#Bastien ic

[saiwola]

Bastien, bleeding out: Ugh.... I need a smok-- Alys: *smacks the cigarettes out of his hand* No. No. Bad dog. You need to get treated. Bastien: Your bedside manner still needs a bit of work, mon amour...

[mamodewberry]

Holiday Fever

Time for the annual Sad Bastien Christmas drabble. Not too sad this year, but he's still not very happy about it.

Rating: G

Words: 1,361

Summary: Baz is sick and hates it more than usual. Good thing he has Chris.

Bastien preferred being cold to being hot. Much easier to warm oneself up than cool down. But with the constant chill in the air of Swiss winters, brought illness. Global pandemic aside, Bastien was what many would call a germaphobe: everything was cleaned and washed properly and handled with care, touched only when necessary. His parents liked the house tidy, yes, but he wasn’t sure when he himself adapted such hygienic practices. Something within his control perhaps. 

Christophe never felt the need to call him out on it. At least verbally. That crooked smile and the way those green eyes teased him with fondness without a word were unfair sometimes. Over the years Christophe adapted and contributed to Bastien’s practices, intentional or not. Even if just around him.

But no matter how careful he’d been, year after year avoiding indoor crowded spaces (although that was for an unrelated reason), potlucks, public bathrooms, etc he wound up sick. It didn’t make sense, how could his body betray him like this? He wanted to blame something or someone, but that was energy his brain couldn’t spare once Christophe had put him to bed. 

He didn’t like being sick. Hated it. There was so much to do, especially a week before Christmas. But mostly he didn’t like feeling useless. Not allowed to perform his duties he’d established in the household or professionally. When others took time off work for being sick, he was happy to have them away so not to spread their germs, and Bastien should feel the same about himself but… he was the responsible one that didn’t get sick. Took care of Christophe when he got sick, which admittedly wasn’t often (thank god). 

Feebly he relinquished his tablet with the to-do’s to Christophe, who rummaged through the drawers for his own stylus to use and a face mask. Bastien watched Christophe’s eyes widen at the line items, then soften. Not as bad as he thought or did he think Bastien was exaggerating? He huffed at the latter as well as his miserable predicament. 

“I’ll take care of it,” Christophe said.

“All of it?” Bastien was skeptical. 

“As much as I can.”

“Thank you for being honest.”

“I’m not incapable, Baz. Just not as thorough. The priorities will take priorities. That’s what bold means, right?”

“Right.” Christophe often accompanied him on errands. It wasn’t like it was foreign to him. He could do it. The shopping. The cooking. The cleaning. Read off reports to Josef. “Your license is valid, yes?”

“Yes it’s valid and yes I remember how to drive.”

“Right, of course.” Ugh his head was foggy. Why did fog hurt? “Your family’s party. What will--”

“We’ll see how you are in six days. Don’t want to cancel prematurely.”

“But I’m supposed to make the buche de noel. Your mother loves it so…”

“She does, but I know for a fact she’d rather you not worry about it and rest. And if we have to miss out this year, that’s okay. Maybe we can do something for New Year’s instead.”

No, that wouldn’t do. Bastien frowned. Christmas was more ruined than Christophe was letting on! “But…”

“No buts.” Christophe leaned in and pressed his mask-covered lips to Bastien’s forehead. “I’ll take care of things.” He then turned and bent over to pick up Sabine then placed her on Bastien’s chest. She pattered her paws in rotation a couple times before settling into a loaf. “Keep Daddy in bed.” 

Unfair. No one was allowed to move a comfy cat. 

“Get some rest, mon amor.” 

The next few days were torture. 

It hadn’t been the first time Bastien had been sick, but it no less made him feel awful about it. Mostly had been days he’s stressed himself out into a state of burnout that Christophe forced him into bed before he fell asleep at his feet and passed out. But this? Hearing Christophe downstairs in the kitchen and living space cleaning and cooking and sweetly humming, he didn’t like it. No, the humming he liked, it was nice. Everything else, though!

He was able to calm when Christophe brought him a meal and its taste was good. They’d lived together for years so of course he was used to the tastes of the house and could mimic it well enough. Yes they both ate well. The cake for the Giacometti’s party however, that Bastien knew was too large a task for his beau.

What was worse? Arriving empty handed or skipping it all together? 

By day five and the symptoms only lessening by fifty percent, Bastien knew they wouldn’t be going to Christophe’s parents. No dinner around the table, no cookie baking or poems for Samichlaus and finding the hidden gifts around their lovely home. They saw them at least a month ago, but a hug from Nina sounded really nice and now Bastien would have to wait. 

Christophe’s hugs would suffice. The ones Bastien allowed at bedtime before Christophe retreated to the guest bedroom because Bastien would not be able to live even more with himself if Christophe were to get sick, too. Sabine remained dutiful and at his side. 

Bastien wanted to tell Christophe to go to the Christmas market without him so he could still experience the joys of the season. 

“We went the second week of December, love,” Christophe reminded him with a smile.

Surely once wasn’t enough. Especially if they were going to miss the party and mass. 

“I’d never go do something I know you love without you. I have more than enough Christmas cheer here.”

Bastien frowned with skepticism. 

“Our eve meal is almost ready. If you’re up to eating.”

Oh he would eat everything in sight even if his stomach wasn’t entirely agreeing on solid foods at the moment. He wouldn’t waste Christophe’s efforts. Or disappoint himself. Too many days he dwelled on what he was missing out on for his own enjoyment. If Christophe said it was fine for him, it was, but Bastien couldn’t say the same for himself. “Yes. I would like to eat,” Bastien finally said, knowing Christophe was waiting for his answer. 

“Can we eat together downstairs?”

It was odd to be on this end of permission. Shouldn’t Bastien be the one asking to be free of his insisted quarantine? Still, he couldn’t deny how much he wanted to. “I’d like that.”

Christophe took hold of the comforter and pulled it back and offered Bastien his robe and toed his slippers toward the bed. 

Slipping his arms into the sleeves, Bastien took Christophe’s offered hand and stood into his slippers. It was unnecessary to need assistance down the stairs, but Bastien appreciated it all the same. 

Whatever Christophe had made smelled wonderful. 

As they descended, Bastien noticed the fireplace had been lit, the main lights dimmed, and a small table had been set up in front of the tree. Struck by all implications and sentiments, Bastien let Christophe lead him to the table and down into one of the chairs. He barely registered Christophe saying he’d be right back with their Christmas dinner.

When Christophe returned, a plate of fondue chinoise, mixed greens, and a single zimtsterne was placed in front of him. The star design on the fondue was charmingly homemade. And if it weren’t for how much he loved the cookies, he would have chided Christophe for putting dessert on the dinner plate. Judging by the shape and thickness of the frosting, Bastien knew they had to be Nina’s doing. 

Christophe returned with his own plate and two glasses of wine. “I asked Mother what they were having tonight and gave it a go. She offered to bring it over to us, but I convinced her a plate of her zimtsterne would be perfect.”

Being ill would dull his taste buds naturally, but the atmosphere, the thoughts and care put into it, it would be the most wonderful meal he’d ever had. 

He’d worried about nothing. Christophe took care of everything.

Christophe really was Samichlaus in his own way. 

Tears burned in his eyes. “All of it is. It always is. How could I expect anything different?”

[stlispenard]

@andthe6 continued from wintery prompt

the creak of his floorboards for once brings him reprieve, instead of annoyance. enjolras has been savouring the artificial warmth of his apartment after a night spent at the library, and a morning in the campus’ auditorium. he half-expected company. courfeyrac is a given, on cold days like this. m. enjolras seniour foots the electricity bill, though matthieu doubts he’s aware of it, so the central heating runs, day and night. the tousled, unconscious form of grantaire on his couch gives him pause, however. as does the alarming realization that he can recognize the back of his neck, turned away as he is. he recognizes envy settling in his gut, but attributes it to being so tired himself. what he wishes for himself is sleep, not whatever activities preceded his guests’ slumber.

enjolras’ wish is granted the moment his golden head hits the pillow, rising only due to the incessant buzzing of his phone. messages announcing safety and shared locations stop him from muting it. he gazes through heavy lids out the window, the undeniable fall of snow gives context for the group chat panic of the day. most of the amis are home. marius is at chez fauchelevent, bless him. courf and ferre have found shelter at the cinema (?). one person is not accounted for – technically two considering he himself has yet to respond. enjolras’ heart rate rises as running a marathon, had grantaire ventured out in the cold? the door connecting his bedroom to the living room swings open with a violent thud. the disoriented and slightly accusatory expression of a sleepy abandoned guest pops up from behind the couch. “ oh. ” they stare, as if the other person were insane and enjolras has never felt less comfortable in his own home. “ you’re still here. ”

      tequila might not actually kill you, but it might lead to some questionable decisions that makes you wish that it would. for the most part grantaire can drink exactly the amounts he needs to to get by without severe repercussions. the going to the club and licking salt, lemon and liquor off strangers’ abs is a new one and entirely owed to the ingenious of courfeyrac. dear courfeyrac, who will kiss you just to cheer you up in the spirit of friendship and courfeyrac, who happened to shower in the morning, using enjolras’ body-wash and who probably dried himself using his towels. courfeyrac who— if you squint— has a torso with the same definition and same amount of body fat. he’s a substitute, a fix, a hit, but he is never quite right. he’s always assumed that he is aware of it, too, and that he, when he initiates, feels a similar loneliness. sex is their shared solution. 

      grantaire, for the most part, has enough self-respect to keep clear of combeferre and enjolras’ place and besides rue gay-lussac is almost always closer (which means distance can’t be the excuse). he doesn’t remember agreeing to going to theirs, or if he had even tried to protest it. absurdly— considering the nature of his mind—  he doesn’t really remember thinking much at all. he remembers being with courfeyrac in a bathroom stall one moment and on the couch the next. enjolras’ couch. 

      when he wakes up it is because his mouth is agonizingly dry. the absence of courfeyrac is not surprising. the boy always has some place he needs to be whereas grantaire has nothing. he prefers the days where he is unconscious for most of it and he isn’t surprised that courfeyrac knows as much. so, grantaire considers it concern rather than neglect. the only thing he is slightly bitter about is the fact that he has to get up and get himself some water and that it will inevitably delay him going back to sleep.

      it would be lying saying that he is just about to leap off the sofa when he hears a door open behind him. grantaire is still very much on his back contemplating whether or not he’d die from dehydration if he just stayed still for another couple of hours. the fact that he isn’t alone startles him enough to make him sit up (he supposes he should be grateful for the push) and the fact that it is enjolras, of all people, makes his stomach churn. there’s a very real possibility that he will be sick all over their fancy furniture. 

      he fixates on a tiny loose string by the collar of enjolras’ t-shirt instead of his eyes. grantaire doesn’t want to see the frustration he already hears palpably in the tone of his voice. “yeah,” he replies eventually, patting himself on the chest, “still here.” he is still groggy from sleep, his voice is nearly gone and he lacks a clever thing to say. he lets out an audibly grunt when he’s about to get up and he realizes he can’t. he’s naked. sure, he’s got a blanket covering him up, but he’s definitely too naked to move. he feels heat rise in his cheeks and around his ears, he feels humiliated and ashamed. 

      “fuck, man, i didn’t think anybody was home except for courfeyrac. i wouldn’t have…” an awkward, fumbling pause, “i’ll have to find my clothes.. but then i’ll be out of your way, i promise. i promise.”

[noirapocalypto]

ᴏᴄ ᴅɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴᴀʀʏ & ɴᴀᴠɪɢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ

─── ᴀꜱ ᴅᴜꜱᴋ ꜰᴀʟʟꜱ

Set in a re-imagined Night City in futuristic year of 2077--we follow the stories of various individuals from all backgrounds and origins, as they navigate living and surviving among gang wars, shady corporate dealings, and seedy, supernatural underground networks.

Genre: Urban Fantasy | Cyberpunk | Horror Sources: Cyberpunk 2077 | True Blood | Original Concepts

✧ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɪɴ ᴄᴀꜱᴛ: ✧

SVLEM | 29 ✦ Warlock ✦ Rapper, Music Producer & Label Owner ✦ Black Mage Records & The Hales

lore | vp | aesthetic

Judah DuBois | 30 ✦ Demon ✦ Chief Operating Officer of Argent Media Co

lore | vp | aesthetic

Embry Ellis Knight | 32 ✦ Lycan ✦ Smuggler, Mercenary ✦ The Knights

lore | vp | aesthetic

Paolo Velasquez | 28 ✦ Lycan ✦ Mercenary, Drug Dealer ✦ Independent

lore | vp | aesthetic

Paola Velasquez | 28 ✦ Lycan ✦ Mercenary ✦ Independent

lore | vp | aesthetic

Renato Ventura | 31 ✦ Werewolf ✦ Gang Leader ✦ [ gang name pending ]

lore | vp | aesthetic

✧ ꜱᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛɪɴɢ ᴄᴀꜱᴛ: ✧

Casey Hale ✦ Bastien 'Baz' Clermont ✦ Alec 'Tyrant' LeBlanc ✦ Darcy Hale ✦ Silas Hale ✦ Frida Montoya ✦ Amirah ✦ Beckett Hale ✦ Archer Crane ✦ Daryl Shaw ✦ Avis Hale-Crane ✦ Noah Hale ✦ Maeve Hale ✦ Shay Morrissey ✦ Elliot Crane

✧ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅʙᴜɪʟᴅɪɴɢ & ʟᴏʀᴇ: ✧

Settings ≫ Night City ✦ Republic of Texas ✦ Houston ✦ North Cal ✦ New Orleans ✦ Louisiana

Locations ≫ The Woods ✦ Hale Estate ✦ Academy of Magics ✦ The Bayous

Beings ≫ Witches ✦ Lycans ✦ Werewolves ✦ Demons ✦ Fae ✦ Sirens

Bloodlines ≫ The DuBois ✦ The LeBlancs ✦ The Clermonts

Covens ≫ The Hales ✦ Wildhearts

Wolf Packs ≫ The Knights ✦ The Cranes

Labels & Collectives ≫ Black Mage Records

Street Gangs ≫ [ To Be Added ]

✧ ᴀʟᴛᴇʀɴᴀᴛᴇ ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀꜱᴇꜱ & ᴛɪᴍᴇʟɪɴᴇꜱ: ✧

╰┈➤ ─── ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡɪʟʟᴏᴡꜱ ᴡᴇᴇᴘ

The Realm of Four Seasons has been thrown into political turmoil as the crown has suddenly fallen and the throne remains empty. Several Houses of Nobility vie for the title of King or Queen of the Four Realms, while others scheme, plot and fight for the survival of their legacies. As the noble lords and ladies contend for power, the commonfolk struggle to live in a world where magic and supernatural forces thrive alongside senseless wars of greed and destruction.

Genre: High Fantasy | Dark Fantasy Sources: A Song of Ice and Fire | Original Ideas

── ʟᴏʀᴇ Lands ≫ Frostvale ✦ Springtide ✦ Suncrest ✦ Autumn Song

Nobility ≫ House Hale ✦ House DuBois

Holds ≫ Wintersun ✦

╰┈➤ ─── ᴡʜᴏ ꜱᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴏɴ ꜰɪʀᴇ

[ Plot WIP ]

Genre: Post Apocalyptic | Cyberpunk Sources: The Walking Dead | Fallout | Original Ideas

[bunabi]

I kinda wish Vivienne’s quest focused on her court enchanter duties or something connected to the mage-templar war because being a dying noble’s mistress is the least interesting thing about her

its sad but do we care about it

clap if you care about the ‘ice queens have feelings too’ trope

clap if you care about Bastien dying

[yutopia-eleftheria]

Favorite Pokémon Trainer of Each Type Meme

When I went looking for some Pokémon Memes, I always find stuff like "Favorite Pokémon of Each Type", but never "Favorite Pokémon TRAINER of Each Type", so I decided to change one and turn it into that because trainers also deserves to shine

(And I think we all have a favorite Pokémon Trainer of a certain type, don't we ?)

Normal : Larry Okuba

I can't really explain why but I like this guy. He is so formal yet so funny at the same time.

Shoothout to Aloé Lenora, because she is highly underrated and I almost put her in here.

Other trainers ranked :

2. Aloé Lenora

3. Althéo Ilima

4. Tcheren

5. Norman Mitsuko Senri

6. Blanche Whitney

Grass : Barbara Mallow

I found her to be so cute and kind. Even though she is a Trial Captain, she is still a Trainer after all, so she counts ! ♥

Other trainers ranked :

2. Érika

3. Rachid Cilan Cress

4. Flo Gardenia

5. Colza Brassius

6. Percy Milo

7. Amaro Ramos

Fire : Meloco Braseco

She is way too badass ! Her entire design is *chef's kiss* ♥ Honestly though there are a lot of cool Fire Type Trainers so it was really hard to choose. I'm sorry Kabu :,(

Other trainers ranked :

2. Kabu Arwen

3. Adriane Flannery

4. Malva Pachira

5. Rubépin Crispin

6. Armando Cilan Cress

7. Kiawe

8. Max Archie

9. Adrien Flint

10. Auguste Blaine

Water : Marc Wallace

This man is too sassy for us not gonna lie xD !

2. Donna Nessa

3. Narcisse Siebold

4. Marlon Amana

5. Noa Cilan Cress

6. Ondine Misty

7. Arthur Maxie

8. Néphie Lana

9. Juan Adan

10. Lovis Wake

11. Kombu Marisco

Electric : Inézia Elesa

She is such a wonderful woman. I pretty much immeditely fell in love with her. One of my Waifus not gonna lie ♥

Other trainers ranked :

2. Mashynn Iono

3. Tanguy Volkner

4. Lem Bonnie Clemont

5. Chris Sophocles

6. Voltère Watson

7. Major Bob

Bug : Éra Katy

All the Bug Type Trainers are pretty much in the same Tier for me, but I still like Éra slightly more than the others.

Other trainers ranked :

2. Aaron Ryo

3. Hector Bugsy

4. Artie Burgh

5. Violette Panji

6. Guzma

Flying : Alizée Winona

In all honesty, I love all of the Flying type Trainers. They're all so cool in my opinion and it was one of the hardest choices to make.

Other trainers ranked :

2. Carolina Skyla

3. Albert Falkner

4. Kahili

5. Larry Okuba (Elite 4 Alternate Team)

Fighting : Élige Dendra

Mah gurl alright ! I love Élige with all my heart ! ♥ I wish I could have had a Sports teacher like her OMG ♥ Also Girl supremacy among Fighting type trainers ! ♀♥♀

2. Faïza Bea

3. Cornélia Korrina

4. Nèflie Éri

5. Mustar Honey

6. Bastien Brawly

7. Mélina May-Lin

8. Aldo Bruno

9. Pectorius Hala

10. Kunz Marshal

11. Chuck Shijima

Ground : Cayenn Rika

I'm pretty "meh" about the Ground type trainers, but Cayenn : That's my Elite 4 ! My Ground type gal ! I love her with all of my heart ! ♥

Other trainers ranked :

2. Paulie Hapu

3. Bertha Terry

4. Giovanni Sakaki

5. Bardane Clay

Rock : Alyxia Olivia

It was a hard choice because Roxanne was up there too. They are definitely the best Rock type Trainer Girls out there ♥

Other trainers ranked :

2. Roxanne Tsutsuji

3. Thaïm Rytima

4. Chaz Gordie

5. Lino Grant

6. Pierrick Roark

7. Pierre Brock

Ice : Olga Lorelei

As much as I love Zhu, Lona, or even Grusha and Sina...and Glacia OMG they're so many !!!... Anyways... the OG Ice Type Trainer that is Olga Lorelei will always hold a special place in my heart, especially with her Let's Go redesign ♥

Other trainers ranked :

2. Zhu Brycen

3. Sina

4. Lona Gordie Melony

5. Grusha Nievecima

6. Glacia Prim

7. Gladys Candice

8. Garrett Gaeric

9. Urup Wulfric

10. Frédo Pryce

11. Lilien Zinzolin

Poison : Ério Atticus

If only Mimosa Miriam was a Poison Type as I thought she was at first, she would have absolutely DOMINATED them ! But no she doesn't have a specific type lol. Most of them are ninjas and are therefore pretty cool, but I have to choose Ério because : Handsome guy behinf the mask ♥

Other trainers ranked :

2. Sophora Klara

3. Strykna Roxie

4. Jeannine Kyô Anzu

5. Koga Kyô Anzu

Psychic : Morgane Sabrina

The very first Psychic Type Trainer and Gym Leader is the best one ! She has an amazing backstory and design ! (Except for HeartGold and SoulSilver because they destroyed her...) She is still the best nonetheless !

Other trainers ranked :

2. Saturnin Avery

3. Tully Labiosa

4. Clément Will

5. Lucio Goyô

6. Percila Caitlin

7. Lévy & Tatia

8. Astéra Olympia

9. Dexio

10. Saubohne Faba

11. Travis Bede (before becoming a Gym Leader)

Ghost : Alistair

I mean who doesn't like this little boy ? He is so cute and yet can be so terrifying at the same time. By far one of the best Ghost Type Trainers ever made !

Other trainers ranked :

2. Mortimer Matsuba

3. Spectra Phoebe

4. Laïm Rytima

5. Margie Acerola

6. Kiméra Fantina

7. Anis Shauntal

8. Agatha Kikuko

Dragon : Amaryllis Zinnia

Everything in her is pure awesomness ! From her design to her purpose and her destiny, she is just too incredible ! Note that Iris was still close to her as she has one of the best glow-ups in the entire franchise.

Other trainers ranked :

2. Iris Landon

3. Peter Lance

4. Sandra Clair

5. Roy Raihan

6. Hassa Girasol

7. Dracéna

8. Solane Ryuki

9. Watson Drayden

10. Irido Drayton

11. Drake Aragon

Steel : Shehroz Peony Rose

I think you pretty much know it at this point. He is my favourite character in Galar and one of my absolute favorite characters of the franchise ! I don't care what people say, this is my opinion and I'll stick by it.

Other trainers ranked :

2. Pierre Rochard

3. Nikolaï Akuroma

4. Jasmine Mikan

5. Dhilan Peony Rose

6. Popi Llavesol

7. Nérine Amarys

8. Thyméo Wilkström

9. Charles Byron Roark

10. Molène Mullain

Dark : Rosemary Piers

Our punk girl that turns out to be an absolute cinnamon roll is in this OMG ! Not gonna lie this runs in the family : her brother Peterson is also insanely cool. But some people managed to made their way in between them...

Other trainers ranked :

2. Pieris Grimsley

3. Marion Karen

4. Peterson Piers

5. Giacomo Brôme

6. Damien Sidney

7. Dahn Nanu

Fairy : Valériane

Fairy type happens to be the most recent type added (*kof kof* DLC *kof kof* ?...) But when you come to think about it, it's been already 10 years since X & Y came out and since Fairy was first introduced ! Time flies ! And to this day, I still think that our very first Fairy Type Trainer, Johtonian now Kalosian as well, Valériane, is still on the spotlight.

Other trainers ranked :

2. Taro Lacey Elesa

3. Oléa Mine

4. Travis "Tracie" Bede

5. Sally Opal (when young she is easily above both Travis and Oléa)

6. Ortiga Mejadoha

What about you people ? Who is your favorite trainer for each type ? Let me know ; I'm curious.

[tessa-liam]

Smoke and Mirrors

Smoke and Mirrors 

-6- You Are the Reason 

Book: The Royal Romance Finale +, Alternate Universe 

Series Premise: Hidden in the shadows, poised to challenge the status quo are enemies of the state. The loyalties and honesty of family and of friends will be tested. ‘Keep your friends close, your enemies closer.’ 

•Catch up: Smoke and Mirrors Masterlist 

•Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!MC Riley Brooks-Rys, OTP ‘LiRi’ 

   2nd Pairings: Leo Rys x Amalas 

 ��                       Drake Walker x F!OC Delaney Leigh  

All characters belong to Pixelberry except Delaney Leigh, Officer Alex Cossoy, Geoffrey Bessler (Amalas’ head guard) 

•Rating: M🔞*Series Warnings: NSFW material, sexual innuendo, adult language/swearing/drinking, gun violence. 

•Category: Alternate Universe/on-going series/angst/fluff 

•Words: 1774, Read: 9 minutes 

Chapter 6: You Are the Reason 

Insert picture*** 

Chapter Summary: Arriving back at the Monterissan palace, discoveries are uncovered, and fears are realized. 

Music Inspiration: Need You Now – Lady Antebellum 

                                 You Are the Reason – Calum Scott 

A/N1: My submission for @choicesflashfics Week #27, Prompt #3 - “I don’t know if I want to know the answer, but what are you doing?” 

***insert picture 

Monterisso Royal Palace - Seaside Balcony 

It had just turned 10 p.m. and the sun was setting over the Mediterranean Sea. The cool pool water was refreshing as Riley leaned back to submerge under the surface. Even though it was late evening, the temperature in the Capital was still 43 degrees C. 

Amalas slowly lifted her gaze up when she noticed Geoffrey, her head royal guard, step onto the terrace beside the jacuzzi. 

“Your Majesty, please excuse my interruption.” 

“Yes, Geoffrey?” 

“King Liam’s Royal motorcade has arrived at the palace.” 

“Thank you.” Amalas sat up and reached for a towel. 

Noticing Riley was getting out of the pool, “Hey, Ri? Is the pool is too cool for you?” 

Riley laughed, “oh no, the water is amazing. I totally forgot how hot it was out here tonight.” 

“Where are you off to? Would you like another iced tea?” 

“I would love that, thanks. Let me just check on the girls quickly; I will be right back.” 

“I wonder why Liam is coming back tonight?” 

“I am not sure; Leo messaged me earlier and said that they had hit a dead end,” 

Completely unaware that Liam and Leo had just walked out onto the terrace behind her, Riley slipped into her sandals. Liam lifted his finger to his lips to signal to Amalas not to alert her. 

Amalas chuckled as she watched her surprised friend turn and then ‘yelp’ when she was lovingly encased in the arms of her husband from behind, as Liam caught her off guard. 

“My love, maybe it would be better if you join me in the jacuzzi instead of roaming around the palace in your towel?” Liam whispers in his smooth, deep baritone into her ear. 

Smirking, Liam grins as Riley shakes her head. 

“Well, I’m delighted you came home early,” Riley coos. 

Turning and slipping her hands up Liam’s chest, she reaches up to kiss him ‘hello’.  

“Hey, Ri, how is the water?” Leo interrupts. 

Sauntering up to Leo, Amalas quips, “well, there is another way to find out.” 

Leo leans down to kiss her cheek. “Is that so? Care to take a swim with me?” 

Amalas coyly smiles, “follow me.” 

*** 

“So, tell me, Liam, what happened today? What changed?” 

Liam looked at the ceiling, “I overheard that the Interpol intelligence reports showed that this palace would likely be the location of where my ‘supposed’ sister would be.” 

“Liam, who did you overhear?” 

“Alex Cossoy. He was confiding that to Olivia.” 

“Oh my God, here?” Riley gasped. 

“He told Olivia that his gut feeling was that this woman has a connection to the royal guard here in the palace through Bastien.” 

“Bastien? Bastien again! It seems like there is a covert underground spy network between our countries.” 

“Well, I am delegating this investigation to my brother. Leo has agreed to head the investigation with the assistance of Interpol here in Monterisso.  

Since Officer Cossoy is assigned to Cordonia, he will lead the investigation from our palace. Olivia has already offered her assistance to Interpol. 

Liam stopped, turning to Riley, “I need to get you and Ellie out of Monterisso now. It's not safe here; we are going home.” 

Spotting the King and Queen walking towards her, Mara, who was standing guard outside the princess’ room, bows. 

“Your Majesties.” 

Riley nods and walks inside of her daughter’s room. 

“Hello Mara, any issues to report?” Liam asks, noticing the guard’s attention was focused behind his right shoulder. “Your Majesty, I need to report a concerning incident that I witnessed earlier this evening.” 

Officer Cossoy, responding to Mara’s request stepped alongside Liam. 

*** 

Mediterranean Sea, Monterisso 

“Never have I ever, ever thought I would someday be swimming in the Mediterranean,” Delaney smiled widely. 

Drake answered back, “never have I ever thought I would be skinny dipping with a hot blond in the Mediterranean." He raised his eyebrows and grinned. “...but, here we are!” 

Wanting to get closer, he stepped forward. admiring her curves underneath her bikini top. 

“Well, not yet, anyway.” Drake chuckled reaching for the tie of her top. 

“I don’t know if I want to know the answer, but what are you doing?” Delaney asked curiously. 

“I think it’s time to teach you how to swim.” 

Delaney gasped and started to walk backwards away from him. 

“Tonight? Are you sure that’s a good idea?” 

“Not in a lake, not in a pool, but in open water,” he told her confidently. 

She stared at him, “you mean like, here in the ocean?” 

Delaney had told Drake her fear of deep water. Drake had made a promise of teaching her to swim so that her fears would diminish. 

He nodded, “I know you can do this.” Walking towards her, Delaney stared at his broad, ripped chest. 

Delaney thought about it, “Why are you so sure I can do it?” 

Drake smiled, “Because you’re smart and beautiful, and you can do anything you put your mind to. 

Come on, get your suit off and come here,” waggling his brows he closed the distance, drawing her close. 

“And there it is!” Delaney giggled. 

*** 

Eleanor’s Chamber 

The nightlight glowed soft blue as Riley entered the room. Ellie was wide awake, sitting on the bed, holding her lovey tightly. 

“Mommy!” Her bottom lip quivering as she raised her arms for a hug. 

“Sweetheart, what is it?” Riley rushed to her bedside and enveloped her daughter in her arms as Ellie started to cry. 

“I’m scared. I want to go home.” 

Riley knelt down beside her. 

“It is late. I am sorry you are afraid. Tell me about your bad dream.” 

“Mommy, I didn’t have a dream.” 

“If you cannot sleep, I will sit with you.” 

“I don’t like that lady.” 

Puzzled, Riley asks, “What lady, sweetie?” 

“The lady who was reading a story to me and Mikky. The one who looks like Daddy.” 

Shocked, Riley gasped, finding it hard to breathe. It took every strength to hold it together and to remain calm in front of her daughter. 

“Li..Li..Liaaammm” Riley cried out.   

*** 

Walking along the shore, hand in hand, Delaney and Drake were close to the palace as Drake started to slow. Looking sheepish, he turned, and paused scanning the outside perimeter of palace terrace. 

“Drake? Where did our backpacks go; I don’t see them anywhere.” 

“Stay here, I will run up and take a closer look.” 

Close to the exterior wall of the palace, he spotted a tall figure looking up to the terrace with binoculars. 

Slowing his movements, he called out, “excuse me, have you....” 

“Freeze!” 

Before his eyes, Drake watched as two men pointed their firearms at the figure in the shadows. 

‘Shit, what the hell?’ 

He stood motionless as the lone figure turned and started to run. 

A gunshot rang out as one of the men fired a warning shot into the air. 

His next thought was, ‘Delaney!’ as someone pulled Drake down to the ground from behind. 

“Who the fuck...”, Drake jostled hands off his shoulders. He stopped and turned as Olivia lifted her eyebrow. 

“Just say ‘thanks’, Walker.  

Drake felt relief when he spotted Delaney standing at a safe distance at the seashore. 

Olivia and Drake turned and noticed the lone figure being arrested; cuffed and led away, Lena was silent. 

*** 

Leo and Amalas heard the sound of a gunshot, as they were talking and lounging inside the jacuzzi. 

“What the hell!” Leo jumped up looking toward the barrier wall of the terrace. 

“Your highness, get down.” Geoffey shouted as members of the Monterissian Royal guard surrounded their queen. 

*** 

Liam pushed Mara aside as he bolted into Eleanor’s room. 

Noticing Riley’s fear stricken look and his daughter crying in her arms, he knelt down beside them and enveloped them protectively. 

Officer Cossoy entered next, with his gun drawn. Mara locked and secured the door behind her as she noticed royal guards standing at attention in the hall outside. 

“Your Majesties, there is a situation developing outside and the palace is in lockdown.” 

*** 

The sound of the engines could be heard from outside the SUV as it moved closer to the Royal jet on the tarmac. 

Riley watched Drake help Delaney out of the lead SUV already stopped up ahead. 

“Are you ready, my love?” Liam asked Riley, as he lifted Ellie, fast asleep, from her car seat. 

“I am.” 

He smiled, “Then let us go home.” 

Taking her hand, he led her to the door of the jet. 

“Your majesty,” Mara greeted as the nanny lifted the sleeping princess from Liam’s arms. 

As the jet took off, the sun was rising on the horizon. 

[thefreelanceangel]

FFXIVWrite2023 (#28 - "Blunt")

"I have made... many attempts..." He paced a short arc across the carpet, boot heels sinking into the dark nap. One hand rose, halted briefly, and as he looked at her, continued upward to rake through his glossy chestnut hair. "By Halone's spear, I have made so many attempts I can no longer count them. Lady Iseterre, Solange... I..."

Abruptly, he turned, lurching across the parlor to where she sat, embroidery sliding from her nerveless hands. Her throat constricted at the wild look on his face, the fire burning in his wide grey eyes. Hope fought free of her grip upon it and soared, taking her heart with it as he dropped to a knee before her. "Solange, I must be blunt. There is no other way to ensure you understand me completely. Despite all that my father said before he died, despite your mother's refusal... I cannot deny this any longer, I love you."

He batted her embroidery hoop from her lap to clasp her cold hands, squeezing until her fingertips ached. "Your brother will give permission, I know he will, you must marry me!"

"...Bastien, I... do you truly...?"

"Of course I mean it, Solange! I have waited so long, too long to speak! Perhaps I never would have found the courage, but your brother... he said that if you did not find a suitor soon, your family would need to leave Ishgard for lack of funds. I cannot allow that to happen, you belong here. Here, with me."

Fire and ice swept through her in turn, pinking her cheeks and draining the feeling from her feet, until Solange could do little more than flex her crushed hands within his and part her lips to gasp in a breath. "...oh Bastien, of... of course..."

One gloved finger ran along the base of the silver frame, propped so carelessly up against the merchant's booth. She looked at it, looked at herself and recalled weeks of posing for what Bastien called 'the only art I will ever truly need.'

'You and Ishgard, Solange, are all I love. And the two of you in the frame... I will always be able to see my reasons for living at a glance whenever you are not with me.'

For a year or more, the painting adorned their parlor, hanging directly across from Bastien's reading chair. She'd thought it there still, despite everything that'd transpired since last she'd seen it. Finding it here in Ul'dah's Sapphire Avenue Exchange... Truly, it only surprised her that the painting survived. Renaux did not make idle threats; she bore a scar that could testify to that.

Solange did not reach for her small gil purse. She caressed the curve of the rings molded into the frame as her left thumb stretched to rub the emptiness of her left ring finger.

And then she dropped her hand from the frame, turning away to catch up with the lalafell impatiently waiting for her at the armorer's booth. He'd not recognized her in his glance at the painting and she could not fault him for that. Nor did she turn back to look at it once more.

All that it represented lay in the grave with Bastien. Best to leave it there.

[deb-1106]

Forever

Chapter 1

Rating: NSFW  (This Series contains mature themes, depictions of sexual acts including m/m, m/f, and m/m/f, and coarse language)

Pairing: Drake x Liam

Author’s Note: This series is set in an AU where Liam and Drake are in love with one another and there was never a conspiracy against Riley.  This has enough drama without all that Canon nonsense.  :)

Word Count:  2730

Liam heard the distinctive sound of Riley's musical laughter coming from somewhere in the great hall.  He stopped to listen, a smile playing across his lips.  She was such a breath of fresh air in the palace.  Her energy and joie de vivre was so infectious, it seemed as though no one was immune to her charms.  In fact, just yesterday he’d caught Bastien humming one of the pop tunes she loved so much.

Eager to see what was so delighting her, he followed the sound, stopping when he reached the library.  

He pushed the door open and peered inside, the smile fading quickly from his face as he took in the scene before him.

Drake sat in a wing-back chair by the fire, with Riley draped across his shoulder.  They had their heads pressed together as they laughed quietly.  They were so engrossed in one another that they hadn’t even noticed him.  

Liam cleared his throat loudly.  “Don’t you two look cozy.”

Startled, they looked up to find Liam leaning against the door frame gazing at them with a frown on his handsome face.  Riley stood and backed away, quickly putting distance between she and Drake.

“Liam.”  She said with a nervous smile, “You startled me.”

“So I see.”  He spoke to Riley, but his eyes never left Drake.

“We were just watching funny dog videos on my phone.  There’s one of this Corgi that can play piano.  I’ll play if for you…”

“Maybe another time, Lady Riley.” He interrupted, giving her a tight smile, “Right now I need a word with Drake.”  He returned his steely gaze to his friend, “Drake...if you wouldn’t mind.”

Without giving him a chance to respond, Liam turned on his heel and strode from the room.

Drake heaved a heavy sigh and pushed himself out of the chair.

“Well that sounded suspiciously like a royal command.”

“I’m so sorry, Drake.” Riley looked close to tears, “I don’t know what I was thinking.  I shouldn’t have been sitting so close to you.  It was... inappropriate.  I can only imagine what he’s thinking right now.”    

“Relax, Matheson.” He said giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze “I’ll handle it.  Don’t give it a second thought, okay.”

Riley bit her bottom lip anxiously and nodded.  

By the time Drake made it to the hallway, Liam was several feet ahead of him. Drake broke into a jog to catch up before falling into step beside the King.

“Liam…”

Liam held up his hand, silencing him instantly.   Drake snapped his mouth shut, sulking moodily as he followed Liam to his private chambers.

Liam swung the door open and motioned Drake in, slamming it behind them so hard that several pictures on the wall shook.

“SIT.” He commanded

Drake took a seat on the couch in the sitting area, leaning back and propping one ankle on the opposite knee.  

“So.” He drawled, raising a sardonic eyebrow, “Who pissed in your cheerios this morning?”

Liam shot Drake a quelling look as he crossed to the bar at the far end of the room.  He dropped some ice cubes into a tumbler and splashed a liberal amount of whiskey into the glass before returning to stand in front of Drake.

“I don’t suppose that’s for me.”

Their eyes locked and Liam raised the glass to his mouth, taking a long sip.

“Guess not.” Drake muttered.

“Would you like to explain to me what I walked in on just now?”  Liam’s tone was calm, but Drake could see the tell-tale tightening of his jaw.  He was pissed

He shrugged his shoulders meeting Liam’s icy stare with one of his own. “Just a couple friends watching dog videos, that’s all.”

“Is that so?”  Liam’s eyes narrowed slightly as he perched on the edge of his desk. “It was all just innocent fun?  Just friends...sitting by a romantic fire...hanging all over each other... watching YouTube videos?”

Drake cocked his head to the side and grinned at Liam.  “Are you seriously jealous right now?”

Liam gave a harsh laugh, “Of course not.”

“Good.  Because you realize how stupid that would be, right?”  Drake held his hand out and Liam passed the tumbler to him without thinking.

Drake took a sip of whiskey, studying Liam’s intently.  He seemed calmer now, his shoulders relaxed as he leaned back against his desk.

“If you’ll recall, you’re the one who told me to stick close to her.  To get her to trust me.”

“Apparently it’s working.” Liam said wryly

Drake’s face broke into wide grin, “You are jealous!”

The corner of Liam’s mouth twitched as he gave in to an embarrassed smile.  “Maybe just a little.”  

He pushed away from his desk and bent down to cup Drake's face in his hands, enjoying the familiar scrape of his beard against his palms.

“Maybe I don’t like the thought of sharing you with her.” Liam said softly as he guided Drakes lips to his.  He let out an audible sigh when he felt Drakes hand cup the back of his head, his fingers tangling in his hair as their tongues collided.  After a minute Drake pulled his head back and gazed into Liam’s eyes before falling back against the couch with a sigh.  

“You know, if anyone has a reason to be jealous these days, it’s me.”  He took another deep swallow of the amber liquid and handed the glass back to Liam. “This whole suitor situation is complete bullshit.”

“Drake...” Liam said gently. “We’ve discussed this.”

“Yeah Li...we’ve fucking talked it to death,” he said sharply. “That doesn’t make it suck any less.”

Liam hung his head.

“Do you have any idea how hard it is to watch those girls fawn over you.” Drake continued, his voice flat, “To watch you flirt with them, kiss them…”  He tilted his head back and sighed at the ceiling, “to listen to you fuck them.”

Liam winced and Drake couldn’t help a little smirk.  “You really should be more discreet.  You know what they’re calling you, right?”

Liam furrowed his brow and shook his head.  

“The Kinky King. Because of your penchant for fucking loudly in places where you know you’ll be caught.”

Liam had the grace to blush.  “You know why I do that.”

“Yeah, yeah.  I know.  To throw everyone off the trail.  To make sure that the courtly gossip focuses on your sexual encounters with the beautiful women of the court rather than your commoner best friend.”  Drake raked his fingers through his hair, his frustration apparent, “I get it.  But like I said, doesn’t make it suck any less.”

Liam leaned over and smoothed Drakes hair back into place, tugging on it a little until Drake looked up at him, his dark eyes clouded with sadness,  “I know this is hard on you, my love.” He said softly, his fingers stroking the back of his neck, “It’s hard for me too.”

“Then put an end to it!” Drake shouted, pulling away, “Marry Liv.  She knows about us and she’s fine with it.  It might even be fun.  I’ve fucked her, you’ve fucked her.  One big happy family, right?”

Liam was already shaking his head, “The people will never support a Nevrakis on the throne, you know this.  Cordonia is already far too unstable.  I need a Queen that will unify the country not plunge it into civil unrest.”

Drake slumped back against the couch in defeat.  Continuing this argument was pointless and he knew he’d never win anyway.  Liam was going to do the right thing, because that’s what Liam did.  He’d sacrifice his own personal happiness for the good of Cordonia.

They sat side by side on the couch, shoulders touching, knees bumping together as they passed the tumbler of whiskey back and forth.

“Damn Leo.” Liam mumbled, “This is all his fault.   If he hadn’t abdicated…”

“Jesus Liam...” Drake groaned, “Not this again.”

“But it’s true!  If Leo had stayed and claimed his birthright…”

“What would’ve changed?”  Drake said wearily, “A big fat nothing, that’s what.”

“That’s not true.  I wouldn’t be forced to marry...to produce heirs.  Everything would be different.”

Drake laughed. “Yeah?  You think we’d be able to be together, out in the open? The Prince and his gay, commoner lover?”  He shook his head, “It would never happen.  Not even if Leo was King.   You have to know that, Li.  What we have now is the best we can ever hope for.”

“It’s not fair.” Liam said softly.

“Nope, it isn’t. But when has life ever been fair?”

Liam stood and crossed to the bar to refill their glass.  On his way back, a picture on his desk caught his eye.  He picked it up and studied it for a minute before turning it around to show Drake.   “Do you remember this day?”

Drake didn’t even have to look to know what Liam was talking about.  It was a picture that Leo had taken of them the day they set sail on an epic adventure at sea.  The day Liam nearly drown.  They were standing side by side arms slung around each others shoulders, grinning like fools.

“Like it was yesterday.”

“You saved my life that day.”

Drake laughed.  “If I hadn’t dragged you out there when a storm was brewing, your life wouldn’t have needed saving.”

Liam smiled and placed the picture back where he found it before joining Drake on the couch again.

Liam gazed at Drake, studying the face he’d loved for more than half of his life.  He saw the little flecks of gold in his eyes that caught the light.   He knew how dark those eyes could turn when he was angry or troubled...or turned on. He ran his thumb over the small creases by his eyes that grew deeper when he smiled.  He hadn’t changed much over the years.  He was still every bit as handsome as he was when they were boys, maybe even more so now.

“Even then I knew I was in love with you.  But you had no idea.”

Drake laughed again. “Don’t kid yourself.  Subtlety has never been your strong suit.  I knew.”

Liam smiled, his eyes sparkling. “You just let me suffer then.”

Drake shifted his body, throwing his arm across the back of the couch as he leaned toward Liam, pressing their mouths together.  “I wasn’t sure how I felt about it yet.” He murmured against Liam’s lips.

The kiss was long and languid, with an underlying heat that could quickly ignite into a wildfire at any moment.  Reluctantly,  Liam pulled away, resting his forehead against Drakes for a moment before sitting back, an indulgent smile on his face. “When did you know?”

Drake smirked at him.  “Do you remember our first kiss?”

“How could I forget?” He said, a wistful expression flitting across his face.  “The summer we turned seventeen.  We were in Lythikos visiting Liv.”

Drake nodded. “She stole a bottle of 100 year old Nevarkis wine and we brought it down to the lake. We all got completely wasted and she convinced us to play truth or dare.”

Liam laughed, “That’s right!  The first of many over the years.”

“She dared you to kiss me.”

Liam nodded. “I never was one to back down from a dare.”  He quirked a brow at Drake, “Remember what happened next?”

Drake nodded and bit his bottom lip, trying to keep from laughing.  “Yeah...I...uh…”

“You fucking punched me.  Split my lip open.  I had to tell Bastien I tripped and landed on a rock.”

Drake smiled sheepishly.  “Yeah.  How many times are you going to make me apologize for that? You kind of sprung it on me.  I wasn’t ready.  I was young, confused…”

“Sleeping with Olivia....” Liam supplied helpfully.

“Yeah, there was that.”  Drake rubbed the back of his neck in agitation.

“And the next day” Liam continued, his voice suddenly thick with emotion, “You were gone.”

“Li…” Drake said softly, his eyes clouded with pain, “C’mon.  Don’t.”

“You ran away, Drake”

“I didn’t run away. I went to college.”

“You took off in the middle of the night and enrolled in a college 3000 miles away.  I call that running away.”

“Ok, Fine.  So maybe I ran.” Drake said with an exasperated sigh, “But I did it because I was really fucking confused.  My best friend kissed me...and I liked it.  I didn’t know what to do with that. All I knew is that up to that point, I was pretty damn into pussy.  I didn’t know what the fuck to do with the feelings I had for you.  So yeah...I ran."

“Don’t run again, Drake.”

“I'm not going anywhere.”

Liam reached out to stroke Drake’s stubble covered cheek tenderly.  “Promise?  Because I can see that this is taking a toll on you. I see you retreating...more than usual.”

Drake wouldn’t meet his eyes.

Liam punched him in the shoulder.

“OW!”  Drake glared at him rubbing the spot where a bruise was rapidly forming, “What the fuck was that for?”

“Tell me you aren’t going to leave again.”

“Fine, fine... I won’t leave.” he mumbled with a petulant scowl.

Liam rolled his eyes. “Now say it like you mean it.” He commanded

Drake reached out to yank Liam in for another blistering kiss, his fingers sinking into his hair as their mouths fused together. He curled his tongue around Liam’s and sucked gently, sending a jolt of desire racing through Liam’s body.  Liam brought his hands up to Drakes chest, the fingers of one hand grabbing onto Drake’s shirt while the other slid inside to roam over his tightly muscled abs.  Electricity crackled between them, as it always did, even after all these years.

After a minute Drake pulled his head back and looked down into Liam’s face.  

“I’m not fucking leaving.  I knew when I let Leo bring me back that I’d never find the strength to leave you again.  You’re my weakness, Li.  I love you.”

Liam smiled. “I love you too Drake. Forever.  I don’t want you to worry.  We’ll find a way to make this  work, okay?  I really think she might be the answer we’re looking for.”

“Riley?”

Liam nodded.  “We have a real connection.  I care about her...and I think she feels the same.  But I sense that she’s conflicted.  I think she’s falling for you too.”

“And...” Drake worried his bottom lip between his teeth for a minute before raising his eyes to Liam’s, “You’re okay with that?”

Liam nodded.  “It might work to our advantage.  If she feels some sort of affection for you she might be more willing to...turn a blind eye to our relationship.  She’d make an excellent Queen.  The people love her.  She young and vibrant and outgoing.  Her views and ideal are modern without being radical.  I think she’d be good for Cordonia.”

“I agree.”

“So I need you to help me convince her.”  

Drake’s brows drew together in a deep frown, “What are you suggesting, Li? Do you want me to seduce Riley?”

Liam threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh, “No, of course not.  Nothing so nefarious as that. Just keep doing what you’re doing.  She’s already drawn to you, not that I can blame her.” He reached out to brush a lock of chestnut hair from Drakes eyes, “You’re fairly irresistible when you want to be.”

“Heh. Irresistible huh?  Everyone else tells me I’m cranky.”

“Oh, you definitely are.”  Liam agreed with an affectionate smile, “But it’s endearing.”

“Do you think she’ll still want to be queen when she finds out about us?”

Liam ran his hand over his face and shrugged.  Finding out your betrothed is in love with someone else was usually a deal breaker under the best of circumstances.  Finding out that lover was another man, well...Liam was pragmatic enough to know that Riley may not respond well to the news.

“I don’t know.  But it will have to be a condition that she agrees to before we’re married.   If I do choose her as my queen, she’s going to have to know everything.  Because I’m not giving you up.  Not for her...not for Cordonia...not for anything.”

“What if she doesn’t agree?”

Liam gave a deep, shuddering sigh. “Then I suppose I accept Madeline’s proposed arrangement.”

[karahalloway]

DWAW 2023 - Day 1: HCs

I would not be a proper Drake stan if I didn't make some time to wax lyrically about my fave LI (okay, maybe not lyrically - I suck at poetry, but you know what I mean!) as part of DWAW 2023!

Originally, I planned to do one post featuring both HCs and Appreciation, but both parts ran away with me, so I decided to split it up into two posts. This post will feature HCs, while this other post will feature Appreciation 😇

Headcanons

If you have read my stuff, you'll know that my Drake is not 100% canon, and that I've also filled in quite a lot of blanks left by TRR in his characterisation, so here is a (near) comprehensive list of everything that sits around in my head:

🥃 Whiskey 🥃

We all know that Drake's favourite drink is whiskey, but I HC that specifically it's bourbon. I made this choice quite consciously because (a) he is half-Texan, so the primary choice of whiskey would be bourbon on those parts (rather than scotch), and (b) I HC that this was also Jackson's drink of choice, so Drake took after his father in this regard (this is explored in a bit more detail in Chapter 3 - Hotel Room Service of (Less Than) Noble Intentions and the Burnt Bonus Chapter of (Un)Common Attraction).

Apart from whiskey, I HC that Drake is a coffee addict (and won't touch tea with a ten foot pole, unless - of course - if it's sweet iced tea, in which case he'll drink it by the bucketload like a true southerner🧋)

🇺🇸 Texas 🇺🇸

As far as I remember, the location of Walker Ranch is left ambigious in canon, but in my HC, it's located approx. 2.5 hours from Dallas (in Morris County, somewhere around the town of Lone Star - I know, I know... but when I saw this, I couldn't resist!) because I also HC Drake went to university in Dallas, specifically University of North Texas (see Chapter 20 - Party Yacht of (Un)Common Attraction). I chose Dallas because I liked the look and feel of the city, as well as the surrounding countryside.

Also, as readers will know, I have upped Drake's Texan-ness quite significantly in comparison to canon - he talks with a slight Texan accent, he can put on the southern drawl when he wants to, and his vernacular is a bit of a mixed bag (though he gravitates towards southerinism). I HC that this is because even though he spent most of his life in Cordonia, he (a) had a parent who spoke with a Texan accent at home, (b) he went to university in Texas, so he woud've picked up the accent/lingo while there (yes, accents can change later in life - I am a living testament to this, having lived all over the world), and (c) this was a concscious characterisation choice to differentiate his way of talking from the aristos (who - in my fics - talk more posh British).

💂‍♂️King's Guard 💂‍♂️

Similarly to @angelasscribbles I HC that Drake is a member of the King's Guard (in my stories, he operates covertly, but he does reveal his status to Harper is Chapter 34 - Secrets and Lies of (Un)Common Attraction. This was a very targeted HC in retaliation to the massive cop out in TRR2 where MC asks Drake what he actually does around court and he answers 'Erm... stuff?' 😖😡😒 Epic fail PB... Epic fail.

This is probably the biggest reason why my Drake started to deviate quite significantly from canon during the course of my rewrite - as a result of him being a Guard, he became a lot more focused, self-assured, tactical, pragmatic... basically all the things that readers seem to like about him. Because if he has a job, he has money, he has a purpose, and a position at court - he is no longer just a freeloading hanger-on. Plus this (for me) helps explain a lot of things in canon - like why Liam asked him to look out for MC, why he was helping Bastien with the NY bachelor party photo leak investigation, why he picks up on random things like the lock missing on MC's door at Applewood, etc.

🏋️ Extra-Curriculars 🏋️

Similarly to pretty much every other Drake stan, I HC that Drake is a military routine orientated mofo who always wakes at the crack of dawn to run five miles / go for a swim / hit the gym before eating a protein-filled breakfast (bacon, eggs, toast, orange juice) and then roughing himself into shape (shaving is optional) and getting on with his day.

In addition to this, I HC that he is kind of an adrenaline junkie - in my fics he has a motorbike and a car (like @angelasscribbles' Drake), and he drives like every road is an F1 racetrack (that said, he is a very precise driver and has never had an accident - this is based on a few real-life guys that I know - go figure lol).

He also knows how to ride (I HC he rides Western and Lone Star is a Quarter Horse), snowboard*, shoot, enjoys swimming, sailing, fishing, martial arts, and has tried pretty much every sport (including polo) because he is one of those high-energy people who (a) enjoys physical activity, and (b) uses it to burn off steam. On top of this, he of course goes camping, and has a cabin in the woods that he likes to escape to when court and the nobles get too much for him.

All this kinda combines to make Drake super competitive - people who have read my fics know that he'll compete with Harper for pretty much everything (including who can get up the stairs the fastest), and this is the rationale behind the (in)famous karaoke scene in Sleepless in New York - even though he hates performing, or putting himself on show in any way, he can't allow himself to lose a bet (which is why the fact that he loses the pool game during his birthday party is that much more significant).

*I thought this was more of a Drake sport than skiing (and it was something that he and Harper could bond over), though I also HC that Drake learnt to skii first and the switched to snowboarding)

💓 Sex💓

If you've read my stuff, you know that sex with Drake is... intense. The reasoning behind this is multi-fold:

Underneath the closeted and slightly stone-faced exterior that he presents to the world, he is a raging inferno of emotions underneath (fear, doubt, uncertainty, inadequacy, guilt, etc.) So when he has sex, all the pent-up emotions that had built up inside of him get released and he actually seeks out sex (or equivalently hard-core physical activity) in order to achieve this kind of release because he does not always know how to 'deal' with his emotions in a rational/intellectual way - see the Burnt Bonus Chapter of (Un)Common Attraction and Chapter 5 - Sparks Fly of (Less Than) Noble Intentions.

Sex - especially with MC as I think this kind of applies to other Drake x MC pairings that I've read - is a way for him to express how he feels about MC, even (or especially if) he does not want to / feels he cannot express how he feels using words (so he lets his body do the talking) - see Chapter 2 - I've Been Waiting for You and Chapter 13 - Invidia of (Less Than) Noble Intentions.

He is just plain good at it 😆 I think several (if not most) Drake stans have the HC that before MC came along, Drake was a raging poonhound (either because he got burnt by a previous relationship, or he just feels like he does not have the time/energy/emotional capacity to invest in a serious relationship), so, he has many notches on his bedpost, and with those notches comes experience - see Crazy Bonus Chapter of (Un)Common Attraction and Chapter 3 - Hotel Room Service of (Less Than) Noble Intentions.

🍔 Food 🍔

As we all know, Drake enjoys the simple things in life, especially when it comes to food, and I kept this aspect of his characterisation in my rewrites. He loves a 99c burger, BBQ (especially ribs), basically anything you can eat with your hands, but also enjoys a good steak with fries and knows how to cook (see Chapter 2 - Sparks Fly of Sleepless in New York, Chapter 9 - Go Nuts for Cronuts of (Un)Common Attraction, Chapter 3 - Hotel Room Service and Chapter 7 - Independence Day of (Less Than) Noble Intentions).

However, I don't HC that he's a fussy eater - except when it comes to fancy hors d'oeurves at royal functions. Because let's face it - there's only so much cocktail shrimp you can eat before you start choking on it.

🕺Dancing 🕺

Anyone who's read by stuff knows that one of the biggest changes I made to canon is that Drake can dance (see Chapter 25 - When You Move and Chapter 38 - In the End of (Un)Common Attraction, as well as Chapter 4 - Showtime, Baby! and Chapter 6 - Let It Whip of Sleepless in New York).

The rationale for this is that (a) Drake grew up at court, so even if he never had dance lessons specifically, he'll have seen other people dancing, and also chances are high that Liam/Leo/Max would have roped him into dance practice, so he'd have at least a basic knowledge of the common ballroom dances (waltz, tango, foxtrot, etc.) but (b) him being Drake, he doesn't like dancing ballroom (too stuffy and formal), especially at royal events (aristos watching and judging), but he's got moves and knows how to use them 😏

This is also why I HC that Drake can speak more than just Americano - in my fics, he is fluent in French (because of his mom* and the fact that he went to school in Cordonia, which I situated between France and Italy) and Italian (because of Bastien, who I HC is from Corsica), and also understands / knows basic phrases in a variety of other European languages - if he grew up at court with the Liam, Leo, Max, etc. and travelled around all these countries, he would - at the very least! - be able to order food and drink at a restaurant in the local language (looking at you, TRR2 Italian restaurant scene 😒

*In my fics, I switched the nationalities of Drake's parents around, so Jackson is from Texas and Bianca is from Cordonia.

👖Threads 👖

Another (relatively) big change I made from canon is the way that Drake dresses. In my fics, while he 100% prefers comfortable and functional clothes (his go-to ensemble is cotton button down shirt with sleeves rolled up, distressed jeans and boots), he will dress up for formal events (even if he doesn't really go all out - he leaves his top button unbuttoned on his collar, he doesn't do ties or bowties (except very occaisonally), and he ditches his jacket the first chance he gets) - see Chapter 3 - Masquarade, Chapter 13 - Table of Exiles, Chapter 24 - When You Move, Chapter 36 - Down to the Wire and and Chapter 38 - In the End of (Un)Common Attraction.

The main rationale for this is that while he may hate court and the aristos, I cannot see him showing up to an even in jeans and a t-shirt because (a) he would not actually be allowed in, and (b) I think he has a lot more self-respect than that (also, it's physically impossible for someone to have that many jean shirts).

Permatags

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......

[magnolia-sunrise]

this morning i went on a nice brisk walk listening to tunes and realized how much this song is a Bastien song (even though i havent found a place for it on his playlist), or specifically from his pov of things he wishes they could say to the people he loves, and the burden he feels he is

it's the self destructive pattern he finds himself again and again - their life and plans he staked everything on dont pan out, and he crashes hard into drinking. waiting for someone to come and rescue him out of the mess he makes of his life. and this happened with Matteo first - and then it was good for a while, like, really good, before the old issues started rearing their head again as he let himself slip more into depression and complacency and addiction again.

and when Wolfgang worms their way into his life, its like their flavors of self destruction run parallel to each other. Bastien once again waiting for someone to save him out of his numbness even though he actively pushes away everyone who would try, and Wolfgang self sacrificing to give their life any sense of meaning. both finding solace in saving (or avenging) others, instead of saving themselves. but then it also becomes that much worse for him, each time wondering if any of these times is the last time he will see Wolfgang in one piece.

its just such a heart rending song full of feelings he would think about all the time, but was never able to let themself verbalize. its easy to see Bastien as like, the victim of a bad relationship or Matteo being the villan (and like, Matteo's not a great partner but he's not intentionally evil or unloving, he is just too self centered), but the blame is on both of them and he's well aware of the traps he puts himself into and what it does to people, how it hurts them, and how he can't stop. and he's so terrified he would just keep doing the same thing to Wolf. beautiful and perfect Wolfgang who clearly cares for him so much despite the distance they force themselves to keep from each other.

its a struggle and a fear of slipping into the same old rails again forever but i think the stuff that happens with Wolfgang and the clinic wakes him up like an ice cold shower. there's just no way back to their old life or old self after that. the recovery isnt really straightforward and it feels so, so much worse for a while, falling right back to drinking when he's going through possibly some of the worst months of his life. and then at his lowest, with nothing to his name but his car and Wolf's lifeless body they make a promise to himself to never let himself get like that again

[saiwola]

"Maybe we should get you a title as well, Bazzie?"

"I'm hardly a knight, cheri."

"Well. I think you deserve one anyway."

[mamodewberry]

Spent the last year drawing YOI boys in ugly floral print carpet suits for their birthdays!

[stlispenard]

007. an office building , bustling and busy . exr lawyer au get to work

 007: an office building,  bustling and busy.

     if the fifth floor of lamarque-et-co-or-whatever-the-fucking-company-is-called was a map grantaire would be a singular dot of colour in a sea of whiteness. the the other dots would be either black or gray, representing the colours of the stiff suits surrounding him. it’s laughable to him that the biggest floor he has ever been on feels like it is completely bereft of air and more claustrophobic than the closet he calls office. it takes him less than a minute to firmly decide that he hates it. he will make sure that the next time he sends enjolras an email it will feature an all caps rant on the DISTASTEFUL CORRUPTION it represents, but he won’t take the chance while he is in the lion’s den. walking in, unannounced, is disruptive and impertinent enough to satisfy him for the moment. almost, anyway.

      “i would tone down the cologne if i were you. as a safety measure, of course, since i could practically trace you up here from the street,” grantaire announces when he finds his prey sitting bent over a stack of papers, undoubtedly studying them meticulously. in reality, he has pestered courfeyrac (the unlucky, mutual friend) into giving him directions. the large glass windows made it easy for him to spot enjolras’ long, craned neck and blond mane. 

      he won’t wait to be invited inside (or rejected). instead he walks straight to the end of the other man’s desk and haphazardly dumps a folder in front of him, “your win this morning was based on a fabrication and your argumentation was faulty and still you won. apparently you made your client’s story so compelling it nearly cost me my fucking job.” it had been infuriating, but in reality he had been as compelled by him as everyone else and could have watched him go on with the defence for hours. enjolras’ argumentation, beautifully crafted, had made grantaire feel unarmed and contrary to his nature he had yielded - resisting fighting back without the sufficient evidence to do so. 

      grantaire points his finger to the folder accusingly, “this case might be over but i am not done with you. i need to know why a big gun with money like you want to make mediocre lawyers like me look like shit. clearly, you don’t need to, so i imagine it’s some kind of sick power trip for you?”

@andthe6 / enjolras

[noirapocalypto]

This is the OC fairy 🌼🧚‍♀️ When you get this in your ask box, please tell us three facts or trivia about one of your OCs, then pass it on to someone else 🩷 Let's learn about each other's OCs! 💛💐

gimme sixty nine Salem facts stat

KJDHSFGLKJS you think I won't? :FIGHT: Watch.

---

1: His middle name is Layne. Call him this (ONLY allowed for those he's close with) and watch him bluescreen because it always catches him off guard.

2: Spaghetti is his favorite pasta, and probably one of his favorite meals.

3: His natural eye color is green. (originally blue when I first created him)

4: His coven is his family, they're a multi-generational coven. He and his cousins are the current "decision makers" in important coven matters and upholding coven traditions. He didn't care for the responsibility at first and often avoided it, but comes around eventually when he's a bit older with his own family.

5: Out of all his cousins, he's closer to Darcy since they spent the most time together when they were young. They're around the same age and might even live within traveling distance of one another.

6: Around his family, such as his coven and his dads, Salem goes by his first name Isiah. It's uncommon for him to be called by his stage name, unless they're just busting his balls (i.e his cousin Silas, Avis and Noah--all three siblings of one another and coincidentally also the three troublemakers)

7: He has his raven calls recorded into his throat cyberware, which allows him to do his raven croaks when he's not shifted.

8: Salem doesn’t like Judah very much due to completely different lifestyles and clashing personalities—but also because he’s a Leo.

9: He’s not much of a green thumb, nothing really grows when he plants it. Bastien teases him that he inherited his black thumb.

10: He’s very used to hot weather due to having lived in both the Republic of Texas and now, Night City/California, but doesn’t mean he likes it. He prefers colder weather…but can’t tolerate it much. He gets cold very easily!

11: One of his guilty pleasures is trashy reality TV like the Jersey Shore, as well as smutty supernatural romance novels.

12: Firm believer in ghosts, never has seen one before. But he really wants to and has ghost hunted before and would again.

13: Urban exploring is a hobby he’s had since he was a teen. He after spent his summers exploring abandoned locations with friends. Now as an adult, he enjoys exploring with his best friend, boyfriend, and their mutual friends.

14: He normally doesn’t wear much clothes around the house. If you drop in, he will answer in his underwear. And he’s not shy at all.

15: Salem is a fan of animation, and has spent plenty of nights just binge watching animated movies—including anime.

16: His magic is a blend of shadow, chaos and hedge magic. He’s very interested in astral work and often lets himself explore the other side of the veil.

17: His astral form is also a raven, though instead of flesh and blood like his usual shifted form, this one is spectral. At times, it can appear as a white wisp. Other times, his raven manifests as a deep purple form of cosmic matter.

18: Whenever he performs in Las Vegas, he stays a few more days after to partake in typical Vegas hedonism. He usually doesn’t remember much of it when he emerges back to civilization.

19: Sometimes he streams his music making process to his fanbase, other times he'll stream the "behind the scenes" moments of his music videos and other performances.

20: So far, he has the following implants: AudioVox w/ Voice Synthesizer, Cyberaudio Implants, custom Kiroshi Optics, full cyberarm (left) with retractable Scratchers, and Biotechnica Neo Lungs

21: Because of his animal association being a raven and their friendship with wolves out in nature, he tends to get along pretty well with werewolves. He can even understand them when they're shifted and can communicate with them non-verbally.

22: He prefers iced coffee over hot coffee, and iced tea over hot tea. Icy drinks > hot drinks.

23: His big weakness is ice cream. Boy loves his ice cream cones.

24: He has his fathers' names tattooed on either side of his neck.

25: Salem has known Amirah and Alec aka Tyrant since his Houston days. He's still good friends with Amirah, but is estranged from Alec.

26: He's half-demon on Bastien's side, though his witch genes are much more dominant than his demonic ones.

27: Salem’s a big stoner, from his teens up to his current adult years. He almost always carries a joint or two with him in case he wants to invite someone to smoke with him.

28: He was 18 the first time he killed someone. It was almost like a cruel rite of passage into adulthood. Amirah and Alec might have been present.

29: He’s no stranger to rap beef. Salem has released a few tracks dissing his rivals and there are a few about him out there too. One of his current storylines is an ongoing feud between himself and another rapper.

30: Salem doesn’t know much about Bastien’s side of the story. Neither of his fathers like to talk about it much. So he learned to stop asking, but he still can’t help but be a bit curious.

31: He’s comfortable with heights and likes to climb up to high perches to just chill. He also takes flight when shifted and heads up to rooftops when he wants some quiet time.

32: Salem is a deep sleeper. Once he’s knocked out cold, it’s pretty hard to wake him up.

33: His favorite movie is Beetlejuice. It never gets old to him.

34: He’s an “an eye for an eye” type of guy—as the Hales often practice. If you slight him, he’ll return the favor. The severity depends on how bad you pissed him off.

35: As a romantic partner, he’s very intense. He’s possessive and obsessive, and he wants his partner to match his freak. His soulmate is someone that’s as obsessive about him as he is over them.

36: His associated stone is smoky quartz. But he’s also very fond of amethyst and labradorite.

37: Salem values handmade gifts over expensive gifts.

38: 2am burger runs are his favorite nighttime activity. Bonus if he’s hanging out with someone and they go with him.

39: Like the rest of his family and coven, he enjoys collecting oddities and morbid little curios.

40: He gives his friends free merch whenever he drops a new product.

41: He also produces phonk music under the moniker MVGE. This is mostly a side project he does for fun.

42: Salem tends to allow himself to be a bit more chatty and friendly towards those that give off good vibes. He’s standoffish with those that have a ‘presence’.

43: He’s slowly learning to see and read other’s auras, which helps him get a decent grasp of someone before he approaches them. He still new to this skill and is being guided by his aunt Colene, who specializes in energy reading and is one of the coven elders.

44: Salem is a night owl and often wakes up around afternoon and becomes most active around dusk.

45: Salem looks a lot like Casey but acts very similar to Bastien.

46: He’s a man spreader when he sits, often slouched in his seat with his knees apart. Otherwise, he sits with his legs stretched out, ankle over ankle.

47: A ball sport that he enjoys playing is basketball. He often plays with Paolo when they hang out. Both playfully trash talk the other the entire time.

48: He made the mistake of laughing at one of the twin’s antics and they’ve been following him around ever since.

49: He enjoys spending time in his shifted raven form and often hangs out as a bird. This also includes giving into his corvid ways and enjoys being a pest to his friends and other passerby’s.

50: A lot of his spell casting have a black, wispy fog visual effect to it.

51: Because of his mage blood, Salem has a longer lifespan than humans. He will live well into his 100s or older.

52: Salem is very outspoken about his beliefs over politics and social issues. He isn’t afraid to say what others might be hesistant to say and he uses his platform to bring awareness to issues he cares deeply about. He’s not afraid of backlash and always challenges it.

53: He’s understands enough Spanish to know what’s being said to him, but can’t speak it much.

54: Salem is very prideful and finds it difficult to ask for help. He has an arrogance to him, as he takes deep pride in being a self-made artist. Everything he’s built for himself in his career has been down on his own without the shadow of another label looming over him.

55: Salem likes individualism and admires those that go against the gain and do their own thing—no matter how weird.

56: Bratty behavior is a major turn off for him. It irritates and annoys him when someone is being whiny and childish around him.

57: Sudden loud noises startle him, such as a balloon popping. Popping opening a can of biscuits drives his anxiety up the wall for a few seconds which is one of his sillier phobias. For comedic effect, when he gets startled—he involuntarily shifts into his raven form and flies up to the nearest perch, leaving a scatter of feathers behind.

58: It’s a running gag that Salem always has his joint in his hand or between his lips when he’s getting up to shenanigans. No matter how rowdy and chaotic it gets, that smoke isn’t going anywhere (aka Julian with his coke and rum from Trailer Park Boys)

59: Despite having lived in California/Night City for a few years, he still uses a lot of Houston slang.

60: Salem doesn’t really play well with others, especially when his personality clashes with them. His list of artists he’s willing to work with is very exclusive. Plus he also has a reputation of being difficult.

61: His favorite pastime is sitting out on his balcony in the evenings, with a good drink and a good smoke, and some music playing.

62: When he’s in a deeply committed relationship, he loves showing off his partner. He often likes to post risqué and suggested photos of himself and his boyfriend on his social media.

63: Salem is a man of very little patience. Don’t beat around the bush with him or waste his time because he will grow irritated and he will last out. If he wants a direct answer, give him one.

64: He takes every “medium” or “psychic” with a grain of salt. If he wants to be a dick, he’ll test them to see if they’re legit or not. The only ones he believes so far are the ones in his coven.

65: His turn-on’s include but aren’t limited to: masks/ski-masks, being stalked (consensually) by his intimidating boyfriend, and adrenaline fueled hookups in alleyways.

66: Salem keeps the bullets when he’s been shot at and has been hit, as little morbid tokens.

67: He’s attracted to men that share the same aesthetic and style as he does. When he used to date women, he was attracted to girls with styles/aesthetics opposite of his.

68: Salem is a slow-burn in every sense of the word. It takes time to truly get to know him and gain his trust. But when you do, he’s a ride or die friend for life.

69: He seemingly has a strange and long feud with a seagull named Terry. There is little to no explaining on who or what this seagull is—if it’s another shapeshifter or if it’s just some random bird dedicated to ruining Salem’s day. But it’s on sight and it’s almost as if he purposely shows up to antagonize Salem specifically. If you see a raven and a seagull scrapping it out in a parking lot—just keep walking, it doesn’t concern you.

—

[goldhymn]

hellooo, it's milk again, here with my second muse on offer: bastien herrera, or just baz, a sunshiney golden retriever boi with the poetically troubled soul of an artist.

╰   *    ꒰⠀⠀⠀⠀froy gutierrez.   twenty-four.   cis man.   he/him.⠀⠀⠀⠀꒱        hold your f*** horses !   bastien herrera  has just been spotted walking into revolution headquarters. they are best known for being the   bassist   in   sleepy city riot   and have been signed with the label for   three months.   they share a lot of interesting things about life in the music industry on their social media, so make sure you don’t forget to follow them at   @BAUHAU5.  fans know them for being   overexcitable  but i swear they’ve got an   attentive   side as well. maybe that explains why they’re always associated with   copic marker doodles on dusty sneakers, coffeeshop receipts folded into origami frogs, waking up at noon and having ice cream for lunch.   stan twitter even voted them most likely to   respond to texts with only emojis or blurry selfies.   we’ll see how they live up to that reputation.

╰   *   statistics.

full name : bastien felipe herrera vargas. nicknames : baz, or whatever you’d like. age : twenty-four. date of birth : december 11, 1998. place of birth : [ undecided, to be discussed with band members. ] gender : cis man (he/him). orientation : bisexual. occupation : bass guitarist for sleepy city riot.

╰   *   backstory.

bastien doesn’t come from a particularly musical background. growing up, he was really more of an artsy kid — the kind with paint-stained fingertips and crosshatch doodles in his notebooks; who hung out at art supply stores after school and bought pens and watercolours just because they were pretty. he picked up a bass for the first time in middle school and learned to sing for a girl he had a crush on, and he only continued with it on account of his more musically-inclined childhood friends deciding to start a lil band in high school. and while these days he does love making music and being with his bandmates more than anything, bastien has a sort of lingering impostor syndrome about it — like he’s only here because his friends are the talented ones, and he’s just lucky enough to come along for the ride. the source of that feeling probably comes from the fact that he couldn’t hack it at art school. it was always his passion, and getting into a good college out of state for it, despite his somewhat poor grades, was a dream come true — but three semesters in, he just… couldn’t do it anymore. classes were hard. fitting in was hard. being away from home was hard. the stress and anxiety led to him dropping out before the end of his first year, after which he just… went home. drifted around. babysat his younger siblings. worked a bunch of part-time jobs (including as a barista, a climbing gym attendant, a waiter, a flyer distributor and a stationery shop clerk). for all his insecurities, however, bastien’s always projected a soft sort of confidence: bright like sunshine and just as warm, incurably friendly and openly affectionate. while he does still have some “bummer feelings” (as he puts it) about being a college dropout, it’s easy for him to put it aside most days, especially if he has other things to focus on. most of the time, that’s the people around him — bastien’s an extrovert who feels most comfortable when he’s surrounded by his favourite human beings, and he tends to follow them around with all the eager adoration of an energetic puppy. so when his childhood friends eventually filtered on back home from their respective post-high school plans, he jumped at the opportunity to bring them all together again. and when the idea of starting up the band again began floating around, he didn’t really have any reservations. pursuing it seriously hadn’t really been the goal, then — it was just something fun for them all to do; go to open mics and play a few gigs as a fun thing to do together, just like when they were kids. he ended up taking it so much more seriously this time around, though. maybe it was because he didn’t want to feel like the weak link. or maybe it was because he hadn’t realised how much he still needed a creative outlet after he’d started setting art aside. but the bass — and the band — quickly became a prominent part of his life in the three years that soon came and went. …and when those three years culminated in a signed record deal with revolution? well, just maybe, it felt like a second chance for him to do this whole ‘growing up’ thing right. 

╰   *   headcanons.

bilingual, and fluent in both spanish and english. not the best speller in either, though. expect errors even in work emails or public social media posts.

bad at texting in general tbh. typing out full words?? worrying about spelling and punctuation?? nah bruh. you’re getting a string of barely comprehensible emojis or a badly-cropped selfie of him giving you a thumbs up. 

big on bouldering. it’s his preferred physical activity, and one of his favourite methods to burn off steam or distract himself when overly stressed or restless.

speaking of — he very much has a tendency to get restless. he’s a fidgety sort, always bouncing a leg or fiddling with something on his hands. try to hold one limb down and a different one starts vibrating. 

oldest of five kids, and so despite his carefree, almost careless disposition, he does also have a bit of a “big brother” vibe. protective. playful. an instinctive caregiver, and a lot more diligent/gentle about it than you might think.

he got himself his first apartment after sleepy city riot signed with revolution records, though he still visits his parents’ home often. known for having a “plant of the week” because he likes the idea of houseplants but can’t seem to keep them alive.

not the tallest boy at 5’8”, but his build and confident oddball charm have a tendency to make people assume he’s bigger than he is when they first see him in photos. 

despite having set art aside on the professional scale, bastien still can’t quite separate himself from it. he doodles all the time (on napkins, on music sheets, on his shoes). his bass guitar is heavily sticker-bombed. he folds origami animals and then sneaks them in his friends’ pockets. he hasn’t felt brave enough to touch a canvas in years, but he’ll always have a lil bit of an artsy streak. 

has a driver’s license, but has historically preferred to take public transport or to bike (he has a fixie he pretty much rides everywhere). the band’s growing fame and recognition hasn’t yet been an issue for him in this.

according to social media and the opinion of the general public, baz is a massive himbo. between the golden retriever energy and the obvious lack of academic interest, it’s not a hard label to stick on him. and sure, he may not be the sharpest knife in the… place where you keep the knives, and he may be beefier than your average bass player on account of the climbing, and he’s goofy and overexcitable and clumsy with words, but… hm. there was supposed to be a point in here somewhere.

far-sighted, so he has reading glasses (that he doesn’t often use, because he doesn’t often read…). the font size on his phone is also comically big because he has to hold it over a foot away to see anything on it.

╰   *   wanted connections.

friends. his bandmates obviously fall under this category, first and foremost, but baz is a naturally friendly person who seeks out the company of others, and so friends (or at the very least, people he considers to be his friends; their own opinions may vary) come easy to him. he's a highly affectionate and expressive sort, if a bit flighty, and is very likely to claim someone he met two seconds ago is his new favourite person.

celebrity crush. another person in the industry, possibly of greater fame, that bastien is just head-over-heels starstruck for. maybe they're a fellow bassist, or maybe they're part of a genre so far removed from scr's yet he can't help but swoon over them anyway. he's very likely to be drawn to people with incredible presence, both on-stage and off, and will display his usual over-the-top energy with an extra dose of fumbling over his words and his footing around them.

sibling-like relationship. gimme that sweet sweet sibling dynamic!! baz, as the eldest in a family of five kids, has spent a great deal of time being a responsible big brother when needed, and would happily adopt that role with others. that said, i think it could also be really sweet if he found someone that likes to treat him like their younger brother, and exasperatedly puts up with him being playful and childish while still being a lil endeared and protective toward him. bickering optional, but adored.

mutual confidant. baz prefers to be the light-hearted one in any given social circle, but it'd be nice (and intimately valued) if he had someone he wasn't afraid to be sincere and vulnerable and real with that goes both ways.

publicity stunt. fake relationships/feuds/whatever that's meant to be mutually beneficial in some way?? baz isn't very good at keeping up a front though, and if the dynamic between him and the person is very different in the public eye than it is out of it, things will either fall apart or lines will get blurred real quick.

misc. fellow bass players he can trade tips with (or just fawn over and admire); maybe a mentor of some kind (in the industry, in life afksdl); exes (on good or bad terms, the latter with the caveat that baz actively tries way too hard to make it be on good terms regardless); friends with benefits (he likes flirting and casual hook-ups but prefers it to be with people whose company he knows he enjoys beyond sex); people he's known since he was younger?