#Pb better give me all my diamonds and keys

[masked-alien-lesbian]

12 Days of Choices

On the 12th day of choices, pixelberry gave to me:

12 drummers drumming

11 pipers piping

10 lords a-leaping

9 ladies dancing

8 maids a-milking

7 swans a-swimming

6 geese a-laying

5 golden rings!!

4 calling birds

3 French hens

2 turtledoves

And a partridge in a pear treee!

[choices-and-voices]

Not gonna lie, I’m... kinda upset with the way VIP has been handled. I’m not going to go into how astronomically expensive it is & how few people it’s actually cost-effective for, because lots of other posts have covered those points really well already. But here are some other things that I think bear mentioning:

1. I’m 99% sure that VIP is going to reduce the quantity & quality of content available to non-VIP players going forward

This is just basic business economics – if you put out a brand-new subscription service in the middle of a global recession, probably because your profits have dropped in that recession, of course you’re gonna have to really motivate people to buy into the service. And that means keeping as much content as possible behind the paywall, motivating people to sign up because a) they can’t get a reasonable playing experience without doing so and b) their money is unlocking more content, therefore the subscription service seems like ‘better value.’ Actually, something like this has already happened. PB is in a minor content drought at the moment – only 3 books on the release schedule – but they’ve still put a lot of resources into releasing The Unexpected Heiress, the historical mystery book they know everyone so desperately wants, as a VIP book, so that all its publicity can drum up VIP subscriptions. And yes, they’re still releasing a non-VIP book next week, My Two First Loves – but that book is a) another staple romance and b) a money-making experiment in itself, being a daily release (it’s much harder to accumulate diamonds/keys for chapters without buying them when the chapters are being released closer together, you know?). Long story short, I could just be catastrophising, and I hope I am – I hope PB proves to me that they’re better than this. But I think we’re going to end up in a situation where all the ‘good concept’ books go to VIP first, and the free line-up is just ~3 romance books a week.

2. Having all content go through VIP first wouldn’t be so bad if there was transparency on when the general public release is, but there’s been zilch

There’s only one other IF app I know of that has a VIP program, and it’s Originals. In that app, it’s made very clear that VIP players have one week advance access to new books & chapters, which is an important factor in the decision of whether VIP is right for you. In Choices, the wait for general release will obviously be longer... but we still don’t know how long. I get the feeling that PB will release books only when they think they’ve served their max possible marketing purpose in VIP, which could be a really long time and is... just kinda shady, tbh.

3. While PB claims VIP was designed to ‘reward engaged players’... it’s actually of most benefit to new players.

This is something I maybe have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about, because although I’m very aware of just how problematic Choices can be, I remain a die-hard player. I’ve been playing since 2016, I’ve completed 82 out of 85 fully-released books, I stay up-to-date with new releases and buy diamonds regularly. I would love to have access to a VIP service that acknowledges I’m here to stay and makes it a bit more cost-effective for me. But instead, I’m offered a service where the biggest benefit is unlimited keys – something I’m unlikely to use, because I’ve already played so much of the available content – and where there’s an additional benefit of 2 bonus diamonds per unplayed chapter, which I can’t use because I’ve already played so much of the available content. I’m very conscious of sounding whiny here because I know VIP has to cater for everyone, not just those of us who’ve been here a long time, but... I just wish there were tiers or something to give all types of players interested in VIP some level of benefit, you know?

4. Just generally, this is the worst time to be releasing a VIP subscription service

Like I said before – there’s a global recession. Choices is already low on content, partly through uncontrollable circumstances (COVID-induced delays on productivity) but also partly through their own mistakes (writing an OH Book 2 that was so problematic it had to be recalled & abbreviating series like DS that were obviously set up to have multiple books). In the end, they’re a business that probably has to meet Nexon-set profit quotas to survive, and they’ve spoken out about trying to avoid past experiences of being laid off from companies and I sympathise with that, I really do. But still, this VIP feature feels like a slap in the face to everything they claimed to be about – games that would be empowering & representative for young women & marginalised young people – and I don’t know, guys. I just... don’t feel great about it.

[kamilahspet]

I haven't made a post about choices in a long time but honestly I felt like I needed to write this because I am so tired, disappointed and fed up by PB and I've reached my limit. I don't know who is running things now, but I have never been so fucking disappointed by this company since I've been playing choices (3+ years btw).

From the tone deaf and hypocritical black lives matter post to them putting OH on hiatus because they were forsure going to kill either Rafael or Kyra TWO BLACK CHARACTERS. Mind you they didn't say they were rewriting the story. They just want to delay it until the black lives matter movement has lost some momentum and we've "forgotten" (we won't PB I promise) so they can flip a coin to decide which black character to kill. And honestly it's not even the killing part that irritates me as much as it is that we've BARELY interacted with Rafael or Kyra throughout this whole book and now they're just throwing away these amazing characters that had very little screentime and character arc. Not to mention the fact that literally every single LI in open heart (all POC) besides Ethan are fighting for leftover screentime scraps. Now I'm hearing that they were blocking black ppl on Twitter who were rightfully calling them out??!!!!??

As a black woman who LOVES choices (it's literally the main reason I have a Tumblr) and have gotten many of my friends into this game, I have never been more disappointed with this company on god. Wtf is going on @playchoices????? I refuse to continue to support a company who treats characters that look like me like shit in their stories and gives the most basic and racist white characters more screentime, redemption arcs, and character development. From now on I won't be buying any more diamonds or keys until I see real change or until they address this issue and actually BRING SOLUTIONS to this problem and if they don't I will be deleting the app. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. POC deserve better than this shit. I really want pb to do better because I love interactive stories and even with the numerous problems that choices has they do make amazing stories (BOLAS) and have more lgbtq+ content than most of the other apps in this genre, but this doesn't mean that they get to consistently disrespect black and POC voices and existence. Enough is enough. Ur black players deserve better. Ur POC players deserve better. Ur lgbtq+ players deserve better. For the love of God PB DO BETTER @playchoices

And for all you mfs that think we're overreacting y'all can choke. I don't give a shit that you're not gonna see ur favorite li for a while. If PB wants to claim that they are inclusive and are pro diversity then don't be fucking surprised when ppl hold them accountable. Don't be fucking surprised when black ppl expect a better response and action (like hiring actual black writers) from a company that constantly caters to their older white female and let's be honest sometimes RACIST demographic. Don't be fucking surprised when we call them out on their treatment of POC characters. Don't be fucking surprised when lgbtq+ people call them out when female lis aren't getting screentime or when they forget to code for their gender. We literally make them trend every single fucking week and all we're fucking asking is for them to treat their POC characters with more respect. Stop with the embarrassing ass kissing and acknowledge that PB NEEDS to fuckin do better for lgbtq+ and POC especially their black players. My God.

[thefirstcourtesan]

VIP Review

It has been one month since VIP was released to everyone and I decided to do a long post examining the benefits of VIP and if it is worth $20 CAD a month.

I can only speak to my own experiences and before I break down totals, I am going to explain that I did have 6 abandoned/unplayed books available to binge. I also received the challenges feature for the last week of my first month, which added to the amount of diamonds I received (as I explain later). When I activated VIP, I had 463 diamonds and I also purchased 1500 as a birthday gift. So I began VIP with 1963 diamonds. I currently have 496 diamonds. I figured out that in the last month, I have spent 3151 diamonds (so almost $300 worth!), as I said, I started out with 1963 and I still have 496. This means that in the first month of VIP, I earned 1684 diamonds! Over $130 value for $20. So for me, VIP is definitely worth it, but is it worth for everyone? I will break it down and let you decide.

VIP advertises four different selling points and I am going to break down each of them. The benefits to VIP are as follows: bonus diamonds (a one-time bonus of 180 and then 10 a day), double chapter rewards for new chapters, special VIP books and unlimited keys.

Bonus Diamonds

This might actually be the weakest feature for me, personally, even though it might seem like the most valuable part of VIP. Don’t get me wrong, 300 diamonds a month for $20 is a good deal (I pay $28 for 250) and the one-time 180 diamonds are an extra good deal and make VIP especially worth it for the first month. If you buy small packs of diamonds on a regular basis, then VIP is probably worth it for the diamonds alone. The only drawback is that it is a small amount per day and that you have to remember to log in every single day.

Double Chapter Rewards

VIP players receive 4 diamonds per unplayed chapter instead of 2. This is one of those bonuses that depends on the player’s circumstances. If you are someone who has played every book already, then this has less valuable than if you have several unplayed books. For me, I had 6 unplayed/abandoned books with a total of 78 unplayed chapters, which was a bonus of 156 diamonds. This is also a bonus of 6-10 diamonds a week, depending on the update schedule. With one exception.

I have said since My Two First Loves premiered, that it is. A book designed for VIP even if it isn’t a VIP book. The short, easily bingeable chapters are annoying when you have to wait 3 hours for keys, but great for unlimited keys. But more than that, the daily diamonds add up. MTFL gets regular players 14 diamonds a week and VIP players 28 a week. Today marks the 28th chapter of MTFL and that means so far, VIP players have collected 112 diamonds, 56 diamonds more than regular players. MTFL is a guaranteed 4 diamonds a day for VIP players and gives a great return on the double chapter rewards perk.

VIP Books

VIP players have access to four special books, three of which are completed and one which is updating. I have played all three completed books and am up-to-date on The Unexpected Heiress. The quality of the VIP books is excellent. With Every Heartbeat is beautiful and heartbreaking while A Very Scandalous Proposal is the best slow burn Choices has ever done. TUH is still in the early days, but so far it is a mix of Veil of Secrets and Desire and Decorum and blends historical drama with mystery. Hot Couture was the weak link (for me), as it is a formula we have seen before, but it was still very enjoyable. All the VIP books are well written and they are all unique from one another (even if HC is similar to other books in the Choices library).

While you get early access to the VIP books, you still have to spend diamonds on them and they get pricey. Between the three completed books and TUH, I have spent 2213 diamonds so far, but I have no impulse control and bought the majority of scenes in all the books. This is also why I bought the 1500 bonus pack for my birthday, so I could enjoy the VIP books without hesitation.

Choices has promised to release these books to the general public eventually, though there is no timeline on that. For me, the VIP books were a nice bonus, but I wouldn’t have subscribed to VIP just for the VIP books alone (even though I really wanted to play TUH).

Unlimited Keys

The last feature of VIP is very much a “your mileage may vary” perk. If you don’t have the challenge system, if you have no unfinished books and don’t replay, there is very little benefit to the unlimited keys. For me, personally, I like to binge books, so unlimited keys was the feature that interested me the most. Plus the unlimited keys let me catch up on the books I’d abandoned (which I was never going to do at 2 chatpers at a time), which was also nice. So for me, it was a perk I was interested in and that I always considered worth it.

Then last week, I got the new challenge reward system and it made the unlimited keys even more valuable. With the challenge system I get 15 diamonds per completed book and 2 diamonds per 3 chapters and already-played books count. So I can replay books and earn diamonds for it, 25 diamonds for the average book. That is a pretty amazing bonus and makes unlimited keys very, very worth it. 

Conclusion

For me, VIP is worth it. I can tap through and binge books while doing other things and collect my 15+ diamonds. Plus, I spend roughly $50 a month on Choices and if I only have to spend $20, then I will definitely be coming out ahead and I can replay my favorite Choices books as often as I like (and have done so already, to the benefit of both me and PB as I found myself buying a few scenes I had to before in several books).

But I buy diamonds regularly, have purchased keys in the past, and have access to the challenge system. If none of those apply to you, then I am not sure whether VIP would be worth it or not, but I do think the perks are getting better and that they are changing the direction of the game to highlight VIP (adding the challenge system, having a daily release book, and so on) and I think that we will see increased benefits for VIP in the coming months. And I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who buys diamonds and keys regularly and definitely  for anyone who has access to the challenge system.

[choicesenthusiast]

We need to have a chat.

For months, now, has Choices been progressively getting worse, and 99% of readers on this site collectively agree- and are very unhappy- that this is the direction that the game is headed in. So I just want to touch on some things that have bothered me and plenty others recently.

Let me just say this, before you all come at me. I love this game. It got me through a lot of tricky times in my life. It sounds dramatic, but it did give me something to look forward to every week. Now, though, there are plenty of issues I want to discuss.

These are personal opinions, so do not “attack” me if you disagree. It’s a long post, so feel free to scroll by. However, I felt these topics were too important not to pass over and practically wrote a whole essay, so I know it’s worth reading.

First, let’s talk about the books. More particularly, the quality of them. I get that the writers are trying, I really do. I don’t blame them. I blame the higher-ups. But most of the newer books are the same quality of Home for the Holidays when that was originally released, but now our standards have lowered so drastically that it’s normal for us. Almost every chapter has been a letdown, with a few noticeable exceptions.

Not to mention the content in some of the books. I am going to call them out specifically, so if you’re offended easily, get away from this post. Bachelorette Party, for instance, is a book that is significantly more inappropriate than most. Many innuendos, art, and terms/phrases not used in the early days of this game. It’s happened in Bloodbound, and also in The Royal Heir, and countless other books. Sure, write what you wan’t, I don’t care, just make it good. BUT. I’ve mentioned it before, and I’ll do it again. This app is rated for users ages 12+. That means literal children could be playing this game. This is so wrong. If you’re to write explicit content, at least make it known before young people fall into this trap of suggestive material.

Sunkissed is more boring than a wet mop, and PB is looking to release a few more books with similar energies and premises as if they don’t know that it’s one of their worst books. The Royal Heir is more Big Sky Country than Big Sky Country, when the whole idea of the book was to introduce an heir. Red Carpet Diaries is so forgettable that I forgot it existed. I could go on and on, nitpicking all of the books, but my point is that the quality of the books have declined so much since initial release, and the collective nobody is satisfied with it.

Secondly, let’s discuss the treatment of the characters. I am really grateful for the artists at PB. They’ve done a fantastic job with creating these characters and scenery that we know and love (mostly). What I’m not grateful for is the way that the writers are treating them, especially the minorities. And I know, I know, they’re fictional and that they have their own personalities and stuff. But the way they treat them also reflects the way they look at people in real life. Most female characters are cast aside in favour of the males. LGBTQ+ characters are dismissed and written off as heteronormative. Characters of colour are stereotyped. As an Asian female, I find it so rude and discriminatory, and quite frankly, disgusting. What’s worse is that PB claims to represent all people, but blatantly “represent” them stereotypically and disregard it once again every time people bring it up. Reusing Open Heart MC’s face for 5 books in a row is also lazy and uninspired. I understand the cost and effort of creating custom characters for every book, but after at least 2, much less 5 times, is where we draw the line. This also needs to stop.

Finally, let’s talk about reader satisfaction. PB obviously knows it has quite the audience. With the tag trending on Tumblr almost every week, 75k followers on Instagram, and an army of middle-aged moms on Facebook, it’s safe to say that this is a very popular game. It will be hard to satisfy everyone’s needs. But PB needs to understand that if at least two thirds of their fanbase is unhappy with the outcome of content, they have to do something about it. First it was representation. Forced romance. Pumping out more crappy books rather than a few good ones. Shoving all releases to the back end of the week instead of evenly spacing them out. Now changing the key wait time to three hours and diamond rewards back to one per chapter with no benefit to anyone? Sometimes I get where they’re coming from, but it’s too much mistakes. What’s worse is that PB tries to apologize for it and promises positive change, but then goes back and changes nothing, thusly making more readers unhappier.

On the other hand, some readers have completely crossed a line. Threatening PB because of crappy content, and other such actions are so immoral and inappropriate and although they’re not completely satisfying our wants, they are still human beings, after all. We also need to realize that they are trying to make us like their creations, and albeit misguided, they want the best for their app, whatever they may think that it be.

That’s what it is. The disregard of their fanbase’s wants, the dismissal of the change in their content, the “truths” and the empty promises. I make it sound dramatic, but it’s true.

All in all, I just wanted to put my thoughts out there, as they’ve been sitting in my head for a while. For those of you saying just stop playing it, I don’t want to. I genuinely feel that PB can bounce back from this, if they wake up and see the shit they’ve created. I know this is usually a chill blog but it was time to be serious for once. I hope you all agree with me, and I hope that things will get better.

@playchoices, I hope you see this and change for the better.

[stopforamoment]

Pernicious Passion: Part Three

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

A/N and TRIGGERS—There is mention of the Tariq set up in TRR book one and a brief discussion of rape culture. I know the Pixelberry crew does not condone violence against women, but let’s face it. The Tariq scene in Riley’s room was non-consensual and there was no discussion of Riley having PTSD as a result of that violation. The article “There Has to Be a Better Way to End Rape Culture” by Anna Hundert is a quick read with links to rape culture analogies in the beginning and links to RAINN support services at the end. You are loved, and you are not alone!

Part Three (542 Words)

A week later . . .

Kara slipped the key into the lock and turned. Then she paused, taking a deep breath. Things were absolute hell at work and at home. She was getting caught in her lies, and she knew her fantasy of keeping Bastien all to herself was crashing down around her.

Bastien was in the living room, staring intently at her laptop. “Bas, baby. What are you doing out of the bedroom?” Kara cooed to him as she entered the apartment.

Bastien’s eyes snapped up. “Kara, we talked about the importance of honesty in our relationship.”

Kara’s eyes widened and her face flushed. “Yes, of course Bas. What is it?”

Bastien pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “My Sweetest Apple Tart, please sit down. We need to talk. Again.”

Kara perched at the edge of the couch, waiting for Bastien to take the lead.

“My Dutch Apple Pie, you know how upset I was in the previous series. How much I put up with to make you happy.” Kara was about to protest, but Bastien placed a finger against her lips to hush her. “No, please let me finish. You created a storyline where I was nothing more than Constantine’s lackey to bring down Riley. And how? Attempted rape? Slut shaming?”

“Bas, please . . . we talked about this. We needed something big. Something that would prevent Liam from choosing Riley at the end of the first book.”

“Even if she loved Hana, Maxwell, or Drake? And what about Olivia as a love interest?”

“Bas—my bosses. We try to advocate for more female love interests and diamond scenes with them, even if they’re platonic scenes. But hetero relationships are what sell. Bas, look at the good we’ve done. Maxwell was added as a love interest based on fan reactions. In other books we’re trying to do more . . .”

Bas sighed. “I’m sorry, My Apple Crumble. I know you’re trying. But the fact still remains that you agreed to let my character be an accomplice to rape, and The Royal Romance is a sausage fest.”

Kara’s eyes widened. “Bastien. That scene with Tariq . . . We made sure to write Drake in, that he was right there to protect Riley. And Riley was fine.”

“Oh, Kara. My Silly Caramel Apple. Do you really think Riley was fine after a man barged into her room when she was only partially dressed and forced himself on her?” There was pain in his eyes. “I would never purposely endanger a person like that. Putting them in a situation where they could be emotionally violated and physically attacked like that. Even if my king ordered it. Kara, that hurt me. But it hurt Riley even more. Have you read the fan fics that were created to give Riley/MC a voice after that horrific encounter?”

Kara’s eyes were swimming in tears and Bastien pulled her closer. “I’m sorry, Apple Dumpling. I know my honesty is brutal. But it’s important that we’re honest with each other, right?”

Kara wordlessly nodded, but she avoided his gaze, knowing she was being less than honest with him right now. And she knew she needed to be.

It was time to come clean.

CHAPTER FOUR

[ohsnapitzlovehacker]

Quick Thoughts on HSS: Class Act Chapter 14

- pIcking highlights photos was hella hard, so...here’s 9 please don’t say a thing 😭💀

- I maaaay or may not have moved everything around in my schedule to make sure I played the chapter when it dropped (unfortunately I could not post until now)

- Y'all I felt like I was watching my actual kids get ready for their performance. These are more of the moments that make me miss high school 😩

- Ajay trying to give a pep talk and constantly being interrupted was a mess chile. But funny.

- So we get to talk to Rory, Skye, and Ajay before the show, so in the order I clicked:

Rory: Meghan pacing with him while he was lost in thought was adorbs

Skye: Deserves better than her shitty ass parents, yes I said it. We all know the truth.

Ajay: I may have melted a little inside when Meghan came to talk to him, and he was about to snap but immediately softened (I'm still mad at him, but this was cute)

- Meghan point blanked asked him if Ajay thought she was guilty and Ajay point blank says he didn't know what to believe. Bull, Ajay, just apologize and hug it out lol

- MEGHAN SINGING LET IT GO TO GET AJAY TO CHILL (I love my goober child so much lol we're the same person) 😂😂😆

- So I spent 12 diamonds for the crew to make Ajay a card. Honestly, it was kinda worth it. Clint and Nat making the card for Ajay about Rory is a true talent, and Meghan going the silly route in her message just felt right (amid all the sentimental notes)

- Skye being stressed out about her parents not being there just made my blood pressure rise and want to fight somebody (ask me if I was surprised when they didn't' come?? Ask me) 💀

- Lololol was I, a 22 year old player nervous for a fictional 14 year old's stage kiss/ first kiss? When am I not nervous when it comes to this damn book

- RORY LIKES MEGHAN RORY LIKES MEGHAN RORY LIKES- okay I'll stop. Sincere apologies for the Ajay and Skye romancers. I'll try to keep my foolishness in check. Again. But like come on, he essentially admits that he likes the girl before he fumbles out something else to cover it.

- Me: Now kiss

My well meaning friend: Serene, ya got one more chapter, please chill.

Me: ......no

- I was so happy to see Rory's mama in the crowd *cries*

- Also, Aiden's music was SO PRETTY. I hope PB puts the track up sometime.

- Speaking of Aiden, good to know he and my OG MC Denise are still going strong, pair of cuties 💖

- Ajay willingly hugging the MC if you give him the card??????? Still not an apology, but maybe I can let it slide...

- ERIN AND TWIN!!!!! I SHIP IT!!!!!!! (I also low key ship Skye and Twin but that's a whole other post). Malcolm giving Erin the flowers literally made me squeal, why are they so f*** precious???😭😭😭

- Speaking of precious and tears and crap, Mrs. Silva taking Skye in under her wing??? Praise God, I can now sleep better at night, lol 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

- Guys....um....Danielle is changing in my eyes?? I'm not saying she's forgiven for the nasty things she said and did, but getting Amber and other people to buy tickets and support the show was really kind and mature of her. I see you Danielle, we're getting somewhere!

- Lol, I think I glossed over the stage kiss itself, but there's other things to scream about

- I like how the story's all "cast party at MC's place, surprise". And the outfits for guy and girl MC look really nice!

- So. Like. It's not a secret that I'm a Rory stan, specifically my Rory with my MC, so I have it on good authority that my soul will ascend my body next Monday 2pm EST. I've been waiting all book for certain people to confess certain feelings in a certain fashion 🤷🏾‍♀️

[endless-vall]

Your smile - Naomi x f!mc fanfic

Summary: A late night call to assure Ivy won’t fall into Walsh’s hands ends up with the both of them trying (and failing miserably) to properly flirt with each other.

Author’s note: Sorry for the lack of content, I’ve had a busy week haha 😅

I’m also leaving tomorrow for a vacation (I’ll post a separate post about it soon/tomorrow), so I won’t be able to write for at least... A whole week and I wanted to share something before that! 😊

I LOVE Naomi! And I don’t see enough content about her in the fandom. It doesn’t help that we only had one diamond scene with her so far 😕 (although I’m grateful for the free content, at least we get to see her every week. But I wish PB would divide their diamond scenes more equally.)

So, as always, when there isn’t enough content out there for a LI I love, I write it myself! Hehehe 😁

(Also, if you do have/know-of some Naomi x f!mc content out there, please send it my way/tag me in it??)

Naomi reminds me of Estela, but her dynamic with my MC is so different than either of my MCs had with Estela (Either male or female). I’m fond of the other LIs, too, but I just like Naomi better.

I wanna point out that in the fic, at this point it’s pretty obvious for the both of them they’re attracted to each other but they never really acted on that.

Anyway, hope you’ll enjoy!

“Ivy???” Naomi’s voice from the other side of the line sounded eager, almost frantic.

Ivy rubbed her eyes, side-glancing at the clock as she groaned a response. “Yeah?” She mumbled.

It was 4 am and she’d spend the last few hours before finally heading to bed with Flynn, investigating Birchport’s docks.

She barely got any sleep, and now Naomi was calling her and sounding very keen and uptight.

Ivy’s eyes shot wide open when she realized what this could mean, and she rose into a sitting position on her bed, now fully awake. “Is everything alright?? Is there anything new on Kate?!” She gasped.

Naomi let out an audible sigh of relief. “You’re not in Shipwreck Sally's anymore, are you?” She asked, just to make sure but it sounded as if she already deducted as much.

“No, I’m not. Should I be?” Ivy was confused to what this could mean but she rolled with it and held the phone tighter in her hand.

“Oh, thank god.” Ivy could clearly imagine the glowing smile Naomi had as she heard the tone of her voice, and had to force herself to ignore that image and continue their talk.

“We just got a call on that bar. Duffy let out that something’s going on. Probably a simple bar-fight but Duffy and Walsh were sent to the scene and I knew you were supposed to be there earlier and so...” She can hear nervousness crippling into Naomi’s voice.

“I just didn’t want you to get into any trouble.” She admitted.

Ivy smirked, smiling to herself. “It’s not like just being in a bar is a crime.” She reminded Naomi, who chuckled as well. 

“Well I guess but Walsh’s already furious with you and--”

Naomi’s voice was interrupted with Ivy’s reassurance. “Don’t worry, I get what you’re saying.” She told her. “He’d take any chance to screw me over and this might just be it.” She nodded. Naomi had a point.

“And I’m very grateful for the warning, even though it was a false alarm this time.” She added.

“Even if I woke you up in 4 am?” Naomi asks, clearly embarrassed.

“Yes. Even if you woke me up in 4 am.” Ivy assured her again.

“Although I have to admit I could think of a few better ways for you to wake me up with this time of day but I’ll let it slide this time.” Ivy blurted out before she could stop herself.

There was a few long seconds of complete silence and Ivy cursed under her breathe for letting it out and using that kind of a flirty and suggestive tone.

What was I thinking?!? She scolded at herself, and it felt like forever before Naomi responded from the other side of the line.

“I’m... Done with my shift, actually.” Was the only thing she said.

A few other silent seconds had passed before the realization sank in and Ivy gulped.

“Oh.”

About twenty minutes later, Naomi was settling into the small bench in the balcony of Ivy’s room, in the B&B Ivy was staying in.

Ivy came out and joined her, sitting beside her and holding two cups of a much needed coffee, and handing one to Naomi.

“Ohhhh, yesss” Naomi took the cup in both hands, holding the warm beverage close to her face and letting it warm her before sipping from it.

“I wish I was the one making you make such noises-” Ivy let out once again, without thinking, and Naomi almost choked on her coffee.

Ivy hid her face, flushed red and embarrassed. “Oh god, I’m so sorry, I--” She started apologizing, when she heard Naomi’s blissful laughter fill the air between them, breaking any tension surrounding the both of them.

“You know your pick-up lines are horrible, right?” Naomi asked, unable to suppress her smile and still low-key giggling at her.

“Yeah but do work, don’t they?” Ivy allowed herself to be bold, since that seemed to be going better for her than anything else, as she grinned and leaned closer to Naomi.

Naomi caught her breathe, and was gazing deep into Ivy’s eyes, now fully serious and in control.

“I’d... Be lying if I said they didn’t have any affect,” Naomi bit at her lip, before moving backwards and shattering Ivy’s moment. “But you can do better.” She encouraged, before continuing to drink her coffee.

Ivy looked over Naomi. She was amused and definitely teasing.

Two can play that game, she decided.

“You’re right.” Ivy nodded, finally taking her first sip as well. She leaned against the bench’s back and made herself comfortable.

“My brain doesn’t exactly work in these kind of hours, but a girl as amazing and stunning as you are deserves better.” She side-eyed Naomi, watching if that was doing anything.

“Flattery will get you nowhere.” Naomi answered, but her words didn’t match her face. Her cheeks were a shade deeper and her eyes was mesmerized with Ivy’s lips, and Ivy let the side of her lips curl just the tiniest bit upwards.

“It’s not flattery when it’s true.” She merely shrugged. “But I’ll do you one better.”

“Oh yeah?” Naomi raised an eyebrow.

It wasn’t like most of their conversations. She and Naomi mainly kept it professional, probably because any kind of romantic relationship between them could either put the other in danger, and the circumstances were always inappropriate (How do you flirt with the deputy that was sent to investigate your best friend’s disappearance on her wedding day? Pro tip: You don’t.)

So besides opening up to her in the cabin in the rain, and cuddling a little, they didn’t really have any chances to openly flirt, like right now.

Maybe it was also the late/early hour of the night. 4 am always brought out a different side in people.

“But it’s gonna be cheesy as hell.” Ivy warned beforehand.

“Hit me with the best you’ve got.” Naomi assured.

“Look, I’m not a photographer, but I can picture me and you together.” Ivy winked, almost bursting into laughter even as she said it herself.

Naomi snorted at her, but joined in the laughter anyway.

“Did the sun come out or did you just smile at me?” Naomi suddenly asked, and it took Ivy a split of a second to realize she’d just rolled with her. She immediately started giggling again, and shifted closer to Naomi, resting her head against her shoulder as they both rolled in a wave of laughter.

“Do you know what material this shirt’s made of?” Ivy asked, batting an eye. Naomi could see the next line coming but she still looked over to Ivy in curiosity. “Girlfriend material,” Ivy winked at her.

Naomi shook her head, unimpressed, but the smile never left her face.

Their giggling probably could’ve been heard all through the street, but neither cared.

“That last one was really lame.” Naomi noted. “I thought you said you were gonna do better,” She pointed out.

“Yeah, but it still made you smile,” Ivy pointed with her finger to Naomi’s lips. “So I’d consider i’m winning either way.”

Naomi shrugged. “Maybe so.” She locked her eyes with Ivy’s again, and suddenly both of them realized how close they were.

Ivy studied Naomi’s face closely. Her smile was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. She was struck by awe, at how beautiful Naomi looked. She was actually breathtaking. Ivy’s heart grew twice it’s size, knowing she was the reason Naomi was smiling in the first place, and she felt her cheeks grow warmer.

She looked into Naomi’s chocolate brown eyes, feeling like she could drawn in them. Naomi’s eyes were half-closed, maybe from the exhaustion or the fact they were practically drawn to each other, right now. Maybe it was both.

Finally, Ivy followed Naomi’s gaze, as she realized Naomi was looking down over to her lips.

Without hesitating, they both leaned in and their lips met in a kiss. It felt like two worlds clashing together, somehow perfectly fitting with each other.

It was sloppy and messy, their exhaustion finally kicking in and washing over them, but it still managed to be really good.

Ivy felt a warm feeling spreading through her chest, sending shivers down her spine, as her lips moved with Naomi’s. Ivy could feel Naomi smiling into the kiss, before they finally pulled apart, resting their foreheads together.

“I know the girlfriend part might’ve been way too early, but how about a date?” Ivy was the one to speak up, sparks in her eyes as she watched Naomi.

Naomi raised her hand to caress Ivy’s cheek, and Ivy blushed under her touch.

Naomi managed to have a strong grip but a gentle touch. Ivy felt like Naomi could break anything any moment she wanted to, yet her fingers were so soft as they grazed her face and she blushed even deeper.

“Sound’s perfect.” Naomi said, giving another light peck to Ivy’s lips. 

“Although I think we could both use a good night’s sleep before that.” She said, breaking away from Ivy.

Her own cheeks gave away the faintest shade of crimson, and Ivy was glad she wasn’t the only one who was flustered. 

Taking a moment to assess their situation, Ivy looked back into her room.

“You... Could stay here, if you wanted.” She suggested. “Don’t worry, we’d both go to sleep. Just... Together?” She immediately added, biting at her lower lip and beaming at Naomi.

“I wasn’t worried.” Naomi smirked as she rose to her feet, helping Ivy up with her.

They both got back in and settled in Ivy’s bed. Ivy was still in her PJ’s and she lent something for Naomi to wear as well.

The look of Ivy’s shirt over Naomi’s body was a good look, and if sleep wasn’t washing over her she might’ve responded to the growing heated sensation in the lower part of her stomach.

As Naomi laid beside her, Ivy shifted closer, cuddling into Naomi’s shoulder. Naomi’s hands wrapped around her and Ivy nestled in the crook of her neck, murmuring contently.

“G’night... Beautiful.” Naomi sounded a bit nervous but also determined, and Ivy couldn’t help but tease.

“See? My pick-up lines weren’t that bad.” She said, not bothering to open her eyes.

“Shut up!” Naomi called out, as she chuckled, running soothing circles over Ivy’s back.

Soon, sleep was about to wash over the both of them. Just before she drifted away to sleep, Ivy hooked an arm over Naomi’s body, mumbling. “Goodnight, beautiful.”

[playchoices]

Inside Choices: Growing from “Rant Ahead, Be Aware”

While looking through Tumblr posts this week, one of the longer response posts caught my eye. The post was well written and though titled “Rant ahead”, was a well reasoned commentary on things that bother the post’s author. Since the post brought up many points that other players have also expressed, I thought replying as a blog post so everyone has a chance to see the response would be appropriate.

Thank you to lauraotaku2234 both for your thoughts and for permission to share it in our blog. The post is bolded below.

From the Tumblr post “Rant ahead, be aware”:

I just love how Pixelberry reblogs fanart and nice messages about the game. But when fans are actually pointing out errors and mistake the game has done… they just ignore it. They have decided to close a bubble to them.

This is a very fair point. Our team really does read a lot of the feedback generated by our players. But even though we may be working on fixes or things that address the critiques, most of the time people on our  team don’t give a firm answer for fear of making a situation worse or suggesting something that might end up not happening in the future. Because I lead the team, I have a lot more latitude in responding to critiques, but I’ve been focused on a lot of different projects which means that I haven’t responded as often as I should.

I hope this post helps to provide some more light on many of the below issues.

Now, there is a difference between the: “We want more diamond options” and the “James situation”. Here’s why:

On the diamond thing, I doubt PB will change that, mainly because they get their money from us buying diamonds, the more options we get, the least money they make. So its understandable. Yet, the money they make is supposedly to get better staff and equipment so the game can improve and be better. A year has already passed and I still can’t find what the improvement is or was.

You’re correct, it is harder for us to change the diamond economy. We have been experimenting with different options that try to balance our ability with making money and giving players a better experience. As a player, myself, I totally get the complaints. I don’t have anything new to announce right now, but we are working on different features and will see if things like rewarding diamonds for watching ads will help in providing that balance.

It also makes sense that you and other players can’t find what improvements have been made. But I’m hoping that is partially because we’ve been slowly building and rolling out improvements over time and that you’ve gotten used to some of those changes.

One of our most popular requests is launching more weekly content. And in the past year, the biggest change we’ve made by far is expanding from 3 books at launch to a much more robust library. When we first launched Choices, we had about 10 people writing with two new chapters per week. We now have over 30 writers and sometimes release as many as 6 new chapters a week with other new series in production, too. Along with all these writers, we’ve added more artists, producers, testers, and other roles to increasing our capacity for weekly storytelling.

It’s something you can’t see, but when I walk through the doors into our offices, I love hearing the buzz in our office and seeing all the people working together on Choices. And when all the writers assemble for their weekly “Writer’s Meeting,” I still get the chills seeing so many writers gathered around a long table talking about how they can improve their craft together.

So, I hope you really do believe we’ve been investing a lot in growing our team because we treat the future of Choices very seriously.

(As an aside, some people on the team have suggested maybe doing a Fan meet-up in the office - in the Bay Area in California - or maybe sending writers to different book conferences next year, so that maybe some of you can see that growth in person, too.)

Now… The James thing. PB common, you can do better than that. I wouldn’t be upset if you they gave us an actual reason as of why. Also, we need an explanation about what “other characters” means. Will the rest of the character change too? Will it only be a few one’s? I’m replaying every single finished book to find what other faces may have been changed. It has to be done, I don’t want to play The Royal Romance to find you changed Hana’s character appearance just… because.

You are right. We should have told you about the change ahead of time. Also, I wish I could go into more details about the change, but in my previous post, I tried to say as much about why we made the change as I already could. We know this really upset many of you. We understand. It’s our bad for disappointing you.

In regards to “other characters”, we have not rolled out the changes yet, but our Tumblr fandom is pretty clued into what other characters will likely be changed. We will make specific references to those characters when it happens. We will not be changing any other Love Interests (LIs), so Hana and others are safe.

The only book I’m not replaying is ROE, why? Because is a waste to my keys and time. The storyline got old really fast. It was actually a really good story, and I remember the First Book Finale actually left people with their mouths open, but they ruined it when they brought a third book, and now a fourth. I mean, it’s a plot that can be solved with a Snap. Adding more tasks as a way of length[en]ing the story was a stupid move and only brought fans rage. Most fans agree with me when I say: Endless Summer should have as many books as The Freshman, The Crown and The Flame shouldn’t have ended in the third book, The Haunting of Braidwood Manor should’ve been longer, Most Wanted deserves a second book, and even tho The Freshman is my favorite series, The Sophomore plot isn’t going anywhere, it’s like Love Hacks at its beginnings and it’s tiring.

As I mentioned before, Most Wanted 2 must happen. It’s the book every fan is waiting for, including me. It has an amazing storyline with amazing characters, yet, they decided to shut it out, and even erase it from their AppStore/PlayStore menu.

It’s pretty clear that much of the Tumblr fandom has the least love for Rules of Engagement (ROE.) But we have other fan groups and other people who really like this series. Just as we actively try to promote diversity in our characters, we do try to balance the resources we put into genres for various fandoms and individuals playing through our stories. We aim to have something for everyone, and all of our writers pour their hearts into everything they work on.

As the RoE series wrapped up, the writers of ROE moved on to a “mini-book” that would tie the series up in the right way. The book will probably finish too quickly for fans of ROE and not fast enough for fans of other series, but this book length fit the purposes of the story arc. Also because we have such a wide variety of writers, each with their unique storytelling talents and skills, continuing a romance series such as RoE doesn’t actually affect some Tumblr fandom favorites, like Endless Summer or Most Wanted.

Part of what we’re trying to do with Choices is to try new series and genres which is why we sometimes will end, or pause a series faster than fans want so that we can try new things. Most Wanted didn’t do as well financially as our other two launch series, so we moved that team onto Endless Summer and LoveHacks, where they could excel at leading new projects. One of those writers, Andrew, has moved onto managing another project. But Luke continues to be a part of Book 2 and 3 of Endless Summer (which we are aiming to start releasing in December.) And Owen is working on a secret new project, now that LoveHacks has completed!

I really do hope and think that when it makes sense, we will start work on Most Wanted 2. But it will be a matter of the right timing in terms of having one or more of the original team ready and balancing the start of Most Wanted 2 versus other new series we want to start. Dave and Sam will eventually return.

I respect Pixelberry as a company a lot. But with these changes and empty storylines, I just wonder where the old Pixelberry went. It seems like they just ran out of imagination to make stories, so they just continue old ones and create new ones with similar plots but shorter books that in the end everyone likes.

Thank you for respecting us. It’s clear in the thoughtfulness of your “rant” and in the praises and critiques of our fandom. Even when you think we’re ignoring you, we hear many, many of the messages. And I admit that some of the critiques really hurt and sometimes the ones that hurt the most are the ones that ring the most true. But we also recognize the strength of the critiques often is also a measure of how much our fandom cares.

I really, truly hope that as we release new chapters, books, and series that you’ll see that the creative wells of our teams has not run dry. And when a writer is being blocked, a designer is confused by the path forward, or a tester doesn’t know how to reproduce a problem, the creativity of the fandom often breaks that block, clears the path, and helps us keep moving forward. Whether it’s beautiful art, all the “Jomes” jokes, Brian’s Ask Blogs, the many forms of Cetus, faceclaims (yes, it’s okay to keep doing them), and other posts, your creativity motivates us.

As you continue to share on Tumblr or Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, we’ll continue reading, digesting, and modifying our plans. But if you have specific problems or want to ensure we hear what you have to say, I encourage you to contact us directly via our in-game Help. Or if the game is down, reach out via Contact us via our website. We have experienced Player Specialists who listen, solve, tally, describe, and share your thoughts with the right people on our team. They are the first to alert the rest of the team to major problems and Trina, the leader of that team, also shares motivating, poignant, or key messages to the whole studio. Also you can tweet story related questions to @PlayChoices. Jessica will often check with individual writing teams to see if it’s something they can answer.

To all of our fandom everywhere, thank you for your love. We understood that love isn’t just fun and compliments, but it also comes with teasing and obstacles. And the best love comes with hard talks, accountability, and growth. When we stumble, we promise to honor our side of the relationship by continuing to learn and grow. And we hope that you will continue to rant, tease, and grow with us.

On behalf of our whole team,

Oliver

[yourqueenb]

I buy diamonds very occasionally, so figured I’d try VIP for $15 and get the bonus, books, etc. rather than spend my usual $20 solely for diamonds. If you’re like me and only spend on the game now and again, I’d say it’s worth trying out for a month. You’ll have unlimited keys to get through all the books and can cancel before it’s renewed for the next month. The books are really good, a lot better than recent releases, and fun and interesting to play. However, I don’t think they should be your deciding factor for whether to get the subscription because they’ll be released to everyone eventually (assuming PB sticks to their word).

The extra diamonds you get, both daily and for completing chapters, are great as well. But tbh I feel like I’m paying for something that, really and truly, they should already be offering for free. I shouldn’t have had to buy more diamonds so quickly with the subscription, especially considering I’m not out here buying every premium scene. And the bonus you get after subscribing is a one time thing whereas I think it should be offered for every month you’re subscribed.

As for the unlimited keys, it’s nice not to have to wait for them to replenish; but I had no issue with that before as a non-VIP player. I’ve never bought a single key so that feature is just kind of meh for me 🤷🏽‍♀️ And maybe I’m not taking full advantage of them because they’d be great for mining books and receiving more diamonds. But I can’t sit on the app all day just to do that, and neither can most people which is why PB included them in the first place. Also, I believe you still only get the 1 extra diamond from the ad for replays like regular players do. So they’re basically giving you the bare minimum.

Tl;dr: VIP is good to try out for a month, but not worth it for more than that

For anyone who bought VIP membership, is it worth getting? I'm considering getting VIP but I want to know what the stories are like. The unlimited keys and bonus diamonds are the intriguing parts for me.

[crazy-loca-blog]

Personal thoughts on Red Carpet Diaries, Book 3, Ch. 1

Note: As the title says, these are just personal opinions on Choices books and chapters. Of course, you may agree or disagree with them, I only use this platform to express my thoughts on what I read every week and what I’d like to see in the next chapters, because none of my friends play Choices so I have no one to comment the books with.

I’m not going to lie. The second book of Red Carpet Diaries left me some bittersweet feelings. This series is not necessarily one of my favorites, but I have a good time reading it. I really enjoyed book 1 (even though I still don’t understand why my MC had to ask her friends to forgive her even though she didn’t do anything wrong), but it was hard for me to keep the pace in book 2, I just felt the story was a mess. I only got to understand it when I replayed the full story and left some stuff out (I didn’t interfere in the Teja/Seth conflict in my second playthrough just because I thought my MC was already going through a lot of stuff herself). So everything seemed fine for me to start reading book 3.

I looove the fact that now we can see recaps of the previous book (kudos to PB for that!), it helps a lot to reconnect with a story when you haven’t read a book in a while. Also, I don’t mind having a wedding book because... it’s Hollywood! And we all know how fast relationships in Hollywood go... so this actually feels appropriate, instead of rushed.

However, after reading the first chapter twice, I still feel a little insecure about this. I don’t think it is a bad chapter, but for some reason I have this feeling that we got too much information and nothing was properly developed. I think it was a nice detail to begin the book with an interview that allowed us to know what happened to our MC in that 1-year period between the second and the third book. There’s also a special place in my heart for Thomas’ makeover… can we all agree that he’s now in a whole new level of hotness? Perfect, just perfect!

But despite these nice details, after they arrive in Hawaii, things began to feel “weird”. Catching up with your friends seems to be one of the logical things to do, but all the scenes felt a little rushed, like they were added at the very last minute because the writers remembered they had to explain what our friends were doing all this time. And if you’re dating Matt (as my MC is), you just probably got the weirdest scene (at one moment he tells you how much he needed some alone time with you, and then he leaves to take a shower… alone! It's not like we were going to say "no" if he invited us!). I think one longer scene with all the characters would have worked better in this case (they could have used the bonfire or even the sailing day before the accident). Also, if you choose certain options, it looks like you spend half of the chapter just sleeping… like they ran out of ideas regarding what our MC could do by herself.

The bonfire also seemed to be a scene that it wasn’t developed properly, like they can’t make the whole gang bond (I’m still wondering why we had to dance hula with only one person, when we could have danced with all our friends). It felt like they only used it as an excuse to introduce the 30 diamond scene.

And finally, there’s the accident and the proposal. Even though the proposal itself was something we all expected to happen (because the chapter descriptions gave us some hints), I have to admit that I was a little disappointed with the way our LI ended up proposing. I wasn’t expecting a fairy tale proposal, but everything was so fast! It was like “we had an accident, we almost died, let’s get marry… end of the chapter”. At that moment, my face was literally "wtf was that?".

Despite my impressions on the first chapter, I really expect this to be a different wedding book. We don’t need another Rules of Engagement type of wedding. This is Hollywood! We need some glamour and the eccentricities that are so characteristic of this lifestyle of the rich and famous! I’d love to see our sweet Carmen from ROE as the wedding planner, as well as Addisson designing our MC’s dress. Of course, I’d love to see some drama (because who doesn’t love drama?) between our MC and her LI because they both will have to struggle with some busy schedules at the same time they’re planning a wedding.

On the professional side, we already know that our MC will work in a new movie, probably without her friends, as they all seem to have their own projects, except Thomas. Maybe they’ll work together again? Will we see our MC in a different role this time, maybe directing the movie? I’m also hoping to have some awards ceremony or some charity event, as we still haven’t attended to any of those things yet. This would be a nice chance to see other old characters, such as Cassandra Leigh and Ryan Summers.

I know this is just chapter 1 and I want to be optimistic about the rest of the book. Time has taught me that I should never judge a whole book just by reading the very first chapters. In the end, most of the times they end up giving us some nice surprises, PATIENCE is the key.

[one-of-us-blog]

Melodrama (TGG, Season 6, Episode 19)

Today Eli is forced to watch and recap Melodrama, Episode 19 of the sixth season of The Golden Girls.  Sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone, and Blanche is forced to reevaluate her feelings for a long-time friend when he disappears.  Meanwhile, Rose attempts to launch a new phase of her career at the news station.  Will they both find what they are seeking?  Keep reading to find out…

Drew, I LOVED your recap of World Enough and Time!  I have been eager for you to get to this story arc for a while, because I know how much you love your beloved CyberDads.  This is also just a very memorable way to wrap up Series 10, and I realize I’ve said this a lot, but I can’t believe that you’ve almost finished up your mandatory time with Doctor Who.  At least there are a few surprises left for you, and I’m relieved to know that the return of the former Master wasn’t spoiled for you somewhere along the way.  I’ll be looking forward to your thoughts on the Series 10 finale, as well as the upcoming Christmas special, before you move on to the next phase of the project.  But I still have quite a way to go on my end of things, so I had better get going and head to Miami.

Buttocks tight!

Episode written by Robert Spina, directed by Matthew Diamond

Stop me if you’ve heard this one, but Blanche is upset because a date has cancelled on her.  Dorothy tells her that she’s welcome to stay home where they can watch a PBS special together, but Blanche has other plans.  She calls up Mel Bushman, her perpetual backup date, to set things right.  Unfortunately, Mel isn’t answering.  Rose enters wearing glasses, as she is testing some treated lenses for her job as a consumer reporter.  She hasn’t found her work to be particularly exciting lately, but there is an open position as a reporter that has caught her eye, despite the fact that she doesn’t have any experience (not that this prevented her from getting a job at the news station in the first place).

Moving right along, Rose arrives home again in the next scene to announce that she was given a news story to cover as an audition for the reporter position.  She asks the girls for help preparing, and performs a practice interview with Dorothy.  She asks some unexpectedly hard-hitting questions about retirement homes (with some encouragement from Sophia), and Dorothy eventually cracks and breaks down, prompting Rose to sign off.  Blanche is getting pretty upset as she still can’t get through to Mel Bushman.  She and Mel have a connection, and she is used to being able to fall back on him when the going gets tough, and the lady gets thirsty.  The girls tell her not to worry, and Rose shares a characteristically unhelpful St. Olaf story, but Blanche decides to go check on Mel anyway.

At Mel’s place, the gals find newspapers piled up outside.  Blanche uses her Giant Key Ring of Male Conquest to gain entry into his home, and they all have a look around.  Blanche begins lamenting the fact that she has always taken Mel for granted, and he chooses this moment to arrive home from an unannounced vacation.  Blanche immediately tells Mel how much he means to her and that she loves him, and we close the scene with a looong kiss.

Skipping ahead a bit for a brief scene, we find Blanche ready for a date with Mel.  Rose is also excited about her news assignment, which happens to be at a local dog show.  Blanche says that everything feels new and exciting with Mel, and both Sophia and Dorothy seize the opportunity to start landing some jokes at her expense (and based on her extensive romantic experience) right and left.

We move to the dog show where Rose is breaking in her cameraman, who is also brand new to the job.  Just then, things get taken up a notch as a masked intruder decides to rob the event.  Rose and her cameraman hide, but she remains committed to her journalistic duty, and tells him to keep the camera rolling…

Next we find Blanche arriving back home from a date with Mel, arguing about an expensive dinner they just shared.  The two talk about their relationship, and the differences in expectations that are quickly becoming clear.  Mel loves her, but he loves the way they have been for quite some time.  He is not at all offended by her declaration that “Bushman awaits” for whenever she needs a reliable backup.  Their new attempt at a deeper relationship isn’t working out too well, so they both agree to go back to the old way of things.  Rose passes them by on her way back inside the house, and throws them a “life sucks” as a glimpse of how her day is going.

Needless to say, Rose didn’t get the reporter position.  To further explain things, we get to watch the tape of Rose’s report from the dog show.  Yes, she kept the tape rolling while the show was being robbed blind, but rather than reporting on the exciting and unexpected turn of events with the robbery, Rose felt it was her journalistic duty to stick to the program and complete her regular dog-related interviews while the heist was taking place.  She barely comments on the actual dramatic incident, which presumably didn’t go over so well with the powers that be.  Still, despite the obvious, Dorothy sticks up for her with some well-meaning bullshit, and Rose feels better.  Blanche, who already has some new plans, wraps things up with a two-word motto: “Bushman awaits!”

The End.

I enjoyed this episode, perhaps a bit less than the previous one, but I had a good time nonetheless.  Granted, the plotline with Blanche being stood up and having to react is wearing a bit thin, but I thought the Mel Bushman obsession made for an interesting turn of events, even if it didn’t last long.  I’m sure he’ll be forgotten almost immediately, but c’est la vie.  As far as the Rose plotline goes, at first I was excited that she was going to get an unexpected chance to show off her skills by reporting on the robbery, but I’ll admist that I found it quite funny that she opted to continue her regular reporting in the midst of danger instead.  I mean, come on, that’s dedication!  I don’t have a lot of specific thoughts to share, but I would give Melodrama a rating of 3.5 poofy hairdos out of 5.

Check back in soon for Drew’s take on The Doctor Falls, the final episode of Series 10 of Doctor Who, and I’ll be back later this week with my take on Even Grandmas Get the Blues, the next episode of The Golden Girls.  Until then, as always, thank you for being a friend, and for being One of Us!