief but firm kiss on the lips.

"Once we figure out the situation, somebody's gonna have to go talk to her. This whole thing would be less complicated without your favorite ginger around, you know."

Mihawk laughed low under his breath. "I'm afraid nothing is ever uncomplicated when he's around. My apologies." 

He still couldn't believe they'd pulled emperor Shanks– Buggy and Mihawk's mutual ex– out of the drink. And now he was complicating their lives in ways even Crocodile couldn't have guessed. There were moments he wished he'd told Buggy to throw him back, but between Mihawks' long held rivalry with the man, and the clown's big, sad wet eyes, he hadn't had the heart to.

The things he did for love.

-

Law was still a little breathless as he headed down the stairs with Straw Hat Luffy entangled around him like a fucking rubber toy in a clingy hug. They'd spent ample time… negotiating. That's how he was going to put it to the gang— 'ample time negotiating' in the upstairs room.

Between the two of them, and Luffy's enthusiastic love of making out, they'd managed to soothe the awkward confusion between them. Which was good. Law cared about Straw Hat, a lot. The last thing he wanted was to have to stop him from trying to kill Doffy over a fuckin' misunderstanding.

But what really surprised him was the fact that the tense atmosphere downstairs seemed to have unexpectedly evaporated.

Completely. Conversations between Donquixotes and Straw Hats were happening, some of them laughing and smiling—former Princess Vivi was for some reason chatting and laughing with Doffy. Robin and Pica were staring at one another with what Law could only call 'silent understanding'.

It was almost fucking chummy.

"Huh." 

If Straw Hat registered the change in atmosphere he didn't pay it any attention. He just waved happily. "Hey guys, we're back!"

At that signal all of the conversation went quiet and most people in the room turned to look at them as they came down the stairs. Law suspected the first thing they'd notice was the usual big smile in place on Luffy's face.

The second thing most would probably pick up on was the dark and deep flush on his face as all eyes fell on them. "---we uh. We worked things out. The alliance is still a thing."

"Didja fuck?" Baby 5 called out from where she was flanked by Zoro and Sanji. 

"Baby 5, I don't think it's necessary to invade their privacy that way," Trebol sniffed. But his smirking chuckle said all that was needed. "What matters is that we won't be having further hostilities at this time, is that correct?"

Luffy shrugged. "Yeah, sure. As long as you guys don't start anything. Traffy says you're cool, so, it's fine I guess."

Doffy poked his head in from the other room where he must have been checking on Violet. "Did I hear things are civil, Corazon?"

Law looped his arm around Luffy's shrugging shoulders with a nod of his head, choosing to ignore the fucking speculation that threatened to fluster him even more. "That's right, we worked it out. You don't gotta worry about him going for the throat anymore."

"Good." Vergo nodded once. A man of few words as always. 

Doffy strode through the crowd, the Donquixotes moving to let him past, as he stepped up to Luffy and Law while they were still on the stairs. Meeting them both at eye level. He offered Luffy a handshake.

"I think we'll get along just fine when we're not trying to kill each other."

Law watched Luffy's look turn a little dubious at the extended hand. But he hesitated only a moment before he accepted it, shaking hands eye to eye with Doflamingo.

"Yeah, we'll probably get along okay. Don't hurt Traffy's feelings or I'll kill you."

The crowd was utterly silent for a moment.

Doffy laughed and shook Luffy's hand warmly. He put his other hand across the back of it, shaking with both hands and smiling widely, which eased the tension which had rippled across the room. "Promise! And same from you, Luffy."

Straw Hat nodded.

"....." Law stared at them with one eye half closed and the other wide open in perplexed astonishment. "....I'm—fucking—-flattered?"

It was insane. Absolutely insane, but they'd actually agreed to get along. Doflamingo and Luffy—albeit with the mutual threat that if Law was hurt they'd go at one another with a knife.

Robin nodded once in the corner, in seeming approval. "Once again, we break bread with our former enemies. How interesting." 

Franky grinned brightly and slapped his hands together with a metallic clank. "That means it's time to party, right?"

"Ah, not quite." This time it was Caesar who stuck his head in from the other room. "Assuming you're still concerned about Violet, in any case."

"Of fucking course we are, Clown!" Law grumbled. "What's happening with her? I couldn't find shit wrong with her, so I hope to hell that you managed something." 

Sugar poked her head out of the room—or maybe it was Monet. "Eh?" she waved her hand in a 'so so' motion. 

-

Caesar knew between the Straw Hats and the Donquixotes if he let the matter drop for even one minute there would be a party, and everyone would forget what they were even doing there. And while usually he wouldn't give a shit and he'd be out drinking and schmoozing, the whole situation with Violet was making him incredibly nervous.

So instead of letting the party atmosphere take over the new alliance (thank fuck they weren't trying to kill one another) he grabbed the captains, Law, and Monet and pulled them (more or less metaphorically depending on each) back into the back room where Chopper was once again taking Violet's vitals.

"Hey, Captain!" Chopper gave Luffy as cheerful a smile as he could even with the obvious tension in his voice. "So I bet everyone's worried about Miss Violet…"

"You can fuckin' say that again. She just dropped out there," Law muttered under his breath. 

"Yes and all we have to go on for why is what she said before she went down," Caesar hissed, shaking his head. He glanced at Luffy. At least he was in a better mood now. "Which is perplexing. She's just asleep."

"Maybe she was tired?" Luffy shrugged.

Another brilliant addition from his dear captain as usual. He painted on a big smile. "I think it might be a little, tiny, slight, eensy bit more complicated than that, captain. Also, hey, lovely to see you, Doffy, glad you're not in prison."

"Me too." Doflamingo's smile was a little strained. Caesar knew he and Violet had what could charitably be called a situation. So he was possibly worried about her? "Have you tried waking her up?"

Caesar looked at Chopper. "Well…"

"We're worried that this is a stress based reaction. Essentially that she had a panic attack and her body put her to sleep to protect herself. I'm a little worried that forcing her to wake up might cause some psychological damage."

Monet leaned in and said with a shit-eating grin. "To put it in simple words, 'she got scared, fell asleep, and waking her up might scare her more." 

Luffy's brow furrowed. "Well, what scared her?"

Caesar threw his hands up. 

"Excellent! Wonderful question, captain!" Positive reinforcement always paid dividends. "That's what we're not sure about. Before she passed out she said something about being blind, and about the island. So we think maybe there's something about the island we're on that's impeding her devil fruit power."

"That's reasonable," Doffy considered, crossing his arms. "But what the hell would be doing that at a concert?"

"Ah, well, actually." Caesar glanced at Chopper. "We were thinking since the captain is so well acquainted with Miss Uta, maybe he could just ask her if there's something weird about the island."

Chopper nodded emphatically, biting his lip as he looked up at his captain. "I know you got on stage and hung out with her a bunch, we were thinking—if she comes to see you again, or if we can get backstage maybe we could try to get an idea of what's happening here?"

Caesar hoped that their mad captain would see that it was sensible, even. An easy solution, especially if Uta was that close to Luffy. He also hoped someone would back him and Chopper up on it.

Law cocked his head. "And she may have an innocuous answer for it? In which case we can wake Violet up and assuage her?" 

Luffy's smile got wider. "I was gonna introduce her to the crew anyway, so we can ask her then, is that okay?"

"Not to rush you, Luffy," Doffy said, "But I am a bit worried about my crewmate. Will you be talking to Uta again soon? I'm tempted to ask if you'd mind if I tagged along."

"Huh? Why do you wanna come, Mingo?"

Doffy smiled. "Well I am a big fan of her music, but if not, that's fine." He held up his hands dismissively.

Caesar remembered all the tone dials that Monet had had on Punk Hazard.

Law gave Luffy a smile. "Honesty It'd mean the world to him if you let him tag along, Luffy. He's really a big fan. Trust me. He hasn't shut up about how excited he's been for days." 

"Alright, but you and Bepo are coming, too, then!" Luffy declared. "I saw Bepo all dressed up for the concert."

Caesar tried not to roll his eyes. Doflamingo looked delighted. "Wonderful, wonderful! Now before I get all you lovelies out of my hair I do have one question."

"But not me," Chopper stuck out his tongue at him. "You're not getting me out of your hair."

Law turned his sharp eyes towards him with a thin smile. "Of course you do. Lay it on me."

Caesar pointed at Law, and then Sugar, or rather, at Monet. "Were you going to tell me about her, or just let me find out like this?" 

Luffy, of course, looked baffled. That was the normal state of affairs.

Monet grinned with a shrug of her shoulders. "Sorry, cat's outta the bag."

Law pressed his hand to his face. "You coulda been stealthy about it for one more fucking hour, Monet. Caesar—we didn't expect to run into you for a while, and we only just found out ourselves like— a few days ago when she finally came firmly to the forefront. We were gonna tell you— there was just more pressing matters first."

He slapped Luffy on the back. "Like Luffy not murdering my captain."

Monet glanced at Luffy and leaned forward to whisper to him. "I'm Sugar's sister, the bird girl from Punk Hazard. I'm sharing her body for a bit." 

Luffy stretched his arm around Law and shrugged. "Oh, okay."

"Oh, okay," Caesar repeated. "Monet, my dear, sweet, darling, departed lab assistant who Law made me accidentally kill and all you have to say is 'oh, okay', captain?"

Luffy blinked. "Wait, she died?"

Caesar threw up his hands.

Monet laughed out loud though, slapping the floor with her sister's hand. 

"God—Law I can see why you like the guy! He's a riot!" She tapped her cheek with a wink. "Yeah. I died. Caesar stabbed my heart thinking it was that marine's. Died all by myself. I won't recommend it, Straw Hat Luffy. If you keel over, try to make sure it's surrounded by friends." 

At least now Straw Hat had the decency to look shaken. He nodded. "Yeah… I'll try to. Um. Glad you're not dead."

[sisionscreen]

Character bios of Sisi (2021) Season 04 characters

The original German character bios can be found at RTL's media hub. Below you can find their English translations.

Empress Sisi (Dominique Devenport)

Sisi continues to be torn between her deep desire for freedom and the strict duties of her imperial position. Again and again, she is drawn to the vastness of the world to escape the narrow cage of the Hofburg. When after her father's death she returns to her old home Possenhofen and is in danger of losing the family seat, she realizes how much this old home means to her and she does her utmost to save it. In her fight for Possenhofen Castle, Sisi doesn't just discover dark family secrets but also struggles with the question where her heart is truly at home.

______________________________________________________________

Emperor Franz Joseph (Jannik Schümann)

Sisi's absence at court leads to tensions between her and Franz. He misses Sisi, not only as a tactically skilled cally on the political stage, but also as a wife and confidant. When he learns that Sisi has defied his wish to stop riding, he tries to force her to fulfill her imperial duties and orders her back to the court. Ultimately, he realizes that this is only driving her further away from him, and that he has to let go to win her back.

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Archduchess Sophie (Désirée Nosbusch)

After the death of her brother-in-law, Duke Max in Bavaria, Archduchess Sophie takes care of her grieving sister Ludovika and her family. She not only wants to make sure that Max's successor Louis properly fulfills his duties as the new head of the family, but also to protect the secret of Ludovika's past, which is threatening to come to light.

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Duchess Ludovika (Julia Stemberger)

After the death of her husband Max, Ludovika does everything she can to cover up his double life and thereby keep her darkest secret, which would shake her family to its foundations and which would ultimately be so serious that she would endanger her own life for it.

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Count Grünne (David Korbmann)

After he broke with Franz, Count Grünne left the Hofburg in Vienna. But when Sisi asks him again for help to uncover the background to a mysterious murder, he is once again at her side as a loyal friend.

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Countess Esterházy (Tanja Schleiff)

Esterházy's loyalty is put to the test when Sisi trains for the horse race behind her husband Franz's back, endangering not only her marriage but also her health. But Esterházy, as usual, sticks by her Empress, even if it could cost her her position. In the end, with her usual finesse, she even knows how to steer Sisi's heart in the right direction.

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Max, Duke in Bavaria (Marcus Grüsser)

Shortly before he can confess to his wife Ludovika that he lost the family estate, Possenhofen Castle, in a horse bet, Duke Max suffers a fatal heart attack. He leaves his family with a huge pile of broken pieces, which not only puts a strain on their relationships but also brings unexpected revelations to light.

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Sophie Charlotte in Bavaria (Philine Schmölzer)

Sophie Charlotte is Sisi's youngest sister and the last child who still lives with Ludovika and Max at Possenhofen. The defiant rebel doesn't mince her words and doesn't miss any chance to provoke her family, and especially her mother, who wants nothing more than to marry off Sophie Charlotte soon. However, with her almost youthful recklessness, Sophie Charlotte ensures that all attempts to introduce her to suitable marriage candidates always fail. She often secretly smokes marijuana while painting surrealistic and erotic pictures. But when she meets King Ludwig, everything is over for her and from then on she only pursues one goal: to make the man who has a dubious reputation her husband.

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King Ludwig II of Bavaria (Gustav Schmidt)

The “Fairy Tale King” breaks with every expectation of a king of his time. The good-looking young man also breaks all fashion conventions; instead of elegant courtly clothing, he could be seen as a pioneer of the haute couture fashion movement. Despite his strikingly modern style, Ludwig is fighting for his existence as king, which is why the country's democratic movement is a thorn in his side. While he enjoys all the attention and misses no opportunity to invest his fortune in art and culture, things are looking bleak for him politically. He senses that not everyone in the court is loyal to him and fears a fall from power. And between all these worries there is love. Because Ludwig has so far avoided any kind of commitment to a woman. He initially also tries this with Sophie Charlotte, but she fascinates him. Will he ever be able to love Sophie Charlotte the way she loves him?

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Ludwig "Louis" in Bavaria (Rick Okon)

With the death of his father Max, Sisi's eldest brother Louis becomes the new head of the family. Not only does he have an excellent law degree, but he also adheres to courtly etiquette and always tries to meet all expectations. But love, of all things, thwarts his plans: the woman he wants to marry is not a noblewoman, but the middle-class opera singer Henriette Mendel. When King Ludwig promises him the position of Minister of Justice/Attorney General, a befitting marriage becomes even more urgent. And so Louissoon faces a big dilemma about the question of what is more important to him: status, career and responsibility towards the family, or his own happiness and love...

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Henriette Mendel (Antonia Moretti)

Henriette is Louis' free-spirited fiancée. She loves being on stage and is about to become the new star in the Munich opera firmament. At the same time, she wants to hold on to her relationship with Louis without giving up her career. When Louis is appointed head of the family and also has to become a minister/secretary, she feels that she has no place in this world. Especially Ludovika's demands for her children's spouses seem to make a marriage with Louis impossible. In order to not lose Louis entirely, she offers him a secret liaison instead of marriage, which means a life in the shadow of a wife who is befitting his status and promotes Louis' career, and therefor ensures Henriette's own independence.

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Georg Basselet von La Rosée (Klaus Steinbacher)

Georg Basselet von La Rosée comes from a long line of chamberlains, but he has now renounced nobility and all the social obligations that go with it. His heart lies in equestrian sports. He is a fascinated racing jockey and horse breeder, businessman and owner of a stud farm. Nobody knows this world as well as he does, and nobody knows better than him how to drive horses to peak performance. He does everything for his reputation as the 'best jockey in Bavaria'. And once the highly attractive bachelor has set his mind to something, he never loses sight of this goal - including his home, Possenhofen, where Georg grew up before Sisi's family took over the castle. Shortly before Max's death, Georg recaptured the castle from the Wittelsbach family as part of a horse race, and now it's up to Sisi to fight for her home: When she offers Georg another race for the castle, he can't say no. In his opponent Sisi, of all people, Georg finds a soul mate who cares about Possenhofen Castle just as much as he does and who also struggles with her status and role as Empress. Soon the attraction between the two can no longer be denied. In the end, Georg is ready to give up his search for a home for Sisi and he chooses freedom.

______________________________________________________________

Linda (Eli Riccardi)

Linda is the stable master at Possenhofen Castle and Sisi's secret half-sister. Since childhood, she has lived with this lie in the shadow of Max's official family. She mostly spent the few hours with her father in the stable or riding. Linda knows nothing other than this shadowy existence. She has come to terms with this and focuses on work in the stable, which repeatedly leads to arguments with her mother Adele, who feels betrayed by the Wittelsbach family. When Sisi prepares to win the race against Felix and save Possenhofen Castle, she is the only one who can help her. Linda accepts the challenge without knowing what lies ahead when she uncovers the big family secret.

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Adele Schwarz (Sabine Timoteo)

Adele is the mother of Linda, who was conceived out of wedlock, and the former lover of Max, who secured her existence throughout his life and paid the rent for her Munich apartment. After Max's death, Adele now has to fear losing her apartment and asks Linda to stay away from the Wittelsbach family, which she refuses. In her desperation, Adele increasingly reaches for the bottle and ends up paying the greatest price to finally bring the long-kept, dark family secret to light...

[xxx-sir-pentious-xxx]

Watching over a little Army

Wholesome, heaven, children, chill af.

Everyone had a job to do regardless how seemingly insignificant. Pentious couldnt make his usual crafts so he made something that everyone could agree was a positive.

A little boy sat on his work bench as he prepared a few molds. The childs caretaker asked him to make some army men for their little boy.

The little frog child almost looked like Pentious in a way, but they were born a hundred years after his own death.

The child played with a tool as he waited, talking about his life, which wasnt much, he happily talked about getting a rubix cube when he was 6. He described the way he peeled the stickers off and put them back in the right places. To Pentious' slowly returned humor since his death, he chuckled at the idea of cheating on a puzzle.

Pentious looked to the little boy who asked him out of the blue,

"Did you fight in a war mister? You look like my papa, all serious and stuff. Not to be rude dude I just gotta know."

The kid was trying to be cool. It endeared Pentious just enough to get him to spill.

"Ah yes I fought in a few wars... I actually fought in one recently. But... I dont think you wanna hear about all that."

Pentious said this with shut eyes before subtly peeking to gauge the kids interest.

The little boy looked absolutely stoked and begged to know more,

"Oh my Gosh pleeeaaase tell me Sir! I wanna know! That's totally too cool to not hear about!!"

Pentious smirked and after filling some toy molds and safely setting them aside began.

"I was in Hell, and despite popular belief we had good people that needed defending. The extermination was pushed forward on us and they planned to kill us permanently."

Pentious spoke with bravado and really hammed it up for the kid who's shaking with excitement.

"Of course my good friend Charlotte, Princess of Hell, and her dearest Vagatha had planned to fight the attack. I opted to lead as a General as that's my strongest trait."

Pentious continues with even more passion,

"We fought hard as I made sure to keep an eye on the battle grounds and sky looking for openings. And I noticed we couldnt get through with Adam the first man standing in the way."

Pentious looked at the boy who was practically on the edge of his seat. Pentious continued and began to get lost in the story,

"I thought fast. I arranged for my personal soldier eggs to get in my air ship... before I boarded I gave the woman of my dreams a kiss... feels selfish a bit now..."

Pentious now remembering his death began to get a bit worked up,

"I ran to my air ship... I wanted to be remembered... my soldiers readied the canons firing them up just enough... when it was time I told them to fire..."

Pentious paused and looked to the toy molds, his little soldiers...

"I... my soldiers were hellborn.... they didnt make it like I had to heaven... we were destroyed... sometimes I almost feel like just a little it wasnt the right thing... but I know my boys were born to fight and die in battle. It's all they ever wanted to do. To fight."

Pentious leaned on a wall as the memories flooded and assaulted his senses, he only snapped out of it feeling the child hug his tail tight. He looked at the sweet boy who was crying with sympathy, he recognized this feeling from his own father. The grief and regrets one feels from war are horrible. Especially when it's all your fault someone you cared about died.

Pentious slowly calmed himself down and covered his face some to get his face back to masking a positive face.

"Its okay Sir...", the boy said.

The molded toy soldiers were finished and he had to paint them after priming them and drying them again.

Pentious worked up his brave tone again,

"Ahem... will you promise to protect these little soldiers? You'll be their General from the moment I give them to you little one."

The boy chuckled at being called little one,

"You sound like grandpa... I will Sir. I promise."

The boy saluted him and that warmed his heart,

"Good kid."

The rest of the day flew by and the boy would return tomorrow for the toys.... and the day after... and each day after. He was a good egg afterall.

[sukibenders]

After returning from my trip I was able to finish Queen Charlotte and, while I have a few thoughts on it still, one of the things that warmed my heart was how they treated George's mental illness. By that I specifically mean from Charlotte removing the doctor and his access to Geroge, so that he won't be able to hurt him like did ever again, to Brimsley, even when he didn't understand it fully, telling Reynolds that he would make accommodations for George so that he not only can remain comfortable but have his privacy in a way if he ever runs off into the gardens at night again to Charlotte's adamant defense of George and his mental health towards anyone who tries to deny him the rights of a human being, to even George himself. It was so beautiful to see how much care the characters in the show had for George and his mental state, as well as the show not vilifying him either (it's sad to say that I've seen too many shows take the opposite approach, so Queen Charlotte was really refreshing to see--especially as someone who has had to witness mental illness impact those close to them and, possibly even, themselves).

I also liked how the show preferences that, even love can't make everything better or cure everything. A lot of media tries to portray mental illness as something that can be cured by love or being in love with someone, and that is not correct (while some have kind intentions in comparison to others, they still fall flat at times). And the show displays this with Charlotte who, with her fierce protection and adamant defense of George and those she loves, under the belief that her presence there will make everything better for him, misses the signs and has to have other characters tell her that how she's going about it isn't working. The show doesn't paint Charlotte, or her relationship with George, in a bad way for this slip-up, rather depicting the nuance of what it is like to love someone with a mental illness, but also shows the audience how Charlotte goes about correcting her approach. In the end, the show tells us that even with Charlotte trying to adhere to every precaution she could with assisting George or adhering to his needs, it doesn't erase his mental illness. And that it was okay. They still treat George with decency and, to anyone who doesn't do the same (such as Lady Whistledown), they are framed as wrong by the narrative.

I'm not an expert in mental illness whatsoever, and while I'm sure others have different opinions on the matter (which, feel free to share, respectfully though) this was just something that stuck out to me. It was mainly a rant over my love for the show, so some wording might not be the best, but my point still stands.