#haelyn

[s-olarium]

dogs and dream worlds

[hydn-jpg]

amidst flour-covered countertops and sweet whispers, trystan and haelyn find that the sweetest moments are those made together <3

my secret pal for @choicesfandomappreciation 's secret santa event this year is @a-cloud-for-dreams !! hello! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉﾞ

i was planning on drawing shreya and verena but when you mentioned here that trystan and haelyn would dedicate the holidays to learning each other's culture, i thought it was really sweet and adorable so i had to draw it!! so here's them baking belladi, which is the only canonically drakovian dessert that i know of (there may have been other dishes mentioned in-game but this is the only one i remember and i haven't finished reading book 2 yet ,, lol)

i also think your mc's backstories are super cool!! it's so fascinating to read how your mcs came to be, down to all the intricate details, and the connections to other mcs from different books?? omg!!

happy holidays, i hope you like it! 💛

timelapse bc timelapse:

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

Unreleased & Incomplete #1: Novel Night

There was a knock on the door, ceasing all movement. A moment of silence fell between the two. Salem sucked in a quick breath while Mal simply smirked underneath her.

"Did you want to rendezvous with another lover, kit?" A few strands of Salem's hair slid off her bare shoulders, brushing over her face. She blushed, tinting her cheeks pink. That was all he needed to know.

"Hush! Keep your voice down," she gently slapped Mal's shoulder. He rolled his eyes. The stranger on the other side knocked again, more hesitant this time.

"Salem, are you asleep?"

Aerin.

Mal raised an eyebrow after hearing the prince's voice. She sighed, leaning downward. "I, well...I didn't think he'd actually come here!"

"Did anyone ever teach you that lying is a bad habit?" Mal teased, gripping her waist more tightly.

She scoffs. "Says you!" Salem hesitates for a moment before jumping off the bed and redressing. She threw Mal's clothes at him, who was already settling into her bed under the comforters.

"Already? But we were having so much fun!"

"Who said this would be the end?" she wraps both arms around his neck and whispers in his ear. "It won't be for too long." Mal tilted his head and smiled softly before settling back in. Salem fixed her hair before carefully opening the door to a flustered Aerin.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting," she said apologetically, closing the door behind her. "I didn't think you'd actually come."

A few black curls swept over his face. "Don't worry, I almost didn't."

She chuckled. "Did you want to show me something?" He looked away for a moment, fiddling with one of the rings on his finger.

"You haven't seen the library, have you?"

~~~

The two snuck to the other side of the castle. Aerin's warm hand gently held hers as he led the way. He glanced around the corridors occasionally to ensure they wouldn't get caught. They stopped in front of two double doors. Aerin pulled out a key and explained:

"They lock the doors to protect the books. One of the halls has a secret passageway to the royal archives and the relic room."

"If they're such secretive rooms, should you really be telling someone like me all your secrets?" Salem teased. He smiled, trying to ignore the feeling flushed under her intense gaze.

"Don't worry Salem, I trust that you won't divulge this secret."

She raised her hand to salute. "Ay, my good sir."

He opened the doors and led her inside to the grand room. The rows of bookshelves felt like they stretched out for miles. The shelves stacked up so tall they leveled with the candle-lit chandeliers that must have been hundreds of years old. The floor glowed under the light, contrasted by the harsh shadows under the marble staircases decorating the wooden shelves.

Salem stepped closer to the center of the room and gasped softly. She tucked a strand of her hair behind an ear, practically twirling around in her spot. Her thoughts failed to express themselves coherently.

"It's...beautiful." Kade would have loved it here.

"Yes, I think so too," he said, looking directly at her. His heart skipped a beat, and he stepped closer to face her. Salem smiled and took off towards the alchemy section. He went to follow her, getting lost in thought.

Maybe the Dreadlord was wrong. Maybe he wasn't the unlovable pitiful prince he thought he was. Aerin stopped next to the shelf she was focused on. Her fingers lingered on the spine of every book, her gaze inquisitive. He tilted his head, simply wanting to be in her presence.

Maybe, just maybe, he could be someone. The man he always wanted to be.

Tagging: @malthemagnifisent solely because I think you mentioned at one point you were interested in my other Aerin fics(?) This isn't a full fic or anything but I thought it still counts lol

[sylkana]

sooo i made another skyrim oc......

[stephschoices]

picrews of my mcs 70/? ((link to picrew used))

Sokki - Cyra

Avalon - Haelyn (all from @theunseelieif )

about my mcs

[cloudxxiia]

"but if he'd look my way, then maybe, i..."

(for the rescinding stars oc group; evaine (white hair) belongs to minthie! <3)

[roxymuses]

໑    ˙  ˖       › ⠀  meet   the   trouble   :

haelyn crawford ,  ela/dela ,  lésbica .   dezenove  anos  de  idade ,  figure skater .  verse  :  real life .  faceclaim  :  talia ryder .  status  :  ocupada !

໑    ˙  ˖       › ⠀ resumo   :

haelyn é uma patinadora no gelo que encontrou na patinação uma válvula de escape para as dificuldades que enfrentou em sua vida. nascida em uma família com boa condição financeira, seu pai era um médico respeitado e sua mãe uma atriz renomada. no entanto, apesar das aparências externas, a vida da crawford foi marcada por uma infância solitária e desafiadora. desde muito jovem, foi praticamente criada por babás, já que seus pais tinham uma agenda lotada de compromissos profissionais. sua mãe estava sempre envolvida em filmagens e eventos, enquanto seu pai dedicava longas horas ao trabalho no hospital. a falta de tempo e atenção de seus pais afetou profundamente haelyn, deixando-a emocionalmente desamparada. a situação piorou quando seus pais decidiram terminar o casamento devido à falta de amor entre eles ─ os sites de fofoca denunciavam uma traição, mas nunca foi confirmado. o divórcio trouxe uma turbulência emocional para haelyn, que se sentiu abandonada. com a separação, seus pais não queriam lidar com a tarefa de cuidar de uma criança e, sempre que tinham a oportunidade, enviavam a filha de um lado para o outro como se fosse um objeto. essa falta de estabilidade e cuidado parental causou danos profundos em seu bem-estar mental. ela desenvolveu ansiedade e depressão em tenra idade, incapaz de lidar adequadamente com a situação emocionalmente desafiadora em que se encontrava. no entanto, haelyn encontrou refúgio na patinação no gelo. desde que foi apresentada a esse esporte, ela descobriu uma paixão avassaladora. seus pais acreditavam que fornecer tudo o que a filha precisava para se destacar na patinação no gelo era uma forma de demonstrar cuidado e afeto. assim, eles investiram generosamente em seu treinamento, equipamentos e oportunidades para desenvolver suas habilidades no esporte. a pista de gelo se tornou o lugar onde ela podia expressar livremente suas emoções e encontrar uma sensação de paz interior. através da patinação, a crawford encontrou um propósito e um sentido de controle em sua vida, superando seus problemas emocionais e transformando sua dor em arte.

[morsecodex]

it's been quite the journey to get here, but it's finally hers!

[shortnasties]

2953. A Long, Traditional Illness

This is "A Long, Traditional Illness." Savageness happens simply.

"All the cornfields are starting to get big again, you notice that?" she said.

"Are your hands cold?" I said, looking at her small blue hands wrapped around the half-eaten Blizzard.

"They're always cold—can't be helped," she said. "But I wonder why some cornfields get cut down and some of them just go bad."

"Huh?" I said.

"Some cornfields just go bad, they go yellow," she said. "They die. I wonder why they don't get cut down."

"Harvested," I said.

"What?"

"I said harvested."

"This thing is cold now," she said, holding out the Blizzard, trying to find a place to put it.

"Here, just give it to me," I said. I grabbed it from her, held it in my right hand as I drove. She tucked her hands into her big sweater, looked out the window.

We passed another cornfield in silence—the head of a deer poked through the stalks, gnawing a fresh ear. The silence lingered. For many years after.

[everdeening]

tag dump. part ii.

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

Yay!! This was so fun last time, I can't wait to participate again <3

1. Open Heart: Bryce Lahela x F!MC (Dr. Chandini Ramakrishnan)

2. Crimes of Passion: Hispanic!Trystan Thorne x F!MC (Detective Haelyn Rózsa)

3. The Elementalists: Shreya Mistry x F!MC (Verena Solaris)

Extra Information (I would recommend going to their Insta to find more accurate photos of how they really look since these were the images that came up on Google 😭)

All of the aforementioned MCs use She/Her pronouns

Chandini Ramakrishnan's FC is Charithra Chandran (South Indian, Tamil); I would say she wears professional modern Indo-western clothing (idk I'm no fashionista)

Haelyn Rózsa's FC is Kelsey Merritt (Filipina and French); Leather jacket enthusiast and all around baddie

Verena Solaris is South Indian and her FC is @neha_velan on TikTok (you can click the screenshot for better quality lol). She's actually Lyra (Lexington's) cousin and the heiress to Solaris Industries. She's from a long line of powerful witches/Attuned (I made her related to my Kindred coven lolol) but was raised separate from her twin and without knowing of her magic. Her family and the Mistrys are close business partners and amicable friends so there were rumors about the families reuniting. I thought this would make it more interesting since she now has a name to live up to at Penderghast. Her fashion sense is preppy and she's a mix of Stella from Winx Club and Dionne/Cher from Clueless if that makes sense??

Also for Shreya, I personally headcanon her as half Indian half Arab. Her ethnicity wasn't specified or anything but just in case it would be helpful

If you want more information about them you could scroll through their character/ship tags on this post if that's helpful!

Our 2023 Secret Pal Exchange is here!

The tentative dates are December 26-28, but you can keep voting here and I can adjust as needed.

What it is:

Simply put, it's secret santa

Everyone who shows interest in participating will be given a secret pal for whom they should create a small work (drabble, art, edit, moodboard, etc).

How to participate:

Reblog this post stating your interest AND include your top 3 books/characters/pairings to help guide the person who recieves you as their pal on what they should create for you (reblogs that do not include a top 3 will not be considered entries for participation)

or, message me here (@choicesfandomappreciation) or at @lovealexhunt stating your interest and include your top 3 picks

Note: When listing your interests, please include any preferred gender/pronouns/race or other customizations you may have

Please only sign up to participate if you plan to follow through and create for your pal

The deadline to sign up to participate is December 13th

What comes next:

On, or about, December 14th, I will message you with your secret pal and what they listed as their top 3 interests

You create something for them based on their interests and post it for them from December 26-28* (date open to change based on poll)

It would also be really nice if you could include a brief positive message of encouragement and/or support with your creation for your match

Please tag @choicesfandomappreciation and #ChoicesSecretPal23 well so I can keep track of who posted and who is missing.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out. It should be a wonderful event that spreads joy and cheer in our fandom. ❤️❤️❤️

Just a personal plea...

If for any reason at all (no questions asked), you are unable to participate after signing up, please message me as soon as possible! Every secret pal/admirer/exchange event I've hosted always has had 1-3 people not follow through which leaves me scrambling to create for those people's matches at the last minute. I'm happy to do it, but I hate feeling rushed and not having time to think about it properly. Plus, if it can be avoided and matches reassigned I would rather do that. So if you go on hiatus, need a break, or life is just to busy (or whatever the reason) please just keep me updated. I'd so appreciate it!

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

Haelyn Rózsa at Marguerite’s Drakovian Fashion Show in CoP II

She's smiling at Trystan <3 AND at Kaspar and Emika. They were rooting against her and she was like "Modeling, what like it's hard?" Girlboss fr Lyn has never modeled before in her life

[stephschoices]

picrews of my mcs 67/? ((link to picrew used))

sokki, cyra, avalon, haelyn (the unseelie , @theunseelieif )

about my mcs

[actress4him]

Empires Rise, Kingdoms Fall - Chapter 1 - Calamity

Attention, everyone who voted for the winning choice on my “what should I write next” poll! It took me a bit longer than I anticipated, but the first chapter of my new series is here!

This will feature a female main whumpee, because it’s me so of course it will, but I do plan on bringing in at least one male whumpee later. So, if you enjoy multi-gender royal whump, this series is for you! Let me know if you’d like to be on a tag list for this series.

Contains: lady whump, dude whump, lots of blood, lots of death, murder, war, royal whump

.

.

The kingdom is falling. 

From her bedroom window, Maela can see thousands of soldiers, crawling like ants over the hillsides. Smoke furls up into the sky from the nearest towns and villages. Her ladies-in-waiting have assured her time and time again that the war will never reach them here, that even if it did, the city walls are too strong, that Highlea cannot possibly fall.

Yet as she stands in enraptured horror, skirts clutched tightly in her fists, the entire castle is in an uproar. Servants are throwing jewels and tapestries into trunks in a desperate attempt to save them. The last of the Highlean army, those who have not already gone out to fight, are swarming along the tops of the walls, finding their positions to defend the keep. Somewhere down the corridor, someone is weeping loudly.

“Princess!” Her chief lady-in-waiting, Semira, appears at her side and grasps her elbow. “Come, we must get you somewhere safe.”

They were supposed to be safe here. 

Semira seems to sense the protest in her gaze, forcing a smile that is meant to be comforting. “It’s alright. This is all just precautions, I’m sure none of it will be necessary in the end. But your mother is already on her way to the great hall, we should join her there.”

Maela allows herself to be led away from the window. Her eyes drag across her room, taking in the canopied bed, the books, the painting of her with her family as if in a dream. There’s a sense of dread weighing down her steps, something telling her that she’ll never see this room again.

“What about Father? And…and Adler and Eiran?”

“The king and princes have gone out to make their stand with the soldiers,” Semira answers gently. “But you shouldn’t worry about them. They’re strong. They’ll want you safe and protected, though.”

She knows they’re strong. They’ve been trained well, and her father has been to war many times. Adler, too, has marched out to battle before, and come back unscathed.

But Eiran, like herself, has never seen war. He’s only seventeen, a year her senior. All they’ve known is the aftermath, when soldiers are brought back on stretchers and draped over the shoulders of their comrades, bleeding and missing limbs and dying.

Will that be her family’s fate before the day is over?

Semira practically drags her through the corridors. They pass multiple servants, but none of them bother to pause and bow or even nod to the princess, too caught up in their urgent tasks. 

The great hall is in the centermost part of the keep, with no windows and great wooden doors that can be barred shut. They’ve never had to do so before. But now, as soon as Maela and Semira are inside, two guards drop the large crossbar into place with a thud that echoes through the cavernous room. 

Queen Haelyn stands in the very center of the hall, her back turned to them. She looks lost, and small. 

Taking a step forward, hands clasped anxiously in front of her, Maela calls out with a slight tremor in her voice. “Mother?”

The queen spins around, smiling with relief. It doesn’t quite cover the worry that’s etched into her face. “Maela. Good, you’re here. Thank you, Semira.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.” Semira curtsies in response. 

Maela lifts her skirts so she can hurry across the floor to where her mother stands. She searches her face, finding lines in her normally perfect brown skin, and strands of black hair that aren’t quite as neatly tucked away as usual. “Mother…I’m afraid for Father and the boys.”

Queen Haelyn’s attention has already been drawn elsewhere, her gaze seeming to pierce through the stone walls and out to where the fighting continues, but she drags it almost reluctantly back to her daughter. “Hm? Oh. I’m…certain they’ll be alright, dear. The city has never been breached before, and certainly they won’t make it here, to the keep. This castle was built to be easily defended.” 

It’s all just repetition of the same things Maela’s ladies-in-waiting have been telling her. As if she’s quoting something from a book, or information that has been passed to her that she has no choice but to believe. 

“If there’s no way for them to breach, then…why are we barricading ourselves here?” She waves a hand toward the locked doors. “Why are all the servants packing away our valuables as if the keep may be looted or burned?”

“It’s just a precaution, dear.” Again, she repeats Semira’s words, in a hazy voice that speaks the opposite of her words. She’s afraid, too. 

Everyone is afraid. The fear permeates the air, and has been growing thicker with each passing day. This army…it’s not like others who have marched against them before. Rumors precede it - of a number of soldiers beyond count, of ruthless followers and a far more ruthless leader, of kingdom after kingdom crumbling in its path.

So many towns and villages of Highlea have already been decimated. Now, it seems, it’s their turn.

Maela isn’t ready to die. Nor is she ready to lose everything she knows and everyone she loves.

But she’s not going to receive comfort from her mother. Giving the expected half-curtsy, despite the fact that no one is paying attention, she backs away and returns to Semira. She’s the only one of her ladies-in-waiting that she’s seen since the chaos began, and she’s afraid to ask where the others are. The only other people in the hall are the two guards by the doors, and a few of the highest officials of the court. 

Everyone else is out there somewhere, left to their own devices and the hands of fate. Inside this room, cut off from the rest of the world, it’s hard to keep her imagination from running wild of what that fate might be. 

Minutes stretch into hours. Semira, always vigilant about her princess’ wellbeing, tries to convince Maela to sit and rest, but she can’t. Anxiety has seized every inch of her body, thrumming through her veins. She can’t even stay still, much less sit down.

The silence from beyond the doors is nearly unbearable, until it’s broken and she finds herself wishing that it would return. At first, it’s thumping and banging. The fight isn’t close enough for them to actually hear the clanging of swords, but it has obviously moved much closer to the keep. Far too close. 

Queen Haelyn, across the room on her throne, goes from staring aimlessly at the walls to squeezing her eyes tightly shut. Maela grasps Semira’s hand so hard that she’s probably crushing it.

When the first scream erupts from somewhere across the castle, Maela jolts, then claps a hand to her mouth. She can feel the blood draining from her face. The screams multiply - some pained, some frightened, some dragging on in agony. Each one is like a knife to her gut. Tears stream down her face.

The army is here. They’re inside the castle. 

She finds herself looking to her mother again, but there’s still nothing to draw from her. The queen’s eyes are still closed, and now her lips are moving. Whispering prayers, most likely. Maela instead glances at Semira, hoping for comfort from the one source she can usually count on it from, but she’s gone just as pale and is staring wide-eyed at the doors.

Any second now, they’ll arrive here, at the great hall. And if towering stone walls and an entire army couldn’t stop them, then what are two wooden doors going to do?

They’re going to die. Highlea has fallen, their people are slaughtered, and they’re next.

Something slams against the doors, and the wood shudders. Maela cries out in fear. She wants desperately to turn and bury her face in Semira’s shoulder, but that’s unbecoming of a princess, even one who’s about to die. 

Another hit, and Semira drags her toward the thrones so that they can stand close to her mother. The other nobles and officials are clustered together on one side of the room, the guards facing the doors with their swords drawn as if the mere two of them can stop what no army has been able to.

The doors splinter on the third hit. 

On the fourth, they fly wide open. Soldiers in foreign armor pour into the hall past the battering ram. Maela stumbles backwards, clinging to the arm of her father’s empty throne.

The two guards are down within seconds, their blood leaking out onto the polished wooden floor. The officials are next, surrounded and murdered without even a chance to fight back. Their strangled gasps and cries imbed into Maela’s chest.

Then everything stops. The soldiers spread out across the room, filling up the corners yet leaving an open pathway down the center, and they simply stand there, facing the three remaining women. No one speaks, no one moves. Maela’s not sure she’s even breathing.

Footsteps click down the corridor, breaking the silence. A moment later, a woman sweeps into the room, her golden crown glinting in the torchlight. Her train, a brilliant red that nearly perfectly matches the blood on the floor, drags across the bodies of the guards as if they’re merely part of the landscape. 

There’s no mistaking who she is, even if Maela has never actually seen her before. She’s heard enough. The woman’s black hair is cropped close to her scalp in the style of the warm southern kingdom of Seland, her golden eyes outlined in kohl. 

There have been many rumors about those eyes, mostly from superstitious townsfolk who whisper that she can burn down entire kingdoms just from the force of her gaze. Standing here right now, watching the way they bore into both her and her mother in turn, Maela almost believes them. 

“Queen Haelyn,” the woman purrs. “A pleasure to finally meet you.”

The queen sits stiff and poised on her throne. “Queen Edrice.”

“Actually, it’s Empress now, haven’t you heard?” Her smile makes Maela’s skin crawl. “Yours is only the latest in the line of kingdoms that are now under my rule.”

Without waiting for a response, she makes a motion with one hand and the soldiers closest to the doors immediately turn and walk back out of the room. A moment later, they return leading yet more soldiers. These, however, are dragging bodies behind them. 

The first is tossed roughly at the empress’ feet, and Maela’s gasp echoes through the room. 

“The king is dead,” Empress Edrice announces without breaking eye contact with Queen Haelyn. She raises one slender eyebrow. “Long live the king?”

The second body is dropped, then the third. 

“No,” Maela whispers. Her eyes dart back and forth between the three, grief seizing her chest until it feels like it will be crushed.  

“Oops.” Edrice gives a brief glance toward Adler, the eldest prince. “The king is dead…again.” 

She turns her head to consider Eiran, the youngest. “Oh. Well, this one is still alive.” 

Hope surges inside of Maela, despite how still and bloody her brother looks, only to falter when the empress speaks again. 

“Can any of you provide a reason that I should keep him that way?”

For an agonizingly long moment, complete silence falls over the crowded room. Maela looks desperately to her mother, afraid that she’s going to just sit there and allow this to happen. 

Her father is dead. Adler is dead. But Eiran is still alive, he can still be saved. Out of all the loss that has happened today, perhaps this one can be prevented. 

She and her brother are a long way from their days of sneaking treats to her father’s dogs and going on long horse rides together and making fun of nobility behind their backs. Their time now is spent in more appropriate pursuits for their titles, and very rarely in each other’s company. 

But she still loves him. 

Queen Haelyn finally speaks up, her voice a shadow of what it was a moment ago. “He’s…he’s just a boy.”

The empress hums in response. “Yes. A boy who is technically now the king. And unfortunately, I really don’t have a need for kings.”

“Please!” The word bursts from Maela before she can stop it, and she almost regrets it once she has Edrice’s full attention on her, shrinking back a little. She has to try, though, foolish as it may be. “Please…Your Majesty. Spare him.”

There’s that smile again, cruel and far too humored by the whole situation. “As pretty as your pleas are, dear, I’m afraid they’re not enough to stay my hand.”

She gives her wrist a flick, and the soldier who’d dragged Eiran in draws his sword, plunging it through the small gap in the prince’s armor. His body flails for only an instant before falling still again, blood spilling out from around the sword and coating his armor in a red sheen. 

With a wail, Maela crumples to her knees. It’s not proper behavior, but she doesn’t care. Her brothers and father are dead. Everything in her world is coming crashing down around her, and she has the horrifying feeling that it’s not about to stop. 

“Well that’s taken care of.” The nonchalance in her voice is maddening. “Now I suppose that leaves the queen.”

“No,” Maela sobs. “No, no, no…”

Another gesture from Empress Edrice, and two soldiers charge forward, seizing Queen Haelyn by both arms and jerking her from her throne. She doesn’t fight them, only stumbles forward as gracefully as possible under the circumstances, her chin lifted high as she’s planted in front of the empress. 

Maela lunges toward her, but is stopped by Semira’s arm thrown around her waist. She falls back to her knees, tears pouring down her cheeks. 

Even facing death in utter defeat, her mother is beautiful. She’s always been beautiful, always perfect, the picture of what a queen should be and what Maela must strive to be. Somehow she always knew that she could never be that perfect, though, and she feels it now more than ever. There’s no possible way that she will stare death in the face with that same poise and grace.

“Any last words, Your Majesty?”

Maela can see her mother’s shoulders rise and fall slightly as she takes in a breath, but the words that follow take her by surprise. “My daughter. She’s a child still, she’s no threat to you.”

Edrice’s lips purse in amusement. “Touching.” 

As much as she doesn’t want to watch, Maela can’t tear her eyes away. Another sword is drawn and thrust through Queen Haelyn’s middle, protruding bright red out her back. When it’s yanked back again, the soldiers let go of her arms, and she collapses to the floor. 

Maela’s whole family is lying dead in front of her. There’s so much blood, the wood underneath is barely visible anymore. 

Time warps, and she somehow spends an eternity staring at those four dead bodies while she weeps until her stomach hurts and her throat is raw. 

Meanwhile, Semira is pulled away from her, fighting desperately to keep hold but ultimately failing. Maela cries even harder at her loss. She wants to turn, to find out if her closest friend’s fate is the same as the others, but she’s trapped in this moment of unending grief, unable to move and too afraid to face yet another bloody death of a loved one. 

For an instant she thinks, a bit hysterically, that this can’t possibly be real. This whole day has been a dream, surely, a nightmare that she’ll wake from at any moment. 

But then the scent of blood hits her all over again, and she’s forced to face the terrifying truth. This is all very, very real. 

Suddenly Empress Edrice is standing directly in front of her. Maela can’t help flinching back. This is it, her time has now come. She wishes, selfishly, that she could have been first, that she wouldn’t have had to endure seeing everyone else’s deaths before her own. 

At least this way, her parents won’t have to witness her cowardice.

“Come now, dear, you’re alright.” The empress reaches out with long, slender fingers and tips Maela’s chin upwards so that she can look into her tear-soaked face. Her mouth twists into an expression that Maela doesn’t quite understand. 

“Such a pretty, pitiful little thing. Your mother was right, you’re no threat to me.” The fingers leave her chin and gracefully swipe some of the tears away before tracing her jawline. Maela shudders involuntarily. The touch is gentle, even kind. But she’s keenly aware that this same hand ordered the murder of her family just minutes ago. 

She’s also keenly aware that she doesn’t seem like she’s about to order hers. 

The expression on Empress Edrice’s face turns back into a smile. “Don’t worry. I’m going to take very good care of you.”

Maela stares up at her with watery, bewildered black eyes. She’s…not going to kill her. Why? She should be glad, should feel at least some form of relief at knowing she doesn’t have to die. 

But somehow, living now seems like the more frightening option. 

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

Omg I love this question so much since I've been having thoughts™️ and I love any excuse to ramble

So if anyone knows me by now, they know I love to make unnecessarily overcomplicated backstories that are part of a multiverse instead of sticking with the provided MCs backstory imao. My original theory was that MC's mom died when she was young, and I didn't really think much of it. But after reading this post, I feel there are more interesting ideas to throw out there so ummm pick your favorite?

Died When Rose Was Young: This could have been in childbirth, disease, a vehicular accident of some kind, or maybe something crime-related since "Jimmy" was a cop. In that last scenario, maybe [insert criminal here] was upset and got revenge against Jimmy, and MC survived/was saved, but they couldn't save their mom in time. Highly unlikely, but angsty circumstances. In this case, MC doesn't remember what happened to their mother and their family may have hidden the truth about the nature of her death

Rose's Mom Ran Away: Maybe her family didn't want her to raise a baby, and they told Jimmy's family to raise them instead. I feel like their mother abandoning them would have been brought up, so idk...

Mom Was Deported: I didn't think about the possibility of the mom being deported and that makes me so sad :( i don't know what to elaborate, but I feel like this would have been brought up at some point unless MC was left in the dark on purpose

Here's the one I thought was most interesting because it sort of combines the previous two and is a little dramatic:

Maybe Rose's mom abandoned them after they were born, as in, she just dipped since she didn't want to raise a child (or so they thought). She left, and Jimmy had to raise MC with his family, BUT he didn't want to tell MC that their mom abandoned them. So, he said she died when MC was born (or another kind of fake circumstance), and MC grew up thinking this their entire life.

Now, in Book 3, MC's mom comes back to Uncle Tommy's bar. She exudes a very mysterious energy, and MC is the only person there. They notice that the woman has similar features and then Tommy comes out and is absolutely speechless as in: "[MC's Mom's Name]..."

Exposition etc. etc. and MC has a lot of mixed feelings ofc and now here's where it gets crazy...MC's mom reveals she's a spy, gang...leader(?), or some kind of secretive job where she had to leave so her family would be safe (she would have been in trouble for falling in love with Jimmy, a cop, in the first place). My current favorite scenario would have Kiss of Death vibes where MC's mom fell in love with a cop, and her mafia family finds Jimmy and enacts revenge, kills him to keep the cops away from investigating the criminal underworld Jimmy knows a little too much about, or something else without knowing MC exists. I mean MC had to stay alive right?? Or maybe the mafia member didn't want to kill a child idk

Anyways, Book 3 could be focused on MC finding out the truth of Jimmy's death with all of their allies and resources and stuff. MC's mom comes along and makes it clear she wants to help since she feels guilty for dragging Jimmy and MC in this mess. They start by finding the person who killed Jimmy and fall down a rabbit hole that leads to a surprisingly twisted conclusion...

Also, I'm bringing back Damien Nazario, he's part of the group now somehow idk. How are you going to have an MC who literally is a Private Detective and NOT BRING UP DAMIEN :(

Along with MC's mom being added to the dynamic, we also spend the whole book trying to rebuild their relationship. The end of the book will reveal MC's mom's true intentions (whether MC's mom was there to leech off of her daughter's success, if her story about protecting her daughter was true, etc.). It could even be like other Choices books where the ending depends on the player's choices/detective score

Each of the conflicts of the books slowly escalates. One was a "local-ish killer," the second killer was royalty, so maybe whoever killed Jimmy was a higher-ranking/more powerful individual 🤷🏽‍♀️

I wrote an entire fanfic synopsis for you all you're welcome <3 if you have any questions feel free to ask some of this might be a lil confusing

Detective Rose's Momma?

Pixelberry has been very Pixelberry and given us no backstory on our MC's Mother. I've wanted to create my own HC, but I'm hesitant because now that we know there will be a book 3, it could be ripped to shreds in a matter of seconds. Still... I have ideas, and I'm curious to know what others have dreamt up for Detective Rose's mother's backstory.

My ideas are below the break, but please reblog with your own HC. I'm tagging some CoP fans/creators I know of, but please, anyone is welcome to jump in. I'd love to know your thoughts.

I've toyed with several different HCs. I'm not sure which is the winner at this time lol I will use Carolina since that's my MC's name.

Runaway Mom - Carolina's mother and father were HS sweethearts. Her mother found herself pregnant not long after graduation, thwarting her dreams of attending college and potentially putting a damper on Jaime's (Jimmy - hey, my MC is Latina!) plans of attending the police academy. Her family wasn't very supportive, but the Rose family agreed to help out so Jimmy could still become a cop. But they weren't very supportive of her mother being able to pursue her dreams (a little old-school mentality, a little cultural). After Carolina was born, her mother suffered from post-partum depression. Between that and feeling her life was essentially stolen, she ran away, leaving full custody to Jimmy. Carolina was raised by her dad, her late abuelos, and Uncle Tommy. There would def be more drama in this route (Mom tried to come back once - why didn't Carolina know? Some really angsty stuff). In this scenario - she's still out there... and how could that be woven into the story. It could go different ways: a) She tried to come back after getting therapy and, being protective and fearing losing Carolina (perhaps a buddy recently lost child custody?), Jimmy refuses to allow her to have contact. He says she can see Carolina when she is 18 - if Carolina wants to. Her mother (obviously still unnamed, lol) could be heartbroken but accept it. Or heartbroken but angry and wanting vengeance... Do you see where I"'m going here? Or, b) She walked away and never looked back. But one day, she wants to reach out to Carolina. She contacts the NYPD trying to get in touch with Jimmy, and finds out he died when Carolina was only 13.

2. Dead Mom - Her mother died when she was young. During childbirth - something her father/Tommy always hid from Carolina to protect her from feeling guilty - is my preferred story. Since I don't think I want Carolina & Trystan to have children, this could tie into that story somehow. I also toyed with her dying of an illness when Carolina was very young and that she has little or no recollection of her.

3. Deported Mom - Another thought was her mother was deported when she was a child. Jimmy fought tirelessly to have her returned, but when things looked hopeless, her mother decided to try and build a new life in her homeland (not sure where this will be yet... undeveloped.) When Jimmy learns there is a chance that she will be able to reenter the US, he learns she's moved on with someone else, and they're expecting a child. She tells him to raise Carolina alone.

I don't know what I'll go with - but I'd love to explore this more during the break between Book 2 and 3.

What are your thoughts? What do you think happened to MC's mom in your HC?

Tagging some people - again - anyone can reply!

@storyofmychoices @lilyoffandoms @trappedinfanfiction @inlocusmads @starsarewithinme @moominofthevalley @reveluving @brycesgirl @aces-and-angels @cariantha @coffeeheartaddict2 @custaroonie @kyra75 @alj4890 @shreyamistry @ao719 @a-cloud-for-dreams

[choicesbookclub]

Inspired by our Crimes of Passion Book Club playthrough I thought we could all share our detectives + royals!

Whether you have a fully formed profile or just a cute moodboard or some vague HCs, feel free to tag @choicesbookclub or message me a link at @lovealexhunt and I'll add it to our list!

Make your own Dossier

You can also submit your character profiles to @choicesficwriterscreations's MC / OC page

Names Listed Alphabetically by Detective's First Names

🔎 Aisha Rose ~ @rookiemartin

🔎 Augusta Rose + 👑 Trystan Thorne ~ @kat-tia801

🔎 Braeden Rose + 👑 Trystan Thorne~ @txemrn

🔎 Callum Rose + 👑 Trystan Thorne~ @twinkleallnight

🔎 Cameron Rose + 👑 Trystan Thorne ~ @cariantha

🔎 Carolina Rose + 👑 Trystan Thorne~ @jerzwriter

🔎 Casandra Rose + 👑 Trystan Thorne ~ @ao719

🔎 Ceri Rose ~ @choices-ceri

🔎 Cheyanne Rose + 👑 Trystan Thorne ~ @tessa-liam

🔎 Claire Rose ~ @lucy-268

🔎 Cordelia Rose ~ @openheartforeverinmyheart

🔎 Daria Rose ~ @fairymatchmaker

🔎 Emily Rose ~ @moominofthevalley

🔎 Evelyn Rose ~ @dr-colossal-pita

🔎 Gabriel Rose ~ @lilyoffandoms

🔎 Geneviève Rose-Lys ~ @casualoddities

🔎 Haelyn Rózsa ~ @a-cloud-for-dreams

🔎 Hirokazu Rose ~ @fairymatchmaker

🔎 Isabel Rosas ~ @jamespotterthefirst

🔎Jenna Rose + 👑 Trystan Thorne ~ @peonyblossom

🔎 Jules Rose ~ @liaromancewriter

🔎 Lilah Rose + 👑 Trystan Thorne~ @storyofmychoices / @lovealexhunt

🔎 Lyra Rose ~ @ladylamrian

🔎 Lorrie Rose ~ @gutsfics

🔎 Malone Rose + 👑 Trystan Thorne ~ @quixoticdreamer16

🔎 Marianne Alba + 👑 Trystan Thorne~ @lawyerlies

🔎 Neera Roase ~ @noesapphic

🔎 Nora Rose ~ @inlocusmads

🔎 Sabrina Rose + 👑 Trystan Thorne ~ @kyra75

🔎 Sofia Rose + 👑 Trystan Thorne ~ @trappedinfanfiction

🔎 Theo Rose-Collette ~ @choicesfrog

🔎 Xander Argento Rose ~ @farizrz