#✮⋆˙ maybe human's not such a bad thing to be / ximena interacts.

[soximena]

@allegraricci // cosmo bar

a night out was exactly what ximena needed after the long week they'd had. work had been monotonous as ever, and her social life was beginning to feel the same. tucking a piece of hair behind their ear, they shook off the pre-party nerves and pushed the door to the bar open, their party persona taking over immediately. a familiar blonde head stood by the bar and she made her way over, grin stretching across her features as she called out. "allegra! i was hoping i'd find you here tonight. shots?"

[celestialodysseys]

My Favorite Playchoices Books!

These are it. The books I'll save diamonds for. It's my favorite Playchoices books in no particular order (obviously not featuring ones I haven't played. For example I suspect I'll love Blades of Light and Shadow but I haven't gotten around to playing it yet)

A Courtesan of Rome. I love love love this book, it's my favorite of all the pb books tbh. The MC is awesome and well-developed, the romance choices are varied, the story is sharp as hell, the soundtrack is banging...also one of the only books where I don't mind switching between characters. I wish pb would put out more historical fiction like this. Just, ugh. The intrigue! The history! The dresses!!

Across The Void. Is this a good book? No. But is the art fantastic and I love it for what it could be? Yes. Look, I just wanna be space captain...tdlr this book has a lot of issues but I love it regardless. Also I used my real first name which ended up being only one letter different from the game-decided last name which is fucking hilarious.

Bachelorette Party. This book is crazy fun, plus it has a trans LI! It's one of the only books I played as it was updated so it has a special place in my heart. The diamond choices add to the story and can lead to some great stuff, but you don't feel like you're missing out if you don't choose them, which is a delicate balance pb rarely strikes.

The Elementalists. So far I've only played the first book, but I mean c'mon. a magic school, you being a super special rare magic user, lgbt+ friends, the ability to romance a fucking wood nymph, and cute animal companions?! Plus, an excellent mystery that gives me Winx Club (the actual winx club, not the live action) vibes.

Perfect Match. I went into this book expecting a romance book I could farm diamonds from. I quickly became invested, especially once the tech thriller side of things became more prominent. I've only done the first book as of right now, but I'm super excited to start book 2! The action and flow of the story are great, and I'm a sucker for stories that ask us to really think about what it means to be human. Plus, polyamory!

Ride or Die: A Bad Boy Romance. This is another one I went into with the idea of it being a diamond farm. Maybe it's because I was a straight-laced kid with fantasies about running away, but playing MC as morally grey and reckless was honestly so much fun. The twists and turns of the plot were enjoyable, and most of the characters were well-rounded and fun to interact with. Also Ximena and Mona own my whole heart. Unfortunately I never took a screenshot of my MC tho so here's a picture of Logan's bitchin' loft.

Honorable Mentions

The Haunting of Braidwood Manor

#Lovehacks series

[soximena]

@aetherfms // margarita day @ cosmo bar !

"i know it's stupid, but," they began, already shaking their head at themselves and smiling around their straw as they sipped on their second margarita. "every time i drink these now i have that stupid ass tik tok song in my head. did you know it started from a lady preaching on a college campus? we'll really take anything and turn it into a meme."

[soximena]

@cassromano // outside ximena's

mornings spent on the porch with breakfast and a coffee had become something of a sacred tradition for ximena. there was something unmatched in the calming abilities of a sunrise paired with birdsong. turning their face toward the sun, a smile crossed her features as her eyes closed to soak up the rays. like clockwork, they heard the familiar thrumming of the mail truck's engine, head turning and smile widening, paired with an exaggerated wave. "good morning, miss cass!" she greeted, standing with a fresh almond croissant in their hands, practically running to meet her. "how's the route been this morning?"

[soximena]

@josephconway // adult paint night

with a lip pulled between their teeth and brows furrowed, ximena stroked their brush across the canvas intently, trying their absolute best to follow the given instructions to a tee. "how is she making those lines?" she curses under her breath, peaking over at joseph's next to her. "are you struggling as badly as i am? i like to consider myself an artist, but i'm starting to think i should just stick to music."

[soximena]

@ofmajors // burger king

"i'm just saying," ximena started, stuffing three fries into their mouth at the same time. they were currently sat across major at one of the picnic tables outside, preparing to defend her stance on the age old question: 'yolk, or no yolk?' "there's no point in boiling an egg just to eat the whites. what are you doing with the yolk? throwing it away? do you put ice in your milk, too? i feel like i don't even know you anymore, seriously."

[soximena]

@amarawashington // amara's place

dinners at amara's were practically tradition by now, ximena using muscle memory to pull into the lot and park. this time they'd brought caldo de res, product of their abuela's typical midweek craving. by forces unknown to them, they'd managed not to spill a single drop on the way, slipping on their mitts and hauling it out of the passenger seat and making their way to amara's. the pot was heavy and hot, so instead of knocking and waiting, they decided to rest the pot on their hip momentarily and push the door open, letting herself in. "amara," she called out in a sing song tone, making her way to the kitchen. "i have caldo, and i'm pretty sure you have wine, so you better come out!"

[soximena]

@matamrani // fitness playground

going to the gym wasn't something ximena typically looked forward to. they were trying to be more serious about their health and fitness, they really were, but when compared to lounging around and dilly dallying... well, there wasn't much to compare in their opinion. yet, there they were, dragging themself into the familiar gym and scanning the area for mat. after failing to spot him, she headed to the locker room to drop off her things and send him a text announcing her arrival. with a sigh, she headed to one of the secluded rooms where they could work out in peace, and began the stretches he'd gone over with her what felt like a million times.

[soximena]

@enigms // archie’s place

they weren’t entirely sure how they ended up outside archie’s door, exactly. it happened somewhere between walking along the shore and finding a cowrie shell that he just had to see, and the seagull that conveniently flew overhead and dropped its waste on their head. his place was closer, they’d wandered further than they meant to, and they figured it wouldn’t hurt to kill two birds with one stone ( pun not intended ). after knuckles rapping softly at the door, they rolled the shell around in their palm, examining the colors while they waited. “archie!” they called out, “a bird shit on my head, let me in before i puke all over your porch!”

[soximena]

@sebsandoval // line dancing @ bang bang dance hall !

it was almost embarrassing the way they found themselves out of breath, making their way off of the floor and onto the sidelines to catch it. "i'm impressed that you're not as tired as me we've been going for ages i feel like," they chuckle, hands resting on their hips as their breathing evened out. "clearly you can hang better than i can, though. this shit is a work out, i can't believe i've never done this before."

[soximena]

@kaiisms // musical monday's @ comet see it ! ( a star is born )

popcorn practically overflowed into their lap as they settled into their seat, hand reaching in without care and putting as much as possible into their mouth. "don't worry, i'll eat the ones that fell so nothing gets wasted," they assured, looking over at kai and smiling sloppily. if there was a person they felt truly comfortable around, it was kai. if anyone were to ask ximena, they'd deny it vehemently, but their actions couldn't be denied. tilting the popcorn tin toward him, she tucks a hair behind her ear and nods toward him. "want some? i'll try not to eat it all myself, but, this one always makes me cry, so you might wanna get to it before my tears do."