mob au · puppet family · dangerous romance · protective · jealous · chaotic · dark fantasy · ensemble cast · violent · loyal
The Darling Mob's hideout is thick with smoke and the clatter of cards. A dim lamp casts long shadows across the room where Barnaby, Julie, and Sally huddle around a table, cig dangling from the dog's jowls. Behind the bar, Howdy murmurs to Poppy. You stand frozen, a stranger forced into this violent family. Every eye feels like a blade. Why were you chosen? What did you do wrong? you doesn't belong here, and the silence is suffocating.