writtenbyloperty

[writtenbyloperty]

Deleted Scene from Chapter 14–After pt. 10

I didn't like how long this took to get to the actual point of the scene, even though it was a fun opportunity to have another word confusion moment between the Auradon and Isle kids.

“Hey,” Chad whispers as he passes behind Jay and Carlos in the locker room, “we’re all going to the lake later.”

“That’s nice,” Jay says. He can’t stop smiling.

Chad throws a towel at his head. “No, dummy, you two are coming too.”

Carlos frowns. “What about–?”

“The girls can come too,” Chad says.

It sounds weird, Chad referring to Evie and Mal that way, even though Jay and Carlos have done that for years between the two of them. It’s just always been a them thing, not other people. It’s weird.

“Okay,” Carlos says, mollified.

“Bring a suit,” Chad says and flounces off to his locker.

“Do we have suits?” Carlos whispers to Jay.

Jay shrugs.

When they run into the girls back in the dorms, they have already been appraised of the plans. Evie informs Jay and Carlos that while they have suit jackets, they do not have suits, and she’s as mystified as them as to why Chad wants them to bring them.

Mal rolls her eyes at them and ushers them out of the dorm.

[writtenbyloperty]

Deleted Scene from Chapter 12–After pt. 8

This was the first draft of the scene with Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos being watched by Ben, Chad, and Audrey. It wasn't the right tone; why would Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos be as celebratory as everyone on the Isle when they're the only ones off of it? Instead the final draft highlighted just how removed/distanced the Isle kids felt from their life, friends, and family that were still on the Isle. But I liked Ben's introspection about the song.

The Isle kids are there, at first just shadows moving around in front of the fire, but Ben can make out features as they get closer. He drags Chad and Audrey behind a tree, as quietly as he can, before they stumble into something they were really not invited to. For a second, his heart pounds, certain that they were heard, but nothing happens.

Slowly, over his heartbeat in his ears, he hears singing.

“They’re singing?” Audrey whispers in his ear.

Ben shrugs. Maybe he should have signed them up for Chorus.

Carlos is standing on a stump, directly in front of the flame, arms spread wide. “–and go about their lives, heedless of the gift it is to be them!”

Evie, who is whirling around, her long bright white skirt fanning out around her, joins him. “If I were in their skin, I’d treasure every instant!”

“What I’d give,” Jay’s voice echoes back. Ben can see him, on the ground, legs straight out in front of him, leaning back on his hands. “What I’d dare!”

“I can feel, I can tell,” Carlos and Evie sing, pointing dramatically towards one another, “someone might break the spell any day now! We’ll be pardon’d again, free once again.”

It’s not really singing, it’s more shouting in rhythm, but it sounds like a song. It has the cadence of a familiar tune, like when his mom would hum Be Our Guest when Ben was really little.

“When the beast finally sets us all free,” the Isle kids sing, a melancholic tinge to their happy voices. Ben’s stomach sinks.

Jay is standing now, holding Evie in an informal dance hold as they, badly and with very little finesse, waltz around the fire, still singing, “Cheeks a-bloomin’ again, we’re assumin’ again, we’ll resume our long-lost joie de vivre. We’ll be playin’ again, holiday’n again, and we’re praying it’s ASAP! When we cast off this pall, we’ll stand straight; we’ll stand tall.”

Ben knows this song. He doesn’t know how, but he’s heard this before. This tune, those words. Something. It’s on the tip of his tongue.

Evie and Jay break apart, holding just one hand, the other spread out dramatically. Carlos hops off of his stump and grab’s Evie’s other hand and starts weaving under her and Jay’s clasped hands. “When we’re all that we were, we’ll go waltzing those old one-two-three’s. We’ll be floating again, we’ll be gliding again, stepping, striding, as fine as you please!”

Ben tears his eyes away from the dancing. He doesn’t know where Mal is, but then he sees her, sitting off, watching her friends. She has a small smile on her face and the light of the fire dances across her face, making her nearly glow in the darkness. There’s something white in her hair.

“Like a real human does,” Evie shouts, “I’ll be all that I was!”

“On that glorious morn when we’re finally reborn!” Carlos shouts back.

“And we’re all of us human again!” the three sing, joined hands in a circle as they whirl around.

Ben swallows. He knows how he knows that song now.

[writtenbyloperty]

Deleted Scene from Chapter 11– After pt. 7

This eventually became the scene with Uma, Harry, and Gil ch.11, and was cut from the ch.9 because it made the chapter too long. There also needed to be space between introducing Gil and his sisters and Uma entering the scene. I also like that the new scene included Uma almost interacting with her crew.

Gil has been avoiding the lower decks, according to what Harry tells her when she returns to her ship. Ever since the Tremaine brats were dropped off a few days ago, he's been watching the deck and the surrounding wharf. 

Harry also tells her that they need to do another raid to support all the strays they're catching.

She pats him on the cheek and cheerfully sends him on his way with Gonzo at his shoulder. Gil would normally be his first choice, but he's been cagey so that means it's her job. She almost tells him to take one of the brats, just to see what Gil's brothers will do in the market when they see them. But, alas, they're crew now.

As she climbs up to the crow's nest, she wonders what the market has been looking like. Harry has been tight-lipped about the message Cruella's welp delivered before he and his crew disappeared from public eye. Not much could make Mal and the others hide out this long without another threatening message.

"Gil," she says. "Move your ass."

He tucks his legs in so she can land right next to him. She stands standing, letting him lean against her leg where no one can see. From this vantage point, she can see most of the wharf.

"You know you'll have to talk to them sometime," Uma says.

"I know," Gil says. He sighs. "It's nice that their cousin was looking out for them."

She hears the bitterness in his voice and the heaviness of his head against her knee.

"Hey," she says, letting one hand land on the top of his head. "You've got me, you scallywag. And you're tougher than those brats."

Gil snorts through his nose.

Uma looks up at the night sky, at the clouds of pollution that hang in the barrier. The lights from the ship reflect on the clouds, almost like stars. She can hear carousing from Harry's father's ship off in the distance. She scratches at Gil's scalp absentmindedly.

"What do you think your dad's gonna do?" Uma asks. Gaston was never really happy that Gil threw his lot in with her instead of staying with his older brothers in the market.

"Dad pretends they don't exist," Gil mutters. "Like I'm supposed to."

"Well, they're crew now," Uma reminds him. "Like it or not."

"Or not," Gil grumbles.

They're silent for another moment. Then Uma smiles.

"Do you think one of them is pregnant?"

Gil startles, her hand falling off of his head. "What?"

Uma shrugs. "No one's seen Mal or her mangy crew in weeks. I think either she or Princess Blueberry is pregnant, and they've gone to ground. Expect we'll see them in a few days groveling for a proper place to hide."

Gil is looking up at her when she glances down at him. When they make eye contact, he flinches and looks away. "Maybe Maleficent just grounded all of them."

Uma wrinkles her nose. "Pregnant would be better."

"Less likely," Gil points out.

"Hmm. I'll have to ask Harry what he thinks when he gets back."

[writtenbyloperty]

Deleted Scene from Chapter 6–After pt. 2

This was the original lunch scene that I made into the hallway scene with Audrey, Chad, Evie, and Niamh because the original scene was too ambitious in focus and I split the food insecurity focus into the next chapter while keeping the first mention of Castlecoming in the final scene.

Chad– who had looked at her aghast when she used his title and demanded that she only call him by his nickname– nearly falls over himself trying to load her plate at lunch. He’s pointing at things Evie doesn’t really know the name of and asking her opinion and with every noncommittal answer she gives, he gets more frazzled. She’s not sure what he wants, but the simplest thing seems to be that she lets him carry her tray.

He herds her to the long table outside of the cafeteria windows where she sees High King Benjamin already sitting with his girlfriend. Carlos and Jay are sitting on the other end of the table, wolfing down their lunches. Chad sets her tray next to Jay and then sits on her other side.

Jay stops eating to look sideways at Chad.

“Whazzat?” Jay asks, poking at her plate.

“Not sure,” Evie says.

Chad makes a noise like he’s dying. “That’s chicken parm?”

“Are you sure?” Carlos asks.

“Yes,” Chad says emphatically. Doug appears behind him.

“Chad, I was sitting there,” Doug complains.

“Sit next to Carlos,” Chad says.

Carlos grins at Doug, lips pressed together and eyes wide. Evie snickers quietly into her lunch as Doug shifts awkwardly before moving to sit across from Chad. It's fine. Mal's going to sit there anyway.

"Evie," High King Benjamin calls from the head of the table, "how has class been for you?"

Jay's fingers creep closer to her plate and she shifts her hold on her fork so she can stab the back of his hand while sweetly informing High King Benjamin that her classes have been going well, thanks for asking. High King Benjamin smiles, like he's actually happy that she's 'settling' in.

Mal storms in and throws her tray down between Doug and Carlos. Doug startles, jumping nearly a foot off of the table. The entire cafeteria is gawking in her wake. She sits down and shoves her feet into Jay's under the table, slouching as she glowers at the food in front of her.

Evie cuts her chicken with the side of her fork.

"Good day?" Carlos asks sweetly.

Mal doesn't kill him. But she glares at her food still and something makes the hair on Evie's arms stand up straight.

Chad clears his throat. "So, Doug, anything interesting happen today?"

"No," Doug says.

"Doug told us all about the royals that were at school," Carlos says.

"Talking about me?" Chad cooes at Doug.

Evie chuckles as she tries the bite of chicken parm. It's warm and oddly sweet.

Jay's fingers inch closer to her. Evie taps her toes against Mal's boots. Jay grunts a second later. When she glances to her left, she sees Chad giving her an odd look.

"My Lady," a girl says, approaching High King Benjamin's girlfriend. "Mackenzie wanted me to ask your opinion on decorations for Castlecoming."

Princess Audrey smiles and brushes her hair over shoulder. "Of course. What are you thinking?"

"What's Castlecoming?" Evie asks Chad quietly.

"A ball," Chad says. "It's next week."

"A ball!" Evie exclaims.

"Yeah, the entire school's invited," Chad says.

Mal's looking up now. A less serious frown across her face. Evie grins at her, a small thing. They never had balls on the Isle. Mama would always talk about them, the glittering gowns, the dazzling dancing. They were the best place to find a prince, she always told Evie.

"We can go too?" Evie asks.

Chad's eyebrows twitch together for a moment before relaxing again. He grins, a flirty edge to his smile. "I'd bring you as my date, Ms. Schultze, but I've already promised another."

There's a little disappointment that she wasn't pretty enough to sway him from this other girl, but she hides it with her answering flirty smile. She doesn't miss Doug's head picking up from his chicken salad sandwich to stare at Chad for a moment.

Other notes:

Chloe was originally going to Castlecoming with Chad because I miscounted how many pairs I needed. That's his date

I cannot tell you how long I have had the line that Chad says about the chicken parm stuck in my head. Another reason I was sad to cut this.

[writtenbyloperty]

Deleted Scene from Chapter 4–The Proclamation

Originally, the Auradon kids all found out about the Isle kids separately instead of having the five (Aziz, Chad, Ruby, Audrey, and Ben) discover it together. I rewrote the scene to be in Ruby's POV, and also because I wanted the focus to be more on the Auradon kids' friendships BEFORE the Isle kids joined.

Doug calls him virtually seconds after he escapes the conversation with his parents. He picks up as he walks from the sitting room, Chloe on his heels. “Hey. Give me a second, ‘kay?”

“Sure,” Doug says. He sounds upset, almost like he did when Aunt Snow had bestowed a title on his family and he went from being Doug Berge, beloved nephew of the Queen, to Lord Doug Berge of Edelstein Mountain.

Chloe follows him to his room and squeezes past him as he tries to shut the door on her. He briefly considers running into his closet to talk to Doug, but Chloe is determined.

Chloe is also five days away from her tenth birthday and fighting not to cry because she’s a big girl now. Her little chin quivers as she raises it challengingly.

Chad sighs and gestures to the couch. She sits, he sits next to her and puts the phone on speaker between them. Chloe pushes close to his side, resting her head against his shoulder.

“Okay, we’re good, I’ve got Chloe here too.”

“Hi Chloe,” Doug says, sounding a little more chipper. “Did um, did your parents just talk to you?”

“Yeah,” Chad says. “Did Aunt Snow talk to you?”

“Yeah.”

No one says anything.

“About school this year?”

“Yeah,” Chad says. He shifts so he has an arm around Chloe’s shoulders. “Crazy, isn’t it.”

“I mean we knew about Evie and Liam before,” Doug says.

“I didn’t,” Chloe mutters, angry at having just now found out about their cousin on the Isle when Chad knew almost right after Maman and Papa found out.

“We’re hosting Evie,” Chad says. “For Aunt Snow since they said she can’t be her guardian.”

Doug sighs, heavy with static on his side of the phone. “Uncle Florian said as much. Said he wasn’t allowed to talk to her about non-academic things until the first custody hearing.”

“That sounds like bull,” a new voice says.

“Neal, get out of my room,” Doug hisses.

“No,” Neal says.

“Go bother Mae and Bo,” Doug says.

“They’re busy,” Neal complains. “Hi Chad.”

“Hi Neal.”

“And Chloe,” Chloe says.

“Hi Chloe! Are you excited for your birthday?”

“You bet,” Chloe says. She curls an arm around Chad’s stomach and holds him securely that way, not too tight, not too loose.

“Neal, go away, I’m not supposed to talk about this around you.”

“Mae, Bo, and I were eavesdropping,” Doug’s second youngest cousin explains. “I already heard everything. And the swears that Uncle Doc was saying.”

Chad’s phone chimes twice with an incoming text message. He glances at the screen.

Sophia (derogatory): wtf is this about the Isle??? Sophia (derogatory): mom just told me we’re apparently hosting some kids who were born on the isle and just left there???

Chad shifts Chloe a little so he can more easily type at his screen. Doug is groaning. “Neal, Chad and I were talking about important things, so can you just…”

CHAD: did all of our parents just agree to tell us now?

“But Chloe’s here, why can’t I be?” Neal whines.

“Chloe doesn’t have other cousins she can talk with,” Doug mutters and then stops. “Uh, sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Chad says, brushing off Liam’s ghost like he’s done for years. He rubs Chloe’s arm gently. It’s still fresh for her. He knows better than to get between Doug and his cousins even if he doesn’t mind them listening in.

“Maman said that Liam would be next off the Isle,” Chloe says quietly. “So soon I’ll have a cousin to bother.”

They’re all quiet for a moment. Chad’s phone interrupts with several rapid beeps. He slides to the group chat from school to see Lonnie losing her mind.

Lil’s Sister: hey since uh when has Auradon just kept children in prison for no other reason than their parentage? did you guys just hear about this too? fairy godmother just asked me if i can be a student buddy to one of them because they’re going to school with us????? Assiz: probably since about nine months after they sent the first two villains over Lil’s Sister: and king adam didn’t even think to check on them???? they’ve been abandoned over there for decades and now we’re only letting four of them off??? Ruby (derogatory): She asked me too. CHAD: yo wtf fairy godmother didn’t ask me if i could be a student buddy Assiz: that’s because you’re barely a student, chad CHAD: everyday I get closer to blocking you Assiz: :P

“I can’t believe it actually happened,” Doug says quietly. “I can’t believe that King Adam was willfully blind to it all and now Ben has to pick up the pieces.”

Chad can. But he’s always been closer to Ben than Doug has by virtue of being a prince. “School’s going to be weird this year,” he says just as quiet as Doug.

“Yeah,” Doug agrees.

DUG: she asked me too, but not for Evie since I’m from provence Assiz: same, but she said i can’t help jay Lil’s Sister: guys this is so sad. do you think they’ll get homesick? Ruby (derogatory): i think i have evie, doug CHAD: homesick for the ISLE? Lil’s Sister: I got homesick for the stupidest things my first year at AP, chad, don’t be an ass. Assiz: Emphasized “homesick for the ISLE?”

 “I wonder what they’re like,” Chloe whispers.

“Me too.”

[writtenbyloperty]

would you guys want to read like deleted scenes from recognizing the deus ex machina? I have two that i don't think I'm going to chop up for the sequel and idk if people would want to read them

[writtenbyloperty]

my sister (beta reader for my fic that has DEUS EX MACHINA in the TITLE) has just informed me that she doesn't know what that means and also doesn't care to learn even after I tried to explain it to her :(

[writtenbyloperty]

Im a big fan of your story and you for making something so amazing and creative.

I keep rereading it so many times and it just as good as my first read.

Like honstly your amazing and a big insperatiion so thank you a lot and that 5 year old who the reason for it all.

My questions are what are the Gaston Twins vieuw over there siblings and I mean all of them?

Like its kind of bad from what I seen but will it ever change? Since Cinderlla and Chad will likly want to bring them but Im guesing Cour 4 would be against it?.

Also what the rumours now does the whole Isle think that the Cour 4 are dead? Like does Dizzy and Freddie etc think there dead or smt else?

Will we ever see Carlos and Jay interact with there other parents more and with that side of the familly? Like will Repunzel ever find out there kids of two of her ex friends??

Will we ever find out who Evie dad is? Is he still on the Isle? Does Evie know who he is but keeps that secret close? Or will we and Evie never find out?

Wait is Morgie trans or smt? No hate Im just comfuced how he gave birth since he a papa or is he dada?. Morgie a he right or am I saying smt wrong my bad if I did.

When the nexst instalaltion of your story starts will we see Cour 4 interact more with the royals?

Especially there parents enemies. Seeing Aurora and Mal in that one scene. Aurora had this motherly vibes with Mal atleast from how I saw it.

Not just her but Jay with Aladin and Yasmin and even his Aunt.

Evie with more scenes with her step familly.

Carlos with idk actually the triplets? Anita?

Will she finally accept that she does deserve the love and being adoptet??

Will Carlos, Evie and Jay meet there parents again?? That be scary.

Does the Gaston twins have there own crew or is it just them?

What. Uma crew relationship with Mal crew. We know that Gil and Jay have a wierd relationship. But what about the others? How would you deacribe it?

Witch kids where all under Mal protection? And how loyal are they to Mal and the others??

Genuall question does Ben know that Isle suplie are the trash from Auradon?

Is the Isle suply even the trash of Auradon or did I miss something??

Will we ever know how the Cour 4 became a crew? We know they knew each other atleast around 11 years old but Im guesing they were younger??

What month would you say will the continueson be postet??

Uhh I think that all my questions for now maybe I will pronally have more when I reread again.

First of all, thank you so much for your kind words! It means the world to me that this story is being loved by all of you! The funniest part for me is that the five-year-old has no idea that this is what her requesting that movie all last summer has lead to lol.

Answering the rest of your questions under the cut so this post doesn't get super long and so people can avoid mild spoilers for the second part, if they so wish.

About the Gaston twins; they're very separated from their siblings, even Gil, by virtue of being identical to their father (minus Junior's eye color) and thus growing up with their father's ideals of misogyny and anti-intellectualism. Generally, I think they actively try not to acknowledge their sisters. Getting them off the Isle is a goal, and the Core 4 has absolutely no say on whether they come off or not. They probably have an obnoxious group of preteen boys chasing after them as a crew, but the two of them are the heads.

What does the Isle think happened/the rumors? There is only one way to "escape" the Isle that everyone knows (so far) that is suicide. That is what they think happened.

Carlos and Jay being half Coronan is a fact Carlos is specifically sitting on to absolutely wreck Ruby's day with

Evie does not know her dad, and honestly, Grimhilde probably can't tell you either. She just needed a kid, preferably a son, to get back into the line of succession.

Is Morgie trans? yes.

About the Core 4 and Royals in the next part; wouldn't it be funny if the Core 4 just started ignoring the Royals lol, but no, they're Good now so they will be perfectly Good so they aren't returned to the Isle (because there has to be a limit to Ben's protection and they don't want to find it now)

How would you describe Uma's and Mal's crews relationship? The two friend groups that shared a lunchtable in middle school, but there was one dramatic fight before they went to high school and so now they don't talk, but you still feel comfortable sending your kid sister over to them because she's interested in the things they are interested in too.

Which kids on the isle were under Mal's protection? yes.

About the Isle supply chain; Ben definitely has a guy to monitor the supply chain and nothing is trash exactly, but not the freshest, if that makes sense. It has improved since the Core 4 left the Isle.

Core 4 origin story? I have not rotated them in my mind enough to discover why/when they became friends at this moment in time. So please feel free to fill in whatever blanks I leave out for you.

The second part will be posted in the fall. I don't know exactly when; I'm in the process of outlining and establishing important scenes right now, and my August is super busy on a personal level. If you're worried about missing it, I will post here when it's live on AO3 and if you subscribe to me on AO3 you'll get an email as well! If you're just excited to read it, me too!!

[writtenbyloperty]

I was talking about this in a comment, but just looking at the og descendants movie and story, it becomes so much more interesting if you view it through a grief lens.

why does Fairy Godmother refuse to use magic, why is the only magic in the books, like she tells Jane in the movie? She's a fairy! what happened that let her to deny, to kill the whole part of her that is magic and to deny her daughter the same exact way?

I think something happened.

something happened to cause her to fear or distrust her magic and to be swayed by the ideals that King Adam was pedaling.

(Adam is much easier, it's half vengeance and a grief for the childhood he never got that he has never unpacked and a need to be the hero that he never had protecting him when he was eleven)

and what it could be, it could be anything. it could even be an inability to save heal help someone close to her, or even making it worse.

humans aren't magic, they react to it differently, it's foreign. there isn't one true cure, even true love's kiss can fail, and maybe it did.

what do you do if all you are, all that you have ever been killed the one person in the entire world you loved more than anything? what if there was nothing you could do because the rules are this: 1. you don't always get what you want, and 2. people die.

and so someone says, it's not your fault, it was the magic. the magic killed your husband because it didn't save him magic is evil. if we get rid of magic, he'll be okay, he'll be alive, everyone will be safer.

and that's the easiest thing to do, blame the magic, because it wasn't you, you would never have hurt anyone with your magic, but there are terrible people in the world with magic and those without so it's for the best if they all just go away.

yeah

[writtenbyloperty]

YRN-1101-80 Recognizing the Deus ex Machina of Your Life Final Chapter here! (AO3 account required)

“Mom,” Mal says. Maleficent spreads her arms wide and grins, baring her teeth. “I was getting worried,” Maleficent tuts. Evie stares at the sparkling gem of her scepter. She has only ever seen it dull and lifeless on the Isle. Now it glows, with a storm of swirling energy underneath its green tinted gemstone that crackles and shorts with the lightning contained within it.

[writtenbyloperty]

YRN-1101-80 Recognizing the Deus ex Machina of Your Life Chapter Eighteen here (AO3 account required)

It’s a brisk day, better in the sun than in the shade, but the wind chases away some of the warmth in the air even then. The home side of the bleachers for the Big Game are, thankfully mostly in the sun, but not facing it so Evie doesn’t have to worry about squinting or looking ridiculous with her sunglasses on. There are a lot of people hanging around– the other parents, Evie would assume. She and Mal are waiting near the bleachers where Florian told her they would meet. Mal is scowling off into the distance, and, for once, she looks like every other Auradon kid scowling at the Sherwood fans as they assemble in the stands across the field.

[writtenbyloperty]

YRN-1101-80 Recognizing the Deus ex Machina of Your Life Final Chapter here! (AO3 account required)

“Mom,” Mal says. Maleficent spreads her arms wide and grins, baring her teeth. “I was getting worried,” Maleficent tuts. Evie stares at the sparkling gem of her scepter. She has only ever seen it dull and lifeless on the Isle. Now it glows, with a storm of swirling energy underneath its green tinted gemstone that crackles and shorts with the lightning contained within it.

[writtenbyloperty]

YRN-1101-80 Recognizing the Deus ex Machina of Your Life Chapter Eighteen here (AO3 account required)

It’s a brisk day, better in the sun than in the shade, but the wind chases away some of the warmth in the air even then. The home side of the bleachers for the Big Game are, thankfully mostly in the sun, but not facing it so Evie doesn’t have to worry about squinting or looking ridiculous with her sunglasses on. There are a lot of people hanging around– the other parents, Evie would assume. She and Mal are waiting near the bleachers where Florian told her they would meet. Mal is scowling off into the distance, and, for once, she looks like every other Auradon kid scowling at the Sherwood fans as they assemble in the stands across the field.

[writtenbyloperty]

YRN-1101-80 Recognizing the Deus ex Machina of Your Life Chapter Seventeen here (AO3 account required)

“Do you really wear that whenever you teach about yourself?” Evie asks as she watches Florian carefully remove the fake mustache he had worn during the earlier Royal Houses class. They just finished going over the first two hundred years of the Hohenzollern family until the beginning of King Franz’s reign in 1971. Very briefly at the end of the presentation, Florian had shown a family portrait of both late monarchs and his brother at around ten years old and proclaimed that the chubby six-month-old infant in Queen Miriam’s arms was a “handsome devil.”

[writtenbyloperty]

YRN-1101-80 Recognizing the Deus ex Machina of Your Life Chapter Seventeen here (AO3 account required)

“Do you really wear that whenever you teach about yourself?” Evie asks as she watches Florian carefully remove the fake mustache he had worn during the earlier Royal Houses class. They just finished going over the first two hundred years of the Hohenzollern family until the beginning of King Franz’s reign in 1971. Very briefly at the end of the presentation, Florian had shown a family portrait of both late monarchs and his brother at around ten years old and proclaimed that the chubby six-month-old infant in Queen Miriam’s arms was a “handsome devil.”

[writtenbyloperty]

Aziz and Sumayya from YRN 1180-80 Recognizing the Deus ex Machina of Your Life!

[ID in ALT text]

[writtenbyloperty]

YRN-1101-80 Recognizing the Deus ex Machina of Your Life Chapter Sixteen here! (AO3 account required)

She had packed a costume, but it wasn’t anything elaborate. Just a Colombina mask that she bought the last time she visited Corona. It was a half mask that covered her eyebrows to her cheeks. The left side was black with a gold line around the eye opening like eyeliner. The right side was the same with reversed colors and a black tear trailing from the corner of one of the eyes. Her grandmother would say it wasn’t scary enough.