#the royal romance post series

[txemrn]

Pour Two Glasses

Chapter 4: "... We Are One Breath Apart"

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Book: The Royal Romance (post series)

Word Count: 6070 (+/-)

Series Synopsis: In the midst of a violent political war, Queen Riley Rys’s life is dismantled overnight, forcing her to flee Cordonia to live in hiding as a commoner with a loyal, best friend

Series Song Inspo: “Pour Two Glasses” by the Movielife

Chapter Song Inspo: "Speak to Me" by Amy Lee

Series Warnings: 🔞 For Mature Audiences Only 🔞angst; profanity; major character death; grief and mental health discussion; discussion of violence & war; alcohol use; NSFW material

A/N: Characters and some plot references belong to our friends at Pixelberry. Special thanks to my sweet friend @charlotteg234 for brainstorming with me and helping me work out some sections; and special thanks to one of my fanfiction godmothers @ao719 for pre-reading for me.

~🖤~

"Are you sure we have permission to do this?"  Riley stands under an umbrella, trembling in the rain as she watches Drake unlock the large wooden door to the entrance of the Bossina Cathedral.

"For the last time," he stops fidgeting with the old, rusty key, looking back at his best friend's wife. "Yes. Why else would I have the key? Besides, you're the fucking Queen of Cordonia. What are they gonna do?'

That earns him a subtle smile before she continues to anxiously peer through the dark, overgrown courtyard of the church. 

Suddenly, a short shrill of metal reverberates into the night as the massive barrier is unlocked. Drake tugs on the ring pull, the swollen, damp wood of the door letting out a groan. He turns to Riley, motioning for her to follow him.

Once inside, she deposits her umbrella while her eyes adjust to the dimly lit vestibule. Top cathedral-shaped windows litter the long hallways, raindrops drumming their solemn chorus of a silent requiem against the panes. Candles dedicated to prayer and supplication for the deceased illuminate the stoned walkway, leading to the sanctuary, leading her to Liam. The familiar scent of stale air and burnt incense flood Riley's senses, sending her to memories from what seems like a lifetime ago.

As her personal guard runs on ahead to notify the other men of her majesty's presence in the building, Riley wanders around the entrance hall to the nave. Has it always been this grim? Her fingertips brush against the cold brick, showing its age through fine cracks and missing fragments. 

She turns to the opposite wall, noticing a large picture depicting the crucifixion of Jesus, framed in a rustic, yellow gold. Stepping closer, she focuses on the anguish of his face, his body strung out cruelly and naked. Blood pours out from his arms, his feet and even his side. 

Her lips twist, her eyes flinching at the painted brutality as she trains her focus to a brushed-bronze placard nailed to the frame: Questo é amore.

"This is love," she whispers to herself. She takes a tentative step back, soaking up the scene. Wearing Liam's favorite burgundy sweater, she hugs her body tightly, the light remnants of his sweet scent wafting to her nose. She looks at the painting again. The torment. The heartache. The loneliness. And all anyone could do was… watch.

Her lashes dust her cheeks as memories of that day swirl in her head: the gentle, scent of pink lilies she holds in her hand; the soft vintage pattern of white chantilly lace she wears on her arms; the romantic swell of Pachebel ushering the bride to her groom. The love she shared with Liam was overwhelming, oftentimes breathtaking, like diving into the deep end of the sea and never wanting to emerge. A love that was all-consuming, holy and perfect in its own right; a love that represented everything that was good in her life.

Or so she thought. 

In losing Liam, Riley has discovered that because of her love, she is filled with unspeakable anguish, being tormented day and night with a pain that she bears alone. God, she wishes her heart could be pierced by a spear… afterall, wasn't it?

This is love.

“...what matters most is that you found happiness…”

The sudden articulate voice from Ramsford has her whirl around, the enunciation so close, so real.

"Whoa," Drake holds out his hands, "I didn't mean to scare you. Are you… ready? To go in, I mean?"

Riley nods, watching her dear friend open the door. She looks back at the picture of the Christ one last time. Love? It wasn't just butterflies and stolen breathless moments. It wasn't just inside jokes, midnight tickles and surprise gifts. It was more than just knowing the number and placement of freckles on his shoulders, the cowlick that would never lay down on the right of his crown, or the hum on his lips when he was trying to conceal his concern.

She looks forward through the threshold into the nave, taking in the steep ceiling space, the uniform of empty pews, the bounce of the old crimson carpet. But as she looks towards the altar, it glows like a lighthouse in the night, like a single candle in a storm. At the end of the long aisle, a pristine white casket illuminates in the darkness. The Cordonian flag lays respectfully on top of the lid, accompanied with two white roses per tradition, representing the second day of Liam's Royal Wake.

But, something curious sticks out like a sore thumb in the sanctuary, something that is clearly out of place. Situated in front of Liam's casket was a cluster of pillows and blankets on top of an army cot.

Her breath catches. "Drake?" She looks to him with questioning, yet appreciative eyes. She anxiously chews on her lip as she glances at the intimate set-up.

He pivots around, noticing her bewildered expression. "Don't worry, your majesty," he kindly grins, offering his elbow as a single tear rolls down the slope of his nose, "he's … he's been waiting for you."

With her attention sealed onto her husband's casket, a pained look of joy washes over her, a grin crawling across her mouth. She takes Drake's arm, and together they walk down the aisle.

"Now, the cathedral closes to the public after dark, and the nave is locked to everyone until 9 AM. The church council has agreed to let you stay here at night during the Wake, and I've got you covered with extra security so, hopefully," he exhales fluidly, "you can get some sleep."

"Every night?"

His lips coyly curl, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Every night."

"Drake, I–" She looks to the pile of bedding before smiling back at him. "I don't know what to say–"

"Oh! One more thing." Drake digs into the front pocket of his chambray shirt, pulling out a single silver chain with two pieces of metal attached, gently tinkering together. 

"His rings," Riley gasps. "Drake–" her voice disappears into sniffles at the sight of these handsome treasures, now on a chain where she won’t lose them.  She steps forward, cradling the rings in her hand as Drake holds onto the ends of the necklace. 

He smiles proudly, motioning for her to spin around, her back facing him. He fastens the closure, pulling her espresso waves out from under the chain. She turns around to model it for him as he gives an approving nod. Seeing her attention fixed on her late husband’s wedding band and signet ring, Drake gives an appeasing grin, his fists finding his pockets.

"Well," he sighs, "is there anything you need? Something to drink?"

She threads the jewelry onto her slender fingers, a somberness floating over her as she watches her personal guard slowly mosey backwards up the aisle. "No, I… I guess not." 

"K, well…" He combs his fingers through his hair, pushing back a cascade of strands. "I'll be right outside if you need me–"

"Wait," Riley interrupts, taking a few stutter steps towards him. "You're leaving?"

Drake turns around, studying her. "Not leaving leaving. I'll be in the foyer with my sleeping bag."

"Oh," Riley responds dryly, trying to sound understanding. But as she glances around the still blackness of the nave, surrounded by relics and religious imagery, her heart becomes anxious.  “Hey, Drake,” she calls out to him. He glances up, gesturing with a shake of his head. Her eyes survey around the room, spooking herself with the shifting shadows. “You have been so kind, And–and–and I know you’ve already sacrificed so much for me already, and please know that I… well, I hope you know that I’m–”

“Brooks,” he holds up a hand to slow her down. He raises an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth turning up. “What do you need?”

Fidgeting with her new piece of jewelry, she swallows thickly. “Can you maybe stay in here with me–just until I fall asleep?”

Drake lets out a big, sardonic sigh, taking a seat in the front pew.  He pats the hardwood next to him, inviting Riley to take a seat. The antique furniture creaks under her weight as she pulls her knees up to her chest. Drake puts a friendly arm around her as she relaxes her head on his shoulder. Together, they fall into a quietness as they stare reverently at the casket before them.  

“Thanks again, Drake. This is all… just so special.”

Drake gently rests his chin in her hair, the subtle notes of lavender tickles his senses. His eyes float closed, a smile growing with each passing moment.

Riley yawns. “Your friendship… I feel like it’s the only thing I’ve got right now, one of the only things connecting me to Liam.” She quickly looks up at him, creasing her eyebrows. “How are you doing, by the way?”

Drake adverts his eyes quickly back to his best friend’s casket. “Uh…” he clears his throat. “I–I don’t know. Some moments… it’s like a bad dream.” He breathes out heavily. “Sometimes I think he’s just on his trip, and he’ll be barrelling through those doors any minute,” he chuckles. “And then other moments…” he stops, staring at the flag-adorned coffin.

Riley removes Drake’s arm from her shoulders, taking his large, calloused hand in her own as they both stare in silence at Liam’s resting place.

“Can I ask you another question?” The queen quietly requests. “A personal question?”

“Hrmmm?” Drake warmly hums, gazing at her with tired, hooded eyes.

“Do you… believe in God? The afterlife? In–” she motions aimlessly around herself with her hand, “–all of this?”

Drake bows his head for a moment. He then lets go of her hand, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. Rubbing his hands together, he remains thoughtfully quiet.

“I–I’m sorry,” Riley whispers. “That was maybe too personal–and terribly morbid on my part–”

Drake subtly turns his head, shaking it. “No, no, you’re fine.” He turns back to face the altar, a large crucifix hanging above the choir stall. Not saying a word, he finally closes his eyes. 

Riley relaxes into her seat, folding her hands into her lap. A warming guilt rakes at her nerves, regretting that she ever asked the question. That is, until Drake took a deep breath.

“I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?” Drake smirks, opening his eyes to stare at the ornate cross on the wall. “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” He falls silent again, chewing on his mouth, Riley’s full attention on him. He nervously looks down at his mindless hand-wringing as he takes another deep breath. “As kids, anytime we had a problem, Moma would say, ‘Fix those eyes to the hills. The Lord promises to help you.’” He becomes quiet again, his eyes rapidly blinking as he sucks in his bottom lip. “Then Dad died.”

Riley endearingly pats his shoulder, tears slowly cascading down her cheeks.

“And–” Drake sarcastically chuckles, forcing away his own sobs, “I looked. I looked, and I fucking kept looking to the hills because ‘he promises to help you.’” He blows out a breath, wiping at his lower eyelids. “Dad was gone… and God was no where to be found.” His jaw becomes rigid, his words cutting like a blade. “The Crown cut the funds almost immediately after Dad died, leaving us stranded. I looked, but there was no help from… from God. And then Moma left us…” He sniffles, his hands casually balling into fists. “She just… left us. And I looked–I fucking begged for God’s help. If not for me, then at least for Savannah. But... ” He shakes his head.

Riley remains silent, taking in Drake’s painful memory.

“But,” his voice lightens, more hopeful, “I still keep looking–as fucking stupid as that sounds,” he laces his fingers together, “I have to believe and look for him–for God.”

“Why?”

“Because the thought of being alone–completely alone in this world with no one to turn to?” He peers intently into Riley’s eyes, his voice softening into a small whisper. “That terrifies me… but the thought that my dad is really gone? That–that I can’t talk to him in heaven–?” Drake chokes up. “And now Liam? And–and soon my… my Moma?” He runs his hands down his face. “I have to believe, Ri. I just… have to.”

Riley slips her arm around Drake's elbow, hugging his arm. Quietly supporting one another, both Drake and Riley stare towards the front of the church in reverent thought. Riley considers Drake’s words, her heart touched by his own hope in the midst of so much tragedy. But then, her forehead creases in curiosity. 

“Wait… you talk to Liam?”

“Well, I mean…” A rosy pink rolls across Drake’s neck and face, “Yeah… I try.”

“Does he… talk back?”

Drake sighs. “I don’t know. I’d like to think he does, and I just… can’t hear him.”

“What about your dad?” Riley gently asks.

“Yeah,” Drake snickers at himself, feeling slightly foolish of his admission. “Yeah, I talk to him a lot.”

“And?” Riley smiles.

“That man does not talk back; he fucking yells at me.” The pair fall into much needed laughs, kindly smiling at one another. Drake relaxes back in the pew, crossing his ankle over his knee to turn towards the brunette. “You should try it… talking to Liam.”

“What?”

“I’m serious.” Drake's expression is still slightly embarrassed. “If that boy’s gonna talk to anyone, it’s gonna be you.”

Riley chews on her bottom lip, not convinced at what her guard is suggesting. She looks away, towards Liam’s casket before turning back to Drake. “What would I even say?”

“What would you say to him right now?”

Riley giggles to herself, bowing her head as a flush overcomes her cheeks. Her eyes fill with more unshed tears, thinking of all the conversations that she was yet to have with her husband. Is it possible that she could still talk with him? Even now?  

God, I hope Drake’s right…

“Well, my good friend,” Riley stands up, smiling back down at Drake. “I think I’m going to try to get some sleep.”

“Are you going to be okay in here?”

Riley nods thoughtfully. “I think so. Thanks for talking with me, and… well, you know. Everything.”

“Anytime, your majesty,” he jovially winks. “Oh hey,” he stops her as she starts making up her cot. “What’s ‘PTG’?”

Her eyes widen. “What?”

Drake rakes his fingers through his hair, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.  “Well, when I was fixing up the necklace–” he points to the new jewelry Riley was wearing “–I saw that there was an engraving inside Liam’s ring, and… well, they were clearly not your initials,” he titters. “What does it mean?”

Riley looks down at the etching inside Liam’s wedding band before fidgeting with her own ring that had the same inscription. “Pour two glasses.”

Drake raises an eyebrow. “Pour… two glasses? Of what? Like, wine?”

Riley snorts, shaking her head.  “It's…" She shakes her head. “It's silly."

"Oh, c'mon," he encourages. “It can't be that silly if y'all put it on your wedding bands."

Riley nervously chuckles. "Well, um… It was our promise to each other, that even though we may be apart,” she sucks in a sharp breath, her eyes fluttering to the coffin, “our love will always reunite us again. So, go ahead…” She smiles brightly, “Pour up the drinks: one for you and one for me,” she shrugs shyly. “And… we will be united again soon to drink together.”

“Hrmmm,” Drake thoughtfully takes in the romantic sentiments. “You two,” a crooked smile grows across his face as he massages his neck.

“We’re pretty gross–”

“Nah,” his eyes twinkle as he looks at Riley. “Y’all were just in love.”

------

Feeling emotionally exhausted, Riley crawls into her bed for the night, hugging a goose-feather pillow tightly in her arms. With the atmosphere becoming instantly still around her, she rolls over to face the grand white casket.

And he's there. She knows her husband is there with her, separated only by a few inches of distance, separated only by sturdy-aged oakwood and fire-pressed metal, separated only by a single breath.

Then why did she feel so alone?

------

Five Years Ago (During Liam's Social Season)...

"Lady Riley, are you out here?"

The American suitor quickly dabs her eyes dry from her anxious tears, hoping the moonlight wouldn't give away the rosy worry of her cheeks. 

"I'm here," she softly speaks. Adjusting the fullness of her petal pink ball gown, she stands from the balustrade, making her presence known. She forces a smile, but her eyes train to his loafers, unable to match his handsome gaze as she fidgets with her fingers.

"There you are," Liam strides closer in the moonlight with a bottle of champagne in his arms. "I've been looking every–" He stops, noticing her troubled look. His pearly white smile dissipates as he sets down the bubbly drink. "Riley? Is something wrong?"

"I–I’m fine," she sniffles into a forced smile. "I guess… I'm just a little homesick is all.” She dares to look into his powder blue eyes, glittering with pure adoration. She quickly turns away, biting her lip as a single tear spills onto her skin.

"Just a little homesick?" Liam echoes. He brushes the back of his finger against the soft planes of her face, offering her a crooked smile. "This would be easier if you would just tell me.”

She takes a deep breath, considering her words carefully. “You know I am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity. Because of your generosity, I am experiencing things I never–”

“Riley,” he takes her hands into his secure hold, “it’s me. You’re talking to me. Not ‘Prince Liam.’ Not the king or–or queen or any other noble for that matter… it’s me. It’s just you and me.” 

She sighs, slowly turning away from him, her heels clicking against the stone floor. She finally stops, pivoting to look up at the tall blond. “It’s just…” She exhales, tittering to herself. “This is foolish,” she waves her hand, walking towards the door to exit the balcony. “You have the other suitors to attend to–”

Liam grabs her arm, pulling her pack into himself. “And they can wait because I’m with you. Come on,” he brings her hand to his lips before giving her a toothy grin. “I happen to be an excellent listener.”

Through the curtain of her tears, Riley titters as she blushes at the touch of his lips on her skin. “I… I just…” She pulls her hand back; taking a big breath, she stares back up at Liam. "What are we even doing?"

"I… don't quite follow–"

"Us, Liam," she fixes the lapel of his tux, running her palm flat against his chest. "I'm talking about us. This… I don’t even know what to call this anymore." She shrugs, letting her arms fall carelessly at her sides. "Are we dating? Or am I being foolish? Living out some silly fairy tale fantasy?" She looks up, dabbing under lashes to keep from ruining her make-up. “And I know this hasn’t been easy for you either, having to abide by so many rules--God!” Riley covers her face with her hands, “how can I even be complaining right now?”

Liam gently takes her wrists, pulling her fingers from hiding her face. “Because it is hard for both of us.” He pulls her into his strong embrace, Riley instantly finding comfort in his warmth. He tenderly traces circles across her back. “I’m sorry. I… I wish there was some way I could make this easier for you–”

“I just want to know that this will all be worth it, which is so selfish of me. I have no right to demand that of you… I feel so selfish, vying for your attention even now… because you have several beautiful and intelligent suitors in there that could all make an excellent queen–”

Suddenly, Liam’s phone begins to ring in his pocket. Mouthing the word ‘sorry,’ Liam takes the call. With a nod, Riley quickly crosses to the otherside of the balcony to give him privacy, wrapping her arms around her body. She looks back out across the city. Is this her home? Could she someday be responsible for this, for these people? For their livelihood? For this country?

“I–I’m so sorry Riley,” Liam furrows his brow as she turns towards him. “I’m–”

“Needed elsewhere,” she sighs before politely grinning. “I know.”

Seeing the sadness in her eyes, Liam hastily grabs the bottle of champagne before gathering Riley into his arms. “Take this.”

Her expression turns inquisitive as she inspects the bottle before surveying his face.

“We will talk about this later, Lady Riley,” he nods, “and I promise you… I will prove it to you that this will all be worth it.” He cups her cheek tenderly before turning to quickly exit the balcony.

“Liam?” Riley holds up the bottle with an unspoken question as he glances back to her.

“Go ahead… and pour two glasses. I promise I’m coming back to you. Tonight.”

------

Unable to fall asleep, Riley reaches for her phone to check the time: 1:12 AM. She sighs to herself as she rolls over, readjusting her pillow under her head. Staring out her window, she notices the clean cuts of the crescent moon, its silver glow captivating her as the stars in the blue velvet sky dance and twirl for her entertainment to their own rhythm–that is until a different beat raps against her door. 

Startled, she sits up staring at the large shadow standing outside of her quarters. She grabs her satin robe, cinching it around her waist as she lightly pads to the entrance to her room.

The knocking becomes more vigorous, making Riley accidentally yelp. She grabs a stiletto shoe, hoping to use the heel as a weapon if needed as she reaches for the doorknob. But to her relief, when she opens the door, Liam is waiting for her, leaning his shoulder against the doorway.

“Liam!” she quietly shouts, her voice husky as she tosses her shoe to the ground. “You scared me.” She motions for him to come in as she reaches to turn on a lamp. With her back still to him, she continues. “What are you doing here so–?”

Liam grabs Riley’s hand, and suddenly she whips back, falling into his strong embrace. Before she can protest, his mouth blissfully pushes into her pout. Her eyes flutter close as her lips savor every tug, every lick of his fervent touch. Parting her lips, his tongue is hungry, but gentle; his mouth is greedy, but tender. He wraps his arms lovingly around her body as her fingertips wander to the back of his neck, her foot gently popping out freely behind her.

They abruptly pull apart, gasping for air. Staring longingly at one another, their chests violently rise and fall, desperately wanting more of each other.

“Whoa,” Riley pants, the taste of Liam’s tongue still intoxicating her senses. “You… you came back.”

The corners of Liam’s reddened mouth begin to curl. “Yeah.. of course, I came back,” he chuckles, a blush swirling up his neck. He finally steps forward, cupping the velveteen skin of her face with his hand, her body trembling at his touch.

“Liam, I–”

“Shhh,” he sweetly hushes her, painting his thumb across her lower lip. “I’m so sorry, Riley... I–I should’ve done this a long time ago. You have so many questions, so many fears,” he swallows thickly. “I should’ve told you the moment I knew.”  

Her eyebrows raise, her heart crescendoing in her chest. “Knew what?”

“The moment I knew you were the one.” He combs her hair behind ear as a solemn tear spills out joyfully on her skin. “I have to finish out the social season to maintain suitable connections with our allies… but damnit,” he bites his lip mischievously, “I’m in love with you, Riley Brooks.”

“I’m in love with you too, William Rys.” She wraps her arms tightly around his neck, pulling him into another heated kiss. His hand finds the back of her neck, his fingers tangling intimately into her raven waves. 

“Wait a minute,” he pulls away, “I almost forgot.” Liam quickly darts towards the door, stepping outside the quarters, only to return seconds later with a pink gift bag. There’s a subtle clinking coming from inside before he hands the surprise to Riley.

She raises a playful eyebrow. “What is it?”

“You’ll see,” he winks.

Riley carefully reaches inside, pulling out two finely etched pieces of stemware. She smiles widely, snickering at the sentiment.

“They’re champagne glasses… You know, so we can enjoy the bubbly together–”

“You goofball,” she giggles as she admires the brushed-gold rimming. “And forgive me if I’m mistake, but I do believe… well, at least according to Bertrand, that these are champagne tulips, your highness.”

He chuckles, pecking her lips. “No,” he leans in again, kissing her tenderly, “this is my promise to you.” He takes the glasses, and safely puts them on her dresser before taking her hands in his. “You don’t have to worry anymore, my love. No matter how hard this road gets for us, I promise you… I’ll always come back to you.”

------

Present

Riley clings to Liam’s metal bands around her neck, holding them close to her heart as his last words resound over and over in her head. 

“Pour two glasses, my queen. I’m coming home to you.”

What she wouldn't give to actually hear those words pass through his lips, to hear the tone and sultry timbre of his rich Cordonian accent, to hear him say, ‘I love you’ just one more time…

Remembering that final day when she saw him off in the motorcade, Riley wishes she could’ve known it was the last time. Maybe she would’ve paid just a little more attention to the smile she already knew so well. Maybe she would’ve savored his coveting touch, dedicating it more to her memory. Maybe she would’ve kissed him longer, harder, more passionately, memorizing over and over the restraining tug of his mouth on her lips. 

Or maybe she would’ve begged him not to go.

With these intrusive thoughts swirling around in her head, Riley is unable to fall asleep as she previously thought. She considers retrieving Drake, thinking that maybe having some company would relax her, saving her from her own mind. But as she sits up, she looks back to Liam’s casket.

You should try it… talking to Liam.

Riley nervously picks at her nails as she mindlessly surveys the dark, empty nave. Is she really doing this? She begins to rub her hands up and down the soft weave on her arms, finding a snagged, loose thread in her husband’s old sweater. As she fidgets with the string, twirling it around her finger, she hesitantly steps closer to the white casket. 

She carefully touches the polished exterior, her fingertips brushing against the gold handles and intricately designed filigree. Taking a deep breath, she pulls back the Cordonian flag before pressing her palms to the cold, sturdy lid where he lies.

“Liam?” Her voice is low, barely even a whisper as her eyes shift up and down his resting place. At first, she feels silly, her cheeks reddening despite her solitude. She’s not sure what to expect or what she even wants to happen by talking to Liam; but Riley can’t deny the sudden rush of comfort she feels calling out to her beloved. It feels nice to imagine, even if for a moment, that she’s conversing with him, as if life was back to normal.

Her breath hitches in her chest as storm clouds gather in her eyes, tears eroding across the curves of her face. She trembles as she traces figure-eights across the surface. 

I happen to be an excellent listener…

Riley drapes her arms across the top of the coffin, resting her head against the hard lid. She pinches her eyes closed, overcome with the torrential downpour of her tears. 

In her personal darkness, she sees Liam, those handsome dimples, the peaceful warmth of his strong embrace, the vast galaxy of stars in his eyes. She opens her mouth to speak, but her sobs rob her of her voice. 

It's just you and me…

Riley tucks a closed fist under her body. She nuzzles her head like a kitten against the lid as her bottom lip quivers. With her thoughts hazy on what to say, she finally chokes out in a single, desperate breath the one thing–the only thing–she can muster. 

"I miss you." 

Seized by her sadness, uncontrollable tears pour out as her hopeless cries reverberate through the sanctuary.

In the back of the darkened nave, a hidden pair of chocolate eyes takes in the scene as they begin to sting with bitterness at the sight of his best friend’s widow.

------

It has been a little over three weeks since Liam's death. Riley has spent twenty of the past twenty-one nights of his Royal Wake at his side, finding comfort in the memories of him, in talking about him.

In talking to him. 

Although the thick cloud of grief haunts stagnantly around her, the river of tears and the uncontrollable cries have become manageable. Discussing Liam, his honorable death and legacy has become slightly easier. Little reminders around the quarters, like his empty coffee cup, his untouched tennis racket, even his empty laundry hamper, aren't so jarring anymore.

As she slowly transitions into a new era of her life, Riley recognizes that she isn't healing or moving on from the death of her husband. Rather, she has become numb, barely existing. Her body gasps for survival, moment by moment, minute by minute, breath by breath.

Perhaps this is what happens when a beloved dies. The heart doesn't bruise or break; it's a treasure, sealed by love in the arms of a lover, never meant to be returned. But, what is life without a heart?

Riley's heart remains steadfast with Liam and always will. 

Today, he will be buried. He will be honored before the heavens in a televised mass before his body is escorted to his final resting place, next to the great rulers that came before him. 

Today, she slips on a knee-length black peplum dress with a modest black heel. She fixes her dark waves into a low bun while adorning a black fascinator to her crown, pulling a veil over her face.

Today, her family, her friends and her country will gather one last time to say those unimaginable words just one more time.

Goodbye.

The service is lovely, at least that's what Maxwell whispers to Riley as they form the processional for the exit from the cathedral. Her eyes refuse to leave Liam’s casket as six guards prepare to move him. With delicate precision, they fold up the Cordonian flag and gather the twenty-one white roses that once decorated the lid, and hand them respectfully to her.

She clutches the gifts dearly to her chest, her fingers finding her necklace with her husband’s rings. Her eyes well with tears as the men begin to walk Liam carefully down the aisle to the back of the nave.

A warm hand gently touches Riley's back, guiding her into the open aisle behind the casket. She looks up to see a tear-stained Drake, motioning for her to follow.

Without saying a word, she offers her arm, her eyes pleading with him  to walk with her.

Drake drops his mouth to her ear. "Brooks, I'll be along in a minute. It’s family first–"

"You are family." A corner of her mouth curls as Liam's best friend finally takes her arm.

Feeling more at ease, they somberly follow in the processional. Exiting the sanctuary, they continue down the stoned corridors, brilliantly colored by the stained glass in the daylight. Once they reach the antique, double wooden doors at the front of the church, they take a moment to ensure the lineup.

"Excuse me?" Riley softly calls to the guards. "I… I was wondering if I could just have a brief moment. With my husband? Just one last time while we’re here in the church."

With the nod of their heads, she steps forward to the pearlescent casket, laying a single hand on it. She begins to whisper sweet sentiments unheard by everyone present, tender words only meant for heaven’s ears. Riley then kisses her palm before pressing it once more over the smooth surface of the lid. She hugs the flag and flowers back to her body before giving a subtle shake towards the guards.

As the large doors swing open, the thunderous creak of the wood reverberates through the foyer. And in an instant, the Mediterranean sunlight pours in, particles of dust dancing amongst the golden rays. As the guards proceed with Liam, her eyes adjust to the abrupt punch of brightness to her swollen eyes. The warmth of the day washes over her skin as if to welcome her into a new life. She remembers once upon a time feeling this way, walking out of this very cathedral hand-in-hand with Liam, and the sweet bathing of the Cordonian sun felt like a renewal, as if the universe was greeting them into their new life as husband and wife.

As the cozy, familiar feeling melts over her senses, her long, dark lashes flutter shut as she remembers that special day, her wedding day. 

Riley Brooks, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?

“Riley?” Drake breaks her reverie, giving a kind, yet pained grin as he offers his arm again. “Are you ready, my queen?”

Unfortunately today signifies a different kind of beginning for Riley. A new life. Without her Liam.

Fixing her tiny hand to him, Riley takes a deep breath, and steps into the light. She sees the stairs and then a distinct pathway marked off with large crowds of people on either side. As she and Drake ease down the entrance from the cathedral, she trains her eyes onto her husband's casket as they make their way to the royal motorcade. 

The crowd is still, completely quiet as the late king passes by. Many bow their heads in reverence; others cross themselves in prayer.

Do you vow to love him, comfort him and cherish him…

Suddenly in the distance, Drake hears a familiar sound causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand. He and Riley continue to proceed, but he anxiously surveys the crowd, both to his right, and then carefully to his left.

…for better or worse…

With the crowd still silent, Drake hears the distinct noise again, only this time it’s closer. Louder. Echoing off the side of the building.

A glock.

…for richer or poorer…

"Switch sides with me," Drake demands in a low, stern voice, trying to guide Riley from his left side to his right.

Riley knits her eyebrows together with curiosity, pivoting her body to face her dear friend. "What’s wrong?"

 ...in times of joy and in times of trial…

Drake looks over Riley's shoulder, his eyes growing wide as he watches a man dressed in a dingy military uniform with dark-complected skin step forward in the crowd, something hidden in his hand. A member of the Les Combattants. 

And now it’s clear what he hides: a gun.

"Oh, fuck me," Drake mutters, grabbing the queen’s shoulders. "Riley, get down!"

Violent echoes like the crack of a whip strike terror in the gathered masses. Frightened screams pierce into the air as people flee the grounds in horror. The gunshots continue, one after another after another, popping incessantly until the cries for help cease, and the grounds of the cathedral choke back into silence.

… till death do you part?

Twenty-one long stem roses scatter chaotically across the stoned pathway; crushed and bruised white petals have been ripped and casted into the wind like chaff.

The neatly-folded Cordonian flag that once adorned the late King's casket lays untucked on the ground…Only its sharp colors are no longer bold and pristine as a deep shade of crimson soaks into the fabric.

I do.

~🖤~

Tags (if you wish to be added/removed, please DM me; if your name is crossed out, Tumblr won't let me tag you):

PERMA

@alexabeta @ao719 @charlotteg234 @chemist-ana @differenttyphoonwerewolf @foreverethereal123 @issabees @jerzwriter @kat-tia801 @khoicesbyk @kingliam2019 @lovelyladyk88 @lucy-268 @mainstreetreader @mom2000aggie @neotericthemis @nikirennie87 @peonierose @schnitzelbutterfingers @sfb123 @shannonwrote @shewillreadyou @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam  

ALL TRR/TRH

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ANYTHING LIAM

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POUR TWO GLASSES

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@choicesficwriterscreations

[choices-binglebonkus]

[lizzybeth1986]

Drake and Kiara: When You're Fucking Racist

Series - TRR's Alternative LIs - The "Romances" that Didn't Happen

Previous - Hana and Madeleine: When You Reward Your Favourite Bully with One of Her Victims

A/N: Again, apologies for the length. There was a LOT to unpack in this one!! I'm really, really not going to be nice to Drake here. It was harrowing to go through a lot of these scenes again and I honestly don't have the patience or inclination to sugarcoat any of it.

CW: Mentions of gun violence and minimization of trauma. Mentions of racist fan vitriol towards a black character. Examination of the Jezebel stereotype.

Whenever I think about how unhinged the hatred towards Kiara (and especially towards Kiara's attraction to Drake) was, a specific edit comes to mind.

On the surface, it looks quite simple. Kiara in a white wedding dress, Drake right next to her in his blue formal suit. Both of them are smiling at the viewer. The background is a beautiful forest, and the entire picture is bathed in a lovely, muted sepia tone. A sweet, simple wedding scene.

The caption underneath this edit?

Classify under things no one asked for.

Kiara's dream come true!

The tags read "#i barf a little looking at this" and "#i must post to share the suffering". You find out in the comments that the OP created this edit inspired by one of the many fics where Kiara was Drake's stalker, and intended to make her creepy and deranged (but ultimately failed).

The comments are...tbh, things that this fandom has long since normalized and shrugged at when it comes to Drake stans. Multiple puke-face emojis. Multiple gifs signaling disgust. One stan even equates the ship name (Driara) to the word diarrhoea.

"She looks very stalkeresque and white "I drugged Drake so he's marrying me" wedding ready!"

"Well it's close to Halloween so we should expect scary shit"

"THAT is why I made that bitch my Maid of Honor...so she got the message LOUD AND CLEAR...it ain't NEVER gonna happen honey" (right below a barfing gif)

I wish I could say this example of Kiara hatred was the worst of the lot, or even the only one. It wasn't. I'm not sure even an entire essay would be adequate space to explore the sheer levels of vitriol, hatred and double standards dumped on this one character.

Until now, we've seen examples of alternative LIs that were treated with respect. With adulation. Often with kid gloves in case we hurt their poor lill fee-fees. Up until now, no matter what an alternative LI may have done, the LI matched with them wasn't allowed to treat them badly, nor was the MC able to get away with hurting them without punishment.

But in this series, Kiara was, is, and will always be an anomaly.

The Jezebel Stereotype

In most media, black women in particular tend to be subjected to a variety of stereotypes that often have serious, real-world implications. The Mammy, the Sapphire (that over time evolved to what we now know as the "Angry Black Woman" stereotype) and the Jezebel, being the most prominent ones among them. In this essay, I will be focusing specifically on the last.

An article in the Black Then website explains the definition and history of the trope this: "The portrayal of black women as lascivious by nature is an enduring stereotype. The descriptive words associated with this stereotype are singular in their focus: seductive, alluring, worldly, beguiling, tempting, and lewd. Historically, white women, as a category, were portrayed as models of self-respect, self-control, and modesty – even sexual purity, but black women were often portrayed as innately promiscuous, even predatory. This depiction of black women is signified by the name Jezebel."

So it isn't altogether uncommon to see stories where black women are juxtaposed against "pure", "innocent" white/white-passing women, and viewed as lesser. PB hasn't exactly escaped these stereotypes in their stories either - though there are a variety of characters and character types, we can't deny that there was a time when a black woman was made the antagonist, often in ways that were meant to measure her up to the MC/another white woman to her detriment.

(VoS screenshots from the HIMEME YouTube channel, ACOR screenshots from Vika Avey's YouTube channel)

Two very prominent examples of PB using this trope are Scarlett from VoS, and Xanthe from ACOR. There are other black women who serve as antagonists but in a more professional space, but these two particularly are measured on their attractiveness, sex appeal and "purity" in the narrative in comparison to either the MC, or someone close to them.

In VoS, Scarlett Emerson and Kate O'Malley are the sisters of the two male LIs (Grant and Flynn), but their treatment couldn't be any more different. Scarlett's role in the book is pretty short-lived. She's very prominent in the first half of the book as Kate's potential MOH who secretly hates her, before it's revealed in Ch 5 that Tanner was cheating on Kate with her (and that she'd loved him since she was a child). Notably, in that very scene, the MC places most of the blame on Scarlett (rather than on Tanner for choosing to betray his fiancée) by labelling the act as her seduction of him.

Thereafter she is either only mentioned, or has blink-and-you-miss-it appearances in one or two chapters. We see her in the "memory" portion of the bonus scene, but we are never shown what her future is like (even as minor characters like Miss Harleney get one!). Her bonus scene shows us how her bracelet ended up on Tanner's boat, and it is an uncomfortable scene to get through. Tanner berates Scarlett for having sex with him a week before his wedding, but it is she who points out that he asked her to come there! Yet the MC and others view her as the temptress who "seduced" Tanner, as if the man had no mind of his own.

The narrative often juxtaposes her with Kate, the pure, innocent, sweet fiancée (and she actually is! No pretence there) and the fandom lapped it up. There were many demands for Kate to be upgraded to LI status, which eventually resulted in PB allowing us to marry her if we chose. As I mentioned earlier, both Scarlett and Kate are sisters to two of our LIs - but one is made an LI, while no one bothers to even imagine what the other's future entails.

An even worse fate greets that of Xanthe, the sole female antagonist in ACOR. The slut-shaming and disgust over her overt sexuality is far more blatant here. And it is extremely ironic for Xanthe to be viewed in this way, because the MC herself is a courtesan and uses wiles to get men to do her bidding. While Xanthe herself is not perfect by any means - she is depicted as xenophobic and callous, going as far as to mock Syphax when he is sent away to a possible death as a gladiator - the MC's targeting of her goes beyond just her "righteous indignation" and develops into a form of hypocrisy. She has no qualms mocking Xanthe for her direct approach or her skimpy red dress (even though the MC herself wears a skimpy red dress and can seduce a man in a temple not too long after).

The end Xanthe meets is horrific in its implications - the black matron of her scholae (who began by promising the MC herself that "you need do nothing against your will") sends her away to sexual slavery in Sicily, while the black man who was one of the few bastions of morality in the book, escorts her, smiling, to the ship that will take her there. As far as the narrative is concerned, the end was well-deserved...even though PB has had no issues allowing white women to do far worse without any punishment.

We cannot view what ACOR did with Xanthe in isolation. They had built up to it early on - from the MC's reactions towards her, her patrons' dismissiveness of her, the MC's LIs' viewing her with derision and zero respect. The MC - despite her own unscrupulousness - is viewed as the "noble whore" to Xanthe, yet it is clear on even a surface read that there is not much difference between the two women.

The Jezebel stereotype, ultimately, is about dehumanizing the black woman it focuses on, so that her actions and choices are viewed as deviant from what is "normal" - feeding into either responses of disgust and derision, or a desire to objectify her. To some readers, it makes whatever awful or comparatively unfair end they meet, more palatable. Scarlett and Xanthe are not viewed as people by the narrative - especially not the way the MC of their books or even white female antagonists are. No one cares for their backstories, coos over their losses, wonders if they are okay. When they meet their inevitable end, the characters and so many in the fandom alike just shrug and move along.

How does a character like Kiara fit into this? Her smarts and linguistic talents are her most prominent traits, and while she does have feelings for Drake, she never really acts out-of-pocket towards him (more on this later). So at least from what we see in canon, there's very little about her that seems to apply to the Jezebel stereotype. Yet, the fandom is not only inclined, but eager, to view her as one. Kiara's feelings have been viewed in a far more predatory light, perhaps more often than any other female character in the series. Why is this so?

A response I have often seen - on reddit, on Kiara's wiki page, at times on Tumblr too - is how there is a "certain something" about Kiara that people "just don't like". Many players who prefer Penelope to her are often very aware of what she has done, but still insist they like her far more than they do Kiara. On a reddit thread about questioning the logic of having Kiara and Penelope as options for the MC's MOH in TRR3, certain players commented thus:

"I don't know why, I just dislike her a lot. Penelope is fine to me, but Kiara irritates me." (said commenter is an Aerin stan)

"I liked Penelope, I thought she was nice. But Kiara got on my nerves."

In her book, The Sisters Are Alright, Tamara Winfrey Harris makes an eye-opening (to me at least!) observation about how misogynoir works:

"Misogynoir, abetted by dehumanizing caricature, is like water. It fills its vessel, taking many forms, and then overflows, creeping unnoticed into the cracks of things, rotting the foundation. It spreads a belief in Black women’s inherent wrongness." (Italics mine).

Now of course, if I were to ask the current fandom, they would come up with a range of reasons. Some that emerged from fandom myths and became more popular than the truth in time, some from PB's excessive pandering to players that hated her. But the root of it all is in a certain "je ne sais quoi" that makes her automatically unappealing, resulting in those readers leaning towards misreading or misremembering her scenes, misrepresenting her motives, or watering down the impact of worse actions from whiter women. It results in a group of writers (who have thus far gone to the extent of retconning the worst of a white woman's actions just to make her look good) leaning into such readings, even when they're not true.

TRR1 Kiara: Pragmatic Courtier or Backstabbing Snake?

"Kiara is fake", "Kiara is a snob", "Kiara is self-serving", "Kiara promised to be friends with us but dropped us like a hot potato the moment we became unpopular". These are some of the most enduring takes about Kiara in the past few years, and readers who say this usually bring up a vague recollection of TRR1 and 2 as proof. Mostly that "Kiara was our friend" in the first book, and left us hanging at the beginning of TRR2.

Is that reading based in fact, though? Let's take a look at TRR1!Kiara and find out.

We are introduced to Kiara (along with Penelope, and standing next to Hana) in TRR3 when we meet Liam's other suitors. Olivia introduces each woman differently, and the descriptor she uses for Kiara is that she is the "daughter of a diplomat and fluent in ten languages" (note: Kiara never boasts of her linguistic skill, Olivia does. Nor are there any scenes of her looking down on anyone who doesn't speak her mother tongue French, unless of course you accidentally ask her to sleep with you).

Both she and Penelope note immediately that the MC doesn't quite fit in - if the MC questions the women about being allies with Olivia, a woman who calls them "harpies", they view that as an overreaction. When the MC tells the ladies at the Derby about getting lost, Kiara finds her tardiness and inability to fit in, a sign that she cannot keep up with the competition. Until the chapters in Lythikos, Kiara's and Penelope's characterizations are almost interchangeable, personality-wise. It is likely the team envisioned them more as European nobility rather than specifically Cordonian (based on Olivia's introductions), and they are both depicted as poised, refined and aware of their place in court.

It's in Lythikos that Kiara, at least, begins to show a more distinct personality (for Penelope it's after the Regatta). Unlike the rest of the court, who watches Olivia's unwanted kiss on Liam with either mild shock or disinterest, Kiara is angered by what she sees as a very obvious power-play - which gives the MC the opening she needs to gain an alliance.

Now this "alliance" scene of Kiara's is interesting, for two reasons. One is that fandom often uses this scene to establish her "double standards" in TRR2, claiming that Kiara opted to be friends with the MC. Yet nowhere in the scene does the MC or Kiara ever suggest a friendship with each other - they both agree to an alliance. Furthermore, this is an arrangement that benefits the MC more - there isn't exactly anything she contributes (or is expected to contribute) to Kiara from her end. Kiara's promise is that she will put in a good word in the MC's favour, and she upholds that promise throughout the social season.

Another is that among the courtiers, Kiara herself is the first person to identify and respond to the MC's potential if she shows it at the Derby and the tea party (though Hana is also a courtier, I view her strictly as an LI in this context - since her support is by default and is founded on a more emotional basis). Not many nay notice this, but there is a distinction between how Kiara responds to an MC in a successful play vs a failplay...in a way that none of the other suitors do. Take note of the screenshots below:

The top two pictures in this collage are dialogues that feature by default. The bottom two, however, are dependent on branch-coding. They only appear IF the MC has managed to win the approval of the King, the Queen and the press. If you don't succeed in the same, she will not mention your performance in the social season at all, nor will she say anything about the value of your alliance.

That is a far bigger deal than most players of this series realize. It means that Kiara has been watching us closely, and has understood our potential over the course of just three court events. Only two other characters are shown tracking our progress this way: Bertrand (who is our sponsor, so he has to keep track) and Queen Regina (who can guess already her stepson's feelings for the MC, which automatically makes her a person of interest). For Kiara to understand the MC's capabilities, and to openly admit she has potential this early in the competition - it takes a high level of rationality, honesty and pragmatism to come to such a conclusion. Unlike Olivia (who lashes out in jealousy at the MC), Penelope (who has to be told why exactly it's good to have allies), and Madeleine (who dismisses us as competition until it's too late), Kiara actually views the MC with a discerning, impartial eye and an objective approach.

So on the surface, it appears as if Kiara is written by a team that likes her! You could almost be convinced that they thought she was cool but were forced to pander to "crazy Drake stans" in their writing later (which is an argument I have heard often). After all, she's established as beautiful, skilled, smart and observant. You wouldn't do that for a character you don't like, right?

But even as early as TRR1, a disdain for Kiara creeps in from the writing that you rarely see for any of the others.

This is especially apparent when you look at how Kiara's proficiency with language is spoken about. It is supposed to be her most visible skill - Olivia identifies her by it, we see her peppering her English sentences with French words (of course, many may argue that she doesn't exactly sound like an actual French person...but let's remember that her writers aren't exactly very used to the language themselves or interested in doing extra research for authenticity!). As we approach the end of the first book, there are at least two dialogue options that result in people doubting her abilities or mocking her for speaking only English and French most of the time.

In TRR1 Ch 16, Madeleine optionally speaks to the MC over phone (believing her to be a reporter taking her interview) about her thoughts on Kiara. Kiara's tendency to speak mostly in French and English is supposed to be a sign that she "exaggerates her accomplishments". Mind you, this is from the same woman who claims to be the best choice for Cordonia despite her poor strategies and her antagonizing potential allies during the engagement tour (TRR2); who complains if the MC doesn't compliment her for mediocre work as a press sec (TRR3). The MC can also choose to diss Kiara in a similar way, treating Kiara like she is a circus performer and her skills as if they are meant for the MC's entertainment. The only solace I could derive from this dumpster fire of a dialogue option, was that Kiara managed to shut the MC up with her multilingual response.

No other time are we allowed to call a courtier's abilities and skills into question. The MC accepts on faith that Olivia is a badass with great fighting skills. Same with Penelope's ability as a seamstress. The MC is never even allowed to have legitimate complaints about Madeleine's work as press sec, besides maybe that she could "be a little nicer". So the fact that the writers not only have other characters doubt Kiara's talent, but also allow people to mock her about it in all three books...is really something.

Another possible indicator of this disdain is the fact that Kiara is the only suitor who never gets a chance to actually interact with Liam on-screen. Even Penelope, a fellow minor character, can approach and talk to him twice...and her gift to him is shown in Ch 18 whereas Kiara's and Hana's aren't. Despite the fact that Kiara is a potential suitor, the story never allows her to interact with Liam. She doesn't exactly have any interactions with Drake in this book either, but honestly nor does any other couple have much time together besides Liam and Olivia.

Drake and Kiara hardly seemed to be a possibility back in TRR1. Drake himself didn't seem to associate with anyone besides the MC and the group in the first book (and even with the group his interactions were infrequent). Kiara herself doesn't have many scenes that aren't related to the court or to the competition, even once she is no longer participating. The closest she comes to any sort of association besides Penelope, is a friendship with Hana that begins sometime before the Fox Hunt. Drake and Kiara never actually have any scenes together, or interactions, or references. It is likely that the idea to pair them up was entirely a Book 2 thing.

On a fandom level, neither Kiara or Penelope garnered much attention or fan reactions. They weren't noticed much, nor did you see their scenes too often. Probably that is why it was so damn easy to remember Kiara's entire equation with the MC wrong. Why certain stans of the book were able to get away with misrepresenting the relationship between her and the MC in TRR1, to hate on her in TRR2. I will not deny, though, that certain dialogue choices from PB (like "I thought we were friends!" in the Fydelia scene) may have had a hand in those beliefs becoming the "truth".

TRR2 Kiara - Pragmatic Courtier or Backstabbing Snake (Part 2)

I plan to get into the way the Drake and Kiara angle is framed in canon, but before that it's important to tackle that one elephant in the room - Kiara telling the MC the alliance is over. Because very often, people used this scene (coupled with their misinterpretations of Book 1) as their "justification" to hate her. Often, people would choose the ruder options (such as the Christmas card dialogue) and assume that Kiara was rude by default, rather than as a consequence of the MC's behaviour towards her.

Kiara and Penelope are the first to express surprise at the MC's return (and their reactions are shown as representative of the rest of the court). Kiara in fact is shocked that the MC dared to return (which is kinda warranted! Several people in these early chapters view that as a risky move, a gamble that could backfire on her. That's why Bertrand gets her a press secretary). Their scene with the MC immediately follows the MC's conversation with Liam and Madeleine (and mind you, in the option where the MC can tell her she was set up, Madeleine herself voices disbelief of the same. Conveniently, this is never used as a reason to hate her). Both women let the MC know of their change in status, and therefore the change in their relationship with her.

What gets missed overall, is that Kiara is a lady-in-waiting (which is an actual role with specific duties) to Madeleine, which means her loyalty now has to lie with this woman whether she likes it or not. For her to even agree to approach the MC and explain the situation, is a risk. In at least two dialogue options in this scene, she tells the MC straight-up that they will be in trouble if they're even seen talking to her (this becomes a moot point by Ch4, mostly because Madeleine herself is shown talking to the MC and allowing her into conversations in public, once Hana arrives).

Penelope is often viewed in a better light in this scene because of her obvious friendliness and her sadness at no longer being the MC's friend, but once you have the reveal of her being a traitor, her behaviour in this scene seems wildly disingenuous, and I'm surprised more people didn't call her a fake when the reveal came out. She had to know the allegations against the MC were fake when she rushed to hug her, having been an integral part of that fabrication. It makes her lament when she's caught, in the failplay, ("I can't do anything right. You were never supposed to find out!") that much more chilling. She is eager to have the benefit of the MC's friendship and emotional support, without ever being honest about her role in smearing her reputation.

The other was that - no matter what you may choose to think of this scene - Kiara was placing herself at risk to let the MC know it was over. Approaching the MC was the right thing to do, but what is never spoken about is the fact that it was also a brave thing to do. Rather than ghost the pariah of the court and never give an explanation, she tells her honestly what the situation is, and strives to protect her impulsive friend (who could get both of them in trouble) at the same time.

When you view Kiara's actions from that lens - when you look at the facts - suddenly the claims that Kiara was "fake", "a flip-flopper", "a backstabber", "unscrupulous and self-serving", sound pretty hollow.

TRR2: The Drake x Kiara "Romance" Begins...and So Does the Vitriol

So...an interesting thing about the general reaction to Kiara in the early chapters of TRR2. I was new to the fandom when this book was released. There was an annoyance at Kiara when the first chapter came out, but to my surprise it didn't exactly become full-blown hatred until she started showing an interest in Drake in Ch 3.

This book is often used as a reference by Drake stans when they speak of Kiara as an obsessed, stalker-type, sex-hungry woman - often in contrast to their "pure", "innocent" MCs. Basically...the Jezebel. But the five scenes we see of this ship in the book itself tell a completely different story:

1. Drake Helps Kiara Lift A Heavy Beam (TRR2 Ch 3)

Chapter 3 is perhaps the first time we see an indication of Kiara's attraction to Drake on a physical level. The scene takes place at the barn raising, but only if we choose to stay with Drake over Hana for the barn raising activities. Kiara shows up in a rather pitiable state - her friend Penelope abandoned her for thirty whole minutes, leaving her to lift incredibly heavy beams alone. Drake helps Kiara and mildly chides her for not asking for his help, and Kiara stares at his bare chest, mesmerized.

She isn't exactly alone in this - the MC herself ogles at his bare chest at one point (if we go by the lines in the narrative that read "his muscles glisten in the sunlight" which is def from the MC's PoV). This scene was meant as fanservice for stans who wanted to drool over Drake's physique for a bit, and belatedly build up an alternative (at least for all three male LIs, they were trying to do this in TRR2).

The MC can either point out Kiara's obvious attraction towards Drake, or suspect her of being part of the plot. This will not be the last time the MC or the group will view her with suspicion, with little to no basis in fact. In the option that calls attention to Kiara's attraction to Drake, she is shown covertly sneaking a second look at him. Drake is shown with a visible discomfort at even the idea that Kiara could like him, one that only the MC notices considering she is working in proximity with him.

The reaction to this was instantaneous from several Drake x MC shippers. One or two glances at Drake's chest was enough for Drake stans to begin typing posts in capslock, screaming "BACK OFF KIARA HE'S MINE". The excuses given at the time were that the MC didn't get much opportunity to romance him (Drake was trying to refrain from kissing her in Ch 2 because he felt guilty), and largely-inaccurate judgements of Kiara's character. Jealousy of this kind is sometimes seen as the norm when you have a popular ship and a third angle is created, but this was about to take form in some...very disturbing ways in later chapters.

2. Kiara was Once Savannah's Friend/Kiara's long-standing crush on Drake (Ch 4)

A misconception I often see in the fandom (particularly in relation to how Kiara's feelings for Drake aren't given the same level of consideration that Olivia's for Liam is) is that Olivia's are "more genuine", and Kiara's are "mere lust" or "only physical" and this is probably why she's not given as much respect as Olivia was. Even though, tbh, Kiara was far, far more respectful of Drake and his personal space, than Olivia was of Liam in TRR1.

Leaving aside the obvious problems with that train of thought (viewing sexual feelings as "lesser" just because they're not rooted in some intense emotion), this is not even true, and the first part of the Driara garden party scene is proof enough. Kiara says, straight up, that Drake had been "such a good friend to [Liam]. It's part of why I always liked you." (Bold mine). If the MC voices doubts about this (likely incorporated for readers who would question it as a retcon...and it was a retcon since they didn't interact in TRR1), Kiara tells her that she doesn't wear her heart on her sleeve, which actually matches her practical approach to most things. In fact just a few scenes earlier, when the MC questioned her about wanting a husband (when she'd mentioned earlier about wanting to join the ministry), Kiara informs her that it would never hurt to have both. So it makes sense for her character if she's someone who kept her feelings for Drake a secret, especially while in a competition for winning the Crown Prince's hand. But we cannot, in any honest capacity, claim that Kiara's feelings for Drake weren't deep enough, or lasting enough, or genuine enough. At least based on the evidence we have.

Another point this scene brings up is Kiara's friendship towards Savannah. Up until this point, the only people who did reference her were Olivia, Drake and Maxwell - and Olivia's mockery of especially seemed to imply that the ladies of the court weren't very nice to her. Kiara's account is very different from this, and actually quite affectionate ("she was one of us", "she was coming along so well in learning French"). It's not the closest friendship, but Kiara did care enough to tutor her in the language and clearly missed her. It is possible that this scene was positioned to both build up to the alternative romance and foreshadow Savannah's presence in Paris. There is a lot more that could have been done with this angle, but perhaps that is a discussion for another section.

3. Never-Have-I-Ever (Ch 9)

This is a small option in a drinking game - the MC can get to say "never have I ever had a crush on Kiara", and loses, because Drake says she isn't his type (ironically he claims he isn't her type in the next chapter). It's interesting that he does consider her as not as bad as some of the others in that group.

3. Flirting with Drake in Paris (Ch 10)

For five chapters, we don't see any more hints of this romance. We see Drake in plenty, and we see quite a bit of Kiara. But none of it shows them together.

Kiara's scene with Drake at the tea party, is in some ways a continuation of his diamond scene with Savannah. He knows now where his sister is and what her big secret was, but this scene is where he realises how little he actually knew about her, if even her "noblewoman friend" knew she had intentions to go to Paris and he, her brother, didn't. This scene also takes place at what I call a "rest period" in the story - the group has just come out of a high-intensity altercation with Bastien, and it is one chapter before the major reveal about Constantine. So the MC can relax a little, some of the loose ends of previous stories can be tied up, and we get a vibe check on at least two alternative ships.

Drake is rather civil to Kiara in this conversation, mostly because he's trying to get information about his sister out of her. There isn't much he contributes besides this - it doesn't seem to matter much to him that Kiara was a rare friend among the court to Savannah (tho TRR3 would later retcon this), and when she talks about herself he doesn't pay much attention. Kiara does make an attempt at a light flirtation which goes largely unnoticed.

The MC's response when she first sees them goes three ways - a neutral comment about the petit-fours, a "matchmake-y" comment that points to them that they "look cozy", and a "jealous" comment about interrupting them. The third one especially results in Drake inadvertently confirming he doesn't think of Kiara in a romantic light, and Kiara appearing disappointed. Remember, at this point she doesn't see much evidence that Drake and the MC romancing him are an item.

The follow-up conversation with Drake, too, follows along similar lines. The neutral comment just asks him about the information he gathered from Kiara, the "matchmake-y" one points out she has feelings for Drake and the "jealous" one is... something.

The third response is very obviously crafted for the more possessive Drake stans to get satisfaction from dissing Kiara, perhaps in a more aggressive way than the Maxwell stans could. While the Maxwell MC can pass an insult or two to discourage Penelope, the Drake MC will go as far as to tell him he belongs only to her, and can threaten to "push her into the petit-fours".

Ironically, this scene follows a scene with Olivia about her lingering feelings for Liam - and Olivia's grief, the MC's clear sympathy and Liam's concern for Olivia are all by default. There is a certain level of sensitivity the Liam MC is required to have for Olivia that is never once expected of the Drake MC, and that plays out in very dangerous ways in the next book.

This scene, again, brought forth rather violent reactions, and in fact the language of the MC's responses itself seemed to encourage that kind of response. A poster later compiled an entire set of these responses ranging from mocking, to "back off, Kiara!" to straight up demands for murder (I couldn't link to this post because the names of the people involved were included in it, but I do have quite a few of those screenshots for reference).

After this point, you don't see any more scenes where Kiara actively flirts. In fact for most of the second half you see her and Penelope very rarely. So it does feel really wild in retrospect that "obsessed Kiara" became such a popular interpretation, after one checking-out scene, one flirtation and one rather sweet and genuine compliment of him as a person.

4. Pranking Kiara (Ch 17)

A pattern you would have noticed by now is that there is a bit of a mean streak in Drake for Kiara that is either very dominant or latent, based on whether the MC tries to encourage him, or shows jealousy towards her.

And this isn't necessarily an indicator that he can never be interested in Kiara. A distrust for nobility is almost a norm for him at this point, and let's not forget that Drake's first few interactions with the MC too didn't exactly leave her with the best impression of him either. Kiara initially being on Madeleine's side at the beginning of the story could be a factor in some level of disdain too. Such complications could - in a good story - add layers to a potential romance in the future if that was the direction the writing was going for.

Around the MC who doesn't mind them as a pair, he shows a small sliver of an inclination towards Kiara herself. His response if the MC points out that Kiara was flirting with him (Ch 10) is that he doesn't believe he is Kiara's type, not the other way around. In this scene, a drunk Drake who is encouraged to write a "nice note" to her as a prank, can write "your hair is pretty and your French is totally not stupid". Both of these lines present a sign of a possibility that a romance could happen. His behaviour when an MC casually hints at this possibility, is of someone who may like this woman deep down, but show it in very strange ways (akin to the age-old metaphor of the "boy who pulls the pigtails of the girl he has a crush on"). They wouldn't have even needed to show his responses in this way if they weren't trying to hint at a possibility.

His response to a "jealous" MC is to delightedly bask in her possessiveness of him, and to go hand-in-glove with her as she insults or suggests violence on Kiara in any way. Now one could perhaps headcanon this as a behaviour that comes from being unused to female attention focused on him, coupled with his affection for the MC - but when you take into account his behaviour towards Kiara herself in TRR3 as well, there seems to be a blatant lack of consideration or compassion towards her as a human being. Compare this, again, to the way Liam's behaviour towards Olivia is written in canon, and interpreted by the fandom. Liam is expected to be kind to her, even if he's clueless about her feelings or if she is harming him (eg. Even when she kisses him, he cares enough to opt for a reaction that will not publicly humiliate Olivia).

Not so for Drake. He is very happy to follow in the MC's lead, even in hurting Kiara. And in this scene, he pretty much kickstarts it with the suggestion of a prank.

Drake knows where Kiara's room is (thanks to a nameplate on the door, and the familiarity of the hallway, which he likes for the view outside) and wants to prank her. The MC can either accept or refuse. If she accepts, there is one nice option, and two distinctly mean-spirited ones. The first proposes to mess up her book organizational system, and the narrative describes the attempt as "ruining any semblance of order to Kiara's bookshelves". These are materials she likely requires for her career as an aspiring diplomat, or even books she uses to update herself on the world. But to this MC and Drake, her work and interests are little more than a joke.

The second one is not only aggressively mean - it also is an attempt to ruin her personal space with her personal items. Going by the array of haircare the narrative mentions, maintaining her hair is very important to Kiara (I am not equipped enough to speak about black women and their relationship with their hair, but this option did make me very uncomfortable, because of the little I've seen on how essential regular haircare and good products can be for many black women). Not only does the MC suggest using all that product to render Kiara's bed practically unusable, she also insists Drake waste the full bottle of said product. Because, yknow. "It's a prank. Go big or go home". Drake has one moment where he tries to be less mean in this option (when he attempts to use less of her hairspray), but the moment the MC encourages him towards a crueller direction he does not hesitate. In fact, when the MC first suggests this option, he regards her with something approaching awe, and praises her as "an evil genius".

There's a mean streak in Drake here no matter which option you choose. If you do go for the nicer one, he complains at first that it's not exactly a prank and in fact does claim that they "could still put glitter in her cupboard" as an alternative prank. But the other two options encourage the player to give full vent to whatever underlying frustration/enmity/hatred one could possibly have against Kiara, goading a drunk Drake to be merciless towards the things in her room, in her absence.

Maybe, perhaps, one could just view this as a "fun vent" for the "possessive stans". It allowed the Drake MC and her LI the chance to gang up on her, mock her and cause her discomfort through things that were clearly important to her, treat her like the butt of their joke, and get away with it. When you encourage that kind of hatred with your writing, it can go into some very dark, disturbing places. And it did, especially in TRR3.

The overall response to this scene didn't show much, since it was just one small sequence in a larger scene - and most of the focus was on the heartfelt bonding between Drake and the MC when he takes her to his "special hideout" and his reveal about his motives behind calling the MC by her surname.

Many Drake stans, however, took note of this specific section, and took their interpretations in a completely different direction. Questions were asked about why Drake knew about Kiara's room - completely ignoring that he frequented the hallway regardless for its view and her nameplate is literally placed outside her door - and several fans suspected the two to be involved in an affair just on the basis of him knowing where her room was. These suspicions, again, would crop up from the fandom in a more dramatic way in TRR3.

5. Drinks at Homecoming Ball (Ch 19)

This scene takes place in the finale, just before Kiara and Penelope apologize jointly to the MC for their comments in the beer garden.

Drake is, quite predictably, at the bar in this scene. In some ways one could draw a parallel between this one and the "bar" scene between him and the MC in TRR1 - the only differences being that the two were alone in the first, and that he and the MC are free to romance each other now. However this time, the two ladies of the court could also communicate with him about drinks, and he could use his knowledge of alcohol to guess their preferences.

The scene with Kiara is, again, written to be both a possible sign of familiarity and a diss (mostly the second, I think). With Penelope he just vaguely mentions cocktails and focuses on the decoration for the drink - with Kiara he is able to name the specific wine even though in TRR3 he has no idea what tannins are. There are ways one could envision that as a sign that he notices more about Kiara than he lets on.

The diss, of course, comes with his claim that no matter how top-shelf the wine is, it will still always be "old grape juice" (which is a very strange thing to say because most alcohols are fermented from basic ingredients be it fruit or grains - where did he think his high-quality whiskey that he regularly carries around in his personal flask came from??).

Kiara's attempt to impress him is pretty obvious, but the diss isn't something that weighs too much on her mind. There are less indicators here of a dejection if he brushes her aside, unlike the scene in Ch 10 - she just looks a bit surprised he could guess the exact drink she wanted. Kiara in this scene is more likely to shift gears to something more important. In this case, that is apologizing to the MC for what she views as poor behaviour that sprung up under the influence of alcohol, and offering her an olive branch (the specific apology is for her asking the MC if she came to gloat, not for telling her the alliance was over at the beginning of the tour. In that scene specifically she feels she has nothing to apologise for, and I'm inclined to agree for the reasons I stated in that section).

The overall pattern for this ship seems to indicate that it's...kinda there in case the MC doesn't want to pick Drake, but I always feel like they focused a lot more on the jealousy options and didn't spend enough time to see what a possible relationship could look like. They do claim later that Kiara's affections were supposed to be one-sided, but the buildup at least seemed to indicate some small baseline of interest from Drake's end, even if shown in some rather bizarre ways. However, because there seems to be very little respect for this character already, having the MC threaten violence and having her and Drake overreact over what were essentially harmless interactions from Kiara's end really does indicate that the writers didn't mind taking potshots at her whenever they felt like it. Like I've said before, the trashfire that was Kiara's treatment in TRR3 didn't develop overnight.

Smart, Skilled...Disliked?: Kiara and the Writing Team in TRR3

On 25th Sept 2023, PB released a two-chapter series on Storyloom called "Choices Secrets", which involved at least three writers (Andrew, Kara and Chelsa) talking about ideas and plots and backstories that didn't make it to the released book. In one section, Kara Loo speaks specifically about the ending of TRR2:

According to this account, the original idea was to kill off Olivia and possibly use that as a segue into the Nevrakis plot of the book, since her aunt and Justin were the real villains at the end of the series. When they decided to keep her alive in the series, Kara mentions finding "more members of your group get injured, like Drake".

Interestingly, Kara referred to "members" in the plural, and Drake is the only person from the core group to get shot. So it's just as possible that the choice to have Bastien, Justin/Anton and Kiara sustain injuries, was made once they decided to do away with the storyline about Olivia's death.

Olivia got spared because her writers cared for her. Kiara was likely one of the people injured in her stead, and probably the only one out of them (except for the one who was the main villain) who wasn't getting a prominent scene that focused on her being a survivor of the attack until some readers protested (the entire intro of TRR3 was dedicated to Drake recieving tender care from the MC, Bastien gets showered with concern and care from Constantine, Liam and optionally the MC. The MC comes to the estate, makes a perfunctory mention of the injury once and proceeds to emotionally blackmail Kiara into joining the tour. Let's not even talk about Lythikos. That shit warranted its own essay). No matter how much you downplay the situation, the truth is that Kiara got grievously hurt in a terrorist attack and her writers didn't think it was important enough to address.

I often wondered in the beginning, why Kiara was chosen for this. A close friend at the time theorized that perhaps it was done to ensure Madeleine would become our press secretary, because there was no way the MC would be considering her for this position if someone less hostile (like Kiara) was around. Another wondered if we might get opportunities to address palace security through the experiences of the survivors. Being a Drake x Kiara supporter at least by the end of TRR2, I wondered whether it was a coincidence that they both were injured at the same ball, and the possibility of the two bonding over such a painful experience.

Well. Boy was I about to be disappointed.

Because why did Kiara have to be so badly injured, if it was going to amount to nothing? If they weren't even going to address it in her own home? If - after even players who didn't care much for her, noticed the silence around that attack - the best you could offer was a scene that followed the MC and her friends suspecting the victim of this attack??

Had I looked at Kiara's narrative treatment (from TRR1 onwards) closer back then, perhaps I wouldn't have expected so much. It would have occurred to me that maybe they hurt Kiara the most, because they cared for her the least. Kiara is viewed as smart, poised, talented. Madeleine even calls her "one of the more competant courtiers" at some point. But that doesn't always mean that the team that writes her deems her worthy of respect.

For one, the writers tend to lean more into fandom perceptions of her in this book, rather than looking at their own canon. Kiara being a snob is not canon - that is ridiculous considering that she was such good friends with Savannah, and her support of the MC when she fits in well. Kiara acting like her linguistic skill makes her better than anyone else isn't canon either - nor is she obliged to speak in all ten languages on a loop just for the MC's or Maxwell Beaumont's entertainment. Kiara being perpetually mean to her best friend is inaccurate at best - she is often frustrated by Penelope, sure, but she spends far time and energy helping her than anyone else in that court.

Yet the narrative gives both these statements as dialogue options for the MC, where she can bitch about Kiara...but somehow only ever allows the same MC to be nice and caring and loving to Penelope - never once reminding her of the hell she'd put the MC through in the past. And because the fandom expected the Kiara-Penelope friendship to focus only on Penelope, PB got away with having Kiara's "best friend" stay conveniently silent as the MC berated her in her own home. The narrative even threw Kiara under the bus in TRR3 Ch 16, in order to make Madeleine look better in Hana's memories of the TRR2 bachelorette, claiming falsely that Kiara shouted at Penelope so much while drunk, that the latter was brought to tears. There is way more energy spent in painting an inaccurate and negative portrait of Kiara, than there is in showing the truth.

For another, the way the courtiers' and their parents' agreement to join the tour is coded...is extremely suspicious. When you compare both a successful and a failplay, you will find that all the parents have the chance to reject the MC's proposal to join the tour...except for one. Kiara's father, Hakim. In a failplay where you purposely do all the wrong things...out of the entire group of people who are still doubtful about supporting you, only Kiara and Hakim join your tour by default, without any expectation of a reward (Madeleine demands her own department after the wedding). They will be a part of it no matter what you do, no matter your failures, no matter how badly you treat them.

Hakim may have joined mainly to confront his old friend the King, but he still stays on even after Constantine dies. The writers made sure to branch-code things in a way that Kiara and Hakim could never drop out even if the MC was awful to Kiara, and never once acknowledged what it must take for them to do that. After Kiara herself had been fucking stabbed!!!!

Joelle, Kiara's mother, and Ezekiel, Kiara's brother, can reject the offer if they aren't impressed with the MC, but out of these two characters only one is viewed with respect - the one they were going to pair up with Penelope.

The narrative doesn't mind letting the MC mock Joelle for her passionate support of the arts if she doesn't win her approval, and her insistence that it is the sign of a thriving kingdom...and they make her sound petulant and churlish in response to that mockery. This despite the fact that in a successful route, she says one of the most profound political statements in the books:

"Hakim and I don't just want Cordonia to remain stable and peaceful. Those are blessings, naturallement, but our kingdom can do so much more than just survive."

In contrast, when you look at the same failplay, Emmeline and Landon are treated with far more respect from the narrative, even though Hakim and Joelle's plans for the country would benefit Cordonia as a whole. Drake looks up to Penelope's parents as an inspiration, especially if he's going to become a duke. Meanwhile Hakim actually acknowledges Drake and his bravery in a way that none of the other dukes and duchesses did, and Drake never gives a shit.

Emmeline can accuse the MC of not taking their situation seriously, if she does a bad job at the polo match, and the MC only has the grace to look contrite rather than lash out at her. Landon himself is never judged for coddling his daughter the way he does. Their focus on Portavira rather than the country is respected, and the MC not meeting their demands is viewed as her weakness, not an overreaction from their end. They never get the snarky responses Joelle gets, where the MC can outright call her "a handful" in front of her own husband.

And then there is the matter of how PB deals with the problems of all the court ladies.

(Screenshots from the Skylia YouTube Channel)

The period of the Unity Tour isn't exactly an easy time for anyone. The LIs each deal with their own shit, and the ladies of the court themselves have their own reasons for being reluctant to return. The entire point of this tour is to address their specific concerns as well as that of their families', because without the courtiers themselves we wouldn't have as strong a court.

In Madeleine's case, we have to talk to her through a diamond scene and then educate her mother on her ways of mourning lost opportunities, among other things. In Penelope's case we are required to give her complete protection and emotional security, for her to even bother joining the tour (there is branch coding where she can refuse to be a part of the tour at all). Even for Olivia - who is already an ally - the diamond scene encourages us to stand up to her aunt, by letting Olivia know that it is valid for her to lean on others for support without being considered weak.

But for Kiara? The best we can come up with, while in her duchy, is some version of - "You're smart. You'd know that if you left now, people will say bad things about Cordonia and then it would be your fault". You either manipulate her, or insult her as being a useless excuse of a diplomat. As I mentioned in another essay, Kiara's comfort is a non-factor. The gap between the care we were expected to give to Madeleine and Penelope, and what we deign to give Kiara in Castelserraillan (which is...well...nothing), is massive. And this gap would only increase - not reduce - in the books to come.

It might seem a bit irrelevant to talk about this, especially when this essay is about Drake and Kiara. But it's important to take note of this inherent disdain the writers had towards this one character - and people close to her. Because it is only too easy to pretend that the writers "got scared of the crazy stans".

Of course the stans had a huge, huge role in this. Of course their vitriol and racism succeeded in bringing about (what I consider) one of the most disgusting dialogue options in this series...or perhaps in any series. But I doubt those "crazy stans" would have gotten this far, without a team that didn't mind being cruel to Kiara.

When the Fandom and Canon are both Heartless: Drake and Kiara in TRR3

As I've mentioned in previous essays in this series, playthrough divergences truly begin in TRR3 (eg. While the playthroughs acknowledge who you chose as endgame by end-TRR2, you can still access diamond scenes through a small tweak that allows you to romance other LIs). And whichever LI didn't get engaged with the MC had indications of a new romantic possibility coming up. These were scenes you wouldn't find in your own playthrough with that LI as your fiancé/e.

Kiara doesn't appear in TRR3 until Ch 7, when the entourage comes to her estate Castelserraillan. There aren't a lot of Drake and Kiara scenes themselves, and I will get into why, section by section.

1. Kiara Greets the Group at Castelserraillan (TRR3 Ch 7)

Many Drake stans - once they found their MCs engaged to Drake in TRR2 - seemed to be practically giddy at the prospect of showing off their newly-engaged status to Kiara, and hurting her through the news. They were perhaps more excited about this than their upcoming wedding.

Well, they got that chance in Ch 7. In every other playthrough, she still holds the same feelings for Drake, and compliments his suit as Drake awkwardly fails to meet her eye. In his specific playthrough, Drake defiantly shows off his relationship with the MC, and Kiara shows a slight wistfulness before she forces herself to be normal then wishes the happy couple well. You'd think that would be enough to satisfy the stans who had been baying for her blood all of the previous book.

A throwaway line about Drake knowing where Kiara's room was, had already raised the heckles of a whole bunch of his stans. Kiara's "wistful look" in her first TRR3 scene somehow added fuel to that fire. Suddenly, you got to see a raging torrent of posts demanding to know if Drake had had an affair with Kiara. Fanfic had already been written about Drake cheating on the MC with Kiara by this point - and some of those headcanons and fanfic hinged on making Drake the innocent/vulnerable one, taken advantage of by this sexy, obsessed woman who would be either a danger to him or would be juxtaposed with the "pure", "virginal", "perfect" MC. Drake would never be the problem here, and none of the stans screaming over the possibility of Drake sleeping with Kiara would dream of blaming him for it. No, Kiara was predatory, Kiara was obsessed, if anything happened between them it would be likely Kiara's fault.

This is where it's important to note, again, that none of the more obvious signs of the "Jezebel" stereotype seem to be used in canon for Kiara. While cruel in her own way, the TRR MC doesn't exactly slut shame her or believe Drake will be unfaithful to her, Kiara isn't accused of seducing (or even trying to seduce) anyone, and she actually places respectful personal boundaries for herself in her attraction to Drake, that she never crosses. She may indulge in a light flirtation with him, try to impress him or simply talk to him - but you will never catch her forcing her sexual attention on him like Olivia did with Liam. Yet in popular fanlore, even Olivia's feelings were often cast in a far more noble light in contrast to Kiara's.

In her essay, The "Offending" Breast of Janet Jackson: Public Discourse Surrounding the Jackson/Timberlake Performance at Super Bowl XXXVIII, Dr Shannon. L Holland explores the historical and contemporary uses of the Jezebel stereotype in depictions of Black women in popular culture and discourse, especially in contrast to white masculinity (which in these contexts, is often viewed as innocent and blameless - and much of the blame lies with the Jezebel figure). The "Jezebel" stereotype "has come to symbolize both a malign, cunning sexual object and an autonomous, liberated sexual agent" - she is at once an independent sexual being making her own choices, and someone who is "incapable" of reining in her sexual appetite...and is therefore often depicted as not only a threat to the "purer" (and often "whiter" or "lighter skinned") woman, but also dangerous for whoever she is "obsessed" with. And we see this time and again in the discourse around Kiara - the fanfic that depicts her in a range of scenarios (stalker, obsessed lover, abusive girlfriend who will break a bottle over Drake's head, at times even descending into murderer to get the man she wants). Which is how we wound up in a position where Kiara even breathing the same air as Drake was viewed as a threat.

It didn't matter that he was flaunting his love for the Drake MC in that playthrough to send a message to Kiara, or that he stayed silent with the others as his wife badgered her into joining the tour. It didn't even matter that Kiara never got a diamond scene the way the two other women did, despite being the most harmed among the ladies. What mattered was that Kiara existed. Her damn existence was the threat.

2. Cheering for Drake's Victory (Ch 10)

Ch 9 of TRR3 was released to players on April 27th, 2018. Immediately after, a mid-book hiatus was announced, mostly to work on some new art (very possibly the red pandas), work on the wedding, and make changes (such as shifting diamond scenes from character-centric ones to LI specific - they'd already started making changes to LI diamond scenes). The book would return 2 months later, in June.

In a livestream before the hiatus ended, the writers had made it very painfully clear that Kiara's feelings for Drake was one-sided. And by that I mean they really emphasized on the one-sidedness of her affection, almost as if to reassure the panicking stans. This would manifest in any future interactions between the two - both in Drake's single and engaged playthroughs - and any hope that such a pairing would even be hinted at was over. But there was one variation that the team had perhaps neglected to edit out.

A small one-word depiction of Kiara cheering Drake when he wins his duel against Neville, joining his friends to praise him. It really isn't much - just Kiara saying "bravo!" before Savannah rushes up to hug him, which is replaced by a scene of Drake himself going up to the MC and passionately kissing her in his own playthrough. What is definitely striking about this depiction is that Kiara was clubbed with his close friends and his sister, rather than the second group of people that largely represented the larger court (Rashad and Queen Regina) who offer their congratulations.

Given the way the writers wrote any remaining interactions between Drake and Kiara, and the fact that this small appearance doesn't really amount to anything, it is possible that this variation was part of an earlier draft that involved other hints, that the writers failed to notice when they put up Ch 10. If they had, I'm pretty certain it wouldn't have stayed in the book.

3. Leaving Court + Wedding Conversations

Remember how I kept stating in this essay that the narrative was going to take their enthusiastic pandering of the "possessive stans" end of the fandom, to some dark, disturbing places? Well, here we are.

Tbh, the writers could have just stopped showing any interactions between the two, or given Kiara another boyfriend if their aim was simply to show that Drake and Kiara would never be endgame. They had done that with Maxwell and Penelope already...oh. I forgot. They actually wanted us to care for Penelope.

Up until this point, Drake's mean streak re: Kiara was present, but not really as obvious as it gets here. PB takes that cruelty several steps further in these two chapters, starting with Ch 11. Ch 11 was fanservice to the people who shouted abuses and "joked" about killing Kiara in every chance they could get. Ch 12 showed this sentiment at its worst, covered it up with enough fluff so it would be harder for people who liked Kiara to notice...and let those players get away with it.

In Ch 11, Kiara approaches the MC and her group to inform them that she is withdrawing from the tour. Drake is the first to respond to this, remaking at the suddenness of the departure. The MC can speculate on a couple of things, ranging from sympathy (that she might be afraid), selfishness (that she is "bailing out" on the MC) and suspicion (that she is hiding something).

In all three options, a pensive Hana expresses sympathy and encourages the group to "reach out". In all three options, Drake will only view Kiara as a suspect.

Mind you - according to Ch 12, Drake is saying this knowing Kiara was injured at Homecoming Ball...and knowing exactly which weapon she was injured with. Aware that she has gone through an event as traumatic as that (if we go by his "just one step at a time" monologue to Kiara), better aware than most how it would feel...he still opts to act like her motives should be suspicious.

This is further emphasized in the Drake playthrough, through the armory scene that the MC takes with Maxwell.

As I've mentioned in the post on this scene, it is divided into three halves. The first half deals with whoever the MC rejected (either Liam, or Drake in Liam's playthrough). The third is buildup to Lucretia's plans to usurp the throne. The second is supposed to be about the excitement among the members of the court for the wedding, and of course as the only people who come for the tour by default (and Madeleine is already taken for the first scene), Kiara and Hakim are used for this scene!

I will only focus on the Drake version of this scene today. There are a few things you notice straight off the bat:

1. Since this is Drake's playthrough, the narrative seems to do away completely with any lingering feelings Kiara may have had are done away with. In this scene she is quite happy about Drake's wedding - in fact, practically chipper. Literally nothing about her behaviour here serves as a reminder that she once had feelings for him.

2. Drake's response to Kiara attending his wedding ties in pretty well with his earlier default suspicion of her. Unlike Hana who is surprised but also happy that Kiara is attending, he seems to voice it as a doubt or a question. While that makes sense and there is continuity, it's pretty awful that he is allowed to suspect her like this and feel no remorse when the truth about her is revealed.

3. Now as I said in the post, this scene is meant to be a buildup to Drake's ice-palace scene. He speaks about wanting a private, country-style wedding in a natural place there, and Kiara's gentle teasing in this scene is supposed to be an indicator of how much he dislikes the usual fanfare. Okay. Fair enough. You're uncomfortable with the fancy decorations and the insane planning, fine.

4. But it's Drake's attitude towards Kiara in this scene that leaves a bad taste in the mouth (unless you were one of those Drake stans that liked to threaten murder on this character ig). The narrative really went out of their way to make him sound uncommonly angry with her, just for asking about his wedding. He angrily hisses at her to keep her voice down the moment she asks about the wedding, and then lashes out the moment she teases him about his love for the MC and his reluctance to be very public about it in that context. Of course, people who either liked Drake or hated Kiara would downplay this scene - either blaming Kiara for not magically knowing his likes or dislikes, or acting like Drake's behaviour in this scene is no big deal.

And his explanation in the ice palace scene really doesn't cut it as a reason for why he should be this pissed off at Kiara's excitement. There is no real bitterness or resentment tied in with the fancy trappings that are mentioned in that specific scene - it's just that he likes simplicity better. If Kiara doesn't know him well enough to understand that - it's because he has never properly talked to her. She made attempts to converse whenever she could. You can claim he never owed her a conversation - but in that case she doesn't owe him a complete understanding of his wants either. He could have just politely answered the question and changed the subject, or quickly took his leave.

He is well-versed enough in court etiquette by this point that he could have managed to sound civil enough. That he could have made a quick, polite exit. But no, he gave her the kind of anger that one reserves for someone who is kicking a puppy or stealing candy from a child, instead. And it was Kiara's grace that allowed her to view that awful behaviour in a more positive light.

It's pretty clear this scene - and to some extent the framing of the next - was made specifically for those Drake stans who were screaming and throwing tantrums about a possible affair. It was to highlight that there was no way Drake could ever return Kiara's feelings - and the only way they could do that was by making sure he treated her as rudely and inhumanely as possible.

I didn't think it could get any worse than this, when I saw this version of the scene...but then I saw Ch 12.

The Talk

If you were to speak just about fandom reactions to this scene...the responses to Kiara chronicling her trauma after Homecoming Ball, were pretty positive. Plenty chose the middle option "You're suffering from the trauma of the event. You need help", and cooed over Drake's touching little monologue about "taking it one day at a time".

I admit at the time I was fooled too. But one thing did niggle at me as I played both this option, and the "understandably cautious" one (I would later understand that the latter was not very good either - it has a thin veneer of "validating" Kiara's feelings, but it still has the MC and Drake expecting her to put their needs before her own safety and sanity).

Drake was reassuring to an extent in both options, sure. But why were his responses so different? Why was his answer to Kiara so closely tied to whatever point the MC was making, rather than independent of it? After all, he was the one who should be able to better relate to Kiara - wouldn't he have thoughts of his own here? If the MC chose that horrible final option, Drake would correct her and comfort Kiara instead, wouldn't he? Wouldn't he???

It was only when I (reluctantly) pressed that third option ("not as driven as I thought you were") that I understood what Drake's role in this scene was.

He wasn't going to be there for Kiara. He wasn't even sympathetic to her! It wasn't even going to be about two traumatized people connecting over their trauma. Drake was a puppet. He was there to parrot whatever garbage came out of the MC's mouth.

Because in the third - and most horrific - option, the MC is allowed to minimize Kiara's trauma, and mock her ambitions in the face of what she has just gone through. Drake is allowed to agree with her ("sometimes ambassadors have to work in dangerous areas"). Kiara is forced by the same narrative to find value in these words.

And all of this, stems from a scenario where Drake and the MC go in suspecting this woman from the jump. Where Maxwell is happy to make jokes about her being a suspect. Where the only two decent people in this group - Liam and Hana - are conveniently written out of the scene, ensuring that these ghouls can act the way they want around Kiara, and get away with it.

Not once is Kiara herself ever allowed to know that the group suspected her by default, nor is she allowed to go through with her intention to leave court. The very roots of this scene are rotten.

Very often, when this scene in particular is addressed, not many people actually address Drake's behaviour here - or in the previous chapter. Stans will vaguely, and conveniently, blame the group as a whole rather than their favourites. Such a tactic allows them to never name the specific people or specific actions, and therefore the main people involved in speaking to Kiara the way they did never have to be held accountable. This is particularly relevant in the case of Drake.

It was Drake's idea to interrogate her. He was the one constantly harping about her "suspicious behaviour". He was the one aware of what happened to her yet chose to think of her as shady. He was the one who should have known better, yet was absolutely game to minimize her trauma or engage in emotional blackmail. And neither he nor the MC came out of this conversation feeling anything resembling remorse. Because, apparently, they never did anything wrong.

They got what they wanted. At best, Drake and the MC manipulated this woman (again) into returning to their court. At worst, they badgered and bullied her into that decision. Either way, she was going to return, and the narrative was going to pretend that the MC and Drake were great people for making it happen.

I have heard some justifications over the years for Drake's behaviour here. One is that he "tends to act like an asshole to everyone". Another is that Kiara is a noble so he was never going to see her in a positive light. Which is hilarious to me, honestly, because in the same book you have Drake reassure Penelope - the woman who had made the MC the target of a reputation-ending scandal - and comfort her when she sees Madeleine. If this was really about the chip on the shoulder he had for nobility, why was he so kind to Penelope? And if Penelope's mental health warranted a change in mindset and behaviour from Drake's end, why was Kiara not worthy of that as well?

The truth is this. Drake was allowed to express his mean streak to a black woman, bully a black woman (the pranks), lash out at a black woman (the conversation at the Lythikos Ball), suspect a black woman, and finally minimize her trauma if the Duchess he had a crush on wanted to. While being overly protective and chivalrous to the white woman who actually did harm her. No matter what way you spin it, that is what Drake's behaviour - especially in TRR3 - is.

The way the team trampled over this "pairing" post that miniscule hint in TRR3 Ch 7, would make a rampaging elephant look like a ballerina in comparison. They wanted to make it clear after the hiatus that Drake x Kiara would never happen, in any eventuality, in any future, in any universe. And no matter how much we pin this on "crazy stans" (who do hold some responsibility for sure, for their own veiled racism), it's a fact that the writing team was comfortable doing this. They had already found other ways to pile disrespect on their sole recurring black female character - what was a little more?

TRH and Beyond: Taking Away What Was Left of Kiara's Remaining Fanbase

Given all the narrative back-and-forth and shadiness, I'd have to say the end Kiara got in TRR3 was comparatively...decent. Not great...not exactly satisfying...decent.

Her fighting off the assassins at the boutique ("not again...not again!!") was the highlight of that scene. In Hana's playthrough, Kiara was her MOH by default, and the lines the MC could give if you chose her in other playthroughs was pretty sweet. At the end of the book, her father would make Kiara his heir, after her older brother Ezekiel abdicated. There were still things I was always going to hate (such as the fact that we could lie about "having Kiara's back" - we absolutely did not) about the aftermath, but all in all as a fan...I could maybe envision a fairly happy ending for her with what we got.

The next series, The Royal Heir, would debut on June 2019, almost a year after TRR3's own debut. This would be the first series that would go completely LI-divergent, spanning four books. It started out as an attempt to envision the future (and pasts) of the main characters, as well as tie loose ends...but descended into an incoherent, retconning mess with each book.

Kiara doesn't feature much in Book 1, but is pretty prominent in certain chapters like Ch 7 (Savannah's bachelorette), Savannah's wedding, and the Apple Ball in the finale. You'll often find a marked difference between the way she is looked at for most of the book, and how the MC speaks to her in TRH1's finale.

Savannah's bachelorette, for instance, features all the ladies of the court in Texas, with new "country" looks and engaging with Texan culture. Here, too, you see a sign of PB leaning into popular perceptions of Kiara rather than remembering their own writing, when we see how Savannah praises the MC by default but has very little to say about her former friend Kiara. Since Savannah's return to court in TRR3, the team seemed to have forgotten that other ladies of the court weren't very nice to her, and Kiara was the only one concerned for her. They have Olivia act sweet and caring towards Savannah in both TRR3 Ch 17 and TRH1 Ch 7, conveniently forgetting the insults she piled upon Drake's sister in the first book. Savannah never has to talk about Kiara's friendship at all, other than a teasing comment hinting at her French lessons. Savannah was never expected to have any gratitude or affection towards Kiara even though she was the only woman who cared about her in court before she left.

An interesting thing to note in the diamond scene of the bachelorette is the way the courtly ladies' previous/current "romances" are framed. Kiara's, in particular, warrants a lot of discussion. Unlike Olivia (who can address her feelings for Liam regardless of playthrough, if asked, and can actually show some level of resentment towards him for not picking her), Kiara's feelings are addressed only if the MC isn't married to Drake. If she is, Kiara mentions a fondness for "rugged, down-to-earth men" (which the MC and Penelope perceive to mean hunky and muscular), and avoids mentioning his name at all.

There are two very interesting things to note about this sequence. One is the pattern of how, and how far, are Olivia and Kiara are allowed to address their feelings for these men. Not only is Olivia allowed to be open about her feelings and her bitterness (despite Liam actually romancing her in TRR3!), the narrative demands our respect for her position and plight. The Liam MC lauds her honesty and her decision to move ahead, unfazed even by her anger for something Liam didn't even owe her. In contrast, in the Drake playthrough, the writing makes sure Kiara never mentions him by name. And not only that, when the MC and Penelope tease her about her romantic preference, she is shown to stammer and seems downright afraid of the MC.

The fact that there is such a gap in how Olivia and Kiara are allowed to act about the men they love, and the fact that this gap was normalized so much in fandom discourse that it didn't even warrant a discussion, tells us plenty about the fandom too. The fandom position has almost always been that Liam owes Olivia love, appreciation, kindness. And that Drake owes Kiara nothing, not even common human decency. Which is why the fandom wants Liam punished for the high crime of not loving Olivia back. Which is why Drake is allowed to treat Kiara like an irritating pest at his best, and like utter garbage at his worst...and almost no one so much as bats an eyelid.

Since most of the story of TRH1 seemed to revolve around the ranch, the ladies of the court made minimal appearances and most of those were in keeping with patterns established in TRR3 (except for maybe Olivia's spy scenes). Some of their parents - too - feature in Royal Council scenes: Godfrey and Landon are part of this council and are seen during the MC's announcement - no one from Kiara's family, besides her brother Ezekiel who is dating Penelope, make any appearances in this book. Towards the end of the book, however, you suddenly find a scene or two where the narrative is suddenly, and inexplicably, syrupy sweet to Kiara:

(Screenshots from the Skylia YouTube Channel. 1-5 are from Ch 18, during the council meeting. 7-10 are also from Ch 18, at the start of the ball. The last two are from the finale as buildup for the pregnancy photoshoot)

There are indications of Kiara's diplomacy and good advice in other parts of the book too (such as her suggestions for dealing with the foreign royals at the baby shower) but never were the praise and compliments as obvious as they were in the last two chapters of TRH1. Kiara was given a quippy dialogue to spout at Godfrey, who would later be revealed as the murderer of Queen Eleanor. All three of the MC's dialogue options in response would praise Kiara by default (a rarity). King Bradshaw would shower her with compliments too about her talent and expertise. And when Kiara approached us with an offer for a pregnancy photoshoot, the MC could cheerfully say "for you, Kiara? Of course!" as if they'd been bffs from the beginning.

There isn't any obvious reason why we saw this sudden change, but I can make an educated guess or two. A pattern that commonly emerges with attempts to address something that would benefit Kiara, is that the writers often only do it when enough people complain; that was how we got the horrible Lythikos sequence. Midway through TRH1, I managed to put up an essay exploring Kiara's treatment (centered around the Lythikos sequence in TRR3 Ch 12) in comparison to Penelope's and Madeleine's. It did not receive an immediate fandom wide response, but several readers did come away from that essay feeling like Kiara really got the short end of the stick, compared to all the other court ladies. I'm not sure whether that essay had a direct impact, but those three scenes PB added to the finale chapters do make me wonder. Was the team trying to prove to the fandom that they did like Kiara and wouldn't personally sabotage her, either for their own enjoyment or to pander to a section of the fandom?

If they did, then that plan didn't last beyond these two chapters.

Another possibility of course was to give Kiara something slightly positive before they did her dirty - again - in TRH2 and 3. Because in those two books, they managed to first make her - along with the rest of the council - party to a vote (that everyone was involved in, including the LIs!) that would later prove detrimental for the country. They would then have her be the only heir involved in the notorious Coventus Nobilis, which ensured that anyone who wanted to hate Kiara could tie her to her vote in favour of Bartie Sr, without ever asking any further questions. This was a far more successful attempt, because most of the fandom already believed the misconceptions of Kiara's characterization to be truth, and these storylines simply added fuel to the fire.

Kiara's biggest supporters tended to be a section of the Liam fandom, as well as wlw stans who tended to like most of the courtly women. Having her vote for Bartie at the end of TRH2, and her explanations in TRH3 about the "MC's ruling style" (which was really canon's way of making sure she did more a silent diss on Liam) was written specifically to place a serious dent among her fans who liked Liam. And sadly, it worked in part. Because even if one considered Kiara's thoughts on "reactive ruling" accurate, it was a fact that the nobility (she included) would have to be blaming Liam for something that the entire Council voted for, and that Liam and his friends fixed on their own.

Making Kiara the lone person to voice this argument, made her a target in this fandom. I mean, people were ready to praise Madeleine and speak of her as loyal (eagerly ignoring that she was actively involved in the child's kidnapping if you didn't coddle her enough), and badmouth Kiara in the same breath, claiming that Kiara wasn't worth forgiving and people should just get over Madeleine's deeds in the past.

This resurgence of hate didn't just erupt out of nowhere. Once they finished spending two chapters on two-second compliments to Kiara, PB reverted in the next two books to some of their usual patterns with her. For instance, remember how I mentioned that PB had an obsession with never letting Kiara and Liam interact? In TRH, they repeated this pattern, but with the Heir. The only scene Kiara has where she can so much as touch the heir is in the last part of TRH3, if you choose for Kiara to read to her. Penelope is regularly allowed to hold her even though she has often placed this child in dangerous situations (on one occasion, Kiara herself had to stop her) - even Madeleine is given an entire babysitting scene to win her favour. But Kiara is the only lady of the court who is made to stay away or care for the child from a distance.

Kiara's family (besides Zeke, and just because he is Penelope's fiance/husband) is subject to disrespect in this book too. Hakim and Joelle were both conspicuously absent from the pregnancy announcement presscon in TRH1 (where Landon, Godfrey and Bartie Sr somehow featured!!), and future books would either retcon the family or force them to do things the other families didn't have to do. In TRH2, the MC takes a tour of the Great Houses with her newborn daughter, and each house is expected to pledge loyalty to her and the crown in different ways. Hakim is written as "bending to his knees" for the child. This is something only Adeleide and Madeleine - whose house, might I remind you, are considered the house of traitors at this point - have to do. Landon and Emmeline are never expected to express their loyalty to this extent.

In TRH3, the narrative callously pushes the Therons under the bus to make the Ebrim family's reluctance to help the MC make sense - the Therons are now "traditionalists" who frown upon scandals and may not allow Zeke to marry Penelope on the account of her past annulled marriage (this makes no sense when you take a closer look at the Therons themselves in TRR3 - they're a far more balanced, far more progressive family than any of the other Great Houses. They even took Zeke's abdication well!). Furthermore, you'll notice that the framing of Penelope's past with Guy is worlds apart from the disdain the narrative shows for the Therons during the flower festival. It is notable that in the latter, the black women are depicted very negatively - Kiara is shown unable to manage her own competition, Joelle is depicted as pompous and incapable of losing gracefully, Drake gets to take sarcastic potshots at Lerato for trying to charm the MC into voting for her and Drake into convincing her to vote. Meanwhile white people like Landon and Marguerite are presented in a just as humourous but less mocking light (eg. Landon moving his table courteously before flipping it in the flashback).

Even into TRF (Ch12), the narrative gives us choices where we can stand up to people criticizing Landon and Emmeline's parenting ("Duke Landon and his wife raised a kind, generous daughter..."). We are allowed to be far less critical of the Ebrims overall, we are allowed to be more charitable even in the dialogue options for suspecting Landon than we are of Kiara (think of how Maxwell can suspect that Kiara was planning to betray us all along). At the end of the Flower Festival, Kiara is made to appear contrite as the MC can choose to either demand she make this right before the latter can forgive her, or indicate that she never will. Ironically, a Penelope who can choose her fancy wedding over the safety of the MC's child never has to face words that harsh.

You will also notice if you look more closely, that the narrative continues to frame events surrounding Penelope and Kiara in opposing ways. Penelope is perpetually viewed as a victim, and Kiara constantly as a suspect.

We are expected to support Penelope, and to mistrust Kiara. And even though Kiara's feelings had long since become a thing of the past, Drake still maintains his animosity towards her and her family. And like everything else, it is so normalized at this point that you barely even notice it anymore.

In TRH2, Drake is allowed to tar all nobles with the same brush because of Godfrey's actions. Though his statement about the nobility ("We can't trust any of them to have Liam's back...not unless it's in their own selfish interests") is about the entire nobility, it is striking that he says this just before they go to Castelserraillan. The Therons are also the only noble family that Drake makes sarcastic comments about (in reference to Liam informing us that their province is a trade hub, Drake quips that "they are going to want to trade babies with us"). These snide comments he rarely makes about other noble families, and serves as a sharp contrast to how he treats the Ebrims (during Penelope's wedding festivities, he is unnaturally invested in Penelope getting a happy ending with Ezekiel). We can't even claim that his behaviour towards Kiara is in line with his disdain for nobles, because Penelope is proof that he is perfectly capable of showing compassion to most of them!

TRH3 ends with Kiara doing an apology tour of sorts - diplomatic missions aimed at improving Cordonia's international relations. TRF finds almost all the ladies of the court - even Olivia - in very minimal roles, as the focus shifts to the Via Imperii. Still, the narrative makes more references to Penelope than to Kiara, to the extent that the epilogue ends on both the MC and Penelope celebrating their pregnancies (Penelope's first and the MC's second) together.

Overall, you will find that the narrative repeated certain patterns with Kiara - the tendency to find her suspicious, purposely limiting scenes with important characters like Liam (TRR) and the heir (TRH) while the white courtiers get almost unlimited access, the discrepancies in expectations for her vs other ladies (eg. Madeleine is hailed for being "good" even though that is solely dependent on how you treat her. Kiara is largely ignored whenever she does help, and attacked when she is written to support the enemy). Drake - even as a former alternative to her, who should have gotten over whatever nonsense beef he'd had with her earlier - is allowed to make snide remarks about her home and family.

It's pretty clear they could do this because they could get away with it... because most of the fandom made it so easy for them to get away with it.

Fandom

When I look back at how the perception of Kiara in the fandom progressed over the years, I find it half-amusing, half-sad how much of it is rooted more in fanlore, and how little in actual fact. And this is something you couldn't just pin on "crazy Drake stans" - they were the biggest promoters of these lies and misconceptions, sure, but normally analytical, commonsense readers often believed that Kiara was fake and a snob and awful to Penelope too.

I get some of it, given the timing of Kiara and Penelope's scene at the beginning of TRR2. It takes place at a low point in the MC's story, a time when she isn't even sure the LIs want to support her. Coupled with that is the lasting image of Penelope hugging you and complaining about Madeleine, making you feel like she's more willing to give you a sliver of solidarity. Coupled with that, is Olivia's newfound popularity in the fandom - once she emerges in Ch 5 of that book, fans believed they found their wildcard who would stand by them in complete solidarity among the ladies of the court (did they ignore Hana's already massive contributions to the investigation? Yes they did. Yes they did). Madeleine herself is shown giving quotable quotes about female solidarity and Tariq's guilt in TRR2 Ch 7, which - coupled with Justin's high praise of her - made people want to find things to like about her too. Penelope's own betrayal was overshadowed by an expectation to support a person with serious mental health struggles.

Kiara's the only one who doesn't get such backstories or explanations. So at least in the heat of the moment, in reading those chapters between weekly gaps, it makes sense that a false impression of her got somewhat solidified.

But when you build your interpretations out of lies and misinterpretations, how does it become so valid that even the writers bend to it and prefer to show that?

Every fandom has its "crazy stans". And this instance wouldn't be the first or last time they are pandered to. But when the same stans get backed up by the "saner", more commonsense members of fandom; when even neutral readers promote versions of a story without actually looking at the scenes in question - that's when a fandom is in danger of turning a "headcanon" into canon.

Kiara being a horrible friend to Penelope wasn't canon. Kiara being a snob was not canon. Kiara being creepy towards Drake wasn't canon either. Especially when you take the fandom response to Olivia's forced kiss on Liam into account.

And that brings me to another point. I had been asked once why I felt the need to compare Kiara to the other ladies in my defenses of her. It's important, when we speak of the kind of hate Kiara received, to understand how a lot of flaws that the entire court has (eg classism) is often pinned onto a lone person, and how several white female characters could get away with worse behaviour while Kiara alone was slammed for harmless interactions.

This is most apparent when you look at how Olivia's violation of Liam's consent is perceived, vs Kiara's harmless flirtation with Drake in TRR2. Which woman had fans foaming at the mouth and wanting to kill her? Which woman was given dozens and dozens of fanfic and content that depicted her as creepy, desperate, downright obsessed with their man? Which woman got the "oh well, he doesn't owe her anything 🤷🏽‍♀️" vs a "he doesn't love her back?? WHAT AN INSENSITIVE ASSHOLE!!1111"?

Perhaps this Olivia/Kiara comparison is where the fandom's tendency to cast Kiara into the Jezebel stereotype is the most visible. Kiara's very act of talking to Drake sometimes is registered as a threat to those stans, and it reflects in the way they speak of her, the way they speak of their MC's own relationship with Drake in association with her (eg. the number of posts rejoicing at the thought of showing off their "engaged to Drake" status at Kiara's estate), the way they're allowed to dehumanize her and villify her (eg. The edit I mentioned at the beginning). This is often encouraged by their friends who are fans of other characters, and you can see that in sharp contrast, Olivia - despite her actions in Book 1 and her resentment of Liam for not loving her back in other books - is still often viewed with sympathy and respect. Her feelings - still viewed as genuine, even pure. To the point where PB eventually allows Olivia to constantly address her feelings about the MC's and Liam's relationship, while forcing Kiara to not even utter Drake's name in his playthrough.

But you see this with other characters, and in other contexts too. Particularly how Madeleine can be duplicitous, hypocritical, and power-hungry, and it's Kiara who is called these things despite her actual honesty in canon. Madeleine can get away with actually helping Bartie Sr kidnap the MC's daughter in TRH3 without a murmur, in the same fandom where people can curse Kiara for voting for Bartie Sr "to take the child away" (despite her telling the MC and spouse that she was promised they would have custody of the child, therefore the claim that she "voted to take the child away from their parent" is inaccurate).

You saw some of these discrepancies in how Penelope and Kiara were spoken about too - Penelope's crime in TRR2 was considered easily forgiveable, while Kiara's innocence is constantly called into question. Kiara was often viewed negatively for what the fandom perceived as "meanness" to Penelope (when it was in fact Kiara worrying about how Penelope would fare when she wasn't around) while Penelope herself was never expected to be a good friend to Kiara. An interesting thing to note about the fandom response to Penelope and Kiara showed that often when posters wanted to hate on Penelope, she and Kiara would be clubbed together, almost as a unit. This was especially prevalent in TRH3. It was easy to express hatred for Kiara independently, but most posts that showed a dislike for Penelope (besides from specific Kiara stans) would often tie her with Kiara, as if there wasn't much to hate about her otherwise.

It is important to line up whatever hate Kiara gets with the responses to the other women - especially in the face of what the latter are allowed to get away with. In doing so, you get a better sense of what is allowed for a certain subset of women, and what isn't allowed or permitted for black women specifically.

Often, the fans who would not hesitate to call her alone fake, opportunistic and creepy were WOC, and there have been cases where some would use their identity as WOC to shield themselves from the criticism concerning their vitriol. It would often descend into "I don't hate her because she is black, I hate her because {insert inaccurate/false/convoluted justification here}". It didn't matter that much of this information wasn't based in fact, or had a heavy bias that they never applied to anyone else. It only mattered that because they were WOC, somehow that meant that they couldn't possibly be racist. That their unfounded hatred for Kiara had to be legitimate. As if there was no chance that someone who was WOC couldn't be antiblack too. I mean, the ultimate proof of this could be found in TRR itself - the two head writers of the TRR/H/F series' are Asian women - who have a pattern of liking mean (white) women, and who didn't mind throwing the black woman and her black family in their story repeatedly under the bus, who didn't mind minimizing and retconning the abuse and childhood trauma that the darker-skinned Asian woman in their story went through.

Overall, it is possible that the fandom did take some of their cues (for their impression of Kiara) from the inherent disdain found in canon itself. But many of them also misinterpreted several things about Kiara, then didn't bother to revisit those biases with a critical eye, or even try to see if they were wrong. And that baseless hatred fed the already-existing disdain that Kiara's own writers had towards her. Resulting in the kind of horrific, racist garbage that we got to see in TRR3, and the constant attempts in canon to pull her down in TRH.

Did Drake and Kiara Ever Have A Chance?

There have been various opinions - from both Kiara fans and haters - for why a Driara ship would never work. He hates nobles, she won't like his disdain for art and culture, he likes the simpler life, she's a snob...so on and so forth. Many people will agree it's not a great ship, but of course with differing opinions on why.

I, however, often wondered at possible scenarios where such a pairing could work. The magic of shipping is often that you can play around with personalities and pair almost anyone, and find enough reasons to explain why they would tick. And in Drake and Kiara's case, personally, I do feel like it's a complicated question to answer - primarily because I feel like the authorial intent at the beginning may have been very, very different to what finally happened in Drake's story.

A lot of Drake's early writing focused on the reasons behind his mistrust of the court and his tendency to view the people he loves who are part of it (eg. Liam and later the group) as anomalies. There are two ways you could take such a story in TRR2 - you could either get him to admit to the flaws in his own thinking (thereby providing a more nuanced insight) and allow him to grow from there, or you could just have him double down on his biases and never change beyond the superficial. The team of TRR - esp the head writers, Kara and Jen who were both v fond of him - definitely seemed to go in the latter direction.

Drake's prediction in Coney Island does indicate that he should let go of the past, and I honestly feel like the sequences where he learned about Maxwell straining House Beaumont's finances to help her, and Kiara and Savannah's friendship, could have been turning points for him if the writers weren't so obsessed with proving him right all the time - even when he was supposed to be wrong. Maxwell and Kiara, in their own ways, were proof that not every noble was the same, nor would every noble treat the commoners around them all the same way. However, the narrative trampled all over this possibility in TRR2 Ch 9, where Drake could optionally claim that the Beaumont brothers (among others) were "just looking out for themselves, no matter the consequences", or later when the narrative had Savannah be grateful to him for breaking her confidence to Bertrand, and have Maxwell try to earn his forgiveness in Ch 12 rather than the other way around. It allowed Drake to be selective about the nobles he admired or defended, while still free to treat certain others like garbage.

I could easily envision a Driara pairing for most of TRR2. I could even see it as potentially salvageable in certain parts of TRR3. But the moment they had Drake readily suspect her, the moment the team thought it would be okay for Drake to even suggest minimizing her trauma...that option was no longer worth seeing. Not for Drake, but for Kiara. Drake would have to be the worst possible guy I could find for her, in such a scenario.

But I could see potential in a storyline that had Drake understand that some of these people weren't the monsters he so desperately wanted them to be. In one where he could hear about Kiara's friendship with his sister, and learn about a whole new side of her. One where he maybe felt insecure ("I'm not her type") and could be reassured by a woman who had likely held a torch for him since they were teens/young adults. One where they could reach out to each other in their pain and trauma, and find solace. One where Drake knew that the family he may be marrying into would respect him, and his father too. There were possibilities there.

It would still take more work - his mean streak for one would need to be reduced by more than a half. A lot of it, of course, was kept for the Drake stans, but it really doesn't add much to Drake's character besides making him a mean-spirited, hypocritical bitch who only targets the lone black woman this way (and Olivia occasionally, if she goads him). If the narrative did want to keep a characterization where Drake acts weird around the girl he likes, they could - but that story would need a lot more work to be palatable.

All of this is to say that regardless of personal bias, there were possibilities there. There was a sliver of potential. And if they wanted to let go of that potential midway, they didn't have to go about that the way they finally did. They could have just worked on creating another love interest for her. They managed to create a brother for her overnight just so Penelope could have a boyfriend; they could have easily done the same for Kiara.

Multiple factors went down that explain why the Driara ship didn't take off. But many of them boil down to one specific root cause - the white women (whether they caused actual harm or not) needed to be protected, needed to be cherished. The black woman who dared to ask for the same things from their pet LI, would be viewed as a threat, a villain, a creep...just for breathing in his direction.

And her writers cared so little, that they took the fanon perception for her and stamped it onto their canon, like it was the truth.

They didn't do any of this for the woman who forced a kiss on a prominent LI. They didn't do this on the woman who betrayed the MC and set her up for assault. They didn't do this to the woman who bullied the lone female LI, and swore to continue doing so till she broke.

They did this for the one woman who was fairly innocent of most of these crimes, actually respected the LI and treated him well.

They did this because they could get away with it. Because they were confident that the fandom they wrote the story for, would let them get away with it. And tragically...they were right.

--

Resources I used to learn about the Jezebel stereotype:

The "Offending" Breast of Janet Jackson: Public Discourse Surrounding the Jackson/Timberlake Performance at Super Bowl XXXVIII by Dr Shannon Holland

Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, the Jezebel and white masculinity by Khadija Mbowe (I actually got the recommendation for the first paper from this video essay).

From Mammy to Jezebel: The Portrayal of Black Women in American Cinema from the BlackThen website

[jeonride]

welcome to my reading list of minghao ficts!i'm actually so sad that i can't find more...

FICTS ! ✧*。

Avant-Garde (fluff, college au, painter!hao) by @hoyoungy

Glacial Pace (smut, friends to lovers) by @wonusite

Home Yet? (smut, established relationship) by @idyllicdeco

Felix Felicis (fluff, slytherin!minghao) by @blue-jisungs

Rush Hour (smut, enemies to lovers) by @lovelyhan

Attracted to You (smut) by @cheolhub

All Mine (smut) by @cheolhub

F* Me, Emo Boy (smut) @sunnylovespickles

Chèrie (smut, duke!minghao) by @venerex

Art Project (smut, fluff) by @1-800-hwahui

Monitor Me (smut, camboy!minghao) by @sunnylovespickles

Deadly Sin (smut, horror, demon!minghao) by @onlymingyus

Longing of a Noble's Daughter (smut, angst, royal au) by @sunnylovespickles

Oh, My! (smut) by @toruro

Now or Never The Series (smut) @heartkyeom

Bloody Kisses (smut, vampire!minghao) by @duhnova

Once Bitten (smut, contains blood) by @sluttywonwoo

Blocked Contacts (fluff, jealous hao) by @jae-bummer

Kiss Me Thru The Phone (smut) by @number1mingyustan

Wild With You (smut) by @beahae

Dress, Preview (smut) by @ally-127

Erotic Humiliation (smut) by @bitchlessdino

Wildest Dreams (smut, angst, moviestar!hao) by @rubyreduji

Zen (fluff, smut) by @playmetheclassics

Coffee at Christmas (fluff, smut) by @sluttyminghao

Playing Cupid (smut) by @sluttywonwoo

04.18 am (fluff, smut, pianist!minghao) by @number1mingyustan

Fixer Upper (smut, friends to lovers) by @seungkwansphd

Tamed Studies (minghao x male!reader) @flwrboi

Paint Me in Gold (fluff, semi royal, ghost au) by @starryse

Take it Like a Good Girl (smut, ft.mingyu) by @pussy-potions

Home for The Holidays (fluff, smut) by @bangchanswolfpelt

Wrong Turn (smut, vampire!minghao) by @meltwonu

Leave it On The Runway (smut, model!hao) by @kpop-hive

Galaxies Away (romance, angst, nerd!hao) by @dianalikecats

A Thousand Words Left Unsaid (angst, heartbreak) by @twogyuu

The Party Chronicles (smut) by @bitchlessdino

Thank You (smut, ft.jun) by @peachybun-bun

DRABBLES / SCENARIOS ! ✧*。

just minghao's hands appreciation (posted by @uremoangel)

minghao de-stress you with oral (fluff, smut) by @nsfwhao

soft sex (fluff, smut) by @toruro

please (smut) by @pussy-potions

kinktober drabble (smut, minghao is a sex store worker) by @sluttyminghao

fucking + praising (fluff, smut) by @gfcheol

aftercare (nsfw-ish, soft) by @gfcheol

flying & fucking (smut) by @toruro

minghao as pussy slapper (smut) by @toruro

hard dom!hao + spanking (smut) by @onlyhuis

accidental stimulation (fluff, smut) by @wildfluwer

one more time (fluff, smut) by @onlymingyus

hao kissing your tears during sex (fluff) by @toruro

light-feather praises (nsfw) by @venerex

bedtime tea (fluff, comfort) by @venerex

how i'd do? (smut) by @onlymingyus

[20:13] (filthy, iykyk) by @trash-hours

on your knees (smut) by @multi-kpop-fanfics

passionate sex (smut) by @sluttywonwoo

slow down, look at me (smut) by @jeongwife

freakily good with his hands (smut)

corruption kink (smut) 2nd ver

fingering (smut, fluff tho)

you have to be quiet (smut)

when it's cold outside (fluff)

that's sick ! (fluff)

fucking with your hands tied (smut)

want to see cherry blossoms (fluff)

let me take care of you (fluff, comfort)

hurry up (smut, sub!minghao)

jealous sex (smut)

minghao's kinks headcanon (nsfw)

horny dom!hao (nsfw)

fucking with racer!minghao (smut)

art exhibition (smut)

a-z nsfw with minghao

drawing body paint on your thighs (nsfw)

sucking his on kitchen counter (nsfw)

daddy sugar!minghao (smut)

my muse (smut, sub!minghao)

paparazzi!minghao (smut)

smut, 3.5k- yeah, that's it.

wake up early (very fluff, also smut)

blade of hearts (smut)

butterfly (fluff, smut)

sir!minghao (smut)

last (implied mature themes)

maniac (smut)

wanna hold your hand (smut, fluff)

[agendabymooner]

MASTERLIST: O-Z by agendabymooner

LINK TO MASTERLIST: A-N F1 DRIVERS by agendabymooner

LINK TO SOMETHING SINFUL (SMUT) MASTERLIST by agendabymooner (MINORS DNI)

note: part two of my masterlist!

legends/genre:

a = angst g = general fic hc = hurt/comfort h = humour

s = smut (minors, dni) mc = mature content (minors, dni) f = fluff

★ - newly added ♡ - favourite piece

esteban ocon (eo31)

the royal wildcard, smau: the british media's good at getting the juiciest details of gossip from the palace, but much to their dismay, princess albertine spencer followed the footsteps of her brother harry and had done an amazing job at hiding her marriage with a certain alpine driver for three months. (f, g, h)

the royal resemblance, smau: albertine ocon lived to give her estranged family something to talk about because of her physical appearance that could be confused with her mother's ghost. too bad, ditty ocon was born into the world with the same heart attack-inducing features.

ditty and estie greet the world, fic: diana 'ditty' ocon looked so much like her namesake but act more like her father with her shyness.

pato o'ward (po29)

caught 'em lacking, smau: diwa arellano is mclaren f1's social media admin. so what if her constant teasing of oscar bites her in the ass and accidentally posts something that could potentially compromise her job? meanwhile, lando and oscar laugh at her demise while pato finds it endearing.

sergio perez (sp11)

she's beauty, she's grace, smau: in which carmella ayala perez, the miss universe 2018 winner, tied the knot with checo after their five years of relationship and the birth of their second child.

oscar piastri (op81)

lomi and the piastri fiasco (filo!gen z!ofc)

jollibee, madrid and all that romantic fiasco, smau: paloma san pedro is carlos sainz's cousin-in-law who also introduced oscar to his newly found filipino fast food chain addiction. safe to say that he bought a ticket last minute just so he can obsess over her, too.

live tweets, japan and all that romance fiasco, smau: how oscar's podium win in the japanese gp led to the revelation of his relationship with carlos sainz's in-law, paloma. lesson learned: just call her "pal" then she'll spill the tea for the both of you easily (f, h)

lucky charms, qatar and all that romance fiasco, smau: oscar is quite a forgetful guy, he forgot to mention to carlos, his future in-law, that paloma was his sprint lucky charm. (f)

long distance, england and all that romance fiasco, smau: paloma moved to england a year after enduring a long distance relationship with oscar.

other pieces

12345sex, smau: oscar is secretly freaky and mercury nicoletta had to show him off at some point. ★

kimi raikkonen (kr7)

stop the world i wanna get off with you, smau: vera 'coppa' coppola-raikkonen is the only one who can make the iceman talk a lot. she's also the only one who can make the chatty versions of him as their three older children (romania, rooney and johann-lauri) make their presence known to the racing community. (f, g, h)

someone's dad, socmed snapshot: kimi being the coolest dad, a series. ★

daniel ricciardo (dr3)

rush series (x måneskin member!ofc)

honey (are u coming), smau: how lester alessandro got blocked by daniel ricciardo before meeting him in monza 2021. (h)

own my mind, fic: it took lester almost six italian grand prix races to come across daniel ricciardo once more. sure, she was hesitant to speak to him regardless of the fact that she was his fan but the mclaren driver was certain he’d rather cause a stir in the f1 community with her after his win in monza than celebrate his victory with a lot of people. OR the second close encounter between the two of the most unhinged people of f1. (g, h)

read your diary, smau: it's 2021 and everyone thinks that lester and daniel are dating. lesson learned: never underestimate a fan's investigation skills. (g)

mamma mia, smau: an interview with jimmy fallon gives a brief idea of how lester and daniel came to be. (g)

mamma mia (again), smau: a youtube playlist was created to compile clips of danny talking way too much about his beloved girlfriend (f)

gossip, smau: everyone thinks lester's only here to be a formula one girlfriend with a bad reputation. it's not her fault she's confident. (mc, hc, h)

kool kids, smau: lester and daniel are going to new york to see a musical... while babysitting their "kid" (feat. lando norris) (g, h)

timezone, fic: lester wasn't normally like this, but she's more than willing to pay twice the price just to get to the next flight to where he wanted her: his arms, her home. (hc)

if not for you, smau: messages exchanged between lester and others as she takes care of the wolff children and an ex with the poorest decisions to have existed. (feat. lando norris, max verstappen, charles leclerc and characters from a story) (f, g, h)

baby said, smau: many tweets are posted that they don't often mean. their fans thought that his marriage proposal was one of them. (f, g, h)

supermodel, smau: how not to cry when you're talking about the man who'd give you the wedding that you dreamed of? (f, g, h)

rush series: wedding special

london bridge, smau: the alessandro-ricciardo wedding week is nothing of a peaceful week, and the monday only proved that thought right. (feat. f1 drivers) (f, h) - wedding special 1

fergalicious, smau: the grid singles need to touch some grass… or in lando’s case, go swimming. (feat. f1 drivers) (h) - wedding special 2

l'azienda di famiglia (e le donnole dell'isola), smau + fic: the alessandro family arrived and lando and george found themselves alone with two of the sisters. (feat. lando norris and george russell) (f, g) - wedding special 3 ♡

rush series: mrs. ricciardo special

part of you, smau: mrs. lester ricciardo asks her followers what to get her husband for his 35th birthday. little did danny know, she’s already got one ready to surprise him (f, g)

when emma falls in love, smau: as her pregnancy progressed, lester ricciardo made sure that her sanity wouldn't go the other way as she posted a thread of journal entries talking about her pregnancy. (f, h)

slipping through my fingers, smau: beau ricciardo was his dad's carbon copy and his mom's little heartbreaker.

here comes the sun, smau: despite having a red bull driver dad, beau ricciardo - or "little par" - is converted to tifosi, thank god for his full-italian mother. OR lester ricciardo's one year old son and his chaotic dad attended a måneskin concert when the bassist returned to the stage after almost two years of absence. (f, h)

pocketful of sunshine, scenario: beau ricciardo turned one and what's a good way to show his personality besides from showing it in front of an irwin? ★

other pieces

leaked, smau: daniel ricciardo is a borderline blabbermouth. (filo!ofc)

when danny said, smau: daniel + sadie samuels = it feels just right. (country singer!ofc) ★

george russell (gr63)

his family and her lover, smau: eleanora 'nora' alessandro was more than happy for george's willingness to step up as her children's father regardless of how people poorly reacted on their relationship.

she's magic (youtuber!singer!ofc)

the multifaceted gf and her pets, smau: arabella 'ara' elgin is multitalented and her haters couldn't do much about it as she released a new song about her relationship with george.

carlos sainz jr. (cs55)

two worlds entangling (filipino!ofc)

ride home, smau: the ferrari driver accidentally outed himself as a married man, so mona magdalena sainz stepped in to say hi to his loyal fans. (f, g, h) (extra)

dear, smau: nobody loved each other more than magda and carlos sainz. OR a series of tweets in which magda and carlos never took each other seriously. (h)

pag-ibig, traducido (love, translated), fic: no matter what cultural context and backstories, magda and carlos' souls were entwined into one all thanks to the languages of love that they shared. OR times when the spanish and filipino defined their love in many languages. (f) ♡

logan sargeant (ls2)

he's her lobster, smau: eugenia 'genie' newton + logan sargeant = mondler (h)

mick schumacher (ms47)

big mick energy series (x filo!ofc)

she's everything... and he's just mick, smau: barbara 'barbie' blanco is the vettel family's foster child that gradually turned to kimi vettel's nanny and mick's crush? (f, g)

"besties", smau: everyone swore that mick and barbie are more than "babysitting pardners" (f)

who is kenough, smau: mick nearly took the piss from arthur leclerc after the posts that the monegasque had of barbie. too bad, mick was already hers before arthur could even try. (feat. arthur leclerc)

kenergy unfolded, fic: written version of who is kenough OR arthur leclerc was only scheming just so mick could do something about revealing his relationship with barbie. ♡

the vibing allan and the reluctant ken, smau: for mick, there are only two words to describe his girlfriend's best friend arthur: a headache. OR arthur leclerc is a third wheel that mick always get on a fight with. thankfully, barbie had fair experiences with boys who are petulant and childish at times (kimi and seb)

barbie and the schuminis

mick multiplied, socmed snapshot: girl dad!mick that's all

the little schuminis, fic: 4 times when mick showed his devotion + 1 time his devotion paid off

lance stroll (ls18)

gotta be you, smau: bora mckinnon made her presence known in the paddock one year after lance broke up with her. now, they're all over the media because of his presence in her three birthday celebrations. the question still stands: are they getting back together?

diors and diecasts, socmed snapshot: lance stroll is sassy but so was his carbon copy. OR according to him, his son was a victim of the only child apocalypse. he also said that while buying his son everything he could get his hands on. ★

yuki tsunoda (yt22)

line without a hook, smau: pia ellis misses her mystery bf that everyone thought to be her delusions. it turns out he's a formula one driver who definitely misses her too.

chaos family, socmed snapshot: yuki is a dad to the little mini yukis known as hana and shin.

max verstappen (mv1)

✿ to loathe and to love series - max verstappen x hearth sister!ofc (sylvie ford) ♡

to loathe and to love: extras (x ofc)

lost in japan, smau: just two lost souls (with a tour guide) travelling to japan to make up for the childhood they missed. (f)

the purple chronicle (x ferrari!ofc)

paint him red, smau: alfrieda 'dina' ferrari is the only woman who can mark him as a ferrari fan - and he was quite alright with that.

sebastian vettel (sv5)

sweet rich life series (x filo!socialite!ofc)

crazy rich wife, smau: everyone (some twitter account) wonders where the recently retired german driver had gone to after the 2022 season. thank god for bel vettel, his fans now know that he’s still alive and is being spoiled and pampered by his wife. (f, g)

sweet spoiled husband (+ son), smau: mick schumacher is a grown man that both bel and seb treat like their own child. (f, g)

sweet spoiled schatzi, smau: bel and seb introduce the newest addition to their little family, and mick seems to love kimi vettel as much as a godfather loves his godchild. (f)

sweet little similarities, smau: bel and everyone could tell that kimi vettel was becoming more like his father, sebastian's, carbon copy as days went on. (f, g, h)

sebastian and sons (and soufflés), fic: day in the life of a retired sebastian vettel, featuring his kids kimi and barbie (and a nervous mick). (f)

sweetest spoiled sons, smau: sebastian was a father to not only two- but THREE kids. OR stefan vettel is the newest addition in the vettel household after years of trying and it's safe to say that everyone welcomed this news with open arms. (f)

crazy rich and famous, smau: the vettel couple stepped up to address the scrutiny that their children faced OR sebastian activated his instagram account just so he could show his masterpiece: photographs that he took of his wife for their anniversary.

seb's best girl, scenarios (x daughter!ofc)

Summary: Sebastian Vettel understood the downfalls of infertility just by being there for his wife. What he didn’t know, however, was that his life would drastically change when their foster daughter, Barbie Blanco, was put into their care. OR, what made Sebastian the best father figure to a teenager who had nobody but herself. 

one, enter barbie: fifteen-year-old barbie blanco thought that meeting new people was intimidating, and sebastian learned that making her comfortable in her new home was a responsibility he should uphold as her father figure.

two, meeting mick in malaysia: barbie was brought to her first race ever and had met her newest best friends there. it was obvious that she and mick schumacher would get stuck to the hips after their first meeting.

mark webber (mw2)

the problem with following orders, smau: lydia 'liddy' vettel was what everyone considered 'a revenge best served cold.' of course that was a joke, it wasn't entirely either of their fault they were too drawn at each other. (g, h) ♡

toto wolff

✿ colour me your colour series masterlist - toto wolff x hearth sister!ofc (tilly marie hearth) series

colour me your colour: extras (x ofc)

the paddock's resident it girl, smau: besides from owning three of mercedes' competitors in the track and being the mercedes team principal's wife, she's also known as the cool girl of the paddock for her taste in fashion and husband. (f)

the paddock's lucky husband, smau: with him being spoon-fed with love from his children and wife, toto really couldn't ask for more. OR tilly wolff liked to talk about fashion but her family? she might as well write a whole book about them. (f)

the paddock's resident menace and the dame, smau: tilly wolff was presented with a damehood and her daughter tia, the girl who tends to act on her mischievous way (all thanks to toto), celebrated her 7th birthday during the silverstone gp week. fans recall her best moments in sky sports and media overall.

the paddock's iconic team owners, smau: toto and tilly wolff are considered the king and the queen of formula one for a good reason.

the arrow and the bull speared through the hearth, fic: tia wolff learned a lot from her papa and uncle christian, and tilly had to teach them a lesson too. (h)

the paddock's drive to survive, smau: in which, toto's wife tilly became a part of the season six of the netflix series 'drive to survive'. OR everyone believed her to be a part of big controversies in the formula one season of 2023. ★

#tbt, socmed snapshot: too many throwbacks, so little time. ★

many sommers with you (x supermodel!ofc)

twentieth sommer of love, smau: toto wolff celebrated his 20 years of marriage with his childhood friend/wife and their four kids. OR everyone wondered why irish sommer was referred to as 'the bitch of the runway.'

f1 drivers (general / multiple pairing)

✿ 9 to 5 series masterlist - f1 grid x ofc (lester alessandro) ft. fictional wolff kids

too much caring, smau, sv5 + jb22: kpop idol juno was assumed to have cheated on retired driver jenson button with his best mate sebastian vettel. oh how wrong those people were... ★

[ecoterrorist-katara]

Hey bestie any zutara fic recs. I feel like I’ve read all the classics.

Hello anon! Oh boy have you come to the right place because I have read several million words of these two dorks falling in love and though I plan to read several million more, I am always down to screech about talented fanfic writers!!! Here are most of my faves, some of which you’ve probably read but my enthusiasm simply needs an outlet. No WIPs to minimize heartbreak.

In the spirit of not recommending too many classics, I’m not including anything from the first page of the Katara/Zuko tag on AO3 sorted by kudos, with one exception. Same rule does not apply to FF.net because nobody visits that site anymore, yet we mustn’t forget our roots!!! 

TL;DR of my Zutara Fic Recs: 

Half Asleep for a Miyazaki-esque adventure romance 

Southern Lights for a sweeping epic where A Song of Ice and Fire meets Middlemarch

Refraction for a swoon-worthy post-war political romance ft. Katara learning how to politick in a patriarchal world 

Stormbenders for a fun undercover romance that is a ZK classic for a very good reason 

Another Word for Alchemy and The Slow Path for hilarious yet emotionally compelling adventures with found family themes 

The Undying Fire for world-building, more Gaang shenanigans, and super satisfying slow canon divergence 

Katara Alone for our fave girl’s post-war Bildungsroman/travelogue/heroic tour

Simple Misunderstanding for a hilarious rendition of Ponytail Zuko capturing Katara and trying to not be a creep

Clothe Me in Seasons, Dress Me in Snow for a mostly canon-compliant (so, v angsty) story about the different ways that love can evolve 

And some one-shots and modern AUs I feel like deserve some more love 

Summaries, reviews, and general fangirling under the cut because holy shit this post is long lmao 

Long fics / series: 

Half Asleep, by crushinator | Rating: T | Word Count: 82,335

Summary: Five years after the Hundred-Year War, Fire Lord Zuko is hit with an assassin's dart, and falls into a coma from which he cannot wake. A week passes, and his prognosis is grim. But Katara could swear she hears him in her dreams.

My thoughts: this fic, in many ways, is novel quality. The pacing? Immaculate. The action scenes? Exciting and interesting yet super easy to visualize. The characterization? On point. Katara is peak Miyazaki heroine in this, setting out on a quest to the Spirit World to save her boy (who’s not really her boy) from whichever Eldritch horror has him in its clutches. I love the little glimpses we have of the mutual pining between Katara and Zuko, and there are no words to describe how much I love the resolution of Katara and Aang’s relationship in this story. And oh boy, is the climax of the fic super romantic. This is just a really well written, emotionally compelling, tight fic. Deserves to be a fandom classic. 

Southern Lights, by colourwhirled | Rating: M | Word Count: 769,274

Summary: A world where the Avatar has disappeared from memory. Where Sozin’s Conquest was successful. Where the unsteady order of the empire is threatened as members of the royal family are picked off one by one and lines are slowly drawn in the sand One last chance for peace forces an unlikely alliance between a homesick waterbender, a carefree Air Nomad, a runaway Earth Kingdom heiress, and the fire lord's inscrutable son. Together they must learn to shed old enmities and become the balance they seek to restore to the world.

OR:

The avatar has four heads.

My thoughts: Is it a Bildungsroman? Is it a war story? Is it a politics story? Is it a love story? Is it a friendship story? Is it a story about colonial violence and well-meaning complicity and finding justice in a world where it simply doesn’t seem to exist? Yes to all of the above, because at 700k+ words YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL. You know how Virginia Woolf once said that Middlemarch is one of the few novels written for grownups? Well, Southern Lights feels adult, not because of violence or sex or general grimness (looking at you, HBO), but because it’s fundamentally about having the courage to make choices, live with the consequences, and make more choices, and repeat that over and over again. If Katara is a Miyazaki heroine in Half Asleep, she is full on Daenarys (pre-character assassination) in Southern Lights, a heroine who gets put through her paces yet retains her unwavering resilience to find her place in the world. Katara can be pretty frustrating in this and I know a lot of the commenters on this fic wanted to smack her up the head halfway through, but I support women’s rights and women’s wrongs and her decisions make sense to me even when I also want to smack her for them, and isn’t that a symptom of good writing? I count my lucky stars that I joined the ATLA fandom after this fic is finished (which was only last year!) because I got to binge it in a few days and I have not been the same person since. Deserves classic status. 

Refraction, by caroe3725 | Rating: E | Word Count: 215,249

Summary: Making choices after the war was supposed to be the easy part. Her future decided and neatly packaged based on what everyone else wanted for her, what she should want, too. But Katara’s destiny had a funny way of being exactly what she wanted to run from. (As if anyone needed another Zutara post-finale slow burn after 15 years.)

My thoughts: YES WE DEFINITELY NEEDED ANOTHER POST-WAR ZK SLOWBURN OF SUCH IMMACULATE QUALITY. Both Katara and Zuko’s internal monologues are excellent in this, but I particularly love Zuko’s. The writer is so good at capturing his resolve, his earnestness, and his awkwardness. This is a very restrained fic — no great histrionics — but also incredibly romantic. The first kiss scene made me want to both sigh and screech. I’m also just a huge sucker for “Katara learns politics” which this fic has in spades, with a bonus of very thoughtful gender dynamics. Anyway, if you liked AJ Lenoire’s The Summit or andromeda13’s such selfish prayers, you’d probably like Refraction. Zuko and Katara are very much dumb teens in the beginning portions of this fic, which I personally like because it makes me nostalgic. Oh, and Katara is low key chaotic good in this, which is super in-character and hilarious.

Stormbenders, by Fandomme | Rating: T | Word Count: 171,000+ 

Summary: S3 AU from FBM. Deep in the Fire Nation jungle, the Gaang meets a group of rogue water ninja who send Zuko and Katara on a mission to retrieve Ozai's secret battle plans.

My thoughts: I’m aware that if you asked the average ZK shipper ten years ago what the ship classics are, the answers are probably Stormbenders, His Majesty Prefers Blue, and the Sparrowkeet series. The other classics are good (classics for a reason!), but Stormbenders remains my favourite. It’s funny. It’s exciting. It’s WELL PACED. The ZK relationship grows so organically, which is a huge feat considering this fic was started before we even got The Southern Raiders. The events are a little more adult than the show, but the tone remains very ATLA. There’s a lovely little animatic of the beginning of the scene on YouTube to show you exactly what I mean about the tone and the humour. I am always weak for a well-structured adventure romance, and Stormbenders stands the test of time because it’s just such a well-written fic. 

The Undying Fire, by Boogum | Rating: T | Word Count: 534,665

Summary: "He has the eyes, Princess Ursa." They were half-forgotten words, a whisper of fears never explained. Zuko had dismissed it all as nothing to worry about—until he somehow healed the Avatar. Fire healers weren't meant to exist, except he did. He'd saved the kid's life. Naturally, he wanted answers. Too bad finding them wasn't so simple...

My thoughts: This fic is mostly Gen, and Zutara shows up in the latter half of the series. Despite being a ZK shipper I like plenty of Gen fics too, and The Undying Fire gives me the best of both worlds. I love the world building, the humour, and the slow ramp up of the Gaang friendships. I absolutely love how the canon divergence is so subtle at first and gradually unfurls into something super different, yet retains much of its ATLA charm. Boogum’s written some other bangers too, and I have to give honorable mention to Zuko’s Tiny Dilemma (where a spirit transforms ponytail Zuko into his six-year-old self, and Uncle into a teapot, and somehow it becomes an emotionally compelling 100k word saga) and Following Blue (season 2 canon divergent Bluetara with a bigger focus on romance). 

Katara Alone & associated fics by cablesscutie | Rating: T | Word Count: 86,890

Summary: The war is over, and with it goes the only life she has ever known. In this era of love and peace, the world is becoming new, and Katara is unsure of her place in it. That's okay though. Katara has rebuilt her life from scratch before, and she will do it again.

My thoughts: I love post-war “Katara sets out to find herself and also finds Zuko” fics. Katara Alone is a fabulous coming-of-age story with some good old fashioned letter flirting during Katara’s solo travels. The sequel, Lady of the Tides, has some very thoughtful depictions of Katara’s place within the post-war Fire Nation, and the accompanying story from Zuko’s POV, The Fire Lord at Home, hits all my buttons. Like…Zuko is Fire Lord Good Boy! He passes legislation! There is political optimism! Swoon. 

Another Word for Alchemy, by FanPanda 13 | Rating: T | Word Count: 108,000+ 

Summary: Five years have passed since the Avatar defeated Fire Lord Ozai, and the members of the Gaang have all gone in their own direction. But when Aang invites them all to a Peace Summit at the North Pole and tells them of his new project, for which he will need their support, the group comes together again for adventure, fun and romance. AU. Zutara. COMPLETE.

My thoughts: Now this is a fic that thoroughly crept up on me. The first 3/4 is good old fashioned fluffy, funny, fourth wall-breaking Gaang shenanigans with plenty of Zutara. But the last quarter? Oh boy does it come right at you and slam you in the solar plexus with the platonic love and found family feels and the complexities of those feelings when you’re a teenager. The impact of Aang’s loss of the Air Nomads is treated very thoughtfully here, way more so than in the show. 

The Slow Path, by TazmainianDevil | Rating: T | Word Count: 125,723 

Summary: Eight years after the fall of Ozai, Aang returns to the friends he left behind.

My thoughts: This is actually a Taang story with a great ZK subplot. But what I love about it is that the whole Gaang (including Suki ALWAYS INCLUDING SUKI) is superbly characterized. The ZK banter is top notch. I could actually hear their voices in my head in some of the scenes. Their relationship is playful but has plenty of emotional heft. And the plot is exciting and well-developed. My favourite thing, though, is how the author treats Toph’s POV: it’s very thoughtfully written, with consideration towards how she perceives the world.

Simple Misunderstanding, by ShamelessLiar | Rating: T | Word Count: 80,965 

Summary: Katara was captured by Zuko, but there was a lapse in communication. Takes place after The Fortuneteller. Fierce Katara, honorable Zuko, and meddlesome Iroh. Also, music night

My thoughts: Generally I don’t love fics where Katara gets captured, especially by Zuko (just a personal preference, not here to judge). But! I love this one, because…well, the circumstances of Katara’s capture by Ponytail Zuko are simply hilarious. Katara is suspicious and stubborn; Zuko has a one-track mind and doesn’t understand why Iroh is treating his prisoner so nicely; oh, and Aang gets into an amazing side quest with some spiritual animals. The only thing about this story is that it ends a little abruptly since the author was considering a sequel, but it still reads as a standalone fic. The author also wrote His Majesty Prefers Blue and Call Me Katto, two ZK classics, but Simple Misunderstanding is far and away my favourite work. 

Clothe Me in Seasons, Dress Me in Snow, by sadladybug | Rating: T | Word Count: 62,026

Summary: It is not the memorial she deserves, nor the one she would want. But it can't be helped. He owns no property in the other nations, and he needed to keep her close. Closer than she was in life, anyway. Zuko's reflections on a life lived and a life that could have been.

Review: sadladybug lives up to the username by creating a sadness so contagious that I have yet to recover from it, and I cope by recommending this fic to other Zutara shippers so that more may suffer like I did. (Stop the cycle? No.) Look — I think there’s something extremely beautiful and poetic about a love that changes in nature and form and expression, but not in intensity and devotion, and that’s what this fic is about. Loved it. Never reading it again. 

One shots: 

There’s a category of canon-compliant Zutara one-shots that are all extremely painful, and I cannot get enough of them: in the next life by we-were-angels, taking place right before Katara’s wedding to Aang; water can heal, water can break by crazyache, about why Katara didn’t attend Yakone’s trial. 

To combat the above, here’s a few funny, fluffy ones that make me cackle: i am older now by ama (who wrote the banger that is The Blackfish and the Dragon), an old!ZK fic that I read to counteract the emotional damage inflicted by psychedelic_aya’s we hold our hearts in silence; all good things start with tea by yodalorian, where Zuko’s hapless Disney sidekick-esque advisors try to get him a wife; And Half at One Another’s Throats by songofhopeandhonor (whose account is deleted), about Zuko’s harebrained proposals to Katara; The Dragon of the West’s Guide to Flirting by bluesunflower44, which is exactly what it says on the tin and the awkward disaster you’d expect. Waiting on a Steady Sun, by nire, is a long version of my favourite tropes: fake marriage + idiots to lovers ft. pining for your spouse. 

I generally don’t love modern AUs, but akaiiko’s talk is cheap (and i’ve got expensive taste), where Katara meets Zuko at a frat party, is a whole damn delight; my old aches become new again by jamesstruttingpotter is a wonderfully indulgent modern AU based on Our Beloved Summer. 

And finally, some season 3 character studies: don’t tell me how to feel by paintingcranes, ft Katara at the Western Air Temple being increasingly incensed at both Zuko trying to be helpful and how other people react to his helpfulness; the other side of mercy by crazyache, where Sokka calls Katara “high-strung and crazy” and that really makes Zuko think; The Silent Garden by romilley (whose WIP The Horizon is also fabulous), where Katara and Zuko avoid their feelings through a reluctant-allies-with-benefits arrangement (ft a way of depicting intimacy and sex that makes me think of Normal People); a deep delight of the blood by eruthros, where Zuko asks Katara to practice bloodbending on him out of pragmatism but also a little bit of guilt (it’s unrated, but that “Kink Without Sex” tag is there for a reason). 

Thank you for asking me for my recs, anon, because I needed an outlet to rave about fanfiction and my irl friends have heard enough. Feel free to ask me questions about specific fics that aren’t on this list: I always love talking to people about fic and I’m always looking for new ones to read!

[littlefluu]

WELCOME TO SECTION II 𓍯𓂃𓏧 E N H Y P E N f i c r e c s °˖➴ SORTED BY MEMBER ⤷GO BACK TO THE MAIN HALL

𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒓: 𝑵𝑺𝑭𝑾 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝑶𝑵𝑳𝒀 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆

!! THIS POST IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING "CONSTRUCTIONS" NOT ALL OF THE GIVEN LINKS WORK !!

જ⁀➴ FLUFF

NOTORIOUSLY YOURS | JAY PARK (fluff, comedy, angst | fakedating!au, college!au, childhoodbestfriends!au, (kinda) e2l!au | 14.7k ) 

First Kisses | SIM JAKE  ( implied Best Friends to Lovers | Just a drabble about Jake’s first kiss | 85 )

 Blanket | KIM SUNOO (celebrating your 5 month anniversary with bf Sunoo | idk its not that long tho) 

 you % heeseung |  LEE HEESUNG ( fluff | the reader vs heesungs new gaming console | 0.95k ) 

HAVE IT BAD |  LEE HEESUNG ( college!au, fem!reader | dinner with your friends ended up with Jay deciding to open his mouth and start up the last conversation you wanted to have | 1.0k ) THIS POST DOES EXIST I CANT TAG IT

while you were sleeping | JAY PARK (short lil slice of life au // tooth rotting fluff)

જ⁀➴ ANGST

• static screens | SIM JAKE  ( Breaking up because of jakes dreams | wc. not given ) 

જ⁀➴ FRIENDS TO LOVERS

Beyond 7 Minutes in Heaven | PARK SUNGHOON ( angst, fluff | 7 minutes in heaven in a closet but after that seven minutes of playing jenga your friends cannot find that damn key)

by my side | LEE HEESUNG ( this series is so good! )  ( fluff | roommate!fem reader x richboy!roommate heeseung | mild cussing, LOTS of pet names from heeseung & quite cliche ig + a lot of dialogue ;) y/n also zones out ALOT)

tides of regret | LEE HEESUNG ★ ( fluff, smut // enhypen on a trip to Europe ends with a romantic dinner between two old friends who lost each other due to bad decisions made by heesung // 24.4K)

જ⁀➴ FAKE DATING

 “break your heart right back” | PARK JAY  (bestfriend!Jay x fem!reader | college au (not really mentioned though),friends to lovers, fake dating and ungodly amounts of fluff (crack-ish?) | wc. 8k )

 MY (ACCIDENTAL) DEMON ROOMMATE | PARK SUNGHOON ★ (demon!sunghoon x human!fem!reader //  college au, social media au with occasional written parts, modern supernatural (?) au, super fun //  27 + ) 

✰ 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐘 | SIM JAKE   ( boy! jake x fem!reader //smau, humor at points, angst, fluff // 19+ Parts // discontinued ) 

Behind the scenes | PARK SUNGHOON ( strangers 2 enemies, enemies 2 friends, fluff, angst, crack/humor, one sided pinning, love triangle?? some established relationships // sunghoon x fem!reader, enha members, itzy members, stray kids member, txt member // 23 Parts // COMPLETED) 

 maybe we could be togehter | SIM JAKE  (childhoodbff!Jake x fem!reader | fluff, light angst, crack (as it should!) and Sunoo being the bestest friend you could ever ask for… in his own strange ways // 42 Parts)

Love me not | PARK SUNGHOON ( sunghoon x fem!reader | angst, fluff | 26 parts )

how to fake date your best friend | JAKE SIM (jake sim x y/n // fluff, comedy | fakingdating!au, highschool!au, bestfriend!au, friends to lovers // 9.5k)

જ⁀➴ SUMMER ADVENTURES

last night's story | SIM JAKE (jake x female reader // surfer!jake, childhood friends to exes to lovers, angst, fluff, eventual smut, attempt at humor // 28.2k)

જ⁀➴ ROYAL

• if it means a lot to you | PARK JAY  (Prince!Jay x Maid!Reader | Royalty & Forbidden Love (is it a trope?!) AU; Angst & Fluff I 6,7K )

જ⁀➴ UNIVERSITY / COLLEGE / SPORT JOCK AUS

 THE BROTHERS BEST FRIEND TROPE | LEE HEESUNG ★ ( heesung x fade reader // severe angst, fluff and smut  //29K )

 BEHIND CLOSED DOORS | SIM JAKE ★ ( this is smut so don’t read if you are a MINOR !! // Jake x fem!reader // Jake being Heesungs roommate with a quiet room in a party // 3,6K )  

MAKE YOU MINE | PARK SUNGHOON  (park jongseong (jay) x female reader // series, fluff, romance, angst & slightly suggestive, enemies to friends to lovers, slowburn, college!au, basketball player!jay, radio host!reader)THIS POST DOES EXIST I CANT TAG IT

NOT FOR SALE |  LEE HEESUNG ★ ( Heeseung + Jay [ft. Sunghoon and Jake] // uni exchange student! reader x uni student! HS x uni student! Jay // Genres: Fluff | Slice of Life | Comedy | Angst | Teenage Romance // 15 chapters // COMPLETED )

DEUCE | PARK JAY ★ ( volleyball player!Jay x fem!volleyball player!reader // social media au, college au, enemies to lovers/rivals to lovers, fluff, angst, humor and crack // warnings: y/n is a bit of a menace, Jay is a bit of a dick, cursing, dirty/inappropriate jokes and some tension lmao // 52 Parts)

give up heaven | PARK SUNGHOON ★ (sunghoon x afab!reader // hockey player!hoon with small mentions of figure skater!hoon, ex-bestfriend bf!hoon, hoon's ex-girlfriend best friend, friends to lovers, slight smut // 10.6k // I loved this! I love hockey aus atm its horrible)

WIN ONE WIN ME | LEE HEESUNG ( ice hockey player!heeseung x afab!reader // strangers to lovers, college sports au, romance // 14k)

જ⁀➴ HIGHSCHOOL 

nothing yet // submissions are greatly appreaciated

જ⁀➴ BADBOY

nothing yet

જ⁀➴ HARRY POTTER UNIVERSE

• “falling for you, I can’t keep away” | JAY PARK ( Hogwarts AU | friends to lovers | light angst and fluff fluff fluff | 4.1k )

• it girl |  PARK SUNGHOON ( angst & kinda sad | modern-day era | 2,1k )

• the battle of hogwarts l JAY PARK (boyfriend!jay, friend!jake, brother!sunghoon, chosen one!heeseung, death eaters, voldemort, other small characters | hogwarts!au, angsty angst | wc. 4.1k )

જ⁀➴ SOULMATE

nothing yet

જ⁀➴ APOCALYPSE

 [03:18PM]| JAY PARK (a bit of Zombies & fluff, dies das )

THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU ( f!Reader x Enhypen // Zombie Apocalypse AU, Vampire AU, Enemies to Lovers, Enemies to Friends, Slowburn Romance, Unrequited Love, Dark!Enhypen, Angst, Some Fluff, Action, Supernatural, Eventual Suggestive/Smut Content // MDNI 18+ // 3 parts // on HIATUS )

stuck with me | PARK JONGSEONG ★ (jay x afab!reader // enemies to lovers, zombie apocalypse!au, blonde jay, smuggler hyung line + smuggler txt, riize members + jungkook and namjoon make appearances, smut // 26.2k // I loved this one! Its so well written)

જ⁀➴ ENHYPEN AS DADS

You’re My Baby Too | SIM JAKE (pairing: husband!dad!jake x wife!mom!reader // pure fluff // 0.3 k)

જ⁀➴ FANTASY / VAMPIRE

Atlantean| SIM JAKE  ★ (swimmer! Jake x swimmer! [fem] reader | fantasy, angst, fluff | 3k)

𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐞 (vampires are just creatures of fiction, but what happens when one is closer than you might think // ON HIATUS // Jungwon / Heesung / Sunghoon)

જ⁀➴ REACTIONS

• hyung line reaction to their s/o being a single mom

• Vampire enhypen! - Reaction to listening to their S/O’s heart beating faster because of them 

• enhypen as your boyfriend ~ hyung line

• hyung line when you sit on their lap while they’re on the computer  ( just a bunch of fluff, established relationship, whipped!enha | nspired by the tiktok trend where reader tries to sit on his lap while he’s on the computer or while he plays video games)

MY OLD ENHA MASTERLIST

[hpowellsmith]

New Game Announcement: Honor Bound, Crème de la Crème Series Book 4

Honor Bound is a standalone game that takes place four years after Royal Affairs, with a brand new player character.

The story so far: I started working on this game in March 2023. I'm currently writing the first draft of Chapter 4.

Chapter 1 is publicly available for everyone to play. Chapter 2 is going up on Patreon on 1st August. I also hope to post (roughly) fortnightly progress updates.

Play the public demo here!

You're a promising officer in the Teranese military, a force which has not seen major engagement in decades but which holds vast influence. Thanks to an injury, you're no longer in the field. Thanks to the circumstances of that injury, you've been quietly reassigned.

Now you're to be the bodyguard to the child of a famous scientist who is attending a wilderness boarding school for the children of the richest and most powerful figures of Teran society.

According to your mentor, it's an easy assignment. The school sits close to your own hometown, so you'll be familiar with the area; you can recover your health and get your career back on track. What could go wrong?

Bond with those around you or impress with aloof competence. Be a kind, trusted confidante to your charge, or a strict, stern caretaker. Work hard for glowing reports from your charge, your military superiors, or the Headteacher to get your life back on track - or risk it all as you uncover secrets that put you and everyone around you in peril.

Play as male, female, or non-binary; cis or trans; gay, straight, or bisexual; asexual and/or aromantic; allosexual and/or alloromantic; monogamous or polyamorous

Play a junior officer in your 20s, a mid-ranking officer in your 30s, or a senior officer in your 40s

Befriend or romance a severe military officer, a bold, easygoing outdoors expert, a determined and overworked priest, an earnest but airheaded fellow bodyguard, or the anxious, serious single parent of your charge

Shape the school life of your teenage charge: encourage her to make friends or sabotage her rivals, let her slack off or push her to achieve

Protect the school, town, and your charge from natural disasters and criminals, or use chaos to further your agendas. Build a warm community, stand apart to focus on yourself, or push tensions higher in a place where gossip is rife

Negotiate a cushy promotion, or open other doors, through heroic or devious actions. Or become such a disaster that only bandits will give you the time of day

Unearth and thwart shadowy schemes, or enact them yourself for your own ends

This tightly-knit desert boarding school is a sanctuary for artists and scientists of the future to flourish. But as danger closes in, how far will you go for your ambitions, your commanders, and your country?

FEEDBACK THREAD, INFO, & DEV DIARY | CHARACTER INTROS | PATREON DEMO | PUBLIC DEMO | BONUS PLAYABLE PROLOGUE

[porcelainseashore]

Ghosts from the Past (6)

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Agent! Leon Kennedy x Dancer! Informant! Fem! Reader

Summary: 7 years after leaving behind everything you’ve known, you’re suddenly thrust into facing a ghost from your past, Leon. Navigating where you stand with him brings up old memories, painful truths and countless questions. At the same time, you have to deal with a bunch of strange occurrences at your dance company. Set after Resident Evil 4 Remake.

Warnings: 18+ Swearing, Recreational Drug Use, Alcohol, Eventual Smut, No (Y/N), Canon-Typical Horror and Violence, Blood, Injury, Torture, Infection, Medical Experiments, Psychological Trauma, Nightmares

Content: Post-Resident Evil 4, Exes to Lovers, Partners to Lovers, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Lack of Communication, Romance, Fluff

Author's Note: I’m afraid I have to bring out the big guns for this chapter. So here are all the content warnings for what lies within: lack of agency, torture, blood, injury, violence including brief clinical sexual violence, and finally, medical experimentation.

AO3 Link

Chapter 6: Entwined

You remember falling asleep in Leon’s arms. After tugging you in for a goodnight kiss, he snuggled up against you in bed. Holding you tight, he made you feel protected and warm, like nothing could hurt you. There was a genuine smile on his face, one you hadn’t seen in a very long time, and the steady beating of his heart vibrated against yours, a gentle cadence that lulled you to sleep.

A while later, you stirred. It was cold and drafty, like you had kicked off the blankets and your bare skin was exposed. Goosebumps formed along your body as you shivered, feeling the hard ground beneath you. Where on earth-?

You had to squint when you opened your eyes, as a harsh beam of white light shone directly in your face, like you were in an interrogation room. Raising your palm in front of you to shield yourself from the light source, you slowly started to realize that you were lying on the theater stage, framed by a single spotlight.

Springing upright, you surveyed the area frantically, but there was not a soul in sight. You were alone on stage in a dark, empty auditorium. When you checked yourself, you somehow had your slip and coat on, but nothing else on you. Your feet had been left uncovered, and were looking rather worse for wear.

Was this another one of those weird dreams again? Well, whatever. First things first. Just find the exit and get outta here, you told yourself.

Leaving muddy and bloodied footprints across the floor, you hopped off the stage, wincing in pain as if your feet had been through a shredder. When you made your way past the last row of the stalls before the theater doors, you heard a seat folding back onto itself loudly, like someone had been sitting there all along and left in a hurry. Your eyes darted around the theater, but it was void of any presence. At that moment, a chill ran down your spine. Someone was watching you.

Hastening your steps towards the doors, you swung them open, but ended up in a gloomy hallway, as opposed to the grand foyer you were expecting. What the-

Anxiety was starting to rise within you and beads of cold sweat trickled down your forehead. This wasn’t right. None of this felt right at all. You rushed through the hallway, opening door after door, but each of them brought you into the same loop, like what had happened with Ada before. You stopped, banging your fist against the wall in frustration, as you let out a vexed groan. 

And then you heard it. The faint sound of a child crying which merged into that of a woman laughly wickedly. Your blood reacted instantly to it. It curdled, and under your translucent skin, you saw wispy, black secretions traveling up and down your veins. There was a sinking feeling in your chest. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what this meant, as you berated yourself for ignoring the signs earlier. You were fucked. So royally fucked.

Even though you tried to run away from the sounds, it felt as though they were getting closer, or perhaps your legs were defying your will, and directing you towards them instead. You noticed the air growing muggier, like when you were in the underground lair with Leon. This whole time, instead of heading for the exit like you had thought, you were being led further down, into the lower levels.

The next room you entered caused you to let out a startled yelp. Bathed in the dusky glow of a candle by a table, Silje was sitting on a luxurious armchair with ornate carvings. Her back was facing you, as she reached out for a glass of red wine. An obsidian puddle lay at her feet simmering like boiling broth.

“Silje?” You called out.

“Yes, dear?” She continued drinking without turning in your direction.

Taking a few tentative steps forward, you asked, “What’s going on? Why am I here?”

Finally, she swiveled her head towards you, flashing a broad smile, teeth stained red from the wine. “Well, because you belong with me, along with the rest.” She gestured to a faraway spot further down the hallway.

“You really are taking to it so well, my child. I am impressed.”

Eyeing your bewildered expression, she explained, “It’s the first time someone’s heard the call from such a distance.”

“What the fuck?” You shook your head, refusing to believe that you had been mind controlled to sleepwalk all the way to the theater. And even so, how had Leon not noticed your movement and absence? 

Glancing between the palms of your hands as if they had been marked with something strange, you exclaimed, “What did you do to me?”

All at once, you felt a wave of nausea wash over you and you collapsed to the ground on all fours, heaving violently. Black bile pumped from your stomach and gushed out of your mouth as if a dam had burst. You retched and wailed in terror at the scene, as Silje glided across the room to you, gently running her fingers through your hair to calm you down.

“Shhh, shhh…” she cooed. “The effects take some time to get used to. And then there won’t be any more pain and suffering. No more hallucinations.” She placed a finger to your lips, drawing figures on your chin with the black substance. “Judging by your blood’s affinity with the mold, it won’t be long before you truly become your own person.”

Tears welled up in your eyes as she confirmed what you had been transformed into. You were now one of those things that the government hunted down, and you watched the life you had dreamed of building with Leon crumble away into nothingness. “Why?” You choked out.

“You accepted the gift. Don’t you remember?” Her tone grew impatient with your questioning. “You and a few dancers, though some reacted badly and failed. You were the best.” She stroked your cheek tenderly. 

“All of you are my children, what I could not have before. Now you and I are of the same blood.” She clasped your hand in hers, squeezing it tightly like both of you had made an unbreakable pact. 

“I raised you and cared for you with everything I could offer. Believe me, this was just a small price to pay so that we could be together and continue what I have created all these years… I won’t have some rogue taking over my legacy!” She sneered at the thought.

You had heard whispers of what would happen when Silje passed on. It seemed as though people in the arts world couldn’t wait for her to go, so they could snatch up whatever they could, taking her work apart piece by piece and claiming it as their own, the minute they got their hands on it. There was even mention of a rival choreographer vying to be the company’s next artistic director. In some way, you understood the sheer desperation that caused Silje to resort to such unscrupulous methods. What they were doing to her was insulting and uncalled for. But like she suggested, everything had its price.

“What price?” You wondered out loud.

“I have the means to fund the research, and in exchange they allowed me a select group to reap the benefits with and call my own.” She pursed her lips, hesitating a little. “They also wanted the ova from those with particularly high affinity.”

“No!” You screeched, your mind was whirling and you expelled even more of the black contents, feeling like your body had been violated unconditionally.

“Oh, my poor-”

You shrank away from her in disgust. “Don’t touch me!” Tears streamed down your face as you wiped your mouth with your hand, retreating until your back was pressed against the wall. “How could you?”

Silje regarded you with a sense of lament, but ultimately mustered her resolve, insisting to you that she had made the right choice. “The gift I have shared with you is worth more than every transgression you have suffered. You’ll come around to it in time, and you will thank me.”

“You’re mad,” you intoned under your breath in shock.

“Here, let me show you.” She reached out her hand. “Maybe it becomes easier once you’re acquainted with the specimens.”

Out of morbid curiosity, you took it and followed her past the winding corridors to a set of heavy steel doors coated in red. Just like in the dream - except it wasn’t one. You had lived through every horror in the vision you saw.

Upon scanning her keycard, you entered into a vast underground area, which you assumed was where the laboratory was stationed. A bunch of security personnel greeted the two of you as you strolled past them, onto an overhead bridge which led to an elevator that traveled downwards.

When you got to the bottom level, you spotted a handful of scientists milling about, typing up reports on their computers and scribbling down notes on their clipboards, as they observed various stages of experiments in controlled environments behind glass panels. As you walked further along, you came across a couple of stasis pods. Within them were young children, girls?, you weren’t sure, as they were completely deformed and mutilated. Covered in melanoid slime, their body parts were either missing or rearranged in a haphazard manner. It was appalling to see what others had done to them in the name of money, destruction and science.

“This one.” Silje tapped on one of the pods.

Beatrice, it read in bold print on an external label.

“It is connected to you.”

Placing your hand against the glass, you peered at the mangled figure in front of you, as traces of grief and pity surged within you. Recollecting what you had seen in the report that Till had given to you, you understood what Silje was trying to say. 

“You forced her to infect me.” To you, she was still a human being.

At your accusation, Silje whipped around, replying harshly, “Don’t be so melodramatic. It’s what they are made for.”

“Now, you will feel a bond to it, though it will affect you less and less as time goes by,” she explained. “Even with its death, it cannot take away what you will get from the mold.”

“Can you see why they took your ova?” She questioned.

You raised a hand to your mouth, quivering as you spoke, “They want to make more of them… my god-”

At that moment, Beatrice’s eyes flew open, vivid yellow like a toxic sign, staring straight at you. You staggered backwards as you felt an icy cold grip on your head, as if someone was trying to pry into it. Random images of the laboratory, a baby bawling and jet black ooze flashed across your mind. But most of all, was the overwhelming sensation of being attached to her and wanting to protect her from any harm.

Silje held you in her arms, comforting you from all the emotions and memories you were experiencing. “I know, I know… it will soon pass.”

However, in the next few seconds, her mood changed. She started sniffing you, your hair and your neck, almost obsessively. The way a dog would inhale the scent of something new. 

“I can smell a man on you,” she began suspiciously.

A jolt of fear struck you, making your heart race. How much would she find out? You’d been with other men before. What made it different this time?

“That boy from your high school.”

Just as she said that, you heard a commotion coming from the security screens nearby. Multiple shots were being fired and yells for backup resounded from the intercoms. A quick glance towards the screen confirmed it. You saw the video footage of Leon running through the hallways, dodging bullets and swiftly disabling his opponents. If there was such a thing as a one-man army, he was it.

Silje’s eyes roved around, as if she was trying to figure out where something was located. They came to rest on the side of your coat, where an inconspicuous, pin-sized tag had been placed discreetly.

“A tracker,” she jeered. “I should’ve known you’re with him.”

As she put two and two together, her expression contorted into an assortment of betrayal, scorn and profound disappointment. At lightning speed, she yanked your hair back into death grip, nearly breaking your neck as she mocked you contemptuously, “I have to hand it to you, my dear. You were so careful up to now, but this-” 

Raising two fingers of her other gloved hand before you, she stuck them between your legs without warning, causing you to squirm and squeal out in discomfort. A thick, opalescent fluid glazed them as she pulled out, creating a damp patch on the leather. “This just gave you away.”

“Silje… please!” You begged, but she wasn’t having any of it.

“Silence!” She let go of your hair, smacking you across the face with the back of her hand. The force of it was so strong that there was a metallic tang of iron on your tongue as you fell to the floor in a heap.

Licking her lips, she sucked her gloved fingers dry and laughed menacingly. “So, this is what he tastes like, hm? Well, no matter. Now I know what his weakness is.”

“Funny that it’s all coming full circle, isn’t it?” Her lilting voice permeated the space and she spoke as if she was telling a story. “There was intel on an American agent snooping around, sticking his nose in places where he shouldn’t be. Hah! I knew that boy would grow up to be nothing but trouble.”

She paced around you, like a shark circling its prey. “And you… the mole,” she tutted. “Out of all people, I had never once doubted you.” 

A look of dismay washed over her features as she lashed out. “I took you in like a mother, gave you everything and more than what you could possibly dream of! This is how you repay me?”

Her wrath knew no bounds as she chastised you, while you wept bitterly, knowing you were a traitor through and through. Your hair cascaded in a disheveled mess over your face, as blood and saliva dribbled down your mouth, sticking to the ground in a string. “I’m sorry, please… I’m so sorry,” you sobbed, guilt seeping through every crevice of your body. 

You didn’t want to harm her in any way. You just wished that she wouldn’t have had the urge to get involved in such an organization from the start.

Crawling towards her feet, you tried to appeal to her again to reconsider her actions. “Silje, you don’t have to do this. Please-” You reached out and latched on to her shoe, curling up beside her like a child would with their parent. “All of this… and the destruction it will bring, it’s not worth it. You know that,” you reasoned. “I don’t want you to end up in a bad place. You still have time, you could turn in the people responsible and I’ll vouch-”

"Enough!" Silje's command sliced through the air like a knife, yet you caught a momentary glimpse of sympathy in her eyes.

“Nothing you say will make me change my mind.” She clenched her jaw as she knelt beside you, tidying your hair and combing it out of your face. 

“I’ve seen first-hand what the mold can do.” The pitch black puddle from the candlelit room reappeared, sliding across the floor as it attached itself on to Silje’s gloves, rippling around them like clouded orbs. “Its regenerative qualities, even immortality… and so many other dormant powers lying in wait to be discovered. Beautiful, isn’t it?”

A gun shot rang out in the distance and you saw the scientists disperse, breaking Silje out of her reverie. “It’s just a shame it had to come to this.”

Something sinister flickered in her eyes, as she glanced over at you, grabbing one of your legs roughly. It felt like you were being weighed down by a ton of bricks, as she held you in place. Despite your struggling, you couldn’t move an inch.

“I’m tired of waiting for this boy,” she sighed. “He just needs a little motivation to speed things up, don’t you think?”

Before you could respond, Silje reinforced her grip on your leg and in one effortless motion, you heard the sickening sound of your shin snapping cleanly in two. An excruciating wave of pain coursed through your body, triggering a bloodcurdling scream that tore from your throat. Sharp, jagged edges of bone peeked through your skin and everything was washed in scarlet red. There was so much of it pouring out, you were nauseous at the sight.

Leon took the bait, as Silje had planned, yelling your name hysterically. He was getting closer and you wanted to stop him, but you were unable to vocalize anything beyond incoherent screeches. You made out his shape in your hazy vision, as he dashed over to you, cradling your limp body in his arms.

“No, no… don’t speak,” he hushed you as you sputtered helplessly. “I’m gonna get you out of here.” Scrambling for his medpack, he administered a first aid spray on your open wound. It was the best he could do for now.

“Trap.” Your voice cracked under strain, you pushed whatever words you could out of your mouth. “Go, you need to-”

“I know,” he asserted. “But I’m not leaving you.”

There was an acute sting at the back of your head and you realized your time was running out. You needed to warn him fast. “I’m infected, they got me under-”

But you weren’t quick enough to complete your sentence. You felt the claws of the little girl, Beatrice, sinking into your brain, directing your moves like a stage puppet. It was an out-of-body experience and you could only watch powerlessly as she turned you against him, for her own self-preservation. 

Your hand reached for his combat knife, unsheathing it before he had a chance to react. You slashed ferociously at him, as he backed away, blocking your attacks but unwilling to counter you in return. As if you were a rag doll being pieced back together, your shin bone clicked into place, while an onyx substance swam along the veins protruding from your leg.

You lunged his knife at him again and again with no sign of letting up, while he was on the defensive, treating you with so much care, like you were fragile glass. He called out to you, trying to break through the mental barriers that clouded your mind.

“Look at me!” Grasping your wrists and pinning them down, he stared directly into your eyes. “I know you’re in there, ok? It’s Leon!”

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he continued, even though you were thrashing about wildly, growling at him like an untamed beast. 

He pleaded with you to stop, unable to bring himself to take any drastic measures. He wouldn't know how to forgive himself if he did. “You don’t have to do this.”

The sound of a slow clap reverberated against the walls, as Silje emerged from the shadows. “Oh, don’t you enjoy a good show?”

“Silje…” Leon hissed threateningly.

“All bark and no bite, just like back then.” A cruel smile spread across her face. “Tell me, how is it like watching someone you love harbor nothing but hatred towards you?”

“Shut the fuck up!” He spat, his eyes igniting with a fierce blaze of anger.

At that point, she removed her sunglasses leisurely, flaunting the monstrous yellow of her irises like glowing embers. Her teeth grew razor sharp and you saw her arms blackened like soot as she peeled off her gloves. Things were about to get really bad if you couldn’t get a hang of yourself.

His gaze shifted uneasily between you and Silje, as a storm of inner conflict visibly brewed within him. You still had the strong impulse to lacerate him with his knife, but you resisted a bit more each time, and your efforts seemed to be paying off slightly. It emboldened you to devise a plan spontaneously as you worked to regain control.

Through an enormous amount of sheer willpower, you croaked, “Leon, let go.”

He gave you a look of skepticism, but ultimately decided to trust you. His grip on your wrists loosened as you fought with all your might against the brainwashing influence. As you felt the familiar pull of Beatrice on your right arm, you braced yourself for what would come next. When she attempted to swing it at Leon, you used the momentum to twist your body in its direction, causing the knife to plunge into your left shoulder instead. You howled in agony, as you leaned against the wall and slid down, leaving behind a sanguine trail.

“Don’t!” You shook your head furiously when Leon stepped towards you. 

He locked eyes with you, his expression suffused with worry and distress, underscoring his reluctance to leave you alone. However, he understood that you had incapacitated yourself to aid him, and he knew he didn’t have a choice. You pulled out the knife with a stifled whimper, chucking it to the floor as more blood rushed out of you.

“Remarkable,” Silje commented, intrigued by the outcome of your fight with Leon. “Already showcasing fragments of autonomy.”

Though it wasn’t long before she focused her attention on Leon, emitting a guttural snarl, “Looks like I’ll have to take care of you myself!”

She charged towards him, stretching out her hands which had extended into spiked claws, as he dodged out of the way. Unleashing a barrage of bullets on her with his compact submachine gun to allow himself some breathing space, he circled around her back. Whipping out his shotgun, he fired at her a couple of times from point-blank range until he had to take cover to reload his weapon.

Although she was staggered, the bullets seemed to have no real effect on her. Each shot antagonized her even more instead, eventually resulting in ghastly mutations which developed across her body. The parts of her which were riddled with bullets turned into ulcerated sores, with coal black ooze dripping out of them. Her form swelled, towering over Leon and reducing him to the scale of a tiny ant in comparison. Just like the girls in stasis pods, Silje was covered in dark sludge and her limbs were affixed to random places at varying angles. Her large, feral eyes pierced the room, reddened with rage and loathing.

“You think you can get rid of me so easily?” Her speech took on a demonic tone, dropping an octave lower.

“I’ll teach you how to stay down in the first place,” he quipped, undeterred, as he raised his handgun, aiming it specifically at one of her eyes before firing a volley of shots that tore through the space.

She roared, swiping at him with her limbs, as he rolled to the side to evade her attacks. Her movements were slower now, but she could easily trample him in one go. Pieces of equipment, metal and brick hurtled through the air as they clashed with unbridled ferocity. His training took over, dealing in quick strikes whenever there was an opening, and outmaneuvering her with grace. But it wasn’t sufficient to take her down. Despite his relentless determination and skill, Leon was still human. His concentration was waning and his body was beginning to be pushed to its limits.

When he miscalculated his next move, Silje’s claws closed around him and with a surge of brute strength, flung him across the room savagely. Sparks erupted as he collided with the monitor screens, leaving shards of glass and stray wires scattered at his feet. He groaned, coughing out blood as he worked to lift himself up.

“Not good enough,” she taunted. “You’ll never have her. She’s mine!” 

Gnashing her fangs ominously, sickly drool leaked from them, as she slithered over to him, ready to rip his flesh apart and devour his organs.

“Silje, wait! Take me,” you cried. “Just spare him, please!”

She paused, considering your words. However, she was abruptly interrupted by a distant crack, as a sniper shot found its mark in the middle of her head with lethal precision. The projectile burrowed deep into her tissue, stunning her temporarily. 

From afar, you spotted the same enigmatic woman in red you encountered a day ago. The sole blemish on her otherwise pristine appearance was a tourniquet bound tightly around her thigh. Without a minute to waste, Ada tossed over a syringe to Leon, instructing, “Use this serum on her!” She sped over to another vantage point. “I’ll cover you!”

Based on their team dynamics, it seemed like they had done this before in the past. You began to understand that Ada cared for him, just like you did, even though on the surface, they appeared to stand on opposite ends of the moral compass.

Ada continued to mark her target, as Leon attempted to draw closer to Silje, weaving his way through her elongated limbs which sought to crush him. Meanwhile, you recognized Beatrice’s hold on you intensifying. She was scared and you could feel it. Afraid of being destroyed, wiped off the face of the earth, with no memory of her existence left behind. She wanted them to stop, and in turn, behaved erratically, hoping to bend them to her will.

Immediately, your body flopped onto the ground and you started to convulse violently. Ebony liquid poured out profusely from your eyes, nose and mouth, as you gurgled and choked. You were suffocating on your own vomit as it filled your lungs and led you towards a slow, harrowing death.

That was more than enough to cause a distraction. Leon froze on the spot, alarmed, his eyes were brimming with pure panic. Seconds ticked away as he weighed his options. Then, he remembered. “The fail-safe!” He shouted at Ada. “It’s labeled in red!”

“But-”

“Hurry!” He hollered again, with a heightened sense of urgency, as he ducked under a structure to avoid Silje’s grasp.

Ada’s mouth twitched in displeasure, but she nodded in response before bolting towards the rows of trays in the laboratory.

It felt like an eternity of torment as the light began to fade from your vision. Was this what it was like to die? Dissolving into the ether. Everything was so cold and empty. No one would remember you. You were nothing…

Until your body jolted back to life as you gasped for breath, coughing up the remnants of the murky fluids onto the ground. You felt blood rushing to your eardrums and your lungs were on fire, as you struggled to draw in more oxygen. 

From your viewpoint, you witnessed Ada holding a canister of the toxins that were meant to neutralize each batch of bioweapons. As she pumped them into the stasis pods, you heard the shrieks coming from the young girls who erupted into an inky, molten state. It felt like a part of you had been torn asunder, as your connection with Beatrice was severed.

An ear-splitting scream of anguish broke out from the other end of the room. Leon had climbed on top of Silje, seizing her head with his hand and promptly injected the serum into her. You observed her steady transformation with a heavy heart, as her body started to calcify from bottom-up, its surface hardening into an impenetrable layer. 

As she gradually succumbed to the petrification, her mouth gaped open and closed like a fish on its last breath. A shadow of sorrow swept across her face as her final words tumbled out, “My child, why…”

Leon leaped away from her statue, nearly stumbling in a state of exhaustion, as he exhaled a pronounced sigh of relief. He walked briskly over to you, while Ada joined him, lugging a metallic briefcase with a sultry saunter as her heels clacked purposefully on the floor.

You were weak and faint from the massive loss of blood, which was still flowing down in rivulets from your punctured wound, soaking your clothes in a bright crimson. When Leon took in the sight of your pale, ashen complexion, it didn’t matter how hard he tried to hide the fear in his eyes. You noticed it as clear as day, but you were too tired to speak.

Hastily, he ripped out a piece of fabric from his shirt, using the cloth as a makeshift bandage around your wound and applying pressure on it to stem the flow.

“She’s not looking so good,” Ada warned. “Better get a move on.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” he retorted defensively. 

“Here.” She pulled out another syringe of the serum from her briefcase, extending it to him. “It cures the infected,” she explained. “The girl’s not as far gone as Silje, so it might work as intended for her.”

He regarded Ada with apprehension, as though he had been bitten one too many times. “What’s the catch?”

“Hm.” She smirked. “Glad you asked.”

Holding up a cylindrical container she had swiped from the laboratory earlier, she admired the Stygian, putrid substance encased within it. “I’m taking a sample of the mold and the necessary research files, but I’m sure you don’t mind, do you?”

Leon narrowed his eyes at her, pursing his lips in disappointment. “Of course, why would I have expected anything less?”

“We have a deal then?” She pressed.

He glanced back at you, taking a moment to stroke your cheek in reassurance. Then, he turned to her, scowling, as he confirmed his acceptance. “Fine.”

Giving him a weary, lopsided smile, Ada handed over the serum and proceeded to download the information she needed from the computer systems in the vicinity onto her hard drive. 

“She must be special,” Ada remarked, with a tinge of melancholy. “Take care of her,” she added, nodding towards you as a sign of acknowledgment. 

You held her gaze briefly, and even though you could barely respond, it seemed as if both of you had come to a mutual understanding.

“Good luck, Leon,” she muttered, before taking her leave and disappearing without a trace.

There was a quiet stillness as Leon placed the syringe against your arm. “You’re gonna be ok,” he comforted you, kissing your forehead softly. “I promise.”

You felt the prick of the needle going through your skin as he administered the serum. A glacial chill crept through your veins, as though each droplet of blood was being encased in ice. You trembled uncontrollably, but he held onto you staunchly, refusing to let you go as he begged you repeatedly to answer him.

You couldn’t. Like sand through his fingers, you slipped away into unconsciousness.

[beautifulplaceofyouth]

JJK FF | ROYAL GUARD

CHAPTER TWELVE | SERIES

Ch. 1

Ch. 2

Ch. 3

Ch. 4

Ch. 5

Ch. 6

Ch. 7

Ch. 8

Ch. 9

Ch. 10

Ch. 11

Ch. 12

When you keep bumping into your personal royal guard by accident not knowing he is your guardian angel

Pairing: Jeon Jungkook!fallen angel!royal guard! × fem!reader!virgin!princess

Word count: 3.3k

Rating: 15+

Genre + warnings: Fluff, angst, paranormal romance, historical fanfiction, Kook being cold and mysterious, and just being his sexy self. Possessive over his princess. Some kissing scenes in public and in private. Also disappointed parents of Y/n, a little drama and preparations for marriage. The story isn't real, just my imagination running wild so just enjoy reading!

a/n: a little late again, sorry

As you were having breakfast in the big dining hall, you heard loud shouts from outside the big doors.

Frowning, you set aside the cup of coffee you were just holding and asked the nearest servant," What's that noise?"

Since Jungkook left for his morning training and territory duties and checking if there's no more trespassers in the palace, you were left alone with nothing to do so first thing you did when you woke up was take a shower and came down for breakfast.

Expecting an answer from the servant, it was the guard who replied. He was a fallen angel like Jungkook and he looked at you from his post.

"You don't need to worry about that, my lady.  His majesty ordered us to keep  watch on all entrances and exits. That's what we're here for anyway" he said with a slight tilt of his head like he was also trying to listen what is going on.

Confused, the shouts got louder before someone banged against the big door.

"Let me in this instant! There is my daughter!" Your father's voice echoed through the palace with your eyes wide.

"Please, my baby is there!" Your mother  yelled as you stood still in shock before the servant ran out, looking frantic. You couldn't believe you just heard those voices right now.

The guard looked at you worriedly but didn't say anything. The only thing that he could do was stand by his post while waiting for further instructions. "What should I tell his majesty?"

Before you can speak, the doors swung open to reveal your dear father and mother in royal attire. They were first who rushed inside the dining hall with the company of other guards behind them.

As you watched your parents looking so worried, you felt relieved that they are safe and sound. No vampires have attacked them but you didn't know how is that possible that they are here, in the Jungkook's kingdom.

Once they saw you,  your father's eyes lit up with relief before he ran toward you, "My daughter" he whispered to you before crushing you in a tight hug.

You hugged him back tightly. He then let go to hold your cheeks so he could study your face in awe before speaking again.

"How long has it been since I last seen you?" Your father asked with teary eyes, a smile plastered on his face.

Feeling confused by all the questions, you said with a smile, "It's not like I didn't see you every day...but why are you here and not at home?" Then after realizing what you said, you quickly added,"Oh, right. I forgot. The vampires."

"Are you all right, honey?" Your mother joined in the conversation, her eyes full of concern.

Since she was never around and only traveling on business trips, you felt weird about her being so worried but you didn't dwell on it too much. The important thing was that your parents are alive.

"How come you're here? Isn't this place hidden from humans?" You asked with confusion.

Your father simply smiled and took your hands in his," It doesn't matter now. Vampires had been terminated from our land and it is safe to go back home. We just wanted to retrieve you ourselves so no harm is done to you and,-" stopping mid sentence, he looks down at your neck like he just saw something strange," What's that collar around your neck?" Your father pointed to your inked mark necklace which appeared when Jungkook marked you.

"Umm, well  -" you started to stutter, feeling shy and embarrassed to explain such a sensitive situation, especially to your parents, when you suddenly heard someone coming inside the dining room with heavy footsteps.

Looking over your father's shoulder, your eyes brightened when your gaze met the eyes of your king. Dressed in his armor, his hair combed back neatly, he looked dangerously attractive when he approached.

Without his wings, he looked like a deadly predator who walked with a purpose ready to attack if necessary.

"Your majesty. Sorry for delay, I wanted to check the palace grounds for any intruders before we come inside but I see you've already met with your daughter," his low voice creates goosebumps on your skin when he walks even more closer.

"Yes and it looks that you kept your promise as she looks fine and well but I think it's time to go home now. It will be best for her if she stays with us before,-"  before your father could finish, a hand grabbed your chin before pulling you into a chaste kiss.

Your eyes widened in surprise as your king crushed you to his metal chest, not even noticing him stepping in front of you since your parents were standing in the way.

"What are you doing?!" Your father shouted and wanted to push Jungkook away from you but is stopped by some unseen force when you finally got to breathe after the kiss your king pulled.

"Did you miss me, darling?" Your soon to be husband grinned when he caressed your jaw lovingly," Sorry to keep you waiting. Hope you had fun without me," smirking, he left another kiss but this time on your cheek.

Smiling at your flushed face, he turned to look at your father then, his eyes going back to black," She is staying with me and we are having a wedding today so don't  interfere. She is safe under my care and we both agree on marrying. If you insist otherwise, I will not hesitate to kill you. I want her by my side so don't test my patience."

Your father still couldn't move but that didn't stop him from protesting," We didn't agree on this! "

"If you don't like this arrangement, then leave now. And it has to be today. We have no choice because the vampire attacks are becoming worse."

"We made a deal that you will marry her when she turns twenty one, till then she lives with her parents. She has responsibilities to hold in her own kingdom! Are you not aware that you're forcing her now? I'm sure you've not even asked her and told her your plan, it's complete nonsense!"  Your father tried reasoning his point of view as he shook his head with disbelief.

Jungkook sighed in annoyance," I played nice and let you see your daughter so don't try to stop this. She already has bonded with me," As to prove a point, he kisses your neck and the collar starts pulsing and glowing  in blue light, causing a wave of magic that makes you gasp out loud.

"That's her answer. You can choose not to support us now or later. But I won't wait anymore. My time is short and I must make her mine immediately."

"Y/n? Are you really going with this? He's not abusing you, isn't he?" Your mother hesitated to ask.

Feeling anger bubble inside you, it was like switch turned off when you hear them judge him so harshly," Yes, I will marry him. He is the one who has always protected me and always will so  don't you ever think about taking him away from me."

"But he could hurt you! He is not even human! How could you even  accept an offer like this!?" Your mother screamed at you before turning to your father," Your daughter doesn't even listens to us anymore. Do something!"

"I think she made up her mind already and I want to know only one thing, Y/n. Do you really love him?" Your father asked as he held your hands in his.

Nodding your head yes without hesitation, you look straight at your father," Yes I love him with everything I have. He has protected me and brought me into his home and he is the first person who truly cares about me. That's why I chose to stay here with him."

Turning to Jungkook, he looks even more hungry after hearing your confession.

Pulling you to him, his eyes glow from the emotions  coursing through him and his words become husky," This is why I will marry her. No one ever will take her from me again."

"And when do you intend to get married? There needs to be  a ceremony in the palace so we might as well start the preparations now." Your mother suggested.

"Let's just start immediately," Jungkook spoke, cutting your parents off before anyone can say anything else.

Your father looks at him  with shock written on his face," Right away? Just like that? But preparations,-"

"Are not necessary," Jungkook cut him off again," That's why you're here. You will be our witnesses to our marriage if you wish to participate. If not, my guards will gladly escort you out but you don't want your daughter sad or disappointed, right?"

With that your father nods in defeat.

The dress was tight enough  for the top of your shoulders to show a little bit of your pale skin. It was also sleeveless and a very thin layer of material that covered your arms and neck.

The dress was decorated with tiny crystals hanging from the straps that attached to the gown with delicate jewels scattered throughout. It was beautiful nonetheless.

"Can I do your makeup, your highness?" A maid asks you.

When you nod, you watch as she takes some powder, lipstick and blush to put on your rosy cheeks while you sit patiently on a chair.

You were afraid that your hair would have gotten messy during the process but the maids reassured you that you shouldn't worry since their hands were as gentle as they could be.

Once finished dressing your hair, the maid carefully brushes your long hair, careful not to mess it up until your hair falls naturally onto your face. You look pretty and beautiful in your new dress.

Once the maid finishes styling your hair, she gives you the mirror," I hope you feel satisfied your highness. The color suits you so well."

"I think so too," you smile at her softly and then your smile drops when your mother walks inside your chambers and smiles warmly at you.

"How are you sweetheart? You look beautiful in that dress," She compliments you softly.

You turn your head away from her," Thanks, mother,"  trying not to frown at her kind words, your mother seems to notice how unhappy you were about something.

"What's wrong?" Her eyebrows furrow together in confusion.

"It's just that...." Your eyes started watering again.

You wanted to tell her everything but you knew that she wouldn't really care. She never was around in the palace when you grew up. She only came back from her trips once or twice  a year which was the reason why you barely saw each other.

Her visits meant nothing but now, you realized that you missed the feeling of being around her more than you had thought.

"I just...," not knowing how to say it, your mother sits next to you on a chair, pity in her gaze.

"Is it his majesty? You're not happy with him? It's not too late to back out and you can come with us home. It would be better if,-"

"No! It's nothing like that! I love him! " Your voice gets louder as tears started falling faster down your face.

Your mother looked surprised at first, unsure about how to react," You love him?"

You nodded your head," I've loved him since forever. Since the moment I met him, I've been fascinated by him. But I didn't realize what' i felt when I became attracted to him. When he kissed me, when he smiled at me, the feelings intensified. Then I fell in love with him and I couldn't imagine my life without him. So please, help me, mom. Tell dad to back down from his stupid demands but promise that you'll support me in getting married today!"

"Why wouldn't I support you?"

"You've never been by my side when I needed to make my own decisions. It was my father who always made sure I was okay so of course I'm asking you for support. You owe me that much, mother.”

She sighed deeply," I really don't agree with this agreement though. I want you to choose someone better than this man, someone worthy of you. Someone who can give you the happiness you deserve. He may seem handsome and caring yet deep down inside he has selfish desires and he's just using you. Your father didn't told you that he is trying to go back to heaven once he proves himself worthy, did he?"

Confused, you frown at her," He said something about proving himself to the higher angels once he is done building his kingdom here but he never said anything about going back to heaven. I'm sure you've misunderstood something,"

"I think he's planning to betray you, Y/n."

"What?"

"He said that once he finds proof that he is worthy, he will return to heaven. So I advise for you to think before you jump into this marriage,"

"There's no point in thinking about it. Even if he does find proofs against him, he'll still come back to me anyway. He loves me more than any single word ever written. We are perfect together, mom. Everything about our story is true," you argue with her.

Smiling sadly at you, your mother shook her head," I'm sorry my dear. Maybe you'll understand someday in time but don't you think that marrying this man is a huge mistake?"

"No. I've already made the decision long ago. I've chosen him and no matter what happens later, we will get through it together so stop trying to stop me."

"But you're the heir to the throne! You have responsibilities and people to think of! You can't leave your kingdom behind because of one selfish man. Think about your future! What's going to happen to us if you decide to marry him and there is no one who continues to run the kingdom?!"

"Mom," You whisper.

Sighing heavily, your mother runs her fingers through her curly hair. "Just, please think about this seriously. Don't do this. Please, please reconsider." With these last words, she got up from her seat and leaves your chambers.

Closing your door quietly behind her, the maid who was doing your makeup comes back inside since she left so you can talk to your mother in private.

"What happened to your eyes, your highness? Were you crying?"

"It's nothing. My mother and I had a disagreement over something. She doesn't believe in marriage so I think I'm free to decide what will happen to our kingdoms once I am married," You smile at her, hoping it would ease her worries, but she simply shakes her head and goes back to applying makeup to you.

When she finishes, she dismisses herself with a bow and lets you know that everyone has gathered in the throne room for the ceremony. Thanking her, you let yourself breathe for a moment before you walk out yourself.

Trying to calm your nerves, the sudden sensation over your shoulder makes you shiver and you glance over to see Jungkook standing by the window.

"When did you get here?" You ask nervously.

Then you notice his royal suit for the ceremony.

Completely black but for the white cape that hangs loosely on his shoulders which is strapped by shiny black gem stones.

His expression is unreadable as he stares at you. His hands are tucked behind his back and he is leaning against the wall besides the window.

"A couple minutes ago," He answers simply.

Taking another deep breath, you lower your gaze and try to control your nerves.

"Uh-it's a bad sign if you see the bride before the wedding,"  You joke as you laugh humorlessly, your heart rate picking up the pace.

"Oh yeah?"  He asks with interest.

You swallow hard. "Yeah. That means we're going to fight."

Jungkook raises an eyebrow as he tries to hold back a grin," Is that so?" He says playfully.

"Mhm," You answer nodding your head, agreeing with whatever he says even though you weren't sure anymore.

Your conversation with mother still clouded your mind and you were afraid to  speak again about something related to it. After taking a few more deep breaths, you decide to bring up the topic.

"So...," You clear your throat, trying not to stutter." When did you really came inside? I would've seen you because I was only here with one of your maids. She helped me dress up."

"Oh? I thought saw your mother walking out of our bedroom."

Waiting for you to deny, you nodded your head," Yes, she was here."

"What did you two talk about?"

"Nothing important." You lie.

He walks closer to you, making you feel nervous all of the sudden. You could smell his strong cologne as he leans in, staring intensely at you.

His eyes seem to stare into your soul as you try to not hover in place.

"Lying doesn't suit you, princess." He flashes his teeth in a sharp smile.

"What makes you say that?" You ask sarcastically.

He smiles even wider," I heard every word your mother told you. About how she doesn't approve our marriage, our relationship and that I'm just using you to my own benefit."

"H-how?" You manage to utter as you blink twice, not knowing how even he knew that.

"I know everything, love. " He takes a step back.

You shake your head in disbelief," How is this possible? Are you able to spy on people from outside their walls? Does it have to do with your magic or special hearing?"

"Both of them, darling,"  He chuckles.

"How..?"

Jungkook shrugs," Because I'm a guardian angel. There aren't many things I don't know or couldn't find out about someone who's supposed to be my queen. I'm a protector,"

"So you can read my mind too?"

"No, I can't read minds. But I've known you for years to know what you think and right now you are thinking about if that's true what your mother said."

"You mean about that you're going to heaven after  you prove yourself to the higher angels?" You question as you look at him with uncertainty.

He smiles," Are you scared that I will leave you?"

"No,"  you say immediately, shaking your head with conviction." No, never."

"I'm glad. The longer that I spend with you, the easier it is for me to believe that the universe decided to pair you with me. I know for a fact you wouldn't survive without me, especially when our souls are connected. Our souls are linked. That means if something bad ever happens to either of us then the other will die along with the person."

"We're already bonded, Jungkook. It's impossible for something bad to happen. We'll figure this out together."

Nodding his head at you, he replies," We will. And don't worry about your mother. If she believes we should break up, I'll take care of it. As long as you're happy and safe with me. As long as I'm around you. No one can separate you from me. Trust me,"  He whispers, placing his hand on your cheek softly.

You nod your head as tears begin to fall down your face. "Thank you. I love you. I really do,"

Pulling you close to him, he hugs you tightly, whispering to your ear," I really do, too." Kissing your neck lightly he adds," Now come on, let's go before they think we're late so lets get married, shall we?"

"Wait, Jungkook," you grab his sleeve," You didn't say anything about my dress."

The corners of his lips tug upward," You look beautiful."

"You think so?" You blush lightly.

"Of course," He says, his voice dropping low and sending chills down your spine.

"Now come on, princess, I'll take good care of you so that you'll never forget."

Smiling shyly, you follow him out of the room.

Be continued…

p.s. All images and gifs are not mine, some of the edits are mine edited but not every picture. All the credit goes to their rightful owners

DO NOT REPOST THIS WORK AS YOUR OWN BECAUSE THIS IS THE ORIGINAL OWNER’S STORY

If you like, please reblog or like the post so I can post the next chapters :)

Taglist: @lepau123 @the-princess-of-mischief-1998 @11thenightwemet11 @khadeeeeej (If you want to be tagged, please message me)

🅒 All rights reserved

[bvidzsoo]

PLS DROP THE TEASER

So, the series is called “Beyond the Obscure” and we’ll have the following pairings in them:

1. Jeong Yunho x female reader -> Yunho is an evil King, who keeps his nation in terror; reader is sent to kill him

2. Park Seonghwa x female reader x Kang Yeosang -> Seonghwa and Yeosang are twins, both evil and dark fairies (gwyllion) that lure humans into the woods and kill them; however it just so happens that Yeosang falls in love with our reader, Seonghwa hating her guts

3. Choi San x female reader x Jung Wooyoung -> San, prince of the Kingdom of the Fallen and brother of Yunho is forced into retreat after their father’s death and Wooyoung, his Royal Guard follows after him; it just so happens that both of them fall in love with the sweet maid living with them at the mansion

4. Choi Jongho x female reader -> Jongho is a hunter, and one evening as he’s out hunting, he mistakenly believes our reader to be an animal and hunts her down, and that’s how their romance begins

5. Song Mingi x female reader -> both part of Yunho’s Royal Guard, the tension, hatred and rivalry are high, the two detest each other; what happens when Mingi sets our reader up, thinking he can finally get rid of her so that he’ll be the only one to have Yunho’s attention

6. Kim Hongjoong x female reader -> an assassin, a tenacious and feared one at that, is sent by King Jeong to the only other Kingdom to kill the green witch that’s threatened Yunho’s life not once with her potions and teas; what Hongjoong doesn’t expect is to find a gem of a woman to fall in love with hard

☆ unfortunately, because of my thesis you will have to wait for a while until I’ll post the stories; the plots are already written and worked out, I only need the time to write them

☆ also, this isn’t the actual teaser haha, it’s just a little tease since you asked for it; I have a masterlist worked out that I’ll be posting soon

☆ some stories will contain gore and dark themes that I haven’t written before (and tbh smut that’s out of my comfort zone, but I want to grow as a writer and experiment) so I’m really excited for you all to see the world I have created for Beyond the Obscure

[lizzybeth1986]

Meet my MC: Esther Noelle DuPont (TRR)

FC: Alexandra Daddario

Book: The Royal Romance

Nicknames: Essie, Estie, Sport/Squirt (from her father).

Age: 26 during the events of TRR

Birthday: December 26th

Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

Hair: Dark brown, long and straight

Eyes: Blue-grey

Birth Town: New Orleans, Louisiana

Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian/American with French and Italian ancestry

Love Interest: King Liam

Trivia:

- loves photographing sunsets. Keeps a sky diary.

- closest (and only living) relative is her mother's sister, Vivienne, who moved in and looked after Esther when her parents died.

- Favourite festival is Mardi Gras. My fic Masks goes into why.

- Loves pearls. Also loves small knickknacks.

- Her first name came from her mother's favourite swimmer, and her middle name from the month she was born. Her expected due date was at the end of January, but she was born in late December instead.

Personality: Detail Oriented - Repressed - Logical - Outwardly Calm - Slightly Avoidant in conflict.

Education: A BA in Interdisciplinary Studies/Teacher Education, and two years of teaching experience. She was preparing to enroll in a Curriculum and Instruction MS programme after a few years, when she ended up meeting Liam. She’s currently using her background in education to improve the education system in Cordonia.

Favourite Holiday Destination: Venice, where Liam and Esther spent their honeymoon

Backstory: Esther was born in New Orleans to Louis DuPont and Isabelle Blais. She is their only child; they had initially planned on having at least three children, but because Esther's birth was particularly difficult and traumatic for her mother, the couple never tried to have children again. This also resulted in Isabelle being a little distant around her daughter, even though she loved her immensely. Louis was the more interactive, hands-on parent, and as a professional photographer often took his daughter out with him. The family moved to Brooklyn during Esther's pre-teen years, and returned only once...to volunteer in the efforts to help their town during Hurricane Katrina.

Esther lived a relatively happy life though her mother's distant behaviour did disturb her, and it was only as an adult, talking to her aunt Vivienne, that she finally understood why. Both parents passed away before she completed high school, and Vivienne helped her get through college. Esther worked as a teacher for two years, and took up an extra job as a waitress (and a few other odd jobs) in hopes to pay for a degree in Curriculum and Instruction in the future. It's at this point that she meets Liam.

Children: Crown Princess Sofia, Prince Theo and Prince Phillip.

--

Tagging @choicesficwriterscreations for Meet Our MCs/OCs!

Putting this up because I'm working on a 4-chapter mini-series focusing on Esther, set in the Petals and Thornes universe! Tagging all my usual readers for the series, but if anyone would like to get tagged for Three and A Half Weeks (and if you haven't yet - for P&T), let me know!

[choicesficwriterscreations]

April Creator of the Month: Aallotarenunelma

Each month, CFWC highlights one of our talented fanfic writers or artists, and this month’s creator of the month is the lovely @aallotarenunelma! The writer is selected at random. More info can be found on the navigation page. Past COTM's can be found here.

Quick Links:

Tumblr Blog My Masterlist

How do you want to be known on Tumblr? 

Aallotar is fine. I am agender. My pronouns are they/them.

More below...

1- When did you start playing Choices? What was the first book you played? 

I saw the app being highlighted a lot in Google Play in 2017, but it was only at the end of February-beginning of March 2018 that I downloaded it. It was when Perfect Match 1 started releasing and shortly before Bloodbound 1 began releasing. Time is flying!

There were already a lot of books, and it was a bit overwhelming. I chose the series that was being heavily advertised: The Royal Romance.

2- When and why did you join Choices fandom?

I joined the Choices sub-Reddit in July 2019, then the Tumblr fandom in April 2020.

I first joined the sub because I wanted to discuss the books and the characters, and hopefully befriending other players. It was lonely to read the books, and having no one to share my opinions and theories with. Then, I took a step back from it and after lurking a bit, I joined the Tumblr community. 

3- How did you pick your blog name? 

When I joined Tumblr, in April 2020, it was initially to be a Writblr. I was writing a story about a heroine named Aallotar. Its title gave my blog’s URL. My blog’s title is its English translation: Aallotar’s dream.

In the end, my blog turned into a bit of everything.

4- Pull up the first post in your archive, and tell us about it!  

This is my very first post. This is my original writing, conveniently mentioned right above. :)

5- Do you write fanfiction, create fan art, or are you one of those really gifted people who do both? 

I define myself as an artist because I create. This is how I express myself. It doesn’t matter if the pencil I use is to write or to draw as long as I create. Before I started learning how to draw, I was always saying that I was drawing with words. To me, this is what writing is. I draw and paint with my words to depict stories that my characters want me to tell.

I mostly write, but I also create fan art, such as sketches and various kinds of edits: quotes, sprites, moodboards, etc. 

6- How long have you been creating for Choices and for any other fandoms?

For the defunct app Lovestruck, from December 2020 to October 2021.

For Choices, since April-May 2020. 

7- What is your favorite Choices book, and what is your favorite Choices book to create for?

My all-time favourite Choices book is Veil of Secrets. I adore it!

I heavily create for the It Lives Anthology - the three books - and also for Immortal Desires. I love these books so much that I made a crossover, and most of the characters from the Anthology and from ID have met and even befriended each other.

8- Share your first Choices fanfic or fan art that you posted with us. Do you still like it, or would you change it if you were creating it today?

My first Choices fiction is a Blades one: Of Stardust and Light.

I still love it and I wouldn’t change anything - except the typos and the clumsy grammar/syntax, due to the fact I am not an English-native speaker.

For a long time, I thought it was my masterpiece, that I wouldn’t write something as good or even as better than this. But I proved myself wrong in the end.

The other reason why I wouldn’t rewrite it now is because I have definitively stopped writing for my Blades pairing, Tyril x Soile. I made it official a few months ago, and this decision is final.

9- What is your favorite piece of fiction or art that you created? 

It’s really hard to choose only one, but I do have a soft spot for Répondez, S’il Vous Plaît ! #3 because this is where I tell about my OCs’ Ash and Skylar’s meeting. It was a story I wanted to write for a long time and I love it.

Chronicles of a Crimson Summer deserves to be mentioned as well. This is the longest story I have shared here, and it’s a real balance of angst, fluff, and funny moments. Also, because its birth was extremely painful, so for all of these reasons, I am glad I wrote it and shared it.

10- Do you have a fic/art that you didn’t expect to be well received, but it was? What about one you expected to do well but found it could use a little more love?

I never expect anything I share to be well received, whether it’s a fiction or a drawing. I’m only sharing it, hoping that at least someone will find it and enjoy it. Even better if it helps the person in any way.

That said, sharing my art remains a lot more difficult than sharing my writing, so any art reblog is leaving me a bit confused, due to my imposter syndrome.

Most people here who are familiar with my stories have read some of the funny stories I have shared, as well as the fluffiest stories I have ever written - sometimes too fluffy for me. 

However, this isn’t only what my writing is about. Darker Than Night has generated so much indifference that it saddens me.

This series really shows what my writing is, minus the layer of humour that you can usually expect. It truly deserves better, just like In Joy and Sorrow, that actually gives a good idea of what my writing really is.

11- (WRITERS) If you could write only angst, fluff, or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why? 

I usually share a lot of fluff here, because the world outside is hard, so I want to uplift people with sweet and funny stories. However, my original writing is usually angsty with some funny and fluffy moments to alleviate all the angst a little. So, I’m choosing angst. Definitely. To me, writing angst is comforting.

11a - (ARTISTS) If you could only draw one style or type of art for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? 

I could easily do oil pastels for the rest of my life. It’s an easy technique to learn, it’s very forgiving, it’s calming, and I love how it looks.

12 - Do you ever recognize yourself in any of your MCs or in your writing?

I am agender and aspec, so in any non-binary and/or aspec MC / OC of mine can be found parts of me, regardless of how they define themselves on those large spectrums. Representation is highly important to me, so this is one of the recurring themes in my writing.

Also, the witty/sarcastic and playful characters are easy to write because I know them too well!

13 - What element of writing/art do you struggle with most?

Finding the right word is difficult, either in English or in my native tongue. I always want to capture the emotion, the feeling, the landscape with the perfect word. I’m still learning in my daily life.

Regarding my art, at the level I am right now, that would be shadows. Sometimes, they look great, but they often don’t. Practice makes perfect, so this is what I do whenever I can.

14 - Do you have any neglected work you really want to finish?

I tend to have only one WIP that I see to end. One reason for this is that I usually write my stories in a notebook, before I type them down to share them. The state of the notebook is not always great; I even sometimes struggle to re-read what I corrected!

If it’s about my original work, then, yes, I want to finish that one novel’s second draft.

15 - If someone you know in real life (who isn’t involved in fandoms) asked to see your work, would you let them? If yes, what would you show them first? 

It has actually happened with one of my siblings. At that time, I was only writing for Blades and had maybe like five stories posted. I let my sibling read them because we are close. For other people, I think it would be on a case-by-case basis, but most likely not. I'd rather make them read my original writing, if my shyness isn’t getting in the way.

16 - Are there any writers (published authors and/or fanfic writers) who influenced your writing or art? Are there any artists that influence you?

Émile Zola and Arto Paasilinna are my all-time favourite writers.

I am learning from every fanfiction writer I am reading. First, because I read in a foreign language. Second, because I believe you learn from everyone every day.

In terms of art, I don’t think I have a particular influence. I am still exploring my style.

17- (WRITERS)  Which one of your stories would you most like to see as a movie/series? 

It would be In Joy and Sorrow. I created this It Lives in the Woods AU series to give a life to my first MC, Riikka. The one she couldn’t have. In this series, I talk about close friendships, coming outs, being bilingual/bicultural, how to navigate a romantic relationship as an aspec*, how to deal with bullying/harassment, etc. I talk about timeline collapse and time-travelling as well.

And because there’s the most delightful OC ever, my all-time favourite: Ash. He truly is one of a kind and his friendship with Dan is really something special.

*aspec: a person on the aromantic and asexual spectrums.

18 - (ARTISTS) Which one of your creations would you like to see a fiction written about? 

I don’t have any yet that would justify the honor of having a fiction being written about.

19- Do you write original fiction or create non-fandom art? 

I started writing when I was 10 years old. It was thanks to an assignment for my native tongue class when we were studying the structure of a fairytale. I really enjoyed writing one, so I kept writing over the summer. Little stories about everything and nothing.

I wrote my first novel when I was 13, but never dared to send it to a publisher. I kept writing novels - and not sending them, I have a nice collection, now! - and branching out in other forms of writing, in hope to develop as a writer: rpg forums, poetry, (fan)fictions, creative writing course, etc. I took a ten year break from writing (fan)fictions before returning to them.

I am working on the second draft of a novel about grief, and I have three other different novels already outlined.

Regarding art, I mostly create non-fandom art.

20-  What other hobbies do you have?

Except writing and drawing; I paint murals and do oil pastel; I do theatre; I design and crochet my own clothes.

I enjoy watching old films, Hollywood era and silent ones included, but modern films as well, if they are excellent.

I love learning foreign languages, listening to music and going to gigs.

I am also a true race car enthusiast, preferably Formula races - F1 to F4, Formula Regional included.

I also enjoy going for walks in nature and travelling.

21: Tell us anything you’d like (if you want to).

I want to thank CFWC for highlighting me, and giving me the chance to talk more about my characters, my stories, my writing and my art. This means a lot, especially as this month is also when I’m celebrating my 4 year Tumblr Anniversary.

Thank you for your support throughout these years!

I want to thank so many people, but I’m also scared to miss any of them!

Thank you to my friends, old and new. 💛

Thank you to everyone who has read and reblogged my stories and left kudos and comments on them. It has been helping me so much in believing in myself and my writing.

Thank you to everyone who has reblogged my art and my edits and left comments on them.

Thank you to every talented person who has gifted me a piece of their beautiful art, written or not, anonymously or not.

Thank you to everyone who has asked about my characters and my stories.

Thank you to everyone who has sent me positive and uplifting messages.

Lastly, thank you to every single person who has supported me these past months, in many different ways. Your kindness and your presence have made a difference, and I am grateful for those and for you all.

And a special shoutout to my fellow rainbow creators! 🌈

[coralinnii]

being reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy

feat. Riddle, Leona

note: this is kinda a long post, can be interpreted as gn!reader, reader is different for each character, I might write blurbs cuz I like the villain/ess genre

part 2 part 3

series masterlist

For heroes to succeed, a villain must fall. Novels, films, and games taught generations to never pity the wicked who stands in the heroine’s way, but you couldn’t bring yourself to follow these sentiments. Your heart goes out to the villains and villainess who drowned in their grief, trapped in a heartless situation, and abandoned by their beloved. Why is it their fault they fell in love with someone who doesn’t love them back? Could their lives be different if given the choice?

“Why couldn’t they be loved too?” You had your final thoughts as you drifted to sleep, only to wake in a startling new yet familiar reality.

Where is this and why do they keep calling you by the villain’s name?

You woke up in your favourite tragic romance drama as an antagonist after you were apparently hit by a croquet ball during a match with your fiancé-to-be, the son and future heir to the Rosehearts empire. Seeing as your family was prominent in high society, you were given the title as a queen candidate despite the young age of both you and Riddle. Feeling guilty over your accident and obedient to his mother, Riddle agreed to the engagement and your family agreed "on your behalf"

The two of you were only children when your engagement was announced but the queen was already adamant in molding Riddle into the perfect monarch, which would result in a volatile tyrant who would be tragically taken down by his true love, the heroine, and her group of rebels. Not that you as his partner would ever see it anyway as Riddle ended up sending you to jail for breaking one of his many rules and eventually perished in your cell.

You thought of two ways to avoid your pitiful death. You would either find a way to break your engagement with Riddle and leave the empire or work to avoid his fate as a tyrant. Seeing as how your family would rather let you die than annul the engagement and feeling bad to leave Riddle to his doomed future, you began your work to befriend and "un-tyrant" him.

You started by inviting the red-haired heir to your home under the guise of royal studies but really you were making play dates with Riddle and his friends that his mother despised, the marquis’ son Trey and the mischievous son of a merchant Chenya. You were delighted to see Riddle enjoying the moments of childish bliss and how beat red he would get when you held his hands before pulling him around the hallways with Trey and Chenya chuckling ahead of you two.

“Riddy, why won’t you give me a nickname?” You teased the redhead but he took your words seriously, as he always does with you.

“I-I wouldn’t know what to call you”

“Mine isn’t very creative either, you know” You giggled at the blooming red hue on your betrothed. “Anything will do. Something that you think would suit me or reminds you of me”

“…Then how about…”

As joyous as your time was, you kept track of impending events that may trigger Riddle’s descent into his tyrannical path.

Then you remembered. One day, the queen found out about his visits to the village with his friends and soon forbade her son to interact with anyone without her supervision, using you as her spy.

When Trey suggested a specific market festival happening at the village, you lied to Riddle and chose to stay behind in your mansion as the boys went off to the village. As you expected, this was the fateful event as the queen came by your home to inspect her son’s study progress.

Though you feared his mother, you kept your doors shut and refused to let her into the room until Riddle managed to climb back through the window. Outraged by your insubordination, his mother immediately annulled your engagement, stripped off your status, and demanded for your imprisonment. At Riddle’s tearful begging however, you were instead sent to a tower not to be seen by the royal family or your own, not that they wanted anything to do with you after this incident.

Years passed and you were unaware of how the story progressed now that you were out of the picture. Occasionally, Chenya would sneak to your tower and tell you of the outside world and bring you letters from Riddle, who blamed himself for your predicament. You may dislike the unreasonable queen, but you could never hate the sweet boy you had the pleasure to have known.

You failed to change the story and now you couldn’t even see the boy you came to cherish. Chenya offered to help you fake your death and escape but ultimately you shook your head.

“I can’t do that to him. I can't leave him like that.”

Although, the letters you used to receive were dwindling as Chenya told you that Riddle was getting too busy and the queen kept strengthening her reigns on Riddle’s actions. Based on the last letter and Chenya’s implications, you surmised Riddle was to inherit the crown soon and he have forgotten about you or have just abandoned the burdensome prisoner. So, with a bittersweet smile, all you could do now was ask Chenya to deliver your last letter.

“This will be my last letter, Riddy. I know you will lead this kingdom with benevolence. All I hope is that you find someone who loves you dearly as I did”

Believing you have failed, you decided with a heavy heart to escape your prison and leave the empire forever. However, before you could... 

“We’re here to bring you to the imperial palace” the blue-haired knight explained as he and his red-haired colleague made way for you to exit your prison. Confused, you were forced to follow them as they led you out of your tower. You tried to ask the knights, but all the messy-haired knight could say was “no one can figure out what that crazy king is thinking”

You rode off in an extravagant carriage away from the tower you've spent your adolescence in. Nerves were getting to you as the carriage brought you closer to the capital. Did Riddle call for you or was it really the queen? With a sinking feeling, you wondered if Riddle call you to finish what his mother started all those years ago?

"No, it can't be. Right?"

Without a chance to tidy yourself, you were rushed to the throne room where sitting proudly at the king’s seat was your childhood friend, already a king at the age of 17.

Before you could decide how to conduct yourself, Riddle was already making strides to you, everyone watched with bated breath as their strict monarch now stood face to face with you.

“Rosie…” he whispered your old nickname and you immediately responded.

“Riddy- I mean Riddle- I mean your majesty!” You fumble with your words as Riddle’s piercing grey eyes looked into yours, who chuckled as he gently took your hands in his, the same way you used to with him as children. You grew flustered over the attention, a warm glow was blooming in your heart.

However, that feeling dissipated when his expression steeled itself and he waved his hand to his knights and attendants.

“Well, what are you all waiting for? Kneel!”

Within seconds, everyone in the room fell to their knees and lowered their heads as they greeted their kingdom’s newest royal addition, you. With your hands still cradled by your apparent husband, you realized the story may have changed slightly but your king was the same. You still have to help your red-headed companion from his fate as the tragic tyrant.

It’s still not too late, right?

The novel was really well-received by female audience because it was set in a woman-dominated kingdom where the female lead learns to fight and lead as the future queen. Her biggest obstacles were dismantling the rebellious antagonist group led by her husband’s uncle and the second prince, Leona Kingscholar who was now your arranged husband.

Thankfully, you reincarnated a decade before the heroine was to debut so you could assess your predicament before the story could begin. Leona, despite his portrayal in the series as an irredeemable villain, was your favourite and you were determined to change the story for his sake. You were his partner, right? Why wouldn’t you want your husband to be happy?

What confused you was that your grumpy husband was so different from the story. His nephew Cheka, who was said to fear his uncle, adored him. Clinging to his leg, begging him to play for hours of the day.

For as much as Leona grumbled and complained, he gave into his nephew’s pleas and played with him, which was really just pushing the more rigorous play activities onto you or his closest attendant Ruggie while he naps nearby.

Things started to click when you returned to your personal quarters after playing chess with Leona who refuses to hold back (not because he finds your frustrated expressions adorable as you rack your brain to one-up him, of course). You overheard the servants badmouthing your husband, giving false comments of sympathy. “He’s so smart but sadly he’s just the second prince”, “he has such potential but alas he’s only a title with no power in the palace”.

You told him about this but to your horror, Leona told you he knew about how the people of the kingdom sees him. He broke your heart when he told you as told he was telling himself

“It’s true, isn’t it? I’m nothing to this kingdom. The pitiful prince”

Screw your husband. You weren’t going to let this continue in your mansion. With Ruggie’s help as well as the assistance of a new knight named Jack, you gathered all the servants who ever dared to speak ill of the second prince. With hidden (and albeit sadistic) delight, you fired every single one of them without giving them a chance to explain themselves with only your last words to them.

“Your words were an insult to a member of the royal family and worse, to my husband. Leona may have let this insolence be, but I’m far less forgiving”

The servants were quick to run to the current king and queen, thinking their king would reprimand your “power-crazed rampage”. However, the royal couple was quicker to banish them from the palace.

Leona cornered you in the bedroom you two shared (for appearance's sake), demanding why you would go such lengths for someone like him. His intimidating figure and glare may scare many but not you as you locked your eyes and unhesitatingly replied

“No one belittles the prince who is beloved and respected”

Although, those who sing praises to your husband are not safe from your scrutiny. You remember the names of the aristocrats from the rebellion group who dare think to use Leona as a puppet and you weren’t having that.

#protectivepartnermode

Sick of your stubbornness, the traitorous aristocrats went behind your back to speak to Leona, hoping to entice him to betray his family and spouse in favor of immense power and a harem of beautiful women and men at his feet. Afterall, you two were bound only in political marriage.

Hah, wrong move

Leona was growing more irritated as the aristocrats cried and begged for his forgiveness as they were pinned down by the royal guards. Where did they find the galls to disturb him with worthless notions of their utopia. He was supposed to be heading to the garden to start his teatime with you. As amusing as it was to him to imagine your pout as you impatiently waited for him, he knew not to let his beloved wait too long.

“That herbivore can hold a grudge” he mused.

To his annoyance, one of the traitors still thought he had the upper hand, pulling himself from the guard's grip to hold onto Leona. He thought he could change the mind of the once hopeless prince. He pleaded, surely a powerless outsider couldn’t be worth giving up the throne?!

His thoughts were cut off with a crunch and a scream, his. He looked to his hand that was reaching out to Leona, seeing it bend painfully under the heel of the prince's foot. Did the lazy prince just break his hand? With his growl and a nod of his head, the blabbermouth ex-aristocrat was pulled away by the guards.

“Make sure his tongue is cut”

[onyichii]

My Reply to you Cocogum

This is a response to @cocogum post! Since it is SUPER LONG! Imma start doing this instead of reblogging if I have a lot to say.

OG Post by COCOGUM:

YES COCOGUM!! I am LOVING YOUR ENTIRE POST! I have a few thoughts to add...

A) I'm happy her hair is growing out too! I hope she eventually has hair as long as her mothers.

I want her to look like a forest goddess.

I think the growth is a symbol of just (as you said) being happy or at peace. In TV/movies people cut their hair as a symbol of change (freedom from the past) and grow it out again (sometimes) when they're at a new happy place. As we have seen, her hair and that green leaf she sports now are a symbol of her new found happiness.

B) I too was not expecting the "adult fun time" scene but i am hoping we get A TON more especially if this series is gonna be 100 chapters. I want more fluff, more hugs, more kisses, more f--ks! lol Put a baby (or three) in her Yugo! Give the Sadida kingdom an heir!

I can see where you are coming from that Yugo was having a wet dream. If that's the case, that is funny because he (presumably) had just pollinated his flower queen and he is dreaming of doing it again! 😀😀 And he called her tireless!? LMAO. Whether it was a dream or they were interrupted before the nut we can agree that they are BOTH hungry for each others touch/warmth (based on that scene alone).

I still think they were interrupted before they...made sap🌳and fell from the air.

I think the "adult fun time" positions you were suggesting are accurate and I can see Yugo switching too. I think it would depend on who initiates it. When she initiates she's top but when he initiates he'd top....sometimes (not all the time because as you said—he loves the view)! lol

C) For the open room. I think the construction of the floor (or level) gives them privacy. Like a long corridor before the room entrance. And at the entrance to the corridor there'd be a magical cotton bell (as seen in s3) that rings when pulled to let the royals know when servants want to enter. BUT if there is no magical door bell (OR ANYTHING) that is bold of them!! lol.

Rereading your post...if the doorway is open like that it makes me think of this quote (the last quote at 1:40) from the film Scary Movie (watch from 1:30 to 1:42 for context)

D) So I am GLAD people have been bringing up Draconiros. I am not deep into the WAKFU/KROZMOS/DOFUS universe and had NO IDEA who he was nor any of the other primordial dragons.

I got into Wakfu for Amalia. I thought she and Yugo would be cute from all the hugs she gave him. When they canonized a potential Yumalia (in the OVA) I STANNED for their star-crossed lover romance that could never be. I love the whole cast but Amalia's character design is so cute/fun (it drew me into Wakfu).

Anyway, I am curious if Draconiros is ALSO responsible for Nora's daydream in ep 4 of season 4. THIS SCENE ALWAYS THREW ME OFF!

I feel like this scene was added for two three purposes... 1) to introduce the audience to Efrim (in a foreshadowing way) 2) to add to what Oropo says in episode 1. Questioning Yugo's "good" intentions and actions which have caused (and WILL CAUSE) trouble for the World of Twelve. 3) To sneakily, introduce Draconiros (without the audience knowing).

The reason why I think this is Draconiros and NOT Efrim is because—how would Efrim know any of what was said in that scene? Efrim is in the Necroworld at this moment. He and Nora were in the Krozmos away from the World of Twelve for a long time. There is NO WAY Efrim would know about YUGO's effects on the World of Twelve. At none, that I can think of...

Which also brings to question, how did the Goddess Eliatrope know the Brotherhood of the Tofu and everyones names when they entered the temple? Did I miss something? I mean Quilby could have told them some things. From before his imprisonment...but I digress...

Anyway, I think Draconiros took on Efrims form/voice in s4. And now he is making an official appearance in the manga.

If they had shown Draconiros in season 4, it would be a loose end. And Tot wanted to wrap the animation up without any loose ends. So (to me) it'd make sense not to show Draconiros' true form at all in s4 and have him take on Efrims form/voice.

E) I think this dude is gonna be a problem. But I may be over thinking 🤷‍♀️. And shouldn't he be referring to her as QUEEN Amalia instead of LADY Amalia? Does he have some passive aggressive beef with her? Or is it okay to refer to a Queen as Lady instead. I feel like the Sadida's are more chill about titles (compared to other kingdoms) but...idk.

His character design (in this scene) is just giving...bad guy or pawn to me. If I am right, he could play a betrayal role (if the plot takes that turn). I do not see him being a fan of the Eliatropes either.

F) And I agree that the Sadida kingodm is tense with it's new residence. I'm glad you brought up the perspective from the Sadida but let's talk about it a little more with a Eliatrope in mind...

The Eliatrope have NEVER had to live with another race before. EVER. They had their OWN PLANET. No other race existed on there but them.

Thanks to Baltazar (in s2) they had been watching Yugo through the Eliacube, but have they been taking notes on the customs of the world around him?

Being on a new planet with so many races must be a SHOCK to them. ADDITIONALLY, they haven't interreacted with anyone but each other for goddess knows how long!!! So the communication, customs, cultures, and everything probably hit them like a TON OF BRICKS. I would assume that they don't (quite) understand what tolerance and acceptance of other cultures is thanks to their isolation too.

However, it is something they are gonna have to learn. Starting with the Sadida race.

Since they're teens I think (...well, I hope) it'll be easier for them to learn and integrate into the world of twelve via the Sadida Kingdom.

ALSO...It will take time for the Sadida's to be comfortable with the Eliatropes too. I mean...people have been trying to take their homeland (via possess the tree of life) for a long time. It's no surprise that they are weary/tense of some alien race residing on said homeland. They may know Yugo, but they don't know his people. They probably think they'll take over....IDK.

But I am here for the tea! 🫖🍵

FRIDAY NEEDS TO HURRY UP!!

[sister-lucifer]

HEY, YOU

Yes, you!

Do YOU like the idea of a gay polyamorous romance taking place in a fantastical medieval setting?

then you might like my upcoming original written series, Royal Courting!

Featuring the following cast of characters:

Lucian Hensley

A fair skinned, pudgy baker standing at about 5’4 with hazel-green eyes and a thatch of dirty blond hair that falls in thick curls around his freckled face. He’s usually wearing his beloved handmade crocheted sweater, the same color as his eyes, despite the wear and tear it’s received over the years. Nothing he wears is particularly fancy, but it’s all very well loved and cared for.

Though he’s not ashamed of the weight he’s gained from the years of sampling his own baked goods, he’s easily flustered by any sort of comments on his physical appearance, regardless of how mild, possibly related to his gender identity as a transgender man. He’s humble and incredibly kind, sometimes to a fault. 

King Ambrose Verlice of Divestia

A dark skinned, slim man standing at about 5’7 with sharp brown eyes and a slightly effeminate nature about him. His dark hair is done together in thick locs so impossibly long they nearly brush the floor, decorated with gold cuffs and never less than perfectly maintained. He’s always wrapped in white and gold with jewelry to match. Any one of his outfits is worth more than every house Lucian has ever lived in combined.

He commands respect from all who lay eyes upon him, but knows how to use a gentle hand. It’s easy to get caught up in his flowery language, but beneath the purple prose and irresistible urge to flirt is a genuine heart of gold. 

Tobias Silva

A toned man of Colombian descent with tan skin standing at about 5’9, with brown eyes and curly brown hair that’s cut short and shaved underneath, but left longer on top, still allowing a few curly strands to fall over his face. He’s got a foxy way about him and always has a smug, closed-lipped grin on his face that makes his eyes crinkle at the corners and dimples form in his warm cheeks.

He tends to keep his armor rather minimal to maximize his speed, but he’s got daggers hidden just about everywhere one can hide daggers on their person. If he’s being quiet, he’s probably busy scheming with his colleague and friendly rival, Rex. 

Rex Theroux 

Rex is a tall, pale, transgender man standing at about 6’1 with downturned blue eyes and shoulder length, golden-blond hair that curls a bit at the ends and is usually drawn into a loose, low ponytail that often leaves strands hanging around the sides of his head. Contrary to Tobias, he keeps his muscular form clad in armor at all times.

He’s the stoic tank of the duo, and proud of it. He’s completely mute and has never spoken a word to Tobias nor his king, but communicates with both Divestian sign language and his own unique methods. The only time anyone even sees his mouth is when he eats, as it’s usually covered with a neck gaiter. The scars that litter his limbs and body show his impossible resilience, but no one has ever heard the stories behind them.

When Tobias and Rex stop in at Lucian’s humble bakery, they’re completely amazed both by what they taste, and the man they see behind the counter. When a batch of these baked goods reaches king Ambrose, he demands to see the wonderful artisan who created them, and Lucian’s simple life is thrown into a whirlwind when he receives an official summon from his majesty himself.

Are you interested? Stick around! Chapter one of Royal Courting: Summoned By The King is in progress now! You can find the Royal Courting masterlist (among others) in my pinned post!

If you like this idea, please reblog! It’s free, takes two seconds, and helps spread my ideas to more people!

You can find me on AO3 as Sister_Lucifer; everything here is cross posted there!

dividers by @cafekitsune