＂𝗪𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 '𝗲𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 — !＂

I will only 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊 your pretty things ,
I will only wring you 𝐃𝐑𝐘 of everything ,

𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 ,

[＂𝗪𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 '𝗲𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 — !＂ @THEC0NTRACTEE]

I've grown a mouth so 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐏 and 𝐂𝐑𝐔����𝐋 ,
ㅤㅤIt's all that I can give to you, my dear.

[＂𝗪𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 '𝗲𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 — !＂ @THEC0NTRACTEE]

" You been hittin’ the bottle, or what? The hell’s goin’ on with you? "

[— 𝘽𝙄𝙍𝘿𝘽𝙍𝘼𝙄𝙉.ᐟ @LAFLECHEDUCIEL]

" No, no, I've always spoken nice about you guys!! I've liked seeing you guys around, really. "

[＂𝗪𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 '𝗲𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 — !＂ @THEC0NTRACTEE]

" Since when have ya started talkin’ nice about any of us, huh? All that time apart got you seein’ things different or what? "

[— 𝘽𝙄𝙍𝘿𝘽𝙍𝘼𝙄𝙉.ᐟ @LAFLECHEDUCIEL]

" I swear, the Mafialings disappear for ages, and then when they appear again, it's like a jumpscare. In a good way. "

[* 𝐎𝐇 ━ 𝐌𝐘 𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐊. @LUCKYWAG3R]

// the one thing this community keeps getting wrong is how quickly it pushes people out for headcanoning characters in ways they don't personally agree with. this hasn't been an issue in any other community i've been part of. using different pronouns for a character who ━

[＂𝗪𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 '𝗲𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 — !＂ @THEC0NTRACTEE]

- over his shoulder and kept walking, not bothering to look back again.

[＂𝗪𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 '𝗲𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 — !＂ @THEC0NTRACTEE]

He gave the other a hearty slap on the back, a half-smirk tugging at his mouth. " Atta boy. Knew there was some brains rattlin’ around in that head of yours. "

As he passed by, his hand came up to the other’s hair, giving it a rough, almost mocking ruffle.

[✮ ̲ ̲ ̲𝑬𝑳𝑳𝑰𝑶𝑻 ˎˊ˗ @PIZZAxHERO]

It's uncharacteristic. Bitter. Defeated. He didn't want his family to come under fire for this. His dad would understand. Dued1, too. Surely.

[＂𝗪𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 '𝗲𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 — !＂ @THEC0NTRACTEE]

He made it a few steps before pausing, glancing back over his shoulder. " Oh, one more thing. Ya better show up. Would be a real shame if we made this nice little deal… and ya went and chickened out on me. "

With that, he lifted a hand in a lazy wave -

[＂𝗪𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 '𝗲𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 — !＂ @THEC0NTRACTEE]

Truth was, it wasn’t really his business in the first place.

No order from the boss, no reason to press the matter. Sure, he’d never turn down a good fight... but this guy? Nah. This one just looked pitiful.

[＂𝗪𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 '𝗲𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 — !＂ @THEC0NTRACTEE]

He’d seen plenty of guilty faces in his time, but none that gave themselves away this easy.

The way the guy carried on made him raise a brow; what, did this schmuck owe the boss or something? He eased back a step or two, giving the poor guy a little -

[✮ ̲ ̲ ̲𝑬𝑳𝑳𝑰𝑶𝑻 ˎˊ˗ @PIZZAxHERO]

⠀⠀⠀(⠀‘ Pretty boy. ’ ⠀)

It's just city folk talk, he'd tell himself. Elliot shrunk into himself, one hand holding onto his opposite arm.

“ Nothing to hide —! ”

Maybe his family. His place of residency.

“ .. but, we're not exactly by the pizzeria .. ”

Ah, no dice.

[＂𝗪𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 '𝗲𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 — !＂ @THEC0NTRACTEE]

- room to breathe, shoulders lifting in a loose shrug as he turned his palms up.

" How ’bout this. I swing by that pizzeria of yours when you’re open, you hand me the free pie, and I get outta your hair. Nice and simple. "

[＂𝗪𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 '𝗲𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 — !＂ @THEC0NTRACTEE]

He clicked his tongue, leaning in close until his voice brushed right against the other’s ear. " Unless ya got somethin’ to hide. What is it, pretty boy? "

[＂𝗪𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 '𝗲𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 — !＂ @THEC0NTRACTEE]

" See, here’s the thing… I dunno where you think you’re gonna run to. Ain’t a corner in this city I can’t find ya in. So let’s keep this nice and short, yeah? "

His fingers loosened and slipped from the other’s shirt, only for him to circle around instead.

[✮ ̲ ̲ ̲𝑬𝑳𝑳𝑰𝑶𝑻 ˎˊ˗ @PIZZAxHERO]

Elliot whips his head back, teeth gritting slightly. His breath came short, adrenaline making the guy struggle for words. His figure shook, curls of blonde hair falling over his eyes.

“ Then .. what ? ” He spoke. It physically hurt to keep smiling.

[＂𝗪𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 '𝗲𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 — !＂ @THEC0NTRACTEE]

A firm hand came down on the other’s shoulder, holding him there.

" Now c’mon, I ain’t askin’ for much. We’re pals here, ain’t we? And you’re actin’ like I’m shakin’ you down for money or somethin’... That don’t make a whole lotta sense, does it? "

[＂𝗪𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 '𝗲𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 — !＂ @THEC0NTRACTEE]

" Hey, hey, what’s with all the runnin’, huh? Relax. I ain’t gonna hurt ya. That’d be cheap pickin’s. "

[＂𝗪𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 '𝗲𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 — !＂ @THEC0NTRACTEE]

The wide eyes weren’t anything new, hell, half the time they were followed by someone turning tail and running. Never took more than a couple minutes for it to get to that part, neither.

His hand lingered for a second where the other had been standing -

[✮ ̲ ̲ ̲𝑬𝑳𝑳𝑰𝑶𝑻 ˎˊ˗ @PIZZAxHERO]

The Builder ducked under them, now, content with letting them stumble and to get as far away as possible. His hand was over his chest.

“ .. sorry, pizzeria's closed ! ”

He's not even near the establishment. Was he that recognizable?

[���𝗪𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 '𝗲𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 — !＂ @THEC0NTRACTEE]

- then dropped back to his side as he rolled his shoulders with a slow breath.

" Alright, alright… guess we’re doin’ this the hard way now. " He moved quick after him, catching a fistful of the back of his shirt and yanking him to a stop.

[✮ ̲ ̲ ̲𝑬𝑳𝑳𝑰𝑶𝑻 ˎˊ˗ @PIZZAxHERO]

// i'm so sorry for the slow replies,,

in between my art projects ( one of them being drawing something for my pfp ) and work, im trying not to burn myself out ,,