#fic: Smoke and Mirrors

[getvalentined]

@skadren tumblr isn't letting me answer your ask no matter what I do so I'm just gonna put it here!

✄ DVD BONUS: pick a fic and I’ll describe or write a deleted scene!

So I actually have a probably-forever-unfinished interquel for Smoke and Mirrors that covers "the 'Vincent Valentine assassinating the board' thing" as it was referred to in the epilogue; the pacing on it is fifty shades of inconsistent, which just one of the reasons it will probably never be finished, but I think it applies in this context since it takes place between the final two installments of the fic!

This excerpt is quite long, so I'm gonna put it behind a cut!

[ for the fic ask game part 2 ]

———

Hojo went down fast.

It was honestly a surprise how quickly it happened, given the time and effort it had taken to arrange for the hit in the first place. He raised his head, blinked, something like recognition flickering across his deeply lined features—and then in a now-familiar quartet of gunshots, he was dead. Strange, that someone who was responsible for so much harm would go down so quickly. It almost seemed…merciful, if Cloud thought about it. Particularly considering what he’d done to the man from whom those gunshots originated.

Cloud holstered his own weapon—a newer model Quicksilver, descendant of the one responsible for today’s carnage—and straightened up from where he’d been lying in wait.

“Smooth,” he said plainly, making his way over and stopping just to one side of the body, putting his hands on his hips. “Almost think it was too fast, though.”

“Perhaps,” came the deep rumble of the aggressor, still standing less than a meter away, having morphed in from the dark in a swirl of scarlet to enact his revenge mere seconds before. “Unfortunately, the more time these things take, the more opportunity there is for mistakes.” He stepped over in one long stride to stand closer to Cloud, the professor’s corpse in a heap between them, and surveyed the body for a long moment. Slightly mismatched and brightly glowing eyes narrowed, tilting his head slightly to one side as he looked for something, Vincent eventually seemed to come away satisfied. He raised his head to look at Cloud, eyebrows arching slightly, expression more open and deep voice a note lighter when he spoke. “You should contact Lazard.”

Cloud made a low noise not unlike frustration. “Ugh, yeah. On it.”

He pulled the phone from the interior pocket of his jacket, flipping it open and typing the number in manually. The device was leagues behind his usual mobile with regard to functionality, but it didn’t need to be anything but a phone, and couldn’t be allowed to transmit any data that could facilitate identification or tracking of its owner.

Two rings before the other line picked up, and Cloud mentally counted down from three before speaking clearly to the empty air on the other side. “Hey, real quick, do you know what time the bar closes?”

Counting silently, Cloud measured exactly two seconds of silence. “If you’re good with a pick, it’s open all night,” came a smooth, familiar voice in response, deep in a way that didn’t even come close to Vincent’s lower register, upplate accent crisp enough to straddle the line of artificial as he flawlessly delivered the counter to Cloud’s own passphrase. With confirmation that both sides of the conversation were secure, Cloud let out a soft sigh of relief in spite of himself. Lazard chuckled in reply. “Relax. How did it go?”

“Smooth,” Cloud said, echoing his earlier assessment. “Quick.”

“Too bad,” Lazard lamented. “You’re professionals, so I shouldn’t have expected anything different, but it’s still a shame.”

Cloud gave a noncommittal hum, internally agreeing but externally leaving Lazard to his own opinions. The compliment to his presumed professionalism was nice, particularly given Cloud’s minimal experience in comparison to his partner. “He’s down, that’s what matters.”

“Of course.” The disappointment in his tone was palpable even from thousands of miles away. Cloud couldn’t blame him, knowing just how much Hojo had to answer for, but it wasn’t Lazard’s decision how much Hojo suffered any more than it was Cloud’s—if there was anyone on the planet who deserved to make that call, it was Vincent, and Vincent had chosen punctuality over pain. “You’ll be all right getting back?”

“Yep,” Cloud reassured, intentionally light on the details. Lazard was in charge of the operation, but it was far more secure for him to leave logistics and movements to Cloud and Vincent; just as Cloud wasn’t aware of exactly where Lazard was, Lazard didn’t know exactly how Cloud and Vincent had gotten into the Drum undetected. The success of this first decisive move in Lazard’s long game to demolish and rebuild Shinra from the inside proved the efficacy of their respective informational limitations and allowed them a level of succinctness that would have been impossible otherwise. “Vincent will debrief next time he sees you.”

“Tell him I’ll be at number eleven.”

“Eleven,” Cloud confirmed, raising his eyes at last in search of Vincent, checking to see if he’d overheard.

What he found was the older man kneeling over Hojo with his armored left hand hovering just over the bloom of crimson in the back of his lab coat; as Cloud watched, a glimmer of green flickered into being around the injury’s exit wound, little sparkles that turned lazy circles as a weak thread of light coiled up between them. The reflection danced up and down the metal of Vincent’s gauntlet as more delicate lines joined the first, coiling up over Vincent’s hand, between his long fingers, up the metal shell covering his forearm.

“Have a good night,” Lazard continued. “Both of you.” With a click, the line disconnected.

The lights playing their way up Vincent’s arm went still for a half-second, shivered in place, then flashed bright red and disappeared all at once.

Cloud flipped his phone shut, still staring at Vincent, who straightened back up as if he hadn’t done anything at all.

What was that?

———

Other issues with getting this written are that a lot of it is...boring? I mean I don't think it's boring, but I think pretty much everyone else would. I have the entire new board worked out, details on how everyone was recruited and brought on and how departments are split up and restructured—which is a big part of breaking Shinra's powerbase, and that's really the point of the story. However I am aware that most people in this fandom aren't really into that kind of stuff in a longform fic, so I figure it's best kept to myself. I'd be happy to answer more questions about if it anyone has them, even outside the context of an ask game, but I'm also pretty happy just chewing on it on my own.

If I did ever actually write it, it probably wouldn't be until after I've finished RTGT, so it'd be a long way out anyway.

[tessa-liam]

Royal Adventures

All Hallow's Eve

Chapter 1

Book: Choices, The Royal Romance Series Finale

A Smoke & Mirrors Series Alternate Universe

Pairing:

King Liam Rys x F!MC Queen Riley Brooks-Rys

Series Inspiration: Royal Misadventures Smoke & Mirrors series 1-shot 

Series Premise: 12-year-old Crown Princess Eleanor Rys of Cordonia has officially started her Royal education. Tutors that had been personally selected by His Majesty King Liam Rys and Queen Riley Rys were set to begin her royal lessons, and her days were packed full. The young princess was a natural leader, and the King and Queen could not be prouder.   

Rating:  M, not Beta'd-please excuse all errors    

Category: On-going series, fluff 

Warnings: swearing, drinking 

Most Characters belong to Pixelberry Studios 

Chapter Summary: Ellie enlists help from her uncles, Leo and Maxwell to pull off a Halloween prank on her uncle Drake...with two unexpected situations that may spoil her fun...maybe. 

Words: 2.0 k

Royal Adventures 

All Hallow’s Eve, chapter 1 

Cordonian Royal Palace

"Ellie, you're so funny," William howled in laughter. 

"It'll be great," Eleanor insisted, her eyes lighting up with excitement. After describing her plans to her brothers, she was determined to make her idea happen. 

"Drake will never see it coming," Stefan agreed, giggling. 

"Okay, now I need Uncle Leo and Uncle Maxwell." Puling out her phone, Ellie tapped -

Ramsford Country Club - Golf course, 11th hole

"Nice swing, Your Majesty," Drake smirked slyly. 

Liam chuckled, "I can't believe it took us so long to do this." 

"Yeah, well, ruling a country takes a lot of time," Drake laughed. 

Handing his club to his caddy, Liam sighed, "So, what do you think of the club? 

"I have to admit, it's pretty awesome." 

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."  Liam took a swig of water.

"I could get used to this," Drake replied, sipping on a cold beer. 

"We should do this more often." 

"That would be great, Li" 

Liam's phone vibrated, and he pulled it out to answer a call from his daughter...

'Hi, Daddy, can you give Uncle Drake a message?' 

'What is it, Princess?' 

'Tell him - Gotcha.' 

Chuckling, Liam replied ...

'Okay, sweetheart. I will.'

He put his phone away, with a puzzled look, and decided not to question her. 

"Ellie ... wanted me to tell you ... 'Gotcha'." 

Noticing Liam's expression --"What is it?" Drake asked with hesitation. 

"I'm not entirely sure, Drake. Give her a call later. Riley is planning a surprise party tonight for the kids."

Drake looked puzzled. "What the hell does that mean?" 

Grabbing another club from the caddy, Liam shook his head. "Yeah, well ... she has a costume waiting for me to wear."

"Really? ...they are going to enjoy an American tradition...New York style."  Drake chortled, "Knowing Riley, she will pull out all the stops."

Snickering, Drake added, "I want to hear all about it."

Liam raised an eyebrow, "That's a hard NO! Now, let's finish up our round." 

"Sure, Your Majesty."  Drake continued to snicker.

Meanwhile, in the clearing behind Drake's cabin. 

"Okay, Ellie, you're the mastermind, what do you need us to do?" asked Leo. 

"We're gonna need a ton of fake spiders, some black cloth, and lots of fake cobwebs." 

"On it!" Maxwell cheered. I had all the supplies dropped off after he left for the golf course.

"And the fog machine!" Ellie looked pleased, as Maxwell uncovered a cage beside it.

"That's diabolical!" Leo sneered as he opened a box of plastic bats and spiders.

"...and ... la meillure partie."  (the best part)...

"Perfect," she giggled. 

"What else, Ellie?" 

"Hmmm. I know, we can add sound effects for the bats, and the fan will swirl and make the spiders come alive." 

"How'd you get these ideas anyway, Ell?"

"From the best horror movie ever made," she replied proudly. 

"Which one is that?" asked Leo. 

"Nightwing." 

"That's an old movie, isn't it?" 

"Yes, it is," she replied, "but it's the best." 

"I'm surprised the nanny let you watch that," said Maxwell. 

"She didn't. Mom did, though." 

"Oh, man, your mother's gonna kill me," Leo groaned. 

"Don't worry, Uncle Leo, this will be so worth it," Ellie giggled. 

"I'm still not sure about this, kid. You really want to pull this prank on Uncle Drake?" 

"Trust me, Uncle Max, I promise I won't tell anyone," She insisted. 

"If you say so, kid." 

"All right, Ellie, we're ready," Leo called out. 

"Awesome, let's get started."

They placed the fake spiders all around the cabin and draped the black cloth over the furniture. 

"What's next?" 

"We need to put the real bats in the rafters." 

"The real bats? How did you find those?" Maxwell gasped. "That is so cool!" 

"I ...may have asked one of the menagerie guards in Valtoria." she replied proudly. 

"Damn, Ellie," Leo cackled. "I am so proud of you!" 

"Thanks, Uncle Leo. Now, let's get started." 

After their plan was set in motion, they hid behind the bushes and waited outside of Drake's log cabin. 

As the fog machine began to create a thick haze around the cabin, the lights inside flickered on and off, and the sounds of bats echoed throughout all the rooms inside. 

"Holy crap," exclaimed Leo. 

"It looks like the set of a horror movie." 

"It's perfect," Ellie beamed. 

"Wait until he comes back." 

"What do we do then?" asked Leo. 

"Hide, of course. I'll tell you when to jump out." 

"Sounds good to me." 

***

Drake was exhausted after his round of golf with Liam. He couldn't wait to relax by the fire with a cold beer and some good music. Not paying particular attention to the fog outside.

However, when he walked into the cabin, his entire body went rigid. 

He was met by a sea of cobwebs and fake, moving spiders. 

The lights flickered, and the sound of bats echoed through the air. 

"What the fuck?!" 

Trying the light switch, Drake felt something flutter on his head. 

"This is not fucking funny!" 

He searched the cabin but found no one. 

"Come out, now!" 

Suddenly, the front door slammed shut, and Drake was trapped inside in the dark. 

"This isn't funny anymore!" 

"Whoever did this is going to be grounded until their kids have kids!" 

"I'm serious, now!" 

Drake's blood was boiling, and he was fuming. 

"I don't have time for this bullshit!" 

Suddenly, the music began to blare, and the fog machine created a thick haze. 

The sound of bats echoed throughout the area, and the lights flickered on and off. 

Drake was furious, and he stomped over to the stereo, slamming his fist on the button. 

The music stopped, and the cabin fell silent. 

But the real bats kept flying, and the sounds of bat chirps were all around him. He grabbed a broom and began to knock them down. 

"Fucking bats!" he screamed. 

"Who the hell thought this was a good idea?" 

"It's not fucking funny, Ellie! If you're watching this, it's not fucking funny! Your dad is going to hear about this!" 

Drake was so angry that he didn't notice the front door open, and he was oblivious to the footsteps approaching. 

"Drake?" Liam called out. 

"Fuck!"  Drake jumped at the sound of Liam's voice, and his heart nearly stopped. 

"What the hell are you doing here?" 

"I came to check on you. I heard your yells when I dropped off your clubs on the porch. You forgot them in the SUV." 

"I'm fine," he grumbled. 

"Why is it so dark in here?" 

"It was like this when I came in." 

"I see. So, you're hiding from the spiders." 

"Fuck no! I'm not afraid of fucking spiders!" 

"Okay, then let's turn on the lights and get rid of these." 

"Fine."  Drake exhaled loudly.

Liam flipped the switch, and the cabin was bathed in light. 

"Better?" 

"Yes, much better." 

"Good. Now, why don't we have a seat and relax." 

"Fine." 

They sat on the couch, and Drake poured himself a drink. 

"So, do you have any idea who could've done this?" 

"Not entirely sure," Drake sighed, taking a sip of his whiskey. 

"Well, it was a clever prank." 

"A clever prank? It's not funny, Li." 

"Of course not. But, come on, Drake. You have to admit, it was creative." 

"It was not fucking funny. Someone needs to ground her." 

"Who? 

"Eleanor." 

"My Ellie? She did this?" 

"That's it?" 

"I think she had some help from Leo and Maxwell. She sent that message 'gotcha' to me, and I'm sure they helped her pull this off." 

"Yeah, that's it. And I know for a fact that this was her." 

"How?" 

"Because she's the only one who can get away with shit like this."

"Drake, come on, she's just a little girl." 

"She's twelve, Liam, and she's too smart for her own good. She is just like her mother." 

"Hey, I resent that." 

"It's the truth. Your wife is always coming up with some scheme or another, and now, Eleanor is doing the same thing." 

"Look, Drake, I understand you're upset, but I'm sure she didn't mean any harm." 

"You're not the one that was almost scared to death by bats."

"It could've been worse." 

"Yeah, well, it wasn't. It was just a stupid prank." 

"Look, Drake, I'll talk to her. But, come on, it's Halloween, and she's only twelve. Cut her some slack." 

Drake breathed out loudly, hanging his head.

"I'll make sure she apologizes to you, too."

"Well, I can't argue with that." 

"That's all I ask... now, I need a fucking drink." 

As the two friends relaxed by the fire, Drake decided to let his guard down and enjoy the moment. 

He couldn't believe Eleanor was able to pull off a prank like that. She had to have had help. He knew she had a mischievous side, but he never expected her to be so bold. 

"Well, I'm glad you find this amusing," Drake grumbled looking at Liam.

Liam, on the other hand, was amused by the whole situation. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself at the thought of his daughter scaring Drake. 

"Drake, come on, the princess just wanted to have a little fun. And, let's face it, you can be a bit of a grouch sometimes." 

"Gee, thanks." 

"It's the truth. And you know it." 

"Fine, I may have been a bit grumpy. But that doesn't excuse the fact that she scared the shit out of me." 

"Again, she's only twelve, and you were in no danger. I'll talk to her." 

"Good, thank you." 

As the two friends relaxed by the fire, Drake couldn't help but wonder what else the princess would get up to in the future.

"Here's to Eleanor Rys and her sense of humor," Liam said proudly, raising his glass. 

"May she always find joy in life, even if it's at the expense of others." 

"And here's to you, Liam, for putting up with me," Drake chuckled. 

"Cheers." 

They clinked their glasses together and drank deeply, enjoying each other's company. 

They had no idea that their princess had already hatched a new scheme in her head, and she was determined to get the upper hand on her uncle Leo. 

It was going to be a long Halloween season. 

As Drake and Liam enjoyed their drinks, the princess and her uncles were having a celebration of their own outside the cabin. 

"Did you see his face?" Leo chuckled. 

"That was epic," Maxwell added. 

"You were brilliant, Ellie," said Leo. 

"Thanks, Uncle Leo," Ellie giggled and hugged her uncles.

"Happy Halloween." 

@choicesficwriterscreations

@choicescommunityevents

🍁tags in the comments

[whatwooshkai]

rough night

bonus:

[moonshynecybin]

morning glory (8136 words) by appalachianpie Relationships: Marc Marquez/Valentino Rossi Additional Tags: Genderbend, some mild dysphoria, 2016 MotoGP season Summary: When Marc wakes up, he’s in the hospital. His body doesn’t feel right.   Or: Marc gets turned into a girl. He deals with it as only Marc can.

hello everybody i have finished my rosquez temporary genderbend fic go give it a read if youre nastayyyyy

[13eyond13]

Literally do not have to be a genius to accurately write any of the Death Note geniuses. You just have to be good at thinking of ways to subtly be an underhanded bitch who plays the most embarrassing games of chicken you've ever seen

[joycieillustrations]

He understands her silent look; he always does.

A moment from chapter two of my fic salt and smoke 💕

Please do not repost without my permission!

[practically-an-x-man]

lol understandable! tell me about the Celtic AU first then pleeeeease! <3333

Oooooh you got it!!!

Here's the link to that AU idea one more time, and here's the original ask game that sparked it

(also I'm using the Gaeilge forms of their names to make it somewhere near historically-accurate, so Alex is Alsander and Madison is Maitín)

____

His skin still smoked in wake of the battle. The sun beat down on him, heavy upon his shoulders and scorching his already pink and blistered flesh. He had been wandering for some time now, leaving blood and burnt earth far behind him.

Alsander mag Shamhradháin was perhaps the strongest warrior since the time of Cú Chulainn, and held just as much of the sun's power beneath his skin.

But still he was human, and in battle he had overexerted himself.

As he wandered, he felt as though he had been scoured. Something within was now burnt, and every step brought him pain. He'd have given the world to find water or ice, something to cool the sun's radiance from where it cast flames within him.

Every battle was like this. It was not only his enemies that came and saw and conquered. Alsander was a dominating force, a near-god who brought the heat of battle into its most literal, though he felt more of himself crumble to ash with every time he spread his flames.

Exhausted, on the brink of collapse, he hardly noticed the river until he was ankle-deep in its frigid water. The far side of his mind, what remained that was still human, warned him of illness and water to the lungs. But that smoking, cracked husk, what was burnt and blackened from the flames, saw the water only as a temptation.

Alsander simply crumbled.

His consciousness lapsed, and he dreamed he saw a woman drifting through the icy depths. She seemed to be made of glass, some ethereal beauty nearly vanishing into the water around her, and her touch brought cooling relief as she stroked his blistered skin. Then came her lips, pressing breath into his lungs when he nearly drowned, her touch both giving and greedy.

He woke on the shores, cool water still lapping at his skin. What was scoured within him now felt cooled, tamed, brought into dormancy until at least the next battle. The sun above him had been shielded behind thick gray clouds, though no rain yet fell. Alsander felt cold, though cold as in the first snow of winter. It had been long since he'd felt anything but heat.

What he'd thought was the tide instead resolved itself into a human touch, chilly fingers walking gently across his bare chest. Alsander brought himself to wakefulness and found his glass-woman sitting above him.

"A burned man chooses to drown in my river," she murmured, "Yet he is the only thing that has let my river remain my own."

"Your river?" he echoed, still too entranced to find the words he wished to speak. She did not seem so glasslike in the light, not so invisible, but shapes like sunlit water danced across her skin. Her hair and eyes seemed like the surface of the river itself, a reflective gray that showed him his own visage.

"My river," she repeated again, "Having not been claimed by their Lympha or their Camenae. You scoured them before they could reach me. I thank you for that."

There came that word again. Scoured. The same scouring light that festered within him, the same light that had defended these borders and swept battalions into their fields of purgatory. She knew what lay deep in his chest, beyond his heart.

"Your name?" he asked, and sat up to find that his skin was clear and undamaged. If he could not still smell the smoke lingering high in the air, he'd have imagined the battle had never happened.

"Maitín Dubhghlas," she said, "Of the Abhainn na Sionainne. And yours?"

"Alsander mag Shamhradháin," he replied, "Of Lugh."

[flame-hair]

Smoke and Mirrors:

Chapter 23 Out Now!

[sapphire-drawings]

Now that I think about it, you know that don't starve is set in 1914 or something, right? So while the survivors are in Constant on their world, World War I continues.

What do you think it would be like if they leave The Constant, will it be after WW1 or in another scenario where The Constant has another time rhythm, will they arrive on time or before WW1?

Wasn't Wilson taken away in 1930 or so? Isn't that canon lore somewhere?

They would've already lived WW I and I like the idea Wilson served as a surgeon during war (COUGH COUGH SMOKE & MIRRORS), and Wolfgang participated too for that unused skin of his.

So if they skip a few years when they leave the Constant they could be on time for WW II and I think it would only make easier the decision to just stay as far away from society as possible and build their own little village

Most of them had rough lives, they lived war, lived and died a thousand times in hell. Just let them breath and be happy for a moment

Anyway, have a little Happy-Post-Constant-Ending piece

One day. . . I'll fucking learn to use colors. . .

[goldeneyedgirl]

Assignments submitted and whilst I do have two drafts for future assignments to get started on, I have two weeks off. So have a mystery snippet of an upcoming chapter.

“She’s not a threat to you or Charlotte,” Jasper tried again. Peter lets out a bark of laughter. “I’m not worried, Jasper,” he says, and the words are dark. It’s a warning to Jasper how far he will go if he feels like his hand is forced. It’s the same voice that Jasper used that night, when Peter said that Charlotte was running whether Peter did or not. “Don’t.” His mouth feels dry. “She’s family, Pete. She’s not going to hurt anyone.”

[getvalentined]

Smoke and Mirrors ║ Seven: Ontogenetic Niche Shift + Epilogue: Post-Mortem ⤳

Chapters: 7/7 + epilogue Fandom: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII Rating: Explicit Warnings: Author Chose Not To Warn Relationships: Genesis Rhapsodos/Sephiroth Characters: Cloud Strife, Zack Fair, Claudia Strife, Sephiroth, Genesis Rhapsodos Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Smut, Medicinal Drug Use, Recreational Drug Use, Nibelheim Incident (Compilation of FFVII), Graphic Depictions of Illness, Degradation (Compilation of FFVII), Averting the Nibelheim Incident With:, Weed, Blowjobs, Threesome - M/M/M, featuring C/G/S, Praise Kink, Bottom Sephiroth (Compilation of FFVII), Top Genesis Rhapsodos, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Timeskip, Other Characters Not Mentioned in Tags, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, See Epilogue for Details

Finding the end of the journey.

———

And that's a wrap, folks. This update is actually two in one, as it's the final chapter (15k words) and the epilogue (7.5k words). And with that, Smoke and Mirrors is officially complete.

Thank you all for coming along on this ride with me. I hope it was worth the wait.

———

[tessa-liam]

Royal Adventures 

-Prologue- 

Book: Choices, The Royal Romance Series Finale +     A Smoke & Mirrors Series Alternate Universe

Pairing: King Liam Rys x F!MC Queen Riley Brooks-Rys OTP 

Rating: Teen, not beta’d-please excuse all errors    

Category: On-going series, fluff 

Warnings: a few swear words 

Most Characters belong to Pixelberry 

Music Inspiration: I Want It That Way, Backstreet Boys 

Series Inspiration: Royal Misadventures, A Smoke & Mirrors 1-shot 

Smoke & Mirrors Masterlist

My Main Masterlist

Series Premise: A collection of stories of the journey 12-year-old Crown Princess Eleanor Rys of Cordonia indertakes as she officially starts her Royal education. Tutors and advisors, that had been personally selected by Their Majesties King Liam Rys and Queen Riley Rys, were set to begin her royal lessons, and her days were packed full of knowledge. The young princess was a natural leader, and the King and Queen could not be more proud of their daughter.   

Royal Adventures 

-Prologue- 

Busy days turned into busy evenings when Ellie Rys enjoyed her free time. As a 12-year-old, her parents wanted her to enjoy her childhood as long as she could, but the Crown Princess' life was going to change forever when she would reach her coming of age, and she would be required to take her place at court, as her father had taken previously. 

Ellie knew her parents had a strong bond, and their love for one another was the reason their country had remained at peace for well over a decade. The Princess had always felt safe and secure, knowing she was loved and cherished. 

Ellie didn't have a typical royal upbringing and was a carefree and happy child.  Liam was more than happy that his children had an American mother as a role model, that grew up in a world of freedom.

She didn't have the same pressures that other royal children had, but the pressure would eventually start to mount in the next few years as she would grow older and need to learn more about the world and her duties of a future Queen.

Liam and Riley made it a point to ensure their kids were well-adjusted and had a happy childhood. 

They'd taken trips all over the world, and their favorite place was New York, where they'd visited during the last Christmas season. 

Ellie had seen the Rockefeller Center Tree, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and the Staten Island Ferry. However, what she enjoyed the most was the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Broadway musical 'Wicked'. 

She'd been mesmerized by the performances and sang along to the music. Liam and Riley couldn't help but chuckle at their daughter's enthusiasm. 

"What?" she'd asked innocently, with her big blue eyes and her cute dimples. 

"You remind me of myself at your age," Liam replied, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her close. 

"I can't wait until we go back to New York," she'd exclaimed, as the family flew back to Cordonia on their private jet.

"Me either, Princess, but we'll make sure you have many more happy memories at home," Liam said, and planted a kiss on the top of her head. 

*** 

Liam walked into his study, after he escorted Ellie to the royal library for her first royal lesson. As he watched his daughter attentively listen and interact with the history tutor, the pride he felt was all consuming. He couldn't believe his little girl was growing up so fast. It seemed like only yesterday when he and Riley were watching their newborn daughter take her first steps. 

It was later in the afternoon when he looked up from his laptop to see Riley's soft smile as she walked in and closed the door behind her. 

"Hello, love. How was Ellie's lesson?" Liam stood and walked around his desk to greet his wife with a kiss.

"It was great, Li ... she's a natural. The tutor was impressed." Riley grinned as Liam smiled wide.

"Of course, she is. She's a Rys." 

"She's just like her father. Always eager to learn new things," Riley teased, kissing him softly in return. 

"And her mother. Ellie has the heart of a fighter, and she's smart, brave, and kind." 

"I hope she's ready for all of this. It's a lot to handle."  Riley sighed, biting her lip.

"She will be. She's surrounded by love and support, and we will always be here for her." 

*** 

Ellie's first day was going well, until ....

Leo had a mischievous grin on his face as he crept towards the library. 

"Leo, what are you up to?" Maxwell asked as he noticed him peering through the gap between the double solid oak doors of the Royal library.

"SSHHH! ... You'll see," he replied in a hushed tone.

"Come on, man, don't pull anything stupid," Drake warned him as he walked up to join Maxwell.

"Just watch and learn, boys." 

Leo peeked through the space and saw the tutor reading a textbook to Ellie. He knew it would only be a few minutes before the lesson was over, and he had to act fast. 

He reached into his bag and pulled out a remote control.

Leo found a way to sneak a glitter bomb into the library without anyone noticing earlier in the day. He'd done it a million times at parties, and he knew it would create a big mess. 

"This is going to be epic," he muttered. 

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Drake whispered.

"Oh, come on, Drake, it's harmless. I've done this tons of times. Watch and learn, boys. " 

"Fine, we'll see," Maxwell shrugged. 

Leo took a deep breath, and with one flick of his wrist, the balloon was triggered and exploded with a loud pop.

As it burst, the glitter covered everything, and the sound of the balloon burst startled everyone. 

The tutor had a look of horror on her face, and Eleanor was shocked, standing up and moving quickly away from the table.

"Oh no," Leo whispered. 

"This is not what I was expecting. Shit." 

"Well, you better think of something quick," Drake shouted.

Through the gap in the door, Ellie spotted her uncle. Her brow furrowed, she pushed the heavy oak door forward.

"I can't believe you, Uncle Leo," Eleanor scowled, "you've ruined my first royal lesson." 

"I'm sorry, El, it was supposed to be a harmless prank." Leo looked at his neice regretfully.

"Well, you ruined everything. I can't even look at you right now. " 

"I'm so sorry. I was just trying to make things fun. I was always bored in these sessions, and I was just trying to lighten the mood." 

"You are the worst Uncle, ever, you know that?"

Leo raised his eyebrows and chuckled. "Oh, come on Ellie, you know it's all in good fun." Ellie was fuming, "Uncle Leo, you've made me feel awful, and I can't believe you would embarrass me like that."  

"Hey...hey, Ellie, don't be upset. You have nothing to be ashamed of." 

"Really? How can you say that after what you did? I want Daddy to be proud of me. I want it that way!" 

Crossing her arms, Ellie stared down her uncle, smirking, "wait till mom finds out!" 

"Wait, you wouldn't. Not your favorite uncle," Leo pleaded. 

"Maybe, maybe not, depends how you behave from now on." 

"Alright, I'll do anything, just don't tell your parents." 

"Anything?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"I will not be your servant again, though."  Leo thought back to an earlier prank gone wrong, and shuddered.

"Then don't mess with my lessons again! Deal?" 

"Deal."  Leo sighed.

Drake and Maxwell were speechless as they watched their friend and their niece, banter with each other.

"Wow, El, you've got your uncle Leo wrapped around your little finger."

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Max. I'm a reformed man." Leo admonished.

"Yeah, whatever you say, Leo." Drake snorted.

"Okay, okay, free drinks at the beer garden. Now ... are you two going to help me clean up or not?"

✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

📌tagging my perma's in the notes❣️

📌please let me know if you would like to be tagged for this series❣️

[whatwooshkai]

Ok, my first time asking. 23

hi

Boulder has good reflexes. Great reflexes, even.

You needed them in the mines- in the event of a collapse or break, you needed to get your bumper out of that tunnel before the command even registered in your processor.

So, all this is to say, they've already moved six feet away by the time the datapad smashes against the wall where their head once was.

Chase shouts something in Iaconi that Heatwave sarcastically talks over in Kaonite. They didn't know universal translators could short out like that, but evidently, they can.

They don't even know what the fight is about, and neither does Blades, who has a pillow over his helm and pressed to his audials.

It's not like Heatwave and Chase have never fought before. They're always at each other's throats, bickering constantly over small things. But for every fight, they fall into recharge in the library doing homework together.

This one is different. They and Blades should probably leave... they would've already, if Heatwave and Chases weren't blocking the door.

Heatwave grabs another datapad to throw at Chase, and this time, the policebot acts, grabbing Heatwave's wrist and trying to shove him away. Heatwave shoves him back and Chase slams into the door, one doorwing getting caught behind him with a sickening crack.

The two stare at each other for a second, hackles raised. Heatwave moves forward slowly, before reaching behind Chase to look at the doorwing.

Chase lets him, still tensed up, as Heatwave continues his inspection in silence. And then he tweaks it.

It's an accident, it's clearly an accident, but Boulder is more than familiar with the raw and primal fear that suddenly shoots through his field as Chase sinks his fangs into Heatwave's forearm.

And then it's just instictual from there. Heatwave tries to shove him off, jostling Chase's doorwing, and Chase claws at Heatwave, because he's hurting him, back and forth and back and forth and back and forth.

What Heatwave has on him in bulk and brute strength, Chase more than makes up for in speed and actual fight training. They slam into the furniture and the walls- Boulder can already imagine the noise complaints- and then blood splatters on the floor.

Boulder clamps both hands over their mouth and turns away, trying not to purge at the sight. Oh- oh, shit-

"STOP!" Blades pounces from his bunk into the fray, hooking his arms under Chase's and yanks him away from Heatwave.

Chase's claws and fangs, deep into Heatwave's plating, hang on tight, dragging him up and back with them. Blades' back hits the door.

"What are you doing?" he snarls at Boulder, keeping Chase's back pressed to his front without jostling the broken doorwing even more. "Help me!"

Boulder forces their optics away from the blood on the floor and dampens their sensory input when they grab Heatwave, blood smearing under their hands and against their chassis.

But it only takes Heatwave a minute or two to still and relax in their arms, and for Chase to do the same.

He turns his helm and Boulder opens their optics. The yellow of his optics shine nearly white. He opens his mouth and says something Boulder can't understand.

"We have to go to the medbay," they tell Blades, who has adjusted his hold on Chase to keep his mouth held closed. Nausea radiates from both their fields.

"Yeah, no shit," Blades growls out. "If you throw up on me I'm leaving." Chase's functional doorwing and his finials drop.

The walk to the medbay is dead silent.

[colormepurplex2]

Smoke & Mirrors 🪞👀👀👀👀👀

MafiaHitman!Jungkook x ChildCaregiver!Reader Strangers to Lovers, Single dad (DILF JK) Mafia AU

"Your whole life is a lie," you whisper, angry at the emotion in your voice. He doesn't deserve your pity. "Sunny needs a father, not another monster lurking under her bed!"

This is from the same universe as Till Death Do Us Part

After the fallout between Yoongi and Namjoon, The Hitman doubled down on what he expected of his sons and their duties to the family. Only, Jungkook has always been the softer one, the one with the kind smile. That smile got him into a bit of trouble with a girl...a girl he loved, and cherished, but who was taken from him for the trouble she caused, leaving his newborn baby daughter motherless and him desperate.

You were only trying to help the girl deliver her baby safely. Never did you think you'd end up raising it—her, Sunnygirl as she's so affectionately called by the mysterious yet handsome man that shows up every few months with a bag full of cash and a new toy. It's pleasant if confusing at times, but you love Sunny like she was your own and by the time she's old enough to care for herself, you'll have made enough money to start a life of your own. Everything is going great until the one time instead of money and toys, the man brings with him blood, destruction, and a terrible truth.

Thanks for the ask, Anon! I hope to have this particular WIP done sometime before the end of this year 💜🙌🏻

Interested in hearing more about my WIPs? Find the WIP game here!

[can-of-pringles]

Since I wrote something for Arline... I'd be curious to see how you write for Madison, if you were interested? No pressure!

Okay so I got this idea a little bit too late (sorry) it's short but I hope you like it anyway.

"Remember, I get some candy too," Madison said.

The girls whined as they placed their nearly-full pillow cases of candy on the table.

"But why? We went trick-or-treating! Not you." Hazel grumbled.

"Someone had to take you trick-or-treating," she pointed out.

"Okay, we'll give you all the stuff we don't like," Hope added.

Madison dramatically placed her hand on her chest. "Wow, I am really feeling the love between sisters."

Honesty chuckled and stuck her tongue out at her big sister. Madison did the same back.

"Oh, also don't forget to save some for Alex," she reminded.

"Can't you and him share?" Hope tilted her head.

"Yeah, we're not just giving candy away!" Hazel exclaimed.

"Remind me how you got that candy?" Madison raised a brow.

The triplets went quiet, smiling sheepishly.

"Okay, okay, I guess we will leave you and Alex some candy." Honesty sighed dramatically.

"Don't leave the candy down where Bravo can get it because he will get it."

"Okay, put our candy way up in a tree, got it." Hope joked.

Madison chuckled. "Well, maybe not that high up."

[graffitibible]

Warren catches his reflection in the mirrored dome of a helmet of some kind, set on the shelf opposite him. He looks...tired. Bruised, worn, eyes edged in red. He looks like someone who's fought his way through hell and come out the other side a chewed-up, ravaged thing. More to the point, he looks like a scarecrow. He's got that eerie animal shine to his eyes, the long scalpel tracks down his arms too neat and too regular to be ordinary. He wears the evidence of where he came from on his skin.

And he knows, looking down at himself, that he'll never fully be able to scrub that away. What option is there for a scarecrow, when it comes to forging a second life? How does he become someone new, acknowledge his history, and denounce the system that built him all in one breath?

Warren runs his fingers over the scars down his arms. He supposes the others are asking themselves the same questions. But they don't have the same physical markers that he does.

Some of them don't.