#I don't have the original quote on me so excuse and errors there

[r0semultiverse]

Mr. 6 made you do a good show to be released?? 👀 um....

This is already giving serious eye vibes.

A whole show dedicated to public humiliation?

The Mr. Bonzo suit started moving??? 👀 Serious stranger vibes. 🤡

"It actually became a sort of ritual"

I've seen people being like "don't cross tag" but buddy... the writing cross tags itself here I mean c'mon! 😂 Something something ritual of the stranger- okay, I'll keep listening!

Hey, what's with the music?? Hey, who is Terrance Menki???👀

"The police said there were eleven bodies in total and his wardrobe was full of all sorts of homemade costumes." BRO IS ACTUALLY MAGNUSPOD WILLIAM AFTON-

"It certainly had a profound effect on the Mr. Bonzo brand." Oh I'm sure it did, holy fucking shit. 👀

Oh, me using this image is rather ironic now.

"In a lot of ways I’m more his prisoner now than I ever was on my show." WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? 👀

"The witness statements from three murders over the last five years that claim a person in a Mr. Bonzo costume was at the scene? Do you think there could be a copycat?" Has the fear of clowns manifested as an actual clown-guything?

"Don’t contact us again." "Us?" "Why am I still trapped dealing with all this this- Why won’t he let me go?! Why-" So Mr. Bonzo is absolutely a clown cryptid of sorts with some sort of hold over Nigel.

Oh no, Gwen's about to fuck around & find out, isn't she? 👀

Hey, is Colin still himself & is he supposed to be back?

Hmm, okay, I guess that's him (hopefully).

"Maybe don’t tell them I’ve been on their terminals. They’ll only get the wrong idea." "If Lena asks, I wasn’t here." Seems like everyone's got their own little secret investigations going on, fun! This can only go well! 🙃

One of the episodes absolutely no one shows up to work except Lena is there & is like "where the fuck did everyone go?"

"Time to get some new hires again I guess."

Let's go!! Ruin exploration gang!!

"Like, it’s Saturday night and I’m choosing to hang out in a hole with you. A wet hole. And not the good kind either."

Alice with the absolute best quotes. lmao

That sounds like something with giant wings like a bat or some sort of cloth flapping in the wind. Let's hope it's the latter!

Oh a rusty old filing cabinet! Wait tetanus- 😭

"That carved floor in the big atrium – I don’t know what’s going on with that." Ah so we're just gonna breeze past that then. 😶

These are probably the remnants of old avatar creation test areas like mentioned in the Gerry & Gertrude episode. I'm just assuming here.

A key? Big find! Let's go!

AS I WAS SAYING-

Gwen, it was nice knowing you. 🫡

"Now get out of his house."

Archivist! 👁👄👁

"symbols of ancient otherworldly power"

Wait could this be a timeline where this universe's Jane Prentiss actually did manage to invade the building & succeed? I'm thinking out loud.

21:10 that sounds like critters, insects specifically 👀

"I have memories of weird stuff I saw here, but no context. I want to know what was happening, why they chose us… why they didn’t choose me. Maybe find the bit where everything started to go wrong." I am so captivated & intrigued please recount said memories to us- I mean Alice so we can learn more. Please. 👀

EXCUSE ME, WHO THE FUCK WAS THAT?!? WHO IS "[ERROR]?"

WHY DO THEY SOUND DISTORTED AS FUCK?? ARE THEY FROM THE PRIME TIMELINE OR IS THIS A NEW THING?

ARE WE GAZING OUR EYES UPON A WRETCHED THING FROM THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES?!

edit:

Is Lucia Wright an avatar of The Flesh now (in this universe or from the original timeline somehow)? Because it sure fucking sounds like it! 👀 Well, at least that key was put to good use! 😂

Also, supposedly Mr. Bonzo is a reference to Mr. Blobby.

Gwen, I'd be quaking in my boots too. That thing is terrifying!

Late observation but this universe & story seems to focus a lot on the cryptids & I like the direction it's going in! Loving this plot of cryptid hunters, childhood avatar experiments, a strange institute where our main character has past trauma, & just all of it is so good! 💜

Amazing episode, 10/10, I was at the edge of my seat the entire time! 💜 That Bonzo scene & the sound design were absolutely horrifying, thank you! The ending too! 🔥

[tessa-liam]

Marabelle

A Princess for a Prince – Chapter 8

Choices – The Royal Romance, AU

Series Premise – An American teenager from New York City is introduced to the world of a small European country and its society of royalty, nobility, and commoners. How will her life story be transformed? Will this new adventure bring her happiness...or regret?

Marabelle Series Masterlist

Main Pairing – Prince Liam Rys x F!OC Lady Sophia (Sophie) Taylor

Other Pairings – Maxwell Beaumont x M!OC Daniel (from NYC), Drake Walker x F!OC Melanie Smithson

Most characters belong to Pixelberry Studios

Series Rating – M*🔞Warnings: this series will have NSFW material, crude language & innuendo.

Not Beta’d - Please excuse all errors.

Category – Alternate universe/on-going series/angst/fluff

Words: 2436

Chapter Summary – Sophie receives a personal invitation to the New Year’s Eve Celebration Ball at the palace.

A Princess for a Prince, Chapter 8

Music Inspiration:

The Look of Love, Diana Krall

Kiss Me at Midnight, *NSYNC

A/N1: Bethany Beaumont, Maxwell’s mother, is originally from the U.S. and is Barthelemy Beaumont’s second wife. Annabelle Beaumont (deceased) is Bertrand’s mother.

A/N2: ‘Social Season’ in this AU series refers to a traditional period in the spring/summer for royalty and members of the court to take part in Balls, dinner parties and charity events.

A/N3: My submission for Choices Flashfics @choicesflashfics, Week #65, prompt 1 - “Sometimes, being with you feels so much like a dream ... and I don't ever want to wake up.”

A/N5: My submission for Choices December 2023 Holidays Prompts – New Year’s Eve

A/N4: My submission for Choices Holiday Prompts 2023, Quote Prompt – “You look even more beautiful in candlelight.”

A Princess for a Prince

As they finished breakfast, Aunt Bethany glanced at Sophie with a knowing smile. “Sophie, I believe that Prince Liam left a message for you earlier this morning, my dear.”

Beaumont Estate, Duchy of Ramsford

Sophie's heart skipped a beat. “Oh, oh ... thank you, Auntie.” She excused herself from the table, her steps quickening as she made her way to the study where the message awaited her. A sealed envelope with the royal Insignia sat elegantly on the desk. With trembling fingers, Sophie broke the seal and then unfolded the letter.

Liam’s elegant handwriting greeted her:

‘Dearest Sophie,

I hope this morning finds you well and that the memories of last night’s ball linger as fondly in your heart as they do in mine. Your grace and beauty illuminated the ballroom, and I found myself enchanted by every moment we shared.

I would be honored if you would join me at the New Year’s Eve ball at the palace. The evening promises dancing, champagne and a fireworks extravaganza. I can think of no better company than yours to enjoy the splendor and ring in the New Year.

Yours sincerely, Liam’

Sophie’s cheeks flushed with excitement and a hint of optimism. She folded the letter gently, holding it close to her heart. She quickly composed a response, expressing her eagerness to join him for the Ball.

With her heart aflutter, Sophie entrusted the letter to the awaiting palace messenger, requesting it to be delivered directly to Prince Liam’s chambers. Beaming, she made her way upstairs to her room to start planning for the event.

December 31st, Cordonian Royal Palace

The entire palace and grounds were adorned with sparkling, opulent decorations; the air felt energized with excitement. The chandeliers in the ballroom cast a warm glow across the room as the orchestra played holiday melodies. Waitstaff circulated with flutes of champagne, as nobles enjoyed sumptuous gourmet platters of hors d’oeuvres.

Entering the ballroom with her aunt, Maxwell, Bertrand and Savannah, Sophie glanced around the room. She spotted Liam very quickly, resplendent in his royal attire, engaging in conversation with Leo and Madeleine. When his eyes caught hers, he smiled delightedly, and excused himself from the conversation to make his way across the dance floor to Sophie.

Liam’s eyes sparkled as he approached her with an appreciative smile. Sophie, wearing a stunning deep purple gown that shimmered in the candlelight, returned his smile blithely and dipped into a low curtsy. Her gown, embellished with delicate lace with intricate beadwork, accentuated her curves perfectly. With a tender smile, he leaned in, closing the gap between them, softly kissing her cheek.

“Good evening, Sophie,” Liam greeted her with a charming smile, “You look even more beautiful in candlelight.” Lifting her hand for a kiss, he then pulled her close to whisper in her ear, “...and you shouldn’t curtsy, it’s just me.”

“Good evening, Liam. Thank you for inviting me.” Sophie replied, her voice tinged with excitement. The air crackled with anticipation. Sophie responded to his request with a breathy whisper, “I will remember that always.”

Offering his arm, Sophie slipped her hand around his arm and joined him to move onto the dance floor, finding a spot in the center.

Liam placed one hand on the small of Sophie’s back, the other holding her hand. She stepped into his arms, and they began to move to the music.

“You look beautiful tonight, Sophie,” Liam whispered in her ear.

“Thank you. You look quite dashing yourself.” Sophie responded shyly.

As the orchestra transitioned into a waltz, they began to move effortlessly across the dance floor, their chemistry evident in every step. Their conversation flowed seamlessly as they danced and the world around them seemed to fade as they lost themselves in each other’s company, their laughter blending with the music in perfect harmony.

Dancing the Cordonian waltz, Sophie’s gown flared and billowed as Liam twirled her under his arm. As he pulled her back to his chest, she rested her head back, enjoying the feel of his arms around her in an intimate embrace.

As the night progressed and the countdown to midnight drew near, the energy in the room heightened. The air buzzed with excitement, and the guests gathered awaiting the grand moment.

Maxwell and his mother stopped by the open terrace to wait for the fireworks show as Bertrand and Savannah joined in with the celebrations on the dance floor.

Sophie found herself standing beside Liam as the final seconds of the year ticked away. As Leo and Madeleine stood with the herald to announce the countdown. The ballroom erupted into cheers and applause as the clock struck midnight, marking the start of 2024.

Amidst the celebrations, Liam turned to Sophie, his eyes filled with warmth and determination. In that fleeting moment between the past and the future, amidst the cheers and revelry, he took her hand and whispered, “May I steal a moment with you, away from the crowd?”

Sophie’s heart fluttered as she nodded, following him as they made their way to a secluded third floor balcony overlooking the palace gardens. The night sky was filled with fireworks, with vibrant colors against the dark backdrop of the night sky.

As the echoes of fireworks lingered in the air, their eyes locked in a shared understanding; a silent acknowledgement of the unspoken emotions that had bloomed between them over the past year. Liam gently cupped Sophie’s face in his hands, his touch tender and filled with a depth of emotion as the world around them disappeared. It was just the two of them.

“Sophie,” he whispered, his voice a soft caress in the quiet night. “This past year has been a revelation, and I find myself drawn to you in ways I never thought possible. Your laughter, your kindness, and your grace have captured my heart.”

The air was charged with an unspoken electricity as Sophie gazed into Liam’s eyes, feeling her heart flittering with a mixture of excitement and a tender vulnerability. She could sense the depth of his sincerity, his words stirring something profound within her. “Liam, I feel the same about you.”

In that fleeting moment, as the world seemed to stand still, their lips met in a gentle and tender kiss. It was a kiss filled with the promise of a new beginning; an unspoken vow to explore the budding romance that had blossomed between them.

As they parted, their breaths mingling in the cool night air, Sophie’s cheeks flushed with a rosy hue, and Liam’s gaze held a warmth that mirrored the newfound connection between them. Taking her hands in his, Liam pulled her closer to him as he lowered his head to re-capture her lips. Moving one hand to her waist as the other cupped her cheek as he deepened the kiss.

The kiss spoke volumes, conveying feelings that words could not quite capture. Their shared hopes, fears, and the uncharted territories of their hearts that they were daring to explore together.

As Liam and Sophie looked up into the night sky, and more fireworks shot up to celebrate the new year, their eyes met once again.

Liam’s smile was tender. "We finally have a chance to spend some time alone," he said, squeezing her hand, pulling her even closer. As their lips met once again, Sophie felt more butterflies in her stomach. She was nervous but excited. She knew Liam was experienced, and she wanted to make sure she did everything right. She trusted him and was ready to take their relationship to the next level.

Liam kissed her passionately, his tongue exploring her mouth. She melted into his embrace, her body responding to his touch. He pulled back, his blue eyes meeting hers.

"You're so beautiful," he said, running his fingers through her long mahogany tresses.

She smiled shyly, his words making her blush.

He cupped her face with his hands, kissing her softly, his lips lingering on hers. He traced his tongue along her neck, nibbling her earlobe. She moaned softly, his touch sending shivers down her spine.

She could feel his growing desire pressing against her, his hardness against her softness.

“Liam!” Sophie’s voice was full of laughter and warning as she pushed away, her heart pounding. “We’re not alone, you know.”

“I can’t see anyone else around here.” Liam chuckled.

“That does not mean there isn’t anyone watching. We don’t want to give your guards any concerns, do we?”

“Liam sighed. “You are right, of course. But ... ”

Sophie looked up at him, raising an eyebrow, “But what?”

“Let me make this more private.” Taking her hand, he tugged her hand to walk down the long corridor, Liam turned to lead Sophie into an empty parlor. After locking the doors and closing the heavy drapes, Liam led Sophie to sit on a large sofa.

“Now,” Liam whispered, “where were we?”

“I think you were telling me about your gua...”, Liam moved in quickly to secure her lips in another passionate kiss. His passion was clear as he sat down beside Sophie. The two of them got lost in the moment as Liam pulled her onto his lap.

“Liam, I ...” Sophie began. She wanted to explain that she was unexperienced but wanted to learn more with him.

“Sshh ... No more talking,” he whispered as he closed the distance between them.

Sophie nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck, savoring the feel of his strong arms around her.

Liam gently removed the pins that secured her hair. Her curls cascaded over his hands like silk, and he buried his face in her perfumed tresses. He kissed her earlobe, then her throat. His lips moved lower, to her collarbone, while his hand gently caressed her neck and shoulder.

Sophie was breathing faster now. She tilted her head back, encouraging him to continue his exploration of her skin. Her eyelids fluttered closed, and a tiny moan escaped her.

"Sophie, there's something I've been meaning to tell you," Liam paused, his heart beating rapidly.

"What is it?" Sophie asked, her voice slightly questioning.

"I am falling in love with you," Liam whispered, his voice full of emotion.

Sophie gasped, her eyes filling with tears. "Oh Liam, I love you," she replied, her voice shaky.

"You do?" Liam asked, his face lighting up.

"Yes," Sophie replied, her smile mirroring his.

“Sometimes, being with you feels so much like a dream ... and I don’t ever want to wake up.”

Liam cupped her face with his hands and kissed her passionately. "You have made me the happiest man in the world tonight," he said, his eyes shining with love.

Sophie beamed up at him, her heart full of happiness. She had never expected to fall in love with a prince, and now, she could not imagine her life without him.

Liam pulled her into his arms, “I don’t want this night to end,” his lips brushing her ear.

“Me neither,” Sophie admitted, her heart pounding.

“Maybe it doesn't have to,” Liam said, his voice low and husky.

“What do you mean?” Sophie asked, her eyes widening.

“Well, there’s no reason we can’t stay here a little longer. The party will go on for hours, No one will miss us.”

“But, Liam, we can’t just disappear together,” Sophie protested, even though her body was already responding to the suggestion.

"Why not? No one would know where we are," Liam pointed out, his hand stroking her back.

"They might guess," Sophie said, her breath catching in her throat as Liam's hand slid lower.

"Let them," Liam murmured, kissing her neck.

"We shouldn't," Sophie whispered, even as she tilted her head to allow him better access.

"You're right, we shouldn't," Liam agreed, his lips moving down to her collarbone.

"We shouldn't," Sophie repeated weakly, her eyes closing as Liam's mouth found the spot on her neck that drove her wild.

"No, we really shouldn't," Liam said, his voice muffled against her skin.

Sophie's last resistance melted away as Liam's slipped his tongue into her mouth in search of hers in an all encompassing kiss.

Sophie's last resistance melted away as Liam's tongue plunged into her mouth, just as Liam's phone pinged with a message.

Sitting back, Liam pulled his phone out of his pocket and read the message from Maxwell.

‘Sorry to interrupt, but we're getting concerned about your whereabouts.'

Liam sighed. "Maxwell thinks we need to get back."

"We could say we got lost," Sophie suggested, her hand sliding down Liam's back.

"And what? Stay lost for the rest of the evening?" Liam chuckled.

"Well, maybe not for the rest of the evening."

"I wish," Liam said, regretfully.

Reluctantly, they made their way back to the ballroom, their bodies still humming with desire as they walked hand-in-hand.

As they approached the doorway, Liam turned to Sophie and grinned. "How about we plan another escape for next weekend?"

"I like the sound of that," Sophie replied, grinning.

💕Thanks for reading

Perma-tags: @ao719 @txemrn @queenmiarys @sfb123 @twinkleallnight @alj4890 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @harleybeaumont @busywoman @karahalloway @kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @lovingchoices14 @kyra75 @tinkie1973 @emkay512 @malblk21 @kristinamae093 @charlotteg234

Submissions:

@choicesficwriterscreations @angelasscribbles @choicesflashfics @choicesholidays @choicesprompts

[bubblesandpages]

Brohomir saying “you and I are going to be the very best of enemies,” to a newly hatched Felicity right after we’ve spent the whole book seeing Amalia and Svena’s friendship, and establishing that a “dear enemy” is the closest ancient powerful dragons get to being friends is singlehandedly the sweetest moment in the series.

[serpenteve]

So I ship Darklina, but I actually...don't hate Mal? Sure, he was a dick sometimes (so is the Darkling, in different ways), but he was also like 17 or 18 right? And, to me, he'd changed by Ruin and Rising. He went through a lot of character growth. He's not my favorite character by any means. He's probably one of my least favorite, simply because of how boring he is, and I think him and Alina would have been better off as friends or siblings for a platonic familial type thing. But he's also a teenager. That doesn't give him an excuse for being a dick but I feel like from what I've seen from Darklina stans (and what I myself have done in the past) is we hold him to such a high standard but we excuse everything the Darkling does. Yes, he's the villain, but he's also a love interest, which means he does need to be somewhat held accountable. I love the Darkling, he's my boy, and he makes Mal look like a piece of cardboard in comparison, but if we're able to love a centuries old villain and forgive his mistakes, shouldn't Mal at least get some grace? Heroes are allowed to mess up, especially teenage ones. Hell, when I was 17 I was a wreck. It just feels weird to write off everything a centuries old man does but tear apart everything a teenager does, you know?

But I also understand the Mal hate and I don't expect people to love him (I don't even love him lmao). I just wanted to see if some Darklinas are more open towards Mal because I understand most Darklinas hate his guts (understandably so).

Sorry for the long ask. What are your thoughts on Mal?

I don't think all Darklinas hate Mal but a lot of people who hated a number of things in the books happen to be Darklinas. If you hate the book romance, then you're more likely to criticize other aspects of the storytelling like the plot and writing choices.

I definitely think people's perception of Mal hinges on whether they feel like he redeemed himself in Ruin & Rising and/or whether or not they were exposed to the fandom discourse and reactions surrounding the characters. For example, if you read the Grisha trilogy after seeing people endlessly simp for the Darkling and talk about Mal like he's the Worst Character Ever™️, then probably you will think book!Mal really isn't that bad and people excuse the Darkling's actions despite him like.........destroying an entire town for funsies and terrorizing Alina across the country 😂

The whole Mal vs Darkling debate originally arose out of audience expectations. Mal was presented as a heroic love interest while the Darkling was basically a false romantic lead turned villain who Alina kinda still had the hots for but had to heroically resist lest she become seduced to the dark side. The Darkling wants to control and exploit Alina and will stop at nothing to do so. Therefore, we expect Mal to embody the opposite of this: support Alina in doing what she wants and not treat her like a trophy he's entitled to. Instead, Bardugo---perhaps unintentionally---set the opposite in motion.

I actually really don't mind Mal in Shadow & Bone. Yeah, he was kind of an ass to Alina at parts, but he apologized and helped her get the stag and most of his faults can be overlooked as dumb teenage boy things. The problem arose in Siege & Storm when Mal grew entitled, possessive and emasculated because Alina had this power he did not and Alina had this great destiny that didn't revolve around him. Regardless of what Bardugo intended with this lover's quarrel, many readers interpreted this as Mal wanting Alina to be weak and dependent on him. And now, when readers look back at his more annoying traits in Shadow & Bone that initially didn't bother us that much, it holds more sinister implications. It wasn't that Mal and Alina were drifting apart, it was that Mal doesn't care about Alina until someone else cares about her and then he realizes "oh shit! my biggest fangirl that i took for granted has been taken away and has a life of her own??? unacceptable!!11". This combined with the Grisha being coded as any marginalized group and Mal's bigotry towards Alina and then her ending where she lost her powers so the author could pair her with Mal also left some.................IMPLICATIONS 👀

And listen, it would be one thing if I was the *only* reader who was whining about how Mal's character drives me up the wall......but like literally 3/4 of the fandom hated his ass because Bardugo accidentally made him toxic in a very *familiar* way that the Darkling's toxicity is not---at least for that part of the fandom. And this clash between reader expectations and what was actually on the page is what gave rise to a lot of Mal hate. You mentioned that readers hold Mal to a higher standard than the Darkling and that's true. But it's also because Mal is supposed to be a hero, not a villain. The expectations we had for the Darkling were literally on the floor after he decided to randomly massacre Novokribrisk. Whereas Mal being toxic in exactly the same way a chauvinistic garbage IRL man would be toxic was way too much for some readers and we just ended up shipping Alina with the Darkling out of pure spite. Especially when said villain is saying things like "I've seen what you truly are and I've never turned away? Can he stay the same?" or "He’s otkazat’sya. He can never hope to understand your power, and if he did, he’d only come to fear you."

ALSO, I'm a big believer that the reason the Darklina shippers grew in number is directly because the Darkling and Alina are never in a romantic relationship. The failed and wasted potential was indeed a huge draw, but the fact that we never got to see what their canon relationship would be like allowed us to fantasize about an ideal situation in which the Darkling comes to the error of his ways and learns to treat Alina as an equal. The quotes I mentioned above are up for interpretation. He says he will never turn away and that he would be able to understand Alina's power...........but he also proved that he isn't above using her as a weapon without regard for what she wants. Because we never get to see the Darkling and Alina in a real romantic relationship, we can now choose to interpret that line seriously in fanworks, regardless of whatever the hell Bardugo intended with it.