VON DUTCH CULT CLASSIC

———  The  sun  had  risen  as  it  always  did,  casting  a  bright  glow  as  it  creeped  through  the  window  of  the  apartment  they  shared.  There  was  nothing  out  of  the  ordinary  happening  for  Barely.  He  stumbled  through  his  usual  morning  routine.  The  only  thing  that  got  shaken  up  was  the  breakfast  he  chosen  to  make.  He  opted  for  a  bagel  this  morning  as  opposed  to  his  usual  cereal.  He  was  prepared  for  another  mundane  day.  Which  wasn’t  terrible.  Barley  would  take  the  mundane  and  boring  if  it  meant  there  was  safety.

Elias  had  changed  drastically  in  the  last  year.  There  were  promises  of  peace  but  that  promise  had  yet  to  be  followed  through.  As  much  as  Barley  loved  this  city  that  had  become  his  home,  he  knew  that  realistically  for  someone  who  wasn’t  magical  he  couldn’t  protect  the  ones  he  loves.

Those  were  thoughts  Barley  tried  not  to  dwell  on  too  much.  All  the  hypothetical  what  ifs,  it  would  only  caused  spiral  with  no  actual  solution  in  sight.  It  was  easier  to  face  the  world  with  optimism.  He  had  run  away  once  when  his  father  was  sick  and  vowed  that  he  would  never  run  away  from  a  problem  again.   

He  had  they  day  off.  These  types  of  days  usual  consisted  of  spending  as  much  time  with  Penelope  as  he  could.  Their  time  spent  together  was  rare  with  Barley  picking  up  more  shifts.  He  loved  his  job  at  the  comic  book  shop  too  much  to  ever  quit  but  he  knew  that  if  he  was  to  give  the  life  Penny  deserved,  they  needed  more  money.

Currently,  he  was  in  the  middle  of  putting  laundry  away.  If  his  mother  could  see  him  now,  she'd  surely  shed  a  tear.  At  the  sound  of  Penny's  voice,  he  immediately  turned  to  face  her  with  a  smile.  It  faltered  somewhat  when  she  said  they  needed  to  talk.  Normally,  when  that  was  said,  the  implications  weren't  good,  but  Barley  did  his  best  to  keep  anything  negative  at  bay.  ❛  Yeah,  sure.  What's  up  ?  ❜  He  asked  as  he  took  a  seat  at  the  edge  of  the  bed.

Barley  hung  onto  every  word  that  Penelope  said.  He  nodded  along,  eyes  widening  some  as  the  realization  dawned  on  him.  The  opportunity  that  Penny  had  been  waiting  for  had  finally  come.  Her  big  break  was  finally  here.

And  it  was  outside  of  Elias

Silence  hung  between  them  for  a  moment  as  Barley  digested  the  information.  After  a  moment,  he  got  up  and  walked  closer  to  lessen  the  space  between  them.  The  elf  reached  for  his  love's  face,  holding  his  entire  world  in  his  hands.  He  took  a  moment  to  study  the  features  of  her  face.  The  glassy  look  in  her  eyes  made  her  look  even  more  beautiful.  Barley  wanted  to  remember  this  moment  before  their  lives  changed.

❛  It's  going  to  feel  scary.  It  always  does  when  something  you've  wished  for  comes  true.  ❜  Barley  was  scared  to  see  his  dad  again  after  the  phoenix  gem  brought  him  back,  but  it  was  closure  that  Barley  didn't  know  he  needed.  ❛  This  is  what  you've  been  waiting  for.  Wally's  handed  it  to  you,  wrapped  up  all  pretty.  No  more  weddings  or  bars.  This  is  it.  This  is  your  moment,  and  I  ...  I  am  so  happy  the  world  is  going  to  see  the  star  I  already  know  you  are.  ❜

penny’s breath hitched when he touched her face, like she’d been holding it in without realizing. her hands came up automatically, fingers wrapping around his wrists, grounding herself in the warmth of him. for a moment she didn’t say anything just leaned into his palms, eyes fluttering shut as his words sank in.

when she opened them again, they were shining.

“you don't know how badly i needed to hear that,” she admitted softly. her thumb brushed over his skin, slow and reverent. “i talked with the agent this morning...”

she swallowed, a small, shaky laugh slipping out. “and all i keep thinking about how this place is where i found you. where i found… me. and i was terrified that wanting more meant i wasn’t grateful for what we built here, bar..”

penny pressed her forehead to his, voice barely above a whisper. “but hearing you say it like that... like it’s allowed to be scary and good at the same time? it's really nice.”

she pulled back just enough to look at him fully, eyes searching. “wally and me talk... you know the guestroom we stayed in for christmas last year?” her grip tightened slightly. “they said we could stay there for a while until we find a place and we start working.”

a small, hopeful smile curved her lips through the tears. “that is if you actually want to come with me?”

holiday festivities event starter (00/05)

penelope had wiggled her way toward the front of the crowd at the tree lighting, chin tipped up, eyes wide as the massive evergreen came to life in a wash of golden lights. she let out a low whistle, impressed despite herself. then, with a sly little grin, she nudged the person beside her. “honestly, it’s a tragedy they didn’t hire me to be the angel on top. i mean. look at that tree. look at me. missed opportunity of the century, right?”

“i know, right? it’s completely lackluster without me up there.” she sighed, glancing toward her friend. “and i had the perfect silver dress picked out, too.”

penny let her gaze drift back to the tree, lingering for a moment before returning to donnie. “you know,” she said lightly, a teasing brow lifting, “i’m pretty sure you could build me the perfect glitter-tossing machine.” her lips curved, half-joking but clearly enchanted by the thought. “just imagine it.. a glitter gun!”

Donnie looked absolutely delighted at the idea, the gears in his head visibly turning as Penny spoke. “A glitter gun?” he repeated, tilting his head with a crooked grin. “Penny, I thought you'd never ask.”

“Although if I build this thing, you're legally obligated to wear that silver dress and cause chaos. Holiday chaos. The festive kind.” He offered a wink. “Don’t tempt me with a good engineering challenge, Penelope. You know I’ll actually do it.”

she tipped her chin, a giggle slipping out. “silly of you to assume i didn’t already have this planned.” her eyes sparkled as she leaned in, encouraging. “you could totally pull it off.”

violet had seen tree lightings before but not to this scale, and when they finally flipped the switch and the crowd was washed in the glow of the christmas lights, her jaw actually dropped.

when the person next to her nudged her, she almost jumped out of her skin. but she pulled herself together enough to answer back: "...not too late i guess, you could still climb it? get some rope, put a little chalk on your palms..." she said with a lopsided smile. then in the moment she turned to look at the stranger, she had to stop. there was a flicker of recognition in her eyes, of a face on a tv screen and the cover of a magazine. "are you...? no. are you? i think —? wait, sorry, whoa —" violet looked away, red-faced. "i did not mean to just stare at you like that, sorry — but, like, in testament to what you said, you really would make a good angel."

penny let out a quiet laugh, warm and a little breathless, eyes still caught in the glow of the lights before she turned fully toward violet. “oh trust me,” she said lightly, “if there was even a remote chance i wouldn’t get escorted off by security, i’d already be halfway up there.”

at violet’s sudden fluster, penny softened, recognizing it instantly. she tilted her head, a gentle smile curving in, disarming rather than dazzling. “hey, it’s okay,” she said. “you didn’t do anything wrong. i like attention.” she laughed.

she glanced back at the tree, then at violet again, voice dropping into something more sincere. “and… thank you. angel’s a pretty high bar. but,” she shrugged, amused. “i’ll take it. are you enjoying the festivities so far?"

“You’re totally right,” Mirabel told the other woman, nodding emphatically. “You are the angel this tree really needs. I get what they were going for…but you can’t fake that…‘it factor’. ‘Star potential’. Don’t worry—I know you could’ve been the tree lighting queen.”

Mirabel grinned. “I actually used to dress up as an angel every Halloween. So—not to brag!—I’m speaking from real angel experience.”

She held out her hand for the other woman to shake. “I’m Mirabel.”

penny laughed softly, a hand lifting to her chest in mock sincerity. “finally, someone who understands,” she said, eyes flicking back toward the tree before returning to mirabel with a grin and a little laugh. “you can’t manufacture presence. either you’ve got it, or you don’t.”

at the mention of angel experience, her smile widened, amused and intrigued. “oh, so you’re an expert,” penny teased. “that explains the confidence. i knew i was talking to a professional.”

she reached out, shaking mirabel’s hand easily. “penny,” she said. “i love your name. it's lovely. are you from elias?"

Donnie snorted, half-laughing as he glanced over from where he was adjusting one of his mini drones trying (and failing) to deliver candy canes without dive-bombing into toddlers. He leaned just enough to nudge Penny back with his elbow. “Tragedy is putting it lightly. That tree’s suffering from a severe lack of sparkle and sass, and you? You were literally built to fix that.”

He gestured upward, mock-serious. “I give it a six out of ten. Would’ve been a twelve if you were up there throwing glitter and side-eye like divine justice.”

“i know, right? it’s completely lackluster without me up there.” she sighed, glancing toward her friend. “and i had the perfect silver dress picked out, too.”

penny let her gaze drift back to the tree, lingering for a moment before returning to donnie. “you know,” she said lightly, a teasing brow lifting, “i’m pretty sure you could build me the perfect glitter-tossing machine.” her lips curved, half-joking but clearly enchanted by the thought. “just imagine it.. a glitter gun!”

jinu didn't realize that anyone was talking to him until the voice kept going. "maybe you should start a karate school or something," he suggested. dancing and fighting were more closely related than people realized. "i think if they tried to kidnap you, the best option is to be loud." somehow he didn't think that was a problem for her. "yeah, i've been paying attention to the news. keep your loved ones close, i guess." he did not have helpful advice.

penny blinked at him, a little offended and a little flattered all at once-- classic penny. her arms crossed, chin lifting like she was preparing to deliver a monologue.

“karate school?” she echoed, eyebrows shooting up. “okay, first of all, that’s actually… kind of genius. i mean, i am a purple belt. and i do look amazing in a gi.” there was a spark of pride there. she loved being good at something, loved people noticing it even more. she nudged him lightly with her elbow. “and trust me, if someone tried to kidnap me? loud is my specialty. they’ll return me in under five minutes.”

but something about his calmness made her relax a bit. he didn’t seem scared, and penny fed off the energy around her like it was her morning latte. “it’s good you’re keeping up with the news,” she said, tone softening but still very much penny. “most people around here are acting like it’s just… spooky season.”

she paused, then smirked. “and don’t worry, i’m keeping my loved ones close. mostly because half of them can’t function without me.” a beat. her gaze flicked toward him, just a little curious. “what about you? anyone you’re keeping close?”

rumi swallowed her rage and insecurity, catching onto the last of the other woman's words. "oh, yeah, i mean, how can you miss it?" she hoped that she sounded like a normal person, and not someone who was quietly losing her mind about it. but she wasn't sure if she did or not, smile feeling like a grimace. "it is insane. i mean, i don't know, i didn't think this was the kind of place where this type of thing happened."

penny felt the starstruck jolt. like someone had plugged her straight into a glittery pop-music power outlet. but she shoved it down so hard her spine practically straightened from the effort. she kept her face neutral, maybe a little too neutral, like she was trying not to blink too fast or breathe too loud.

“yeah... yeah, totally,” she said, hoping her voice didn’t crack. it didn’t. thank god. “you can’t miss it. the whole place feels… off. like it’s trying really hard to pretend everything’s normal but, uh, plot twist-- it’s not.”

she explained it calmly, maybe a little too casually, like she wasn’t talking to someone whose songs she definitely listened to while getting ready in the mornings.

her eyes flicked to rumi’s face for half a second, then away just as quickly, pretending she was studying the street instead. “but you’re right. this isn’t the kind of place you expect stuff like this to go down.” she let out a small, awkward laugh. “like futuristic town, cute shops, seasonal festivals? it’s supposed to be better since the war, not… whatever this is.”

well, chess could tell immediately that their response to the woman was not the one she expected, her lips pursed as her tone became huffy. it wasn't the first time people reacted to chess this way, and at this point there was humor in it. "karate?" he smirked, knowing it might be best to pretend in this moment that they knew what karate was, but there was a rabid curiosity surrounding how quickly her eyes glared at him. how much further could they go? chess ultimately decided not to try and find out ... for now. best to admit ignorance, not demand information. "my apologies, then. i am not familiar with karate belts."

her response to his question was what interested chess more, anyway. she didn't want to find out? it was the first time they ran into a person who lacked morbid curiosity. it ate at some of these people alive, their curiosity - chess knew this well about humans. not this girl, though - no. she was willing to walk around in ignorance. in bliss. chess wondered if maybe that was the best way to go about this.

"something is strange," was all they could really come up with right away, not used to being asked questions on their opinions. in this world, it felt inappropriate to answer a question with a question - while this was encouraged in wonderland, it came with a negative reaction here. chess considered this for once. who knew if he would consider it again? "i don't think people will know what's happening until it's over," chess admitted. "whatever it is."

penny tipped her head, studying chess like they were some riddle. was it worth explaining the ranks of karate belts at this moment? probably not. her arms folded tighter across her chest, leather boots scuffing against the ground as she shifted her weight.

“well, duh, something is strange,” she murmured, voice low but not unkind. “half the town’s acting like everything’s peachy when it’s… not.”

she exhaled, a soft huff, eyes narrowing thoughtfully at the space just over their shoulder. “it’s just waiting to get blindsided.” her voice softened, barely. “i just… don’t like being caught off guard. that’s all.” penny nudged a pebble with the toe of her boot.

“if people won’t know until it’s over, then someone’s gotta pay attention before that.” she lifted her chin, meeting their gaze again. “might as well be me. i’m not really the stick-my-head-in-the-sand type, y’know?”

———  ❛  you'd  karate  chop  them  in  the  neck.  that'll  teach  them  a  lesson.  ❜  barley  stood  behind  his  girlfriend  to  give  the  top  of  her  head  a  kiss.  barley  had  been  doing  what  he  could  to  keep  his  mind  off  of  the  whole  missing  people  ordeal.  it  wasn't  the  healthiest  coping  mechanism.  he  knew  that  but  what  could  he  do  ?  if  something  were  to  happen  he  knew  that  he  could  defend  himself  or  penny  and  vice  versa.

❛  you  wouldn't  let  them  get  far  and  neither  would  i.  ❜  he  set  penny's  iced  latte  in  front  of  her  as  he  took  a  seat  beside  her.  in  his  hands  was  an  energy  drink  he  had  been  nursing  for  a  few  hours.  ❛  what  do  you  think  they're  doing  with  them  ?  i  wonder  ...  how  long  people  have  been  going  missing.  if  it's  been  a  few  months  they've  been  hiding  it  real  well.  ❜

penelope’s whole posture melted the second she heard barley’s voice, that familiar, gentle tone unwinding something tight in her chest. and when he pressed that small kiss to the top of her head? yeah, that undid her completely. barley had saved her before and she trusted him in a way she didn’t trust many people. he was her nerdy knight, whether he liked the title or not.

his comment pulled a giggle out of her, the kind that bubbled up before she could stop it. “you’re right,” she said, amusement tugging at her lips, “they wouldn’t get that far.”

she turned away from where she’d been standing, grabbed her coffee, and crossed the room to sit beside him. the moment she settled next to him, her head found his shoulder like it belonged there.

“i don’t know…” she murmured, her voice smaller now, thoughts heavy. “i hate to think people are evil enough to keep someone for that long.” she let out a slow, tired sigh. “but you’ve seen how people can be in the underland. nothing shocks me anymore...”

he pulled the single earbud out as she finished her karate monologue, eyes widening just a fraction. "…you know," he said slowly, " i wasn’t expecting to hear purple belt and criminals won’t know what hit them before I got home tonight."

he glanced around the transit hub. benches half-empty. the screens lagging. the hum of late-night commuters, before turning his attention back to her. studying the tension in her jaw and the restless tapping of those boots.

“well, they always say to expect the unexpected when it comes to me,” penelope breathed out, the sigh slipping from her like she’d been holding it in all evening. everything felt like it was spinning off its axis. people vanishing, council announcements, rumors bouncing off every wall, and here she was, standing in the middle of it all like the universe had personally scheduled her a meltdown.

maybe that stranger had been right… maybe she shouldn’t be wandering around alone at this hour. maybe she shouldn’t be pretending she wasn’t freaked out. maybe she shouldn’t be thinking about the disappearances so hard she made herself dizzy.

“well, buster,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him, “you must know something i don’t, then…”

she tried to play it cool. a classic penny move. rolling her shoulders back, tossing her hair like she wasn’t two seconds from spiraling. “you can stick around if you’d like,” she added, a shrug punctuating her attempt at nonchalance. “just don’t go disappearing on me too. i’ve hit my quota for weird tonight.”

the last month had been a crash course on humanity for chess. dealing with one human girl from time to time was much different from dropping into the human world, and there were moments where he was fighting to blend in. that's where the watching came in. the game of silence.

these people, they would put on a show all by themselves if you let them - and chess did. a person often revealed themselves in their monologues, after all, and the only way chess knew how to learn was to absorb. this woman was no exception - showy - though chess wasn't quite sure why the color of her belt would give her any sort of immunity. a grin spread across his lips as the cat considered sneaking up on her himself.

" i thought this one looked more... " there was a pause as he tried to recall its name, his gaze dropping to the belt she was wearing. " brown. " he smirked as if he hadn't fundamentally misunderstood her point. chess shrugged. " do you think there's a reason for the disappearances? "

it was like a scene from a horror film the way penelope's head turned to stare at the other. if her eyes could have shot fire out of them they would've but instead she was standing there straight lipped and staring at the stranger. "you're so funny." she huffed at her lips turning into a fake smile. "i was talking about karate."

she shrugged at the last question. "i think that there is a reason for everything." she wasn't sure the reason for this exactly. "i'm sure that someone has something really crazy in store... and i don't want to find out." she sighed, "what about you? any theories?"

——— ❛  wait,  hold  on  he's  so  cute!  look  at  him  !  ❜  luz  practically  squealed  as  she  ran  to  the  window  display.  christmas  was  in  full  swing  in  stores.  the  autumn  months  already  forgotten  by  november  1st.  luz  was  guilty  of  rushing  in  christmas.  she  had  been  happily  blasting  christmas  music  the  last  few  days.  however,  she  kept  it  to  herself. ❛  i  think  i  need  him.  actually,  yeah  i  need  him.  he's  freaking  adorable.  ❜  the  little  figurine  before  her  was  a  small  little  griffin  with  a  santa  hat.  it  was  perfect  for  someone  like  her.  ❛  are  you  someone  who  believes  comes  right  after  halloween  ?  ❜

there was nothing more that penny loved than shopping. the mall was her second home next to the stage... well maybe third home if you included her appartment. "he is cute isn't he?" she let out a small laugh as she looked on at the griffin. a creature she wouldn't have known about a few years back.

then she spotted not too far behind the griffin something that was perfect for her. "oh. my. god!!!!" she practically screamed at the sight, "look at her!" it was a white pomeranian ornament figurine. "it was made for me! it's a little lady foo-foo!!"