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lizzybeth1986 · 1 year

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Eleanor's Kitchen

Books: The Royal Romance/Heir, Rules of Engagement

Pairing: Queen Eleanor & Prince Leo + Liam (mother-sons/siblings), Leo x Damien (mentioned in RoE) (romantic), Liam & Jason (OC) (platonic).

Rating: PG

Summary: Liam notices Leo's friendship with Damien, their gardener's eldest son, becoming stronger.

Series: Eleanor's Kitchen

Note: Damien (not Nazario from PM!) has been mentioned in this scene in Rules of Engagement, Book 2. I played fast and loose with the timelines for this backstory, and have given Damien a younger brother who was Liam's age.

This chapter takes place almost a year following Ch 3. Liam is now 8 years old, Leo is 14.

Word Count: 3, 718 words

Tagging @kingliamappreciationweek for KLAW Day 4: Childhood, @aprilchallenge for the prompt "just want to be with you", @choicesholidays for National Sibling Appreciation Day (April 10th) and @choicesficwriterscreations for FoTW.

Chapter 4: Garídes Saganáki

(Photo from this recipe)

Liam greets the salt air that briefly kisses his face, and the sand that pools around his toes at the beach, with a sense of homecoming. This beach has felt as much like his home as the palace he was born in, suffused with memories of sandcastles and uniquely-shaped seashells and the rush of excitement that came every time a wave crashed against the shore.

And most of all, it feels like home for the moments long past. For the rare times both he and Leo did things together, back when Leo actually liked taking him along for things. When his talk was actually more talk and less eyerolling and "oh you're too young to understand". The love is still there, and so is the need to protect each other (especially against Father's acid remarks, usually aimed at Leo) - just...the companionship isn't, any longer.

The sad, sinking feeling that used to emerge from realizing that is, thankfully, rare now - Liam much prefers the company of his own friends - but when he was four and hanging on to his big brother's every word, it had stung.

"Every big brother does that," his newest friend, Jason, shrugged. Jason is the palace gardner Giorgos Vasilakis' youngest son, accompanying his father since last year on visits to the Queen to discuss the plans surrounding her dream project: the palace hedge maze, that was to echo the one in Château de Villandry in France. Jason's older brother Damien had always been the one at Kýrios Vasilakis' side before that, but of late Liam has begun to associate his presence more with his own elder brother.

Jason is lonely. Unlike Liam, who has managed to bring together his own motley band of merry playmates, Jason has only the one older brother and has never gotten the chance to venture beyond the palace and his father's cottage. Liam has experienced only a fraction of that kind of loneliness and it had felt like hell. He and Jason may not know each other well, but he'll be damned if he let the other boy he has no one. And so he brings Jason along to meet all his friends.

Both Liam's and Jason's older brothers accompany the group of exhilarated children to the beach, but slip away in another direction before the group can notice. Liam notes the direction Leo and Damien are headed - their heads leaning towards each other as they walk - but says nothing. More friends, Liam reminds himself of his purpose here, first make sure we give Jason more friends.

Liam isn't disappointed. Before long, Jason's name has been shortened to Jase, his shorts and shirt have been drenched from jumping over the crashing waves with Maxwell, and he's snacking happily over pine nuts with Drake and Olivia. He even enjoys collecting seashells with Tariq, even if he did find him a little odd at first.

"I can understand not wanting to get your shoes wet but why would he want to keep them 30 feet away from the sea??"

Liam giggles a little. "They're not just shoes! They're...uh... Salvatore Ferra-somethings!" he says, already forgetting the Italian names that slip so easily from Tariq's tongue when he's talking about a shoe brand. Liam would too, if his father spoke his ears off about shoes as much as Tariq's did.

"If you say so," Jason replies doubtfully. What a funny bunch of people these nobles and royals are, he must be thinking, "but what if they get stolen?"

"Then Tariq will sniff and say he hopes they were stolen by someone who truly understands the value and beauty of Italian shoes."

Just before they leave, the children build a sandcastle. Liam and Jason deem themselves the architects of the main structure, Drake and Olivia choose to build a fortress. Maxwell ropes in a skeptical Tariq to help him construct a fantastic "Tower of Fun and Parties" right next to the castle itself. They are almost done when Jason stands up, declares the castle incomplete without a good garden, and pokes dots into the sand to form imaginary flowers.

For a moment all they can hear is the shriek of the gulls and the buffeting crash of the waves. They are all silent, and smiling, and very, very proud of themselves.

This structure is the biggest sandcastle the children have ever built themselves thus far, and by the time Leo and Damien return (hair damp, skin glistening, breathing hard as if they'd jumped down the steep cliffs of the Forgotten Falls and climbed back up, hands very close but not really touching) they are all convinced it is the biggest castle they ever will conceive of building. Even if it is one built in sand, soon to be a victim to the crashing waves.

Liam puts on his baking gloves, balancing himself on the balls of his feet as he waits to take his freshly-baked bread out of the oven. It's a moment he likes to gear himself up for - there's just something, some magic, about that first, comforting, soul-filling whiff. He'd experienced that feeling the first time he actually watched Chef Anais bake, and he's felt it ever since.

His version of Greek village-style bread is perfect today - the crust a lovely brown with little cracks and ridges to show off how crisp its outside is, and he is certain the inside will be soft and a light shade of yellow from the semolina he added to it. The aroma is good enough to make his mother stop in the middle of her own cooking just to breathe it in.

Her face covered in a fine sheen of sweat today from the heat in the kitchen, her hair bunched into a wrap and her hands waving away steam and smoke from her face. Liam can't quite tell whether it is excitement he sees on her face or exhaustion. But from the corner of his eye as he carries the bread to the table to rest, he can tell it is more of the former.

There are two pots boiling away at once on the stove: one a creamy, garlicy, peppery fish broth; the other a beautifully silky tomato-based sauce that he knows from experience will become even silkier and creamier when Mum adds a sinfully liberal amount of feta chesse to it.

He almost reaches out for it with a spoon when his mother stops him.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Mum says, playfully wagging her finger, "Not yours, thisavré mou. This is for your brother and his friend only. That's why I'm making something with your favourite Stone Bass fish as well. For you and your friend."

Liam frowns. "But I've had shrimp saganaki before. You know I like it too. Why couldn't you just make a bigger batch?"

Mum lets out a sigh suffused with embarrassed laughter. Her hand inadvertently motions itself towards a bottle of alcohol on the table titled Ouzo. "This one is... different. Not for children."

Liam pouts in petulance. Of late reminders that he is still a child and his brother isn't have begun to annoy him. There is something so mythical about teenagehood, Liam is beginning to realise, something he wants to know more about but is too out of his reach to even begin to understand.

Don't be so eager to let go of your childhood, pet, then you'll spend the rest of your life wanting it back, Mum would often tell him. All that phrase does now is make him even more impatient.

The smell of ripened crushed tomatoes, mixing in with the garlic, onions, and chilis, makes for a heady combination. He secretly thanks Uncle Franci for sending them yet another carton of San Marzanos - Mum said he'd written in his last letter that his wife, Aunt Pari, would be making a trip down to her home province of Bethulia soon for the Navroze festival, and was hoping Mum would come celebrate it with her this year.

There is another aroma in the sauce Liam has never smelled before, and has a hard time identifying - it's slightly pungent and makes his eyes water a little. It must be from the bottle of Ouzo.

Mum tosses the feta into the small, two-handled heavy-bottomed frying pan at will - she has never really been one for measurements - and quickly places the pan beneath the broiler to melt the cheese. Liam watches in fascination as her hands crumble extra feta; there is no rubric for how much, she just stops when she feels like it. Just throw! she will tell him anytime he asks her for a measuring cup. Cooking for Mum has always been just a play of hands; trust your hands and give them their time with the ingredients - and the results may not always be consistent but over time they will be forever delicious.

Liam has timed his baking closely enough that by the time both his and Leo's dishes are ready, his bread will have rested long enough, and is ready to serve as a side.

They find Leo talking to Jason's brother at one of the more intimate drawing rooms of the palace, their heads so close they're almost touching. Both their hands are jammed into their pockets, as if they'd hurriedly put them there from whatever their original position was. Their eyes dart everywhere and both seem to turn a little pink. A curl from Damien's dark hair rests carelessnessly on his forehead, and Liam catches his brother looking at it at least twice.

Jason skips to Liam's side. "Where is everyone else?" he whispers.

"Drake and his sister have gone to Texas to stay with their aunt, Olivia's with one of the Elders in Lythikos, Maxwell and Tariq are back home. It's just me, I'm afraid." Liam shuffles his feet in uncharacteristic awkwardness. He knows that a lot of the things he likes to talk about can either bore or confuse his own friends.

"Good enough for me," Jason says, grinning. "Her Majesty says she's got us fish stew."

"Bianco. And shrimp saganaki for Leo and Damien." Liam lowers his voice in a conspiratorial whisper. "Don't tell your dad - Mum made those herself. Father built her her own kitchen two and a half years ago. Not many besides some of the kitchen staff know."

Jason's eyes widen at the bowl that's just arrived, and then brightens. Imagine that, being treated to the cooking of an actual queen!

Mum had wisely decided to seat the pairs of brothers in different areas, confident that they would be bored stiff if they were made to eat together. It's a lot better this way, Liam thinks, as Jason talks animatedly of the new toys his dad got him with the increase in his salary from last month onwards. Leo and Damien would perhaps find their chats rather silly, and a lot of the things they say fly like seagulls over Liam and Jason's heads.

The Bianco is as good as Liam and Jason had hoped: the sauce smooth and creamy, the fish mildly sweet and with flesh so soft it crumbles a little on the tongue. Liam can't help but puff his chest in pride as he and Jason use the bread he made to sop up the rest of the sauce, the heat from the pepper and garlic and the delightful tang from the lemon warming them all down to their toes. Jason tells Liam to tell Her Majesty to forgive his lack of manners but he is this close to licking his plate.

Normally, Liam would be ecstatic about getting to eat a Stone Bass, especially here where the catch is always today's, wild and fresh and soul-stirringly tasty..."not that garbage you get from the fish farms" as Grandmother used to say.

But his thoughts keep crawling back to the meal his and Jason's older brothers got. The dish that has been so familiar to him all these years, yet seems so alien now. All because of an added mysterious... thing that seems all the more exciting because he isn't allowed to touch it.

Liam goes and sneaks a look at where their brothers sit, enjoying their shrimp. Leo looks over to his friend's plate, notices his bread is over, breaks his own loaf apart and offers it to Damien, looking straight into his eyes as he dips it into his sauce and eats it. Damien's fingers lightly brush his as he takes the bread.

"You know who made that bread?" Leo's voice for some reason sounds different, warmer and deeper and a little more serious. Liam turns pink with forgotten filial pleasure at the note of pride in his words. "Liam. My baby brother."

Damien grins. "There's sauce near your lip."

Leo makes a great show of pretending not to know where. "Where?"

Damien looks left and right - and satisfied that they cannot be seen (Liam heaves a sigh of relief as he emerges from behind a corner Leo and Damien cannot clearly see) takes his napkin and dabs softly at the corner of his mouth. The two boys suddenly cannot look each other in the eye, and their smiles hold secrets that make Liam feel like an intruder on this little moment, for perhaps no reason. Damien's only cleaning Leo's face.

But when he returns and tells Jason what he saw, the other boy stays silent for a few minutes.

"Babás almost saw Prince Leo at our home once," Jason says quietly, "Mamá had to hide him in a cupboard."

"But why?" Liam asks back, puzzled, "I thought Kýrios Vasilakis liked him. Ever since he started attending his lessons regularly and actually -"

"I know. I thought so too. I'm not sure why Leo and Damien and Mamá look so scared these days. No one ever tells me." Jason finishes with a nonchalant shrug that belies his petulant frustration at not being told things he cannot fully understand.

Liam sighs, all thoughts of their brothers forgotten. "No one thinks I'm old enough to understand anything either."

As Liam watches Jason's older brother reluctantly take leave of his own, their gazes lingering more than their touches ever could...and realises how childishly enthusiastic their own goodbyes are, Liam goes to bed wondering what Leo's shrimp saganaki tastes like. Is it pungent? Is it sweet? Does it leave a bitter aftertaste?

That night, Liam lies in bed in his silk unicorn-and-rainbow pajamas, burningly aware of how like a child he looks in it. How unlike his older brother - in his leather jackets and carelessly tousled hair. He begins counting the months before his mother can properly deem him "of age", and falls asleep before he can even reach his pre-teen years.

Days later, Leo takes a walk around the Wishing Well with his mother.

It's amazing how much things have changed in the years Eleanor has been married to Constantine, and therefore into the Royal Family. His little son had only been four then, and he'd hidden behind his father the first few times she tried to come near. Constantine and his mother had fumed over this in the beginning, wanting to help ease him into trusting her but neither having a whole lot of patience - so it had been up to her to reassure him that they would only set his relationship with her at his pace.

And it had paid off. Little Leo had once seen the "new mother" outside, trying to stargaze, and sat beside her in silence, listening for half an hour as she pointed out constellations. She'd known he loved stargazing and knew he needed a companion of sorts The first ever times they talked were all about stars...until five months later when he lost interest and Eleanor found out whatever it was that captured his fancy next.

Still, because that night was the night they tentatively began to consider themselves mother and son, she often brings back memories of it by calling him astéri mou.

"Your tutors have been very pleased with you this year," Eleanor says, suppressing a little smile, "they've been seeing how hard you've been working at your studies lately." There's a mischievous glow in her eyes. "Any more efforts and you'll soon be surpassing Liam, they say."

Leo snorts. He knows, no matter how hard he tries, that he can never reach his kid brother's level in either interest or acumen for politics. That is a quality unique to just him and he's more than happy to let him bask in it, but ever since Damien....

A quick, intense memory of him flashes. Dark curls, full lips, skin smooth beneath Leo's fingertips. It had amazed him how they'd been playmates one minute, pretending to be pirates and running around the palace gardens, and he'd never in all that time noticed that kind of gut-capturing beauty. His voice deep and passionate at the Forgotten Falls two weeks ago, as Damien whispered into his hair, "Let me hold you for a bit. We don't have to talk...we don't have to do anything. I just want to be with you."

He knows becoming a good King will be a hundred times harder for him than it was for his father, than (he is beginning to realize) it could be for his brother. He had made his peace with that at some point this year. But being around Damien...knowing that in his future position a relationship like theirs could be both legally permitted and morally viewed as sheer irresponsibility (and this is in only the kindest of parallel universes) and still knowing it is a relationship he cannot ever conceive of giving up...

If he could just prove himself capable in every other area of his life, just please his father and bring pride to his mother in other ways, maybe both his father and Damien's may just not force what they could have together, to die.

Mamá sighs. "Leo...astèri mou. You don't understand. I am already proud of you."

Oh no. Had he just said the words aloud?

He responds to her answer with another question. "How did you find out about us, Mamá?"

She shakes her head. "Kyría Vasilikou." Damien's mother, who hid Leo in a cupboard that one time Kyríe Vasilikos almost caught them. She had been extraordinarily kind and very contrite - sending Leo with a box of melomakarona and begging him never to come to this house again for fear of what Damien's father may do to him next.

He remembers Mamá's words from that evening.

"Damien's father - and his father before him - are extraordinarily dedicated to the King. It was His father that ensured their family would be set for many, many years to come...and his gratitude towards them can make him blind to what could make his own son happy."

The mother who had birthed him, the one he had often called Mummy, is at best a faded memory now. He called Eleanor Mamá almost a year after she'd married his father, because he finally felt ready and because it suited her. That evening, he understood his Mamá's underlying message.

I will always support you. But until we can figure out a way, you must be careful.

And so he will be. Both Damien and he will try their darnedest not to be too obvious about their love for each other...and Leo will continue to work harder on his lessons.

Smiling, Mamá changes the subject. "Liam's very upset we won't let him have shrimp saganaki."

Leo bursts out laughing. "He's had it so many times already!"

She shrugs. "Oh no, not that way. He's demanding the "Leo and Damien special". Ouzo and all. I suspect the baby of our family wants to be seen as a baby no more."

He rolls his eyes. "He's going to be really disappointed. It's not going to be that different from regular saganaki. Just makes it taste a little bit more like anise."

If that isn't a fitting symbol of what adolescence feels like when you come out of your big impractical dreams of what adolescence might be, Eleanor doesn't know what is. It is a lesson they all learned the hard way, only to see their children struggle with it too. They can only sit back, knowing that nothing they can say will change the kids' minds.

Leo at age 14 is already bored of his teenage years and raising his eyes towards the glamour of adulthood. Liam at age 8 has a far too rosy picture of adolescence, and envies his brother for being the whole-body-manifestation of everything he now wants but knows he needs to wait to have.

And while Eleanor will be forever grateful Liam has inherited her vast capacity for patience and not his father's, she is also aware that that patience is beginning to wear thin.

Leo may be too focused on his feelings for Damien to see it, but a time will come when the brother he has always considered a kid will grow before his eyes, and he will be too surprised by the change to understand, or know how to communicate. She can only hope they'll find their little ways, as they once did before.

Sighing, she passes her eldest a coin, and takes a second in her own hand.

"Ready to make a wish?"

Leo nods. Eleanor smiles. She knows already what he's going to ask.

Eleanor tosses hers into the well, watching as it makes its rapid descent down.

Whatever else changes, just make sure these two never forget how much they need each other.

Eleanor returns to the palace with her son, smiling. Between the Wishing Well and the official gardens, there are bits and pieces of a plan taking shape, a plan for a garden maze. Around it, she can see her youngest playing tag with his friends: one of whom is the youngest of their gardener, a little boy Liam seems to have taken under his wing.

Leo and his mother stop by to watch the children. Both sigh, and both realize it's for the same reason.

Liam will be thrust into his adolescent years before he even knows it. But at least they both can enjoy this sight of him enjoying his childhood completely, wholeheartedly, for what it is. If only for today.

Recipes:

Shrimp Saganaki

Corfoit Bianco

Horiatiko Psomi

A/N2: For Sibling Day I really wanted to do a fic that explored the dynamics of a sibling pair with a significant age gap. There is some amount of awe at older people - esp older kids- at their age, as well as a little envy and a desire to become them.

Meanings:

Kyríos/Kyría: Greek for Mr and Mrs usually.

Thisavré mou - my treasure

Ouzo - Ouzo is an anise-flavored liquor produced from grape must (the remnants of wine-making). It can only be made in Greece and Cyprus

Feta cheese - A brined, white cheese with a soft and creamy texture, often made from sheep's milk.

Navroze - Festival for Parsi New Year, often celebrated with Iranians around the world as well as other Zoroastrian communities.

Babás/Mamá - Greek for Dad and Mum.

Astéri mou - my star

#king liam #kingliamappreciationweek #KLAW #the royal romance #the royal heir #the royal finale #KLAW Day 4 #KLAW Day 4: Childhood #lizzybeth1986 #content: fanfic #series: eleanor's kitchen #liam rys #leo rys #rules of engagement

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prettyboisteveharrington · 3 months

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Chapter 3: Falling for each other

Drake Walker x Rose Thorne (my MC)

WC: 4,2k

Hana and Max were hanging out in your bedroom while you were packing up so you could go to Applewood manor, you were packing things neatly into your massive suitcase.

'Soo Roseeeee' Maxwell said giddy as he dragged out your name.

You knew he was dying to ask you what exactly you and Drake talked about and while you appreciated the support but to be honest there wasn't much to tell, you and Drake were just getting to know each other.

You supposed at least now the conversation had been had that you could relax a bit more and not get so anxious.

You couldn't believe you had told Drake about your anxiety, it wasn't something you shared with a lot of people, not because you were ashamed of it but you hated how people made you feel about having it, they judged you often unfairly. Once people found out about it they treated you like you were fragile or broken which you deeply despised.

Or people would demand to know everything you were feeling all the time and they made you feel like you owed them something.

You looked over at your best friends.

'Yeees Maxie moo?'

'How was your chat with Drake? You looked awfully close at the firepit when i found you'

You felt heat in your face and your ears felt hot too.

I can't believe he had seen that. If he had walked out any earlier then he would have seen more, of course you didn't mind him knowing or Hana but unfortunetly you had to be careful to not be seen by others which was frustrating because all you wanted to do was to go on dates with Drake, hold his hand and kiss him and do all the normal stuff people did when they were dating which you and Drake technically weren't but it felt like it.

It did feel like it... Right?

You shook your head at yourself

Do better Rose, you can trust Drake, you know that. You can trust his feelings for you and yours for him.

God once your anxiety got triggered it would linger on for a while.

You kept thinking about Liam, you didn't want to hurt him, if he found out you and Drake were falling for each other he would be hurt but if you told him first he would still get hurt.

Poison or cyanide

your brain supplied ever so helpfully.

' We talked and we aren't persuimng a relationship. For now we are just getting to know each other' you shrugged and gathered more of your stuff to pack into your suitcase.

Maxwell and Hana wiggled their eyebrows suggestively at you and you threw a pillow in their directiom that hit Maxwell's face

' Ow Ro!'

' Are you guys not dating because of Liam?' Hana asked softly and gave you a knowing look

' It's definetly one of the reasons, I don't want to hurt him but i don't want to lead him on. If things go further with Drake then I will talk to him. I just want to make sure it's in the least painful way, you know?'

' Of course Rose, we understand' Hana said and got up and pulled you into a hug and got teary and sniffled a bit and Hana stroked your hair and Maxwell went over and hugged boh of you.

Once you had taken some deep breaths just like you had done with Drake last night and you had calmed down you went back over and finished packing.

Arriving at Applewood Manor felt like Deja vu, It was weird being back here after has time, you decided to compliment and treat a staff member nicely to gain information, you managed to gain her trust and she admitted that someone wanted to play a prank on you but she didn't know who, afterwards you confided in Maxwell and Bertrand. You all collectively decide to keep investigating the scandal as there's not enough evidence to do much to be honest. At least your main suspect is a noble lady which is better than nothing you suppose.

In the morning you get dressed in a withe vest top, a red plaid shirt and some short distressed jean shorts, you pull your hair away from your face in a half up half down hairstyle before you go to Maxwell and Bertrand and you head towards the Limo.

Reporters are outside the manor trying to get a statement out of you and the questions get under your skin especially when the reporter asks 'why did you betray king Liam?'

You keep your head down and keep moving but your hand trambles around Maxwell's elbow and he looks at you with an apprehensive look.

You feel bad

you feel so guilty about you and Drake but when you're with him you are pulled towards him and nothing else makes sense to you.

It's not like you're sleeping with Drake or in a secret relationship or that you and Liam ever were a 'thing' but you did once upon a time come here for Liam but the more you get to know Drake the more you fall for him.

The one thing that pulls you towards him is how fiercely he takes care of you, hell no one has ever looked out for you like that before.

After your parents divorce your mum left with you and she started turning to alcohol to self soothe and she started blaming you for the divorce as your parents had you as an attempt to save their marriage.

What they really wanted was a boy. You treated your whole life like one but of course your parents were upset that you didn't act like a man

Because you weren't one your subconscious provides ever so helpfully.

You spent your whole childhood looking after yourself, you had to be the grown up and you let no one get too close to you so you wouldn't get hurt again.

Drake managed to see right through you, get you to open up and still take care of you when the less pretty parts came out.

But you couldn't help but fear that you were breaking Liam's heart and the last thing you wanted to do was hurt him.

The limo ride was preparing you for todays activity which was building farms to show support of Liam and Madeleine's upcoming nuptials, you didn't get why it would be to support them but you understood that Cordonia and it's traditions were important to Liam and important to Cordonia.

Once Bertrand left the Limo Maxwell stayed back with you.

'Is everything okay Ro? You were shaking when we were out there with the press'

You took a deep breath, you considered telling Maxwell the truth but decided against it as you weren't quite ready.

'Yeah just a bit overwhelmed because of the press and with the whole scandal hanging over my head' your eyes were downcast

Maxwell squeezed your hand gently

'Hey, we will get to the bottom of this okay? None of us will stop until you are a free woman'

' thank you Max. It truly means a lot.. shall we go out there?'

'Let's build some barns wooo!'

You plastered on your best smile but it felt disingenuous and fake as you and Maxwell got out of the limo.

As soon as you were outside the limo you were once again met with reporters and you took a deep breath, you had to at the very least make a statement on the scandal or things would spiral and you did not want that.

'I would like to make a statement' you anounced as you looked at the reporter who held a microphone out for you to speak into, there was also cameras everywhere that you avoided looking at.

'I have and always will love Cordonia, the kingdom and it's people are dear to me. When I thought i had to leave it I felt a great sadness as I think of Cordonia as my home. I am grateful that the Beaumont's for bringing me here and making me a part of their family. That is all I would like to share for now'

Reporters were raising their hands to ask you questions but you excused yourself. Drake and Hana were by the barn in the middle of operating a pulling system. They were struggling to lift the beam off the ground.

'Pull' Drake instructed with a look of concentration on his face

'Hrrrfff!!!'

Hana and Drake's muscles strain against the weight of the beam.

'Pull! Pull! PULL!' Maxwell instructs enthusiastically

'Hi guys' you say to let them know you are here to help them.

'Maxwell? Rose?'

Hana is so distracted by Maxwell and your arrival that she loses her focus and drops the rope and the beam crashes to the ground.

'Ooops! Sorry, Drake! I was just excited to see our friends. And it seems like Rose came dressed and ready to work' Hana winks at you.

'you know iiittt'

'I didn't think we were going to get it all the way up there by ourselves anyway' Drake reassures Hana which you find really sweet.

You take in Drakes features for the first time since you arrived, he's shirtless. You find yourself speechless for the first time in a long time, you are drinking in Drake's beautiful features from the way his hair falls- which it has grown out a bit and it goes beyond his ears and almost goes down to his shoulders now and it suits him so much. His stomach is defined and there are veins going up his hands to his wrist, his dark eyes are golden in the sunlight and god he is beyond gorgeous. You catch your breath and realize that you are falling just a bit more in love with him. You feel your cheeks warm up ever so slightly.

'Drake! You're.. you're shirtless!'

'Oh. Right' Drake seems to realize that he is indeed shirtless and he blushes prettily from his cheeks and to his ears.

'He started off with a shirt' Hana comments shyly

'Hey, it's hot! A guy's got to pull off somehow' Drake deadpans and you snort

'Maxwell you are going to be sweating buckets in that black shirt' Drake comments as he looks over at Maxwell.

'There's a spot over there were many nobles are hanging their dress shirts or alternatively I think Drake chose a spot on the ground for his'

'Yeah Max, you could lose the shirt' you shrugged and grinned at him

'Nah, i'll leave my shirt on. This cotton down is made of moisture -wicking fabric. Very breathable'

'Drake, you sure you're not trying to show off for the press?'

Or maybe he is shirtless just for my benefit?

' I'm happiest out of frame'

Ahhh interesting. So it was for you. That thought alone made your cheeks flush. You could look at him like this all day, any day.

This man was your weakness and you didn't mind one bit.

You, Hana, Maxwell and Drake work together to get the beam up to the second floor of the barn as the press takes pictures of you and your group of friends. Your group devides and you decide to stay and help Drake with the beam both Hana and Maxwell give you a suggestive look before they walk off in different directions to different work stations.

'Well it looks like you have chosen to stick with me, Thorne'

'I stand by my decision'

'Heh okay' Drake smiles at you shyly

'Sooo big strong man like you Drake, what could you possibly need my help with?'

You lean towards him and squeeze his bicep and Drake leans into the touch, you hand touches his hair and you put it behind his ear.

'Thorne..' he warns you weakly.

'Your hair looks good at this length..'

Drake's cheeks heat up for the second time since you have arrived.

'Thorne.. you're killing me..' Drake whines weakly. Your eyes goes to his lips and back up to his eyes searching and you bite your lip.

' This is harder than I thought it would be' you admit.

You look around quickly to make sure the cost is clear, the press have moved further away to take pictures of Madeleine and Liam, everyone else is busy so you lean over and kiss Drakes cheek.

'I'm sorry this is hard on you. I don't want to keep letting you down'

Drake rubs his neck and looks away from you.

'Look at me Drake'

Drake looks at you, he looks crushed like he knows he'll always disappoint you and your heart hurts just looking at him.

You intertwine your fingers and caress his hand with your thumb.

' You do not disappoint me. I want you. I want this. I know it can't be right now and I'm okay with that.. what I'm not okay with is you doubting yourself'

'I just think you could do so much better than me, I-'

'I disagree. At the end of this scandal I'm still going to want you. I will tell you a million times until you get it into your thick skull. Drake Walker i want you'

Drake looks around, no one is paying the two of you any mind so he puts his arms around your waist and pulls you close. Your hands go into his hair and your lips crash with his into a deeply passionate and hungry kiss, once you break apart you.

'How so you always know what to say Rose?'

You lean your forehead against his. The moments in between when he lets go and lets his walls down enough to say your name is so precious to you.

'It's a gift i suppose, I am your weakness Afterall'

As you move out of his space and let go of his hand you miss his touch already.

' I was meaning to ask you this actually... how are you after last night?'

His tone is so soft. So gentle and filled with so much warmth and care that it melts your heart and you feel your eyes get teary.

'I'm much better when I'm around you'

'Aww shucks Thorne.. you are melting my tin can heart'

You look at him and hold his gaze.

'I mean it. Whenever I'm around you I feel like that voice inside my head that tells me I'm not good enough quiets down'

Drake pulls you into a short hug and strokes your hair. You always feel so safe with him.

'I'm always here for you okay? If you ever need anything let me know'

'You. I need you. I know though and I can't thank you enough'

As you pull apart the romantic tension is thick. You clear your throat.

'So how can I help you build this barn?'

Drake brings over Mirabelle's dream to help out, you lead the horse forward and use the pulling system to get beam after beam to the second floor. Drake lets you know he got Mirabelle's dream to help ypu with the press. God he's such a marshmallow.

At the end of the afternoon Liam somehow manages to escape Madeleine, he's smiling but you can see the strain in that smile. It's good to see him though. You can't wait to break off the engagement so Liam can find someone who deserves him, while you don't harbour any romantic feelings for him you still care for him deeply and wish him well.

Liam, Maxwell, Hana, you and Drake head towards the spa nearby for some much needed relaxation. Once you reach the spa Maxwell, Liam and Drake goes to one changing room to get ready while you and Hana go to another changing room, once everyone is in their swimwear and covered up with towels you all head out to the different pool areas the boys go to their own room and you and Hana go to another.

You sit down with Hana and Hana hand you a sparkling fruit -infused water before getting herself one, you thank her and take a sip.

'Ahhh just what we needed after a long day'

'Sooo how did building a barn go with Drake?'

You bump your shoulder into Hana's and smile at her and sigh.

'Every time I'm alone with him and I think i couldn't possibly like him more than I do I always end up being wrong... he just makes me so happy Hana'

Hana looks at you sweetly and squeeze your hand.

' I'm so happy for you Rose. I hope i find someone someday that makes me feel that way'

You look at her and can tell she's struggling with something and your chest hurts just looking at her face.

'Are you okay Hana?'

Hana shakes her head and looks down before looking back at you.

'I need to tell you something.. I'm just a little scared... That's all'

'Oh Hana.. you know you can tell me anything right?'

Hana takes a deep breath and squeeze your hand before looking determined.

' I've done a lot of self reflection this past year and I've come to realise why I never care for my ex fiancé. There was never this spark because- because-'

Ohhhh that actually make a lot of sense when you think about it.

She's never shown interest in the prince beyond friendship or seemed interested in anyone here so far but you thought she was just shy.

You squeeze her hand reasuringly to encourage her to keep going.

'Because I'm not into men. Like at all. Rose... I'm.. Gay' Hana admits and you pull her into a bone crushing hug and she gently hugs you back

'I'm so so proud of you Hana. This is so amazing!! I'm so happy for you'

'Really?'

You can tell she's still terrified. As if you are going to tell her you're joking or that you are upset with her. You silently curse her parents for this as you are sure they have probably made her feel like being herself in any way wasn't okay.

You pull her closer to you. You promise yourself to always be there for her and reassure her that you're proud of her.

'Yes. Thank you for telling me. For trusting me with this'

Once she's ready to look for love you are going to be her wing woman and help her out in any way that you can.

'You're my best friend Rose of course I trust you. But can you keep it between the two of us for now?' Hana asks as you pull away from her.

'Of course Hana'

'You know... The rooms are technically co-ed. I assume you might want to stay separate for privacy's sake, but we could crash the boy's side... If you're feeling daring'

You take her hand in hers and head toward the boy's room, once you enter it both you and Hana are giggling.

'Surpriseee' you and Hana exclaim synchronised.

'Oh! Rose, Hana! Should we... Er... Cover up more?' Liam asked clearly surprised to see you and Hana.

'I think the ladies will be fine' Drake deadpans

'Yes I've seen a man in a towel before'

You look around the room and wonder were Maxwell is.

'Wait a second... Where's Maxwell?'

'Hiding. And that was before you all burst in. Come on out, Maxwell'

'Yes. You can't hide forever' Liam agrees and laughs

Maxwell steps out from the doorway and the steam clears and you notice he has a baby hippo tattooed on his chest. Aww that's so cute.

'Go ahead and laugh if you want. Just don't tell Bertrand you saw it'

'Is that a baby hippo' Hana asks in a soft voice

'Oh Maxie, that tattoo is so adorable'

Maxwell grins, clearly relieved.

'I know! Isn't this little guy the cutest?'

'Would I be correct in guessing that there's a sort of story behind this?'

Maxwell blushes and smiles.

'Kind of... When I was a kid, my mom would call me a her little hippo'

That's actually the sweetest thing you have ever heard Maxwell say ever. Also probably the only personal thing you really know about him as he rarely shares anything especially not about his past.

'I didn't think it was possible for this moment to get any better, but here we are'

'I was kind of chubby when I was younger, before I got into dancing. My dad was really hard on me about it, but my mom never made me feel bad. She was really smart and funny. She said i was just like a hippo... Fun-loving but tough, and always able to make her smile and she made hippos sound really cool and amazing. Anyway, when she passed away, I wanted to do something to commemorate her. I told Bertrand I was going to get something done... He thought i meant have some artwork commissioned.. So he was pretty surprised when he saw the tattoo'

Yikes. You could almost imagine Bertrand losing his mind over this.

'I suppose it doesn't fit particularly fit with the image of house Beaumont that Bertrand's striving to maintain...'

'Yeah, this was more or less his second to worst nightmare.. Or so he keeps telling me anyway.. So he said that if we're ever around nobility or servants that I had to keep it covered up. But I can trust you right?'

'Of course! On my honour'

'I will only tease you when Bertrand isn't around Maxie poo'

Maxwell let go of a breath you didn't realise he had been holding and smiled

' That's all I ask Ro Ro'

The nicknames were a new thing but you were enjoying that they seemed to get more and more silly as time went on and you were more than okay with that.

'As fun as discussing Maxwell's hippo tattoo has been, I'm going to take a plunge in the cold plunge.. Anyone want to join?' Drake looked over at you briefly and smirked

'No thanks. After today, I'm relaxing in the tub..'

Drake walks to the furthest pool across the room, while Liam, Hana and Maxwell heads towards the steaming hot water, you go over to the pool where Drake is standing poised to jump into the cold plunge.

'Trying to summon your courage?' you ask cheekily and looks at Drake expectantly

'This is supposed to be good for you, you know?' Drake says and looks at you like he is challenging you to jump in

'Is that so?' You raise your eyebrows at him.

'Yeah, like most things in life, the best thing is sometimes the most painful.. Want to do it with me?'

There's a depth to that answer that you hope Drake will expand on one day once he is ready but for now you focus on just being around him without stirring up past trauma.

'Sure, why not' You shrug but deep down you're not a fan of cold water, however you are a fan of more time alone with Drake, all day any day.

'Really?'

Drake seems pleasantly surprised by your answer almost if he expected you to back down now.

Oh it's on...

'I can't possibly let you do this on your own'

'That's the spirit'

You intertwine your hand with his and stand at the end of the cold plunge. You and Drake look at each other and count down from three to one and jump in together. The water is so freaking cold you try your best not to shiver. The cold water washes over you both and once you resurface you both look at each other and gasp.

'That was..'

'Intense?'

'That's definitely one word for it'

'Having trouble keeping up with me, Throne?' Drake asks there's definitely some mirth underneath his deadpan expression

'Me? Never'

'Heh'

Drake hefts himself out of the cold plunge and he reaches back a hand to help you out, you take his hand and smirk up at him deviously before pulling his hand, Drake stumbles and loses his balance and fall back into the pool, once he resurfaces from the water he gasps.

'Thorne!' Drake exclaims before splashing you with water and you splash him back in the face and the two of you start a water fight and splash each other until you are both out of breath.

Drake seems swept up in the moment as he puts his arms around your waist and pulls you close to him, you are inches apart. You bite your lip and search his expression to make sure there's no doubt or regret , when all you can see on his features is pure want you crash your lips against his in a heated kiss that doesn't last nearly long enough before you pull away.

'You are full of surprises'

You fingers trace Drakes face and you push a strand of his hair behind his ear.

'Good ones, I hope?'

Drake leans his forehead against yours briefly and he smiles at you

'You can surprise me like that any day... But right now we should probably...'

'Be sensible and discreet?' you sigh

'Unfortunately. And believe me when I say that it's very unfortunate'

'I guess we should check out the rest of the spa'

Drake agrees and you both leave the cold plunge and go find your friends and join them in the hot pool.

Tag list: @karahalloway @tinkie1973 @nestledonthaveone @alyshak92 @flutteringdreamydays @kingliam2019

LMK if you want to be added (or removed!!!)

#drake walker x mc #drake walker #drake walker x fem!reader #drake walker x rose thorne #liam rys #hana lee #maxwell beaumont #maxwell is gay #hana is a lesbian #sorry i dont make the rules #TRR #the royal romance #choices stories you play #choices

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storyofmychoices · 2 years

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SpreadJoy #737: spreading positivity with quotes and @playchoices characters.

Quote in edit by SelfLoveRainbow

#leo rys #the royal romance #rules of engagement #choices #playchoices #choices game #spreadjoy #choices spreadjoy #spreadjoy request #selfloverainbow

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ittydoor · 2 years

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Jackass Picrew; Hi I’m Itty Door and welcome to Jackass ! ~💘

I got bored and made picrews for jackass me, the first one being at the beginning of the career and the second being during the movies, I specifically envisioned the first movies intro bc I made the hair windswept but it goes for any time really !

#note the cut hair in front of the ear in the second one #good ol hair clipper prank there #I’m a cky girl till I die so I envision myself as a member of course in my west chester trio w bam and ry #many thoughts on itty she’s basically me but cooler and hotter and if I pulled bitches #the bitches being every jackass cast member bc yes they’re all in love with me sry I don’t make the rules #I think everyone in the fandom should do this so I can visualize what we’d all look like as a giant jackass cast family #jackass #jackass headcanons #jackass x reader #johnny knoxville #bam margera

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sinfvlwishs · 1 year

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( most of y'all probably already know this, and bc it's a topic on the dash rn, i don't really mind if y'all do duplicate shipping with me. when it comes to things on my end, however, i can get kinda choosy about who i decide to ship with if i'm writing with duplicates. if things are okay for both/all parties involved, though, then i won't mind shipping with duplicates. i like to explore all kinds of things between my muses and the varied interpretations of others' muses as well. )

#noah rambles. >>> 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 #( this goes for all my blogs btw )#( & just a psa that shipping ry with mammon & satan are out of the question since i'm already doing shippy stuff with versions of them )#( & potentially belphie too cuz dia and i had a brief discussion about that 👀 )#( & ofc i will hands down respect your rule if you don't want me shipping with dupes )

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disneyprincessbuffyannesummers · 9 months

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Leo: Look. I may not be a saint, but it's not like I’ve killed anybody. I’m not an arsonist. I’ve never found a wallet outside of an IHOP and thought about returning it but saw the owner lived out of state so just took the cash and dropped the wallet back on the ground. Malia: Okay, that's really specific, and that makes me think that you definitely did do that.

#inccorect quotes #malia x leo #leo rys #rules of engagement #malia knollys

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lil-prince-who-did · 2 years

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🧁🍼?

🧁 do you have any rules? what are they?

no! that is not a conversation I’ve ever had with my cg and honestly I don’t think I regress enough to warrant having any anyways

🍼 what's your little age range

2-7 mostly but there have been a few times it was older/younger so more accurately probably 1-12

#it’s a v larga age range which makes me feel invalid sometimes rip </3 #(also would I like rules? yes but once again don’t regress enough to warrant that and I suck ay stuff like that any ways so if i did ->#have rules they would just be ones I set for myself cuz like. yeah)#ty for the ask!#rys world 🪁#ask ry 🎀

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whorefordean · 15 days

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wear the hat || d.w

i read exactly one cowboy romance so enjoy (fake)cowboy!dean and the cowboy hat rule

wc: 1.9k

cw: raw dogging, semi public sex, use of petname (sugar), the cowboy hat rule

taglist: @the-last-ry

mdni 18+

you can’t help yourself. dean looks so goofy in the outfit, and you can’t refrain from teasing him about it. on this hunt, for whatever reason, dean thought it’d be best if he poses as a cowboy.

“to get more information from the locals. they’ll never talk if i look like a city boy, sweetheart,” dean says with a simple shrug. there’s a smile playing on his face, and you cann’t help but to roll your eyes.

“dean, you’re from kansas and you wear flannels every day. nobody thinks you’re a city boy. the hat is most definitely overkill,” you tell him as you cross your arms over your chest.

“i’m not taking it off,” dean huffs, matching your pose. you glare at him momentarily. he doesn’t look bad. in fact, he looks hot as fuck, and maybe, that’s why you need him to chill out on the disguise.

you toss your hands up in defeat and follow him into the bar. the two of you split up rather quickly. you’re working your charm on the drunken men for any information you could pry out of them about the missing people while dean made his way to a group of women to do the same.

almost an hour later, you finally manage to get the information you need, and you’re off to find dean. it’s nearing eleven pm at this point and you are ready to go. that is, until you see dean sitting at the bar with a girl who is entirely too close for your comfort.

you and dean aren’t an item, per se, but the two of you have been a little more than friendly on more than one drunken occasion.

you tap on dean’s shoulder lightly in an effort to get his attention. nothing. the girl he’s talking to is shooting you glares every chance she gets. you roll your eyes and decide that there was only one way to get his attention.

so you snatch the cowboy hat off his head and slip it onto yours. dean whips around to face you. you’re expecting him to snatch it right back, but instead, dean just smirks, seemingly forgetting all about the blonde he was talking to a minute beforehand.

“i’m ready to go,” you huff, adjusting the hat on your head. your hands finally rest on your waist, hip popping out. dean doesn’t say anything. just kept staring and grinning.

“dean, seriously? what?” you puff, annoyed at his behavior.

“you know the cowboy hat rule?” dean muses, leaning back to get a good look at you. his gaze rakes over you, sending a shiver down your spine.

“the what?” you ask evenly. dean’s grin grows wider, and you are half tempted to slap it off of him.

“the cowboy hat rule, sugar. wear the hat—” dean trails off. he leans forward until his hand rests against your waist, and his mouth is brushing your ear.

“—ride the cowboy.” your eyes widen as he finishes the phrase. he pulls away just enough to watch your expression change from shock to compliance. he smiles proudly, knowing that you're more than willing to obey the rules.

no words leave your mouth as you nod, allowing dean to drag you through the mess of people in the crowded bar. the cool summer air bathes both of you as dean pulls you through the exit door and ushers you to the impala.

his rough hands in yours had your mind racing with thoughts of what they'd feel like skimming your body. in the three times that you and dean have slept together, both of you were too wasted to remember much about it the next morning. you'd wake up with those delicious bruises on your thighs or hips and hate yourself for not being able to remember what the hell went down the night before. however, you aren't ballsy enough to ask him to fuck you when you’re sober, so you settle for forgotten nights.

your senses snap back to reality when you hear dean clear this throat. that shit eating grin is back on his face when he realizes that you'd been staring at his hand.

"what is it, sugar? got a thing for hands or just mine?" dean teases relentlessly. you roll your eyes at him, shoving his shoulder lightly. he catches your wrist before spinning you around until you're bent over the hood of the impala.

"dean," you gasp, bracing yourself against the black metal. dean laughs behind you and leans down until his chest is flush against your back. his lips brush against your shoulder, and you breathe out a sigh, dropping your head against the cool metal when dean starts to lift the hem of your dress up.

"tell me what you want," dean says softly in your ear, pressing a kiss against your jaw. you have never been more grateful to be parked at the back of the lot.

"you. need you," you whimper, reaching behind you to grasp at any inch of dean you could reach.

"mm, 'm right here, sugar," dean says playfully as he hums against your skin. you groan, shaking your head and letting your hand slip down to dean's wrist. you grab his hand and lower it to your aching core.

"need you here, dean," you say breathily when dean starts toying with your panties. you can hear him inhale sharply behind you, and you arch your back slightly.

"fuck, sugar," dean groans. without warning, dean rips your underwear down your legs, helping you lift one leg at a time until the fabric is completely off your body. the cool air makes contact with your exposed cunt, causing you to hiss in pleasure. the cold doesn't last long because dean is shifting onto the ground behind you. his hands grip at your thighs, nudging them further open before he dips his tongue into your waiting pussy.

you mewl as dean laps at you like a man starved. he hums something against your cunt, but you're too lost in the pleasure to listen. that is, until he slaps your ass. hard. you wince, lifting your head to look back at him.

"answer me when i'm talking to you. being nice enough to eat this pretty little pussy," dean growls, but he doesn't mean it. he'd gladly get on his knees for you, and he'd stay there forever if you'd allow it.

"what?" you whine, eyes rolling as dean sucks your clit into his mouth.

"thought you were supposed to be ridin' me?" dean hums again, clearer this time. he doesn't give you time to answer before slipping a finger into you. you cry out when he adds another almost immediately after.

"yes! yes, i will," you ramble, dropping your head to rest against the car again. your release is so close, and you clench around dean's fingers, his tongue still lapping away.

before you can cum, dean withdraws his fingers and pulls away completely. you jerk your head around to meet his gaze, eyes wide with need.

"no! please!" you beg pathetically, desperate for release. dean grips your chin lightly and pulls you back until he can kiss you, allowing you to taste yourself on his tongue. you moan into his mouth before he finally pulls away.

"come on," dean orders, and you nod compliantly as he pulls you up from the hood of the impala. dean slips into the back seat first, pulling you in behind him. you barely touch the leather seats before dean is tugging you into his lap.

his hardened cock strains against his jeans, and you can’t stop from rolling your hips over his clothed bulge. you tug at his shirt impatiently. dean doesn’t object, tossing the fabric off his body and into the front seat.

his hands grip your hips as he leans in to kiss you again. he guides your hips, the two of you groaning at the friction. your arms are wrapped tightly around his shoulders.

“fuck,” dean grunts again. he taps your ass lightly, so you pull away with a huff. your pout quickly dissolves when dean lifts you up just enough to undo the button of his jeans, allowing his cock to spring free.

“oh my god,” you mumble as you stare at his dick. dean smirks before pulling back onto his lap. dean settles your cunt over his cock, but he doesn’t push himself inside of you. not yet. instead, he opts for getting his cock wet with your slick first.

your eyes roll as you slide your pussy against his hardened dick. you grind your teeth when the head of dean’s cock slips against your clit repeatedly.

“please,” you pant. dean hums, watching as your movements get more erratic.

“dean, please. let me ride your cock,” you beg again. your eyebrows are knitted together with your eyes clenched shut.

“go ahead, sugar. take it,” dean grunts before settling into you completely. you inhale sharply when he grips your ass, pushing you even further onto himself.

you brace your hands against his shoulder, dropping your head to rest against one of them. dean gives you a second to adjust before he grabs your hips, urging you to move.

so you do.

you bite your lip, trying to keep your moans and mewls in as you ride dean. you couldn’t remember a time you felt so fucking full. dean’s dick was fucking perfect, hitting every spot that made your vision blur with ecstasy.

you lift your hips repeatedly before settling on grinding against him. you writhe in delight as dean drops his head back against the seat, hands gripping at the sides of your thighs as you continue to bounce and grind against him. you lower yourself to kiss against his neck before burying your face in his shoulder.

“right there,” you whisper repeatedly, nipping at dean’s neck as your hips start to stutter. dean grips your hair in one hand, tugging your head back until your neck is on full display for him. his arm wraps around your waist, holding you flush against his chest. dean groans as he adjusts the two of you until he has the mobility to drill his hips into yours, cousin you to cry out in pleasure. he doesn’t relent as you finally come around his cock.

deans sucks a deep bruise into your neck when he finally comes, muttering curses under his breath when his hips finally settle. the only sound in the car now is the two of you panting against each other. you lift your hips, whining as dean’s cum drips down your thighs.

you look up at dean, but he’s distracted by the sight. his cheeks are reddened, and his eyes are hazy as he watches his cum drip out of your cunt.

“dean–”

“fuck, sugar. gonna have to let you steal that fucking hat more often if it means i get to watch you take my cock like that. you look so fucking pretty like this, sugar,” dean grunts, swiping his thumb through the mess on your thighs. he swipes his thumb up further, pressing against your clit before finally bringing his thumb up to your mouth. without speaking, dean nudges your lips open, making you taste the two of you.

“goddamn it, sugar. can’t wait to use that pretty mouth next time.”

#dean winchester #supernatural #dean winchester x reader #spn #dean winchester x reader smut #dean winchester smut #dean winchester x fem!reader #supernatural smut #cowboy!dean winchester smut #cowboy!dean winchester #dean winchester fanfic #dean winchester fic

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chlorinecake · 11 months

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🎙️ star-crossed lovers 【薄幸な恋人】 ⛦

summ✩ry While collabing with your girl group and Enhypen for a special stage, forbidden feelings spark between you and the main dancer upon dorming together

p✩iring idol!niki x popstar!reader ✩ requested ✩

-> PART 2 HERE

genre band au, fluff, secret romance cw swearing, mild bullying, the word ‘sexy’ like once, kissing, girl drama, reader is younger than Niki wc 4.4k

“Ugh,” Serenity groaned as the hairstylist applied yet another thick layer of chocolate brown hair dye to her scalp.

“This gig better bring in some serious bank, because never in my life would I willingly collab with those overrated wannabes,” she exclaimed, taking a frustrated sip from her vanilla latte.

“Hey, people used to call us wannabe's, too, you know,” Haerin said quietly as she tucked her hands under the UV light.

“Yeah, you should be more mature about this, Serenity... like I always say, professionalism triumphs pride," you added, only half-engaged in the conversation as a certain online article caught your attention.

As the band leader, you were always in charge of everything, so Serenity and Haerin were used to you talking to them this way...

“I’m just glad that we're getting exposure,” Haerin smiled, thinking of the countless nights you and your group spent practicing routines and writing songs for auditions, "it's not often that artists like us get opportunity's to perform internationally."

“For real,” Serenity cheered, “Riot Grrlz for the win!”

The three of you put your hands out to make a circle, “Riot Grrlz for life,” Haerin exclaimed, forgetting that her nails hadn't fully dried yet.

"Whoops," she giggled, just as Jade, the oldest of your group, made her way from the bathroom.

“What took you so long in there?” Serenity asked cheekily, “I thought we were gonna have to call the fire department.”

“Ha ha, very funny,” Jade returned, taking a seat beside Haerin so she could get her nails done, too.

“You were talking to the enemy, weren’t you,” Serenity accused.

“No, Ren, I didn’t go behind your back and sell my soul to the devil for fame.”

“Not that enemy,” Serenity grinned, “I'm talking about Mr. Six Foot Moon Eyes.”

“Oooooo,” Haerin amused, pulling your attention away from your phone.

“Ugh, let it up guys. My crush on Sunghoon is long gone, especially now that we’re gonna be working together. Besides, I would never act so recklessly over romance.”

“Who said anything about reckless romance,” you teased, unintentionally giving Jade a full view of the article your were reading on your phone.

"Nobody,” she began, “but I’m surprised you even heard that over all your internet-stalking.”

You were scrolling through a K-Pop news feed when you came across a post.

It was titled: "Enhypen Rumored By Netizens To Be Collabing With THIS Rookie Western Girl Group."

"Shush," you whisper-yelled at Jade, "unless you’re trying to get our record deals pulled!"

Just last week, your management team made you and your group sign a contract of secrecy, swearing silence regarding unpublicized business projects and associations: this included your upcoming collab with Enhypen that Jade nearly just spoiled.

Although, in all honesty, the blog's use of the word "rookie" bothered you more than potentially breaking any contract rules.

"Relax, boss, it's practically a ghost town in here," Jade defended, drawing your attention to the near vacant salon space.

Ding.

It was an email from your manager.

He wanted to inform you all that your chauffeur would be ready around 2:45am to bring you guys to the airport.

"Jeez," you mumbled to yourself, "looks like I'm not getting much sleep tonight."

“Shit,” Serenity whined, “I haven’t even made enough time to brush up on my Korean yet!”

“Luckily me and Haerin here are bilingual baddies,” Jade giggled, giving the cat-eyed girl a fist punch.

“Ahh, watch my nails!!”

▶︎ ၊၊||၊|။||||။‌‌‌‌‌၊| • • •

Your company's fashion crew was experimenting with different concepts, assigning each of your members an individual color to permanently represent: Serenity was teal, Jade was purple, Haerin was white, and you were pink.

Some time passed, an you and your group arrived in South Korea around 3:00pm.

Thanks to the fashion tech your management team hired, it wasn't obvious that you and the girls had been in and out of sleep for the past 13 hours.

You couldn't help but stalk the headlines about your group, as rumors about your Enhypen collab continued to spread like wildfire.

So much for swearing silence and secrecy, you thought to yourself.

South Korean pop media had already seemed to build a vendetta against your group, given that you were young, talented, and most importantly, from the states. The xenophobia of most K-netizens was disheartening at best, but you understood that hate was a part of success.

Besides, you were living the dream of many engenes at the moment — most of them would sell their siblings to be in your shoes right now.

“Ahh! This is unreal!!” Jade cheered excitedly in the back of the limousine. You guys had just left the airport around thirty minutes ago, after getting past the pesky crowd of paparazzi.

“I know right? Korean McNuggets slap way harder than back home,” Haerin added while munching on the salty snack.

“Don't get too comfy, Rinnie. We will leave you here,” Serenity joked.

You hadn't even realized the radio was playing until a certain guitar riff blared from the ceiling speakers.

"Oh hell no," Serenity immediately cringed, covering her ears as you, Jade, and Haerin exchanged knowing look, bringing imaginary microphones to your mouths in unison.

It was Enhypen's song Blessed-Cursed, Jay’s voice singing "We go!" over the radio.

"Go, go, go, go, go, go, GO!!" The three of you cheered, obnoxiously dancing to the choreo while sitting.

Memories of your group (minus Serenity) binge watching music videos at sleepovers resurfaced in your mind.

Usually, you'd only listen to throwback hits like Britney Spears or Rihanna, mostly because Rnb and Pop beats inspired your own art.

Still and all, Blessed-Cursed was one video that the three of you fell in love, way before your upcoming collab was even a thought.

"Don't get mad when I start recording you clowns," Serenity threatened, thoroughly amused by your behavior.

▶︎ ၊၊||၊|။||||။‌‌‌‌‌၊| • • •

Upon arriving outside the Hybe Building, a trio of body guards guided you and your girls to an office room where the seven boys stood awkwardly around a large table.

Part of you still couldn't believe this was all actually happening, despite it being right in front of you.

“Hello! We are Enhypen,” Jungwon bowed as the guards exited the room.

Jay visibly cringed at his leaders words, “I promise we were told to introduce ourselves like that. Please don’t judge us.”

“Well, uhm… H-hi,” you stuttered, feeling a bit nervous, “We are the Riot Grrlz. It’s a pleasure being able to work with you all.”

Niki, the tallest of the boys, caught your attention immediately as he greeted you with a peace sign.

Was he always this cute?, you thought to yourself.

That’s when a lady dressed in all black barged through the glass door on the other side of the room.

“Sorry to interrupt… well, not really. Me and the Enhypen boys are already well familiar with each other, but you ladies can call me Kim,” she greeted, waltzing into the office as if owning the place.

She was a fast talker, so you knew you’d have to pay attention to what she was saying or else you might miss something.

“I hope you made use of each others time and gathered everyone’s names? Phone numbers?”

”We were just in the middle of that before you came in, Miss Kim,” Sunoo clarified.

“Very well then. You have a total of 15 minutes to lock in dorming arrangements. As you’ll see on this clipboard here…”

She paused mid-sentence, holding the clipboard dumbly.

“God, can one of you take this thing already?”

“Oh- sorry,” Heeseung chuckled nervously, taking the clipboard from the fiery woman.

“As I was saying, there are four rooms for the eleven of you to somehow divide. And no, just because you’re all hormonal young adults, none of you get a free pass to break the no-dating rule.”

“No-dating rule? What is this, a detention center,” Serenity mumbled.

Kim cleared her throat, feigning a smile as she glared at Serenity with narrowed eyes, “This is a place of utmost professionalism, Princess Land of The Free. If you have a problem adhering to the rules in place here, you are more than welcome to leave.”

“A-and after that? The fifteen minutes, I mean,” Haerin blurted out shyly.

“All of you will meet back in the main lobby, where you will be guided accordingly.”

Miss Kim turned of her black boots, beelining to the door with powerful strides, “The timer starts now” she called out, closing the door behind her.

And with that began your group discussion of rooming arrangements. Unfortunately, though, things didn’t get off to a particularly nice start.

“Are you effing kidding me?” Serenity asked rudely, screwing her eyes toward a now annoyed Heeseung, “Why can't we just get separate hotel rooms?!?”

“Look, there's no perfect way to go about this," he sighed, crossing out the roommate pairs you all had just agreed on. "So you either humble yourself, or sleep in the bathtub for the next two weeks."

“Really guys, the math is simple,” Jake started, “There’s eleven of us and only four rooms to choose from. Nine of us will be divided in groups of three, and the remaining two will share the last room together.”

"Cool! Me, ____, and Jade can share the first room together!" Haerin obliged with a smile.

"Perfect, and where will I go?" Serenity questioned, mocking Haerin's excitement.

"The bathtub, right?" Jay teased, provoking Serenity to argue with him.

Meanwhile, you attempted to make peace with everyone willing to listen, “Guys, I agree with Jake. We need to make a decision quickly before Kim gets back.”

“Right. Everyone in favor of room number 1, provide a show of hands,” Heeseung said, Jay and Jake raising their hands with him.

"And for room 2?" Jungwon initiated, raising his hand with Jade and Haerin.

A pout formed on Jade's face once she realized that Sunghoon wasn't in the same pair as her.

"3's the magic number, I guess…" Sunghoon offered, Serenity raising her hand with him.

Now it was just you, Sunoo, and Niki remaining.

"I'll group with 3, too. All of our name's start with "S," so it just makes sense that way," Sunoo joined shyly.

"Welp, now that leaves the final room for me and..."

"Me..." Niki spoke with a deep voice, flashing a mysterious half-smile-half-smirk that you knew would haunt your mind later.

"Me and me... the odd one's out! Wow, that's actually perfect!" Jake cheered just as the lady in black strut back in.

“Times up,” she said, taking the clipboard from Heeseung to analyze the finalized dorming plans.

“Hmm, interesting,” she mumbled to herself, tucking the clipboard under her arm.

You all made your way down to the main lobby, just as Kim instructed.

One of the security guards mentioned that Hybe suggested a dinner outing for your group and Enhypen as a way to end the night before you started work the next day… or maybe it was mostly a way to officially confirm the rumors about your collab.

Upon arriving, everyone sat at separate tables, divided according to who they agreed to room with.

Although Niki seemed quiet at first, you and him were giggling the babies the entire time you ate.

“Poor Jungwon. He’s gonna be sandwiched between Jade and Haerin for the next two weeks, his biggest fans,” you joked.

“Nah, Sunghoon and Sunoo have it way worse. Serenity’s attitude is enough to send me running,” Niki chuckled, shaking his head.

"Speaking of running, how come you were appointed leader over your group even though you’re a baby," Niki teased.

"Not you baby-shaming me! I was born in 06', you've barely got any experience on me."

"I've had an entire YEAR to catch up on things, for your information."

"Things like what? Potty training?"

"Pfft, probably..." he replied, going quiet for a second before continuing, "If you ever need help, though, I don’t mind practicing with you after hours.”

"Sounds like fun, but that might be past my bedtime," you pouted playfully, taking one of the fries off his plate.

"Hmm."

"Hmm what?"

"Nothing, I just didn't take you as the type to follow rules," he smirked, taking a sip from his soda.

"I guess it depends on what rules we're breaking. Whether it’s worth it or not."

"So rule breaking is a “we” thing now, huh?"

"Probably..." you smiled, the cool breeze of the foreign air sending shivers down your spine.

Or maybe that had something to do with Niki?

Before you knew it, it was time to head back to your dorms for the night. You knew rehearsals in South Korea were taken a lot more seriously than where you're from, so you needed all the rest you could get.

▶︎ ၊၊||၊|။||||။‌‌‌‌‌၊| • • •

Day one was easy.

The main focus was recording voice samples in the studio, experimenting with different harmonies, and training your vocals as needed.

Now you were on day two, which started with a quick vocal session, leading into the dance rehearsal warm-up right after. After stretching, the studio was split in half, girls taking the left side and boys taking the right.

You all wore numbers on your back. This way, there wouldn’t be any confusion when any of your were being called.

Niki was assigned number eleven, and you had number one.

According to Jake, the numbers were disseminated based on skill level, and out of the 11 of you, that made Niki first place… and you the very last.

As rehearsals went on, your placement was proving to be true.

You were struggling to keep up with the choreography and it was really starting to bug you.

"Are you feeling okay," Niki asked as you sighed for what sounded like the hundredth time.

"Yea, I'm fine, it’s just this footwork is a bit tricky," you admitted.

“Aww, the smallest number for our most inexperienced contributor,” Serenity teased, making a pass at both your age and inability to get this one move right.

“I may be the youngest out of all of us, but I was appointed head over our group for a reason,” you snapped back.

“Yea… and it still shocks me to this day,” she mumbled, Jade and Haerin pausing to listen now.

You scoffed at her ignorance, putting your hands on your hips, “As if you could lead the Riot Grrlz any better.”

Serenity gave you a look that made you wanna drop here right there in front of everyone.

You never understood why she always had an attitude over the simplest things, and given the current work setting, your tolerance for her bull crap was at an all time low.

“Right, the Riot Grrlz. “Rookie Western Girl Group,” huh? And you expect me to be proud of that?”

“With pride of lionesses, of course,” Jade pitched in, leaning down to fasten her shoelaces.

“We should really keep working on our routine, guys,” Haerin mumbled quietly, causing the raging brunette diva to roll her eyes.

Meanwhile, the boys seemed to be getting along rather well with their part of the routine, completely blind to the chaos brewing at their left.

And by the boys, I mean all of them except Niki and Jake, who were both too distracted by your girl drama.

Way to go embarrassing myself again, you thought to yourself

“You’re new to this sort of training, aren’t you,” Jake asked curiously.

“What, did my shitty dance moves give it away?”

You know it wasn’t Jake’s fault, but you were started to doubt your abilities as an artist and performer.

Even Serenity felt as though you were letting your group down.

“You’re not a shitty dancer, ____,” Niki answered, walking closer to you.

“Yeah, Niki’s right. You shouldn’t put so much pressure on yourself,” Jake added.

“Exactly! Just focus on your strengths,” Serenity pitched in, “your vocals, for example. You might ruin the dance routine, but at least you’ll save all the high notes with Heeseung.”

It was clear that you and Niki were equally fed up with Serenity’s toxicity.

“Okay, can everybody clear out for a moment," Niki clapped, causing everyone to back up against the walls almost instantly.

He pulled you by the hand, turning you to face him as he called out to Sunoo, "Put on a random dance track, real quick. Something upbeat, please."

“Gotcha!”

Turning back to you, Niki took your chin in his hand, making your eyes meet his. “Just follow my lead, okay?” He whispered, taking off the bracelet he wore before sliding it on your wrist, “Do you trust me?”

“Niki...” you started, not sure of what he was trying to do.

“I need you to feel the music, ____. Let it control you," he said, stepping away as a short remix of "Buttons" by the Pussycat Dolls blared from the radio.

You could hear an amused Serenity and Sunghoon chuckle a bit at Sunoo’s choice of song, but Niki remained serious.

His gaze met the ground before he started freestyling to the song, letting his mind and body get used to the rhythm as he flowed to the beat. You stood awkwardly beside him, not feeling up to dance at the moment.

He caught sight of you standing and nudged your shoulder, "Loosen up, ____," he smiled, finally starting to feel the song himself.

You started by mirroring his movements at first, adding a few steps to make it fit your own style more.

"See? Now you're getting it," he encouraged again, pulling you toward him so you could dance together.

Your friends and the boys cheered you and Niki on while you two danced as if choreographed.

The track ended with Niki's had on your waist, both of your chests heaving from all the action.

Haerin's jaw dropped as she struggled to find the right words or any words to say, “That was…”

“Sexy!” Heeseung smirked while playfully fanning himself, making Niki turn his face in embarrassment.

You could feel your own face getting hot now, too, especially with everyone staring.

"Relax, Rinnie, you're acting like you've never seen a guy dance with a girl before," Jade chuckled.

"N-not... n-never like THAT,” Haerin said with a shocked face, “____, you're amazing!"

"Thanks," you smiled shyly, eyes falling back the bracelet Niki put around your wrist.

"Keep it... it's a good luck charm," he replied softly.

"Alright, alright. You guys can loosen up each other's buttons on your own time," Serenity snapped, interrupting everyone's gawking.

"Right... On second thought, it’s time for our break," Jay called, handing you and Niki a rag for your sweat.

"Great job, you guys. See you in 20," Jungwon added.

"Come on, girls," you chirped, picking up your gym bag as you took a sip from your water jug, heading towards the studio exit.

▶︎ ၊၊||၊|။||||။‌‌‌‌‌၊| • • •

The rest of the day continued according to your work schedule. One vocal practice followed the other as the initially difficult routine felt more natural with each retake.

You also made a stop by Hybe's fashion team, getting your measurements taken so they could design your outfit for the upcoming stage.

Although this was a work trip, you were having a blast in Korea so far. You liked getting to work with the new people and trying different foods. You especially liked being roomies with Niki.

He was super talented, chill, yet flirty at the same time.

No wonder his fans go so crazy over him, you thought to yourself.

“Hey, ____,” Niki called out, jogging to catch up as you made your way from the dance studio after going back to get the pair of headphones you forgot near the water cooler.

“I wanna show you something…,” he announced, “Well, a thing I like to do.”

“Mhm, and what’s that?” You asked playfully.

He chuckled, “Just a thing that I can’t get away with while in idol mode. My secret escape... Are you interested?”

You meditated on his words before answering, considering the early curfew outlined by both your managers, and how it was already 8:00 at night, “It’s getting pretty late, you know… Is it gonna take long?”

He giggled again, this time leaning into you. “Only if you’re indecisive.”

The sounds of your sneakers tapping against the shiny tiled floors bounced off the hallway walls.

Like you said, girls would sell souls to be in your shoes right now: there’s no way you were gonna pass up on a chance to hang out with Niki…

A chance to explore this reckless romance.

“Ok, let’s go, but we have to be back by midnight,” you agreed.

“Ok, Cinderella. We’re not too far from where I wanna show you,” he beamed, fighting the urge to hold your hand as you followed him out of the Hybe Building, clashing into the night.

▶︎ ၊၊||၊|။||||။‌‌‌‌‌၊| • • •

The place was reminiscent of a skate park, graffitied ramp-like walls cupping you and Niki in the surface of the arena.

There were a few other people present, but they seemed more wrapped up in their own little worlds to even look your way…

The moon shined behind the thin clouds of the sky, basking you and Niki’s skin with an ethereal glow.

“This is it!” He gestured with open arms, “my secret escape.”

You tucked your hands in your pockets as it was a bit cold out, “A shared secret place?” You corrected, pointing out the tiny groups of people hanging around.

Niki pushed the hoodie from over his head, revealing his two-toned mane, “I guess you could say that… they’re all idols, here. Just like me. They get why I do this.”

“Why you do what,” you inquired, stepping over a few random rocks that decorated the path.

“Why I dance,” he answered almost immediately, looking you in the eyes, “for myself.”

He took a few steps away from you, swaying to the music that rippled from one of the mystery people’s carry-radios.

Like earlier, you mirrored his moves at first, adding your own adjustments based on intuition.

Feeling.

You had so many more questions to ask, but in this moment, you focused on Niki and the way he moved.

The small groups of people developed into a crowd within a matter of seconds, joining you and Niki along with the music.

Although everyone was doing their own thing, in a strange way if felt harmonious.

Some people danced calmly, others were more wild. Either way, you were starting to understand what Niki meant.

Being able to express yourself away from prying eyes, scornful comments, flashing cameras, or a number 1 sign on your back was invigorating.

The music was still going when Niki grabbed your hand and pulled you to the side, a soft look taking over his features.

“Kiss me,” he whispered, staring into your eyes.

“W-what?”

“I just need to know that what I’m feeling right now is real.”

You took his face in your hands, trying to make yourself feel more in control of the situation, “Niki, I don’t think we should do this. Your manager outlined pretty strict rules.”

He paused before responding, “Remember what you said at the restaurant the first day we met?”

His grip on your hands remained delicate despite how strongly he felt for you.

“About us breaking rules together… only if it’s worth it.”

“Exactly,” he smiled, leaning in, “I knew they didn’t call you a riot girl for nothing.”

His lips connecting with yours like a puzzle piece, both your hearts fluttering as if they’d grown butterfly wings.

You felt like your world was spinning at twice its original speed, but at the same time, the moment felt still.

Niki tilted his head, deepening the kiss as he braced a hand at your waist, pulling you closer before finally letting go.

“I like you, ____. Like, a lot,” he confessed, taking in the dreamy expression displayed on your face.

Your mind went blank.

“Say something? Please,” he urged, taking your hands in his.

A smile wavered over your features as you kissed him back on the lips, feeling as though you both stopped breathing for a moment.

“I like you too, Niki. But isn’t this pretty risky?”

“You said so yourself, risks don’t count if it’s worth it,” he nearly whispered.

“Well,” you began, still holding onto him, “if we’re gonna do this, it has to stay between us… no one else can find out.”

And just like that, you were now secretly dating your roommate / coworker / Enhypen’s main dancer and maknae / one of K-pop’s most sought after It-Boy’s, all in a three days.

Great.

▶︎ ၊၊||၊|။||||။‌‌‌‌‌၊| • • •

You and Niki made it back to you dorm rooms undetected. It seemed like everyone else was either too tired or too busy to notice that you two were out for so long.

Unlocking the door to as quietly as possible, you and Niki took light steps, trying not to disturb anyone or draw attention to yourselves.

Once the door was closed, you both bust out in a fit of laughter for reasons you didn’t understand nor cared to understand.

You didn’t need a reason laugh when Niki was around… it’s kind of just something that started to happen over the last couple days.

“What’s your secret to performing so well?” You asked him, both laying face-up on the lower bunk bed together.

“Hmm, I feel like nervousness is a strength. It pushes you to go forward in a sense…”

“Yeah… I get that. Sometimes, I feel like being calm is dangerous. It puts you in a safe space, when performing should be all about taking chances.”

“Right,” he agreed, resting a hand over his stomach, “Speaking of chances, they’re precious, you know? I never just assume I’ll get another opportunity to dance.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Like…” he sighed, trying to find the right words, “Every time I get on stage… in front of those lights… in front of my fans… I perform-”

“As if it’s your last…” you answered for him.

“Yeah, that,” he chuckled, running a hand through his hair, “You know, it’s really nice talking to someone who gets me… the dancer part of me.”

“Of course, it’s really nice talking to you, too, Niki,” you smiled softly.

Breaking the calmness of the moment, he sat up in his elbows, meeting your face.

“Top or bottom?” He asked, referring to where you wanted to sleep for the night.

You crawled over his body, climbing into the upper bunk of the bed and laying down to finally rest.

“Good night, number 11,” you teased, snuggling into the mattress.

“Rest well, number 1. Big day tomorrow.”

🎙️ For my baby, @microwvdstrawb3rri3s, I hope it was worth the wait ~ And yes, before you ask, there will be a second part 💕

⛦ Additional tags for my fellow Niki enthusiasts: @fanficfactoryfoxxx @nikisblkgf @yourmomscuntis2tighy @nikimeows @kimjiho1 @nikipedia07 @nishimuradaniel

🎙️ Feel free to check out more fun reads on the pinned post at my home page ~

@ashgonedash, I still felt bad about forgetting to tag you earlier 👑 so here you go, my love :3

Update: THANK YOU ALL SM FOR 400 NOTES!!

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lavendergalactic · 5 months

Text

☆ 　lavender's silly week!

do you want an excuse to make super silly edits? well here's the event for you! welcome to lavender's silly week :3 WARNING: SILLY AND INSANE PROMPTS AHEAD! be prepared.

more info about this event under the cut!

☆ 　rules / info !

this event will last from 5th may - 15th may it'll last more than a week just incase anyone needs extra time, you can join late too! i don't mind

please @ me and tag #lavendersillyweek so i can see your submissions!! and also do not be shy to @ me again if you think i didn't see it, i might accidently miss it

if you complete at least 5 days you will be entered into a raffle! i will roll for 3 winners and they'll get 2 requests of their choice :3

all types of edits will be accepted! graphics, layouts, moodboards / stimboards, etc! go wild

☆ 　prompts !

just like my previous events, i'll have two options!

day 1﹕a crackship

OR ﹕ a gen alpha themed edit

day 2 ﹕two characters from different media you think should be siblings

OR ﹕a character you want to throw across the room ( suggested by @inyuoka )

day 3 ﹕a duo, trio or group that is just the silliest

OR ﹕a character that'll stare directly into the solar eclipse

day 4 ﹕a character that would be a microcelebrity on your fav social media

OR ﹕a character you think would be into alpha male podcasts

day 5 ﹕the most insane edit you can think of (free day-ish)

OR ﹕a character people usually deem as "cringe"

day 6 ﹕a character that would NOT last in a zombie apocalypse

OR ﹕a character that'll instantly be cancelled on the internet

day 7 ﹕a character that you think you could beat up in a fight

OR ﹕a silly character that reminds you of yourself

☆ 　tags / may i get a promo?

let me know (in dms or ask) if you want to be removed

@cherhonor ⠀ @herrscherofmemories ⠀ @corsefool ⠀ @llocket ⠀ @spiralssyndrome

@strawberrysnipes ⠀ @ideallyadored ⠀ @plecakism ⠀ @necroangelz ⠀ @iv-ry ⠀

@angelesse ⠀ @magnoliawriter ⠀ @mischiefesse ⠀ @namizzomb ⠀ @angelz-luv

@rrozeta ⠀ @circuswhisprs ⠀ @dollrelicz ⠀ @battampria ⠀ @triokoto

@zombiebomb ⠀

#☆ ◟ event !#lavendersillyweek #the tags kept breaking on me im sorry it's layed out weirdly :sob:#my event #editing event

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mostlysignssomeportents · 2 years

Text

Being good at your job is praxis

You know the joke.

Office manager: "$75 just to kick the photocopier?"

Photocopier technician: "No, it's $5 to kick the photocopier and $70 to know where to kick it."

The trustbusters in the Biden administration know precisely where to kick the photocopier, and they're kicking the shit out of it. You love to see it.

Last July, the Biden admin published an Executive Order enumerating 72 actions that administrative agencies could take without any further action from Congress - dormant powers that the administration already had, but wasn't using:

https://www.thenation.com/article/economy/biden-monopoly-executive-order/

This memo was full of deep cuts, like the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984, Northern Pac. Ry Co v US (1958), the Bank Merger Act and the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, and the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/07/09/executive-order-on-promoting-competition-in-the-american-economy/

The memo opened with the kind of soaring rhetoric that I absolutely dote on, a declaration of the end of Reagonomics and its embrace of monopoly:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/party-its-1979-og-antitrust-back-baby

But the memo didn't just offer red meat to tube-feeding activist cranks like me: it also set out 72 specific, technical activities that would make profound, material changes in the economy and improvements to the lives of every person in America, and then the administration executed every one of those actions:

https://www.davispolk.com/insights/client-update/president-bidens-executive-order-competition-one-year-later

They knew where to kick the photocopier and boy did they kick it - hard.

The White House action has Tim Wu's fingerprints all over it. He's the brilliant, driven law professor who's gone to work as Biden's tech antitrust czar. But Wu isn't alone: he's part of a trio of appointees who are all expert photocopier kickers. There's Jonathan Kanter at the DoJ and Lina Khan at the FTC.

Khan is a model of administrative competence and ideological coherence. Her tenure has included lots of soaring rhetoric to buoy the spirits of people like me:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/05/09/rest-in-piss-robert-bork/#harmful-dominance

But it's also included lots of extremely skillful ju-jitsu against the system, using long-neglected leverage points to Get Shit Done, rather than just grandstanding or demanding that Congress take action. Here's the FTC's latest expert kick at the photocopier: action on Right to Repair that exercises existing authority:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/k7bxaa/ftc-energy-rules-right-to-repair

The Right to Repair fight is a glaring example of democratic dysfunction. Americans broadly and strongly support the right to fix their own stuff, or to take their stuff to the repair depot of their choice. How broadly? Well, both times that the question has been on the Massachusetts ballot, there was massive participation and the measures passed with ~80% majorities:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/05/26/nixing-the-fix/#r2r

But despite this, state-level attempts to pass R2R bills have been almost entirely crushed by a coalition of monopolists, led by Apple, including John Deere, GM, Wahl Shavers, Microsoft, Google, and many other giant corporations who want the power to tell you your property is beyond repair and must be condemned to an e-waste dump:

https://doctorow.medium.com/apples-cement-overshoes-329856288d13

Right to Repair is a case study for the proposition that "ordinary citizens… get the policies they favor, but only because those policies happen also to be preferred by the economically-elite citizens who wield the actual influence."

https://scholar.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/mgilens/files/gilens_and_page_2014_-testing_theories_of_american_politics.doc.pdf

Enter the photocopier kickers, wearing boots. The same month that the White House dropped is massive antitrust executive order, it also published an executive order on Right to Repair, including electronics repair:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/10/unnixing-the-fix/#r2r-plus-plus

The EO built on the evidence compiled through the FTC's "Nixing the Fix" report:

https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/nixing-fix-ftc-report-congress-repair-restrictions/nixing_the_fix_report_final_5521_630pm-508_002.pdf

But it also identified that the FTC already had the power to do Right to Repair, in its existing Congressional authorization:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/07/09/fact-sheet-executive-order-on-promoting-competition-in-the-american-economy/

The Biden antitrust strategy is powerful because it recognizes that every administrative agency has powers that can be brought to bear to slow down the anticompetitive flywheel that has allowed giant corporations to extract monopoly profits and then launder them into pro-monopoly policies.

Which brings me to today's news: the FTC has carefully reviewed the powers it has under its existing Energy Labeling Rule (you know, the rule that produces those Energystar stickers on appliances) and concluded that it can also force companies to publish repair manuals under this rule:

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/10/federal-trade-commission-seeks-public-comment-initiative-reduce-energy-costs-strengthen-right-repair

As USPIRG's Nathan Proctor told Motherboard’s Matthew Gault, "When Congress passed energy conservation policies decades ago, it included the ability to require Right to Repair access. While that provision has gone unnoticed for too long, it’s not surprising it was written that way."

https://www.vice.com/en/article/k7bxaa/ftc-energy-rules-right-to-repair

The FTC is now planning to exercise that long dormant authority in a game-changing way - to kick the photocopier really, really well. It is seeking public comment on "whether lack of access to repair instructions for covered products is an existing problem for consumers; whether providing such information would assist consumers in their purchasing decisions or product use; whether providing such information would be unduly burdensome to manufacturers; and any other relevant issues"

https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/R611004EnergyLabelingANPR.pdf

The Trump years were brutal. Every time we turned around, some Trumpy archvillain was twirling his mustache and announcing an evil plot. Yet so many of these turned out to be nothingburgers - not because they were sincere in their intentions, but because they lacked administrative competence.

Trump embodied administrative incompetence. He was very good at commanding the news cycle, and very good at riling up his base, but he had no idea where to kick the photocopier, and every expert photocopier kicker that Trump hired got immediately fired, because they would insist that Getting Shit Done required patience and precision, not a deluge of chaotic governance-by-tweeting.

To the extent that Trumpland Got Shit Done - packing the courts, handing out trillions in tax gifts to the ultra-rich - it was in spite of Trump and his trumpies, and because of the administratively competent wing of the party: McConnell, Romney, et al. In the GOP, "establishment" is a slur meaning "competent."

This isn't to say that Trump wasn't dangerous - he absolutely was. But it does militate for an understanding of politics that pays close attention to competence as well as virtue or wickedness.

It's one of the things that was very exciting about the Elizabeth Warren campaign - those long-ass policy documents she dropped were eye-wateringly detailed photocopier-kicking manuals for the US government.

Biden himself isn't much of a photocopier kicker. He's good at gladhanding, but the photocopier kickers in his administration represent a triumph of the party's progressive wing. And therein lies a key difference between the parties: in the GOP, the competent are the establishment; in the Democrats, the establishment are the ones who can't or won't act, and the progressives have got their boots on and are ready to kick.

Image: Temple University Libraries (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/tulpics/4882641645/

CC BY 2.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

[Image ID: A photocopier in an office copy room; a silhouetted figure is dealing a flying kick to it.]

#pluralistic

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