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lizzybeth1986 · 4 months

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Laylat al-Henna

Book: The Royal Romance

Rating: PG

Pairing: Kiara Theron x Hana Lee

Word Count: 1, 882 words

Summary: It's the night before Kiara and Hana's wedding! What fun things do Kiara's cousins from Fes have in store for their henna night?

A/N: You'll find details and visuals on the fashion and henna designs (as well as faceclaims for the OCs!) in this post.

Tagging @kiaratheronappreciationweek for KTAW Day 1: Culture, @choicesficwriterscreations for FoTW/LGBTQ Archive, @choicespride as well even though it may be a bit early for the pride event.

It is tradition - Kiara has been told over and over, wedding after wedding, from the time she was twelve - for a woman to have her bridegroom's name hidden in the designs of her henna.

Their families back in Fes would make a game of it on their wedding night; the groom could touch his bride only when he found his name, tiny and dark and perfect - leaving the most beautiful stain on her palms.

At least four (well...three, really) of those cousins had giggled over how it all went down at their own wedding nights. Nour's henna had her husband's name written in extremely small print, squirreled away among a row of curls. Imane's flowed along the curves of a large, floral paisley. Nissrine's husband was rumoured to have taken hours searching for his name in her henna and poor Fatimazahra's collapsed into an eight-hour slumber before he could even truly try.

All four of them laughed even harder when they were told that Kiara would be marrying a woman.

At first Kiara assumed it had to be the fun of celebrating two brides rather than just one. Double the joy, double the dancing, double the bridal henna!

Should've known better, Kiara mutters to herself as her eyes search frantically for telltale signs of calligraphy along the darkened vines on Hana's palm.

She almost lets out a triumphant yell when she catches a lovingly inscribed kaaf, deceptively mirroring the vines. That's before she realises the other four letters are scattered in Arabic all over Hana's palm.

Kiara purses her lips, immensely annoyed. Why did she think this to be so romantic in the first place?

"Oh!" Hana whispers in delight, "Look! I've found mine." Her finger lightly traces the soft skin underneath Kiara's little finger, caressing the spot where her own name is inscribed, in Mandarin....as a whole word. Her eyes sparkle in childlike glee.

Kiara manages to catche an alif peeking out from behind a flower on the soft skin just below Hana's thumb. She lets out a small huff of laughter, shaking her head.

Perhaps she should thank every deity of every faith that her parents' gave her a name as short as Kiara. Imagine her plight if it had been as long as Fatimazahra's, zut alors.

"My darling cousins," she says, her eyes still roaming over Hana's palms. Now...now she understands all those hearty cackles Nour seemed to be making, at the idea of arranging a henna party for two women. "Elles me conduiront à ma tombe!"

Every woman at the henna party in Castelserraillan that night shared very knowing grins as Kiara and Hana entered - completely blissed out, skin dewy and aglow, a mixture of a french lavender scent and the earthy aroma of ghassoul clay emanating from their bodies.

They'd been brought into the hall like princesses of old, carried in jewelled palanquins, dressed in caftans and takchitas whose golden threads reflected the soft light of the hall, the candles that seemed to receive their own henna treatment in tones of pink, purple and rose gold, and their light glowed softly in trays of pure gold.

Having experienced the joys of the pre-henna night hammam baths themselves, most of Kiara's aunts and cousins could tell how good the treatments must have been within the first ten minutes of a bride entering the ceremony.

Beneath her golden veil, Kiara's eyes roamed around the hall, in awe of the sheer love and detail that must have gone into planning this party alone. Both women being daughters to a multitude of cultures meant that Kiara and Hana had to pay their respects to several of their homes - Bethulia. Castelserraillan. Udvada. Orleans. Fes. Shanghai. Cordonia. - in different ceremonies, and include a multitude of relatives.

Which meant that Kiara's aunts and cousins knew this night was their moment to shine.

Hana was whisked to another corner of the room before Kiara could even get a chance to speak to her - a bevy of ladies already surrounding her to fulfill requests, give her mint tea, admire the henna's artist's craft or just for a small chat. Anything and everything Hana wanted. Tonight (and this was exactly how Kiara wanted it) Hana was going to be treated like a queen.

From under her lashes, Kiara sneaked a look at Hana. The woman she would call her wife tomorrow. Listening, nodding, her silken brown hair catching the glow of the lights as she threw her head back at a joke her aunt Hala said.

"If you stare any harder you'll bore a hole in the wall behind her," Nissrine came to her, grinning as she followed Kiara's gaze. She looked around the hall, slightly doubtful. "How did we do?"

Kiara laughed, placing her free hand on her cousin's arm, reassuring her with the word they would all use to describe something as beautiful. "Zwina."

Fatimazahra - who had been minding the caterers this whole time - seemed to appear out of nowhere, chukling. "Tomorrow is her wedding night. Of course everything will be zwina. The macroute will be zwina, her henna will be zwina, her wife will be the most zwina."

Kiara moved her gaze from Hana to her own palms, admiring the naqasha's speed and precision. The henna felt cool on her left palm, the designs on her arms already beginning to dry a little and the paste itself smelling pleasant and earthy - the way real henna should.

The naqasha - an experienced henna artist from their hometown whose team had become popular among the family circles for their vast knowledge of different henna styles (Indian, Pakistani, Khaleeji, Fassi, Marrakechi, Meknessi, Saharawi - you name it) - had finished making a beautiful dome at the centre of Kiara's palm, and was now referring to a tiny piece of paper Imane seemed to have given her before carefully writing out Méihuā - the name Hana's paternal family often used for her - in Hànzì script.

Kiara smiles mistily as she watches Soraya, the naqasha, labour over each character of the script, making sure she never got a single line or slant wrong. Hana often told her that that name reminded her of happier times, far more than her own birth name did. It meant plum blossom - the flower that grew fragrant and resilient in the snow, China's national flower. Her Năinai's favourite flower.

And over the past year...she'd begun to answer to it a little more too.

Kiara mouthed a silent "thank you" to Imane as she sauntered to her side, looking very pleased with herself.

"Wonderful work, Soraya," she patted the naqasha lightly on her shoulder, "What oils did you add in the henna paste this time?"

"Tea tree, geranium and lavender," Soraya said, smiling, "She can hold her hands in front of some herbal incense later. A lovely rich colour and the scent will be incredible."

"Ohhh...what a deep stain it'll leave behind when the henna comes off!" Imane looked back at Kiara, winking. "Remember what our aunts used to tell us, Kiara? The darker the stain of the henna, the deeper the essence of his love. Or her's, in this case."

Kiara was grateful for her golden veil as heat creeped up her neck. Maman loved that adage, ever since her own wedding where - if Kiara's aunts were to be believed - her henna deepened to a dark, rich brown without even holding her hands to a brazier like everyone else did.

Kiara always liked to call herself a practical woman. But this didn't stop her from dreaming of showing Hana her palms, rich and deep brown from both henna and their love.

"Is Hana liking her designs?" Kiara asked Imane.

"Iyyeh," Imane nodded. "Soraya's girls have really outdone themselves. Indian designs are usually very elaborate, but Hana wanted something simple, a little floral."

She gave Kiara a wolfish grin, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "I think you're going to love it."

Kiara narrowed her eyes at Imane. She knew that look. It was the kind she would give all her cousins when, as children, she was about to do skin her knees climbing the branches of a fig tree.

Kiara was going to open her mouth to ask what Imane had in mind, when the low, deep strains of the guembri rang throughout the room.

It was Nissrine's younger sister Nour, closing her eyes in reverence and plucking the strings of the family guembri - a legacy from her father, a renowned Gnawa master himself. The guembri had been in the family for generations, itself decorated with henna patterns so intricate it would amaze even the best of naqashas.

As the women in her family got up to dance to "Toura Toura", a song Kiara would listen to and relish in 12 hour lilas every year in Fes (singing in Bambara - a language neither she nor her cousins truly understood but loved to hear), she found herself somehow dancing next to the woman she had been craving to see for the last few hours.

"Well, hello there," Kiara said, sneaking a kiss to Hana's cheek.

Hana giggled. "Fancy running into you."

They danced until their feet were sore, until their eyes begged for sleep, until their henna dried - leaving behind a stain that was a deep, dark, rich brown.

"They did that on purpose!" Kiara huffs, ten minutes after she has triumphantly shown Hana the final letter - the rāy curling at the base of her wrist. "They were planning to annoy and vex me this entire time. If they were here right now I'd tell them to go cook themselves an egg."

For all her grumbling, however, Kiara was quite overjoyed. She had hoped that her extended family in Fes would adore Hana just as much as she did, that they would love her and pamper her silly. They went above and beyond; they made Hana's first real experience of Morocco practically unforgettable.

It was. In every sense of the word. Even if that involved secretly pulling Kiara's leg.

Hana pouts, her fingers still tracing the name on Kiara's palm. "I wish they scattered letters for me too. Seems like more of a challenge." She shifts a little more into Kiara's arms, turning her gaze to her own palms. "Not that I don't love your henna already. It's gorgeous; look at these curls in the center! They remind me of a compass rose."

Hana runs her fingers purposefully along the length of Kiara's body. She presses five tiny kisses along her face.

"A kiss for each letter," she hums happily against Kiara's skin, "A just reward for your hard work."

Laughter bubbles in Kiara's throat. "Only five?"

"Kiara Yasmine Thorne," Hana's voice takes on a raspy, sultry quality, "Don't be greedy."

"Ma moitie," she whispers back, "I believe tonight's the one night when greed is allowed."

Hana bites her lower lip to stem her own laughter, then lets her lips roam free over Kiara's face.

"Fine, then," Hana huffs in mock-petulance, only too happy to go along with the joke, "Eighteen kisses it is."

Kiara buries her hands in Hana's hair as she breathes in the fragrance from between her shoulder and neck. "I won't mind if you give me more...but alright. Eighteen's a start."

Translation -

Darija:

Kaaf (ك), yaa (ي), alif (ا)(twice), rāy (ر) are the isolated letters that - I think - will form Kiara's name in Arabic. I believe that it may look somewhat like this (كيارا) when written as one word, but the letters are meant to be scattered around Hana's henna just to tease Kiara.

Ghassoul/Rhassoul clay - a type of clay that some people use as a cosmetic product for their skin and hair. It’s a brown clay only found in a valley in the Atlas mountains of Morocco. The term “rhassoul” comes from an Arabic word that means “to wash.” Typically used in hammam baths.

Zwina - a compliment, literal meaning is beautiful or good.

Macroute - a diamond shaped sweet cookie filled with dates and nuts or almond paste.

Naqasha - Henna artist

Guembri - a three stringed skin-covered bass plucked lute used by the Gnawa people

Lila - a rich ceremony in the Gnawa community, of song, music, dance, costume, and incense that takes place over the course of an entire night, ending around dawn. Learn more here.

Toura Toura - Popular Gnawa song. Here is a version by Innov Gnawa.

French:

zut alors - an expression of annoyance, like saying "darn!" or "damn!", mostly used in non-serious instances.

Elles me conduiront à ma tombe! - They will lead me to my grave!

Va te faire cuire un œuf! - Literally, "go cook yourself an egg!". An expression of annoyance, similar to "go take a hike!" or "leave me alone!"

#kiara theron #the royal romance #the royal heir #the royal finale #kiaratheronappreciationweek #KTAW #KTAW Day 1 #KTAW Day 1: Culture #content: fanfic #lizzybeth1986

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hanaleeappreciationweek · 4 months

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HLAW 2024: Masterlist

(so much love to @sazanes who made this poster for us!!)

Previous AWs: HLAW 2022 | HLAW 2023

Day 1: Character Appreciation/Throwback

Character Appreciation

Art

A Very Happy Hana by @mxcameronrose/@atlasgoodwin

Lady Hana Lee by @sazanes

Edit

SpreadJoy Quote: Hana Lee by @storyofmychoices

Headcanon

My Top 5 Headcanons for Hana x MC by @uselessgay10101

Fanfic

Winds of Change by @unsettlingconclusions

Moodboard

"You Don't Have To Be Perfect To Be Loved" by @masked-alien-lesbian

Playlist

an eulogy to perfectionism - Hana Lee by @inlocusmads

Throwback

Art

Hana at the Piano by @cassiopeiacorvus

Fanfic

A Blossoming Friendship by @lizzybeth1986

Day 2: Flowers/Fashion Design

Flowers

Art

Hana's Name by @sazanes

Fanfic

A Bouquet for An Angel by @masked-alien-lesbian

Moodboard

The Moodboard that Hopes to Give Hana Her Flowers by @lizzybeth1986

Fashion Design

Art

Hana Wears the MC's Handmade Dress by @mxcameronrose

Fanfic

A Day with Marguerite Thorne by @masked-alien-lesbian

Day 3: Bookworm/AU

Bookworm

Art

Sailor Vega Hana Lee! by @cassiopeiacorvus

A Cozy Night in Bed with A Book by @mxcameronrose

Fanfic

Reader Fatigue by @lizzybeth1986

Art

Hana Lee as Annelyse Adair by @sazanes

Fanfic

Build A Bear Date by @masked-alien-lesbian

Edit

The Ranch Hand and the Ranch Owner's Daughter by @masked-alien-lesbian

Day 4: Competitive Hana/Culinary Love/Music

Competitive Hana

Fanfic

The Cordonian Bake-Off! by @masked-alien-lesbian

Culinary Love

Poem

A Hot Chocolate Embrace by @lizzybeth1986

Music

Art

Rockstar!Hana on the Piano!! by @mxcameronrose

Hana Singing to The Child in Her Womb by @sazanes

Fanfic

"Thank you for sharing your music with me" by @exbex

Day 5: Family/Friendships/Romance

Family

Headcanon

Hana and Kiara's Three Children by @cassiopeiacorvus

Friendships

Art

Best Friends! by @jicklet (Hana & Riley (MC))

Fanfic

Hana Lee: Cordonia's Most Influential Courtier by @mand-delemonde (Hana & Kaela (MC), Hana x Kiara)

Playlist

A Playlist for Hana's Friendships, Romance and Family! by @masked-alien-lesbian

Romance

Art

Wives by @mxcameronrose (Hana x Krystal (MC))

A Kiss After Tango by @sazanes (Hana x Raelyn (@masked-alien-lesbian's OC))

Fanfic

Rose Gold by @lizzybeth1986 (Hana x Kiara)

Even though the week itself is over, HLAW will be open for entries all year round!! Please don't hesitate to send them in whenever you can 💖💖

If you'd like to reference the themes, here they are!

If we have missed anyone's pieces, we are truly sorry. Do let us know and we will put it up asap!

#hana lee #the royal romance #the royal finale #the royal heir #HLAW #HLAW 2024 #HLAW Masterlist #HLAW 2024 Masterlist #so proud of everyone involved in this AW!!!

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masked-alien-lesbian · 2 months

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Playing with Shea Phoenix's scars and tats on Raelyn

#Took off one of the tattoos #I didn't like it on Rae #choices #pixelberry #playchoices #hof #hearts on fire #Firefighter Raelyn #Firefighter Raelyn x Hana Lee #Hana Lee x OC #trr #the royal romance

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pommpuriinn · 9 months

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꧁༒☬𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓪 𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓴𝓲𝓵𝓵☬༒꧂

SYNOPSIS ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚ 𝐼𝓃 𝒶 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝒸𝑒 𝓈𝑜 𝓆𝓊𝒾𝑒𝓉 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓅𝑒𝒶𝒸𝑒𝒻𝓊𝓁 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽 𝒾𝓈𝓃’𝓉 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝒹 𝑜𝒻, 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝒶 𝓃𝑒𝓌 𝑔𝒾𝓇𝓁 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓈 𝓈𝓊𝒹𝒹𝑒𝓃𝓁𝓎 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽 𝓀𝑒𝑒𝓅𝓈 𝑜𝓃 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝒸𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝑜𝓃 𝓅𝑒𝑜𝓅𝓁𝑒’𝓈 𝒹𝑜𝑜𝓇𝓈.

STORY INCLUDES ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚ horror aspects, character deaths, unhealthy relationships, smut

AUTHOR’S NOTE ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚this is my first actual story so be gentle on me. I really wanted to create a horror story of txt falling sickly in love with a siren like girl, hope you find it interesting

PAIRING ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚ txtOT5 x oc

PROLOGUE

Mu Woods isn’t an innocent town nor is it a place full of crime either. It’s just a boring town with minimal history, people, and crime. The only special thing about the place is the teenagers’ drive to party on the weekends and causes a little noise to the town. They give color to Mu Woods which is usually grey. But recently the colors starts to bleed with the sudden shift in the air.

10:30pm, Saturday

It was a chilly night but that didn’t stop the loud booming bass coming from a two story house near the woods that surrounded Mu, which clearly got it’s name from. The poor house was packed with teenagers from all different grades even some who haven’t even entered the high school yet. It’s the middle of the school year everyone wanted the stress to sweat off their bodies from dancing, to drinking, and finally from lust.

That’s exactly what’s happening to Lee Jisu; the loving, innocent, girl next door Lee Jisu. Warm and sweet on the outside dirty and slutty on the inside. “Y-Yes! Don’t-mffp stop!” Jisu moaned, as a random senior was thrusting right into her swollen lips. “You’re one fucking dirty bitch.” The senior tighten his grip on Jisu’s makeshift ponytail. Doggystyle was Jisu’s favorite position since you didn’t have to see the person which means you can’t feel that bad about cheating. “I’ll make sure that piece of shit boyfriend knows exactly how much of slut you are after I cum into that pretty cunt.” He reached under Jisu and gave her pussy a good slap, earning a sweet moan. “Cum i-in me.” Jisu cried, as she lost balance with the rough thrusts burying her head into the pillow. Hearing Jisu moans boosted the senior’s ego even more. He pushed himself down onto her back and finishing himself deep inside her womp painting it with his cum. “Atta girl.” He groaned, pushing whatever he had left into her.

The two didn’t spend that much time together on the bed it was a ‘no strings attached’ type of thing for the two, plus miss sweet heart had a boyfriend downstairs starting to get curious of her disappearance. “Why are you with the kid anyway?” The senior questioned Jisu, as he watched her get dressed again. “Because he makes me look good.” Not giving good enough answer, but it didn’t bothered him. “To each their own I guess.” He shrugged, getting up from the messed up bed and making his way to the bedroom door before stopping. “Just call me whenever you want a real man to please you baby.” He winked and gave Jisu a spank on her ass before heading out first.

Jisu stopped by her boyfriend who was still talking and drinking with his little group. “Yeonjun~” she controlled her voice into a higher lighter tone one that really keeps the illusion going. “Darling!” He welcomed her with open arms and a bright smile. “I started getting worried for a second.” He wrapped his left arm around her shoulder holding her tight. Almost afraid of her leaving him again. “Sorry I was just not feeling well so I went into the bathroom and Hana came in with me. She was helping me, but then she started gossiping with me.” Just strings of lies were coming out of her mouth. Yeonjun just took it even though in the back of his head there was a bit of doubt.

Even though Jisu didn’t see it nor poor little Yeonjun there was someone lingering in the shadows that has seen Jisu’s two face ways, and wanted to help Yeonjun to set him free from his doubts. So let’s get the dead weight off his shoulders.

As the night continues and it was already the wee hours of the morning the party didn’t look like it was going to end anytime soon, so Jisu decided to get some drinks for her and Yeonjun to keep it going. Jisu went into the kitchen where all the parents’ liquor was at, “are you fucking kidding me.” Jisu whined at the sight of empty bottles all over the expensive marble counter top. Just as she was going to quickly give up she felt her phone vibrated, it was a message.

dad!: there’s some more outside in the back

Jisu: I told u to stop texting me!

If you couldn’t figure it out miss girl next door is a pretty good liar and knows how to hide secrets with code names that people wouldn’t really question.

dad!: don’t you miss me? come on jisu leave the son of bitch for a second and come with me let’s have some real fun huh?

Jisu was getting bored by the second hearing Yeonjun and his friends told about shit that didn’t interest her.

Jisu: fine. but it’s that last time ok!

dad!: don’t worry it will be the last time I promise. meet me by the lake so no one sees us

Luckily Minyeon another person in Jisu’s clique showed up in perfect timing. “Minyeon! Just the person I wanted to see.” Jisu gave Minyeon a fake smile. “Oh, Jisu-ah there you are I was wondering where you were. You’re always hiding somewhere huh?” Minyeon was clueless and was genuinely dumb to Jisu which always worked in her favor. Someone who’s beautiful and has a similar taste like Jisu, but had nothing going on inside that pretty little head of hers. Jisu giggled, “no, but what I will do is get us some drinks. I’ll be back ok.” Minyeon didn’t ask no further questions just smiled and nodded like the empty obedient girl she is.

There wasn’t much people outside since was already getting even colder than before, plus all the action was inside. The path leading to the lake was also the infamous path into the woods. Jisu didn’t know if it was the coldness of the full moon night or the eerie feeling she was starting to get that was led her goosebumps up her arms. She pushed the feeling aside as she spotted the lake that was reflecting the moonlight. “Alright I’m here.” She called out. Jisu scanned the lake and around the trees trying to see if she saw anyone. “Chanwoo! Where are you?” Jisu was getting irritated. “I don’t have all nig-”

Her phone vibrated.

dad!: come deeper I have the perfect spot love

Jisu gave one finally look at the distant house that still had her boyfriend there waiting for her. She bit her lip having a mental battle of going or not, but ultimately making her decision to meet up with Chanwoo. Again the feeling was there but Jisu was already way too into it to back out, plus to be fair she hasn’t seen Chanwoo in a couple of weeks since last time he fingered her in the movie theaters after her dinner date with Yeonjun.

“Ok I’m here.” Jisu sighed, yet no Chanwoo in sight. “Stop fucking with me Chanwoo.” Jisu furrowed her brows. A little chuckled was heard causing Jisu whipped her head around. “It’s not funny anymore!” Jisu chest started rising more frantically. The little snaps from the branches breaking caught Jisu’s eye before finally seeing a shadow. “Stop fucking around and come out!” Jisu yelled at the person. What scared her the most is that the person stopped and turned to face her. Jisu’s eyes widen at the sight of the person wearing a bunny mask that was cover with black fur and nothing else. No eyes, no mouth, no expression.

“You’re a freak.” Jisu spat out venom. “You’re mad I’m not bending you over and fucking you like a bitch.” The distorted voice spoke to Jisu. Jisu payed close attention to all the details of the person like how they wore a silky white dress with arm warmers. “You’re probably just another whore Chanwoo fucks huh? Sorry.” Jisu spoke in a fake apologetic tone. The person stepped closer to Jisu causing Jisu to start panicking, but tried not to show it. “Actually, you can keep him well…at least a part of him.” Jisu confusion was instantly replaced with horror at the sight of Chanwoo’s decapitated head that the person was just holding it by his hair. Jisu was about to let out a scream of panic, but the mysterious killer dropped the head and quickly pushed Jisu against there body covering her mouth. “Shouldn’t have been going around opening your legs and actually appreciated your soon to be ex boyfriend, but don’t worry he’ll be in safe hands.” A evil giggled was let out, causing Jisu to still try to scream but was muffled by the hand.

“Here I’ll give you something to actually scream about.” A small knife was pulled from the garter that was hiding under the silky dress. They struck Jisu’s left side of her stomach quickly pulling it out and throwing her on the dirt floor. “Let’s play a game ok? You try to run as fast as you can, and I’ll try to catch you.” They kept on taunting Jisu.

Jisu still have some fight in her and actually got up while pressing down on her wound trying to run, but the pain was soon getting to her. “Come on Jisu. You got this.” She whispered to herself. Unfortunately, she only made it to the lake the house was barely in sight. “Ah, ah, ah~” the killer pulled Jisu towards the little dock the lake had. “I see you got pretty far, but not far enough.” They crushed any hope Jisu got. Once they reached the end of the dock Jisu plead, “why? Why are you doing this to me? And who are you?”

“Well since you ask I’ll tell you.” They held on to Jisu’s hair tightly making her whimper in pain. “I want someone that you don’t deserve, and to get what I want I have to take out the one thing in my way. You.” Maybe if Jisu begged enough this will stop. “Ok then you can have Yeonjun! He’s all yours I won’t say anything or do anything I swear.” Jisu tried to find their eyes, but it was impossible with the bunny mask covering. “Just let me go.” Tears started running down her face. “Before you go I’ll answer your second question.” The killer completely ignored Jisu’s pleas and started revealing themselves to her. With what little Jisu had left since she was currently bleeding out from the stabbing she focused on the killer’s movements. They dropped the mask on the dock floor making direct eye contact with Jisu. “Y-you’re beautiful.” Jisu mumbled at the sight of the girl who had long jet black hair with bangs just above her eyebrows, black cat liner with a few moles on her face; one below her lip on the left side, one under the corner of her left eye, and finally one on her cheek bone on the right side.

“Aw, thanks.” The girl cooed, evilly smiling. “At least your last words were kind.” Before Jisu could say anything else the girl slice Jisu’s throat with the same little knife, and threw her into the water. “Did they actually care about you Jisu.” She shook her at the thought of nobody coming out to look for her. “Maybe I did you a favor.” She proceed to take out a cigarette and a lighter from her small pocket of her garter, lighting the cigarette and blowing the smoke out as she watch Jisu’s lifeless body float covered in her blood.

#txt scenarios #txt imagines #soobin x reader #yeonjun x reader #beomgyu x reader #taehyun x reader #txt horror fanfic #txt fanfic #hueningkai x reader #txt scenario #txt x reader #txt x oc

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dandyd · 2 years

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Fic Recs!

Hi! This is just a masterlist of all of my favorite works (some Tumblr wouldn't let me reblog :( so I'm putting them here too)! It's more or less a way for me to find my favs easier, but if you find this and wanna snoop through, you're more than welcome to!

Everything that is indented will be what the fic is about/a synopsis.

Ps. I categorize "full fics" as anything with more than 1 part or a series

Kpop

Full fics

Stray Kids

Sanguis Limerence - (Vampire!chan x reader x Vampire!minho)

"You have a job to do. That job is simple, in of itself. Yet the elusive vampire family you find yourself entangled with, the target of your job, makes things anything but straightforward. Can you traverse the thin lines between right and wrong when harsh truths are exposed and realities come to light? Can you resist the allure of danger, the appeal of the unknown? Experience this story of unlikely friendships, lurking threat, and entirely unexpected love."

SKZ Imprinted - (werewolf!skz x reader)

Individual stories that have OC’s in your place if you want to read the others’ stories! I highly recommend reading them all in order to get everyone’s full story! This writer also has a Seventeen Imprinted series that is also SO good! (Everything they write is amazing!)

Red Moon - (Werewolf!SKZ x reader) (Yes, all of them. But mainly Chan and Hyunjin)

"Hana’s life was planned out perfectly. She would marry the pack alpha, become Luna and do her duties. But the appearance of a mysterious stranger turns her life inside out she finds herself outcast and alone. Will she find her new home in Chan and his pack of strays? Will she find what she’s been looking for all along in the mysterious alpha? Or will everything crumble under her again?"

Bite Me - (vampire!felix x reader)

"you're more than familiar with the concept of 'beards' - you've been one for a few of your gay friends to protect them from the suspicious glares of their families within the horribly conservative korean society. however when lee felix - infamous at yonsei for breaking men's hearts - asks you, someone he has spoken to maybe twice, to pretend to date him so he can shake the rumours and prove he really isn't gay, you find yourself caught up in a very complex situation, a mild identity crisis and… wait - are those fangs???"

Light in the Dark - (Vampire!chan x reader)

"You knew the fairy tales were true, you knew Oddinaries existed but you also knew you were an ordinary human who wasn't considered interesting to anyone. At least that is what you thought you knew." (all of skz are different supernatural creatures) (a person who has AMAZING stuff!)

A Thump in the Night - (vampire!hyunjin x reader) (going to be more than one part?)

Uninvited - (Hybrid!chan x witch!reader) (ft. Vampire!felix, Vampire!hyunjin, and witch!jisung)

Unhinged - sequel to uninvited^

No Nut November with SKZ

This is a series of imagines (one per member) of the boys participating in nnn and it is pure glorious filth.

Hierarchy - (Mafia!Changbin x reader) (kinda mafia!felix x reader)

"You have always been utterly uninteresting, safely boring as close. You had a normal job, normal friends and the sweetest bestie on the planet but now everything is upside down and that best friend of yours is far more dangerous than you could have ever imagined." (All of their stuff is SO good so I tagged the whole masterlist but this is very specifically about Hierarchy)

Ateez

Blinding Lights - (mafia!Seonghwa x reader) (also kinda a hongjoong x reader)

"You are your father’s daughter. he taught you everything - how to lie, how to steal, how to kill. but after your younger sister’s marriage, it was only a matter of time before you were paired off with someone. your parents arrange a marriage with a powerful and dangerous up-and-comer who is determined to dethrone your father as king of the underworld. your match is a no-brainer - you and park seonghwa are not only perfect together, you are the best. The two of you are like new royalty - and you would stop at nothing to keep control."

Horizon - (pirate!hongjoong x reader)

"Once a princess of a kingdom you loathed to call yours, you have somehow found yourself aboard a pirate ship, stuck on the ocean waves. Now you try to figure out how to escape them, but as you continue to journey with them, you find yourself wondering if you even want to."

Treasure - (pirate!hongjoong x reader)

"The formidable pirate king Hongjoong and his crew aboard the ATEEZ are in search of something left by their mentor and forebear, Eden. Will they find Eden and his treasure or will they succumb to the many enemies and dangers of the seas, losing their way and each other?"

Pirate King - (pirate!ateez x reader)

"Life as an amnesiac on board a pirate ship ruled by the one and only Pirate King doesn’t seem very promising, but hey, anything’s better than becoming shark food." (honestly the best thing I have ever read)

Instructions Unclear - (android!San x reader)

"While walking home from work one day, you stumble upon an android from the world up-top, a world you were sure you would never be able to experience. once he opens his eyes, you become his master."

NCT

NCT as werewolves

A series of fic with beautiful moodboards/aesthetics to go with!

Vigilantes - (NCT x Superpowered!reader)

NCT werewolf au

"In a world where omega werewolves are a commodity and alphas can go feral/crazy with the need to ‘breed’ them when they’re in heats, things are rough for a pack of 23 alphas." (Each fic can stand alone, but they are in chronological order) (Johnny’s is a personal fav)

Humanity - (Kun x reader) (zombie apocalypse au)

"This is a story dedicated to people and their silly ventures and ways—hope, fear, familiarity, and adoration. Nothing short of catastrophic, but nothing short of human."

Stay Alive - (NCT Dream x platonic!reader)

"Nobody was ready for a zombie apocalypse. you were definitely not ready for a zombie apocalypse. while contemplating just giving up and accepting your fate, you meet a group of boys. life may seem pointless now, but at the very least, you now have a reason to stay alive."

Others (and multiples)

Post Mortem (Haechan x reader) (Zombie apocalypse au) (ft. skz and the dreamies)

Blood Red Skies - (Mafia! Bang Chan x reader) (mafia!skz, mafia!ateez, pirate!ateez)

"Spending most her time in the library and doing anything to keep herself distracted from her life is what Y/N has learned over the years but the situation changed in a matter of seconds and never did she even think of coming face to face with a mafia. She has to make the decision for her life which seems like it will be no different from what it already is." (All of their stuff is good but Blood Red Skies is at the bottom of their masterlist)

The Last of Us - (Kim Taehyung x reader) (zombie apocalypse au)

Dead by Dawn - (Kim Namjoon x reader) (zombie apocalypse au)

"You start to notice things in your small town turn weird. Thinking not much of it, you continue to live as you had been for the past couple of years. What happens when your simple conclusions turn into something more terrifying?"

Survive the apocalypse with BTS

A list of zombie fics

Imagines

Stray Kids

Heartbeat - (Chan x reader)

just a cute rainy day fic

Bad Neighborhood - (mafia!Changbin x reader)

Lost Notebook - (chan x reader) (zombie apocalypse au)

"It’s the end of the world as you know it. You’re alone and overhear a dangerous conversation. Should you help them?"

Vampire!hyunjin x reader (Genius writer. I love all of their stuff! just fluffy goodness)

Vampire!felix x reader (more fluffy goodness)

Dad!minho (pure fluff)

Minho x reader

Dad!chan x reader (he is lowkey a "single" dad but he has you)

Cute lil stragazing with Felix drabble

Excuses - (minho x reader)

"You ask your boyfriend for some private dancing lessons, and although he hears you loud and clear, he still manages to believe you're just making up excuses for him to come over."

Where the sun don't shine - (dad!chan x reader)

It really isn't about him or the reader but about their 2 kids going to school. This person has so much dad!skz stuff and they are all so cute!

On My Mind - (roommate!jisung x reader) (college au)

"You and Jisung are stressed over your upcoming exams. You need to clear your heads, but you can't find anything that works. That is, until Jisung suggests watching porn together."

Exhaustion - (best friend!chan x reader) (college au/f2l)

Random texts with skz

Ateez

Illuminate the ocean - (Pirate!Seonghwa x Pirate!reader)

"Seonghwa absolutely hates the idea of having a new captain on board 'Precious' with him and his crew, but he doesn't have a choice because you had insisted. You have a feeling that he isn't as bad as he makes himself seem and you're proven right through nightmares and colourful jellyfish…"

boxer!Yunho x reader (f2l)

Monster Energy Girl - (yunho x mingi x fem!reader) (college au/crack)

Entropy - (Mafia!yeosang x reader)

"Things never went according to plan; career wise, family wise, relationship wise and especially not when you were suddenly saddled with an infant to raise but you learned to roll with the punches. except the next challenge you were about to face wasn't a punch, it was a machine gun."

Dad!yunho x reader

"You come home to find your house a mess, your three girls nowhere in sight and in the middle of the chaos, your loving husband, Yunho, restrained and gagged."

Figure it Out - (streetfighter!Mingi x reader)

"Fighting is tough, fighting illegally isn’t any better but Mingi soon realizes that he’s one bad fight away from losing the most important thing: you."

Eternal Sunshine - (hongjoong x reader)

"You and Hongjoong meet on the train and instantly connect, going from friends to more. however, you're both plagued by a past that you do not remember, and when you both start to dig into it, you realise that your pasts may be connected and the situation might be graver than you thought."

NCT

See You Around - (Superhero!Jaehyun x Superhero!reader)

"You were once part of the world’s most renowned superhero organization, NCTsuper. Now centuries later, you’re still alive and you don’t know where anyone else is or if they are immortal like you too. The last person you expected to see after all these centuries was a member of NCTSuper, nonetheless your biggest rival within the organization. You really don’t want to talk to him, but you really need that milk."

Jaehyun x reader

Morning with jaehyun featuring an adorable little girl.

Not a Single Dandelion - (johnny x reader) (best friends to lovers)

"Johnny Suh has always been your whole entire sun, moon and all of the stars above. wishing for his feelings to finally be reciprocated is no use as you repeat the same ritual every year - not a single dandelion is on your side when you ask the solemn question and blow on the seeds, watching them fly away with your passing youth. years go by, yet, the question is still the same- does johnny suh finally love you back?"

Cry Wolf - (werewolf!haechan x hunter!reader)

"You keep running into an annoying, naked guy in the woods. Him being a werewolf is no excuse, at least not for the annoying part."

Phenomena - (conspiracytheorist!johnny x doctor!reader)

"The majority of your adult life you’ve been practically married to logic and science. until your superiors at the FBI assign you to work with special agent johnny suh on the so-called x-files project—cases that were never solved due to unexplained phenomena. as time goes by, and you chase case after case, you find yourself drifting further from logic… and closer to johnny."

Others

Lets mate.. I mean DATE - (werewolf!Jackson Wang x reader)

"Jackson has been working for you for months now and things have been going perfectly well, up until a single moment turns his world upside down. Suddenly all that occupies his mind and floods his senses is you and he’s going to lose his mind if he doesn’t figure out why."

Practice Makes Perfect - (Yoo Kihyun x reader)

"Kihyun catches your eye at the pool. You unexpectedly find yourself needing a very specific type of attention from this friend of a friend, and he is happy to help."

Pronoia - (Kim Namjoon x reader)

zombie apocalypse au/college au

Family Traditions - (Park Jinyoung x reader)

fluffy meeting the family trope

All About Luv

A collection of imagines from different groups based on Monsta X’s All About Luv album

Fanart

Bomb ass SKZ moodboards (skz x the walking dead)

1, 2, 3

Gods Menu

Lee Minho

Mark Lee

Marvel

Full fics

I Understand - (Bucky barnes x stark!reader)

"You’re the daughter of Tony Stark, and after meeting the Avengers for the first time, you begin to fall for the one who your father despises most…Bucky Barnes."

Almost Had Me Believing It - (Bucky barnes x reader)

"An undercover operation playing Bucky Barnes’ wife is a dream come true. Playing house in the suburbs while trying to take down a drug ring brings you and Bucky closer but a nosy neighbor causes trouble in paradise."

Like the Stars Miss the Sun - (Bucky barnes x reader)

"In the aftermath of the final battle with Thanos, you find yourself once again teaming up to fight with Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson, all while trying to navigate the complicated relationship you have with the super soldier."

Imagines

Spooky Season - (Bucky barnes x reader)

Hope and Hopelessness - (Bucky barnes x avenger!reader)

"You get inured on a mission and Bucky makes the biggest mistake of his life."

Fanart

Thor and Loki

Steve is an Asshole

Random/Others

Imagines

Cupid Anonymous - (Spencer Reid x agent!reader)

"Garcia sets up an anonymous valentine’s matching site for fbi agents, and you think it’s the perfect opportunity to get over your work crush, spencer reid."

Childhood Friend - (Spencer Reid x reader)

The ObeyMe boys experience MC’s worst memories of them

A whole ass ObeyMe blog

Blog recs for ObeyMe

Fanart

ObeyMe

ObeyMe meme redraw 1, 2

ObeyMe (Beel and Mammon's ice cream)

ObeyMe Levi

ObeyMe Solomon

ObeyMe x Peter Pan

ObeyMe Lucifer

ObeyMe dad!Mammon

Twilight

Jean AOT

Levi Ackerman 1, 2

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moodmusicmonday · 1 year

Text

Another week, another great playlist! Check out the playlist above, and the story deets below!

As always, thank you all for your support. Whether you submit songs, like, signal boost or even just lurk, we are so happy and grateful to have you here! 💜

@ao719

"Let the New Begin" - CHPTRS; ...Sometimes Not, Part 4 (TRR; Liam Rys x f!OC)

@bebepac

"Favorite Song" - Toosii; The Rotten Apple, The Final Chapter The Wedding (TRH; Eleanor x M!OC)

@cariantha

"The Other POV" - Khloe Rose; Untitled WIP (OH; F!MC x Rafael, F!MC x Ethan)

@lizzybeth1986

"You Can't Hurry Love" - The Supremes; Out of the Chrysalis (TRR; Hana Lee x Multiple OCs)

@tessa-liam

"Simply the Best" - Sara Beth; Smoke and Mirrors, Chapter 8 The Mirror Doesn't Lie (TRR; Liam Rys x F!MC)

"Mirrors" - Justin Timberlake; Smoke and Mirrors, Chapter 8 The Mirror Doesn't Lie (TRR; Liam Rys x F!MC)

#Spotify #mood music monday #moodmusicmonday #choices mmm #choices fandom #choices fanfic #choices mood music monday #choices music inspo #music inspo

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alj4890 · 2 years

Text

Love Drabble

(Maxwell Beaumont x OC*Sherry Alcantar) in a Choices The Royal Heir Drabble

A/N In my Dark TRR AU, All Through the Night, I created Sherry to be Maxwell's love interest. She chased after him, determined to make him love her like she did him in that mystical AU and I loved her for it. I've been wanting to see what she could do in a normal world without magic and monsters. So, in this drabble, she is still a cousin to Rashad, and has decided to chase down Cordonia's celebrated author when he travels to Hollywood to discuss The Royal Romance's sequel.

I've lost my tag lists 🤦🏻‍♀️ So I have no clue who might want a Maxwell Beaumont drabble 😂 So whoever sees this and likes it. It's for you.

Masterlist

One Way or Another

Cordonia...

"Sherry," Rashad ran his hands down his face, "I'm not going to do that."

"Please!" Sherry pleaded. "You actually know him! All we have to do is fly to California-"

"No." He interrupted.

"And find out where he's staying. Then--"

"No." Rashad said a bit more emphatically.

"We'll then just casually bump into him and you can introduce me," She smiled a tad deviously, "your beloved cousin, and then I'll take it from there."

"Sherry." Rashad dropped his head back. "I'm not going to help you chase down another man. I've played this role in the past, and it always makes it awkward for me when I run into them after you've gotten tired of them."

He waved around the luxurious main drawing room of his duchy.

"I actually live near him and see him regularly at court functions! I'm on the council with him!"

"And Lady Hana." Sherry reminded him

"And Lady Han--," he abruptly cut off what he was about to say.

"Ugh." Sherry flopped back on his couch. "Why don't you just tell her you like her already?"

Rashad leveled a glare upon his cousin. He adored Sherry, but she was entirely too pushy and too sure when it came to matters of the heart. She didn't understand that normal people needed to move at their own pace.

"Fine. Don't end your, how many years is it now? Three?" She asked.

Rashad barely nodded.

"Don't end your three year longing from afar for Hana." She pushed herself off the couch. "I'm not waiting on Maxwell Beaumont to notice me."

"Why him?" Rashad perched his hip on the arm of a chair. "What made you finally notice him?"

Sherry shrugged. "While stuck on a photoshoot in Bora Bora, I read the first Royal Romance and I knew he was the one for me." She winked at him. "That's why I rushed home."

"Uh huh." Rashad studied her a few silent seconds. "If I do this-"

"I knew you wouldn't let me down!" Sherry bounded over to hug him.

"Once I introduce you to him, I'm done. No more helping you chase him until he dates you." Rashad gripped her upper arms. "Agreed?"

"Agreed." She clasped her hands together. "I'll go finish packing. Our flight leaves in three hours."

"Our flight leaves in..." Rashad couldn't believe her nerve in assuming he'd just give in to her demands.

He watched her skip out of the room as if this was something normal.

Shaking his head in exasperation, he wondered how Maxwell would react to being in a relationship with her.

He knew it was inevitable. No one stood a chance against his cousin. He only wished he could warn the poor guy.

************

"Which one?" Sherry held up two dresses.

Rashad sighed as he set a contract he was studying aside.

"I like the black one." He responded.

She dropped the red one and dashed to her room to change.

"You sure he'll be at the premiere?" She yelled out.

"Yes." Rashad got to his feet to pour a needed glass of bourbon. "Liam told me that they'd all been invited to Ryan Summers 's latest film." He took a long sip. "Ever since he played Maxwell in the first film, they've become good friends."

Sherry stepped back out and did a slow twirl. "Well?"

"You look nice." He straightened his tie. "Let's get this over with."

"Cheer up." She walked over to help him when he made it even more lopsided. "Hana will be there." Her lips turned up in a teasing smile. "Maybe you'll be able to get ten words out this time instead of the usual five."

"I can talk to her." He grumbled.

"I know you can." Sherry grasped his arms and shook him. "Remember that you're a catch too. She'd be lucky to have a man like you love her."

His frown turned into a shy smile. "You really think so?"

"I know so." She stepped behind him to push him towards the door. "Now let's go get our love stories started.

***********

Afterparty...

"Great movie." Maxwell responded. "I give it five stars."

"Thank you." Ryan replied, including the rest of the Cordonians he'd come to know in his gratitude. "It means a lot to me that you all came for this event."

"Are you kidding?" Riley teased. "We couldn't disappoint Maxwell 2.0 by missing this."

"Maxwell 2.0?" Ryan repeated with a laugh.

"That's what he calls you." Drake rolled his eyes. "What is it he says about Summers?"

"Ryan is an excellent imitation but he'll never be the OG." Hana promptly quoted.

The group chuckled while Maxwell sputtered to assure Ryan that he really did do an excellent job as The Royal Romance version of Maxwell Beaumont.

"Thanks." Ryan didn't bother to smother his laughter. "I have some more guests to greet." He waved as he walked away. "But come find me later to talk about the next book."

"Now what do we do?" Drake asked.

"Enjoy the party, of course." Riley told him.

She linked her arm with Liam's, smiling when he asked her to dance.

"I'm going to the bar." Drake snagged a few hors d'oeuvres along his way.

Maxwell breathed out a long breath.

"Are you all right?" Hana gently placed her hand on his arm.

"It's hard keeping up the Maxwell Media Mogul persona." He looked about at all the famous, important faces. "I feel out of place half the time."

"Well, we think you are doing great." Hana told him.

"Really?"

She nodded with an encouraging smile.

"Thanks Hana." He slung his arm around her shoulders, squeezing her close. "You're the best."

She hugged him back. "I think I'm going to see what desserts they have, would you like me to bring you back a plate of something?"

"Yes, please." He begged. "I think this is a night to both stress eat and stress dance."

She giggled while promising to bring him back enough treats to relax.

He watched her leave and felt his nervousness return.

"Maxwell?"

He turned around with a ready smile, only to stare in surprise at the sight of Rashad with a stunning date on his arm.

He'd always thought the man was in love with Hana.

My powers of love detection must be way off, he thought to himself.

"Hey." Maxwell greeted warmly. "I didn't know you were coming to this."

"Neither did I." Rashad let out an oomph when Sherry elbowed him. "Have you, uh, met my cousin, Lady Sherveen Alcantar?"

Maxwell studied the gorgeous face for a few seconds.

"I don't think I have." He held his hand out.

She took it, smiling up at him. "I've been hoping for a chance to meet you."

"You have?"

She nodded, stepping closer. "I'm a huge fan of your books."

"You...you are?" Maxwell colored some under those mesmerizing gray eyes of hers. "Thank you."

Rashad rolled his eyes as he stepped away. "Excuse me a moment, I see someone I need to say hello to."

"Say hi to Hana for me." Sherry told him, keeping Maxwell dead in her sights.

Maxwell swore he heard Rashad curse as he walked away.

"So, uh, Lady Sherveen--"

"Call me Sherry." She insisted.

"Sherry." He smiled once more at her. "What's been your favorite part from my books?"

She bit down on her bottom lip while gazing up at him through her long lashes.

"I loved every part you were in."

The tips of Maxwell's ears turned red over that complement.

"Ah. Um." He took a step back when she moved even closer. "I, I was around for a lot of the uh drama and romance."

"I know." Sherry cornered him back against a wall. "You became a man I have been very anxious to meet."

He swallowed nervously, eyes darting around for one of his friends to help him. He didn't know why he felt the need for backup, but something about this woman made him anxious.

"In fact, you're the reason I am ready to come back to Cordonia."

He stilled, brow furrowed in confusion. "Me?"

"Yes." She grinned up at him. "I thought the court would be filled with proper, dull people obsessed with etiquette and waltzing. If I'd known someone fun like you was there, I'd have quit my job and come straight back home for good."

"You would?" He began to relax in finding a kindred spirit. "I'd um, I'd have liked that." His dimples deepened with his grin. "I mean if you'd have been there."

Her eyes cut to the crowd at the party once more as she felt the beginning of a plan form. "You want to get out of here?"

"And do what?"

"Have a night on the town of course!" She grasped his hand giving it a playful tug. "We're in the City of Angels! The club scene alone here kicks this party's butt much less all the cool places one can get into trouble."

"Trouble?" He felt his desire to escape with her fight his brother's dogmatic teachings that he couldn't embarrass his family and friends. "Maybe we should stay here."

Sherry pouted playfully. "You're really going to let me go off alone to have a good time?"

His eyes widened again. He didn't know this woman. He knew she was Rashad's cousin, but other than that he had no clue who she really was. And yet, hadn't he not known who Riley was when he first invited her to Cordonia?

Look how great that turned out, he thought to himself. I ended up with a new best friend and helped Liam find the love of his life.

Maybe Sherry is destined to become a new friend. A really, really hot friend.

"Let's do it!"

Sherry's effervescent smile caused his heart to feel like it was doing somersaults.

Her eyes darted around the room until she found the closest exit. She leaned in even closer to Maxwell, allowing him not only a generous view of her cleavage but also the enticing scent of orange blossoms to tease his senses.

"When I give you the signal, go out that door." She whispered.

"What's the signal?"

Sherry flopped her long back hair over her shoulder, winked at him, then took off running.

Maxwell let out a startled whoop and ran after her.

This, he thought with a grin, was going to be one crazy night.

*************

Outside, Maxwell whistled in appreciation when the valet drove up in a red Aston Martin DBS.

"This yours?" He asked.

Sherry slid into the driver's side and winked at him. "Maybe."

His eyes widened. "Whose is it?"

"I'll tell you later." She shifted into first gear, revving the engine. "You coming or what?"

Swallowing with a quick glance around for cop cars, he hopped over the passenger door. He landed perfectly in the seat, snapping his seatbelt in place.

With a delighted laugh, Sherry hit the gas and sped off into the night.

"So...where to?" Maxwell asked.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

He gulped. He didn't know why he was filled with the need to impress this serendipitous woman, but he was.

"Let's do something unexpected!" He exclaimed.

"Unexpected..." Sherry pulled out her phone and made a quick call. "Hey! I'm calling in that favor you owe me."

Maxwell watched her charm her way into getting what she wanted.

"There we go." She tossed her phone into the cupholder and shifted into a higher gear. "Something unexpected coming up!"

***********

A little while later...

"Where are we?" Maxwell whispered as they walked up to the back of a large building.

"You'll see." Sherry took his hand, guiding him towards a plain looking door.

She carefully knocked in a tempo that he swore was Queen's We Will Rock You song.

The door cracked open, giving a bare sliver of light.

"You got mud on your face." A voice whispered.

"You big disgrace." Sherry whispered in response. "Kicking your can all over the place."

The door opened all the way much to Maxwell's shock.

"After you." Sherry gently pushed him through the pitch black doorway.

He reached back and gripped her hand. He had the most uneasy feeling that he'd just entered the beginning of his downfall.

And for some strange reason, he believed the woman who had brought him here would save him.

As they followed a shadowed figure up six flights dimly lit stairs, he began to imagine all the nefarious activities that awaited him when they reached their destination.

They'll cut me open and harvest my organs leaving me in a tub of ice. Or, they'll kill me. Maybe hold me for ransom. Bertrand will never pay what they ask for. Sherry could sell me as a sex slave.

That last thought had him thinking about Sherry possibly wanting him for her own slave.

They'll want to steal my ideas for my next book. Get all the dirt on Liam and Riley. Nothing they can do will make me reveal anything! They'll--

"Here we are." Sherry turned around towards Maxwell with a black cloth in her hands.

Oh my god, she's going to kill me!

"Close your eyes and lean down."

He blinked and slowly did as she asked.

Her smile was so excited.

Are all murderesses this happy with their intended victims?

She tied the black scarf around his eyes.

"Can you see anything?" She asked.

"No." His voice cracked.

I hope I don't see the weapon she chooses.

She took his hand again, lacing her fingers with his.

He was tugged forward. He thought he heard some clicks and then a door shut off in the distance.

"Keep your eyes closed." Sherry ordered.

"Okay." He mumbled, bending down once more so she could untie the scarf.

Sherry felt her heart melt over his face being so close to her own. His eyes were shut tight like a little boy's would be waiting on a present. She thought he was so adorable that she couldn't resist trying one more thing with him before he opened his eyes.

She tenderly cupped his face between her hands and pressed her lips to his.

Maxwell jumped in reaction, yet kept his eyes shut.

So it is a sex slave thing.

His arms wound around her waist the moment she moved closer to his body.

This definitely isn't the worst way she could kill me.

Sherry broke away, breathing hard from the passion in his response. She looked up at him in awe that she'd finally experienced the perfect kiss.

She'd certainly kissed enough men in the past to know when it was the one she'd been dreaming of.

"Can I open my eyes now?" Maxwell asked.

"What?" She ran her fingers through her hair then straightened her black dress. "Let me um, let me get you into position."

She moved him a little to the left then turned him around. "Now."

He opened his eyes then blinked until the room came into focus. His lips parted on a gasp as he looked around.

"What is this place?"

"I brought you to MoDS." She grinned up at him. "The Museum of Dream Space."

"Wow!" He stepped forward into a room of colored lights that made it look like something from another world. "This is incredible!"

Sherry beamed as he exclaimed over how cool this museum was.

"What made you think to bring me here?" He asked, darting into another room designed to give a new light experience.

She lowered her eyes. He could tell in the softer lights of this room that a blush was forming.

"I don't know." She clasped her hands behind her back. "I guess I thought from the way you write, that you would appreciate something like this."

"You thought right!" He twirled about in the next room they came to, trying to take it all in.

He noticed her mysterious, onset bashfulness and reached behind her for her hand.

"Dance with me." He yanked her into his arms.

"Dance?" She laughed, returning to her former confident self. "Here?"

"We have different colored sparkling globes all around us." He explained. "This room is crying out for a dance."

"Then we need music." She told him.

"Already taken care of." He held his phone up with a grin.

"A slow song?" She slipped her arms around his neck. "I pictured you picking something more up tempo."

"Maybe I wanted an excuse to hold you close." He grinned, leaning down to kiss her.

"Maybe you don't need an excuse." She rose up on her tiptoes to meet his lips with her own.

Sherry felt her heart nearly beat out of her chest with how much this second kiss was more perfect than the first.

"Wow." Maxwell mumbled against her lips. "We really should do that more often."

All she could do was nod in absolute agreement.

"You want to see the other rooms?"

He shrugged. "I don't think they'll be near as perfect as this one."

Sherry giggled, pressing another quick kiss to his lips. "We won't know how perfect they are until we get in there."

"So an experiment, hmm?" He winked at her, taking her hand once more in his. "I'm down for that."

**************

A few hours later, the two were sitting near a brightly lit fountain, eating fast food, and talking about everything that came to mind.

"Okay, I gotta know." Maxwell waved toward where they'd left the car. "Whose is that?"

"Part of me wants to mess with you some more and either leave it a mystery or say I stole it." Sherry grinned at him. "But since you are so cute, I'll tell you the truth."

"I knew my adorableness would open doors for me one day." He mumbled around a huge bite of his burger.

She giggled, stealing some of his fries. "It's mine. Or at least, exactly like mine. I rented this one here."

"Nice. Is yours back in Cordonia?"

"Uh huh." She finished off her burger and searched for a napkin. "Domvalier."

Maxwell reached over with his napkin to wipe some mustard off her chin.

Their eyes met. Grins formed the longer they looked at one another.

"So? Since you clearly have the best taste in cars," Maxwell got to his feet, snagging her hand along the way, "Wanna take me out another night on the town once we're back home?"

With a smooth move, he had her back in his arms, forehead touching hers.

"Ummm," she replied with a laugh, "no."

Maxwell jerked back in surprise. He'd been so certain she liked him as much as he liked her.

She grasped his tie, pulling him down into a long, deep kiss.

Her silvery gray eyes held his ocean blue as she whispered.

"I'm going to need a lot of nights on the town with you."

#choices trr #the royal romance #choices the royal heir #trr maxwell #maxwell x oc #maxwell x sherry #maxwell beaumont #choices #trr hana lee #trr rashad #choices the stories you play #choices the royal romance

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kankuroplease · 10 months

Note

What are all your aus and ships and ocs cause I'm looking at it all, and I'm so confused 🥲

It gets a bit confusing because I’m a multishipper that indulges and the AUs aren’t written stories Ngl 😆

Main timeline:

Most if these ships are my choice, BUT my mutuals/followers also have their own ships with some of my OC, so don’t be surprised if you see them with somebody else 🤣

Shino x Katsura

Kiba x Okami

Yamato x Aori

Yuuta x Tenten, Yuuta x Hanabi, and Yuuta x Daisuke (oc)

Founders AU:

Most of the pairs are made by my followers ✨ this one is easier to navigate because of the master post

Tobirama x Aori

Okami x Kawarama

Gou x Itama

Madara x Katsura

Orochimaru x Tora

Manda x Nisshoku (OCs/my pair)

Sakumo x Kōmori

Suzaku x Erika x Aja (OCs /my pair)

Kagami x Miu

Sora x Rei (OCs/my pair)

Kakuzu x Riki

Nagisa x Naori

Tattoo Shop AU:

The REAL confusing part (especially if you count who slept with who hdhdhdhd), so I’ll only include the ships that are active

NaruShika+ - friends with benefits. Naruto still sleeps around + they have threesomes together

GaaSaku - navigating newly developed feelings

KakaObiRin - basically married, they even have the two piece ring sets to match. They have three little kids

GenYam - In a healthy committed relationship, he’s just not introducing Genma to the “kids”

Saiino+ - their in an ethically non-monogamous relationship with approved partners for each other. But really, they prefer swinging together. The option is just available when/if Ino is booked out of country.

ItaHana - they have a lot of reckless sex, but Hana doesn’t want to make things official with Itachi being Yakuza. Itachi figures that’s the case and that the odds of her leaving this (them) alone are extremely low. It’s more favorable to let the dust settle with the Uchiha before he settles down anyways

MinaKushina - Nart and Chiha’s lovey/stoner parents. Former owners of Kakashi’s tattoo shop.

FugaMiko - Itachi and Sasuke’s parents. Not an open relationship, but they enjoy bringing in a third or fourth for special occasions.

KankuKiba - two morons in love ✨

Neji x Michi (oc) x Tenten x Lee - a marriage of convenience leads to this messy but surprisingly wholesome situation

HinaTone - Toneri is ABSOLUTELY obsessed with Hinata and will do whatever she says. She just wants his family’s status, so she tolerates him. He’s not a bad looking guy either, so it’s whatev to her.

ShiKagu - much like Hinata, Shisui is tempted by her families political reach and wealth. Biggest difference is he actually likes Kaguya/wouldn’t treat her poorly (in his opinion) as long as she plays the part of a good little wife.

HashiMadaMito+ - spanning decades, they raised Tsunade together, seen Madara rise to the head of the Uchiha, seen Mito become an accomplished author, and have seen Hashirama become a martial arts legend. The relationship is open on Madara’s end, as he’s their whore (affectionately)

YahiKonan - sweethearts. One of the least problematic relationships in this au 🤣

#ask #tattoo shop au #kpz naruto founder au

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lizzybeth1986 · 2 years

Text

Hindsight is 20/20

Book: The Royal Romance (with references to Desire and Decorum)

Characters: Hana Lee & Peter Foredale (OC) (platonic), Hana Lee x Kiara Theron. References to Annabelle x MC from D&D.

Rating: PG

Word Count: 5000+ words

Summary: Hana and Kiara travel to England...after recieving a letter from Hana's former fiancè. Hana explores her journey as a bi woman in a walk down memory lane.

A/N1: This takes place three years after the events of TRR3. Hana and Kiara are married and have an 8-month old child at this point. Peter Foredale in this universe is both the "Lord Peter" Hana mentioned in TRR1 (who was engaged to her then broke the match) and the current head of Countess Florence Foredale's (my D&D MC) estate, Edgewater. Faceclaims here.

Tagging @choicesficwriterscreations for FoTW and @choicespride for National Coming Out Day (Thursday).

"Ready, darling?"

Hana nods mutely. She is, after all, ready in all the ways Mother wanted her to be. Face serene, back straight, gown resplendent.

You look like a vision, the dressmaker gushed a while ago when she saw the results of her handiwork, I cannot wait to see the look on Viscount Foredale's face when he sees you!

Inside the satin gloves, her hands begin to tremble.

Viscount Peter Foredale. Gentleman. Up-and-coming barrister. A regular on the magazine spreads. The most eligible bachelor in all of England. Most of all...a wonderful, kind friend.

And after tonight...her future husband.

Her stomach tightens in a sick lurch.

"Doing okay?" Kiara asks her wife, running a thumb gently over their daughter's left cheek. Her other hand settles at the small of Hana's back, tracing soothing circles. The child shifts her attention from the pearl button she's been chewing, to coo at Mama Kiki's touch.

"Yeah... she's fine," Hana replies, her voice grainy with fatigue. "Put her in any sort of moving vehicle, and she's the world's happiest baby."

Kiara releases a laugh from pursed lips. There is nothing their 8-month-old loves more than being carried around; if you try to sit down, even for a minute, she will bash her hands against your chest and moan for you to get up and move around again.

Her eyes, however, never leave Hana's face - not the downturned lips, not the concealer-masked dark shadows under her eyes.

"I wasn't talking about Chaima," she says quietly.

Hana closes her eyes. It's easy enough to dissemble her nervousness when Chaima is in her arms, but not when Kiara is pinning her with that piercing, knowing gaze. That gaze has always been Hana's undoing.

"Look at you, asking me all the hard questions at 11 in the morning."

Kiara sighs, and fiddles with Chaima's curls. "Your arms must be aching, ma moitié. Let me have her just a bit. Rest now; we'll be reaching Edgewater in half an hour."

Hana sighs and nods. She doesn't want to let go of Chaima yet - it would be so much easier, pushing every other thought aside when this lovely golden child is in her arms...and she suspects that's part of the reason Kiara wants to take over. Don't put off things just because you think you can't handle them perfectly, habibti.

Kiara tucks Chaima's head gently on her shoulder, crooning an old lullaby in Darija. Nīnī yā moūmoū...Hattā tjī ‘andou moū...Sleep my baby...until your Mommy arrives...

Chaima thumps her little hands against Mama Kiki's breasts in approval. Sighing, Hana takes out the letter that brought her here.

Dear Hana,

I hope you, your wife and your little one are well. It's springtime here at Edgewater, we have plenty visitors in the afternoons, touring the gardens and the lake. Mabel has been renovating the house again - she's been insisting I leave the Regency-style furniture in the Regency era and go for something more contemporary (I'm right!).

Little Alphonsa thanks you for her copy of "A Smart Cookie". I'm sure she'll love the message in a few years...but for now all she can see are the cupcakes, the croissants and the macarons. I'm quite proud of the fact; in this one area she takes after her father.

Despite her nervousness, Hana cannot resist a small smile. It's been good to hear from Peter again, truly. He has always been a serious man, whose humour slips through in the most unexpected moments, and it shows in his letters. And from his wife's rare interjections in his letter, she can tell Mabel is the more open, outgoing one.

It had all begun a year ago. They hadn't spoken at all in the years since their engagement had fallen apart, first out of bitterness and then out of shame. Somewhere in those early days, he'd resented her for those dreams left unfulfilled, and somewhere she half-hated him for leaving her to deal with aftermath, alone.

But when she'd heard the news of Earl William Foredale's death from her father, it felt odd not to give him a call. They'd known each other long enough for Hana to understand how hard Peter would have been hit - this man he'd loved and worshipped and wanted to follow on the footsteps of - and whether or not her presence was welcome she knew she needed to at least try.

You reached out after years of silence and offered only compassion, he wrote to her months later, For that, I can never thank you enough.

She looks to the final lines in the letter. Just to see if there's something she's missing, something hidden between the lines. Perhaps, an courtesy-invitation to an old friend he would much rather not see again.

You mentioned in your last letter that you'd be in London two months from now. I would like to extend an informal invitation to visit the Edgewater estate, and our family, when you are here. It would be nice to catch up.

His letters to her have been nothing but sweet. Warm. Tentative in their attempts to speak about anything but that which caused them to part. And for that, she is grateful.

Still. That prickle of fear remains.

The foyer of the mansion is elegant, imposing. From the parlour nearby she can faintly hear the sounds of an excited child attempting to converse with Chaima, occasionally asking Kiara if she can touch her hand. My baby, my cupcake, we'll give you lots and LOTS of milk and carrot smash!

(I think you mean mash, Kiara replies, sounding amused and more than a little charmed by the girl already)

The Persian rug is soft beneath Hana's feet, and the oak panels shine in the patch of sunlight streaming in through the windows. But that is not what catches her attention.

A portrait on the side, of a young woman in an ocean-blue gown that bears the insignia of a unicorn and an eagle, in gold and silver. An elegant shawl around her shoulders. In her face is the pride of a woman who seems to have fought for her place here, and won. Next to her, a calm, brown-haired man, hands kept behind him. Straightening his back, trying to stand tall, trying to match the stature of the lady he just married...but happy to be there.

"That's Florence Foredale," a rich, deep voice speaks from behind, "Countess of Edgewater. 1817 to 1867." The woman who approaches her walks with grace and confidence, hips swaying slightly as she walks. On her wine-coloured lips, a small smile. "Good afternoon, Your Grace."

Hana laughs, relieved that Peter's wife seems every bit as happy to see her as she sounds in his letters. "I've heard about her. She's quite famous in Cordonia...especially in my wife's province." She gives the other woman a teasing grin. "And we're not in Cordonia anymore, Your Excellency."

"Mabel," she interjects. "Not very many people call me by my name nowadays, and I rather miss the sound of it."

Hana nods, smiling. "Mabel it is," she says.

"Hana," Mabel responds, her eyes brown and speculative, but softening when their gazes meet. "Peter's in the study. He said he'll be joining us in a couple of minutes."

Hana's spine clenches in a mixture of anticipation and dread. If Mabel notices an involuntary twitch from her guest, she chooses not to tell.

Hana closes her eyes. Lifts her chin. Tries not to sweat under the harsh camera lights. Involuntarily tightens her fist until the photographer tells her she looks a little too tense.

She can feel Peter's hands, holding her by the waist like she is glass and he's afraid he could break her. She can feel his breath near her ear, slow and measured. She can almost hear him swallow his nervousness in his throat, and wonders if he is just as terrified as she is.

She waits for the feel of his lips on hers. The one she's read about in books, secretly watched in her cousins' favourite films. The one that's supposed to release a million butterflies in your stomach, the one that softly parts your lips like they're made of silk, smooth and sensuous. Already she can feel him growing closer...closer...

"OWWW!!!"

Peter finds her half an hour later in the kitchen, calming herself down with a few small squares of chocolate. Guiltily, she notes the still-blood-red bruising on his bottom lip. She runs her fingers over the delicate filigree earring they chose for the occasion, still unsure why his frown is one of worry, not disgust.

"Are you alright?"

She sniffles, almost hating him for being so kind. "I should be asking you that."

Surprisingly, he offers her a lopsided smile, making his swollen lip even more prominent than before.

"Well, see. At least I landed somewhere in the vicinity of your face this time," Peter says, chuckling, "Give me a little more practice. I promise it will be your cheek next."

Fresh tears spring in Hana's eyes - this time tears of laughter.

"How's this, Auntie Hana!" little Alphonsa chirps, enthusiastically swinging a rattle to Chaima's face, "Am I doing it right? Does Chaima like it? Do you? Do youuuuuu?"

The last two sentences are addressed to the baby bundled in Hana's lap, applesauce running down her mouth. Chaima looks away from her food to gift her slightly older companion a gummy, two-toothed smile. Shaking the rattle is typically the job of whichever mother has her hands free, but Peter's little daughter insisted on keeping her tiny guest happy and submerged in toys for the two days that they were here.

"Yes, Alphie," Kiara blows her a flying kiss, "you're a natural!"

Hana gives Alphonsa an affectionate pinch on the cheek with her free hand. "Chaima lights up every time she sees you, darling, and so do we."

Right next to Hana, Peter grins. It's the first genuine smile she has seen from him since they started talking, and Hana is struck by how alike he and his daughter look right now.

"Alphonsa loves babies," he explains, "or any child, really, they just have to be younger than her. It sets her big-sister instincts abuzz."

Hana sighs, shaking her head and remembering her own days as the only child. Her chandelier earrings swing around her neck as she laughs.

It fascinates her, really, how at ease they are with each other when they're talking about their children. Ever since she came here, their conversations have been awkward, stilted, punctuated with pregnant pauses that harbour all the words they're too afraid to say to each other. They've been trying so hard to be normal around each other, Hana realizes, and failing.

But as parents, they've never been better friends.

"Wait a minute," Peter's voice sounds a little bemused, suddenly, "is that -"

It is only when Hana follows his line of sight that she realizes exactly which earrings she's worn for this visit.

In that moment, she wants to dig a hole beneath the parlour floor and bury herself there.

"Yes," she says, sheepishly, "I'm sorry, I didn't think..."

Peter raises his eyebrows, then turns to look at Kiara and Mabel. As they both watch their wives talk animatedly, lost in their own conversation together, Peter suddenly turns back to Hana with a mischievous grin.

"Don't be," he says, "I'm just grateful we both managed to get better kissing practice. Less bloodshed that way."

Hana stares at him, then breaks into peals of silent giggles. It isn't even that funny...not to anyone else anyway...but the dry tone and the memories make it hard for her to stop laughing.

God. She isn't sure what else may happen to cast a shadow on this golden time, this lovely reunion...but if there is one thing Hana has missed up her old friend...it's this.

It is on their second day at Edgewater, that Countess Mabel requests Hana accompany her for a short walk.

Edgewater Lake is a tranquil, limpid little paradise, tucked away behind the estate's beautiful gardens and sprawling grounds. The aroma of bay willow and birch trees is alluring and soothing all at once, and even the ducks seem to float languidly over the water.

Mabel smiles in satisfaction at the sponge cakes in her box, kept specially for the ducks. She offers some to Hana, and together they throw the crumbs in the lake, watching in rapt attention as the ducks practically spring into life, squabbling over who gets which piece.

"I don't think I've ever felt more at peace anywhere in this estate than here," Mabel says. "I found this place quite by accident on my first week here, when I was too intimidated with the rest of the house and the estate. It's been my safe space ever since."

"It's a beautiful place," Hana smiles, remembering Sôse - the lake near the Cordonian Royal Palace. Its clear waters, its free-spirited birds, that distinctive smell of yellow crocus flowers that now reminds her of home. Where she was once told she would become a Duchess. Where Kiara had proposed to her, seven months later.

"Many tales speak of Countess Florence having picnics here."

"With her husband?" Hana says with an arched eyebrow, knowing full well the true answer.

"No. Her...companion. Miss Annabelle Parsons of Hazelvale."

"Parsons? As in the artist who painted Woman's Waltz and Rose Gold Reminiscence?"

"Yes," Mabel says, a faint smile on her lips, "I'm certain you've heard all the stories."

"Not until recently," Hana whispered, remembering just how ignorant she felt, those first few months after she realized she loved women more often than she loved men. How much there was for her to learn. She remembered sitting up some nights after she came out in public, wondering just what to call herself. Am I lesbian? Am I bisexual? Why are most of the people I get attracted to, women? And how can I say I'm lesbian if I've still found myself gravitating towards at least one or two men?

It took Kiara to convince her that she needed to stop overthinking, that changing her mind about who she was didn't mean she was lying to herself. To feel good about learning at her own pace. When she first heard about Florence Foredale, Hana hadn't even known what a lavender marriage was. "I wasn't really out to anyone until I started living in Cordonia."

Mabel's smile grows wider. "Me too. I'm bisexual."

Hana sucks in a breath. "Really?"

"Yes."

"When did you realize?"

Mabel's smile is swift and regretful. "I had an inkling in my early twenties...but I was deep in denial until at least two years ago."

Hana nods, placing a hand on Mabel's shoulder. "That sounds a lot like my journey. I don't think I could even articulate who I thought I was before I left Shanghai."

"Before Peter and I met, I was a young girl brought up in a very strict Goan Catholic family," she says, "You never even uttered the words gay or bisexual around our house." She sighs, heavily, seeming to remember her first year at Edgewater. "I was so scared. The timing was all so wrong. What was I going to do, now that I knew? What was I going to tell Peter?"

Hana winces. She had the same fears the night of their engagement...only now she can give those questions a name. The memory of his face is blinding in its clarity: contorted in pain, his mouth uttering questions she wasn't sure she would ever have the answers for...Is this what you want? Am I what you want??

The way the scales fell from his eyes as she fought to stop her tears.

And then he had left. Left that secluded hallway, left her house, left China. News of the broken match came from her parents.

She had become "damaged goods" overnight. Without a single hair on her head being touched.

Silently, Mabel reaches out and takes Hana's hand, squeezing it in understanding and an attempt to comfort. Hana presses her eyes closed. She doesn't want this woman's pity. Not after this long, when it's too little too late.

Hana is afraid of the answer. But she still has to ask.

"How did Peter react?"

"Afraid."

If her eyes weren't closed already, she would have done so right now, cursing herself for coming here. All this time...and she'd really convinced herself he'd changed...but if he was treating his lawfully-wedded wife this way -

"Not of me," Mabel says softly, her hand moving to touch Hana's arm now, "Of himself. He never quite forgave himself for what you had to go through after he left."

Hana sucks in a horrified breath. "He knew?"

Even before she did?? And he never once tried to talk to her about it?

"Not right away. Not that you weren't straight." Mabel says, nervously fingering a sapphire bracelet on her wrist. "It took him years to make sense of it. When the announcement of your marriage to Kiara came out...and then that magazine spread you'd made on Trend for Pride in Cordonia...several things began falling into place."

"Before or after you came out to him?"

"After," Mabel whispers, "I won't pretend it was perfect. I won't say he understood everything all at once . But he did try...and he still keeps trying."

Hana lets out a sigh of relief. It feels good, knowing that the phantom she had built in her head of him isn't entirely accurate.

"More than once when he's spoken about you," Mabel begins again, slowly, "he's told me that he thinks neither of you had a clue you loved women back then. He said you didn't seem to have enough space to ask questions about who you were or what you wanted."

"He's right," Hana says, staring unseeingly at the ripples on the lake. "When I fell in love for the first time, in Cordonia, it was hell. I had no idea what I was feeling, I couldn't get over the fact that it was a woman...and she was lost to me before I could even hope to win her."

Mabel smiles. "...and then you met Kiara."

Hana chuckles, a glow trickling down and filling every inch of her being...as it always does when she remembers their first days after they confessed their love to each other. "And then I met Kiara."

The two women walk further, looking out towards the lake rather than at each other. Hana gropes around in her mind desparately for a change in subject.

"I feel like I've seen this place before, even though this is my first time personally visiting Edgewater."

"It's possible," Mabel concedes. "Several films have been shot here. I think my favourite one so far has been that one with Cassandra Leigh in it... what's its name...?"

"A Timeless Heart," Hana replies, wonderingly. Even as she answers she finds herself awash with memories. Memories she'd kept locked away since Peter had left...yet something about this particular one demands she revisit it today.

They're at the home theatre Father and Mother had installed, just before Peter's parents agreed to their match. Peter tries - not too subtly - to place his arm around her. Hana obediently folds her hands on her lap, and hopes he doesn't realize they built this room specifically for him.

"Did you know," he inches himself a little closer to her, whispering, "this scene was shot a few years ago at a lake close to our house."

Hana does not answer. Her eyes are glued to the screen, glued to the woman with dark hair and wine-red lips, the camera almost caressing her face. The hero, who Hana is suddenly grateful she cannot see, takes a freshly-bloomed rose from his pocket, gently brushing her cheek with it. She gifts him a slow smile in invitation. Yes.

He brings the rose to his lips, and Hana fully expects him to return it to his pocket, but he does not. Instead he brings it back to Cassandra Leigh's face again.

The petals caress Cassandra's cheek like velvet on silk, moving slowly, sensuously, down the line of her jaw. The length of her hair. Her rosebud mouth. It moves across the expanse of her face, and Cassandra responds to the flower as she would the touch of a lover.

As the flower moves languidly over her silken skin...and Cassandra's expression shifts between confusion and desire and pure bliss, Hana feels a softening deep within her. It's a sensation she has never quite felt before. It moves, again, again, almost as if the petals are kissing her - not the man holding them.

It's almost as if he doesn't exist. It's almost as if no one exists, just her. And this woman.

When the projector breaks down immediately after, and Peter gets up - grumbling about missing the best part of the film - she suddenly stares at her fiancé-to-be like she can barely recognize him.

"Penny for your thoughts?" It's Mabel. Hana shifts uneasily at her piercing gaze.

"I was just thinking..." Hana murmurs, still bemused by the revelation, "sometimes all the signs can be right in front of you - staring you in the face - and you won't even realize that that weird feeling at the pit of your stomach was desire."

Mabel nods slowly, her smile one of recognition.

"Yeah...I've had a couple of crushes I didn't even realize were crushes until later."

"It's funny," Hana replies with a small laugh, "this entire time I've been thinking my love for women suddenly burst into life when I came to Cordonia and met Esther...but it's been there all along. It just took me a while to see it. To give it a name."

"Well...you know what they always say," Mabel lays a soft hand on Hana's arm, "Hindsight is 20/20."

"And this...this is Earl Vincent the First," Peter says, pointing to the portrait of a man in 15th century finery on the wall of his study. "Quite the character. He's said to have spied on both sides during the Wars of the Roses."

Hana smiles. "I know of at least one Duchess back home who would love to hear that story."

It's their last day in Edgewater, and Peter has summoned her to the study. Hana wills away the still-slight prickle of fear that he will rake up the past. They've spoken often enough; the topic could have easily come up if he so chose.

"and this...this is my most famous ancestor - appointed Championess of the Realm by Queen Charlotte herself - Countess -"

"- Florence," Hana whispers. The young woman in the portrait is still dressed in her house colours of blue and gold, but holds a white rose to her bosom. Her gaze seems to focus on the artist, brimming with emotions she cannot yet express. Hana is confident that if she strained her eyes long enough, she would find Parsons scribbled at the bottom-right corner of the painting.

"Yes," he says, a faint smile on his lips, "I hear that back in Castelserraillan they've made a film on her life."

"She's quite popular there."

"For good reason, I imagine," Peter says, "Most of what used to be considered 'rumour' about her is...in effect...true."

Hana's eyes widen. The stories of Countess Florence Foredale marrying Mr Chambers but pledging her vows to Miss Parsons...that she gleefully officiated her "husband's" own union to another man on their wedding night...they are fairly common knowledge. Common knowledge that you'd never expect the heir to her estate to confirm.

"Among us descendants, no one knows for sure whether her son was part of the Foredale bloodline in the way the ton of those times would have wanted it," Peter stares at the Countess' portrait, hands clasped behind his back, every inch this woman's heir. "But she left behind a legacy. A legacy I am proud of. A legacy I long to live up to."

Remembering her conversation with Mabel at the lake, Hana says, "From what I've heard, you already are."

Peter's answering smile is one of sad knowing. "You've been talking to Mabel."

Flushing, Hana nods. "I have."

He chuckles and shakes his head. "She often gives me more credit than I deserve."

Hana laughs. "I think I'll let her be the judge of that."

She can see Peter's shoulders heave in a deep, deep sigh. He walks away from the hundreds of ancestral portraits, back to his table, running a fingernail across its wooden surface. His eyes are cast downwards, almost as if he can't bring himself to look at her.

Hana freezes, anticipating the difficult conversation ahead.

"Hana," he says, his voice suddenly rough, "I wanted to hate you so badly in the beginning."

Her stomach drops to her feet. "I know."

"I kept telling myself, she could have opened up to me, anytime. I stayed at her home three while weeks; she could have let me know then. I convinced myself that I was a match you carelessly chose to sleepwalk into, that you considered me another chore to get done."

Tears spring in Hana's eyes. "I couldn't understand what was happening to me back then. I still don't."

Peter moves behind the table, running his fingers through the knob of one of the drawers. His own eyes seem clouded, she notes with a pang.

"Mabel told me once...the process to figuring out who you are isn't always going to be linear. You're never going to figure it out all in one go," he finally raises his eyes to hers, "Was it like that for you?"

Hana swallows. "It's still like that for me. There are still parts of this journey that are yet to make sense."

"I could have stayed back. Talked to you. Tried to help somehow, though god knows whether I'd have messed it all up further. I could have tried." Peter's voice is flat, almost deceptively lacking emotion. Only his eyes betray his recrimination of himself. "Instead I ran off. Leaving you to face all the questions."

"You didn't!" Hana's own voice is suddenly hoarse, roused by his self-flagellation into passionate defense. "Don't think I didn't notice, Peter. Before you left, you and your family made use of every contact you could find...to kill most of the gossip surrounding our breakup. Neither I nor my family found out until two years later."

Peter shakes his head in disbelief. "But -"

"You didn't get all of it right. I know that. People still managed to spread the word, and I kept getting raked over the coals for it, even after I married Kiara." Hana takes a deep breath, exhausted from her tirade. "You hated me then, but you were still willing to do that for me. If you really want to know how worthy you are of Florence Foredale's lineage, you can start right there."

Peter sighs. "Let me apologize for not trying to understand, at least."

She lets out a watery laugh. "Apology accepted."

He searches her eyes for affirmation, and nods, opening the drawer he had been running his fingers through mere minutes ago.

"Come here," he mumbles finally, leafing through a sheaf of papers, "I have something I've been wanting to show you. Ever since we started writing each other."

It's sketches of the same woman - in various moods, various poses...the drawings themselves in various stages of completion. These aren't formal portraits, set up over stand and easel, its subjects motionless. No - these are poetry in motion, impatiently etched, capturing their subject in all her vibrancy and fierce spirit. Here she is, head thrown back in (at least in Hana's imagination) loud raucous laughter, the wind in her hair. And here, yet again, holding a little boy up in the air, his tiny hands reaching out to caress her face.

Here is one made by the Countess - herself an accomplished artist - of her wife standing tall and proud, an eagle perched on her right arm, her left hand caressing a unicorn.

Her heart almost stops when she sees the final painting - the artist Parsons herself, arms wound around the other woman's waist, her chin tucked against the Countess' shoulder. Their fingers seem woven together, so that you cannot quite tell which ones belong to whom. The Countess herself looks to their interwoven hands with a mixture of desire, and longing, and pain.

Hana runs a hand over the couple, her touch almost reverent. Her heart twists a little at the strength of their love, the immense injustice of their loss. "No one else has seen these before."

"No one," Peter agrees, "except my wife. We unearthed these just days after Father died. And a week before you made that call." He picks the last drawing up, his eyes brimming with affection. "When you rang us so soon after that, it felt like a sign. Like I had one more chance to make things right."

Hana takes his hand, pressing it between hers. "You and Mabel have done more than that. I'll never forget this visit. You both owe us a trip to Cordonia, now."

Cautiously, tentatively, Peter gives her a hug.

"I'd like you to have this last painting," he says gruffly, passing her the one she'd touched so reverently mere moments ago. "It just feels right, you having this. There's a lot of things my ancestor didn't have...that I'm glad you and my Mabel finally get the space to explore."

"And even then, we had to navigate so much to get there," Hana responds. "All we can do really is pass it forward. Make it easier for the next generation, and the next, and the next."

Peter gifts her a rueful smile. "I'll try my best to do just that, Hana. I promise you."

Little Alphonsa giggles and gives Kiara a drawing of herself and Chaima, as a keepsake. Already Kiara plans to have it framed and put up in her nursery.

Mabel has a gift of her own, too. Just before Hana leaves, she slips a small package into her bag, insisting she only open it when they're closer to the airport.

The car that takes them to the airport weaves through traffic slowly, steadily, in no particular rush. In an hour's time, Chaima is asleep on Kiara's lap, and Kiara herself has dozed off, mumbling gibberish in her dreams.

Quietly, Hana takes out the package, tears open the wrapper. A letter falls out.

H -

Since you like Cassandra Leigh so much, I thought you might like The Warmest Winter. You'll know why when you watch. Thank me later.

Love,

It's a CD cover for a film. Two women, gazing into each other's eyes in reverent devotion, their gazes speaking a million promises that their lips can never tell. Hana presses the CD to her chest and whispers a prayer of gratitude.

A sleeping Kiara shifts her neck ever-so-slightly in Hana's direction, murmuring her name softly. Her hand still lies - soft. protective - over Chaima's stomach.

Hana keeps the CD back in the larger bag she's carrying - the one that holds those precious paintings.

Seems like our plans are set for next date night, wife. She brushes away a strand of hair from Kiara's forehead, kissing it. I just can't wait.

Notes:

Ma moitié - French for "my other half"

Nīnī yā moūmoū - Moroccan lullaby (link here)

A Timeless Heart and The Warmest Winter are both Cassandra Leigh films in the Choices universe.

Inspiration for the Timeless Heart scene in the movie-watching section, came from a rather sensuous (by our 50s Bollywood standards!) Hindi film scene in Mughal-e-Azam, where the hero caresses the heroine with a feather. See:

You can watch the full song here and the scene in question is from 2.10-3.00.

#hana lee #hanaleeappreciationweek #HLAW #the royal romance #the royal heir #the royal finale #HLAW Day 3 #HLAW Day 3: Pride Parade #lizzybeth1986 #content: fanfic #kiara theron #desire and decorum #annabelle parsons #hana lee x kiara theron #hana x kiara #annabelle parsons x mc #long post

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