#ChoicesCreates Round 20

[alwaysanotherooc]

When Winter Reaches Vaanu

Prompt: The above song, Holland by Novo Amor. Thank you @hollyashton and @jessicamckenzie for hosting this week of Choices Creates! Rating: T to be safe, but not really necessary. Warnings: Sad and lots of pining. Fandoms: Endless Summer Characters: Prince Varyyn, Diego Ortiz Soto. Pairings: One sided Varyyn/Diego Ortiz Soto Description: Made for Round 20 of Choices Creates. Varyyn thinks on how he wishes he could have said goodbye to Diego, as they watch Sharktooth Isle grow smaller and smaller as they sail away.

Varyyn POV

His eyes were beautiful. 

That had been my first coherent thought upon meeting Diego. Those eyes that were the exact shade of the amber we used in our weapons, the same shade of the amber of the Idols. But his eyes...they were not cold or cruel mockeries of fate.

They were warm. They were kind. 

And they were sad, but that sadness was well hidden. He hid it behind bright smiles and easy laughter, that somehow he still meant with all of his heart. 

Diego was...fascinating. He made jokes I didn’t understand but still found amusing, he rolled his eyes at Seraxxa and indulged every whim Uqzhaal came to him with, no matter how trivial. And he mourned his friends, the other Catalysts, with such passion and such a look of deep agony that even Seraxa hadn’t asked him about their location again.

I knew that look he buried beneath his smiles and his laughter, that look of loss and hurt that could barely be comprehended. I’d felt it before as well. 

I hated to admit it but in the next few months, I allowed myself to get attached to Diego. I let myself...grow close with him. Laugh at his jokes and his whispered comments about Seraxa. I let him tell me about his friends, and for the first time I understood why they acted the way they did, and it had hit me that the Catalysts were not gods after all...

Just twelve people who had no idea what had been awaiting them when they came to Vaanu. They were simply people who were scared for their lives and for the lives of their friends. 

Diego spoke of them more and more often as time marched onward, although he only ever did so with me, late at night after our lessons in English. His eyes grew hazy and soft and...beautiful.

Love will do that to a person’s eyes. It makes them beautiful.

The months had dragged on and his smiles became more frequent, stronger, his laughs longer and more honest, and I ignored the glances my mother sent my way when he reached for me while learning about our history, about his own fate and legacy.

I ignored the hum of pleasure and the soft glow of happiness that came whenever Diego turned to me to share a new discovery, a new idea or thought, his eyes bright and wide and almost happy.

I pushed away the thoughts that crept into my head late, late at night as I lay sleeping in my own bed. Thought’s of Diego’s hands, his mouth, the way he moved, the sound of his voice when he whispered, the scent he carried that was purely his, the way the sunlight of Vaanu seemed to curve around his skin like an embrace. The beautiful hue of his eyes lingered in my thoughts for hours at night.

He began to haunt my every breath, lingering in my mind without reprieve, a ray of hopeful sunshine that warmed my entire being in a way I had never known I needed. I lived for every moment his eye met mine, every word he spoke to me, only to me, every single brush of his fingers against my skin, and every moment where he forgot himself and laughed, long and hard, head thrown back in glee.

I never let myself reach for him in that way, because he was not mine to crave or desire, he was a Catalyst and a possible bringer of destruction for my people’s way of life. It was not right to think of him as often as I did, to dream of him the way I did when I awoke in the middle of the night, panting and sweating with his name on my lips and the dream of his skin beneath my hands causing my heart to thunder in my chest. 

I knew it was twisted to desire him, a captive under my hold, and so I made no advances, and I said nothing and ignored Seraxa’s narrowed eyes and my mother’s own forceful gaze when he was near.

He was not...it would never have been right to voice any of the confused and tangled and...loving thoughts he invoked in me. So I kept silent and let him heal from his hurt and his pain.

Seeing him reunited with his friends had been both ecstasy and agony, for I knew what came next, and I couldn’t bear to be torn from him by death or exile, and yet his eyes shone with such relief and joy at seeing his friends again that I could not begrudge them their reunion.

We took the Catalysts to Sharktooth Isle, and as I stood looking into Diego’s beautiful amber eyes, I found desperation clawing at my gut, the words last chance ringing over and over and over again in my head.

But it was not right to push these feelings onto him, without even taking into consideration the fact I had just banished him and his friends into exile. So I merely forced a smile, clasped his shoulder and turned back from the boats before I forgot myself.

And as the boat sailed away, Uqzhaal’s eyes still locked onto the retreating island, I did not let myself look back, did not let the pain show on my face.

Diego was gone and now it was too late.

I let the others guide the boat back to the shore and imagined, for a single moment, what it would have been like.

To instead take Diego’s face in my hands and seal my lips to his, to feel him under my hands, to hold him against me, our arms wrapped tightly around one another. What it would have been like to press my adoration and passion into his skin, to whisper my...my love...

I blinked and let the image float away.

Diego was gone and it was too late.

Uqzhaal sighed, and I looked over at him.

He looked tired, and old, like the world had suddenly gotten much harder.

Which, actually, it had.

Uqzhaal spoke, his voice somewhat startling in the silence of the evening, “There is always snow.”

“What do you mean?” I questioned softly.

Uqzhaal looked back at me, eyes unfooled and sad. “When times are painful. There is always snow when times are painful.”

Uqzhaal pointed up towards the mountains, laid heavy with white snow that shone even in the dark of the night. “And this, my Prince, is winter.”

I said nothing and tried not to think of amber eyes and skin loved by the sun.

“Winter has come to Vaanu, my Prince. I think times are going to become more painful before they ease.” Uqzhaal’s voice was softer now.

He looked back towards Sharktooth Isle. “But I do not think we are the ones in danger of this pain.” As he turned back, his eyes caught on me, and he paused. “Well...not for most of us at least.”

I looked down at the blade at my side, the amber glinting in the moonlight, and the ever-present memory of Diego’s eyes haunting me. 

That was the awful thing about when you loved someone. They were always so beautiful, and it was always painful.

[cinnamonroll-duffy]

#ChoicesCreates69 (20 -27 July)

Credit to  @miss-twombly for the gif.

Thanks to those who had submitted last round ( @mariamatsuo , @choiceslife , @writtenbycandy ,  @itsalliepg , @lizeboredom ,  @september-stardust , @kinkykingliam  , @endlessflame, and @trr-duchessofvaltoria). The compilation is here. 

This week’s theme is:

Wrong Choices

None of the Choices characters are perfect (except Nathan, ofc), and they find themselves in situations they never wanted. This where we explore regrets and things our dear characters would want to differently..

Post your creative works by Friday the 20th of July by 7pm, Chicago Time.

Remember these 3 steps (Your Work won’t be published in the compilation without it.):

Include #ChoicesCreates69 and #ChoicesCreates in your tags, as it helps us track your entries better.

Share your link with me via DM or submit.

Mention me ( @clonedhayden )   in your post.

Reblog with one of your greatest regrets and spread the word.

[scgdoeswhat]

20 Years Later

Prompt:  Round 43 of #ChoicesCreates: 20 Years Later, hosted by @dopecatcollins and @theroyalwreck.

Summary:  Jake reflects on his own life and his decisions that have brought him to this point, 20 years after escaping La Huerta. (Jake x F!MC)

Rating:  PG-13 (Primarily swearing)

Words: 1,613

Author’s Notes:  This turned out to be more of a character study of Jake and it completely deviated from the original outline I had planned.  This is also my first fic for Endless Summer (and Choices, in general) so I hope I did the characters justice.  No Beta used. Jake and co. belong to Pixelberry, while OCs, some backstory, and plot belong to me.  Thanks for reading and I’d love to hear your feedback!  

Jake McKenzie walked out of his beachfront shack and towards his hammock, beer in hand, ready to relax and do absolutely nothing on his day off.  It had been 20 years since the asinine and unexplainable events of La Huerta.  Time had slowly helped him cope with his emotional scars, though deep down, he knew it was more the whiskey and beer that helped numb everything so he could live.

“Live?” He scoffed. “Fuck that, more like barely survive,” he said to himself while taking a swig of the bottle of beer.

And survive he had. It’s what he was good at.  In those years on the run prior to that fateful charter to La Huerta, he somehow was able to lay low in Costa Rica, procuring odd jobs without putting himself on the map.  This was how he met his pseudo-boss, Manuel, who needed someone to help man a boat after his original worker could not make it that day for one reason or another. Jake had been on the docks, waiting for any opportunity, when he heard Manuel cursing up a storm about losing a couple grand because of that puta madre. That day on the docks started a fruitful partnership that allowed him to obtain Delilah and he was always thankful for the friendship, not to mention Manuel’s lack of questioning over his past.

“‘La Huerta, was it really 20 years ago?’” he thought, eyes looking out over the sparkling ocean.

Ironically, time for Jake meant almost nothing to him these days. Days blended into weeks, weeks into months… hell, he didn’t even know what date it was.  He just knew when to come in and earn his pay check.

Apparently the time spent on that damn island didn’t mean much to the outside world either.  While he and the rest of the group were busy bouncing around the space-time continuum, fighting sea monsters, and altogether not trying to get killed, one week had passed by the time he returned to Costa Rica. One whole fucking week.

Jake chugged the rest of his beer as he reflected, dropping the empty bottle into the sand.  It was going to be one of those days.

“Good thing I brought out the fresh bottle of Jack,” he mused, allowing himself to drown in the memories.

He closed his eyes and the first thing that entered his mind was Her. His Princess.  The way she sauntered into his life, commanding his attention and respect. The way her smile lit up the whole room. The way her eyes lit up whenever she looked at him.  It felt like a lifetime ago.  In reality, it was.

His eyes squinted open, frowning as he blindly felt for the bottle underneath the hammock.  Unscrewing the cap, he took a big gulp of the amber liquid, relishing the masochistic burn down his throat, not unlike the memories that burned into his mind.

Jake had loved her.  Who was he kidding?  He still did.  They were soulmates. He never believed in such foolishness until she walked into his cockpit.  He initially wrote it off as a passing fancy. Who wouldn’t have wanted her?  She was a smoking hot, barely legal college co-ed with a mouth on her.

He smirked, “’What a mouth, indeed.’”

As much as he loved the carnal nature of their relationship, it went far beyond the intense physical attraction.  He didn’t know how or when it happened, but she had broken down his walls and firmly planted herself in his heart.  He loved her so much that he knew he had no business being with someone so amazing. There was nothing he could offer her.  A life on the run?  Always hiding and looking behind their backs?  That was no life.  It would have been a prison for her and he couldn’t be the one responsible if something happened.

So Jake did what he did best.  He ran. After the group escaped the island, they found themselves, much to his luck, in Cuba.  He told her he was still wanted and couldn’t go back, especially now that Lundgren was MIA.  He wanted her to finish her degree; to make a life for herself.  She told him he was her life.

He remembered grabbing her after she said that, kissing her passionately and pouring every emotion he had into it.  They made love – multiple times – that night while waiting for the US authorities to gain clearance in order to pick them up.

It was the cowardly way out, he knew, leaving in the middle of the night. If he had stayed, there was no way he would have been able to say no to her.  He had somehow been able to contact his boss and thanks to a few favors called in, he was on his way back to Costa Rica before she would even wake up.

That was the last time he saw her or anyone from the group, aside from that one time 15 years ago when Estela (how the hell did she find him anyway) searched him out, only to call him weak and a bastard for leaving Her in that manner.  He had nothing to say except that she was right.  Estela never bothered him after that.

He kept tabs on the group periodically through years:  Sean went on to have a hall of fame NFL career, all the while with Michelle by his side.  She wasn’t just a trophy wife, either, as she completed medical school and residency from Stanford.  Craig and Zahra went on to be reality stars (total wtf), winning globe-trotting, adventure seeking shows with Craig’s “Chyeah!” becoming a pop culture phenomenon. Raj became a heralded celebrity chef, with his own show and slew of restaurants.

Aleister proved that he wasn’t the dick that betrayed them on the island. He was a silent donor to many philanthropic causes, dismantling Rourke Enterprises in the process.  There was no need to worry financially anyway, as Grace was even more successful than her mother.  Last he heard of Diego, he was able to use some “discarded” technology from Aleister and Grace that allowed him to be with Varyyn.  (Hell if he even began to try and understand how that worked.) Quinn became a successful author, writing fantastical tales about a group of kids stranded on an island, including a girl who became possessed through the island’s power.

Jake waited to see what his Princess was going to do to shake up the world. She graduated… and nothing.  It wasn’t until a couple months after Estela found him that something finally popped up.

“Delacroix Heir Surprise Wedding.”

His mind went numb at the memory of finding out she married some Richie Rich, stick up his ass, wannabe actor, trust fund baby who lived off of daddy’s money. At the time, he couldn’t stop himself from reading the blurb on whatever stupid blog site.  The post detailed the elopement as best as it could, but more importantly, had a picture of the happy couple.  He stared at the photograph. She was as gorgeous as ever, wearing some expensive Italian designer’s strapless number.

Her face told a different story.  She held a smile, sure, but he saw it never reached her eyes.  Or did it?  Maybe his eyes were just interpreting the picture into what he wanted to believe.  It didn’t matter anyway.  He lost any right or claim to her the night he left.  He stopped keeping tabs on everyone after that.

“’It was for the best.  That guy’s been able to give her the life she deserved to have,’” he thought to himself, taking another drink.  He closed his eyes, drifting off to an uneasy slumber, nowhere near as drunk as he would have liked to have been.

Jake is awakened some time later (one hour, two hours?  Who the fuck knows?) by the sound of someone yelling.

“¡Oye, Lobo!”

The half-asleep man rubs his eyes as he sits up groggily.

“¡LOBO!  ¿Dónde estás?”

“Manny, calmate.  I’m over here.  What’s up?”

“’What’s up…?’ Ayyy…” Manuel starts rapidly muttering in Spanish under his breath, with Jake barely making out a few words, including puta and mierda. The Costa Rican man takes a deep breath, glaring at the best pilot he’s ever had on staff.

“Where’s your mobile.  I’ve been calling you for the last hour.  Ricky esta enfermo.  Necesitas que trabajar hoy.”

“Manny.  It’s my day off.  Come on, man.”

“Lo siento, Lobo.  Big money today.  I’ll give you cincuenta por ciento.  She’s paying $10,000 for basic scenic shit.”

Jake’s eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened after doing the quick math. $5,000 would go a long way.  He rubbed a hand over his face.

“Yeah, okay, I’ll do it.  What time?”

“Una hora,” Manuel smiled as he continued, “la chica es muy linda tambien, go clean yourself up, cabrón. Cuando fue la ultima vez que tuviste la concha?”

Jake flicked him off as he went into his place, hearing his boss’ laugh reverberating through the open air.

“’I guess there’s a reason why I didn’t get stinkin’ drunk today,’” Jake contemplated. “Few grand for a couple hours work ain’t bad at all.

He walked towards the helipad, spotting a solitary figure close to the helicopter… and what a nice figure it was.  She had these long and smooth legs, a nice ass, trim waist, with hair that cascaded down her back.  She looked deep in thought and didn’t hear him approach.

“Excuse me, miss?”  He turned on the charm as he addressed her. “Hi, I’ll be your pilot today. I’m – “

She whipped around, but the world had gone into slow motion for him.

“Jake???”

“Princess???”

FIN.

[jessicamckenzie]

#ChoicesCreates Round 20 Masterlist!

Can you guys believe that there’s already been 20 rounds of #ChoicesCreates?!  I am beyond honoured to be the host for this round! Lets give a round of applause to the fabulous @hollyashton for starting off the entire thing! And lets have another round of applause for this awesome, talented fandom for submitting so many amazing entries!

This week’s prompt was the song ‘Holland’ by Novo Amor! It’s a favourite of mine and @hollyashton so I’m really glad that so many of you guys have enjoyed it!

So without further ado, here’s the masterlist!

P.s. if I’ve accidentally left out your work please message me and I’ll add it to the masterlist straight away!

The Freshman/ The Sophomore:

1. Not good enough- James x MC @hhiggs

2. My Man- James x MC @hhiggs

3. Too Much- James x MC @keltic-moon

Endless Summer:

4. What He Should Have Said- Jake x MC @princessmckenzie

5. When Winter Reaches Vaanu- Varyyn x Diego @alwaysanotheroc

6. The winter brings a new- Jake x MC @endless-vall

7. Way Over There- Jake x MC @diamondlessoption

8. Jake x MC fanart @jessicamckenzie

The Crown and the Flame:

9. I’d Follow (playlist mix) - Raydan x Kenna @lucetteriellabritton

The Royal Romance:

10. Saving myself- Drake x MC @andromeda117

11. Winter’s Roses- King Constantine x his first wife @hollyashton

12. Winter Brings a New- Drake x MC @lolablackwrites

13. Poudrerie- Hana x MC @peace-coast-island​

14. Happy Together- Prince Liam x MC @thatocladyplayschoices

15.Winter’s Lament- Drake x MC, Prince Liam x MC, Maxwell x MC, Hana x MC @punexpectedly

16. Battered, Not Broken- Prince Liam x Olivia, Prince Liam x MC @misha726author

Rules of Engagement/ Hero

17. A Man of Your Talents- Dean the bartender @ladyashtonofcordonia

[pixelisperfect]

The Last Few Minutes Have Lasted an Eternity

Author Note: My entry for the ChoicesCreates: Villain theme. It plays pretty lose with the theme but I was trying to capture a descent. Either way, this is what I produced:

Jacob Lucas McKenzie ...was a pretty awful dancer.

He performed the running man with bone chilling sincerity. Popped and locked with next to no situational awareness. Danced to Gangman Style without irony. It was as fascinating to watch as a car accident.

MC hid her grimace at his robot in her fifth glass of wine and pondered at a hotness to awkward movement ratio. That would explain why Estella was standing in the middle of the floor barely moving her arms. But Quinn, Grace and Aleister were moving to the…rhythm so that’s… out…

She blinked blearily, losing her train of thought. She doesn’t bother to chase after it. It was very predictable and dull. And moved on to stare at her boyfriend(?) whose jerky moments could never be predicted, even by the world’s most powerful supercomputer.

They were celebrating, she reminded herself. Life was something to celebrate.

She turned her head to watch Zahra behind the bar. Performing some mixology magic to make a drink that had the patterns of a rainbow. It was some of the rare moments of kindness she’s seen the prickly hacker perform. Not actually rare anymore at this point but her first impressions of the woman has changed significantly. The recipient of the drink was less than cheery upon receiving it though, frankly he was depressed. Separating from Varyyn was hard.

But Diego’s misery is not significant compared to the joy in the room. This is one of the rare moments that Michelle and Sean interact with no awkwardness and regret. Just two friends competitively doing shots against Raj. And losing. MC didn’t need to have time travel powers to know that that would be inevitable.

Thinking was getting harder though. This was one of the heavier drinks and at this point in her existence she knew her limits. She just chose to demolish them in this round. She’s been this drunk before (of course she had) but she has rarely quipped with Craig during. She wants to remind herself which arm he tends to catch himself on when he loses his balance.

She danced to the snack table, pointedly on rhythm, to where Craig should be hanging out. But he wasn’t there. He and most of the others have gathered in front of a window to stare outside. She should have closed the window, she’ll get another chance though. There’s always another chance.

Craig and Raj’s sizable forms cover most of her view but she knew what they were seeing. The world collapsing in on itself. She stares at a clock across the room to reorient her internal timing. At this point, the trees at the horizon should be breaking down to their simplest form before just falling out of existence.

She watches Quinn whimper “No, no”, at this moment the ocean should be cracking and shattering like glass. Three-dimensional reality getting destroyed the way only the two-dimensional can.

She watches Raj hug Diego into his chest. A rare sight but not a new one. Nothing is new anymore. The creeping devastation of La Huerta moves closer to The Celestial, where they all decided to host this little shin ding.

She watches Sean Marcus Gayle, the invincible frontrunner running out of the room, dragging a panic riddled Grace behind him. She followed them once, just to see what he does. They would be exploring the secret room, desperately looking for a clue. They don’t find one.

This doesn’t have to happen though. The panic. The raw animalistic fear. She doesn’t have to watch her friends look at death in the face. Frankly, this would qualify as torture.

She listens to sweet, optimistic Quinn scream her throat raw. This always incites a scramble.

They look to her for guidance. Like she knows what the fuck to do. She ignores their searching stares and focuses on their trembling bodies. The creeping should be eating the gates by now. She could end this now, but she so rarely sees all their minds break.

MC sees Jake move forward, arms stretched to embrace her and the panic hits her. She doesn’t want anyone in this room to fucking touch her. Quickly gripping the gem in her pocket, she focuses her fledging powers into it and the scene around her changes instantaneously.

 Jacob Lucas McKenzie ...was a pretty awful dancer.

And she was jolted into sobriety after her soul(?) was hurtled through time into a sober body. Her sober body. Back to the start of the loop.

Long story short, the team didn’t win. They all thought they did, including her for a while, they left the volcano and Elyys’tel behind with a few souvenirs. Most of it food that they have been determined to ignore. Some ceremonial clothing. One power piece of jewelry. A time travelling jewel that has been helping her relive the twenty minutes before the apocalypse.

She starts to wander the room interrupting conversations, pressuring Aleister to try weird food, hiding the alcohol, generally doing all she can to instill some variety into this loop. Relying on drunkenness all the time would get boring too. She doesn’t think about it much. The past that is. It doesn’t help. 

Cause she’s tried dammit. She’s sprinted to the volcano as fast as she could in the 20 minutes she had, she couldn’t make it. She sent Sean, he couldn’t make it. Jake and she went to the airfield to try and fly out. They didn’t make it. They searched Rourke’s secret room for clues. Nothing they could use. She’s tried everything and if any god that’s watching doesn’t trust her determination, they should trust her sheer boredom. There is nothing she can do. There’s nothing to do. She’s too dumb. Too slow. Too tired. She hasn’t slept for an eternity.

She sees Zahra offer Diego a fruit juice without the alcohol. Again.

She tired of watching the same things over and over ad infinitum.

She watches Diego attempt a smile at the (what he thinks is rare) kindness.

 She tired of having the same conversations. Seeing the same reactions. Hearing the same stories.

 She sees Quinn and Grace dance together as Aleister considers a slimy dish that they were assured was a delicacy. Again.

 She’s tired of manipulating her friends(?). Tired of experimenting in how she could change them in twenty minutes.

 She sees Sean and Michelle grab Estela to teach her how to dance. Again.

 She’s tired of watching relationships build and reset.

 She sees Jake move towards her, sitting next to her on the floor with more grace than his entire stint on the dance floor. She wished the feeling she now calls embarrassment was stronger than this faint buzz.

“I’m not saying you have to find this fun,” he smirks, “but you gotta have a few more drinks before you give up”. Using the same word choices, inflections and cadence.

 She wants to have fun again. But she can’t. She can’t even cry about this. She’s bored with herself, her own thoughts.

“I think I’m done, Top Gun. This island broke me.” She whispers. For the first time.

Jake blinks at her before grinning wildly, “As soon as this lot is done, you’ll never have to see another island again.” Also new.

“Do you swear it?”

“Cross my heart.”

And then MC, the hero, flings her gem through the window. She has his blessing, she doesn’t need to keep doing this. She’s done.

The broken window attracts the rest’s attention.

“Ch’yeah! Let’s break some shit”, Craig hollers. But everyone else is distracted by the sight outside.

They catch the Island’s crumbling from the start.

The panic repeats itself predictably. A broken window isn’t enough of a shock to change their instinctive, repetitive reactions. Sean attempts to save. Quinn snaps. Estela disappears. Craig refuses to look directly at it. Zahra runs. Diego blathers. Grace and Aleister rip the room apart, looking for answers. Michelle weeps furiously... Raj is peaceful.

Jake’s arms are around her. Cursing into her hair. She could help, she could stop all this. She could fling herself after that gem and bring everyone back to happier times. This is new. This is the excitement she’s been craving. This can be satisfying. She doesn’t have to let them die again.

She continues to sit there. Mechanically comforting the man, she once had the ability to love. She watches the room fall into something and the something creep closer to her. She closes her eyes. 

And she lets it consume her.

 …

 And feels Jake let go and shout “What more does this place want?!”

She opens her eyes and sees something other than The Celestial’s club room. Looking around, they seem to be in the most basic version of reality. Everything reduced to its simplest, recognizable form. Except from her friends. They were exactly the same. Safe, unharmed and calming down from the fear.

She didn’t have to spend millennia repeating the same twenty minutes.

Diego walks in front of her and taps her shoulder. “Hey MC, what do you make of this place?” he smiles hesitantly, “Adventure’s not over yet, huh?”

And Maxine Chioma Caulfield’s mind breaks.

And The Endless’ head bends back to release manic laughter.

[coltskaneko]

What He Should Have Said

Prompt: What came out after listening to Holland by Nevo Amor (a beautiful song wow)

Pairings: Jake x MC

Rating: Pretty PG

Thanks to @hollyashton and @jessicamckenzie for hosting Round 20 of ChoicesCreates!

Okay let me preface this by saying try not to focus too much on punctuation - that has always been my weak spot. I didn’t know what to title this soooo this is what u get i guess. Also i wrote this really quickly, it’s almost 9 AM and i need to get on with my day. Anyway I hope you enjoy it and I would love to hear any constructive criticism you may have!!!

He should have said it. Those three words, idyllic on the lips of a dreamer. “But it didn’t feel right.” he cursed; not in that moment. Jake knew it wasn’t right, but the contrition pent up in his chest as he thought of his final moments with her caused him to seethe. Now she will never know.

They dropped him off first, in Costa Rica, before proceeding to leave the island and therefore the peril and constant tribulations. It was obvious that everyone just wanted to go home, to repress, to move on. In a sense that’s exactly what he wanted too, but in his real home. He was stuck, after everything, he still ended up exactly where he began… alone. But what did he expect?

He received a nod from Zahra, a hardy pat on the back from Craig and a sad smile from Quinn. Everyone continued offering their vague gestures; their voices brimming with weariness and bittersweet emotion. And then it happened, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into an embrace, his body flush against hers. And when his comprehensive brain caught up with him, he tightened his arms around her and revelled in the moment. Analyzing every minuscule detail if he ever needed to recreate the memory; and he did. For her touch was all too fleeting, ephemeral was her scent, and too brief were her words. He could spend an eternity in her lilted voice, and her whispered “I’ll see you again” was not nearly enough to tide his senses over. But she had to go, for her home was far away and didn’t involve him. This tortured thought weighed on him, like ink on his fingertips; no matter how hard he tried to wash it off he was left with a raw evocation.

He thought about saying it when she began to retreat, looking straight at him with her astrifer eyes, rivaling the glint of the evening star itself. But how could he? His mind resembled the window-side view of a hastily moving train. And in a blink he was alone, standing on the tarmac of an all too familiar airport.

He found himself here, greeted by his bar patrons “celebrating” his return with an Eagles song playing on the jukebox. He downed his third beer; a feeble attempt to gain a sense of euphoric familiarity. But he found her all around him - in the dim glow of an ambient street light - in the way the sun creeped through his windows at dawn and caught on reflective surfaces and falling dust - in the giggling of a blonde on the other side of the room - and in the feeling of warmth that ensued afterwards. Jake had many regrets, he clinged to the hope that one day he could make this one right. He clinged to the hope that her words held some value; and one day without hesitation with full complacency he could finally say to her those three words.

 "I love you”.

[firefly-hwufanficwriter-blog]

The #ChoicesCreates Round Thirteen Masterlist

June 12, 2017, Monday [#189]

Here is the moment we have all been waiting for... the posting of this week’s #ChoicesCreates masterlist! 😋 I would like to thank @hollyashton for asking me to host Round Thirteen because it was super fun being the supreme overlord aww my absolute reign is now over host this week! 😊

This week’s one-word prompt was 🤕 “betrayal” 🤕 which, in my opinion, was a really awesome prompt!! 😋😀

However, I have to say that this was a very unusual prompt as well! As this week’s host, I got private messages about people’s submissions, not to mention that I was monitoring the (#choicescreates) ‘recent posts’ page AND I was seeing a lot of betrayal-related fan creations...

...so I started seeing betrayal everywhere this week 😭 Especially concerning The Royal Romance! First, I suspected that Olivia (together with Maxwell) was the traitor 👗 Then, I sort of wondered if it could be Hana for whatever reason 👠 And then, I thought Drake might be framed as a fake traitor 🍩 And after that, I even thought of posting a theory (admittedly, one that wasn’t too serious) about Liam, of all people, being the one to release the bachelor party photos 👑 (Which I dropped because I didn’t think Liam could bring himself to abdicate after Leo having done exactly the same thing.)

My three increasingly paranoid betrayal-related posts for your reading pleasure: (Olivia theory) (Hana theory) (Drake theory).

So, while I was glad to be this week’s #ChoicesCreates host 😀 I think that uploading this masterlist and declaring the betrayal-filled Round Thirteen officially over... will also be good for me 😆 And, perhaps, good for the rest of you as well, judging from these dark, yet awesome, betrayal-related stories, art, and edits 😂 And so...

Thank you very much to @blazerina, @catsrtheboss, @choicedindeep, @endless-vall, @endlessraj, @firefly-hwufanficwriter, @hartfeld, @hollyashton, @hwuariana-writer-movie-star, @jakes-princess, @joyfulchoices, @justapapercut, @keltic-moon, @kittenmusicals, @peace-coast-island, @pixelchoices, @punexpectedly, @rhayadel, @superpotato824, and @texanhusker for making twenty-two wonderful 🎨📝 fan creations 📝🎨 this week for all of us to enjoy!! 😊😊

And now... the list!! 😀 😎

List of fanfiction, fan art, and more:

01. (LH) “Calm after the Storm” by @justapapercut

02. (THoBM) “Quondam” by @peace-coast-island

03. (ES) “Every Little Thing” by @blazerina

04. (ES) “Skinny Love” by @rhayadel

05. (TF) “Saudade” by @endlessraj

06. (TF) “Prompt 13: Betrayal” by @keltic-moon

07. (TCatF) “discolor all the worries” by @endless-vall

08. (TCatF) “Forgiveness” by @superpotato824

09. (TCatF) “In Too Deep” by @hollyashton

10. (TCatF) “Just You And Me” by @pixelchoices

11. (TCatF) “Who is the Real Betrayer?” by @choicedindeep

12. (TRR) “A Love That Cannot Be” by @catsrtheboss

13. (TRR) “Every Time She Smiles” by @hartfeld

14. (TRR) “Side Effects of Being Human” by @kittenmusicals

15. (TRR) “Stupid Heart (Chapter Ten)” by @firefly-hwufanficwriter

16. (TRR) “Stupid Heart (Chapter Eleven)” by @firefly-hwufanficwriter

17. (TRR) “Something Else” by @joyfulchoices

18. (TRR) “The Betrayal” by @jakes-princess

19. (TRR) “The Last Night” by @texanhusker

20. (Fan art) (MW) “Outlaw by Hayley Rose lockscreen” by @hwuariana-writer-movie-star

21. (Fan art) (TCatF) “The Betrayal” by @punexpectedly

22. (Fan edit) (TF) “The Annoying Pink Plaid Shirt Saga (Part Three)” by @firefly-hwufanficwriter

(Hooray for all of these fan creations! 😀😀😀)

Disclaimer: These are works of fan fiction/art using characters from the Choices world, owned by Pixelberry. We do not claim ownership over them or the world of Choices. The stories we tell through our writing and art are our own interpretation and invention. They are not purported to be part of Choices’ story canon. These creative works are for entertainment only and not part of Choices’ official storylines. No copyright infringement is intended.

(Waiting for H.W.U. to come back, forever and always; 12/06/17.)

[alwaysanotherooc]

Fics Masterlist!

PlayChoices Fanfictions

These fics are listed under the main books associated with the fic, though there may be crossover between books, and if so, it will be listed. These fics will also be listed in order of a suggestion with which to read them. Not necessary, but recommended for ease of reading. Have fun!

Endless Summer: 

What Is A Soulmate? Part One

Rating: G

Warnings: None

Characters: The De Vega Siblings

Timing: Takes place WAAAAY before any of the books.

Pairings: None, Ken is seven here, but Ken De Vega & Diego Ortiz Soto

Description: Choices Creates Round 17 entry prompt ‘Some souls just understand each other upon meeting.’ How Ken and Diego met.

Word Count: 2060

What Is A Soulmate? Part Two

Rating: T for mild language

Warnings: Heavy mental illness themes, namely anxiety, depression, and volatile anger issues, though they are dealt with. Also mentions of homophobia in a familial setting, allusions to homophobic language employed by family members, and bullying, though it’s only mentioned.

Timing: Takes place during Ken and Diego’s junior year of high school for the first half, and then jumps to Book 1 Chapter 11.

Pairings: Ken De Vega/Sean Gayle (not noticeable), Ken De Vega & Diego Ortiz Soto

Description: Choices Creates Round 17 entry prompt ‘Some souls just understand each other upon meeting.’ How Ken and Diego are two halves of a whole, and how their friendship works.

Word Count: 4262

At Last I See The Light

Rating: G

Warnings: None

Characters: Endless Summer Squad

Timing: Book 1 Chapter 13, after you’ve booby-trapped the hotel but before you invite someone up to your room.

Pairings: Ken De Vega/Sean Gayle

Description: Choices Creates Round 14 entry prompt ‘Any Disney Song, mainly just a cute moment with the squad pre-battle.

Word Count: 2923

What Is A Soulmate? Part Three

Rating: M for language and themes

Warnings: Heavy mental illness themes, namely Ken’s volatile anger issues, which are in full force here, as his coping methods and patterns are not working because Diego is not here. No one gets hurt.

Timing: Book 1 Chapter 16 right after the group goes through the time portal and Diego sacrifices himself.

Pairings: Ken De Vega/Sean Gayle (barely), Ken De Vega & Diego Ortiz Soto

Description: Choices Creates Round 17 entry prompt ‘Some souls just understand each other upon meeting.’ What Ken does when he realizes that Diego sacrificed himself for Ken and that Ken has been gone for six months, abandoning his best friend, his soulmate, to the Watchers for that whole time.

Word Count: 1512

Addendum Book 2 Chapter 1

Rating: M for language and themes

Warning: Mentions of physical illness, mental illness, military conspiracies, child abuse, alcohol abuse, and business conspiracies. Mainly, everyone spills their secrets from Chapter 15.

Timing: A small, time-based AU of what happens right after Book 2 Chapter 1 ends.

Pairings: Ken De Vega/Sean Gayle, Endless Summer Squad & Each Other

Description: After discovering Rourke’s hidden room underneath the fountain in the lobby, the group decides now might be a good time to, well, come clean about some things.

Word Count: 7984

Hurricanes and Earthquakes Just Don’t Compare

Rating: MA for language and themes.

Warnings: A character death, graphic violence, blood and pain and canon typical fighting. Though there is a happy ending

Fandom: Endless Summer

Characters: Endless Summer Squad + Enemies

Pairings: Ken De Vega/Sean Gayle (Male MC/Sean Gayle)

Description: The night after the group finds themselves thrust six months into the future, Ken and Sean have nightmares. In Sean’s, the Watchers have caught up, and it looks like there’ll be no escape this time.

Word Count: 4220

Close Your Eyes And It’s Not Over Yet

Rating: M to be safe but it’s just for cursing and it’s probably not necessary.

Warnings: Mentions of homophobia in sports careers, heartbreaking situations.

Fandoms: Endless Summer

Characters: Endless Summer Squad

Pairings: Ken De Vega/Sean Gayle (Male MC/Sean Gayle)

Description:  The night after the group finds themselves thrust six months into the future, Ken and Sean have nightmares. In Sean’s, the Watchers have caught up, and it looks like there’ll be no escape this time. 

Author’s Note: Angsty as hell. Like, wow. This is my entry for #ChoicesCreates Round 16, with the prompt: “Don’t ask me to say I don’t love you!” This round is hosted by @texanhuskerand @hollyashton.This is from the POV of my Male MC for Endless Summer, Ken De Vega. (Rating: M to be safe, but probably not necessary) Double Angst™ if you read while listening to New York City by The Chainsmokers.

Word Count: 4198

Never Be Ready

Rating: T for language and themes

Warning: Contains allusions to possible future major character death.

Timing: Starts halfway through the vision you get when you touch the Eagle Idol.

Pairings: Ken De Vega/Sean Gayle

Description: Ken will never be ready to lose Sean.

Word Count: 898

Addendum Book 2 Chapter 3

Rating: T+ for languages and themes.

Warning: Frank talk of mental illnesses.

Timing: Right after the end of Chapter 3.

Pairings: Ken De Vega/Sean Gayle (barely), Craig Hsiao/Diego Ortiz Soto (hinted)

Description: Diego’s alive, but Ken still can’t believe it.

Word Count: 2539

When Winter Reaches Vaanu

Rating: T to be safe

Warning: Slight Angst

Timing: Just after Book 2 Chapter 4

Pairings: Varyyn/Diego Ortiz Soto (one-sided)

Description:  Made for Round 20 of Choices Creates. Varyyn thinks about how he wishes he could have said goodbye to Diego, as they watch Sharktooth Isle grow smaller and smaller as they sail away.

Word Count: 1210

How Broken Hearts Bleed

Rating: M for Intense Violence

Warning: Canon Typical Themes of Possible Major Character Death, Emotional and Psychological Uproar, and Heartbreaking Situations.

Timing: Directly before the start of ES Book 2 Chapter 7

Pairings: Ken De Vega/Sean Gayle, Pre-Zahra Namazi/Estela Montoya, Pre-Michelle Nguyen/Quinn Kelly, Pre-Craig Hsiao/Diego Ortiz Soto, Pre-Grace Hall/Aleister Rourke

Description: Quinn has fallen into the last stage of Rotterdam’s Syndrome, and the group doesn’t know how to handle it.

Word Count: 2648

A Good Time Had By All

Rating: M for Language and Adult-ish Themes

Warning: Sexual thoughts, explicit language, SOME FLUFF

Timing: The Endless Summer Squad, The Vaanti

Pairings: Ken De Vega/Sean Gayle, Pre-Craig Hsiao/Diego Ortiz Soto, Pre-Zahra Namazi/Estela Montoya, Pre-Quinn Kelly/Michelle Nguyen, Grace Hall/Aleister Rourke

Description: Cetus has been defeated, Quinn is alive, and Varyyn is now Elyyshar. During the Valinorum, the squad gets to laugh and relax for the first time in what feels like a long time.

Word Count: 3674

How the Wind Howls

Rating: T+ for language and scary situations.

Warning: Canon-typical angst and fluff.

Timing: Book 2 Chapter 9

Pairings: Ken De Vega/Sean Gayle, Pre-Craig Hsiao/Diego Ortiz Soto, Pre-Zahra Namazi/Estela Montoya, Pre-Quinn Kelly/Michelle Nguyen, Grace Hall/Aleister Rourke.

Description: The squad has just escaped the Arachnid troops and have a brief moment of peace.

Word Count: 896

Scratches Down Your Back Now

Rating: NSFW, Extremely Sexually Explicit

Warning: Sexual Intercourse, Cursing, Slight Kinkery, Joking Mentions of Illuminati.

Timing: Book 2 Chapter 10

Pairings: Ken De Vega/Sean Gayle, Quinn Kelly/Michelle Nguyen, Zahra Namazi/Estela Montoya, Craig Hsiao/Diego Ortiz Soto, Grace Hall/Aleister Rourke.

Description: It’s New Years, the group is Sean has been waiting to get Ken alone for days and he just can’t hardly wait anymore.

Word Count: 4156

Where We Could Roam

Rating: T+ for Language

Warning: Explicit Language, Canon-Typical Mild Angst

Timing: Book 2 Chapter 12

Pairings: Ken De Vega/Sean Gayle, Quinn Kelly/Michelle Nguyen, Zahra Namazi/Estela Montoya, Craig Hsiao/Diego Ortiz Soto, Grace Hall/Aleister Rourke

Description: The group is waiting around the campfire by the chasm between the falls and the MASADA facility, talking about anywhere they’d rather be in that particular moment.

Word Count: 1287

We All Do What We Have To

Rating: T+ for Language

Warning: Angsty Like HELL

Timing: Book 3 Chapter 3 just before they go to find the Heart.

Pairings: Jake McKenzie/Mike Darwin, Ken De Vega/Sean Gayle, Quinn Kelly/Michelle Nguyen, Craig Hsiao/Diego Ortiz Soto, Zahra Namazi/Estela Montoya.

Description: Jake is trying to reconcile who he’s been with who he needs to be, who he’s loved and who he still loves.

Word Count: 2030

Reunions Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Rating: M

Warning: Canon-typical Angst, violence, and feels

Timing: Book 3 Chapters 3 through 8

Pairings: Sean Gayle/Ken De Vega, Craig Hsiao/Diego Ortiz Soto, Quinn Kelly/Michelle Nguyen, Nahra Namazi/Estela Montoya, Jake McKenzie/Mike Darwin, Grace Hall/Aleister Rourke

Description: This five-part series shows the groups reunions in Book 3, and how much they’ve all come to depend on and love and protect one another.

Word Count: 2080, series isn’t fully published yet

Rules of Engagement:

Family Ties That Bind Tight

Rating: G

Warning: None

Timing: Set in the Parker Family’s childhoods.

Pairings: None

Description: Choices Creates Round 18 entry prompt ‘We are made of all those who have built and broken us.’ In which Nana Parker has taken the kids out to the beach, and gifts Nixa with a secret of life.

Word Count: 933

Sunrise Sunset

Rating: T+ for language

Warning: Really dorky.

Timing: Set directly after the conclusion of Rules of Engagement Book 3.

Pairings: Alma Parker/Michael Sloan, Ada Parker/Audrey Baker, Ava Parker/Blake Yasuda, Asher Parker/Elena Sanchez

Description: After their summer on the cruise ship, and each of them getting their inheritance, the five of the Parkers decide to visit their Grandmother’s favorite beach before going back to their lives. And Nixa, after cutting ties with her mother and losing her job over it, is feeling a little lost. Luckily, with Alma and her siblings around, she won’t have to feel that way for long.

Word Count: 1271

The Wayhaven Chronicles Fanfictions

These fics will be listed in chronological order of plot points when it comes to the timeline of the series, and as such is a suggested order of reading them.

Shock To The System

Rating: M, just in case

Warning: Rating is for language and sexual tension. (It’s probably not necessary but I like being cautious.)

Timing: The Wayhaven Chronicles Book One, just before they go out on night patrol.

Pairings: Pre-Will Kingston/Adam du Mortain, previous relationship Will Kingston/Bobby Marks

Description: Adam is determined not to get close to Agent Kingston’s son. He’s determined to get through this assignment without knowing one thing about him. Nate and Felix think Adam is a dumbass.

Word Count: 2795

oh, your heart and how it beats; Part One, Part Two, Part Three

Rating: Explicit, Mature Audiences only

Warnings: Rating is for canon-typical, moderate descriptions of torture, blood, pain, angst, and trauma.

Timing: The Wayhaven Chronicles Book One, just after the Detective returns to Wayhaven after learning about the supernatural at the Agency Facility.

Pairings: Pre-Will Kingston/Adam du Mortain

Description: Despite all their efforts to protect Detective Kingston, Unit Bravo couldn’t have planned for every scenario, and now Murphy has finally gotten his hands on his prey. Every minute Adam has to go without hearing the steady beat of Will’s heart drives him further and further into what feels like insanity.

Word Count: 7516

Five Outfits Adam Saw Will Wear +1 He Didn’t; Part One, Part Two

Rating: Explicit, Mature Audiences Only, NSFW

Warnings: Rating is for sexual themes and one explicit NSFW scene

Timing: Mostly through Book 1, plus the demo of Book 2.

Pairings: Pre-Will Kingston/Adam du Mortain

Description: Despite Adam’s best intentions and efforts, he’s noticed Will. And now he can’t stop noticing him.

Word Count: 7008

Lovestruck Voltage Fanfictions

These fics are listed under the main series associated with the fic. These fics will also be listed in a chronological order of plot points when it comes to the timeline of the series, and as such is a suggested order of reading them.

Starship Promise

Promise You This, Chapter One

Rating: M, I guess

Warning: Rating is just for language, cause we all know Atlas can’t stop cussing. Also, the pining is REAL, fam.

Route: Atlas Molniya Route

Timing: Season One, Episode Seven

Pairings: George Washington/Atlas Molniya

Description: They’ve rescued George from the Union and from Admiral Sol, but Atlas can’t seem to make himself walk away yet.

Author’s Note: First of all, no, not that George Washington, don’t ask me why I named my MC that. Also, in this fic series, I will be changing the Starship Promise MC’s gender to a guy with he/him pronouns. (Which, also, no, I would never do in a girl character’s or even a non-binary character’s route, and yes, this SP MC is still hella bi) So. Heads up.

Word Count: 1201

[cinnamonroll-duffy]

#ChoicesCreates68 (13 -20 July)

Credit to  @miss-twombly for the gif.

Thanks for those who had submitted last round ( @choiceslife , @kinkykingliam , @endlessflame , @choicesaholic,  and @trr-duchessofvaltoria

The compilation is here. 

This week’s theme is:

Memories

Look back into the past, as it helped shaped who you are now. This week, we investigate those who are seeking answers, humour, or even sensual satisfaction from events that had happened before. Don’t be scared of turning back the clock, as it may be exactly what you need. 

Post your creative works by Friday the 20th of July by 7pm, Chicago Time.

Remember these 3 steps (Your Work won’t be published in the compilation without it.):

Include #ChoicesCreates68 and #ChoicesCreates in your tags, as it helps us track your entries better.

Share your link with me via DM or submit.

Mention me ( @clonedhayden )   in your post.

Reblog with your fave memory and have it. Remember, you spreading the word means that more will get to see and be inspired to share their creative work. This is all about helping each other.

[superpotato824]

I have never been tagged in a thing like this so I’d like to thank the amazing @boyscoutmckenzie for tagging me (even if it was just cuz i follow them)

I tag @bi-the-angel @amore-mozzafiato @xo-endlessmayhem-xo @pb-boeboe @pa-tro-clus and anyone else who wants to do it! (Lol I am pretty boring and basic so have fun)

1) Name: Jacob

2) Nickname: None on here yet, but I hate being called by my real name on the internet and idk why

3) Zodiac Sign: Virgo

4) Height: idk maybe like 5ft 7in?

5) Ethnicity: well this is hard to answer. my mom is white and my dad’s parents are German and Mexican.. I usually just go with Hispanic, but I look white since I rarely spend time in the sun lol

6) Orientation: idk man I just like sleep tbh

7) Favorite Fruit: apples 

8) Favorite Season: spring cuz rain

9) Favorite Book: too many to list. Speak, Anthem, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, I could go on and on honestly

10) Favorite Song: I don’t really listen to music that much honestly...

11) Favorite Scent: idk maybe like a fire in a fireplace or a campfire

12) Favorite Color: Silver

13) Favorite Animals: I like most animals... Cats, dogs, pandas, sharks, turtles... but I do not like most bugs...

14) Favorite Beverage: dr. pepper tbh

15) Favorite Movie: idk I don’t watch that many movies

16) Favorite Characters: From Choices: Jake McKenzie, mostly everyone from Endless Summer except Michelle (idk why but she was always really rude to my MC), everyone from #LoveHacks, everyone from RoE, everyone from The Royal Romance, everyone but Yasmin and Sebastian from The Freshman, everyone from TCatF, everyone except Rose from THoBM, and all the good characters from Most Wanted. I basically like all of the characters lol

17) Blanket Number: it depends but usually 1 or 2

18) Cat or Dog: I like both because I grew up with dogs and now live with cats. You can’t make me pick.

19) Follower Number: Tumblr says 10, but when I click on it, it only shows like 7 so idk im new to Tumblr

20) Blog Created At: Well I made this blog a long time ago, but I never posted anything, really. Just recently I started posting so about when the #ChoicesCreates Round 9 came out!