#the royal romance a/u

[silviakundera]

really enjoying your posts about the royal princess and also boarding the li rong defense train...i really don't get why people are so upset about when her continued character development and feelings are so clear even as she struggles with them

aw thank you for actually liking all my deranged rambling! 😘😘

I think some viewers simply aren't ever going to be comfortable with the complexity of the interrelationships in this story. The love and fear and blood between Li Rong and her relatives. Li Rong's inability to purely hate SRQ and eliminate all emotions about him.

Now, the actor for SRQ is not the best so I 100% understand when people find him dull and an annoyance because the performance is poor. 👌 What I'm referencing here is that a segment of viewers are automatically uncomfortable with a FL who has a past ties to another man and would prefer explicit black & white lines to be drawn, no grey areas in human relationships between people who have known each other for decades. These things make her faithless and heartless!

I myself obviously enjoy the unusual dynamic between her, PWX, and SRQ - who have a strange bond of being the only persons who lived a certain dark future and learned very different lessons from it; who all 3 want this life to be a better one than the first attempt. The fact that, if the Pei Wenxuan&Li Rong couple and Su Rongqing could achieve their goals AND leave the other party well & alive -- they'd do it. That makes the story more interesting to me, because their conflict is less predictable. (Every escalating move is like... Yes, they might go that far. But will they? Can they, will they pull back?) (Why did you give up the Xie minister of justice? He tried to kill you, you think I'd let that stand?)

We get the three of them having the weirdest possible moments. Like, what do u and your husband say to your ex-paramour who is culpable in both your murders (which u are being very mature & reasonable about!) when you're all like 19 again and have to make small talk in banquets and carriage trips? 🤔 Especially when you are only 70% sure it's him.

PWX making a passive aggressive dig about if SRQ would kill his beloved for the sake of his family, and SRQ refusing to play, too intensely saying this is not something to make fun of... while the beloved in question measures him carefully with her eyes. (is this an apology? no. an explanation? no. but is she and her tragic end a joke to him? also no.)

I'm glad that episode 21 included the flashback from the novel of LR first encountering the Su family, to keep beating the allegations that her faith in them is out of romantic naivety and biased by feelings for Su Rongqing. The novel actually circles back around to this very conversation in a later confrontation between her & SRQ, to show how her perspective has become open to new ideas over the years while he's lost the ability to question himself. (He narratively operates as her foil, more than a love rival.) Prayer circle we get all the big LR vs SRQ showdowns in the drama. I love when the girls are fighting. 💅💁

IMO it's a much richer 3 dimensional story, that Li Rong is self-examining and changing because of what she's experienced. And she's allowed to have very complicated feelings about the people in her life, then & now.

[choicesficwriterscreations]

CFWC F/AotW - Mar 31 - Apr 6, 2024

✒️ = Fanfic | 📱= Text Fics/Edits | 🎨 = Fanart Ⓜ️ = Mature Content 18+ | 🔥 = Explicit/NSFW 18+ 🏳️‍🌈 = LGBTQIA

BLADES OF LIGHT & SHADOW

Darling, Dearest, Dead ✒️ | Tyril Starfury x F!human!MC - @thosehallowedhalls

It's Your Lucky Day, Traitor 🎨🏳️‍🌈| Aerin Valleros - @oh-so-youre-a-nerd

Safe 🎨| Mal Volari x F!human!MC by @wisejazz (C: @storyofmychoices)

Tyril Starfury Fanart 🎨 by @megas-choices

Unreleased and Incomplete ✒️| Tyril Starfury x F!MC - @a-cloud-for-dreams

BLOODBOUND

Be An Amazing Mother 2 ✒️| Adrian Raines x F!MC - @stanathanxoox

The Bigfoot Roadtrip ✒️| Gaius Augustine, Lily Spencer - @thosehallowedhalls

Lily Spencer Fanart 🎨by @artbyalz

CRIMES OF PASSION

Booped! ✒️🏳️‍🌈| m!Trystan Thorne x F!MC - @jerzwriter

Sitting at a Park Bench ✒️| Trystan Thorne x F!MC - @inlocusmads

A Special Gift ✒️| m!Trystan Thorne x F!MC - @thosehallowedhalls for @moominofthevalley

Trial by Dinner ✒️| Sebastyan Thorne x F!MC - @thosehallowedhalls

The Shirt 🎨by @oh-so-youre-a-nerd (C: @thosehallowedhalls

THE CROWN & THE FLAME

TCATF F!OC Fanart 🎨by @lupinobi

Zenobia Nevrakis Fanart 🎨 by @lupinobi

Prince Baltair Nevrakis Fanart 🎨by @lupinobi

THE FRESHMAN SERIES

The Freshman Series MC 🎨by @/mxcameronrose (C: @choiceswithmika)

THE HEIST MONACO

TH:M MC Fanart 🎨by @oh-so-youre-a-nerd

HIGH SCHOOL STORY

The Voice of an Angel ✒️🏳️‍🌈 | Aiden Zhou x F!MC - @cadybear420

HOLLYWOOD U

Hollywood U Art 🎨| Multiple Characters - @hsslilly-blog

IMMORTAL DESIRES

Immortal Desires Fanart 🎨🏳️‍🌈 | Cas Harlow x MC x Gabe Adalhard by @urdilfred

Immortal Desires MC Fanart 🎨by @aria-ashryver

My Girl and Her Guys 🎨| Cas Harlow x MC x Gabe Adalhard by @sizzleissues C: @senatorraines

Snow in Crimson, Starlight in Gold (Series) ✒️🏳️‍🌈Ⓜ️| m!cas harlow x m!gabe adalhard x nb!mc - @aria-ashryver Chapters 39 - Sometimes, we just want a little moment to rest, recover, and enjoy the company of our loved ones 🔥Ⓜ️ and Chapter 40 - ...before reality comes crashing back down 🔥Ⓜ️

IT LIVES

The Egg: An Easter Special ✒️| Stacy Green x M!MC - @korgbelmont

ILW Angst Fic ✒️| ILW MC - @abelflints

MULTIPLE STORIES / CROSSOVERS

Crimes of Passion / The Royal Romance / Rules of Engagement

Three Princes Walk Into a Bar ✒️| Trystan Thorne, Liam Rys, Leo Rys - @thosehallowedhalls

NIGHTBOUND

One Special Day ✒️| Nik Ryder x F!MC - @ladylamrian

OPEN HEART

Complete Open Heart F/AotW List Week of March 31st

[lavful]

Bro baby Bentho makes me wanna *squeezes him and shakes him violently* He’s so cuteee

[gaiuskamilah]

30 sec timelapse of this piece

🎵 house of woodcock - jonny greenwood

[choicesmonthlychallenge]

Choices August Challenge 2023

This month's challenge will be a little different. The previous host had to back out so I am taking over... however, I was already planning on hosting 2 celebration weeks in August, which with the 2 book clubs would leave me with 5 events, and that's too much, even for me. So we're making August a combination month!

PlayChoice Game's 7th birthday is August 17th, so instead of having a birthday week, I'm including prompts for this event below and it'll run through the entire month of August.

There will also be prompts for Hollywood U + High School Story, as it's been one year since PB pulled those games. Without their success, we might not have gotten Choices.

Also, I've rescheduled sibling appreciation week a few times, so let's just add that in.

I also have some August holidays and summer prompts.

And lastly, similar to @choicesprompts, if you have a WIP from a previous challenge or event from this year that you really want to finish, feel free to submit it here too (regardless of the prompt). Let's clean out some WIPs.

Any of the prompts below can be used with any story/characters. They do not have to be used in the context of the "theme" they're posted under.

Happy Birthday, Choices!

In addition to the prompts below, posts celebrating Choices and your favorites (MCs, LIs, Friend Groups, Books, etc), will be accepted regardless of if a specific prompt is used

baking a cake

blowing out candles / making a wish

the perfect gift

surprising them with their favorite flowers

surprise party

spa break

"I'm sorry did you just call my/your birthday my 'womb escape'??"

“Are you crying? Please don’t cry, I didn’t think the gift was that bad-"

"I never liked celebrating my birthday."

"I don’t think fighting for my life is an acceptable way to celebrate my birthday"

"I’d rather eat you than cake."

"Put down the frosting!"

Hollywood U + High School Story Appreciation

Just like last year's event, any and all HWU and HSS content will be accepted regardless of if a specific prompt is used

movie premiere / red carpet

behind the scenes

coffee (all the coffee)

library dates/sneaking around in the stacks

falling asleep watching a movie

classes at HWU related to your MC's field of study

"Does a ninety minute movie really warrant this amount of snacks?"

"Your taste in movies is so bad"

"I love you but I'm not watching _____ again" -----

prom

graduation

High School Reunion / Where are they now?

school clubs

skipping class together

putting secret notes into the other's locker

being paired up for a project/presentation

"I accidentally grabbed your notebook" (What do they find, doodles, writings, poems, songs, little hearts with their initials?)

"It's finals week and you forgot we have a history exam?"

Sibling Appreciation

Any and all content that is focused on siblings in the fandom will be accepted regardless of if it fits a specific prompt

teaching their sibling about/how to do something

teasing each other

being overly protective of sibling

"Could you just stop talking for once?!"

"Don't blame it on me!"

"Thanks for being there"

"Can you pick me up?"

Siblings would help you bury a body, but they wouldn’t bring out the trash for you, no matter how nice you ask.

August Days

any August holiday

August 4: International Beer Day ; National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day

August 5: Sandcastle Day

August 6: National Friendship Day

August 9: Hold Hands Day

August 10: National S’mores Day

August 12-20: National Heritage Week

August 18: National Couple's Day

August 26: National Dog Day

August 27: National Just Because Day

August 30: National Beach Day

Summer Prompts:

popsicles

sidewalk chalk

camping

fairs/festival

fruit picking

stargazing

iced coffee

sunglasses

Making summer playlists for each other

“it’s absolutely sweltering, how can you still want to cuddle?!”

“do we have any ice cream left?”

"Summer's almost over…"

“I couldn’t help myself… All the ice-cream flavours looked so good!”

Remember, you can also submit any WIP you have that are based on previous prompts from any 2023 event.

2023 Monthly Challenge Prompt Lists:

January ❤️ February ❤️ March ❤️ April ❤️ May ❤️ June ❤️ July

Guidelines + Rules

Submitted works will be featured on a weekly masterlist

Every form of creative work can be submitted: fanfiction, drabbles, moodboards, edits, drawings, poems, songs, sketches, and more—all are welcomed.

Work from any book and story from the Choices (and Pixelberry) universe are welcome (new and old alike)!

You can participate as many times as you want during the month

Clearly list the prompt your used

You can combine submissions for this event and others

Please add a cut to avoid long posts and exposing other fans to triggering/disturbing content.

If your work is NS*W please label it as such and use appropriate warnings. Adult content should be hidden under the page break.

You can get creative with the prompts. It can be a variation of the word and/or concept. It doesn’t have to be exact or literal. If the word inspires a train of thought that led you to something different, put that in the notes and send it in! Have fun with it! Make them work for you! The ultimate goal is just to find joy in creating!

Please tag @choicesmonthlychallenge​​ and if you’d like to add me you can do so as well~ @lovealexhunt​​​ (feel free to DM me your work too since Tumblr tags are fickle)

[tigirl-and-co]

The Heart Lies Behind the Ribs

Hiiiiii everybody it is Yamgeta week, as decided by @dballzposting! I had considered this ship maybe once back in like 2014 and then never thought about it again. But god knows I'm such a sucker for this type of stuff, so I wrote a fic! Yippie!

This is assuming a pre-established relationship! I don't know how to write build-up, so you get a fic set in the stages of a relationship after they've already moved in together and have been together for quite some time.

Proofread, but still technically a first draft. Apologies for the clunkiness, but I wrote it in a fever pitch after being beset by the idea literally before I got out of bed.

Please enjoy!

The Heart Lies Behind the Ribs

"Get up."

Yamcha had been relaxing on his couch, watching Dirty Jobs and scratching Puar around the base of his neck while he napped on the man's lap. He craned his neck to look behind him at Vegeta, the man who issued the command.

Gently moving Puar off his lap, Yamcha stood up and stretched. At least four vertebrae popped. As he looked over at Vegeta, he realized the shorter man had his armor on. Historically? Not a great sign...

"What's up, man?" Yamcha had learned that it was better not to try to lead Vegeta in a conversation; he'd say what he wanted to say with or without his prompting. And to be honest, he didn't want to bring up the armor, just in case. Being able to play at naïvety hadn't worked yet, but it was bound to someday!

Vegeta fixed him in an icy glare, which stopped affecting Yamcha after he realized that's just how the man's face looked normally. "Go put your gi on and meet me outside."

"Wh-Huh?" Yamcha wasn't stupid. Yamcha knew that all this meant Vegeta wanted to spar. Yamcha didn't want to have his entire ass caved in by his superpowered boyfriend.

Or, at least, not on the battlefield.

He rubbed the back of his head in the way he knew Vegeta found cute. Maybe if he was cute enough he could avoid his fate. "Vegeta, I really don't think you'll get much out of training with me! You're like wayyyyy above me, y'know?"

Vegeta narrowed his eyes and wrinkled his nose in a face that once terrified Yamcha, but that he now found pretty cute. It meant Vegeta was trying really hard not to show what he was feeling.

"Tch. Idiot. Flattery will get you nowhere." He crossed his arms. "Besides, this is for your benefit. I'm sick and tired of you being unable to defend yourself!"

Instinctively, Yamcha put his arms out in a defensive/placating gesture. "I mean, I'm still stronger than most of what hangs around on earth... Unless more aliens show up I'm safe, and if more do show up, it's not like I'll be useful."

Vegeta immediately scowled, hard, looking almost as fearsome as the first day they met and startling Yamcha. "That's exactly the kind of attitude that got you killed by a damn saibaman! I refuse to suffer a mate so weak any longer! Go get your gi on, and meet me outside."

Vegeta stormed out the front door, and Yamcha could sense him standing a ways away from the house.

Suddenly, a small voice piped up from behind Yamcha. "I'm glad he's not evil anymore, but Vegeta can still be really scary when he's mad!" Puar had apparently woken up from all the racket and stuck his head just above the back of the couch. Cute.

Yamcha let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. "Yeah... But it's kind of nice, I guess. To have somebody actually worried about me like that." He let out a little signature 'Heh.'

Puar gave him a look that managed to mix both fondness and exasperation. "Hey, what about me? I care about you, Yamcha!" He smiled wider. "Anyway, you should probably go do what he says, he seemed really serious this time!"

Yamcha smiled back. "Yeah, you're right. Besides, I could use the exercise! A little training never hurt anyone."

"With Vegeta?"

"Hm. Yeah, true."

And with that, Yamcha shrugged and headed to his room to change. His gi was folded neatly into a drawer, at Vegeta's insistence. He hated mess, Yamcha had found out. He felt it was important to know where everything is, in case of emergency.

~~~

Yamcha stepped outside, tightening his belt. Vegeta was waiting back near the tree line, arms folded and as neutral an expression as the man ever gave.

"Hmph. Good of you to finally try training for once, Animal." It was a nickname Yamcha didn't care for at first, but over time he realized Vegeta meant it in a half demeaning, half complimentary sort of way. The same way he gave every compliment.

Sure it originally started as just another way to call him a lower lifeform and mock him for the wolf theming, but over time it morphed into a somewhat endearing term. Yamcha had heard Goten call people who were doing really well 'beasts' on occasion, and he figured it was probably the same sort of concept. Wild and cool. Untameable.

"I thought you might just crawl back into your den and wait out the storm," he egged on further.

Yamcha smiled back at his partner. "And lose out on one-on-one time with His Royal Highness? Wouldn't miss it for the world."

This drew a snort and a smug grin from the alien. The promise of training always brightened his mood, and his outburst from earlier was already fading away. "Always with the flattery..." Vegeta moved his feet into proper fighting position, striking a pose that showed him for the ambush predator he was. "It's not going to make me go any easier on you, you know!"

Yamcha braced himself, both physically for Vegeta's first attack and mentally for the hours of this ass beating he was going to have to endure. "Ha! Bring it on, you pampered prince!"

Oh, the things he does for love.

Surprisingly, the first two hours went pretty well! Vegeta allowed Yamcha to get a few good hits in, never dishing out more than Yamcha could handle. There was plenty of stopping so that Vegeta could demonstrate something, and then Yamcha could try it out.

Then it happened.

A kick delivered at just the wrong angle and at just the wrong place and with just the wrong amount of force snapped Yamcha's lower left rib.

He went down.

Vegeta knew what happened, he could pick up on the horrible sound of cracking bone as easily and perfectly as a pianist could pick out middle G.

It was what he was raised into.

The panic set in almost immediately. Vegeta had no idea what humans could survive. Saiyans could recover from almost anything that didn't directly stop their heart or lungs, but he knew humans weren't so resilient.

After he recovered from the shock he was at Yamcha's side almost instantaneously. Vegeta knelt down next to Yamcha, who was curled up in a twitching ball in the dirt.

He gently placed one hand on Yamcha's shoulder, and tried to get his other into the spasming ball of flesh, just below the ribcage.

"Yamcha, listen to me." Vegeta kept his voice calm, but there was no disguising his worry. "You need to uncurl. If your muscles spasm around the broken bone, it's harder to repair."

He heard that bit while he was in a healing tank when he was eight.

Slowly, ever so goddamn slowly, Yamcha allowed himself to be straightened out and laid flat on his back. Vegeta wasn't sure where to go from here.

Vegeta, still kneeling, desperately wracked his brain for anything he could remember about treatments on earth. Every now and again someone would come out to treat a player during one of Yamcha's matches, but it was the off-season. No one would be at the stadium.

Bit by bit, Yamcha calmed down as the pain subsided. He saw Vegeta at his side, face frozen in panic. It was a face he didn't wear often, and Yamcha was glad for that. He reached out his hand and gently grabbed Vegeta's wrist.

"Hey."

Vegeta snapped back to reality and looked down to see Yamcha smiling softly. "It's okay. I'm not gonna die." He released his grip and then patted Vegeta's hand. "It wasn't even one of the important ribs anyway."

Vegeta stared humourlessly and allowed himself to sit.

"How do I fix this?" he asked, both of them knowing he meant not only 'How do I help you?' but also 'I'm sorry.'

Yamcha wanted to let out a small chuckle of reassurance, but figured a broken rib would make that a bad call.

"You wouldn't happen to have a senzu bean on you, would ya?" He knew, of course that neither of them did. He also knew that Vegeta probably didn't know where the hospital was.

Immediately Vegeta stood up straight. "I can't believe I almost forgot about the damned beans!" He looked down at the man still lying in the dirt, eyebrows now knitted together. "I'll be right back."

"WAIT!"

Yamcha sucked in a sharp breath; yelling like that was not a good idea. "H-Hold on, man! You can't just go zipping up to Korin's Tower and demand some beans!"

Vegeta looked down at him, unimpressed. "And why not?"

Smiling up at his boyfriend and accidental assailant, Yamcha answered "Because you have to climb it first, or Korin won't give you any." He patronizingly flumped his hand onto the other man's shoe before continuing.

"Plus, you have to be polite about it, and I know you're not up for that!"

Vegeta scowled, but it seemed almost good-natured as far as Vegeta scowls went. Maybe it was relief that Yamcha was feeling well enough to tease him, maybe it was just the thought of a challenge making its way to his brain, but either way he seemed much more relaxed.

"I am perfectly capable of being polite."

The snicker that left Yamcha's lips hurt just a bit, and after he winced he cocked an eyebrow. "Even if Yajirobe is there?"

Vegeta sat back down, arms crossed, and refused to answer.

He looked at his mate, and let out a fond sigh. "We're going to have to do something about your rib."

"Yeah, yeah, in a bit. It's a really nice day out, though. Look at how blue the sky is!"

It was a simple ploy, one that wasn't even meant to fool Vegeta, more a sort of way to ask him to lay down. It worked, of course. Always did.

And so, the prince of all two Saiyans lowered himself to the dirt and laid beside his damaged goods. He rested his hand on top of Yamcha's and looked up at the sky.

"Hmph. I suppose it is an intriguing shade..."

[choicespride]

Pride Month Celebration Event!!!

Hello, it is time to announce this year's Pride Month Celebration Event! Happy pride everyone!

Prompts:

Rules:

The event will run from June 1-June 30 (accepting late submissions through July 3)

Any type of fanwork is allowed (i.e., fanfiction, fanart, edits, etc.)

Prompts are merely a suggestion, any pride related works are allowed to be submitted

All works must be clearly labeled with the Choices story, ship (romantic or platonic; only if applicable; ex. m/f!LI x m/f/nb!MC /OC), MC's first and last name, and work title

NSFW work will be accepted, but it must be tagged #NSFW, not some variation

Tag this account, and if I don't reblog within 48 hours, please DM me the submission as Tumblr tags can be unreliable

Plain text prompts below the cut.

Queer Culture/Trends

Cottagecore

Iced coffee

Witchcraft

Tattoos

Musical theatre

Drag

Relationships

Queer platonic relationship

Marriage

Familial

Found family

Platonic

Sexual

Alternate Universes

Royalty

Supernatural/fantasy

Coffee shop

Superheros

Soulmates

Assassins

Images

[lem0nademouth]

seeing a lot of fics exploring a plot line that was totally cut from the movie and thinking about how disappointing that is.

in the book, henry mentions in one of his emails that the first time he had sex was when he was seventeen years old with one of phillip’s friends from uni.

phillip is six years older than henry.

a man six to seven years older than henry took advantage of him. henry was young, closeted, lonely, had recently lost his father, and was likely desperate just to have someone spare him a bit of attention. i don’t care what the legal age of consent is; that is assault. that is manipulation. there was no room in that dynamic for valid consent.

and all of these fics are exploring that so well, being so meticulous and thoughtful, imagining how henry has been affected by this experience and how it’s affecting his relationship with alex. and they’re so important because we so rarely see survivors of sexual trauma portrayed having healthy, loving relationships and fulfilling sex lives after experiencing sexual violence. we don’t really see portrayals of male survivors at all.

and while i somewhat understand why they did it, i’m really disappointed the movie took that out. they had the opportunity to start a very important conversation. they just didn’t take it.

[choicescommunityevents]

Best Friend Masterlist

[Prompts / Event Info]

⭐︎ Open Heart ⭐︎

Not my Bestie! by @liaromancewriter

Reunions by @liaromancewriter

⭐︎ The Royal Romance ⭐︎

Too Little, (But Perhaps Not) Too Late by @lizzybeth1986

⭐️ Veil of Secrets ⭐️

Study Habits by @storyofmychoices

⭐️ Crossover: Hollywood U x Open Heart ⭐️

Love & Scotch: dx: friendship & new beginnings by @storyofmychoices

[youraveragegoat]

part of a comment on a review of Red, White and Royal Blue:

I literally feel like im going insane

Edit: added alt text

[alj4890]

In Times of Comfort

(Thomas Hunt x OC) in a Choices Red Carpet Diaries/The Royal Romance Crossover drabble.

Thirty Kisses in Thirty Days Challenge with the prompt: a kiss to the forehead, meant to soothe.

A/N Thomas Hunt x Amanda after Maxwell's death in *While We're Young AU*) as requested by @twinkleallnight This is shortly after Amanda and her daughters move to California in an attempt to get away from reminders of Maxwell and his death.

Rating G for angsty fluff

Trigger Warnings: mentions of character death and grieving

@hopelessromantic1352 @trappedinfanfiction ​​@flyawayboo ​​ ​​  @sophxwithers @twinkleallnight @tessa-liam @choicesficwriterscreations

Masterlist

"I don't know." Emily Beaumont mumbled. "It doesn't feel right to go to a party."

Amanda sat quietly as her daughters debated on whether or not to go out for the evening.

Her older daughter, Nicky, had become Addison Sinclaire's assistant. Working with the famed costume designer allowed her to meet and mingle with many of the actors who graced the theater screens.

Since Hollywood was a town where one needed to be seen, there were numerous parties nearly every night. It made sense that the invitations were beginning to roll in for Cordonia's beloved Beaumont sisters. They were young, beautiful, fun, and incredibly sweet.

Their party loving nature came from their late father. Amanda knew how much fun they used to have in going out before his death. She hated that they felt like they had to remain away from everyone and grieve. She knew Maxwell wouldn't have wanted that for them.

"I think you should go." Amanda told them, picking at the food on her plate.

"But--" Emily was about to argue.

"We've been here for two months." Her mother pointed out. "We finally finished unpacking and I think you girls should celebrate that accomplishment."

Nicky reached over and placed her hand on hers.

"What about you, Mom? Would you like to come with us?"

Amanda shook her head, keeping her eyes lowered. "No, I think I'll stay in."

The girls shared a glance.

That's all their mother did. She rarely left the home they'd settled in. She refused invitations to meet friends for lunch or dinner. She only went out if they needed something from the grocery store or if Thomas asked for her help at the studio.

They knew that she was still in complete anguish over losing their father. Her once bright, sunny personality was shuttered away. She'd still smile at them and try and be her old self, but they knew it was an act.

Nicky and Emily could hear her muffled sobs late at night. Amanda would usually go to bed early, claiming she was exhausted, and lock herself away with the memories of her beloved husband.

The girls were still grieving, but nothing like how their mother was.

"Okay." Nicky got up to clear her and her sister's plate away. "We'll leave in an hour Em."

Emily pushed back from the table. She didn't want to leave her mother alone but she knew if she put up an argument, she'd end up upsetting both her and Nicky.

She knew her sister needed a break from the sadness. They all did. But Emily's heart hurt more for their mom than for her own loss. She couldn't imagine losing someone who was not only a best friend but also one's true love.

She paused on her way to go upstairs and swooped down, engulfing her mother in a hug from behind.

Amanda blinked back tears over it.

Maxwell used to do that, she thought to herself.

He was always coming up behind her and wrapping her up in a hug. She wondered if her Emily even knew how many traits she shared with her father.

She reached back and gently patted her daughter's cheek.

"Love you, Mums." Emily said softly.

"Love you too, angel." Amanda replied, kissing her cheek. "I want you to have a good time tonight." She smiled at her. "Dance for me, okay?"

Emily nodded.

"Good. Now go put on that new dress Nicky picked out for you. I know you're going to be a knockout in it. Hollywood won't know what to do with you once they see you."

Emily snorted on a giggle. "I don't know about that."

"Trust me. My girls are nothing but gorgeous." Amanda got up to get rid of her barely touched plate. "Just try and prove me wrong."

Emily beamed at her then ran upstairs.

Once she was out of sight, Amanda went into the kitchen.

"Leave those." She ordered. "I'll clean them."

"But you did the cooking." Nicky argued. "Beaumont's always split the chores."

Amanda briefly closed her eyes. Maxwell used to tell their daughters that every time they did something together.

"I know." She managed to say without crying. "But, I want you to go dress up. You deserve a night of carefree fun after all you've been through."

Nicky averted her eyes. She couldn't imagine a worse time in her life. Not only had she lost her beloved father, but she'd also lost her own, what she once believed, true love. She would be lying if she said she didn't need to go out and get her mind off of things, even if it was for a few hours. She needed a distraction to stop thinking about life without her father and life without Lord Jackson Nevrakis-Walker.

Setting a dishtowel down, she hugged her mother tight.

Amanda held her, gently smoothing her daughter's hair. She wished she could take all of her pain away. It killed her to see her Nicky like this.

Nicky sighed and stepped back. "I'll do my best to be carefree."

"Good." Amanda shooed her out of the kitchen. "I want you to smile and enjoy everything tonight."

"I'll try." She promised.

*****************

"How do we look, Mums?" Emily twirled around.

Amanda nodded, forcing a smile. "Gorgeous. Just like I knew you would."

"We'll be back early." Nicky promised.

"You'll do nothing of the sort!" Amanda followed them to the door. "I don't want to hear you coming in until the sun is rising."

"Yeah, but--" Emily tried to tell her they didn't want her left alone.

"I mean it." Amanda said in a firm tone. "Have a night of pure fun."

Nicky looped her arm with her sister's to tug her out the door.

"We'll do our best." She told her.

Once the door closed, both girls finally gave in to their worries.

"We can't leave her alone!" Emily grumbled. "You know what she's going to do while we're gone."

"I know. But she won't stop worrying about us if we don't go." Nicky slid into the back of a waiting town car.

Emily followed her, brow furrowed as she looked back at the place they were currently calling home.

Nicky chewed on her bottom lip while trying to think of what to do. If they were in Cordonia, she wouldn't be as worried. She knew her parents' friends would be there, drawing her mother out of her grief.

If only they had someone close by who could do the same--

"I'll call Uncle Thomas." Nicky told her sister. "He'll go check on her for us."

"You think he's home?" Emily asked, hope tinging her voice.

"I know he isn't at a party." Nicky teased.

The girls leaned their heads close together as they waited anxiously with each unanswered ring.

"Hello?" Thomas said on the fifth ring.

"Uncle Thomas?" Nicky greeted with a great deal of relief. "It's me and Emily."

"Is everything all right?" He asked.

"Kinda." Emily replied.

It didn't take long before the girls shared their worries with him.

"I'll go over there." He promised. "Don't worry, I'll make sure Amanda isn't alone tonight."

"Thank you." Nicky said, fighting back tears.

"We knew we could count on you to help her." Emily added. "Maybe she'll open up to you. Mums is keeping everything inside and won't talk to us about how she's feeling."

"I know she's doing it to not upset us." Nicky explained. "She's trying to make everything normal or at least as normal as things can be right now."

"I see." Thomas reassured them again he'd go over there.

When the girls ended the call, he sat back in his chair as he debated what to do. He knew if he called and gave Amanda any warning that he was coming over, she'd probably do her best to talk him out of it. Deciding that he wasn't going to put her through that type of stress, he got up and grabbed his car keys.

He wasn't entirely sure what he should do once he got there, but he was determined to try and help someone he deeply cared for.

****************

As soon as she knew the girls weren't coming back for anything they might have forgotten, Amanda sank down onto the couch and allowed her depression to finally be set free.

Tears began fall in steady paths down her cheeks as she stared at the wall. She pulled her knees to her chest, rested her chin on them, and thought about Maxwell. How could she possibly go on without him? He'd been everything to her. Her entire world revolved around him and the family they'd created.

She didn't have him here reassuring her with the decisions she'd made. Did she do right in taking the girls out of Cordonia? With Nicky's infamous breakup, Emily being publicly cheated on, and Maxwell's death; she couldn't see a way around it. They needed to get away from so many memories.

But...

She had so many here in California with Maxwell. With each of them writing and their novels being used for movies and series, they'd spent a lot of their time together in Hollywood. Perhaps she shouldn't have accepted Thomas's suggestion to come here.

Her breaths became audible as she began to think about her past. Romantic moments with Maxwell began to go through her mind. All the anniversaries where he went above and beyond what most would deem normal struck hard. She could recall each outrageous gift, the kisses, the moments alone, his words of love...everything.

She realized why those were haunting her tonight. Tomorrow would have been their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.

*****************

A few months earlier...

"This is a big one." Maxwell teased. "We have to really think hard about how to celebrate this anniversary."

"What did you have in mind?" Amanda asked, looping her arms around his neck.

His lips curved as he pulled her close for a kiss.

"Definitely a whole lot of that." He winked at her. "I think we should do a second honeymoon after a Beaumont Bash that puts all previous bashes to shame."

"Isn't that what you say about every new Beaumont Bash?" She teased.

"Yeah, but this one is for my all-time favorite love story." He explained, kissing her deeply. "I can't think of anything more important than celebrating you and me."

"Neither can I." She sank into his embrace, feeling all the thrills his touch still gave her after all these years together.

"Good. I'm thinking for our second honeymoon, we go somewhere where we can be alone." His eyes closed when she kissed his neck. "After all our travels with the girls and everybody, I need you all to myself for a while."

"How long's a while?" She asked, loving his ideas as usual.

"A month." He decided. "If we go longer, I know you'll get tired of me."

"Impossible." She smiled up at him.

He grinned. His dimples she adored deepened with her saying what he hoped was still true.

"There's that reason why I married you!" He laughed when she playfully pushed him away.

Maxwell snagged her hand, twirling her back within his arms.

"I love you so much, Lady Beaumont." He whispered in her ear, hugging her tight.

"I love you too, Lord Beaumont."

***************

Amanda buried her head against her knees as her body became wracked with sobs.

***************

Thomas was relieved he had a spare key. When his knock went unanswered, he quietly slipped inside. Before he could even take a step over the threshold, he could hear Amanda crying.

He shut the door and followed the sounds into the living room.

His heart ached at the sight of her curled up on the couch. Her shoulders shook with each hoarse cry for Maxwell. All the tears had turned her hazel eyes gray.

Without a word, he sat down beside her and gently pulled her into his arms.

Amanda clutched tight to him, burying her face against his shoulder as she continued to cry her heart out.

He sat there, occasionally rubbing her back and allowed her to simply grieve.

She needed this. She needed someone to remain quiet and not speak the usual platitudes of time healing. She didn't want anyone crying with her. She didn't mean to be selfish, but she needed her grief to be front and center. Anyone else sobbing beside her would have made her feel like she had to stop her own sorrow to comfort them.

With her daughters, it was different. Their broken hearts broke hers in a different way, thus making her be the strong one. She knew she had to help hold them while the onslaught of slashes from depression struck their tender hearts.

Maxwell had been the one to always hold Amanda and simply let her cry. For their entire life together, she knew she could turn to him without hesitation or worry over what he might think. She allowed herself to drop all her barriers and simply be the timid little girl who feared losing loved ones she thought she still was.

She'd lost her parents when she was twelve. Her uncle, when she was barely twenty. And now she'd lost the one man who had been by her side throughout all those deaths that had nearly broken her.

How could she possibly recover from losing Maxwell without him here to hold her?

Her sobs eventually quieted. The tears still fell as she simply remained in Thomas's arms. She was exhausted from this harsh episode and didn't even have the strength to apologize for crying so hard on him.

Thomas rested his head against hers and continued to hold her tight as if willing his strength to give her comfort.

Amanda swallowed, eyes closing when she felt him place a kiss on her forehead. She didn't realize how much she needed that tender reassurance that she was not alone.

On instinct, she curled more against his side, selfishly taking every scrap of comfort he was giving her.

He gently brushed her hair back that was sticking to her damp cheeks. With one arm around her waist, he began to run his fingers through her hair, slowly soothing her back into a calm state of mind.

He wasn't entirely certain how long they sat like that with neither saying a word. Thomas only knew he would stay there for as long as she needed him to.

When the clock chimed one in the morning, he knew Amanda had fallen asleep in his arms. He carefully eased away from her to find a blanket to cover her up with.

He paused when she grasped his hand.

"Please." She pleaded in a hoarse whisper. "Please, don't leave me. I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't ask it of you but--"

Her red rimmed eyed held his. They revealed the deep well of pain that threatened to consume her once more.

"I'm not going anywhere." He promised. "I'm only going to retrieve a blanket for us."

Her head jerked in a nod of understanding as fresh tears pricked her eyes once more.

He found a blanket in a hall closet and sat back down beside her. Before she could even move, he pulled her back within his arms then draped the blanket over them both.

Thomas pressed another kiss to her forehead once she rested her cheek on his shoulder.

"Rest." He whispered, his lips brushing her skin with each word. "I'll be right here the whole time."

Amanda hugged him close to her. Exhaustion won out before she could stay awake long enough to thank him.

Her last thought before sleep took over was that she didn't know how to move on from Maxwell, but having Thomas here made the notion of having to do so a little less painful.

[pricilla-omnia-et-nihil]

But imagine you were born for royalty,

Would you be clever and clumsy or cocky and careless.

~Pricilla ♡

[choicesficwriterscreations]

CFWC F/AotW - Feb 11 - 17, 2024

✒️= Fanfic | 📱= Text Fics/Edits | 🎨 = Fanart Ⓜ️ = Mature Content 18+ | 🔥 = Explicit/NSFW 18+ 🏳️‍🌈 = LGBTQIA | 💘 Valentine's Day 🔹Submitted by creator

AMERICAS MOST ELIGIBLE

Derek Taylor x F!MC Fanart 🎨by @lilyoffandoms for @tveitertotwrites

BLADES OF LIGHT AND SHADOW

Aerin Valleros x F!MC Fanart 🎨by @erixadraws

Happy Valentine's Day 🎨💘 | Aerin Valleros x f!human!mc - @artbyalz

Maiele Nightbloom Fanart 🎨🔹| BOLAS elf!MC by @storyofmychoices for @lilyoffandoms

Mal Volari x F!MC Fanart 🎨💘🔹by @cammarada (C: @storyofmychoices)

A Whitetower Festival of Friendship & Love ✒️🔹| Mal Volari x MC - @dutifullynuttywitch

Woven Threads and Winding Roads ✒️🔹| Tyril Starfury x f!human!mc - @aria-ashryver for @thosehallowedhalls

BLOODBOUND

By Any Other Name ✒️💘🏳️‍🌈🔹| Kamilah Sayeed x F!MC - @thosehallowedhalls for @vampirkit

First Birthday ✒️| Adrian Raines x f!MC - @mynotsohealthyobsession

CRIMES OF PASSION

CoP Full F/AotW List Week Ending Feb. 17, 2024

THE CURSED HEART

Kieran x MC Fanart 🎨🔹by @gaiuskamilah for @lilyoffandoms

DESIRE AND DECORUM

Whimsical Walks and Poetic Talks ✒️🎨🔹| Ernest Sinclaire x F!MC - @storyofmychoices for @oh-so-youre-a-nerd

DISTANT SHORES

Distant Shores: An Alternate Path ✒️🔹| f!Charlie Smith x M!MC - @korgbelmont

THE FRESHMAN SERIES

Happy Valentine's, Hater ✒️💘| TFS MC - @choicesmc

Zig Ortega x F!MC Fanart 🎨🔹by @/artsbymena (C: @choiceswithmika)

HIGH SCHOOL STORY

Aiden Zhou Fanart 🎨 by @lilyoffandoms for @cadybear420

Rolling on Forward ✒️🏳️‍🌈 🔹| Aiden Zhou x NB!MC - @cadybear420

HOLLYWOOD U

Cafe Whispers & Scone Kisses ✒️🏳️‍🌈🔹| Addison Sinclair x F!MC - @storyofmychoices

IT LIVES IN THE WOODS

A New Chapter: A Valentine's Day Special ✒️💘 🔹| Stacy Green x M!MC - @korgbelmont

LAWS OF ATTRACTION

Dancing Queen ✒️🏳️‍🌈🔹| Original Characters - @aces-and-angels

Date Night🎨🏳️‍🌈💘 🔹| Gabe Ricci x M!MC - @choicesmc

Guess Where Magnus is From 🎨| Original Characters - @oh-so-youre-a-nerd

LOA OCs Fanart 🎨🏳️‍🌈by @oh-so-youre-a-nerd

That Place ✒️🏳️‍🌈Beau McGraw, Wind (NB!MC) - @oh-so-youre-a-nerd

The Tarmin Awdernviel Gala 🎨🏳️‍🌈| Multiple Characters by @oh-so-youre-a-nerd

Wind Fanart 🎨🏳️‍🌈🔹| LOA NB!MC - @storyofmychoices for @oh-so-youre-a-nerd

MURDER AT HOMECOMING

Let Me Be Your Valentine, St. Valentine ✒️🎨🏳️‍🌈 💘 🔹| Donovan Navarro x/& NB!MC - @aallotarenunelma

OPEN HEART

Open Heart F/AotW Full Listing Week Ending Feb. 17, 2024

PERFECT MATCH

Sloane Washington Fanart 🎨by @sazanes

Sloane Washington Pajamas 🎨 by @sazanes

Sloane Washington Valentine's Day 🎨 by @sazanes

Sloane Washington x F!Hayden Young Fanart 🎨🏳️‍🌈by @sazanes

Women in STEM/Girl Power! 🎨| Sloane Washington - @cassiopeaicorvus

Written in the Stars 🎨| Sloane Washington - @cassiopeaicorvus

Written in the Stars: Queen Star 🎨| Slaone Washington - @sazanes

THE ROYAL ROMANCE

Cordonian Karaoke: Hana Take 3✒️🏳️‍🌈🔹| Hana Lee x MC, Drake Walker x MC - @angelasscribbles

Goodbyes Are the Hardest ✒️| Liam Rys x MC - @silvermillenniumqueenneptune

Marabelle: The Game of Kings ✒️💘🔹| Liam Rys x F!MC - @tessa-liam

My Lonely Valentine: The Agreement ✒️💘Ⓜ️ 🔥🔹| Liam Rys x MC - @angelasscribbles

Round Robin Chapter 1: Welcome ✒️🔹- @angelasscribbles

WISHFUL THINKING

Anna Koishi x F!MC Fanart 🎨🏳️‍🌈 by @lilyoffandoms for @noesapphic

[calowlmitygoddess]

Im back being the only insane person about Alger and Hanalea

[storyofmychoices]

Since you write for multiple Choices stories, I'm curious: (how) do they all intertwine? Do your various MCs know each other? How do they get along? How did they meet? If any of your stories don't exist in the same universe, how would the characters get along if they did?

What a great question... now if only I had a proper answer 🙈

I think about this often. I'd love for them all to exist in one universe however, I already have two universes for Thomas and Alex (Hollywood U and Red Carpet Diaries) .

From there, I started with Ethan and Ellie, who through Love & Scotch exist in my Hollywood U universe.

So that leaves me with everyone else. (this is long, I'm so so sorry)

Initially, I was writing Olivia as MC (for like a week) so Ellie and Olivia were in different universes.... but I hated it. MCs personality and job and everything didn't fit Olivia. I had Olivia trying to be Ethan's intern while also being a pediatric specialist, which made no sense. So Olivia was rewritten as a full OC, which meant she could be in Ellie's universe but I had both Ellie and Olivia interacting with the fellow interns but never each other so it feel incongruous to put them together.

So that made me think that Olivia could be in the RCD universe, but in my RCD Alex has mentioned Ethan and Ellie even though my current Ethan and Ellie only exist in HWU. Alex mentions that much like her and Thomas who find each other in every universe, Ethan and Ellie do as well, which then puts me to trying to reconcile how Olivia and Ellie coexist. Even if my current Ellie is HWU only, I'd have to see how RCD universe Ellie is. I assume they'd be similar but not the same as Alex and Ellie wouldn't have the same relationship as their situations are not the same. Plus I'd HC that Ethan and Ellie get together before Alex and Thomas in the RCD universe.

BUT there is something else to consider... Danny!

In HWU universe, Ethan and Ellie's storyline follows Open Heart at least through the attack, so Danny died. However, in my RCD universe, I wrote Danny having moved to LA to have a cameo in a fic, so in my RCD universe, regardless of how Ethan and Ellie get together, their story will be different to some extent because Danny is already different.

Leaving this mess to the side for a minute.... some quick ones to rule out. I'm not trying to make fantasy meet reality so

Mal & Daenarya, Beckett & Emma, and Troy & Astraea are all in separate universes. (for now at least)

So that leaves Justin & Mari and  Levi & Laura

I always HC that Levi and Laura are in the same universe as Olivia and Bryce. I have a wip that may never get finished, but Levi does a benefit concert to help raise money for the pediatrics ward.

Justin... oh Justin, I haven't written him in ages, but I do adore him (despite all the hate and threats I got when I did write him). He could honestly be in any universe.

OOO Ben Park from LoveHacks! I forgot about him! Okay, so Ben Park (preLoveHacks) exists in my HWU universe and is featured in the #HollywoodHacks storyline.

Okay and there is Whiskey Business which is my one shot crossover with The Royal Romance. This exists in my HWU universe. This includes Liam x MC, Drake, Max, Bertrand, Olivia, etc

However in my RCD universe, Liam also exists and is a friend of Thomas as mentioned in Seducing Mr. Perfect. So I guess their friendship exists in every universe. (as does his and Drake's lack of friendship/arguments over proper scotch)

I think that's everyone in the Pixelberry Universe that I currently write for!

Now on how they get along...

HWU Alex and Ellie become very close and get along well. Alex is sometimes a lot for Ellie, but she endures it and Alex definitely convinces Ellie to step out of her comfort zone.

Olivia and Alex would both get along well. I think they could have a lot of fun together but also work together to raise money for a good cause. I'd love for Olivia to be the twin's pediatrician, but Boston to LA isn't really all that convienient.

Olivia and Ellie... I think they'd get along, but I don't see them as being close friends. They have very different personalities and they work in two different fields. They might have friends in common that bring them to the same events, but I don't really see them hanging out alone. They work together, they like each other, but nothing more. The attack changed Ellie (forever) and she is definitely more closed off than before. It has a permanent effect on her so she has a couple close friends but that's it. (maybe that's why I'm having trouble figuring out how they fit together in a universe.) But also this is Olivia and HWU!Ellie... I don't know if HWU!Ellie is identical to RCD!Ellie or if things are different. So maybe one day I'll start a new AU for Ethan and Ellie and explore how the two universes differ... maybe the attack is different in RCD universe which would mean Ellie would be different. Maybe her and Olivia could be closer.

Laura and Olivia would get along well. I actually have Laura going back to school to become a nurse. I'd love for Laura to be the nurse at Sunshine Pediatrics.I want to set MOTY in New England so that I could build the relationship between Laura and Levi with Olivia and Bryce. I do think these two couples would be fun to explore together.

Okay, I'll end my essay on my universes here since it's a lot.. .sorry about that. Let me know if you have any questions or things y ou are wondering about based on my TED talk here lol

Thank you for the ask!

[rachelsquill]

*thinks abt my royalty au*