#this is like the end of a movie where beaumont returns back to his time after giving his descendant some important life lessons
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#this is like the end of a movie where beaumont returns back to his time after giving his descendant some important life lessons#all tomorrows#all tomorrows oc#all tomorrows fanart#oc#killer folk#killer folk oc#comic#oc comic#Beaumont#coloring practice#was sitting in my files for a while
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for the characters ask game: each of jedistormpilot? 🥺
You coming in with all three of my babes, bless
Rey:
First impression: I thought she was incredible, relatable, and a complete sweetheart.
Impression now: can you please be a little less relatable hon??? can you bls do that? I love her lots and I love the emphasis she has on found family because that's everything to me
Favorite moment: mhm that's a toughie. She's got a lot of great scenes! But I think it's actually the sequence when they meet Zorii, cos that scene just...showcases all the reasons I love Rey? She hangs back, observant and inquisitive at first (ignoring Zorii and instead asking Poe for more information), then immediately leaping into action once her friends are put into danger, and once the threat is dealt with, offering her hand to Zorii and showing her compassion and gentleness. It's just 😘👌 fantastic
Idea for a story: I'm not sure tbh! I'd really like to see her struggles with connecting to the spiritual side of the Force explored though.
Unpopular opinion: I like her arc in TROS, but I especially love that Leia trained her...I also like her dynamic with Kylo because *munches popcorn* villain/heroes having complex dynamics and having to work together is my bread and butter even if I do spend an inordinate amount of time watching the sequels cheering "WRECK EM BB" when they fight
Favorite relationship: jedistormpilot babey
Favorite headcanon: I like to think that Rey's mom was a pilot in the original Rebellion, who knew Dosmit Raeh - the pilot Rey's helmet once belonged to - and Rey was actually named after her.
Finn:
First impression: I loved Finn so goddamned much you guys. I thought he was incredible and sweet and so fucking funny, he was one of my favorite parts of the Force Awakens.
Impression now: MY BOY. MY GENERAL. I still love him so fucking much??? He's literally the best okay.
Favorite moment: when he fights Phasma, because "rebel scum" has lived rent free in my head since 2017.
Idea for a story: canonically Finn goes undercover aboard the Finalizer (which. Damn. The big dick energy), and I like the idea of him nearly getting caught but a handful of stormtroopers help him and then in return, Finn breaks them out and brings them to the Resistance. Cos you know... rescuing people aboard the Finalizer's kinda his thing.
Unpopular opinion: I have no idea if this is unpopular or not but watching Pacific Rim Uprising last night really made me wish John got to keep his English accent for Finn instead of them going for an American one.
Favorite relationship: again I'm saying jedistormpilot because I literally cannot and will not choose between his dynamics with Poe or Rey because they're both seratonin rushes.
Favorite headcanon: I really really love the thought that Finn might be from Corellia. Don't ask me why, but I just think it'd be so fucking good.
Poe:
First impression: In the theaters it was a very eloquently thought "oh no, he's hot" followed by a "I'm in love" about five minutes later. I really liked that he was sarcastic but wasn't an asshole, because I honestly just....from what we knew about Poe before the film dropped, I was expecting that? So Poe being this very confident, sarcastic, gentle and encouraging man was a big surprise and an even bigger reason I fell as hard as I did.
Impression now: this character...means so damn much to me. The only other character that ever really meant this much to me was the Doctor when I was a kid (I say that like he still doesn't). Poe is a huge, huge comfort character for me and I just. Love him a lot. In ways my neurodivergent ass can't fucking put into words.
Favorite moment: *wants to cheat and include the ending of issue 13* okay from the movies? Probably the TIE Fighter escape or the rooftop scene in TROS with Zorii. I love the escape sequence just cos of how Star Warsy and fun it is - and it's a great example of Poe's personality? The rooftop scene I love because it's just...a really great moment of vulnerability from him. OH GOD AND THE HANDTOUCH? When he's trying to decide what to do with Finn and Rose's plan and goes to Leia to gather his courage and resolve and he puts his hand on hers I just. gOD.
Idea for a story: I really want to write a fic based off a dream I had last November where I was on a mission with him, Finn, Rey, Kaydel, Rose and Beaumont...but I don't know if I'd want to write it as a reader fic or damerey fic (I think it'd be appropriate for a reader fic, since it prompted me into getting back into reader fic).
Unpopular opinion: I don't! Think! He's arrogant!! This comes up a lot in some canon novels and it drives me batty everytime because like... he's confident yes he can be smug sometimes yes, but he doesn't try to be impressive (most of the time) he just says the truth that he has the experience to back him on. The fact that "vainglorious" "self-involved" and "narcissistic" are all terms that have been canonically used abt him annoys me to no end. He's cocksure, yes, but for every positive thing he has to say about himself, he's got even more praise and encouragement for the people around him.
Favorite relationship: Poe and Leia. Like. God. They're everything to me.
Favorite headcanon: I like the idea that when he was seventeen after he left Zorii (and toppled a criminal empire good for him), he stayed with Yegar on the Colossus for some time before he got the courage to see Kes again. I also headcanon that Poe is kind of....an amplifier for the Force.
send me a character!
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Me before You: Chapter 2- For Real
As always. I hope that you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing.
A/N: This is a TRR AU. Liam is already married, but see’s Riley and wants his cake. If the readers are receptive this might turn into more than a mini series.
Disclaimers: Most characters are property of Pixelberry
Warnings: Language, adult content, mild sexual innuendo.
Word Count: 2458
Catch up: Haven’t met you Yet
Prompts: @theworldofprompts
“Name one thing you regret in life?”
“Well, for starters, I married you.” will appear in BOLD.
Pairings: Drake & Riley
Song inspiration: For Real- Amel Larrieux
Be Kind: Hit the heart button, leave a comment or reblog. It makes a writer so so happy.
“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may salute your bride.”
Savannah and her groom shared a modest kiss.
“It is my pleasure to present to you for the very first time the Duke and Duchess of Ramsford. Bertrand and Savannah Beaumont of Cordonia.”
“Cordonia?” Riley whispered to herself.
“So I’m not crazy. Drake said he is from Cordonia. The Liam look-alike could really be King Liam of Cordonia. The matron of honor could actually be Queen Carsyn. This is insane.”
Her thoughts raced as she tried to make connections.
“There will be a cocktail hour in the barn,” an older woman announced.
The barn was decorated in a rustic theme, Tim McGraw’s, “I like it, I love it” played in the background and there were servers with appetizers everywhere. Quickly, lines formed for the open bars. Mack held on to Riley’s arm as they waited.
“So let me get this straight? The guy you met in New York, was Drake? Drake Walker? Like Savannah’s brother Drake? No fucking way. The world is not that small.”
“Yeah, apparently it is, he is the man I saw at the airport, the guy from the bar, the guy I’ve been texting and now he’s here.”
“Sounds like fate.”
“I don’t know if I believe in fate. More like dumb luck.”
“Miss Riley?” a server interrupts their conversation.
“For you and your guest.”
He offers a whiskey sour and an old fashion, the signature drink to she and Mack.
“Compliments of Mr. Walker. My name is Caleb, I have been personally assigned to you for the duration of the evening. You don’t need to wait in lines. I can bring you whatever you need to eat or drink.”
“Wow, well thank you Caleb. That’s very thoughtful.”
She tries to tip Caleb and he refuses.
“No thank you Ma’am. Mr. Walker has already compensated me handsomely. Please let me know if there is anything else I can get for you.”
Later
The wedding party joins the guests in the barn before the bride and groom have their first dance. Riley watched from her assigned seat wondering who would end up seated next to her. The seat went empty for the first part of the afternoon.
“That was a beautiful ceremony. You know, I have seen pictures and heard tons of stories about Drake from Savannah, but he has really grown up. He is a hottie.”
“He’s ok.”
“Wow, just ok? Huh? I’m wounded.” he says in a raspy voice.
“Drake!”
Mack and Riley blush furiously.
“Raye. It’s good to see you again.”
“That’s one way of putting it,” she smirked.
“Sorry! Drake, this is Mackenzie, Mack this is Savannah’s brother Drake.”
“Don’t listen to her. She was definitely pleasantly surprised,” Mack said as she extended her hand for Drake to kiss.
Riley elbowed Mack and Drake laughed as he shook her hand.
“Good thing I get the honor of keeping you company tonight. My seat was moved next to yours.”
He smiled and Riley’s heart melted just a little bit more. He leaned over to hug her and she immediately flashed back to their dance on the rooftop.
After their first dance, all the guests were invited to the dance floor. “At Last” by Etta James started to play.
“May I have this dance? And please don’t tell me that your feet still hurt.”
She stood, unsure of what to do in the presence of royalty.
“Your Majesty, we have to stop meeting this way. Shouldn’t you be dancing with your Queen?”
Before he could answer, Drake slipped up behind Riley snaking his strong arm around her waist. Pulling her into his embrace.
“Beat it Li!”
“Miss me yet?”
“Perfect timing. Small world. You didn’t say that your Mom and sister lived so close to me.”
“I didn’t think it was pertinent information at the time,” he said as he led her in a slow dance. Riley watched Queen Carsyn over Drakes shoulder, as she shot daggers at King Liam.
“Is he always like that?”
“What?”
“Liam? Is he always so tactless?”
“I’m not at liberty to comment,” he chuckles.
“Question asked, question answered.”
“Enough about Liam. Have I mentioned how stunning you look?”
“No, but thanks for the compliment anyway.”
She smiled, getting lost in his eyes as they swayed to the music.
After sitting and watching Drake and Riley dance and flirt for hours Mack was about ready to go.
“Ri, I’m about ready to head out.”
“Riley reluctantly said her goodbyes to Drake, not knowing when she’d see him again.
After a short drive back to her place they arrived to see a red Jeep sitting idle in front of her door waiting. Riley looked at Mack and shrugged her shoulders. When she had said goodnight to her friend, she headed to the door. The window of the Jeep lowered, “Hey, could you tell me where to get something good to eat in this neighborhood?”
“Drake! What-- how did you know where I lived?”
“Guestbook.”
“Well, that isn’t creepy at all.”
“I’m hungry and thought you might be hungry too.”
“So, where to?”
“I don’t know, I have only been here a few weeks.”
“I know a place.”
Drake gets out of the truck and walks around waving at Mack, who is still watching from her car. He opens the door for Riley and grabs her by the waist helping her into the truck.
“Really? Such a gentleman.”
He smiles as he heads back around. Mack lowers her window and says, “I took a picture of your license plates just in case she doesn’t make it back.”
“Noted.”
“Thank you. So where are we going?”
“Whataburger. I can’t get that in Cordonia.”
“What the what?”
“You’ll love it, promise and it’s on me. Seat belt.”
“Let me ask you a question?”
“Just one?”
“God no, I have a million questions.”
“Ok, I will try my best to answer them.”
She thinks of what she wants to ask first.
“What did you honestly think when you saw me today?”
“That I am not this lucky.”
A blush crept across her face as she awkwardly shifted in the seat.
“Why do you live in Cordonia if your Mom and Sister are here?”
“Work is there. Besides, I have never had a good reason to come back.”
“I see.”
Her face betrayed her, she was feeling conflicted and defeated and it showed. They drove along the dark road quietly for a few minutes.
“So, uh, you must do important work in Cordonia for you to stay there instead of here with your family.”
“If you want to know what I do for a living Raye, just ask.”
“You told me not to and I respect your wishes.”
“Well, some would consider it important. My family won’t be here for long, Sav and my nephew are moving to Cordonia this week. I’m the lead for the King’s Guard.”
“You mean you protect Liam?”
“Yeah,” he says as he rubs the back of his neck.
Just then they pulled into the parking lot. The line in the drive thru was long so they headed inside. He held the door open for her and when they stood in front of the counter he stood directly behind her as they both looked up at the menu. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms when he noticed her shiver.
“Cold?”
“Yeah, a little. Also, overwhelmed with this menu. Order for me?”
A mischievous grin crept across his face as he placed his suit coat around her shoulders.
After an hour of probing conversation, many laughs, and eating a deliciously greasy burger, heavenly fries with as Drake called it “fancy fucking ketchup,” they headed back to her place.
“Drake, I’m not ready for tonight to end,” she confessed.
“I know the feeling.”
“Come upstairs with me?”
“Riley Elizabeth Raye! What kind of guy do you think I am?”
“The kind who steals people’s personal information out of wedding guest books.”
“Checkmate.”
“Besides, I have had these shoes on since this morning. My feet! Anyway, we can watch a movie and chat for a little while.”
“I have been told I give a mean foot massage.”
“Are you offering?”
He licks his lips and bites his lips. Her center twitched.
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what? Why are you looking at me like you want to climb in my lap?
Her cheeks flushed red.
“You wish.”
“Enough about that, let’s talk about our first real date.”
“Who said I wanted to date a guy with no real reason to come to Dallas?”
“Whoa, that was before.”
They headed up to her apartment. He stood so close to her in the elevator that she could feel his body heat. They had a staring contest that she lost. She definitely looked away first. It was like he was staring into her soul. The sexual tension was thick and she felt relieved when the elevator dinged and the doors slid open.
“Long distance dating is not exactly something I want to pursue.”
“Understandable. I’m here now. Let me take you out tomorrow.”
“What would that look like?”
“Dallas Jazz fest is tomorrow.”
“And you just happened to know that off the top of your head?”
“I might have done some research on my phone when I learned that a certain lady whom I’d like to impress was within my grasp.”
She chortled, “you like jazz?”
“No, but if I get to spend time with you it can’t be that bad.”
“You’d do that for me?”
They step inside her place and he makes a face.
“What is it?”
“Your place smells exactly like I expected, fruity.”
She invites Drake to sit as she kicks her shoes off. She moves around the counter and opens the fridge grabbing a couple bottles of water, a bottle of Glenmorangie, and a couple glasses.
“Raye, this is the good stuff. It’s really expensive. Sure you’re sharing?”
“Completely, pour me one too? Be right back,” she says as she headed into her bedroom to change and freshen up.
When she returned, Drake cleared his throat at the sight of her barely there clothing change.
They settled on the soft couch as Drake passed her the tumbler of whiskey he poured for her. She eyed the drink as he stared at her.
“What are you looking at?”
“Your umm, outfit? Comfy?”
“Yes. Very. Should I drink this? I didn’t see you pour it.”
“Good grief, switch with me.” Drake says before raising his glass.
“Cheers, to the best reason I ever had to come back to the States.”
She bit her lip trying to contain her smile.
“Well then, after a toast like that you get to pick the movie.”
She later regretted being so generous. Drake chose FACE OFF. They started off good, he pulled her aching feet into his lap and rubbed them until she was sure she would orgasm. She pulled away crossing her legs in a twisted attempt to save her panties.
She loved the movie but knew she couldn’t get through any of the scenes when they ran their hands down the others face to wordlessly say, I love you. So as much as she tried she sat with tears running down her face for much of the movie. The first time she cried Drake pretended to ignore it. She wiped her face on her. The next time she cried he looked at her with a raised eyebrow and the final time he pulled her into his arms and wiped her tears.
“You definitely get to pick a movie that won’t make you cry next time.”
“Next time? You really want to go out with me, huh?”
“I thought that was clear by now.”
“Drake, can I be honest?”
“I’d prefer it.”
“I have never dated a white guy before.”
He feigned shock. Then laughed.
“We have that in common because I haven't either. Is that all?”
“No, I didn’t expect to like you this much.”
“Have you dated a black woman before?”
“No.”
“Are you ready for family and friends to turn their backs on you? For strangers to shoot us dirty looks in public? For all of the things that come along with dating me?”
“I guess I never really thought about it. But I’d like to think that it would be a small price to pay to be with you.”
They chatted until they both fell asleep. The sunrise plucked him from his slumber. She had fallen asleep in his arms. He watched her for a few moments fighting the urge to kiss her. He untangled himself from her and used her restroom. When he returned, she was awake.
“I thought you finally came to your senses and left.”
“I don’t scare easily. I’m headed back to the ranch. I’ll pick you up around 6pm.”
She stood and they shared a long embrace as she secretly sniffed him trying to memorize his smell before she let him out.
Back at the ranch
“You stayed out all night. Did you get some trim?”
“No.”
Figures. You wouldn’t know what to do with all that ass anyway.
“And you do?” Carsyn interjects.
“Carsyn, I didn’t realize you were back from your morning run.”
“I knew that you wanted to fuck her. I saw the way you were looking at her at the wedding.”
Drake stands, “This seems like a personal conversation. Call me later Li.”
Liam shakes his head and turns to his wife.
“You are always making a big deal out of nothing. I have given you everything. You knew who I was before you married Me. You are the queen. Why are you so insecure?”
Tears filled her eyes.
“Name one thing you regret in life?”
“Well, for starters, I married you.”
Liam stormed out of the room to find Drake in the hall on the phone with Riley. When Drake sees Liam he ends the call.
“Drake Walker. Your nose is open. I know you think you like her but, do you really want to start seeing a black woman? They can be a lot.”
“Don’t be an ass Li, any woman can be a lot. But it’s different with her. She is so chill. Like it’s easy with her.”
“If it’s so easy, why didn’t you close?”
“I said that it’s easy to be with her. Not that she was easy you, prick.”
“Just be careful Drake. You know what they say… Once you go black…”
“Li! For fucks sake.”
“I’m just saying. I’m going out tonight so if you need a trial run Carsyn will be here alone.”
“Did you just give me permission to fuck your wife?”
“Sure, everyone knows I’m not.”
“Hard pass.”
@txemrn @pixie88 @secretaryunpaid@khoicesbyk @blackkingliamstan @mom2000aggie @shannonwrote @hopelessromanticmonie @fanjessfic @rideordiechronicles @lucy-268 @dcbbw @darley1101 @maurine07 @sfb123 @bbrandy2002 @kingliam2019 @schnitzelbutterfingers @lem-20 @choicesficwriterscreations @theworldofprompts @no-one-u-know
TRR: @twinkleallnight @bebepac @mainstreetreader @romereadingshop @romewritingshop @lem-20 @texaskitten30
#choices fanfiction#choices stories you play#trr#me before you#drake walker#drake x riley#fanfic#fandom#fanfiction#texas#a cordonian romance#the royal romance#follow shewillreadyou#kim reads#kim writes#kim reblogs
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The Aftermath - Ch. 29
Outside the Bakery
Summary: Drake tags along with Liam and the kids during the country jamboree. The day after, he has to babysit.
Word Count: ~2.7k
Warnings: none
*All characters belong to Pixelberry, except those that are unique to my story (I’ve also used some characters and fictional instances from Donna Tartt’s book “The Goldfinch”)*
Catch up here!
Tags: @captain-kingliamsqueen @gkittylove99 @lovablegranny @iam-the-kind-and-thoughtful @mom2000aggie @kingliam2019 @queenrileyrose @shanzay44 @cordonianroyalty @hopefulmoonobject @hopelessromanticmonie @cinnamonspongecake @kuladekiwi @twinkle-320 @charlotteg234 @amandablink @texaskitten30 @tinkie1973 @queencatherynerhys @pens-girl-87 @ladyangel70 @sanchita012 @cordonianprincess @liamandneca @cordonia-gothqueen @pink-diamond13 @queenwalton @yourmajesty09 @alj4890
I’m not sure if the tags are working or not, but I hope I got everyone down! I’ve removed people who haven’t interacted with my posts in a while. If you would like to be added/removed, please let me know :)
✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧
- Drake -
Since he was worried about Jessica, Drake had decided to skip the fox hunt and spend the day with her. He planned on bringing her to lunch, then a movie, but instead she dragged him to set up the wedding registry. The bridal consultant walked Jessica through her choices while Drake stalled behind. Whenever she asked for his opinion, Drake would just say to choose whatever she wanted.
“Chinois?” she would persist, asking for his opinion when really, he didn’t know what to choose and didn’t care that much. “Or Birds of the Nile? Do say, Drake, I know you must prefer one of the two.”
“You can’t go wrong with either,” the consultant said helpfully. “Both are fun and fancy. And this one is simple, for everyday.”
“It’s fine,” Drake said, his tone more curtly than he intended. Both Jessica and the consultant were blinking up at him, waiting for his decision.
“China—” the consultant started up again, staring down at a plate on display. “The way I like to think of it is that it’s the end-of-day ritual. It’s wine, fun, family, togetherness. It’s a great way to put some permanent style and romance in your marriage.”
Eventually, Jessica made a decision, and they were able to return to Applewood.
But the morning of the country jamboree, she said she had to go back to the capital but promised to attend the Beaumont Bash. Drake wondered what she was leaving for, but didn’t ask her to explain. He knew she must have been emotionally distressed by her father’s passing, even though she never hinted a tear. He kissed her, let her leave, then joined the court on the lawn.
Drake decides to join Liam, who stands with Gabriel and Eleanor. Both children look around the lawn, figuring out what they want to do. Liam spots Drake and waves him over.
“Dad, could we do archery?” Gabriel asks his father.
“Of course,” Liam says. A flash of worry crosses his face as he follows the children across the lawn. “No Jessica today?” Liam asks Drake as the two friends walk side-by-side.
“Nope,” Drake responds. “She’s at the capital. Had something to do.”
“I see,” Liam responds, turning back to the children.
“Where’s Riley?” Drake looks around the lawn for her, wondering what was keeping her occupied. He notices Neville’s son running around the lawn, along with some other children.
“With Countess Hana. Riley spoke with Rashad, who hold her that Hana is hesitant to file for divorce.”
“Do I hold it like this?” Eleanor asks Liam, referring to the bow that was in her hand and too far from her face.
Liam kneels down to the girl and corrects her form, then goes to his son and does the same thing. Once he tells the children how to hold the arrow, he lets them hit the target.
Eleanor’s arrow lands on the ground in front of the target, while Gabriel’s arrow hits the target at an odd angle and lands behind it. The children laugh at each other’s mistakes, and Liam chuckles at them.
They hit a few more shots while Liam observes them, making sure there was no chance of injury.
“Do you think we could all go camping tonight?” Liam asks Drake, his eyes focused on the children. “I can have someone get the supplies together and we can surprise everyone.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“What are you two doing?” Olivia asks, walking up to them.
“Hello to you, too,” Drake greets her.
“Yes, yes. Enjoying the jamboree with your fiancée?”
“She’s not here.”
“She got tired of you? It’s about time.”
“Did you come all the way over here to talk about my love life? If so, I’d like to take a minute to discuss your’s—”
“Alright, you two,” Liam interrupts them. “Duchess, I hope you have news about the investigation?”
Olivia sighs. “No. There were no fingerprints on the painting, nor anywhere in Gabriel’s room.” Her shoulders fall. “I don’t know where else to look. There’s... nothing.”
Liam’s brow furrows, a dark shadow coming over his face. “Let’s not lose hope yet. Keep looking, and let me know if you find anything. And also,” Liam brings her attention back to him. “I think Riley could use your help convincing Countess Hana to divorce the Earl.”
“On it,” Olivia states, then walks towards the two women.
Drake and Liam follow the children around the lawn, watching them enjoy different activities. Liam suggests ring toss to Eleanor, who refuses, saying that she knows she’ll lose.
“Nonsense,” Liam says, then leads them over to the booth.
Her brother grabs three rings, and Eleanor’s shoulders fall.
"Here.” Liam lifts Eleanor over his shoulders, then hands her the rings.
“I feel like a giant!” she cries.
Gabriel lets her go first, and Eleanor throws her ring in a swift arch onto an outer peg. Gabe throws it onto a center peg, and when Eleanor goes again, she hits it onto the outer peg.
When it’s time for Eleanor’s final throw, Gabriel has more points than her. Liam secretly grabs the ring from Eleanor, and throws it onto the center peg. Gabriel looks back at his father and sister suspiciously.
Even though Gabriel won the game, Eleanor still laughed along with her brother and Liam.
They walk around for a few more moments, enjoying the view of colorful booths that had been put up. They reach the entrance of the maze, and Gabriel turns to his father. “Can we do something else?”
“What would you like to do?” Liam asks.
“How about maze-tag?” Drake suggests.
Both kids violently shake their heads. He remembers the time when Eleanor got stuck in the maze, and curses himself for not remembering.
“Can we play soccer again?” Gabriel requests.
“Of course.” Liam leads the group towards the orchard, but one of his guards approaches them and says his attention is needed elsewhere.
Drake says that he’ll keep the kids occupied until Liam gets back, and a servant brings out a soccer ball for them to use.
“Do you guys wanna make teams, or...?” Drake attempts to ask them.
“No,” Gabriel answers. “We can just choose positions and play.”
“I’m fine with that. I’ve played defense.”
“I’m usually midfield.”
“I wanna be goalie!” Eleanor cries.
“Well, Eleanor,” Drake says, focusing on Gabriel and the ball. “Guess I’m defending you.”
“Don’t lose,” the girl demands.
The three of them play for hours, oblivious of the sun falling and the air getting colder. Drake was surprised at how agile Gabriel was, and had to push himself to keep up.
Soon, Liam returns and tells them that it’s time for dinner. The children race towards the tables while Drake and Liam stay back.
“Everything okay?” Drake asks his friend. “You were gone for a while.”
“Yes,” Liam huffs. “Madeleine wished to speak to me.”
“What did she want?”
“She was concerned that the Anointing Ceremony would be held for an heir whose mother is not married to the king, or at least engaged.”
“You’re no closer to proposing?” Drake asks him.
“I’m not too sure. I... I’m waiting for the right moment.”
Relief washes over Drake, but in the next second he feels guilty for it. His feelings for Riley were beginning to fade, and he was engaged to another woman, why was he jealous of his friend?
At the dinner, Drake takes his seat. He sees the children sit with Leo’s kids. Riley, Hana, Maxwell, and Rowan sit near Drake. The court goes quiet when Liam clinks his glass.
“If I may have everyone’s attention, please, I’d like to say a few words before the evening comes to a close. Firstly, I would like to thank all of you for joining us at the country estate, your company has been a pleasure. The next time we meet, it will be the last event of the Social Season. Per tradition, it will be hosted at the distinguished Beaumont House.”
As Maxwell begins to cheer and Liam brings his speech to a close, the court finishes their meals and heads back to the estate.
When Riley stands, Liam offers her his arm. She takes it with a smile, and the two of them lead the group back towards the front of the manor.
As the house comes into view, they see a limo waiting. Riley asks who it’s for, and Liam tells her that it’s waiting for them.
As they get in, Drake quickly convinces Savannah to let Bartie come along. When they’re all in the car, questions are being thrown at Liam.
“I thought we could all enjoy a night under the stars,” he tells them.
After a short drive, they exit onto a campsite. There are tents already up for everyone: Liam, Drake, Riley, Hana, Maxwell, Rowan, Bartie, Gabriel, and Eleanor.
The children rush forward, claiming their tents. Drake goes into his tent, and comes out with a bag of sticks, marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate.
While the kids chase each other around, Drake gets to work starting a fire. He hands everyone sticks and marshmallows. Liam calls the children over and gives them directions on how to make s’mores.
The group sits in silence, watching their marshmallows cook. As a joke, Eleanor lowers her stick into the fire, and her marshmallow comes back up in flames.
“Spicy s’more,” she states. Gabriel and his sister laugh, while Drake takes the stick from her and puts out the fire.
Liam, chuckling, gives Eleanor his own s’more. While she eats it, she watches her brother cook his marshmallow. Once she’s done eating, Eleanor holds out her hand to her brother. “Can I have s’more?”
“Of course you can have s’more s’mores,” Gabriel responds. The children and Maxwell burst out into laughter, clutching their stomachs.
“Did you teach them how to make puns?” Drake asks Riley.
“Nope! Must be in the genes.” She laughs, and Drake rolls his eyes.
Maxwell grabs the group’s attention next, saying that he wanted to tell them a ghost story. The children lean forward, childish fear on their faces. Riley rests her head on Liam’s shoulder as they listen. Hana and Rowan talk quietly.
Drake looks at his group of friends. It had been so long since they were together, that the feeling of companionship felt new. There was peace and comfort, something he hadn’t felt for a long time. He wishes Jessica were here, but allows her to slip from his mind as he retreats into his tent and falls asleep.
...
Upon Liam’s suggestion that they go to Ramsford early, their morning is spent driving through the countryside. When they arrive, Bertrand greets them at the door and servants take their luggage inside.
Before they enter the manor, Liam turns to speak to Maxwell and Drake.
“Do you both think you can watch over the children today?” Liam asks. “I want to take Riley out on a date.”
“Definitely!” Maxwell cries. “Don’t worry about them, we’ve got it covered. You two go have fun!”
Liam thanks them, then goes into the manor. Drake tries to follow, but Maxwell blocks his path.
“What is it, Maxwell?” Drake asks, irritated.
“Okay so I know I told Liam I’d watch over the kids with you, but Rowan and I kinda have a date tonight.”
“Then why’d you say yes?”
“I don’t know!” Maxwell’s shoulders jump up. “I wanna hang out with the baby blossoms, but I also wanna spend time with Rowan! I’d ask Hana to take care of it but her dinner with Rashad is tonight, too.”
Drake pats his friend on the arm. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of the kids.”
“Thank you!” Maxwell cries, then pulls Drake into a hug.
After a few awkward seconds, Maxwell pulls back and rushes into the house.
When it’s time for Liam and Riley to leave, they hug the children goodbye and step out. Maxwell waits a few moments, looking out the window to see if their car had left yet, then links his arm through Rowan’s and heads out the door.
Drake turns to the children, wondering if they’d just go do something or if he had to be with them at all times.
“Is there... anything you guys wanna do?” he asks them.
Eleanor shrugs. Her brother says, “I kinda want ice cream.”
That was doable. Drake ducks into the kitchen and opens the freezer, but finds nothing. He asks a servant if there was any ice cream, but they shake their head.
“Sorry kids,” he says to them once he’s returned to the lobby. “There’s no ice cream.”
“Can we go get some?” Eleanor asks.
Drake thinks a moment. Riley and Liam wouldn’t mind if he brought the kids out, right? “Don’t see why not.”
While the two of them wait in the lobby, Drake asks a servant to get a limo ready for them. Once the driver is outside, Darke leads the kids into the car and they drive off.
He sends Jessica a text, wondering what she was up to:
Hey babe. Got any plans today?
She texts back within a few seconds.
in a movie with some friends. text later xx
When they reach town, Drake tells the driver to stop, and that they could walk the rest of the way to the ice cream store. The driver says that he won’t move from this spot, and the kids lead Drake down the street.
He stops in his tracks when the kids halt in front of a bakery.
“Can we get cupcakes instead?” Eleanor asks.
“You sure?” Drake looks down at Gabriel.
“Please,” the boy says.
Drake shrugs and follows the kids into the store, the smell of freshly baked bread surrounding him. The kids walk towards the display cases, discussing what they wanted.
More and more people walk into the bakery, pushing towards the counter to get their orders. Drake pulls out his phone, wondering if Jessica was free yet. He taps Gabriel on the shoulder and tells them that he would be stepping out, but would keep an eye on them.
Outside the bakery, he watches Gabe and Ella poking at cakes and cookies that caught their eyes. He sees his own reflection in the display window, along with cars and buses on the street behind him. Drake dials Jessica’s number again and brings it to his ear, wanting to figure out if she was out of the movie theater yet.
But just as it was clicking towards voicemail, he notices a deep green sweater in the reflection, sharply contrasting with the pinkish colors of goods in the bakery. In disbelief, Drake turns.
It was Jessica, head down, in a green sweater, huddled arm in arm and whispering with a man Drake recognized — he hadn’t seen the man in what felt like forever, but Drake knew him instantly.
Boris wore the same coat from the day of the Derby. His hair is slightly ruffled, and he has a bag looped over his arm. But the astonishing part was Jessica, who always held Drake’s hand at a slight distance — tugging him along behind her, swinging her arm childishly — was nestled deep and sorrowfully into Boris’ side.
They were waiting for the light, the bus whooshed past. They were too wrapped up in each other to notice Drake.
Boris, who was talking to her quietly, tousled her hair and then turned and pulled her to him and kissed her, a kiss she returned with more tenderness than any kiss she’d ever given Drake.
They were crossing the street. Quickly, Drake turned away. He could see them perfectly well in the window of the bakery. They stopped suddenly, only a few feet away from him.
Jessica was upset. She was talking quietly, in a low voice overflowing with emotion, leaning into Boris wish her cheek pressed against his sleeve as he reached around lovingly to squeeze her arm.
Though Drake couldn’t make out what she was saying, the tone of her voice was too clear. Even in her sadness, her joy in this man — and his joy in her — was undeniable. Any stranger on the street could have recognized it.
As they glided past Drake — looking like two affectionate ghosts in the display window — he saw her reach up to quickly dash a tear from her cheek. Drake found himself blinking in astonishment at the sight: for the first time ever, Jessica was crying.
#trr fanfic#trr drake x oc#drake walker#trr au fanfic#cordonia#liam x mc#the royal romance#the royal romance fanfic#trh
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Task Seven → Headcanons
When Toulouse was little, he was a chubbier kid. It was one of the many things he would get teased about in school, along with his inability to focus, sit still, and lack of patience. As he got older, he started to work on his fitness more and lost a lot of the weight he carried as a child. It also helped that he had a growth spurt when he turned fifteen, evening out at six feet tall. Currently, he doesn't worry too much about exercising, but loves to skateboard and go for runs when he needs to clear his mind.
Toulouse has minor ADHD which was difficult for him growing up because he often felt like the black sheep of the family. He did things differently, interacted with others differently, and for a long time, it made him self conscious of who he was as a person. Thankfully he grew out of it, and replaced those feelings of self doubt with ones of confidence in things he was particularly good at, focusing on what made him unique rather than "different". Because of his ADHD, Toulouse always carries around fidget toys. The most common item he likes to fidget with are rings, almost never leaving the house or his dorm without one.
His favorite color is orange. This is a nod to the movie verse, where Toulouse's fur color was orange. It makes him feel happy and bright, whenever he sees it, similarly with other warm toned colors. This is the same reason that fall is his favorite season. All of the changing colors in foliage and the shift from hot summer days to cool autumn ones were beautiful, in his eyes.
A nod to Edgar's specialty drink mixed for them in the movie, Toulouse's favorite seasonal drink is Eggnog. The two have very similar ingredients, including cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and cream. Whenever the holidays roll around, it is absolutely essential to him to have a hefty supply of eggnog around. Similarly, Toulouse used to drink his coffee with an obnoxious amount of cream or milk, but over the years, he's learned to dial it back.
Ever since he was a kid, whenever he wanted to annoy Berlioz during music lessons, Toulouse would come over and sit atop the piano, singing along albeit poorly to whatever song his brother was supposed to be learning. Toulouse knows how to sing, and how to do it well, but does not believe he is anywhere near as good as Marie or Berlioz. Thus, whenever he's around them, he fakes being terrible on purpose, despite him actually having a decent singing voice. Toulouse loves to sing, but he will only do it when he knows that nobody is around to hear him, or, if he feels completely comfortable around someone. Even then, it usually isn't a common occurrence. He would much rather play his guitar and let someone else do the vocals.
Nightmares and fear were a consistent presence in Toulouse's life. He would often have bad dreams that kept him up at night, but would never tell anyone, because he never wanted to seem like he was afraid. He was the oldest, despite being triplets, and therefore felt a responsibility to protect his siblings by being the strong one. That was often why he never let them see him upset, or would bottle up his emotions and cast them aside. He was always the first to change the subject if he thought it would upset either of them, and the first to make sure everyone else was alright, with no expectations of them returning the gesture.
Toulouse is bilingual, and will slip into French when he's stressed, nervous, or angry about certain things. It often comes out in mumbles, not loud enough to really be heard, but nonetheless, it's there. It was his preferred language when he was younger, but as not many people spoke it on the daily, Toulouse shifted to English so that he could better communicate with people.
Being left handed, Toulouse always had to make sure growing up that he was sitting on the end of a table. It caused quite a few arguments with his siblings before realizing this, as they would often bump elbows at dinner. Thankfully, he hasn't had to worry about that in a long while.
The Beaumont children were all trained in music, but also, dance. Toulouse is well versed in several formal dances, though the techniques are not often put to use. His mother still encourages him to practice every now and then, especially when their family is expected to attend a formal event, though Toulouse never really cared for all of that fancy stuff. He simply agreed to please his mother, and because it helped him show off when he wanted to.
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Weekend Top Ten #467
Top Ten Romantic Couples in Superhero Movies (& TV)
It’s Valentine’s Day this weekend. Woo, I guess? I dunno. I’m not generally cynical about holidays but Valentine’s Day does seem to be entirely focused on selling cards without any of the associated pleasantries of, say, Christmas or Halloween. I’d rather just try to be nice to my wife all year round. At least because of the apocalypse all the restaurants are closed so we can’t be tempted to pay through the nose for a set menu. Anyway, it gives me a strained excuse to tie this week’s Top Ten to something vaguely romantic.
Superheroes are often horny. This seems to be a defining characteristic of the artform. Whether it’s their descent from ancient myths, or their creators’ origins in writing romance books, or just a function of genre storytelling in the mid-twentieth century, there’s quite a lot of romantic angst in superhero stories. Pretty much every superhero has a significant other; Lois Lane even got her own comic that was actually called Superman’s Girlfriend, Lois Lane. It’s hard to conceive of many heroes without their primary squeeze, and often – as we get multiple media adaptations of characters – we can add diversity or a twist to the proceedings by picking a lesser-known love interest, or one from earlier in the character’s fictional history; for instance, Smallville beginning with Cark Kent’s teenage crush Lana Lang, or The Amazing Spider-Man swapping out Mary Jane Watson for Gwen Stacey.
Anyway, I’m talking this week about my favourite superhero couples. I’ve decided to focus on superhero adaptations – that is, the characters from movies and films based on superhero comics or characters. I find this a little bit easier as I don’t have a phenomenal knowledge of sixty years of Avengers comics, but I have seen all the movies a bunch. As many comics as I’ve read, and as much as I love various ink-and-paper pairings, I can arguably talk more authoritatively about the fillums than the funny books. And let’s be real here, kids: my favourite comic book romantic couple is Chromedome and Rewind in Transformers. Also if I split them in two I can talk about comic couples next year. Woohoo!
It really is hard thinking of these things nearly nine years in, folks.
So! Here, then, are my favourite movie-TV Couples in Capes. Obviously there’s a fair bit of MCU in here. And I’ve been pretty specific about “superhero” romances: so no Hellboy and Liz Sherman, sadly (and I do really like them in the movies, of which they really need to make a third). Some are civvies-and-supes; some are capes-and-capes. You’ll work it out.
Superman & Lois Lane (Christopher Reeve & Margot Kidder, Superman, 1978): who else? The most famous romance in all of comics, a combo so strong it remains the focus of pretty much every interpretation of the character, but arguably never better than here; so good are Reeve and Kidder that their fast-talking banter and inherent goodness set the template for a huge swathe of other comic adaptations to follow. She’s sarky and streetwise; he’s gormless and good-hearted. She leaps in where angels fear to tread, he’s an invulnerable alien in disguise. They have buckets of chemistry and an utterly believable (tentative) romance. They’re perfect performances and the scenes of Clark in Metropolis for the first time (including Superman’s balcony interview with Lois) are the best bits of an already excellent film.
Raven & Beast Boy (Tara Strong & Greg Cipes, Teen Titans Go!, 2014): on a totally different register, we have the comedy stylings of the Teen Titans. Raven and Beast Boy had a flirtatious relationship on the original Titans series, but on this longer-running and much more demented comedy follow-up, they were allowed to make the romance more official (I nearly said “explicit” but, y’know… it’s not that). The jokes and banter – BB the love-struck, jealous suitor, Raven the too-cool partner who feigns nonchalance – build and build, but every now and again they’re allowed a moment of genuine heartfelt romance, and it hits all the more strongly amidst the ultra-violence and outrageous comedy.
Captain America & Agent Carter (Chris Evans & Hayley Atwell, Captain America: The First Avenger, 2011): the premier couple of the MCU, Steve and Peggy spend a whole movie flirting (she sees the goodness of him even before he gets all hench) before finally arranging a date that, we all know, is very much postponed. Peggy casts a shadow over the rejuvenated Cap and the MCU as a whole, founding SHIELD, inspiring dozens of heroes, and counselling Steve to her dying days. She remains Steven’s true north (like Supes with Lois, Peggy’s an ordinary human who is the actual hero of an actual super-powered hero), guiding him through the chaos and tragedy of Endgame, until they both get to live happily ever after. Even though he snogged her niece.
Batman & Catwoman (Michael Keaton & Michelle Pfeiffer, Batman Returns, 1992): Pfeiffer delivers a barnstorming performance as Selina Kyle, all barely-supressed mania and seductive feline charm. The chemistry between her and Keaton is electric, and propels the film forward even when the Penguin-runs-for-mayor stuff gets a bit daft and icky. There are beautiful moments of romantic comedy when they’re both trying to cover up injuries they gave each other, and of course there’s “mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it” – a line that runs a close second to “dance with the devil” when it comes to Burton-Batman quotations (just ahead of “never rub another man’s rhubarb”). Burton, generally favouring the macabre villains over the straighter edges of the heroic Batman, nevertheless makes great play of the duality of the character, and how this is something he and Catwoman can share – both “split right down the centre” – but also how this means a happy ending for either of them is impossible.
Spider-Man & Mary Jane (Tobey Maguire & Kirsten Dunst, Spider-Man, 2002): whilst a lot of this is really down to the sexiness of them kissing upside-down in the rain, there’s a nice duality to Peter and MJ seeing through each other too: he sees the wounded humane soul beneath her it-girl persona; she sees the kind, caring man underneath his geek baggage. This arc plays out beautifully across the first two films (ending in that wonderfully accepting “Go get ‘em, tiger”) before sadly getting all murky and unsatisfying in the murky and unsatisfying third film. Still: that kiss.
Wonder Woman & Steve Trevor (Gal Gadot & Chris Pine, Wonder Woman, 2017): probably the film that hews closest to the Clark-Lois dynamic of the original Superman, to the point where it includes an homage to the alleyway-mugging scene as Diana deflects a bullet. Steve is Diana’s window into man’s world, showing her the horror of the First World War but managing to also be a sympathetic ally and never talking down or mansplaining anything. He’s a hero in his own right – very similar to another wartime Steve on this list – and very much an ideal match to the demigod he’s showing round Europe. And, of course, Gadot’s Diana is incredible, both niaive and vulnerable whilst also an absolute badass. There is an enduring warm chemistry to the pair, with a relationship which we actually see consummated – relatively rare for superheroes! The inevitability of his heroic sacrifice does nothing to lessen the tragedy, and no I’ve not seen Wonder Woman 1984 yet.
Hawkeye & Laura Barton (Jeremy Renner & Linda Cardellini, Avengers: Age of Ultron, 2015): I love these guys! I love that Hawkeye has a relatively normal, stable family life. He has a big old farmhouse that he wants to remodel, he’s got two kids and a third on the way… he’s got something to live for, something to lose. It humanises him amidst the literal and figurative gods of the Avengers. And they’re cute together, bickering and bantering, and of course she is supportive of his Avenging. I hope we get to see more of Laura and the kids in the Hawkeye series, and I hope nothing bad happens to them now they’ve all been brought back to life.
Wanda Maximoff & Vision (Elizabeth Olsen & Paul Bettany, Avengers: Infinity War, 2018): theirs is a difficult relationship to parse, because they’re together so briefly. They cook paprikash together in Civil War before having a bit of a bust-up, and by Infinity War they’re an official couple, albeit on the run (and on different sides). That movie does a great job in establishing their feelings for each other in very little screentime, with their heroic characteristics on full display, before the shockingly awful tragedy of Wanda killing Vision to save the galaxy, before Thanos rewinds time, brings him back to life, and kills him again, and then wins. Their relationship going forward, in WandaVision, is even trickier, because we don’t know what’s up yet, and at times they’re clearly not acting as “themselves”, defaulting to sitcom tropes and one-liners. Will Vision survive, and if he does, will their relationship? Who can say, but at least they’ll always have Edinburgh, deep-fried kebabs and all.
Batman & Andrea Beaumont (Kevin Conroy & Dana Delany, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, 1993): woah, Batman’s back but it’s a different Batman, say whaaaat. Animated Batman has had a few romances, from the great (Talia al-Ghul) to the disturbingly icky (Batgirl, ewwww), but his relationship with Andrea Beaumont is the best. Tweaking the Year One formula to give young Bruce a love interest that complicates his quest is a golden idea, and making her a part of the criminality and corruptiuon that he’s fighting is a suitably tragic part of the Batman origin story. Conroy and Delany give great performances, him wringing pathos out of Bruce, torn between heart and duty (“It just doesn’t hurt so bad anymore,” he wails to his parents’ grave, “I didn’t count on being happy”), her channelling golden age Hollywood glamour. The tragedy of them rekindling their relationship years later, only to wind up on different sides again, is – again – so very Batman. It’s a beautiful, earnest, very Batman relationship, a great titanic tragedy of human emotions and larger-than-life ideals. And they both look good in black.
Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy (Kaley Cuoco & Lake Bell, Harley Quinn, 2020): this one’s a little bit of a cheat, as I’ve only seen the first season of the show, where Harley and Ivy don’t even get together. But in the wider, non-canonical sense of these being characters who are part of the pop-cultural ether, Harley and Ivy will always be a couple, I feel; and there’s definitely enough in there already to see the affection between them, not yet consummated. They adore each other, are always there for each other, and as the season follows Harley getting out of her own way and acknowledging the abuse of her relationship with Joker – and finally getting over it in the healthiest way possible for a bleached-white manic pixie in roller derby gear. And all through this, holding her hand, is Ivy. They’re utterly made for each other, and I’m glad that they do get together in season two. I hope that Margot Robbie’s rendition of the character can likewise find happiness with a flesh-and-blood Ivy. Hell, just cast Lake Bell again. She’s great.
Just bubbling under – and I’m really gutted I couldn’t fit them in – was Spider-Man & M.J. from Spider-Man: Far From Home. Like Batman, I’m comfortable including multiple continuities here, and those cuties offer a different spin on a classic relationship.
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John Deere Green Chapter Eight: (500 Miles)
⚠️⚠️This story and its contents contain material not suited for sensitive viewers. This story is not meant for anyone under the age of 18. If you are reading this, you are agreeing you are over 18. This warning serves as a blanket trigger and content warning. Cussing, rape, abuse, miscarriage, adultery, death, and other dark subjects will be mentioned. This is your FINAL WARNING.⚠️⚠️
Word Count: 2454
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Lots of love,
RED.
The next day, Liam woke at 0600 sharp, half an hour before his alarm was set to ring. He bounced out of bed and dressed quickly. He chose slacks and a black button-up, knowing that he would be photographed.
Leo had given Liam the number of the photographer and videographer that he had used for his proposal. Leo joked and said that Liam was stealing all of his ideas, but Liam told him about the water tower. Leo joked about how Liam shouldn’t show up his older brother.
Liam had purchased well over 100 roses, as well. He, his family, and friends had painstakingly taken every petal off the roses to lay on the path— he didn’t want fake petals for Riley.
He wanted to have candles on the sides of a path to a pond where he and Riley could see the water tower clearly. He would have big lanterns with the words, “Will you marry me” written on the side, highlighted from behind with lights at the head of the path. There was a pond at the end of this path; two willows gracefully framed it. There would be lanterns hanging from the branches and Liam would get on one knee there.
Drake called Liam a show-off, but Liam shrugged and said, “only for the best.”
Twenty minutes. Hana was coming with Riley in twenty minutes. He was going to be engaged by the end of the night. Holy shit!!!
Liam had invited everyone from his and his father’s social circle for the engagement party. There were going to be close to three hundred people at this party— the entire county was anxious to see Leo and Liam celebrate their upcoming nuptials. Their weddings would be the talk of the country, as well. The Rhys’ were a prominent family not only in the south but the entire US.
The upper class of the farmers would all be in attendance— The Beaumonts from Ramsford, the Nervarkis from Lythikos, the Vancouver’s from Domvallier, the Amaranths from Krona, the Ebrims from Portavira, and the Therons from Castelsareillan. Their prominent citizens from the towns would also be in attendance.
Liam paced on the front lawn. People were already arriving, the band was already playing, and Riley would be here soon!
It was a gorgeous summer evening. It wasn’t too hot, thankfully. There was a light breeze that floated across the Rhys grounds, carrying the smell of the food and sounds of easy conversation.
Liam was going to wait until sunset before whisking Riley away to the pond. That way, the candles could illuminate the path. He hoped to plan it just right so that the lanterns would shine brightly, too.
Hana was impatiently tapping her foot in the foyer, waiting for Riley. Riley had changed her dress six times and puked twice.
“We’re going to be late if you don’t come out here this instant!” Hana cried.
She heard Riley stumbling around in her room, the sound of Riley slamming her bedroom door, then the sound of heels clicking on the tile.
“Jesus! I’m coming!” Riley yelled back.
Riley sported a floor-length, black dress that was very Breakfast at Tiffany’s. It was a mermaid-style gown, no sleeves, high neckline, and a slit up the side. She wore a pearl necklace and dangly silver earrings. Her hair was in an elegant updo.
Hana gasped. “Riley! You look beautiful.”
Riley blushed. “Thanks. I know Liam is going to propose tonight, and I want to look the part.”
Hana laughed lightly. “You sure do look the part. Come on. Let’s go!”
Hana wore a tea-length red dress, strappy sandals, and her hair was half up, ringlets curling around her face.
She almost bounced in her seat the entire ride to Liam’s house.
They pulled up the drive and were greeted by a valet stand at the mouth of the driveway.
Liam was at the stairs, waiting for Riley. He was a gentleman and opened Hana’s door first. Riley knew to stay until Liam came to her.
Liam swept open Hana’s door and offered her a hand. She took it and gracefully exited. Liam took her hand to his lips after bowing slightly. “It’s so good to see you, Hana.” His smile was genuine.
Hana winked. “It’s good to see you, too, Liam.” She proceeded to give a valet the keys and headed inside as Liam made his way over to the passenger side.
This is it! He straightened his posture and opened Riley’s door. She offered him her hand and exited the car. Unlike Hana, it was not graceful. Her foot caught on the hem of her dress, and she stumbled ever so slightly. Liam wrapped his arm around her waist.
“Oops,” Riley giggled as she looked up at Liam.
“If you wanted a hug, all you had to do was ask,” Liam teased.
Riley squeezed her arm around Liam. “Good to know. How about a kiss?”
Liam leaned down and kissed Riley chastely, much to her disappointment. When they pulled apart, Liam held Riley at arm’s length to look at her.
“I love the dress, Riley. It’s a flattering shape,” he commented as they began walking toward the backyard.
“Thank you,” Riley murmured. Her heart was pounding in her chest. When is he going to propose? I won’t be able to eat until he does! “Audrey Hepburn is my favorite actress and Breakfast at Tiffany’s is an amazing movie.”
“I agree,” Liam said as they approached a server with a tray full of champagne flutes.
Riley took in the sight before her. Liam had gone all out, and she knew it was for her. There were several white tents, all with three round tables underneath. The tables sported white, lace tablecloths. Each chair had a pink slip. There were vases in the middle filled with pink roses.
As Liam plucked two flutes from the tray, Riley approached an empty tent. There were nameplates, but she couldn’t make out names. Before she could proceed any further, Liam laced his arm with hers and pulled her away.
No need to spoil the last surprise of the evening, Liam thought. Amanda’s flight should be touching down any moment and she should be here just after sunset. Just in time to celebrate her daughter’s engagement!
Liam tugged Riley in the direction of people. “Do we have to?” She whined.
Liam laughed. “Yes, darling. If you’re going to be. Rhys, you must be good at politics.”
“How is talking to people politics?” Riley was still whiny.
Liam turned to Riley and kissed her on the cheek. “You must talk to people and figure out what they want from the way they look at you. For instance,” Liam subtly pointed at a woman next to a man, “That woman, Kiara, is trying to get a trade deal from Bertrand. Do you see how she leaned forward? She’s not interested, but she knows that if she butters him up just right, he’ll crack.”
Riley nodded, even though she wasn’t quite sure.
Liam chuckled. “It’s okay, love. You have an entire lifetime to figure it out. Ah, here we are,” he said as they approached a redhead. He leaned over and whispered, “Just remember, her bark is worse than her bite.”
The redhead looked up. “Liam! How good it is to see you!” Her eyes shifted to Riley. “And you must be the woman who stole his heart?”
Her tone was sniveling and it made Riley bristle. Riley smiled politely and stuck out her hand for Olivia to shake.
Olivia grasped it, hard, and pulled Riley in for a hug.
“If you break his heart, I’ll break your neck,” Olivia hissed.
Riley wrapped her arms around Olivia and squeezed a little too hard. “From what I heard, you’ve already broken his heart. Maybe I should break your neck?”
Riley pulled back and was rewarded with a stunned look on Olivia's face. Riley leaned in and whispered one last thing: “I’m from Brooklyn, Livvy. You’ll have to be scarier than that.”
She smiled brightly as Liam looked between the two of them. Riley shrugged and whisked off to find Hana.
“What was all that about, Olivia?” Liam demanded.
Olivia shook her head. “She’s not afraid of me, so I’ll give her that.” She smiled sadly at Liam. “She’s a great woman, Liam. I can already tell.”
Olivia turned and walked away.
Liam didn’t have time to ponder what was said because the sun was starting to dip in the sky.
His eyes wandered until they found Riley next to Hana, Maxwell, Bertrand, and Kiara.
Riley stormed up to Hana and finished her drink in one swig.
“Uh, what’s up, Ri?” Hana asked as her eyebrows shot up.
“Olivia’s a bitch.”
The lady that was talking to Bertrand laughed. “You could say that.” She gasped. “Oh, no! Where are my manners?” She smiled at Riley. “I’m Kiara Theron. I’m from Castelliarian.”
Kiara approached Riley to shake her hand.
“This is Bertrand and Maxwell Beaumont from Ramsford,” Kiara pointed at the brothers. Bertrand, too, stood forward to shake Riley’s hand but Maxwell hugged Riley.
Maxwell smiled. “I know Riley! We met at her job!”
Riley returned the hug. She liked Maxwell.
“So, Riley, what brings you to the south?” Bertrand asked.
“Just needed a new start, I guess,” Riley laughed. “Happened to find Liam in the process.”
The group chuckled.
“I think Liam found you, Riley,” Bertrand offered. “I’ve known him since the day he was born and I’ve never seen him like this.”
Riley looked Bertrand in the eye. She could tell he was being honest.
Just then, Liam approached. He greeted everyone before turning to Riley.
“I was wondering if I could steal a moment of your time?” Liam asked as he offered Riley his arm.
Riley smiled brightly as she set down her empty champagne flute. “You can’t steal what is freely given, Liam.”
“If you’ll excuse us,” Liam said to the group.
The couple walked in silence for a few minutes before Riley spoke.
“Where are we going?”
Liam smiled to himself. “You’ll see.”
“Brat.”
The only sound was of their feet on the ground.
They approached a path and Liam stopped, turned to Riley, and took her hand. “I have a surprise for you.”
Riley raised her eyebrows.
Liam held up a blindfold. “Put this on.”
Riley’s heart began pounding again. “You aren’t going to kill me, are you?” She squealed.
“What? No! Why would I—”
Liam could see the terror in her eyes. “Okay! it’s okay, Riley!” He wrapped her in his arms and waited for her to calm. “No blindfold. But you have to promise to keep your eyes shut.”
“Okay.”
Riley dutifully placed her hands over her eyes and Liam guided her down the path.
The candles were lit, the petals were scattered, and the lanterns were in place.
The sun had dipped just low enough to make the candles shine, but it was still high enough to see the water tower.
Liam guided Riley to the clearing. “Stay here and don’t open your eyes!”
“Okay.”
Liam pulled out his phone and confirmed the photographer and videographer were in place. He then lit the candles in the lanterns.
He was nervous. His heart was pounding. His hands were sweating— Ew! What? He thought as he wiped his hands on his pants. Come on, Liam. Get your act together.
He turned Riley so she faced the water tower.
“Riley, I’m going to be cheesy for a minute.”
Riley giggled. “Okay, then.”
Liam placed his hands on top of hers. “There’s an old song, “John Deere Green”, by Joe Diffie. It talks about two kids who fell in love at first sight.”
Riley was silent.
“Open your eyes,” Liam whispered as he took his hands from hers.
Riley’s mouth dropped open as she saw the water tower. “Liam, it’s—” she couldn’t find the words.
“Still not enough?” Liam offered.
Riley shook her head. “I love it. Thank you.” She stood on her toes to kiss Liam.
This time, it was not a chaste kiss. He held one arm behind her back and one hand was on her head. He kissed her deeply and passionately.
Riley pulled back, breathless. She smiled at him.
“While that song reminds me of us, and helped inspire tonight, that isn’t our song,” Liam said with a smile.
“Oh, and what is our song?”
“500 Miles”,” Liam stated. “I would walk 500 miles And I would walk 500 more just to be the man who falls down at your door,” Liam sang quietly.
A tear streaked down Riley’s cheek.
“There’s more, Riley,” Liam whispered as he took Riley’s hand. “I loved you from the moment I saw you at the store.”
Riley blushed. “I’m still sorry about the soda.”
“Don’t be, love,” Liam murmured. “I knew that you were supposed to be in my life that day. As the fates would have it, you were my waitress on the night that Leo and I decided to do what was best for our family.
“Riley, Leo and I had decided that we would marry whoever was the best for our family. We would marry the person who could help our farm. Madeleine was born for this life— she could be a queen in another life. And you, Riley? You surprised me when you helped me with that horse.
“You have surprised me at every turn, Riley. First, you agree to go out on a date, and then, you help a man you barely know foal a horse. You agree to a second date. And then, when I told you how soon I had to be married, you took it in stride.”
Liam counted the reasons on his fingers.
“I can only hope to be half the man you deserve, Riley.”
He placed Riley’s hands back over her eyes and moved them so that the photographer could see the lanterns behind them before he got down on one knee. “Keep your hands over your eyes,” Liam whispered.
Riley nodded.
Liam got down on one knee, ring in hand, and began singing again:
“When I wake up, well I know I'm gonna be.
I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you.
When I go out, yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you.”
More tears fell from Riley’s eyes.
“Open your eyes, Riley.”
Riley’s eyes Snapped open and she saw Liam before her. Happy tears streamed freely.
“Riley, I promise you that I will love you with everything I have for the rest of my life. If you let me.”
Riley held her breath.
“Riley Alexandra Brooks, will you marry me?”
Perma
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John Deere Green
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#trr riley brooks#the royal romance#trr liam rys#trr mc x liam#riley brooks#pixelberry#trr#trr drake walker#trr liam#choices#trr riam#trr riley brooks x liam rys#trr riley x liam#trr liam x riley#trr liam x mc#liam rhys x riley#liam rhys x riley brooks#flutistbyday writes#trr john deere green#flutistbyday john deere green
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My Reaction to “Peter Pan: Return to Neverland”
OK... here’s the thing. I have actually never really seen the entirety of this movie. If I have, I don’t remember it.
I’ve seen the ending where Pan meets adult Wendy but not much else. Plus, my brother and I ended up watching the original movie like twice in a span of 24 hours so I thought it was high time to watch the sequel.
So here we go!
Oh I like the opening music for the Disney logo!
*Logo suddenly turns into clouds* Harry Potter?
Wait I forgot they replaced the crocodile in this movie with the octopus. Why couldn’t they bring back the crocodile?
Guys, I’ve done 2D animation for a while to the point where I can do a lot of it. I miss Disney’s 2D animated movies
Wendy!
“I’ll always believe in you, Peter Pan!” Oh that is definitely NOT Kathryn Beaumont
*sighs* Wait I forgot this was made in the early 2000s
Who voices Jane’s dad? Is that Jeff Glen Bennett?
AN: Some dude named Roger Rees
*jaw drops* This takes place during World War 2...
“What is it, Nana Two?” That is the laziest name for a dog
This movie just took a real dark turn real quick
“Here we go. Into the bomb shelter.” Then a group of kids is gonna swarm the house and it’s that one episode of Doctor Who
The animation definitely feels more cartoonish
The British accents for this movie are just ALL over the place
I just realized that Danny’s shadow looks exactly like Peter Pan
And that’s a great transition
“The evil Captain Hook!” Wait who voices Captain Hook in this movie?
I do like the sort of angle they’re doing for Jane: she has to grow up quick because her father is away for war and she has to take care of her mom and brother no matter what. Therefore she has to be practical in what she does and see everything realistically but she forgets that yeah she still is a kid
*Daniel starts crying with the zoom in* Oh God please don’t do that
God these pop songs...
Imagine if this song was sung by JANE in this scene and was slower and more dramatic
CGI seagulls?
OH that shot of the ship over Jane’s house!
WAIT I REMEMBER THIS SCENE FROM THE TRAILER! This is a great sequence!
Can we talk about the utter clash of aesthetics for this scene? We have freaking pirates and then on top of that, we hear the air raid sirens and they fly by freaking German bomber planes!
KALEIDOSCOPE TIME!
Wait who voices Smee? Is that John Fiedler?
AN: Nope, that’s also Jeff Glen Bennett
That’s Jim Cummings as the big pirate with the pink shirt!
*laughs when they use a bowling pin sound effect when all the pirates crash against the deck*
They keep using honking noises whenever someone boops someone else’s nose
That is an ugly ass octopus. And a huge mothereffer
What am I watching
MORE HEART SHAPED PATTERN BOXERS!
WHO BROUGHT THE CAT AND CHICKENS ON DECK?!?
She [Jane] just decked him [Peter] in the face!
49 years later and Peter still has those janky ass eyebrows
I like the facial animation for Jane actually
The mermaids!
“She’s just jealous. All girls get like that around me.” Oh really?
I forgot they gave all the Lost Boys names!
Hahaha they just named the Twins “The Twins”
*loses it when one of the Lost Boys does the sign of the cross with his fingers toward Jane*
That octopus just said “boy oh boy”
What the hell kind of massage treatment is this?!?
*giggles when Hook just ZIPS backwards in a blur*
“At least the crocodile had manners.” Yeah what happened to him?
They’re really just amping up the jealousy for Tinker Bell in this movie
*jams silently to the Britannica theme then stops when Jane’s raft abruptly submerges*
These ominous shots of Hook and his crew are great
“I [Jane] can’t fly!” Just give her the pixie dust
*loses it when we get a Jane-shaped hole in the ground*
So uh shout out to Jane for being like what... ten years old... and she knows how to build a proper fire in the middle of the woods
There is just... so much spit
Is that Corey Burton as Captain Hook?
AN: Yes
*not really sure what to think of Captain Hook putting on an act in front of Jane*
“Me? Harm Peter Pan? Perish the thought!” That line delivery was great
Hey yeah remember that this movie threatens to kill off Tinker Bell and takes place in the real world during the London Blitz? Great times!
*giggles* He just- he just lifts up the freaking puddle!
Oh we’re getting a song aren’t we?
This is like “If I Can Learn to Do It” from “Anastasia” except it’s sung by a group of rowdy boys
And the treasure’s right there. Of course.
OH THE FLUTE!
“The treasure is ours!” HonDO OHnAKA?!?
“I promised I wouldn’t harm a single hair on his head. And- THIS IS THE ONE I WON’T HARM! Here, you keep it.” Oh that’s cold.
Wait, Hook knows where the hideout is. Why doesn’t he just uproot the whole tree?
Oh this stupid song coming back in...
Why hasn’t @practicalfolks done a drunk reaction for this? They did the first movie I think.
“Hey, he’s like a pinata!” Was that Cheech Marin?
I’m sorry, hey, the moment was cute but uh... stuff going on?
*under my breath* Oh my God this octopus...
Imagine if this sequel had the balls to kill off Captain Hook
So this octopus just freaking hates everyone. And I hate it.
Well this movie went by real quickly
AN: And I’m writing up an anthropology paper the same time I’m typing out this reaction post so MULTI-TASKING
HOLD ON THERE’S A VERSION WITH JASON ISAACS AS HOOK?!? SIGN ME THE EFF UP!
Man this scene [between adult Wendy and Peter] still holds up
Kudos to the voice actor for Peter too. He’s great.
AN: He’s voiced by someone named Blayne Weaver
CAPTAIN AMERICA’S SHIELD ON TOP OF THE ARMY JEEP HOOD!
Ooh! Alternate ending where Jane stays! Boom!
OH MY GOD THE END CREDITS SONG
Oh they actually got kids to play all the Lost Boys! That’s cool!
*Credits include a thank you to J.M. Barrie and the copyright they got for the original movie* That’s nice of them to include that
#the blogger reacts#peter pan#Disney#peter pan 2#return to neverland#corey burton#captain hook#kathryn beaumont#jim cummings#jm barrie
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𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐒 && 𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 && 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒;;;
As with a lot of people, I also have taken the liberty to make some changes to the canon shown in The Rise of Skywalker. I have been thinking about various of these changes for quite a while now and I genuinely hope they make sense at the end of the day as I am far more comfortable with this than what’s been given to us in canon. I respect anyone and their choice and this shall be mine. Under the cut all those changes, alterations and added details as well as thoiughts can be found. Please take a moment to read them.
➤ First and foremost because this needs to be said: My Rey is 𝐍𝐎𝐓 a Palpatine!! There is no relation between her and Palpatine; not by blood or in any other way!! For plot details view further below but in terms of family, this is 𝐍𝐎𝐓 a thing and never will be.
➤ Furthermore, I have come to the decision that my Rey is going to be a 𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐁𝐈. There will be a post further detailing why and how in the future because there are some details I’d like to work out about it. In the case that a Kenobi (be it Obi-Wan or someone else) is not okay with this, Rey will just be Rey from Nowhere/Rey of Jakku!!
➤ Since the movie has failed to highlight this: While Rey was training over the year in between TLJ and TROS, she has in fact come to see many of the Resistance as her friends. This includes Connix as well as Rose, while having also found to hold highest regards for some of the commanding staff such as Commander D’Acy.
➤ While speaking of time: I felt the time frame the movie worked in was rather short. I believe it was mentioned at some point that from the time they decode the message until the actual attacks it is about sixteen hours? That, to me personally, seems like a very, very short time frame to do all the things that were done in the movie and while I still think that they had to act and react in a limited time frame, I personally will see the time a bit more stretched than mere sixteen hours.
➤ Rey did 𝐍𝐎𝐓 let Beaumont Kin translate the Jedi texts. That was, in my eyes, a huge waste on C3PO and while I do not doubt that she’d have accepted outside help, her primary advisor on the Jedi texts was C3PO. I am more than willing to write out potential things in case someone makes a Beaumont but my primary idea will base on C3PO!!
➤ The Force bond is very much still a thing and has popped up every now and then over the year with Rey trying her best to avoid the whole thing but not quite capable of doing so all the time. There is a sliver of hope inside her that this can still turn toward the good but her focus lies with the resistance as she has come to see them as family. Part of her is disappointed to a degree; but she is very much unsure if her disappointment lies with Ben for choosing Kylo Ren and power or with herself for having gotten her hopes up so high with him.
➤ On the topic of calling Ben ‘Ren’ or ‘Kylo Ren’: Rey sees him and always will see him as Ben so when she talks with Leia or thinks about him, he is Ben to her. When talking to him, he is Ben. But with the fact that not everyone knows that Kylo Ren is Ben Solo, she has opted to call him Ren from time to time while talking with people from the resistance simply because she respects that in her eyes it is not her story to tell; Rey respects Leia’s choice of not going about sharing the origin story of Kylo Ren. I don’t know if this makes sense; I genuinely hope it does. In the end, Ben is Ben in her eyes.
➤ Because I don’t want to neglect the fact that at the end of TLJ Kylo Ren claimed that Rey had killed Snoke, I will have this be part of the reason as to why Rey was spending so much time at the restance base and with her training. The training was needed but being someone accused of the murder of the former Supreme leader sure has put a target on her back. Rey does go on smaller missions every now and then though. She 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒𝐍'𝐓 just sit around the base without ever helping!! This is important; Rey is someone who refuses to sit by idly and while training her is very much important, she would insist on coming along every now and then.
➤ The decoded message from the spy claims that it is Snoke that returned or rather, was never dead to begin with and has a whole fleet of star destroyers ready to set out and take the galaxy by force. Please read below for further information about this as I am not going with the Palpatine route at all unless discussed and even then, very unlikely to happen.
➤ 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐍 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄: The villain in this story is 𝐍𝐎𝐓 Palpatine. While I absolutely adore the villain of Palpatine, he is dead and should have remained as such. The movie absolutely didn’t do any favors to that character and since I feel that it does an injustice to various things and I feel that Snoke was entirely underused, the villain in this case -- (UNLESS DISCUSSED) is Snoke who has been on Exegol all along. In this case Snoke was an apprentice of Palpatine (potentially). As a former apprentice as well as someone who spent the last decades studying the dark side, he is very much capable of creating a second shape for himself. Perhaps via projection or cloning and that is what Ben killed during the throne room fight. In this case Snoke reveals himself in a twist of things. (Note: If you do insist on Palpatine, I will respect that but note that Rey will under no circumstances be his granddaughter).
➤ The fact that Poe, Finn and the others are coming along with her on the mission of finding the sith wayfinder means the world to her. While she hates the idea of risking anyone’s life but her own, she also has come to cherish these people and respects that they have to make their own choices.
➤ The events leading up to Pasaana are very much the same. They arrived, shortly after Rey has a force bond moment in which their location is revealed through a necklace. They try to escape and end up finding the hints they’d been looking for. Rey does heal the creature, already giving a bit of her life force. Chewie gets captured and when she sees a transporter leaving for the star destroyer, she panics and tries to fight for it, desperately trying to bring it back down. There will 𝐍𝐎𝐓 be any force lightning. Rey may carry around darkness but she is not a proper dark side user!! In the end it is the mix of power and emotion as well as desperation to free Chewie from the First Order that brings Rey to the point where the transporter explodes. She truly believes that she is to blame for it and the assumed death of Chewie.
➤ After that incident, her emotions are heightened. There is fear and anger and sadness over what she’s done, or rather believes to have done to, Chewie. This only makes her partially pull back. She does confide in Poe and Finn that she is terrified and feels as though something inside of her is changing. She admits to the visions she’s had about the dark side and the throne and sitting upon it.
➤ On this note: Rey very much does have visions and dreams except they’ve been getting stronger and more vivid over the year that had passed. I consider this both her manifestation of fear as well as meddling from Snoke.
➤ They still make their way to Kijimi and meet up with people of Poe’s (I personally find the spice runner story absolutely horrible but this is up to Poe muns) past. They decode the contents, the events still happen and eventually Rey senses that Chewie is still alive. This much follows canon. On the ship itself, be it via Ben or via data she finds, Rey is lead to believe that she is a child from a bloodline of dark force users and that her parents ran to protect her, sold her to protect her. While the initial abondment still stings, partially fuelling her emotions, there is also a new found feeling of knowing that they did in fact care for her to the point where they chose to sacrifice themselves so that she may live.
➤ Rey runs to reunite with the others but is cornered. The offer to join the dark side is made once more but she turns it down and leaves to find the wayfinder with the others.
➤ Upon arrival on the planet, there is tension within Rey as she fears that time is running out. Being the impulsive, emotional kind but also not wanting to put her friends at risk within the ruins of the Death Star, she makes her way across the ocean but immensely struggles with the waves before finally making her way there.
➤ Upon the Death Star, after finding the second wayfinder, Rey’s emotions have come to hit a critical amount. The vision she sees of herself on the dark side, mixed in with more visions of what could be, are so intense that she is shaken to the core with anger, frustration and fear. It only makes her desire to find her way to Exegol that much stronger. When Ben crushes the wayfinder, her emotions bubble over and in a moment of anger she trikes at him. Rey is a very emotion based person and so the fight with Ben is a mess of her emotions coming to the surface in such a strong manner that it isn’t until she stabs him and feels Leia ( I am purposely leaving this vague) that she snaps out of it. Rey has a dark side as much as she has a light side and all though she identifies more with her light side, I will very much acknowledge that there is also darkness. I hope this makes some sense. If not, feel free to let me know.
➤ After stabbing him and healing him, Rey admits to having wanted to take that hand but points out that for her it was always about Ben and not Kylo Ren. While I see potential for them to talk more, with her remarking that she feels as though she doesn’t even know herself anymore - the potential for the ‘But I do’ line, she ends up leaving him there and making her way off the planet because in that moment her mind is filled with too many emotions for her to handle.
➤ As to how the healing happens; I personally had to think of a moment in Clone Wars in which The Daughter gave her life force to Ahsoka to bring her back from the dead. Somehow along with that and the fact that Ben and Rey are a dyad in the force, I could see either of them capable of such an act; a pure thing of giving and taking - balance combined with a very light force ability. I do truly hope that my thinking makes sense. However; I will never see this ability to just be used on everything all the time. I also definitely think that it takes a greater toll out of whoever uses it, when untrained, hence the energy drain shown.
➤ After leaving she goes to Ahch-To, searching for a moment to rest and figure out what to do. Ahch-To is a place that she considers calming to the mind. The same time it seems like the perfect place to hide away in exile. The idea crosses her mind and just as she is about to set fire to her way off the island, Luke turns up. It is through Luke that she finds out that the information about her heritage was false and that truly is a Kenobi and despite her wavering in the force between light and dark, her heart is in the right place. (In a thread with a Luke this of course up to the mun!!) She still receives Leia’s saber (or perhaps even Obi-Wan’s ? I would love to have a thread like that tbh ) and leaves for Exegol, intend on stopping Snoke with new found strength and knowledge.
➤ Rey arrives of Exegol and immediately storms in, knowing the resistance is on their way. Her movements are hurried as she is both nervous and driven by emotion but intend on killing Snoke and doing what she’d been accused of having done a year ago. There is a lot that goes into this and Snoke does still tempt her with belonging and of course the safety of all those she holds dear, showing her the resistance that has arrived and is struggling in the sky above them. It is then that she feels Ben’s presence (or perhaps they arrived together - at the same time, up to the mun) and eventually, through the force bond, hands him the second saber.
➤ They eventually join up together, ready to fight Snoke who is revealed to be far more powerful than previously assumed just based on the fact that his scheming is revealed. Their bond is a bond in the force itself, a dyad and not something created by him or any other living being. It is revealed that he knew and was just aiming to use them for his purposes. He begins zapping the life force they hold between them and begins to drain them to the point where they collapse. They lie defeated for a moment but call out to the Jedi of the past, both connecting with them. ‘Be with Us’ instead of ‘Be with me’.
➤ The voice of past Jedi come flooding to them, chanting them on, telling them they can do it as a thousand generations of Jedi live on in them now, granting them the strength to lift up and face Snoke once more, stopping his lightning. Ben eventually is thrown into the abyss, with Rey worried for a second before having to face Snoke again, this time eventually summoning Ben’s saber to aid her, claiming that while he may be all the Sith, they are all the Jedi (referring to herself and Ben) and ends up frying him with his own, reflected lightning. The temple begins to break down around them.
➤ There is a moment of peace after the fight in which the dust settles and Rey looks up to the sky, now no longer filled with lightning but the resistance that is getting ready to crush the First Order/Last Order. There is relief before she turns toward the pit that Ben got thrown into. The idea crosses her mind to move toward it and see if he is okay but before that she collapses from her injuries and exhaustion from overextended force usage; her last thoughts being of Ben, Finn, Poe and the resistance - hoping they will all be happy and fine from here on out.
➤ Rey 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 die after the fight! That is very much still a thing. I feel that if you combine everything she’s gone through -- from healing Ben and the creature in the desert, to the fact that her life force had been zapped and the fact that the temple around them is collapsing -- she is simply exhausted and hurt. With the knowledge that the resistance is safe, Rey considers this a sacrifice worth making. Exhaustion and having your life force zapped can take one hell of toll on you; in my eyes, anyway. Not to mention the fact that she did have a head wound at the end which I think is rather realistic considering the fact that the temple was quite literally falling down around them.
➤ Ben Solo does 𝐍𝐎𝐓 die or rather does 𝐍𝐎𝐓 remain dead!! I will of course leave it up to the Ben muns out there whether he gets help from his family’s force ghosts or if he never dies to begin with. There may be exception threads in which, after discussion, I will write Ben as having died 𝐁𝐔𝐓 those will be far and few in between. A very, very rare occurrence as I personally think Ben shouldn’t have died but gotten a chance to work on things.
➤ While I personally consider the kiss between them a canon thing, I will not assume that it happened unless the Ben mun is alright with it. It was a moment of relief and happiness so I very much think it is realistic to have happened.
➤ They leave Exegol together, both alive but weakened. There is a lot to rebuild and Rey intends to do her best to let the galaxy know that they are safe once more. Whether Ben comes along to the resistance or not is up to the Ben mun of course. Either way there is a lot to talk about between the two of them and all the others.
➤ Rey does indeed end up making her own lightsaber in the warmest orange; as happy and radiant as the sun itself because it reflects her inner values and ideas (I will make a proper post on that eventually; I just have a lot of thoughts on the matter). It
➤ Months pass in which Rey trains harder, with Ben (up to the mun) but eventually decides that it is time to lay the sabers (depending on what route to go with, this means either Leia’s, the legacy saber and Obi-Wan’s or just Luke and Leia’s) to rest. They travel to Tatooine, retrieving a flask of sand outside the Lars homestead before making their way to Naboo. Based on what they both know and learned, they bury the sabers along with the vial of sand (representing the beginning) and something representing Alderaan in a small grave with a memorial stone near the lake of Varykino. Rey does not take the name Skywalker but instead acknowledges that she is a Kenobi, intending to tell the tales of the legend of Skywalker, intending to let the name itself rise as something good across the galaxy once more. If any living soul is someone to rise as Skywalker it is Ben, as in Ben Solo rising as the heir to a Skywalker legacy.
Thank you, to heartsabered!! For letting me read through hers for guidance.
#tros spoilers#a broadcast for the galaxy ✖ { psa }#the rise of skywalker spoilers#this got wordy#i apologize for that#i tried to keep this as rey focused as i can as this is not me trying to write for someone else's character#know that i love all the characters out there tho so#feel free to let me know your thoughts
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That’s not why I’m staying (1)
Life of the party
Book: The Royal Romance, Book 2
Pairing: Drake Walker x Amara Suarez
Rating: some foul language, some extremely suggestive, and a steamy scene right at the beginning. This is absolutely NOT appropriate for people under 18. This also alludes to disturbing content about consent. No assault scene, but allusions are present.
Word count: about 5,000
Notes: Welcome to my version of Book 2! This picks up pretty much where we left off, the day after the Decision Ball, starting with Amara’s POV. This contains some plot, but mostly lots of fluff. I guess I needed it, after the drama-packed end of Book 1… But don’t worry, drama will come back eventually ;)
*****
Amara smiles softly as she sees Drake’s eyes open ever so slightly. She’s been up a while, and barely got any sleep, but she doesn’t care. Her heart is full, and her mind is determined. She warms her hands on the cup of coffee she snuck up from downstairs, and takes a sip.
‘Babe?’ Drake calls for her as he opens his eyes with difficulty.
‘I’m here,’ she says, walking back towards the bed to embrace him.
‘Hmm,’ he murmurs, leaning into her kiss. ‘You smell like coffee.’
She chuckles. ‘Want some?’
‘Please.’
Amara snuggles up to Drake as he sips from her cup. There, she thinks, that’s what she wants. This level of intimacy, forever. Drake puts down the cup and, now with two free hands, pulls her in for a warm hug.
‘I’m so glad we’re here,’ he whispers.
She smiles. So is she, at the end of the day. What was she thinking? Last night, they ended up celebrating so loudly that they woke Hana up, and she joined the five of them downstairs for lots of hugging and some champagne. When was the last time Amara had felt this much warmth in a room? Besides from her dad and Nancy, and of course Mia, over the past two years… not much.
She kisses Drake more deeply, and asks, ‘So… now that we just have to wait for the engagement tour to start, what are we gonna do with our time?’
Drake laughs. ‘Wow, I don’t know… a whole five days just to ourselves? Pff, problems problems…’
He kisses her neck, and Amara leans into the moment, taking in every second. She needs to remember this. The good. For when it becomes tough again, inevitably. She needs to soak it all in.
Drake hoists himself up until he’s on top of her, and she sees the familiar glimmer in his eyes. The want, the tenderness, the sheer adoration… all of it, all together. Everything he feels for her, everything she feels for him in return.
Amara’s breath catches. Does she deserve all this? This wonderful man, always there for her, even when he knows all of her flaws, all of her mistakes? Maybe not all yet, the voice in her head says. Maybe he will still have a few surprises.
She shakes it off. Stop being so insecure, she thinks. Don’t create problems where there are none, not now.
‘You ok?’ Drake asks, in between kisses.
She nods. Of course she’s ok. She’s with him, right here, right now, and that’s all that matters. She needs to silence that bitch voice in her head, pestering her with self-doubt that she really, really doesn’t need.
‘I’m great,’ she smiles, before kissing him some more.
He smiles back. ‘You’re so beautiful,’ he whispers. ‘I love you, Amara.’
His lips go down, and down, and trace a loving path from her neck to her breasts, then to her stomach… ‘I love you too,’ she whispers.
His lips are between her legs now, making her shiver like he knows how to do so well. Her back arches, and he kisses her core passionately, like there’s no tomorrow. She moans quietly, until she can’t keep it in anymore and needs a pillow to muffle her scream. ‘Fuck,’ she laughs breathlessly. ‘Drake, that was so good…’
He smiles broadly. ‘At your service, Suarez.’
She chuckles and guides him back on top of her. He lets out a low groan, almost a purr, as she wraps her legs around him and presses herself onto his length. In less than a few seconds, he’s already teasing her entrance with the tip of his cock, and she can’t wait to have him all to herself again.
*****
‘Wow,’ Drake says as he lies back down. ‘You really know how to start the day, Suarez.’
Amara laughs. Drake wonders if he’s ever heard anything more entrancing than her laugh. ‘Shower and coffee?’ She asks.
He nods. ‘Please. I can already hear the commotion downstairs, Max is definitely up to no good.’
Amara cups her ear and listens carefully. ‘Um… Drake?’ She grabs his arm and bursts into laughter. ‘Is that a goat?’
Drake clearly makes out a bleating sound. He can’t contain his laughter either. ‘Sure sounds like it. Alright, let’s get in the shower so we can investigate this, Detective.’
*****
Amara isn’t surprised to see a baby goat in the living room, but she can’t help but squeal anyway. ‘Oh my God Maxxie, what did you do?’ She screams as she joins Hana in petting the small, delighted animal.
Maxwell pours coffee for Amara and Drake, shrugging. ‘I went to the Farmer’s Market this morning in Ramsford, I wanted to show Michael, and get some produce. My favorite vendor, Gustavo, was there, and he was selling baby goats. I thought this little guy would be a good companion for my peacocks and our two sheep.’
Amara’s eyes widen, the little goat’s head in her arms. ‘Hold up. You have sheep?’
Maxwell giggles. ‘Yeah! Have I never told you? I have five sheep, in the back of the property, they live with the peacocks, and our property manager, Silvio, takes care of them full time! Have I never told you, Little Blossom?’
Amara laughs, ‘No, you certainly have not. Can we please see them today? What are their names?’
Maxwell gloats in anticipation. ‘Well, there’s five of them, right? So, I named them Bobby, Jonathan, Antoni, Karamo, and Tan. Some of them are girls but you know, gender’s a construct.’
Hana and Amara share a look, and both burst out laughing. ‘That’s the most hilarious thing I’ve ever heard,’ Hana says, wiping a tear.
Maxwell beams. ‘Right? So, what are we gonna name this little guy?’
Drake, coffee mug in hand, squats to pet the goat, and Amara can’t help but notice the wide grin on his face as he plants a little kiss on the goat’s forehead. ‘It has to be an awesome name, as handsome as this little fella, you know. We can’t name him something boring, this guy deserves the best name.’
Amara gasps. ‘I know! I have the perfect, handsomest name ever.’
Hana smiles. ‘What is it, babe?’
Amara looks the goat in the eye and solemnly declares. ‘Bradley Cooper. His name has to be Bradley Cooper.’
Drake almost chokes on his coffee and Michael laughs wholeheartedly. ‘I see the obsession is still going on,’ he says.
Amara shrugs. ‘Not an obsession. Just the recognition of the best actor of his generation, y’know.’
Drake raises an eyebrow. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I like the guy, but… we’re talking about the man who starred in The Hangover, babe. Think about that. Think about how terribly this movie has aged. Think about Ken Jeong emerging from the trunk. Think about Bradley Cooper’s line when they’re waiting for Ed Helms outside of his apartment.’
Amara thinks for a second, and shrugs. ‘It’s not like Bradley wrote the movie, Drake.’
Drake throws his hands up. ‘I give up. Max?’
Maxwell grins widely. ‘It’s perfect. Welcome to the world, Bradley Cooper-Beaumont. We love you.’
*****
‘So? What did you think of the Fab Five?’ Maxwell asks anxiously.
‘They’re soooo sweet and so cuddly,’ Amara exclaims.
Hana nods. ‘I love how they just run towards you as soon as you get there, and how they instantly adopted Bradley Cooper!’
Drake chuckles. ‘Will I get used to that goat’s name, ever?’
Michael pats his back. ‘Let time work its magic, Drake. It shall pass.’
They both laugh. Amara smiles at the sight of her friends and family getting along, and without even realizing it, reaches for her phone in her pocket. Still no texts. Well, some from her dad, with whom she’s been texting since he woke up, but none from anyone else. Her heart sinks a bit. She contemplates writing another, but she promptly gives up. She doesn’t want to stalk her, either.
Drake swoops in from behind her and grabs her hand. ‘Whatcha doing?’ He asks, all the while knowing exactly what she’s doing.
Amara shrugs and squeezes his hand tight. ‘Nothing. Checking my phone.’
Drake brings her hand to his lips and kisses it. ‘She’ll come around. She’s stubborn as fuck, but if there’s one person who can do no wrong in her eyes, it’s you, Suarez.’
She smiles faintly. ‘I don’t know about that.’
*****
Olivia turns her phone over, one more time, and when she sees nothing on the screen, turns it face down again. She takes another sip of coffee and a bite of her eggs, angrily.
‘Still mad?’ Rashad asks as he plants a kiss on the top of her head.
Olivia shrugs. ‘I’m not mad. It’s just funny how the bitch thinks my advice is shit when I deliver it, and then two hours later, she decides to do what I told her to do.’
Rashad raises an eyebrow. ‘So...you’re mad that she took your advice? I don’t follow.’
Liv rolls her eyes. ‘You’re pretending not to follow. It’s annoying.’
He chuckles. ‘Well, you’re right, I’m following. I just don’t understand your logic.’
She snorts. ‘No one does.’
Rashad thinks for a second and takes her hand. She doesn’t flinch. ‘Liv, I think you’re mad at her out of principle. But think about it. She went through something shitty last night, and had a gut reaction. Can you blame her?’
She shrugs again. ‘Yes.’
Rashad chuckles. ‘Alright. I guess you can.’ He starts pulling his hand away, but Olivia holds on to it, without meeting his eye.
She sighs. ‘For the record,’ she says, looking down at her cup of black coffee, ‘I didn’t come here because I needed you. I’ve wanted this for a while, now we’ve finally boned, end of story.’
Rashad’s smile falters. ‘End of story?’ He asks worriedly.
Olivia bites her lip. That’s not what she meant. At all. Fuck, how is she going to spin that one without seeming too eager? ‘You know what I mean,’ she says. ‘I mean that I don’t want to talk about that whole Suarez shit. I know what you’re thinking, that I came to you because I was sad or whatever.’
Rashad shrugs, a shadow still over his eyes. ‘Honestly, Liv, I’m glad you came to me, and I just hope you don’t regret us having sex for the first time in these circumstances.’
She snorts. Why does he have to be such a good guy? She needed comfort last night, that’s true. Not that she would admit it, but she did. She felt betrayed by Suarez, who she considered to be...ugh, not worth putting words onto it. She takes a deep breath. ‘I’m fine. And, if you must know, it was fucking hot. No regrets here.’
He smiles a little and digs into his eggs.
She did fucking love it. They did need to break the tension. No regrets.
Still, it feels a bit...anticlimactic. Is it how it feels to have sex with someone you actually like? Sure, she had sex with Liam many, many times over the years, and ugh, boy, did she have feelings there. But he was unavailable. It was noncommittal.
Here and now, as they share breakfast, and she’s wearing no makeup, while Rashad looks as comfortable as ever in his sweatpants, Liv can’t help but feel… too safe?
Maybe she’ll tell Suarez about it, sometime, when she stops hating her guts.
Who doesn’t listen to Olivia Motherfucking Nevrakis?
*****
Liam hasn’t slept. At all. He watches the sun rise on his country, as he sits on his balcony in his boxers and dress shirt from last night, his head full of regret. He replays the events from after Leo left last night, in his head, and cringes at the memory.
Madeleine getting impatient and knocking on the door of his study. Their small talk. His discomfort. Her advances.
His attempts to create a diversion by offering her a drink. Her insistence at having a nightcap in his suite.
The knot in his throat as he caved.
His inability to say no any further.
It would have been suspicious if he had said no, right? She would have known he was up to something. She needs to feel comfortable and safe if they want to successfully investigate her and break the engagement. Right?
He swallows his saliva, and takes a hesitant peek in his bedroom, through the French windows. She’s still sleeping, soundly, sprawled in his bed.
He had believed her. Like an idiot, he was convinced that she was the only one who still cared about him. Until the ball, until his stupid eyes were open by the picture of Amara’s assault.
He closes his eyes tight. It’s not a big deal, right? Everyone forces themselves to do things they don’t want to do, sometimes.
Even that. Even something that you’re supposed to completely want.
Right?
*****
Drake stands in front of the stove, and flips the pan expertly. He can get used to this: cooking for his friends, with his girl keeping him company. Amara is sitting on the counter next to him, and playing with the ingredients as they chat about life.
‘This is gonna be so good,’ she says. ‘Have you made this before?’
Drake chuckles. ‘Sausage and peppers? Of course. It was a staple of the Walker household.’
She smiles. Is there anything more heartwarming than her smile? He thinks not. ‘Did you cook for your family, always?’ she asks.
He shrugs. ‘I did, sometimes. Dad was always in charge of grilling and he taught me how to take care of meat and fish. I love cooking fish above everything else. It’s delicate, precise, and so satisfying when you get it right. Mom was more into baking, and making hearty dishes like mac and cheese. Efficient stuff when you’ve got two kids that you need to feed quickly.’ He laughs. ‘And boy, did we need to be fed. Sav and I were always big eaters.’
Amara smiles a bit wider. ‘That’s really sweet. So were we. I remember Mom making chilaquiles, and Sergio and I were so impatient to eat them that we would literally wait in front of her. She’d roll her eyes and be like ‘Chiquitos, you’re not gonna make me cook any faster.’ When she baked, it was the same. I’d just stare at the oven hoping it would bake faster.’
Drake steps away from the stove to plant a sweet kiss on her lips. He loves when she shares memories like that. They both need it. ‘Did your mom cook mostly Mexican specialties?’ he asks.
‘I’d say half and half. She liked hearty American food like your mom, too! And my dad, well he grew up in Pennsylvania with Puerto Rican parents, so his comfort food is a mix of both.’
Drake smiles. ‘Sounds delicious. You’ll have to tell me about your favorites and I’ll find recipes.’
She gasps excitedly. ‘I could even send you my mom’s. Sergio and my Dad numerized her cookbook years ago, because when she passed away, they both picked up the slack in the kitchen and wanted to remember her this way.’
Drake’s heart pangs. ‘That’s such a sweet initiative. I’d love to see some of her recipes. I’ll try to cook Marisol-style!’ he says excitedly.
Amara’s smile that ensues could melt Drake’s cold heart, if it wasn’t completely melted already, all because of her. She says in a breathy voice, ‘I’d love nothing more, babe.’
‘Hey guys, need any help?’ Michael asks as he walks in. ‘I guess I mean...Drake, need any help, as Amara just stares at you without helping at all?’
Amara giggles and throws a dish rag at him. ‘I’m here for moral support!’
Drake chuckles. ‘I’m all good, but you can look in the fridge if anything appeals to you. Max bought a bunch of food this morning, in between buying farm animals, y’know.’
Michael laughs. ‘Yeah, full disclosure, I was with him, and I could have stopped him but...the goat was too cute.’ He reaches for a bunch of radishes and a head of lettuce in the fridge. ‘And to be perfectly honest, it felt good to be out and about in a very normal setting. No sash people, no viscounts and dukes and whatever, but just a farmers market.’
Drake smiles. ‘I feel ya. Well, in this case, we should all go out tonight, somewhere in Ramsford. Suarez, what do you say?’
Amara joins her hands together. ‘Yes! It would be awesome! Plus, Michael’s only here for a few more days, we need to make them count.’
Michael makes an excited face as he washes the lettuce. ‘Seriously? That would be great. A normal place with normal food?’
Drake looks at Amara with a victorious look on his face. ‘My man,’ he says softly, pointing at Michael. ‘Yes, a normal place and all. Ramsford is good for that. We’ll see what Max recommends, I have a few favorite places but he knows more.’
Michael smiles widely. ‘He is the life of the party.’
Amara chuckles. ‘Oh, you’ve noticed?’
*****
Drake’s lunch is a success, as always. Amara enjoys every bite, as well as conversation with her friends. Even Bertrand is in good spirits, and got over the whole goat debacle quickly. He doesn’t like when Maxwell spends money, but ever since they stopped paying off Albert the blackmailer, they are a bit more comfortable.
Hana nods excitedly at Maxwell’s suggestions for bars and restaurants. ‘That sounds so great!’ she exclaims. ‘We’re all going, right?’ she asks, looking at Bertrand.
He chuckles. ‘It’s really sweet of you to include me, Hana, but I think with all this um… drama, as you youths say it, I need to get some rest tonight.’
Amara rolls her eyes. ‘Us youths? Bertrand, you’re barely older than Michael. Calm down.’
Bertrand smiles. ‘I suppose so. But Amara, with everything we’ve been through, I just want to be in my robe and relax.’
Amara nods. ‘I don’t blame you. Your robe looks very comfortable and, most importantly, has a lot of tassels.’
Bertrand blushes. ‘Um, yes, indeed it does.’
Maxwell bites his lips to stop laughter from coming out. ‘Alright, let’s leave Grandpa Tassel alone tonight then, but Bertrand, we’re not taking no for an answer tomorrow, we’re doing something. We need to enjoy Michael’s company while he’s here.’
Bertrand nods solemnly. ‘Yes, you’re right. We need to honor our guest.’
Michael smiles facetiously and makes quick eye contact with Maxwell. ‘Thank you, Bertrand. Your hospitality means a lot.’
Amara can’t help but notice the brief looks of complicity between Maxwell and Michael. She hadn’t seen Michael be so social in years. Even before Sergio passed, Michael was always the studious one, the serious one, while Sergio was...well, also the life of the party. Hmm, she thinks. Could this be something?
‘Amara,’ Maxwell insists, ‘did you hear me?’
She shakes it off. ‘Oh, sorry, I was in my thoughts. What is it?’
Maxwell looks at Drake, and at Amara again. ‘I was asking, do you want me to invite Liv tonight, or not? She would definitely like the vibe at Zeno’s, but I don’t want to include her if you guys are still...tense.’
Amara’s smile falters. ‘No no, invite her. If I’m the one texting, she won’t answer. We need to put an end to the bullshit.’
Maxwell nods. ‘I’ll ask if Rashad wants to come, too.’
‘Oh, the sexy smoldering guy from the ball?’ Michael inquires. ‘He and Olivia seemed very close.’
Amara smiles. ‘Yes, and yes. They’re kinda dating. See? You’d make a good detective, too.’
*****
Maxwell reflects intently as he focuses his eyes on his closet. ‘No, not this,’ he murmurs.
Michael sits on his bed, feeling awkward about having to, once again, borrow clothes. ‘Max, seriously, I can wear what I have.’
Maxwell turns around and smiles at him. ‘You can, you’d look good in anything, really. But I want to give you options!’
Michael smiles. ‘Thank you. I really need a clothing intervention. I do dress like a lawyer,’ he says, looking down at his outfit made up of beige chinos and a plaid shirt. ‘If we’re going to a hip place--’
‘We’re not,’ Maxwell interrupts. ‘Whatever you’re comfortable with will be great. But I have some clothes that would look better on you than they do on me. Let me find them…’ He digs deeper in his closet. ‘Ah!’ he says victoriously. ‘Here it is. The shirt.’
He presents an emerald green shirt to Michael, who almost recoils in fear. ‘Jeez, Maxwell, it’s very green. I know I wear these colors sometimes, but… isn’t it a bit much?’
Maxwell smiles as he holds the shirt against Michael’s face. ‘No. It brings out your eyes. You can wear it with your chinos, or jeans. You have jeans, right?’
Michael nods. ‘Yes.’
‘What cut?’
Michael raises an eyebrow. ‘I’m not sure what this means.’
Maxwell smiles. ‘It’s ok. I have jeans that you will like.’
*****
Hana and Amara are sitting outside in the sun, a margarita in hand and Amara’s nail polish collection sprawled out on the table for them to choose from. Amara looks out to the pool, where Drake is swimming laps. She doesn’t even realize that she’s staring at his body as he gets out every now and then to take a sip of his water.
Hana smile mischievously. ‘Amara, honey, do you need binoculars?’
Amara shakes her head. ‘Oh shit, Hana, I’m sorry. I promise I’m not a perv. He’s just so…’
Hana laughs. ‘Oh, I know. I’m gay, not blind.’
Amara chuckles. ‘Alright, back to business. What are you wearing tonight?’
Hana nods seriously. ‘I’m gonna go with my coral sundress, with my light brown wedges.’
‘Great choice. You wanna go for a light nail, or a metallic?’
Hana thinks intensely and finally says, ‘I think I’ll go with your gold polish. Is that ok?’
‘Of course, great call. I’m gonna wear my ripped jeans and a yellow top, so I’ll go with the light gray. Good?’
Hana smiles. ‘Perfect. Amara, I’m so glad you stayed. I don’t know what I would have done without you here.’
Amara takes her hand. ‘Same. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’ve found my people, why did I want to leave?’
Hana smiles broadly. ‘Right? I feel the same way. I know my parents are leaving me tons of messages, but I’m not ready to listen to them. I want to enjoy my time with you guys, and go on the engagement tour.’
‘Plus, the tour ends in London, and you know what that means,’ Amara says in a sexy voice while wiggling her eyebrows.
Hana blushes. ‘I do know what it means, since you’re not being very subtle.’ She smiles and twists the nail polish open. ‘We’ll see what happens. For right now, I’m happy to be here.’
‘Agreed.’
She continues, ‘On another note, did you catch all the little looks between Maxwell and Michael? They’re totally inseparable,’ Hana whispers.
‘I was just thinking that. It’s nice to see Michael be close with someone. Who knows where it might lead, but it’s just nice to see, you know,’ she says, avoiding eye contact.
Hana paints her nails intently. ‘I can imagine. Michael seems to relax a bit, and tonight will help too.’
‘What are you guys plotting about?’ Drake asks as he walks out of the pool and towards the nail painting station.
Amara chuckles, ‘Nothing babe. I’ll fill you in later.’
‘Don’t come out yet, Drake, here we come!’ Maxwell exclaims, running towards the group on his bathing suit. Michael follows slowly, shyly covering his body with a towel.
Amara sits up and asks eagerly, ‘Maxxie, did Liv get back to you?’
Maxwell, still running, cries out, ‘Not yet, Little Blossom. But I gave her all the info and she’ll know where to find us!’
Amara looks down at her nails, silent. Drake sighs and puts his hand on her back comfortingly. ‘She’ll come around, baby. I promise.’
*****
‘Looking good, man,’ Drake says as he catches Michael looking at his reflection in the hallway.
Michael jumps up, startled. ‘Oh! Thanks, Drake. Is it too much, though?’
Drake shrugs. ‘I don’t think so. Green looks good on you.’ He walks to the drink cart and pours two glasses of whiskey. ‘Here you go,’ he says as he holds one out to Michael.
‘Thank you.’ He smells it. ‘This is good stuff.’
Drake smiles. ‘It really is, huh? Max doesn’t skimp out.’
Michael smiles and sips. Drake takes out his phone and looks at the text he just sent out.
I know she hurt your feelings, but she came around and apologized. Don’t let your fucking pride take you away from a friend. We’re both new at this opening up shit, I get it, it sucks to be vulnerable, but it’s also fucking satisfying to be surrounded by people who care. Don’t fuck up.
He wonders whether he cursed too much, but oh well. It’s sent.
And read, without a response.
He sighs and looks up. ‘Sorry, Mike. Hey, what do you wanna do tomorrow? I can take you on a tour of Ramsford in my Jeep if you want me to show you around.’
Michael’s face lights up. ‘I’d love that. I want to call Callie tomorrow when she’s awake, but otherwise I’m all free.’
Drake smiles. ‘Good.’ He glances at his watch. ‘I guess we’re the fastest ones to get ready around here. When I left Amara, she was agonizing over which earrings to pick.’
Michael chuckles. ‘Max picked my outfit, so I have absolutely no merit in being quick.’
As if on cue, Maxwell appears on top of the stairs, Hana and Amara on each side. ‘Gentlemen, may I present you the two most beautiful women in the world!’
The girls chuckle and roll their eyes, they all yell out to Bertrand to wish him a good night, and they get on their way.
*****
Amara fidgets in the car, her hand in Drake’s. She is sitting in the middle, between Drake and Michael.
‘You ok, babe?’ Drake asks. ‘Nervous?’ he points to her shaky leg.
Amara promptly stops. ‘Sorry. I’m fine. I’m excited to have fun, I promise.’
Maxwell glances at Drake in the rearview mirror, a worried look on his face. Amara notices it right away. She knows it means Max didn’t hear back from Liv. She hates that she feels so nervous about it, and she especially hates that Drake and Max are, once again, worried about her. She sits up and takes a deep breath. She needs to grow a pair of ovaries and stop being this fragile little bitch who is always in danger of having an anxiety attack.
She needs to enjoy life, dammit. It will be hard enough to sneak around and investigate while on the tour, the least she can do is enjoy her five days of freedom, and make the most of Michael’s presence.
Breathe in, breathe out.
Maxwell parks in downtown Ramsford. ‘Alright guys, I’m designated driver tonight, you bitches go crazy, I’m there for you!’
Amara smiles broadly. ‘Max, I can bet you that we’ll end up taking Ubers back. No way you’re not getting lit.’
Maxwell laughs. ‘You may be right. This is a 24-hour parking lot, detective. Either way, we’re good. Let’s go!’
They get out of the car, and Amara walks with Drake, her hand still in his. Zeno’s is a cool bar, not too hip but definitely nice, with an outdoors section full of greenery. As they walk in, Amara finds herself relaxing. This is definitely normal, with young couples all around, and too many people for them to get noticed. Maxwell picked the perfect spot.
‘First round on me,’ Drake announces ‘Everybody tell me what you want!’
Hana requests a margarita, and everyone follows suit, except Michael who wants a lager.
Drake smiles. ‘Babe, help me carry?’
They make their way to the bar, their bodies close to each other. Amara holds Drake’s belt loop so they don’t get separated by the crowd. This place is really happening.
They plant themselves in front of the bar, and Drake orders for everyone, and opens a tab. Amara nuzzles in Drake’s arms, taking advantage of the crowd pushing them together. She buries her head in his chest.
Drake chuckles. ‘You’re not afraid of being seen?’
Amara smiles, ‘Not really. Too crowded. Plus, it’s not my fault if people are forcing us to get close.’
‘Good excuse,’ he whispers in her ear as he squeezes her shoulder.
‘You look hot tonight,’ she murmurs. ‘I love you in black.’
‘And I love you, period,’ he says softly.
‘You guys are sickening.’
Amara whips around instantly. ‘You came!’ she exclaims.
Liv rolls her eyes and adjusts her top. ‘Of course I came. Walker threatened me via text.’
‘I did not,’ he protests. ‘I tried to convince you, that’s all.’
Liv snorts and orders two double vodkas. She pauses and says, ‘It’s not all for me. Rashad’s here with me.’
Amara smiles. ‘I’m glad.’ She hesitates, then throws her arms around Olivia and pulls her into a hug.
‘What the hell are you doing, Suarez?’ Liv asks disgustedly.
‘Hugging you. Lean into it,’ she replies.
Liv rolls her eyes again and slowly hugs Amara back. ‘Fine. That’s your one hug. You used it up.’ She pauses. ‘And never fucking blindside me again like you did yesterday. You made me be your friend, now you have to act like one.’
Amara lets go of her and grabs a couple of glasses from the bar. ‘Agreed. I fucked up, I’m really sorry. Now, can we please get drunk together and show my brother how shit gets done in Cordonia?’
*****
Taglist:
@drakeandcamilleofvaltoria @andy-loves-corgis @jovialyouthmusic @mariahschoices @drakesensworld @thequeenofcronuts @notoriouscs @drakewalkerisreal @nikkis1983 @simsvetements @alesana45 @iplaydrake @emceesynonymroll @lily1999love @drakewalkerwhipped @drakewalkerrosenberg @drakxwalker @drakeswalkers @drakelover78 @silviasutton1989 @dcbbw @texaskitten30 @furiousherringoperatortoad @hollygirl1269 @sirbeepsalot @ladyangel70 @thisperfectmemory @of-course-i-went-to-hartfeld @i-bloody-love-drake-walker @mrsmairstanley @addictedtodrakefanfic @msjpuddleduck
Thank you for your encouragements, everyone! Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist :)
#that's not why i'm going#that's not why I'm staying#drake x amara#drake walker x amara suarez#drake walker#amara suarez#dramara#drake x mc#drake walker trr#drake walker x mc#trr drake#the royal romance#the royal romance fanfic
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What took you so long?
Part 4- The Royal Heir
Liam had been assassinated, Drake had left Cordonia before this. He had heard from Savannah about his friend- he felt guilty not returning. Someone had blackmailed him to not return, with only his sister knowing the truth. Leo had taken over the throne in place of his brother due to there being no heir....
*CHARACTERS BELONG TO PIXELBERRY*
{Drake x Riley}
Tags: @annekebbphotography @burnsoslow @drakesensworld @ladyangel70 @bbrandy2002 @butindeed @kingliam2019 @captain-kingliamsqueen @bascmve01 @pedudley @duchessemersynwalker @insideamirage @of-course-i-went-to-hartfeld @kozabaji @texaskitten30 @nikkis1983 @dangerouseggseagleartisan @gnatbrain @walker7519 @lodberg @ibldw-main @cmestrella @hopefulmoonobject @addictedtodrakefanfic @angi15h @liamxs-world @rafasgirl23415 @notoriouscs @yukinagato2012
Lots of dialogue- sorry! 🙃
******
“Brooks? What are you doing here?”
“To mend a heart you didn’t break is part of loving a child you didn’t make.”
Riley used a quote, hoping that Drake would understand what the meaning behind it meant.
“I sort of get what you mean with your riddle, but you didn’t answer my question.”
Riley stood on her tiptoes, still not answering his question but instead kissing him on his lips. Standing back on the flat ground he pulled her and Liam Jr towards him. His embrace was warm, and his strong arms provided protectiveness when they wrapped around her tiny frame. The world around them melted away - both not wanting the moment to end.
“Is there room at the Inn for two more?”
“You’re both always welcome- I just thought you’d want space, spending some time with Li.”
“I’ll get this little one to sleep then we can talk?”
Drake nodded, he watched Riley read to Liam Jr and sing him a song- before kissing him and tucking him in bed. Snug as a bug in a rug. He didn’t know why but this unconditional love between the mother and child always pulled on his heartstrings. Drake handed her a glass of water, when she returned to the living area. They both sat on the sofa, surrounded by an awkward silence.
“So, Liam’s resurrected. Liam Jr finally met his father. Olivia’s pregnant. And Li is marrying Olivia. What a day! Why did you leave?” Drake felt like they were living in some type of movie with the amount of drama that had taken place today. He was listening to her but one sentence stuck out like a sore thumb.
“He’s marrying Liv?”
“Yes. He asked for my permission. I don’t give a shit what he does. As far as I was aware this morning he wasn’t alive.” Drake wondered why she was so calm about this situation- yes she loved Drake but her fiancé was back.
“But... he’s back. What about you? You can get married now. Why Liv?” Drake could never comprehend why Liam loved the Scarlett Duchess- she was cold, she was a bitch. He had the chance to claim Riley as his own- why wouldn’t Liam choose Riley. She was the perfect woman. Drake always believed she was too good for him- he felt he was never worthy enough for her.
“Drake, our engagement was a sham. We love each other but only as friends and that’s what it’s always been like. I love you. And Liam has always loved Liv. The night I conceived Liam Jr was the biggest mistake of my life. If I could turn back time I would change who his father is but not change having him. He is the reason for the light in my eyes.”
Riley remembered the day she was questioned about her family life. The day her future was written and set in stone for her with no choice. Drake deserved to know the truth.
*****
The King Father and Queen Mother, had requested an immediate meeting with King Liam and Lady Riley. Bastien escorted the two bewildered people into the room.
“Son, Lady Riley. Thank you for coming.” Constantine gestured them both to sit on the seats in front of him. They both hesitantly sat down.
“Father what is the matter?”
“As you know Liam I haven’t got much time left. As you refused to chose a bride that I accepted at the end of your social season- I have had no option. Myself and Regina have thought long and hard about it.”
Liam and Riley looked at each- both providing a perplexed expression. Constantine and Regina both focused their gaze on Riley much to her annoyance- she didn’t understand why she was being involved in this. She was just a commoner. An honorary Beaumont. Now the social season had ended, she considered moving back to New York- but he was here, her Drake.
“Lady Riley, I do believe you have some political blood in you.”
That son of a bitch! Has he been ‘researching’ my ancestry? Riley’s past had caught up with her. She was quite happy living her life ‘as a commoner’ before all of this.
“Yes. You are correct. But I don’t understand why you are asking about this.”
“Riley?” Liam seemed confused, what were they discussing? As far as he was concerned, she was just a waitress from New York. She never elaborated on her past. Riley never spoke about her life apart from her job and Daniel who she worked with.
“Liam, it has come to our attention that Lady Riley’s grandfather and great grandfather were Mayors. They both have a positive legacy with their position they held.”
Riley focused her gaze to the floor, if the King father could research her past what else would he discover?
“King Father, if I may interrupt? My grandfathers legacy was positive as you have described. But to his family it wasn’t-this was due to secrets he held from the public eye. I don’t know what you’ve read, but he was a cruel self centred man- the power he gained from this position made him lose self control. He had an affair and left my grandmother and my father- hence why my status is ‘a commoner’. My family never spoke about him.”
“Lady Riley, my husband and I have researched everything. But you still have a sort of political background even if not you physically. Because of this, my husband believes that you and Liam should marry. Cordonia will have faith in you to help Liam lead due to this and they will believe in you. Even if both of your hearts lay elsewhere. You can both have the typical Cordonian Marriage- with relationships outside the marriage.”
“Queen Regina, with all due respect- Duchess Olivia is a fantastic option for future Queen, she is a Duchess, she is fearless and protective. I don’t understand why neither of you wouldn’t allow Liam to follow his heart when he had chosen her at his Coronation. She is the right woman at this moment in time, she has been brought up in the noble life- she understands what makes a good Queen. Just because my grandfather’s had an interest in government and councils- doesn’t mean that I will to. I love Liam, I do. And the feeling is mutual- but there isn’t enough love between us to commit to marriage.”
“Father, Regina. Lady Riley is correct.” Liam was grateful for Riley perusing his relationship with Olivia. Maybe it was for a selfish reason so she could be with Drake. But either way, he was filled with gratitude for the support.
“Liam, you need to marry Lady Riley. I demand that you two marry. Behind closed doors you can do what you want with Nevrakis and Walker. I am forcing this arrangement. We need to look after our throne Liam!”
“No father!” Liam frustratingly spat at his father. He didn’t want to be put under pressure adding to his continuous list of duties.
“Listen to your father Liam! We will don’t have time to debate this. We don’t want both of your scandals to be leaked. If you can both play the game well, don’t worry about where your hearts truly lay.”
“Fine! I’ll marry Lady Riley.” Liam growled to his father and step mother.
“Excuse me?” Riley narrowed her eyes at the King.
“Come on Riley, enough discussion. We shall wed soon.”
“Do I even have a choice in this? It’s like the three of you have made up your minds.”
“Ri, I do love you. We can make this work.”
Exiting the room, Riley was furious that she had been forced into this marriage. Standing outside the door, her arms folded and her eyes narrowed.
“Liam what the fuck?”
“We will marry. When my father dies. We will get divorced. You can be with Drake and I’ll have Livvie. Who knows we may become closer ourselves and may not need to divorce. I can’t have my scandals leaked Ri. I do love you, and I know deep down you have that bit of love for me.”
*****
“I didn’t want to do it. I was in love with you. Then you left. Liam died- you know what I mean. Constantine passed away. Regina basically ignored my presence every time I saw her. I gave birth- believing Olivia was my friend when she knew the truth, the whole damn truth. Now I realise now why she hasn’t spoken to any of us in months- to cover her bump up. I’m sorry.”
Drake was astonished with the confession. If Constantine and Regina had allowed Liam to marry Olivia in the first place, what would their future have been like? Would they have children, would they be married? No point thinking about what ifs. They needed to find a way to work this whole awkward situation out.
“Connie would be turning in his grave, knowing Nevrakis was carrying his grandchild.” Drake let out a slight laugh, he didn’t want to be morbid and talk about the past and the snakes that caused all this drama.
“Oh, I know. I can just imagine him now.”
“Heh. Me too. At least he gained a grandchild with someone beautiful like you. Liam was a fool letting you go.”
“Drake, Liam never had me. Not really. When I came to Cordonia I came for the adventure, not to fall in love. Instead I fell in love with you. Every moment in between we had- I looked forward to the next one.”
“Brooks, come on. You must have loved him even if it was only a tiny bit. You became pregnant. I enjoyed our moments together too. We can still have them if you want?”
“Id love to have them still. And I was drunk Drake. You left. Liam found me. But I forgot to take my pill. I was stupid.”
“I’m sorry, I was just saying. Did you take your pill today? After last night?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Nothing. Just wondered. We didn’t really discuss it.”
“I’m not that stupid Drake. I’ve learnt from my past mistakes- not that Liam Jr is a mistake. I just mean... oh you know what I mean.”
“I know what you mean. He’s perfect. The ‘best mistake’ you’ve ever made.”
They stayed on the sofa, in silence. Drake wrapped his strong arm around her, she nestled into his warm embrace, placing her arms tightly around him. They stayed in that position, content- until Drake heard her breathing gradually become steady. Slightly shifting up the sofa he had realised that she had fallen asleep. Gently kissing her on the forehead, he scooped her into his arms- and carefully carried her into the bedroom. Tucking her into bed, she looked peaceful- just like sleeping beauty. Carefully, he undressed her without waking her from her slumber. Sneaking out of the room, he went to check on Liam. He picked the little boy up, and carried him into Riley’s room. He knew how protective she is over her son- so assumed she would want him in bed with her.
“Uncle grumpy?” The little boy whispered, whilst yawning. Blinking his eyes.
“Hey little man. Go back to sleep mate.”
Liam Jr snuggled into Riley, she pulled him into her embrace. Drake went into the spare bedroom. He thought about building Liam a bed for when they stayed over. He could get wood from Valtoria, build it into a car or a fire truck shape. Little boys all like marvel and Dc, he contemplated attempting making the batmobile - no that would be too hard, he thought. He knew Liam wasn’t his biological son, but he loved Riley beyond words so would love Liam too. It melted his heart when the little boy called him ‘uncle grumpy’. Was it too soon to assume they’d be staying over more often. Either way, he fell asleep smiling.
******
Liam and Liv returned to Lythikos. Leo couldn’t bare the sight of them staying in the palace. Leo abdicated in the first place because he didn’t want this responsibility, he wanted to fall in love and live the normal life. When Liam ‘passed away’ he felt he had the responsibility to keep their throne. And when Liam Jr was old enough, he would pass the responsibility onto his nephew- the real heir. Settling back into royal life was hard for Leo, but with support from the court and Riley he managed to get by- and now actually enjoyed being the monarch of his country.
“How was your time with Riley and the sprog?” Olivia questioned in a jealous tone of voice.
“Olivia! That is my son and your godson. And it was lovely bonding with him. He is so bright- Riley has done a brilliant job raising him. We played with his toys, I’ve instantly fallen in love with him. Riley said I can see him whenever I want to. Every second without him now is going to be torture.”
“Riley this, Riley that. Is that what it’s going to be like from now on Liam?” Liam was now getting frustrated with Olivia’s jealous attitude. Why couldn’t she understand that she was the queen of his heart?
“Olivia! She’s the mother of my child!”
“So am I!” Olivia snapped, green with envy.
Liam stoked her long red curls, that were flowing past her neck, before pulling her into his chest. Gently massaging her growing bump. Despite how angry she was she soon melted into his warm embrace and soft touch. Cupping her cheeks, he smiled at the redhead.
“Love, you and I are together. But I can’t ignore Riley or Liam- he’s the heir to the throne. They are part of our lives because of Liam. How can you be so cold? You know about mine and Riley’s past. That night we was drunk- she was upset. I love you Olivia Nevrakis.”
Olivia was an emotional wreck. Possibly due to the hormones, she knew Liam loved her but couldn’t help have these paranoid thoughts lingering. Placing her head in her hands she couldn’t control her constant mood swings.
“How can I be so cold? It would have been better if you stayed cold and dead. Would have been better if Walker had returned earlier and whisked her away. Would have been better if you grew some balls and told your father to fuck off when you had chosen me! Would have been better if we kept our baby. The original heir to throne. The baby that I was carrying during your social season!”
#theroyalromance#choices trr#riley brooks#drakewalker#olivia nevrakis#kingliam#leo rhys#drake x riley#drake x mc#liam x olivia
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Duke Reviews: Peter Pan
Hello, I'm Andrew Leduc And Welcome To Duke Reviews Where Today We Continue Our Look At The Movies Of Disney...
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Where Today We Look At Walt Disney's 14th Animated Feature, Peter Pan...
This Movie Sees The Titular Character (Played By Bobby Driscoll, Who Played Jim Hawkins In Disney's Treasure Island) Taking Wendy (Played By Kathryn Beaumont Who Alice In Our Last Film, Alice In Wonderland) John And Michael To Neverland, Where They'll Never Grow Up...
But Unfortunately The Nefarious Captain Hook (Voiced By Hans Conried, Who Not Only Voices Hook But Plays Wendy's Father) Has Plans For Peter That Will Blow Him Out Of Neverland Forever, Can Peter Survive This?
Let's Find Out As We Watch Peter Pan...
The Film Starts In London In The Year 1900, Where George And Mary Darling's Preparations To Attend A Party Are Disrupted By The Antics Of Their Boys, John And Michael, Who Were Acting Out A Story About Peter Pan That Their Older Sister, Wendy Told Them...
Fed Up With The Stories, Their Father Declares That Wendy Has Gotten Too Old To Stay In The Nursery With The Boys And Will Be Given Her Own Room Tomorrow, Before He Trips On Their Dog Nursemaid, Nana..
With The Kids And Wendy In Their Beds, The Darlings Leave For Their Party, Unbeknownst To The Fact That Peter Pan And Tinker Bell Have Arrived At The Nursery To Get His Shadow That He Left There The Other Night...
Accidentally Waking Up Wendy When Trying To Catch His Shadow, She Helps Him Catch It And Offers To Help Him Sew It Back On. Telling Wendy That He Likes Hearing Wendy's Stories, She Breaks The News To Peter That It's Her Last Night In The Nursery And Tomorrow She Has To Grow Up...
But Not Having One Bit Of It, Peter Decides To Take Wendy To Neverland Where She'll Never Grow Up. Attempting To Kiss Peter Out Of Gratitude, Tinker Bell Pulls Wendy's Hair Which Forces Peter To Stop Her And Catch Her...
But As He Does, He Ends Up Waking Up John And Michael Who End Up Going With Wendy And Peter As We Go Into Our First Song...
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But As They Fly To Neverland, We Get Our Next Song...
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(#1 (End At 0:30) #2 (Start At 2:15) )
As A Ship Full Of Pirates, That's Commanded By Captain Hook And His Henchmen, Mr. Smee Plots To Take Revenge On Peter For Cutting Off Hook's Hand And Feeding It To The Crocodile Known As Tick-Tock Who's Been Following Hook Ever Since...
Discovering Peter In Clouds With The Darlings And Tinker Bell, Hook Orders His Men To Lock On And Fire The Cannons At Them But Peter Easily Evades The Cannonballs, While Tink Takes Wendy And The Boys To Peter's Hideout..,
Fastly Flying, Tink Outruns Wendy And The Boys To Wake The Lost Boys And Tell Them That Peter Ordered Them To Shoot Wendy Down...
Despite Succeeding In Doing So, Pan Manages To Save Wendy Before She Is Killed To Tink's Displeasure. Discovering Tink's Treachery, Peter Banishes Tink For A Week...
Taking Wendy To See The Mermaids, John And Michael Go Off To Have Fun With The Lost Boys As They Search For Indians, This Leads Into Our Next Song...
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However, When They Find Indian Prints, They All Find Themselves Captured By The Indians, Whose Chief Believes Them Responsible For Kidnapping Their Indian Princess, Tiger Lilly And If She Is Not Returned By Sundown, The Chief Will Burn Them At The Stake..
Arriving At Mermaid Lagoon, Peter Introduces Wendy To The Mermaids Only For Them To Attempt To Drown Her....
But While They're There, They See Captain Hook And Mr. Smee Rowing Toward Skull Rock With Tiger Lilly In Their Boat In An Attempt To Persuade Her To Reveal The Location Of Peter's Hideout...
But When Smee Hears A Ghostly Voice (Which Is Actually Peter) Hook Goes To Look Around Skull Rock While Peter Toys With Smee By Disguising His Voice As Hook And Telling Smee To Take Tiger Lilly Back To Her Village...
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(End At 2:44)
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For Saving Tiger Lilly, Peter Is Honored By The Tribe As We Get Our Next Song...
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Taking Tinker Bell To Captain Hook, He Takes Advantage Of Tinker Bell's Jealousy Of Wendy And Tricks Tink Into Revealing The Location Of Peter Pan's Hideout...
Returning To The Hideout After Their Celebration, Wendy Tells John And Michael To Get Ready For Bed As They're Going Home Tomorrow, But Not Wanting To Go Home She Reminds Them About Their Mother While Explaining To The Lost Boys What A Mother Is Which Leads To Our Next Song....
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And I Admit I Get Like Smee In This Scene Whenever I Hear This Song,..
With John, Michael And The Lost Boys Deciding To Leave With Wendy, Peter Tells Them To Go But Once You Grow Up You Can Never Come Back. So, Saying Their Goodbyes Everyone Leaves Not Knowing That Outside Captain Hook And His Pirates Are Waiting For Them...
Exiting With The Darlings And The Lost Boys, Hook Leaves Behind A Time Bomb To Kill Peter As We Go Into Our Last Song For This Movie...
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But Despite Hook's Offer, The Darlings And The Lost Boys Refuse To Sign As They Know That Peter Will Save Them, But Letting Them All In On Their Evil Plan, Tinker Bell Overhears And Breaks Out Of Her Tiny Prison To Rescue Pan..
Luckily She Manages To Just As The Bomb Explodes, But Still Refusing To Sign With Hook, He Has Them All Walk The Plank Starting With Wendy, Who Is Immediately Saved By Peter, Who Fights Hook While The Darlings And The Lost Boys Fight Hook's Crew...
This Leads To A Final Confrontation With Hook...
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(Start At 0:20)
Begging For Mercy And Saying That If He Spares Him, He'll Leave Neverland Forever, Peter Spares Hook's Life Only For Hook To Try To Stab Peter In The Back, Which Causes Hook To Fall Into The Water Below Where The Crocodile Was Which Leads To Hook And Men Fleeing For Their Lives...
Commendeering The Jolly Roger, Peter Takes The Darlings Home With The Aid Of Tinker Bell's Fairy Dust As Mr. And Mrs. Darling Return From Their Party To Find Wendy Sleeping By Her Window As John And Michael Sleep In Their Beds...
But As They Tell Their Parents About Their Adventures, Mr. Darling Notices A Pirate Ship In The Clouds Which He Thinks He Saw When He Was A Child A Long Time Ago..
And That's Peter Pan And It's One Of My Favorite Disney Movies...
For A Film That Was Walt's Least Favorite Of His Films, It's A Good Movie, I Love The Backgrounds, The Characters Are Well Drawn, I Love Captain Hook As The Villain (He's Honestly My Second Favorite Funny Disney Villain After Hades From Hercules) This Is Definitely One I Say To Definatly See...
Be Sure To Check Out Duke Reviews Xtra This Week, As We Look At Return To Neverland And Hook, Till Then, This Is Duke, Signing Off..
#Peter Pan#bobby driscoll#Kathryn Beaumont#hans conried#disney#disnerd#Disney +#disney animated movies#disney animated films#disney animated canon
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Chapter Seven
Summary: Gideon turns up at Leo’s door, demanding Eva returns to the palace. Will Leo give in or will he let Eva stay with him until she is ready to return?
Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters or the dialogue. They are owned by Pixelberry. I’m just borrowing them :) the only characters I own are the ones created by me :)
I hope you like the chapter, and if you do, like, comment or reblog! Your feedback means everything to me.
If you want to be added, moved or removed from the tag list, just let me know!
All pictures credits to the owners.
Thanks to @darley1101 and @brightpinkpeppercorn for being my beta readers ❤️
Masterlist
Word count: 2386
Tag list: @maxbeauthot @sawyeroakleyscowboyhat @larryssunflower @silviasutton1989 @leelee10898 @agent-bossypants @mrsdrakewalkerblog @andy-loves-corgis @katurrade @speedyoperarascalparty @annekebbphotography @drakewalkerisreal @whenyourheartskipsabeat @liamxs-world @furiousherringoperatortoad @ladyangel70 @mfackenthal
Permanent tag list: @cora-nova @blubutterflyy @indiacater
Leo walks down the stairs, as calmly as possible, removing Eva’s bag and shoes from the entrance hall. There was no way he would know she was here. Unless he heard his bike leaving the palace. Cursing inwardly, he opens the doors to the entertainment room, depositing her belongings in there. Closing the doors behind him, he took a glance up the stairs and let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. She had listened to him and stayed in the room. At least she’d have time to pick a film or a book, he thought. He knew he should have been more careful and should have used a car instead of his bike. Then he might not have found her. A loud knocking sounds on his door followed by someone shouting his name.
“Leo. Open this door” Gideon yells.
Taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, Leo walks towards the door, opening it just wide enough to take sight of the entourage gathered on his porch.
Upstairs, Eva tried to hear what they were saying but she was unable to hear anything through the door. Moving closer to the door, she cracks it open slightly to listen to them.
“Gideon, to what do I owe this pleasure?” Leo asks him.
“Don’t play dumb. I know she’s here. Bring her out, I’m taking her back to the palace.” Gideon responds.
“Brother, let her have this. One night of being normal. She’s been through a lot. The assassination attempt, watching Drake get shot in front of her, then losing him, not to mention the social season and the engagement tour and she’s barely had a minute to herself. Before she came here, she was a waitress. She had no knowledge of courtly protocol. Constantly being scrutinised by the other ladies and the press put her under enormous pressure, as did Bertrand letting her know not to let House Beaumont down, not to mention what happened with Tariq. It’s taken its toll on her. She needs this” she hears Leo say.
Creeping along the upstairs hallway, she stops at the top of the stairs, a clear view of the door but from where she was, Gideon wouldn’t be able to see her. She watches as Gideon shakes his head.
“You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t care about her?” Gideon thunders.
“I know you don’t. If you did, you wouldn’t have put her through what you did. Stringing her along through the engagement tour and offering to make her your mistress if you had to marry Madeleine. She deserves better than that. She deserves someone who wants to be seen with her, not hiding her away like some dirty little secret. You know, she told me once that Drake had told her during the engagement tour, he wanted nothing more than to be able to be seen with her in public, even with the scandal, but told her it wasn’t fair to her in case the press smeared her reputation even further. Why do you think she waited so long to tell you she was in love with him? She wanted to clear her name so she could be with him. It stopped being about you when you chose Madeleine. You humiliated her. She’ll never tell you this but by choosing Madeleine like that, she was humiliated and heartbroken that you believed the press. Despite everything you told her during your social season. Then making her participate in your engagement tour where she had to watch you and Madeleine pretend to be in love. You have no idea how she felt” he responds.
“Oh, and you do?” Gideon questions.
Leo shrugs. “Even if I don’t, I would never have put her through what you did”.
“I did it to keep her safe. I had no idea who was plotting against her and it was the only thing I could think to do to buy us time and figure it out. Now, enough of this. She is coming with me back to the palace, now”.
Leo takes one step closer to him. “No, Gideon, she’s not. Now, get out of my house” he orders.
“I’m not going anywhere unless I am taking Eva with me. If I have to drag her out of here then I will” Gideon retorts, taking a step closer to Leo.
“Over my dead body. You may be king but this is my house and she is staying here for as long as she wants” Leo yells, squaring his shoulders and bringing himself up to his full height.
Gideon goes to move past him but Leo sidesteps in front of him, stopping him. “Eva. Get out here now!” Gideon shouts.
“Bastien, get him out of here before I do something I regret” Leo said, turning away from Gideon, walking towards the stairs.
Before she can call out a warning, Gideon has launched himself across the room, tackling Leo to the floor. “What the hell, Gideon? Attacking when I have my back turned?” Leo yells, pushing Gideon away.
She watches as he stands brushing himself off. Bastien moves quickly to intercept, holding Gideon back.
“Back down, Gideon. This is a fight you can’t win. Now, get out” Leo spits, venomously.
Gideon struggles against Bastien’s hold, trying to get free. “Bastien, let go of me” Gideon orders.
She sneaks back along the corridor, heading back to the library before she is spotted by Leo. Slipping into the room, she silently closes the door behind her and resumes trying to decide on between a film or a book. Leo eventually comes back into the room.
“So... did you decide?” he asks her. He obviously wasn’t going to bring up what happened downstairs. She shakes her head, unable to decide between a movie or a book. Leo walks past her and grabs a movie off the shelf. Leading her out of the room and back down the stairs, he stops in front of the door she had walked past earlier. He opens the door, briefly entering the room and returning to where she was a few seconds later. “Before we watch the movie, do you want some food? There’s a Greek restaurant not too far from here that does a wonderful pastitsio, moussaka or gyros. And their baklava is to die for, if any of that sounds good”.
“Some food would be good, think I’ll have gyros and some baklava” Eva replies. He nods and pulls his phone out to make the order. As he does, she heads into the kitchen to get plates and puts them on the bench in the kitchen, grabbing cutlery on her way out and heads into the dining room to the bar to grab some glasses. As she is placing them down on the table, Leo enters the room.
“Food will be here shortly. Can I get you a drink?” Leo asks.
She nods. “I’ll have a whiskey please”.
He walks to the bar and grabs a bottle of whiskey, pouring two fingers into each of their glasses. Just then, there is a knock on the door. “That’ll be the food“ he says, placing the bottle back on the bar.
She stares at him. “You weren’t kidding when you said shortly”. He chuckles as he walks toward the front door, pulling his wallet out as he does so. Shortly after he returns into the dining room.
“It has its perks being part of the royal family. Plus I’m a valued customer. I use them every time I’m here”. He walks behind Eva, pulling her chair out for her. “Your seat, m’lady”. She rolls her eyes as she sits down. He disappears into the kitchen for a few minutes and comes back with two plates. Placing her plate in front of her, he walks round to the other side of the table and takes a seat across from her. “There’s no need to stand on ceremony, Eva. Dig in” he said, picking up his knife and fork. Picking hers up, she takes a bite of her gyro and her eyes go wide. Leo chuckles at her expression. “It’s good, right?”.
She nods her head as she swallows. “That has to be the best gyro I’ve had”.
After they had eaten, he leads her back to the room he had disappeared into earlier. Opening the door, he gestures for her to enter the room. She walks into the room taking in her surroundings. Low-slung brown leather couches were coupled with a rustic coffee table on a white rug. Mismatched end tables supported various lamps. The room was functional but also devoid of any personal items. There was also a fireplace in the room, where split wood and kindling were stacked on the grate. In one corner of the room sat a unit which housed a Blu-ray player and a games console. Above the unit, attached to the wall, was the biggest television she had ever seen. Leo chuckles as he notices how wide her eyes go when she spots it.
“I’ll go and grab some snacks. Make yourself comfortable and I’ll be back shortly” he said, exiting the room and heading into the kitchen. Settling down on the sofa facing the TV, she curls up in the corner waiting for Leo to come back. Leo walked back into the room a few minutes later carrying a variety of snacks and depositing them on the table. Walking over to the TV unit, he grabs the film and turns the TV and bluray player.
Eva busies herself by opening the snacks he had brought. “Leo, where’s the popcorn bowl?”.
He turns back to look at her. “In the kitchen. I think it’s in one of the cupboards”. She heads into the kitchen to find a bowl for the popcorn. As she is looking, she hears Leo walking out of the entertainment room.
“Movies all ready to go, have you found the popcorn bowl?” he calls.
“Not yet” she calls back, opening another cupboard door above her. Spotting the bowl she was looking for, she sighs. Of course it would be on the top shelf. Stretching up on her tiptoes, she tries to grab the bowl. Muttering in frustration, she climbs up on the bench just as Leo walks in.
“What are you doing?” he asks, causing her to yelp in surprise and lose her balance as she slips off the bench. Leo dashes across the room, catching her just in time and setting her back on the floor.
“I was trying to get a bowl for the popcorn. Of course, you had to put it on the highest shelf” she responds, gesturing up towards the cupboard.
He shakes his head as he reaches up to get it. “All you have to do is ask, short stuff, and I’d have got it for you”.
Stalking past him, punching his shoulder as she does so, she heads back towards the entertainment room, dropping down on to the sofa, tucking her legs underneath her and resting her chin on her palm, her elbow resting on the arm of the sofa.
Leo walks back in, placing the bowl on the table. She watches as he fills the bowl and then sits down next to her, his arm stretched out along the back of the sofa. He grabs the bowl placing the popcorn between them. She shifts slightly to get a better view of the TV as the movie starts. Her eyes widen as the titles scroll.
“You chose this?” she inquires, looking at him quizzically.
“I did. What’s wrong with it?” he responds.
“Nothing. I just never would have pegged you as a Matt Rodriguez fan” she said, shrugging her shoulders. Eva returns her attention to the screen, as the movie starts, watching as the main character opens the bullet chamber of his revolver. His eyes count the bullets before his hands close the chamber again. She watches him take a deep breath and wait for a moment. He kicks the door to a room open which flew open with a loud bang and he storms in with his gun in his hands. The man he was pursuing froze in his spot before pulling out his gun and firing a shot at the main character. Eva flinches at the sound of the gunshot, tearing her eyes away from the screen. Shifting her position slightly, she stretches her legs out in front of her, placing the popcorn on the table, eyes looking back at the TV but not really watching the movie.
Leo doesn’t notice her flinch and his eyes remain glued to the screen as the sounds of the gunshots from the movie continue throughout the room. She must have dozed off as the next thing she felt was Leo’s arms wrap around her back and under her legs as she was lifted from the couch. Opening her eyes, she glances around the room, noticing how dark it was outside. “Leo? What time is it?” she asks him.
“A little after ten pm. You fell asleep about half an hour into the film” he tells her, exiting the room and walking up the stairs with her still in his arms. Entering his room, he places her down on the bed. “You take my room tonight, Eva. I’ll sleep in the spare room”.
She shakes her head. “I can’t take your bed, Leo. I’ll sleep downstairs” she informs him, sliding off the bed.
He puts out a hand to stop her. “No, I want you sleeping up here. It’s safer. Not that anyone knows you are here, but still, it will put my mind at rest. Besides, I’m not tired yet so I was going to watch another movie. I’ll take one of the beds in the spare room. It’s comfy enough for one night” he said.
“Thank you, Leo” she responds, reaching up to hug him. He chuckles as he returns the hug. Eventually, Eva pulled herself from his embrace. “Thanks for this, Leo. I really needed it” she said, climbing into the bed.
“You’re welcome, little one. See you in the morning. Goodnight, Eva” he replies, walking to the door. Glancing back at the bed, he sees she is already asleep and exits his room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.
#trr drake x mc#drake walker#the royal romance#trr drake#choices drake x mc#playchoices#choices#choices trr#trr#trr fanfic#trr mc#drake x eva#gideon x eva#cordonia#choices drake#choices fanfiction#playchoices fic#the royal romance fanfic#At The Beginning
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Choices September Challenge
Day 16 I'm Sorry
(Thomas Hunt x oc*Amanda) in a Choices Red Carpet Diaries/The Royal Romance Crossover drabble.
A/N This is actually a fic I have had sitting in my draft folders forever. Someone a while back requested another first time meeting gone horribly wrong for this OTP and I kept getting stuck on the ending. Once more, let’s get these two stubborn people together, LOL!
@choicesseptemberchallenge20 @xjustin-ethansgirliex @lovealexhunt@lxaah11 @alleksa16 @penguininapinktuxedo @blackcoffee85 @stopforamoment @hopelessromantic1352 @krsnlove @annekebbphotography @hopelessromantic1352 . @sunflowergirl05 @desireepow-1986 @greywitchyshots @moodyvalentinestories @emceesynonymroll @my-heart-beats-for-ya @aworldoffandoms @ab1901 @lolablackwrites @flyawayboo @i-bloody-love-drake-walker . @trappedinfandoms @kate-mckenzie
Masterlist
Great Expectations
Olivia quirked an eyebrow in question as Amanda walked into her suite.
Instead of the usual calm, sweet greeting followed by an attempt to coerce her into doing something fun, Amanda threw her purse across the room and let out a strange, strangled noise that sounded suspiciously like a string of curse words trying to be smothered by guilt.
"I would ask what is wrong, but I assume you are about to tell me." Olivia drily remarked.
"Remember when I was excited that Maxwell invited us all to come here and see how The Royal Romance movie was going?" Amanda asked.
"I believe I recall you skipping down the palace halls." Olivia responded.
Amanda narrowed her eyes at her. "Well, the skipping is done." She flopped face down on Olivia's couch. "I hate everything here." She mumbled into the cushions.
Olivia rolled her eyes. "Must we succumb to overly dramatic behavior?"
Amanda turned her face toward her. "Are you seriously asking me this when just last week you threatened to throw every dagger you had at the waiter for accidentally calling you Madeleine?"
Olivia flicked her hand dismissively. "Details." She sat down in a chair across from her friend. "What happened?"
Amanda closed her eyes. "It all started this morning."
****************
Around 8 a.m., The Beverly Wilshire...
"Wake up!" Maxwell burst into Amanda's suite and proceeded to jump on her bed.
"Wha?" Amanda rolled off of it in a tangle of blankets. "What time is it?"
"Time for you to get ready and go to the studio." He leaped off her bed and went straight to her closet. "Hmm." He pulled one dress out after another. "Is this all you packed?"
Amanda stumbled over to the closet. "Why are you going through my clothes?"
He finally settled on a skirt and sweater. "I need you to go to the studio and give this to Thomas Hunt.” He held up a large manila envelope. "Within this lies the very heart of The Royal Romance."
She blinked sleepily a few times. "Why do I have to do this?" She gestured toward his body. "You're already dressed and fully compos mentis."
His dimples deepened with his grin. "You shouldn't use Latin if you are trying to get out of this with the excuse that you are dumb with sleep." He gently pushed her into the bathroom. "Get ready. I arranged a surprise for you."
"What kind of sur--" her words were cut off by him shutting the door.
She dropped her head back in frustration while going through a list of reasons why she shouldn't crawl back into bed. It was then followed by a list of reasons of what Maxwell would do to get her to do this. After a quick three minutes of debate, she reluctantly started the shower.
****************
Olivia’s suite
"So, this is about making you get up early this morning?" Olivia snorted. "This is why I don't give my room keys to anyone."
"It wasn't that horrific event that cemented this burning hatred of mine." Amanda turned over on her back and stared up at the ceiling. "It was that jerk, Thomas Hunt."
Olivia did not bother to hide her surprise. "Wasn't he the reason you had that little hop to your skipping?"
Amanda closed her eyes. "They say never meet your heroes."
"He's a hero?!" Olivia wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Does the man even know how to fight?"
"I don't mean that kind of hero!" Amanda muttered. She let out another strangled, frustrated sound. "I admired him. His movies are some of my favorites."
"And you certainly never shied away from admiring his underwear modeling days." Olivia artfully dodged to the right when Amanda threw a decorative pillow at her. "Wasn't there a poster in your bedroom at one point?"
“FINE! I THOUGHT HE WAS ATTRACTIVE!" Amanda shouted. "Today proved differently."
"Was he not in his underwear?" Olivia easily batted a second throw pillow away that was aimed for her face. "What did he do?"
****************
Earlier that day, at the studio…
"I've seen your picture in magazines."
Amanda smiled at the intern escorting her toward Thomas Hunt's office. "Hopefully, I didn't look like I normally do." She shuddered. "I take horrible photographs."
"I thought you looked pretty." The hopeful actress replied. "You and Queen Riley were laughing at Maxwell Beaumont."
Amanda chuckled at that. "So, a normal day was photographed?"
The girl's phone vibrated. "I have to go handle this." She apologized to the duchess. "Mr. Hunt's office is the last door on the left."
"Thank you." Amanda watched her leave, then pulled out Maxwell's packet for the script. "Why did I agree to deliver this?" She mumbled as she continued down the long hallway.
When she reached the door, she paused before knocking. Voices raised in what sounded like anger could be heard.
Not wanting to walk in on an argument, Amanda checked to make certain no one else was in the hallway. She then pressed her ear to the door.
******************
"You know I don't have time to cater to a rich, spoiled woman! Maxwell is now suggesting that I take this--" Thomas checked the text message once more. "This Lady Amanda on not only a more in-depth tour of the studio but also to some of the historical sites around Los Angeles." He slammed a drawer shut to help rid himself of his mounting irritation. "If I ever act remotely interested in another story from some playboy royal, you have my permission to have me committed to the nearest asylum."
Holly rolled her eyes at his dramatic outburst. "Then don't take her out. It's a simple fix."
"If Maxwell's unhappy then the studio heads will become upset." He explained. "Next, it rolls downhill on us." He glared out the window. "What right does this duchess have to demand I take her around as her glorified tour guide?!"
"It might not be so bad." Addison pointed out. "She must be important to Maxwell if he asked you to do this."
"Apparently she is his bff or whatever acronym he used." Thomas spat. "I would rather deal with practically anyone else on this planet than babysit some snobbish, probably doesn't even know how to act in public, idiotic woman."
******************
Amanda took a step bac from his door. Her heart sank at discovering the director she had so admired was in truth a spoiled jerk.
Her lips firmed in a frown as her anger slowly took over her sadness.
“He--I’ll show--oohhh!” She gasped, unable to get a complete insult out.
She took a deep breath and returned to the receptionist desk. “Something has come up.” Amanda explained. “Would you mind giving Maxwell’s notes to Mr. Hunt?” She nearly strangled on his name.
“No problem.” The young intern replied. She tilted her head in question. “Are you okay?”
Amanda nodded quickly. “I am.” Or at least I will be once I get away from here, she thought. I will NEVER spend a moment in that loathsome man’s company.
******************
"I don't think I have ever seen you this angry." Olivia's eyebrows were lifted in surprise as she observed Amanda pacing about the suite. "Why didn't you confront him?"
"Because I don't do that kind of thing." Amanda snapped. She quickly apologized to her friend. "You know I try and be nice to everyone." Her eyes narrowed. "Something about that man got under my skin. How dare he judge me without meeting me?!"
Olivia's lips turned up somewhat. "What will you do when we are all at the set tomorrow?"
"Maybe I shouldn't go." Amanda muttered. "I can't embarrass Maxwell by setting Thomas Hunt straight."
"Now I'm making you go." Olivia announced. "I think it's time you felt that sweet relief of finally unleashing your temper." Her smile grew. "You don't know what you have been missing all these years."
“We’ll see.” Amanda murmured. “Do you know where Maxwell is?”
“No. Why?”
“Because I am going to make sure that I am never put in the path of Thomas Hunt again.”
*************
The Blvd restaurant, The Beverly Wilshire...
"There you are." Amanda said between clenched teeth.
Maxwell looked up. "Hey! How did the meeting go?"
She sat down across from him. "Why did you decide to ask Thomas Hunt of all people to give me a tour?!"
His blue eyes widened when he realized she was upset. "Because you've always been crazy about him."
"I have not." She snapped, refusing to accept she remotely found the director anything other than repulsive.
"Really?" Maxwell folded his arms on the table and leaned forward. "I would like to present to the jury, exhibit A: The Calvin Klein poster of one man, Thomas Hunt, in nothing but boxer briefs." He shuddered at the memory. "I still suffer from PTSD whenever I see your closet door cracked open."
Angry spots of color appeared on her cheeks. "I was young and stupid and had horrible taste in men."
"Exhibit B: You own all his movies, including the one he has a brief cameo in." Maxwell continued.
"I own a lot of movies." Amanda muttered. "He just happens to make some."
"Exhibit C:," Maxwell pointed out. "When I told you, I had been offered a chance to have The Royal Romance turned into a film, you literally chanted that Thomas Hunt needs to direct until I talked to my agent."
"I wanted your story to earn critical acclaim." Amanda averted her eyes.
"Exhibit D--"
"Enough!" Amanda hissed. "I get it, okay?" She leaned forward, looking directly into his eyes. "Don't ever force me to--"
"Thomas!" Maxwell yelled out, waving toward the director.
Amanda felt her stomach drop when she felt his angry presence pause behind her right shoulder.
"Maxwell." Thomas greeted curtly. “I waited for as long as I could on your,” his tone hardened, “Lady Amanda, but she never showed up.”
Maxwell turned his attention to her. “You didn’t deliver my notes?”
"I did." Amanda snapped, her eyes darted to Thomas. "But I didn’t want to spend a single second in your company."
His eyes widened. "I beg your pardon, what--"
"I refuse to spend the day with a man who so readily judges a person without meeting them." Her chin lifted. "You made it quite clear this morning what you think of me."
Thomas remembered his intern bringing in Maxwell's notes. "You were the one who came by today." His temper snapped. "On top of everything, you listened in on a conversation that wasn't any of your business. Why am I not surprised?" He mocked.
Amanda moved quickly out of the booth until she was standing directly in front of him. Her eyes flashed as heated color flooded her cheeks. "It wasn't hard since you were yelling like a petulant child." Her mocking smile appeared. "I'm grateful that I found out what type of egotistical, judgmental, miserable old man you truly are before being forced to accept your escort anywhere."
"Nowhere nearly as much as I am." Thomas barked, stung by her insults. "I wouldn't escort you a single inch across this room. You've proven that I should continue to trust my gut instinct when it comes to people like you." He bowed in an exagerated insult. "Thank you, Lady Amanda, it has been a pleasure that I hope is never repeated."
Unable to think of a proper insult, Amanda’s eyes sparked with unshed tears. She didn’t want to give this wretched man the satisfaction of thinking he had hurt her to the point of crying.
Without a word, she shoved past him and quickly left the restaurant.
"I had that going differently in my mind." Maxwell said once Thomas sat down. "Maybe after she cools off, the two of you could--"
"Maxwell, there will never be the two of us if Amanda is a part of that equation." Thomas stated firmly. "I will never spend a moment alone with her."
****************
Olivia’s suite, again…
"You should have used one of the butter knives on him." Olivia told her. "I've trained you in the places on the human body that will cause the most pain."
Amanda sighed.
"At least you stood up for yourself." Olivia continued.
Amanda nodded silently.
"Don't tell me you regret this?" Olivia prodded at the lack of verbal response.
"I'm exhausted." Amanda finally said. "I haven't lost my temper like that in years." She ran her hands over her face. "I just stopped by to let you know I'm not going out tonight." She got up and gave a swift hug to Olivia. "Thank you for letting me vent again."
"Don't let that man keep you from going out." Olivia ordered. "Take a nap. I'll make certain you're not disturbed, and we can join everyone else for dinner."
Amanda neither agreed nor disagreed. She gave a halfhearted smile and left.
****************
That night...
"I want everyone who has a spare key to my suite to return them." Amanda announced at dinner.
Maxwell and Olivia ignored her request.
Drake quirked an eyebrow at her. "How many keys were you given?"
"I thought just one." Her eyes narrowed. "Yet, I've had no less than four people enter my room today."
Hana blushed and handed her key card over. "Maxwell told me to help with picking out a dress or two."
Riley slid hers over. "Me too."
"I appreciate the concern." She narrowed her eyes on Maxwell as he raised his menu up to hide his face. "But it is not necessary." Her bitterness then settled on Olivia. "Nor was the wakeup call."
The red head merely shrugged. "I'm not going to allow you to lock yourself away to wallow in guilt and misery over Thomas Hunt."
"I wasn't wallowing!" Amanda snapped. "I was sleeping because Maxwell woke me up after at practically the crack of dawn!"
"As soon as you awoke, you would have started the misery and guilt trip." Olivia calmly stated. "It never fails to happen once you lose your temper."
"It's true." Maxwell added.
Amanda slumped in her chair. All the fight left her. She knew they were right.
“Don’t worry about Thomas.” Maxwell told her. “Tomorrow, he’ll be so busy with the movie that he won’t even notice you’re there.”
*****************
The next day...
Thomas surreptitiously peeked over the script each time he heard Amanda's voice or laughter. Seeing her this way made sense that she was friends with the group whose story he was filming.
She wasn't the irrational shrew he had unleashed the day before.
She looked like a different person. Gone was her insulting temper. For some reason, he was puzzled by her appearance. She hadn't bothered to wear any jewelry other than a watch, which she kept glancing at. He expected her to dress according to her station. Yet she looked like she would easily blend in with a crowd.
He suspected that he would have spotted her immediately.
His eyes moved down her figure when the group followed Addison, leaving him to review today's schedule. Since their altercation, he had been unable to get her off his mind. He had even dreamed about her.
It was disturbing that he woke up in a cold sweat over her. The dream had him ending their fight differently. That was the last thing he wanted to do with her.
Thomas couldn't hear what she was saying, but the entire group were laughing at an observation she made.
He swallowed the last of his coffee and decided to get another cup as the group moved closer to craft services.
"Where are you going?" Holly asked.
"Coffee." He muttered, wondering why Amanda wouldn't look his way. He had expected glares the entire time, not being completely ignored.
“Three cups of coffee wasn’t enough?” she asked.
"What?" He asked.
"You've had three cups." Holly pointed out. "You never have more than that in the morning."
He couldn't think of a clever enough retort, so he walked off without a response.
"This might be my favorite part of filmmaking." Maxwell teased as he reached for one of the fresh pastries Addison offered.
Amanda's smile disappeared when Thomas approached. She moved away from the table, pretending interest in a prop, when he came along next to her for the coffee pot.
He glanced at her back, deciding to force her to acknowledge his presence. "Is there anything I can get you, Lady Bridgerton?"
Her shoulders stiffened. Without looking at him, she automatically responded. "No thank you." Before Thomas could say anything else, she quickly walked over to the set that was a recreation of the palace's hedge maze lit by moonlight.
Her lips curved. She was impressed with the attention to detail the film crew had done. She walked the familiar path, turning to see the swing she had spent a great deal of her childhood on.
Thomas appeared beside her.
She stubbornly looked straight ahead.
"What do you think?" He prodded.
"About what?" She responded, folding her arms across her chest.
"The soundstage? The sets?" He motioned around. "I know you were wanting to tour a studio. Does this meet your approval?"
"It does." She couldn't quite hide her excitement at seeing something like this in person. "I find it fascinating."
He blinked at her words. "I'm…glad."
She stiffened once more at having inadvertently complimented him and tried to get around the hateful man. "If you will excuse me,"
"Perhaps I can--"He began, surprised at the thought of trying to rectify her opinion of him.
“Good day, Mr. Hunt." She tried to escape yet saw that he blocked her path. When he seemed unable to move, she squeezed past.
Their bodies brushed one another, causing her to pause.
Their eyes met and she quickly wiggled free.
He watched her hurry off to rejoin the others.
Thomas tossed his untouched coffee in the garbage and returned to work.
*******************
A few days later, they bumped into each other inside the hotel.
"Lady Bridgerton." He gently grasped her arms. "Nice to see you again."
She grit her teeth. "Please stop calling me Lady." Her eyes narrowed. "Since I discovered your opinion on nobles, I know you mean it as a verbal jab."
He quirked an eyebrow. "Then what should I call you?"
"Amanda." She replied. "But I don't believe I will hear it often since we will never spend more time together." She smirked and left him.
He knew he was supposed to meet with Maxwell, but instead decided to follow her into the hotel's restaurant.
He talked the hostess into seating him in a booth beside Amanda's. He couldn't recall a time in his life when he desired to annoy anyone as much as he did her.
He settled his gaze on her after ordering a drink.
Amanda gripped her menu and purposefully kept her eyes averted.
After a few moments, she dropped her head into her hands. "Why are you trying to drive me crazy?" She practically pleaded. "You can’t stand me, yet you sit there on purpose to stare!"
"You never allow me to finish what I’m saying.” He countered, scooting around his booth.
“Why should I?” she snapped. “You are only going to hurl more insults my way.”
“How do you know?” He asked. “Do you dare presume to know my mind?”
She scooted closer, eyes narrowing. "You don't like me!" She hissed. "And I'm not too fond of you." Her eyes searched his. "Why are you trying to talk to me? I made certain to not bother you at the studio and have not returned each day when the others have."
Thomas propped his arm on the seat and leaned closer to her. "I don't know." His eyes touched on her hair softly curling toward her cheek, guiding his eyes to her lips. "But you have been on my mind." His eyes lifted to hers. "Perhaps it is because I have yet to meet the real you. I’ve seen you at your worst, and yet with those you care for…you’re a completely different person. Who is the real, Lady Amanda?"
"I assure you; this is the real me. Regardless of how irritated I am at the moment this is me!" She quickly thanked the waitress for her drink. "Now, I think we--"
"That we should eat together, I agree." Thomas rose and told the waitress he would be joining Amanda.
He slid into the booth, bumping into the shocked duchess. "I recommend the lobster frittata."
"I'm allergic to shellfish." She said in a stunned voice.
"Then I will order something else." He remarked. "I'll have the steak and eggs." He handed his menu to the waitress. "Shall we have a bottle of champagne with brunch?"
Amanda absentmindedly ordered the cheeseburger. Once they were alone, she settled back against the seat, intent on pretending she was dining alone.
"I'm considering taking time off once filming wraps up." Thomas announced.
"What about the sequels?" Amanda forgot about her plan to ignore him. "You aren't going to let someone else direct, are you?"
He shook his head, turning more toward her. "The screenplay for the second part hasn't been completed yet. Ryan and Chris both have obligations to other directors that they will complete in between the first and second part."
"I see." She tried to ease away from being so close beside him, but her skirt was caught under his leg. He apparently was not inclined to give up his hold on her.
"Amanda, have you been on any other tours?" He asked when she became stubbornly silent again.
"I have." She replied. Her smile held a hint of mischief. "Ryan took me to some points of interest."
Thomas narrowed his eyes. "Did he?"
"Yes." She propped her chin on her hand, attempting to have a dreamy far off look. "He was a perfect gentleman."
"He's seeing someone." He informed her, wondering at this new irritation he felt.
Amanda shrugged. "Like I said, he was a perfect gentleman."
"I expect to hear news of his engagement at any moment." Thomas continued.
"Then perhaps you should be drinking champagne with him." She kept a pleasant smile on her face. "For you and I have nothing to celebrate over."
"I disagree." He countered.
"Of course, you do." She pointed at his shirt. "I would call this blue, but I'm positive you would say it was another color."
"I always thought it was more gray than blue." He said to purposefully needle her.
She ran her fingers through her hair. "Of course, you would."
Their food was brought out and each focused on eating while ignoring the emotions the other was causing.
He poured her a glass of champagne then lifted his in a toast. "To expectations."
She searched his eyes for some hidden meaning then tapped her glass to his. "Cheers."
"What are your plans today?" He asked.
She set her glass down. "I'm going to see a movie."
"Really?" He slowly smiled. "What will you be--"
"There you are!" Maxwell walked over, his dimples deepening with his delighted grin. "I must have forgotten we were to meet down here."
Amanda took that moment to jerk her skirt out from under Thomas' thigh. She smiled with her newfound freedom. "I was just on my way out." She wished them both a good afternoon and escaped.
"I knew you two would hit it off." Maxwell boasted.
"And when exactly is that supposed to happen?" Thomas asked.
************
A few nights later...
"Everyone knows the drill." Maxwell whispered.
"Yes." Hana reassured him. "I spill my drink on Amanda."
"I drop a plate in Thomas's lap." Addison whispered.
"They are both forced to go to the master bathroom because I have food poisoning in the hall bathroom." Riley added.
"I get everyone to move to our suite." Liam added.
"I turn everything off." Holly glanced over her shoulder to make certain no one was near enough to hear.
"And I lock them in the bedroom." Maxwell announced.
"What about the phone situation?" Ryan whispered.
"Bastien is confiscating everyone's phone for security purposes." Drake explained. "And I have already removed the hotel phones from the bedroom and living room."
"You all have your missions." Maxwell looked around at his group. "Good luck."
Addison and Hana nearly bounced with excitement as they took their places.
****************
Thomas sat down when Addison insisted yet again. "I still don't see how this helps the crick in your neck."
She rubbed the side while rolling her head. "Because it doesn’t hurt tilting it down, only up." She huffed. "You're too tall."
She eyed Hana and watched as the graceful lady stumbled, splashing her glass of wine down Amanda's dress.
"I'm so sorry!" Tears filled Hana's eyes. She grasped Amanda's hand and dragged her into the bedroom.
"I have something that will help get this out before it stains." Hana made Amanda remain in the bathroom. "It's in my room. I'll be right back."
Addison waited patiently, keeping Thomas talking. She then saw Hana give her the sign.
"...and then we should--" Thomas jumped to his feet when Addison dropped her plate.
"Oh my gosh!" She exclaimed. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to."
He brushed her hand away and went toward the bathroom. He heard Riley's sounds of sickness and quickly backtracked.
"There's a bathroom in the bedroom." Maxwell pushed him toward it.
"Thank you." Thomas stepped inside and opened the bathroom door.
Amanda whirled around. "You startled me."
He glanced down at the red stain on her peach colored dress. "My apologies. We both seem to be the ones with accident prone friends tonight."
She wet a rag for him. His fingers brushed hers when he reached for it. Their eyes lifted to one another's.
Amanda looked away first. "You should take your jacket off first."
He shrugged out of it, thanking her when she offered to hold it for him. Thomas brushed at the different stains on his shirt and tie.
She did the same with his jacket.
The two worked quietly.
"Do you hear that?" She asked once the water was turned off.
He stilled. "I don't hear anything."
"Exactly!" The two hurried to the bedroom door.
It wouldn't open.
Amanda knocked on it. "Maxwell! We're stuck in here!"
Thomas leaned his ear against it. "There's no noise out there."
"I'll call someone to--" she twirled around. "Where are the phones?"
They searched throughout the drawers and closets. Nothing except a pair of pajamas and a nightgown were in the drawers.
"What is going on?" Amanda wailed, slowly backing away.
"I think," Thomas began, recognizing his pajamas from home. "that Maxwell and the others want us to spend the night together."
**************
After changing their ruined clothes, the two sat down on the bed. It seemed that Maxwell had removed the chairs that had also resided there. He had also had the television removed.
"Now what do we do?" Amanda asked. "It's only eight thirty."
Thomas tried to keep from staring at her in her silk nightgown.
She guessed that Riley and Hana had taken it earlier that day when they kept having her try on dresses. His eyes traveled up her legs --
"Why don't we talk? Settle this...whatever this is between us?" He suggested as she stood up to pace.
Amanda quit her agitated movements and sat down in a breathless huff. She reclined on the pillows and attempted to not stare at how sexy Thomas looked in pajamas. That little bit of hair flopping over his forehead softened his angular features, making her want to run her fingers through his hair as his lips touched--
"I expected you to be different." Amanda began, lowering her eyes. "I think this might be as much my fault as yours."
Thomas stretched out beside her. "What do you mean about expecting me to be different?"
She ran a hand through her hair. "I guess I expected you to be nice." She grimaced. "I thought we would get along. Perhaps become friends or...something."
"I see." He said softly. "And I ruined that when you overheard, that I was expecting the worst."
"Yes, I mean," she dropped her head back on the pillow. "I was so disappointed that you were like so many people I have encountered at court. That you were so set on disliking me…I just thought why bother even trying to be nice."
“Ah.” He snorted softly. “And in my preconceived notions, I decided you had proven me right.”
“And now we are being tortured by our so-called friends.”
He turned his head toward her. "I don't feel tortured right now."
She turned too and realized how close their faces were. "You don't?"
He focused on her mouth. Perhaps he was being tortured. "No, I actually like being around you like this."
"So not hostile or hurling insults at you?" She teased.
He surprised her with a sudden smile. "If we must make that distinction, then yes, I prefer this version to any of the others I have encountered."
Her burst of laughter made him scoot closer to her.
“I must admit, it has been exhausting remaining angry around you.” Her warm smile was focused on him for the first time. “You sir, have kept me on my toes during every altercation.”
“You have been a worthy adversary.” Thomas chuckled when she solemnly thanked him. “I haven’t’ wanted to annoy any woman as much as I have you.”
The pair became quiet in thought after sharing another laugh.
Amanda turned on her side and studied his face. "Thomas?"
"Hmm?"
"Why do you think we have been snapping at each other all this time?"
"You've been doing most of the snapping lately." He reminded her.
"I suppose I have." She admitted. "Why have you been chasing after me though since I have been, you know?"
"Cruel?" He offered. "Cold? Mean?"
"I get the picture." She grumbled. "I apologize for my rudeness."
"I told you once before I wasn't certain what it is about you, but I think I might have solved the mystery." He inched closer.
"And that is?" She asked.
"I think we have some unresolved sexual tension." Thomas waited to see what her response might be.
He didn't expect laughter.
"Hold on.” she said once she saw he was serious. "You find me attractive?"
"I did even when I despised you." He admitted.
Amanda blinked. "Oh."
He cleared his throat. When she still remained silent, he prodded her. "Any chance you find me attractive?"
"I do." Was her hurried response. "I mean, I always thought you were handsome."
"Being thought handsome is not the same as being attractive." He reminded her. "Do you find Liam handsome?"
"Of course, I do." She sighed, knowing where he was going with this. "And no, I am not physically attracted to Liam."
Thomas gently placed his hand over hers. "Then, should we use this time to test out the waters? See if the fights can cease once and for all after we discover what this is?”
Amanda slowly nodded. Before she could think too hard about all the ways this could backfire, he had pulled her flush to him. Her breath caught as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
His fingertips slipped down her neck and over her shoulder, sliding down before coming back up. She closed her eyes as he caressed her skin. His eyes followed his hand before flickering up to her parted lips. He closed the distance and placed a tentative kiss to them.
And then they knew why they had been fighting so much.
**************
The next morning…
“There’s no noise.” Maxwell whispered. He had his ear pressed to the bedroom door.
“Either they are asleep, or they killed each other.” Olivia hissed. “I’m hoping he is at least bleeding out in there.” She smacked Maxwell on the back of the head. “Why did you persist in putting them together?”
“Because I know what I’m doing as a matchmaker.” He grumbled. “If you would only listen to me about you and Dra—“
She put her hand over his mouth. “I’m warning you, Maxwell. Do not ever link my name with his again.”
Addison pushed between them and pressed her ear to the door. “I say we leave their clothes here and quietly unlock the bedroom door. “I don’t want to walk in on something I shouldn’t see.”
“Good idea.” Maxwell carefully removed the chair he had wedged under the doorknob. He then unlocked the door and jumped back in case one decided to open it.
As his coconspirators sneaked out of the room, he quickly jotted down an apology in case he had been wrong and slipped it under the bedroom door.
Just as he was about to leave, the note was slipped back with a response written.
You better book another suite for yourself. This one is ours now.
Thanks for locking us in together,
A & T
#choices september challenge#choices stories you play#choices thomas hunt#Thomas Hunt#thomas hunt x amanda#thomas hunt x oc#choices red carpet diaries#choices the royal romance#trr maxwell#trr olivia#rcd addison#rcd thomas hunt
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Adventurers in the Dark- Maxwell x MC (Riley)
This is at the time when Maxwell and MC were (only) friends: at the beginning of the series. (When his crush was only developing.)
English isn't my first language, which is why I have here a few awkward sentences.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two figures descended the rickety stairs leading to the wine cellar: one was holding an old lantern while the other gripped on to the banister as if their life depended on it. It was just like in the movies: a pair of adventurers searching for a legendary treasure only found in stories. Danger surrounded them, a thousand different traps in their immediate vicinity. The light emitted from the lantern was only enough to show their closest surroundings, leaving them in more darkness than was safe.
Maxwell’s heart pounded. He tightened his grip on the lantern as he carefully headed down. There were so many possible treasures to be found down there: a hidden Beaumont fortune he never heard of, a mirror that can lead to magical places, an old diary that has never seen the light of day. Endless possibilities, and only a few of them likely.
“You know,” Riley said from behind him, sending him out of his reverie, “you really should fix these stairs. They could fall apart at any second.” As if to emphasize, she put pressure on the stair beneath her, which creaked in protest.
A smile rose to Maxwell’s face. “But this way we really are like adventurers!”
Riley sighed. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into exploring this place in the dark. Don’t you have a light switch around here somewhere?”
“We have at the top of the stairs.”
There was a slight pause. “Guess I'll have to settle for the lantern, then.”
Once they reached the bottom Riley breathed a sigh of relief. “Finally. I was worried the stairs would fall out from under me.”
They stood on the unkempt wooden floor, trying to make out their surroundings to the best extent. The light wasn’t much, but apparently, it was enough for Riley to reach a realization. “We’ve been here before.”
Maxwell nodded. “One of those times, Bertrand sent us to bring wine. Remember?”
It was on one of the first days he spent with Riley: a weekend that was dedicated only for fun. Bertrand wanted to prepare everything needed for the next big event, so he sent them both to the wine cellar. They returned only hours later, giggling and swaying from side to side with the bottle loosely in their grip. Bertrand wasn’t very happy, to say the least, but that experience was one Maxwell will never forget.
Maxwell met Riley’s eyes, which were shining in utter elation. ”That was officially one of the best days ever.”
“It was.”
There was a slight pause before Riley broke the silence. “So where is the adventure you promised me? Because so far, this isn’t what I would call ‘the experience of a lifetime’.”
Maxwell took Riley’s hand as he led her toward a hidden corner. “We may have been down here already, but we were never here at night. Everything is different in darkness. We’ll probably find here things we never would have found in the light of day.”
A slow grin emerged on her lips. “I never thought of it like that.”
At first, their treasure hunt was fruitless, but a few minutes after searching the bar counter Maxwell heard Riley cry in triumph. He hurried to her, adrenaline pumping through him- when she held out two cups: one of simple plastic, to which a candy picture had been glued and the other was a small silver goblet.
Maxwell gently took the plastic cup from Riley’s hand. It was filled with dust from the years of disuse, but he could still make out the blue stain from his unsuccessful cup-coloring attempt. The paper was even more peeled off than he remembered, to the point it was nearly falling off. He smoothed it out gently, a smile to his lips.
Riley turned toward him, curiosity lighting up her eyes. “What are they?”
Maxwell smiled. “When Bertrand and I were younger, our parents would often drink wine after different ‘special events’. As kids, we wanted to take part in this tradition, but Mom and Dad were adamant that we never touch wine. So, instead, our parents bought us special cups of our own, in which we could drink as much grape juice as we desired.”
“Let me guess- this cup was yours,” she pointed at the candy cup, “and the other was Bertrand’s.”
Maxwell chuckled. “We chose them ourselves.”
A sly smirk rose to Riley’s face. “How about we use these cups one last time?”
Maxwell smiled. Riley was obviously just as excited at the prospect like him, and for a minute it seemed as if they really were two partners-in-crime. They may not be stealing the crown jewels of Cordonia, but it was just as fun to do these silly and spontaneous things.
“I’ll go get the cleaning supplies.” Riley declared before rushing off. She returned a few minutes later with the necessary materials, and they set off to work.
A while later, Maxwell and Riley sat with their backs to a wall, their small cups filled to the brim with grape juice. The bottle and lantern stood between them, like servants ready to do their masters’ bidding.
Maxwell raised his old cup. “To the best partner-in-crime, the world has ever seen!”
Riley followed him, letting out a small laugh. “To unique adventures in the dark!”
They clinked their cups and drank, the sweet taste of grape juice on their tongue. There was something extremely comfortable about being there, beside Riley, reliving childhood experiences. Maxwell never expected to feel so natural with someone, but here he was.
“When I was younger, I used to sneak down here all the time. There was a wall here I decorated with my very own artistic drawings. It was known as The Graffiti Wall.”
Riley smirked. “Of course.”
“As I grew older, I slowly stopped coming down here. Maybe because I preferred spending time with Liam, or maybe because I gave up on my artistic abilities. The thing is, that at some point I only came here for Bertrand’s wine.”
“We grow up every day. Only a few months ago, I was a waitress in a stuffy New York bar. Now I’m a contestant in a competition over the hand of Cordonia’s crown prince.” She turned the silver goblet in her hand, studying its intricate details- as if it was her very own life.
Maxwell put a hand on her shoulder. “Riley, ever since you came here everything is different. Liam is happier than he ever was, Drake is leaving his shell, and Bertrand regained his hope. You changed this place more than it ever changed you.”
Riley raised her gaze so she stared right into his. There was something painstakingly earnest about the way she looked at him as if she could read his entire soul. Her blue eyes reminded him of the sky after a storm: a safe and peaceful haven from the troubles of the world. At that moment, he couldn’t blame Liam for falling so hard for this girl.
“What about you?” She whispered, searching for something in his eyes.
Maxwell forcefully shook himself. He smiled, but for some reason, it didn’t come as naturally as it used to. “I finally have someone to share adventures with.”
Riley shook her head, a chuckle escaping her lips. “Glad to be of service.”
Soon after, they gathered their belongings, returned the bottle and cups to their places, and headed back. The way up was quiet but of comfortable silence. They walked together till they reached Riley’s room, but for some reason, she still lingered.
“Maxwell,” she said as she met his eyes again, “thank you for tonight. It was nice to just enjoy myself for once, without having to worry about the competition.”
He smiled. “Of course.”
Before he could comprehend what was happening, Riley’s warm arms encased him in a loving embrace. She was so close Maxwell could smell the faint scent of the lavender perfume she put that morning which was mixed with the sweet scent of wine.
The hug ended too quickly. Riley let go, the biggest smile to her face. “Good night, Maxwell.”
“Good night, Riley.”
Maxwell stood there long after the door closed. His thoughts and emotions were in a tangled mess, and he didn’t understand why. He still felt the ghost of Riley’s touch, still wanted to spend even more time with her- more than was wise. Why was he like this?
The house was quiet as Maxwell walked in the direction of his room. The calmness of the night was beautiful: almost as much as his moments with Riley.
He wished he could spend these moments with her every day.
But he knew that that could never be.
#choices fanfiction#choices oneshot#choices#choices stories you play#playchoices fanfiction#playchoices#playchoices oneshots#the royal romance#trr#maxwell beaumont#maxwell beaumont x mc#trr fanfic#maxwell x mc
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April Come She Will - A TRR AU fanfic
Summary: What if Liam was a commoner, unburdened with propriety and a horde of duties towards an entire country? What if he was born with the freedom he so longed for, and could go for the woman he wanted without a care in the world? If he was free to pursue his passions and desires, what kind of a lover and man he would be?
An Alternate Universe fic set in the USA, where Liam, a commoner, meets and falls for a writer, April.
A/N: I hadn’t envisioned this to be a story about friendship, but it’s turning out to be so. And I can’t say I mind. There will be romance, of course (come on, it’s me who’s writing this), and it will be a sort of slow burn in Liam and April’s case. God, I hate those. But writing this is fun! Let me know what you think of this chapter. Thanks!
Tag list: If I have forgotten to put anyone’s url here, please remind me. And if you want off the tag list, all you have to do is let me know. Thanks!
@kennaxval @thatspicegirlssong @lizzybeth1986 @bowful @indescribablechoices @femmeshep @zaffrenotes @hopefulmoonobject
Book: The Royal Romance
Pairing: Liam x Original Female Character
Rating: T
Characters: Liam, Hana Lee, Maxwell Beaumont, Drake Walker, Original characters, and an adorable golden retriever named Sir Arthur.
Chapter 1: Belle of the Boulevard
Chapter 2: Friends
Chapter 3: Hey Tomorrow
Normally, Drake wouldn't have bothered making fancy breakfast for his two friends. But they had been let down after yet another apartment hunt. Since they were both sleeping the disappointment off, Drake supposed he could make something nice to cheer them up. He was in a pretty good mood... before Maxwell burst into the kitchen with his morning mofo energy.
"Drake!"
He sighed.
"What?"
"You're not going to believe what I'm about to tell you!"
"Your pigeon buddy won't come to the window anymore?"
Maxwell said,
"I saw Buckbeak just a while ago. But that's not what I am talking about"
Drake put away the broken eggshells, asking,
"What are you talking about?"
Maxwell said, sounding dystopian,
"April is not on any social media"
"So?"
That appalled Maxwell. He exclaimed,
"So it's weird and unnatural!"
Drake said,
"Hey. I'm not on any social media either"
"Exactly my point!"
He turned to give Maxwell a reproachful look, but the man was rambling.
"I didn't even know her last name until yesterday. But then I picked up Liam's Kindle last night and I saw he was reading lesbian erotica. I was like, um... okay. Whatever rocks your boat. Then I saw the writer's name - April Costas! That's why Liam was reading erotica! So I did a little digging of my own. She's not on any social media sites. Doesn't that bother you?"
Drake gently pushed him aside, reaching for powdered sugar. He said,
"What bothers me is that you two spent your night snooping on a girl. I can understand Liam doing it, he likes her. But you are being you again"
Maxwell grinned,
"Sparkling and joyful?"
"Nosy and annoying"
Liam came into the kitchen, greeting them both with a "good morning". He asked Drake,
"Need any help with breakfast?"
"No, I got it. You and the Daily Mail here can sit at the table"
Maxwell received a sympathetic smile from Liam. He sat down next to him, not quite meeting Liam in the eye.
"Why are you name-calling him this early in the morning?", Liam asked Drake.
He replied,
"Why don't you ask him?"
"Maxwell?"
Maxwell fidgeted with his fingers, replying,
"Well, I... I googled April last night"
"Okay?"
"She's not on any social media"
"I didn't know that"
Maxwell asked,
"You're not mad at me?"
Liam smiled,
"Why would I be mad? You can google whoever you want"
Drake set two plates before them on the table, saying,
"If you two ladies are done having a heart to heart, eat up"
The plates were piled with golden French toast, with powdered sugar sprinkled on top. Maxwell's face lit up at the sight of the food.
"Yum!", he said.
Liam smiled at that reaction and turned to Drake,
"Thank you, Drake. This is rather nice of you"
"Don't get used to it", Drake smiled.
Liam cut a piece of toast for himself. His fork and knife were met with some resistance.
'Strange'
He had to apply a little pressure to slice the supposedly soft and fluffy toast. Before putting the morsel in his mouth, he glanced at Maxwell. Maxwell gave him a pained look, his jaws moving around the food in his mouth, like giant cogs on an industrial machine. Liam threw caution to the wind and put the piece of French toast in his own mouth.
It was... chewy and bland. But he didn't complain. Next to him, Maxwell whispered,
"My teeth are starting to hurt"
"Sshh"
Sadly for them, they hadn't noticed Drake glaring at them from next to the kitchen stove. He scowled.
"What? My food isn't fancy enough for you two freeloaders?"
They immediately disagreed. Liam said,
"No, no. It's lovely"
Maxwell nodded,
"Yeah. Really... edible"
Drake watched him carefully for a moment before turning back to the stove again. Maxwell whispered,
"Where's Sir Arthur? He must be hungry"
Liam whispered back,
"You're not feeding my dog this. Eat"
Drake returned to the table, with French toast piled high in two more plates. Maxwell and Liam gave him their best grateful smiles.
***
April dabbed at her mouth with a paper napkin, having just made clean work of her empanadas. Her agent sat across from her in the red chair, matching the theme of the deli. She ignored their piercingly observant gaze and looked around for a waiter.
'Maybe I can get those little pita wraps'
Joel said, their voice crisp as cold water,
"You're stress-eating again"
April made a face.
"I'm not!", she said.
"Come on, April. Is it really going to be that difficult for you to maintain a social media presence? All writers have to do that"
"I know they do. I am just not..."
They said,
"Comfortable putting my life details out there for everyone to see - heard that before. I'm not asking you to post nudes. Just... maybe one tweet, one pic, one status update every other day"
"But Joel..."
"Listen", they leaned forward, the cuffs of their coat sleeves revealing slender wrists, "When I take Porcelain Palace to my contacts in Hollywood, they are going to be like, "April who?". You are virtually non-existent. And your silly website where you review people's fanfiction doesn't count"
April leaned back in her chair, folding her arms over her chest. Joel went on, despite the look on her face.
"This business is as much about image as it is about storytelling. I told you that when you hired me"
They gave April a nurturing smile.
"I just don't want your work to be sidetracked in Hollywood. Porcelain Palace deserves to be made into a movie. We need that movie in our time. And I am not going to stop until that happens. Are you?"
She mumbled,
"No"
"We agree then. You will sign up on the sites I just emailed you, and start posting"
"Urgh"
"Don't be dramatic. And stop stuffing your face. You're going to look like a rikishi soon if you keep at this"
"I eat what I want. And I already got my 10k footsteps in today, all right?"
"Good", Joel placed some dollar bills on the table and got up, buttoning their coat jacket, "I'll see you in exactly one week. Call me if you need me"
"Yeah. Thanks"
"Anything for my favourite person"
Joel leaned over and planted a kiss on the top of her head. April smirked.
"Want to tell Shirin you called me that?"
They gave her a stunning grin, walking away,
"That's the beauty of being in a mature poly relationship. I don't have to worry about jealousy. Good day, April"
She raised her hand in half a wave, sighing, and dropping it the moment Joel was out of sight.
Her social skills had been a big joke since kindergarten. Her mistrust of people in general, coupled with a strong sense of privacy, kept her shielded from the allure of "social sharing". But Joel was trying to create an image for her, and they knew what they were talking about. Problem was - it made April feel hungry again.
Her phone buzzed. She saw who the text was from and smiled in surprise.
'Hello, April! Not sure if you remember, but you saved me from a horrendous date at the Whiskey Duck? It's Hana'
April quickly texted back.
'Of course I remember. It's great to hear from you! How have you been?'
She sat in the small deli during lunch hours, typing away letters and emojis to a welcome distraction.
***
Drake was losing to Maxwell in that stupid kart game when his phone buzzed. He ignored it, but it only buzzed again.
"Pause", he said.
Maxwell grinned,
"Nuh-uh. I'm winning"
Drake thought he had no option but to end the race. He swore as Maxwell beat him by a hair's breadth. Ignoring his friend's victory break-dance, he checked his phone.
'What the fuck?'
He was part of some chat called Whiskey Ducks. The first text had been from a number he didn't know.
'Hi guys, it's Hana! I just thought this would be a fun and convenient way for me to talk to you all at once :D'
The next text was from another unfamiliar number.
'Hello. April here. :)'
Drake was still making sense of the thing when a third text was sent in the group. This number he did recognise.
'Yoohoo! Its so great to be able to talk to my friends together! Viva la technology! ^_^'
The text was followed by a gif of the Minions hugging and saying "Buddies".
"Maxwell!"
He nearly jumped on hearing his name.
"What?"
Drake frowned, showing him the phone screen,
"What the hell am I doing in a group text?"
Maxwell defended himself,
"Hana wanted me to add you and Liam"
"IN A GROUP TEX..."
The door to Drake's apartment swung open and Liam came in. He closed the door behind him, giving the guys a nod.
"Hey", he said.
Maxwell quickly turned his attention to Liam. He asked,
"How did it go?"
"It is affordable, if you don't mind living with rats"
"Wait. Cute rats or the creepy ones?"
Liam sighed,
"Maxwell"
He deposited himself on the couch between Drake and Maxwell, much to the latter's relief. Drake was complaining within seconds of Liam's butt hitting the couch.
"Look what your precious buddy did. He added us to a group text"
"Keep your calm..."
"What do you mean 'keep your calm'? He didn't even ask us!"
Liam pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering,
"I wasn't talking to you"
Maxwell took that as encouragement to speak up. He said,
"There's no harm done. Hana just wanted to invite all of us to Coney Island"
Drake said,
"I don't want to go to stupid Coney Island. And how did you get Hana's number anyway?"
Maxwell revealed with a happy smile,
"I added her on pinterest. She has the coolest boards. Especially her food board. Oh my god"
Liam pulled out his phone from the pocket of his jeans, rubbing his sore temples. The apartment hunt and the current state of his job were enough to fill his head with worry. Drake and Maxwell's constant bickering was just the cherry on top of a steaming pile of crap.
"You always do this!"
"And you always give me hell about it!"
They fought, one on each side of Liam. He could feel a headache coming on. But his entire facial expression transformed on seeing who else was in the group chat.
Hana said,
'I wanted to invite you all to Coney Island with me. As a thank you for that evening. It will be super fun, I promise!'
April replied,
'You don't have to thank us'
'But I really want to! And it's not like I have any friends in New York to enjoy Coney Island with :3 '
April is typing...
'When do you want to go?'
Liam smiled. April was such a knight in shining armour.
'How about tomorrow?', Hana suggested.
Maxwell is typing...
'Tomorrow's good for meee! I have nothing to do tomorrow'
Liam was surprised to see -
Drake is typing...
'Like everyday'
Maxwell replied with a sad puppy face gif.
April is typing...
'Is it okay if I bring my friend Jenna along?'
'Sure! The more, the merrier', Hana said.
Reading Jenna's name, both Liam and Maxwell turned to look at Drake. He tried to seem nonchalant,
"What?"
Liam shrugged.
"Just wondering if you can make it tomorrow. You have a thriving business to attend to, you know. Unlike me and Maxwell, who have nothing to do everyday"
"Yeah!", Maxwell grinned.
Drake glared at Liam, saying,
"Why do you always take his side? I'm your best friend!"
Maxwell objected to that.
"Hey! We are all best friends!"
Their phones buzzed again. Hana asked,
'So guys? Does tomorrow afternoon work for you?'
Maxwell replied with an enthusiastic yes. Drake replied,
'Ok'
Liam had his eyes on April's name in the group text as he typed,
'Can't wait'
#king liam#hana lee#maxwell beaumont#drake walker#trr fanfiction#trr#the royal romance#trr au#liam x oc#liam x april#fanfiction#playchoices
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