#liam: diamond scenes

[magicalwarriordiamondheart]

aight and on youtube tho i'm doin what i been wanting to for a minute which is talking talking talking soooo much about how i made things :'^] i really like talking about this stuff

[choices-binglebonkus]

Replaying TRR again, but this time, I’m buying all the diamond scenes.

Maxwell is a pretty well-written character with a reasonable balance between courtly etiquette and goofy antics for most of book 1. I’ve said before that his Flanderization into an incessant party mosquito started in book 2, but now that I’m replaying the series and buying all the scenes, it feels like he started to take a subtle turn for the obnoxious at the tail end of book 1. Personally, after replaying, I felt that Maxwell dipped his toes into the annoying pool in chapter 16, then went waist deep in chapter 17 and didn’t recover after that.

Which, coincidentally, seems to have been when the writers shifted gears and started to try and work up to Maxwell eventually becoming a love interest in book 2 despite not originally being marketed as one.

In chapter 18 during his dance-off with Hana in her diamond scene, the MC is presented with the option to announce him into the challenge as “Unexpected Heartthrob”…which speaks for itself.

In chapter 19, during his diamond scene, the MC can kiss Maxwell on the cheek (which flusters him) AND ask him if she’ll ever see him without his shirt on. If neither of these choices are flirting, I’m not sure what is.

But what likely pushed the writers to add more romance-adjacent choices to Maxwell’s dynamic with the MC occurred way before these chapters. All the way back in chapter 8 when the MC is doing the Cordonian Waltz (a courtship dance, might I add) with Maxwell in Lythikos, the MC can either tell him that she thinks the dance is a little scandalous for the ballroom…or, in stark contrast, how there’s no one else she’d rather be dancing with, which Maxwell gently rebukes her for.

And then in chapter 10, the MC can tell Maxwell she’s looking forward to spending time with him on the beach. This particular interaction is noteworthy because it grants the MC a Maxwell relationship point. Throughout the first and second books, the MC can gain relationship points (NOTE: different from romance points) with Liam, Drake, Hana, and even Olivia. This instance in chapter 10 is the only relationship point that can ever be gained with Maxwell. Yes, ever.

I’m thinking these two originally small and insignificant choices in chapter 8 and 10 gained so much attention from fans that Pixelberry realized Maxwell had potential as a love interest, leading them to sprinkle in some rewrites in book one that hinted at a future romance. These rewrites could also explain why chapter 10’s interaction is the only instance of us gaining a relationship point with Maxwell: Pixelberry likely rewrote scenes with choices that originally granted more Maxwell relationship points and forgot to replace them after.

So while they went way heavier on the buildup to Maxwell becoming a love interest in book 2, the signs were there early on, and they gradually built up to Maxwell becoming less of a bumbling but well-meaning guide to the MC, and more of an air-headed, foolhardy, childish pest.

And honestly? It makes me wonder: how might Maxwell’s character have been different if the writers didn’t turn him into a love interest? Would he have kept his early/mid-book 1 personality? Would Maxwell have pursued a relationship with Penelope? Would his role in the story have gradually lessened like Bertrand’s did? How might he have affected future books like TRH/TRF?

[loveislandthegame]

thoughts on today's volume...i don't even know where to begin, this sucked and i'm honestly just appalled 😭 FB somehow managed to make a reunion worse than boat party

FB is trying way too hard to make season 5 iconic, and it's just not happening. season 5 isn't bad in a camp way, it's just bad. a sensible company would've shelved that misogynistic, biphobic, & racist gaslighting-fest and apologised

and this is a major problem throughout the entire volume so i'll just condense it into one thought right here: whoever wrote this clearly doesn't understand their playerbase. absolutely nobody cares about these unemployed messy flops hooking up with eachother, sexting, cheating—shawn forcing max to sleep in the hotel foyer so he can have mechanic roleplay sex in their shared room ???—and whatever other nonsense they're doing. i was not gagged, i was gagging

i didn't take the diamond scene to upstage sophie or whatever because i don't care, but of course we're still forced to kiss somebody else that's not our partner for the sake of some corny drama. i wish MC could've walked out of this villa the moment liam decided to recommend a "kissing game," like she's not in a whole committed relationship

then we get a podcast challenge i guess . at first i was happy to see theo, only for him to immediately blow MC off because he's ... a little hurt ? even though he was fine in the last volume ? literally everyone except claudia, bea, and tyler was treating MC like garbage this entire reunion. (once again, MC doesn't have any friends . just enemies and people tryna smash)

several drawn out scenes of pure agony later, and my bby girl bella finally showed up !! she's the only saving grace of this pile of shit, and at this point i'm just glad they didn't ruin her too

(RIP to the finn girlies, at least bella & my s6 MC are happily together ❤️)

bea confessed to MC, i still picked claudia . this would've been the perfect moment for an "I love you" from your chosen LI but instead they ask to move in. Lmao

claudia my love, you deserved so much better than this reunion </3

for the first time ever i straight up skipped a group hug option, that's how you know i really was done with these mfs

i cannot find the words that could properly describe how horrible this reunion was. a complete dumpster fire of an ending to an otherwise okay-ish season. to top it all off we have confirmation that season 9 is dropping in three weeks. FB is not even giving season 8 some time to marinate, stew, simmer, or whatever. you get what i mean ? (tbh more like rot...😭)

i need a nap after this. venus out 🫡

[choicesficwriterscreations]

November Creator of the Month: Lizzybeth1986

Each month CFWC highlights one of our talented fanfic writers, and this month’s writer of the month is @lizzybeth1986 We hope you will enjoy learning more about them and their work below! The writer is selected at random. More info can be found on the navigation page.

Quick Links:

Tumblr Blog: Blog Masterlist

How do you want to be known on Tumblr?

Lizzy, absolutely 😁

*Center art by @sazanes

More below...

When did you start playing Choices? What was the first book you played?

I started playing mid 2017, I think. I played the flagship books (TF, TCaTF, MW), and def preferred TF at the time.

When and why did you join Choices fandom?

I joined the Tumblr fandom in 2017, around the time of the TRR finale. Mostly because the Liam hate at the time was intense and I wanted to write metas about why Liam was, in fact, not “a dick who betrayed the MC” 😂

I did have a Tumblr account before that (made it in 2015 to follow Bollywood film posts), but never actually used it.

How did you pick your blog name?

I was lazy af so it was my middle name plus my birth year haha

Pull up the first post in your archive, and tell us about it! 

I started out with a couple reblogs, but my first actual post was about the romance points mechanism in TRR1. There was a point in the middle of the book where one nice word to Drake would give you an automatic romance point, and I was like, “Huh??? Either treat him like shit or risk him catching feels for me? Is that how it is???”. Thankfully, that stopped after two chapters. After that, I did an essay series analyzing Liam’s actions in the finale called “The Crown, The King and The Flame.” Romance Points Post The Crown and the Flame

How long have you been writing fanfiction?

Almost 6 years now! I started doing Liam fics around the beginning of TRR2.

What is your favorite Choices book, and what is your favorite Choices book to write about?

I’m the most invested in TRR and PM, but between the two I’d probably say PM is my fave book overall. But yeah, my favourite book to write about would be TRR, because Liam, Hana and Kiara are such fantastic characters to write about! (Hayden and Sloane, too, but I’m still in the process of getting comfortable writing them).

Share the first fanfic you wrote with us. Do you still like it, or would you change it if you were writing it today?

It was Keychains, my two part fic series featuring my MC and Liam. It was set around the time the MC was waiting in the airport in TRR2, just before Maxwell and Bertrand intervene. It had a follow up with Liam’s PoV too.

I really like it. It included some really good hc’s I made at the time, like Esther buying an apple keychain to represent Cordonia at the same time, and Liam calling her his wife in Greek and Esther not realizing what the phrase meant. I thought the pathos and slight humour was quite well-done. I can’t think of much I would want to change in the story.

Keychains 1 Keychains 2

What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?

As a series – Eleanor’s Kitchen! It’s ongoing, and it’s a joy to write. I love exploring food from a cultural lens, and since Cordonia was a fictional country, I could explore a variety of ethnicities and food cultures. Liam had a literal diamond scene that explored gastrodiplomacy, and I wanted to explore his childhood and Eleanor’s friendships too.

Individually – I would say my Kiara fic “An Ear to the Ground”. Kiara is a delightful character and exploring the social season through her eyes was a real journey! I also love “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)” which explores the early days of the Sloane & Hayden friendship. I used asterisms and constellations to symbolize moments in their friendship.

Eleanor's Kitchen An Ear to the Ground The Stars (Are Out Tonight)

Do you have a fic that you didn’t expect to be well received, but it was? What about one you expected to be but found could use a little more love?

Cordonian Waltz was definitely a surprise in terms of reception!! It was written in the style of headcanons I was seeing at the time, and I wrote it in second person. It became my most widely-read fanfic very fast, and every once in a while it would experience a major surge in readership. I enjoyed writing it and thought it was a lovely, romantic piece, but I really wasn’t expecting it to finally have 250+ reblogs out of it, and people coming and telling me this was the fic that got them into Liam x MC in the first place. I find that deeply gratifying 😍

There’s a lot of fics that I feel need more engagement and appreciation, but I can understand that those characters also don’t exactly get much of an audience. My entire PM set comes under this category; they typically get low readership. I think my Hana and Kiara fics too could do with more of an audience.

@twinkleallnight once told me that when she reads my stuff, she usually takes a long time just to ruminate on the story, and I like to believe that often, that’s why the engagement isn’t always immediate. Which I like too!! I like that some of my stuff can make people stop and think, and I like to believe that over time, the work will have its own impact.

Cordonian Waltz PM Set

If you could write only angst, fluff, or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why?

Probably fluff but with a lot of observation and sometimes somber reflections. I’m not that great with angst…and I’ve never actually tried smut? But maybe one day 😄

Do you ever recognize yourself in any of your MCs or in your writing?

Yes! Some of my MCs are v different from me but I always incorporate something from my life experiences in them. Like Esther taking photos of the sunset or Basil not being science oriented but still having an interest in space.

Character wise I find I put a lot of myself into a lot of the characters I write. Notably, Liam, Hana, Kiara, certain Haydens and Sloane. Liam’s love for learning, different aspects of Hana and Kiara’s experiences as queer women, Sloane’s experiences as a neurodivergent woman, and especially my Scholar!Hayden’s (Iris) observations. I tend to incorporate a lot of my feelings and experiences more into certain canonical characters than in MCs.

What element of writing do you struggle with most?

Dialogue, I think. Especially when it’s a character I don’t relate to that much. But also sometimes when it’s a character I love but am only starting to write because then I really overthink it!

Do you have any neglected work you really want to finish?

Hmm…probably neglected wouldn’t be the word I’d use…I just take a very long time to kickstart them 😂

But yeah, definitely my Petals and Thornes series? That’s the fic series I’m doing for Hana x Kiara, that is supposed to explore TRR2 and 3 from their PoV (with significant changes). So far I’ve only been able to do some one-shots and hcs in that universe, but I do want to start the actual series soon!

I have some essay series’ I’d love to work on too! My Hana essay series which has two essays left, The Hayden Young Project, and a possible series on the alternative Lis of TRR!

Petals and Thornes Hana Lee: A Study in Erasure

If someone you know in real life (who isn’t involved in fandoms) asked to read your work, would you let them? If yes, what would you recommend they read first?

Hmm. A few people have asked me, actually, and while I’m not fully opposed to showing them I’ll probably take some time before I do show my work. I’ll probably overthink how much will be understandable to a reader who doesn’t have the context of the source, and what they may not understand.

What to show them first? I’m not sure! Maybe the smaller ones first, like Cordonian Waltz. Or my RCD fic Snowstorms, because it doesn’t have more than 2-3 canon characters featuring and I do talk a little about being a closeted queer teen figuring out their sexuality through cinema, which is an overall relatable experience to some! Snowstorms

Are there any writers (published authors and/or fanfic writers) who influenced your writing?

In my early years I used to emulate Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s style. Much of her work that I read as a teen was pretty flowery, sometimes bordering on purple prose, and I really loved that style and tried to go that way. But now I think a variety of writers from different genres inform my writing. In terms of published authors, Jhumpa Lahiri, Helen Hoang, and non-fiction ones like Rukmini Pande, Ruby Hammad and Mikki Kendall.

In Choices fic, @callmetippytumbles for sure – a lot of the questions she was tackling with her MC in her Home series served as inspiration for some of the ideas I’ve been having in mind for Petals and Thornes. @thefirstcourtesan is a great writing buddy to have, too, and she has a knack for saying a lot in very few words! There’s also my amazing group of friends (shoutout to @cassiopeiacorvus, @thecapturedafrique, @mand-delemonde, and @beyonceswigs, as well as @twinkleallnight , @dcbbw @mariemarieohcontrary , @choicesfrog, @grapecaseschoices and @ohsnapitzlovehacker…the discussions are so good and leave some much to think about afterward 💖💖). All these discussions ALWAYS fuel my ideas and make me think out of the box.

I’ve also recently started writing polyamorous characters and relationships, and @angelasscribbles stories and resources have been such a great help in navigating that!

Home

@angelasscribbles Poly Resources

Which one of your stories would you most like to see as a movie/series?

Haha! I’ve not even started the proper series yet but I think Petals and Thornes? But besides that maybe Eleanor’s Kitchen may work as a series idk 😄

Do you write original fiction?

I do try! I’ve done a few short stories but before I started fanfic, I did a lot of spoken word poetry and that was fun.

What other hobbies do you have?

Reading, watching video essays, spending months on hyperfixations 😂 and a little cooking. My kid’s gotten into craft recently and has succeeded in taking me down that rabbit hole too haha.

I used to be into making fruit wines but have gotten inconsistent with that over the years.

What’s your favorite emoji?

Because I have a huuuge thing for nerds – this one: 🤓

BONUS – tell us anything you’d like (if you want to).

A story my mum often tells about how I got into writing, began with some good old-fashioned sibling rivalry. Apparently as a child I was notorious for writing things on the walls of our house. One day my older brother got a hardbound royal-blue covered notebook to write in, with gold lettering on the cover…and I got instantly jealous that I didn’t get one (I was 6 or 7 and already fond of telling stories). When I complained my mum made me a deal – she would get me the same notebook…IF I stopped writing on the walls and began writing in that instead 😂 It worked. My mother is a smart woman.

I love spoilers!! I will read the end of a novel I’m reading and then go back and read the rest. Sometimes I even read books all the way backwards lol.

I love romance, and my favorite tropes include second-chance romance and mutual pining while believing the other person will never love you back! Because, at heart, I’m a dramatic bitch.

[leastdatablebracket]

ROUND 1, MATCH 18

Propaganda under the cut!

Adam/Ava du Mortain

There is no propaganda for this character.

Drake Walker

Jobless complainer with a codependent relationship with his best friend (Liam) who bitches about monarchy and nobility constantly, even though he benefits from staying at the royal castle for free. I think it might be mentioned once... in book 3 or the sequels that he actually does some work around the place... seems like something that the writers threw in to make Drake seem less like a useless freeloader. Rude as fuck for literal no reason, obsessed with being a man, he's chock full of toxic masculinity. Won't ice skate, hates the opera, won't drink wine or "girly" drinks, sees fancy food and I feel like he complains just for the hell of it. Just a general pill of a human to be around. Grown ass man (mid to late 20s) who hates the royal life so much, he can just leave! Get a job! Move out! He doesn't have to 24/7 be on call to emotionally support Liam! He can move into the city and call or visit his BFF whenever Liam is having a crisis or needs support or advice or whatever. Utterly ridiculous situation to have Drake there constantly hating on everything. Obsessed with manly stuff only like whiskey and eating BBQ or sloppy joes or some shit like that. Complained in the third book about a pink wedding cake (or decorations?), which caused Drake Walker stans to actually get angry (although he would literally do this, he 100% would bitch about pink) and the writers took out that line. I guess dissing on pink things was just Too Much finally for Drake Walker fans. You have to pay diamonds (the premium currency) to see the soft side of this RO, which is so hilarious to me... why would I ever pay diamonds to spend MORE time with this guy??? I don't need to see Drake's "soft for only one person" scenes, I need to punt him into the sun. Drake Walker fans used to be or still are insane so god help you if you put this horrible man in the bracket. Choices has really fallen though, they lost 90% of their tumblrinas when they introduced their subscription model, so you might avoid the DW discourse. 

His vibes are rancid

[bebepac]

The Moments In Between

I am participating in @choicesflashfics prompt : “I don’t have a date, so would you ... maybe want to be my plus one?” will appear in bold 

I am also participating in @choiceschallenge-may2023 for falling in love.

Letting you know now, this story is probably the most canon I have written. This is not my OG Riley and Liam  and in this universe Liam and Riley did not spend the night together as all my other headcanon stories have them.  Liam has kept his emotional distance like canon.....which has invited the opportunity for Drake to make an appearance.  

This could be seen as a prequel to  If Only for the Night

The Book:  TRR Pairings:  Riley x Drake? Warnings and Ratings:  None! Word Count: 1121 Summary:  Riley meets Drake in the Lythikos wine cellar for a drink Song Inspiration:  That Don’t Impress Me Much by Shania Twain

A/N: I’m sure this title has been used in fics before, so hopefully no one is offended by it, but I’m taking it from the Canon diamond scene. 

AN2:  This story actually came to my mind because of a conversation I had with @angelasscribbles as we were talking about Drake. I had thought then, that conversation would not give me any writing ideas, but SURPRISE!

Original post:  05.27.23 at 9:31PM  EST. 

To be honest, I wasn’t even surprised about how the trip was going being in Lythikos for Olivia’s tribute to Prince Liam.  The room she put me in was basically a refurbished broom closet, dinner was served to my table cold with portions of the entree missing.  

But what struck me and what did surprise me is that Liam didn’t notice, and never checked up on us, supposedly his true blue friends were all sitting at the neglected table and he didn’t even glance in our direction the whole evening.  

And not to mention….the kiss. He let her kiss him in front of the whole court. He genuinely appeared surprised when it happened, but everyone at the table, all their eyes were trained on me for a response.  I mean honestly, what could I say?  

Prince Liam is not my boyfriend, I’m a suitor in this game we’re all playing.  I am competing for a man that at this point has no true allegiance to me.

Nonchalantly I shrugged my shoulders.  “She went for it.  You know, she doesn’t usually get this much individual time with the Prince, so I can’t fault her for shooting her shot.”  

“You’re a lot calmer than I thought you would be, Brooks.”  

“I mean, these so-called 'noble' royals have been showing me who they are this whole time, I’d be a fool not to believe them.”  

“You deserve a drink Brooks,  meet up with me later, and we’ll find where the good stuff you like is stored in this keep.”  

“I really might have to take you up on that.”  

Liam finally cornered me for a brief moment, as I stood on the balcony letting the cool wind in a way revitalize me.  

“Are you angry with me for what happened?”

“No.”  

“I thought you might be.”  

“How can I Liam? you haven’t so much as stated any intentions you have for me, or of any feelings for me because you say, you can’t.  You have a duty to your people and I get that.  But don’t forget, all of us are “your people, and we are getting mistreated by some of these people that are supposed to be the “Nobility.”

“I heard about what happened to you all with your meals by the waitstaff, it’s very unfortunate.”

“You mean what they were told to do to us  by the Duchess of the Keep?”

Liam took his hands in mine.

“Let me make it up to you. Come meet me tonight.  My room has the most beautiful view of the Lythikos landscape and a wonderful hot tub that I have yet to want to use, but would love to enjoy it with you.”

Seriously Liam? That don’t impress me much. 

 I thought in my head.

“It’s been a really long day Liam.”  

Liam frowned for a moment.  His smile returned as he kissed my hand.  

“I promise you it will be relaxing, and I’ll keep my hands to myself, that is unless you want a massage.”

I felt my resolve wavering for a moment but then it recharged when I remembered all the bad treatment I had experienced while visiting in Lythikos thanks to the Scarlett Duchess herself.

“I’ll wait for you just the same.”  

“If I’m not too tired by the end of these festivities, I’ll definitely meet you.”

My mind  was already made up as I walked away from him.

That evening when I made it back to the cupboard under the stairs that was my room,  I freshened up a bit, and changed my clothes.  I had more than one choice and I had decided how I wanted to spend my evening.

And I feel like I made the right decision as when he turned around he genuinely looked surprised to see me.  

“Hey! I don’t have a date, so would you maybe want to be my plus one?”

“Brooks!  I didn’t think you would show.  I had heard Liam had invited you…”

“I could use that drink more, it’s been a helluva day.  This is how the working class unwinds, not in hot tubs and seeing glorious views of the Lythikos backcountry. If we’re being totally honest, the Lythikos backcountry can kiss my rounded backside.”  

Drake laughed.

“I hear that.  Sounds like you’re ready to start popping some bottles?”  

“Hell yeah I am!”  

I started going through the bottles of Wine in the cellar, when I noticed Drake wasn’t doing the same.  

“Aren’t you going to pick some too?”

“Naw, I brought my stash. This was more about you, I know today was a rough day for you.”  

Drake produced a silver and black flask with the Cordonian Crest on it.  

“I mean not really, people have been showing me their true colors since I got here.  And Liam, can’t be who he was when he was in New York here, at least not in public. So is that Whiskey? The third Level of your food group pyramid?”

“Hey if that’s the third level, what are the first two?”

“Isn’t it obvious?  Meat  is level one, Potatoes are level two.”

“You get me Brooks, and yes it’s Whiskey.”  

“So are you sharing that?”

“I can.  You know you’re really a lot different than I thought you were when we all first met in New York.”

“You should know not to judge a book by its cover Drake, as much as the Nobility of Cordonia are constantly judging you here.”  

“You’re different.”  

“No, I’m the same, you just didn’t see me for who I truly was before, and now you’re finally getting a glimpse.”  

Was Drake Walker blushing, and why was he staring at me that way?

“This is me relaxed, just being myself.  Not behaving like a trained dolphin for the cameras.  The moments in between where I get to be just Riley. You know, this is the most we’ve talked Walker, you’re not half bad.”  

Drake was staring at me as if he was in  some sort of trance, after a few moments he snapped out of it.  

“We should toast.  To the moments in between where we can relax and be ourselves, with no added pressure.”

He took a sip from the flask and held it out to me, right when I was about to grab it, he snatched it back.

“Pass it here, I don’t have mouth herpes or anything. Besides, the alcohol would kill the germs anyway.”

He looked to be weighing the validity of the idea in his head for a few moments and then came up to the resolution, nodding to me in agreement.

“Seems legit.”  

I held up the flask and before I drank, I smiled at Drake.

“To the moments in between.” 

[kristinamae093]

A Wild Ride

Series - TRR - AU

Pairing - Liam x MC (Riley Brooks)

Summary - A small rewrite of the diamond scene from Book 1 Chapter 11 (Drake’s birthday) and… beyond.

Word Count - 2503... ish 🙈

A/N1- Welcome to my first attempt at smut. Nobody asked for this, this is entirely unprompted and unasked for (except by me haha). This is just where my brain went, and well... don’t judge me too hard lolololololololol. I’ve debated posting this all week, but I’m finally going to relent and just do it and most likely hide forever. But I have to shoutout @ao719 who encouraged me, and read through my first draft. 💚 All errors in this final version are mine and mine alone.

A/N2- I am considering this a part of the Ghosted AU, but only for ONE reason, and that is to put it on the same masterlist. But this is a ONE SHOT and DOES NOT ADD TO NOR CONTRIBUTE TO THE STORY WHATSOEVER. This is literally just an excuse to try my hand at lemony writing, nothing more. 

A/N3- This is my sad attempt at a submission for the @springfeverpitch event. I have no idea if this even qualifies, but they said anything smutty, soooo…... I’m going to test that theory with this, LOLOLOL. I have no idea what 'day' it qualifies under, (4?) I’m honestly not even sure what this monstrosity should classify as. 🤣🙈🙊

Base in play - Briefly First, but mostly Homerun ⚾💭🫡

TW - ⚠️ NSFW ⚠️ - Language, smutty filthy lemons, brief mentions of blood (.3 seconds worth). *⚠️ 18+ ONLY ⚠️*

Characters belong to Pixelberry.

Liam watched Riley as if she would give him the answers to all the world’s problems at any moment; she fully transfixed him. When he paid the operator of the bull, he assumed Drake would ride, since it was his birthday. But when Riley volunteered and bounced her way over, Liam knew already he was done for; the second she mounted that bull, he felt himself grow undeniably hard.

He observed with the utmost attention. The way her hips swiveled to keep in time with the jerky motions of the bull, the way her big, perky chest bounced from side to side as she tried to stay on the ride. She threw an arm back like a lasso; her cut off shirt hiking higher and higher up her toned midriff. He caught sight of her lacy red bra underneath, the sight practically enough to make him take her, here and now, for all to see. Everything about it was driving him mad with desire. 

At that moment, he would have cut off his right leg to trade spaces with the foreign object she rode. Give up the throne, throw everything away, all for her to tame him as if he were the rowdy steed beneath her. His mind swirled with fantasies as the saliva from his mouth fully dissolved.

When she flew off the bull, he was right there to help her up; after he had adjusted himself in his slacks. The two grabbed a shot, then another, and a couple more, adding to the already large amount of alcohol they had consumed. They finally made their way out to the dancefloor after way too many drinks.

It started slow and casual, nothing scandalous or arousing, although the chemistry between them made anything sensual. Then a particular song came on; Liam had never heard it, but the squeal that came from Riley and her excited bouncing told him she was familiar. He felt his cock stiffen a little more in the confines of his trousers as he watched her breasts bob up and down while she jumped; maybe it was the alcohol fueling his thoughts, but he couldn’t get the image of those tits bouncing in his face out of his mind. 

They danced face to face; Riley attempted to keep a respectable distance between them, as she knew they were in public. The court would not react well to them grinding all over each other. But Liam didn’t seem to have a care in the world, as he continued to pull her closer and closer. His gaze switched between gawking at her enormous bust poking out of her low cut top, and the way her hips swiveled and rotated to the rhythm. His hands probed her body, as if he needed to remember every crevice and curve. 

She swatted his roaming hands away. “What are you doing? We’re in public!” She giggled. 

Liam nuzzled her neck. “Don’t care.” 

Riley laughed harder. “Liam, what if someone sees us? Or you get recognized?”

“Let them watch.” He responded with a devilish smirk.

“I’m just saying the press would-”

Liam cut her off by capturing her lips with his own. Their tongues rolled together as they swallowed each other’s content sighs. One of Liam’s hands rested on her neck, the other falling to the small of her back and pulling her as close as possible. Their pelvises ground together, each letting out a soft moan at the friction. Neither cared at the crowd of other dancers surrounding them; the only thing that mattered was the two of them, and the undeniable sexual tension that seemed to have reached its boiling point. 

—-------

Liam returned to his suite, a little wobbly on his feet, and immediately went to take a cold shower. His mind continued to swirl with scandalous thoughts about Riley and the things he wanted her to do to him, and vice versa. It took every ounce of willpower he had not to invite her back and ravage her like he truly wanted to. But he realized there was a high probability the pair would get caught sneaking around, and that would only cause more problems in the long run. And, he didn’t want to be this drunk when it did happen. 

He finished his shower and put on a clean pair of boxers and pajama pants before he slipped into bed, pulling up the covers to envelop his body. He lay on his back and fell into a deep slumber as fantasies of Riley filled his mind. 

—-------

He awoke later with his senses filled by a fragrance of lilac and berry. He felt dainty hands lightly tracing the inside of his thighs, sending a shudder through him. A sigh escaped him as he felt tender kisses travel up his abdomen, soft hair falling to tickle his sides. He reached a hand out and threaded his fingers through long, silky, golden blonde hair as she continued her venture up to his neck. 

When she reached her quarry, she bit down hard enough to leave a mark and licked the affected area. She dotted kisses along his jawline to the other side and nipped his ear; Liam groaned and gripped her hips to grind her against his already freed erection. He had no time to ponder how he became disrobed, as he felt wetness gliding over his already aching member; she wasn’t wearing panties. 

“Riley…” He moaned. 

She raised her face to hover over Liam’s, “I saw you…” she whispered as she ghosted her lips over his. 

“Hm?”

“You were watching me ride that bull tonight… Wishing it was you… weren’t you?” She asked in between bites along his jawline.

“God yes.” Liam panted.

Riley’s face lit up with a cat-like grin before she grabbed his face to bring his lips to hers. Their tongues met and battled for dominance in a fit of passionate and desperate kisses. Liam slid his hands up her sides and realized she, too, was already naked. He massaged both of her large, supple breasts in his hands before breaking their kiss and bending his neck to take one into his mouth. He licked and suckled at it for a moment before moving to the other and showing it the same attention. After, he briefly lay back and marveled at her perfection, and those breasts that had been making his mouth water all night dangling in front of his face; just like he fantasized. 

Riley sat up, and he met her intent, lustrous gaze; her eyes clouded over with desire, hair askew, perky tits rising and falling with every labored breath, lips slightly parted. Liam watched, transfixed, as she ran her tongue over her top lip, and he thought he would cum on the spot. Liam reached out to embrace her and forcefully brought her lips to his; his dick painfully throbbing, aching to be inside her. 

She threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled, the sudden, sharp pain causing Liam to moan. “You like that?” She whispered as she bit his lip. 

“Yes.” He breathed out, as he grabbed her ass cheeks in both hands and squeezed. She ground her bare mound against him and an animalistic sound escaped Liam’s lips.

“Tell me what you want, Liam…” she coaxed as she sat up and positioned herself with her dripping pussy over Liam’s cock. She rubbed herself against Liam’s shaft, her hand pushing him deeper through her wet folds. She ground back and forth on his length, driving Liam absolutely mad.

“You. I want you, Riley. Please.” He begged.

“No… Tell me what you want… Exactly what you want.” She slightly raised herself and let his tip ghost her opening, before she slid him back through the entirety of her core. 

Liam gasped and twitched beneath her. The things she was making him feel were overwhelming every single part of his being. “I… I…” He stammered between breathless pants and moans. “I want you to ride me.” He finally spit out. 

She bit her lip and whispered, “Your wish is my command.” and lowered herself down onto him, both moaning at the sensation as he penetrated her tight opening. Her mouth fell open into an O shape, a high-pitched whine coming from her throat, as she sunk her body down on his length. Liam’s eyes never left her face as her tightness enveloped him, taking him to such a high level of euphoria he thought he would die at any moment. She rocked herself slowly back and forth on his cock, feeling him stretch and fill her in all the right ways.

“Oooooh… God, you’re so fucking big Liam!” Liam felt his dick twitch at her words and ran his hands up her sides to massage her breasts in his hands. She placed her hands against his chest, pushing her tits together as she started bouncing herself on his length. He analyzed her with rapt attention, her expressions, the sounds she was making. Liam released his hold on her and put his hands behind his head as he watched her work herself on him with a deep groan.

She picked up speed and ran both of her hands through her hair. Liam watched where they connected, seeing her pussy grip around him, the proof of her arousal covering his member and thighs. He looked up and saw her massaging her breasts with a lust blown expression; she saw him staring and bit her lip with a loud moan, causing him to whimper from the sight. 

Just when Liam thought he couldn’t take anymore, she sat back and positioned herself with her hands on his haunches, giving him the perfect view of her taking all of him in. She started slowly, but soon built a mind-blowing pace, taking him almost all the way out before slamming her hips back into his. Liam heard her whimpers increase in pitch and knew her release was coming. He felt his own building but was determined to make her let go first. 

“Oooooh God… Oh! Don’t stop… Don’t fucking stop!" she cried out as their already frantic pace increased. She reached a hand down and wildly rubbed circles over her swollen nub. Liam clutched her hips with a white-knuckle grip and increased their speed, hammering himself into her relentlessly. He matched her rhythm perfectly, thrusting himself to meet her hips. She threw her head back with a loud shriek; her tightness pulsating around him, wetness coating his already glistening member as waves of pleasure overtook her. 

“Yes! God... YES! Liam… You fuck me so good!” She got out through gasps and whimpers as jolts of electricity continued to course through her. 

Between her clenching around him and the things she was saying, Liam was a goner. He thrust into her three, four, five more times until he pulled her down forcefully to receive his load with a loud, primal roar. His vision almost completely blacked out, stars invading his view. He had orgasms before, sure, but it was like his soul was leaving his body. It was so intense, so powerful and all-consuming, like nothing he had ever felt before. 

Liam lay with his eyes closed for a couple of minutes, catching his breath. He felt Riley grasp his hand and opened his eyes to look at her as she remained straddling him. She brought his hand to her lips and smiled before she tenderly kissed each one of his fingertips. 

Liam closed his eyes once more and let out a content sigh. Somehow, someway, the evening ended as he hoped it would; all was right with the universe at that exact moment. 

His peace was short-lived as he suddenly felt a sharp pain course through his index finger. 

“Ow!” He cried. “Did… did you bite me, Riley?”

“You liked it a minute ago.” She smirked.

“That was different. This felt like you were trying to take a chunk out of my finger!” 

She giggled, “You just… you smell so good… so… sweet… like nuts… and honey…” she replied as she turned her head and deeply inhaled his palm. 

Liam furrowed his brow. “Oh… um… thank you?” He responded with uncertainty. 

“You just smell so… heavenly… and... mouthwatering…” she mewled as she licked his palm. 

"I do?" Liam asked, completely confused by her sudden shift in behavior. 

"Mmhhmmm."

“Like… like what?”  

“Baklava.” She said as she chomped Liam’s thumb. 

“Hey! Riley, that… that hurts!” He tried to pull his hand away, but Riley’s grip tightened. 

“But I bet you taste soooo good, Liam! I just wanna eat you up.” She started gnawing on his wrist, biting harder and harder; he swore she was breaking his skin. 

“Riley! Riley! Stop!” He yelled as he squirmed underneath her, but she would not relent. He felt a sharp, piercing pain in his arm and watched in horror as she tore a piece of flesh from his body; blood squirting from the open wound and covering the both of them. 

She thoroughly chewed his flesh with a satisfied smile before she went back for more. “Mmm…. sho good.” She rolled her eyes as she swallowed another chunk of skin. She slurped at the blood that surrounded her mouth before she returned to his wound, lapping at it like a deprived dog finally given water. 

“Riley! Riley! Stop! STOOOOOOOP!”

“AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” Liam flew forward in a panic; his breathing rapid and labored, his elevated pulse thundering in his ears, his body covered in a thin layer of sweat. He frantically searched his darkened surroundings, looking to see if Riley was still there, but found no signs of anyone. 

He glanced down at his body and saw absolutely nothing; no marks, cuts, blood, or any signs of injury. He quickly pulled the blanket back and saw his pajama pants, just as they were when he had gone to bed.

Bastien heard Liam’s yells from his position outside and barged into the room. “Is something wrong, sir?”

“I…I don’t think so…” Liam answered unsurely as he rubbed his uninjured wrist. “Has… has anyone come in here?”

“No, sir. I’ve been outside your door since you arrived. Nobody has been here.” Bastien reassured him. “Why? Do you believe there’s been a breach?”

“No! No. Nothing like that. I was only asking. Thank you, Bastien.”

Bastien bowed with a bewildered expression, but left the room. As soon as he did, Liam stood up and made a quick dash to the bathroom to check himself in the mirror. 

He searched his reflection with intent; Liam saw that his neck and upper body were pristine and unmarked, no signs of the late-night fornication to be found. He checked other areas of his body, but no remnants of his wild encounter remained. He ran his hand through his lightly tousled hair and stared at his reflection for a long while, trying to make sense of what he could have just experienced.

He shook his head with a quiet laugh before he said, “I am never drinking tequila before bed again.”

[mkiss723]

LitG S8 Max Route

Vol. I-V Ep. 1-15

I chose Jack to couple up with because Oakley can’t take a joke about being a fireman… sorry but it is hot. In both senses of the word 😅 sorry not sorry! But also Jack liking dogs and gardening was such a great initial common interest thing to go on.

Sophie/Jack & Luna/Jin are replaceable after you pick your guy. Whichever couple stays are buttheads to you.

Jack is ok, but more serious than I thought he would be. I miss Jin’s humor so much. I have to say that even with most of the same dialogue choices/banter between us, there is no spark. Which does makes me going full on for Max an easier decision.

Vol. VI Ep. 16-18

Again I did not flirt at all with Hari, but I did pick the options for saying I missed Jack so it pretty much went the same. I’m really just plugging along until Casa… which is next 😆

Vol. VII Ep. 19-21

CASA TIME!! I am choosing all the gem options to get with Max. ALL OF THEM! Bring it on!

E19: Straight away, the fill in the blank game gem option I picked was the “smooch a boy” and wow what a smooch it was! Choosing to share a bed with Max was such a good choice too. He is so flirty and cute! Telling me what he likes was sexy and I agree with them 😏

E20: ooh raunchy races! And this time I actually kissed the others (except Liam cuz I have standards lol) and I did the gem option to win and had another epic smooch with Max 😘

E21: Winners party was fun. The sipping game was fun and the gem selection scene was incredible if you kept flirting *chef’s kiss* Loved sitting with Max and talking and getting to know each other more. He is so flirty and I love it. Slept with him again and did bits with him that night. Worth it! He’s amazing! 😏

Vol. VIII Ep. 22-24

E22: This is where I started to fall for Max in my first playthrough (w/o any diamond scenes & then I started replaying for his), but getting to keep the previous options and choosing the new one was even better. He just gave serious butterflies during the date. Telling about the smile lines, going over the “words” on MC, cuddling in his arms, sweet story of him paying for a girlfriend’s parents to visit even though he was saving, playing with her hair. Ugh my heart! I’m so smitten with him 🥴

E23: We smashed it at the Mr & Mrs game! And I loved all the flirty things we did and said to each other during. More annoyed when Luna took Max. Definitely called her out this time for picking him.

E24: Last night at Casa. Yay! Obviously spent the night with Max and I think it was even better since I got to have all the earlier moments with him too. And hearing him recap them all the next morning and how mushy he was about them all was sweet. He’s just perfect 🫠

Vol. IX Ep. 25-27

E25: This is a short episode. Most compatible with Max of course! Yuck to Liam. Pushed him in the pool again 😜

E26: Brought Max back and walked in holding hands. Sorry Jack. Told Max I’m into him. Obvs! Didn’t argue with Sienna when she wanted to steal Jack. Go right ahead.

E27: Pool party was much less awkward since I’m focused on Max and don’t care what Sienna does. Liam’s question and Luna’s deflection ruined the mood of course. Then Jack asked me that very important question about cracking on in casa…

Vol. X Ep. 28-30

E28: I started this episode off with a big old LIE - told Jack I did nothing at Casa (for reasons that pay off later) Snogged and married Max! Pied Liam cuz who else is worth this one?! And then I sexily pied Max with the extra pie. Yum 😜

E29: Ahhh couple drama! Everyone lying to their partners about Casa stuff. So messy… So glad I’m with Max because we are golden!!

E30: Couple Goals 2.0 was fine. Pretty much the same results except Max and I got voted most likely to marry this time and I’ll take it! And the terrace scene… holy moly Batman 🔥 I loved it and didn’t have to feel bad because he’s my couple and the one I want 😍

Vol. IX Ep. 31-33

E31: MOVIE NIGHT!!! woohoo drama!! Max’s two scenes were so sweet I almost got a toothache 🥰 I have to say that I actually kept the secrets this time around because I wanted to see everything unfold at movie night which was fine… Until we got to mine and holy shit did FB go all out with what they showed! 🫣

E32: Boys choice recoupling and this is why I lied to Jack… he does not pick me because of that lie - which does kill me inside, but I want Max. Only Max. And again, the only time I will thank Liam for anything - so glad he got cream all over us so we could have another amazing spicy scene 🥵

E33: The scene is much funnier with Sienna if you’re coupled with Max because she really thinks we care if she tells Jack?? Like ok whatever floats your boat honey! 🤣 The heart rate challenge is all good this way too. Sienna can have Jack all she wants and she stays away from Max! But OMG Jack’s superhero outfit is so bad 😂 like how could they do that do him?!

When Jin said his dream was to run in a marathon and wanted MC to join him, I almost died. My friend has been trying to get me run with her for over a year but I would rather go on a date with Liam than run anywhere 🤣 BUT Max wanting to go to a concert in the outdoor amphitheater in the mountains of Colorado?? Count me the fuck in 😅 I googled it and it looks awesome!

[fadingreveries]

Novel-style story for The Royal Romance?

For any Choices fans and The Royal Romance fans out there, would anyone be interested in the idea of a novel-style retelling of TRR?

One that would be told in third person and involve more commentary, comprehensive backstories, and bonus scenes including Riley (MC), Liam, Drake, Hana, and Maxwell? It would also include descriptions of diamond scenes and premium outfits for those who haven't purchased them in the app.

I'm totally dreading finishing the series because it was the first story I ever read on Choices, so I'm trying to cope by writing fan fiction... LOL.

But then I thought, would anyone be interested too?

It would go along the lines of something like this...

“Hey!” A booming voice yelled out, making the two co-workers turn around. “Riley, Daniel, quit slacking off over there!” If there was one thing Riley was ready to embrace, it was the fact that she had finally given her two-week notice to her boss. After six years, she would finally be out of his clutches and no longer have to hear constant nagging from him about every minuscule detail she had made the mistake of carrying out in front of him.  “You told us to take out the garbage,” Riley reminded him, a scowl deepening as she remembered how insufferable her boss was.  “And now I’m telling you to wait on the bachelor party that just rolled in. Chop chop!” The manager barked out, clapping his hands for emphasis before storming back inside the bar. 

Please tell me I'm not the only one who's wanted to read more from the original TRR series...

[wakethedead-group-re-read]

Feel free to discuss whatever you want, not limited to these questions... but keep in mind that some people have not read the whole book yet, so put any future spoilers below a read more/page break.

Be respectful of all! Different opinions aren't only allowed, they're encouraged! But be polite to others.

Remember, if you post any screenshots, etc., be sure to tag @wakethedead-group-re-read so I can reblog here.

You can discuss all week - it's not limited to just today! Any questions, just shoot me an ask!

If you want to be removed from the tag list, or tagged in future posts, please let me know!

You can find all chapter discussion posts here.

Discussion questions:

1.. So... how is your MC going to cope with the big news that their sister is now a zombie queen? Do you think PB did their reaction justice? Why, or why not? 2.. Did you take the diamond scene with the storytelling? If so, your thoughts. 3.. If this is your first playthrough, did you see the end coming? If it is your second playthrough, what were your thoughts (Dirk) when you played the first time.

@dutifullynuttywitch @tessa-liam @annoyingmillenialnewbie

[thisghosts-obsessions-again]

I'm on episode 4 now, and by the amount of diamond scenes locked so far, I'm guessing I never bothered to spend any at all hahaha

I remember choosing Adam in the end, just because I already romanced Liam in Royal Romance so I didn't want to deal with another one, or maybe it was because Royal Baby was on too and I was already drained by how long that dragged itself...

[alj4890]

Anytime, Anywhere

(Liam x MC) in a Choices The Royal Romance drabble

Thirty Kisses in Thirty Days Challenge with the prompt: kissing at a crowded party.

Choices May Monthly Challenge: love | engagement | finally putting self first | lust

Rating G for steamy fluff

A/N Taking inspiration for this prompt from Book 3's diamond scene when the MC can tell Liam he doesn't have to hold back anymore from kissing her whenever he wants to.

@gkittylove99 @kingliam2019 @texaskitten30 @yourmajesty09 @mom2000aggie @twinkleallnight @lodberg  @amandablink @neotericthemis  @mm2305 @sfb123 @tessa-liam @thesvnsins @krsnlove @busywoman @choiceschallenge-may2023 @jerzwriter

Masterlist

She could feel it again.

Riley searched the crowded room for the source of goosebumps going up and down her body. Her dark eyes collided with a pair of hooded blue ones that never failed in making her heart hammer in her chest. That type of heated glance was one she noticed ever since she gave that one little word answer in front of the Statue of Liberty a couple of months earlier.

"Have you given any thoughts to what types of flowers you want for the wedding?" Hana asked, drawing Riley back into the conversation.

She pulled her attention away from Liam's steady gaze and refocused on the group of ladies surrounding her.

"Um, not really. With the unity tour and all, I've been letting Madeleine and Regina make all the wedding plans."

Kiara's eyes widened. "You must trust them a great deal to not even suggest which ones you'd prefer."

"I think for my wedding, I would love to have a bouquet of purple flowers." Penelope added with a dreamy sigh. "I know with my duchy's colors I should have them anyway, but I just adore that color!"

Riley was already tuning them out. Honestly, she could care less about flowers and decorations. All she worried about was finally being united with the man she was hopelessly in love with. They could get married right now in the clothes they were in with no flowers or anything special at all and she'd be thrilled.

She might as well save Regina and Madeleine time and effort to try to get her involved in the wedding planning. Giving them free reign made them happy and saved her from numerous headaches of having to pretend she was interested.

"Would you excuse me for a moment?" She asked the group.

They all smiled at her and continued to discuss how their own dream weddings would look.

Riley began to edge her way through the party guests. She'd last seen Liam stuck in conversation with Godfrey and Hakim near one of the bars. She decided to save him and perhaps find somewhere they could be alone.

She inwardly frowned over that. It was odd that she was with a man who could be so passionate in private yet hold back as if they weren't really together in front of others. Yes, he escorted her everywhere, but she was the one to initiate any type of affection in public. She was the one to kiss him without worry of who was looking.

She didn't doubt for a second that Liam wanted her or else she would be back in New York still searching for Mr. Right. Though, would it kill him to show everyone they knew just how much he did?

It wasn't like she expected some epic, make you melt kiss every time they were near one another. She wouldn't mind some sort of affectionate peck or his arm around her instead of just his hand at the small of her back.

She jumped when she felt his hand in that very spot.

"Enjoying yourself?" He asked with a tender smile.

"Of course." She replied. "Who doesn't love another good party?"

Liam chuckled in response. "We have been forced to attend a lot of these, haven't we?"

"A little." She grinned at him. "I'll be glad when we begin enjoying evenings alone for a change."

"So will I."

Riley felt heat flash over her as his fingers brushed the cutout at the back of her dress. He seemed to linger on her exposed skin.

"Would you like to slip away for a moment?" He whispered

"For?" Riley teased him.

Liam's smirk caught her attention.

"I think you know the purpose of my wanting to steal you away from here."

"Is it to kiss me?"

"Always." He replied.

"I see."

Liam's eyes narrowed somewhat at the sound of disappointment he could detect.

"What's wrong, my love?"

"Nothing." She lowered her eyes from his. "Where should we go?"

Liam grasped her wrist when she began to pull away from him.

"Riley?"

She grimaced then finally said what was on her mind.

"Liam, you never kiss me in front of others."

"Excuse me?"

She had to fight from rushing to reassure him. If they were going to spend the rest of their lives together, then it was only fair that he understood what she needed.

Perhaps it was because the majority of their relationship was so different from every previous one she'd been in. After all, how many people had to compete the first go around to simply be with someone then turn around and be their secret lover before getting engaged? Weird didn't even begin to cover it.

"I can feel your eyes on me wherever we go." Riley explained. "I know what you want and I want it too."

Liam's brow furrowed as he listened without interruption. His hand loosened and fell away from her wrist.

"We're together now. Really together. We don't have to hide our feelings anymore from the world." She huffed in irritation. "We're getting married in a few weeks!"

When he remained silent, she softly groaned.

"What I'm trying to say is that you can kiss me whenever you want, regardless of who's around."

She forced herself to look up at him to see how he was taking this. Maybe it was some kind of royal protocol that she wasn't aware of yet that kept him from showing affection in public. Or, what if he wasn't into PDA?

Madeleine certainly had been the one to initiate the kisses to the cheek when she was engaged to Liam. Riley guessed that was how it was going to be from now on.

She believed she could live with that as long as he was still affectionate in private. She knew she shouldn't wish for something that probably wasn't that big of a deal.

But...

She needed him to show the world she was his choice. She needed them to know she was the only one he wanted over and over again. She wanted everyone to know the type of love they had for one another.

They weren't getting married because of some archaic law so he could meet the requirements to be king. They were doing so because they were in love and couldn't imagine spending another single moment without the other by their side.

Was it too much to ask for a spontaneous kiss every now and then?

"You wouldn't mind my doing so?" Liam asked.

Her eyes flew to his.

"Kissing me?"

He nodded.

She thought he was heartbreakingly adorable in his uncertainty. Didn't he realize how crazy in love she was with him?

"Liam, you can kiss me anytime, anywhere." Riley nervously gripped her hands together. "I would love it if you kissed me whenever you felt like it."

The slow smile forming on his lips drew her attention.

"You are giving me far too much power, my love."

Chills of delight ran down her spine. His seductive tone slipping out right now was enough to make her launch herself into his arms alone. It took every bit of her willpower to see what he would do next.

He raised one hand to her cheek. His thumb brushed along her bottom lip drawing an involuntary gasp from her. His eyes raised briefly to hers before settling once more upon her mouth.

In the blink of an eye, he had his free hand slide around her waist, drawing her flush to his body. Desire burned in the deep blue depths of his eyes over the feel of her being right where he wanted.

Riley thought she would collapse from the anticipation. Her heart pounded in her ears when he slowly lowered his mouth towards hers.

There was no gentle brush of his lips to check to see if she was truly willing to be kissed. Instead, his mouth covered hers in blatant ownership. His tongue parted her lips while his hand wrapped around her hair, keeping her at the perfect angle for his ravishment.

His arm around her waist locked in place, daring her to even think about moving, as he drew a whimper from her.

Her arms hung loosely at her sides until it hit her that this was truly happening. She wrapped them around his waist and surrendered completely. Her last coherent thought was she hoped everyone was seeing this.

Liam's hand tightened around her hair in response. He continued to devour her, finally giving himself what he'd craved from the first moment he ever saw her.

Perhaps a part of him had still been in disbelief that he could truly win her and her love. But now that he knew she wanted him to touch her as much as he did, that she needed it, it set off a part of his soul he wasn't aware existed.

He could care less who saw them. He didn't mind it for a second. His entire life was paraded before the world. He was more than willing to show them his favorite part of existing.

And it had everything to do with the woman returning his kiss with the power to make his skin deliciously burn with desire.

After one last caress of his tongue, Liam lifted his head to see the effect his kiss had over her.

Riley stared at him in wonder. Her lips were still parted as if ready for another kiss. Her breaths were quick little gasps while her cheeks were rosy from the encounter. Her eyes kept returning to his mouth as if in awe of the power it had over her body.

"Now that," she smiled at him, "was a kiss."

Liam laughed, leaning down to tenderly kiss her.

She hummed her approval of such a response to her observation.

"I like that one too." Riley admitted, her smile growing bigger with each brush of his lips.

"How about this one?" He whispered, gently biting down upon her earlobe.

He felt her hands drift down to grip his rear in response.

"I like it." She breathed, her eyes closing as he dotted slow kisses along her jawline. "I love everything you do to me."

"Good." Liam's voice deepened, his lips hovering over hers once more. "Because I don't intend to ever stop."

[grovershire-girl]

I'm not really sure if I should call this a rant or just simply putting my thoughts out there. Mostly, it's just me trying to give some defense to the Royal Romance Mc. I don't really interact with the Choices fandom very often, but whenever I do see stuff, especially towards mc, it's mostly negative. Now, I by no means believe that there are NO issues with the books, but I do feel like mc receives more of the blunt of those frustrations than she really deserves.

First, before I get into this, I will be honest and say that mc is one of my favorite choices characters, so there is some bias. The way I view the story, the characters, and the various events that happen throughout are completely my own. I personally kind of add to the stories as I play through them. I'm definitely going to try to give valid reasoning here, but it's totally understandable if you disagree or dismiss this. I don't want to start any arguments. I personally greatly enjoy her and have played through the entire series multiple times now (I'm currently in book 2 as we speak). The main thing I've noticed throughout these replays, the thing I'm going to be using as my main driving point, is that mc is doing her best in strange situations that do not let up for even more than a moment.

At the very start, mc is just a regular person living in New York, working as a waitress/bartender, and probably isn't living the best of lives, again just trying to work with what she's got. Along comes this guy and his friends. She'll probably just thinking that their her last customers before she can go home and crash into bed, but then the guy comes up to HER and asks her to accompany them for the night. Her reaction is sort just like, "You know what, sure. Why not? I ain't got anything going on." If you do the diamond scene, she arranges an impromptu boat tour for Liam mostly just because she noticed how down he was, and then pretty much just shrugged her shoulders and gave Maxwell a thumbs up when he asked her to go with him to Cordnia.

Right from the start, it's shown that mc is impulsive and tends to just go with the flow and do without thinking too much about it. Now, if you're like me and like to mentally fill in the (many) gaps that the writers have left, you probably came up with your own reasons and background stories that explain why she's like that. Most likely on purpose, as even though mc is her own character, she is still supposed to be a representation of you. Her impulsiveness is simply an outline of who she is, and you, as the reader, color her in.

That's not to say that she can't stand on her own at all, though. One thing I find that I notice in all the books, at least in my perspective, is that mc is incredibly observant and clever. It may not come across that way all the time, and those two things definitely don't always mean smart, as mc has more than enough fumbles to show for it, but by no means is she at all stupid. Even in her sillier moments, she seems to knowingly like messing around, both for her own entertainment and to be petty and get under people's skins. Like with her whole "fwieeeends" bit with Olivia, for example. She is definitely well aware of the fact that it's annoying and seems to take great enjoyment out of it.

But that is to say, in circling back around to my earlier statement, she's just trying to work with what she's got. From the very beginning, when she arrived in Cordnia, she has people looking down on her, namely Drake, Olivia, and Bertrand. I'm not sure if Pixelberry ever gave them official ages, but I'd say she's around 24 or 25, maybe. She also clearly didn't have a whole lot of people close to her in New York. So all and all, she's a young girl brought to a foreign country to compete in a competition to marry a prince, but now also has the entire weight of the Beaumont legacy suddenly thrown on her back, is sorting through complicated feelings that she might be developing for other people, and has been all but shoved front and center into the national (and global) spotlight. Despite all of that craziness, she is STILL able to navigate through it all until the end when forces outside of her control send it all crashing down.

And it it pretty much like that in all the books. Mc is working with a semi steady bombardment of issues (mostly do to an extremely flawed monarchy system) and rarely really has time to actually stop, come to terms with what's going on, properly plan, of even just breath. Regardless of whether she's queen or duchess (especially if she's a duchess), she has way more thrown on her that she actually should. And all she can really do about it is roll with the punches, try to figure things out as much as she can, and make silly little comments and jokes to keep herself from having a breakdown.

[loveislandthegame]

thoughts on today’s volume ! now why the hell are we a girl going to casa and not a casa girl !? we didn’t even get the season 6 treatment of being able to show up first. FB is so nasty for this

moving on, yash, larson, and caleb are all very cute !❤️ everyone’s already pointed out that yash looks like zeph, but how about larson lowkey being the guy version of lisbeth 😭 just imagine him with amber eyes

raunchy races was pay to win, to absolutely no one's surprise. the free option text being something among the lines of "i am not a main character" truly sums up this season 😭 i chose to have the underwater kiss with lisbeth

bare minimum but i love when the islanders actually remember specific things about MC, like her job

dean is… let’s just say liam-esque 😬 i actually don't mind islanders that are not romanceable, not attracted to MC, whatever whatever, but disrespecting her by acting like she doesn’t exist is not it. at least tristan served cunt 💔

up next is tea spilling with lisbeth, one of many "pay to find out what happened" scenes. i have no idea why MC couldn’t have just watched this stuff happen on the TV in the hotel, even if it was still paywalled it would've made more sense. also tristan and sofia being dumped offscreen is some of the most ridiculous bullshit ever, especially if they don’t end up returning (which i'm not sure about honestly, i'm split between either #tristofia coming back, or dean & whoever is stupid enough to bring him to the villa replacing them) why couldn’t MC take them down herself ? why couldn't we witness them melt down ? there's no way FB seriously thought this would be satisfying to players

anyways, the game does acknowledge that both jesse and lisbeth are into MC ! but the way it's worded would make more sense if MC hasn't been pursuing him at all, like idk why my girl is so confused. i literally picked the "reveal that you've always fancied him" option before leaving the villa 😭

party time ! i chose to dance with lisbeth, and then there's a diamond scene with dean spilling the tea in the most obnoxious way possible. moving swiftly on

then there’s some more grafting on the guys, i really enjoyed the scenes. afterwards we reach the point where we’re forced to pick a casa guy. i like all of them but they're just gonna be a placeholder for me. i used a number generator and got a 1, so caleb it is !

we have a compatibility challenge, and obviously MC and caleb won ! the drink was cute lol

but where is the option to throw hands with dean ! i can deal with him treating MC like trash, but lisbeth ?! 👹👹👹 he is legit a liam clone, down to the weird "tormenting our female LI" thing

(and isadora & nyah being like “he’s just joking teehee 😍” is so gross)

i chose to sleep with lisbeth ! i only snuggled her because FB’s lazy asses keep reusing whatever MC does at bedtime in casa for her movie night clip. i may be romancing everyone in sight, but i'm evading the consequences of my actions classy about it 😏

…as an OG islander ??😭 we were a bombshell, the AI is AI-ing. anyways, i wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up exactly like “umagate,” where we meet the casa girl that wants our partner. it would be nice to see jesse though 🤞🏽

overall, we're at the point of the story where everything starts taking a complete nosedive. call it the casa curse, i guess. and to make matters worse, a bunch of the worst plotlines from previous seasons have been reused, this is certainly the season of all time 😃 but for real, the only upside to this volume is that we could spend a lot of time with lisbeth ❤️ (and for me that's pretty much the only positive thing about us not being a casa girl) also, caleb's such a sweetheart, he deserves the world ❤️

[absolutely-not-my-main-blog]

Aye I actually got to watch the episode tonight

Random 16x07 Notes I took while watching before scrolling my dash:

-Mac playing pool just like he plays hockey and bowls I see <3 something something putting too much power/pressure on things/being too forceful when you gotta guide the hockey puck like a little bowl of cream, or throw the bowling ball with gentle precision and finesse... something something previous years him putting too much pressure/force on Dennis but now...

-On a less conspiracy take note, I rewatched Mac’s Big Break recently and I find it fun how Charlie is just like better and knows more about sports and stuff like that and tells Mac what he has to do to play better. Also plays into this season’s theme of Charlie recurringly being the straight man, able to point out and notice things others don’t, but still being a bit of a helpless observer for the most part.

-Great Sharp title cut today, I should make a list of all the best ones/ones with best timing, I know one of the most iconic will always be Frank Sets Sweet Dee on Fire.

-The cackles and Charlie trying to mirror them <3 love that

-The horror sound effects when the McPoyles turn around and in the next few scenes are on point.

-Following that “Too many ideas, just stick with one” theme again just like in Celebrity Booze... interesting, very interesting. And what’s the main uniting idea that they want to stick it out with huh 👀 (or is it about the blend of ideas, the chili the cheese the fries.)

-Mac touches Den’s arm so much in this ep, they’re both very touchy, it’s nice to see them comfortable with that again.

-First time I’ve been able to watch the rip with commercials, Danny Devito Jersey Mike’s jump scare, how can I connect this to sunny he’s hiding behind the painting with the eyes cut out just like Dennis was in s15 and—*Jersey Mike himself drags me away*

-Dennis saying “it’s too sexually charged” while side eyeing Mac right next to him in frame like that, I don’t even need to comment

-Let’s go, Frank, slow and steady wins the race... slow like the structure, like 16 years wait.

-Artemis saying “hoor” like Frank does, okay, work it.

-Really interesting to me Charlie gets a strike without even needing to focus, something I wanted to say there but I don’t remember. We saw everyone else with their initial strategy and then psychologically affected to fail though and I wish we got to see Dennis in that context as well?

-Mac’s finesse ramble 🤝 Anya in Buffy “I have finesse coming out of my bottom!”

-“Just play the game and we’re gonna win, don’t spin, don’t do it.” This line I like because it feels very much in line with I’ve always been Dennis and you’re you you’ve always been you, and big mo again and just play the game and we’re gonna win, don’t spin, don’t do it, just be yourself, just be, just play.

-I can’t believe they cut off my man on his scream, the injustice! Anyway, gonna need more angst and pain from him, stat.

-Lick

-omg the McPoyle bowling scene was so much better than I expected, that was so funny. Also, Liam wants Dennis so bad.

-They should have trash twin telepathy stuff in this show more, let’s goo, they’re in each other’s heads, they’ve never been apart almost their whole life, we need Dee to figure out how to mess with Dennis’ head next.

-The cgi pin faces will haunt me, they also crashed my computer multiple times like the ep simply would not play beyond that scene.

———

Bonus: DTAMHD trailer thoughts

-Dennis having a new car when the old one is so inherently tied to his identity/the past, iCarly interesting.jpeg, trying to reconcile the new with the old and him not having control of it, a theme of control this season, who is in control? Charlie or Frank in the world of business? Dennis as Johnny? Aaron or Bryan... is it all an act? Is Mac...?

-Putting things under pressure so they become diamonds subplot to putting Dennis under pressure, I see you, I see you.

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Find the word tag

Thanks @oh-no-another-idea for the tag!

My words: change, grace, escape, mine

Your words: sweet, smart, alone, away

Tagging @thepeculiarbird @awritingcaitlin @theeccentricraven @loopyhoopywrites @badluck990 @mysticstarlightduck @stesierra @sparrow-orion-writes @aziz-reads @ashen-crest @amandacanwrite or anyone else

Keep reading for:

Short snip of meeting Liam

Ash just used those telepathic probes she's not supposed to be using!!!!!

Slightly longer scene with Maddie and Kelsey featuring angst!! And me attempting sci-fi bs

Part of a grilled cheese debate scene that admittedly goes on for a very long time and I'll probably have to cut it down but it's so funny I'll be sad...

Change - from The Secret Portal Part One (Gwen POV)

“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself,” said Liam before I could ask what wamps were, though I assumed that red currency. “I’m Liam Beaumont.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said, then paused. “Wait, I was told you were the first recruited. How old are you?”

“You were told about me?”

“I gave a quick list of everyone,” Gabriel explained.

“Oh. Well, I’m eighteen.” My mouth dropped unintentionally. Liam sighed, playing with the zipper on his light brown jacket but seeming to find it humorous. “I know, I look eleven. But, like, I’m five-seven and people still think that. It’s not like I’m super short like Tyler.”

Tyler gave Liam a rude gesture.

“So…” I said, looking for a subject change, “your power is turning into diamonds?”

“Sort of,” said Liam. “It’s shape-shifting. Level-3, which is turning into different materials.” He held out his hand. His skin morphed from flesh to wood, a sleek metal, stone, then back to flesh.

I gasped in awe. “That’s amazing.”

Grace - from The Secret Portal Part One (Ash POV)

I sat there for about twenty minutes, breathing slowly as I felt myself return to reality. I wiped sweat off my forehead. My heart slowed. Once I felt like I could stand, I did. It was easy to navigate despite the dark—everything seemed brighter. My head still spun. I entered the kitchen, rummaging through the cabinet, and pulled out a glass. I filled it with water from the fridge, guzzling it down. I almost spit it out. As soon as the water graced my lips, a sudden flash of blue light swirled before me. Shaking it off as an effect of the probes, I refilled the glass to the brim. The blue lights happened again. During the third refill, my eyes rested on the time, a small light on the fridge. It was six am. There was no way I used the probes before even two. And there was no way that vision took more than five minutes. “Shit!” I hissed as my shock caused the water to spill over the glass. I guzzled the water again before grabbing a towel to clean up my mess. Once I did, I stood back up, tossed the towel on the counter, and looked at the clock again. I sighed. I wasn't sure what I was going to do in the remaining time that I had before everyone else awoke. I went back into the living room and sat on the couch. I lay back down, crawling under the covers, and tried closing my eyes again.

Escape - from The Secret Portal Part Two (Maddie POV)

Kelsey ran her hands through her hair. “I dunno, Maddie. It’s just that my powers? I don’t— I don’t understand them; no one does! And I—” She pressed her hands in her lap. “Ever since my… explosion, at the other base… I’ve been struggling.” She wrung her hands together anxiously. “And… my family? We’re living with my cousins, right?” “Yeah,” I said, leaning forward, hugging the post of my bed. My tongue ran over my braces as I listened. Kelsey exhaled. “It doesn’t make sense that no one in my family knows what Alii are. I… I guess it could’ve been earlier down the line. And my cousins, they… they viewed me like I was cool for a bit but then I showed them my powers. Accidentally. It was during a family argument, you know how those things go.” “Yeah,” I said. “And… I broke a lot of glass.” “Whaddaya mean by ‘a lot’?” I asked. “Just the glasses we were drinking out of during dinner,” Kelsey said, her eyes becoming fixated on her hands. “Deanna got some glass stuck in her hand.” “Oh,” I whispered. “She’s okay, now,” Kelsey said. “But that didn’t matter.” “Did that weird oxygen thing happen?” I asked. Kelsey shook her head. “I think that only happened because I thought I was in danger.” “Did they figure out why you did the oxygen thing?” Kelsey exhaled. “It has something to do with spontaneous combustion, I think.” She squeezed her eyes shut, pressing her hands to her head. “I dunno, something about, uh, raising the temperature of an object to its ignition temperature, I think?” “Ignition temperature?” I asked, leaning forward out of curiousity. “Yeah, when something catches fire without a source,” Kelsey explained. “The heat builds, and it can’t escape. There’s a steady flow of oxygen, then boom!” “So… you can also create a steady flow of oxygen?” I asked. “Yes. No-no— I-I dunno, Maddie, I can barely understand my powers as is with the science-babble the doctors are rattling off.” I looked down at my bare feet. “I’m sorry.” Kelsey shrugged. “It’s fine, I’ll… figure it out on my own.” I pushed myself off the bed and crossed the room toward her. “You don’t have to,” I said. Kelsey looked up at me. “Thanks.” Kelsey leaned forward in the chair, buried her head in my chest, taking off her glasses as she did. I hesitated before hugging her back. After a moment, she pulled away. “Thanks,” she said, about to put her glasses on. “Those are filthy,” I informed. Kelsey scoffed and reached under her hoodie to pull out a section of her shirt underneath, beginning to clean the lenses. “Fine, Mom,” she said in jest.

Mine - from The Secret Portal Part One (Ash POV)

“Ash! Come here right now it’s urgent!” “What is it?” I asked, crossing the room. “What’s the proper way to eat a grilled cheese sandwich?” Robbie asked intensely. I stopped in front of the couch. Everyone eagerly leaned forward in anticipation. “Um, American cheese, tomatoes, cut diagonally.” “Boom!” said Robbie. “I was right.” “Just because Ash agrees with you doesn’t make either of you right,” said Akash. “Besides, you clearly cut horizontally.” “You’re insane,” said Robbie. “Horizontally-cut bread is a valid way to cut bread,” said Gwen, pressing her palms together. “It doesn’t taste right though!” Robbie protested. “How does it taste different?” Akash protested back. “Texture,” said Maddie. “It does taste different,” Lexi confirmed. Robbie gestured at the sisters. “See? They get me.” “I’m all for texture,” Sam said, standing and walking to a more open space. “Which is why I put no tomatoes in mine.” “Tomatoes give it texture,” I pointed out. “But I don’t like the texture,” Sam said, making a face.