#karlington

[amethystandemma]

Name: Samantha “Sam” Karlington

Alias: Wisp

Powers/Abilities: teleportation, phasing, density control, illusions

Identity: public

Team(s): Justice League (current), Justice League International (current)

Attitude: self assured, sassy, witty, loyal

[tessa-liam]

Turning the Page

Only You Can Love Me This Way 

Chapter 13 

Choices, The Royal Romance, The Royal Heir AU 

Series Premise: As Riley Brooks journeys through life as a single parent in New York City, an epiphany strikes as she contemplates the future for herself and her two-year-old son. 

Turning the Page Series Masterlist

My Complete Masterlist 

Main pairing: Liam Rys x F!OC Riley Brooks 

All characters belong to Pixelberry Studios, except William Brooks (Rys) and Matteo Magro, who both belong to this series. 

Category: On-going series, contains angst/fluff/depression. Cross-over fic with Choices, Perfect Match. 

Rating: M 🔞 - Warnings – Series will have crude language, weapons, NSFW material – not Beta’d - please excuse all errors. 

Words: 3624 

Only You Can Love Me This Way

Chapter Summary: Olivia continues to mentor Riley on how to adapt to Cordonian nobility. Maxwell, Bertrand and Savannah babysit William and Bartie, taking them on a Lythikan adventure. Liam and Riley re-connect and discover that their love story is stronger and better than ever. 

Music & Title Inspiration: Only You Can Love Me This Way, Keith Urban 

A/N1: In this alternate universe, after King Constantine orchestrates two individual scandals to humiliate and entrap Riley Brooks and Olivia Nevrakis in shame, Madeleine Amaranth secures her position as the Queen of Cordonia. Riley, as the King’s mistress and Olivia, in self-imposed exile. Tariq is never found.  

A/N2: Damien Nazario has been assigned as William’s personal bodyguard. (Series cross-over with ‘Perfect Match’) 

A/N3: My submission for choicesjunechallenge, prompts: spatial-hotel / temporal-beginning/   dialogue- “Up for a little trip?” 

El Alami residence, Rabat, Morocco 

With her ankles crossed delicately underneath her, Madeleine El Alami pulled out her cellular to check the status of the Uber driver. It was still incredibly early in the morning in Morocco, and time was of the essence. Her flight was scheduled to leave in ninety minutes from Rabat – Sale International airport and nothing and/or no one was going to halt her journey. Not even her husband.  

Peeking out from between the fence columns outside her home, she could see the city coming alive as the sun's first rays illuminated the horizon. The people who had been hushed moments before, now filled the streets, greeting each other and heading off to start their day. It was a side of life Madeleine had never experienced before, a stark contrast to the opulence and splendor of her former life at the Cordonian palace. It was a reminder of the sacrifices she had made to follow her heart to be with her lover, Eduardo.  

Now five months pregnant, the former queen, now the wife to the Moroccan diplomat, was leaving this world behind. While her husband slept, Madeleine, along with two hand servants were waiting for the Uber vehicle to roll to a stop at the estate’s front entrance. Her suitcases were hefted on board, as she sat down in the rear seat and buckled herself in. The driver shut the door and the car slowly rolled away, the servants went back inro the estate. 

Her parents' disappointment and dismay had only grown when she told them about her unborn baby on their last visit. Her father coaxed her to pack up and return to his duchy in Karlington, England and start over. Her mother wanted her to move back home to Krona, Cordonia. As usual her parents were worlds apart when it came to their only daughter and her well-being, but they were united against Eduardo. 

However, she was done with being controlled by Eduardo.  Done with her father's demands and her mother's nagging. This time, she was going to do what she wanted to do. And what she wanted to do was to spend the rest of her pregnancy alone. 

As she Uber drove to the airport, Madeleine left her husband, forever closing that chapter, watching the world go by; but not seeing anything. Her mind turned to the letter she had left for her husband. She had no regrets for her actions but hoped her words would provide solace for him. 

She felt nothing. No sadness. No loss.  

She had already mourned her former life and the loss of her title as queen. In its place was a new sense of freedom. And with that new sense of freedom came the hope for a new life, with the baby growing inside her. 

Nevrakis Lodge, Lythikos, Cordonia 

"Are you excited to see Uncle Maxwell and Aunt Savannah today, William?" Liam spoke as he was getting his little prince ready for the day. William giggled. "Yeah!" 

"And you get to ride in a carriage! You have never ridden in one before, have you?" Liam smiled as his son's excitement grew. "YES! Horsies!" the little boy replied enthusiastically, his eyes wide with excitement. Liam chuckled. "Let's go get some breakfast and then we can go and wait for Uncle Max.” 

"Okay, daddy!" William beamed; his excitement shined brightly from his big blue eyes. 

As they entered the hallway, they heard a familiar voice call out, "William! Look at how big you are!" 

"Unca Max!" William cried out, running towards his favorite uncle. 

Maxwell scooped the little boy up in a bear hug, smiling widely. "We're going to have so much fun today, little man!" 

"Where's Bartie?" William was concerned, his eyes searching for his newfound best friend. 

"I'm over here," Bartie replied, popping out from behind his mother. "I wanna play with the horses, too. Can we, Mommy? Pleeease?" 

Savannah gave her son a loving smile. "Well as long as the two of you eat your breakfast first." William bounded over to his little friend. "YAY!" The boys both cheered. Liam strolled over, "Savannah, hello. You look well this morning," Liam kissed her cheek. 

"As do you, your majesty," she replied with a curtsy, bowing her head. “Liam, I am so happy and excited for you and Riley.”

"Thank you, Savannah."

Liam clapped Maxwell on the shoulder. "It is good to see you both, too, Lord Beaumont, Duke Ramsford." 

“Your majesty.” Bertrand bowed and smiled, then stepped back to join his wife. 

"Good to see you too, Li." Maxwell grinned at his childhood friend, as the men watched the boys follow Savannah as she grasped their hands. 

Liam shook his head, a grin on his face. "Those two are inseparable. It's a good thing Bertrand has gotten over his fear of children." 

Maxwell laughed. "Bertrand loves kids, he just has to be the most uptight person on the planet." 

Liam chuckled. "I suppose that's true." 

"Hey Max, are you ready?" called out Savannah from down the hall. 

"Ready to eat always, Savvie ... as I"ll ever be," Maxwell replied, turning to Liam. "So, what's the plan for today?" 

Liam gave a mischievous smile. "Well, I thought you could spend the day with William and Bartie, giving Riley and I a chance to have some alone time." 

Maxwell grinned. "Hah ... sounds like fun," he winked. "You're going to owe me, though." 

Liam rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you want." 

Maxwell chuckled. "Alright, let's get this show on the road. The kids and my stomach are waiting." 

Liam turned back to adjust his tie and reached for his suit jacket which was draped over a wing chair. He walked to the foyer to meet with Riley and Olivia, Bastien following discreetly behind him. 

"You're dismissed, Damien," Liam said. "I appreciate your vigilance. 

“Of course," Damien bowed and took his leave, joining the other members of the Royal Guard in the hallway. As he closed the door, his eyes wandered across the hallway, where he watched Olivia wrapping William in a hug before turning toward the foyer and the waiting limo outside. 

Damien had been captivated by Olivia from the moment they were introduced. As he watched her wrap the little crown prince in a hug, his mind wandered. 

He could not help but admire her grace and elegance, the way her fiery hair shone underneath the chandelier or when her eyes sparkled when she laughed. 

Damien knew he could never have her, but the thought of being able to spend time with her, to make her laugh and see her smile, was enough to fuel his dreams. 

He wondered what it would be like to hold her in his arms, to kiss her soft lips and feel her body pressed against his. 

But that was all it could ever be, a fantasy, a dream. 

‘What would a Duchess ever see in a guardsman? Olivia is a rare beauty,’ Damien mused. ‘She's not like any other noble, and she doesn't seem to care about the status or title.’ 

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening, and he straightened up, adjusting his uniform. 

As Damien thoughts went back to his post, his eyes drifted back to Olivia, and he could not help but wonder if there was a chance, however small, that his dreams could become a reality. 

*** 

“Olivia, why are you being so secretive?”  Riley inquired again, after spending the morning shopping for clothes and accessories in the city center, the limousine rolled to a stop at the Nevrakis lodge entrance. 

Bastien opened the limousine door as Olivia stepped out. Glancing back to Riley, she smirked, “You are one lucky lady”. Riley’s eyebrow lifted in question. “You, my dear have a final challenge to endure." 

Riley sat and blinked as she took in her words. After reaching for her bags Riley turned her attention to exit the limo after Olivia, when she heard a deep baritone voice, "...Hi." 

Riley looked up to see a six-foot, 4-inch-tall familiar man looking at her with a huge smile. Dressed in a crisp, sleek suit overtopped by an Armani topcoat 

"Liam? ...What are you doing here?" Riley’s eyes went wide as she looked up at her lover. 

"...And dressed like that?”  

“Love, I wouldn't dream of being underdressed for your final challenge." Liam smirked and then chuckled softly watching Riley’s look of disbelief. 

"So, you're here for the challenge too?" 

"You bet. I've been waiting for this moment since you came back to Cordonia." 

"Liam, what is going on?" 

 “This is our final destination. According to Olivia, I am the challenge.” 

"And that would be?" 

Liam smiled wide, not giving out any clues.

"Oh my, this isn't a game show, right?" 

"Not to worry, love. All I know is that Olivia has prepared something for us and it's a surprise." 

"Okay. So, what is this surprise? Please tell me."

"Oh, I wouldn't want to spoil the fun." 

"Liam, I don't like surprises." 

"Love, I know ...I can see that. But, I think you will like this one. This is our last day in Lythikos; I've already been briefed and we're going to have a blast." 

Olivia’s watched their exchange and added, “the last thing you need to get back into fighting form is to reconnect with what you are fighting for. 

...And you have always been driven by your love for Liam; for your family.”

Liam slid his arm around Riley’s waist pulling her close to him. “Which was an unusually sentimental thing to hear Olivia say.” 

Olivia sighed, “a bit saccharine for my tastes, but to each their own. I always thought love was a weakness, but you seem to actually draw strength from each other.” 

Riley’s scrunched her eyebrows, “Just to be clear, my last challenge is to spend time with King Liam Rys?” 

“The whole day, actually. Olivia is taking us into town.” 

“Everyone else will help me take care of William while you’re away.” Olivia added.

“Sweet! Free daycare! I’m really warming up to Lythikos hospitality.” 

“It’s a circumstantial offer. Cherish it while it lasts.” 

Liam kissed Riley’s cheek, “believe me, we plan to.” 

“But Olivia, you’re supposed to be looking into our Madeleine problem....and the press.” 

“Damien and I will dhave everything covered; I promise. 

And you have your marching orders. Reconnect and start fresh, that you may crush your enemies on the morrow.” 

Liam grinned, “Ah, Romantic.” Placing his hand on the small of her back, Liam steered Riley back into the lodge to change into the evening wear that she bought in town. 

Standing at the entrance of the dining room, along with the other guards, Damien Nazario stood vigilantly watching the crown prince. His eyes were sharp and ever watchful. As a trained ex-secret service agent and bodyguard, he knew when people were watching. 

His attention was suddenly drawn to a smattering of voices outside in the main hall, and a moment later, Duchess Olivia Nevrakis entered the dining room, and Damien felt his breath catch. 

She was stunning. She had been stunning the night before, but he had not noticed her beauty fully. This morning, the Duchess wore a form fitting black and grey suit. Her vibrant red hair was done up in a chignon. Damien was entranced by her, but he knew better than to stare. He tore his eyes away from her and glanced down at the floor, taking in the shiny black patent leather of her boots. He swallowed, wondering how they would feel around his neck. He shook his head, trying to clear the image from his mind. He looked up, and his eyes once again caught sight of her, this time her stormy blue green eyes were looking straight into his. 

She arched an eyebrow and tilted her head as she regarded him. Damien's cheeks warmed. 

"Good morning," a voice sounded beside him. 

"Morning," he mumbled, glancing back to where the Duchess had been, only to find her gone. 

Drake chuckled. "See something you like?” 

***

Inside the limo, Liam and Riley arrived outside an upscale restaurant in the city center.

Bastien opened rhe passenger door and Liam stepped out, holding out his hand for Riley. She took it and climbed out of the limo. She gasped when she looked at the building in front of her. "This is beautiful." 

"You are beautiful," Liam smiled. "And tonight, you will be dining on the best seafood this side of Paris." 

"That's a high bar to live up to." Riley's eyebrows raised. 

Liam chuckled. "It can certainly get the job done." 

They were escorted inside the restaurant, with Liam's hand on the small of her back as they were led to a secluded table overlooking the city center. 

Liam pulled out Riley's chair and she sat down, exposing her long tanned leg through the side slit of her cocktail dress. He sat down and his eyes drank in the sight of her, his gaze lingering on her legs. 

Riley blushed. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare." Liam looked down. 

Riley reached across the table and took his hand in hers. "Look all you want, Your Majesty." 

Liam lifted his head and locked eyes with her, his blue orbs sparkling. "I have wanted to do this since the night of the Coronation Ball. You were breathtaking that night. I wanted to sweep you into my arms and dance the night away with you. But there was always someone or something getting in the way." 

Riley grasped Liam's hands in hers ...

"Mmm, this whole place smells like fresh bread. I want to eat that smell." 

"I will order the kitchen to prepare you a fresh loaf immediately." Liam grinned. 

Riley threw her head back and laughed. 

"Please do. After Olivia's challenges, I feel like I could devour this entire restaurant." 

"I love the sound of your laugh," Liam whispered. 

Riley's heart skipped a beat. 

Liam's grin widened. "I hope we have many more dates just like this. After Olivia's unique brand of 'help', we've definitely earned this day." 

Riley giggled. "That was the nicest way of saying Olivia was a royal pain in the ass." 

Liam let out a chuckle. "That was very diplomatic of me, thank you." 

Liam smiled as a steaming breadbasket and the entrees were set down on the table. The waiter tops off Riley's red wine and sets a glass of scotch down for Liam. 

Riley picked up her glass and held it aloft. "A toast. To us." 

"To us," he echoed, clinking his glass against hers. 

As Riley takes a sip, the waiter places a small dish in front of her. Inside is a thick chocolate sauce in the shape of a heart, the word "love" written in script, and two berries. 

Riley looked from the dish to Liam, her lips curled into a mischievous smile. "Chocolate covered strawberries? Are you trying to seduce me, Liam?" 

"That depends," Liam replied, a matching grin forming on his face. 

"On what?" Riley asked. 

"Whether or not it's working," he whispered. 

Riley's eyes met his and they burned with desire. 

"I'll take that as a yes." His grin widened and he leaned across the table. Liam took Riley's hand in his, his fingers tracing slow circles on the back of her hand. "You are beautiful. I wish we could have been together from the start." 

Riley's lips formed a soft smile. "So do I, Liam. I don't want this night to end." 

"It doesn't have to." Liam reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys, laying them on the table between them. 

"Up for a little trip?” 

Riley's eyes widened. "Are you suggesting we run away together?" 

"One of the best kept secrets in Lythikos is a glass igloo tucked away in the mountains. The perfect view of the stars, the perfect view of the valley." 

Riley bit her lip and looked up at him from under her lashes. "I think I might have found the perfect view right here." 

"It's also very secluded. Not another soul for miles." Liam winked. 

Demurely smiling, Riley added, "I can think of a few ways to take advantage of that." 

"So can I ... if you're up for the trip." 

Riley picked up the keys, the smile on her face growing wider. "Let's skip the dinner and jump right to the dessert."

"Then we should leave right now," he suggested, his eyes never leaving hers. After a few calls, Liam stands and offers his arm to Riley. 

Riley slipped her arm through his and together they headed out of the restaurant, and back into the waiting limo. 

The driver was already waiting and pulled the car into the traffic. They passed through the city streets and up into the mountains. It was dark when the car finally pulled up in front of a domed glass structure. Stepping inside, the entire frozen mountainside stretched out around on all sides, a beautiful aurora shined through the ceiling panels. 

"Oh Liam, this place is unreal ... it's all the natural wonder of camping with the comfort of a five star hotel." 

"And a lot more privacy." Liam added.

"After the past few weeks, I really wanted to get you away and alone," Liam softly spoke, his arms slipping around Riley's waist. 

She placed her hands over his. "Me, too. I don't want this day to end." 

"I have one more surprise for you." 

Riley smiled. "Is that why you brought me here? For a surprise?" 

"No. I brought you here because I want to be alone with you." He kissed her cheek, his lips trailing along her jawline and down her neck. 

Riley's eyelids fluttered and she tilted her head back. "Mmm, is that so?" 

Liam nuzzled his nose against the spot behind her ear. "I wanted to do this all evening." 

"What's stopping you now?" 

He grinned. "Nothing." 

Liam pressed his lips to hers. She melted into him and deepened the kiss. His tongue sought hers and they moved together in unison. He cupped her ass and pulled her into him, her curves conforming to his body. 

Riley's hands tangled into his hair, her fingers tugging. Liam moaned into her mouth, his desire rising. Together tumbling back onto the bed, legs tangling as they fall down onto the plush mattress. 

A while later, Liam's fingers combed absently through Riley's hair as they watched the way the colors and lights swirled around, constantly changing.... It was hypnotic. 

"When I look up into the sky ... I see you. I see something beautiful, brilliant, untamable ... a breathtaking force of nature. I know that we have been through a lot, but when you're in my arms like this ... I also know that we can find a way through it together, if you'll let me."

Riley sighed happily. "Liam..."

*I know, love, that I said I wouldn't bring it up again, but after tonight, I need to tell you that I'm so sorry for everything." 

"Liam, it's okay, I know you had to do it. I know the weight of the world was on your shoulders, and you had to do what's best for your people, that's your duty. But you have to also do what's best for yourself. We all do." 

Liam's grip tightened slightly around her waist. "That's what I want. You...

"Riley. I love you. And William. I can't imagine my life without you both in it."

"I love you too, Liam," she whispered. "So much..."

"Do you forgive me?" Liam asked quietly in earnest. 

"Of course, I forgive you. I am so sorry that I was a coward and left without telling you about..."

"SSHHH! There is nothing to forgive you for, Riley. You were just doing what you felt you had to do. I am so sorry that the court was so unfair to you. My father ..." 

"Liam, please. Let's just focus on the present."

"... and the future." LIam added with a kiss...

@choicesficwriterscreations @thosehallowedhalls

[alj4890]

Escaping for a Moment

(Ernest Sinclaire x MC*Catherine Mills) in a Choices Desire and Decorum drabble

Thirty Kisses in Thirty Days Challenge with the prompt: forbidden lovers sharing a kiss in the shadows

Not quite sure who to tag for this one since it has been so long since I last wrote a drabble for this pair. Plus in cleaning out my drafts folder I lost my permatag list 🤦🏻‍♀️Tagging some who won't be too angry at me for doing so, LOL! @hopelessromantic1352 @twinkleallnight @tessa-liam @choicesficwriterscreations @krsnlove

Masterlist

"Enjoying yourself, my dear?"

Lady Catherine Mills stiffened at the sound of her fiancé's voice.

There was nothing that made her skin crawl quite like Tristan Richard's oily tone.

A scathing insult sat on the tip of her tongue to give the odious man the set down he so rightly deserved. One glance at her grandmother's stern demeanor instead had her forcing a smile.

"I am. Thank you, your grace."

The Duke of Karlington leered at her. He purposely moved closer and placed her hand within the bend of his arm. He enjoyed watching her suffer being trapped with him.

The Dowager Countess beamed at the pair. She was pleased beyond measure that her natural granddaughter had managed to capture such a prized suitor. There wasn't a young lady here who had done so well in such little time.

Nor with such a questionable background.

"You should dance and show her off, your grace." She prodded.

"What a marvelous notion." Tristan remarked.

He placed his hand over Catherine's, smiling all the more with her trying to avoid his touch.

"Shall we show them how it's done, my lady?"

Catherine knew she must say yes. It galled her to have to spend a single moment in this man's presence much less dance with him. The thought of his hands upon her body made her wish to find a chamber pot to wretch in.

If only she was allowed to marry the one man whom she so deeply loved. Mr. Ernest Sinclair was so many things to Catherine. He'd been her savior, her friend, and finally the one who stirred her soul like no other.

Why had they tarried so long that night before sharing the joyful news of their engagement? If they'd only found her grandmother sooner, Catherine would be eagerly taking a turn on the dance floor with her fiancé, Mr. Sinclair, instead of the fiend pretending to be a gentleman at her side.

Life seemed determined to be unfair for the young lady. Not only was she denied her true love, she also was denied even a glimpse of him. For reasons she assumed were because she was promised to another, Mr. Sinclair had yet to make an appearance this evening.

If it were not for Ms. Parsons and Prince Hamid being there to bolster her spirits, Catherine would most likely have dissolved into tears. Her heart ached for Ernest. She was near the point of throwing decorum out the window and running off to Gretna Green with him.

She no longer cared if her beloved father had intended to leave Edgewater to her instead of her stepbrother. Mr. Marlcaster wasn't a bad sort. Catherine could see that he truly had a kind heart when not under the thumb of his mother.

If her dear Briar believed he was all that was good in this world, then Catherine couldn't doubt it. Her friend had a way of seeing one's true nature. Mr. Marlcaster might fumble the finances and such, but he would be a good steward to the people of Edgewater.

She knew if she was to run away with Ernest, scandal would be forever associated with her name. Did it matter though? Her questionable birth already tainted her reputation, though she had no control over those circumstances. At least the new gossip would be something she could happily live with.

"Lady Catherine?" Tristan hissed. "Are you not paying attention?"

Catherine jerked her head away from the feeling of his breath on her ear.

The Dowager laughed at the notion.

"She is most likely lost in thought over the notion of marrying you, your grace."

Tristan's smile was one most ladies deemed charming.

Catherine found little to like in it.

"Is that true, my dear? Are you thinking about our wedding?" His voice lowered for her ears alone. "Or is your baseborn nature concentrating on our wedding night?"

Catherine jerked her hand from his. Trembling with suppressed rage, she pleaded for them to excuse her.

Blinded by angry tears, she wound her way through the crush of guests in search of an escape. Since the retiring room was filled with giggling ladies, she next hoped to find a quiet corner outside to try and calm down.

She shook her head when Prince Hamid asked if she needed him. After tripping her way to a side door, Catherine slipped outside and rushed deep into the shadows.

Her exit was halted by a pair of strong arms wrapping around her.

"Catherine?" Mr. Sinclair said softly to try and shush her cries.

"Ernest!" She twirled in his arms, her hands cupping his face as her lips immediately sought his.

Ernest deepened the kiss, holding her even closer within his embrace.

Catherine broke away to catch her breath. "I thought you were not coming."

"I could not stay away." He caressed her cheek. "I do not care what anyone thinks. I refuse to stand by and see you married to such a man as Duke Richards."

Though she couldn't see him well, his voice made her heart sing with his next words.

"You were created for me, Catherine. You are to be no one's wife but mine."

She sighed into the heat of his next kiss. Her hands moved along his broad shoulders, glorying in the fact that he was truly here and still wanted her for his own.

"My love," she breathed as his lips brushed kisses down her neck, "I want nothing more than to be Mrs. Sinclair."

"And so you shall." He fervently promised. "We will find a way out of your betrothal. The Duke of Karlington will not lay another finger on you."

The mention of her fiancé's name forced Catherine to reluctantly pull away.

"I should return before my grandmother sends the duke for me."

"I'll escort you back." Ernest pressed a kiss to the back of her hand before releasing her.

She took his arm, leaning closer than appropriate. She needed a few more moments near him if she was to endure the rest of the ball.

Once inside, notes were played to signal that the Allemande was about to begin.

"Would you do me the honor, my lady?" Mr. Sinclair asked in that proud proper tone of his.

Catherine looked up at him. Her eyes traced his handsome features in the nearby candlelight. Her first genuine smile of the night appeared upon her slightly kiss swollen lips. She could continue to play the part of a respectable noble as long as he was near.

"Thank you, Mr. Sinclair." She said with a polite tilt of her head. "I would love to."

As he took her in his arms to dance, Catherine felt both her hope and courage return.

She would find a way to freedom and celebrate it with the man at her side.

[taintedpastries]

"HICCUP!"

Karlington Sketchpad Pennman suffers one of the most common cartoon blunders! A bad case of 'em too! Doesn't seem like a simple glass of water will do the trick.

Look i would've finished it faster but I was cracking up over the expression I gave him.

[pissfaggot-transsexual]

HELLO KARL KARLSON THE THIRD OF THE HOUSE OF KARLINGTON!!!!!!

not my name 🫵🖕💣💣‼️🫵💣💣🖕💣🖕💣🖕🔥🔥🖕💣💣🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[harleybeaumont]

Maxwell's Jolly Holiday Pt. 2

Book - The Royal Romance AU

Pairings -Liam x Maxwell

Synopsis- This story gives a glimpse into Maxwell’s high school days at an all boys school where he joins the drama club and performs in his first play. This is set as a prequel to my fic, Unintentional, but can definitely be read as a standalone fic too! This ‘one shot’ has taken on a life of its own and will probably end up being 3 parts.

Warnings- swearing, some crude language, a few homophobic comments from bullies

Word count- 4,150

Catch up here.

Part 2 - Like Somethin’ is Brewin’, About to Begin

The following week was exhausting and exciting as Maxwell began rehearsal and studying his lines. He had made several new friends and actually had someone to sit with at lunch time. But all too soon it was time for his usual Sunday afternoon phone call/scolding from Bertrand. He had learned how to tune Bertrand out and just respond based on the tone of voice he was currently using. He lay on his bed, reading over his lines while Bertrand was using his ‘disappointed voice’. Max had completely checked out, robotically responding with “you’re right” and “I’ll try to work on that.”

After a while, Bertrand cleared his throat, “are you even listening to me?!”

“Hmm?” Max snapped back to attention, “I mean, yes, of course.”

“What was I saying?”

Max thought for a minute and stretched out on the bed, “you were talking about.. my grades?”

“Wrong.”

“Myyyyy stunning good looks?”

“No.”

“Um… wait I remember! You were saying that the Duke of Karlington used his dessert spoon instead of his soup spoon?”

Bertrand stammered, “W-what sort of oddly specific blather is that?! And there is no way that a Duke would confuse a soup spoon with a dessert spoon! They aren't even beside one another on the place setting for goodness sake!!”

Max couldn’t help but chuckle, “Sorry, it just seemed like something you’d say.”

“Get serious. I didn’t send you to the most elite finishing school in Europe so you could fool around. I sent you so that you could grow up and learn to make something of yourself.”

“Ya right..” Max said under his breath.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You sent me because you wanted to get rid of me.”

Bertrand heaved a long sigh, “not this again.”

“Everybody knows it! Why else would you send me to an all boys boarding school hours away from home? I was going to a perfectly good school in Ramsford and had decent grades and a ton of friends!”

Bertrand raised his voice, “To get you a proper education with no distractions!”

Maxwell sat up on the bed, gripping the phone tighter. “Distractions? What, like my friends?! You thought I’d fit in better with the snobs at this place?!”

Bertrand sighed again and Max could tell he was pinching the bridge of his nose the way their father always did when he was annoyed with him. “Maxwell, don't be ridiculous! I sent you to an all boys school because you are of a.. certain age, and being around females is distracting! Soon you’ll be driving and taking women out on dates.  I don’t want your budding hormones getting in the way of your education.”

Maxwell burst into laughter, “well you’re a few years too late on that one Bert.”

“What?! What do you mean?”

“Maybe you should've had this conversation with me when I was like.. twelve. I’m sixteen now, bro. The hormones have been running rampant for a while!” Max wiped a tear away as he continued to laugh, “And not to burst your bubble, but sending me to an all boys school was about the worst thing you could have done if you didn’t want me distracted!”

Bertrand was flabbergasted on the other line, “What are you saying? I don’t understand.”

“Are you really serious right now?”

“Maxwell, you know I hate when you do this. Just spit it out!”

Maxwell shook his head, “I’m gay, you idiot!”

Bertrand remained silent for a moment and scoffed, “Stop being foolish. This is not amusing.”

“Wow, thanks a lot for your support. I just came out to my brother and he calls me a fool. Good talk, Bertrand. Bye.”

“Wait! Wait!” Bertrand interrupted. “Why are you saying this? Are you trying to upset me?”

“I’m trying to point out what I thought had been painfully obvious for the past few years. I. Am. Gay.”

Bertrand once again went silent on the other line. So long so, that Maxwell thought he hung up. “Are you being serious, Maxwell? How can you be sure?”

Max ran a hand down his face and lay back on his pillows, “I don’t know how to tell you this any more clearly. I like boys. I am attracted to boys. I am not attracted to girls. Seriously, how did you not know this?”

“Well.. you’re still young. Maybe you just haven’t met the right girl yet. Maybe you’re just confused.”

“Don’t. Just.. no. Don’t do that.” The brothers remained silent for a long time until Max spoke up again. “I get it if you need some time to process or whatever, but I have to go.”

“Right. Uh, I’ll let you get back to studying,” Bertrand said quietly.

Feeling like he had nothing to lose at this point Max said, “Oh I’m not studying. I’m reading my lines. I auditioned for the school play, and I actually got one of the lead roles.”

“The school play? How will you have time to do your actual studies if you’re playing around on stage?!”

Max felt tears prick the corner of his eyes. He wasn’t sure why he assumed Bertrand would be proud of him. It’s not like Bertrand was ever proud of Max, but it still stung just the same. “Oh you didn’t know?! That’s just something that us gays do! Ya, once you come out, you have to audition for a school play. Bonus points if you get to kiss a guy on stage!”

“Maxwell..” Bertrand sighed.

Tears streamed down his cheeks, and even though he wanted to cry, he forced his words out. “No! I’m done talking to you! I don’t know why I ever assumed that you would approve of anything I do! Even when you’re not here to scold me on a daily basis, you still make me feel like shit!”

Maxwell hung up the phone and tossed it across the room. Putting his pillow over his face, he cried until he drifted into a dreamless sleep. 

____________________________________________

Over the next few weeks, Max ignored any and all phone calls and texts from Bertrand, instead focusing completely on the play. He was amazed at how naturally it all came to him. He always knew he was good at dancing, but acting was like a hidden gem deep inside of him that had been unearthed. He loved it.

While in the lunchroom one day, Max, Eddie, and the other theater kids were talking animatedly about the upcoming play.

“So a couple of the chicks from the girls' school are coming to the next rehearsal," Eddie said, smacking on a carrot stick. “It’ll be like the real deal having everyone together on stage.”

“Oh that's great!” Max smiled. “I hope they’re nice.”

Just then, his phone vibrated repeatedly. He snuck it out of the pocket of his uniform pants and checked it under the table. Liam. It wasn’t like him to call in the middle of a school day. Hopefully nothing was wrong. Max leaned forward to answer the call as discreetly as possible.

“Liam?”

“Hey Max!”

“What’s going on? Did something happen?!”

Liam chuckled, “Nothing’s wrong! Sorry if I worried you! I just wanted to tell you something.”

“Whew! Not gonna lie, I thought someone had died!!” Maxwell felt like he could finally breathe again. “So what’s up?” Maxwell felt a tap on his shoulder and when he spun around, his jaw dropped. “OMG! What are you doing here!?”

“Surprise!” Liam was standing before him with two palace guards on either side, scanning the room.

Maxwell jumped up and threw his arms around his best friend, holding him tightly. “It’s so good to see you!”

By that time, everyone in the cafeteria was turned to see Maxwell Beaumont hugging the Prince of their nation. Liam and Maxwell, however, only seemed to notice each other. Max grinned, looking him up and down. Liam seemed like he had gotten taller since the last time he saw him a few months ago, and his hair was longer and a little shaggier. He looked good. Really good. Max felt the butterflies return to his stomach in full force.

Liam grinned, “So I may have pulled some strings and gotten you relieved from your classes for the rest of the day.”

“Score!” Max beamed and pulled Liam down next to him at their table. He introduced Liam to his theater friends who were flabbergasted that the prince was actually talking to them. Eddie asked, “Why didn’t you tell us you’re friends with Prince Liam?”

Max shrugged, “It never came up!”

Eddie laughed, “Well damn.. I guess that’s true. You friends with any other nobles? The Queen of England perhaps?”

Max thought for a moment. “Well my brother is the Duke of Ramsford and I’m kind of acquainted with the Duchess of Lythikos, although she may or may not hate me-”

“Hold it, hold it..” Eddie froze. “Your brother is a Duke? So you’re noble too?!”

Max shrugged and the rest of the theater group gawked at him. Suddenly everyone around them was whispering and lobbing questions at the younger Beaumont. “Why didn’t you tell us? Are you rich? Are you gonna be a Duke one day? How big is your duchy? Do you have an arranged marriage?”

“Whoa guys, chill!” Max held up his hands attempting to calm everyone down. 

The next statement he heard made him sick to his stomach. “So that’s why he got the lead role.”

Maxwell turned around to see Jason, one of the boys who had teased him before his audition weeks ago. His mouth fell open, but he couldn’t make a sound. 

Eddie stood up and rolled his eyes. “Jason, fuck off.”

Jason got closer and stared down at Eddie who was about a foot shorter than him. “You wanna make me, nerd?”

Liam jumped up and held his hands in front of him, “Ok everyone, let's calm down.” His guards were mere inches away, ready to intervene if needed. “If there’s an issue here why don’t we try to solve it calmly?”

Jason scoffed, “Your Highness, I was simply pointing out that Beaumont clearly only got the lead role because he’s a Lord and best friends with you.” He rolled his eyes, “Do you know how many of us were there to audition? It’s not fair that we didn’t get an equal chance just because we're not noble.”

Eddie scowled at him, “You weren’t there to audition! You just wanted to hook up with the lead actress! And no one even knew Max was a noble then!”

“I'm sure the teachers did!” Jason said, “I think we should all get to audition again.”

“You don’t give a shit about this play!” Eddie raised his voice, “Stop being an asshole, just to be an asshole!”

“We’ll see what the parents think about this blatant favoritism the faculty is showing Beaumont. I know mine won’t be happy. They’ve donated lots of money to this school and how are they being repaid?”

Maxwell had reached his boiling point by then. He stood up and said, “Fine! If you want to audition, talk to Mr. Eldore, but there is no way you’ll get the part. You can't even remember to zip up your fly, much less memorize an entire script!”

Jason looked down at his open pants zipper and the theater group burst into laughter. He quickly zipped his pants and stormed away, still fuming. 

“That was fucking hilarious, man!” Eddie clapped Maxwell on the back. 

Maxwell felt a swell of pride. He wasn’t sure if that was the last he was going to hear about the whole Jason incident, but he shut him up and it felt great. 

“Now that that’s been taken care of..” Liam grinned ear to ear. “..I would love it if Max could show me around. I’ve never even been to school before. All I have are private tutors.” 

“Yes!” Maxwell took Liam’s hand and enthusiastically started leading him away. 

Liam chuckled and waved behind him to the theater group, “It was nice meeting all of you!”

______________________________________________________________

Maxwell led Liam through the halls of his school, trying to ignore the whispers and stares of the other students who gawked at the Prince. He showed him his fencing club practice area, the stables where his horse resided, and a few of his classrooms. But Maxwell was most excited about showing Liam the theater. He pushed open the double doors and led him inside with a grin. “This is where the play is gonna be. We practice here every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.”

Liam looked around the grand auditorium in wonder. “Too bad you aren’t practicing today. I’d love to see you up on stage.”

Max chuckled and actually felt himself blushing. “Really?”

“Duh!” Liam laughed and sat down in a front row seat. “Hey, why don’t you give me a little preview?”

“Now?!” Maxwell stepped back. “But there’s no music or any other people on stage or anything!”

“I'll go up with you!” Liam raced up the stairs and onto the stage. “Wow, it’s so big up here.. And open! I’d be terrified to be up here reciting lines in front of all those people.”

Maxwell climbed the steps and stood beside him, looking out at the hundreds of empty seats. “Well thanks for putting a new fear in my head!”

Liam grimaced, “Sorry.”

Maxwell burst out laughing and nudged his friend. “I’m joking. I don’t know why, but I actually love it. Weird, huh?”

They stood beside each other, taking in the beauty of the theater and Liam smiled, looking out ahead. “No. It’s not weird. Not for someone like you.”

Max was taken aback. Someone like him? “What do you mean?”

“I mean.. You’re just this amazing, fearless person. You’re so optimistic and funny and.. I really admire you.” 

Max turned to Liam, who was still staring ahead. His cheeks held a faint blush that made Maxwell's stomach flutter. “Wow. That’s the nicest thing anyone has probably ever said to me.”

Liam looked at him with a tender expression he had never seen before. “Well I mean it. Every word.”

Maxwell stepped closer. It was as if each of them were connected by a magnetic pull and fighting the attraction was futile. Liam’s chest was nearly touching his by now and Max swallowed hard. He felt his breath start to come quickly but the warm touch of Liam’s hand on his cheek stopped his heart completely. Liam leaned in until his forehead was touching Max’s and he tenderly stroked his jaw. “Max.. I.. I-”

A boom from the entrance to the auditorium caused them to split apart quickly. The doors had been thrown open and Mr. Eldore strode in wearing a grin. “My word, it’s true! Your Highness, I am thrilled to have you in our humble theater!”

Liam’s posture immediately changed back to the one Max had seen thousands of times before. He was in prince mode. “The pleasure is all mine. This theater is beautiful, and the architecture is just stunning..”

While Liam and Mr. Eldore were talking, Maxwell’s mind was racing a mile a minute. Liam had almost kissed him. Liam had almost kissed him.  Liam had almost kissed him! That’s what was about to happen, right? He fought the urge to lean over and ask one of Liam’s guards his opinion on the matter. No, that would be too weird. It was already weird enough that they had been right there and seen the whole thing. His palms were sweaty and he attempted to calm his heart rate before any attention was brought to him. 

Liam turned to Max with a grin, “I’m actually here visiting my dear friend, Maxwell Beaumont.”

Mr. Eldore looked delighted. “Your friend?! Well, I hope that means you will be attending the play in a couple months! We would be honored to have you in our theater. Of course the entire royal family is invited.”

Liam winked at Maxwell, “It’ll just be me and maybe another one of our mutual friends, but we’ll definitely be there opening night.”

“Well that is fantastic!” Mr. Eldore bowed. “Maxwell, you just let me know all the details and I will personally see to it that everything is perfect.”

“Thank you.” Liam smiled cordially as Mr. Eldore left the building and they were once again left alone. Well.. alone plus two guards.

Max shuffled his feet and smiled awkwardly at his friend. “I think I’ve shown you everything now.”

Liam put his hands in his pockets, grinning. “Well you haven’t shown me your bedroom.”

“M-my bedroom?!” Maxwell’s voice cracked like a prepubescent boy. He cleared his throat and nodded. “Right. Ya.. of course. My bedroom!”

“Unless you don’t want to.”

“No! No, I definitely want to take you to my bedroom!” Max felt his face grow hot. “No! I mean.. I mean I can definitely show it to you.. my room, I mean!”

The two of them chuckled awkwardly and Max tried to think of a good lie to cover for his dorkiness. “It’s just a little messy is all. Hope you don’t mind.”

“Nah. Your room is always messy, Beaumont! Has that ever stopped me before?” Liam teased and the boys laughed sincerely, thankful that some of the tension had cleared. 

Once they reached Maxwell's door, Liam turned to his guards. “Can you just stay outside?”

They looked at each other skeptically. Sam, the most senior guard, responded.  “Sir, no disrespect, but you are a seventeen year old boy. Your father has charged me with looking after your wellbeing. I cannot in good conscience let you go into Lord Beaumont’s bedroom without supervision.”

Liam flushed, “Oh my God, what do you think is going to happen in there?!”

The guards glanced at each other and Sam cleared his throat. “I.. uh..”

“Just do a sweep and let me have some time alone to catch up with my friend.” Liam looked at Sam pleadingly. “Please?”

After a moment considering, Sam nodded. Once the room had been cleared and the guards left, the boys sat on the bed together. The insinuation from the guards had left them feeling a little uncomfortable. Maxwell tried to break the tension. “Hey.. Why did the student eat his homework?”

Liam quirked an eyebrow and smiled. “Why?”

“Because the teacher told him it was a piece of cake!”

Liam laughed loudly, “That is so bad! And I love it!” Maxwell joined in and soon they were laughing uncontrollably, laying on Maxwell’s bed. Liam rolled over to face him. “You always make me laugh. Remember when you tried to do a roast at Olivia’s sweet sixteen?”

Maxwell groaned and covered his face, “First of all it was only 2 years ago, so of course I remember. And second of all, it was the day I was nearly murdered. One doesn’t usually forget that day.”

Liam chuckled, “Everyone was going up to the mic and wishing her happy birthday, then along comes Max with his note cards and just totally demolishes her!”

“Shut up!” Maxwell shoved Liam playfully. “I thought she’d like it!”

“You thought she’d like you asking how she manages to create a hairstyle that covers her horns?”

Maxwell laughed, “Drake liked it!”

2 years ago:

Liam had just taken his turn at the mic in the ballroom of Lythikos, cordially wishing Olivia a happy birthday. Max was seated across from the small stage, not so patiently waiting for his turn. He shuffled the note cards in his hand with a grin. This was going to be great. Olivia was surely tired of all the generic birthday wishes, but HE was going to give her something to remember.

He sauntered on stage and winked at Bertrand, who for some reason looked nervous by the gesture. Little did Bertrand know that Max was about to have everyone in this room rolling with laughter. 

Maxwell tapped the microphone and smiled. “Good evening, good evening. Well I’m happy to be here in Lythikos - the land of ice and snow. The only duchy in Cordonia where the temperature outside matches the temperature inside Olivia’s heart.”

Max waited, but was only met by a crowd of shocked faces. Ok, maybe that joke wasn’t the best, but he had more. He cleared his throat and flipped to the next card. “So it’s Olivia’s sixteenth birthday. Tell me, Liv, what's that in people years?”

A loud guffaw from the crowd caught his attention and he saw Drake holding a hand over his mouth, shoulders shaking as he attempted not to laugh. Liam was seated beside Drake, staring at Max wide eyed.

Hey, maybe this was good stuff after all. Drake never laughed but he was loving it! Feeling encouraged, Max flipped to the next card. “So Olivia I love your new hairstyle!” He turned to face her and grinned, “how did you manage to hide the horns?”

Once again the room was met by silence other than the boisterous laughter coming solely from Drake Walker. Surely everyone would get the jokes soon and then the whole room would be full of joy. He glanced over at Olivia and her face was as red as a tomato. Must be from holding in her laughter. He flipped to the next card. 

“Liv, there’s a saying that always reminds me of you: ‘Two wrongs don’t make a right.’ Take your parents for example.”

Drake continued to laugh and Bertrand whispered loudly, “Maxwell Percival Beaumont, get down here right now!”

Max leaned away from the mic to speak to his brother, “Don’t worry, the jokes are about to get better!” Max flipped to the next card and cleared his throat, “Speaking of parents.. Olivia’s parents are dead-”

Just then, the mic was ripped out of his hand by his brother. Bertrand forced a chuckle and spoke into the microphone. “Um, best wishes on your sixteenth birthday Lady Olivia. My brother and I are very grateful for the invite to your party but I’m afraid something urgent has come up and we must take our leave. Goodnight everyone.”

Bertrand quickly ushered Maxwell out of the ballroom and down an empty hallway before turning to face him. “ARE YOU INSANE!?”

“What?” 

“You used her birthday party to insult her? And you were about to ridicule her dead parents!”

Max shook his head. Of course Bertrand had no idea what comedy was. “It’s not insulting, it’s called a roast! It’s the highest honor you can give someone!”

Bertrand ran a hand down his face, “My God, Maxwell. We have to get out of here.”

“Why?”

Just then, the ballroom doors slammed and the sound of high heels stomping down the hallway grew closer and closer. Olivia rounded the corner, looking like a wild animal, and pointed at Maxwell. “YOU!!!”

“Run, brother!” Bertrand shouted and Max took off as fast as he could. Why was Olivia so angry? Maybe she needed someone to explain what a roast was, but Max wasn’t about to stop running to do so.

Eventually he gave her the slip and crammed himself in a dumbwaiter to hide. A terrifying hour later Olivia gave up hunting him and returned to the party. He and Bertand slipped out and weren’t invited to Lythikos ever again.

“I still don’t think she knows what a roast is!” Max chuckled and shook his head, laying next to Liam.

Liam laughed, “Maxwell Beaumont, you are the only person in the world brave enough or crazy enough to ‘roast’ Olivia Nevrakis.”

The two lay together in contented silence, simply enjoying each other’s company. “When do you have to leave?” Max asked quietly.

Liam sighed, “Soon probably.”

Maxwell felt his heart drop. “Oh.” 

Liam checked his watch with a frown. “I have a stupid meeting early tomorrow morning with Leo, my father, and the council. I have to start learning about amending treaties and other bullshit.”

“Well we have at least a few more minutes together.” Max turned over to face Liam and smiled, “Wanna hear some new music?”

Liam smiled, “Sure.”

Maxwell grabbed his phone and scrolled through to his newest favorite album. It wasn’t dance music like he usually favored, but had more of an indie romance vibe. Max closed his eyes, heavily in his feelings about listening to love songs next to Liam. His body was so close, Max could feel the warmth radiating from him and he was trying his best not to get too excited.. In more ways than one.

Suddenly he felt the soft, gentle warmth of Liam’s hand slide into his own. He opened his eyes abruptly and looked at his best friend. It was all he could do not to squeal with joy. The two shared a smile and lay together for the next half hour, hand in hand, enjoying the music and company, until Liam had to return home.

[yeonchi]

Kisekae Insights #41: Kamen Rider Decade Part 1

Kamen Rider Decade had a deeper story and nostalgic tributes compared to its sister work, Gokaiger. This is because Decade is meant to be a character development piece for its main character, Hiroki Ichigo. Contrary to my image of him, Hiroki was never the good boy I thought he was. He’s been disowned by his parents, he’s broken a billion billion hearts to save his own and he’s done some shady things to get to where he is today. Hence, his journey as Kamen Rider Decade is a journey for Hiroki to repent and learn lessons about his childhood sins while also teaching others along the way. His reward is gaining the cooperation of the Kamen Riders and unlocking their powers for his own use.

This series takes place in a smaller timeframe compared to Gokaiger (their adventures started in December/January while Decade’s adventures started in April), but its main premise involves Hiroki travelling back a month in time to gather the Kamen Riders and prevent the destruction of his city at the hands of an initially-unknown enemy. Be witness to Hiroki as he goes on a Journey through the Decade, beginning with the Nine Riders Arc.

“Just a passing-through Kamen Rider. And don’t you forget it!”

Episode 1: The Wildflower

Adapted from Decade episodes 1, 2 and 3.

During the events of Gokaiger, Hiroki was travelling with the Pony Doctor… even though he was missing for some time when Gokaiger happened. Out-of-sync timeline maybe? Inversely, the start of this episode takes place following the end of Gokaiger when the Power Rangers have scattered around to fight off remnants of the Zangyack Armada, because even after concentrating all their soldiers on Earth, pockets are still bound to remain somehow. This isn’t really made clear in the series.

The start of this series excises the Rider War dream from the start of episode 1, but hold onto that for later. Instead, we dive straight into the mysterious attack on the city as Melanie Yang and Kayley Karlington arrive in search of Hiroki. During the attack, dimensional walls (also known as Aurora Curtains) appear all over the city, bringing monsters with it. Hiroki meets with Melanie and Kayley and they head to UNIT HQ, where Hiroki is given the Decade Beltmorpher and Swiss Booker before he tests out his powers on some monsters, transforming into Drive, Ninja and Magica before his Kamen Ride cards turn grey. Hiroki is then given the Vortex Manipulator Mark 2, which has a randomiser function that automatically transports Hiroki to where each Rider is, then transform his attire depending on where he arrives in. After being given his mission to seek the Nine Kamen Riders and gain their powers, Hiroki is sent back a month in time alongside Kayley, who offers to travel with him.

In a tribute to Fifi and the Flowertots, the rest of the episode’s plot follows that of the original episodes with some modifications. Hiroki arrives in Never Land where he finds himself dressed as a defence-talent fairy (the equivalent of their police force there). The Gurongi, who manifested from human darkness brought to Never Land by babies’ first laughs, are targeting fairies (Fairy = 妖精 = ようせい = ジョグゲギ = jogugegi) in their sacred Gegeru based around Mt Meltlight to revive the “ultimate darkness”. Firerose, aka Kamen Rider Kuuga, encounters Hiroki as Decade and fights him, having heard from Narutaki that he was the “devil”.

Despite Hiroki stopping the sacred Gegeru, Narutaki’s summoning of the Hoppers causes N-Gamio-Zeda to be revived anyway, spreading darkness across Never Land that causes Gurongi to emerge from the dirt (instead of turning fairies into Gurongi). Firerose’s ally, Jolena, is attacked by a Gurongi and is brought to the Hospital Tree where she later dies. Being encouraged by Jolena to fight for everyone’s smiles, Firerose helps Hiroki fight and defeat N-Gamio-Zeda.

Lesson taught: Even if people seek strength through battle, there will be people who want to make others smile.

Episode 2: What?! The Guardians Return?

Adapted from Decade episodes 4 and 5.

Hiroki and Kayley leaves Never Land and arrives in Handan City, the home of Torchwood North for a tribute to Shugo Chara. Around the same time, Firerose is brought from Never Land to Handan as well by Hakushi using his TARDIS.

Hiroki finds himself wearing a lab coat with a Torchwood North ID card in his pocket. He heads to Torchwood North with Kayley and they meet with Zhuge Qiao, who asks for his help in reviving Torchwood North to its former glory. It is then that a man corrupted by an X-Egg appears, becoming a Fangire as a result. Hiroki transforms and fights the Fangire before Zhuge Qiao transforms into Shugo and fights him; she had heard from Narutaki that Decade was the “devil”, but she didn’t really know that Hiroki was Decade and it took both Firerose and the now-purified man to convince her that Hiroki isn’t a devil.

Going back to Torchwood North, Hiroki and Kayley help Zhuge Qiao and Tsukasa Amakawa bring the Guardians back from the Road of Stars, after they had sacrificed themselves to repel the Dalek fleet during their invasion of Earth years prior. However, Narutaki is cooperating with the Daleks to stop Torchwood North from reviving the Guardians, leading an army of Fangires and Imagin, the latter being humans who were given ruby necklaces by Narutaki. As Narutaki’s army approaches, Tsukasa is sent to fight them and buy time, transforming into Kamen Rider Duke using the Genesis Driver before he is defeated and Narutaki takes the Driver from him. Tsukasa would then fight as Kamen Rider IXA from that point on.

Although Hiroki and Firerose manage to hold off Narutaki’s army, the Daleks end up thwarting Zhuge Qiao’s plan, resulting in the four Riders working together to defeat Narutaki, her army and the Daleks. Shugo’s Final Form Ride is summoning the giant Guardian Sword to perform an attack akin to the team finishing attack from Gaoranger/Wild Force.

Following this, Firerose joins Hiroki and Kayley on their travels.

Lesson taught: Failure does not mean giving up – there will always be a solution, even if it is a compromise.

Episode 3: The Awakening

Adapted from Decade episodes 12 and 13.

Hiroki’s gang arrives in Swansea, Wales as Hiroki appears dressed as a Salacian prince. Fun fact - my description has it as “a mix of Marcello and the Shark King” which is practically just Veto and I wrote his wiki page before I started work on this series. This episode isn’t a tribute to Sea Princesses (yet, though it is a pseudo-tribute), but to My Bride is a Mermaid. The featured Salacian Riders are the four Amazons Riders, Juli, Jessi, Agostinha and Squid Girl. We also meet Lilimuro, a Flowertot who left Never Land and ended up helping Zhuge Shu and his family.

I’ve written about much of this and the next episode’s plot in #13 so I won’t bore you with all the details. I brought Another Agito since its suit was remade for Gorider, which begs the question why they didn’t remake the suit for regular Gills as well if both suits were water damaged.

Lesson learnt: While humans are misled by power because they are foolish, it is only so that they can achieve success. Humans may stray from their path, but they still continue on their journeys, even if it is a mistake.

Episode 4: Driven to Destruction

Adapted from Decade episodes 8 and 9.

Hiroki arrives in Chipping Cheddar and finds himself dressed in tights and a leotard in a tribute to Angelina Ballerina. I’d say “I’m not kidding” here, but that would be sexist given that male ballerinas are a thing.

A portion of the Animal Army, an original villain group among the monsters appearing in the first episode, is led by Garfield as Kamen Rider Psyga and Arlene as the Smilodon Dopant. Mirroring the scenes from the original episode, Caramelo makes an appearance as Todoroki, but his identity isn’t revealed as he was just a summon by Narutaki.

At the end of the episode, a Roidmude takes on Lilimuro’s form, foreshadowing the conclusion of the series’ first arc. We also get a cameo from Terry and Saki Mizukoshi along with Jon, Liz, Odie and Nermal from the Garfield franchise. Narutaki breaks into Charlie the Monkey’s laboratory and takes a Genesis Driver along with the EFTPOS Gunmorpher.

Lesson taught: Old enemies will be old enemies. If they want to clear a mutual obstacle in front of them, they need to show compassion and work together to eliminate it.

Episode 5: Animal Farm

Adapted from Decade episodes 10 and 11.

This tribute to Bananas in Pyjamas is named after the George Orwell novel of the same name. Hiroki is dressed in pyjamas and fedora for this one.

Hiroki and gang arrive in Cuddlestown where he learns from Rat in a Hat that animals have been acting strange for some time. As a bunch of chickens combine into two Megatori monsters outside, they are defeated by B1 and B2 as Kamen Rider Double. Other animal monsters also appear but they are defeated by the Teddies as Gaim, Baron and Ryugen.

Following the battle, the group meets with Charlie in his lab, where we learn that he and other UNIT scientists created the Double Driver and Genesis Driver by reverse-engineering the Lost Driver and Sengoku Driver(s) that came from a dimensional hole two years prior. It is then that Old Major, aka Kamen Rider Faiz, is spotted outside Rat’s shop; Rat goes to fight him as Zangetsu but is defeated by Faiz Axel Form. Narutaki uses her EFTPOS Gunmorpher to activate Faiz’s Final Form Ride and defeat Decade and the other Riders.

A group of mercenaries led by Noel Swarovski capture Hiroki and Old Major, hoping to gain the backstory of the latter. The mercenaries are unable to extract that information from Old Major, but Hiroki manages to do so, learning that the Animal Army was founded with assistance from an activist group known as Food Chain Breakers (FCB), who gave animals human sentience so they could rebel against them. At the same time, Charlie also reveals that he created the Decade Riders’ equipment, with the Diend Gunmorpher and EFTPOS Gunmorpher being created as backup equipment for the purpose of stopping Decade should he go rogue. Kayley is given the Diend Gunmorpher for fear that it would fall in the wrong hands, making her the first female Secondary Rider on a currently-running series before Toei would do so in Kamen Rider Gotchard with Majade. (There are also a number of female Primary Riders in my personal project, but they are not the main protagonists and it’s unlikely that Toei will ever do so for their flagship Kamen Rider series.)

The FCB and the Animal Army attacks the mercenaries’ lair at full force, leading the Bananas and Teddies to head to the scene alongside Kayley, who makes her debut as Kamen Rider Diend. The FCB leader, Grant Walliday, makes his appearance as the series-original Edge Dopant (with swords for hands) and is defeated by Decade and Double with the latter’s Final Form Ride. Narutaki arrives with Rat, ordering him to transform into Zangetsu Shin and kill the Riders before she brings Diend to another dimension to fight Kamen Rider Ryuga. Decade and his allies win and Hiroki’s gang goes off to their next destination.

Lesson taught: If people want to be vegetarian (or vegan) to show their compassion for animals, then it is their own decision, but they should not force others into making that decision for them.

Episode 6: Lights of the East

Adapted from Decade episodes 16 and 17.

The group arrives in Tokyo and they meet the Hurricanegers, Hiroki finding himself dressed in a noragi similar to that of Souji Tendou in Kabuto. Recognising Hiroki as Decade, the Hurricanegers take him in for safety and they go to a café owned by Grandma Cooper and her granddaughter Beth, which serves clam chowder (replacing oden from the original episode). Grandma Cooper’s grandson is Tommy Cooper, aka Kamen Rider Kabuto and the leader of the New Tongmenghui. The Faiz Riders are also featured in this episode, starting a mini-arc where the featured Riders of an episode reappear in the next episode.

Meanwhile, Narutaki colludes with ZECT, Smart Brain, the FCB, the mercenaries from the previous episode and the New Tongmenghui for her triple-layered plan to commit genocide; convert humans into Orphnoch using Rassmussen’s video from Sleep No More, then cause a global nuclear disaster to kill all humans and Orphnoch while also killing the 20 million Zygons living on Earth or mutating them into Worms. Some of Angela’s co-conspirators rebel as a result of this and Hiroki works with them and the Hurricanegers to defeat her and thwart her plans.

Hiroki’s encounter with HurricaneRed, Hikaru Azuma, causes him to become ashamed of himself due to his autism and as a result, being reminded of Hideko Kimihara, someone he would rather forget due to how people used to ship the two of them together (in forced-marriage plots) and because he loves Akari and not Hideko. Hiroki learns from Hikaru and his friends that being autistic isn’t something to be ashamed of and that many people learn to accept and embrace it. This plot point is a result of this episode being a tribute to the manga With the Light.

Lorah, Hugo and Tata, the featured Salacian Riders, are working with ZECT in this episode, but at the end of the episode, they are knocked out by Narutaki and copied by Roidmudes.

Lesson learnt: Autism isn’t something to be ashamed of. Anyone can have the potential to be remarkable and we should learn to accept ourselves for who we are.

Episode 7: Displaced Spirits

A largely original episode with minimal adaptation.

As with before, I’ve covered this and the next episode in #13 so I won’t repeat myself again here. Yuki Yamaki is the featured Rider in this episode as this is a tribute (of sorts) to Naisho no Tsubomi, a manga anthology centred around different girls named Tsubomi as they learn about puberty and other things. It is also a pseudo-tribute to Torchwood, Madoka Magica, GARO and Sea Princesses, with the featured Salacian Riders being the Oni Riders led by Marli and Maurico along with Kamen Rider Hibiki aka Marcela, the lost Hammerhead Shark Princess. Tubarina also makes an appearance as Kamen Rider Ouja but she merely serves as an informant for Narutaki.

Kabuto and Gatack make an appearance with the New Tongmenghui and they are the Riders who get taught a lesson in this episode. They return to Grandma Cooper’s café at the end of the episode. Hiroki is dressed similar to Captain Jack Harkness, who makes a cameo at the end to compliment his outfit.

After the main battle of the episode, Narutaki confronts Hiroki about the Hybrid and alludes to him being it as she notes that he has never been entirely human all his life and that he has been slowly losing his humanity for a number of years now. Hiroki asks Narutaki what she has become and she replies with his usual catchphrase.

Lesson taught: Children need to learn the difference between right and wrong from their parents. Freedom has its limits.

Episode 8: The Searching Boy

Adapted from Decade episodes 7 and 8. Also a sequel to the Sea Princesses episode The Boy.

Finally, the actual tribute episode to Sea Princesses. Narutaki makes her debut as Kamen Rider Gold Drive in this episode and would alternate between the two power sets until Soulbound Series 3. The Octonauts also make an appearance following Doctor Who Series 8 in 2014.

Hiroki is dressed as Squid Girl as some Core Driviar technology is given to him in the form of Shift Cars and Signal Bikes. This episode is the first of a two-parter plot involving Narutaki triggering the Global Freeze to conclude the Nine Riders Arc. The Goddess Salacia makes her debut as Kamen Rider Saga and is also revealed to have been copied by a Roidmude. Kayley is the one who teaches the Shark King a lesson in place of Hiroki, even going so far as to use his catchphrase.

Although Decade, Ryuki and their allies manage to stop Narutaki’s plan, she reveals that this was merely a test for the true Global Freeze when she double-crosses the Shark King. Regardless, this marks the start of a new peace between Drylanders and Salacians as Polvina reunites with Daniel Camielez (aka Kamen Rider Ryuki, the Drylander boy from the titular episode) and Marcello reunites with Marcela.

Lesson taught (by Kayley): You cannot rely on yourself to fight for or protect something.

Episode 9: Who is the real Kamen Rider of Silverhatch Racetrack?

Adapted from Drive episodes 44, 45, 46 and 47.

Hiroki arrives at Silverhatch Racetrack and finds himself dressed as Toramata Suzuki (鈴木虎亦), modelled on real-life commentator Toshihiro Suzuki (鈴木敏弘) from that one video of his hilarious race commentary. He is hired as a replacement commentator after Big Chris decided to take family leave (this was around the time when Peter Kay had cancelled all work projects for family reasons; I wasn’t sure what to do with Big Chris so all he got was a cameo in the final episode of Gokaiger), with Violet joining the team as their replacement mechanic.

Hiroki commentates a race as Flash crashes it towards the end in Tridoron. Narutaki sends forth some Roidmudes and Flash transforms into Kamen Rider Drive to fight them in a staged battle before Mr Carburettor fights him as Mashin Chaser. After Drive escapes, PC Pete informs everyone that Tridoron and Drive’s equipment were stolen from Shinnosuke Tomari. Hiroki and Mr Carburettor go with PC Pete to investigate and they find Akari’s brother, who transforms into Kamen Rider Mach and fights Decade. Later, Shinnosuke plays a video that Krim Steinbelt made for Hiroki and the others, allowing them to learn of Narutaki’s collusion with Tenjūrō Banno to trigger the Global Freeze.

You will recall that certain characters were copied by Roidmudes in previous episodes. Firerose’s friend, Lilimuro, was copied by Roidmude 006, whose evolved form is the Blazer Roidmude (I don’t remember the inspiration for it so I think it was original). Lorah was copied by Roidmude 088, whose evolved form is the Aqua Roidmude (resembling Kamen Rider Aqua) and the Goddess Salacia was copied by Roidmude 055, whose evolved form is the Ocean Roidmude (resembling Kamen Rider Poseidon). Hugo and Tata were copied by Roidmudes 039 and 093; though they do not have evolved forms, they can transform into Drake and Sasword just like their templates. Blazer, Aqua, Ocean and Gold Drive are the four Super Evolved Roidmudes used to power up the Sigma Circular. Heart tries to stop her but he is destroyed by Drive Type Formula.

Narutaki begins digitising humanity as she unleashes all the Roidmudes on Hiroki and the others; the Ryuki Riders arrive to assist as well, being spared from the effects of the Global Freeze thanks to them modifying Time Vent using technology Narutaki left in Salacia. Firerose finds his determination to continue travelling and protecting the smiles of everyone around the world, allowing him to unlock Kuuga Ultimate Form (the Rising Forms were not featured due to time constraints). Narutaki is defeated as she is sent flying; Hiroki takes her back to Silverhatch and leaves her there before he leaves with his friends. To be honest, if I’d known that Banno’s destruction scene at the hands of Gou would be such a meme (in China), I would’ve adapted it for a bit of tension between Hiroki and Narutaki.

Having completed his mission, the randomiser unlocks and Hiroki is allowed to return, but he decides to take the long way around as he still has some time left and there are also other Riders who are not part of the original Kamen Rider Project that he can meet.

Lesson learnt (by Firerose): There is just as much evil on Earth as there is on other worlds (including Never Land) and people need to work together to overcome it.

This ends the Nine Riders Arc; we continue in the next instalment with the TV Movie Specials, the New Worlds Arc and the Age of Riders movies. Although plans have changed during the development years, the stories are still epic.

[chiliraccoon]

[rysandraines]

So I guess every duke of karlington is a traitorous dick

[adrrianraines]

911 THIS IS AN EMERGENCY—GODFREY BEING THE DUKE OF KARLINGTON HAS A REASON. HE’S AS DIRTY AS MR. RICHARDS!!

[amethystandemma]

“Rise of the Blue Comet”

Chapter 2

. . . . .

Aqua ran so quickly, she didn't realize a wire was tied around two trunks until she had tripped over it and face planted into the ground. Laughter erupted from the trees around her, followed by a guard roughly grabbing her by her left arm.

“Get up sweetheart," the guard ordered, shoving her arm behind her back.

“Don't call me sweetheart, blondie." Aqua snarled.

He laughed, pushing her over to hog-tied Ruby. "Whatever you say, sweetheart."

A couple of the other guards snickered. Aqua glared at them, smirking when their faces became pale. The blonde guard tied her wrists and ankles together in the same fashion as her sister.

Captain Ryder stepped over to the twins, blood trickling down his face from a scratch above his right eye. Aqua recognized the scratch pattern as Ruby's claws, which explained the look of satisfaction on her face.

“Here, Captain," one of the guards, a ginger, said as he handed him a handkerchief.

The ginger's hand shook. Captain Ryder took the clout and put it over his scratch.

“Thank you, lad," Ryder said, causing a couple of the older guards to snicker. "Specialist McGrover, accompany Private Moonlash as he alerts Major Swanson that we caught the troublemakers."

Despite being bound, Aqua couldn't help but feel bad for the ginger, Private Moonlace. He didn't look any older than 15, practically an adult in her 13 year old eyes, but the other guardsmen were treating him like a child. They even gave him an escort for a ridiculously simple task.

However, Private Moonlash didn't look angry about the escort. He looked relieved, happy even. Specialist McGrover rolled her eyes, mounting her black and white pinto with ease. Private Moonlace mounted behind her, not nearly as graceful, and the duo was gone in a cloud of dust.

"Now, here is what you are going to do." Captain Ryder turned back to the two twins. "You're going to be good captives and follow our orders exactly, otherwise..." he grinned, flashing his sword. "There will be consequences."

Ruby rolled her eyes, glancing at Aqua as if to say "can you believe this guy?"

Aqua closed her eyes, her mind blank except for Ruby's face. She had a lot of practice doing this before, but it still took a lot of concentration. She took a deep breath and entered Ruby's headspace.

"Sorry you had to come back," Ruby thought. "How far did you get?"

"I got to the river," Aqua thought.

Ruby mentally sighed and shook her head.

"Private Karlington, get the iron."

The word "iron" snapped Aqua out of Ruby's head. She opened her eyes, and watched a knight she assumed was Karlington grab an iron cuff from his saddle's pouch.

“Ryder," the blonde guard, who called Aqua sweetheart, spoke with a cold edge. "We don't need that."

“Last I checked Charming, I'm in charge of this mission. Not you." Captain Ryder snapped.

The guard, Charming, glared at his superior.

Sweat began to roll down Aqua's body as Private Karlington moved closer and closer. The iron cuff shimmered in the light, reflecting into her eyes.

Ten steps now, Aqua thought, tensing all her muscles.

Five.

Ruby let out a loud, guttural howl, breaking free of her bonds. Karlington stumbled backwards, falling on top of Captain Ryder.

She moved towards Aqua's bonds, breaking them with a single swipe. Aqua quickly untied the ropes around her legs and stood up next to her sister.

“I got your left." Aqua tripped the soldier next to her and grabbed Brinebitter.

“And I have your right," Ruby said, her claws gleaming.

Private Karlington recovered quickly and drew his sword, running towards Aqua with Charming. Captain Ryder and two others went towards Ruby.

Aqua intercepted Private Karlington's slash and pushed forward, knocking him off balance. She hit him with the hilt of Brinebitter on the head, knocking him unconscious. She turned towards Charming.

“Just you and me, sweetheart," Charming said.

Aqua gritted her teeth, lunging forward. The blonde met her sword with his silver and blue one, sneering in her face. She thrusted her knee upwards and hit him in the chest.

Charming stumbled backwards, the amusement on his face replaced with fatigue.

“For someone with such a big ego," Aqua started. "You would think you would be able to take a hit."

She moved closer. Charming thrusted his sword forward, disarming her. He grabbed her wrist and threw her over his back, onto the ground.

"You think you can read people so well." Charming chuckled, kicking her in the chest. "I'm a tough book to read, sweetheart."

"Stop calling me sweetheart!" Aqua yelled.

She grabbed a fistful of dirt and threw it into his eyes. Charming coughed, dropping his sword and rubbing his face. Aqua leapt up and kicked him in the shin, watching him fall with a satisfying crack.

Then she punched him in the face for good measure.

Ruby stood over the two guards plus Captain Ryder, panting but seemingly unscratched.

We did it, Aqua thought with a smile.

Ruby smiled back, her tail swishing back and forth. Captain Ryder started to groan. She stepped on his face with her foot, still grinning.

Her smile quickly turned into a snarl.

"Behind you!" She yelled, lunging forward.

Before Aqua could register what was going on, a strong hand had grabbed her arm and pushed it against her back. In the same motion, a silver blade held by a dark cocoa brown hand hovered below her chin. She froze.

"I told you Major Swanson!" Private Moonlace yelled as he jumped back into the clearing, Specialist McGrover close behind. "I told you the team could do... oh."

Private Moonlace looked around at all the unconscious bodies. His face turned bright red. Specialist McGrover facepalmed.

Aqua held back a laugh, careful not to breathe too deeply in fear of cutting her neck. Ruby growled, retracting her claws,

"You should've known better than to let your guard down," Major Swanson said, his voice as smooth as silk.

"Yes sir," Aqua choked out.

Major Swanson looked at Ruby. She rolled her eyes.

"Still... you and your sister fought bravely and relentlessly."

Swanson lowered his blade. Aqua took a deep, uneven breath, her body unstraining.

"Princesses," he said. "You've passed. Now, let's get you home.

. . . . .

Wattpad link: https://www.wattpad.com/1335643641?utm_source=ios&utm_medium=link&utm_content=share_reading&wp_page=reading_part_end&wp_uname=AmethystandEmma&wp_originator=n4pBB32kjaJ9kVvec1TAmtFvOAFWsxos3ye5SqUvLe5D%2BLo6ZHENaxaK8Qk24nEFxgGsUxDmJ9sQLjEVRI8CxJXHacWPj%2F6QRAszI0hucv86Wgzrr%2FyOp9%2BbvNf6fCw1

Ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/46588207/chapters/130560547#workskin

[nazariolahela]

Trend Magazine: Issue 3

[kinda-iconic]

Oh for goodness sake! 🙄🙁

[taintedpastries]

PASCAL THE FERRET

Another attempt at drawing in the Living Toon's art Style! This time, his fursona! That's right KARLINGTON SKETCHPAD PENNMAN IS A FURRY!!!

Pascal does also have toonish qualities,. being able to stretch and coil, and having a body moveable like putty!

Oh! and his tail is a pencil.

[heauxplesslydevoted]

[abunchofbadchoices]

Duke Richards : Our babies will be smart AND beautiful!

MC : Not to mention imaginary.