#crimes of passion book II

[cluelessrebel1988]

So...does anyone else think there's even the slightest possibility that Marguerite is the killer, or at least involved somehow? Because I had that as a passing thought a couple of chapters ago and now I can't get it out of my head.

I'm not sure at this point what her motive would be or anything (unless this somehow has nothing to do with the act or illegitimate children but rather some sort of childhood squabble that's been festering for a while), but it's for sure not Sebastyan (or at least not just Sebastyan), and while I am largely leaning toward Vasili being the one behind it all (even if he's not the killer, I'm guessing he's the one pulling the strings here), there is part of me that wonders if, given that her fashion shows seem to be occurring the same night as at least two separate murders (thank you to pb for that spoiler, btw. loved finding out two weeks in advance that there was gonna be a second murder), it just seems like it might be more than mere coincidence.

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

Imao I guess I have a thing for awkward princes who don’t know how to react to hugs who would’ve thought 🤷‍♀️💃🏽

[choicesbookclub]

Current Featured Book: Crimes of Passion II

Welcome to the Crimes of Passion II Book Club! The Book Club typically replays and celebrates past Choices books, but we are going to try something new! This will be the first original play through of a book (at least that I know of).

This Book Club is open to ANYONE and EVERYONE. You can participate as much or as little as you want. You do not need to have participated in the Crimes of Passion I book club to be eligible. I welcome new users to join us! We had a lot of fun re/playing book 1 together!

Our play through of COP2 will follow the official wide release of the. book with one chapter a week on Wednesdays. However, late entries are more than welcome if you are unable to play on Wednesday. [Learn how to participate here]

Meet Our Detectives and Royals:

As part of our COP1 Book Club we created a Detectives and Royals profile list. If you have a profile page for your Detective or Trystan, feel free to send it to me so I can add it to our Detectives and Royals Directory

Reading Schedule:

Wednesdays beginning June 28th!

Each week, I'll try to include questions, pools, or prompts to inspire some discussion about the chapters and/or our detectives and royals. Feel free to send suggestions if you have something you want to see!

Weekly Prompts:

Chapter One: To Catch a Thief

Chapter Two: The Price of Infamy

Chapter Three: Drakovian Intelligence

Chapter Four: Objection

Chapter Five: A Rose Among Thornes

Chapter Six: Served Cold

Chapter Seven: The Drakovian Heir

Chapter 8: Unite and Conquer

Chapter 9: The Royal Tea

Chapter 10: The Mask Drops

Chapter 11: Footage Not Found

Chapter 12: Fashion Victim

Chapter 13: In Memoriam

Chapter 14: Illegitimate

Chapter 15: The Drakovian Nightingale

Chapter 16: Heavy is the Crown

A Look Back (book wrap up)

Pin the Crime on the Thorne Poll

a weekly poll to see which Thorne the fandom finds most guilty of the murder(s)

[drakesroyalromance]

hi, i’ve been gone from the choices fandom but now i want to get back into it. can you tell me which books that have come out over the past couple of years i should read and rec some people to follow who’re still active in the fandom? i’m asking you because i trust your opinions haha

Okay, I take your trust very seriously, so this is about to get very detailed lol

I’m going to divide the books I recommend into two tiers:

Tier I - Books that are must reads: 1. Blades of Light and Shadow, book 2: Depending on how long you’ve been gone, you’ve probably already played the first book. The second one is emotional and frustrating and amazing, and ultimately a good continuation of the story. I can’t wait for book 3!

2. Crimes of Passion: It’s a murder mystery with compelling characters that are extremely lovable, and the dynamic between the two main characters is exactly the kind of dynamic I love in every iteration. The mystery itself is better in the second book than it is in the first (of course, these are all just my opinions) and I have high hopes for both what the characters’ arc is going to be in book 3 and what the mystery is going to be.

3. Immortal Desires: I don’t know if you like stories about vampires (like Twilight), but even if you don’t, you’ll probably still love this book. It has a mystery in both books too and has two of my favourite love interests. Book 2 is currently releasing on Fridays and I look forward to it every week!

Tier II - Books with parts that could’ve been better/were unsatisfactory, but that are still 100% worth reading: 1. Murder at Homecoming: This is a personal favourite of mine! I think mystery is a genre that Choices does really well, and this book is one of their most diverse and inclusive. All of the LIs are bi (like, they actually say it and have conversations about it). This book would be a must read for me if it weren’t for the fact that one of the biggest mysteries is left unsolved.

2. Kindred: This book is so fun! I love the bond between the sisters, they’re all complex characters and Kaine is one of my favourite love interests as well.

3. Guinevere: I don’t usually like historical fiction and fantasy, but this book is an exception to that. If you love Liam and Drake from TRR, this book has characters who are similar to them and have similar dynamics with the MC!

I answered an ask a while ago about which people I’d recommend following, which you can find here. That list has a lot of people that aren’t really active anymore, but I’d recommend following them anyway because they have amazing fanfiction/art that you should check out, or are just really good people. The only people on that list that are still at least somewhat active are @saivilo (whom I adore), @noahmrshall (who makes stunning edits) and @brightpinkpeppercorn (who is so nice!) I’d also recommend following these people who aren’t on that list: @lover-also-fighter-also (they’re active, post about different Choices books, and seem really cool), @moominofthevalley (they’re active, and post mainly about Crimes of Passion, so of course I follow them lol. They’re also very friendly), @aria-ashryver (they’re active, post mainly about Immortal Desires, and seem very sweet!), @mvalentine (they’re pretty active, post about different Choices books and seem super fun), @raleighcarrera (they’re kind of active, and write the most beautiful fic), and @argylemnwrites (they’re kind of active, and write Drake x MC fic that’s so in-character it’ll be forever ingrained in my brain).

I’m sure I’m forgetting some people, but those are the ones I can think of right now!

[indierpgnewsletter]

Recommendations: Books about RPGs

(This was first posted on the Indie RPG Newsletter.)

I’m always trying to level up my RPG knowledge and this has led me to look for books about RPGs. And there don’t seem to be that many! There are some academic books but while they have their strengths, easy reading isn’t one of them. Even as I wrestle with these academic texts (and I will emerge victorious), here are some books that are both interesting and fun to read:

Play Unsafe and Stealing Cthulhu by Graham Walmsley

Play Unsafe is a book of RPG advice. It’s a quick read (quicker than its 82 pages would suggest) and has some really gentle, grounded advice. For example:

If, while gaming, you can’t be clever or try hard, what can you do? The answer is: be obvious. Do the obvious thing: the thing that obviously happens next in the story; the thing that you think everyone expects to happen. Paradoxically, that obvious thing may, to everyone else , seem original and brilliant.

Stealing Cthulhu, by the same author, is about how to take inspiration from the stories of HP Lovecraft in a way that makes your own cosmic horror games feel fresh and unique.

Age of Ravens: Vol 1 and Vol 2 by Lowell Francis

These are two collections of various essays originally published on the Age of Ravens blog, formatted for easy reading. They’re essentially a greatest hits collection and do a good job of that. Volume I: Running has some of my favourite articles about running conspiracies, one shots, online games, and more. Volume II: Tools is mostly resources for play: story seeds and ideas to drop into your game whether sci-fi heists or apocalyptic hexcrawls. They aren’t connected by theme so you mostly can just dip in and out of them.

Unchained Mysteries by Jessie Burneko

Unchained Mysteries is a passionate call to ditch clue-based mystery design. Instead, the book proposes coming up with much more richly-layered scenarios where the players are drawn into a crime or crisis with no easy solution, where the players are caught up in a web of NPCs who are actively dealing with the situation, rather than passively waiting for someone to solve their problems. It ends up at around 100 pages so there’s real meat there if you want to engage with it.

The entire Knutepunkt line

Knutepunkt is one of the biggest larp events in the world - half conference, half festival, full of larps and talks and so on. Since 2001, they’ve been publishing books with essays (some more academic than others) about larp. They’re very well-respected. And as Evan Torner explained to me, if you’re not interested in larp, you can just mentally replace the word larp with TTRPG and still get lot out of these books. I’m nowhere close to finishing them but felt like I had to share them anyway. (Thanks to reader Mo, here’s the link to the books.)

The Ultimate RPG Gameplay Guide by James D’Amato

I have not finished this yet either but I can already tell the voice of the Ultimate RPG Gameplay Guide should resonate with newer players who don’t have a lot of set ideas about RPGs already. The author is the founder of the One Shot podcast network and clearly has a philosophy of play. For example, the first chapter is titled “Understanding Audience” and basically uses the idea that everyone has preferences in what they consume (books, moves, etc) to segue into the idea that RPGs emerge out of everyone’s shared preferences. It’s an interesting approach and if you want to know more, there’s a nice review here.

[storyofmychoices]

Shadows and Deceptions: A Royal Murder Mystery (Masterlist)

In the heart of Cordonia's grand ballroom, an eclectic cast of characters gathers, their lives interwoven as a result of a shocking turn of events. Trystan Thorne, the exiled prince with a taste for mystery, Olivia Nevrakis, the snarky Duchess skilled with daggers, Tyril Starfury, the noble elf Lord a defender of the realm, Amalas, the enigmatic spy queen, and Prince Hamid, the charming and formal imperial prince. Amidst the grand party of the birth of King Liam's third heir, Princess Ariana, the joyous celebration is broken by a piercing scream, a dead body, and a room full of royal suspects.

Each section begins with a quote that provides some insight into the story. Most are by famous fictional detectives. Each post includes two sections (ie: I & II, III & IV, etc)

I. Every man at the bottom of his heart believes that he is a born detective. (John Buchan)

II. Have patience and endure; this unhappiness will one day be beneficial. (Ellery Queen)

III. From now on, it is our task to suspect each and every one amongst us. (Justice Wargrave)

IV. Truth arises from the seemingly irrelevant. (C. Auguste Dupin)

V. --- In the Ballroom with the Dagger? (Clue inspired)

VI. Put two and two together... sometimes the answer's four... and sometimes it's twenty-two. (Nick Charles)

VII. When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. (Sherlock Holmes)

VIII. It is not the past that matters, but the future. (Poirot)

Series Information:

Books: The Royal Romance Series, Crimes of Passion, Desire & Decorum, Blades of Light and Shadow

Characters: Trystan Thorne (M, race not mentioned), Marguerite Thorne, Olivia Nevrakis, Queen Amalas, Maxwell Beaumont, Daniel, King Liam, Tyril Starfury, Nia Ellarious, Prince Hamid

Pairings: Olivia Nevrakis x Queen Amalas ; M!Trystan Thorne x (no gender given) MC (mentioned) ; King Liam x Riley (mentioned)

Total Word Count: 6,600

Rating/Warnings: Teen, mentions of blood, stab wound, knives/daggers (no graphic descriptions)

Series Video Edit

The loveliest and talented @secretaryunpaid created little mini videos/gifs for each section and edited them together into what would be an amazing commercial for this series. Check it out:

[welcometololaland]

wip wednesday

y'all - i feel like i've been so fucking annoying lately but i'm here to request one thing of you - give me some juicy snippets to read because i'm finally on top of my shit. and i've always wanted to start wip wednesday (for all i know someone has already started it but don't rain on my parade! let me live in denial) and now i maybe can. This is from ALTA which is (omg) so close to being posted. 10 days. fuck. i'm not ready (i am).

“She’s really gone, isn’t she?” TK asks, his voice breaking as his head remains burrowed into Carlos’ shoulder. He’s stopped shaking now, which Carlos takes to be a good sign, but he’s cried so persistently that the whole front of Carlos’ jacket is wet. 

He pauses, leans back and cups TK’s face in his hands, using his thumbs to brush away a few errant tears. He briefly considers making a passionate speech about TK’s mother being dead but not gone – living on in his heart – but then he decides for pragmatism. He thinks TK will appreciate that more, anyway.

“Yes,” he says simply. “But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to accept.”

TK sniffs, his glazed eyes staring helplessly into Carlos’ own. “What do I do now, Carlos?”

Carlos sighs, brushing away another of TK's tears. “I’m not really sure, TK,” he admits. “But right now, I can take you home. It might be nice to cry somewhere that isn’t your high school computer lab.”

A tiny, hesitant smile appears at the corners of TK’s mouth. “I think my dad will be relieved,” he says. “He keeps asking why I haven’t cried yet, like it's some kind of crime.”

“Well, he’s definitely going to be pleased to see you,” Carlos points out, as TK nods tearfully. 

“Could you— Do you mind coming with me?” TK asks as Carlos steps back and drops his hands. “I don’t really want to be alone and my dad is driving me nuts. My other friends…they wouldn’t understand.”

“I hope they do understand, TK,” Carlos replies solemnly, collecting his books and following TK out of the darkened classroom. “I think everyone will do their best to support you.”

TK makes a non-committal sound as they walk down the empty hall – devoid of students – amplifying the sound of their sneakers on the linoleum. “Not like you,” he says, after a pause. “I know we’ve only been friends for a little bit, but you’re different.”

“Oh yeah?” Carlos asks, pushing open the front doors and following TK down the steps. “In what way?”

TK pauses, looking back up at Carlos as he descends the stairs, a pensive look on his face. “You’re good, Carlos,” he replies simply. “You’re good for me.”

Open tag for anyone to share but also some targeted attacks under the cut (with insane requests, feel free to ignore me)!!!

@theghostofashton (need some exes to lovers PLEASE), @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut (boxing AU boxing AU!), @goodways (got a tasty treat shannon?) @reyesstrand (food fic???) @strandnreyes (please don't hurt me but you can if you want) @rmd-writes (just because i love you) @heartstringsduet (FIRST AID?!) @carlos-in-glasses (what's next up CIG?) @birdclowns (your wip snippet game has me blurry eyed, i must know more) @fitzherbertssmolder (any comic progress?) @louis-ii-reyes-strand (been loving your snippets) @lilythesilly (fighter pilot AU?!) @kiloskywalker (tarlos fighter pilot AU????) @sanjuwrites (soulmates????) @three-drink-amy (teacher AU teacher AU teacher AU!!) @chicgeekgirl89 (any yachts about?) @lemonlyman-dotcom (some music fic for my ears???) @wandering-night19 (4 x 18 coda???) @thisbuildinghasfeelings (cross stitching update??!!!) @freneticfloetry (something from the soulmates timer fic???) @alrightbuckaroo (summer parisian au my beloved!!!!) @cha-melodius (you've got mail AU????) @redshirt2 (anything you would like to contribute, i'd just love you to keep feeding me!) @iboatedhere (how are those prompts???) @orchidscript (lovingly bullying you to keep writing) @marjansmarwani (i know the words are hard but also i am lovingly bullying you as well <3) @morganaspendragonss (has angst queen got anything this week?) @lightningboltreader (THAT ANGSTY ONE BED THING I AM SCARED BUT I WANT)

[choicesmonthlychallenge]

July 24th is National and International Private Investigator day!

About: Since Crimes of Passion II is currently releasing and our MC is a private detective, I thought this could be a great day to celebrate the book and our detectives with @choicesbookclub. However, mysteries are a part of many Choices stories, making our MCs and fave characters private detectives even if unofficially, so this event is now OPEN TO ALL CHOICES BOOKS and characters

How to Participate:

Shadows & Deceptions: A Royal Murder Mystery + Giveaway with @bayleedrawsx

This is a very open to interpretation event as long as your submission has something do with a mystery, being an investigator, solving a crime, and/or something of that nature it's perfect. You probably have better ideas than I do about how to use this event in your stories/worlds! (Some prompts/ideas to think about below)

* Just tag the blog and I'll share your work: @choicesmonthlychallenge.

* If you are creating for COP, you may also share with @choicesbookclub

I proposed a murder mystery crossover story [here]. In my head it was going to be short and more like a puzzle for you to solve—like, here is the setting, here are the characters, this is the crime, here are the suspects, and this is what happened. When I posted about it initially it was about 1,000 words total. It kind of turned into a full fan fic story at about 5,500 words. I still am posting it as part of the event, but I'll be doing it on my personal blog (@storyofmychoices) since the story and this event kind of got away from me. I still hope it's good and you'll enjoy it!

It will still be posted in smaller sections over the 4 days of this event to give people time to read and hypothesis what happened and who is responsible

Some ideas to get you started

As mentioned initially, there is still a GIVEAWAY!!! (since in my head the first person to solve the mystery would "win"!) @bayleedrawsx has agreed to assist with the giveaway but now you don't have to correctly solve the mystery (especially since the ending has a twist now), you just have to enjoy the ride. Any one who comments on or reblogs with a comment with their theories, thoughts, ideas, ect. will be entered in the giveaway. You can get 1 entry for each part of the story you interact with. (Likes and reblogs without comments do not count).

There will be 3 winners: 1 (one) winner will get a 2 character minimalist commission with Baylee and 2 (two) seperate winners will get a 1 character minimalst commission with Baylee.

create a dossier for one of your characters [Template Here]

create a business card, social media edit, advertisement for your detective (whether they are official or it's just a hobby)

create a detective/investigation fic, moodboard, edit, etc.

create a crossover event [some ideas here]

explore the every day mysteries your character might investigate (friend's secret crush/relationship, who ate the last cookie, trying to find the missing items (sock, shoes, pen, keys, glasses, etc), tracking down a secret recipe)

are any of your MCs, OCs, and/or LIs addicted to the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries channel? If so, what's their guilty pleasure?

did mysteries or detective stories play a role in your MCs / OCs lives when they were children (or later)? Did they ever play pretend? Did they have a favorite author?

create a newspaper/magazine edit/article about a mystery in your characters world and how it was solved (maybe it's a real case, or maybe it's a medical case, or something else)

find a detective/investigation/mystery story to use as a basis for @choicesprompts 's Rewrite Challenge

Guidelines

All creative work is accepted (writing, text fics, social media posts, moodboards, edits, art, songs, head canons, etc)

Use the read more/keep reading tool to prevent long posts

Please tag anything that is NSFW and/or triggering appropriately

Minors, please be responsible and DNI with posts labeled 18+/NSFW

You can combine your submission for this event with the Book Club if it is COP related and with any other events happening in the fandom.

have fun

be kind

This event is kind of a hot mess and I apologize! I really don't know what I thought I was doing lol

Got ideas, prompts, suggestions? Please LMK!

All thoughts and additions welcome!

[ovilis]

Twenty Tav Questions Meme! tagged by @fiddlin-across-faerun kinda

I. what do they smell like at their freshest? (and/or after a tenday. your choice)

Pomegranates and tart cherries.

II. what would their blood taste like to vampires?

It'd be something a little spicy and warm. Kinda like a chai latte would taste in modern times.

III. how would they kiss their LI?

It's always with a sense of passion. She's a passionate woman and she's not afraid to show it.

IV. how do they sleep with their LI (what position, does one steal the blankets, is one too hot/cold, etc)?

She does run hot so it would entirely depend on the weather conditions. If it's summer, she's within touching range. If it's cooler/colder, she's right there like a second skin. There's little in between. Also tends to hog the pillows as opposed to the blankets.

V. what does their tent area look like? where do they prefer to pitch their tent (next to water, covered on three sides, etc)?

Her tent area is a mirror of herself. It's covered on all sides and if you don't where to look, you aren't gonna see it. She mostly stays inside it, but if she does venture outside, she has a little stool she'll sit on. This is a good time to sharpen weapons so most of the time she's tending to her daggers or just trying to tame those wild curls of hers.

VI. if they had a set of dnd dice, what would they look like?

Green glass with gold inlay for the numbers and borders.

VII. do they collect anything (gems, bottles, keys, etc)?

Tea sets. Full on tea sets. Also chokers and daggers

VIII. if either, are they part of the astarion/gale book club (magic & literature) or the wyll/shadowheart book club (trashy romance novels)?

Definitely the Wyll/Shadowheart book club. It's her guilty pleasure

IX. if they had to be put in a “get along shirt” with a companion, who would it be?

Gale of Waterdeep 100%

X. do they prefer speak with dead or speak with animals?

Prefers to speak with animals as they observe a lot of interesting things.

XI. what are their thoughts on clowns?

Fuckin' hates them. RIP Dribbles

XII. their companions are gossiping about them behind their back! who is it and what are they saying?

Anyone, really. She's a bit strange in her nearly ritualistic ways of caring for her weapons and horns. They're important to her and she relishes in taking the proper time for them.

XIII. what makes them laugh? what does their laugh sound like?

Dark humor gets her to laugh the most. Puns make her chuckle. She's got a very feminine laugh; it's soft and sweet. Has a habit of hiding her laugh behind her hand, though.

XIV. do they have any inside jokes among their companions?

Out of everyone, her and Shadowheart have the most inside jokes. Her and Astarion have a few, but she instantly clicked with Shadowheart.

XV. what’s the description of their camp clothes in the inventory menu?

"Well worn and well loved. There's signs of repair in certain spots. And is that a sewn in holster for a dagger?"

XVI. what’s the description of their underwear in the inventory menu?

Simple black panties. Nothing special.

XVII. how do they celebrate their birthday?

Every year she goes out for dinner. It's always an expensive place and she dresses the part. There's always the yearly purchase of a new dagger and choker.

XVIII. what modern day tv show would they binge over a weekend? do they get their LI to watch with them?

Crime shows. Forensic Files and the like. Mostly so she can sit back and go "You dumb fuck." every time the criminal slips up. Absolutely forces her LI to watch, too.

XIX. do you have a playlist for your tav? if so, what’s the title + description

I do! I haven't touched it in a year or so, but it's named after her favorite snack.

XX. if you were to try pickpocketing them, what would they be carrying?

A three layer diamond studded choker, more gold than she could possibly need, a little can of loose tea leaves, easily three daggers and a vial of poison she coats them with.

[justyourusualash]

Meet My CoP MC

Book: Crimes of Passion/ Crimes of Passion II Full Name: Aisha Elizabeth Rose Nick Names: Aish FC: Disha Patani DOB/Age: 13 June 1994/ 29 Eyes: Dark Brown Hair: Dark Brown, Wavy with Light Brown Highlights Height: 5’7” Hometown: Brooklyn, New York Education: Pace University, NYC, New York                      BS- Criminal Justice

Career: PI at Ginovesi Private Detective Agency                Homicide Detective, NYPD(Former) Family: James “Jimmy” Rose (Father)                Aadhya Advani (Mother)                Thomas “Tommy” Rose (Uncle)                Elizabeth Rose (Grandmother) Personality: Sarcastic, Witty, Loyal and Hardworking Interests: Bollywood movies and music, Singing, Dancing, Cricket, Reading (Romance)

Some Facts:

Has PTSD due to the death of her father. Suffers from Panic attacks and nightmares.

Does not shy away from singing and dancing in public.

When her parents were going through problems for a while her mother took her to Gujarat, India where she learned her mother tongue, the regional language, and India’s official language. As a result, she is fluent in English, Hindi, Gujarati, and Sindhi.

Goes to India at least once every 2 years.

Is an M.S. Dhoni and Virat Kohli fan and will not tolerate slander against them.

Has a HUGE crush on John Abraham and has met him once.

Doesn’t trust easily

Layout by @jerzwriter Also, thanks for the help in creating her educational background!

@choicesbookclub

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

Meet My MC: Lyra Lexington

I'll edit this to make it cuter and more detailed while I play the story but here's what I have so far!

Nicknames: Ly, Little Miss Valedictorian, Doc, Lady, Queen

Born/Raised: Singapore -> New York -> Los Angeles

Books: Ride or Die, Queen B, Nightbound/Bloodbound, The Elementalists as a well-known Historian, and Crimes of Passion I and II (again, I haven't finished all of these books I just thought of this MC on the go)

Face Claim: Alyssa Raghu -> Naomi Scott/shredz55 (Insta)

Pronouns: She/Her

Sexuality: Pansexual

Zodiac: Aquarius

Fashion Style: "Girl Next Door" with a hint of Bohemian Chic

Love Interest: Trystan Thorne

Past Relationships: Logan, Colt Kaneko, Professor Ian Kingsley, Nik Ryder, Violet Hale (OC) Past Flirtationships: Mona, Cal, Vera

Education/Major: BA in History at UC Berkeley; MA in Anthropology and Ph.D in Archeology at Harvard University; Magic Training at Pendergast College of Elemental Magicks

Family:

Great Great Great Great Great Grandmother: Desire and Decorum MC Great Great Great Grandmother: The Unexpected Heiress MC Godparents: Adrian Raines and Evelyn "Evie" Rouge Father(s): Lord Elric; Detective Antonio Lexington (FC: TBD) Mother: Lilavati "Lila" Solaris (FC: Nayanthara) Half-Brother: Tialo Maternal Cousin: My Queen B OC/The Elementalists MC Children (Twins): Amber Marguerite Thorne and Alice Nayeli Thorne Pet: Arcane (A Perrikin)

Backstory

Lilavati left her extremely controlling family after leaving for college to major in Economics, where she met Adrian Raines, and the two became close friends (she was already dating Lyra's father and unknowingly pregnant). As far as her family knows, she's a Board Member/Head of Business for Raines Corporation. In actuality, she's a witch who eventually started working as a kind of supernatural diplomat to ensure peace between supernatural beings, which ended up being for the NYC vampire clans. She's under the vampire clans' protection (but she associates most with Adrian since they're the closest). She was extremely happy for Adrian when he met Evie and fell deeply in love with her. After Lyra is born, she asks Adrian and Evie to be her godparents. In my head, Evie shows up at some point during Nightbound in the Priya Lacroix scene and mentions how much Lyra reminded her of her mother (it took Lyra a second to recognize who Evie was because it's been a while but she knew Evie was a familiar figure). Antonio blames Adrian and Evie (and the rest of the BB crew) for his wife's death and ensures they stay away from his daughter by moving to a smaller home in LA.

Fun Facts:

She's a very talented Carnatic singer! Her extended family wanted her to continue but as much as she loves to sing, she didn’t want to pursue it as part of her future

She is fluent in English and Spanish but proficient in Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, and Dravokian. She learned Spanish from her father and Telugu, Malayalam, and Tamil from her mother. Her parents spoke those languages at home alongside English, but she became less fluent in the languages her mother spoke after she died. And after marrying Trystan, she obviously learned Drakovian

She’s from a wealthy family, or technically her mother was, but she left her old life to have her freedom before Lyra’s older cousins were even born. Lyra herself has an even larger inheritance after her mother died, but her father didn’t feel comfortable using her family money “irresponsibly.” She plans to use that money for her education.

[choicesbookclub]

Miss talking about your favorite Choices books? Want to replay and reminisce with others in the fandom? If you answered yes, I hope you will consider joining the Choices Book Club. All are welcome to participate! ❤️

Currently Reading:

✨It Lives in the Woods

Upcoming Book Clubs:

✨ Blades of Light and Shadow III (Wide Release starting Nov.)

✨ Crimes of Passion III (wide release) [possible but not likely]

Learn more about the book club below the cut

How Book Club works:

Once a week a post will be made with chapter(s) specific questions and polls. However, late entries will always be accepted

You can make your own posts as you play. Think of it as the old days when these books were releasing and how we played as a community

You can post screenshots, reactions, dialogue, sh*tposts, memes, fanfiction, drabbles, moodboards, edits, drawings, sketches, poems, songs, + more. Just share anything that inspires you during the replay.

The goal is to discuss and react together to old favorites!

Posts that tag this blog and use the tag "choices book club" will be shared

Guidelines/Expectations

You can participate as much or as little as you want

You are welcome to read along with us even if you don't plan to post

You can read along with us and post and not tag the blog. (However, only tagged posts will be shared here)

You do not need to participate for the entirety of the book club, you can join or leave at any point.

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Personal Note: Thank you to the original host of Choices Book Club, @jamespotterthefirst for letting me reboot this club. I know I had a lot of fun with the past replays and I hope more fun can be shared with the next book clubs! ❤️

Past Book Club Books

Guinevere

Veil of Secrets

The Elementalists 2 (mini book club)

The Elementalists

The Elementalists Winters Past

Blades of Light and Shadow II

Crimes of Passion II

Blades of Light and Shadow I

Crimes of Passion I

Platinum

Mother of the Year

Open Heart 2

Open Heart 1

Past Other Events

12 days of Choices Hints and Reveals

[peonyblossom]

Book: Crimes of Passion II Pairing(s): Olivia Nevrakis x nb!MC (Jenna Rose) Words: 1,179 Rating: Teen+ (just to be safe) Warnings: Knives (obvi, it's Olivia /lh) Summary: When Olivia pulls Jenna away at Trystan's recoronation ball, Jenna can't stop themself from flirting. -OR- A rewrite of Book 2 Chapter 7 Diamond Scene with Olivia in the garden. A/N: Some dialogue and narration belongs to Pixelberry Studios. The sexual chemistry between Olivia and MC in this scene was INSANE so I had to rewrite it.

The wind is cold as it bites at Jenna’s skin in the rempty royal garden Olivia has led them to. It takes them a moment to adjust to the change in temperature, the ballroom they were just in being quite warm with the intense lighting and many, many bodies. Once Jenna’s body has aclimated to the new atmosphere, they realize they are quite a few paces behind Olivia and rush to catch up as she strolls along the rectangular stone path. 

“We’re free to speak here. I swept the area for recording devices earlier,” Olivia says in a low tone as soon as Jenna catches up to her. 

“But the Royal Guard can still see us,” Jenna points out, probably out of paranoia. It’s so hard for them to trust anyone in Drakovia, let alone anyone tied to the royal family. 

“I’m a power-hungry, unmarried duchess and you’re a famous American detective with an ensemble to rival the princex themself. There are several conclusions they could draw that don’t involve espionage,” Olivia responds, her lips turning up in a smirk.

“Oh? And what conclusions might those be?” Jenna flirts. They know exactly what kind of conclusions Olivia is referring to, but just to hear her say it…

“Are you playing dumb as a way to flirt with me? Because you should know I like my potential flings to be much smarter than that.” 

Jenna laughs lightly. “Not interested in teaching me?” They ask coyly. “I have a feeling there’s a lot I could learn from you.” 

Olivia and Jenna stop walking and instead turn to face each other. “Oh, there is plenty I could teach you. Starting with the invitation to a secure channel I already sent you.” Olivia resumes her quick-paced walking, once again leaving Jenna scrambling to catch up. As they do, they pull out their phone and see a notification to download the file Olivia sent them. 

They quickly read over the dossier on The Drakovian Act for Heir Equity, disappointed there isn’t more, “This is all of it?” Jenna frowns.

“As adorable as that pout is, stop it. That’s all we have on file. Fortunately for you, I was close to both Juliana and Nadja, so I know a few finer details.” The two continue strolling through the gardens, their hands brushing together at their sides, as they try to keep their faces open and jovial so as not to raise any suspicion. By all accounts, any onlookers wouldn’t assume espionage. 

Jenna asks all the questions they could come up with about the Act and what they learned from the dossier, gaining some vital intel. By the time they come to the end of the garden loop, the wheels are turning in Jenna’s mind as they try to piece everything together. 

“So, what you’re telling me is the Act was stalled long before Juliana was killed,” Jenna clarifies, making sure they got all the pieces put together in the right way.

“Yes,” Olivia responds firmly, bringing butterflies to Jenna’s stomach. Whether from fear or attraction, they couldn’t quite tell. “Sebastyan hated Trystan, Nadja felt betrayed… and Juliana was stubborn. She wouldn’t give up Trystan or her voice in the Act’s legislation.” 

“So Juliana was in the way. That seems like a decent enough motive for someone to kill her.”

“I doubt Nadja would have gone to those lengths. After all, she stopped because she hated the idea of crossing a line.”

Jenna continues asking Olivia anything and everything they can think of that might help them in their case. Royalty was already a confusing mess on its own, let alone when it was all twisted together in a murder plot like this. For a brief moment, the thought of just returning to New York and forgetting all about this crossed Jenna’s mind. But they knew they couldn’t. They could never forget about this. Not until it was solved, at the very least. 

Whilst in the midst of their conversation, Olivia and Jenna hear a rustle behind the bushes and a trample of footsteps approaching. Jenna notices a blade appear in each of Olivia’s hands, ready to strike. Where was she keeping those? 

But it turns out to only be Princess Astrid, leading a young noblewoman into the far side of the garden, for what is, most likely, not espionage. 

“I believe our position has been compromised. We should return,” Olivia says, making her way back towards the castle.

Jenna gently grabs her wrist, causing her to turn around and says, “You don’t want to take a page out of Astrid’s book? Maybe solidify our alibi that we were absolutely not up to any espionage?” Jenna smirks.

Olivia loops her arm through Jenna’s and guides them towards the ballroom. “One, Astrid’s book and mine? Not remotely the same genre. Two, I never need to solidify an alibi. If this wasn’t solid already, it wouldn’t have happened. We should be quick, so do you want to keep flirting, or do you want to learn more about your suspects, little detective?” 

Jenna steps towards Olivia, backing her up against one of the columns holding up the balcony connected to the ballroom. “How about both?”

Olivia hesitates for a second, leading Jenna to believe they had one-upped her, but then she quickly spins them around, pinning Jenna against the column instead and placing a knife to their throat. “Ask me your questions detective.”

Still pinned against the column, Jenna asks Olivia about Trystan’s many siblings. Once they finish asking about everyone, Olivia reminds them, “Where power is based on heritage and birth order, assassination will always follow. Focus on your suspects. Who is avoiding your questions? Who is trying to distract you? To charm you?”

Jenna smirks, their gaze drifting down to the knife against their throat. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you are trying to charm me.”

“You like trouble, don’t you, little detective?” Olivia smiles. She drops the knife to her side, quickly hiding it back in her sleeve. But before Jenna can process any of that, Olivia cups their face with her hand and connects their lips. Jenna wraps their arms around Olivia’s neck, deepening the kiss, feeling Olivia’s soft lips and tasting her sour apple lipstick. 

Applause breaks out from inside the ballroom as yet another dance comes to an end. Olivia breaks away from Jenna, her lips still close. Olivia smiles and grabs Jenna’s hand, leading them back to the ballroom. 

“Unfortunately, that’s all we have time for right now,” Olivia says as they two walk back to the castle. 

“Thank you for the intel. And… the fun escape from this… regal affair.”

“Thank you for investigating Nadja’s murder. And… not flinching at my knife to your throat.” Olivia smirks. They come upon the entrance to the ballroom and Olivia says, “I’ll be in touch, little detective.” She slips away, her touch on Jenna’s fingers lingering ever so slightly. 

As much as Jenna would love to watch her walk away, she’s gone before Jenna can even open their mouth to reply.

[choicesficwriterscreations]

Happy Crimes of Passion Day to those who celebrate! 😁😁😁

Remember, @choicesbookclub is having a read-along! Feel free to join in on the fun.

It's so awesome to see the fandom psyched about something again!

[teeth--thief]

Have you seen Tetris (2023)? Unrelated: what music do you like, or listen to?

-R

I have seen Tetris, yes! Just a few weeks ago, sometime in March, matter of fact, so your timing is particularly incredible. It first haunted me in music form, believe it or not, I kept getting songs from its soundtrack recommend on Spotify.

While I usually really don't like the KGB is in your walls stuff that the Western films always insist on showing, I'll make an exception for this movie because it's pretty fun. I actually liked the Evil Liar KGB had going on, I thought it was very funny. I do have one complaint about the whole thing, though. I wish the pixel animation was utilised throughout the whole movie, not just in That One Scene... :( Just small, little bits (ha) would have been fine...

Fun (not really) fact: I was first introduced to the character of Robert Maxwell through this movie (you have to forgive me for not giving many fucks about the aristocrats of Britain). I have then immediately learnt that his daughter is Ghislaine Maxwell. The Ghislaine Maxwell. Jeffrey Epstein's partner (in crime). How delightful...

What music do I like... That's a terrible question to ask me because I'm very passionate about music... I have playlists for everything I like, even Chernobyl related one... there's not a free minute in my day that I'm not listening to something. I associate music with everything.

I mean, judging solely by the fact that my wardrobe consists of one too many Sabaton and Rammstein shirts, I'd have to say I'm particularly fond of metal. And punk. And rock. I occasionally listen to Hollywood Undead because I discovered it when I was a... young teen, much too young to be listening to that kind of stuff lmao, and so I feel oddly nostalgic about them.

I really like the... weird and experimental stuff? If it has some kind of a connection with nature, I will probably like it. I've been a long time fan of Cosmo Sheldrake - and he just released a brand new album Eye To The Ear on the 12th of April AND a new single just a few days ago... it's everything I could have expected and more, truly. His brother, Merlin (whimsical names is the theme) is a biologist and he wrote a book about fungi, which I really like, but haven't finished because I didn't have the time nor brain capacity to take in all that new information.

And continuing with the theme of slighly weird, I also enjoy video games/movies OSTs. The creepier the better. Little Nightmares (I&II) soundtrack? Perfection. I talk a lot of shit about HBO's Chernobyl but that show's OST is phenomenal (and that's the last nice thing I have to say about it 🙄). From not horror-esque soundtracks: stuff from DOOM.

I've also been mesmerised by the Polish folk music used throughout The Peasants and have been regularly listening to the whole soundtrack. I need to rewatch that movie ASAP... more on movie tracks, I also really like Mad Max: Fury Road's and Moon (2009)'s OSTs.

I also like older, classic bands... Pet Shop Boys, Soft Cell, Bronski Beat, Depeche Mode... Kult, if we're talking local... And because I AM beating the toxic masculinity allegations: MARINA, Paris Paloma, Caro Emerald and sometimes even Lana Del Rey and Mitski. Other than that, I'm rarely attached to one particular artist or band, I usually like two or three songs and hate the rest haha

I'm gonna add a bunch of songs I like under the cut as a little treat, just because:

[storyofmychoices]

Shadows and Deception: Parts I & II

[Series Masterlist] [My Choices Masterlists]

Books: The Royal Romance (post-TRF), Crimes of Passion I, Desire & Decorum, Blades of Light and Shadow I

Characters: Trystan Thorne (M, no race mentioned), Marguerite Thorne, Olivia Nevrakis, Queen Amalas, Maxwell Beaumont, Daniel, King Liam (no race mentioned), Tyril Starfury, Nia Ellarious, Prince Hamid

Pairings: Olivia Nevrakis x Queen Amalas ; M!Trystan Thorne x (no gender given) MC (mentioned) ; King Liam x Riley (mentioned)

Rating/Warnings: Teen, mentions of blood, stab wound, knives/daggers (no graphic descriptions)

Word Count: Part I: ~500; Part II: ~600 : total ~1,100

Summary: In the heart of Cordonia's grand ballroom, the joyous celebration is broken by a piercing scream, a dead body, and a room full of royal suspects.

I. Every man at the bottom of his heart believes that he is a born detective. (John Buchan)

The grand ballroom of the royal palace in Cordonia thrived with laughter and music, an elegant sight to behold. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ornate ceiling, casting a warm golden glow over the festivities below. The walls, painted in a regal combination of light blue and gold, added to the grandeur of it all. The air was filled with the soft strains of classical music accompanied by the merriment of the guests and the occasional sound of clinking champagne flutes.

Trystan Thorne, the exiled prince of Drakovia, stood amidst the revelry, basking in the indulgent event. It had been far too long since he had attended a proper ball, and yet he missed the thrill and danger of New York.

Trystan sipped his champagne, the bubbles dancing on his tongue. He twirled a small silver key between his fingers, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He watched as the unusual trinket glinted in the lights, thinking back to how it had made its way to him earlier that evening. A party guest had bumped into him, planting the key in his jacket pocket. When he turned to confront them, they were simply gone. He tucked the key safely back in his pocket—a mystery he was certain to solve before the night was out.

Olivia Nevrakis, the Duchess of Lythikos, glided through the throngs, her graceful movements offering no sign of the ornate daggers concealed beneath her elegant attire. Her keen gaze swept the ballroom, analyzing each guest with a shrewd eye, ready for any trouble they might find, and perhaps, even instigating a bit of her own.

Amalas, the enigmatic Queen of Monterisso, watched the festivities with a calculating gaze, much like that of her girlfriend. Known as the spy queen, she understood that knowledge was power, and her charming smile masked her relentless pursuit of secrets. Her sharp eyes scanned the crowd, seemingly aware of every whisper and hidden conversation. Hushed warnings of her deep influences and secret alliances found their way to her. A smirk pulled on her lips; if only people truly knew what they thought barely scratched the surface of her reach.

Tyril Starfury, the Elven Lord of House Starfury, stood tall and vigilant against the ballroom wall. He questioned his invitation to the royal ball, and even further his own agreement to attend. He had no interest in celebrations of such kind, which was to say, any forced large gathering of people. Tyril's noble demeanor masked his magical prowess, while his sword reminded guests of his commitment to protect the realm from any and all threats: magical or human. He continued his watch—a silent guardian. 

Prince Hamid, the Imperial Prince of the Ottoman Empire, exuded elegance and charisma. His noted wealth and good fortune were the talk of the ball. His formal demeanor hid his tender heart, but his infectious smile and penchant for gentlemanly flirtation drew admirers from all over the kingdoms to his table. 

The festivities continued in abundance, celebrating the birth of Princess Ariana of Cordonia—King Liam and Queen Riley's third child. Despite the laughter, enchantment, and cheers filling the halls of the Cordonian Palace, a dark cloud loomed over the proceedings, ready to send a thunderous shockwave through the kingdom, changing what should have been a joyous event into a deadly affair.

II. Have patience and endure; this unhappiness will one day be beneficial. (Ellery Queen)

The sharp, unnerving scream of the priestess, Nia Ellarious, pierced through the grand ballroom, instantly shattering the joyous atmosphere. The music ceased, and the air grew heavy with uncertainty and tension as guests turned their attention toward the commotion.

Nia stumbled back, her eyes wide with horror, as others rushed to her side. Their gasps of horror filled the room as their gaze fell upon the lifeless body sprawled in the shadows. A pool of crimson seeped from beneath him, a fresh knife wound evident, but no blade was found at the scene.

“What do we have here?” Maxwell Beaumont, the charismatic Lord of House Beaumont, known for his love of dancing and squids, swiftly made his way to the scene, hoping to be of assistance. His normally jovial expression turned grave as he approached the lifeless body. His eyes widened in shock and disbelief as he recognized the face before him. "No—" He barely uttered, words failing him for the first time in his life. 

"Who is he?" A guardsman asked. 

"He looks familiar," another replied.

"Daniel." Maxwell's voice was faint, a mix of sorrow and disbelief. "He is a waiter—was—he was a waiter... and my friend." He knelt beside Daniel, taking care not to step in the blood. "I can't believe it. Why Daniel?" His eyes closed, the weight of the situation sinking in. Maxwell's mind raced, and his thoughts swirled with concern and determination.

 "Are you certain, Lord Beaumont?" Finding no reply, the guard repeated his question. 

"Yes." He nodded, inhaling deeply before standing and taking a step back.

"I hate to question you, but it's my duty," the guard began. "When was the last time you saw Daniel?"

"This morning." He shook his head. "No, it was just before the party." 

"What was the nature of your conversation?"

“If I knew this—I wouldn’t have—” He began uneasily. “You're going to find out anyway—" 

"Out of my way." She brushed through the crowds. "You've got to be kidding me—" Olivia Nevrakis approached Maxwell with a sardonic smile, her tone laced with subtle superiority as she cut off the rest of his answer to the guard. "What do you think you're doing? Trying to solve murders now? Leave that to those with proper experience. I trust your talents are better suited for organizing grand parties—” she gestured around to the lavish decorations. “—and indulging in extravagant games of whimsy."

Maxwell nodded thoughtfully and recomposed himself. "How right you are.” A hint of his playful tone returning. Without another word, he stepped away. The corner of his lips turned up as he left her with the body.

"That was too easy," she mumbled, her gaze narrowing on him. Olivia took a few steps forward, following his pace before halting. Her head shook in amusement at her raised suspicions. She almost laughed at herself, 'Beaumont couldn't hurt a fly! How could he have had anything to do with this?'

As she readied to turn back to the more pressing issue, something caught her eye, a glimmer of silver on the floor near her feet. She knelt down and reached for it, her fingers closed around a used syringe. With a quick, discreet motion, she concealed the needle, determined to investigate if and how it fits into this unfolding puzzle. 

Her body straightened, and her tone became assertive as she quickly took control of the scene, aiding her skills to the ever-incompetent guard. She barely took note of the Thorne siblings lingering separately around the periphery, each taking mental notes of their own careful observations.

[Continue...]

Thanks for reading! I hope you are enjoying the set up for the mystery. Parts I & II introduce some of the characters that we'll see more in the story and give you the first look at the mystery at hand. Tomorrow I'll post the next two parts which will begin to look at rumors circulating the ballroom about possible motives and see who are being considered people of interest. Then things get really interesting on Sunday, when the murder weapon is found and an unlikely prime suspect emerges! The conclusion will be posted Monday! Happy sleuthing!

Giveaway Information: complete details here

3 winners will be chose for minimalist portraits with @bayleedrawsx

Any one who comments on or reblogs with a comment with their theories, thoughts, ideas, ect. on any and all sections of the story will be entered in the giveaway. (1 entry per section)

Prompts: For @choicesbookclub COP ; @choicesmonthlychallenge Private Investigator Event

Special thanks: to JenBeaumontJones (IG) for beta reading