#Leo Riley | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

angelasscribbles · 7 months

Text

Cordonian Royal Family (A Bad Romance Extra)

I wanted to share these images because they're fabulous. I didn't make most of them, I suck at these things, but I love them and felt like they should be seen by others. Of course, me being me, I wanted to give information about each character but if I'm doing that, then it needs to read like an article in the Cordonian Star so here we are. Enjoy! The article is under the cut.

These images were all generated by the AI art app Wonder. For anyone interested, you may see my AI art disclaimer here.

It’s been one year since the death of His Royal Majesty Constantine Arthur Augustus Hector Rys in an unfortunate ceiling collapse at the palace just days before the current king announced his engagement to the queen.

King Constantine was married three times, sired two sons, and fostered three other children. Here is a look at the royal family today.

Photos by Ana De Luca.

His Royal Majesty Liam Nicolai Ulysses Augustus Rys

King of Cordonian, Duke of Stormholt, Duke of Bellmede, Duke of Valtoria, Earl of Alriel, Earl of Ennan, Earl of Lykos, Baron of Throngate, Lord of the Isles and Commander in Chief of the Cordonian Royal Forces.

From Spare to Heir. Never meant for the throne, this second-born son of royalty was thrust into the role of leader when his older brother abdicated. Many believe he was always more temperamentally suited for the role. Indeed, after a rocky start, Cordonia has thrived under his leadership.

Tied romantically to only a small number of women in his youth, (and one alleged man), King Liam’s younger years were as devoid of scandal and impropriety as his brother’s were full of them. He received good marks at the prestigious, elite Wellingford Academy and later Epton College.

He managed to stay out of the spotlight for the most part until his eventful social season. Marrying a commoner and a foreigner, changing the laws of succession for his children, and legalizing gay marriage, he has a track record as a progressive and is viewed favorably by the majority of Cordonians.

Her Royal Majesty Riley Catherine Brooks Rys

Queen of Cordonian, Duchess of Stormholt, Duchess of Bellmede, Duchess of Valtoria, Countess of Alriel, Countess of Ennan, Countess of Lykos, Baroness of Throngate, Lady of the Isles and Champion of the Realm.

Rumored to have had a contentious relationship with the late king, this last-minute addition to the present king’s social season was a long shot. As an American and a commoner, she reportedly was not King Constantine’s first, or even second, choice for his son.

Always King Liam’s favorite, however, she was a front-runner from the moment she set foot on Cordonian soil, her beauty, charm, and grace captivating the nation. Meeting at a bar in New York where she was his waitress, their whirlwind romance seemingly ended in scandal, accusations of infidelity, and the king’s engagement to another woman.

Their love endured despite the obstacles and in an astonishing turn of events, not only was her name cleared, but the king made a move as historically unprecedented as it was shocking, breaking a council-approved political engagement and marrying for love.

Prince Leonardo Tiberius Constantine Fabian Rys

Prince of Cordonia, Duke of Abanthus, Earl of Ebrimel, Baron of Auverneen.

Born into privilege and wealth, he threw it all away in what many consider a selfish and short-sighted move led by the vagaries and hubris of youth. Other interpretations range from the young prince simply recognizing that his brother was better suited to rule; to unsubstantiated rumors that he was pressured into stepping down by his father.

Prince Leo bounced around between elite boarding schools, both domestic and abroad before making barely passable marks at Epton College. Dubbed by the media as the Playboy Prince of the Mediterranean, he has been romantically linked to the likes of Olivia Nevrakis, Duchess of Lythikos, Princess Margot of Auvernall, and American actress Victoria Fontaine.

Abdicating both as Crown Prince of Cordonian and Duke of Stormholt, he retains the title of Prince as well as holding the titles Duke of Abanthus, Earl of Ebrimel, and Baron of Auverneen while living abroad. The Playboy Prince is still unattached.

Captain Drake Nolan Walker

Lord Commander of the Queen’s Guard, Knight Protector of the Realm.

Born to commoners, he and his sister were taken in and raised by the royal family after his father’s death in service to the crown. Having lived in the palace since the age of six, he became a ward of the crown at age fourteen and received the same basic upbringing and education as the princes.

Unlike the princes, he dedicated his life to military service, later following in his father’s footsteps by transferring to the Royal Guard. During King Liam’s social season, Captain Walker was charged with killing a man. All charges were eventually dropped, and he was exonerated when it came out that he was acting undercover on the king’s orders as a de facto member of Queen Riley’s security detail.

He currently serves the crown as captain of the Queen’s Guard, lives at the palace, remains close friends with the king, and is by all accounts deeply devoted to the queen.

Her Grace Savannah Evangeline Walker Beaumont

Duchess of Ramsford.

Like her brother, the duchess became a ward of the crown after the death of her father when she was twelve years old. She retained the title of Lady until the advent of her marriage to the Duke of Ramsford, Bertrand Beaumont, raised her status to duchess.

Scandal rocked Duchy Ramsford when it was revealed that the duchess had a child out of wedlock. She left Cordonia, taking the heir to Ramsford with her. She lived abroad for a year before returning and reuniting with the duke. They were married in an elaborate ceremony a few months after her return.

Unidentified sources close to the couple report the marriage is strained and often rocky.

His Grace Bertrand Atticus Beaumont

Duke of Ramsford, Leader of the House of Lords, Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal.

Taking on the role of Duke at a young age, he, along with the rest of the world, was shocked by the return of his presumed dead father, the late Duke Barthelemy Beaumont. His Grace relinquished control of the duchy to his father only to pick up the mantle again a few months later when the late Duke of Ramsford was killed in a head-on collision on his way home from a meeting at the palace.

He currently serves in the House of Lords as The Lord Leader, a position he has held for the last five years.

His ties to the monarchy are many and varied. His marriage to Savannah Walker made him a de facto member of the royal family, as did making the queen an official member of House Beaumont as part of his sponsorship of her during the king’s social season. His younger brother, Lord Maxwell Beaumont serves as the queen's top advisor and personal assistant. Prince Leo is a close friend, was the best man at his wedding, and is godfather to his son.

Lord Barthelemy Jackson Beaumont

Future Duke of Ramsford.

As the only child of the Duke and Duchess of Ramsford, young Lord Barthelemy is the heir to the duchy, nephew to the Lord Commander of the Queen’s Guard Captain Drake Walker, and to the queen’s personal assistant, Lord Maxwell Beaumont, has Prince Leo as a godfather and is treated as a grandchild by the queen mother.

Her Grace Olivia Vanderwall Nevrakis

Duchess of Lythikos, Counsellor of State.

Also a ward of the crown, Duchess Olivia Nevrakis lost her parents in a tragic car accident when she was five years old. The late Queen Eleanor sent for her, and she was raised and educated at the palace, taking over control of Duchy Lythikos from her aunt at the age of sixteen.

Lythikos has thrived under her leadership, and she is beloved by the people. A suitor in King Liam’s social season, she has also been romantically linked to his brother, Prince Leo. Sources close to the duchess report that her participation in the social season was out of courtesy and duty as she and the king have always enjoyed a close friendship, but nothing more.

She currently resides at Lykos Keep, sits on the king’s small council, and divides her time between Lythikos and the capital.

Her Royal Majesty Regina Beatrice Amaranth Rys

Queen Mother, Dowager Duchess of Stormholt, Countess of Loutreo.

Born in Krona, her father was the younger brother of the late Duke, Karolos Amaranth. The current Duchess of Krona, Adelaide Amaranth, is her cousin. A countess in her own right, she became queen when she married King Constantine after a lengthy courtship.

She was the late king’s third wife. Marrying later in life, she had no biological children of her own but was instrumental in the upbringing of both her stepsons and the other three children entrusted to the monarchs’ care.

Now a widow, the queen mother continues to live at the palace, advises the queen, and works with the various charities she has championed over the years, notably Hope Haven a nationwide organization that works with homeless youth, and The Empowerment Zone a nonprofit helping single mothers.

Her Royal Highness Eleanor Elizabeth Hana Olivia Rys

Crown Princess of Cordonia.

Born just six days ago, Cordonia’s newest princess has already captivated the hearts of the nation. The king and queen have retreated to the queen’s estate in Valtoria while they adjust to new parenthood, taking with them, among others, the queen's personal assistant, Lord Maxwell Beaumont. No nannies are yet in residence, but Duchess Hana Lee, the queen’s best friend and official Master of the Household, is.

This exclusive photo, which originally appeared in The Cordonian Star yesterday, is the only public photograph of the crown princess, who was named after her grandmother, the late Queen Eleanor.

#trr visuals #bad romance #trr poly #trr #trr fanfic #angelasscribbles #the royal romance #liam rys #drake walker #leo rys #riley brooks #the royal romance fanfic #choices

57 notes · View notes

ewingstan · 9 months

Text

On x.3 and I have to say that my complaints on Ward's action-pacing aside, there's some very good pacing going down with setup-payoff. All throughout you keep hearing references to "the Tinker Ashley works with" for her prosthetic hands, someone who Rain can only approximate the work of. And you think "huh its weird that someone is better than Rain at that considering its his whole tinker specialization," but you know that Rain's a cluster cape with pretty weak powers, so you brush it off. And you think "hey its weird we don't get even any incidental details about this Tinker," but you remember that there's plenty of times where a nameless tinker has been used to handwave something that the narrative wouldn't benefit from deep-diving into before, so you brush it off. And then in the middle of Ashely's backstory, you find out that she's going to Bonesaw for her hands, and everything fits so damn perfectly. Of course Riley would be the best at making working prosthetics for Ashely, she literally made Ashely. Of course Ashley would never go into specifics about it with the others, she'd see that as revealing something shameful to the others. Of course the story about what can and can't be forgiven would have Bonesaw trying to make things up for the person she mentally and physically groomed towards violence (especially since the same thing happened to Riley herself) and for it to be an awkward mess of distrust and worse-natures.

And then when you're reeling from that, the text has Amy come in and start to help work on her, as she's apparently been doing this whole time, and you get such a rush! You get the dread of knowing Victoria will eventually discover this person she's so close to has been (worked on? consorting with? Victoria wouldn't know what to jump to) with Amy the whole time they've known each other. You get the satisfaction of seeing Amy's arc progress, that she's still hanging around largely with former villains stuck in limbo, that she's not just "keeping an eye on" Riley but helping her in aiding a person she might see herself in. And for a hot second it really seems like Ward knows exactly what it wants to be and how to say it, and it shines.

#leo reads ward #wildbow #parahumans #ashley stillons #riley grace davis #amy dallon #leo says

83 notes · View notes

zombiefishmonster · 8 months

Text

THEY. HAD A HEIGHT CHART. WHY IS THAT THE SWEETEST THING EVER IM SO ILL

#kickin it #kickin' it #dylan riley snyder #olivia holt #leo howard #mateo arias #they also call mateo “teo” omg

89 notes · View notes

tessa-liam · 8 months

Text

Smoke and Mirrors

9-Hidden in Plain Sight

Book: The Royal Romance Finale, AU

Series Premise: Hidden in the shadows, poised to challenge the status quo are enemies of the state. The loyalties and honesty of family and friends will be tested. ‘Keep your friends close, your enemies closer’.

Smoke and Mirrors Masterlist

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!MC Riley Brooks-Rys, OTP ‘LiRi’

2nd Pairings: Leo Rys x Amalas, Drake Walker x F!OC Delaney Leigh, Olivia Nevrakis x M!OC Alex Cossoy

*Most characters belong to Pixelberry.

*Not Beta’d, please excuse all errors

Rating: M🔞*Series Warnings: NSFW material, sexual innuendo, adult language/swearing/drinking/gun violence. Not recommended for anyone under 18 years of age.

Category: Alternate Universe/on-going series/angst/fluff

Words: 2394

Chapter Summary: It’s the evening of the Celebration Ball and the big reveal of the Royal twins. Lena is interrogated by Interpol. Liam and Leo discuss a potential threat to the kingdom.

Smoke and Mirrors

9- Hidden in Plain Sight

Music Inspiration: Sway, Michael Buble; Claire De Lune, London Symphony Orchestra; Late Night Talking, Harry Styles

A/N2: My submission for @choicesseptemberchallenge2023, @midnightmelodiz , Day 6 – Dreams, Day dream, “I’m in love with you?”

A/N1: My submission for @choicesflashfics @jerzwriter Week #49, Prompt 1- “You take my breath away every time I see you.”

The King’s chamber was illuminated only by the soft light of the full moon where the King and Queen lay together. Riley was fast asleep, her head resting on Liam’s chest, her very pregnant belly snuggled safely against his side. Liam looked over at his sleeping wife, his heart swelling with love for her and their sons. In three short weeks, his family will grow to five; that time coming very quickly now.

Cordonian Royal Palace

He lay awake; sleep eluding him again for another night. Mentally organizing his schedule for the upcoming month, his thoughts eventually returned to that conversation with Drake that they had on the beach the day before. His confession...

‘Watching you with Brooks, all these years... I want that too.’

‘Pretending to be happy is pretty damn exhausting.’

Sighing, Liam was pleasantly surprised when he heard a soft voice.

No one else would have caught it, but Liam did. He ‘read between the lines’ of what Drake had said, like he was remembering a bad dream. Did Drake just admit that he still had feelings for his wife? Were those feelings that he had years ago still present and relevant to him?

“How long have you been awake?” Riley whispered.

He kissed her forehead and placed his hand on her baby bump. Stroking her belly, he could feel the soft kicks under his palm.

“Not long, love” he murmerred.

“What are you thinking about?” Liam hesitated before answering.

Riley turning her head to look up at him, “you think too much sometimes.”

“A conversation that I had. I am not quite sure if it was real or if it was a daydream.” Liam kept his answer opaque on purpose, not wanting to divulge too much detail to her.

Liam chuckled, “Are you complaining?”

“Never,” she replied, yawning. “I love you,” she added sleepily.

His body relaxed, as he closed his eyes, “I love you more.” he murmured, tightening his arm around her protectively.

Cordonian Palace Ballroom

The Ballroom was filled with guests awaiting the King’s announcement scheduled for later in the evening.

Royalty from neighboring kingdoms, nobility, politicians, and ambassadors from allied countries came from long and short distances to partake in the black-tie festivities. Music filled the air as waitstaff circulated amongst the crowd with glasses of wine and flutes of champagne.

“I’m glad you decided to attend this event with me,” Olivia said smiling at Alex.

“I must be honest with you, Livvie. I usually attend these functions as the enforcer. I am not used to wearing a ‘monkey suit’,” Alex smirked. He seemed to be comfortable among all the guests, nonetheless.

Olivia grinned back at her partner, but her smile quickly faded when she spotted Amalas and Leo huddled together on the other side of the dance floor. They appeared to be deep in conversation and were not paying any attention to their surroundings.

Alex noticed Olivia’s expression change. “Everything okay?” he asked with concern. She nodded, trying to force the smile back onto her lips.

“I thought that Leo was coming on his own tonight.”

“Liv, that doesn’t mean that he can't talk to anyone once he gets here,” Alex rebutted. Olivia sighed loudly and continued to watch the couple from afar.

A waiter approached, carrying a tray of hors d’oeuvres. Alex accepted a small sampling as Olivia continued to study the couple without saying another word. Alex shook his head; he knew what was bothering her. He also wished, he was mistaken.

As the orchestra began to play the first few notes of the Cordonian national anthem, the press began to gather around the dais waiting for the King to enter the ballroom.

The King’s guard fell into strategic positions when the herald announced the arrival of the Royal family.

Liam strode up to the lectern that was atop the dais wearing his full military regalia. Riley, walking with Eleanor, joined him and stood next to his side. Regina and Leo stood close by next to the dais.

The crowd hushed in anticipation. Clearing his throat once before speaking, Liam began, “Good evening, everyone,” he proclaimed.

“It is my pleasure and honor to welcome you all here tonight. I know many have been waiting patiently for the queen and I to make an official announcement concerning our ‘additions’ to the Royal family.” Liam turned to wink at Riley.

The ballroom attendees erupted in whoops and cheers.

Liam acknowledged his delighted guests with a broad smile and waited a few minutes for the accolades to subside. Continuing with, “thank you, thank you!”

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to have my princess here to help me....” Liam turned and beamed, chuckling as Ellie clapped her hands with a peal of laughter as her uncle Leo scooped her up and joined his brother.

“Well, Ellie, what do you think?” Leo asked, smirking at Liam.

“Daddy, look.” Ellie exclaimed and pointed to a bevy of blue balloons filled with helium that were being released behind the crowd overtop the dance floor.

“Everyone, our twin boys, our princes, are expected to arrive at the end of this month.” Liam lifted Riley’s hand tenderly to kiss.

Riley joined Liam as he took her hands and led her to stand beside him at the lectern.

Thrilled at the excitement, Liam continued once the audience returned their attention back to him.

Liam waited for the crowd to settle down after the announcement.

The applause was deafening as everyone celebrated.

After posing for pictures by the press, Liam led Riley to the dance floor as the orchestra began to play the beginning notes of ‘Clair de Lune’. As they danced, it felt like time stood still; as guests formed a circle around them, Liam kissed Riley’s hand and placed it atop his chest over his heart as they swayed together in time to the music.

“It must have something to do with the love of my life in my arms,” Liam simpered.

“How is it, that.... Liam,” as she smoothed down his lapels, “you take my breath away every time I see you.”

“Always the charmer, Your Majesty." Riley whispered, kissing his lips sweetly.

***

Drake held Delaney close to his chest as they watched the King and Queen move together in the center of the dance floor.

“They look so perfect together,” Delaney sighed. Her voice was laced with envy.

“Don’t worry, you’ll find someone special someday.” Drake answered sarcastically.

Delaney laughed. “That’s so easy for you to say.” Slapping his arm.

Drake grinned, “you'are damn straight, Leigh. When I first met you, I had no idea what my future would hold. You showed me things that I had only dreamed of having with someone. … and I have treasured every minute of your love.”

Growling, he leaned over and kissed her fiercely on the lips. Just as Riley and Liam walked past them. Delaney noticed the look on Drake’s face when he locked eyes with Riley. It gave her an uneasy feeling. He seemed to be lost in thought.

Smiling playfully at him, Delaney asked in jest, “I’m in love with you too?"

She frowned. “Something wrong?”

His eyes shifted away from Riley, and he shook his head.

“No, nothing at all.”

But he didn’t fool her. Delaney, now was positive that her concerns were justified, stepped back.

“Good evening, you two.” Riley beamed as she turned towards Delaney and Drake.

“You two are getting married! Congratulations...I am so happy for you both.” Riley put her arm around her shoulder for a side hug.

“Thank you so much,” Delaney replied, hugging Riley in return.

“Yes, congratulations you two,” Liam reached over to kiss Delaney’s cheek.

“I am impressed, Walker.” Riley snickered as she hugged her friend.

“Wow, settling down and saying goodbye to the bachelor life.” Liam smirked, shaking Drake's hand.

“Who would have thought,” Riley chuckled.

“Yeah, yeah, Brooks, get your shots in now.” Drake responded, not making eye contact.

Interrogation Room A, Interpol Headquarters, Lyon, France

Lena sat back on her chair with her hands folded in her lap. She was flanked by two men in dark suits. One of the men was a middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair. His name was detective Lefebvre, and he had been assigned by Inspector Ryerson to investigate her case. The other man was the head of Psychiatrics and was assigned to conduct an evaluation of her psychological state by King Liam Rys of Cordonia.

Across the table, sat Lena’s legal defense attorney, assigned to represent her by the Royal estate of Vallenheim.

Detective Lefebvre cleared his throat.

“Miss Runarsdottir, I understand you are familiar with the Cordonian Royal family?”

Lena nodded. “Yes, I have met King Constantine Rys, my father. My stepmother, Queen Sigrid, raised me when my mother Eleanor Rys was murdered. I know of but never met my brother Liam or my stepbrother Leo.”

“And what do you know about them?” he asked.

Lena’s mouth went dry. She felt like she was trapped in a nightmare.

“I don’t have any other information about them,” she lied.

“Do you mean to tell me that you knew nothing about your brothers even though you were caught outside the buildings they were in this past summer?”

Lena stared at him unflinching.

“How did you know where to go?” he asked again.

“I’m sorry, I can't help you.”

Lefebvre slammed his fist against the table, making Lena jump in surprise.

“Don't play with me. You’re either lying or delusional.”

Lena bit her lip. She sat stoically and kept her emotions hidden.

“I am not playing around. I have no information.”

Feeling frustrated, Detective Lefebvre changed his strategy.

“Miss Runarsdottir, who is Bastien Lykel?

“Who?”

“Bastien Lykel,” he repeated.

Lena’s face paled. “I don’t know anyone named Bastien.”

“Are you sure?” he pressed.

“We have CCTV evidence of your conversation with him in the holding cells at the Cordonian Palace.”

“I-I-” she stammered.

“You were seen talking to him at least three times before you escaped those holding cells in Cordonia. Is that correct?”

Again, Lena sat in silence.

“Choose wisely, Miss Runarsdottir, and answer my questions. What is the nature of your relationship with Bastien Lykel?”

Lena’s breathing quickened and her hands began to shake. If she told the truth, she was dead.

“Let the records show that Miss Runarsdottir is not cooperative.”

Cordonian Ballroom

Leo was speaking to Rashad at the bar when Liam approached after having a debate with an American ambassador.

“Hey Li, I see you survived your conversation with Smithfield.” Leo smirked as Liam ordered a scotch and shot it back quickly.

“Barkeep, another round for my brother and I’ll take the same.”

“Why, thank you Leo.” Liam clapped his back.

“Where is your beautiful Queen?”

“Riley is upstairs with Ellie. Being so close to her due date, she needs to be off her feet to rest from tonight’s festivities. She is exhausted.”

Leo nodded. “Totally understandable, but Li, why are you still down here?”

“Because I need to talk with you and apologize about the other day.” Liam responded.

“No apologies needed. I was being an asshole and you called me out.” Leo grinned.

“Well, I overreacted. You pressed a nerve when you mentioned father.”

Leo smirked, “good, because I agree with you and I believe you are ‘right on the money’.

Liam chuckled, shaking his head.

“Again, that’s what makes you the better King,” Leo winked

“I do have information for you." Leo continued. "Amalas gave me an update on Interpol’s case on Lena and Bastien.”

‘Liam winces slightly at the mention of Lena, but he does not interrupt.’

“Lena is being uncooperative when questioned by the detectives. Nice touch, by the way, for assigning a psychiatrist to oversee her testimony.”

“Well, it’s the least I could do knowing what father did to her, and her future.”

“’Amalas has uncovered a few suspicious ‘coincidences’, but nothing damning enough’ to help shed light as to what her motives are.”

“So far, the information that he divulged on the estate of Vallenheim has been verified as true. It was uncovered that he has affiliations with members of the Vallenheim royal guard.”

“Has there been any progress on Bastien’s involvement?” Liam inquired.

“Director Ryerson has scheduled an official update for Monday morning with me. Apparently, Interpol has uncovered a black ledger. It was 'hidden in plain sight'."

“Care to join me, Leo?”

Leo responded, “I will be here.”

📌 @ao719 @txemrn @queenmiarys @sfb123 @twinkleallnight @alj4890 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @harleybeaumont @busywoman @karahalloway @kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @lovingchoices14 @kyra75 @tinkie1973 @emkay512 @malblk21 @kristinamae093 @jared2612 @irisk12 @thesvnsins @walkerdrakewalker 📌

55 notes · View notes

sirenjose · 4 months

Text

Analysis of White Sand Street Asylum - Part 1

Includes Full Character Analyses for: Freddy, Kreacher, Emma, Emily, Leo, Robbie and Dolores, Kurt, Ada and Emil, and Alice.

I have been forced to split this into 3 parts due to the length and number of images I've used for this. To prevent tumblr from forcing me to make this any more than 3 parts, I have cut back on the original number of images (mostly I just cut out the images of the deductions). Apologies in advance, but I hope this is still ok either way. If anything doesn't make sense, let me know.

Anyways, please enjoy~!

Robbie and Dolores were born to a “wealthy family” according to the post from Robbie’s release (https://twitter.com/IdentityVJP/status/1120251010042040320).

Their parents loved them based on Dolores’ recollection in Robbie’s 3rd letter, where they would “always give each of us a goodnight kiss before they tucked us in. And you would kiss on my cheek to wake me up in the morning”. Dolores also described their parents as “kind”, and implied their life was happy back then.

Unfortunately, this didn’t last forever. We don’t know what happened, but the White siblings lost everything, their home and their parents, in one night.

Robbie doesn’t understand what happened, though Dolores seems to, yet she is unable to explain the truth to Robbie, likely due to his young age. Dolores cares about Robbie more than anything else, who she sees as her “Precious Treasure”, but she is also hard on herself as a result and sees her inability to tell him what happened to their parents as a “failure” on her part.

As they lost both parents in 1 night, I doubt the cause of their deaths was natural. Maybe it was murder? That could match with Dolores being unable to explain that sort of concept to someone young like Robbie.

Though the fact they lost their house and seemingly all their possession and money, I wonder if there was a fire. Unless they only lost their house and possessions due to their parents’ deaths, but it could be seen as odd that their parents didn’t leave anything behind for them after their deaths or a will or anything. If they lost it all in a fire, that could be an explanation. (Though next question I wonder is if the fire was caused on purpose or accidental. Though an accidental fire could fit well enough on its own as it would provide an explanation for their parents not dying due to natural causes, dying at the same time, and how they could lose everything to become penniless orphans by the end).

After losing their parents, they are placed in White Sand Street Orphanage. This orphanage is run by Kreacher Pierson (who refers to the orphanage as “Sweet Home” or “Home, sweet home”).

Kreacher is someone who (based on his 1st letter and deduction summaries) grew up on the streets as an orphan, all on his own, from a young age. He was someone who was never “treated with sincerity and kindness”, especially not by the upper class, who were only ever disgusted by “rats” such as him. So Kreacher grew up without ever knowing love. Only hatred and disdain, causing him to learn that the only way he’d be able to survive was by relying on himself. It was a dog-eat-dog world that revolved around having enough money. He grew up learning that everyone was only ever out for themself. This is how he developed his hatred for the rich, and he decided, if they weren’t going to share any of their coins with a penniless orphan like himself, then he’d just have to take it for himself. It’s not like they needed it anyways. He saw plenty of people swimming in luxury that he’d never have. They could afford to share some with him, right?

This was how Kreacher became a thief. As a way to survive.

As we learn in his beta backstory: “Kreacher grew up in this cruel and realistic world, he followed the leader of thieves and endured various difficulties, training for a way to make a living”. He developed his skills in theft, all while becoming exceptionally “street-smart” with exceptional “survival instincts”.

No one would just give him their coin, even if he were to ask, and barely any if he begged. So, he learned to rely on deception as his only “way of survival”. No, what he was doing wasn’t good, but it was his only way at the time to keep himself from “dying from starvation or sickness on the streets”. And as he had to rely on this from quite a young age, it became the only life he knew.

Kreacher was managing to get by, though he had been caught and arrested for theft in the past.

Not wanting to go back to prison, Kreacher decides to change his methods. After earning people’s trust by making himself seem to be a “philanthropist”, he specifically adopts disabled orphans. He planned to use the kids’ disabilities “to gain sympathy” in order to profit even more than he’d been able to before via begging and stealing alone, while at the same time using the money to provide shelter and sustenance to the kids he’d adopted.

But Kreacher was a realistic person. He was someone who just did whatever he had to do in order to survive. As a result, he could be tough with the kids, and was implied to sometimes hit some kids that didn’t make enough money. This was likely the only way Kreacher knew how to ensure the kids did better next time. He knew the world was a cruel place, something they wouldn’t be able to survive unless they toughened up. He needed to develop their survival instincts as well as teach them how to be street smart. (Maybe Kreacher is the reason the kid in Robbie’s 2nd letter knew how to pry open a locked window with a knife. Maybe Kreacher taught them other skills like that.) Though at the same time, his actions were also due to a lack of any experience with love or kindness. He’s never had an easy life. He’s likely treating them that way because that’s how he was always treated and how he’s always had to live, and as a result, he doesn’t really know how to be gentle. As we’ve said, he’s had to learn to prioritize himself above everyone to survive. He’s never had to care for someone else, and so he doesn’t know how to do so with the kids. Even if did have concern for the kids, he likely wouldn’t even understand what those feelings were. What he does understand is survival and money, and he sees Dolores as a chance to make a ”fortune” due to her disability.

Robbie’s deduction 2 describes Dolores as “a girl who lost an arm”. Losing an arm is different than being born without one, so I wonder if Dolores lost it during whatever incident killed their parents?

There are instances where burn victims can require amputation if the damage goes deep enough, if the injury becomes infected, or if the limb was crushed in some examples.

(It is possible she was simply born that way. I just find the term “lost” odd if so.)

In the photo of Kreacher with the orphan kids, we can (most likely) identify Dolores, as she is the sole girl with a missing right arm. Since Dolores came with Robbie, it’d make sense for 1 of the children in the photo with her to be Robbie. We know Robbie is younger than Dolores, so a good guess would be either the kid with the missing ear next to her or the small child sitting on the ground. It’s hard to tell with this 2nd kid, but it looks like he has both hands but is missing at least 1 leg?

Robbie (looking at his default appearance) seems to only be missing his head, while all his limbs look intact. Considering when Robbie came back, his head was still missing, I imagine his default should be accurate to showing how his body was before his death. Otherwise, if coming back did supposedly restore any missing limbs he had previously, why not also restore his head somehow (rather than leave him headless)?

In which case, my best guess is that Robbie is the kid with the missing ear. The height would also match better with Robbie’s default compared to the smaller child.

(And if Robbie was only missing an ear, that would also fit with how we don’t see anything wrong with Robbie as we wouldn’t notice a missing ear with his whole head missing.)

Also, this kid with the missing ear is standing right next to Dolores. I know this same kid isn’t directly next to her in the other photo we have of Kreacher with the orphanage kids, but he is directly opposite her, on the other side of Kreacher and Father Duke, so it’s at least close.

This kid also looks similar, even though not the exact same (the kid has both ears), as the kid on the Milk Carton accessory that came from the charity event that Robbie’s Wail skin came from.

(Nothing says this kid is definitely Robbie, I’m just suggesting every potential theory/option.)

While at White Sand Street Orphanage, Robbie and Dolores are given no choice but to work. This is in part because Kreacher, even though he is the owner, is only a poor street orphan himself.

As Dolores was missing an arm, she was made to beg because that would make it “easier to pull on the heartstrings”.

Robbie though, despite being “such a crybaby” had “nothing wrong” with him. This does make me wonder if Robbie didn’t actually have any disabilities or missing limbs or anything, and could’ve been similar to the boy in the photo on the milk carton. If he didn’t have any issues like that, it could explain the comment about Dolores being able to pull on heartstrings but not Robbie. Unless the comment was just saying there basically wasn’t enough wrong with Robbie, not enough to make him as sad of a case as Dolores, and thus he could’ve still had an issue like a missing ear?

Robbie wasn’t assigned to beg. Instead he was tasked to “work in the yard”, where “gardening became his new hobby”.

In the Christmas Nocturne event, Robbie implies he chopped down trees for firewood, using an axe that was “even bigger than Robbie”. His backstory says Dolores helped Robbie get used to his tasks in the yard. I wonder if the axe was originally hers, or if it was just an axe that Robbie was given but Dolores taught him how to use. Though Robbie’s 4th letter does describe it as “her axe”, it may have only been described that way1 as she kept and used it after Robbie’s death.

If Robbie was too young to understand what happened to his parents, I question how good he really was chopping down an entire tree. It’s possible he just chopped branches off, or maybe only chopped down small enough trees. Or they already had small enough logs and Robbie just chopped it up into firewood.

Whatever the case, Dolores always told Robbie that he did a good job, which made Robbie happy. And as we know from Robbie’s 1st deduction, Dolores basically says that Robbie’s happiness “is the suffering I longed for”. She did anything she could to make Robbie happy, her “adorable brother”.

Life at the orphanage continued until the Church decided it wanted to be involved (likely due to the desire to also profit if not for the value of the kids for their experiments). Kreacher cooperated, likely in part because they pressured him but also in part probably because they offered some kind of benefit or financial compensation if he agreed.

This continues for a time, with the church partnering with him to hold events to raise money for the kids and the orphanage. The one he often works with from the church is Father Duke.

Eventually the church decides they wanted more and had Kreacher send over kids that were “diagnosed with mental illnesses” to their “mental institution” for “comprehensive treatment”. The reasoning stated in the letter they sent to Kreacher for why they did this was “Based on the need for cooperation with the government”. Whether or not the kids actually had any mental illness didn’t matter, the church got what they wanted.

“Letter to Mr. Kreacher Pierson:

Based on the need for cooperation with the government, the orphans who have been diagnosed as mentally handicapped should be sent to the Catholic Church’s Office of Ministries for unified care. For the well-being of the children, please be sure to send them to the abandoned church at 673 White Sand Street before May 5 to confirm their mental status.

Father Duke”

Despite several deductions using the term “mental institution” before we know the church created White Sand Street Asylum, it is likely this wasn’t actually a “mental institution” back then. The beta letter to Kreacher states the kids should be sent “to the catholic church’s Office of Ministries for unified care”, with the location being “the abandoned church at 673 White Sand Street”. Another of Kreacher’s later deductions uses the term “church clinic”, and this is likely the more appropriate description.

One of the children in the care of the church’s clinic that partnered with Kreacher’s orphanage was Emma. Back then, she was still using her original name: Lisa Beck.

Leo Beck, the owner of a small textile factory, and Martha Remington (aka Martha Beck) married on March 14th, 1874 in Devonshire and gave birth to Lisa on December 21st, 1876.

Freddy is a lawyer and financial advisor specializing in “non-performing assets disposal, mergers, and acquisitions” that Leo became business partners with. Due to working with Leo, Freddy encounters Martha, who he falls in love with. Leo, still unaware of Freddy’s feelings for Martha, invites Freddy to Lisa’s 1st birthday because of their partnership that eventually becomes friendship. Once Lisa is older, she mentions Leo invited Freddy over more than once, with Freddy “always bringing flowers”.

Freddy, being part of the middle-class, was likely born into a not too badly off family, though not a rich one. Likely enough to live at least semi-comfortably compared to the lower classes. That’s likely why he was able to pay to attend school to become a lawyer. Despite this, none of his family are ever mentioned, which makes me wonder if they were a bit distant, potentially focusing on themselves or their own work rather than caring or showing much meaningful love to Freddy. In any case, Freddy still had high hopes. His social status and education had given him confidence, and he had high hopes for his future, with his goal always being to earn money and wealth (he was a “gold digger”). He might’ve thought things would be easy since his deduction 4 says “People tend to trust hard-workers. You need to seem hard working, at least”.

Despite his friendship with Leo, Freddy had fallen hard for Martha, who he saw as completely perfect and someone he couldn’t live without.

We know he wrote love letters to her frequently, including one in 1878 that shows just how head over heels he was for her. His desire to be with her despite the fact she was already with Leo was already very strong back then.

“Martha:

You said that you fear I can’t give you the sort of love you hope for? My beloved lady, I swear on Gowd’s name that my love for you has no reservations.

My love for you burns so brightly that day and night, I am unable to sleep. When I think about your family, my heart suffers from the flames of envy. When will you be able to reciprocate my feelings?

Loving you

Freddy Riley

1878”

This love doesn’t go away. His desire only burned brighter over time. Especially as Martha likely did return some of it, and if Freddy did grow up without being shown much love, he likely latched onto it like a starving man to food. This could be backed up by how Freddy in his diaries says “What do people do for love? Fresh flowers, love letters, vows, marriage. I made fun of it all in the past. Until I met you, Martha. After which, all of my principles, all my dignity, completely vanished.” This seems to imply Freddy looked down on and didn’t believe in the concept of “love”, which likely has several implications about his own family and how he grew up.

It makes me wonder if Freddy’s initial disregard towards love was because of his parents. Maybe his parents had a falling out, maybe they didn’t truly love each other, or maybe even 1 of them cheated on the other, which could explain why Freddy would mock even concepts like “vows” and marriage. Maybe his parents even divorced.

In any case, any of these sort of ideas would explain why Freddy’s parents are non-existent in his backstory as well as why he felt the way he did about love initially, not to mention if his parents weren’t happy with each other, or if they did cheat or at least didn’t have a happy marriage, that could imply Freddy wasn’t shown much love, and thus why when he did finally encounter someone he loved, why he might fall so far for that person.

Freddy was blinded by love as well as jealousy over Leo, someone he saw as beneath him due to Freddy’s feelings of “class superiority” (according to Freddy’s 3rd letter). Yet despite this, Leo had a more successful and happier life than Freddy, which leads to him developing deep resentment towards Leo and eventually to begin planning a way to have Martha all to himself.

I wonder if it’s possible the reason why Freddy might see what he’s doing as ok could have been because of his own parents, as in if they really did break their marriage vows or even cheat on each other despite their marriage. Maybe that could be partially why Freddy didn’t care as much that Martha was already married.

We know Freddy continued to woo Martha, before eventually proposing to her. This happened some time before Lisa had even turned 8 or 9 years old. We know Freddy didn’t force Martha, only tried to win her over. Martha obviously was tempted, which leads to her and Leo arguing more and more. Lisa said that her mother told Leo that his “clothes were always dirty”, while Freddy was always a clean looking “young gentleman with a suit and shiny hair”. Leo was the owner of a small factory, while Freddy was a financial advisor (and potentially of a higher class based on Freddy’s 3rd letter mentioning his feelings of class superiority). Considering Freddy saw himself as part of a “superior” class, I wonder if him being part of a higher class was partially why Martha was temped (why else call Leo “dirty”, especially when she’d been living with him for some time and knew why he was “always dirty”).

Leo doesn’t comment though. He knew just as well as Martha that this wasn’t something he could help since he had to work at his textile factory. It never bothered him though. All that mattered was taking care of his family. So he let Martha criticize him without saying any such harsh words back at her.

According to the Christmas event, Emma didn’t really understand who Freddy was, referring to him as “that man” that she “didn’t like”, as well as “an uncle who wore glasses” that her mother took her with one time to see a play. Freddy was likely the one to take Martha to see the play as part of him trying to be with Martha. Emma said she “didn’t really get it and I wasn’t in the mood anyway”, with her main concern that she wishes Leo had been there with her.

Considering Leo’s failure to attend, it is possible he knew Martha was spending more and more time with Freddy. Leo was a trusting man, so I don’t think he even allowed the thought that Freddy was doing this to win Martha over from him. He didn’t like it, but I don’t think he could ever tell her no. Even though they were arguing at this time, I believe he still wanted her to be happy, and hoped with some time apart after their argument, things would get better.

Some time before the proposal, Freddy (as a financial advisor partnered with Leo) suggests to Leo that he invest in Minerva Arms Factory. Martha was concerned and asked for Freddy to be honest regarding whether this was a “good investment plan”, to which Freddy responds by saying “if the investor had sufficient experience and capital, this would bring him immense wealth”. Martha initially trusts him (though still believes it would be better Leo didn’t invest in the arms factory).

It's at this point that Martha leaves Leo and Lisa. It is also described as a “secret departure” with the description “Leave before they notice and maybe then you can avoid heartbreak”. Before leaving, the last word she says to Lisa is “sorry” (she likely saw her mother before she could completely sneak away, probably when Leo was working before he could return). This to me, combined with her actions, shows us that Martha didn’t love Lisa nearly as much as Leo did (or rather that there were other things she loved more).

She does leave a letter for Leo, informing him of what she was doing even though “I know I'm about to do something really bad”.

In her goodbye letter to Leo, she says “For the sake of Lisa, however, please consider carefully the investment we debated” and tells him she hopes “you will make a wise decision”. If they “debated” this topic before, and Martha is saying to consider it carefully for Lisa’s sake, I wonder if that was part of the reason why Leo and Martha were “quarreling”. Maybe Leo was arguing that he believed he should invest in the factory while Martha tried to argue against it, and their arguing over it was part of the reason Martha decided to say yes to Freddy.

Near the end of her letter, she tells Leo “Take care of Lisa, and find a more suitable woman for yourself” (find a “more suitable woman for yourself” makes me wonder as to the meaning of these words. Considering Freddy sees himself as of a “superior” class, maybe she means “suitable” as in someone of a more appropriate class for Leo, while she wanted to be with the higher class. Or maybe she’s saying suitable because, just like how she’s doing something bad, she wants him to find a woman who is more faithful than she is). Then, just like with Lisa, she tells him “I’m really sorry” (I wonder how sorry she really is because, if she truly meant those words, would she still have left them?).

Even more symbolic is how she closes the letter with “Martha Remington” instead of “Martha Beck”.

In any case, Martha is gone, leaving Leo and Lisa to fend for themselves.

Based on how Martha describes Leo as someone who “wasn’t smart” and “didn’t have any investment experience, not to mention capital”, I wonder if Leo was someone who grew up without a formal education like Freddy had. Leo may have been more of a self-made man, someone who might’ve come from a poorer, simpler background but managed to make a living due to his personal characteristics and hard work. He wasn’t a rich man, only the owner of a small textile factory, but he was happy and made the most of it.

We know from Emma during the Christmas Nocturne (2020) event that Leo was good with his hands, as we learn he used fabric from his textile factory to make her dolls (including 1 of Emma herself). He’d made 2 “bodyguards” for her doll, but Emma says she was never able to see them (likely the 2 dolls Leo uses in game, and Emma likely didn’t see them because that may have been when she was sent to the orphanage or when Leo died).

We can see from Leo’s accessories that he’s made her other toys as well (including a slingshot and a hot air balloon model). The descriptions for these accessories tell us that Leo loved Emma. She was his world, and he’d do anything for her.

The Christmas event informs us of the same thing. Emma tells us that she’d always get 2 presents from him on Christmas. 1 was her birthday present, on December 21st, and another was a Christmas present, but he’d hide her birthday present until Christmas, and put both of them under the tree for her.

For the last Christmas Emma had with her father, he told her “this little tree of yours will be filled with so many presents next year that I won’t be able to see your little face”, which shows how much he wanted to do for her (if he’d been able).

We don’t know how long Leo and Lisa lived on their own, but we do know Leo did end up buying the Arms factory, and it was some time after doing so he learned that the factory had an over “4-figure debt”. Even Martha in her letter to Freddy says, despite how “Leo wasn’t smart”, she states “Yet even the dumbest person knows not to spend money to take on extra debts”, which tells us Freddy, who knew about the factory’s debt, purposefully hid this fact from Leo. This is evident as Freddy, in his deduction “Covert Jealousy” mentioning how he cut Leo out of the picture of him with Martha and Lisa, states “He should disappear from here or not appear before my eyes again”, while the very next deduction about the Factory and its debt is titled “False Affection”, with the description including “Lend a helping hand for greater profit, not brotherhood.”

We know Leo did what he could despite the debts, as Emma during the Christmas event says he sometimes came back with a “semi-finished gun made in his factory”. Emma didn’t like the guns, instead preferring the dolls Leo used to make, which he likely stopped doing once he’d incurred the debt from the factory (I wonder if he had to sell the textile factory to try to help pay off the debt for the arms factory).

Lisa seems to have occasionally gone with him to the arms factory, potentially because he couldn’t leave her at home by herself or because he had to work extra long in an attempt to pay off the debt.

This debt puts an incredible strain on Leo, which causes him to begin to change from the person Lisa originally remembered him as. He starts drinking (to forget the pain and sorrows of reality) as well as selling items from their home (to help pay off the debt. He also might’ve “destroyed” items that used to belong to Martha in drunken fits of rage). Lisa describes her emotions at that time as “I don't know what has happened, but this feeling is awful”.

Unfortunately, Leo is no longer capable of caring for Lisa due to the fact he is drowning in debt, especially now that he’s begun spending some of their money on drink. As a result, he’s forced to send her to an orphanage while she’s around 8 years old.

We know Leo married Martha in “Devonshire”, meaning that’s also where they likely lived. Freddy’s business was also in Devonshire, with the specific stress being “583 White Sand Street, Devonshire”.

This means Leo and Freddy lived close by (and I imagine Leo’s textile factory wasn’t too far away either). It also means that they lived on the same street as Kreacher’s orphanage, which was “13 White Sand Street”. Kreacher’s advertisement says this is the “first orphanage on White Sand Street”, and if he was the first and thus only one on the street, it’d make sense that Emma wouldn’t have much choice but to be sent to his.

Sometime after Lisa was sent to the orphanage, Leo sets the Arms Factory on fire. Based on the fact that Leo’s 3rd letter takes place on December 21, 1897 and the fact it says Leo has been experimented on for 10 years, with the experiments on Leo likely starting right after the factory fire, the fire itself had to have started on December 21, 1887, on Emma’s 11th birthday.

According to a letter he sent to Lisa before this (Leo’s 2nd Letter), we know Leo intended to have Lisa receive the insurance money from the factory fire, as she is listed as the “beneficiary of compensation”. He basically explains in the letter his desperation to find “another way to make money”, as nothing he’s been able to do as been enough to settle the debts. Though as we never hear about Emma receiving this money, it’s possible there was an issue (such as she wasn’t of age yet).

Despite what he’s about to do, we can see once again that Leo is doing everything for her. He still worries about Lisa being fed enough and being kept warm. He also reassured Lisa so she didn’t think that she was “unwanted”, and informed her that her mother leaving had nothing to do with Lisa herself. He ends by warning her “not to trust people too easily. Live for yourself. You won’t get lucky by being nice. It took Father too long to learn this lesson”. This seems to show Leo has realized that Freddy tricked him, as well as show Leo changing further to no longer be the kind, trusting person he once was. Considering he calls himself a “useless Father”, this tells us how Leo feels about himself regarding his inability to sufficiently care for his daughter, as well as proves what his primary concern has always been.

Despite the fire, Leo survives but hides while he recuperates, making everyone think he’s dead. Due to the fact one of the walls says “I will find you” as well as based on Leo’s deduction summary stating he “brewed his own revenge plan”, we know Leo’s focus right now is to get revenge on Freddy.

At some point before he can do so, he was taken to Sacred Heart Hospital and used as an experiment. These experiments included memory erasure, forcing him to forget so Leo would stop getting “uncontrollably excited” on Emma’s birthday to ensure the “daily experiments” went more “easily”. Leo’s 3rd letter states that the experiments went on for 10 years. Whether Orpheus was the one to take Leo or not, we know Leo was definitely used by Orpheus during Emma’s game to punish those who broke the rules, as well as used as the hunter for Emma’s game. And considering some “mysterious man learned that ‘Cinder’ is alive and where he can be found”, someone that has been “writing more frequently these days”, a someone that is male based on “his probing”, it is more likely Orpheus is this other person that found out Leo was alive and likely blackmails the one who does currently have Leo to have him handed over (to Orpheus and the manor). Which just leaves the question of who is the author of Leo’s 3rd letter and the one who’s been experimenting on him for 10 years, which I’ll get into shortly.

Next: Asylum Analysis Part 2

(End: Asylum Analysis Part 3)

46 notes · View notes

movie-titlecards · 1 year

Text

youtube

Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United (2013)

My rating: 4/10

I mean, yes, this movie is visually unappealing and has all the production values of wet toast, but let's not forget the awkward direction, bad pacing, and half-baked script. Best thing that can be said about it is that they got some seasoned voice actors who did what they could with what they were given.

#Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United #Eric Radomski #Leo Riley #Henry Gilroy #Brandon Auman #Stan Lee #Adrian Pasdar #Fred Tatasciore #Dee Bradley Baker #Youtube

1 note · View note

ghostroachtruther · 7 months

Text

i dont have any new ghsotroach drawings but i do have ghostroach as tweets to hold u guys over while im too tired to doodle ☝💀 have fun w these crumbs i lovingly made

(side note: i hc ghost to secretly be a major loser/simp when he gets into a rs so this is reflected in the tweets 💪 if u think its ooc thats fine but its just a harmless hc yk)

#“this is lazy content leo” hushhhh just enjoy fr #ghostroach #ghost x roach #the skeleton and the bug #gary roach sanderson #cod roach #simon ghost riley #cod ghost #call of duty #cod #cod mwii #mw2 #cod mw2 #modern warfare 2 #modern warfare ii #the shooty mcshoot game #large loud leo

238 notes · View notes

incorrectdisneyy · 1 year

Text

Milton: Kim and Jerry are basically the same person. They’re both stubborn, hotheaded and brutally honest.

Jack: Oh dear lord, I’m dating Jerry!

Milton: Duh!

Jack: Aww, I kinda love that.

179 notes · View notes

marzylics · 2 months

Text

Please send me asks I need ideas

25 notes · View notes

apollos-forgotten-flower-bf · 5 months

Text

this isn't important but i am having ghostsoap and valgrace brainrot simultaneously and the ships are just so angsty i am in constant emotional pain. Every third fanart/fic i find about them is angst and it's HEARTBREAKING

But the fluff for both is so damn cute so i can't really complain

35 notes · View notes

angelasscribbles · 20 days

Text

Behind Closed Doors Chapter 1: The Invitation

Series: Behind Closed Doors

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings for this chapter: Riley x Max, Liam x Max (he hopes)

Word Count: 916

Rating: R for mature themes

Warnings for this chapter: sex is alluded to

A/N: I teased this one a long while back. Finally had some inspiration for it, so here's the first chapter!

A/N2: This story explores a bit of relationship anarchy. Here's a link if you want to learn more.

Series Premise: Six people come together in a kaleidoscope of shifting boundaries.

My other stuff: Master List.

Riley’s eyes widened as her mouth fell open. “Wait…you want me to go to the palace with you?”

“Yeah,” Max nodded, “I need a wingman, Riley, and you’re really good at it!”

“But—”

Max took in her hesitation and a startling thought occurred to him. “Oh! Is this awkward because we…because of…”

“Oh, good god, no!” Riley threw her head back and laughed. It was a full-throated belly laugh. Her hand landed on his bicep as she leaned forward to catch her breath. “I love you, Max. Truly, deeply, madly, but as friends! You know that!”

“I know.” His fingers scratched at the freshly shorn hairline along the back of his neck as a flush raced across his face. “I just wanted to be sure…after what happened last month…”

Riley stepped closer and traced a finger across his lips. “I don’t regret it if that’s what you’re worried about.”

He shivered as her touch sent a sliver of desire sparking through him and, without much conscious thought, his arm shot out to pull her in even closer. “Does that mean we can do it again sometime?”

She laughed again as she gazed up into the cobalt-blue eyes that were as familiar to her as her own emerald-green orbs. Max had been her best friend since they met in a ridiculously overpriced private kindergarten.

Neville Van Couer, big for his age and just as disagreeable then as he was now, had yanked Max’s stuffed octopus from his arms and was holding it above his head, taunting him with it.

“Please give back Sir Inks a Lot.” Max’s trembling voice betrayed his fierce determination not to cry. “My mom gave him to me.”

“Oh, are you going to cry, little crybaby? It’s just a stupid toy. I tell you what—”

“Give it back.” A firm, uncompromising voice cut in.

Neville spun to find the interloper. His malicious grin widened when his eyes fell on the slight girl with the wispy brown hair. “And what are you going to do about it if I don’t?”

Without warning or preamble, the girl moved. She darted forward so quickly that Neville had no time to process what was happening. A sharp blow to his stomach sent him pitching forward, grabbing his midsection as the toy was ripped from his grasp.

“Here.” The girl thrust the plushie out to Max.

He wiped the moisture from his tear-streaked cheeks with one hand as he reached out for his beloved Sir Inks a Lot with the other. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She gave him a bright smile that washed all of his sadness away. “My name’s Riley. Want to play with me?”

“We can do it anytime you want.” She assured him. “It’s not like we’re not good at.”

Max smiled at the reference to their romantic and sexual past.

They had lost their virginity to each other in high school and spent six months exploring everything the other had to offer. Then Max had confessed to being bisexual and wanting to explore with other people. Primarily men. His relief when Riley had agreed to break up romantically but remain friends had been overwhelming. She was and remained the closest friend he had.

A month ago, they had gotten drunk and fallen into bed together. It had felt good, comfortable, and familiar. He loved her.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t in love with Liam and that’s why he needed her support at the upcoming Beltane Ball that the palace held every year.

His arms tightened around her. “So to be clear, you know I love you and you’re okay helping me try to get Liam’s attention?”

Her grin widened until her cheeks hurt. “Boy, yes. Did we or did we not discover relationship anarchy at the same time?”

Giddiness crashed through his chest. The idea that you could love people but still remain autonomous was brilliant enough. Add in the deconstruction of things like relationship hierarchy and mono-normativity and, well, it had been paradigm-shifting.

“Okay,” he nodded as relief washed over him. “I would never do anything to hurt you, Riley!”

“I know.” She leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips.

He melted against her for a moment, then drew back. Because he had to know for sure everything was okay between them. “Then why the hesitancy when I asked you to go to the ball with me?”

“Because I’ve never been to the palace, silly!” Her family was insanely wealthy, but not noble.

“Oh, yeah!” Max tended to forget the difference in their social status. Mainly because it didn’t matter to him. People were people and titles like Duke and Count meant nothing when it came to what kind of person someone was. After all, Neville was noble.

“Oh, yeah! I mean…what do I even wear? Do I need to know how to curtsy? What if—”

Max cut her off by jerking her back into his embrace. “Don’t worry, padawan. We have two weeks. I’ll teach you everything you need to know!”

“Great!” Riley bounced on her toes, excitement swirling through her midsection.

The palace! What an exciting adventure!

She threw her arms around him. “We could make a week of it! Go into the city. Shopping, dining, museums, the theater….”

He dipped his head toward her, his lips bare inches from hers. “Can we share a room?”

“Oh, we’re going to share a lot more than a room!” she assured him just before their lips crashed together.

24 notes · View notes