#shoocanon

After a really busy morning, the three of them have pretty much all their presents sorted out and while they’re eating ice cream, Beowulf jumps up–He forgot to buy something for Bella. So he directly asks her what does she want–No need to beat around the bush.

Bella just shakes her head, though. She doesn’t want anything. Beowulf huffs–She has to want SOMETHING, I mean she loves christmas this much she must be expecting presents too, right?? But Bella insists she doesn’t want anything and Feng warns him to not push her anymore, that she’s always been like this. Beo huffs again, he WANTS to give her something though…

As Bella walks away to go to the bathroom telling him one more time that she doesn’t want anything, Feng explains to him that when she was little, when they asked her what she wanted for Christmas once, she said she wanted to find out what had happened to her parents. Troubled, everyone told her that wasn’t possible because no one really knew, so she had to ask for something else. Bella refused to ask for anything else, though, since that was what she wanted more than anything, and ever since then, she didn’t take any presents she was given. She had tried to find out the truth by herself once she was old enough to investigate, but found no information whatsoever. Feng confesses that she thinks the Medicis had intervened and purposefully kept the truth from her–It’s just impossible for someone to disappear like that in the city without them knowing something about it.

Beo frowns and nods, and decides that he knows what he’ll give her for christmas, then: The truth about her parents.

The thing is, he isn’t really the smartest guy for the job, y’know. So he gets Annie to help him since she’s way smarter and also knows how to stay off the Medicis radar.

They both investigate (well more like Annie investigates and Beo follows her to look angry and scary in case they need to interrogate someone) and eventually they’re led to Big Band, who is known for having a grudge against the Medicis so he’ll have no problem leading them down the right path if he knows anything about Bella’s parents’ disappearance. He tells them it’s an old case, though, and that unfortunately he can’t help them. He offers them to talk to Irvin instead since he still has access to the police archives and also doesn’t particularly like the Medicis so he’d be willing to help them without alerting them.

When they find Irvin, he offers his help but unfortunately finds nothing about the case, not even a missing persons’ report. He does have something, though: During the time period when her parents disappeared, there was a known murderer who worked for the Medicis, doing their dirty jobs until he got on their bad side and they decided to toss him to the police to get rid of him. Since then he’s been rotting in jail but soon he would be executed as he killed a prisoner recently in a riot. He doubts he knows much or if he did it at all, but if he knows something he’ll probably spit it out since he has nothing to lose anymore.

Beowulf and Annie go visit the man in question, escorted by Irvin to not raise any suspicions. Just like he said, the man has seemingly given up on life and doesn’t really react to any banter, only raising his head when Annie mentions the Medicis. He smiles like he misses those times--He was given free range, free to take whichever life he wanted as long as it didn’t go against the Medicis plans. Trying to hide her disgust, she asks him if he knows anything about the disappearance of two people, the mother and father of a child who owned a hat-like parasite named Vice-versa.

The man’s eyes shine.

“Ah... the woman with the hat.”

Beowulf and Annie look at each other in confusion, because Bella was a baby back then, not a woman. The man explains that her mother wore the hat before her, and that the Medicis were interested in it and wanted her to sell it to them. She refused, though, and even explained to them that the hat didn’t work with anyone but herself and her daughter, as she had recently discovered. Vitale then offered her to work with them instead as their hitman, but she refused to involve her beloved with something so dangerous. Tensions grew until Dahlia proposed to simply kill the parents and keep the girl.

He casually confesses that killing them was difficult, since he had to wait for a moment where Vice-versa was not in use so it didn’t know what happened to its owners, but it was fun nonetheless (Annie has to grab Beowulf’s arm to stop him from jumping on him), and that getting rid of their bodies was easy. Taking care of the baby was the hard part. It cried so much, he felt tempted to kill her, but Dahlia arrived just in time to stop him.

By this point Beowulf’s just furious and lunges forward only to be stopped by Annie and Irvin (with Irvin whimpering and feeling like he’s trying to stop a truck from moving lmao), hollering about how can he be so calm about killing two innocent people like that--Bella’s parents--that he should KILL HIM INSTEAD AND SEE HOW HE LIKES IT...

The man just shrugs, listless, and asks him to go ahead. He’s already dead, anyway.

It takes a while for Annie to calm Beowulf down so he doesn’t end up in jail for murder himself. When he finally recovers his composure, the man stands up and walks to his bed, picking up a box. It’s filled with random trinkets, and Irvin whispers: 

“They’re trophies. His last wish was to be able to look through the box again.”

“Ah... yes. Her mother was wearing this that night.”

He hands Annie a beautiful white hair pin. It isn’t really expensive, but it still shines like it’s made of diamonds.

“Keep it. It’s nothing but garbage now.”

After leaving the cell and thanking Irvin for all his help, they walk away in anguished silence. After half an hour of walking without saying a word to each other, Beowulf finally grumbles:

“I guess... I guess I should tell her.”

“Should you?”

Annie looks up at him with a frown.

“What is that going to accomplish, exactly?”

“Uh, I dunno, but.. it’s the right thing to do, right?”

“Beowulf, for once in your life, think. What’s going to happen to her if you tell her that the family who raised her and that she loves so dearly was the reason she’s an orphan? That the man she loved so many years orchestrated her parents murder just so he could use her as a tool?”

“... I’ll... break her heart.”

“Exactly.”

“But... the truth is always something good to know, isn’t it?” He mutters, naively. “And I--I can’t lie to Bella. I can’t do that to her--I can’t...”

“Beowulf.” She’s in her stern mother persona now. “This is going to break her. Who knows what she’ll try to do? Either of us can agree that anyone in these circumstances will not react well.”

“But she has to know the truth about her family! Or are we gonna let her keep believing those bastards are good people!? She still refuses to believe they had anything to do with Grendel’s death--So this...!”

“Listen, I’m not saying that we should let her continue living her life with a blindfold, but this is not the way to reveal her the truth! It’s too much, Beowulf! Who knows if she’ll even believe us! We have to start with something smaller, not with the murder of the people she loved the most!”

Beo frowns deeply, struggling with his basic instinct to always do the right thing, always do what a hero should do, and the fact that what Annie says does make sense.

“I can’t force you to keep quiet. But just... think about it.”

Then she motions for him to give her his hand and she places the hair pin on it..

“And think it fast.”

Confused, he looks at her and realizes she’s looking behind him. He turns around, and sees Cerebella walking towards them happily. She stops on her tracks when realizes the gloomy atmosphere around them.

“Geez, what’s up with you guys? Did somebody die?”

They both flinch. Haha oh boy. Annie fakes her best happy smile and shakes her head, assuring her that everything is fine. She says goodbye to both of them, giving Beowulf a meaningful look before walking away, and Bella holds onto his arm.

“Alright, something’s going on here.”

“H-Huh?”

“Annie’s a great actress, but you? You just suck--Worst fake smile I’ve seen, and not only on TV.”

“Hey, now.” He can’t help but grin a little at the insult, but it’s true--The grin soon drops down into a worried expression instead.

“... Something is really wrong.” Now she’s worried, too. “Did you... did you find anything about my parents?”

Beowulf does a double take. “H-how...!?”

“Feng told me about your idea. She wanted me to talk some sense into you, but I guess I found you too late.”

“... Yeah.”

“So? Did you find anything?”

Beowulf swallows, the hair pin in his hand reminding him of Annie’s words.

“Nope. Found nothin’ at all.”

Bella chuckles. “Thought so! I’ve been looking for info for years, ya know. And I’m a pretty good sleuth--But I couldn’t find a thing. I guess they really disappeared into thin air--Maybe they were magicians!”

She’s trying to sound cheerful but Beowulf knows she’s not. He just does. He knows her well enough to hear the sadness in her tone of voice. She presses her cheek to his arm, smiling gently.

“Don’t be so sad. I’m alright, really. I have you, and Vice-versa. I have Feng, I have Dahlia, the cirque des cartes and the Medicis. I’m alright.”

Beowulf doesn’t even try to force a smile anymore. He just looks up and inhales to try and calm himself down.

“What is that in your hand?”

He finally looks down and open it. The hairpin looks so tiny in his hand, yet Bella still gasps at how beautiful it is.

“Is it for me?”

“... I... uh...”

“... Or is it for you?”

Beowulf snorts, and manages to joke: “Dunno. I don’t think white really suits me. I could buy a pink one one of these days, though.”

“Snrk. Idiot.”

She takes the hairpin and puts it on, then looks a him expectantly. Beowulf smiles.

“It looks great.” She snickers and grabs his hand, making him cup the side of her face. “But I though you didn’t take christmas gifts.”

“Hm... I’m thinking maybe I’m too old to keep doing that. Maybe I’ll change the rules a little.”

“Change the rules?”

She smiles.

“I’m okay taking christmas gifts from family like you.”

Beowulf freezes up for a moment, his throat tight. He never thought in his life that words could make him feel so happy and sorrowful at the same time, jesus. Before Bella can see his expression, he hugs her tightly and she giggles on his chest, her voice muffled.

“Merry Christmas, champ.”

He swallows one more time as if to push the truth down his throat, and nods.

3) Which one does the other’s nails

THEY DONT though Sam would think for it to be a p funny idea and maybe he’d let Courtney do it just for kicks.

4) Which one pulls the other out of bed with the blankets when they are really late

Raiden of course. I like to think Sam’s a heavy af sleeper so he has trouble waking up while Raiden is a bit of an insomniac so he’s always up first to drag his big bear bf out of bed.

5) Which one picks in the other’s plate without thinking

Sam of course. That’s before Raiden uses his fork to poke his hand away.

6) Which one gets the other to watch Puella Magi Madoka Magica because they don’t want to finish it alone

Oh man I don’t think either of them would want to watch it, but maybe Sunny could convince Sam to sit with her and watch it and eventually he’d drag Raiden to the couch to stroke his hair while Sunny buries her face on his arm when Kyubey’s getting shot the fuck up by Homuhomu

7) Which one actually screams when the truth is revealed

SUNNY PROBABLY. Sam would just let out an amused little gasp and Raiden would rise his eyebrows.

Wait sunny you’re not part of the otp go play w george or smth.

8) Which one misplaces stuff and the other one is the only person on earth able to find it again

This should be obvious I mean Raiden DID find Sam’s motorbike in canon c’mon.

9) Which one surprises the other with an adopted puppy or kitten

OF COURSE SAM. He’s more partial to dogs but I see him also picking up a kitten, and tbh Raiden wouldn’t be against it as long as they live in an apartment w a bunch of room.

10) Which one falls asleep in front of the TV and the other has to drag them to bed

Sam does and Raiden just goes to bed by himself lmao he ain’t carrying that gorilla to bed he has to face the CONSEQUENCES of behaving like a CHILD.

11) Which one gets extremely corny and murmurs sweet nothings in the other’s ear when drunk

Sam. Raiden’s more of a ‘i'll kick anyone's ass. i'll kick your ass. i'll kick your dog's ass. i'll kick my own ass.” kind of drunk.

12) Which one buys a spinning chair and falls like a dork and the other has to try keeping their laughter inside so they don’t hurt they’re feelings

Sam does but again Raiden would laugh in his face and tbh Sam would laugh his ass off too.

13) Which one gets hyped and sing like a maniac to a band’s song passing on the radio while cleaning while the other just watches and smiles

SAM and while Raiden’s like dude the neighbors are going to complain again he can’t help but grin and just leave him be.

14) Which one screams an offensive comment in a crowd to find the other because they know they will overreact

Sam: SOLID S.NAKE IS A SHAM

Raiden: FIGHT TIME

Sam: there he is

15) Which one thinks they are a professional plumber and try to fix the leaking sink, flooding the bathroom while the other calls a real plumber when they see things are getting bad

Raiden. He absolutely thinks he’d have no problem taking care of something so simple until he floods the bathroom and Sam has to call the plumber trying not to laugh.

16) Which one asks weird ass questions right when the other is about to fall asleep and stops them from sleeping for two more hours

Sam of course, which is a real problem for Raiden bc he already has trouble going to sleep as it is.

17) Which one is so excited for Halloween and the other is horrified by the amount of time and energy (and money) wasted on their costume

I don’t think Sam would care much for halloween but he would absolutely get himself a costume anyway to take Sunny trick or treating much to Raiden’s embarrassment.

18) Which one uses the other’s shirts and sweaters as blankets to fall asleep when they’re not home

... Raiden. He’s surprisingly corny like that when Sam isn’t around and he misses his weight and scent and warmth and hairyness so he does that to not feel as lonely.

19) Which one kills the bug

Raiden, like Sam doesn’t mind but he still finds it a bit gross so he’ll avoid it until he just has to do it.

20) Which one hides in the other’s closet when Mother Nature goes wild

I STILL DONT GET WHAT THIS MEANS

21) Which one carries the other on their shoulders when they just won’t move

Sam of course??? Just like Beo, he’s the carrier in the relationship.

22) Which one randomly piggybacks the other/picks the other up bridal style

Also Sam. Raiden’s role in the relationship is to cross his arms and roll his eyes ( a very important role)

23) Which one puts up the nicest dinner for the other’s family because they want to be accepted

Raiden. He cares a LOT about appearances so if Sam had a family he’d try really hard to impress them and not act like the weirdo he actually is, much to Sam’s annoyance.

24) Which one gets very sour with the other’s family when they learn their SO survived any kind of mistreatment or comes from a very close family

4) Which one pulls the other out of bed with the blankets when they are really late

Bella does it with Vice-Versa’s help, I mean they’re both pretty hopeless but Beo’s the worst of the two so she always gets the job to drag him out of bed.

5) Which one picks in the other’s plate without thinking

Cerebella. Not like Beo notices, with how much he eats smh.

6) Which one gets the other to watch Puella Magi Madoka Magica because they don’t want to finish it alone

Bella. She watches it bc someone at the circus recommended it and at first she was like this is way too corny where are the wrestlers but then ep 3 hits and she starts thinking about the similarities between the witch pact and the skullheart pact and eventually she makes Beo join in just so he can comment on how much of an asshole that creepy white thing is and why doesn’t Madoka just beat it to death.

7) Which one actually screams when the truth is revealed

THEY BOTH DO.

8) Which one misplaces stuff and the other one is the only person on earth able to find it again

Beowulf misplaces shit constantly and Bella’s like oh he probably left his wallet next to the noodles again and when Feng’s like w...why she just shrugs and goes “he just does that.”

9) Which one surprises the other with an adopted puppy or kitten

Beowulf definitely would love a puppy and though Bella prefers cats she’s willing to compromise bc he looks so excited about it.

10) Which one falls asleep in front of the TV and the other has to drag them to bed

They both fall asleep in front of the TV. Annie drags them to bed.

11) Which one gets extremely corny and murmurs sweet nothings in the other’s ear when drunk

Beowulf tbh because I like to think Bella’s just a perverted drunk who smacks his ass and whispers perverted old man lines into his ear more than anything.

12) Which one buys a spinning chair and falls like a dork and the other has to try keeping their laughter inside so they don’t hurt their feelings

Beowulf buys the chair, Bella laughs at him ANYWAY, then a couple of hours later she falls also. 

13) Which one gets hyped and sing like a maniac to a band’s song passing on the radio while cleaning while the other just watches and smiles

Bella, though to be honest maybe they both would do that bc being loud is their specialty.

14) Which one screams an offensive comment in a crowd to find the other because they know they will overreact

Bella: GRENDEL SUCKS

Beowulf: (appearing suddenly sending everyone around him flying far away) WHOS INSULTIN GRENDEL I WILL SHOVE HIS FIST DOWN YOUR THROAT

Bella: there he is.

15) Which one thinks they are a professional plumber and try to fix the leaking sink, flooding the bathroom while the other calls a real plumber when they see things are getting bad

Cerebella, she’s probably in her “we gotta save money” circus mentality and Beo’s like babe why don’t we just pay for someone to do this stuff before you hurt yourself or me or the entire building probably.

16) Which one asks weird ass questions right when the other is about to fall asleep and stops them from sleeping for two more hours

Beowulf. And what’s worse, Bella finds his questions really interesting and asks more questions and they just stay talking all night.

17) Which one is so excited for Halloween and the other is horrified by the amount of time and energy (and money) wasted on their costume

Beowulf is hella excite for Halloween and Bella’s like WAS IT REALLY NECESSARY YOU BOUGHT THIS FURSUIT DUDE YOU ALREADY HAVE A PELT.

18) Which one uses the other’s shirts and sweaters as blankets to fall asleep when they’re not home

Bella. Beo can’t fit in her clothes c’mon.

19) Which one kills the bug

They both run behind it in a frenzy after betting on who kills it first.

20) Which one hides in the other’s closet when Mother Nature goes wild

What... what does this mean.

21) Which one carries the other on their shoulders when they just won’t move

Beowulf is the carrier in this relationship.

22) Which one randomly piggybacks the other/picks the other up bridal style

DID YOU READ THE QUESTION ABOVE. LIFTING STUFF IS BEOS FORTE LEAVE HIM BE.

23) Which one puts up the nicest dinner for the other’s family because they want to be accepted

Bella, definitely. She has a huge complex with familias as she didn’t have her own, so it’s a big deal for her even when Beo tells her his mother is the chillest lady ever,

24) Which one gets very sour with the other’s family when they learn their SO survived any kind of mistreatment or comes from a very close family

None of them have this kind of family BUT if it happened I’m pretty sure Beowulf would be the one to get the most upset about it and would probably refuse to even interact with them anymore after learning that.