#-skylia <3

[kitorin]

boo! Hi kou how r u doing? I saw on ur pinned that u have exam season (same here ughh) so hows it going?

SKYLIAAAA I MISS YOU HIIII !! This term has mainly been assignments (but they're the worse kind that take more effort and are LONG) I have two big ones due soon, though today's for recharging after how awful the week was + I'm finally working on my smau :>

Good luck with exams !! Eat, sleep, and drink enough water <3 Your grades never define your worth ❤

[xiaosonlybeloved]

Strategic Retreat- Gorou

featuring:- Gorou, fem!reader, Yae Miko tags:- fluff, not proofread, teasing a/n:- @i23kazu here's my piece for my bias gorou &lt;3 wc:-717 words

“So this is the Grand Narukami Shrine, huh? First time I’ve been to this place.” Gorou remarked lightly, eyes alert and on the lookout for their ‘enemy’. You chuckled, squeezing his hand in yours. “Relax, Gorou. It’ll be fine.” He nodded determinedly as one of the Shrine maidens approached the two of you with a polite smile, asking if you wished to draw any fortune slips. You could easily see that your lover was intrigued by the idea by the spark in his eyes, so you answered a “Yes, of course.” on his behalf. Honestly, it was so adorable to see one of his cute ears flick, his fluffy tail wagging, and a smile tugged at your face.

Alas, that excitement faded away quickly. “H-Huh? Great Misfortune? Is this a sign of things to come?” He exclaimed, upset, ears drooping. You hugged him to calm him down, talking about how this could be a potential ‘sabotage’ by Yae Miko to make their great plan ‘fail’. Gorou seemed to be convinced by your reassuring words easily, or perhaps he just trusted you that much. “Well, her plan won’t work! I will certainly not be intimidated by her!” 

As you headed further into the shrine, you affirmed that both of you were in this together, holding his hand for additional support, at which he flashed you a grateful smile, saying “Let’s do this.” And soon, lo and behold, your ‘enemy’ was in front of you at long last for the much awaited ‘battle’ confrontation. “Oh? Did you run into some trouble? You’re later than I expected. You’ve made me wait a while.” Yae remarked, a knowing smirk on her lips as she pretended to be thinking. 

Gorou gritted his teeth. He defensively said, “Hmph, even if you did know we were coming, this makes no difference. We won’t get caught off guard! We’re here to-” Yae interrupted him mid-sentence. “Heh, slow down, let me have a guess.” She chuckled, and it sent shivers down your spine-whatever she was planning, it was terrible.

“Perhaps, like all the other pairs who come to see me at the shrine, you too wish to know if the future of the two of you includes a lifetime together? I wouldn’t mind doing a special reading especially for you.” She grinned. “Huh?” Gorou blurted out at the same time as you. “A… lifetime together?” You asked, eyes wide and startled. Again, Yae smirked at you as she hummed, “Now that I think, you could even leave all your fur-grooming to your little friend here…Imagine… Just imagine her holding your tail in one hand, while brushing it with the other… ” She left the question open, and you shuddered, images already flashing through your mind’s eye, which you hurriedly tried to shoo away. Gorou also seemed to be doing the same thing, a faint red coating the tips of his ears and nose. 

“We’ll have to try another method.” Gorou whispered to you, as you nodded furiously, a similar light red coating your own cheeks. Unfortunately, before he could even begin speaking, Yae spoke up, on her way to create more chaos. She snickered a bit as she said, “By the way, there’s no point trying to hide it, you know? What with your tail swishing behind you, your attempt at a stony face holds no ground.” On hearing this, Gorou’s ears drooped down immediately. Although the both of you were still quite flustered, you couldn’t deny that it was still very adorable to see this. 

Yae continued, “Although, you know, those soft, pointy ears of yours are as fascinating too. Imagine-” “Please, no more!” You exclaimed, interrupting her. Gorou finally spoke up again. “I suppose… i’ll have to use my final trump card… I think, the real reason you know me so well is because youre just like me! Just like me, you hug your tail while sleeping, and dream of someone grooming your tail!” You winced. That must have seriously hurt his pride, you thought, looking at his determined expression. 

“Wow, what a strong confession you made in an attempt to bring me down. But you see,” She turned around with a grin, “I have no tail.”

You and Gorou ended up running out of the shrine at top speed to escape this devil, hands still interlinked.

[amalythea]

OH MY GOSHHH YOUR THEME AND CARD AND AESTHETIC AND EVERYTHING IS SO SO PRETTY IM GOING TO SCREAM ITS GORGEOUS!!!!!

THANK YOU SKYLİA DEAR!!

[aestherin]

Oh also holy do u think i shld start writing an smau? I mean i have a few ideas for a childe x reader but idk if i shld do it or not...so i wanted to know ur opinion...

DO IT🙏 YOLO

[glacialheart]

😅😅😅 looks ik its shit my actual art isnt as bad as that 😅 but its supposed to be shitty, no?

Anyways gahhhhhhh call it the cake hat since its SUPPOSED to be a cake

😭

it's glorious

thank you <3

[nordicbananas]

IK THE SECRET TOO HEHE

GASPPPPP

[lizzybeth1986]

Liam and Olivia: When You Prefer The Side Character To The Main

Series - TRR's Alternative LIs: The Romances that Didn't Happen

Previous: A Brief History of Alternative Romances in Choices

A/N1: My apologies for the length of this one! There was a LOT to explore, and even more that I had cut out from my initial draft.

A/N2: This essay operates on the premise that Liam is not the "favoured LI"/"golden boy" of the team - an argument I have made in detail in other Liam-centric essays. I am not interested in arguing those same points in my comment box/reblogs. Visit the Liam section of my meta masterlist if you want to learn more about that.

CW: Mentions of non-consensual kissing. Mentions of the plot against the MC in TRR1. Very fleeting mention of the "infertility subplot" TRH pushed onto Hana.

(Screenshot from HIMEME's YouTube channel)

As I mentioned in the previous essay, TRR (along with ES, to a far smaller extent) was the only series that seemed to make an attempt to pair even their popular LIs with another character. It also was (along with TCaTF) one of the very few books that hinted at an alternative romance in the first book itself.

This section of the essay series will perhaps be the longest, since Liam x Olivia got the earliest hints, and was built up first. While the other three pairings were introduced or hinted at in Books 2 and 3, the reader got to see glimpses of a possible Liam x Olivia pairing from the finale of Book 1 onwards.

Why An Alternative LI?

TRR is, essentially, a story that hinges on the likelihood of an arranged marriage. The character that makes this entire story possible, Liam, is expected to pick a bride by the end of his social season, whether he is ready for marriage or not. The ending of Book 1 itself ties his ascension as a king to marriage.

(Screenshot from Skylia's YouTube channel)

To prove Madeleine's point, the finale actually shows us that until he picks a fiancèe, he literally won't be addressed as king, but still as Prince Liam. So while this point does get heavily retconned later on in the series, the original story itself required Liam to be married sooner than any of the other LIs.

But Liam's story doesn't just hinge on needing a good Queen for his kingdom. His arc - at least in Book 1 - involved learning that being a good king doesn't mean he needs to sacrifice his own desires or romantic sensibilities. If that were the case, he could have just been stuck with Madeleine. No - the story was supposed to be about Liam learning to validate his personal aspirations without hurting his political position. It was essential then that the woman he picked was someone he either was already in love with (the MC), or someone he grew to love over the course of the series.

When you take this context into account, having an alternative romance becomes not only convenient, but essential.

And if the MC doesn't choose Liam as her endgame...who better for this "romance" than an old friend who has always held a torch for him?

A Romantic Rival

(Screenshots from Skylia's YouTube channel)

As most of the fandom remembers the first book and the trajectory of the Liam and Olivia relationship in it pretty well, I'll try not to go into too much detail. The Olivia of Book 1 has two parallel storylines: the one with the MC, where they first start out hating and then learn to like each other...and the one with Liam, which begins with Olivia assuming she will win the social season, but becoming more and more resigned to the MC's chances of winning as her position in the competition declines.

There is obviously a lot more focus on her dynamic with the MC, for two reasons:

1. Until the MC chooses an endgame, an LI will never show more interest in another person. It will always be the alternative LI whose interest initially drives that side-story. Making an LI reciprocate that interest can result in a negative impression of them, as fans could potentially believe that their love for the MC is not genuine or special. This is the case for all LIs in the series, not just Liam.

2. Narratively, the first book wants to make Olivia's love for Liam their big character reveal. It is the first time Olivia actively opens up to the MC, and is canonically the beginning of their "friendship". So very little emphasis is placed on her emotional attachment to Liam until the Coronation (with her cactus gift and her confession to the MC before leaving), and even less on how Liam feels about her.

Whatever little we do get of Liam and Olivia's dynamic before the finale is focused on their childhood friendship. We learn from Liam that she was a sad, lonely child when they met, heartbroken by her parents' death and the negligence of the aunt who was supposed to raise her. Her attachment to Liam emerges from his support of her when they were children, and we later learn in TRH that he not only supported her, but often empathized with young Olivia and comforted her in ways that didn't give away her vulnerabilities.

Olivia claims at the beginning of TRR1 that "everyone just assumed Liam and [Olivia] would get married one day". Given what we learn later about Constantine and the Nevrakis family (and the fact that no one backs Olivia's claim at any point in the book), it is possible she was exaggerating. But it is also true that until the MC gains more popularity and Madeleine makes her entrance, Olivia is assumed to win the social season quite easily. In the same way that Madeleine is positioned as the "political" rival in Book 1's story, Olivia is viewed as the "romantic" counterpoint to the MC.

From Liam's end, there is actually very little shown about his thoughts on Olivia. It is clear that he cares for her, wants the MC to think well of her and understand her circumstances. While as a child, he comforted her when she was called a cactus by reminding her that they were tough plants that no one messed with; as an adult he is pained by her vindictiveness towards people who haven't even harmed her. There is plenty of grounds here for some sort of relationship, but enough there that shows why the MC who will marry him would be a slightly better fit.

The second half of TRR1 focuses on softening Olivia to an extent - having her and the MC optionally bond over their dislike for Madeleine (who is viewed as the "bigger bad" at this point) and having her only occasionally approach Liam for his company. Her feelings for him come to the forefront only during his Coronation, around the time she withdraws due to the blackmail exposing her parents' attempts to assassinate King Constantine.

This moment in the series completes Olivia's transition from antagonist to a possible friend. The reveal that Olivia loved Liam all along ensures that the MC can sympathize with her for not getting the man she loves, and allows the reader to envision her as a future ally.

To some who already vouched for a Liam-Olivia endgame before the finale, this moment was a confirmation. To others who didn't exactly see Olivia's actions towards Liam as rooted in affection, this moment was a revelation. Whatever it was, this moment made her extremely popular in the fandom.

But this scene also had a more important purpose - it provided players not interested in Liam, a possible out from the situation. The ending of TRR1 hinged on Liam choosing the MC as his future bride, then being forced to accept someone else when the scandal broke out. Book 2 allows the MC to explore what she wants without the expectations of a social season. The prospect of a titled lady who genuinely loved Liam being his potential endgame would make it easier for fans of other LIs. It sounded like a perfect ending for everyone.

The (Unwanted) Kiss, and What It Says About the Fandom

(Screenshots from Danni Stone's YouTube channel)

A scene that often gets ignored (or conveniently forgotten) when discussing Liam x Olivia in TRR1, is the kiss in Lythikos.

The Lythikos Ball in Ch 8 is already a social battleground of sorts for Olivia. She wields her power as hostess here - monopolising Prince Liam's company, and humiliating the MC and her friends with the worst seating and ice-cold food. Things come to a head when - while dancing the Cordonian Waltz with Liam - she forces a kiss on him, completely disregarding his ability to consent.

I use these precise words to describe this incident for two reasons. First, because canon refused to do so. Second, because most of the fandom refused to do so.

Different characters in the story respond to this incident in different ways. A shocked "what a bold play!", a sarcastic "Olivia's growing up, how sweet", and an enraged "she's gone mad with power here!" emerge from the ladies of the court - all focused on Olivia's intentions and actions. None of these responses ever address Liam's end of this situation.

Even more interesting are the options the MC is given to address the situation when Liam speaks to her later.

(Screenshots from Danni Stone's YouTube channel. This is the second dialogue option)

She either speaks to Liam like nothing happened, or engages in victim blaming. Personally I think both options are as bad as each other. Neither of these options include "are you okay?" or "were you comfortable with that?".

Liam's answer to the MC's (optional) accusations is perhaps the only time the issue of consent is even barely addressed (and even here Liam is duty-bound to think of Olivia's welfare over his own comfort). It is appalling that it takes the MC practically victim blaming this man for that to happen. And it is equally disturbing that Liam's response is so apologetic, so contrite, as if this entire situation was his fault.

The kiss is viewed as a number of things in the book: an affront to the suitors who have no power in Olivia's estate, or a political blunder. But what does it mean to the man who had this kiss forced upon him? Would he really feel comfortable or safe around her again after that? The writers clearly didn't know, nor did they care. And most of the fandom was only too happy to follow suit.

The few times this kiss was spoken about amongst the fandom, the question of consent was barely ever addressed. The kiss was either brushed aside as unimportant, seen as an indication of the "love and passion" Olivia had for Liam, or viewed as a manifestation of her jealousy towards the MC. Liam is sometimes seen as "clueless" for not "noticing Olivia's feelings...I mean, she literally kissed him!!" All of which could be true, but it doesn't erase the fact that his consent was never given, nor his comfort with the situation ever considered.

It is doubly ironic given the fandom reaction to the MC's plight in Applewood, after Tariq attempts to kiss her without her consent (though this situation involves significant privacy violations and dark conspiracies, and Liam's does not). The MC's situation was (rightfully) viewed as horrible and potentially traumatising, and many were upset that the emotional impact of it wasn't adequately addressed in the story. It wouldn't be surprising if Liam's situation wasn't viewed on the same level - given the difference in contexts - but the fandom and canon rarely saw this as something that happened to him, without his consent.

Ironically, the fandom never really considered Olivia planting a whole smacker on Liam's mouth as possible "proof" that she could engage in creepy, entitled behaviour...but they did often view Liam as "creepy" for...complimenting diamond-option outfits, or saying romantic-coded dialogues that the MC would reciprocate by default (again - I don't deny this is a problem and those lines should have been coded properly. However one cannot deny the doubt standards here). Olivia was the one who forced a kiss on the object of her affection in canon, but Liam was the one who got so many "abuser" and "harrasser" (and worse!) depictions in fanfic when TRR2 and 3 were out.

I will be addressing this particular scene again in another context, in a later essay in the series. I would like my readers here to not forget this scene, or the (lack of) outrage around it. It would be helpful to ponder over why Olivia's behaviour here is largely viewed as no big deal, especially when other side characters (and at least one main character) could be villainized for far, far less.

Olivia and Liam in TRR2 and 3

(Screenshots from Skylia's YouTube channel)

TRR1's finale and TRR2 show a small shift in Liam and Olivia's dynamic. Now that he is engaged, and in love with a woman who isn't Olivia, their interactions become sporadic and awkward. To ensure that Liam won't be viewed as a cassanova, the narrative keeps their interactions to a minimum. Group scenes that involve Liam often leave Olivia out, and group scenes that involve Olivia exclude Liam.

However, to address the "romantic potential" from TRR1's finale, the book shows Liam and Olivia interact in at least one scene in Ch 10. Here, they have a short, stilted conversation that leaves Liam concerned about Olivia's well-being, and that makes Olivia grieve over her unrequited love for him to an equally concerned MC.

Olivia's story in TRR2 largely centers around establishing her character (snarky, prickly, warriorlike. Much of this is actually a deviation from her writing in TRR1), strengthening her relationship with the MC, and integrating her into the core group.

Olivia's feelings for Liam get addressed again after the MC makes her final choice of LI. The MC's acceptance or rejection of Liam's proposal results in a bit of tension between the two women. If Liam is the MC's choice, Olivia admits to her heartbreak despite being truly happy that Liam has found love. If not, she reveals a slight resentment that the MC could so easily throw away the love that Olivia so badly wanted. The narrative allows Olivia her complicated, ambivalent feelings towards the Liam x MC match, and expects the MC to understand and sympathize. By default.

If you don't choose Liam in TRR3, his romance with Olivia does start here. And by this I mean that Liam is now allowed to reciprocate her affections.

(Screenshots from the Skylia YouTube channel (Drake playthrough). The screenshots aren't in order. 1st Liam x Olivia scene is the handholding at Applewood (5), 2nd is dancing at Vegas (1st two), 3rd is Liam asking Olivia for a dance at the finale ball (middle two), and the last is Liam asking Olivia out (6))

Even in the playthrough where Liam is marrying the MC, his default is to trust Olivia, show her kindness and staunchly defend her to people who suspect her motives. Liam advocates for her innocence in TRR3 Ch 2, even as her family becomes one of the prime suspects. The MC may vouch for her by choice...but if she does choose to suspect Olivia, it is Liam who pushes back against the idea.

By this point, the MC and Olivia can cement their friendship if the former has worked on gaining her trust. If not - the book has already created an inbuilt mechanism to ensure Olivia's loyalty anyway. It is tied to her gratitude and affection for Liam, the one person who consistently believed in her from childhood. Whether the MC makes an effort to win her approval or not, Olivia respects her. Her emotional attachment to Liam as an old friend, and loyalty to her king, ensures that her support is gained by default throughout.

Outside of his own playthrough, though, the narrative does slip in a few extra scenes where Liam shows an obvious romantic interest in Olivia. It's small - he isn't exactly yelling from the rooftops that he loves her - but it is definite progress where he seeks her out for support, dances with her and eventually asks her out to dinner at the finale. The scenes are few but prominent, and leave no doubt to the reader that Liam fully intends to court her.

So...why is Liam still single in the Drake, Hana and Maxwell playthroughs of TRH?

Writer Bias

When you read enough interviews and watch enough livestreams from the TRR team, one thing becomes very, very clear. They love their TCaTF callbacks. And no callback is more beloved to the writers than the repurposing of Zenobia Nevrakis' sprite to create her descendant, Olivia.

In this section, I will focus in particular on Kara Loo, COO of Pixelberry and one of the head writers of the TRR/H/F series. Going by several interviews and social media posts, Kara wrote most of Olivia and Drake's scenes and dialogues (along with "some of the Prince's speeches"), and was in fact the driving force behind how Olivia's character came to be, in the original series.

"...when we were creating Book 1, we wanted an evil redhead to be your antagonist, and Kara said, "Oh, what if we used Zenobia, but the twist is she's a Nevrakis descendant?"" - Jennifer Young, Looking Back on The Royal Romance (Sept 2018)

Kara has openly admitted before to having a fondness for Olivia's particular character type. In an interview with Daily Dahlia, she spoke of Val, one of the TCaTF LIs, in glowing terms that perfectly fit the way Olivia has been written as well:

"I love writing Val Greaves in The Crown & The Flame. I love writing for characters that are a little meaner and will really just say what they’re thinking, even if it isn’t exactly tactful." - Daily Dahlia's Interview with the Pixelberry Crew (Sept 2016).

The love for mean (and white! Don't forget white) women among the team, is pretty clear when you look at the kind of reception TRR's mean white women get.

Notably, Kara does have the occasional nice thing to say about Liam too. In an interview before the release of TRR2, she spoke of how "considerate and loving he is", how "there is nothing mean or selfish about him". As a Liam fan who kept seeing him bashed left and right after the TRR1 finale, those words initially felt like a massive relief.

But now, seeing the way the team treats nicer and more diplomacy-oriented characters in the series, this fulsome praise for Liam's selflessness gives me pause. It reminds me too much of how most of the team swore up and down that Hana would be their choice of LI to marry in a livestream, at the same time that they were slamming an infertility subplot on her in the books. Looking back with the knowledge of how the writers would treat Liam later, praise like this seemed less focused on finding him lovable, and more on ensuring that he gave constantly to the MC without ever getting much in return.

While Liam's treatment is not as bad as Hana or Kiara's, one must take note that the team - esp the head writers - have never really hesitated to throw Liam under the bus or retcon entire chapters and backstories to make characters like Drake seem better than him (eg. The narrative choice to have Drake claim Liam was leading the MC on when they first met in TRR3, which has led to more than one attempt to rewrite the bachelor party).

Part of this could be attributed to just the fondness for a specific character type. But I do think that with Kara in particular, ideology also plays a role in her preferences. There are at least two interviews from the team where her liking for darker, more violent storylines has been mentioned. In TRR3 the team affectionately called some of their brainstorming sessions with Kara as "Kara's trail of bodies" (one idea was to kill off Madeleine in Lythikos), and in the TRF livestream they mention that she initially wanted a war storyline.

This leaning towards a more militaristic mindset shows...in the care that Kara takes for Olivia's dialogues and especially her spy scenes (tho such scenes actually don't contribute much to the plot). In contrast there is a subtle disdain for the more diplomacy-minded characters shown in scenes where Olivia's ideologies are measured up against theirs (eg. Any scene where Hana and Olivia are supposed to work together, or the vast difference between the "valiant" Lythikos tournament and the "ridiculous" Castelserraillan flower competition in TRH3).

Even though it is often the diplomacy that saves the day at the end, the framing always highlights the militaristic way of thinking more positively. Given that Kara writes a lot of Olivia, and a fair amount of Liam, it's pretty obvious now where her (and the team's) particular bias may lie.

Because of this bias, it became far easier for TRR's writers to lean into popular fandom myths when it suited them, or pander to a particular section of the fandom. Which is the subject of my next section.

Fandom Entitlement

Olivia often has two types of fans - the ones who wanted to ship her with their MCs in canon (and couldn't), and the ones who wanted to be "bestieeeees!" with her. The frustration of the former was rooted in the fact that wlw had only one romantic option, but I will not be talking about them.

The latter were found in plenty among the Liam, Drake and Maxwell stans - all of whom either viewed her as an ally to win over (Liam), or as someone to push onto Liam, so they could romance the men they preferred in peace (mostly Drake and Maxwell. Some Hana stans but not as many).

As I'd mentioned in an earlier section, Olivia's final scene in TRR1 allowed people who didn't want to romance Liam, to envision a narrative 'out' for themselves. By the time Olivia reappeared in TRR2 Ch 5, she'd gained a cult following among many, many fans. A lot of them were actively rooting for the start of a romance between Liam and Olivia, and very few resented her for her feelings or begrudged her past actions.

But there was one downside. The intent among the majority who rooted for this pairing, was more about "getting Liam out of the way", than any actual romantic potential. Because of this, certain Liam x Olivia stans (ironically, the Drake romancers were the loudest voices in this group) felt a ridiculous level of entitlement towards this pairing.

A number of readers insisted on having Liam fall for Olivia immediately, wanted him to show feelings for her instantly, and complained when he didn't do so while his (optional) romance with the MC was still on.

Olivia's sad, longing gazes in TRR2 propelled many a reader to complain about what an awful situation poor Olivia was in and how insensitive and uncaring Liam was (even in the face of screenshots that clearly showed him worrying about her desolate mood). One of many examples comes from a post in Feb 2018 - a Drake stan's written walkthrough of TRR2 Ch 10, and ironically the following lines were made above a screenshot set that clearly showed Liam noticing how sad she was and worriedly asking the MC about that:

Liam finds you and as always, can’t help fawning over you. This time Olivia is right there and he is like, Oh yeah, Olivia, you are too here, hi. She definitely notices, gets upset, and leaves because she really does love him and she is third choice at best.

This was not the only one. There were multiple posts like these, and they often positioned Olivia as a figure of sympathy, yearning for a love that would never be hers. Liam in these readings was always positioned as someone who "didn't care" and later, "didn't deserve Olivia".

When he did start showing an interest in Olivia in Book 3, it went largely unnoticed by most of the fandom, even though he was romancing her in at least 3 out of 4 playthroughs. There were very, very few posts made about any of these romantic moments. Instead, from Chapters 3 to 10 of TRR3 - where Liam didn't show any indications of heartbreak re: the MC - certain Drake/Maxwell fans made posts complaining over his not pining over the MC, or theorizing that some of his friendly attempts to educate the MC about the country had to have been done with more than friendship in mind.

This section of the fandom often got insane amounts of pandering from the writers themselves. When TRR3 returned from a hiatus post Ch 9, we were suddenly hit with more scenes involving Liam's "heartbreak" (it featured sporadically in all three of the other playthroughs, but you could tell it was tailor-made for the Drake one because it got referenced there waaaay more) before the big battle with Anton. Fandom spoke far more on these scenes than on the ones they got for Liam x Olivia.

What was completely missed was that such "heartbreak" scenes happened because there was a demand from readers who weren't even Liam stans in the first place, and the same stans didn't hesitate to flip and label him "desparate" or "pining" or write fanfic where he was an absolute creep in response to a thing they asked for!

As for talk of the Liam x Olivia ship post TRR3, the phrase "sloppy seconds" started to be used often to address the pair after the series ended, and there were quite a few posts claiming that Liam didn't deserve such an incredible woman like Olivia.

(Edit Source: the playchoicesconfessions Tumblr blog)

Using the pining subplot that nonLiam stans had asked for, some of the same people would insist that Olivia "deserved better than to be sloppy seconds" (at some point after TRR3, I noticed that even some Liam stans would say the same!). This argument often came hand-in-hand with the lie that Liam never cared for Olivia enough (as one can see in the edit above). It also often hinged on the premise that the MC was Liam's first love, that he wouldn't (and shouldn't!) ever get over her, and that anyone else would rank as second best to him. And while I agree that Olivia deserves a partner who would wholeheartedly love her, this argument seemed to come from people who were eerily reluctant to imagine Liam leading a happy life without the MC.

Tbh, the fandom at large has always had a very confusing relationship with Liam as a character. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said that from TRR2 onwards, making Liam a scapegoat was a very popular reading from the fandom. He was often expected to live up to impossible standards - way more than the other male LIs - and criticized incessantly for dialogues and action that the other two could easily get away with.

Many fans were (rightfully) frustrated by how Liam could have romantic lines by default (which the MC would by default reciprocate, to their chagrin) all through TRR1 - while ignoring romantic default dialogues from Drake - but also complained when Liam responded more calmly than expected to her rejection of his proposal. They also didn't like that he could be largely neutral/merely friendly towards the MC for most of TRR3. Damned if he didn't, damned if he did.

I'm not saying that this was the viewpoint of the entire fandom. There were people - yours truly included - who pushed back against such a biased view of this pairing. Against a view that insisted on centering only Olivia's feelings, while either badmouthing Liam for not returning her love, or ignoring the times when he did. There were people who pointed to canon for proof that he cared.

But enough voices vouched for this other, more unsavoury reading that "Olivia deserves better than to be Liam's sloppy seconds", that it became quite popular. That it became the accepted view in canon too, when the writers began work on TRH.

Olivia x Liam (not), TRH and Beyond

As we all know by now, Liam x Olivia did not happen in TRH. After a dance and an invitation to a date in the finale, Liam was back to being single and uninterested in any romantic relationships (like all the other LIs). It went to the point where he was ready to appoint the MC's future child as his heir (heir apparent, not presumptive. The fandom mockingly dubbed him "Rumpelstiltskin" for this). At the time, I imagined that perhaps the narrative was trying to erase the pair altogether, since no other LI got paired up either. It would be fair.

This wasn't exactly the case. In fact, in my opinion, what they managed to do was much worse.

(Screenshots from the HR Gameplay YouTube channel. Liam is renamed "Rayden" here)

Savannah's bachelorette (TRH1 Ch 7) has the MC and the ladies "address" certain pairings that were hinted at in TRR3. One doesn't get addressed at all, one addresses the LI by name only if the playthrough isn't the one where the MC is married to him.

Olivia's is the only one that got addressed regardless of whether the MC was married to the man she had wanted or not. And looking at the scene now, I really, really wish they didn't write it at all.

If the MC encourages Olivia to talk about her feelings for Liam, the latter shows anger and resentment over Liam not choosing her twice over. This, despite the fact that he did attempt to date her the previous book. This, despite the fact that he never indicated interest until he actually felt it. This... despite the fact that not returning the feelings of someone who likes you romantically is a normal, natural thing that said someone should accept without judging other person!

In fact, the fandom was more than willing to view other LIs "not returning feelings" as normal, natural and blameless...so why did only Olivia get sympathy and praise for her unrequited love, and why did only Liam have to be criticised for the same?? Even in THIS scene??

Liam x Olivia would not be referenced for 3-and-a-half books after this, until the very end of TRF. Over the course of the series, the team tested her compatibility and possible chemistry with at least two side characters. One was Jin, the Auvernese spy that Olivia fights with in TRH1 Ch 19. While they did seem to have some banter in the first book and a smattering of scenes in the second, interest quickly died down and Jin was written out of the story once the Auvernese royals' scandals were exposed.

TRH3 then hinted at Amalas x Olivia as a pair, peppering hints as early as the introductory chapters. There had been a few murmurings among the fandom for the same, since a number of wlw were fond of Olivia, and people liked headcanoning her as bi or lesbian (in fact, when the team claimed in a TRH1 livestream that having Olivia as an LI would "soften her" too much, the fandom protested). Amalas x Olivia was met with more approval than Jin x Olivia, and in TRF you could encourage Olivia to ask either Liam or Amalas for a dance.

Liam himself never got any other options for romance (understandable, none of the LIs did), and in fact had several aspects of his story chipped away, chunk by chunk, to benefit other characters. In the end, Liam is treated like Olivia's "alternative LI" than the other way around.

It was a pretty ironic ending for a pairing that people felt so entitled over in the beginning. After years of protests against Olivia being Liam's "sloppy seconds" just because he chose her after being rejected by their MCs... the narrative didn't mind treating him like some sort of "consolation prize" (one of two) for Olivia. And as expected, nor did the fandom.

Conclusion: Could This Pairing Have Worked?

Much as I dislike it now, I did think Liam x Olivia had some potential back then. Politically and emotionally, Liam and Olivia were opposites in many ways. There was a lot you could explore. Their background history and the sweetness of their childhood story had the potential to add layers to their dynamic.

But for a pair like Liam x Olivia to work, romantically, some things would need to change:

1. Respect in the writing room for both their ideologies, not just Olivia's. If you view one with adulation and the other with disdain, that will eventually show in the writing. These two could have been a solid power couple if the team could just set aside their boners for violence and knives once in a fucking while.

2. THE KISS. If you're going to have that kind of a scene around, especially in the context of TRR1's larger story, it needs to be addressed. From Liam's point of view. With Olivia openly regretting it and atoning for it, and Liam getting to choose how to handle that. It isn't just enough to assume they spoke offscreen, and then pretend the forced kiss never happened or that that violation meant nothing.

Olivia was wrong. Olivia crossed boundaries. Olivia disregarded Liam's consent. Liam was the victim here, not the person the MC should be shouting at - even by option.

If a romance should proceed between the two, that kiss deserves to be addressed with a lot of sensitivity and respect to Liam's own experience.

3. BALANCE! Between their perspectives, their viewpoints, their beliefs. Which would only be possible if you equally valued both characters.

4. Respect for Liam's feelings and his romantic choices, whatever they may be. Liam knows what he likes best. Him not returning Olivia's feelings is not a crime, nor does it make him any less of a caring person. Him falling in love a second time, seeing an old friend in a new light, should have been embraced as a concept.

Loving someone else deeply in the past shouldn't make his feelings for his second love any less genuine. But most of the fandom adopted such a way of viewing the Liam x Olivia relationship because it allowed them to pity Olivia and blame Liam (again) - and the team validated those sentiments out of excessive care for one character, and a lack of it for another.

Changes like these four would have definitely made for a better-written alternative romance. But given the kind of team and the fanbase TRR had, none of the changes I mention here would ever have a hope of becoming a reality. Olivia is too popular, too beloved to her writers and fandom, (and too white!) to be viewed with even this much of a critical eye. And tbh, once the fandom has marked a character (esp a character of colour - customizable or not) as a scapegoat, they would enjoy bashing them too much to stop. From then on, it would only be a matter of which excuse, which nitpick, which set of double standards, would work best.

Liam and Olivia had potential. And the narrative was able to get that story to the point where the two could at least have a first date. But team TRR squandered all its future possibilities in the mad rush to pander to a portion of their fandom, with a clear bias for the side character...and so we will never know how a more balanced portrayal would've looked like.

A/N3: I have quoted posts that have actually appeared on Tumblr, but without any identification marks. All of them are one among many such posts - either lost to digital decay or hard to find. I do not want to call out any of the individual posters - I want to make it clear that many of these posts are indicative of a fandom-wide problem. Do not try to find out, or harrass, these posters.

Next - Maxwell and Penelope: When You Like the Side Character So Much, You Gift Her A Shiny New LI

[seelestia]

who are a few mutuals that you appreciate alot? mutual appreciation day 🥰❤️😊🤩💐✨

OOOO FUNFUNFUN!!! thank u so much for sending this in and for essentially spreading positivity, nonnie. this is appreciated ♡ also, instead of strictly moots, i decided to extend my appreciation to everyone! moots, anons, friends and readers alike ໒꒰ྀི´ ˘ ` ꒱ྀིა

some odeliaesqué sappy appreciation under the cut:

@yvnaology - one of my fav facts abt yona was that she's one of the first moots i ever had on tumblr!!! and she's a lyney kisser and a fellow aventurine kisser (#taste). also she's so silly (/aff) and easy to talk to! like u'll feel at ease around her. she deserves good great and awesome things in life, so make sure to water ur yona daily with love <3

@solarisfortuneia - mika wished me congrats when i reached 1k and i still remember it till this day <3 she's friendly in a shy/modest way and suchsuchsuch a good writer! e.g. i cry over this every day actually. mika also has her silly moments sometimes too. someone save her /j

@floraldresvi - simply the sweetest & most supportive moot EVER! vivi is full of love and she's good at giving some of that love to others <3 her selfships are like bottles of serotonin to me. 100% would drop anything and everything in my hands to support her!!! and ik she'd do the same for me <3 mwah mwah 💐💐

@monicahar - the moot who comes online once in a while and drops absolute meals when she does. ate, left no crumbs 🔥🔥 also SUPER FUNNY!!! and unhinged, i'm concerned but amused at the same time. i hope she's having a nice break!! thank u for ur past & future services ma'am. we love u 🤭🤭

@milk-violet - MIREI !!! sunshine personified but also vv precious. i'm the leader of # protecc mirei squad (real). best person to have ever appeared in my notifs and i lovelovelove when her username pops up. take care & good luck with school! IK U CAN DO IT. remember what i said: slay before ur slayed 🗣️

@xianyoon - the butterfly moot 🦋 !!! both socially and aesthetically hehe. sosooso sweet & kind. has creative projects and executes them well at that too. i personally crown her as genshinblr's best hostess™! also, send her a moodboard and she'll cherish u forever - that's one of her love languages <3 ++ her pretty & aesthetic rb's are such a good refresh for my dash. love her for it!!

@hermosacolibri - the name, 'starlight' fits them sm bcs i feel like if we were to take a peek into their mind, stars will burst out!!! /pos (<- unique complimenting skills ik pardon me). their ideas are brilliant and i can tell they put their all into pursuing their vision <3 it's truly an honor to be a witness & reader. if u want to check them out, they write over at @/starlightlacrimosazpsff !!! ★

@wolfhookk - aaaaa ri !!!! booping her x1000 rn bcs i cannot believe boop trend ended when she came online. the discrimination 😔 /j i'll always remember ri as my first ever moot on here like first, 1st, #1!!! i forever thank her for swooping into my inbox back then and she's welcome to do that even now any time she likes <3

@kaiserkisser - skylia is the true angst consumer, the realest of it!! even in different fandoms LOL. she's nice (and gremlin-ish) when u get to know her more and she reciprocates energy really well! i'll never forget the disaster of boops in my notifs /lh

@callilouv - COOL MUTUAL ALERT !!!! cool art & cool interests. truly, picasso w/ the finger and fandoms!! idk if cal still draws with his finger dhjahshsj but still vv mega cool!

@manager-of-the-pudding-bank - the grandpas & old men kisser where art thou 💔 /j loqua has that awkward & silly rizz!!! idk if she still does wax stamps but i still think it's really cool. bcs qua's just cool in general !!! hehe

@calxlu - aaaaa vi!!! the one who enables my rambles and selfships shhshsh i am so thankful <3 rambler 🤝 rambler is the best. i love talking to her and it's super reassuring to know that it's mutual! even if i take some time but i always look forward to seeing her replies in my inbox. it's like we're penpals across the screen talking abt irl stuff and our f/o's ꒰✿´ ꒳ ` ꒱♡

& honorable mention: @/zhongrin. rin does not interact with minors anymore (which i respect and so should everyone!), so we count as former moots. but !!! i still think she's an amazing person regardless <3 (note: her blog is equally as great but plsplspls be mindful of her rules beforehand.)

brainrot anon - A REAL ONE!!! always there when i come back from the grave each time. i get reminded of them whenever i look at my inbox, it's an instinct atp. their brainrots are so fun & random (but that's a charm in itself /pos) !!! tbh i love elaborating them all so never stop sending the brainworms in <3 feel free to treat my inbox as a drop-off for ur thoughts LMAO /gen. come by again soon!

michiki anon - MY COUSINNNMNMN!!! i still love and miss when they'd come into my inbox to chat. it was so nice getting to know someone in a casual way <3 i hope ur doing well wherever u are, michikinon! i'm doing well these days and i hope u are too 🤍

rix anon - their series still has me FLOOOORED. i still think it deserves a proper platform than just thru my lil ol inbox. it deserves more recognition :( but just the fact that i got to help share their writing alone is an honor of its own!!! i hope ur doing well too, rix anon <3

++ everyone who has left a nice feedback / said anything nice in my notifs or my inbox!! even a simple 'cute' or 'this is good' or even just leaving a note means sososo much to me. i'm just a measly guy in my own little corner on this site, really - so thank u thank u thank u all !!! 🫂

[kaiserkisser]

welcome

"evil expects evil from others."

⋆ ˚୨୧⋆ skylia, she/her, teen

⋆ ˚୨୧⋆ diehard xiao, kaiser, dan heng and soukoku kisser, currently hyperfixating on bsd a bit too much

⋆ ˚୨୧⋆ multifandom main/ interaction blog

.｡.:*☆ links:- about me || my beloved mutuals || carrd ◃:.☆❃

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ please note!

-please keep in mind that i shitpost and ramble and reblog a lot on this blog

-moots only can ask for my priv blog thru an ask or dm <3

-i use a lot of small emoticons and tonetags especially, and i usually avoid interacting first bc im shy and awkward like that

-but if and when i do open up, i often interact a lot. if u dont like/want that, pls do lmk i will take no offence /gen

*+:｡.｡.｡:+* dni -> 18+ only blogs ,NSFW blogs, bots, haters, general dni criteria. If i feel uncomfortable I will block you. Please avoid interacting with me if you are above 25-30 or so unless you know im comfortable with it (you can ask me first and interacts with my works though)

.・゜゜・other blogs:-

»» writing blog: @xiaosonlybeloved (i write for bsd, genshin, and bllk as of now)

»» bsd sb: @chuuya-kisser (insanely active there)

»» art sb: @skylia-draws

»» modern au dazai rp blog: @modernzai (pls interact with me lmfao)

»» 18! dazai rp blog: @mackerel-executive

»» if you find my old jjk blog good for you

*♡∞:｡.｡ currently doing: rewatching bsd, playing hsr

putting this here bc i want to read everything

thank you for your time :)

creds: dividers by @cafekitsune, first and last pics from pinterest

[zhongrin]

𝐄𝐁𝐆 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

Oct 2023 ⟡ hosted by @/i23kazu at @/zhongrin

⟣ main ebg post

pinned post | announcement | starter post

𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐬

#rin plays ebg | #coviello answers | #coviello is serving tea to: anonymous | #coviello's journal | #??? ships | #coviello rambles

𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬

mirko | risu | moth | psy | alyssa | queen | navina | printsessa| mistress | aine | brosch | princess-syalis | dresvi (tag 1 / tag 2) | holly | shiro | crys | kopi | amy | skylia | mika | virdiaura

𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

good end: psy | risu

neutral end: dresvi | crys | holly (aftermath) | moth

bad end: anon | queen (aftermath)

𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐲

polls: day 1 | day 2 | happy | day 3 | day 4 | day 5 | day 6 | day 7

cipher: one | two

"...." | like ocean waves fluttering against shores | "what are you doing?" | something is not right | matching jewelries | "........" | mother | not friends | adrenaline rush | lazy day | night stroll

ginger tea | osmanthus tea (fin) // risu's gift <3

story quest: 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫: 𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐈

thank you post | explanation post

the letter that legit made me tear up | the interview: one // two // three // four

© 2023 / @zhongrin

[ilyuu]

💌 send this to the twelve nicest people you know or who seem to have a good heart and if you get five back you must be pretty awesome. don't feel obligated to continue the chain!! I just wanted to let you know 💌 <3

SKYLIA!! hihiihihiihihihiihhiiihhihhihihihihi thanks for visiting me unfortunately i’m kinda trying to mop up my tears right now so :D

[kitorin]

✨🩷🌙SEND THIS TO OTHER BLOGGERS YOU THINK ARE WONDERFUL. KEEP THE GAME GOING ✨🩷🌙

(pls dont feel pressured to do this, and we havent interacted in ages but ur amazing!!)

THANK YOU SKYLIA LOVELY I MISSED YOU SO MUCH HELLO !! I've been so inactive on the main but I hope you've been doing well <3 Your bsd content is encouraging me to get back into it I swear :>

[xiaosonlybeloved]

festival~ gorou

@i23kazu hope i managed to get this out before the ebg's end! this one feels a bit weird bc its written in first pov, and its kinda short too, but i hope it fits the bill >:)

wc- 338 words, 1st pov

***

Entry 2

Ah, I'm so tired.. It's almost midnight really, and we- Gorou and I- have just come back from the festival. But it was so much fun, the most fun I've had in a looong time. We left in the evening, but there was so much to do. First things first- I found out that although Gorou's aim was excellent in the air, he absolutely sucked when it came to water. You know those games where you have to catch fish in water with loops or something? Yeah, that was the first game we tried out, and he failed miserably. (It was adorable seeing him all concentrated though.) He seemed so dejected after that though, so I caught two instead- one for him and one for myself. He did make up for it though by getting me plushies of my favorite anime characters from that one stall where you threw rings to win stuff. We played a bunch of more games for a while (I couldn't resist teasing him about his excitement-his tail was wagging and it was incredibly cute.) and then had a dinner date at one of the bigger stalls after nightfall. He got so flustered when I tried to feed him some dango, that I couldn't help laughing. When the moon was high up in the sky, we just sat at the beach for a while, gazing up at the stars, hand in hand, one of mine delicately holding the bouquet of exotic Qingxins that he'd got for me along with the ones needed for decorations of the festival. It felt so…. Peaceful.

Peace was something that had been eluding me recently, what with all the weird dreams and strange letters I'd been getting. I couldn't remember anything before the storm that had left me wrecked in Inazuma- I'd built myself a new life there. But… Was there something I was missing? Was there a reason for the strange, inexplicable longing for someone I didn't remember, that I felt when I was alone?

[xianyoon]

HIHIHI YINGGGG

Omgggg ur spring event post is SO PRETTY!!!!! like i took one look at it and immediately knew that it was made by you djsvshskshcj

well um I'd like to take part in event two- mix 'n match mocktails if u dont mind and the slots are still open <333

🌷

well, as u already know, im skylia, i adore reading all kinds of things, books (mostly fiction but eh), i absolutely love making traditional artwork too, mostly pencil sketching but i also do acrylics and occasionally watercolors, oh and i love anything related to the stars, galaxy, skies esp night skies amd basically the world beyond. uhhh i dont like bitter stuff ig? and like i dont like being blunt, im a diplomatic person of sorts lmaoo

id prefer to not be matched with women, if thats alright, otherwise im fine with any character!

id like a romantic matchup, and my favorite color is any shade of purple

thank u yingg and again i love ur event! <3

(I might also take part in the first event heh if i get the motivation to write djgsjsbshs)

🌷

hiyaa skylia ! thanks for joining my little event hehheee without further ado ; here's your matchup :

i match you up with . . .

thoma !

thought this was cute hehee but brown cat x orange cat ? perhaps ?

i think you and him spending some quiet and winding down time together would be cute :3 just being able to read together or do some artwork – quality time is always welcome when both of you are so busy !

maybe perhaps stargazing with him too ? when all the duties for the day are done and he can sit down with you , taking a breather and a moment to himself and to indulge in your presence for just a bit <3

both of you are more diplomatic people – i think you're the oil for a cog, the one who figures out how to get things done smoothly without raising any tension of sorts. kind of like how he is !

all in all very cute and sweet hehee

[floralovebot]

i hope everything will be okay:")) sending a huuuuuge heart to you <3

what do you think about helia and sky's friendship?? i think they are such an interesting duo!! do you have any headcanons? i LOVE talking and reading about the rf squad.. those boys make me so 'UURDGWGSHQWAWAWA' ☺

(orrrr we can talk about rivelia bc i keep thinking about them and.... uh.. yk... them🤝👀)

thank you!! things are much better now! <333

AND YES OF COURSE!!! i thought i had posted about them before A Lot but all the posts are actually in the drafts OOPS

but to summarize, skylia have a really interesting to me!! i've mentioned it a few times in passing on helia and often rivelia posts but they have a really good understanding of each other that makes them very protective of each other. we see this a lot with helia just checking in on sky and making sure he's okay (something that we usually only ever see brandon and bloom do) and even more so with sky defending helia. i think something that's SO interesting about their dynamic is how sky defends helia specifically from the other characters instead of villains.

on missions, we don't see this behavior, but in their personal life, we do. and i think this really highlights how often sky feels Personally Attacked and how much he takes to heart. it doesn't happen as much after helia is Officially in the group and there's no longer friction between him and the other specialists, but this makes why it was happening a little more obvious. a lot of the initial hesitance toward helia was the others thinking he was going to be like sky,,, and like... sky may not be Consciously aware of this but i think he is on some level and that's why he would always end up defending helia. it was more of a projection on his part!

but he genuinely liked helia from the beginning and was able to see past that hesitance from the others because they were being judged for similar things (nepo baby, not working as hard, getting undermined, etc). BUT i think this is a big reason why helia is a little more forgiving of sky and a little more understanding when he's acting up. it's interesting to me because helia really isn't the kind of person that puts up with a ton of bullshit. he can understand bad moods and he can give people second chances, but if someone is consistently fucking up, he's pretty quick to end the relationship/not pay attention to them. so it was always fascinating to me to see him not only constantly give sky second chances but also seem very willing to just let sky off the hook (something he doesn't do often with the guys).

i feel like there are a lot of components to this aspect of their relationship, and the other specialists factor in A Lot with this too, but i really feel as though they have this weird sort of... I Understand Him Because I've Been Through The Same Treatment So I Feel Bad For Him But He Won't Stop Acting Up. and they're both like that aljdghljadg helia gets stressed whenever sky prioritizes his parent's wishes over his own needs and constantly checks in to make sure sky is okay. sky gets stressed whenever helia ditches people or feels hurt by their friends. and because they're able to understand each other's emotions that they're not showing to other people, it ends up making them somewhat protective and Very Very forgiving of each other. like when i say that sky lets helia do whatever the fuck he wants i mean it!!

[glacialheart]

Hmph

The heavenly aroma of hyderabadi biryani.... Its simply delectable taste....i got to experience it all plenty today and ill experience it tomorrow too 😌😌

oooh have fun <333 here's hoping an elaichi doesn't ruin your experience like it ruined lily's