#bastien and rinda drabble

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Portmanteau

My masterlist is at the end of my bio. Book: The Royal Romance (After Book Three) Pairing: Bastien Lykel x OC Rinda Parks Word Count: 462 Rating: G Author’s Note: Obligatory disclaimer that Pixelberry Studios owns the TRR characters and my pocketbook with those darn diamond scenes. Rinda with all of her quirks is all mine. My apologies if Tumblr or I do something stupid when I try to post this. The keep reading link shows up on my laptop but not my phone. Ugh.

Thank you @asherella-is-a-dork-3 and @bobasheebaby  for always being my sounding board! Thank you @silviasutton1989 ​ @riseandshinelittleblossom​ @tornbetween2loves @sirbeepsalot @innerpostmentality for still being a part of the journey! Drabble Summary: I wish I could come up with a cool couple’s name for Bastien and Rinda, but I can’t think of anything good. Rinda and Bastien can’t either.

Portmanteau

“Tiger? Our names don’t blend well.” Bastien looked at Rinda with complete confusion. “I mean, when celebrities’ names are combined. Like TomKat. Brangelina. Bennifer. Even Kimye.” Bastien slowly nodded, waiting to see where his Tria would take this. “So Rinda and Bastien. And don’t even bring ‘Lorinda’ into this mess.” Bastien jokingly held up his hands in self-defense. He wouldn’t dream of referring to Rinda by her given name. “Okay, I thought of Rintien. That reminds me of Rin-Tin-Tin.” Rinda anticipated Bastien’s question. “He’s a celebrity dog from World War I.” Bastien hummed. “What about Basrin?” “Sounds like aspirin. Although I can be a pain in your ass.” Bastien chucked. “But you’re MY pain in the ass Tria, and I love you for it. What about ‘Dabas’?” Rinda snorted. “You heard yourself say that, right? Dumbass.” Suddenly Rinda stood up. “Oh, no. Even better.” She began singing the Megan Trainor song as she bopped around: “It’s all about Da Bas. ‘Bout the da Bas. No treble.” “No. No more treble. Please.” Bastien grabbed Rinda’s hand and pulled her onto his lap, giving her a kiss to silence her before he threw out another idea. He gave a content sigh as Rinda began to place tender kisses along his jaw and run her fingers through his hair. “Mmm. Tria . . . there’s got to be something else. What about Brinda?” “Oh, Brinda sounds like ‘brinner.’ Breakfast and dinner. Eggs. Yum.” Bastien shook his head, playfully pushing her away from him. “No. No eggs and no breakfast. Especially since you call yourself an ‘egg slut’ because you’re so obsessed with omelettes. Absolutely not. Maybe Rastien?” Rinda scrunched her nose. “I’m not really feeling it. I guess our names don’t ship.” She sighed. “Too bad you weren’t dating Olivia. ‘Baslivia’ sounds really cool.” “Hmm. It actually does. You know, if Drake and Liam were together they could be Driam.” Rinda’s eyes widened. “They’d be a totally dreamy wet dream team!” Bastien laughed as he booped Rinda’s nose. “I don’t know if I should be worried you said that, but if Drake wasn’t like a son to me I could see that.” He looked into her eyes. “You know what this means, right?” Rinda tried to give Bastien a solemn look, but her eyes were luminous green. “We have to break up?” Bastien chuckled. “No. I have no intention of letting you go. You are absolutely stuck with me.” He held Rinda tighter and kissed her nose. “I was just going to say that you’ll have to stay my darling Tria.” Rinda laughed—she loved it when he kissed her nose. “Hmm. That sounds absolutely perfect, my sweetest Tiger.” She pulled him closer, her body quivering as her Tiger softly growled in his Tria’s ear.

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The Lykel Family Photo Album Masterlist

Just some drabbles that are inspired by pictures of Fabricio!

My complete masterlist is at the end of my bio.

Author’s Note: Obligatory disclaimer that Pixelberry Studios owns the TRR characters and my pocketbook with those darn diamond scenes. OCs with all of their quirks are all mine. My apologies if Tumblr or I do something stupid when I try to post this. The keep reading link shows up on my laptop but not my phone. Ugh.

Scout Camp, Summer 2019

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Wacky Drabble Challenge #4 You Can’t Handle the Truth

TRR after Book Three Bastien Lykel and OFC Rinda Parks Word Count: 996 Words

This is written for @emceesynonymroll wacky drabble challenge #4 “We need to identify the source of the problem.” This is after Bastien moves in with Rinda and Henry, and he’s still adjusting to a new normal in his otherwise neat and orderly life.

You Can’t Handle the Truth Rinda laughed when she saw Bastien pull a pair of boxer briefs out of his drawer and grimace with disgust. “Hmm. What’s wrong, Tiger? Is there a wrinkle? A piece of lint? Does the Parks Family Laundry Service not meet your exacting standards?” She walked over to kiss Bastien’s nose and see what was bothering him. “You know I’ve gotten more relaxed about some things since we’ve been together. But look at these!” He pulled off a clump of dog hair before handing her the crusted underwear that was in his hand. “Did Henry accidentally mix together the clean and dirty laundry?” Rinda laughed. “You’re the one who keeps my dirty panties in your drawer, sassy boy. So don’t look at me. Looks like you need to do some investigating to identify the source of the problem.”

Bastien booped Rinda’s nose. “No, Tria. We’re a team, remember? So WE need to identify the source of the problem.” Rinda shook her head. She already knew what happened to the laundry from the time the clothes left the dryer to the time they were worn. Franky, it was a miracle the clothes even made it to a drawer. But she hugged Bastien and smiled while the courtroom scene from A Few Good Men ran through her head.

Bastien was an observer. So he observed how Henry opened the dryer and rummaged around to find the shirt he needed. Then he closed the dryer door, with the rest of the laundry still inside.

The next morning Rinda set a basket next to the dryer door and carefully picked out some clothes for herself, giving them a good shake to get most of the wrinkles out, as she carelessly tossed the rest of the clothes in the basket. Bastien shook his head. At least the clothes got out of the dryer.

The next day Henry did a load of wash, but he forgot about it. Fortunately Rinda realized what the smell was two days later, and she made Henry rewash the load, adding just a touch of bleach for good measure. Bastien still observed silently.

No wonder my clothes have faded so much since Tria and I got together.

Rinda made Henry set a timer to have Siri remind him that he had clothes in the washing machine. Then Henry transferred them over by himself, although Rinda did a sniff test to make sure any mildew scent wouldn’t get permanently dried into the clothes.

Eventually that load made it into the laundry basket, on top of the clothes that were already sitting there from a few days ago. Bastien shook his head when he walked past the laundry room.

No wonder my clothes are always so wrinkled. Wait. Did Tria even own an iron and ironing board before I moved in?

Bastien still hadn’t make the connection that Rinda preferred wrinkle-resistant clothing for a reason.

It was finally the weekend, and Henry had baskets of laundry to help his mom fold. The table was filled with Rinda’s work things and his school project, so Henry took the baskets into the living room. When he overturned the first basket onto the couch, Bastien’s eyes widened in horror. The clean clothes from earlier in the week were so crushed down that they retained the perfect rectangular shape of the laundry basket (including the perfect grooves from the basket’s open slats).

Rinda was watching Bastien, judging his reaction.

That’s when she decided to make meatloaf with mashed potatoes and peas for dinner. It was one of his favorites.

And now Ollie, their Australian Shepherd dog, came running up to the couch to sniff the clean laundry. Henry was laughing as he pushed Ollie off the couch. “Ollie! Go away!”

Rinda snickered. There’s something about animals loving clean laundry, and she knew it would only go downhill from there.

“Tiger, can I get you a drink?”

“No, Tria. I’m good.”

“Okay. But if you change your mind, just let me know.”

Bastien was working on something in the living room, but he kept his eyes on Henry. And Ollie. Henry was creating neatly folded piles on the floor, and Bastien nodded with approval. Henry learned how to fold laundry from Jameson, not Rinda. Jameson was in the U.S. Navy and was trained to fold his clothing with tight precision. When he and Rinda started dating, he quickly assured her that he preferred to fold his own clothes. So she wouldn’t have to, of course.

Bastien also quickly learned that it worked best if he or Henry folded their own clothes. So Rinda wouldn’t have to, of course.

Ollie was back, investigating the growing piles on the floor. It was driving Bastien crazy, and he wanted to get Ollie away from the laundry, so he made an amateur mistake. He stood up and said it before Rinda or Henry could stop him.

“Ollie, wanna get a biscuit?”

“NO!!!” Henry and Rinda screamed as Ollie perked up, knocking over piles of clothes to race Bastien to the kitchen. A few minutes he came bounding back, doing his dog circles on the clean clothes, his tail knocking over the other piles, before plunking down on the now unfolded mound of laundry. He happily chewed his biscuit, getting tufts of dog fur, saliva, and chewed bits of biscuit on the once-clean clothes.

Rinda and Henry were laughing and trying to get Ollie to move, but the dog continued to happily munch on his biscuit. When Henry desperately tried to pull some of the laundry from under the dog, Ollie rolled onto his back and happily displayed his belly for some good rubs.

When Rinda saw Bastien’s shell-shocked reaction she shook her head. Damn. Maybe if I promise to wake him up with a blow job tomorrow?

She walked over to Bastien and wrapped her arms around his waist, tilting her head up to give him a kiss. “Well, I think we’ve identified the source of the problem.”

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Wacky Drabble #12: The Biggest Tool

@sawyeroakleyscowboyhat​ was kind enough to let me borrow her OC Cassie Kapranos and her dog Thor. There is an entire series about how Drake and Cassie meet, and Cassie is the sweetest and most perfect LI for Drake. You can check out her complete masterlist at https://sawyeroakleyscowboyhat.tumblr.com/post/181472875831/masterlist

TRR after Book Three Bastien Lykel and OC Rinda Lykel Word Count: 617

This is my late submission written for @emceesynonymroll​ wacky drabble challenge #12 You know that’s not what I meant. Prompt is bolded in the story.

The Biggest Tool

There was chatter of a potential terrorist attack, and Bastien was conducting another emergency drill. Rinda knew it was Bastien’s desperate need to protect them, but everyone was feeling the strain.

“Now remember, it is imperative that you observe the evening curfew, and always travel in groups of two or three. For everything.” He looked over at Cassie with a gentle smile. “Even if Thor is with you. Please don’t leave without Drake or one of us. I’ve never seen him so worried before.” Cassie blushed and took Drake’s hand. “You were asleep, and you’ve been working so hard. I needed to check on my patients, but I didn’t want to wake you.” Drake kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear. “Please don’t ever leave in the middle of the night like that again. I was terrified something happened to you, and you can always wake me if you need my help.” Cassie kissed him. “I promise that I won’t do that again. Bastien already worked out a schedule so we have armed escorts to take us to and from the medical center. But you have to promise that you’ll always use a partner so you’re safe too.” “I promise, Cass.” Bastien nodded with approval and looked out at the exhausted group. “That goes for all of you. Remember. Your partner is your biggest tool.” Rinda shook her head, trying to compose herself. Bastien was fluent in six languages and conversant in several others. However, he often stuck his foot in his mouth when it came to American slang. She knew how important it was that Bastien maintained a dignified respect in front of the others, and Rinda bit down on her finger, breathing slowly as she attempted to stifle her laugher. Attempted. She looked at Drake, and it was clear he also caught Bastien’s unintentional joke. Rinda snorted, and Cassie’s head whipped around to give Rinda an evil glare. Then Drake started chuckling when he saw Cassie glare at Rinda.  “Ow!” Cassie had elbowed Drake in the ribs and she arched her brow at him. Even though she knew Bastien loved her like a daughter, she still felt intimidated by him at times. She wasn’t going to mess up her relationship with him by enabling Drake and Rinda’s immature behavior. Bastien was watching the scenario unfold, and he shook his head as he got out his phone and opened the Urban Dictionary app.

 Bastien pinched the bridge of his nose, willing himself not to laugh at his gaffe. Dammit, Tria. You know that’s not what I meant. Finally he was able to face Drake with an impassive expression. “As I was saying . . .” Bastien made a point to look at Cassie. “Your partner is the biggest tool.” She smiled at Bastien before wrapping her arms around Drake and kissing the scowl on his face. Then Bastien looked at Rinda. “And in my case, my partner is the biggest ASS-et.” He winked at his wife before continuing the training.

. . . . .

After the training Rinda came up to Bastien and took his hand. “I’m sorry I was such a big ASS-et before. It’s just so damn funny when you accidentally say shit like that, and you know how slap happy I get when things are so tense.”

Bastien chuckled and kissed her nose. “It’s okay. I’m used to you. And I can be your biggest tool at times.” Rinda positioned herself so the other people in the room wouldn’t see her brush against Bastien’s pants. “Actually, I like your big tool.” She leaned closer so she could kiss his cheek and whisper into his ear. “And that’s exactly what I meant.”

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Wacky Drabble #9: A Lesson in Metaphors and Irony

TRR after Book Three Bastien Lykel and OFC Rinda Lykel Word Count: 1,151 This is written for @emceesynonymroll wacky drabble challenge #9 Maybe you’re too innocent. Prompt is bolded in the story.

Bastien and Rinda are married in this one. Bastien is the Head of the Cordonian Emergency Response Program, Drake is the security officer at Valtoria Primary School, and Rinda is now a professor at the Cordonian University. Colin is Rinda’s close friend from grad school and another professor at the University. His wife Deirdre is a primary school teacher in Cordonia, and the couple share Rinda’s political views. A/N: This one is ripped from the headlines—Secretary Betsy DeVos visited a school in Milwaukee, WI and this is where my brain went.   This drabble is totally off the rails, so suspend reality with me and enjoy! Also, of course alcohol isn’t allowed on school property, as much as teachers may need to drink to get through the day! If you are a fan of President Trump, Secretary Betsy DeVos, or school choice, this won’t be your thing.

A Lesson in Metaphors and Irony “Can you believe that crazy bitch has the audacity to spin her anti-public education bullshit as ‘education FREEDOM’? And these fucking cherry-picked examples. Public schools do this stuff too. And they could do even more if these mother dick vouchers didn’t drain resources from our public schools. What a clusterfuck.” It was no secret that Rinda was a proponent for public schools and that she loathed Betsy DeVos. The idea of DeVos as the United States Secretary of Education, a person who should advocate for public education, was an oxyMORON. And now Rinda was fuming because DeVos visited Milwaukee, Wisconsin for some shitty photo ops, pontificating on the importance of vouchers and charter schools so parents could have better taxpayer-funded options for their children. And don’t even get her started that DeVos considered Milwauke the “birthplace of education freedom” because the voucher program started there. Bastien smiled because Rinda still considered American public schools to be “our” public schools, and he put down his phone to he could give his full attention during her Rinda Rant. He knew Rinda was appalled by the racial divides and socioeconomic inequalities in the city where she lived for so many years. Bastien also knew it was empathy, along with anger over any injustice, that motivated Rinda to make a difference. However, when Rinda was this pissed off and reacted out of anger, it never ended well. Bastien knew his Tria, and Rinda Rants were a much safer way for her to blow off steam. However, Bastien also quickly sent a message when Rinda’s back was to him. It wasn’t announced yet, but President Trump and Secretary DeVos scheduled a trip to Cordonia to visit some of the primary schools. Bastien knew he had to deny all security clearances for his dearest wife, and it was probably best if Rinda wasn’t allowed near Valtoria Primary School or the duchy during that time. Bastien did the math in his head. A restraining order for thirty miles should be enough. Rinda would be working at the University, and she could spend the night with Colin and Deidre while the President and Secretary were in Valtoria. . . . . . King Liam and Queen Riley smiled diplomatically as they listened to Secretary DeVos’ ideas on Freedom Scholarships, and Bastien maintained his stoic facade as President Trump pontificated on the benefits of arming teachers in classrooms. Thank God Tria isn’t here for this shit storm—there’s no way she would keep her composure for this. The Secret Service would have her detained by now and we’d have an international incident. The meeting was tolerable, although King Liam and Queen Riley soon needed to excuse themselves for an urgent phone call. That left Bastien with President Trump and Secretary DeVos. He began to wish Tria was there. She knew by heart the statistics about charter schools and vouchers, along with their negative effects on public schools. She also had detailed rebuttals for every counterargument against public education. And her inappropriate comments about President Orange Cheeto and Cruella DeVos would help make this meeting tolerable. Maybe even fun. He almost started chuckling as he thought about the jokes Rinda was making regarding the latest Betsy in his life. Betsy Beaumont the Badass Bastard Bird and now Betsy DeVos. I fucking hate the name Betsy. President Trump was still talking, unaware that Bastien wasn’t even listening, when Bastien’s phone rang. Drake needed his help with a school security matter and no, it couldn’t wait. Bastien let out a sigh of relief before turning to President Trump and Secretary DeVos, promising to return as soon as he could. In the meantime, they were welcome to explore the school and observe the students. When Bastien got to Drake’s office he was surprised to see Liam and Riley there, drinking very expensive whiskey with Drake. Whiskey that Rinda gifted him before she was banished from Valtoria for two days. Bastien’s jaw twitched. “What did Rinda do?” No one answered. Bastien glared as he called his wife. “Tria, why are the King and Queen drinking expensive whiskey in Drake’s office instead of finishing the meeting with President Trump and Secretary DeVos? Drake snickered as he watched Bastien pinch the bridge of his nose while he listened to his wife’s response, and Riley giggled when she heard Bastien hiss “Maybe you’re too innocent” as he abruptly ended the call. “Have a seat with us.” Liam gestured for Bastien to sit next to him, but there was an impish gleam in the King’s eyes. “Plausible deniability, Bastien. As far as we know, Rinda is simply working at the University and waiting until you say she can come home. Now, would you like a drink?” Soon there was the sound of secret service agents running in the halls and shouting directives. Drake swirled the whiskey in his glass as he automatically chanted “Use your walking feet. And zero volume in the halls.” There were several minutes of confusion, but Bastien finally pieced together what happened. A climbing rock wall had been delivered to the school, but it had inadvertently been dropped off in a location that sealed President Trump and Secretary DeVos in a section of the school. They were trapped behind the rock wall, and the only ways out were to climb over the rock wall or remove it. Riley and Liam started laughing when they realized the predicament, and Drake poured himself another whiskey. Bastien called Rinda again, this time putting her on speaker. “Tria. Do you know anything about a rock wall being delivered today? Or where it was dropped off?” “Hi, Tiger! Oh, did that finally arrive? I know the gym teacher has been waiting for it. They’re doing a unit on—” “Tria! I know you’re behind this. What were you thinking?” “Um, metaphors? Irony? Trump on the wrong side of a wall, barred from reaching a safe place that has more resources and opportunities? DeVos trapped in a public school, left behind because the rest of you had a voucher to get out and didn’t give a shit about her?” “I love you Tria, but I’m furious with you.” “Hey, at least I didn’t send the gift basket. I just couldn’t decide. Bags of Cheetos? Or I could really go for it. Fruit basket with oranges and peaches. I’m not orange. I’m peach.” Rinda laughed. “Impeach. Get it, Tiger?” Bastien took Rinda off speaker and turned around, speaking in a whisper that everyone else could still hear. “You know what this means. I want you to come home tonight where I can keep an eye on you, and you’re waking me up with a blow job for the next week.” Everyone heard Rinda’s laughter through the phone, and Bastien needed to excuse himself as his very contrite Tria told him what else she would do to make it up to her Tiger.

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Wacky Drabble Challenge #5 Getting Egg-ucated

TRR after Book Three Bastien Lykel and OFC Rinda Parks Word Count: 1,482

This is written for @emceesynonymroll wacky drabble challenge #5 Shouldn’t we report this?  and How the heck would we report it? Prompts are bolded in the story. This takes place at the beginning of the school year, as Bastien and Rinda are still getting to know each other. 

Getting Egg-ucated

Rinda’s eyes were starting to turn that golden topaz as she raised her voice to the principal in frustration. “Shouldn’t we report this?”

The principal narrowed his eyes, trying to control his temper at Rinda’s latest flare up. “Mrs. Parks. How would we report this?” “We call the police and report her the next time she breaks the rules. Look, we close off the upper parking lot during drop off and pick up for a reason. We have reduced speed limit signs in school zones for a reason. To keep our children safe. The woman is a menace and she refuses to obey school policies, so let’s ask the police for a special attention detail during drop offs and pick ups. Maybe seeing a police car will get her to slow down before she plows down one of our children.” The principal sighed. “I’ll send out another email to families reminding them of the drop off and pick up policies. And we can set up safety cones so parents know not to enter the parking lot.” Rinda quieted down as the principal spoke, and she gave him a bright smile as she stood up. “Thank you for listening to me. I know parents always read those safety emails and the cones will be a significant obstacle to prevent vehicles from entering the parking lot.” The principal had an obvious look of relief on his face. “Of course, Mrs. Parks. I’m always happy to help you and the security officer keep our children safe.” Once Rinda shut the door behind her, the principal turned to Bastien. “Well, that was easy enough to fix.” Too easy, Bastien thought. Even though he only met Rinda a couple weeks ago, he knew she got too quiet too quickly. And her eyes were still that golden topaz when she left.

. . . . .

The next morning Rinda was comfortably seated in a lawn chair that was situated in the parking lot entryway. She had a carton of eggs, and children were quickly congregating around her, wondering what the new teacher was doing. Mrs. Parks was trying to fry an egg on the sidewalk. See, in Wisconsin it never got quite that hot. But it was hot in Valtoria, so she wanted to see if it would work. There was an egg directly on the white sidewalk, another on the black asphalt of the parking lot, and one more in a frying pan that she set on the black asphalt. Soon children were shouting out suggestions and making their own predictions. The grass. The metal on the water drain. The wooden border by the school flowers. The plastic slide. Rinda was laughing as she cracked the eggs open in different areas, praising the children for their ingenuity. Then the mom showed up, trying to pull into the parking lot to drop off her children. But Rinda was in the way. Along with her science experiment and a growing group of children. Still, she pulled into the parking lot as far as she could, honking her horn with impatience as she yelled at the children to move out of the way. “Hello Ms. Trakas. Can I help you?” Rinda was friendly. Even helpful. And definitely passive aggressive. “I need to drop off my children.” Rinda knocked on one of the back windows, waving to the children. “Welcome! You’re here! You’re dropped off! Come out and look at our science experiment.” The children “scrambled” out of the car, careful not to step on all of the eggs in various stages of frying, while their mother seethed in anger. Rinda had already turned around and was asking children for updates on the other eggs while inviting the Trakas children to join them, but the mother wasn’t moving. She honked her horn. Rinda ignored her. She honked again. Rinda ignored her again. Finally, Ms. Trakas shouted. “Mrs. Parks. Why are these children in the parking lot? This isn’t safe.” Rinda turned around. “Oh, you’re still here. I thought you were in a hurry to leave. The parking lot is closed off during drop off and pick up, so the children are fine here. We’re doing a science experiment, so you can either move your vehicle or join us and help with our science experiment.” The woman cut the engine to her vehicle. “The principal will hear about this” she hissed as she walked past Rinda. The school bell was about to ring, but Rinda promised the children that the eggs could keep frying until recess. Then they’d analyze the results before everyone helped to clean them up.

. . . . . Rinda was in her classroom getting the kids settled in when the principal called her into the office. Not only did Rinda obstruct Ms. Trakas when she was trying to drop off her children, but her vehicle was egged. Rinda stared with wide eyes. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding! I know Ms. Trakas needed to drop off her children, and she did. I saw it myself. And we weren’t obstructing her. We were in the parking lot. It’s closed off during drop off, so we wouldn’t have been in her way. And I didn’t egg her car. I was doing an impromptu science experiment to see if you could really fry an egg on the sidewalk.” The principal’s face was getting red and there was a vein bulging in his neck, but Rinda calmly continued. “I know all the parents read the email you sent yesterday that they can’t enter the parking lot. But then I saw how Ms. Trakas moved the cones so she could pull into the parking lot even though all of us were standing there, and I thought she wanted to help.” Rinda turned to Ms. Trakas. “I did ask if you wanted to move your car or if you wanted to stay and join our science experiment, so when you left your car parked I thought you wanted us to use it. Why else would you be in the parking lot during drop off? And letting us use your car was a really great idea. That’s why you pulled into the parking lot, right? Anyway, the kids thought it was a great idea too. When I cracked the egg on the hood of your car, it started frying right away. And they were laughing at the smell when I cracked the other one on your tire. I’m really glad you pulled your car so dangerously close to us so we could do that.” Ms. Trakas was seething as Rinda rambled her explanation, and finally the woman had enough. She turned to the principal. “Shouldn’t you report this? I demand that you deal with this. I want to file a formal report.” The principal was wide eyed. How the heck would he report this? He never had a teacher fry eggs on a parent’s car before. Everyone in the room waited for the principal to respond, and Bastien watched as Rinda’s eyes began to turn aquamarine. Rinda knew she took a huge gamble with her stunt this morning, and she knew she would be reprimanded no matter the outcome. But if it helped the principal see that drastic measures needed to be taken, it was worth it. Except her last-minute decision to crack the eggs on Ms. Trakas’ car. That was vandalism and she did deserve a citation for that. Damn my imp of the perverse and sense of justice, always getting me into trouble! But if the principal didn’t even acknowledge that Ms. Trakas was wrong for trying to park in the lot, it was all for nothing. “Yes, I’ll contact the police and file a formal report.” The principal looked up in surprise at Bastien’s words. Rinda closed her eyes in defeat, and Ms. Trakas smirked as she celebrated her victory. Until Bastien continued. “Mrs. Parks and I have documented evidence of you entering the parking lot during drop off every morning since the start of the school year, and in two separate incidents you narrowly avoided hitting a child who was running in the lot. That will be added when I file my report citing you for child endangerment, Ms. Trakas. I am the security officer at this school, and like Mrs. Parks, I take our children’s safety very seriously. I’ve also contacted the police department, and there will be a community service officer in our parking lot every morning. You, and any other parent, will receive a parking violation if you enter the parking lot. There will be another officer running radar to ensure that you, and other drivers, respect the speed limits when children are present. Now if you’ll come with me, I’ll take your statement in my office.” Bastien towered over Ms. Trakas as he waited for her to rise, ignoring her pleas and excuses. And his voice was stern as he addressed Rinda. “Mrs. Parks, I will speak with you later.” Bastien maintained his air of authority, but Rinda could see that now familiar twitch in his jaw and the mischievous spark in his eyes when he spoke to her.

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Wacky Drabble #11: Football Practice

TRR after Book Three Bastien Lykel and OFC Rinda Parks Word Count: 1,110

This is my late submission written for @emceesynonymroll wacky drabble challenge #11 Did you have fun? Prompt is bolded in the story.

This takes place before Rinda and Bastien are dating. Drake is replacing Bastien as the Valtoria Primary School security officer, and Rinda wants to help him get more involved with the kids. (She also wants to get out of helping coach European football/soccer practice because she is horribly bad at it.) @burnsoslow – this is for your Drake thirst!

Football Practice Coach Halkais was unable to make football practice that afternoon, so Rinda asked Drake to help. She figured it was a chance for him to get more involved at the school, plus everyone knew there was no way in hell she could coach a European football practice. She was absolutely clueless when it came to soccer.

The students knew Coach Halkais couldn’t practice with them that afternoon and they were disappointed because she was a really good football player and an even better coach. But Mrs. Parks knew Drake had played football with King Liam and that he was the best defense at the palace. She had Henry and his friend Phillip spread that information, so that afternoon there was a large group of students eagerly waiting for Mr. Walker. “Okay, friends. Have all of you met our new security officer, Mr. Walker?” There was a loud chorus of “Yes, Mrs. Parks” and “Hi, Mr. Walker.” Rinda nodded. “Good. Now, Coach Halkais can’t be here this afternoon, so Mr. Walker is going to coach you. And he’s a really good football player too.” A large number of hands shot up, and Rinda acknowledged their enthusiasm. “I like the way everyone raised their hands before asking questions! Okay. Cynthia. I saw your hand first. What is your question?” “Mr. Walker? Is it true that you played football with King Liam when you were kids?” Drake rubbed the back of his head. “Uh, yeah.” Rinda gave Drake a quick glance. “Sorry, yes. I did play with King Liam at the palace. Um . . .” Rinda quickly rescued Drake. “Okay, we have to start practicing soon, so we’re only going to take one more question. Alex?” “Mr. Walker--did you ever beat King Liam?” “Heh. Yeah. I mean, yes. Quite a few times. I’m a really strong defense player, so I’m going to help with a lot of defense drills with Coach Halkais this year. In fact, King Liam and I had a little bet.” He quickly looked at Rinda, making sure he wasn’t taking it too far. Rinda gave him an encouraging nod, so Drake continued. “Whoever lost had to do pushups. And the winner had to sit on the loser’s back!” “Whoa!” The kids were laughing and whispering amongst each other and Rinda gave Drake a thumb’s up. It was official. The kids loved him. Drake casually kicked up the football with his toe and caught it on his wrist, balancing the ball and rolling it along his arm, behind his neck, and down his other arm before catching it. Cheers erupted from the students as Rinda leaned in to whisper to Drake. “Now you’re just showing off, asshole” Drake winked at Rinda. “Would you prefer to take over, Mrs. Parks?” . . . . .

Rinda promised Drake that she’d stick around during practice in case he needed any help, but it was clear Drake was in his element.

“Okay, everyone. You’re going to take turns kicking toward the goal. Mrs. Parks? Would you please keep track of how many goals are blocked?”

Rinda nodded. “Sure. Does that tie in with the away goals rule?”

Drake looked at Rinda with sheer disbelief as some of the primary school children tried to hide their laughter. “Um, no, Mrs. Parks. That’s something different. Players, please give me five.” He waited for all of them to quiet down and give them his full attention. “Mrs. Parks has been very patient with teaching us the rules of baseball. Now it’s our turn to teach her how to play European football.”

The students were immediately shamed into silence as Drake gave Rinda a lopsided grin. “Actually, I just want to keep track of how many times each student gets a turn. Unless you’d rather practice drills with us?”

Drake smirked when he saw Rinda shake her head “no” a little too quickly.

Rinda was a good cheerleader as she encouraged students while keeping track of the goals Drake blocked. But unfortunately for Rinda, when it was time to scrimmage they were a student short and she needed to step in. Rinda put on a brave face as she tried to hide the wave of nausea that passed over her. Any team sport that involved non-stop running was her idea of a living hell, and she knew these primary school children would kick her ass in no time.

One of the students set up a pass that Rinda tripped over, and a student from the opposing team was able to intercept it and score a goal.

“Mrs. Parks?” It was Phillip. Not only was he Henry’s best friend, but he was also their neighbor, so he knew it would be okay if he told her. “You don’t have to let us win, you know. We’re supposed to do our best.”

Rinda was wheezing and she motioned for Phillip to come closer so she could whisper in his ear. “I’m not. This is MY best. I just suck this bad.” Rinda realized her mistake when she saw Phillip’s eyes widen. “And if you tell another student that I said ‘suck,’ I’ll tell your parents that you were the one who broke Mr. Ariti’s window when you were playing football too close to his house.”

Phillip’s eyes widened as he held up his hands and slowly backed away to his teammates. “Okay, guys. Um. Mrs. Parks is giving us a chance to practice our interception drills so let’s try that again.” Rinda gave Phillip a grateful thumbs up.

However, the next time the football came dangerously close to Rinda’s face, she panicked and caught it with her hands. Fortunately Drake was able to use it as a teaching moment on how professional players can use their heads, but students couldn’t learn heading until they were eleven years old. Meanwhile, Rinda valiantly tried to model a positive attitude--even in extreme adversity.

. . . . .

Bastien came outside toward the end of practice to see how it was going. Drake was teaching the players “around the world” freestyle tricks to show off to Coach Halkais. But Rinda? Rinda was flat on her back, her foot elevated on a bench with an ice pack. She also clutched a heating pad to her chest. She didn’t think she’d have to run so much with the kids, and she was hating herself for not wearing a sports bra.

She opened her eyes when she sensed Bastien walking towards her, a smirk on his face. “Did you have fun, Mrs. Parks?”

Rinda took a few moments to rub her eye with her middle finger before accepting Bastien’s hand to help her up.

[stopforamoment]

Grocery Shopping with Rinda

TRR after Book Three Bastien Lykel and OFC Rinda Parks Word Count: 1,489 (sorry, Enna!) Rated E for Everyone but TRIGGERS: Mention of a pet’s death and pet owner grief. Obligatory Disclaimer: Bastien Lykel belongs to Pixelberry, but Rinda and Henry Parks are all mine! A/N: This is for @emceesynonymroll second wacky drabbles challenge, “this is what I deal with everyday.” I modeled this after shopping for groceries in the United States, and a variation of these things have happened to me at one time or another. I think I need to work on my resting bitch face so people don’t randomly approach me, LOL. This takes place when Rinda and Bastien are still working together, before they started dating. Bastien still doesn’t know the full crazy train of Rinda Parks. TRIGGERS: Mention of a pet’s death and pet owner grief.

Grocery Shopping with Rinda 

“Mom, we don’t have time for this.”

“Ten minutes, Bug. I just need brown sugar and chocolate chips to make cookies for tomorrow.”

Bastien raised an eyebrow when he saw Henry sigh loudly and shake his head. “I’m telling you, we won’t have enough time.”

They walked into the store and Rinda grabbed a shopping basket, but she immediately got distracted by the wall of sales. “Oh, canned vegetables are on sale. Hold on, we can stock up on those. Let me grab a cart.”

She turned around and Henry was already there with a cart, his hand out waiting to take the basket from his mother and return it.

Bastien watched, an amused expression on his face, as Rinda began hoarding cans of food. But she opened up the child seat of the cart and put half of the cans in the seat area, and half in the basket portion of the cart.

They walked into the produce section, and Rinda saw a father with small children looking over the fresh fruits and vegetables. One of the children asked for strawberries, but the father said they were too expensive.

After the family walked away, Rinda put the strawberries in the seat portion of her cart.

They made it to the baking aisle, but an elderly gentleman was looking at cake mixes in utter confusion. He locked eyes with Rinda, and she smiled and began walking over as he began to ask, “Can you help me?”

His wife needed him to bring a cake mix home. Just a basic cake mix like she always made for him. He knew it wasn’t chocolate, but he wasn’t sure which one. Rinda asked if the cake normally looked white or yellow. It was yellow. Rinda quickly stopped the man from grabbing a lemon cake mix, and instead steered him toward the yellow cake mix. His wife might have preferred the golden butter recipe, but at least he wasn’t going home with white or lemon cake mix.

Now a young woman approached Rinda, wondering what bakers cheese was. Rinda double checked if it was for a cheesecake. It was. It was hard to find dry ground bakers cheese anymore, but Ricotta was a good substitution. Where was Ricotta cheese? The refrigerator section. Here, it was just easier to show the woman.

Rinda turned around to Henry, who had already put the brown sugar and chocolate chips in the cart and was waiting patiently to follow his mom. Bastien trailed behind, still observing their interactions.

They found the Ricotta cheese, but it took a little bit longer as Rinda looked over the recipe and made a few suggestions. The girl wanted to make it for her boyfriend. It was a family recipe, and his mom emailed the recipe, but Rinda wanted to double check if there were any typos, since it made a difference if you used an upper-case T for tablespoon or a lower-case t for teaspoon. Fifteen minutes later Rinda knew the dating history of the couple and how the young woman was still worried if his mom liked her or not (Rinda reassured the young woman that if his mother gave her a family recipe, then mom definitely liked her).

Bastien wished the young girl good luck as she walked away, and the woman beamed, oblivious to Henry’s impatient foot tapping.

Then it happened. What Henry was most dreading. A child from school recognized Mrs. Parks and wanted to say “hi.” Then what Rinda most dreaded happened. The child’s parents wanted to ask school-related questions about a long-term project their child was working on. Even though Rinda didn’t have time for this discussion, she patiently smiled and re-explained the assignment for the child--and the parents. When the parents asked questions about whether or not their child was doing the assignment correctly, Rinda politely ignored the helicopter parents’ questions and instead asked the child what he was doing and what questions he had. Then she reassured the child that he could always his teachers questions if he wasn’t sure about something.

When that discussion was squared away, Rinda politely reminded the parents that they needed volunteers for an upcoming fundraiser. Could she could on them for help? The parents squirmed but said “yes.” Rinda smiled warmly and thanked them for being so generous with their time. The school couldn’t do it without dedicated parents like them. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the father with the children headed toward the checkout, and she quickly excused herself and made a beeline for the self-checkout. Henry whipped the cart around and struggled after his mom, but Bastien was caught talking to the parents for a bit longer about their concerns for their child’s safety. It was traumatic for children to take part in school safety drills.

Dammit, Rinda! Where are you? This is your area of expertise.

By the time he extricated himself from the parents, with a promise that he’d have Rinda talk to them with more details, he didn’t know where she was. Their cart was off to the side near the checkout area, but Henry and Rinda were nowhere to be found.

Henry came running from behind a checkout line, a happy smile on his face. He saw Mr. Lykel standing by the cart and said his mom was in the pet supply aisle. Bastien had a look of pure confusion on his face. Rinda and Henry didn’t have a pet in Cordonia. Their dog was still in Wisconsin. But he did notice the strawberries were no longer in the cart, and Henry turned to give the father and his children another goodbye wave.

Rinda was on the floor in the pet aisle, holding a sobbing woman who had to put her cat down only days ago. Between racking sobs the woman was telling Rinda all the wonderful stories about her cat. Toonces was twenty years old. She had Toonces since she was a child, and she held Toonces in her arms and felt that last shudder when the vet . . . Rinda made gentle shushing noises. She knew what the woman meant. She did the same thing when her cat was old and in pain. And Rinda knew Toonces felt safe and loved at the end. He was in his fur mama’s arms, getting kisses and gentle scratches behind his ears, just the way Toonces liked it. Of course Toonces understood why his mama had to say goodbye.

Bastien knelt on the floor next to the woman and gently pressed a handkerchief into her hand. Rinda smiled at Bastien’s gesture. He was so kind and thoughtful, and she loved that about him.

When the woman was finally able to stand up, she and Rinda looked at the box of cat treats in her cart. That’s what started the woman crying. It was her first time shopping after her cat died, and without thinking she went into the pet aisle to buy Toonces’ favorite treat. When she dropped the treats into the cart it hit her, and she fell to the floor crying. That’s where Rinda found the woman on her way to the self-check out with Henry, and Rinda quickly gave Henry some cash to buy the strawberries while she went to see if she could help the woman.

The woman stood still, unable to move. “May I?” The woman didn’t respond, so Rinda slowly, gently took the treats out of the cart. She paused, waiting to see if the woman would react. She didn’t, so Rinda put the treats back on the shelf. Then she squeezed the woman’s hand. “Will you be okay? Is there anyone I can call for you?”

Bastien took the woman’s other hand. “Please. Let us help you to the checkout and then we’ll be sure you have someone to take you home.” Rinda and Henry went through the check out, and she was going to add the woman’s groceries to her own bill, but Bastien shook his head and paid for the woman’s groceries himself. Rinda nodded and made sure the check out worker put the cans from the child seat into separate bags, and those were placed in the food donation bin on their way out. Meanwhile, Bastien helped the woman with her grocery bags. When they were outside he helped the woman call a friend, and Bastien, Rinda, and Henry patiently waited until the woman and her groceries were safe in the friend’s car.

It was over an hour since they entered the store, and Rinda looked at her watch and sighed. “We don’t have time to bake cookies. I have to go back inside and buy some from the bakery.”

Bastien’s eyes widened in alarm. They’d never get back to Rinda’s house and get any work done if she went back in there again, but Henry calmly shrugged. “This is what I deal with every day.”

[stopforamoment]

Margarita Challenge: Babysitting Betsy Beaumont

My Complete Masterlist

Book: The Royal Romance (After Book Three) Pairing: Bastien Lykel x OC Rinda Parks Word Count: 1,670ish    Rating: M for Language and Angst for Sweet Maxwell Author’s Note and Drabble Summary—This was meant to be written for @blackcatkita margarita challenge, and it should have just been a short drabble, but my muse took it in a completely different direction (um, I thought part of the challenge was for me to drink my own margaritas and see what total shit I came up with???). I’ll still write one with Rinda drunk on margaritas, I promise! Betsy Beaumont the Badass Bastard Bird needs a peacock sitter at the duchy, and Gladys and Bastien hate their jobs. Please click here if you’d like to read about Betsy and the Peacock Fiasco referenced in this drabble.    

Obligatory disclaimer that Pixelberry Studios owns the TRR characters and my pocketbook with those darn diamond scenes. Rinda and Betsy with all of their quirks is all mine. My apologies if Tumblr or I do something stupid when I try to post this. The keep reading link shows up on my laptop but not my phone. Ugh. Thank you @asherella-is-a-dork-3 and @bobasheebaby  for always being my sounding board! Thank you @silviasutton1989 ​ @riseandshinelittleblossom​ @tornbetween2loves @sirbeepsalot @innerpostmentality @kennaxval @strangerofbraidwood @sawyeroakleyscowboyhat @begging-for-kamilah @teamtomsato for still being a part of the journey!

Babysitting Betsy Beaumont Rinda was in her classroom, reading through the five-page, single spaced care list. There were known allergies, food preferences, comfort techniques, sleep schedule, favorite music, exercise routines . . .

Her co-teacher Laura walked in. “Is that an Instructional Education Plan for a new student? What kind of resources should we get lined up?” Rinda shook her head. “Nope. It’s for Betsy.” Laura pursed her lips, desperately trying not to laugh. “Maxwell wasn’t able to find a peacock sitter?” “Um, the peacocks are staying in the duchy with the other animals while everyone is on holiday, but Gladys doesn’t have time to deal with this shit. And Bastien promised to help, but you know how much Betsy hates his fucking guts. And Drake just laughed when Bastien asked for help, so . . . that leaves me.” Laura was bent over in silent laughter, tears streaming down her cheeks. Betsy Beaumont the Badass Bastard Bird was the bane of Bastien’s existence. The bird got aggressive at the duchy Halloween Festival last fall and started stealing food from the children. Maxwell tried to corral Betsy to protect the children’s hot dogs, but Betsy was a diabolical genius who refused to get caught—until Bastien had enough and threw a blanket over Betsy’s head and unceremoniously dumped Betsy into his cage. For the rest of the evening Betsy hissed at Bastien, making his displeasure known. Betsy Beaumont hated Bastien, and the feeling was mutual. If Maxwell wanted to see Betsy alive and well at the end of his trip, Rinda knew she needed to step in. Day One At first Bastien was professional. He offered Betsy his daily hot dog, but Betsy refused to eat it. Bastien sighed, pinching his nose. “Come on, Betsy. Rinda said it’s your favorite. Please eat it so I can leave.” Betsy hissed at Bastien and turned around, spreading his magnificent plumage with disdain. “I can’t believe I’m asking for help with this.” He messaged Rinda. “The bird won’t eat the hot dog.” Rinda messaged back. “Did you heat it up?” Bastien sighed. “No.” He went to the kitchen to microwave the hot dog, and when he returned he gently poked it through the bars of the cage. Betsy didn’t even bother moving. “What? Is it too hot? Do you need it cut up?” He grabbed his Swiss Army knife and quickly cut up the hot dog and blew on a piece before tossing it toward Betsy. He hissed at Bastien. How dare Bastien throw food at him! “Fuck you, Betsy.” Bastien messaged Rinda again. “Still not eating it. I swear I’m never going to get home.” Rinda rolled her eyes when she saw the message notification. “Did you grill it?” “The bird?” “Bastien!” “No, I’m not grilling one hot dog for a fucking bird. I microwaved it.” He paused. “What else did Maxwell say?” “Check page four, paragraph two of the peacock care guide. One grilled hot dog a day with ketchup, no mustard. And no bun. Betsy is gaining weight.” Bastien pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m going to kill Maxwell.” “Stand in line. Just come home, and I’ll stop by tomorrow to clean up the old hot dog and grill a new one. You know Gladys won’t tell on you.”

Day Two Rinda had the peacocks outside for their daily free-range time while she grilled the hot dog, but she kept a close eye on Betsy. Everything was going well until Bastien showed up with a picnic basket. “Hey Tria! I thought we could have a picnic when you’re done!” Just then Betsy saw the blanket Bastien had draped over his arm, and he rushed Bastien who flung the picnic basket at Betsy and ran like hell. For the next ten minutes Rinda was doubled over with laughter while Betsy and his siblings picked through the picnic basket. Bastien waited in the SUV, seething with anger.

Day Three “I swear to God, Tria. The bird was laughing at me.” Rinda was trying so hard not to laugh at Bastien. He was lying on his stomach while Rinda applied an ice pack to his backside. Bastien made the amateur mistake of bending over too close to Betsy’s cage, and the bird literally bit him in the ass. “Seriously. The toy was lying right in front of the cage, and in the dark I couldn’t see what it was. And when I bent down—I swear that little fucker did it on purpose.” Days Four – Ten Rinda took care of Betsy. Day Eleven Gladys invited Rinda and Bastien to the duchy for dinner to thank them for dealing with Betsy. Several pitchers of margaritas later, Gladys and Bastien were three sheets to the wind, plotting the demise of Betsy Beaumont. Day Twelve Maxwell arrived at the duchy, eager to see his peacocks. “Hi babies! Did you miss me? Drake, good to see you smiling! Sally—I love what you did with your feathers. Boris—finger guns at ya buddy! Enid—I know. I missed you too. Joel, did you help Betsy lose weight while I was gone?” Maxwell looked around. “Where’s Betsy?” Bastien strolled past. “Maxwell. It’s good to see you. Did you want some lunch while you’re here?” A huge grin lit up Maxwell’s face. “Of course! But first I have to find Betsy. Do you know where he is?” “Rinda has him. She’s been training Betsy to do that dance routine. I think he’s almost got it.” “Really? That’s great!” They passed Gladys in the great hall. She was on the phone and had a hat and two ornate peacock feathers in her hand. “Oh, I know the Queen will love having a new hat made with his feathers. Yes, of course. Good day.” Gladys ended the call with a smile. “Hello, Maxwell. Betsy lost a couple of his feathers, and I didn’t think you’d mind if I used them to design the Queen a new hat. I thought it would be a nice way to help her remember Betsy.” Maxwell’s eyes widened when he saw the feathers in her hand. “Um. Okay.” Gladys smiled. “Thank you, Maxwell. We’re going to miss Betsy so much.”

. . . . .   Maxwell dug into his lunch. “This is sooooooo delicious!!!!! I love a good burger.” Bastien cocked his head and gave Maxwell an odd smile. “Does it taste good? It isn’t too dry?” Maxwell nodded, talking with a mouthful of food. “Yeah. It’s not really juicy like the other burgers I’ve had, but it still tastes good.” Bastien hummed. “Good to know. It’s actually not a beef hamburger thought. It’s made with something a little more . . . unusual.” Just then Gladys came into the kitchen. “Bastien, do you have a moment?” “Of course, Gladys. If you’ll excuse me, Maxwell.” Bastien and Gladys talked in loud whispers, and Maxwell overheard parts of their conversation. “I just talked to Rinda, and she says it’s time. He doesn’t know yet . . . he thinks Rinda is teaching him choreography. Really? You didn’t tell him the burger is actually made from poultry?” The feathers. Gladys’ earlier comments about remembering Betsy. Bastien’s odd behavior. The loud whispers. Tears were welling in Maxwell’s eyes as he looked at the burger crumbs on his plate. “Betsy?” Bastien walked over to Maxwell and delicately cleared his throat. “Maxwell? Do you mind coming into the backyard? Rinda has something to show you.” Maxwell wiped the tears from his eyes and silently followed Bastien. Rinda was waiting outside, but there was no sign of Betsy. “Rinda. Please. Just tell me. Is he dead? Did you use him to make the burger?” Rinda looked at Maxwell like he had three heads. “The head chef? No, he’s not dead Maxwell. He’s the one who made the burger. But did you like it? I know it tastes a lot different than beef.” “Oh my God.” Maxwell turned pale and Rinda quickly stepped back. “Maxwell, please don’t puke. Please don’t puke. You know I don’t do well with that stuff. Fuck—Bastien!” Rinda was starting to gag—she was a sympathy puker. Bastien rolled his eyes. “Dammit, Maxwell. Ostrich burgers aren’t that bad. You liked it just fine before I told you it wasn’t beef.” “It wasn’t . . . Betsy? But where’s Betsy?” “Maxwell! Do you honestly think we’d butcher Betsy and make you eat him? Queen Riley wants the King to eat healthier, so the chef has been experimenting with leaner cuts of meat. Seriously? Who would eat a disgusting Betsy Burger?” Bastien was shaking his head as he ran to the patio door to grab the water bottle Gladys got for Rinda. Rinda was catching her breath and gratefully took the water from Bastien. “Thank you, Tiger. Sorry about that.” It took Rinda a moment to collect herself, and gasped when she saw the agony on Maxwell’s face. “Maxwell! Betsy’s fine. Yes, Bastien has detailed fantasies of how he’d love to kill Betsy, but he would never actually do it. Betsy’s out here because we have a surprise for you. Well, it’s from Queen Riley, and I helped a little.” They went around the corner and Maxwell squealed with joy. “Betsy! I’ve missed you. Oh my gosh! Did Riley get this for you? She did, didn’t she? Oh yes she did.” It was a small tent, and Rinda had been training Betsy to get comfortable staying in it. “See, Maxwell? Betsy really likes it. So you can use it when everyone goes camping and you want Betsy to come along. Or Betsy can sit in it if he needs shade during free-range time.”

Maxwell and Rinda were soon laughing as Betsy began showing off his choreography moves and how he loved to move in and out of his new tent. Bastien just shook his head as he walked away. “I knew I should have killed him when I had the chance.” Gladys laughed when she heard him. “Betsy or Maxwell?” “Both.”

[stopforamoment]

Margarita Challenge: Margarita Date Night

My complete masterlist is at the end of my bio.

Book: The Royal Romance (After Book Three) Pairing: Bastien Lykel x OC Rinda (Parks) Lykel Word Count: 1,145   Rating: M for Language

Author’s Note and Drabble Summary—I was tagged by @bobasheebaby for the @blackcatkita margarita challenge. Rinda is taste testing margaritas and getting drunk off her ass. Obligatory disclaimer that Pixelberry Studios owns the TRR characters and my pocketbook with those darn diamond scenes. Rinda with all of her quirks is all mine. 

Thank you @asherella-is-a-dork-3 and @bobasheebaby  for always being my sounding board! Thank you @silviasutton1989 ​ @riseandshinelittleblossom​ @tornbetween2loves @sirbeepsalot @innerpostmentality @kennaxval @strangerofbraidwood @sawyeroakleyscowboyhat @begging-for-kamilah @teamtomsato for still being a part of the journey!

Margarita Date Night

“Come on. Just a tiny, tiny sip. Pleeeeaaaseee?????” She thrust the straw in Bastien’s face. “Here. Put it in your mouth. Just the tip. See how it tastes.” Rinda was drunk. Bastien took her to a Mexican restaurant for date night, and what started with Bastien encouraging his indecisive Tria order a few different flavors of margaritas eventually turned into a full-on bender. She somehow convinced the bartender to start mixing different flavored concoctions of margaritas, and now the people sitting next to them were dragged into the taste testing. Bastien shook his head and booped Rinda’s nose. “No, Tria. No banana margaritas. I’ll try the next one. I promise.” Suddenly it clicked with a very tipsy Rinda that her husband hated bananas. “Oh, Tiger. I am the shittiest wife for forgetting. I’m so sorry.” She took a big swig of the banana concoction. “Oh, you aren’t missing anything. This tastes like ass.” She turned to the person next to her. “This tastes like ass. Total ass. Wanna try it?” Bastien was snickering as the person took a sip, shuddered, and passed it on to the next person who wanted to see what tasted so bad. “Okay. Next one is . . . um . . . orange mango!” “Tria, I love you, but are you making this up or have you actually had this before?” She looked at Bastien with solemn eyes as she grabbed his shirt to pull him closer. “I can’t tell you. It’s a secret. Sssshhhhh! They’ll hear you!” She managed to put a finger up to her mouth to motion that they had to be quiet. Rinda suddenly started giggling uncontrollably. “Sssshhhh. I said to be quiet. We’re causing a ruckus.Quick. Act natural.” She leaned back and grabbed her drink, trying to take a sip from the straw. But the straw moved. Rinda looked like a cow chewing its cud as she moved her lips in a desperate attempt to grab the straw. Finally Bastien held the straw in place so Rinda could reach it . . . and accidentally shove it up her nose. “Ow. Please help.” Bastien took the drink from Rinda, held the straw, and gently guided it into her mouth. She took a greedy slurp and then gasped in pain. “Brain freeze. Brain freeze. Oh. Fuck. Ow. Brain freeze.” Now Bastien was applying pressure points to her temples to help the shooting pain go away. Then Rinda handed the glass to Bastien, who took a small sip directly from the glass. “Mmm. That one’s actually really good, Tria. What next?” He discretely pulled out the straw that had been in his wife’s nose before handing the drink to the person sitting next to him. However, he wasn’t discreet enough. “Tiger. He needs a straw. Bring that back. I’ll get you a straw.” Rinda reached over the bar to grab a straw that she could plop into the drink, but she missed the glass and the straw landed on the floor. “Wait. Five second rule. I’ve got this.” Bastien gently held Rinda in her seat. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Let’s wait for the bartender to get a straw and then I’ll pass the drink for you.” “Mmmm. Thank you, Tiger. You’re always my hero and so good about helping me. I love you.” “I love you too, Tria. Did you want to try anything else before we go?” “Hmmm. I don’t want another brain freeze. No more slushies. I want the next margarita on the rocks.” Bastien chuckled and kissed Rinda’s nose. “Well, four margaritas ago you asked the bartender to start blending them so you wouldn’t drink them so fast.” Rinda pursed her lips and gave Bastien’s words serious thought. She tried nodding her head, but it just flopped to the side as she pondered the situation. “That’s really smart, Tiger. If they’re slushies I’ll drink them slower. Okay. The next ones let’s switch to slushies. No more on the rocks.” “That’s an excellent idea, my dearest Tria.” “But I want warm ice so I don’t get brain freeze, please.” Rinda snorted. “Freeze please. That rhymes! Oh, and I want it to be blue, too. Blue too! Fuck, I’m funny. Yeah. Blue slushie next. Please use blue cure-a-cow so it’s pretty.” Before Bastien could translate her request for a blended margarita with blue curacao, Rinda leaned toward and rested her hand between Bastien’s legs as she tried to seductively bat her eyelashes. It actually looked like she was losing a contact and Bastien hoped she was too drunk to notice his jaw was starting to twitch. “Tiger, let’s go home and have sex.” Bastien quickly looked down at Rinda’s hand, trying to contain his laughter before he lifted it to his lips, gazing deeply into his wife’s glazed eyes as she tried to focus on him. “That sounds wonderful. Let me take care of the check, sweetheart.” Even though Bastien knew she would fall asleep on the ride home, he also realized Rinda would turn into a sad, crying drunk if he rejected her sloppy foreplay at the bar. They were waiting for the bartender to return with the credit card, and Bastien was trying to squirm away from Rinda’s wandering hands as she tried to unzip his pants. “Can we leave, Tiger? Please? I can’t wait to get you home and suck your huge cock.” It was perfect Rinda timing. The music had just stopped and there was silence as Rinda announced to the room in her loud, drunken voice what she would do to Bastien. Rinda’s eyes widened when she realized what happened. “Tiger, do you think they heard me talk about your huge cock?” Bastien quickly signed the credit card slip, leaving a very large tip for the bartender, and he helped Rinda to her feet. She slobbered her heartfelt goodbyes to the people she met that evening, promising that she’d invite them over for a margarita night. But just not tonight. Tonight she had other plans with her husband. Bastien mouthed an apology as he grabbed Rinda and hoisted her over his shoulder, laughing when Rinda yelled to the room “Let’s bounce bitches! I’m gonna get laid!!!!!!” People were giving Rinda fist bumps and high fives as she was carried away, and Bastien heard their cheers and whistles even after the door closed behind them. As Bastien predicted, Rinda fell asleep in the car. Her mouth was open and she was snoring loudly. When they got home Bastien carried her inside, helped her into the banana pajamas, and left a glass of water on the nightstand. Rinda was still snoring, so Bastien put in ear plugs before wrapping his arms around her and kissing her troll doll curls. But before he fell asleep, Bastien also needed to shift his arm so his dearest Tria wouldn’t drool on it anymore.

[stopforamoment]

It Will Be Okay

My masterlist is at the end of my bio.

Book: The Royal Romance (After Book Three) Pairing: Bastien Lykel x OC Rinda Parks Word Count: 933

Triggers for Grief after Death of a Spouse

Author’s Note: Obligatory disclaimer that Pixelberry Studios owns the TRR characters and my pocketbook with those darn diamond scenes. OFC with all of her quirks is all mine. My apologies if Tumblr or I do something stupid when I try to post this.

Drabble Summary: I’m re-purposing something I wrote previously. This would be shortly after Bastien and Rinda meet, during the beginning of the school year. It’s Jameson’s birthday, and she’s trying to keep it together for Henry.

  It Will Be Okay

 “Rinda! Henry! May I help you?”

 Rinda turned around, and Bastien tried not to laugh. She insisted on taking only one trip to the car and her arms were full. Rinda’s work bag had slipped off her shoulder, and she was holding her arm at an awkward angle so the bag wouldn’t drag on the ground. Now some curls escaped her messy bun and she was scrunching her face, trying to blow the hair out of her eyes.

 She was a Rinda disaster.

 Henry’s hands were also full, and he was laughing at his mom. “See? I told you we should have taken two trips! Even Mr. Lykel thinks so.”

 Rinda shook her head, laughing at herself. “You’re right, Henry. Yes, please. Can you help me? And thank you.”

 Bastien was smiling as he put the strap of Rinda’s bag back on her shoulder and took the stack of boxes out of her hands. Rinda quickly began poking her curls back into her messy bun.

 “What is all of this?” He began helping Henry load everything into the backseat.

 “Just some lesson plan things I’m helping Laura with, paperwork stuff, and I’m finishing up our presentation for Queen Riley.”

 Bastien’s eyes darkened. “Rinda, I’m supposed to help you with the paperwork and that presentation.”

 “I know. I just wanted to leave early today, and I’m going to finish this at home.”

 Bastien shook his head. School ended over an hour ago and Rinda thought she was leaving early.

 “Don’t worry about all of that. I’ll help you tomorrow. Just enjoy your night.”

 “No, it’s okay. I—I don’t think I’m prepared enough to even go through things with you, much less Queen Riley. I don’t mind. Really, I don’t. And I can work after Henry goes to sleep. And it’s part of my job. And you have enough going on. I know you’re needed at the palace this weekend with the ambassadors coming to visit, and I wanted to help you get ahead with your work too.”

 Bastien noticed Rinda’s eyes had turned aquamarine and she was nervously flicking her left thumb against her wedding ring. And she’s rambling. “Rinda, what’s wrong?” She stared at him for a moment before quickly averting her eyes. Bastien stepped closer to her and lowered his voice. “Rinda? Please tell me.”

 Rinda was shaking and it was obvious she was about to start crying. Henry set his boxes down so he could walk over to his mom and hold her hand. “Mr. Lykel? Today is my dad’s birthday. Mom is cooking his favorite meal for dinner and she made a birthday cake. We’re going to hang out tonight, but I think mom brought all that work in case she can’t sleep. She wasn’t able to sleep last night either.”

 Bastien sucked in his breath. He had no idea. No one did. “Rinda?” Her eyes were closed and that stoic façade was quickly crumbling.

 I need to help her. Rinda, please. Let me help you.

 “Rinda. I’m taking you and Henry home. I’ll call Laura, and she can pick you up for work in the morning. Henry, can you help me move everything into the SUV? Rinda, please look at me. Is this okay? Please let me help you.”

 Rinda opened her eyes and once again she saw it. There was so much patience and kindness in those solemn grey eyes, and she slowly nodded.

 Bastien put an arm around Rinda as he led her to his vehicle and helped her into the passenger seat. She looked so defeated and it broke his heart, but when Henry climbed into the backseat she turned to squeeze his knee. “How are you doing, Bug? I’m sorry I’m falling apart on you.”

 “It’s okay mom. We’re going to be okay.”

 Rinda gave her son a sad smile. This is your life now, Rinda. This whole fucking nightmare? You’re awake and it’s real. And it’s never going to be okay, but you need to be stronger for him.

 Rinda knew she desperately needed something to hang onto. Something to ground her and keep her from falling. But not Henry. I won’t lean on him. I’m the one who is supposed to be taking care of him. Not the other way around. I have to be brave for him. I WILL be brave for him.

 Bastien was in the driver’s seat and he spoke softly to Rinda as he reached over to help with her seatbelt. “It’s okay, Rinda. I promise it’s going to be okay.” He looked in the rearview mirror. “Henry? I’ll get you home and I can stay to help, or I’ll leave if you want to be alone. Whatever you need, please tell me. Promise?”

 Henry’s eyes met Bastien’s in the mirror and he saw the relief wash across Henry’s face. He’s so much like Drake, trying to protect his mom. But Rinda isn’t like Bianca. She’s stronger. So much stronger for her son.

 As Bastien started driving Rinda reached over to him, but she didn’t touch him. Instead, she held onto the edge of his suitcoat. Bastien’s eyes were focused on the road, but his fingers caressed Rinda’s knuckles. The emerald in her engagement ring pressed into his skin when he took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Rinda’s eyes grew heavy as the mantra continued to swirl in her mind. It’s going to be okay because it has to be okay.

 Bastien looked over when he heard Rinda’s steady breathing. She had fallen asleep, still clutching his suitcoat.

 It will be okay, Rinda. I promise.

[stopforamoment]

Wacky Drabble #15: Bowties and Handkerchiefs

TRR after Book Three Bastien Lykel and OC Rinda Parks Word Count: 1,531 (sorry!)

This is my very late submission written for @emceesynonymroll​ wacky drabble challenge #15 It could be worse.

Prompt is bolded in the story.

I’m cheating with this one! It might become part of the next Bastien and Rinda series, so thank you Enna for giving me a prompt to work with! Bastien is getting ready for his promotion ceremony, but Bonk always has time to help his Knuddelbär. Oh, and in case anyone is thirsty . . .

Bowties and Handkerchiefs

Bastien knew he would be right on time, which for him was running late, but he took one last look in the mirror. He hadn’t worn his dress uniform since the award ceremony after the palace bombing. An unnecessary ceremony to receive an unnecessary reward. He was simply doing his job, and truth be told, if he had been better at his job there wouldn’t have been a bombing.

No.

That’s in the past. That is someone else’s responsibility now.

He looked at his reflection, assessing the man he saw in front of him. The dress uniform was getting a little tight in the wrong areas. Tria had teased him that they both were gaining the “new relationship” weight, plus they had been so busy with work. She didn’t mind at all if he gained weight, as long as he stayed safe--healthy and fit for duty. Rinda would joke that it was partly her fault. She was an excellent cook and caved too often when he asked her to make one of her American “comfort food” dinners. She would jokingly make him promise to get her out of bed early so they could work out in the morning, but they both knew Rinda wasn’t a morning person. Getting up early to do anything more than a yoga routine just wasn’t going to happen. And they both knew that if Bastien woke her up in the morning, getting his morning workout in a gym was the furthest thing from his mind.

There were a few more flecks of grey in his hair and a lot more laugh lines around his eyes. Tria called them “crinkles” when she kissed them, and she lovingly teased him about the grey when she would run her fingers through his hair as they cuddled and talked about their day. He was injured in the line of duty several times and even survived protecting Leo, yet being in a relationship with her was causing him to go grey. Her poor Tiger, having to deal with his crazy Tria. But it still wasn’t fair that he was becoming more distinguished and “drop dead gorgeously hot,” while she was a just Tria who would lose the bloom off the rose. Bastien would kiss her again and again, wishing she would stop saying such hurtful things about herself. She would always be his beautiful Tria, no matter what color her beloved troll doll curls were. And he would always be her Tiger who would get even more grey hair because he loved her and Henry so much, and he always needed to protect them and keep them safe.

Bastien shook his head at his reflection and laughed at himself. A few extra pounds, some grey hair, and more laugh lines. It could be worse. If this was the price to pay for a life with his Tria, it was worth it.

A message notification went off and Bastien checked his phone, immediately frowning and responding to the text as he walked into the hallway.

Notin Roussos was leading a visibly upset Henry to Bastien’s room. “Bonk? I know I’m supposed to get ready with grandma and grandpa, but they’re, um, communicating.” Henry used obnoxious air quotes when he said “communicating,” and Bastien saw Henry’s half-hearted smile as he attempted to use humor, just like his mother, to diffuse a difficult situation.

“Come here, Henry.” Bastien wrapped Henry into a hug. “Of course you can get ready with me.” He mouthed a thank you to Notin, and Roussos gave Henry a reassuring shoulder squeeze as Bastien led him into the room. Rinda’s parents struggled to communicate with each other, and although there wasn’t physical violence in their relationship, Bastien and Rinda both agreed that they emotionally abused each other when they got short-tempered and raised their voices at each other. Although Rinda loved her parents and wanted Henry to spend time with them, it was a challenging situation at best.

“How are you doing, Knuddelbär?” Bastien sat Henry down on his bed and rubbed soft circles on his back to help him calm down.

“I was trying to figure out how to tie a bowtie, and then grandma tried doing it for me, but grandpa yelled at her that she was doing it wrong and that she should leave it alone. I tried to tell them that you  or mom were going to help me if I couldn’t figure it out on my own but, well, you know. I was going to find mom, but Notin found me first.”

Bastien kissed the top of Henry’s head. “Bowties are really hard. Let’s let everyone know you’re here and then you can practice some more. Do you want help?”

Henry nodded. “Yeah, I think so. It’s hard to watch a Youtube video, pause it, and practice the tie at the same time. I can’t do the part where you have to hold the tie in place and get the knot through.”

Bastien knew Henry learned best by trying things himself and figuring out his own mistakes, but he also knew that Henry was easily frustrated when things didn’t come easily for him. “Why don’t you start again and let me know when you need my help.” Bastien untied his own tie and went into his closet for a bowtie in case he needed to demonstrate for Henry.

Henry nodded and methodically followed the steps he learned from the video. Keep one end longer, loop, tighten, and keep the longer loop over your shoulder and out of the way. That part was easy.

Now make a bow-tie shape with the smaller end and hold it in place. Henry carefully placed his finger in the center, holding it in place while he reached for the long end. “Okay, Bonk. I’ve watched the video a lot, but I still need to see it as I do it. Otherwise it doesn’t make sense.”

Bastien knelt down next to Henry and quickly knotted his bowtie it to the point where Henry was stuck. “Can you see me okay in the mirror?” Henry nodded. “So now we fold the two ends together and hold them. Good! Now can you see on my tie where there’s that hole?” Henry nodded. “Okay. Look in the mirror so you can see that with your tie. Yes, right there. Okay. I’m going to slide this end through.” He waited, making sure Henry could see what he was doing, and making sure Henry grabbed the correct part of his own tie. “Now push it through . . .” Henry’s eyes were focused on the mirror, darting between Bastien’s tie and his own, shifting so he could see the space in his knot and watching for Bastien’s reassurances that he was getting it. He slid the end through, grabbed it on the other side, and pulled through.

But Henry was still frustrated. “This looks stupid.”

Bastien tried not to chuckle, knowing Henry would take it the wrong way and get even more upset. “It’s supposed to look like that right now, so this is the part where we have to pull the edges to fix it.” Bastien showed Henry how to grab the folded ends to tighten, and the loose ends to loosen. Henry was getting the hang of it and started laughing, purposely making his bowtie look extra ridiculous before properly tightening it. But then his face scrunched in frustration. “It’s crooked.”

Now Bastien laughed. “I know, and it’s supposed to be that way.”

Henry looked at Bastien in shock. “Really?”

He solemnly nodded. “Yes. So you did a really good job, and that’s the most perfect it’s going to get.”

Henry looked at himself in the mirror, a flush of pride on his cheeks because he tied his first tie. “Thank you, Bonk.”

“You’re welcome, Knuddelbär.” And now Bastien was solemnly gazing in Henry’s eyes. “There’s one more thing that’s really important. Something a man should carry it at all times, even when he isn’t dressed up.”

“What?”

Bastien opened a dresser drawer and handed Henry two white handkerchiefs. “You need to carry at least one handkerchief. If your hands get dirty or you’re sweating, you can use the handkerchief to wipe your hands or your forehead. But you also want to carry a handkerchief in case someone else needs it.”

Henry looked up. “Like how you always have to give one to mom when something makes her cry?”

Bastien smiled and nodded. “Exactly. Your mom can carry her own tissues, and she does, but she also likes it when I give her my handkerchief because it shows her that I love taking care of her.”

Henry nodded. “I like it when she smiles when you wipe her tears for her. Even when they’re sad tears.”

Bastien leaned down and kissed Henry’s head. “I like that too. Here. Let me show you where you should carry a handkerchief. This is where you put the one you can use, and this is where you put the extra one you can offer to someone else. And when you offer your handkerchief, you never expect to get it back, okay?”

Henry solemnly nodded. “Okay.”

[stopforamoment]

Pernicious Passion: Part Eight

Please check out the Pernicious Passion MASTERLIST for the complete list of writers and artists who inspired this series!  Bastien Lykel belongs to Pixelberry, and Kara is a real-life talented PB writer. Events in this fic are purely fictional because this is just a fun spoof!

Author’s Note and Summary: Thank you to @sirbeepsalot for the crack fic edits that she created. In this chapter Bastien is found with some help from the Cordonians Gone Wild crew, but Bastien is still far from safe. Cordonians Gone Wild is the creation of @ao719 @cocomaxley@leelee10898 and @speedyoperarascalparty  

Part Eight (700 words) It took weeks of intense partying searching in New York, St. Tropez, Chicago, Fiji, Nashville, Vegas, New Orleans, Amsterdam, and Hawai’i, but the Cordonians Gone Wild tribe were finally able to locate Bastien. Fortunately for Liam, he realized the jet was missing only twice during that time. Now the Bastien writers were sitting on the empty set of The Mfackenthal Show with Kara, Bastien, and the entire Pixelberry legal team. @mfackenthal was the mediator. The lawyers were adamant. Bastien was the property of Pixelberry, and he needed to return with them. @mfackenthal kept insisting that Pixelberry wasn’t using Bastien, so release him to the fandom where he would be loved. Kara was sobbing, knowing @mcfackenthal was right. She had begged and pleaded with her bosses and team of writers to add Bastien to The Royal Heir book one, but all they did was add a scene of Wed, Bed, or Dead. Kiara chose BED if Riley was married to Hana, Maxwell, or Liam. That infuriated her. And if Riley married Drake, Kiara chose DEAD. What the hell? Pixelberry betrayed her. The writers gave weak promises that they could work Bastien into book two, but until then, Bastien had to wait in the Pixelberry vault. It was hopeless. And Kara wasn’t going to let them get away with it. She grabbed the box off the table. The box that contained the master USB drive with Bastien’s raw files. “Do not open that box!” the lawyers screamed. But it was too late. Kara dropped the USB drive on the ground as she yelled “I love you, Bastien!” Then she ground into it with her heel. Bastien’s pixels were starting to waver. “If I can’t have you, no one can.” Then she poured her mango-flavored Bubly on the smashed drive, erasing Bastien forever. Everyone looked in horror, unable to comprehend what just happened. Most of the writers were sobbing as Kara and the lawyers silently exited the room, heading back to Pixelberry to complete a mound of corporate and legal bullshit paperwork. After they left, @emceesynonymroll quickly grabbed the soaked remnants of the drive, but it was too late. The memory chip was beyond repair, even with her computer expertise. But all was not lost. She and @sirbeepsalot quickly got on a laptop where @sirbeepsalot had a raw file saved of Bastien in a banana costume.

Edit created by the hilarious and talented @sirbeepsalot “Is it enough?” @sirbeepsalot asked. @emceesynonymroll shrugged. “It’s worth a try. And when we get him back, we’ll take better care of him than Kara and Pixelberry ever did.” She snorted with derision. “A flash drive. Seriously?” But @stopforamoment began sobbing. “No! You can’t leave him trapped in that banana suit! He hates bananas, the smell of them makes him sick, and it’s all my fault for creating that detail about him. And @sirbeepsalot only made that edit so I could write a silly drabble with Rinda teasing Bastien about hating bananas. This is cruel. He’s suffering!” @sirbeepsalot wrapped @stopforamoment in a big hug. “It’s going to be okay. I have enough raw files saved that we’ll get him out of that banana costume in no time. It was made as a joke, so it won’t actually smell like a banana. He’s going to be fine.” @jovialyouthmusic joined the group hug. “Yes, it will be fine. Well, ff there’s enough room in that costume for his huge dick.” She shook her head. “The one time I wish I hadn’t made him so well-endowed.” @bobasheebaby laughed. “Remember my NSFW ABC canon? Bastien will be VERY cramped in that costume.” She turned to @sirbeepsalot. “You know, it wouldn’t be a tragedy if you lost all the clothing files and we just had naked Bas. Just saying.” @ao719 @speedyoperarascalparty @leelee10898 and @cocomaxley walked over to reassure the group that Queen Anitah recognized the hotel room from the second book. The CGW squad already had Brad locked in a closet and they were on their way to commandeer the jet and rescue Bas—once again. They would find him before Kiara did. However, Queen Anitah did mention something about stealing @sirbeepsalot‘s other edit made for @stopforamoment. Bastien needed something to change into when they got him out of the banana costume.

Edit created by the hilarious and talented @sirbeepsalot

CHAPTER NINE

[stopforamoment]

Wacky Drabble Challenge #6 Just a Stone Drabble

TRR after Book Three Bastien Lykel and OFC Rinda Parks Word Count: 1,001

This is written for @emceesynonymroll wacky drabble challenge #6 You know you make no sense sometimes. Prompts are bolded in the story, and a shout out to @asherella-is-a-dork-3 and @bobasheebaby who brainstormed with me months ago about what kind of ring Bastien would buy for Rinda. 

Bonk gets some words of wisdom from his Knuddelbär about the kind of engagement ring Rinda would like.

Just a Stone Drabble

Bastien quickly switched screens on his phone when Henry walked into the room. “Are you looking at porn or something?” There was an impish grin on Henry’s face as he watched Bastien’s shocked expression. Bastien shook his head, quickly recovering. Henry had his mom’s quick wit and he was mature for his age, but at times it still took Bastien by surprise. “No. Just work.” Henry flopped next to Bastien on the couch. “Whatever. You never do confidential work stuff in the living room, and you looked totally freaked out when I walked in on you.” He tried reaching for Bastien’s phone, but Bastien easily evaded Henry. “It’s personal.” “So, it’s porn.” Bastien glared at Henry. “Too far, Henry.” Henry shrugged and nestled deeper into the couch as Bastien sighed. It was clear Henry wasn’t going to let this go. “You can’t keep a secret Knuddelbär. You’re worse than your mom.” Henry continued to stare, and with a sigh of resignation Bastien handed him the phone. Henry’s eyes widened. “You’re looking at rings?” Bastien blushed. “I’m just starting to. I want time to find something perfect.” Henry’s face scrunched as he looked at Bastien’s search history.

“Bonk, these are really big.”

“I want to show your mom how much I love her.”

“With an ugly ring?”

Bastien grabbed his phone from Henry, a blush creeping across his face. “They aren’t ugly.”

He looked at another picture.

“Okay. They’re ugly.” He sighed.

“You know mom doesn’t even like diamonds, and she isn’t a big jewelry person. So why are you even looking at this fancy stuff?”

Bastien squirmed uncomfortably. Henry was right. Why was he looking at such fancy rings?

Henry continued to look at Bastien. “You know you make no sense sometimes, right? Here. Let me look.”

“Okay, but I want it to have roses.”

Henry’s brow was creased as he looked at pictures, and then suddenly he grinned. “How about this one? It has roses AND skulls. That’s pretty badass.”

Bastien grabbed the phone back from Henry. “I am NOT giving your mom an engagement ring with skulls on it.” He sighed. “I know your mom doesn’t like diamonds. But I don’t want to give her an emerald out of respect to your dad. I want it to be different.”

Henry scrunched his nose as he thought for a moment. “Well, what about a ruby? No, mom hates long-stemmed red roses. Maybe pink?”

Bastien found a ring with a pink stone. It was better, but it was still big.

“Bonk, what’s with the roses? Why don’t you find something simpler?”

Bastien sighed. “I want it to have a special meaning.” Bastien was quiet for a moment. “I wish I had a family heirloom, but I don’t. So I want to find something perfect because you mom is My Tria.”

Henry nodded. “Okay, so there’s got to be rings that have roses, but aren’t that gaudy.”

They looked at a few more rings, but nothing seemed right.

“Bonk, I don’t think a rose ring is going to work. Isn’t there something else that would mean a lot? Like that necklace you gave mom after your first big fight. It just looks like a heart with a gold line through it, but you and mom know it’s kintsugi. So it means everything to her and she wears that necklace with everything, even if it doesn’t match. So something like that.” Bastien nodded. Henry was right, but he didn’t know what else to do. “Okay. So you call mom ‘Tria.’ And even if people know Greek, it’s not the full triantáfyllo. So it’s cool there’s these layers to it. Mom’s your rose, but you use the Greek word so it’s special to you. But you shortened the word so it’s a special name just for mom. And no one would ever guess what it means. So maybe the ring can be something like that. It’s not obvious, but you and mom know. That rose gold stuff popped up a lot. What if you got her a ring with rose gold? It’s not a rose, but it sort of is. And only you guys would know, so it’s a cool secret between you two. Not something obvious like a huge ugly diamond rose on a ring.”

Bastien smiled, remembering a conversation he had with Rinda when they first met. He was listening to “J'envoie Valser” and Rinda said her grandma would always sing it to her grandpa.

I see some people who give, give each other jewels . . . It's beautiful but still Those are only little stones Because you hold me very tight This is my treasure It's you, you who is worth gold

Just a stone.

Bastien began mumbling to himself. “I can’t just give her a plain gold band. No one does that.”

“Why?”

Bastien looked up in shock, unaware that Henry was listening to him.

Henry patiently repeated it. “Why? Why can’t it just be a plain gold band? When dad proposed, mom said they had no money but she didn’t care. They just wanted to be married, and they didn’t want to wait until they had the money for a fancy wedding. So why can’t it just be a plain gold band?”

Bastien felt his head spin. “Because that’s different.”

“Why?”

“Because your mom and I are older. I can afford to buy a nice ring.”

Henry rolled his eyes. “Some of these rings are thousands and thousands of dollars. Do you know how many Lego sets you could buy me?” That impish grin returned as he went in for the kill. “Or how many times you could fly grandpa and grandma here to visit—and pay for a hotel so they don’t stay with us?”

Bastien was trying so hard not to laugh. But Henry was like Rinda. He was making a joke, but he was serious.

And he was right.

Bastien really could buy Rinda a plain gold band, and it would mean everything to her.

[stopforamoment]

Pernicious Passion: Part Six

Please check out the Pernicious Passion MASTERLIST for the complete list of writers and artists who inspired this series!   Bastien Lykel belongs to Pixelberry, and Kara is a real-life talented PB writer. Events in this fic are purely fictional because this is just a fun spoof!  Author’s Note and Summary: Bastien reflects on all the fandom writers and artists who love him. It’s also a shamless plug for all of them. If I missed anyone, please send me a DM so I can add you! Links will take you to author masterlists.

Part Six (1,467 words) Bastien was lying awake on Kara’s couch, thinking about the Tumblr fics that gave so much depth to his character. The writers who advocated for him. He was so happy in those Tumblr fics. Yes, Kara was partially right. There were fandom writers who created angst in his personal life, but they still loved him as a character. @mrsnazario1223  created a series Secrets in the Dark where he struggles to free MC Elizabeth, his Bets, from the clutches of an evil Liam. In Sometimes Beginnings Start with Goodbyes, @innerpostmentality almost decimated him when Drake was hospitalized, and he felt so guilty that he missed the warning signs: How depressed Drake was after MC Giselle and Liam’s wedding. How he had been drinking more than usual. Fortunately, Duchess Olivia Nevrakis was able to comfort him. They had feelings for each other for so long, and it just happened so naturally. And @emceesynonymroll did focus on how much Queen Riley loves her King, but he is content with his secret crush on her. Besides, if enough people gently persuade and her muse agrees, there will be a follow-up series that will focus on him finding true love at last.  Yes, sometimes he experienced pain in the fan fics, but there was so much happiness. And he was so happy with his face claim, Fabricio Zunino. @cora-nova is the brilliant artist who first discovered Fabricio, and fanfic writers have been swooning over Zunino’s Instagram account ever since.

@endlessflame was the first person to write about him. His first love, Juliette, who left him because she couldn’t handle the danger of his career. And now, she writes about the sexual tension between him and Riley, and their secret rendezvous. The light between his legs began to spark. And then when he and Riley got engaged—such happiness in his life.

@riseandshinelittleblossom and her fics with him and Foxy. He adores Foxy so much, and @riseandshinelittleblossom was the one who made it canon that he made grilled cheese sandwiches with mayo on the inside so the cheese was creamier. And that he loves dancing the foxtrot to Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight.” And when Foxy dressed up for Halloween in that skimpy black outfit with the backseam stockings and garter belt? Fuck. He was amazed they even made it downstairs to their own party. @tornbetween2loves also understands that backseam stockings are his kryptonite. His Scarlet Duchess frequently takes advantage of that weakness, but he never minds. @boneandfur was the first to create a NWFW ABC list for him. It features the noblewoman he vowed to keep safe after an assassination attempt. @boneandfur’s writing is so sensual with its description, and these words never fail to make his member twitch: “I love that fucking dress, my lady. I can tell you’re not wearing any underwear. I can smell your arousal. I’m going to walk you around that corner, and then I’m going to slide my hands up your thighs and spread you apart. I’ll get on my knees and I’ll bury my face between your legs and you’re going to ride my face and scream so loud the king will give me a medal for a job well done.” Mmmm. @jovialyouthmusic. She made it canon that he was so well-endowed that the madam at a high-end brothel begged him to visit every year—for free. And his Sophia. Such a strong, beautiful woman who loves him. Who cums for him multiple times, who makes him cum harder than he ever did before. But it was more than the sex and their relationship continued to grow, and she was the one who stood by his side after his injury. Yes, she is His Goddess and His Temptress. And soon, his wife. @jovialyouthmusic’s Protect and Serve series gave him life. @lolablackwrites is such a talented writer—especially smut—and he loves being the focus of her Guarded Hearts series. How brilliant that he and MC Alice met before that fateful night at the restaurant when she met Liam. She still came to Cordonia, not realizing he was there. But he is so glad she did because Alice has a sarcastic sense of humor. She’s intelligent. Sexy. He loves their playful banter and how she understands his literary references when he sends her text messages. Their relationship has already overcome so many challenges, but he asked Alice to move in with him, and he knows she’s the one he will marry. @likethetailofacomet has two series that he especially enjoys. The series Learning to Love Again focuses on Drake and MC Claire, but he is featured several times throughout. However, he frequently thought about his long-lost love Annabelle in that series. What he lost because of his duty to the Crown. Fortunately @likethetailofacoment wanted to explore that a bit further. That’s what prompted her to start a second series, called The Broken Bits, that explores their relationship 21 years ago and hints that perhaps their love will have a second chance. And @sirbeepsalot. She gave him a passionate, yet tender relationship with Olivia, his mon doudou. He was always an important part of Liam, Drake, and Olivia’s family. Bastien smiled as he thought of their children—Jackson, Stella, and Estel. He is their Papa Bas. He also started as Olivia’s lover, but their relationship developed into something more. Now they are their own family, and his mon doudou recently gave birth to his daughter Odette. Yes, he is a very happy man. Then there were the other fics that made him a father. @blackwidow2721 focuses on his daughter in the series Playing with Fire. Cami is beautiful and headstrong, and he is so lucky he can trust Drake to be a gentleman with her and also scare off Liam, Leo, and Maxwell. He can trust Drake, right?

@bobasheebaby did cause him pain in some of her series, but overall her muse treated him well. In Crimson Rain he is a mob boss who adopted Olivia when she was a child. Then he discovered he has another daughter, Hope, and they are developing a strong relationship. But Liza. Poppy. His true love. After the heartache of several miscarriages, he was going to be a father again. Her name is Sage Lana, and the entire family—including their adorable dog Buttons (Butt) and cat Pickles—are over the moon. Then there’s @stopforamoment’s slow burn with Rinda. In the series he and Rinda are still dating and they’ve created a loving family with her son, now his son too, Henry. But @stopforamoment is already starting to write drabbles where they’re married (she knows how they get there, but there are other projects keeping her busy—sorry). Rinda is in her 40s and they both agree they are happy with Henry and don’t need to expand their family, so he will get a vasectomy. But @stopforamoment ‘s muse already created a crazy-train drabble to explain how they could get pregnant even though he had a vasectomy. He, Rinda, and Henry are also going to be in a Choices Crossover collaboration that features characters from The Royal Romance, The Crown and the Flame, Blood Bound, Perfect Match, The Haunting of Braidwood Manor, Veil of Secrets, and The Freshman series. Ferals and matches will overrun Cordonia, and the characters must work together to save Cordonia. @kennaxval thought of the idea, and he’s working with @begging-for-kamilah, @sawyeroakleyscowboyhat , @scalpeljockeybrycelahela, @strangerofbraidwood, @stopforamoment, and @tornbetween2loves to bring this story to life. @innerpostmentality and @tornbetween2loves collaborate to create an AU titled Arcana Unbound that focuses on the next generation of Cordonia: the children of King Liam Rys and his Queen Hyclea, Drake and Meridoc Walker, Leo and Katie Rys, Duchesses Riley Brooks and Hana Lee, and yes. His children too. He, Bastien Lykel—the head of the Royal Guard, married Duchess Olivia Nevrakis and became a duke. His daughter Sarissa wants to follow in his footsteps, joining the Royal Guard and protecting her King. However, life may have other plans for her. His son Xiphos inherited his dark looks and Olivia’s emerald green eyes. Xiphos is known as a playboy, but he will find someone who sees him for who he truly is. And Bastien knows his popularity was growing. He welcomed a new writer to the Bastien fandom: @applevictorianico  Her series Bruises is only a prologue and two chapters in, but already other writers in the fandom are swooning over her description of him as a father who was reunited with his daughter on her 21st birthday. There is so much mystery about his past, and his daughter’s past, that will be a wild ride for the fandom. His daughter Roxy has her own impressive military career in the United States Army and shares his sense of loyalty. And grey eyes. It’s so much to keep track of, but fortunately @mfackenthal of The McFackenthal Show is the president of his fan club. He will always be taken care of in the Tumblr fandom.

Bastien sighed. It was going to be difficult ending things with Kara, but their love now had the bitter taste of the first crop of Cordonian Ruby apples. It was intense at first, but it had become an acquired taste. He now knew what needed to be done. A/N If I missed anyone, please send me a DM so I can add you to the list. If any tags or links are wonky, please let me know. Thanks!

CHAPTER SEVEN

[stopforamoment]

Scout Camp, Summer 2019

A Bonk and Knuddelbär Drabble My masterlist is at the end of my bio.

Word Count: 295 Rating: M for Language

Author’s Note: Obligatory disclaimer that Pixelberry Studios owns the TRR characters and my pocketbook with those darn diamond scenes. OCs with all of their quirks are all mine. My apologies if Tumblr or I do something stupid when I try to post this. The keep reading link shows up on my laptop but not my phone. Ugh. Thank you @asherella-is-a-dork-3 and @bobasheebaby  for always being my sounding board! Thank you @silviasutton1989 ​ @riseandshinelittleblossom​ @tornbetween2loves @sirbeepsalot @innerpostmentality @kennaxval @strangerofbraidwood @sawyeroakleyscowboyhat @begging-for-kamilah @teamtomsato @jovialyouthmusic for still being a part of the journey!

Author’s Note and Drabble Info: My son just got back from scout camp, and I was inspired by one of the stories he told me. I know Fabricio is wearing a cub scout uniform in the picture, not an actual scout master’s uniform. But do we really care?

Summer Camp, 2019 

Bastien willed himself through the next few minutes that would test his resolve. Rinda warned him that scout camp would be a week of hell for the scout masters, and she seduced him with the promise of waking him up with a blow job the morning after he returned. However, it should have been a red flag when Tria promised her Tiger that she would also try to swallow.  Overall, Bastien loved the camp experience. Bonding with Henry and his friends. Helping the boys and girls earn merit badges, mentoring them to become responsible young men and women.  Bastien had extensive experience with outdoor survival skills. He helped raise Drake. He was Leo’s personal guard for several years. But this? A week of scout camp was a whole new level.  There were over 50 scouts crammed into the dining hall for lunch, and every day the music playlist was the same. The kids were laughing and singing along while they ate with their friends. But there was the one song—the song that Rinda knew about. And she knew what the scouts did when it played.  Bastien hated Neil Diamond, and every day they played “Sweet Caroline.” And every day the scouts sang the chorus out loud, at the top of their lungs, banging their silverware and cups, creating a cacophony of noise that threatened to make his ears bleed.  

Fuck. Here we go.  “Sweet Caroline!”

Henry made eye contact with Bastien while he slammed his empty food tray on the table to the familiar chords. Bang! Bang! Bang! Then Henry winked at Bastien, and Bastien chuckled as he winked back.  “Good times never seemed so good . . .”

So good . . . so good . . . so good . . .

(Wishing there was alcohol in it . . .)