#young bastien

[gothszler]

jay you fucking KNOW my vision for karla and her antindiana jones realness adventures with her award winning ex-model novelist wife and as for the boys i think dietrich is gay but tries to be classy about it like he’s one of those no fats fems or asians motherfuckers which means if the precursors were sexual creatures they definitely would have fucked nasty -newt

@bae-science classy gay dietch is SO. dude has invested 10+ years into the world's most successful lavender marriage. has never given any indication that he feels any form of human feelings let alone homosexual ones. but he has had SO many affairs. at hermann's wedding to newt dietrich reveals to him that he debauched every single handsome young tutor lars had ever brought in to babysit hermann&karla and hermann is aghast like w. why are you telling me this. and dieterich is just like (calmly sipping his drink) Because No One Will Ever Believe You.

[abyssal-ilk]

cannot think too hard about the fact that vivienne was young when she first originally met bastien, the head of the council of heralds, and he took an interest in her when he was likely well into his forties. cannot think about how the moment he set eyes on her during the wintersend ball she was made a target of the rest of the orlesian court. can't think about how she was forced into becoming a player of the game and that she NEEDED to become good at it and have bastien's support or she would of been killed. having a very normal one about vivienne today, clearly

[route-to-eutopia-if]

Route to Eutopia - New WIP IF

DEMO(28K) I CHARACTER DOSSIERS I PLAYLIST (TBA)

You have one year left to live.

But are you afraid of dying? Probably not. Since you don’t even know how to live your life. You have been hidden away from public eye since young. And the only friend you have is an Alter, humanoid species born to only serve other people and nothing else. Alters live so ‘people like you’ could live.

That makes the two of you. Alive. But never here. Never lived.

If opportunities arise, would you take a chance to change it? Only you can answer.

In a world where feeling nothing at all is better than letting your emotions rule over you, your choice to break those rules and make a change will paint a new shade of history that no one ever could. 

Hidden behind shut doors to live your quiet life as a secret child of Bastien Palmer, Sole Leader of Eutopia paradise, you never experience anything except for repeating the same old routine your entire life. You are the existence which should not be known, not just for the reason that you are the byproduct of your father and his secret lover. But also because of your frightening ‘Alter-like’ eye color, most of it is silver like any Stargaze–but nevertheless… tinted shamefully by crimson streaks.

You are told to stay away from public eyes for the sake of Palmer’s reputation in which you feel obliged to. However, your life of peaceful solitude will never be the same again after tonight…

Route to Eutopia is a violent dystopian loosely-conceptual interactive story where you are a bystander surrounded by The Chosen One of your own choice. You are to designate whether this story will head towards the direction of mutual peace between Alters– a human-like species believed to be plagued by uncured disease since birth– and Stargazers —a group of survivors whose ancestors once lived on a faraway planet before an inevitable disaster occurred and forced them to flee into another dimension, or towards a doom fate that cannot be reversible.

To be noted; RtE is a heavily-relationship based game (not necessarily in platonic/romantic sense) each of your interactions with any character will determine the tone and purpose of their motivation. Any choice you have chosen, make sure to embrace the consequences of your action at your own expense.

With that being said, it is also worth mentioning that you don’t need to engage into a romance or specific relationship with any character to complete the story.

RtE also rated 18+ for strong language, suggestive contents, disturbing topics such as racism, sexism, discrimination against queer people, explicit descriptions of violence, murders, drug use and sexual behaviors of certain characters with optional intercourse scenes.

Setting

RtE takes place in a post-apocalypse society where the concept of time is lost and any history known was only speculations at best and rumour at worst. Trying to maintain their sense of utopia, Stargazers built and operated their space colony as a temporary base for self-preservation (in which only fews know details about) called ‘Eutopia’. 

In this dystopian paradise people’s sole purpose of living was fixated on surviving. And in order to do that, the whole population creates a solid ground rule not to let themselves ‘feel’ about other emotions that do not serve for public favors. Hence, you will be challenged to adapt to several situations and handpick the best flavor of your actions based on the emotions you have learnt or developed from your surroundings.

Who do you play as?

For now, you will be playing as a secret child of Bastien Palmer, the leader of Stargazers who already has a wife and two other perfect children, your younger sister and brother. Ones you have never interacted with nor you ever get the chance to.

MCs subjectively considered a white sheet which you can paint anything on by your preferences. Explore the world full of colorful emotions or bottomless pit of numbness by your own choices. 

But remember, Eutopia is a place where everything goes according to one simple rule ‘To survive’ hence the marriage between a man and woman will be set as the norm and only truth, and someone who will state otherwise must face and suffer the ugliness of social standards accordingly. However, I do not encourage any transphobic/homophobic behavior of the characters in this story. Please kindly be assured of that.

There might be a chance where you can start off as other characters, that is, however, still a subject-to-change matter as of now.

Introduction to the Chosen Ones [ ROs]

**Please be aware of mild spoilers below**

Vegaris (M/F) 19 Star-crossed lovers or Nemesis route, The Rebel.

They would do anything to survive, even if it means to betray the only person who trusts them deeply… like you.

Vegaris is an Alter who has so many sides hidden behind closed doors. Unpredictable, cunning, hot and cold are the words that describe them best. Due to their traumatic childhood (much like other Alters on Eutopia), they have a deep-root hatred for Stargazers. Although they were brought in by your family and treated almost the same as one of your father’s own kids. They still witness the unfairness of being an Alter in society and never afraid to point the wrong in other people’s doings. 

Their usual mask, however, is one where you cannot crack open that easily. They always remain calm and composed in front of you, and only show their fangs when circumstances arise.

Dana/Darren Regency (M/F) 22 Childhood friends, Forbidden route, The Face.

For a person who seems to be easy to read as much as an open-book, they sure talk with silence better than with their own voice.

A poster girl/boy for Regency Academy. Your former childhood friend (for some unknown reason, they're trying their hardest to avoid you) and an only child to the Head of Deans at Regency, Sandalphon. They are the precise image of how one should raise a Stargazer. Being a honor student. A model citizen. And a perfect ideal partner. They are assigned to be married with the most capable genetic-wise fiancé. As popular as they appear to be to the public, their private life (as private as it can be) is still a gigantic loophole for most imprudent reporters trying to catch even just a glimpse.

It seems like what they are trying to avoid is not just you, but the entirety of Eutopia.

Sandalphon Regency (M/F) 40 Age-difference, Single-parent route, The Pacifist.

Do you believe in something just because it's true, or it becomes the truth only when you believe in it?

Sandalphon is the most powerful influence among the deans of Regency. A group of people that has control over governing matters even beyond that of Bastien Palmer, the President. For Sandal, they are anything and everything people could ever ask for in a Regency. Kind, generous, well-versed with every branch of knowledge in the universe. Never wrong in anything. And never judge anyone based on their bias.

If only people knew the truth, they’d probably beg to differ.

Maybe they are just good at hiding beneath that gentle facade, maybe a calculated mind with strings to pull works best with neutral suggestions... who knows?

One more hidden character will be revealed in the demo, Into the Madness route, The Savior.

[ Classified info. ]

**There will be two sub ROs and flings to be introduced later in the story.**

More info will be announced.

Demo 1st update : 24/01/2024 Chapter 1 (28k codes excluded)

Datalog is completed roughly til the end of the story. Coding and polishing will certainly take time. Any more updates will be announced solely on this blog.

Reblogging is appreciated. Thank you!

[anneapocalypse]

Why Vivienne Needs the Inquisition

No one 'winds up' at Court, my dear. It takes a great deal of effort to arrive there.

–Enchanter Vivienne to the Inquisitor

An ask I received (referring, I think, to something I said in this post, though I've alluded to it at other points as well):

How/why is Vivienne's position at court shakier than it seems? (Please publish this anonymously.)

Thank you for asking! I’ve wanted to write something on this subject for a while, so I appreciate the push to get it all down. It’s something I find really interesting about Vivienne, because it's something she doesn't want the Inquisitor, or anyone, to know, so it's all subtext in the game. Vivienne is a character who always holds the player character at arms' length--a bit less so when she likes them, but there is always some distance there. As such, she's a difficult character to get to know.

And while I do have some issues with the way Vivienne is handled in the game, particularly with narrative and quest design, I won’t be touching on those heavily here. For this post I want to focus on what can be determined about her motivations from the character as written.

Vivienne can be recruited to the Inquisition after the Inquisitor's first trip to Val Royeaux. Notably, she seeks out the Inquisitor's attention herself, inviting them to a gala at the Duke of Ghislain's estate, and also notably, once recruited she will not leave the Inquisition and cannot be forced to leave, no matter how low her approval of the Inquisitor. This is also something I have seen people question: why can't you kick Vivienne out, and why won't she simply leave if she disapproves of your choices? I hope this post will answer that question as well.

The most critical aspect of Vivienne's character to understand, I think, is that she has no stable institutional power. She is not a noble. She has no familial connections of the sort that can help even a mage to keep their head above water. She is a woman who was taken from her family at a young age and raised in an institution, and who has used all her wit and charisma to make the very best of that situation for herself.

Vivienne's position as First Enchanter of Montsimmard is mostly an achievement within the Circle itself. Montsimmard itself, however, was also a stepping stone to influence outside the Circle. Personally, I think the fact that Vivienne declined to join any fraternity when she became a full Enchanter, a shocking move at the time, indicates that she held ambitions outside the Circle from a young age. And Montsimmard was the perfect proving ground for her, a major Orlesian city whose ruling family maintain close relations with the Circle. In The Masked Empire, the Marquise de Montsimmard boasts about dining at the Circle, and she and her husband wear masks adorned with lyrium crystals which we are told were a gift from the First Enchanter. It seems likely, though not confirmed, that this was Vivienne herself.

(Incidentally, it is a real shame that Vivienne’s character seems to have solidified so late in the game’s development, because in retrospect I really feel her absence in the novels. She gets a brief mention in The Masked Empire as Madame de Fer, and absolutely nothing in Asunder, which we'll come back to.)

It seems that the Montsimmard mages were called upon with some regularity to entertain the court, and this is how Vivienne first caught the attention of Duke Bastien in 9:16 Dragon. Within a year, she had moved into a suite in his estate. Her position came under attack for the next few years, but nonetheless, after a single meeting with Empress Celene in 9:20 Dragon, she became the newly-crowned Empress's Court Enchanter.

(Edited to add: It seems to be sometime after this that Vivienne became First Enchanter of Montsimmard, at "an age young enough to cause scandal," though the date is never confirmed that I can find. Incidentally, as @shrovetidecat brought to my attention in the notes, Fiona is also supposed to have been Grand Enchanter of Montsimmard, which given that may be a lore inconsistency, unless Vivienne is only meant to have taken the position after Fiona rose to Grand Enchanter—and I'm not sure why a 40-year-old First Enchanter would be scandalous.)

By the time she meets the Inquisitor, she is likely somewhere in her 40s, and has been the Enchanter to the Imperial Court and the Mistress to the Duke de Ghislain for twenty years. She regularly mingles with the court and has built a practically unprecedented influence for herself in Orlesian high society.

And it's all about to fall apart, for three critical reasons.

First, the obvious: the mage rebellion. One cannot be First Enchanter of a Circle that no longer exists, though Vivienne certainly tries. A majority of mages, even if by a razor-thin margin, have declared that they do not recognize the Circle's authority—and therefore Vivienne's authority as a loyal Enchanter within that system.

I think Vivienne's dialogue with the Inquisitor and her remarks if taken to Redcliffe reveal a deep frustration and resentment of Grand Enchanter Fiona, who called for the vote to leave the Circle and now leads the rebel mages. Vivienne of course handles this in the manner to which she is accustomed, the culture of the Imperial Court, in which trading in verbal jabs and barely-veiled insults is a standard matter of social one-upsmanship. Outside of that environment, she comes across as petty and rude, which is an interesting point of characterization in itself: Vivienne has thrived in the court environment, but she does seem to have a bit of trouble adapting her manner to different circumstances, where that sort of thing might not benefit her. But what she's trying to do is frame herself before the Inquisitor as the reasonable and respectable mage, and Fiona as misguided and pitiable. How well this goes for her, of course, depends on who the Inquisitor is. But the effort itself kind of reveals the shaky ground she's standing on.

In her dialogue with the Inquisitor, Vivienne claims that as the rebel mages follow Fiona, the loyal mages follow her. But where are these loyal mages? There's maybe one or two mages we meet in the game (Enchanter Ellendra comes to mind) who seem to respect Vivienne's word. But if the loyal mages look to her as a leader, why is Ellendra alone in a cave in the Hinterlands to begin with? Why doesn't Vivienne bring a group of these loyal mages with her to Skyhold?

I think it's because Vivienne doesn't truly have followers among the mages, the way Fiona does. This is the story she's telling the Inquisitor, to capitalize on the idea that the rebel position is not a consensus, and also that she still has influence among a significant number of mages. The truth is, she doesn't. She’s spent most of her life courting influence outside the Circle, not in it. She has presided over a Circle where she doesn’t even live day-to-day. I can’t imagine that has particularly endeared her to many of her fellow mages, even the ones who are loyalists or moderates.

Contrast this with Wynne, a pro-Circle Aequitarian who is deeply involved in Circle life despite undertaking sanctioned work outside the tower, and is also deeply involved in the events leading up to the vote for independence. Whatever the Doylist reasons for Vivienne's absense from Asunder, the fact remains: she's just not there. She has no presence in the events leading up to the rebellion. When speaking critically of Fiona's vote, she discusses it in the context of Anders' attack on the Kirkwall Chantry, and says nothing of the circumstances surrounding Fiona's push for a vote—not the revelations about Tranquility, not the conclave (no not that Conclave, the conclave of mages at which Fiona called for the vote for independence), not the subsequent massacre by the templars and the remaining mages' decision to stand and fight. And perhaps most notably, no one mentions Vivienne, positively or negatively, during the events of Asunder. Not once. We are left with the conclusion that Vivienne is simply not heavily involved in Circle politics, no matter what impression she may wish to give the Inquisitor. Her influence does not lie within the Circle.

And I think Vivienne knows this, and realizes that it's suddenly become a big problem for her.

The second big problem is Morrigan.

Vivienne has had the favor of the Empress herself for twenty years. She has, by others' accounts, managed to turn the position of Court Enchanter from "little more than court jester" to a position of influence and respect. And then the Grand Duke attempts a coup, and the Empress's elven lover runs away with a dangerous secret, and suddenly the Empress is enlisting the services of some unwashed swamp witch while Vivienne is standing right there!

Like I cannot overstate what a absolutely galling slap in the face it would be to Vivienne that even as she is attempting to uphold the legitimacy of the Circle and thus of her own authority within it, Celene effectively creates the "Arcane Advisor" position as "Court Mage 2: Apostate Boogaloo" just so she can get advice on non-Circle-approved magics. Advice that Vivienne could not give even if she wanted to, even if the Empress asked, because she has no knowledge of eluvians and ancient elven magic.

Both Dorian and Cole needle Vivienne about her jealousy of Morrigan, and I think quite accurately, no matter how quick Vivienne is to deny it.

Her influence over the Empress is fast eroding. She has been replaced in all but name.

And the third and most personal big problem is Bastien's illness.

Vivienne has enjoyed a romance with one of the empire's most influential nobles for twenty years. She has lived in his home and been on good terms with his wife until her passing. Her influence in the Imperial Court owes a lot to Bastien's affections. Bastien is not only a Duke but a member of the Council of Heralds, the political body responsible for overseeing matters of titles and inheritance in Orlais. They are quite literally the most powerful group in the country; even the Empress rules at their favor, without which she would never have gained the throne in the first place.

And now Bastien is dying, something Vivienne takes care not to mention to the Inquisitor at first. It's not until after the ball at the Winter Palace that Vivienne asks the Inquisitor for help with her potion in a last-ditch attempt to prolong his life—and even then she does not reveal her true purpose until after the Inquisitor has returned with the wyvern's heart. And while it's possible to interpret multiple ways, I personally believe from her response to his death that she did care for Bastien. She didn't need to bring the Inquisitor to his deathbed at all, if she wanted to continue concealing his illness, something she's taken care to do up until that point. It bespeaks a measure of trust that she allows the Inquisitor to see her so—in her grief, as well as in her loss of position.

Because Bastien's death is a terrible loss for Vivienne socially as well as personally. Bastien's son will inherit his estate, and whether Vivienne is allowed to go on living there will be entirely at his discretion. Perhaps he will permit her to stay, but she cannot count upon his grace, nor upon the protection she enjoyed with Bastien any longer; and furthermore if she is allowed to stay, it will be a favor to her, making her beholden rather than granting her greater influence. She won't have the dignity of being Bastien's widow; she is his mistress, and respected as that position may be in the Orlesian court, it gives her no true claim to his family.

Vivienne is about to lose everything she has built for herself.

Without Bastien, without Celene, she will be left with… what? The position of First Enchanter to a Circle that no longer exists? If her own best-case scenario occurs and the rebellion is halted and the Circles are reinstated, then she still loses all the freedom she has gained and is forced to return to a Circle tower herself—a sphere in which, as previously discussed, she holds less influence than she would like the Inquisitor to believe. Even if she remains First Enchanter, it's hard to see this as anything but a massive step down in the social hierarchy, the beginning of a long slide into what the Fade reveals as her greatest fear: irrelevance.

It's a humiliation that Vivienne cannot bear.

This is why she won't leave the Inquisition, no matter how much she may despise the Inquisitor. Vivienne needs the Inquisition far more than she lets on. This even puts the petty low-approval furniture-moving scene into context. Yes, she’s doing it to snub the Inquisitor, but that doesn’t actually gain her anything. I think it’s deeper than that. The Inquisition was Vivienne’s fallback plan, and it’s not going well. The Inquisitor is making her look bad, she is finding no avenue to further advancement here, but she can’t leave. So, her response is to try to reclaim some sense of control over her life, asserting a kind of power she had at Bastien’s estate and was likely denied in the Circle: control over her own space.

Even if Bastien were to live a bit longer, Vivienne really has nowhere higher she can climb in the Imperial Court. She can't become a noble herself. She can't marry Bastien, or any other noble for that matter, because she is a mage. And I'm sure she's highly aware of this fact. Bastien is several years a widower himself; it is not his former marriage that prevents him from marrying her, now. It is her status as a mage which bars her from entering a noble family, legally, socially, politically. That Bastien never seems to have raised the question at all speaks to the fact that no matter how much he may have stuck his neck out for Vivienne, there was a line even he was not interested in crossing.

So where does she have to go from here?

Along comes the nascent Inquisition. Shaking things up. If any organization could rattle the gilded walls of the Chantry, it's this one.

Why not take a stab at the Chantry, at this point? What does she have to lose?

It didn’t really sink in for me for several playthroughs because she isn't wearing cleric's garb, but Bastien's sister Marcelline, who visits Skyhold after his death with Bastien’s son? She's a grand cleric. One of the surviving grand clerics who will decide the next Divine. Vivienne involves the Inquisitor in her plan to save Bastien, a plan she likely knows will fail—but she puts in the effort. She then introduces the Inquisitor to Grand Cleric Marcelline, having told her how the Inquisitor came to her aid. Marcelline expresses gratitude: “Madame de Fer has told us what great trials you faced, trying to save my poor brother’s life.” Bastien’s son Laurent is a powerful ally in his own right, now a member of the Council of Heralds, but also likely the one who will decide whether Vivienne keeps her suite in the Ghislain estate.

And if the conversation goes well, Vivienne tells the Inquisitor that it was "quite the triumph." If the Inquisitor expresses confusion, she patiently explains the influence that both Laurent and Marcelline wield, and that they have now secured the trust of both. If Vivienne becomes Divine, Marcelline’s favor no doubt goes a long way in getting her there.

Of course Vivienne will continue to take a conservative position on the mage question. A mage looking to insinuate herself into the Chantry hierarchy would have to, just as a mage seeking the freedom to consort with the court would have to. In the same way that a Hawke with aspirations of seizing the vacant seat of Kirkwall's Viscount must side with the templars at the end to show the nobility that they represent stability and order, the Chantry's first mage cleric must be pro-Circle, pro-templar, conservative to the bone. Vivienne seems to recognize this as far more important than actually appearing devout. It's also fascinating to me how little she bothers to make any pretense of a personal faith, instead always discussing the Chantry as an important social institution and political body. And this attitude doesn't seem to impede her chances at the Sunburst Throne very much, no more so than being a mage already would.

Vivienne knows exactly what she's doing. She always has.

Vivienne comes to the Inquisition seeking power and influence in the Chantry because her position among the nobility is falling apart. Whether she comes in with the intention to reach for the Sunburst throne itself is debatable, and I personally think it might have been the intent that she does have that ambition but seeks to let the Inquisitor think it was their own idea, though I'm iffy on how successful that is if it was the intent. Nonetheless, I do believe that Vivienne comes to the Inquisition with the intent to seek influence within the Chantry, realizing that the recent upheaval may offer her a unique opportunity to do so. And depending on how closely the Inquisitor aligns with her goals, she may succeed quite dramatically.

References

Codex Entry: Madame de Fer

Talking with Vivienne at Haven and Skyhold

Vivienne's high disapproval scene

After Bastien's death

Banter with Cole

Banter with Dorian

The World of Thedas vol. 2, pp. 235-239 (hardcover edition)

Dragon Age: The Masked Empire, p. 31 (paperback edition)

[dragonagecompanions]

How do you think the Dragon Age Inquisition advisors and companions would react to Child Inquisitor being the child of the Champion of Kirkwall? Also could you make Fenris the child Inquisitor's father?

Cassandra: This is...problematic.

Varric had told her enough of the Champion's husband to know that Fenris will already be desperately hunting for his child, and the Champion...so much of their family is lost, it is unthinkable that Hawke will not be in the same state. Trying to convince them both that the inquisition has not kidnapped their offspring for political reasons will require all the tact she does not have.

And will rely on the very little goodwill she can wring from Varric, who she technically did kidnap for political reasons. She will need to keep Josephine close by at all times.

Solas: For so young a child, the dalen is already a political firestorm waiting to happen. The guilt he carries from having his magic stitched into their very flesh (and the pain this child is feeling from it) was already enough to convince him to stay, but being so close to the power center of both Inquisition and the Champion of Kirkwall is an unexpected boon. He will keep his finger on the pulse of all things anchor related, and keep himself close to the actions that are working to restore Thedas to order.

And by helping this child now, keep himself on the right side of a very angry elf who might be a problem before the Dread Wolf has his power returned.

Varric: Okay so, here’s the most important thing: he should have known.

Logically there is no way that Varric Tethras-Kirkwall’s author in residence and nominally a captive of the Right Hand of the Divine- could have known that the child of his best friend in the entire world had somehow snuck away from home AND traveled halfway across the blessed world AND infiltrated a highly secure theo-political conclave designed to reign in a burgeoning civil war to enact some sort of temporary peace. He has contacts and resources and keeps an ear to the ground, but that doesn’t mean the Merchant’s Guild can tell him everything the minute it happens.

And yet the fact that a child exists in the world who is half Fenris (impulsive and quick to defend what is his) Hawke (and carries the legacy of that family) really does mean that there wasn’t anywhere else they’d end up. It’s not a comfort to Varric when the Seeker and his best friend’s kid crest the hill toward them, but it certainly changes his standing with the Inquisition. So long as the kid is there Varric’s not leaving-- he owes Hawke at least that much and more. One way or another things are going to have to be put to rights.

Blackwall: Once, as another man in another life, his actions had led to the death of four children. Even then, in the height of his arrogance and conceit, Thom Rainier had stood over those small shrouded forms and would have given his own life a hundred times over to spare them. Nothing could have brought them back, of course, and no matter how many times he had knelt before Andraste's statues and begged for Her forgiveness it was not a burden he could lay down himself.

This child, Andraste's herald or not, is not a replacement for Collier's children. Defending their life will not wipe out the debt he owes to that slaughtered family. But as he shoulders his shield and sword in their defense, it just might be a start to that forgiveness.

That will be enough.

Vivienne: Children are not in a Circle mage's destiny, no matter how high her star may climb. The dreams of children with her perfect bone structure and Bastien's eyes will forever be only that. Madame de Fer has come to accept this, has spent her entire life accepting this. If she is softer with the new apprentices newly torn from their families, more patient with the young mages still struggling with a life behind walls, that is no one business but her own.

The Herald of Andraste is a child. No matter their illustrious parentage or the fame carried by those parents, they are too young to be bandied about as some sort of divine tool to rescue the world. The Game has no minimum age, of course, and Vivienne is not naive enough to think that Hawke's offspring will not have to play it in time, but she will be taking special care to to keep both eyes on the child to whom they will ask so much of.

And a sharper eye on those who would use them. Fenris is not the only one who can glow, when needed.

Sera: Little people need looking out for, and not much littler than a sprog. From the first jump their tiny Herald has an ever devoted guardian, one who ensures there is as much fun as serious herald business, and cookies for all.

When the parents do eventually arrive, her general distrust of all things magic and ardent desire to preserve their childhood will endear her to Fenris like none other in the Inquisition. Someone must look out for the little people, and while their methods are not the same each can respect the other.

Dorian: Vishente Kaffas, this is a child. In the light of that discovery a great many of his opinions on Alexius's plans (mostly on how his mentor is simply desperate to save Felix and not thinking clearly) and brutally altered. This man who wants to murder someone hardly old enough to see over the table is not the man he once knew, and there are no excuses he can make that will make it less barbaric.

By the time they are escaped from that terrible Not-Future Dorian has formed a trauma bond with this young person as profound as any he has known, and their safety is now absolutely his priority. Despite his disinclination for their creation Dorian is not opposed to children, and along with others is very content to take over their education in all things both mundane and magical.

Fenris's arrival is still loud and bright and involves quite a few angry comments between former slave and not yet magister, but in the end Dorian's unshirking resolve toward the young Herald will carry the day. When Fenris eventually finds out that his child is set to inherit Dorian's seat in the Magisterium as the heir to the current Pavus heir, that argument will be even louder.

Iron Bull: The Qun is very clear on the care and feeding of children in their charge, and it has never been in his destiny to be a Tamassran. Nor is the Iron Bull ignorant of the identity of the Inquisitors parents. But seeing how small the Herald is, something deep and protective in the mercenary captain surprises even himself.

(His Tama is both surprised and not to get a letter from her former charge, and if her memories of the little boy hold true he will read her meaning in the otherwise clinical advise on the care and keeping of young children.)

Watching the Chargers adopt the little Herald as one of their own has another lasting effect. There is no decision on the Storm Coast, not with this true understanding o family, and in truth Bull was lost to the Qun long before Gatt came south with an unbeatable test.

Cole: "So young, so bright, wanted to come south to find Uncle Varric, never meant to hurt anyone. You just wanted to help, to heal the hurt and make it whole. I want that too!"

The innocent and ardent desire of children to do good, and the boundless compassion that comes with youth, makes the Herald and Cole perfect companions. This friendship is strained by the arrival of Fenris's Anders driven loathing of abominations, but a more patient Hawke might ease the way there.

Josephine: She has younger siblings, and is currently responsible for the fate of House Montiliyet. The care and feeding of one small child is...well, child's play. If only Cassandra would not keep pulling her aside like some talisman against the Champion of Kirkwall.

If it were less entertaining, their ambassador might have informed the Seeker that her letters to Aveline Vallen have already abated much suspicion...

Leliana: There are one or two amongst her agents who have some experience with children, and she assigns them watch over their Herald. Beyond that, the spymaster keeps a distance. A child need not know all the brutal things done to keep the world turning. That is sacrifice enough.

If, every once in a while, the young herald is soothed after a nightmare with Ferelden lullabyes in an Orlesian accent, few are brave enough to share it.

Cullen: Maker's breathe, he'd thought he left Kirkwall behind him. Like Leliana he assigns soldiers who either are parents or who are good with children to keep a weather eye on the child, and adopts Cassandra's strategy of using Josephine as a shield against Champion and/or Lyrium Ghost rage.

Once was enough.

Mod Fereldone

[crowlipso]

I had a question tho before joining Hogwarts do you think Agatha dated someone before she started dating Sebastian?

If you think so who do you think? What do you think they would look like and why did they break up?

Can't call it "dating" it's actually a childhood friend/crush

His name is Bastien Roff, and he is a muggle who lived in Agatha's neighbourhood in Wandsworth. The Crowley family, including Agatha, lives among muggles. Although Agatha has many cousins, she prefers to play with muggle children

To fit in with the other kids, Agatha disguised herself as a boy and went by the name "Alex". Unfortunately, the other children found her strange due to her unusual white hair and magenta eyes and began to bully her. Bastien came to her rescue, even though they didn't know each other at the time, and they were both bullied and beaten together

*Bastien when puberty hits him hard*

From that day on, they became friends. Bastien always knew Agatha was a girl and took action to protect her that day because of this knowledge. He also helped keep her gender a secret from the other children. Despite their differences, Bastien found Agatha to be charismatic, fearless, and independent, while he was shy, subtle, and gentlemanly

Agatha also had feelings for Bastien, but her stubbornness prevented her from admitting it. They were too young to pursue a romantic relationship at the time. However, when Agatha's magical abilities emerged, and she received her letter to attend Hogwarts, she went to say goodbye to Bastien. He then confessed his feelings to her, but Agatha laughed it off and gave him a pat on the shoulder before leaving. This encounter was the last time they saw each other in their youth.

[thatfunkylilfey]

✦ A Guide to Mothlight ✦

a guide to Mothlight by Florian A. Ellis ; book i. of The Serpent & The Fey trilogy (x)

✦ Blurb

The day their sister disappeared without a trace, Aeramis’ world fell out from under them, leaving them to wander aimlessly, taking it day by day. That was until six months ago.

Since then, Aeramis—or Vanya as they go by these days—has been following a trail they refuse to stray from. A trail that will lead them to someone called the Spider, an individual with the ability to point Aeramis towards the man responsible for tearing their family apart. After all, Aeramis has one thing on their mind. Revenge. Something they are well-suited for being a shapeshifter, someone able to appear as anyone at any time.

As the trail for the Spider grows cold, Bastien—full-time mercenary captain, Aeramis’ part-time lover—appears in the same city searching for the Spider for reasons of his own. The Spider has hired him, promising not just gold but clues regarding a past Bastien cannot remember.

Knowing they work better together, the two of them reconnect, and the trail to the Spider becomes clearer. But when their meeting with the Spider points Aeramis in the direction of both the man they’re searching for and their childhood home, the shapeshifter and the mercenary captain are left with more questions than answers.

Aeramis must enlist both new friends and old in order to seek the revenge they are so desperate to enact, no matter the cost, allowing for nothing to stand in their way.

✦ Elements

MONKEY MAN (2024) x ROMAN MYTHOLOGY x THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO meets the vibes of ELFHAME x ARCANE

contains:

Adult [Low] Science [High/Mythic Fantasy]

Dual POV

Unreliable Narrators

Shapeshifting as a Metaphor for Gender Identity/Expression

[Alchemical] Industrial Revolution-inspired setting

tropes:

Revenge at Any Cost

Found Family

Established Couple

NB MC x Trans Man LI

They're Feral ; He's Enamored

Queer Disasters

Memory Loss

✦ Playlist

Which Witch — Florence + The Machine Wolf at Your Door — Chloe x Halle Give — Sleep Token Eat Your Young — Hozier Whatever It Takes — Imagine Dragons Heaven, Iowa — Fall Out Boy

art in the fourth image credited to the ever-lovely and ever-talented @emimillerart ✦

[noirapocalypto]

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

gimme sixty nine Salem facts stat

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

---

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

37: Salem values handmade gifts over expensive gifts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

—

[angelasscribbles]

Queen of Hearts: Let the Games Begin

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Series: Queen of Hearts

Pairings for this chapter: Riley x Liam

Word Count: 1,027

Rating: E

Warnings for this chapter: None

Series Premise: Riley is the crown princess and the men must compete for her.

Disclaimer: I am sure that I am not the first, nor will I be the last, person to flip the script in this way. This is simply my take on it.

My other stuff: Master List.

Riley opened her eyes and smiled. The man snoring softly next to her had been an unexpected adventure.

Impossibly dark hair, perfectly coiffed the night before, now fell across his forehead mussy and messy. His eyes were closed but she knew they were nearly as dark as his hair. Striking was a good word for him.

He was the younger son of his house, so not an ideal match but a suitable one nonetheless. Not that she was trying to marry him. Or anyone for that matter. She was still young and in no hurry to settle down but she would be expected to choose a husband, or at least a consort or two, eventually. The council had been clear that they preferred it to be sooner rather than later, and her parents had arranged for every noble house in Cordonia to parade their heirs in front of her all summer.

Not that she wasn’t enjoying it. There was a cornucopia of delights to choose from. The one currently gracing her bed for example. She had found him hiding on a balcony the night before.

The Annual Masquerade Ball was in full swing as she stepped out onto a vacant balcony to get a moment’s peace. Removing her shoes, she leaned over the balustrade and inhaled the night air deeply.

The sound of a throat clearing made her spin around. So, not alone after all.

“Sorry,” an impeccably dressed nobleman stepped out of the shadows, “I didn’t mean to disturb you, but I also didn’t want you to think you were alone when you weren’t.”

Heat spiked through her as she took in his trim but muscular physique, dark hair and eyes, the broad shoulders. A flirtatious smile curved her lips, “What a gentleman. I haven’t seen you at court before. I’d remember.”

The young man flushed with pleasure and embarrassment as he dropped his eyes to the ground, “I…ah…this is my first time.”

“Oooh, a court virgin!” she teased.

His flush deepened, “Yeah, I…my parents said I need to start learning how to represent the family at court in case my brother becomes king and I have to take over as duke when my father-“

She took a step closer to him and ran a finger down his cheek, “What makes them think your brother would be chosen and not you?”

He seemed stunned into silence for a moment before stumbling over his words, “Oh! Well, because he…I mean you…that is….”

“Let’s not talk about that,” she interpreted him, “I’m not planning to get married anytime soon despite what my parents, the council, or the press think.”

“But I should probably mention-“

“Whatever it is, it can wait,” she wrapped her arms around him with a sultry smile, “I have a better idea!”

Sunlight poured in from the balcony doors bathing him in a golden glow. He looked absolutely delicious. Just when she decided to wake him up for a little morning-after follow-up, a loud pounding sounded from her door.

She recognized the aggressive knock. With an aggravated sigh she called out, “What do you want, Bas?”

“Are you decent Your Highness?”

“No,” Riley smirked as she watched her companion’s eyes flutter open, “But I’m covered up and you may enter.”

Bastien Lykel was the head of her mother’s queen guard and a huge pain in her ass. He had no sense of humor or adventure at all.

“Your mother wanted to make sure you remember the luncheon today with the Ladies Historical Preservation Society-“ He stopped short as he noticed the man in her bed, “Oh! I…see why you disappeared from the ball last night.”

“Save the judgment, Bas. What time is the luncheon?”

“Noon, Your Highness. Shall I show the young gentleman out?”

“You shall not. Tell Mother I’ll be there. Have the kitchen send up breakfast for two and go away.”

With a disapproving shake of his head, Bastien turned and exited the room.

Riley turned back to her latest conquest and dropped the covers, “Sorry about him. Good morning.”

“Good morning,” he blinked up at her, and sleepiness was quickly replaced by something hotter as his eyes took in her naked body.

Two hours later, satiated, fed, and showered, they slipped out of her room and into the hallway.

“Please don't take this personally,” Riley shot him an apologetic glance, “But what was your name again?”

“Liam.”

“Liam? Why does that name sound familiar?”

“Well, I-“

Whatever else he said was lost on her as they rounded a corner and she collided with the textbook definition of a Greek God. Tall, blonde, muscular, and oh so familiar.

“Oof!” His strong arms went around her, steadying her before she could crash to the ground.

“Leo!” She yelped.

“Hey there, Your Highness, I was hoping to run into you.” He grinned down at her with his signature sexy smirk, then his eyes flicked to the man at her side, and he froze. “What are you doing with my brother?”

“Your…what?” Her head swiveled from Leo to Liam.

With a sheepish smile, Liam said, “That’s what I was trying to tell you last night. I know who you are because my older brother is Leo Brooks.”

“Last night?” Leo’s smile vanished as he released her and took a step back, “Wait…did you sleep with my brother?”

“It would appear so,” she answered before turning back to Liam, “You’re not as sweet and innocent as you seem. Well played.”

“Well played?” Leo spluttered, “He…that…my brother, Riley!”

“Oh, hush! I didn’t know he was your brother and we,” she waved her finger at him then back at herself, “have never been a couple.”

“Friends with benefits, Riley!”

“Yes, and what lovely benefits they are,” she stepped forward and ran her hands down his chest, “I must run now. Things to do, and all that. Ta!”

“See you at dinner tonight?” Leo called after her retreating back.

“In the grand hall with everyone else, unless you have a better idea!” she called over her shoulder.

“I’ll text you!” he yelled before turning to glare at his brother.

But Liam had already slipped away and bolted for his room.

[sfb123]

Hands Down

Chapter 3: "True"

Catch up here!

Pairing: Liam x Riley

All characters belong to Pixelberry

Summary: Can Liam and Riley still find their way to each other despite Riley turning down Maxwell's invitation to Cordonia?

Rating: G

Word Count: 3,714

Song Inspiration: True - Ryan Cabrera

A/N: Thank you @charlotteg234 for helping me with the opening part of this.

Other than that, it hasn't been pre-read, so please excuse any errors. I'm really terrible at grammar. 😬

Tags are below the cut/in the comments. If you'd like to be added or removed, please let me know!

In the days following his coronation, Liam worked tirelessly to assure the people of his country that, despite his unconventional decision, Cordonia would be stronger and more prosperous than ever under his leadership. The council had rebranded what was supposed to have been his engagement tour into an introduction tour, which would not only serve as a chance to begin solidifying alliances and good-will with other world leaders and political taste-makers, but a chance for him to show everyone just what King Liam’s Cordonia could be.

However, even with the nonstop calls, meetings and interviews, his mind couldn’t help but drift to Drake’s words. 

I’m pretty sure it was obvious to everyone but you that she was into you.

You mean to tell me that you’re not even going to try?

He hadn’t planned on trying. He assumed that by turning down Maxwell’s invitation she wasn’t interested. But once again, he thought about what Drake said and considered Riley’s point of view. If he had been put in her place, he would have made the same choice. Maybe there was still hope. 

Liam decided that before he began his tour, he needed to fly to New York and find her. He had spent months thinking about her, even if she wasn’t the one, perhaps it would give him some closure and allow him to move on. When his final meeting of the week was finished, he boarded the royal jet and made his way to the states. 

When they landed, Liam requested that they go straight to the bar. He couldn’t wait any longer. As his SUV traveled the streets, his mind and heart were racing, thinking of all of the things he wanted to say, and reminding himself not to come on too strong, or get his hopes up too high. 

The car slowed to a stop in front of the bar, and Liam’s head guard, Bastien, walked around the vehicle to open Liam’s door. The young king paused for a moment, taking  a deep breath to prepare himself. He was ready for a life full of deals and negotiations, he had been trained for it since childhood; but having to be open, and speak his heart was something completely foreign to him. 

“Sir?” Bastien’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. 

Liam nodded in acknowledgement and stepped out of the vehicle, moving toward the door. As soon as he stepped over the threshold, he was hit with the nostalgia of the last time he was there. 

“Just a second.”

His breath caught in his throat at the voice calling from the kitchen. 

She’s here. 

His heart began racing as he neared the stools surrounding the bar. Just as he approached, Riley emerged from the kitchen, eyes trained on her notepad as she jotted something down. 

She looked even more beautiful than he remembered. She kept her focus on the task in front of her as she walked past him and straight to a table, slipping the customer the receipt she had been writing on. 

As soon as she turned around, Riley locked eyes with Liam and she froze in her spot. She wasn’t expecting to ever see him again. 

“Hello, Riley.” 

She stood in silence for another moment, trying to process the fact that Liam, the man she couldn’t seem to get out of her mind, was standing in front of him. “Hi Liam.” She managed to choke out. 

Shaking off her surprise, she jumped right back into waitress mode. “Can I get you a table? Are your friends here with you again?” She paused for a moment, suddenly remembering what he had been doing in their time apart. “If you’re here with your fiancée, I can give you a quiet table in the back.” 

“No, it’s just me this time.” He smiled at her. She didn’t know, she hadn’t been following the social season. He wasn’t sure whether or not that was a good sign. “I was actually hoping to speak with you, if you have a moment?” 

“Oh, um…” She took a look around the bar. It wasn’t very busy, but there were customers that were going to need her attention. “Yeah, let me just check on a couple of tables. You can sit if you want.” She motioned to the bar. He nodded and took a seat on a stool. 

After visiting each of her tables, and refilling a couple of glasses for the patrons at the bar, she stepped up to the spot where Liam was sitting. “Sorry,” she apologized. “Can I get you a drink?”

“No, I’m fine. Thank you.” He took a deep breath and searched her eyes, hoping for some kind of sign that she had missed him, or even thought about him once since he had left, but she had a wall up, he wasn’t even sure if she was happy to see him. 

“So, how was your social season?” Riley asked, unsure what else to say. 

“It was… eventful.” He mused. “My father officially stepped down from the throne.”

“Oh, wow. So you’re an actual king now?” Liam nodded. “Congratulations.” She noticed that Liam seemed uneasy about his sudden title change. 

“I suppose. It was unexpected, and there was a lot behind it that made it a bit… bittersweet. But I knew I would end up here eventually.” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

“So how does your fiancée feel about the sudden fast track to queen?” She asked tentatively. She really didn’t want to hear about the woman he chose. She was probably smart, well spoken and gorgeous. Everything Riley felt she could never be. 

Liam let out a breath, grateful that she brought it up first. “I don’t have a fiancée. I didn’t pick anyone.” 

“But I thought you…”

“I was supposed to,” he took one of her hands in his, feeling emboldened by the moment and deciding to just dive in. “Riley, my whole life I’ve known I needed to put my duty to Cordonia above everything else. That included any ideas about romance, or marrying for love. As I went through my social season, I would try to weigh out my options, but my mind kept going back to our night together. I couldn’t pick any of those women because none of them were you.” 

Riley stood in stunned silence, overwhelmed by Liams words, and the familiar, calming feeling of her hand in his. She felt him squeeze gently and she cleared her throat to compose herself. “I don’t understand.” 

“I want to be with you, Riley.” It was a bolder statement than he intended to make, but he didn’t regret saying it.  

She felt as though her heart was going to leap out of her chest, she still didn’t understand. How could this man, this king, this handsome, kind king have spent the last few months with women throwing themselves at him, and he’s standing here telling him he wants her. It didn’t add up. 

“Riley?” His voice brought her out of her thoughts. She studied his expression, and noticed a vulnerability in his eyes. 

“But… how would that even work?” She pulled her hand out of his and stepped back. “You’re on the other side of the world, the time difference must be insane.” 

“It’s six hours,” He responded. “And I’m here now.” 

“But not for long. You’re going to have to go home and rule a whole ass country. You honestly think you’re going to have time for me?” 

Liam smirked, she was getting flustered, he took that as a sign that his feelings were returned. “The logistics can be figured out. And I will make time for you, no matter where I am, or what time zone I am in. You’re worth it.” 

Riley’s brow furrowed in confusion. “How do you know?”

“Because I can feel it.” He replied, his eyes intently locked on hers. “Riley, there’s something between us. I felt it that night, it’s practically all I’ve thought about since we said goodbye, and I felt it again the second I walked through the door and heard your voice.” 

“But…”

“Please,” he pleaded. “Just let me take you on one date. If after that, you can tell me that you truly don’t feel the connection, I will walk away and never bother you again.” 

Riley didn’t need a date to know there was a connection, she was feeling everything he was. But she still had so many questions and doubts about the whole thing. The smart thing to do would be to say no, realistically, this would never work. All of the concerns that ran through her mind when Maxwell invited her to Cordonia came flooding back.

But did she want to do the smart thing? That’s what she thought she had done last time, and she’d been regretting it ever since. Riley had always played it safe and done the smart thing. She never took risks, and she was right where she had always planned to be. For the most part. 

The hopeless romantic inside of her, the side she had silenced once before, was screaming at her to say yes. Love wasn’t logical, it wasn’t smart, it was a risk. Some of her favorite love stories included a visit to the seawich, trusting a fairy godmother, or taking a chance on seven strangers in the woods. 

“Okay.” She answered softly, still unsure about where this would lead. 

“Okay?” He repeated her hopefully. She nodded in response. “Wonderful!”

Riley smiled coyly at Liam’s excitement. “I’m actually free tomorrow night if that works for you?” 

“Absolutely. I’ll pick you up at your apartment at seven?”

“Sure.” 

Liam breathed a sigh of relief and stood from his barstool. “Perfect. You’re at the same address I walked you home to?” 

“You remember?”

“Of course I do, I remember everything about that night.” He noticed a blush come over Riley at his response. “Maybe I could get your number though, just in case?” 

Riley smiled, her eyes flitting to the floor. “Sure.” He handed her his phone, and she put her number into the contacts. 

When she handed the phone back to him, his fingers lingered on hers for a moment before he pulled away, placing it in his pocket. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”  

Riley watched Liam exit the bar, her eyes watching on the door until one of her customers called for her attention. She took a few orders and began mixing drinks, her mind drifting back to Liam and their conversation. She was nervous, terrified really, about going out with him. She couldn’t help but get ahead of herself, trying to figure out how a relationship with that much distance would work. Or why he would even want it to.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t notice Daniel enter the bar and come up behind her. “Holy shit,” Riley startled at his voice, nearly spilling the martini she had in her hand. “Sorry,” he smiled apologetically at his friend. “But it was important. You should have seen the smoke show I just passed on my way in here.” 

Riley smirked to herself as she placed the drink in front of her customer and moved back across the room. She had a feeling she knew exactly who he was talking about. “Blonde hair, blue eyes, a little over six feet?” 

“Yes, he was in here?!”

“That’s uh…” She picked up a rag and began wiping down the bar, avoiding eye contact with Daniel. “That’s Liam, the guy from the bachelor party.” 

His jaw dropped. “Prince Charming?” She nodded with a small chuckle. “What was he doing here?” 

Riley recapped the conversation for a stunned Daniel. She had given him a full rundown of their time together when she had returned to the apartment that night, but hadn't mentioned anything about him since. However, Daniel knew better than to think it was just a fleeting moment to her. He’d never seen her light up about anything, or anyone the way she did when she was recalling every last detail of Liam and their evening together.

“But you said yes, right?” Daniel asked hopefully. 

“I mean yeah, how could I say no to all of that?” Riley shrugged. “But I don’t know.” 

Daniel rolled his eyes. “Come on Ri, I get it, you’ve got this whole don’t see how great you are thing, and that’s your vibe. But seriously,” he placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. “This man has already done more for you after knowing you for a couple of hours than your last boyfriend did all that time you were together. Take the hint. He wants you.” 

“How does a relationship like that even work?” She continued to protest. 

“First of all, it’s a date, not a relationship.” Daniel corrected her. “Second of all, if it gets to that, you figure it out. And then you invite me to your lavish royal wedding, because technically this is all thanks to me.” He winked. 

“Alright, alright, I’ll go.” Riley chuckled. “What are you even doing here? It’s your night off.” 

“I wanted to be your last customer.” He smiled, taking a seat at the bar. “I’ll have my usual, barkeep.” 

***

The next day, Riley spent most of the morning rifling through her closet, trying to assemble the perfect outfit for her date with Liam. 

“Daniel, help!” 

Daniel rushed into Riley’s room to find clothes scattered over every inch of the space. “Holy shit Ri, what happened here?” 

Riley looked up at Daniel from her seat on the floor, gripping onto two shirts. “What do grown ups wear on dates?” 

“Oh Riley,” he dropped down on his knees by his friend’s side, wrapping his arm around her. “Just relax.” 

“I can’t relax. I haven’t gone on an actual date in almost four years. I was just a kid. And this isn’t just a grown up date, it’s a grown up date with a king. Fuck,” her eyes went wide and she turned to face Daniel. “Am I supposed to wear a ballgown?” 

He didn’t want to make her feel worse, but Daniel couldn’t help but chuckle at her panic. “I don’t think he’s expecting that.” He pried the shirts out of her grip. “Listen, he asked you out because he likes you, you don’t have to get all fancy. That’s what he turned down to come here to find you. Just be yourself, cute and comfortable.” 

“But what if he’s taking me somewhere fancy? Guys like him don’t go to hole in the wall pizza places, or burger joints.”

“Or dive bars?” Daniel retorted with an arched brow. “You’re overthinking this. Here,” he reached behind her, picking up a green high low dress. “This is perfect. Wear it with that leather jacket you have. Classy and cool, you’ll be ready for anything.” 

“Daniel, it’s perfect!” She wrapped her arms around him and brought him into a hug. “Thank you.”

“Of course, but listen,” he pulled back, looking at her with concern in his eyes. “You need to relax, you’ve got this. He asked you out, he flew halfway across the world for this date, safe to say he wants it.” 

“That’s the problem,” she huffed, standing up and laying her dress on the bed. “He was supposed to pick a fiancée in his own county. He didn’t and then he came here, because of me. Do you have any idea how much pressure that is? He barely knows me.” 

Daniel followed her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “That’s what first dates are for.” 

Over the next few hours, as Riley got ready for her date, Daniel made sure to be there to guide her back when she fell too deep down the rabbit hole of worry and self-doubt about how the evening would go. 

She was putting the finishing touches on her look when her phone chimed. It was a number she didn’t have saved, but the second she saw the message she knew who it was. The butterflies in her stomach kicked into high gear, Liam had arrived. He didn’t have her apartment number, so he couldn’t ring them to be buzzed up. She gave him the number and called down the hall for Daniel to buzz him in. 

Riley slid on her shoes and made her way down the hall, where Daniel was waiting in the living room. She gave him a nervous smile. “Do I look alright?” 

“Like a princess.” Daniel grinned. She rolled her eyes, making Daniel laugh. “You’ve got this Ri, trust me.” 

As the elevator made its ascent to the fourth floor, Liam’s fingers tapped nervously against his thigh. He had spent all day preparing for this, it needed to go perfectly. The doors opened, and he stepped into the hallway stopping in front of the door marked ‘11D’. He took a deep breath before lifting his fist and wrapping gently. The door opened, and Liam’s breath caught in his throat when he laid his eyes on her. 

“Riley you look,” he paused, taking another moment to admire her from head to toe. “Stunning.” 

“Thank you,” he caught the blush in her cheeks just before her gaze dropped. 

They stood in silence, not believing that they were actually here. They had both imagined this moment, but neither thought it would ever be more than that. 

“I brought you these.” Liam broke the silence, holding up a bouquet of roses. “I wasn’t sure what your favorite flower was, I hope roses are okay?” 

Riley smiled, taking the bouquet from Liam and lifting them to her nose. “They’re perfect.” Liam let out a sigh of relief. “Let me just go put them in some water, I’ll be right back.” 

While Riley was in the other room, Liam took the opportunity to look around the apartment to try to learn a bit more about her. The decor wasn’t exactly what he had pictured for her, and she didn’t appear to be in many of the photos. He found it curious. 

“Ready?” Riley pulled him from his thoughts. 

Liam smiled and offered his arm to her. “Absolutely.” 

He led her out of the apartment and to the elevator. As the cab made its descent, the pair stood in silence, Liam noticed that Riley seemed nervous. He could understand that, he was nervous too, but there was also an uneasiness about her that concerned him.

“Is everything alright?” Liam asked tentatively, hoping the evening was not about to end before even getting started.  

“Yeah,” she smiled up at him softly. He felt his heart flutter at the sight. “I’m just a little nervous is all.” 

Liam grinned as the doors opened. “Understandable,” he raised his arm, signaling for her to exit the elevator. Once she stepped over the threshold, he followed behind her. “I’m pretty nervous too.” 

“You are?” 

“Definitely,” he assured her as they moved outside. He walked her to the SUV that was waiting in front of her building, opening the door for her. He slid in behind her and closed the door before continuing. “If we’re being candid, this is actually my first real date.” 

Riley contorted her face into a look of disbelief. “Yeah, okay,” she replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“I’m serious!” He chuckled. “Growing up as part of the royal family, things were different. I was introduced to women, but our time would be spent at courtly functions. It was nothing like dating as you know it.” 

Riley nodded in understanding, a brief silence coming over them. “As a matter of fact,” he continued. “I wanted everything to be perfect tonight, so I did some research on first dates.” 

“You did?” She smiled. ‘That’s actually really cute.” 

“I’m very glad you think so.” 

“Well, since we’re having truth time,” Riley took a deep breath, and looked down at her hands, which sat in her lap. “I guess I’m just a little worried that after all this time, and after everything you did to come here and ask me out, I’m not going to be worth it.” 

Liam’s heart sank at her confession. The last thing he wanted was to put any pressure on her, and he especially hated that she was worried she wasn’t enough. He realized in that moment that he may have come off a bit stronger than he anticipated when he had seen her the night before.   

“Riley,” he said, gently placing his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. “I’m so sorry for putting that pressure on you. I assure you, while my feelings for you did have a part in the decision I made at my coronation, it wasn’t the only reason.”

He went on to explain his conversation with Leo, and how it had inspired him to forge his own path. He also told her about the conversation he had with Drake later in the night; leaving out the part about how obvious it was to everyone how she felt about him. She was already feeling insecure, he thought that would only make things worse. Instead, he told her that Drake suggested the best way to find his happiness was to go back to the last place where he felt truly happy.

“And you picked the night we met?” Riley asked.

“I did,” he smiled softly at her. “Riley, I can’t predict the future. I don’t know where this is going to go, if it goes anywhere at all. But what I do know is that when I was with you that night, I felt comfortable, free. It was something I hadn’t felt for a long time, and it meant a lot to me.” 

Riley felt her cheeks get warm as she dropped her gaze to her lap. “It was a pretty great night, wasn’t it?”

“Absolutely, and that’s the only expectation I have for tonight. To have a pretty great night, with a pretty great girl.” He placed his index finger under her chin, tilting it so their eyes were locked.

Riley looked into his eyes and was met with a sincerity that gave her butterflies. At that moment, all of her questions and worries were gone; replaced by anticipation and excitement of what the evening, and the future, held. 

Permatag:

@3pawandme @alj4890 @busywoman @charlotteg234 @cordonia-gothqueen @cordoniaqueensworld @differenttyphoonwerewolf @emkay512 @foreverethereal123 @hopelessromanticmonie @iaminlovewithtrr @imashybish @kat-tia801 @kingliam2019 @malblk21 @mom2000aggie @neotericthemis @nestledonthaveone @queen-arabella-of-cordonia @secretaryunpaid @sincerelyella @tessa-liam @theroyalheirshadowhunter @tinkie1973 @twinkleallnight @txemrn

Liam:

@amandablink @custaroonie @jared2612

TRR:

@21-wishes @ao719 @bascmve01 @belencha77 @burnsoslow @imjusthereforliam @kristinamae093 @lovingchoices14 @the0afnan

Hands Down:

@umccall71

@choicesficwriterscreations

[ownworldresident]

Side by Side Chapter 1: Not a Fairy Tale

The revamp of a long-ago series because I wrote myself into a corner

Book: The Royal Romance.

Premise: With new additions to their family, King Liam and Rayne must re-evaluate their relationship dynamic.

Themes: Found family, hurt/comfort, angst, fluff, family.

Word Count: 3.2k per chapter, 18 chapters. About 60k.

Note: This story started just after TRR3 ended, and has no association with TRH. Master Masterlist Link

Rayne

"Lady Rayne, I'm afraid I've been asked to escort you out, along with the representatives of House Beaumont."

"But…" Rayne looked from Bastien to Maxwell to the rest of the onlookers but any protest was drowned out by the growing voices of a hundred nobles. A strong hand closed over her arm.

"And now Prince Liam must choose a wife."

"Liam!" Rayne called out, but barely heard herself. Her heart pounded and she ripped her arm from Bastien's grip, searching the ballroom for a set of familiar blue eyes.

Bastien grabbed her again, firmer this time, and she couldn't break it. The royal guards began to pull her and the Beaumonts toward the exit.

"I choose… Lady Madeleine."

"No!" Rayne cried, still searching the ballroom, but there were too many people between them. Then she finally caught his eye, and there was real fear there.

Rayne grimaced again as the pain rocked through her. She kept thinking she was adjusting, but every wave was incrementally worse.

"You're doing really well, Rayne," said one of the nurses. "Breathe through it. That's it, perfect."

The pain subsided but left an echo, and she used the reprieve to turn to the closest nurse, tightening her hold on the sheets.

"Where is Liam?" she asked for the umpteenth time. "Is he close?"

"I'm sure he'll get here as soon as he can." The young nurse smiled, rested a hand on her wrist, then moved back around the bed. It was the same answer as every other time and useless to her now.

"Liam…" Rayne's chest ached in his absence.

"Keep an eye on her blood pressure," the midwife said, standing at the end of the bed. Rayne hardly heard the conversation after that. She had never imagined this without him, and the empty space was the loneliest she had felt since leaving New York.

Too soon she was wrenched back by another contraction. It was worse, longer, and closer. She grit her teeth, focused on the room, and breathed through it.

The lights went out and the panic started. Rayne recognised gunshots, but could see nothing, and crouched with hands over her head as bullets ricocheted and people began to scream.

Someone grabbed her hand and pulled her up.

"We need to get out of here!" Drake's voice. She gripped his hand and hurried with him, people colliding with her as they, too, tried to escape.

"What about Li-" She tripped on her gown and hit the ground hard.

The lights came on. Drake was above her again. She could see Liam surrounded by men in dark clothes, fighting alongside his guards.

"Rayne, focus!" Drake pulled her up again and they turned to the exit, and came face to face with a masked man. He raised a gun. She froze. Drake shoved her back. The shot went off, and his body collided with hers as the force of the bullet pushed them back.

Drake

Drake burst into the hospital and rushed to reception, heart pounding. The parking lot had been full, and he had run two blocks to see her, and the woman behind the desk looked up with some surprise. It usually annoyed him that he was recognizable enough as Liam’s friend, but it helped now.

"Has King Liam arrived?" He asked, harsher than intended. The woman shook her head, and Drake ran a hand over his face. “Has he been contacted?”

"His Majesty is in a meeting. He will be advised of the situation when he is done."

He stared at her. "Are you serious?"

"Yes." She didn't look enthused about it. "I'm sorry, but those are our instructions."

Drake swore. “Unbelievable,” he muttered as he pulled out his phone and called him.

Voicemail.

He hung up, called again, and again, then left a frustrated voicemail and an equally short and sharp text message. No longer puffing, he returned his attention to the receptionist, debating whether to go and drag Liam back here or not. When he considered leaving her, though, the choice became easy.

“Is she in her room?” he asked, already starting toward the ward, which required a keycard to access.

“Yes, but… I don’t think you can go in.”

He rounded on her, reigning in his frustration and reminding himself she wasn't at fault. “Rayne is my friend, and if Liam isn’t here, I won’t let her go through this alone.”

The receptionist glanced at the door and back to him, unsure, and Drake's impatience started redirecting. Then she moved to the door and opened it. “You know the room?”

“Yes.” He pushed open the door, then paused, and glanced back. “Thank you.”

Along the passage, he pulled out his phone again to send a message to someone else. And then he was hurrying to her room, pushing open the door, and being overwhelmed by the number of medical staff. Four of them at least, all fussing, but looking up as he entered. And then there was Rayne, red faced and sweating on the bed. Her eyes were closed, hands holding fistfuls of the sheets. Drake reached her side, taking Liam’s empty place, and took up her hand with both of his. She looked up.

“Drake?” she muttered, breathing heavily. “Where is….” she gasped, gritting her teeth.

"He's coming," Drake said. "He'll be here."

Rayne shook her head, exhaling sharply and looking up at the midwife.

"That's it," said the woman. "We're almost on the home stretch but I need you to start pushing soon, okay?"

"No I can't…" She forced through a few long breaths. "I can't…"

"Yes, you can."

"I can't… Liam isn't here,” she whimpered, then, more clearly, "I need him here."

"I'm sorry, Rayne, but your babies can't wait for him. It's got to be now."

There were tears in her eyes. Drake grabbed the small damp towel beside him and tried to wipe her brow. "You can do this," he said gently. "We can't control when Liam arrives, but I'm here, and I'll stay as long as you need, okay?"

She nodded, tightening her fingers around his, and for a moment he thought she was calming, but when she turned her face to him it was tight with pain in more ways than one. "I… I don't think I can do this without him."

"I really hope you don't have to," he said, squeezing her shoulder.

"He promised me," she said in a small voice. Drake's chest tightened at the dismay in her words, and he mentally added more pressure to the punch Liam would receive when he finally got here.

Liam

The door slammed open and Liam stopped mid-sentence as his brother ran into the room. There were twenty council members, a sonographer, his assistant and three guards in the room, and every one of them looked up as well. A couple of the councillors began to object, but for Liam, one look at Leo’s expression was enough. He stood.

“It’s Rayne,” Leo said, catching his breath, “she’s in labour.”

Liam vaulted the horseshoe table, knocking documents and pens and even a water glass but that didn't matter. He yelled for his assistant to call the car around and sprinted after Leo to the palace entrance.

When they arrived, the car wasn’t there, but Leo’s bike was, key still in the ignition. Liam frowned, and he caught on.

“You sure?” he asked.

“Got a spare helmet?”

“In the box, yeah.”

“Then yes.”

“Alright then.” Leo strode to the bike, and Liam ignored the part of him that knew this was too dangerous without more protective gear. His brother chucked him the spare and pulled on his own as Liam did the same. He'd ridden them before, as driver and passenger, but he could love them like Leo did.

Helmet in place, Leo turned back, paused a moment, then shrugged off his leather jacket.

"Swap," he said, holding it out.

"What? Why?"

"If something happens and we come off, it'll be my fault, and there's no way I'm getting your blood on my hands. You want to ride, put this on."

Liam stared at him, not that they could make out faces, but there was no time to argue, the car still wasn't here. He removed his blazer, swapped it for the leather jacket, got on behind Leo and secured himself there.

"Sure about this?"

"Just drive."

He revved the engine, kicked up the foot, and accelerated.

They raced through the gates just as the SUV pulled into view and Liam second guessed the decision, reminded suddenly and forcefully all the reasons he preferred a car. He held his brother tighter. Too exposed, too exposed. Useless thoughts. Focus.

Faster than a car manoeuvring the bends, Liam was barely by the time they reached the city outskirts. He wanted to ask what Leo knew, what he should expect, and in the absence his mind raced with possibilities. And the failure...

They pulled up at a red light.

"What do you know?" he asked immediately, then repeated, louder.

"Got a message from Drake." Leo called back. "Didn't catch the time he sent it. Could've been an hour, maybe more. Came straight to you when you didn't answer your phone."

Green Light before he could respond. Leo shot ahead of the traffic, coming up behind other cars and weaving through them with a speed and confidence that another day would make Liam fear for their lives. His stomach turned but he ignored it. Over an hour? How long ago has it started? Was Drake with her? Was she in pain? Of course she would be, and had promised…

Pedestrian crossing. Leo pulled up again. They were getting to the heart of the city now and couldn't go as fast. For all the power he had as a monarch, he longed to clear the roads now. A woman with a pram and a toddler crossed in front of them.

"Why wasn't I informed?"

"Drake's message said they were told not to say anything."

"By whom?"

"Didn't say."

But only one person other than him had that power. He swore, tightening his hold.

"Watch it!" called Leo, and Liam relaxed his grip. They were getting close. They would be followed by half a dozen speeding tickets but that didn’t matter; they were getting there.

He had promised. Promised Rayne he would be there for this, to help her through it, support her in the most painful hours of her life. But he wasn't, and every minute he wasn’t there was a minute she faced this alone.

Suddenly the private hospital loomed and they pulled up at the entrance. Liam leapt off the bike, pulled off his helmet, raced inside and through to the maternity ward.

He drew curious glances as he went, but reached reception quickly.

"Where is Rayne?" he demanded.

"Her room, Your Majesty." She hurried to the ward entry and opened it. Liam nodded as thanks, his heart beating hard, and rushed into the ward. Was he too late? Would he hear her cries? Was she asking for him?

He spotted a familiar face in the hall, leaning against a wall with a mug in one hand and running a hand through his hair.

“Drake,” he said as he approached. His friend turned fast and stared at him. First with eyes wide, then narrowed. “Is Rayne-”

“Here,” Drake cut him off, setting his mug down with some force and indicating for Liam to follow. He led them a little ways down the empty hall, then into a room that wasn’t Rayne’s, and closed the door behind them. He turned back when he realised it was empty.

“I told myself I was going to hit you when you finally fucking got here,” Drake snapped. “But I suspect this will hurt badly enough.”

His heart sank. “Did I miss...”

“You sure did. All twelve hours,” he seethed. “I told you the risk was too much. A fucking meeting, Liam? Seriously? You couldn’t wait three weeks? You made a goddamn promise, and you broke it.” He shook his head when Liam tried to speak. “She asked for you the whole time, she was in tears, and I know that because I was here, taking your place, telling her you would be here soon, when I had no fucking clue when you would turn up.”

Liam’s heart plummeted, and no physical pain could match the total and complete agony of breaking the biggest promise of his life. Nothing could ever compensate for that, but he could go to her, and be there… Drake preempted.

“They had to operate,” he said, and Liam paled. “You seriously think I would have left her alone if I had a choice? C-section. Something about her blood pressure. That’s all I could get, but she’s unconscious and there are about a dozen doctors and nurses in there right now. I guess you can be the one who meets them first or whatever.”

He’d not known what to expect when he got here. Maybe that he’d get here in time, be able to hold her hand and reassure her. Be able to share the moment when they met their children… Like they had talked about… And now, once again, he had failed her.

Drake

Liam was ten levels of frozen anguish and Drake’s heart went out to him, but he was still too irritated to comfort his friend. At least he’d refrained from physically injuring him, though that pain would be a walk in the park compared to whatever debilitating agony hit him now. He knew Liam, and knew how he would -or would fail to- process this. That wasn’t his problem right now.

“Head out to where I was waiting. Someone will let you know when you can go in.” He turned and opened the door again, then paused. “Congratulations.”

Before Liam could respond, he was heading out to the waiting rooms further out to make some calls. Rayne meant more to his friend than anything, and their situation was shitty, but he’d been vocal enough about that in the past, and nothing changed.

Leo was waiting there on his phone with Liam’s jacket folded roughly beside him.

“Shit,” Leo said, standing as he noticed Drake enter the room. “You okay?”

“What?” Drake blinked, realised how tight his expression was, and rubbed his temples as he smoothed it. “Fine. You got my message then.”

“Yeah, but not for a while as you ah, can probably tell. Sorry about that.” He winced. “Did we make it?”

Sighing, he shook his head. “Not quite.” He explained the situation quickly, keeping it factual and leaving out some of his words to Liam, then finished with, “I’m gonna call the others,” and pulled out his phone as he walked away from Leo, who was grimacing. He needed something to do.

Why he called Maxwell first, he didn’t know.

“Drake! How are you?” Maxwell’s sudden voice shocked him back, out of frustration. “Whatcha calling about?” Again, Drake filled him in quickly. “Little blossom! Oh no! I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“That really isn’t--”

“I’m coming from Ramsford, I’ll be a while, and there’s no way I’d miss saying hi!”

“Okay, then.”

Maxwell hung up, and Drake located Olivia’s number.

“Walker,” she answered quickly, sounding distracted.

“Olivia, you--”

“No! Put that down. I said the red one. This is not what I pay you for!” The call was followed by some muffled conversation before Olivia’s voice became clear again. “Sorry, Walker. Go on.”

“Remember how you asked to be told when Rayne was in labour?”

“Of course. But she’s not due for a few weeks. Why the reminder?”

“It happened early,” he said, and she swore.

“I’ll be there later today, but I’m flying from Lythikos, so it won’t be for a while.” She paused. “How’s Liam?”

“He… uh…” Drake rubbed the back of his neck. “He’ll be fine.”

“I see.” Olivia quieted, apparently picking up on his tone. “I’ll get in touch when I land at the airport.” She hung up, and Drake lowered his phone to stare at it.

Calling them would have been his least favourite activity, but at least it had given him something to occupy his mind. Now all he had were images of Rayne, the strength of her grip on his hand, and the struggle in her face to breathe through the pain before the doctors realised something was wrong. He wasn’t sure her fear would ever fade in his memory.

Taking a deep breath, he reentered the waiting room, grabbed two bottles of water from the vending machine, and slumped down beside Leo, who was fiddling with a cord of some kind.

“Thanks,” Leo said as he took one of the bottles and twisted off the cap. Then both fell to silence, and waited.

Liam

The wait was maybe twenty minutes but it felt like hours. People moved in and out of Rayne’s room, and others moved along halls, sparing him glances as he stared at the ground in front of him, and every time he thought someone was approaching him his heart raced, but then they would move on. What if something happened? He had read about this, they both had read about everything, but hadn’t expected this to actually happen. There had been nothing to indicate it would. What if one of the babies was hurt? Or didn’t make it? His chest tightened at the thought, to the point where breathing was a struggle, but surely they would have said something? Surely the voices -though he couldn’t make out the words- would be more panicked? He shuddered. If he lost her… If they lost a child…

“King Liam?”

He looked up fast to see a young nurse with hands clasped before her and a small smile.

“Everything went smoothly. Rayne is still unconscious, but the general anaesthetic will wear off in ten to fifteen minutes.” She smiled a little wider as he stood. “Would you like to come and meet them?”

“Yes,” he breathed, the emotion bubbling in his voice, and swallowed as he followed her in a daze into the room.

There was one other nurse still there, tucking in the sides of Rayne’s sheets. Liam approached the bed. Rayne herself was pale, but otherwise looked peaceful, her chest rising and falling as if she were simply asleep. The gauze on her forearm where whatever needle they had used was the only evidence to the contrary. He lifted one of her hands, rubbing his thumb over the back of it, and listed out a long internal apology that he wouldn’t voice with the others in the room. He wanted to be sorry just for today, but truly there were so many things to be sorry for he would be hard pressed to find the words.

One of the nurses left, but the younger one smiled again as he looked up.

“Would you like to meet them, Your Majesty?” She gestured to the two cribs beside her. In a trance he pressed his lips to the back of Rayne’s hand, and moved around the bed to stand beside the nurse. "May I introduce the Crown Prince, and his sister, the Princess." She gestured to each in turn.

As the two tiny, swaddled newborns came into view his heart swelled to bursting and tears pricked his eyes. This was a love he had not known, and there weren't words to describe it. Rayne would laugh at that. 'You always know exactly the right thing to say.' He looked back to her, wishing they could share this moment. 'You do inspire a certain amount of eloquence' he had responded with a wink and she had laughed… laughed, but it was true, and maybe if it weren't she wouldn't be in this situation.

One look back at his newborn son and daughter extinguished the thought. Leaning over the crib of his daughter, he ran a single finger across her entire cheek. As he did, she slowly opened her eyes, and his breath caught. Her face, her nose, his eyes.

---- ----

The list below is from my previous SbS masterlist. If you'd like to be added or removed please let me know!

Tag List: @leelee10898 @indiacater @speedyoperarascalparty @brightpinkpeppercorn @riseandshinelittleblossom @bella-ca @custaroonie @furiousherringoperatortoad @missevabean @thequeenofcronuts @kuladekiwi @mfackenthal @iplaydrake @lodberg @annekebbphotography @carabeth @wannabemc @explorer-of-gems @be-still-my-aching-heart @kateslayer @kingliam2019 @kalirosesummers @umccall71

[deb-1106]

Choices Flash Fic week 31

Hey all!!  ❤️ 

Because we've both been out of the game so long, and have really missed writing, my good friend (she was actually my very FIRST friend on this hellsite 😋❤️) @walkerismychoice and I have decided to motivate each other by writing together using our LI's and MC's from different choices books.  I'll be using Drake Walker and my MC, Ava Matheson from TRR, and Maggie will be using Bryce Lahela and her MC, Charlie Hawkins from Open Heart.  

This story will hopefully be the first of a weekly series of one-shots using @choicesflashfics prompts.

We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it! ❤️

Prompt 3  — “Wait a second. Pause and rewind … what did you just say?”

Book: TRR/OPH

Pairings: Drake x Ava, Bryce x Charlie

Rating: M

TW: Gun Violence

“Little Blossom?”

Ava’s eyes flew open.  

She was momentarily disoriented, caught somewhere between a memory and a nightmare. But as her eyes focused and she took in the institutional green walls and naugahyde seating of a hospital waiting room, the crushing reality of the evening’s events came flooding back.

***

Ava! Get down!”

Drake’s warning was the last thing she heard before his body slammed into hers, knocking her to the ground.  She screamed as a bomb exploded nearby, raining chunks of rubble down all around them as the acrid smell of gunfire burned her nostrils.

“Drake?” She cried, “Drake, we have to get out of here!

He didn’t move.

“Drake!“  Ava began to panic as she felt the warm, sticky dampness of his blood seep into her ballgown. She reached out to press her hand to his cheek and his eyelids fluttered open for just a moment.  He gave her a small smile. 

“I love you, Matheson.” He mumbled faintly as his eyes closed once again.

“NO!  Drake, wake up!  Please, baby.  I need you to wake up!”  She tried to wiggle out from underneath him, but the weight of his body was too much for her.

HELP!” She screamed, praying that her cries were loud enough to be heard over the chaos around them,  “PLEASE! … SOMEBODY HELP US!”

After what felt like an eternity, she felt Drake’s weight lifted from her body.  She immediately scrambled to her knees crawling on all fours to where he lay prone on the ballroom floor, his suit soaked with blood.

“Oh my God!” She gasped, “Drake!”

Bastien was kneeling over him, both hands pressed over a wound in Drake's shoulder as he barked out orders. “I NEED A MEDIC AND AN UNMARKED CAR…NOW!”

“Bastien! What’s going on?”  Tears streamed down Ava’s face as she grabbed Drake’s hand, alarmed by how cold it felt.

“Terrorist attack.  Drake took a bullet.”

Ava looked to Bastien for reassurance, “But…he’s going to be okay, right?”  

He wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“Bastien! Tell me he’s going to be okay.” She begged, “Please!”

He finally looked up, and the expression on his face made Ava’s blood run cold.

“The wound is close to his heart and he’s lost a lot of blood.” Bastien’s voice was somber, “If we can get him to the hospital quickly, he might have a chance.”

“Might?” Ava pressed a hand over her mouth and felt her stomach lurch. 

No!  This can’t be happening.  We were finally going to start our lives together. I can’t lose him now.

***

Maxwell knelt down beside the chair Ava had finally collapsed into after pacing the hospital corridors for hours.  He placed his hand over hers and squeezed gently.  “There’s a nurse here who wants to talk to you.” 

Heart hammering in her chest, Ava jumped to her feet, ignoring the pain of her own injuries as she anxiously faced the young nurse standing in the doorway.

“Is he okay?” She asked, “Is he out of surgery?  Can I see him?”

The nurse smiled kindly, the rapid-fire questions not phasing her in the least.

“Mr. Walker is still in surgery…” 

When Ava’s face crumpled, the nurse crossed the room to place a comforting hand on her arm, “But he has one of our top surgeons working on him, so rest assured, he’s in the best possible hands.”  She smiled warmly, “In fact, Dr. Lehela wanted me to let you know that Mr. Walker is out of the woods.  The bullet has been removed and they’re just cleaning out the remaining debris.  There was some concern about bone fragments splintering off and causing damage to the surrounding heart tissue, but that doesn't appear to have been the case.”

Ava felt her legs go weak with relief.

“Oh, Thank God.”

She felt Maxwell’s arms encircle her and sank wearily into his comforting embrace.

“See, Blossom.” He said, encouragingly, “I told you he was going to be okay. It’ll take more than a tiny little bullet to take him out.”

Ava nodded and squeezed Max’s hand without breaking eye contact with the nurse.

“How much longer do you think it’ll be before I can see him?”

“Once he’s out of surgery, he’ll go to recovery." She replied with a comforting smile.  "It’s hard to say how long he’ll be there, as everyone comes out of anesthesia differently, but a conservative estimate would be another hour or two.  Then he’ll be settled into a room and can receive visitors.”

Ava nodded and swiped at the tears which were once again sliding down her cheeks.  But this time, they were tears of relief.

“Thank you.”

The nurse smiled.  “Of course.  I’ll come get you when I have his room assignment.”  

Ava thanked her again.

Drake was going to be okay.  Liam had been unharmed in the attack and Bastien and Kiara came away with only minor injuries.  Somehow they’d all survived.

Suddenly Ava’s stomach growled…LOUDLY.

Maxwell laughed.  “Okay, now that we know Drake is okay…it’s time to take care of YOU.”

Ava began to protest but Maxwell was already propelling her toward the door. “No more excuses!  You need food, or at the very least some coffee, or you’ll find yourself in a hospital bed of your own.  Now MOVE!” 

Maxwell was wearing his stubborn expression, so Ava knew resistance was futile.

She let him lead her down to the Cafeteria. “I’ll go back up to the waiting room and let you know immediately if I hear anything from the doctors.”

“Thank you.” Ava replied weekly before walking through the cafeteria doors and meandering aimlessly towards the various food offerings.

—--

Charlie checked the time on her Apple watch. Wow, a whole 30 minutes for lunch today, she thought. Typically she was lucky to get half of that. Nobody ever told her the life of a hospital internist would be glamorous, but she still hadn’t been prepared for how tired and hungry she’d be so much of the time. Although they bill residency as a training program for your selected specialty, Charlie swore it was also meant to be a boot camp that only the strong survived. Only one more year and she’d have some semblance of a normal schedule as an attending physician.

“Coffee. Must have coffee first.” Charlie mumbled to herself, taking in the aroma of freshly brewed beans as she marched towards the machines only to be stopped in her tracks by someone hovering in front of them. Charlie went left, but then the woman went left. Then she tried to go right, but the woman shuffled to the right. Her patience running thin, Charlie spoke up. “Excuse me, could I sneak in here?”

“I’m sorry.” The woman spun to face her, and Charlie’s irritation melted away. The woman looked sad and tired for sure, but that was not an uncommon sight for visitors of the hospital cafeteria. There was something about her that drew Charlie in and made her want to comfort the woman. Maybe it was the fact that Charlie could see a little bit of herself in her - definitely not the flawless deep olive skin tone and dark hair, wildly contrasting with Charlie’s strawberry blonde locks and accompanying creamy white skin, but they appeared about the same age, and there was just something there that made them alike. Although Charlie was not prone to striking up friendships with hospital visitors, something told Charlie this was a connection she should make.

“Let me buy you a coffee.” Charlie offered.

The woman looked Charlie up and down, seemingly noting Charlie’s white coat and ID badge. “No, that’s okay. You can just go first. I have no idea what I want.”

“Please, I insist. Free coffee is one of the few perks I get for devoting my life to this place.” They both laughed and Charlie saw the first little spark of life return to the woman’s eyes.

Charlie grabbed two prepackaged sandwiches to go with the coffees and brought them over to the woman who had already seated herself at a cafeteria table.

"Thank you so much…" she glanced at the ID badge again, "....Dr. Hawkins. "I was too much of a wreck to even pick out something to eat. I'm sure you're busy, but would you care to join me?" 

Again, it wasn't typical of Charlie to hang out with random hospital guests, but she knew this woman needed a friend right now, and maybe that feeling was mutual. "Sure, I still have about 20 more minutes." Charlie sat down. "But you can call me Charlie."

"Well thank you again, Charlie, I'm Ava."

"Nice to meet you, Ava." Charlie hesitated for a moment before asking, "If it's not too forward, do you want to talk about your loved one here that's got you so worried?... Only if you want to talk about it."

Ava's facial expression grew somber once again. She took a deep breath before letting everything spill out - getting invited to Cordonia on a whim to compete for the future King's heart, fate stepping in when she fell for his best friend Drake instead, and all the political drama and everything leading up to the events that brought her to this particular hospital cafeteria. Despite the tears streaming down Ava’s face, the air about her felt a little bit lighter.

"I'm sorry." Charlie squeezed Ava’s hand from across the table. "This must be so scary for you, but Edenbrook is a great hospital. I'm sure Drake is in great hands. Do you know who his surgeon is? I probably know them or at least know of them.”

Ava pursed her lips in concentration. “Dr, La-....hala? I think it’s something like that.”

Charlie smirked. “Young, kind of surfer boy-esque, and cocky as all hell because he knows how good-looking he is?”

Ava laughed nervously. “Yeah, that sounds like him. Please tell me he’s also a good surgeon.”

“Dr. Lahela can be kind of cocky bastard at times, but I love him. And yes, he’s a great surgeon, and I’m not just saying that because I’m biased.”

“Wait…” Ava seemed to be putting the pieces together. “You like love, love him? Are you two-”

“Yes, Bryce is my boyfriend. I might not have been so complimentary about his other characteristics otherwise.”

They both devolved into laughter until Ava spoke up again. “I like your sense of humor. Sounds like you need it to put up with him, just like me with my….Drake.” Ava quiets for a moment and then asks, “So I take it you two met here at Edenbrook?”

“Well, that’s a funny story.” Charlie wondered if she really wanted to get into this with a relative stranger, but Ava had already shared so much and could probably use the distraction anyway. “We actually met at a strip club, and believe it or not, Bryce was a stripper.”

Ava’s eyes opened wide. “Wait a second. Pause and rewind … what did you just say?”

Charlie inhaled deeply. “Okay, I don’t have a ton of time left on my break, so I’ll give you the condensed version. My med school friends dragged me out to a strip club to celebrate after we graduated. I was in a funk because I’d been recently dumped by the douchebag I thought I was going to marry and to top it off, I was set to be in my awful cousin’s weeklong wedding extravaganza and was in no mood to be questioned about the whereabouts of my plus one. Said friends paid for a private lap dance for me. In my drunken state, I got the bright idea to hire the stripper to be my fake boyfriend for the wedding. Somewhere along the way, fake boyfriend turned into real love interest. I learned he wasn’t just a stripper but had worked his way through med school and was about to hang up his banana hammocks to start his residency. As fate would have it, we’d both matched at Edenbrook and two years later, here we are.”

“Woah. And I thought mine and Drake’s relationship had an unconventional start.” Ava peeked down at her phone on the table. “I’m definitely going to need the feature-length presentation of this story another time, but my friend Maxwell just texted that Drake’s out of surgery!”

“That’s great news!” Charlie got up with Ava and walked out to the elevators with her. “I’ll walk you back up there since I’m headed that way.

Little did either of them know that this chance meeting would be the beginning of a lifelong friendship.

Taglist: @ao719 @burnsoslow @sincerelyella @charlotteg234 @choiceswreckedme @walkerismychoice @txemrn @twinkleallnight @imashybish @blackcatkita @katedrakeohd @boneandfur @sfb123 @queenrileyrose @foreverethereal123 @kingliam2019 @nestledonthaveone @bebepac @petiteboheme @yukinagato2012 @princess-geek

**As always, if you want on or off my Tag List, let me know. **

[themuseumwithoutwalls]

MWW Artwork of the Day (3/18/24) Elin Danielson-Gambogi (Finnish, 1861–1919) After Breakfast (1890) Oil on canvas, 67 x 94 cm. Private Collection

In 1883 Danielson received a grant to travel to Paris. There she enrolled at the Académie Colarossi, received training from the painters Gustave Courtois and Raphaël Collin, and began to study sculpture under Auguste Rodin. In the summertime she left the capital for the artists’ communities in Brittany, where the landscapes were a perpetual source of inspiration. lt was here that she met the naturalist painter Jules Bastien-Lepage, who inspired her to lighten her palette. The young artist divided her time between France and Finland.

[blowflyfag]

Wrestling Eye: November 1992

Shawn Michaels: A SINGULAR SENSATION! 

By Steve Muller

Transcript Below!!!

[Shawn Seems to be enjoying his new found success.]

Shawn Michael’s classic philosophic turn from babyfaced hero to arrogant, conceited bad guy was completed when he threw his longtime partner, Marty Jannetty, head-first through the plate glass window of Brutus Beefcake’s Barber Shop. If it was not the end of an era, it was certainly the end of the beginning of one. Until that rather dramatic partnership dissolution, the Rockers tag team had been one of the most successful duos in the mat sport’s history. 

Bugun as the Midnight Rockers in Verne Gagne’s now defunct and almost forgotten American Wrestling Associate, the Rockers were among the most exciting high flying teams this side of Japan. They became AWA World Champions at a very young age and it seemed they were destined to join teams like the Bastien Brothers, The Fabulous Kangaroos, the Graham Brothers, the Midnight Express and the Road Warriors in wrestling’s mythical Tag Team Hall of Fame. 

Indeed the Rockers possessed all the important elements necessary for tag team success as well as a few extras. They worked well in the ring together and employed complimentary styles. They moved dynamically and complicated teamwork was executed smoothly. Loaded with charisma, they excelled on interviews and in involving the arena crowds in their own personal dramas.

The Rockers were major successes not only in the AWA But on the independent circuit and then in the WWF, the Land of the Super Giants, where they excelled despite their relatively average size. Unfortunately, success did not last for Rockers. Insiders now say the team was doomed to fall from its inception. The team had a fatal flaw that eventually destroyed it.  Outside the ring, Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels simply did not like each other/ Perhaps the mutual dislike developed  from a kind of friendly rivalry that often develops between longtime team members,  perhaps they never really liked each other only because they were so successful in the ring. But whatever the cause, the Rockers team had no future. 

The fated break-up was foreshadowed many times. Once, in a hotel in London, after a tough match, Micheals and Jannetty were stopped from punching each other into oblivion only by the quick intercession of WWF road managers. Another time, when there were no managers present, the tag duo battled each other in a parking lot behind a denver saloon, The two tag partners beat each other so badly that they had to be pulled off television for a month. 

The breakup of the team and subsequent emergence of Shawn Michaels as a major singles star was one of the best handled pieces of booking ever by the WWF brain trust. Shawn Michaels was craftily depicted as the cause of the breakup. 

 [Shawn and Sherri are quite a pair!]

During the buildup of the angle, Micahels slowly developed an arrogant, nasty persona. He repeatedly reprimanded Jannetty during matches for mistakes, mostly imagined ones, in full view of the arena crowd. Michaels utilized many tricks to steal the spotlight from his partner including refusing to tag out during easy television matches and pretending to leave the ring with Jannetty after a victory, only to return to it to enjoy the applause of the crowd alone. Shawn acted as if he were solely responsible for the team’s success. And the fans began to truly hate him. 

After the break-up took place, hardcore fans expected an exciting series of four star bouts between Jannetty and Micahels, both accomplished ring technicians and aerial move artists. 

Unfortunately, that was not to be.

Marty Jannetty experienced some legal problems, and amid a cloud of rumors, left the WWF. He continued to wrestle on the independent circuit, and now that his legal problems have been resolved, there are rumors circulating that he will return to the WWF to feud with his former partner. However, at this time of this writing, the possibility of any Jannetty/Michaels matches is pure speculation. What is not speculation, however, is the amazing success Michaels has enjoyed since the break-up.

Shawn Michaels is now one of the WWF’s top singles stars and one of their top three villains. His interaction with new manager and spiritual cohort, Sensational Sherri clearly has established his new egotistical “boy-toy” persona. Additionally, his already great ring skills are increasing. Some of the matches in his continuing feud with Bret Hart for the Intercontinental Title have been cited by experts as among the WWF’s best of the year–a major accomplishment even if it is a somewhat slow year for great matches in the WWF. There are some who believe that Michaels will eventually win the I-C belt and may already have done so by the time you read this. 

[Watch out, Shawn may be coming after you!]

Additionally, in the land of comic book mutants and graveyard denizens that the WWF has become, Michaels stands out as the wrestler who has gained success the old fashioned way–he has earned it through hard work in the ring and well planned character development outside of it. Michaels is a throwback to the days in the WWF when wrestlers had real names and believable personas. It seems Michaels has stepped directly out of those halcyon days when wrestlers were called Bruno, Pedor,, Bobby and Buddy, not Undertaker, Ultimate Warrior, Bezerker, or Mountie. 

[Michaels is determined to wear gold in the near future]

Also, impressive is the transition itself, from tag to singles wrestling. Very few wrestlers have been able to make this change successfully, and even fewer have become bigger stars in singles competition than they were as part of a tag team. It seems that Michaels, together with Sensational Sherri, or the Sensational Sherri look-alike who remains unidentified but who has appeared with Michaels at arenas across America, will become a major star for a long time in the WWF. Experts have predicted that the WWF of the future. The WWF without Hulk Hogan, will be a time dominated by wrestlers ranging from Lex Luger to Sid Vicious/Justice to the Ultimate Warrior.

The experts may be wrong this time. The future WWF may well be a federation dominated by Shawn Micahels. Try it on: Shawn Micahels, World Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Champion. It does have kind of an innovative ring to it. After all, how long has it been since the WWF had a heavyweight champion with two names, a first and a last, neither of which are a nickname? Is the world really ready for this? From this writer’s standpoint, one can only hope so.

[saiwola]

Thinking about the Constantin family.

tw: child abuse (emotional, neglect and hints to physical), murder, violence

Alys' mother and father had a loveless, arranged marriage. Not an uncommon thing in Nefestrai. And the Groaja, as a culture, already weren't the most nurturing or sentimental people. Like most couples, after they had kids, the couple went about their own lives.

The father poured himself into his work, running one of the territories bordering Navka and dealing with the frequent conflicts there. Rarely interacting with his children, but the few times he did, he would continue the same strict perfectionist style as his own father. Focused on Cyprus, his eldest son. Praising him for how easily things like swordsmanship, magic, athletics, business and even piano came to him while also pressuring him to do more. Largely neglecting his daughters except to admonish them for being lacking (such as Alys' struggles with magic). Deep down, I wonder if he does care. That he's only so hard on them because he believed them to be capable. But ... I don't know.

Their mother ... well, she wasn't around much either. Often going out to spend her husband's money. Shopping, gambling, and her children suspected sleeping around as well. She believed that popping out kids was all she had to do. And she even made sure there were "back ups". Her job was done. So she "deserved" to spend the rest of her life in luxury. She often spent more time in Valliki than her home. When she thought of her daughters, it was as extensions of herself. She favored pretty, sociable Diantha. Claiming she was practically a clone of her mother. Loved to show her off. And often pushed her young pretty daughter to soften up various men (friends of hers or people she wanted things from).

Alys however did not look like her thin and slender mother. She did not charm a crowd like her. (Alys' awkwardness was even portrayed as her being "slow" by her mother.) So she was an embarrassment. Often kept hidden when possible. With her mother having the servants "make sure" Alys would not embarrass the family further. Things like being forced to practice the same piano piece over and over again, unable to leave until it was perfect. Strict diets and etiquette lessons. But Alys could never measure up and her mother made sure she knew it.

And while in many cases, the siblings were pitted against each other (by their parents, family friends and even the servants), it didn't work to separate them like it would've for most.

Because with their parents rarely around, Cyprus and Alys were forced to take on the roles of father and mother for all three of them. There were servants and nannies, yes, but the two elder siblings were the ones to provide the emotional support they were all lacking.

It was Cyprus who...

taught Alys and Diantha how to shoot (and was so proud when they both surpassed him)

handled the hiring and firing of tutors for the three of them

punished and made examples of servants who hurt or disrespected his sisters

scrutinized and threatened Diantha's suitors

took his sisters out on hunting trips as he warned them about men and taught them "how to deal with dogs"

bought his sisters presents in place of their parents

was the one to manage and distribute an allowance for him and his siblings

sent Bastien in after her when their father abandoned Alys to the Whispering Wood

hid Alys when she was fleeing Orkaiis' proposal

killed their mother when she allowed Orkaiis to take Alys back to Valliki

told Alys, on their wedding day, to kill her husband or anyone in the royal family and that he would take the blame

is willing to commit treason for his sisters

helped Chris and Charlie when Alys tried to smuggle them out of Nefestrai

It was Alys who...

stayed with and comforted her siblings when they had nightmares or were scared

would keep an eye on the state of her brother and sister's things and clothing, making sure they got repaired or replaced before it was a dire necessity

baked cakes for her siblings' birthdays

often used her own allowance to make sure her siblings, but Diantha, especially had the best things to wear

actually scared off Diantha's suitors

listened, calmed and reassured to Cyprus and Diantha when they were stressed

took care of Cyrus' wounds

took the hand of the man who touched Dia without her consent

convinced Orkaiis to kill his father, not because the man had humiliated and hurt her but because after he was done, he made a comment about how he thought her sister was pretty

decided to stay with the Lecardes, not wanting her siblings to get in trouble

And it was Diantha who....

used her social skills to collect information and stand up for her siblings in society

got revenge on any noblewoman who spoke bad about Alys

put herself in front when it came to social obligations so that Alys didn't have to

often acts as a mediator whenever her siblings get into fights with other people in public

was the loudest when it came to telling Alys she didn't need to go to Valliki when her magic was discovered

distracted the guards whenever Cyprus needed to speak to Alys without the Lecarde's knowledge

helped Chris and Charlie when Alys tried to smuggle them out of Nefestrai

I just love siblings who, when family or outside forces try to pit them against each other, decide to stick together even more.

[mageofseven]

When Heat Cools: A MephistoMC Love Story

Chapter 5

Taglist: @astroseuss @fcxyviixen @jar-of-moondust @marvelous-maniac @missloserqueen

A couple days passed. MC didn't hold that argument back at HoL against her boyfriend, but she also didn't want him anywhere near the brothers or vice versa.

Fair enough. The couple still spent plenty of time together at school.

The two received some looks from their fellow classmates. I mean, the arrogant nobleman and the human exchange student being all tender and affectionate around school? Oh boy, were a lot people losing bets and a few lucky bastards were racking in the dough on this day.

One day, Mephisto finally gained the courage to talk to his parents about the baby

And it went about as well as he expected.

"This is ridiculous!" His mother screeched. "You've been raised better than this, Mephistopheles!"

His mother was a tall woman, around 5'10 (~178cm) and shared her son's purple hair, but had eyes as dark as the Devildom's sky.

"Mother--

"You've embarrassed our family enough!" She chastised.

"I under--"

"Enough! Now just pay that little...pet of your off," She spoke in disgust, as if MC was some gross little stray her son found in an alley way. "And cut ties; your father and I will clean up the rest."

"I won't do that." Mephisto said strongly. "MC is--"

"Your mother worked tiredlessly to get you an engagement with Duke Bastien's daughter and this how you return her effort?" His father stared down at him coldy.

This man was an impressive 7'2 (~219cm) tall with dark, greying black hair and the same green eyes as his son.

Most are intimidated by his father's height, but what most don't is that Mephisto's mother, on average, is the real one to be afraid of.

"I never meant for her work to end up fruitless." He defended. "However I won't abandon my child--"

"It's a bastard." His mother corrected. "Your father a had few of them himself and dealt with them as any nobleman should; exactly how you should."

Mephisto flinched.

"I am not like Father."

"You could have fooled me..." The woman said bitterly.

"Lamia, can we not do this right now?" Her husband asked tiredly.

"I don't know, can you do something about your son then?"

The man sighed before turning back to his son, eyes steeling once more.

"You leave your mother and I no choice. If you refuse to cut ties with this human, we will be forced to disown you...or worse."

Mephisto's eyes widened.

In truth, he wasn't scared of being disowned. He knew damn well it was an empty threat. He knew his parents weren't going to get rid of him when he was nearly ready to help his father with work just to wait a few hundreds of years for his little brother to be old enough.

How ever...he knew exactly what 'or worse' meant and his parent knew that the meaning came across crystal clear

And so the young man felt powerless.

~

MC was breathing quickly and her heart raced in her chest till her vision went white and the world went silent.

Slowly, a scene formed in front of her. Translucent beings swirling through the air in some form of dance, their strange voices reverberating off one another and creating a strange but somewhat familiar melody.

Seemingly just as soon as it came, the swirl of dark and light beings left, returning the woman to her room.

She took a moment to focus on her breathing.

In truth...this wasn't the first time the pregnant woman has had such a strange experience. These... visions (?) have been happening on and off since she's been pregnant. She never told anyone though not even Mammon because it seemed as if when things like this happened to her, the best thing was to stay quiet about it.

I mean, think about it. When was the last time her head of was messed with? Back when Lilith was directing her to save Belphegor and the rest of the brothers.

Often, it just seemed like when her head was affected by a seemingly supernatural force to just stay quiet till she got her answers.

However, these were getting tiring and whatever or whoever were causing these were not leading her to any solid answers about what she was seeing so far and it's been three months already.

Her phone beeped.

Out front. We need to speak for a moment.

Mephisto?

MC rose from her bed and left her room before heading to the front of the house.

The nobleman was at the front door, his limo behind him.

She growned.

"Did you have to bring that thing?" She complained.

"That's not important." He waved her words away. "I need you to do something."

The woman raised an eyebrow.

Mephisto told his corazón a slightly censored version of his conversation with his parents and asked her to come to the castle with him.

In truth, the man had no power in his home against his own parents so he decided to try to hit them where it hurt--politics.

However, he cannot do it on his own. Obviously, he and Lord Diavolo are not as close as they were as children. MC, however, is an important friend of the prince's and so Dia would surely step in to help the both of them if it was a request of hers?

So the couple headed to the castle and was led to the prince's office by Barbatos.

The prince raised his eyebrows.

"My friends, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Lord Diavolo...some issues have arisen and we are in dire need of your assistance." Mephisto explained.

"That...sounds quite urgent indeed." Dia looked to MC with a concerned look. "Are you alright?"

She hugged her small belly and leaned into her boyfriend for comfort.

"Kinda?" She answered, worried about the situation she and Mephisto were in. "Look, Mephisto and I are...kinda together--"

"I heard!" The prince smiled at her before his gaze traveled to the other man. "This is great news and especially great personal growth on your part, my old friend."

"I...thank you, my lord."

"That's not it though!" MC interrupted, tearing up slightly. "I'm...I'm pregnant and his parents are upset and we aren't sure what to do..."

"My parents said they will disown me or worse," Mephisto emphasized those last words. "If I don't abandoned MC and marry Duke Bastien's daughter."

Diavolo's eyes darkened. The human may not know, but both men in the room knew what the 'worse' his parents spoke of was. A last resort when noble parents don't get their way; they put a hit out on the person their child is breaking the rules for.

Essentially, Mephisto's parents are threatening to hire an assassin to kill MC simply for carrying their son's baby, a baby he refuses to abandon.

Neither man will explain this out loud though. No, the mother-to-be had enough to worry about; best to let her in-laws' lethal plans not be one of them.

"I understand." Diavolo nodded in seriousness. "I will lean on them, let them know I am watching and that no...'accidents' will be overlooked."

"Thank you, my lord."

The human was quite confused about what the prince meant, but it seemed as it he had things covered so...that's good?

"Now," Dia clapped his hands and smiled. "Enough of all those stressful things. How about joining me for some tea in the garden?"

MC sighed and relaxed her shoulders before looking up at Mephisto.

"Can we stay for tea? Please?"

In truth...considering his past with the prince, the nobleman would rather not. However, he is in no position to refuse now that MC has asked him so sweetly.

Well...tea it is.