#also i wish he was dating drake and no i don't care

[heretherebedork]

I love them and their tiny accepting hearts.

[rose-tea-and-strawberries]

Do you think that the fab five have their own favourite ships between Yuu and the twst boys? I somehow get the feeling that Daisy doesn’t actually have a preference, she just loves the chaos and gossip.

So I'm going to turn the Fab Five into the Sensational Six because I feel Pluto would like to add his own two cents into this:

Mickey Mouse: he just wants a break, you know? He thought that the most stress he'd get from running the club would be Pete's constant sabotage, the odd villain being up to no good, and Professor Von Drake being so irritatingly pompous. Yuu is such a sweet girl and he loves her a lot (he also really wishes Walt could have met her) - he's the founder and chairmouse of the Yuu Protection Club - but ever since she joined the club, his life has gone to both be both better and worse - yes, everyone is so much more better behaved and their solidarity in all things Yuu related is a breath of fresh air but then there's *gestures to everything*! You'd think that being almost a century old could have prepared him for one teenaged girl but he's broken out the wheel more times in a fortnight than he has in the years that club has been running. Between the petty insults, underhanded tactics and full on shouting matches that leads to destruction (and some of it coming from the heroes no less) as well as Yuu's own obliviousness regarding the situation, his fur is going to go grey - not to mention, the constant texts he'd get from Felicity and Oswald over how they want to meet their new niece (as if they haven't already kidnapped her that one day). I feel like he'd prefer a heroic character but he doesn't have anything against the villains at NRC because he knows with absolute certainty that they all do genuinely care for her. But at the end of the day, he just wants Yuu to be happy so who ever she decides would be fine by him - as long as they never hurt her :)

Minnie Mouse: okay so I'm going to say Neige. Here me out: while she is neutral on the shipping war, and is the one to reel everything in when it gets too crazy, she does have some of fondness for the boy that reminds her of her favourite Disney character. Yeah, she and Mickey say they don't play favourites but there's no doubt that they definitely hold a soft spot for the very first Disney princess/character and the main character of the first animated feature film (especially when you consider the history behind that movie and what it meant for Disney/Walt). she wouldn't want to admit it but watching Yuu's lovelife is kind of her guilty pleasure

Pluto: Probably Jack - you know, canine solidarity and all that. To be fair, I think he'd be split between being protective of Yuu and being jealous that Yuu would spend less time with him (I HC that there was a time that he was jealous of Minnie when she and Mickey would go on dates because he thought he was Mickey's number one). Would probably be conspiring with Donald to keep everyone away from her.

Goofy: He just wants her to be happy :D. No seriously, I don't want to make the 'Goofy is dumb' statement because he isn't - he's just a bit oblivious sometimes and we love him for it - but he has absolutely no idea that the shipping war is happening. He's just so happy that Maxy has a new friend and that he could look after Yuu while she works at the club ♡

Donald Duck: Absolutely Not! I get the feeling that after Goofy, Donald is the most dad-like (I haven't seen either of the Ducktales shows so I can't comment on his behaviour there) - like, I remember how sweet he was to Max during that one episode where he wanted a car and how he stood up to Goofy to tell him to stop being so overprotective. Plus, I feel like he's really distrustful of villains so the NRC boys being who they are probably won't earn any pointers from the sailor duck who isn't afraid to use his navy training.

Daisy Duck: is just absolutely loving this - there's more gossip during one night at the club than there is in a week at her salon! Like you said, she doesn't have a preference. She'll just take a seat next to Kuzco and ooh and aah at all of the tea she gets from Tinkerbell.

Thanks for the ask ♡

[pyropsychiccollector]

Arkham Knight: IF

I've been doing a lot of Ace Attorney reworking lately... I figured this gives me the perfect excuse to dive into a one-shot for Arkham Knight. One of my fav games, in spite of the criticisms against it. (人◕ω◕)

As a forewarning: this universe is set apart from comics and established game universe (despite there being some similarities in the game's lore). I'm not an avid comic reader, so it is not my intent to upset anyone. I'm merely presenting a possible universe based off information I learned through the Arkham games and any tidbits I pick up from elsewhere.

And if you're wondering why I'm skimming over Jason being saved? Or a retelling of Arkham Asylum? Well, a good buddy of mine wrote a couple fanfics on those events a long time ago. I don't feel like treading the same ground as him, and I'm skipping Arkham City because it's just the major catalyst of what I wish to really muse on. Maybe one day I'll circle back and muse on it, but for now I'll focus on Arkham Knight. (人◕ω◕)

But I'll give a brief rundown of the events that led up to this. Batman manages to save Jason from Joker after a few months. Tim Drake still joined on as Robin because Bruce needs backup out there and he was making too many careless mistakes because of his tireless, relentless search for Jason. Moreover, Barbara was shot by Joker during these few months, which is why she couldn't step up as Bruce's sidekick in Jason's absence.

When the second Boy Wonder is saved and brought back to Wayne Manor, things are... tense. Jason has to recover physically and mentally from Joker's brutal torture, and he doesn't take it very well that Tim stepped in as Robin. However, Tim steps aside gracefully to let Jason reclaim the mantle of Robin since it's so important to him. Not that Tim quits as a member of the Bat Family - he just transitions to the title of Cardinal (may become Red Robin at a later date; for now Tim's thinking of Jason's feelings). Jason... isn't completely satisfied with the pity shown to him, but he hashes things out with Bruce and establishes that he's still Robin, that he still has a home at Wayne Manor. Barbara, Tim, Alfred, Bruce, they all still care for Jason. (人◕ω◕)

Arkham Asylum progresses similarly to canon, just with Jason tagging along as Robin and wrestling through his hatred for Joker. Doesn't help that Joker knows he broke this Robin, and uses every opportunity to steal him back... But it never pans out. Joker is prevented from a Titan transformation at the end of the night - Jason snipes it out of Joker's hand before he can inject himself. Keeps the events on the island from being televized, at least. And also - Scarecrow still gets devoured by Croc to some extent. That doesn't change. Dr. Young is spared from dying... though she does have much to answer for in developing Titan... (人◕ω◕)

Arkham City as such progresses with a healthy Joker and a mentally spiraling Jason. (人◕ω◕);;; He's starting to feel that keeping these crooks alive isn't worth the pain if they're just going to bust out again and be terrible human beings. But right now it's Joker he's focused on... because he targeted Bruce (and himself) on Arkham, and the Clown's being given all this freedom in Arkham City... He's not happy.

Bruce tries to keep him out of the Arkham City fiasco, but he slips in with Tim when Cardinal brings Batman the line launcher. Jason not hooking up with Bruce does bring a wave of uneasiness, and it complicates the mission to bring down Arkham City. Bottom line? Batman and Oracle still stop Protocol 10 after it's initiated, but Jason kills Joker before Clayface kills Talia. Batman, Robin, and Talia then take Clayface down together... But after Bruce blows up the Lazarus Pit, there's the matter of Jason taking a life and having to own up to that to GCPD.

Ultimately, Jason is arrested and sent to prison, but the lawyers manage to argue it was in self-defense, which shaves off years of his sentence. Being too invested in Jason, Bruce is kept in the dark about his son's rehabilitative process; Alfred is allowed to know certain details, but for some reason Bruce is kept out of the loop. They tell him their hands are tied due to Jason being uncovered as a member of the Bat Family, but even Batman can't... get anything out of Gordon. It's clear that something is amiss, but Bruce doesn't press too hard, even as Batman confronting Gordon - Jim begs his old friend to trust him, and Bruce...grudgingly backs down. (人◕ω◕)

So already, we see some stark differences in this timeline: Joker never became terminal because of the Titan, so he didn't infect all those people (including Bruce) with his blood. This means no people to cure of Joker's blood. Which in turn means when Scarecrow makes his move against Gotham, Batman has no excuse to keep Tim away from events, as much as Bruce would like to tackle this all on his own because of his failure to keep Jason from crossing the blood red line. (人◕ω◕) Alfred, Barbara, and Tim can tell that Bruce's guilt is gnawing away at him, but they won't let him face this night alone. They're also aware of some things that Bruce will... likely react negatively to.

But when Scarecrow has so much of the criminal underworld collaborating on a scheme to kill Batman and ruin his reputation...? Well. They can't treat this night like any other. (人◕ω◕) Batman's going to war, so the Bat Family is joining him on this crusade. All of them. (人◕ω◕) And not just the Bat Family... Gordon, Cash, GCPD, and some new faces that will throw Bruce for a loop. Scarecrow is relying on Deathstroke to run a militia in the hopes of overwhelming Batman with gear, weapons, and sheer numbers. On this night more than any other, Bruce needs an army of his own. (人◕ω◕)

The first stretch of the night involves Batman tracking Scarecrow down and stopping his plans at Ace Chemical, turning the facility into a bomb to spread his toxin across the entire eastern coast of America. That goes about the same, with Deathstroke remotely piloting the helicopter to kill Batman while he's searching for hostages. And his militia move to occupy Gotham while Batman is busy with Ace Chemical.

But as he's wrapping up the mess at the factory, Bruce is cut off from Oracle abruptly and this alarms him - believing somehow Deathstroke got to her. He demands Tim go check on the situation, and focuses on shrinking the blast radius since it's too late to stop the factory from detonating. Bruce manages to apply the four canisters of the neutralizing agent, and then ride out of there in the Batmobile. Outside, he gets updates on the city's situation from Alfred, and contacted by Gordon. Feeling Barbara's life is at stake, Batman requests to meet up and confess everything.

... When he rendezvouses with Jim, Bruce is given his first major shock of the evening: The Commissioner already knows Barbara is working for him, and he further already knows who Batman is. Gordon didn't want to say anything until preparations were complete, and he assures Bruce that only the people Jim trusts with his life know Batman's identity. They've been preparing this past year, ever since the incident in Arkham City. Preparing for a threat too large for Batman to contain by himself. As it stands, they're not as ready as Jim would like to be... But the criminals of Gotham have made their move, and all they can do now is react accordingly.

It's revealed that for this past year, Jason has been training a small militia of his own under the strictest supervision by GCPD. Trained them in everything he knew about how Batman fights and passing on the techniques and, to some extent, the gear. And through his knowledge of the Bat Family, of his connections with Wayne Enterprises and Lucius Fox, GCPD has been rebuilding Arkham Island without the city's council (or anyone) being any the wiser. It's difficult to ask the people of Gotham to keep trusting in the police when they keep letting things spiral out of control; Arkham City wasn't completely on them, but the public only sees the disaster that happened there. It still falls on GCPD's shoulders to do... something, anything...!

Hence, they're trying things this way. The public appreciates Batman to some extent, so if they have a task force that can operate like him and cut down on crime in the city... It should help in tackling the gauntlet that Scarecrow has thrown down with this alliance of Gotham's underworld. Batman won't be alone out there, and they won't just be using the GCPD's holding cells until the nightmare is over, Arkham Island's reopened... for the most part (a year is hardly time to fix everything wrong on that island). They can worry about the courts and the public's reactions later. Right now? Barbara's stationed there with a few of Jason's most trusted men. He's been making great strides in his rehab, though that could also be attributed to the friendships he's made with the personnel they've brought in - former soldiers of all ranks and sizes. Soldiers that were abandoned by their countries and left with nowhere else to go. The numbers may not compete with Deathstroke's army, but it's something.

Though he's troubled with Jason leaking secrets to Gordon and GCPD, Bruce is nevertheless thankful they've tried to contain these endeavors to people they trust without question. It still complicates things with more people knowing who Batman is, but for now Bruce will trust in Gordon, Lucius, Alfred, and everyone who spun this into motion. They're really trying to help Batman... And only time will tell how Jason's "army" will pan out after tonight.

Focusing on the here and now, free of having to worry about Barbara, and only the concern of Tim and Jason acting on their own in the city, Bruce lets his allies handle Bleake Island and make that their stronghold. He turns to Miagani to tackle elements of Deathstroke's militia and confront the Penguin with Dick swinging in from Bludhaven to help share intel on North Refrigeration. Knowing better than to even try sending him away from Gotham, Bruce allows his oldest son to keep tracking trucks so that they can destroy all of Penguin's caches.

Shortly after losing track of Penguin, Batman follows up on a lead that brings him to Stagg's airships and Jason hooks up with him, bringing along a few of his men to fight off Deathstroke's militia. The two of them finally chat after a year's worth of silence. Jason reveals that he was the one to come up with the idea of forming a "Bat Army" after the snafu with Tyger operatives in Arkham City. He hated feeling so overwhelmed in Arkham City, wondered if they would really survive the ordeal. Jason knows that by all accounts he betrayed Bruce by killing Joker; but to this day he still doesn't regret putting the Clown in the dirt. Jason is doing his best to power through rehab, to understand the gravity of ending lives... It's just, the Joker was deeply personal to Jason. After suffering for months under that sadistic torture, after stewing in so much anger and hatred over what that Clown did to Barbara and what he could do to Bruce, to Alfred, to Tim, to Dick... Jason has no regrets about that kill. When Jim came to him with the idea of working together to help Batman, Jason gave in without question.

Because... even if he and Bruce don't see eye-to-eye on everything, Jason doesn't want him to die. He's still loyal to the Bat Family, and he's felt capable and useful training these guys. It's a rush to be the Commander for once, to plan and make contingencies... He's not just Bruce's "underling" anymore. Jason needs Bruce to understand they're working with him, not for him. ... And yes, Barbara helped him iron out these feelings of his. Those were her words, and he agreed 100%.

It's sobering to see his son so grown up, to see all his "sidekicks" acting independently and yet so cohesively. What they're doing is bold and reckless, but it's no different than what he's been doing for years as Batman. And perhaps it's for the best they're operating as a team - for all the weaknesses that come with more people knowing their secrets, it's made up by the fact they have a reliable network of people looking out for one another.

Bruce and Jason confront Scarecrow together... But Deathstroke extracts his boss with the Cloudburst and escape. Still, they take Stagg into custody and Jason has a few more men collect the defeated militia members left on the airships. While they work on a strategy to counter the Cloudburst (approaching Ivy for assistance), and a strategy to mount an assault on Founder's Island... Some threats are knocked out by their allies.

When Two-Face starts hitting banks, Tim personally handles that one with Barbara offering remote backup. Dick tracks another refrigeration truck and takes out another of Penguin's weapons caches. Before he proceeds to Founder's Island, Bruce is asked to help restrain Firefly, who's attacking the fire stations across the city; Jason makes sure the pyromaniac stays down after the first loss. Jason's men go about tracking the missing firefighters, and investigating Professor Pyg's murders. As for Riddler, Talia resurfaces and takes him down with her sister and her faction of the League of Shadows; they leave Nigma for GCPD to collect. This liberates Catwoman without a need for a massive scavenger hunt.

With all of this taken care of, Bruce moves onto Founder's with Jason and his men providing backup with APC's. Bruce eliminates the Cobra Tanks, and then they go about combing Founder's Island, taking out Deathstroke's militia meticulously and searching for the Cloudburst. It's a slog with so many criminals and militia working together, but it gets easier as the night progresses because of the minor threats getting chipped away at. The firefighter's are rescued by Jason's men, including the Chief; Professor Pyg is taken down by Tim; Dick tracks down the last few of Penguin's caches and brings him down personally; Azrael is confronted by Talia and Nyssa, and freed from his brainwashing; the Man-Bat is identified and administered a cure by Jason with Oracle's help; Blackfire and his cult are taken down by Tim and Dick collaborating...

It's a long night. Deathstroke still rides out in a tank and sets off the Cloudburst... Bruce works with Ivy to quell the threat after dealing with Deathstroke's tank, yet the assassin does slip away after suffering defeat. Ivy disperses the cloud left hanging over Gotham, and because of their quick reaction time to the main threat she's left close to death but ultimately saved and hospitalized. This leaves Bruce and allies to chase down Scarecrow and Deathstroke, who do everything in their remaining power to fight back. They rely on distractions that Harley, Hush, Killer Croc, Freeze, Mad Hatter, and Ra's create to take Jim hostage. The threats are all eventually incapacitated or convinced to leave Gotham... But Deathstroke mounts a final massive assault on GCPD with drones and tanks, and has a final clash with Jason, while Bruce goes after Scarecrow and Jim.

In the end, Scarecrow doesn't even come close to winning, even with holding Jim hostage. He gets a dose of his own medicine and is left a twitching, paranoid wreck as they haul him in at last. Batman's identity isn't unmasked publicly, so there's no need to enact the Knightfall Protocol. GCPD is tangled up in court proceedings with all the crooks they rounded up, but the new Arkham Island proves to be a decent enough prison to hold them all. The important part comes next - turning the prison into a proper rehab center, nipping all corruption in GCPD's ranks before it can become a problem again. Working more intimately with the Bat Family from now on... that seems doable. Especially with Jason's trained militia being the main guards for the foreseeable future. The fact that Ivy helped Gotham after all her years of hating it... Rehabilitation is possible. They just have to keep trying; hope for the best, and prepare for the worst.

It's a lot to adjust to moving forward... But Bruce isn't alone in his quest to protect Gotham. (人◕ω◕)

[bleach-your-panties]

💙🩵16. entertain + swimming pool with armin arlert💙🩵

💙black/poc!fem!reader. modern!au

🩵part of my 28th birthday event.

💙requested by @rheawolf, another long-time supporter of mine! thank you, love! 

🩵featuring @ ejthedon from @chrollohearttags rapper/influencer au. thanks again, love, for letting me use him! 

💙nsfw 18+. mdni!⚠️

💿: humble - kendrick lamar

💿: swimming pools - kendrick lamar

**all music and artists' likenesses belong to them!**

🤍2.6 k words

—-----

See, Armin is very good at hiding details when it comes to surprising you with gifts and dates. 

For your birthday this year, he went all out with getting the two of you front-row tickets to the three-day music festival that Drake and 21 Savage are headlining. Kendrick Lamar will be there on the last night, also, and you're so fucking pumped to see him live. 

As you sit in the beauty salon getting your hair, nails, toes, and eyebrows done (all courtesy of Armin, of course), you excitedly texted your best friend to tell her about your plans for the next couple of days. 

bestie boo🫦🤎:  girl, you're so lucky. i wish  my man was thoughtful like armin. 

you: mhm. he's really the best. 💗

Once you were finished, you texted Armin to pick you up. It didn't take him long to pull up in his ocean-blue BMW. 

"Baby!" You ran and hopped on him. He hugged you to him, pulling your legs around his waist to secure you.

"Hey, dove. Be careful, you don't want to mess up your beautiful nails, do you?"

(Just picture your Zodiac sign)

Sighing softly, you knew he was right. Still, you nuzzled your face into his neck, inhaling his Armani cologne.

"Just happy to see you, that's all…" 

He smiled and rubbed your back. 

"I know, baby. I'm happy to see you, too. Come on, I've got a surprise for you in the car." 

Armin carried you over to the passenger seat and opened the door. You gasped once you saw what was laid out on the seat.

"Armie!" You cried as he let you down back onto your feet. He just chuckled and watched you scoop the bills up neatly to put them inside your wallet.

"What am I supposed to do with all this?" You asked rhetorically, knowing that he wasn't going to take it back by any means.

He shrugged. "Buy yourself something nice and put the rest in your savings. I don't know, baby, do what you want with it. It's yours." 

Tears pooled in your eyes. Armin's so good to you. Sometimes you wondered what you'd done to deserve someone like him.

"Thank you so much, Armie. You always make my birthdays so special." Sniffling and wiping under your eye, you were careful not to mess up your lashes.

"Aww, you're welcome, dove. Anything for you, and you deserve so much more. Let's go, so you can start getting dressed for the concert." 

Nodding happily, you picked up your bouquet of roses and set them in your lap so you could sit down. 

—

The first two nights of the concert were amazing, but it felt like they passed by way too quickly. 

Drake and 21 Savage were phenomenal, as well as the other artists that were featured. Armin and you were turnt up all night long; drinking, dancing, just having yourselves a grand ole time. 

Now you're sitting in your hotel suite getting ready to go see Kendrick. Seeing him perform and then spending the rest of the night with Armin will be the perfect ending to your birthday weekend. 

"Baby, what do you think of my outfit?" 

You did a little spin in the mirror as Armin raised one blonde eyebrow.

"I love it baby, but-"

"I know, I know what you're going to say, but it has shorts underneath it, daddy~"

This caused a little smirk to cover his lips.

"Oh really? Come here and let me feel then.."

You just giggled and playfully swatted his hand away, but Armin grabbed your wrist and pulled you on top of him as he reclined back on the bed.

"You won't have to worry about any creeps trying to cop a feel or anything."

Armin rolled his eyes. 

"I won't have to worry about that anyway, baby. Nobody has any fucking business putting their hands underneath your skirt unless they want to get knocked the fuck out."

He moved his head up to kiss your lips passionately, moving his hand down like he planned in order to feel underneath your skirt.

"Nobody but me…" 

Your eyes closed involuntarily as Armin's fingers traced up your plush ass cheek, stopping to squeeze the soft flesh.

"Mmm, babe…if we don't hurry and leave we're going to be late…" You moaned softly when he began pecking your neck with quick, wet kisses.

Chuckling to himself, his cerulean eyes gazed up into your brown ones before scanning over the rest of your face. You know that look.

He's turned on.

"Armie~" 

He laughed harder at you for moving off of him and attempting to tug him up off the bed.

"Okay baby, I'm coming. I wouldn't make you miss your big night."

"Yay! I love you! Come on, the Uber is probably already downstairs!" 

"Alright, dove. Lead the way…shit." 

Armin was going to have a time walking with this hard-on, and you walking in front of him in that tiny ass skirt wasn't helping whatsoever.

—

(A/N: Bold italics is Kendrick rapping. Regular italics is Armin rapping.)

"How y'all doing tonight?" 

The crowd roared as Kendrick came out on stage.

"I SAID HOW THE FUCK ARE Y'ALL DOING TONIGHT?!" 

You screamed at the top of your lungs, Armin right along with you. 

"That's more like it! Come on, everybody stand up!"

His first song was DNA, which never failed to get you hype.

Followed by Complexion, m.A.A.d city; Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe, Alright, LOVE, Loyalty, and Poetic Justice.

It all seemed to zoom by as you and Armin danced and sang along to every song.

"Alright, alright. I'm getting ready to close the night off, but let's turn it up one more motherfucking time!" 

Kendrick hollered and the crowd responded in kind.

"Nobody pray for me, it been that day for me, way, yeah yeah!"

You and Armin, much like the rest of the crowd were jumping up and down like maniacs as you belted out the song lyrics. 

Kendrick began moving around the stage as he rapped, coming close enough for you to brush your hand against his pants legs.

You pulled your hand back and stared at it as if it were made of gold.

"I'm never going to wash this hand again." 

Armin just snorted, thinking of how much more impressed you were about to be.

"Ayy, I remember syrup sandwiches and crime allowances. Finesse a nigga with some counterfeits, but now I'm countin' this-

-Parmesan where my accountant lives; in fact, I'm downin' this, D'USSÉ with my boo bae tastes like Kool-Aid for the analysts."

While Kendrick continued on, Armin turned you to face him. You looked up, as his six foot frame easily towered over you.

"Girl, I can buy yo' ass the world with my pay stub. Ooo, that pussy good, won't you sit it on my taste buds?"  

Warmth flooded your cheeks and made your neck itch as Armin rapped to you. He licked his lips and kept his eyes trained on your face. 

"MY LEFT STROKE JUST WENT VIRAL!" Rang out around you, but you were still trapped in Armin's azure gaze.

"Right stroke put lil baby in a spiral." 

He grabbed your hand and twirled you around, making you giggle.

"It's levels to it, you and I know. Bitch be humble, sit down. Be humble, sit down. Be humble, bitch, sit down. Be humble, sit down." 

"Who dat nigga thinkin' that he frontin' on Man Man? Get the fuck off my stage, I'm the Sandman. Get the fuck off my dick, that ain't right. I make a play fucking up your whole life." 

"I'm so fucking sick and tired of the Photoshop. Show me something natural like afro on Richard Pryor. Show me something natural like ass with some stretch marks." 

Armin was really feeling himself as he rapped to you with his natural poise and charisma. 

He was looking so handsome in only a simple, black U-neck tee, gold chain, and diamond studs glimmering in each ear. Light-wash ripped jeans adorned his long, lean legs, ending in a simple black pair of low Air Forces.

You were starting to forget all about Kendrick with Armin looking at you the way he was and snaking that sneaky hand back around your waist to rest just above your ass.

When the song ended, Armin kissed your temple and turned you back to face the stage just as Kendrick began to speak.

"So, I've been told that we have a birthday in the house tonight. A Miss Y/n L/n?"  

Your pupils immediately grew two sizes and you tried to turn to look at Armin, but he kept you still and faced forward by gripping your biceps. 

"Speak up, baby. So everyone can hear you.." Armin whispered into your ear as Kendrick knelt on one knee to extend the microphone out to you. 

"T-that's me…I'm Y-Y/n…" You spoke timidly into the microphone. That made Kendrick smile. 

"I'm glad you came out to see me tonight, Miss Y/n. I think my good friend will also be glad that you came." 

His good friend? What was going on here? 

Nothing else needed to be explained as EJ walked out with a microphone. He dapped Kendrick up while you just started screaming like a maniac. 

Both of the men on the stage laughed as they watched you turn and throw your arms around Armin's neck and kiss all over his face. 

"Why didn't you tell me that we were seeing EJ, too?!" He laughed when you began playfully hitting his chest. 

"If I told you, it wouldn't have been a surprise!" 

Armin helped you up onto the stage when EJ motioned for you. 

"Alright, let's continue this birthday party then! Do you have anything that you want to say, baby girl?" He held the microphone out to you. 

"I…I just love you…" 

EJ chuckled. 

"I love you too, sweetheart. Happy birthday and thank you for being a devoted fan. Let's go!" 

EJ kept you on stage with him the entire time as he performed all of your favorite songs. Armin even came up and the three of you danced, rapped, and sang together. 

After the concert, you and Armin went backstage with EJ and had drinks with him, Kendrick, and the other artists that had been a part of the festival. 

After the meet-and-greet, you were sent home with a gift basket full of autographed memorabilia. 

—-

"I had such a great time tonight, Armie."

You sighed in content as you sank down into the warm, bubbly water of the indoor hot tub.

Armin reclined next to you, wet hair stuck to his forehead in dripping strands. He looked so damn good like this, and after all he'd done for you tonight, your folds were slick with your desire for him.

"Yeah, baby? I'm glad you did, sweet girl." 

He grabbed your waist and pulled you on top of him, sitting you right on top of his hard dick.

You wrapped your arms around his neck just as he sat up to press his lips against yours. 

Armin gently held your neck while his tongue rubbed against yours. He sucked on your bottom lip, top lip, and each corner of your mouth.

"Mmm…babe.." 

"Mhmm…shit, girl." He grabbed a handful of your ass and smacked it hard. Your fingers moved to his neck to play with his chain while your wet breasts squished against his hard chest.

—

i think that I’m feeling the vibe

i see the love in her eyes 

i see the feeling the freedom is granted 

as soon as the damage of vodka arrived

this how you capitalize, this is parental-advised

and apparently, i'm over-influenced

by what you are doin'

i thought i was doin' the most 

til someone said to me

—

"Baby?" You asked innocently, still twirling his chain in your fingers while you stared into his deep ocean-blue eyes.

"Yes, my love?" 

You moved your hand from his neck to trail it down his side and over his stomach. His dick twitched underneath you, making you grin. 

"Why aren't you inside of me yet?"

Armin's eyes widened for a brief second before they became slanted, a devilish grin splitting his soft, pink lips apart, showcasing perfect, white teeth.

His hand on your ass began moving your bikini bottoms to the side. You watched him suck on the opposite hand's thumb and move it down to your top, pushing the triangle-shaped fabric to the side so he could rub his spit over your nipple and make it harden in the cool air conditioning surrounding you.

"Take it, daddy. It's yours." 

Armin cussed under his breath, moving his eyes back and forth between your beautiful face and hard nipples.

"Shit, baby girl. Don't have to tell me twice." He smirked at your use of his words from earlier and sank you down on his cock with one push of his hand on your ass.

—-

nigga, why you babysittin' only,

two or three shots?

imma show you how 

to turn it up a notch

first you get a swimming pool 

full of liquor, then you dive in it

pool full of liquor, then you dive in it

—-

Armin bounced you sloppily on his dick, making the water slosh around every which way in the hot tub.

His movements were usually more precise, making sure that he angled his dick just right to hit your G-spot, but right now he was drunk as fuck and just trying to fuck into you hard and fast enough to make you both cum.

“Armie! I’m close!” You whined, holding onto his neck with your legs wrapped tightly around his thighs.

“Oh yeah, I am too, dove…s-shit. Hold onto me, tight.” 

You were about to ask why, but Armin stood to his full height and pulled your legs around his hips. 

“Armin! I’m going to fall!” You panicked/moaned as he bounced you on him harder and harder. If someone were to walk in right now, they’d get quite the eyeful.

“Hush, I wouldn’t let you fucking fall. Drunk or not.” He smushed his face into your neck and inhaled your sweet scent before biting down on your neck. With one last hard thrust, Armin came inside of you. 

It was so much that it began to leak out and down your thighs, but he moved to sit down on the steps leading out of the tub so it wouldn’t drip into the water.

“Forever the gentlemen…” You panted, pressing your cheek against his while you rode out your orgasm.

“Always for you, my love. Happy birthday.” He smiled and kissed your lips, holding you close to him.

—-

i wave a few bottles then I watch em’ all flock

all the girls wanna play baywatch

i got a swimming pool full of liquor

and they dive in it

pool full of liquor, imma dive in it

[queenarahbo]

Don't Tell

“Hey you,” Cynthia poked Steven’s cheek playfully “You can’t go to sleep just yet.” Without even bothering to open his eyes, Steven responded with a casual 'Why not?' It was evident that he was beginning to wonder if he would manage to stay awake through the entire movie. His body felt heavy and opening his eyes felt like too much of a chore. “Because the movie is just getting good.” Sicktember Prompts Filled: Day 21: Anaphylactic Reaction Day 26: Heart Condition

Steven had been grappling with a hidden heart condition, wishing to shield it from the prying eyes of the world. His initial hope was that by simply refusing to acknowledge it, the issue would somehow disappear. However, he quickly realized the foolishness of his thinking. As a result, he concealed his condition out of sheer desperation to maintain his public image. To the people of Hoenn, he was portrayed as an invincible champion, and perhaps, he took too much pride in this image. There were a few close calls during severe episodes, and on one occasion, Drake discovered Steven after he had collapsed. Eventually, his league members also uncovered his secret. They collectively agreed to keep it concealed as long as Steven prioritized his well-being. Fortunately, with time, he began to improve. He managed without medication, and there was hope that his condition wouldn't significantly impact his daily life.

That meant he needed to understand his limitations. Which he did. He just chose to ignore them most of the time.

For years, he had successfully kept his secret closely guarded with the loyal support of his Elite Four. Surprisingly, the next person to discover the truth was Cynthia. He had actually anticipated that Wallace would be the first to find out. His closest friend had tactfully avoided discussing his condition, understanding that Steven would open up when he felt ready. However, it was during one of their dates that Cynthia became aware of his struggles. Steven had attempted to downplay his situation, passing it off as mere fatigue, but she saw through his facade when he experienced a particularly severe episode.

It didn’t work.

She had dragged him to the hospital and after a series of tests he knew were pointless his secret was out. They had referred him back to his doctor in Ever Grande City who promptly put him on a medication to help.

Now he found himself sitting on his couch with the other champion’s head in his lap watching a movie. Despite her learning of his condition she still wanted to be with him. He carded his fingers through her hair as he let his eyes flutter closed. He was a little more tired than usual after working all day, but he was determined to spend this time with Cynthia.

“Hey you,” Cynthia poked Steven’s cheek playfully “You can’t go to sleep just yet.”

Without even bothering to open his eyes, Steven responded with a casual 'Why not?' It was evident that he was beginning to wonder if he would manage to stay awake through the entire movie. His body felt heavy and opening his eyes felt like too much of a chore.

“Because the movie is just getting good.”

“Tired,” Steven mumbled. He was fading fast. He cracked one eye open at his girlfriend’s reluctant sigh.

“Fine, but you need to take that medicine before you go to bed. They told you to start it tonight.”

“Cyn…” Steven groaned “I really don’t need it.”

"And I don’t care. Your doctor believed you needed it and prescribed it to you." Cynthia disentangled herself from the blanket they were under, prompting a discontented sound from Steven, and headed into the kitchen where the forgotten orange bottle lay abandoned.

As Steven watched Cynthia walk into the kitchen, he knew that there was no point in protesting. He was willing to do whatever it took to make her happy and finally get some sleep. Moments later, Cynthia returned, holding a pill in one hand and a glass of water in the other. He let out a heavy sigh as he placed the white tablet on his tongue and quickly swallowed it with the water. "Can we please go to bed now?" he pleaded, feeling exhaustion weighing him down with each passing minute.

Cynthia leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Steven's cheek. "You can. I will be in there in a few minutes. I want to call Lucian and make sure everything is going okay with me being gone," she said softly.

"Agreed," Steven responded before quickly retreating to the bedroom. After changing into fresh clothes, he gratefully settled into bed and shut his eyes. A peculiar feeling washed over him, which he attributed to exhaustion. He let his mind wander in pointless thought. As he drifted into sleep, Cynthia joined him in bed and he instinctively pulled her close. Suddenly, he noticed a tightness in his throat and a growing sense of nausea. It all felt very strange.

“Are you okay? You’re flushed.”

The hushed question lingered in the tranquil room. Steven was not feeling quite right. He gently shook his head as he whispered, "Not really." Slowly, he felt Cynthia's presence, and he slowly opened his eyes. She was leaning on her elbow, gazing at him with worry etched in her eyes. As she tenderly placed the back of her hand on his forehead, he let out a sigh of relief. Her touch was wonderfully soothing, blissfully cool against his skin.

“You feel warm. That’s not good. Were you feeling bad earlier?”

Steven's head shook once more, his throat ached and felt constricted. Something was very wrong. He struggled to draw breath, feeling as though his body was weighed down. He managed to rasp weakly, "My throat... it hurts... feels tight." Why did his body feel so heavy? As he coughed into his arm, a sensation of suffocation overwhelmed him as oxygen failed to reach his lungs. His chest burned as he fought to breathe. It hurt. It burned. Amidst Cynthia's frantic voice by his side, he battled for air, his lungs craving the oxygen they were being denied. He fought to reassure Cynthia that he was okay, but all that escaped his mouth was a wheeze. It felt as if his chest was engulfed in flames. He couldn’t give in now. As his vision blurred and spots danced before his eyes, he made a desperate attempt to blink them away, but darkness swallowed him before he could offer any comfort.

As Steven gradually regained consciousness, he found himself in a strangely pristine white room that bore no resemblance to his own bedroom. The room was illuminated by an overwhelming brightness, and an unsettling stillness hung in the air, broken only by occasional faint sounds.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The offending device on his right was connected to him from three different wires. He took a steadying, shaky breath. Why was he in the hospital? He didn’t get the chance to ponder that for long. The door clicked open and Cynthia appeared with a brown and white cup in her hand. She seemed surprised and equally relieved to see him. It took him a frighteningly long time to recognize the bitter smell of coffee.

“I didn’t think you were going to be awake yet. The doctor said you would be sleeping for a while.” Cynthia made herself comfortable in the chair in the corner of the room. She picked up on Steven’s confusion and continued “You had an allergic reaction to the medication. I had to bring you here. You couldn’t breathe.”

After telling the whole story, he realized that it might explain the intense pain in his chest and throat. Despite still feeling weak, he noticed a slight improvement in his overall condition. "I'm sorry," he murmured, wincing as he spoke, feeling the discomfort in his chest and throat.

“Hey, no, don’t do that.” Cynthia scolded “You don’t need to apologize. We couldn’t have known. You’re okay and that’s what matters. I told Lucian I would be staying a few days longer than planned. He wanted me to tell you to feel better.”

Steven nodded with a raspy hum. So Cynthia had told Lucian? He leaned his head back with a suppressed sigh. It couldn’t be helped. He listened to Cynthia talking about different things until he was lulled back into sleep.

[smittywing]

FicBit: Jason Todd/Tim Drake

Did I almost post "Time Drake"? Yes I did.

I wish I was one of those people who disappears for a week and reappears with a 40k fit, beta'd and finished. But I'm not. So I'm posting it as I get sections done and maybe, someday, it will be a real story.

Jason knew about Tim’s boyfriend nine days and seventeen hours before Tim told him. Not that he gave a fuck about Replacement being queer. Sure, the boyfriend looked like cannon fodder so Jason was going to have to stay sharp when in certain neighborhoods, but he was happy for Tim. 

He was not, as such, happy to be the last person Tim told. And so he might have been a bit of a knob about it. 

“Didn't care when you dated Blondie, don't care about this one,” he said bluntly. “It's not news just cuz it's a guy.”

“Okay, well, fuck you, too,” Tim said, and left. 

It wasn't Jason’s fault Replacement was so damn sensitive. 

~

This thing was, the fact that Tim was dating a guy was *all kinds* of news to Jason's brain. He had been vaguely disinterested in Tim’s love life prior to this, and okay, vaguely disinterested in Tim himself. But now his brain was clocking questions overtime. 

Did Tim and this guy kiss? Make out? Wasn't Tim too bony to make out with? Tim was slighter than even Dick, lithe, but Jason had seen him in shorts and tanks and sometimes shirtless, hell, almost naked. He wasn't *bony* exactly. But he wouldn't be soft.

~

“So you were a shit to Tim,” Dick said.

“What? He went crying to you because I didn't congratulate him on his wokeness?” Jason was actually surprised to hear this. Replacement was usually more inclined to revenge than tattling. Maybe he really was upset. 

“He didn't say anything,” Dick said, restoring Jason’s confidence in Tim’s balls. “But you know what that means.”

Yes. Jason should unplug all his electronics and lie low for a few weeks until Tim’s temper blew over. 

“He put himself out there,” Dick continued. “You could be gracious that he even told you. He really didn't talk to anyone else about it.”

That gave Jason pause. 

“How come no one asks the dead guy who he wants to bang?” he asked, to cover. 

Dick made a face. “If you actually listened to yourself, you would know the answer to that.” 

Jason rolled his eyes. 

“Okay, well, you came back and went right for murder instead of sex,” Dick said after an awkward silence. “Which is fi - no, it's not fine. It wasn’t fine.  It’s not like you’ve been all that upfront about it? Maybe you're ace?”

“Pretty sure that's a no.”

“I’ve never seen you attracted to someone,” Dick countered. 

“Maybe I just have standards,” Jason lied through his teeth. He’d lost his rookie card to Talia, for fuck’s sakes. She was beautiful, sure, but she was goddamn crazy. Also Bruce’s ex. Also Damian’s mother. Also he was going to stop this line of thought right the fuck here. 

[rikebe]

hii if you're still accepting asks about the akihiro x bobby ship meme, could you explain in detail the trust/jealousy/etc scales? also is bobby canonically 5'4" bc 😳❤

I WISH BOBBY WAS THAT SHORT IN CANON </3 unfortunately that's just my hc bc i'm so much smarter and chaddier than all of marvel :/

BUT here's the scales!

bobby:

trust: i def see bobby as having a bit of a cynical streak, so i think he takes a while to warm up to trusting. he has a way of internalizing shit and overthinking and is very neurotic, and i think he can absolutely overthink himself into mistrusting his partner on a wrong day even if he knows he's being irrational :(

jealousy: pretty much the same thing, plus i think growing up as the baby-faced dweeby kid of the x-men doesn't really give you a huge amount of self-confidence. i think he can really struggle w seeing himself as like, hot enough or good enough and project that on other people through jealousy, especially if he has such an objectively sexy partner as akihiro. again i think this is something where he'd KNOW he's being unreasonable but he can't help feeling that way

horny: LISTEN. YES he dresses like the assistant manager of a gamestop. YES he's a boring account. but i know. when i look into that unassuming, boring little face of him i know he's a horndog. if he wasn't he wouldn't have fucking bothered with the little song and dance akihiro and him have, because let's be real, akihiro's a pretty big shithead to him consistently and still bobby's like teehee! let's waltz! teehee! oh no let me kiss that death seed away teehee! that's classic horny for villain behavior. you can't hide behind those cargo shorts, bobby drake. i know what you are.

clingy: to me he's a pretty big relationship guy and is really attached to his partner, which is great if you're on mutual terms but i think can come off as pretty clingy if the other guy's looking for something a little more casual lol. def the type to keep texting a few times after getting ghosted before he gets the hint. oops

akihiro:

trust: BIG HUGE MAJOR trust issues. this guy spent his entire adult life seeing interpersonal relationships as entirely transactional and only started getting into this "unconditional love and trust" shit like five years ago. it's a learning curve. he's the guy in a sitcom who thinks their partner is cheating and starts stalking them

jealousy: see trust. same thing. if some guy is talking to bobby at a bar akihiro WILL stand menacingly close by and then be really annoying about mentioning that thats his BOYFRIEND and they're DATING. the guy asked bobby for the time

horny: controversial BUT: i don't think akihiro is very horny. he's been shown since his first appearance to be very liberal about sex, but in almost all instances these interactions are about control and power. akihiro uses his inherent appeal and other people's attraction to him to get what he wants in his never-ending ploy for power and evil-doing. to him, sex is transactional, it's just something he does just like he lies and pretends to be something he's not. ive seen some interpretations of him as asexual, which i think is really interesting and cool and a great take! i don't know where exactly on that spectrum i see him, i think he does enjoy sex but it would be a really different thing for him to sleep with someone he actually cares about, to the point where i could see it causing whiplash when he's being shy about it all of a sudden :')

clingy: i put him pretty high on the "needs attention" scale which i explained in another post, but i don't really see him being all that clingy. i think i might have coloured it in a little high here even since i think it's a hard thing to define, but basically i think that IN a relationship he would be a little clingy and want to be around his partner a lot, once he gets to a point where he can comfortably express those feelings, but he would never run after someone or try to cling to a partner that's dumped him. he thinks too highly of himself to debase himself by showing that he cares about another human being. this is about SAVING FACE, damn it

[ppeonppeonhan]

BL Shows - Currently Watching (May 2023)

> TUESDAY

Step by Step (up to ep. 5/12) -Thai workplace enemies to lovers romantic dramedy: Love Pat (employee). Tolerating Jeng (boss). Pat's friends -- his female mentor that everyone thought he was dating; his gorgeous female bff Ae; and his new gay work friend Chot -- are really carrying this series, because Jeng is acting like he just woke up on this planet and has yet to master human emotion. I NEED the reason he disappeared and returned to work be goodt! Otherwise, the mystery is for nothing. Comparatively, I could care less about Pat's ex Put, and wish they chose someone less...nerdy. There is nothing intimidating about him -- not with the zaddy energy Jeng is promising us/Pat. Jaab (above) is my other favorite character. Not because of his crush on someone who is unavailable, but because he's adorable and reminds me of Vegas from KinnPorsche. 🤷🏾‍♀️

> WEDNESDAY

Past-senger (up to ep. 9/12) - Thai time travel enemies to lovers classmates romantic dramedy: I'm going to wait to binge the rest of this cause the current memory loss obstacle is definitely going to annoy me. In general, I'm enjoying Cooper's character, Kiao, more than his character in My Engineer. He has good chemistry with Bamee, but I don't understand how this ends. Even if Kiao returns to his timeline, grows older, and reunites with Bamee in his timeline, we'll have to pretend a 20yr age difference doesn't matter. But I also wonder if this is really just a journey for Kiao to realize he's bi and in love with Bamee's dad, which if they get together, would mean Bamee and his annoying little brother Mudaeng aren't born...what are we doing? 🙃

Happy Merry Ending (up to ep. 6/8) - South Korean one-sided workplace romantic drama: Jae is very cute, and the way he takes care of Seung is admirable. Wearing sunglasses while they performed in solidarity was peak adorrrrable. Also love that they have unique jobs: wedding performers. I hope his former kpop trainer who CLEARLY uses his job to groom young, impressionable queer men -- that guy: I hope he gets hit by a bus. In general, I find this drama lacking in romantic substance. Not because there aren't a lot of romantic scenes but because the focus is on Seung's trauma and recovery, and not a mutual interest in each other.

> THURSDAY

Love Mate (up to ep. 5/8) - South Korean one-sided workplace romantic comedy: Ha Ram is cute AF. That does not condone his stalking or scheming, but it does make it hard to feel bad for Lee Jun, who is a salty bitch who takes out his frustrations on complete strangers who've done nothing to deserve it. I get that he's recovering from heartbreak and he has every right to protect his heart, but he needs to be a little less...callous about it. I'm not even talking about Ha Ram. That first dude he went on a date with got curved so hard for no reason. Anyway, he gave in a lot quicker than I thought he would, so I wonder what their obstacle will be. Ex returns? Miscommunication? Plot twist -- it was all an experiment to prove a point? 🤔

> FRIDAY

A Boss and a Babe (up to ep. 11/12) - Thai one-sided workplace romantic dramedy: I expected this was going to be as stupid as Cher is 🙄 the entire way through. Did not, however, expect there to be a clinical depression or child abuse storyline. Still recovering from that emotional whiplash. But I do enjoy Cher's dynamic with Gun, even though it's a very inappropriate boss and intern relationship. I wish they would've leaned into the goofy chaotic romance genre more instead of trying to get deep, but I'm going to need Gun and Drake's character, Time, to reconcile before this ends. Always love seeing him and Mike in everything. And Fluke and his character's bf are new favorites. It's a really solid supporting cast, all in all.

[deltaswap2442]

Pride History Deltaswap/Underswap

I wanted to post this on pride month but I was on vacation and took a break from Tumblr to spend time with my family

And instead of waiting til next June I'll just post this now

Here are all the DeltaSwap and UnderSwap characters sexualities (some might change and everyone's entitled to their own headcannons)

DeltaSwap:

Noelle: Gender Fluid and Sapphic (Still likes Susie)

Berdley: Omnisexual

Temmie: Trans Fem and Demisexual

Clubboy: He's 6 he hasn't figured himself out yet and doesn't know what any of this means so let him be

Nubert: It/It's pronouns and Aromantic

Sweet: Straight

Capn: Bisexual

Kakes: Gay

Swoetche: Gay (and maybe a closeted drag queen)

Addisons: All use They/Them. Pink is attracted to men. Blue is bisexual (and had a former secret relationship with Spamton). Yellow is Aroace. Orange is Asexual.

Hacker (Checkwalker): Omnigender and Omnisexual and Omni-being

Queen: Straight (likely homophobic as well. I know people won't like that, but that's how people be and I'm trying to be realistic)

Susie: Lesbian

Kris: Non-binary and Pansexual (has a huge crush on Berdley)

Clover: Omnisexual

Jevil: Gender Fluid and Pansexual

Seam: Gender Fluid/Non Binary (debating whether they use they/them exclusively since they technically are multiple entities and therefore also would use We/We're or would switch pronouns depending on their form)

Rouxls Kaard: Gay (and definitely a drag queen. SLAY) has a crush on King but King doesn't have the same feelings

King: Bisexual (has 7 ex wives and 2 ex husbands. Poor guy :()

C. Round: Omnigender; Omnisexual

Asgore: Bisexual

Toriel: Straight

Undyne: Lesbian

Alphys: Bisexual

Mettacrit: Gender Fluid; Gay

Napstablook: Non Binary; Aroace

Papyrus: Gay; Asexual

Rudolph Holiday: Straight

Carol Holiday: Dead (Formerly Bisexual)

Dess: Trans Fem; Omnisexual

Asriel: Omnisexual

Geeson: Straight

Alvin: Straight

Mrs. Boom: Lesbian

Monster Kid: Non Binary; Asexual

Snow Drake: Trans Masc; Bisexual

Catti: Straight

Jockington: Aroace

Ralsei: Demisexual; Gay

I think that's all the characters if I missed one ask in the comments

UnderSwap (most are similar to above):

Chara: Non Binary; Aroace

Temmie: Gender Fluid (I believe I either have a post or am working on one explaining the confusingness of Temmie's identity but just know they don't care what they're referred to but uses She/Her mostly to try and differentiate from MK. She is not trans and wishes to go back to being MK but also wants to alienate this form from MK); Aroace (Has no feelings)

Asgore: Bisexual

Papyrus: Gay

Sans: Bisexual

Alphys: Bisexual

Undyne: Lesbian

Toriel: Straight

Napstabot: Trans Masc; Pansexual; Asexual

Mettacrit: Gender Fluid; Gay

Asriel: Demisexual; Omnisexual

Muffet: Bisexual

Grillby: Aroace

Mad Okie Dokie (So Sorry): Trans Masc; Omnisexual

Dogamy: Straight

Doggo: Gay

Lesser Dog: Demisexual

Doggeressa: Straight; Asexual

Muttler (Endogeny): Aroace

Ice Cream Pants (Burgerpants): Gay

Burger Guy (Nice Cream Guy): Bisexual

Gerald (Elder Puzzle Master): Straight

Rabeca (Bunny Girl): Pansexual

Flowey: ???????????

Bratty: Lesbian

Catty: Sapphic

Rg 1 & 2: Gay but not dating

Gaster: Non Binary; [RELATIONSHIP STATUS REDACTED]

Annoying Dog: ??????????????????????????

MK: Non Binary; Aroace

Frisk: Gender Fluid; Asexual

River Person: Genderless; [RELATIONSHIP STATUS REDACTED]

I believe that's all the characters

Again if I'm missing any ill be happy to but Them in the comments or maybe update this post

[american-duchess]

Get to know eachother Choices Game !!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't worry, you don't have to. I do that sometimes to every sweet person I meet new.

What are your TOP 10 Choices books?

What are your TOP 10 Choices LIs?

oooh let's see (putting it under cut because i can't help but ramble about each thing and this is so long)

for choices books (i'm gonna do series not individual books, i hope that's okay)

1. the royal romance, i just love the characters so much, truly one of my favorite ensembles!!! i replay it all the time, and i know a lot of people hate on it for going on too long, but honestly (especially compared to most of the new stories) i would read another ten of them haha

2. endless summer, i think out of all their books this one had the most interesting story, i loved the art, the mystery, the setting, the characters, all of it!!

3. perfect match, another one of their books that had such an interesting plot and really fun characters, i was genuinely excited for every chapters release

4. blades of light and shadow, i'm a sucker for a good fantasy book and this one really delivered and i'm so excited for the next book whenever they decide to do it

5. bloodbound & nightbound are tied, i love them both equally!! i miss the cool world's pb created and that universe was one of my favorites

6. it lives series, they haven't done a ton of horror stories, but they really should because these were amazing!!

7. open heart, i really loved the story and playing as a character that's constantly trying to do the right thing against a system that's corrupt and has to make hard and life changing choices.

8. wishful thinking, a book that was surprisingly amazing even though people don't talk about it much! like it's one of the best just for the fact that you can read the minds of your pets 10/10

9. platinum, i loved the songs and the LIs!!

10. the freshman, replaying it now it's definitely not as good. like i would not do or say a lot of the stuff the MC does, but i think i would've when i was 18 so it's probably accurate haha. it was one of the first 3 and it means a lot to me even if it's mostly out of nostalgia.

now for the LIs (tbh i don't remember a lot of the characters so these are mostly just based on what i've replayed recently)

1. maxwell beaumont, i'm so happy they made him an LI even if his consistency is all over the place he's still one of my favorite characters of all time.

2. drake walker, i totally understand the drake hate, and if it was real life i would not want to date him compared to the other LIs in trr, but there's something fun about the pealing back layers and sneaking around in game that would not be as enjoyable in real life

3. quinn kelly, she's so insanely sweet and fun and was so strong and brave despite being dealt a shit hand

4. zig ortega, he's caring and protective and there's not many bi characters in pb's books that openly talk about being bi, and everything he says is so incredibly validating

5. becca davenport, she had one of my favorite growth arcs in choices, she really put in the work to be a better person

6. tom sato, he's an adorable little nerd and i love him

7. hana lee, she's sweet and caring and literally perfect at anything she sets her mind to, what's not to love?

8. kaitlyn liao, she was the first female LI i went for and honestly played a big part in my bi awakening and i'll always love her for it

9. raleigh carrera, i haven't played platinum in a long time but i remember loving them.

10. poppy min-sinclair, look she is a garbage person but also i'm a sucker for enemies to lovers. i just love to hate her ❤️

[khimeaarts]

A what if meeting could be like: (I also imagine him being de-aged depending on his ghost age so like maybe 5 years had passed and many things happened for him to have so much malice but in a small scale cause he's a kid)

Danny: *burning something in GZ* Oh that looks damn fine.

The bats: *staring at the kid with hands on his hips being proud of his destruction*

Dick: He kinda looks like a mini-damian...

Tim: Acts like one too.

Damian: Shut it Drake.

Danny: *notices his audience* Oh hi! You're not from around here, obviously. *mutters* Does clockwork have anything to do with this? *out loud* What are you guys some kind of bat cult- hey why do you look like me but with green eyes? That's so weird. Are you a clone?

Damian: YOU are the clone. Did you not know?

Danny: No way! I've always been me! Where is your proof, without it you can't make me the clone! (Already thinking of his missing memories while panicking inside)

Damian: Stop being a fool. It'll only delay the inevitable.

Danny: But... but-

Dick: Doesn't seem like an evil clone to me (whispers)

Jason: Are you seriously ignoring the huge fire and property damage behind him?

Tim: Evil is a subjective word.

Jason: Wow replacement you're in on it too?

Dick: What? You're not? Isn't he adorable? Look at those chubby cheeks! We didn't get a chance to see that on Dami!

Tim: On second thought. He does look too evil now to me. (One demon brat is enough)

Back to Damian and Danny:

Danny: *already in tears cuz he's 5 rn* I didn't know (Thinking about his adoptive family, his past, Jazz, Dani, everyone, why nobody told him)

Damian: *sighs while pinching in between his eyebrows* You do not appear to have malice towards your original so it does not really matter. Would you like to come with us? (Already proceeding to think about how to locate the people who did this, know more about his mini-me's past, and decide whether he'd have to make someone pay for their transgressions)

Danny: What?

Damian: You do not need to decide now.

Dick: Yes! I'd be glad to know more about you mini-dami- oh I mean what is your name? Could you tell us?

Danny: Danny...

Dick: Danny! Nice to finally meet you! You can definitely come with us and maybe you'd get to eat Alfred's cookies- wait- does ghost eat human food?

Danny: No they don't... but I'm half dead half alive that came back just like that guy- (points at Jason)

Jason: Half what me?! *points at himself*

Tim: *rolls his eyes* This is going to take awhile... (wishing he brought coffee with him)

---------------

Danny will be a part of batfam while the bats get to know more about Danny's life. I see Damian becoming softer as time passed by teaching his mini-me (his blood kid) the ways of being the best Robin there is (he's already thinking of taking Danny as his Robin when he becomes batman XD)

And then Tim would be there taking the L because Damian will use him as targets for their practices just cause he's still a petty teenager hahahaha

Bruce would be there thinking ways how to teach his son how to properly take care of a child but really he has no idea so he had to always ask Alfred for these sessions - they all know- but he's doing his best so they don't call him out that much - they still do (specially Jason, he loved visiting the house for these sessions just to spite his dad)

Barbara, Steph, and Cass, will coo over this new child and spoil their nephew with gifts. Tim thinks it's too much but the girls doesn't care, they love their little nephew being a menace hahahaha Actually they already started to plan for his future date scenarios and promised to teach the boy how to properly woo a girl XD Dick approves! He specially started a collection of photos in an album when Danny became more comfortable in their home. He bribed Tim to help with either more time away from Damian and the brat cause Dick would distract them for some personal time or more love advises with Bernard.

All in all, Danny perfectly fits as the youngest child in the family. Danny found a new family with the bats ^^

"Come get your child." Robin stared incredulously at this...entity? Being? He was a child himself, how could he possibly have a kid of his own.

The creature huffed, seeming very put out by the young vigilantes confusion. "What is there to not understand? Your child has been running wild in the Infinite Realms for a while now. Ever since that portal exploded hes been taking his emotions out on everyone!" The thing said, throwing her hands into the air, "And you!" Robin stepped back a pace or two when he suddenly found a very sharp claw in his face, "I had to do a lot of searching to even find you! What kind of parent are you?!"

"I'm not."

The entity opened and closed its mouth a few times like a fish before suddenly becoming furious, "Its no wonder hes like this when his gardian has so little interest in him! Did you know the other day he plugged a liquor bottle with a cloth and lit it on fire? I don't even know where he got it, but he lit the cloth and yelled something like, "mazzle toff" and threw it at my own adult son!"

"..."

"When my little boy burst into flames do you know what he said to me?"

"...no, but I feel like you're going to tell me anyways."

"I'm sorry ma'am I wasn't expecting there to be that much fire."

"That much? So he fully intended to set someone ablaze but the amount of fire is what troubled him?"

"Yes!" She growled, exasperated, "Please come get your child as soon as possible! Hes terrorizing the whole dimension!"

Damian found himself staring at open space the woman had occupied previously before contacting Oracle through the coms, "Did you get all of that?"

It was Grayson that spoke, "Every word."

---

Aka Danny has a lot of misplaced aggression and kinda terrorizes parts of the GZ. Unfortunately for him hes a clone of one of the bats (weather or not you want it to be Damian, Project R or someone else that hes cloned from is up to you) and they're coming to him to assess if he's an evil clone or mindless or whatever.

Too bad Danny sucks at first impressions.

[benezie]

Don't Call Us Dead - Danez Smith

At the start of this brutally sincere collage of stories of violence to black communities, especially through HIV, Danez Smith invokes a Drake bar, which is so goddamn hilarious and so perfect. As I started to read this book I listened to a podcast called VS, which happened to be hosted by Danez Smith. At the start, Franny Choi asks Danez how they would describe their poems. Danez says "NSFW, not suitable for whites", and I couldn't stop laughing. I'm blown away at Danez's ability to talk about such horrific violence while still maintaining joy and humor, often very concealed, like their usage of the phrase "other mouth" to refer to their asshole. While it is poetic and meaningful, it is funny! Poetry is a deep cut sprinkled with joy! summer, somewhere - a perfect longpoem with a narrative. Through the narrative, there is a feeling that something has been lost, that the summer in the beginning of the poem will never be able to be returned to.

Dinosaurs in the Hood - An imagining

a note on Vaseline - Oh my god! Vaseline as lineage! Vaseline as lube but also as a familiarly used tool.

a note on the phone app that tells me how far I am away from other men's mouths, & even the black guy's profile reads sorry, no black guys - A fantastic poem that talks about dating app sex, insecurity, and how blackness intersects with these issue.

everyone on the apps says they hate the app but no one stops

i sit on the face of a man i just met / he whispers his name in my lower mouth / i sing a song about being alone

fear of needles - I recently began getting tested regularly, and the fear since my first test replicates in all the others. it doesn't go away. below is the full poem.

instead of getting tested / you take a blade to your palm / hold your ear to the wound

blood hangover - a poem on contracting HIV. I wish I felt like I could say more, but I think you should just read the poem again.

if you trace the word diagnosis back enough / you'll find destiny / / trace it forward, find diaspora

a note on the body - this is perfect poem that hurts.

you tragic, misfiring bird

last notes, Danez Smith is one of the only nonbinary poets I have read, and yet gender (in what I have read) isn't present in their work. In their books, there seems to be a deliberate lack of the use of pronouns, same with on the podcast. Not sure about what that means, but I also think that the world of literature doesn't care that much about non-binary poetry, I think a lot of people view poetry as either essentialized through gender (thinking about how people talk about Sylvia Plath) or as managing to escape it entirely.

[queenmiarys]

@honey358luv @mom2000aggie @lilyoffandoms

@luvquit @yolandawalker

Hello everyone I hope all is well, I had this sitting for about a month now, I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it, don't know if 2 parts or more yet .

Thanks to all who read and share

The Royal Romance AU

Pairing Liam x Aliania Drake x Aliana somewhat

All characters belong to pixelberry.

Warnings mild sexual language,

Blended lines

He’s my best friend, and I just had to fall in love with his girl. I can’t imagine life without her. She’s everything I dreamed of and more, he trust us and yet we betray him everyday, half of me want to tell him and the other half don’t want lose him, as a friend, how could I do this to my best friend for my own selfish  needs, I know I could get who i but wanted her, I just had to have her, his girl  I had to tell her I loved her and I wanted more, I want her be the mother of my children I want her my wife, Seeing them kiss turns my stomach. 

He’s My best friend and has been acting weird the last few weeks, and no doubt since they met she’s changed, I suspect them but maybe they are careful, It’s days when she don’t want me at her house, it’s been times we kissed and she quickly pulled away, and sometime I swear their staring at each other like no one else is around, the one time there was a mark on her shoulder and she claim to have bump into someone skating in the park, but never mentioned going out that day, when we make love she always cut us short, I see the twinkle in her eyes when she sees him, maybe I am wrong maybe they are just friendly, all signs are there but this is my best friend and she’s  the woman I love, the woman  I want more with. who's Maybe in love with my best friend`

They are best friends and I love one and feel I am leading one on, I make up excuses not to see the man I suppose to love because I am always in the arm of another, how can something so wrong feel so right, when he enter a room my body instantly  responds to him right away, I don’t have to see him but I sense him, I love him I want him every time we see each other, I can’t get enough of this man, he’s my weakness, but I can’t be the cost of him losing his best friend, but I also can’t walk away or tell him no, I want things I never had before like a husband or children but he makes me want it all, Liam Rys is my destiny, I am heads over hill in love with him, and somehow I can’t bring myself to break Drake's heart.

6 months ago.

Drake walked in the ball with the most beautiful woman on his arm,When he introduced us I swear their were sparks there, the way she watches me when she think no one sees, I know because I am often doing the same, I noticed she can be somewhat jealous when other women are around me, she once didn’t say a word to me for over a week, but covered saying it was work, but I believe because of the blind date Maxwell set me up on.

A few weeks  later it’s my birthday and Olivia and all my friends threw me a birthday party, 32 they all sing and bring out my cake and ask me to blow out my candles` and the ask me to make a wish

I locked eyes with Aliania I think I'll never get my wish, Drake doesn’t noticed her when she flirts or mad, maybe I am imagining things, but she been giving me signals all night, Drake went to smoke, she walked over and hugged me and kissed my jaw, she lingered a bit I wondered if, She felt me harden at her touch, I had been hoping no one noticed, the way she responded to my touch

Like she was under my spell or were we under each other, she went to walk, outside and I followed 

  I made sure no one was around. I grabbed her hand and pulled her to me kissing her, she pulled away breathless, “I need air all she could get out before running back in and down the hallway

 I followed her to a nearby unused bedroom, I peeped in and she had fully undressed, fingering herself, she snaked her finger and I came, “are you sure Alania, she grabs my hand and place it in her center, she’s dripping wet, “and this is for me? “I think about you to much, I need to know why I am so drawn to you, why you drive me crazy since we met, “make love to me Liam she said, that’s all it took, we made love twice, I wanted to go another round but I knew it was just a matter of time before Drake was looking for her, I left and made it back to my quarters, after my shower there was a knock on my door, “hay Li have you seen Perez? No not since before I left I was talking to  Page, she come and wished me a happy birthday then left I just assumed she went home, “okay thanks man I try calling her again

Sex with him was everything she dreamed about and more, after my shower I was left with with my thoughts, I felt guilty but I also knew that my heart belonged to Liam I was really in love with him, I didn’t tell him because I didn’t want to scar him off, I can’t believe he followed me I finally got what I wanted and there is no way I will ever let him go, but I also don’t want hurt Drake, he’s a good man.

I can’t find her anywhere and she won’t answer her damn phone, I drove by her house twice there was no lights on, and she usually leave on a light in the back, I walk around the house calling her number but I hear nothing, I shake my head damn it Perez where are you, I am wasted and hungry and sleepy I been up since 5 am, after looking for her over an hour I gave up, I had the car take me back to the palace, he showered and dressed for bed he was consumed with his thoughts about this unspoken connection between his best friend and his girlfriend, he wondered was there more between them, how jealous she seem especially when Max fixed him up on a blind date with Karen she told me that wasn’t the right woman for him, she got angry I could see it in her eyes, I see how she lights up around him, but would they  cross that line would they hurt me like that, Li likes her I can see it in the way he looks at her when no one around, page said that Li walked out after Perez so why would he lie.

[nongnaos]

Episode 4 liveblogging atots!

(I have lost all chill)

1/4

Wow, straight in with the "yes I changed your clothes, yes I saw your scars, wanna see mine 😏"

HE FOUND THE NOTEBOOK

Oop nevermind, that was very dramatic and the music was tense and the emotions were all over the place but that is how nightmares feel. Good to know he's feeling guilty at keeping it from them and also that his dream Chief is also very flirty 👀

Longtae is cute and reminds me of someone but I'm not sure who... maybe Sunghak from Bigstar, if any of you remember him.. it was a niche of kpop. (And I don't mean looks wise just something about him idk)

Seriously, Chief, you should know by now that Dr. Nam knows all your secrets...

"Don't tell me you've seen him naked" THE IMMEDIATE GAY PANIC. "Those are for menstrual cramps" I'm crying, it's ok chief we've all been there!! Love makes us all look stupid!

Teaching the kids so their families don't get scammed!! Making them paper airplanes 🥰

Oh nooo Chief being cute with the kids!! Tian really becoming the kids' big brother by swatting their hands away when they try to get him in trouble 😂

This looks like a very long motorcycle ride, I hope they brought snacks. (No, not you Chief, you're a whole meal)

Tian immediately jealous of Dr. Nam being there 👀

2/4

Oh god no, they're acting couple-y in front of Tian, pls no, he's too fragile for this. (Sidenote, that market lady selling the spinach, absolute milf, would buy more spinach than I reasonably need)

Dr. Nam has no time for your jealousy, Tian, he is here to be your wingman!

Honestly, Dr. Nam being like "oh you want to know something about someone? Ask them directly!! I will make you communicate if its the last thing I do.." A+

I can no longer type, this trio is killing me, Dr. Nam has 0 chill when it comes to their romantic entanglements, Chief is constant gay panic and fondness and Tian is just bewildered and burning the eggs. I am a husk of a human.

He bought him a new mosquito net!! He cares about your health and wellbeing!!! He wants to kiss youuuuu!!!!! I'm so fine about this.

Chief's getting jealous of Tian/Longtae and I live for the mildest of drama.

"Dog howling night" thats every night in the countryside tbh.

3/4

Dog howling night is NOT every night in the countryside, I take that back, whyyyyy are they doing this 😭😭😭 its weird when you're on your own but as a group activity??? Go have an ice bath.

Tian actually saying thank you without being prompted, thats growth. Chief looked back!! They're gonna kiss so hard one day.

Drake has never played a straight character in his life.

Playing the spinning top game... the flirting rituals... are intricate.

4/4

Besties taking the piss out of him for looking nice for a date. Standard.

He bought a new outfit AND shower gel, boy is thirsty 😌 glad you wore your slut jeans for your hike 😵‍💫

We have unlocked the "tragic backstory atop a mountain" sidequest.

God this is filled with so many of these sussing-each-other-out flirty comments. OH. It's a full on "do you want to ask me out" Chief is no longer playing around (was he ever?) wow... I honestly feel like I rarely see characters flirt this hard or this well? Especially not gay characters who can say "no, I'm not interested in a lot of people, there's no one else and I'm not playing around". It's very refreshing.

He likes her as a sister and Billie Eilish's "I just kinda wish you were gay" plays gently in the background.

Fuckin' monogamous hornbills 🥺🥺

[melwritesstufff]

Hiya your Tim drake imagine was *chefs kiss* lovely and I was wondering if you'd do a Damian or Tim x reader where they introduce their so to the batfam and the reader is like drop dead gorgeous and the batfam spend the whole time asking reader tf their doing with him (if you don't feel like it das cool) :))

hi thank you so much for the request! I did this for Tim since I feel like I have a bit of a better understanding of his character than I do Damian. sorry this is also a bit shorter than expected, the end was a bit rushed.

Tim Drake x reader - Gorgeous

warnings - making out, flirting, a little bit of angst

word count - 3200

requested - yes

“Babe, how do I look?” I turned, showing my knee length red dress to my boyfriend. It was a simple look, not too basic to make me appear boring, but not too many accessories to make me seem snobby or obsessed with looks. I had planned the outfit weeks in advance of this event, yet I was still worrying my head off.

“You look amazing, as usual.” He responded.

It was just like any other ordinary day. Except that it wasn’t. Today was the day of the dinner. I mean the dinner. The dinner that all relationships have eventually. The terrifying dinner where you finally meet your lovers parents. In this case though, I think I have it worse than any other ordinary person. You see, my boyfriend is Tim Drake. Yes, the Tim Drake. Son of Bruce Wayne. And brother to… a whole lot of people.

I mean don’t get me wrong, I love Tim. A lot. I would do anything to make him happy, and if that means meeting his terrifying and rich family? Then so be it. I just hope I don’t screw anything up.

“Are you sure? I mean is it too casual? You said it wasn’t fancy but I don’t want to be the only one there in basic clothing… What if we show up and they’re all in suits! I mean, i can’t-” Tim interrupted me.

“Darling, you’re going to be just fine. They may seem intimidating but I promise you they’re going to love you. No need to worry.” He walked up to me, placing his right hand on the side of my cheek, caressing the skin with his thumb. He then scrunched his nose in what appeared to be.. concern? Worry? I wasn’t sure.

“Actually, scratch that thought. I’m the one who I should be worried. My brothers might steal you from me.” He turned away from me, his expression clearly displaying worry and fear.

“That’s nonsense, Timmy. I want to be with you, not any of your brothers.” Looking back I should have made a larger effort to cease his negative feelings and doubt, but I didn't know any better.

He looked at me, the worry disappearing from his eyes, almost completely. There was still a hint of it there, but I brushed it off as just nerves. We were both nervous. Just for different reasons.

“Yeah, alright babe.” He smiled at me. I smiled back. I turned to the door and grabbed by purse, slipping on my shoes simultaneously. I turned to Tim who was fixing his hair in the circular mirror hanging on the wall near the front door.

“You wanna head out? It’s almost time for the dinner.” He grabbed the keys, opening the front door for me, then doing the same when we reached the car. My cheeks heating up. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to how sweet Tim is.

I avoided his cocky smirk and as we both got seated, Tim started driving us to the mansion. Hopefully, this wouldn’t turn out as a disaster.

“Alright, let’s go.”

.

“Hello Master Drake. I presume this is the y/n I’ve heard so much about?” Tim and I arrived at the mansion door, only to find their butler, Alfred, already waiting for us out front with the door opened. We paused for a bit as Tim and Alfred conversed.

“Yup, this is her Alfred. Are Dick and them here yet?” Tim looked over Alfred’s shoulder to peak into the huge home. Curiously, I also tried to peak over the older man’s shoulder but saw nothing as Tim was in my way.

“Yes sir, they just arrived a few minutes ago. I presume you shall find them in the main room, probably breaking something I’ll have to clean up later.” I chucked a bit as Alfred made a subtly annoyed look. I felt obligated to say something, so I separated from Tim as he walked into the doorway, entering the hallway.

“Um, hello. Thank you for opening up the door for us.” Alfred smiled at my thanks. While it is his job as a butler, there’s no harm in saying thank you, right?

“It’s my pleasure, Miss l/n. And thank you for taking care of Master Drake. He has been significantly happier in recent times.” I blushed at the butler's words. I knew Tim didn’t always have the best habits but did I really have that much of a positive impact on him? Quite frankly though, it was nice hearing about Tim from his family members, and how he’s happy.

“Oh it’s no problem! I love Tim, I’m glad I could help.” I brushed a strand of hair away from my face and tucked it behind my ear.

“Y/n? Come on, you must be getting cold out there.” I turned at the sound of my boyfriend's voice, it was getting a bit chilly and I was only wearing a dress, no sweater or leggings.

“Oh, that’s my call, bye Alfred! I hope to talk to you more soon.” Alfred stepped aside, giving me access to walk through the open doorway. I turned back a bit, waving towards Alfred.

“Likewise, Miss l/n” I cringed a bit at the honorary title. I wasn’t a member of the family or household. The title ‘Miss l/n’ just didn’t feel appropriate or right.

“Oh do please call me y/n.” I waved off the butler, hoping he would respect my wishes.

“Likewise, Miss y/n” i huffed a bit at his stubbornness, but chuckled and walked deeper into the large place, the sound of Alfred closing the door behind me.

So far this has gone well, maybe I was worried for no reason.

.

“Wait, you’re Tim’s girlfriend? You?” I was suddenly bombarded by two older men and their abundance of questions as soon as I entered what I assumed to be the main living room. It was quite scary, to be completely honest. Not only were they Tim’s family but they were both very large men, clearly very fit.

“Ye-yeah. We’ve been together for about 4 months now.” I stuttered, stepping a few inches back as I tried to get myself some space away from the two men.

One was a bit more aggressive than the other, he had a lot of scars and seemed to be very flirtatious. He was the taller and more muscular out of the two, with aquamarine eyes. I assumed he was Jason, Tim mentioned a few times that he was a “stupid brute” with “stupid scars” after he arrived at home after what he said was an argument with Jason during patrol.

The other I assumed was Dick, he was a bit kinder, and seemed effortlessly flirtatious, unlike the other who was purposely trying to flirt with me. Dick, I’m guessing, had more greyish-blue toned eyes and had very dark hair. Regardless of how handsome both the brothers were, they were far from my type. Their strong flirting and comments on my appearance was, quite frankly, off putting.

“But.. why?” Jason propped his elbow against the wall they had backed me into.

“Uhm, what do you mean.. ‘why’?” I hesitantly answered. Slowly becoming less nervous and more annoyed.

“I mean, you’re gorgeous. And Tim’s.. well, Tim.” Dick stood to the right of me, leaning on the same wall Jason was propped up on. He chucked a bit.

“I.. don’t follow.” I raised an eyebrow in confusion, they were Tim’s brothers. They should know how amazing he is and should be supportive of his relationships, not trying to dissect how he got into the relationship.

“Princess, why date that nerd when you could be with me?” I turned to the left, Jason leaning down and getting a bit too close to comfort, at this point I saw Tim scoff a bit as he left the room. I frowned a bit but then was distracted as Dick pushed Jason back and got even closer than his younger brother.

“Or, instead of being with a nerd like Tim, or a total brute like Jason over here, you could be with me.. I’m a total gentleman.” I scoffed shuffled to the side a bit, averting close contact with the tall man.

“Well, I highly doubt that seeing as your name is literally Dick.” He looked taken back, and went from way to close to me, to leaning back against the wall. Muttering something about “Is my name that bad?” or something along those lines.

“Pft- she’s feisty. How’d you score a total 10 like her Tim?” Jason turned around only to see Tim was nowhere to be found. I noticed it too, but took the sudden silence as a chance to defend not only myself, but my boyfriend.

“And I’m perfectly happy with Tim, for your information. I have no need for dating anyone other than him. Especially not his brothers, adopted or otherwise.” The two looked taken back at my sudden lecture.

“Don’t you think it’s also a bit unethical and immoral to be flirting with your brother's girlfriend? I was so worried about impressing you all, but now that I see how immature you all are I see that there was no need for worry. You are all easily impressed children.”  The two looked embarrassed as they stepped back, both going to sit on the couch as the youngest chucked at them and their stupidity.

“Tt, maybe you’re ok…possibly s bit too good for Drake though.” I looked at the child who gave such a big attitude and he looked no older than 13, there was only one candidate for who he could have been.

“You must be Damian right? I've heard a lot about you. You can do some pretty impressive stuff, huh? I’ve been told you’re more than a bit mean though. I would greatly appreciate it if you stopped terrorizing my boyfriend.” I bent down a bit, to get more to his level. Height-wise and respect-wise.

“... I’ll think about it.” According to what I’ve heard from Tim, that was about the best response I could have gotten out of the little gremlin. He ‘tt’ed and looked away, his sky blue eyes holding a glint of what I saw as respect.

“Ok. Thanks.” I smiled and turned around, meeting the eyes of Alfred as he walked through another entry to the right of where I came in through.

“Hello again, Miss y/n.” He smiled at me

“Oh! Hello again Alfred!”

“I came in to announce that dinner is being served in the dining hall. I suggest you all hurry before the food gets cold.”

.

“So, y/n, how’d you end up so gorgeous? Were you just born so beautiful?”

Dinner had just ended. Everyone had stayed at the table, besides Mr. Wayne who couldn't make it due to a ‘business emergency’, and we all made small talk. Unfortunately, my mini speech earlier was not enough to drive the two oldest brothers from asking me odd questions and borderline flirting with me. This time Tim was sitting right next to me, looking more annoyed with each question. I tried my best to stay respectful though, as they are still Tim’s family.

“Oh uhm, thank’s Dick.. uh I-“ my response was cut off as Tim got up, grabbing my hand and dragging me away from the rest of his family.

“Let’s go, y/n” I looked at Tim’s face and he looked more upset than i had ever seen him.

“Wh- what? Tim, babe, where are we going?” While I was a bit grateful, there was still a part of me that felt a bit nervous about our sudden leaving and the impression it would have.

As I let Tim pull me, we entered an unfamiliar room. I assumed it was his as it smelled faintly of his cologne. He let go of my wrist and shut the door. Walking over to the bed in the middle of the room, sitting down and resting his head in his hands. I followed his steps and sat down next to him. The silence killed me. The words that he spoke after though killed me even more.

“... I mean, they’re right you know..” his voice was slightly muffled by his hands but i could still hear the crack in his voice.

“What?” I stared down at the hairs on his head, not being able to see his face.

“They’re right to ask why you’re with me,” he looked up at me, his eyes watery and lips slightly quivering. He was insecure. I should have realized it earlier when he got worried about his brothers stealing me from him. Or when his brothers actually tried to steal me from him and he just walked away. He continued as I was wallowed with guilt.

“You’re an amazing person, y/n. You’re smart and funny and are good with people. You’re naturally friendly and people are just drawn towards you. Not to mention you’re incredibly gorgeous. You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever met. But me? I’m none of those things. I’m not amazing like you, or any of my brothers. I’m not good with people and charming like Dick. I’m not brave and strong like Jason. I’m not incredibly skilled and widely faceted like Damian. I’m not even that good looking. You’re an amazing, wonderful person. I love you so much. I just.. I don't understand why you would reciprocate and stay with me. You could have so much better. You cou-“ i interrupted him before he started crying. There were tears in his eyes and I couldn’t take it any longer. I needed to tell him I love him and reassure him before his insecure thoughts broke the both of us.

“I’m going to stop you right there. I love you, Tim. I love you. Not Dick, not Jason, and certainly not Damian, I mean he’s a child, that’s gross. You are so much more than what you give yourself credit for. You may not be like your brothers, but you have your own strengths. You are the smartest person I know. And it’s bullshit that you say you're not charming or handsome, because you charmed me the second I saw you. You remember? How I got your order completely wrong because I wasn't paying attention when you ordered? Because you were just so fine that i was stunned?” He chucked a bit, gently grabbing and caressing my hand.

“You didn’t even make me coffee, you just put coffee beans in the cup and drizzled caramel syrup over it.” He softly chuckled.

I used my unoccupied hand to caress his cheek, wiping the tears from his eyes. Continuing my speech, I scooted closer towards him on the bed, our legs pressed against each other and our faces almost touching.

“Yeah, I’m not as perfect as you think. And that’s ok! We all have faults, Tim. We just have to find the people whose faults are worth looking past. And you’re that person for me, Tim. I love you so much. You’re smart, funny, not to mention handsome. You can solve an incredibly complex case in less than an hour. You can learn at an incredibly fast pace. You are incredible at the things you do. Hell, you’re even a vigilante! You go out every night and protect thousands of people! You have a huge abundance of skills. Who cares if Damian has ‘more’ skills or ‘better’ skills. I don’t. Because it’s you I want. Not Dick, not Jason, not anybody else. You’re an amazing person, more amazing than you think I am, and I’m willing to bet way more amazing than your brothers as well. I mean, who was the one who lifted Bruce up out of his depression when Dick hated him and Jason died? You. You did that. Who forgave me after I completely forgot how to make coffee the first time I met you. You. Who’s the one who’s dating me? You. You’re the one I want and the one I love. I honestly need you Tim. I don’t know where I’d be without you. I could never do better because there’s nobody better than you.” I pecked Tim on the lips for extra reassurance and leaned back a bit, looking into his eyes that were watering once more. Hopefully out of joy instead of sadness.

“... you really mean all that?” He spoke softly, voice still a bit weak and raspy from the crying. His eyes were red and puffy, and his lips were slightly swollen. It broke my heart to see him so upset.

“Of course Timmy, I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t.” I leaned in and kissed him, once again. This time, it lasted much longer than a simple peck.

It was sweet and soft. I could taste the tears that had run onto Tim’s lips, giving him a salty aftertaste. He deepened it, grabbing my waist and pulling me so close our torsos were touching. I could feel him smile into the kiss, and I’m sure he felt me do the same. Before we both ran out of breath, Tim broke off the kiss. This created a comfortable silence that followed, until he finally spoke.

“... thank you, y/n. I love you. I can’t express with words how much I adore and am amazed by everything you do, are, and stand for.” Our faces were still close and as he whispered these words i could feel his warm breath on my cheek.

“Can’t express it with words, huh? Well I guess you’ll just have to show me then huh.” I smirked and leaned back a bit, teasing the boy sitting across from me. He paused for a second, looking taken aback, until he shook it off and leaned closer to me.

“I guess so, huh, why don’t you come here so I can show you?“ In that moment, the both of us crashed into each other, turning the sweet moment into a flirtatious make out session.

.

“Well, now we have our answer. She’s perfect for him.” Dick looked at Jason as he spoke, nodding in agreement.

“Yeah, we’ll have to explain and apologize to both of them later but, it was worth it.” The two looked back into the room through the cracked open door. They both cringed and backed up a bit as they saw their brother completely making out with his girlfriend.

Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to spy on their brother... Maybe flirting with his girlfriend wasn’t the best idea either. No matter why they did it.

“Tt, you’re both dumbasses. You didn’t need to flirt with her to get her to prove her loyalty. There are other ways of doing it.” The youngest brother, Damian, popped up leaning on the wall opposite from Tim’s door. The two older brothers looked back at him in suspicion.

“Oh yeah, like what?” Damian raised his eyebrow and scoffed like the answer was so obvious.

“Put her in a high risk situation where she would have to risk her life to save him. That’s true dedication.” He said it as if it was nothing. The three boys all looked at each other in an awkward silence until Jason finally spoke up.

“.. you have issues, kid.”

[alj4890]

Misfortune's Intentions

(Liam x OC* Elisse Mallin) (Drake x Riley) in a Choices The Royal Heir fan fiction

A/N This idea came to me one night when I couldn't sleep. In this version from The Royal Heir, it has been nearly three years since Riley married Drake. Their infant daughter, Hope, was named heir to Cordonia's crown. Liam considers the possibility of dating after pining for Riley all these years. Elisse is a noble and first cousin to Queen Amalas of Monterisso. She will eventually become an ambassador, settling in Cordonia to continue Amalas's alliance. She also has a small bit of significant history coinciding with Liam's social season. This first part though will take us through the past for our main characters.

Not sure who to tag for this new miniseries, LOL. Let me know if you want to be added.

Masterlist

Prologue

Two years ago, Cordonia...

"To keep people's attention away from your brother's," Constantine's voice hardened, "decision to abdicate," his fist clinched for a moment, "we will have you participate in a season for a potential bride."

Liam swallowed uncomfortably. He knew there was a possibility his father would insist on this particular custom. He had hoped though that like Leo, he would be given a few years reprieve before he had to choose a bride.

Constantine fought through the chest pain he hid from everyone as he continued to explain what the next few months would be like for his only obedient son.

"We will have the usual bevy of ladies from Cordonia's noble houses. Perhaps sprinkle a few from other countries to appease the people."

"Yes sir." Liam mumbled when his father seemed to silently demand his agreement. "Whatever you think is the best way to move forward."

"Good." Constantine waved toward the door. "You may go. We will make our announcement tomorrow."

Liam bowed his head in acceptance. Still in a state of disbelief as he made his way to his chambers, he didn't hear his best friend calling his name.

"Liam?" Drake jogged to catch up to him. "I heard about Leo. Is it true?"

The new crown prince waited to answer until they were behind closed doors.

"It is." He rubbed a hand down his face. "Leo abdicated."

Drake poured them both a drink. He observed the slight tremble in Liam's hand as he took a healthy gulp of whiskey. Eyes closed briefly as he gathered his thoughts.

"I--I'm going to have to get married."

"What?" Drake breathed in disbelief. "Why?"

"All part of being king." Liam's lips twisted in a bitter smile.

He rolled his glass between his hands as he stared down at its contents. "I have to choose one during this year's social season."

"You have to go through all that Leo did?" Drake asked.

"Yes, but unlike his, I won't know who I'm supposed to choose." Liam grimaced as he swallowed the rest of his drink. "Madeleine had been chosen years ago by Father and Regina. The competition was mostly for the public's entertainment than to actually choose a queen."

Drake slumped back in his chair. "I'm sorry, Liam."

"It's..." He got up to pace, "it's fine. It's an honor to have a chance to serve my country. To marry and have a family...perhaps life will be better."

Perhaps this palace will feel like a home, he thought.

"When will it be announced?"

"Tomorrow."

"So soon." Drake murmured.

Liam briskly nodded.

His closest friend held his glass up in a toast. "Here's hoping, Liam."

*****************

Monterisso Royal Palace, a week later...

"Elisse." Amalas hugged her cousin. "Thank you for coming so quickly."

"Of course." Elisse took the offered chair. Her eyes dropped down to the baby bump showing. "How are you feeling?"

"Good." Amalas gently patted her tummy. "This baby has finally decided I'm not the enemy and has agreed that food is definitely a good thing."

Elisse laughed, shaking her head at her cousin's humor.

"But enough about the spoiled future king or queen I’m having." Amalas handed over a letter with Cordonia's royal seal. "Read this."

Elisse scanned the invitation, eyes widening slightly. "Prince Leo abdicated? Do we know why?"

The spy queen chuckled. "You know I do." She leaned over and grabbed a file off her table. "Let's just say that the former crown prince did not want the responsibilities that went along with the crown."

Elisse opened the file and snorted. "I've heard that Lady Madeleine can be difficult to deal with."

"That along with wanting his freedom to wander the earth like a rich playboy are his reasons." Amalas pointed out a photograph one of her agents snapped recently on a cruise ship. "This woman, Katie, is an even bigger reason."

"They're engaged?" Elisse whispered in disbelief. "He didn't waste any time, did he?"

"No, he did not." Amalas reclined in her chair. "Elisse? What would you think of Monterisso gaining an alliance with Cordonia?"

"I think it would benefit our country as well as theirs." She replied, setting Leo's folder down.

Another folder was handed to her. Her lips curved into a soft smile at the pictures of Cordonia's new crown prince. Each aspect her cousin found on Liam had made him a man she thought she would enjoy meeting.

"Marriage is the easiest and strongest alliance one can have with a foreign power."

Elisse looked up. "You're suggesting  I take part in Prince Liam's search."

"Exactly." Amalas smiled at her. "I can't think of a better queen for Cordonia than you." She reached over and grasped her hand. "But feel free to say no. I won't force you to do this if you do not wish to."

"I would like to meet him." Elisse admitted. She lowered his eyes to his picture. "He is very handsome."

"You always did like blue eyes." Amalas teased.

Elisse bit back a smile. "I do."

"Would you like to attend Cordonia's social season?"

Elisse slowly nodded. "Yes, I think I would."

Amalas picked up the letter from Constantine. "I'll go ahead and schedule your health exam."

"My what?" Elisse blinked in surprise.

"Cordonia's king isn't taking any chances that his last possible heir marries a woman unable to have children." Amalas grinned at her cousin. "Lucky for him that our family is notorious for our reproduction abilities."

Elisse laughed. "Our mothers certainly came from a large family." Her smile turned tender. "Whenever I think of my future, I always see myself with three or four children."

*****************

A few weeks later, Cordonia, the King's study...

"Have you made a list of those that are participating?" Regina asked her husband.

"I have." He handed her a sheet of paper.

The Queen scanned the names. "What happened to the Monterisso viscountess? I thought from Queen Amalas's letter that they were hoping to make a match."

Constantine's lips firmed in a disappointed frown. "She cannot have children."

Regina's countenance fell. "How tragic."

"Indeed." He replied. "It would have been a profitable match for us." He released a resigned sigh. "I suppose we now settle for Madeleine to take the crown again."

***************

The viscountess's chambers, Monterisso Palace...

"Elisse." Amalas pleaded. "Please, talk to me."

The young viscountess shook her head. Tears fell silently as she clutched a pillow to her stomach. Her thoughts were too much for her. All the plans she had dreamed of as a little girl were destroyed from one simple examination.

All from thinking Liam had beautiful blue eyes and seemed like a nice man she could easily fall for.

A choked sob burst forth as she doubled over from the pain of it all.

"Elisse." Amalas tried to wrap her arms around her. "I'm so sorry."

Elisse knew her cousin was. She knew Amalas would move heaven and earth for her if she could. Unfortunately, there were some things even a powerful queen could not do.

"We'll call in every specialist we can find." Amalas whispered, gently rocking Elisse. "I refuse to believe--"

"Stop!" Elisse cried out. "Please stop." Her anguished eyes met her cousin's. "I can't continue to hear doctors say that it is impossible."

"It's not." Amalas argued. "I can’t believe you are unable to--"

"I only have one ovary!" Elisse snapped. "It is so damaged from the endometriosis and benign tumors that I'm lucky to have a period every few months." She looked down at her worthless womb. "Even my uterus is filled with fibroids to the point they have warped it beyond repair. Surgery won't help." She wiped angrily at her tears. "No one will marry me now."

"That's not true! You--"

"Amalas, you know what nobles need." Elisse bit out. "They need heirs. They need a woman to fulfill that role. I'm completely obsolete in our world now."

She turned away from her cousin's sudden tears. She didn't want her pity. She didn't want anything except those elusive images of cuddling her own children.

If she could turn her mind off and focus on something else, anything else...

"I'm going to go away for a while."

Amalas jerked upright. "What?"

"I need to be alone." Elisse turned to face her. Her eyes filled with tears when her gaze dropped down to her cousin's ever growing baby bump. "I need to come to terms with all of this."

"Will you back in time for..." An expression of guilt flickered over the queen's face for such a selfish question.

"I'll try." Elisse hedged. "I promise."

She knew Amalas depended on her. Though the two had numerous cousins sprinkled in various titled positions all over Europe, they had always had a special bond that made them more like sisters. Perhaps it was their mothers' doing that made certain they would always have the other close at hand.

But Elisse knew deep down, she would have been close to her cousin without any outside influence. The notorious Queen of Spies distrusted most people, even some of their blood relatives. Yet, she trusted Elisse with everything.

She hated to leave her during her pregnancy, but the viscountess didn’t think she could take being around an expectant mother right now.

Amalas hugged her once more. "I'll arrange your travel. But I insist you take Felix with you as a bodyguard." She waited on Elisse's agreement. "Let me know where and when you wish to leave."

"I don't care where." Elisse whispered. "Just as long as I can leave as soon as possible."

***************

New York City, a month later...

"One nondescript bar as requested." Maxwell announced, holding the door open.

"Steaks for the table!" He yelled out.

"And four whiskeys!" Drake chimed in.

Riley rolled her eyes at Daniel. "You're really going to leave me with these guys?"

"I promise I'll work two of your shifts whenever you want." He bargained.

She let out a tired sigh. "Make it three and we have a deal."

He shook her hand. "You are brutal with negotiations."

She laughed, piled the tumblers of whiskey on her tray, and headed for the bachelor party.

She passed three drinks out. "I thought there were four of you."

"There are." Drake winked at her, causing a blush to form on her cheeks. "Right behind you is number four."

She turned around and blinked.

He's so handsome.

Liam smiled at her. "Pardon me, Miss?"

"Hmm?" She shook herself out of her daze. "Of course."

His smile flashed, making her knees feel slightly weak. "If you would..." He gestured toward his seat that she was blocking.

Her cheeks flared even more with color. "Right. Sorry."

She decided then and there to not allow her eyes to rest on him the remainder of their time here.

A few hours later, Liam approached her.

"Thank you for being so patient with us." His charming smile was a bit bashful. "I don't suppose I could repay such kindness with buying you a drink."

Riley found herself mesmerized by his blue eyes. "Where were you planning on going next?"

"I actually hoped you could help with that." He rubbed the back of his neck. "The guys hoped to go to a nightclub."

Her nose wrinkled. "I say forget the nightclub. There's a beach cove I could show you that is just the place to unwind."

"That sounds perfect." He held his hand out. "Shall we?"

****************

Six months later, Edenbrook Hospital, Boston...

Elisse chewed on her lower lip, wishing she could hear what the group of doctors were saying behind the glass partition.

After taking her file and passing it to a man in surgical scrubs, Dr. Ramsey walked back into her room.

"Ms. Mallin, after further examination," his expression gentled, "I believe your doctors in Monterisso were correct."

Elisse lowered her eyes. "I see."

"I still want to perform the surgeries we discussed." He sat down beside her hospital bed. "The severe pain in your uterus will only increase if we don't remove the fibroids. Dr. Tanka isn’t sure though how it will be after your surgery."

"Whatever you think." She closed her eyes tight. "It doesn't really matter what shape it is in. I suppose we should just remove it altogether."

Her doctor rested his hand over hers. He waited patiently for her to make eye contact.

"We won't know for certain until Dr. Tanka gets in there, but we believe we can save your ovary."

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "By all means, hold on to that worthless body part."

His brow furrowed. "Elisse, I don't like the thought of you in this state of mind before surgery."

"I'm sorry." She replied automatically. "I don't mean to sound like this." Her gaze held his. "I--I never wanted much in life." Her shoulder lifted. "Perhaps it was the life I was born into, but having a family was more than passing on my noble title."

Ethan remained silent, allowing her time to express herself.

"I know I need to accept this, but I couldn't help but hope after reading about your diagnostic team," She rested her head back against her pillow, "I wanted the impossible."

"There's still a chance your uterus can remain intact. We might even be able to save some of your eggs." Ethan reminded her. "You could find a surrogate and--"

"I know." She sniffed. "And I also know there is a chance my eggs might not be in any shape to be saved."

She noticed his frown and gently squeezed his hand. "Thank you for trying, Dr. Ramsey."

"We're not done yet." He stood up when Dr. Tanka walked inside. "We'll talk more later."

Once everything was settled for her surgery in the morning, her bodyguard returned and kept vigil by her bedside.

"Felix," Elisse smiled softly at the middle aged man. "You should go to the hotel and rest."

"I'm fine m'lady." He grumbled.

Her eyebrow lifted at the six foot seven man. "That chair has to be uncomfortable."

A flicker of humor flashed in his eyes. "I've had better and worse, m'lady."

She began to laugh. "I can't imagine anything being worse than that."

"You haven't been on some of the queen's missions." He smiled warmly at her.

Elisse reached for his hand. "Thank you for watching over me."

He gently patted it, becoming gruff with his words that a lady didn't have to thank him for doing his job.

She smiled, taking comfort in his admonishment. Felix had tried to keep a professional distance from her, yet her sadness had him stepping in more and more to offer what comfort he could. He thought of her as a little sister and couldn't help but smile whenever she teased him as if he was family.

Such fondness for her added to the devotion and care he would have normally never given any other noble he was assigned to.

But Elisse was special. He hoped that somehow she would find a piece of happiness that could be all her own.

****************

New York, Statue of Liberty...

Riley swallowed nervously. She didn't know how she could refuse Liam, but it was no use.

After spending so much time with Drake while Liam kept up appearances with Madeleine, she had fallen out of love for Cordonia's new king. The grumpy commoner had touched her heart with his stories of not belonging. She had felt the same way while enduring every snub and insult from Madeleine and some of the other ladies at court.

With so little opportunities to be with Liam, and with feeling a bit hurt that her Prince Charming had not defended her against the allegations, she convinced herself that she had no choice. She had to be with the man that had stood by her side as she tried to locate Tariq.

"Liam, I can't marry you." Her words somehow came out steady. "I came to Cordonia for you, but I fell in love with Drake."

Liam took a step back. "What? You and Drake..."

He couldn't believe it. How had this happened without him noticing? He knew that Drake was fond of her and took her out some evenings. But love?

"Liam?" Riley was growing more nervous by his silence.

Liam couldn't think of what to say.

What should I do?

He only knew he wasn't ready to lose her from his life.

"You...you intend to live in Cordonia?"

She slowly nodded. "If that's okay. I want to see where things go with Drake."

Her words were another bitter slash to his heart.

"Of course." He slid his hands in his pockets to keep from grasping her and forcing her to take her words back. "Just because you don't feel as I do, I would never hold that against you. Cordonia is your home."

She visibly relaxed. "Thank you Liam."

"I think," he focused on her, "I think you will be a benefit to Cordonia. I'm going to make you a duchess."

"A duchess?!" She gasped. "But..."

He knew this would keep her at hand. Give him a reason to see her without appearing as the desperate, rejected suitor. Perhaps now that the scandal was over and things calmed down, she might realize that what she thought was love for Drake was nothing more than gratefulness for his assistance.

Am I wrong for hoping this? Should I instead hope their love is true?

Liam forced a smile. "I arranged for us to go to the top." He motioned toward the statue. "Would you still like to?"

Riley returned his smile. "I really can't pass up an opportunity like that, can I?"

"I hoped you wouldn't." He replied.

He followed behind her, wishing this night had ended differently.

***************

Another five months later, Cordonia...

"Anton and his minions are in chains!" Riley held her glass high as the court cheered.

Liam tugged at the stiff collar of his jacket. It had been a day filled with emotions that he could not share with a single soul. Seeing the woman he thought he loved marry his best friend had cut deep. Discovering they had been kidnapped had caused both anger and worry as he rushed to face down the man who dared to take the throne from him.

Witnessing Riley and Drake fight side by side, each trying to protect the other had been eye opening. Neither cared about anything other than keeping the one they loved safe.

He couldn't begrudge their happiness. Nor could he continue to wish that circumstances had gone differently. Riley was not meant for him after all.

He knew he would have to let the past go and somehow find a way to move forward into the future.

******************

A month later, Monterisso Royal Palace...

"King Liam chose an heir!" Amalas exclaimed when Elisse walked into the main hall.

"He chose one? That is shocking." Elisse leaned forward to see the report that just came in. "Who's the lucky child?"

"That's just it." Amalas dropped the paper. "He has named the yet to be conceived child of the Duke and Duchess of Valtoria as his heir."

Elisse's brow furrowed. "But, he might still marry. His own children should be next in line."

"He says differently." Amalas pulled up his news conference for her cousin to watch.

"This seems wrong." Elisse mumbled. " I know those two are his closest friends--"

"And they are Guardian and Champion of the Realm." Amalas reminded her with an eye roll. "That's what he has had to use to get the people on board with his decision."

"Poor Liam." Elisse couldn't help but sympathize with the king. "He's being pressured on all sides for something he can't completely control."

"I think I might pay a visit." Amalas tapped her finger against her chin. "Perhaps see if the new duke and duchess are amenable to a possible alliance."

"It couldn't hurt." Elisse added.

"Indeed." The Queen smiled warmly at her. "I want you to come along. It has been too long since you and I went on a trip. I could use your ability to read people while I guide them toward a possible arranged marriage for their child and mine."

"I suppose I have to do as my queen commands." Elisse teased. "And I've yet to ever say no to my cousin."

"Doubly lucky for me." Amalas smirked.

"When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow."