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argylemnwrites · 4 years

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It Couldn’t Wait Another Moment - Chapter 19

Pairing: Drake Walker x MC (Riley Liu)

Book: The Royal Romance (Canon Divergent from Book 2, Chapter 15)

Word Count: ~6000

Rating: R (language, as always)

Summary: Drake clears the air with another woman in his family, and Liam comes to some decisions about his future.

Author’s Note: Some computer issues were preventing me from accessing my google doc (my absolute nightmare), so sorry I didn’t quite get this posted on Saturday, but I’m making sure this gets up before the Choices Big Game Blitz fics start dominating my queue. Happy Superbowl Sunday, everyone!

This series diverges from TRR canon, where instead of waiting to discuss his relationship with Riley until their last night in NYC, leaving her a note while Liam is proposing to her, Drake tackles this topic as soon as possible after Tariq makes his statement and Riley’s name is cleared. To catch up on this series, you can find the previous chapters in my masterlist (link is located in my bio).

Drake shuffled through Austin-Bergstrom airport, making his way over to baggage claim. He didn’t know what would be worse - his mother being there and acting like this was in any way normal, or her not being there at all. As he rounded the corner and headed for carousel 4, he saw her there, looking nowhere near as anxious as he felt. When she caught sight of him, she waved frantically and then dashed over to give him a big hug.

“Oh Drake, I’m so glad you’re here,” she said, squeezing him tightly.

Drake returned the hug, but it felt rather awkward, like they were acting out the parts of a mother and son reuniting at the airport. It didn’t feel natural.

“Hey, Mom. Savannah says ‘hi.’”

“Of course she does. Tell her she needs to bring that baby boy of hers out for a visit!”

Drake nodded and followed his mother out to the truck, throwing his luggage in the backseat before climbing into the passenger seat. As his mom backed the truck out of the short term parking spot and headed toward the exit, he tried to figure out whether he should start this conversation now or if it would be better to wait until they were at the ranch. He probably should have tried to come up with some sort of plan for this on his way out here, but it was too late for that now.

“Are you sure you can only stay one night?” Bianca asked once they had gotten onto the freeway, “We haven’t seen you in ages and it would be nice if you could stay for a bit.”

Drake shook his head, “I need to be in New York tomorrow night. Someone’s expecting me.”

“Liam?”

“No,” Drake replied, turning to stare out the window. He did not want to discuss Riley and how up in the air things were in his relationship. He came here for a purpose, and he couldn’t let himself get sidetracked onto another topic. His mother had an uncanny ability to redirect the conversation.

“Well, regardless of how long you’ll be here, this is a lovely surprise,” she said, clearly looking to keep things light and friendly. Drake cringed slightly, knowing he planned to take things in a very different direction. He took a deep breath before he started. It was now or never.

“Mom, I… well I actually came to Texas because I kind of need to talk to you about something.”

“Okay. What is it?”

“Well, it’s kind of a lot of things, actually.”

“Drake, are you in some sort of legal trouble?”

“No! Why would you think that?”

“I don’t know, sweetie. You’re just being very cagey and I don’t understand what else would have you so jumpy and flying in on a whim.”

“This isn’t exactly a whim, Mom. I’ve thought about coming to talk to you about this for a long time now.”

“Okaaaayyy…” she responded, turning her head briefly to look at him as she dragged out the word, then snapping her eyes back to the road ahead.

Drake tilted his head back slightly and closed his eyes, hoping that would make getting the words out a little easier, “I’ve been carrying this around with me for a long time. Trying to figure out how to say it without being an asshole to you. But I think it’s just gotten to the point where I need to tell you. There’s not a good way, really.

“When you left Cordonia, when you left Sav and me in Cordonia, well… you hurt me. And I’ve been carrying around that hurt for almost half my life now. And I can’t keep doing it anymore. It’s not healthy and I just need to get it off my chest.”

“Oh, Drake,” his mother replied, “I’m so sorry. I thought I was doing right by you and Savannah, leaving you with Liam and your friends. You seemed so happy there, I didn’t want to uproot your lives any more than they already had been by your father’s death.”

Drake ran his hand over his face. He had kind of expected this - some superficial justifications and a light apology. But that was like slapping a bandage on a gunshot wound - it wasn’t actually going to help anyone. If they left it at that, he would leave Texas tomorrow the same as if he had not come at all. He had to keep going, even if it meant that he destroyed any semblance of a relationship he had with his mother.

“Okay, but we were just kids. For Christ’s sake, Savannah was only 12 when you moved out. We had just lost our father and then less than a year later we lost our mother too, by her choice. It’s bullshit that you even attempt to justify this, Mom. And you know it.”

She didn’t say anything, but he heard her flip her blinker on, getting off the highway at the next exit and pulling into a gas station parking lot, turning off the truck before she spoke.

“Drake, I’m sorry,” she bit out, her voice cracking, “But I was in no shape to be a mother. I was mourning and I had no support system. I needed my sister.”

Drake shook his head, “Sorry Mom, but that’s just too damn bad. When you’re a parent you can’t just fuck off because things are tough. You were mourning? Well, what about me and Sav? We were mourning, too. You might have needed Aunt Lee, but we needed our mother.”

His mother was crying in earnest now, but Drake felt like he couldn’t stop talking, that all this old pain was just flooding out of him, “Tough shit that you were in pain. Your kids were hurting just as much. What kind of mother just leaves her children behind? How could you do that to us? Didn’t you miss your kids at all?

“I was 15, Mom. Fifteen years old and I suddenly had to figure out how to not only grow up and face the world all on my own, but I had to help Savannah, too. And you know what? It fucked me up. It made me wonder what was so wrong with me that my own mother couldn’t stand to raise me. It made me scared to get close to women, wondering if they were going to leave me too. It broke my trust and made me cynical.

“And I’ve let this shit sit inside of me for too damn long. I let myself grow bitter and cynical and jaded, all before I turned 30. And I just needed to talk to you, to actually talk to you. Not gloss over our family’s messy past because that’s easier, but actually let you know what I thought, because otherwise this resentment is just going to keep growing and growing.”

Drake took a deep breath, trying to gain some semblance of control over this situation. He hadn’t meant to just dump years worth of pain onto his mother on the drive to the ranch, but in some ways, it was probably best that he had just kept talking. He didn’t exactly give himself a chance to back down or close himself off.

His mother wasn’t saying anything, just sitting there with her hands covering her eyes. Drake opened the glove box and found her some tissues, passing the packet to her. She grabbed them, swiping under both of her eyes before she spoke.

“Well, if you’ve said what you needed to say, I can drive you back to the airport. No reason for you to even stay tonight, it sounds like.”

“That isn’t everything I need to say, Mom. I didn’t fly out here just to hurt you. I just… I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my life. About what I want. About how to let myself be happy. And I think I realized that I need to move forward in a lot of areas. I’ve been stuck in a rut for a very long time, and it’s time to let myself change. So, I need to stop letting my past define my relationships. I need to stop letting my fear of abandonment drive my actions. And that means I need to make some changes to my relationship with you.”

“What kind of changes?” his mother asked, still sniffling slightly.

Drake shrugged, trying to gauge how to phrase it, “I don’t know yet. I mean, I know I just told you how much pain you’ve caused me, but I still love you, Mom. I just… if we decide we want to be a part of each other’s lives, I can’t keep doing it like this, getting one phone call from you a year on my birthday. I can’t have my mom acting like a distant great aunt or something.”

She shook her head, “I didn’t call because I felt so guilty. Talking to you was just a reminder of my failures as a mother. I assumed you saw it the same way and wanted nothing to do with me. I didn’t want to put pressure on you.”

“Well, you’re right. A handful of phone calls aren’t going to erase the past or anything. But I don’t know how things here get any better if we both just keep doing what we’re doing.”

“I want to be a part of your life, Drake,” she insisted, reaching over and grabbing his hand, “I really do want to know you and Savannah as adults.”

“This has to go both ways, then. A two way street, okay?”

His mother nodded emphatically, “You’re right. I’ll book a flight out to Cordonia soon, okay?”

“About that…” Drake said, “I, uh… I kind of moved.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Er, I sort of live in New York City now.”

“Maybe I’m just missing something here, but how do you ‘sort of’ live anywhere?”

Drake sighed. Apparently, he was going to have to get into this, at least a bit. “Well, I kind of met someone, and I moved to New York to be with her, but things are kind of rocky between us at the moment and the move is pretty recent. I’m not exactly sure it’s gonna stick.”

She nodded slowly, staring off to the side as if she was searching for more information to make better sense of Drake’s ramblings. “So might you be heading back to Cordonia soon?”

Drake just shook his head, “Nah, not right away at least. Like I said, I gotta make some changes in my life. I don’t know that I’ll stay in New York if things don’t work out there, but I probably won’t head straight back to Cordonia. Too easy to slide back into my old habits there.”

“New York’s your first choice, though?”

“I mean, she’s my first choice, and she’s in New York, so yeah,” he replied with a shrug.

“Okay.”

“That’s all you have to say?”

His mother gave him a watery smile, “It sounds like you’re working through some things right now. Believe it or not, I very much get that feeling. Given everything you’ve told me today, I think I’m mainly just glad you even shared that much with me.”

He let her words sink in for a little bit. He couldn’t be sure, but it seemed like a peace offering. Like his mother was trying to express interest in whatever part of himself he was willing to share at this point. He wasn’t naive enough to think that suddenly he would have the world’s most loving, attentive mother after today. He knew there was a high probability that they would end up drifting apart going forward. But that was okay. At least he’d put himself out there, shared his fears knowing full well that it might not make anything better. He’d held onto those fears, kept them far too buried for way too long.

“Well… I will let you know where I end up, okay?”

“I’d like that. Now, how about we get heading back to the ranch? I’ve got some chili in the slow cooker for you.”

“That sounds nice, Mom. Are you okay to drive?” he asked, gesturing to her red eyes and tear streaked cheeks. She just smiled and nodded, turning the key in the ignition and pulling the truck back onto the road.

“Oh, Leona’s head is going to explode when she hears you’re moving to one of the biggest cities on the planet,” she said after a few minutes of driving, the thought clearly just popping into her head. Drake laughed, picturing his surly aunt’s reaction. It was the first time he could remember laughing with his mother since before his father died. And while he knew their relationship was still an absolute mess, well at least there was one more good moment between the two of them now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Madeleine rolled her shoulders back and took a steadying breath before knocking on the door to Liam’s office. She just had a terrible feeling about this meeting he’d requested with her. The only topic she could envision him wanting to discuss with her was their wedding, and the tone he’d used did not imply a routine planning discussion.

She wasn’t an idiot. She knew she wasn’t his first choice as a wife. She probably wasn’t even his second choice if the amount of time he was spending with Olivia was any indication of who he actually liked to involve in his life. But she’d tried to be there for him. She’d learned from Leo that forcing things with Constantine’s sons got you nowhere. She’d let him carry on with Riley Liu. She’d been at his side through all the terrorist attacks and his father’s death, through calls for abdication and threats on both of their lives. For God’s sake, she’d taken a bullet for him. She’d hoped she’d be able to prove her worth as a political ally. But if the sinking feeling she’d had in her stomach was any indication, all she had done had not been enough.

“Come in,” Liam called out, his voice muffled by the door. She strode through with poise and purpose. She was not going down as some timid waif of a woman. She would face him with dignity.

Liam was not at his desk, but instead on one of the couches. They had never had a meeting that wasn’t at his desk, and the change in the setting unnerved Madeleine. But she wasn’t going to let him see that, not now. “Good evening, Liam,” she said, careful to keep her voice even and steady.

“Good evening, Madeleine. Please, have a seat,” he said, gesturing to the opposite couch. She walked over and delicately sat down, crossing her ankles as she did so. She knew how to comport herself, not that such behavior was going to get her anywhere.

“Would you like something to drink?” Liam asked, running his index finger along the top of his own glass of whiskey.

“That depends, Liam. Am I going to need something to drink?”

He paused for just a moment, “I would venture to say yes.”

Madeleine nodded tersely, trying to take deep breaths without being too obvious. It was one thing to suspect your engagement was getting called off, it was another to have it confirmed. She had already been through this once before, but it still stung. “Vodka,” she said after a moment, after she was sure her voice wouldn’t crack.

Liam stood and walked over to a sideboard, crouching down and pulling out a bottle of Belvedere. “Any mixers or ice?”

“No, thank you,” she replied, accepting the liquor with a nod as Liam handed it to her before returning to his seat.

“Shall we get this over with?” Madeleine asked.

“Madeleine, please. I at least want to discuss this with you.”

“What’s to discuss, Liam? I don’t see the point in dragging this out. I’ve been through this before, remember?”

“I would like to talk this through at least. I want you to understand where I’m coming from.”

Madeleine let out a little laugh, “I don’t particularly need to understand your reasons, Liam. Quite frankly, you purging your soul and looking for absolution is not going to make me feel better. It’s just selfish.”

He actually smiled slightly at that comment, just for a brief second, before he let his calm, diplomatic expression return to his face. It infuriated her all the more, that her pain and frustration was apparently a source of amusement for him.

“It’s interesting that you would use that phrasing,” he said after a moment, staring at the whiskey in his glass. “Madeleine, I just have to ask, why do you even want to marry me?” He turned his eyes up to meet hers at the end of his question, almost as if he thought he was about to witness some moment of revelation. It was insulting, quite frankly.

“No. You do not get to twist my words to make me sound like a crown chaser. I have been preparing to be queen my entire life. I am qualified in every way for this job. You would never fault a man for going after his professional dreams.”

Liam tilted his head back and forth, looking at her intently, “I might if he pursued them at the expense of all other realms of his life. Madeleine, do you really think being queen would bring you enough happiness to compensate for the extreme misery it would bring you in your personal life?”

Madeleine shook her head, letting out a frustrated snort. Everyone saw the ways that Leo and Liam were different, but right now, they’d never seemed more similar to her. They both had wanted her to be the one to end things. Leo had just ghosted her repeatedly, and when he did come around, there was always a new woman to throw in her face. Liam at least was more subtle, clearly trying to convince her that this was her idea. It was still infuriating in its own right, though.

“Liam, if you aren’t going to marry me, at least have the courage to call off our engagement yourself. You don’t get to dump me and have me do all the work for you.”

“Madeleine, this isn’t a decision I made lightly or on a whim. All I am trying to do is minimize the pain and discomfort here for all parties involved.”

“Well, that’s just too bad, Liam. You don’t get to break up with someone without hurting them.”

He sighed heavily, “Fair enough. I just hoped you might be able to see the positive aspects here. That you might be able to find a silver lining.”

“How could having my dreams ripped from me yet again be a positive, Liam? Explain that one to me, please,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Well, you won’t be trapped in a loveless marriage and forced to raise children with a man you’re indifferent to at best,” he replied, shrugging his shoulders slightly, “That seems like it could be worth something.”

“Liam, be realistic. I will never marry for love. Any marriage for me will be a political one. You at least would have been a tolerable husband.”

“Why can’t you marry for love?”

“Be serious.”

“I am. I don’t see why you act like this is some impossibility.”

She just shook her head, “How are you still such a romantic? The woman you love chose your best friend over you.”

Liam raised his eyebrows at that comment, “Careful, Madeleine. There is little reason for either of us to resort to petty personal attacks here. But suffice it to say, that while Riley’s rejection was painful, it did not change my belief that there is love to be found out there, and I mean love for all of us.”

“Well, that’s not been my experience. And quite frankly, I don’t see how it’s been yours either.”

“Just because I am not currently in a loving relationship doesn’t mean that I don’t see a world full of potential for love and connection.”

She shook her head and let out a short little breath, “For a highly educated king, you are so naive. Nearly foolish.”

“And you have a very stubborn and narrow worldview. If someone hasn’t found love in the world, that’s either because they are blind to it or they reject it anytime it’s offered and push it away before it has a chance to grow. I think we both know in your case it’s the latter.”

“Awful presumptuous of you, assuming that anyone has even been open to loving me.”

Liam stared straight at her, the disbelief evident in his eyes, “Do Penelope and Kiara not count?”

“What? They aren’t attracted to women,” Madeleine retorted, waving her hand dismissively.

His eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up at that, “I can’t speak to their sexual orientation, nor was I trying to, Madeleine. Love can be platonic, you know. You might have found that with Kiara or Penelope if you hadn’t berated them at every opportunity. Instead, they both chose to return to their homes. Or Hana, who has never been anything but kind and compassionate, could have been a true friend to you just as she has to so many others. Gentle Hana, who decided she couldn’t live under the same roof as you, would have been your friend if you hadn’t constantly cut her down and aimed to hurt her.

“I know your parents were never some source of unconditional familial love. Believe me, Madeleine, I can comprehend that. But it is your choice to continue to be harsh and compassionless with all your peers. If you can’t see that, I don’t know what to tell you.

“I am sorry that you have to go through a failed engagement for a second time, Madeleine. I truly am. But that isn’t enough of a reason to marry you. And I honestly believe this is the best chance at happiness for the both of us.”

“No, Liam. It’s the best chance at happiness for you. At least own that fact.”

After a few seconds of silence, Liam finally spoke, “You’re right, this is something I am doing for myself. But I hope that someday you’ll see that this opens up the potential for you to find something better as well.”

“Why now?” Madeleine asked, tapping her fingers against her untouched glass of vodka, “Why lead me on for months?”

“I probably never should have gotten engaged to you in the first place. I did so in a moment of desperation where I saw no other options for either of us. If you want to hold something against me, that is what it should be. But I am not going to let that lapse in judgement determine the course of the rest of my life. I do not want to be a bitter king who only has a family out of obligation. I want children that are born into a home of love and warmth. I may sacrifice many things for Cordonia, but I’ve decided this is one liberty I’m going to take for myself.

“Now, as far as the more practical matters go, if you want to be the one to announce the end of our engagement, I will happily grant you that opportunity. You can prepare a statement; I would just ask you send it to Stefan for review before you go to the press, but I understand if you prefer to release a statement independently. I can also send you to my private island for a while if you’d like to avoid the press or your parents. I want to allow you time to collect yourself away from external pressures if you desire. Just let me know by this weekend, alright?”

“So that’s it? That’s all you have to say?”

“Yes, Madeleine. I honestly think we’re done here. Don’t you?”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” she said as she rose, downing her entire glass of vodka in one, then striding to the door. Once she was on the other side of the door, she pinched her eyes closed, fighting off waves of self-loathing and despair at her repeated failure. It was like Leo all over again, but this time, there was no back up plan. She was left entirely directionless, and now she had to figure out what she was supposed to do with her life now that the only thing she’d been raised to do was no longer possible.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The trials on Friday had run straight through to the end of the business day, and after all his late night case review, preparing for the press, Liam was exhausted. He was planning to head straight from the courthouse to his private quarters for a few hours of needed decompression, but as he answered a few questions from the press, he noticed Olivia standing over by the town car that was waiting for him, talking with his driver.

“Lady Olivia,” he said in greeting, nodding at her politely as he walked over after the press dispersed.

“Your Majesty. I was hoping to run into you. Are you headed back to the palace?”

“That was the plan.”

“May I join you for a bit? I was hoping to discuss if there were any more findings in regards to Anton’s spouse.”

Liam nodded. He did need to talk to Olivia about the investigation that he and Bastien had been privately conducting there. “Of course. Would you like a ride?” he asked, gesturing to his car.

Olivia shook her head, “My car and driver are just around the corner. I’ll meet you there. Do you need me to bring by some cookie dough and wine spritzers?”

Liam shook his head and chuckled. He should have known that Olivia would know that he called off his engagement, even though neither he nor Madeleine had released an official statement yet. “I think I’ll be fine, thanks.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, the glint in her eyes in direct contrast with her overly concerned tone, “Breakups can be tough.”

“Don’t gloat, Olivia,” Liam chided. He wasn’t really upset, but Olivia didn’t need to be so pleased that he and Madeleine were no longer engaged.

“I’m just happy that you aren’t stuck in a miserable political marriage.”

“And…”

“And if Madeleine won’t become queen because of it, all the better.”

Liam couldn’t help but let out a little laugh. It’s not that he reveled in ending things with Madeleine, but it did feel like a significant weight had been lifted from his soul. “Shall we meet in my office?”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you in a few.”

And so Liam went to his office when he returned to the palace. He’d been seated at his desk, reviewing some news sites, when Olivia was let in by Stefan about 10 minutes later.

“Sorry, I would have been here sooner, but I got stuck waiting for the royal motorcade. A real pain in the ass, I tell you.”

Liam chuckled at her statement, gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk. Olivia sank into one, leaning back and looking him in the eye before she spoke.

“Alright, what can you tell me about my supposed marriage to that traitorous vile snake?”

Liam let out a sigh, knowing there was no easy way to break this news. “What kind of wine do you want?”

“That bad, huh?” Olivia asked with a little wince.

He unlocked the middle desk drawer and pulled out the documents he’d set aside for her. “I wish I had better news. Unfortunately, the document your parents signed is legally binding.”

“Motherfuckers,” Olivia breathed out, letting her head drop to the back of her chair. “I was four, Liam. Who the hell marries off a toddler?”

“I’m very sorry, Liv. I have a private lawyer investigating how best to go about getting this annulled given all the clauses and conditions that various House Nevrakis members have put on the books over the centuries.”

“You brought in a private lawyer? Liam, I was kind of hoping-”

“He signed an NDA. However, I think it would be prudent to warn you that Anton might bring it up in trial if he decides to go scorched earth. The prosecutors would never reference it, but I have no idea what he or his lawyer are planning.”

Olivia inhaled deeply before nodding slowly. “I understand. Are you sure we can’t just torture him to keep him quiet?”

“Fairly certain that’s a violation of the UN Human Rights Council guidelines.”

“Even if I make sure it can’t get traced back to you?”

“Yes, even then, Olivia.”

“Damn,” she said with a little laugh, “So, either I release the info myself and undermine my public support in an effort to control the narrative, or I take a gamble that he won’t bring it up?”

“Unfortunately, yes. Those really are your only choices. No matter what you choose, though, you will have the Crown’s full support.”

Olivia tapped her fingernails against the desk’s surface, eyes roving over her marriage certificate. “I’ll release it Monday,” she said after a few moments, raising her head to look Liam in the eye. “It’s the opposite of what our fathers would have done, so that probably makes it the right call.”

Liam tilted his head at that, “Have your staff send Stefan your statement this weekend, and we’ll craft an official royal press release to match.”

“Thanks, Liam.”

“Of course, Olivia.”

“No, I mean it. I’m sure that you’re already being stretched thin between the trials, and I’m guessing you’re getting some pushback for calling off your engagement, so thank you for looking into this for me.”

Liam nodded. She wasn’t wrong. It hadn’t even been 24 hours since he called off his engagement, and he’d already been chided by several council members. Regina had also had some choice words for him after he blocked a meeting with Godfrey.

“How pissed are people that you aren’t getting married?”

“I think they’re more upset that they can’t technically do anything about it. The law clearly states a monarch needs to be either married or engaged to ascend the throne; it makes no reference to his or her marital state once they are the reigning monarch.”

“So, what’s your next move?”

“Nothing,” he said with a little shrug, “Like I said, they can’t really do anything about it. Thanks to you, public opinion of me is quite high at the moment, so it's not like they can apply pressure that way either.”

“Nice,” she replied, nodding and cocking an eyebrow, “What are you going to do about an heir?”

Liam just shook his head, “I’m not even 30 yet. I feel like I have some time.”

“I agree, but others won’t. You’re going to have to have a statement prepared for when they start hounding you about it.”

He paused for a second, organizing his words, “Well, then I’ll just tell them that succession laws are clear, and that I am perfectly comfortable leaving Cordonia in the hands of the woman who is next in line for the throne.”

Olivia’s eyes widened before fluttering closed. She pressed her lips together and took several slow breaths before she opened her eyes, a slight glimmer noticeable in the corners. “Thank you, Liam,” she whispered.

“It’s the truth, Olivia. You care about this country and its people. If something were, god forbid, to happen to me, I would have no qualms about you becoming queen.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t need to say anything. How about we just have that glass of wine?”

Olivia just shook her head, “I wish I could, but I actually have… well, I have a date.”

Liam smiled gently, “Oh, well then it sounds like you have much better plans than me for the evening. I’ll let you get heading back to Lythikos.”

“The date’s here, actually.”

“Really?” Liam asked, his curiosity mounting by the second, “Who’s the man in question, and does he know what he’s getting himself into?”

“None of your business and of course not,” she replied, giving him a genuine smile as she stood up. “I’ll see you at the courthouse Monday?”

“Of course, Olivia. Have a wonderful evening.”

She smiled and walked out of the office, throwing up her hand in farewell as she closed the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Drake shifted in his seat. He could blame it on the cramped airline rows, but he knew it was more his nerves than anything. He was an absolute mess at this point.

For the second time in as many days, he was on a flight towards a woman he wasn’t even sure wanted to see him. But unlike when he went to see his mother, he was actually terrified of that fact. If his mother had been cold or hadn’t wanted to see him, he knew how to deal with that fact. He’d been through it before, and though he hadn’t come out without some emotional scars, he fucking got through it.

But Riley… well the thought that she might not want to talk to him shook him to his core. He honestly didn’t know what he would do if she told him to fuck off, that she needed a boyfriend who could actually handle her life or one that didn’t have a best friend with very specific emotional demands. It was honestly part of the reason he went to talk to his mother first - he was more scared of his talk with Riley. The stakes were just so much higher. He knew that made him a coward. But when he’d been booking his tickets, he just wanted one more day where he could pretend that Riley and him were going to be alright.

Part of him also knew that if Riley left him, he was likely to spiral a bit. Get drunk, self-destruct, throw himself a goddamn pity party. He knew he needed to talk with both Riley and his mother, but with how long he’d put off his conversation with his mother, he just knew he would never get around to it after a rejection from Riley. He wouldn’t have seen the point. It just had to happen first.

But now it was time to face the music with Riley. No more beating around the apple tree. She knew when his flight was landing at JFK, he’d sent her the flight details before he left Cordonia, and she’d texted back “okay.” Drake didn’t know if that meant she would be there or not.

If she wasn’t there, Drake wasn’t sure what his plan was. He was pretty sure she would be off this weekend, but just barging into her apartment felt presumptuous, even if he did still have a set of keys. Maybe he would just call her? See if she wanted to meet him somewhere?

But when he exited the plane and made his way towards baggage claim, he saw her there, standing off to the side, her arms crossed over her chest. He started walking toward her, his legs suddenly feeling heavy as lead. At some point, she caught sight of him, but she made no move toward him, just offering up a little nod. He raised his hand and waved, feeling like a giant dork in the process, but he didn’t know what else to do. And he made it those last painful meters, he tried to figure out what to say. But then he was in front of her and all he could do was stare at her. She was so beautiful, and nothing he could say felt like it would be enough.

Riley wasn’t saying anything either, and neither one of them made a move to touch each other. The tension was nearly palpable, and all Drake knew was that he had to break it somehow.

“Hey, Liu,” he choked out.

“Hi, Drake.”

Permatag: @speedyoperarascalparty @mfackenthal @lilyofchoices @thequeenofcronuts @jamesashtonisbae

The Royal Romance/The Royal Heir: @kingliam2019 @sirbeepsalot @texaskitten30 @princessleac1 @ladyangel70 @dcbbw @yaushie @octobereighth

Drake x MC only: @jovialyouthmusic @iplaydrake @gibbles82 @drakewalkerisreal @riley--walker @notoriouscs @butindeed @addictedtodrakefanfic

It Couldn’t Wait Another Moment: @wickedgypsymoon @thesumofmychoices @cosigottahavefaith @thequeenchoices @katedrakeohd @feartheendlesssummer @ao719 @ooo-barff-ooo @sunnyxdazed

#drake walker #drake x mc #trr fanfic #trr liam #king liam #olivia nevrakis #trr madeleine #trr #the royal romance #choices fanfiction #choices #playchoices #choices stories you play

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zaffrenotes · 5 years

Text

Thoughts on The Royal Heir, Chapter 11 - The Prodigal Father

Alternate Title: Pies Make Peace, but Cakes Cause Chaos

Word Count: 7800+ not counting the points section JFC what’s wrong with me I’m so wordy

Points are arbitrary and happen at random. Essay/personal thoughts after the point review of the chapter. TL;DR version – Bartie Sr. is back, stealing the spotlight when he can, and utter chaos ensues between the Walkers and the Beaumonts. It feels like we’re never leaving the ranch. Midnight moonlight hookup leads to happy times with your LI and if I haven’t said it already I LOVE LIAM good god he’s just so wonderful and adorable and I want to keep him in my pocket.

I’m putting a cut here to minimize the length of this post if you don’t want to read this, and feel free to add #ZaffEssays and #ZaffDigsDeep to your filtered tags so you don’t see this or future posts from me.

I sourced Drake/Hana playthroughs from BizzysChoices and Abhirio on YouTube, respectively.

Normal text = Liam route | Italics = Drake/Hana/Maxwell route | Bold = applies to any LI/story as a whole

-1 Heeeere’s Daddy…Beaumont. +1 Bartie Sr. thinks Bertrand’s been telling everyone he’s dead -1 How does Drake (and Liam, especially) not know that the Beaumont’s dad was in a coma all this time?! 0 For a dude who’s been in a coma the last decade or so, he recognizes Hana – whomst he’s NEVER.MET. +1 Even as Queen, MC should freak out over this man standing before her -1 Secret rehab just so he could show up the day before the wedding. Mmmkay then. -1 Barto’s ready to take over the house again, just as Bertrand’s evening things out. YUP. -1 Sounds like Barto’s the one that let the house fall to ruin while searching for a miracle cure of whatever illness he had that was so bad he had to be put on life support for years but he still doesn’t understand what was wrong with him WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE CORDONIAN DOCTORS THAT THEY CAN’T DIAGNOSE PATIENTS SOMEONE CALL ETHAN RAMSEY, STAT +1 But he wants to make amends and…start over? +1 TRR frands rally for Maxwell as he tries not to freak out over his dad being back +1 Liam elbowing Drake about the singing thing, lol -2 Excuse YOU Blake but this is not the wedding everyone will buzz about (that was MC’s wedding kthnxbai) +1 A wedding is a huge party, with cake –Jess / I’d ship Maxwell with Party Twin if she wasn’t already with Blake, lol -1 WHY is Hana a bridesmaid and not Kiara??? -1 WHERE IS BARTIE JUNIOR?! (he doesn’t appear AT ALL in the chapter) -1 Jess has already forgotten from a week ago that Sav wanted to ride in on a horse for the ceremony with a special saddle and everything -1 Bianca has somehow not told Sav until NOW that they sold the saddle a while back -1 Barto jumps in, offering to walk Sav down the aisle when um…a member of the WALKER family should give the bride away to you Beaumonts. You ass. +1 Beaumont flashback scene! I guess Bertrand really was more of a rebel when he wasn’t Duke +1 Kraken fingers as part of a secret Beaumont Brother handshake. That is all. +1 Bertrand spares Maxwell of lectures when he can and we find out Barto might’ve had money troubles long before spending money on miracle cures for his oddly unnamed illness 0 Godfrey and Barto are friends, possibly scheming against the Crown and unhappy with Queen Eleanor’s efforts to stop something from happening -1 Fat-shaming Maxwell is straight up RUDE with the “wide suits” comment. DAD. +1 more confirmation that Maxwell secretly wants to be a Disney princess (he befriended squirrels when he ran into a hedge maze, covered in fudge) +1 Bertrand and Hana’s short heart-to-heart about difficult relationships with their parents -1 Chippy I STG if you don’t stop bitching about “freeloading” this and that I will do more than throw cake at you -1 Barto wants to act as our honorary dad too? PASS. HARD PASS. +1 Liam’s unimpressed by the offer as well 0 Quiche is great for all, except for Barto; Chippy…SHUT.UP. -1 and he insults Chuck, who I don’t really care about, but that’s just RUDE, bruh +1 Liam offers to pay the Beaumont’s half of the wedding costs because Chippy won’t shut up about money, but Bianca doesn’t want it +1 Accidental food fight! +1 Brother against brother! Polenta and salad and bruschetta reinforcements! +1 Hana DOES WHAT SHE WANTS, okay Max? +1 Liam likes this, lol. Let that man throw bread at people more often +1 Bertrand stands up to his dad, sets the evening back into order, and puts his foot down on serving quiche +1 [Liam] calls MC a glowing, twilight goddess at the moonlit pond. +1 [Liam] HE WILL BEND THE KNEE, y’all (I love him so much) +1 [Drake] calls MC 1) a work of art and 2) a mythical siren. Daaaaaamn, Walker, nice! +1 [Liam] MC calls Liam out for sneaking her off to secluded water spots all the time, it’s cute +1 [Liam] nearly rips MC’s clothes off or treats her with reverent grace. I love this man. +1 [Hana] turns the scene into a sweet fairytale that they can tell their future child one day, of their moms being madly in love with one another -1 WHERE IS BARTIE JUNIOR -1 Bertrand’s MIA the morning of the wedding. Whee.

T O T A L 4 points for this chapter with Liam as your spouse 1 point for this chapter with Drake/Hana/Maxwell as your spouse

DAD?!: So. Bartie Senior is alive, having recovered from some number of years of being in a (medically induced) coma…and kept his recovery a secret. Umm….how about NO? Drake says what we’re all thinking – “Your dad’s alive?” and “…the way you always talked about him. In the past tense. And he was never here.” – because despite Drakes’s attempts at telling us he’s not really friends with the Beaumonts, he’s friends with the Beaumonts. Wouldn’t he, being a friend, know about Bartie’s condition? At least as first? Wouldn’t Liam, as friggin KING, know about Bartie Sr.’s condition?? Wouldn’t Constantine at least have given Liam a head’s up during the brief time between Liam’s coronation and Connie’s demise about House Beaumont’s status??

ALSO. If OG Bartie’s been in a coma, how does he know who Hana and MC are? (Yes, I get that if he’s taken months to recover, he would’ve started reading Cordonian news outlets and caught up with all he missed out on, but STILL) So he welcomes MC to House Beaumont, and MC can choose to hug him, shake his hand, or freak out over him being not dead. Hug him and he’s surprised at MC’s strength; a handshake gets a smile; Freak out and he’s amused that his return would get such a theatrical response.

Maxwell tells the group that his dad was sick for a long time, with little to no hope of recovery, so having him there in Texas is nothing short of a miracle. MC can respond by asking about his recovery or whether he should’ve called first. Ask about recovery – OG Bartie tells the group he spent months in rehab to recover in secret so he could surprise everyone just before Bertrand’s wedding. Ask if he should’ve called first – he says he didn’t want to ruin the surprise to see the looks on everyone’s faces (thereby making the moment ALL ABOUT HIM).

Firstly…NO. Cognitive function after YEARS (FIF-FUCKING-TEEN OF THEM, as we find out in the next scene) of being in a coma would take such a toll on a person, let alone dealing with things like muscle atrophy and speech therapy. Secondly, what kind of a dick move is that to keep your recovery a secret, just to show up to Bertrand’s wedding? What about the disservice to Maxwell stans, whose wedding was just over a month (maybe two months) ago??? Thirdly, even IF OG Bartie wanted it to be a surprise and didn’t want Bertrand and Maxwell to be notified of the change in his condition, the hospital would HAVE to notify the next of kin because they would’ve had to wean him off life support, which would change the charges on whatever ongoing hospital bill the Beaumonts would’ve been paying all this time. That at least explains part of their financial problems – keeping someone on life support for any extended amount of time is expensive.

At this point, even Bertrand wishes he’d known when OG Bartie woke up probably to avoid his father from stealing the spotlight from what’s supposed to be an important moment for Bertrand and Savannah’s lives which is low key exactly what he’s doing. OG Bartie says he’s ready to lend a hand with duchy things to ease the burden from Bertrand and Maxwell, and MC can either tell him Bertrand’s been managing just fine, or that he could use a break. Bertrand’s managed just fine earns MC a thank you from Bertrand, and he and OG Bartie start talking about why he took over (MONEY); a break would be good so Bertrand can focus on his family results in Bertrand agreeing, but he brings up why he took over in the first place.

OG Bartie tells the group that he spent a significant amount of money on snake oil type “miracle cures” for whatever mystery illness ailed him, but he wants to make amends to his sons now that he’s apparently all healed. Maxwell’s quick to say he didn’t let them down; OG Bartie tells Bertrand to take some time and think over his offer while they focus on the upcoming nuptials. At least Sav’s excited to have a father-like figure in her life now, and OG Bartie offers to do whatever he can to be there for her, and they invite him to attend the rehearsal dinner.

NERVOUS MAX/REHEARSAL CEREMONY: Everyone departs to change and get ready for the wedding rehearsal, and Maxwell’s all flustered as he tries to finish getting ready. Everyone notices how on edge he is, and he explains that he’s nervous having his dad back in the picture – because he’s always been the (loveable) screw-up, but now he has no idea what to say to his father or make him proud. MC can opt to tell Maxwell to tell his dad one of three things – I missed you, just to let him know they can work through re-establishing a relationship; I love you Dad causes Maxwell to have a mini-freakout over whether he loves his dad, and MC reminds him it’s been years since they’ve spoken and to just take things one step at a time; Catch up with 15 years of Pictagram is the lighthearted answer, where Maxwell swivels his anxiety of getting to know his dad again to ‘oh my god do I need to teach my dad how to use a smartphone?!’ and Hana reminds him to focus.

Maxwell wants to be able to show his family – Bertrand, Sav, and now his dad – that he can keep it together for a night. MC and Hana tell him he’s not alone and they’ll help him get through the night, and Liam offers up his support, even if Maxwell needs his friends to cause some kind of distraction. Even Drake is willing to help, though he doesn’t want a distraction to involve singing – to which Liam elbows him, haha.

Time for everyone to dress up! Liam’s in his white shirt/blue cravat and black suit, Drake’s wearing his green shirt/blue blazer combo, and Hana’s in her little black dress. MC can opt to wear her standard LBD, or the diamond option blue dress with floral hemline. I’m a sucker for a blue dress so I bought it. If you buy it, your LI smiles as you twirl for effect.

WEDDING SNAFU: Everyone gathers to a clearing behind the house, where things are set up for the ceremony, and Jess and Blake welcome everyone. Blake has the audacity to say this wedding – THIS wedding – is gonna be the one they talk about across the US and Cordonia. EXCUSE YOU, KATRINA’S A QUEEN and our wedding was the bomb. Not only did she marry the King, she fought off assassins – TWICE – ON THEIR WEDDING DAY. How TF are you gonna top that?!

Jess thanks Liam for his recommendation to use their services to Bertrand and Sav and…personally for me this is weird, because I’ve played ROE and that means Jess is related to Liam (and Katrina) via my ROE MC marrying Leo. So they’re family. I know it’s just one of those things, because PB would have to work in a way to make that work if you did/didn’t marry Leo, but I just think it’s odd.

Jess and Maxwell see eye to eye on weddings – it’s a big party, but with cake at the end, haha. MC asks Jess when do we eat (Answer: as soon as you get through this rehearsal) or how’d you and Blake meet (Answer: opposites attract on a Mediterranean cruise *hint hint LEO*) but Blake tries to keep things professional and on schedule, so everyone gets into place.

Sav thanks MC for being her MoH and Hana… Hana… for being a bridesmaid…when at least one of those roles ought to go to Kiara, who knew Sav before MC or Hana arrived at court and taught this bish FRENCH so she could hide out in an expensive ass city to give birth in secret. There’s talk of how Sav wants to make her entrance, which – Jess. You asked her this a week ago when y’all arrived to start setting up. She wants Drake’s dream wedding but never got to ride a horse down the aisle and use some special saddle that Bianca used when she married Jackson.

Except this is when Bianca tells her they sold it. Not a week ago when the wedding planners showed up. Not a month ago when Sav and Bianca would’ve started discussing wedding plans during MC’s reception where Bertrand proposed to her because she’s a whiny ass and was about to up and leave him AGAIN without a word and it would’ve been a good time to bring up things like “oh hey mom, remember that saddle you rode on when you married dad? I wanna use that. Where is it?’ and I ju—UGH. NEXT.

OG Bartie volunteers to walk Sav down the aisle in lieu of the horse thing, which is a nice offer and all but… shouldn’t a member of her family WHO IS STANDING RIGHT THERE give the bride away to your eldest son, Barto?? Call me crazy, but maybe, just maaaaybe Bianca would like the honor of the symbolism behind letting go of her only daughter; if not her, then Drake – being her brother, and the only male representative of the Walker family. It’s archaic and old-fashioned but so what. I’m sure there’s a small part of him that would’ve been honored to do that for his sister. But Barto made the situation about himself – again – even when Sav tried to politely turn down his offer.

Bianca tries to hide her disappointment and keep her opinion to herself for the sake of keeping the peace between her soon-to-be in-laws (being the bigger person in the situation, which, okay, credit to her for that) but she regrets selling the saddle. I can understand why she would’ve sold it, but at the same time, uh, WHY. If it’s something that was used for some kind of family tradition – Leona hints that their family doesn’t have a lot of grand traditions, but using the wedding saddle was one of them – why not figure out some other way to hold onto it FOR YOUR ONLY DAUGHTER. I discussed this with @ooo-barff-ooo (who came up with a great lil Drake and Joanna AU around the Walker Ranch) and others. They could have rented the saddle out to brides who wanted their own country wedding. They could have RENTED OUT THE RANCH AS A WEDDING VENUE as a side business to the actual ranching business. The property was good enough for Bianca and Jackson to use to get married, why not share that picturesque location with other couples?!?

While the group kills some time so Blake and Jess can set up for the rehearsal dinner, MC talks to Maxwell and Bertrand. If things went well, Maxwell’s in agreement, but Bertrand’s concerned about too many last-minute changes to the wedding he and Sav have been planning, and how their father has a tendency to steal the spotlight.

BEAUMONT BOYS: In a diamond scene, we get another flashback to the young Brothers Beaumont and the way they viewed certain aspects of growing up when their father was still well enough to be in charge of the duchy. Liam and Drake persuade Bertrand to tell MC and Hana about the motorcycle that Maxwell gifted to him in the previous chapter. Maxwell’s in absolute awe of the newly-purchased bike, as is Bertrand. Maxwell can suggest Bertrand do wheelies down the grand staircase – to which Bertrand replies (paraphrasing here) ‘nay, down the railing!!’ – off the roof (into a pool that doesn’t yet exist) – in which case Bertrand says they should slow down – or race through fireworks like a stuntman, to which Bertrand agrees.

Maxwell climbs onto the bike behind his brother, and the engine revs to life. If they ride through the kitchen, Bertrand navigates through the servants corridors and says “careful is for cowards!” when one of the staff tells him to be careful; Maxwell grabs two cookies as they pass through, and they toast the cookies when Bertrand pulls to a stop on the veranda. Suggest going over the pond using Maxwell’s skate ramp and Bertrand hesitates for a moment, fearing what would happen if he doesn’t stick the landing. Then he assures Maxwell that they will absolutely ride over the pond, but he should deny everything in the event that their Evil Knievel stunt goes south. Take a spin around the house and Bertrand speeds around the property.

MC interjects the story and comments on Bertrand’s rebelliousness, causing him to uncomfortably adjust his tie, and he says those were less trying times; comment on having an actual childhood, and Bertrand says in between lectures and lessons, they still managed to find time for some mischief. MC notes their father wasn’t mentioned in the story, and Maxwell’s reasoning is their dad was great because (he wasn’t around to stop them from) they could do whatever they wanted, whereas Bertrand explains that their father seemed to care less about what the brothers did after Lady Beaumont passed. The only time they saw their father was when he pointed out when they were doing something wrong.

Returning to the flashback, Maxwell recalls their father craning his neck to look at them from his study window, and calls them both inside. Bertrand tries to spare Maxwell from another lecture and tells him to watch the motorcycle, and he (Bertrand) goes inside to speak with their father. From Maxwell’s point of view, the exchange between Bertrand and their father went fine, and Bertrand asks what Maxwell planned while he was gone. Maxwell’s been thinking about biker jackets with krakens and tigers on them, and Bertrand says he’ll get them matching helmets. They start to do their secret brotherly handshake, and I couldn’t NOT pick whatever “kraken fingers” are from the options – which means Maxwell holds his hands up to his face and wiggles his fingers like squid tentacles while Bertrand salutes him. Aiming high or low for a high-five type of handshake yields in a high-low slap/handshake/salute or circle slap/hip-check/chest bump, respectively.

A brief switch to Bertrand’s POV in the flashback reveals what happened in the Beaumont study. Godfrey’s visiting with OG Bartie, and Bertrand overhears Godfrey talking about Constantine almost signing some kind of paper, but Eleanor got him to reconsider. OG Bartie tells Godfrey he’s not trying hard enough to sway Connie’s opinion – to which Godfrey replies “I’m not in his bedroom every night!” – referring to Eleanor. Bertrand makes his presence known, and OG Bartie goes into the “why aren’t you doing things to improve House Beaumont’s name instead of goofing off” spiel. Bertrand pulls the mom card and says exercise is important, so he was just enjoying some time out of the house with his brother; their father comments to Maxwell’s wide suits that he used to wear (referring to when he was overweight). Godfrey chimes in and surprisingly defends Maxwell, calling him an adorable boy; he has vivid memories from one of Liam’s birthday parties where Maxwell managed to get covered head-to-toe in fudge and ran off into the hedge maze, where palace squirrels made friends with him before the Kings Guard found him.

Maxwell. Covered in fudge. Befriending his squirrel army. I love this guy so much, why is he so damn adorable?! Anyway, OG Bertie lays into Bertrand about upholding the family name yadda yadda honor the house blah blah blah. Before he departs, Bertrand brings up a matter over an overdue bill, and this likely gets under Barto’s skin, dismissing the accounting issue while he’s got company (Godfrey) present. Bertrand attempts to stand up to his father and either says it’s important house business (Barto says ‘important’ is up to him to decide and it’s not talk of a bill) or swears it’ll only take a moment (OG Bartie says they can discuss it later that night).

Back to Present Day, and MC can either respond with Barthelemy really let you have it or Barthelemy and Godfrey were friends? – with the first option, Maxwell starts to see just how harsh their dad was, and how much Bertrand protected Max from the receiving end of that harshness so Max could have more of a “normal” childhood – just like any big brother would do for their sibling. With the second response, we learn that Godfrey would visit Ramsford often, and stay in the study for hours at a time with their father. As long as Maxwell and Bertrand weren’t too much of a nuisance (of the “be seen and not heard” variety) things were okay. While Bertrand sides with upholding the image and honor of the House Beaumont name like their father, OG Bartie wasn’t the best at setting an example in terms of responsibility – like most parents of his generation, he expected more from his children than he was willing to do on his own. He wasn’t a perfect parent, but Maxwell and Bertrand were expected to be perfect children.

Maxwell tries to defend their father, claiming that Old Dad vs. New, post-coma Dad are different, and he just wants them to be happy together. Bertrand’s skepticism is hard to break though; he’s waiting for the other shoe to drop, because (I might be projecting here) the shoe has ALWAYS eventually dropped. It’s something only an older/elder sibling witnesses, and keeps to themselves instead of telling their younger sibling. Hana offers some comforting words to Bertrand regarding difficult relationships with parents, and at least the Beaumont Boys had each other to lean on when things got rough. Bertrand offers his support to Hana, should she ever need it, and tries to look at the situation with optimistic eyes – but Hana warns that not all bridges can be mended.

ESCAR-NO: The group heads into town for the rehearsal dinner, which is a pop-up restaurant Blake’s set up for the occasion. Almost everyone’s excited to be there, except for… Aunt Chippy. Whining that none of the existing places to eat in town are good enough for “these nobles.” Bianca tries to get her sister to shut up and chill, but all Chippy can think about is money this and money that, especially with the arrival of an “unexpected, free-loading guest” aka the FATHER OF THE GROOM, you BITCH. She complains about Barto trying to talk Sav into upgrading the reception chairs, and Bianca says Sav can hold her own. Also, pot? Kettle. Look at your niece and nephew – one ran off to an expensive city with no plan on income and depended on secret Beaumont money to keep her afloat for at least a year; the other lived in the palace for years upon years as “Liam’s Best Friend” for a job title.

MC, her LI, and the rest of the group sit across from Barto, and there’s an awkward moment as Maxwell chats with his dad. If you paid for the blue dress, you get Barto’s approval – but he credits Maxwell with dressing MC (EXCUSE YOU, SIR. I PACKED THIS DRESS.). MC goes along with it, and Jess starts serving an appetizer of bruschetta.

Barto tells MC that he considers her a member of House Beaumont more than Duchess of Valtoria/Queen, and extends himself as a father to her as a result. MC can respond with one of three options. Neutral that’s kind of you prods Barto to praise her efforts at court to raise House Beaumont’s status, to which your LI responds with an equally neutral “how generous” reaction. With Liam as my husband, I can see him internally thinking “you just want to call my WIFE your family because she helped your House reputation.” If you tell him he’s being pretty forward for someone (I) met six hours ago and MC hardly knows him, your LI says it’s been a long time since anyone at court has known him (and can vouch for him). Barto’s jaw twitches, and he tries to save face by stating the obvious – honorary membership of the House and his role as leader again, now that he’s conscious. A cheery Great! House Beaumont forever! translates to blind acceptance, which is what he seems to want, making an example of MC to his sons about House pride.

To put everyone’s minds at ease, OG Bartie says they can ask him questions to put their minds at ease, noticing that Maxwell is only ever this quiet when he has too many questions on his mind. Panicked by the idea of having only one question to start things off, Maxwell looks to MC for help. If you ask where Bertrand got his love of cutlery from, you learn it’s all part of Things The Firstborn of a House Should Know 101; ask about his favorite memory about Maxwell as a child and he tells a story about the time Maxwell skipped his lessons (again) and found Maxwell in the bedroom, looking in on Lady Beaumont. She was under the weather, so he’d brought her flowers and some of his toys to cheer her up; while his father had to talk to him about not neglecting his lessons, that was when he realized Max wasn’t indifferent to his responsibilities – and began to see there were some things he cared about more. It’s a sweet anecdote, and shows the side of Maxwell that we all know – that boy can wear his heart on his sleeve once you figure out his tell. If you ask to know more about (Barthelemy’s) illness, he tries to gloss over it as impolite dinner conversation, and divulges that it nearly took everything from him (financially perhaps as well as physically?) and his rehabilitation was a long road.

We’re given another family motto – in addition to the Beaumont’s “The depths remember!” – that he repeated to himself during his recovery; “The seas may be rough, but a true Beaumont can weather any storm.” It’s an interesting motto because not only does it make another nod to the Beaumonts being sea-faring people, but it could hold weight in this series the way Olivia’s house motto carried on through TRR.

Jess and Blake serve up the main course to the group as a preview for the wedding reception TOMORROW (I HAVE A BONE TO PICK WITH THIS LATER IN THE CHAPTER) – and almost everyone’s excited to dig into the quiche they’re served. Barto frowns and pokes at the food, and Chippy pulls a Drake and quips at him for the fAnCy food not being fAnCy enough. (gawd I see where Drake gets it from) Barto thinks the dish is fine for being quiche, but too casual for dinner fare at a wedding. Poor Blake says he was going for a rustic theme, which – would totally fit for having a wedding/reception on a ranch for a bride and groom that have likely already consulted with him over the menu. BERTRAND is the groom – you know that man would weigh each decision carefully, taking into consideration what Sav would want/be comfortable with in addition to how each of their choices would be received by anyone from Cordonia’s court as a guest at their wedding. He probably had stress dreams about the silverware and what china to use, and whether whatever decorations they use would be up to par for House Beaumont standards. BACK OFF, BARTO.

Trying to make sure everyone’s happy, Blake suggests changing the dish to something with escargot. This makes Barto happy, but Sav’s not excited – she’s never even had escargot, and she already likes the quiche. How about you don’t change the menu at the last minute, dude? The poor bride will be lucky to get a few mouthfuls of dinner while they float around to tables to say hello to everyone, let the poor woman have her eggs! My god, you’re making my sympathize for Sav and I DON’T LIKE HER.

And then Jess and Blake bring in the cake, with Chuck in tow carrying dessert plates. The cake? Cinnamon sponge with cream cheese frosting and blackberry compote filling. As they prep to cut and serve the cake, Barto gets all o_O and calls Chuck a giant, questioning his attire for the evening. He’s wearing his Big Sky Country outfit (black cowboy hat, black collared shirt with silver/white embellishment) as he usually does for his scenes in this book. I guess it’s too jarring for Barto. Chippy adds her unwarranted opinion (all day, every day, I just want to shout “Nobody asked you, PATRICE!”) and says Barto should pay his share of the wedding if he keeps insisting on making last minute changes to the menu/décor/dress.

Liam tries to offer to pay on behalf of the Beaumonts (knowing their financial situation is still rocky), but Bianca says they don’t need the Crown’s assistance and she’s never asked for anything from Cordonia. WHY THE HELL NOT, BINCS? Your husband died in the line of duty – that’s just like a military soldier being killed in action, or a police officer/firefighter dying while he was doing his job. The very LEAST that could be done is assisting a family when someone literally put their life on the line. BUT WHATEVS. She doesn’t want the help, she wants to do it on her own, that’s fine.

Barto says House Beaumont’s funds are “complicated” right now…honestly, when aren’t they complicated? Between the way he seems to have spent the family money in an effort to cure himself, and Bertrand having to sell off things and work around finances to cover his hospital bills in addition to keeping up (minimal) appearances at court, this family needs lessons in fiscal responsibility.

Things are tense. Some guests are unhappy. It’s all around awkward, but Chuck tries to keep doing his job and offers cake to ol’ Barto, who tries to wave it away. In the process, he strikes the plate and sends the cake flying, landing directly on Aunt Chippy. She perceives this as a declaration of war, and…

Barto gets quiched, courtesy of Chippy. Maxwell rushes to protect his dad, demanding polenta from Bertrand, who doesn’t want to get involved in the food fight. LoL Maxwell argues that if Bertrand’s not with him, he’s against him, and dumps salad on his older brother. Bertrand shoves up his sleeves (fml you stop that right now, Bertrand) and lobs polenta at Maxwell with astonishing accuracy. (LI) swipes wayward cake away before being hit, asking MC who they’re supposed to be fighting, and MC can either protect her LI or go on the offensive attack (you hit Barto and Bianca with whatever food you can grab at).

MUST.PROTECC.KING.AT.ALL.COSTS.

MC tugs (LI) behind a chair as bruschetta flies past. Drake warns his aunt that he’s on her side, and she demands he “cake” Barto. Maxwell’s not sure why the bruschetta keeps appearing, lol – Chuck is somehow still serving food for ammunition, and Hana’s getting into it by throwing slices of cake. If Hana’s your LI, she comments that they’ve been under a lot of pressure and the food fight is a way to release some of the tension. Liam uses a silver tray as a shield against flying cake and uses his free hand to pelt people with bread rolls and--- my sweet king, chucking bread rolls 😂I love him. He finds it cathartic and suggests making it some sort of annual tradition in Cordonia, haha. If Liam’s your LI, he tells MC that throwing the bread/the food fight is a way to release some of the pressure they’ve been under lately.

MC and LI duck behind a banquet table, followed by Bertrand and Sav, who notes the food fight has gotten out of control. LI asks if they should do something to put it to a stop, and MC tells Bertrand to either let everyone know how (he) feels, embrace the chaos, or remember this is only the rehearsal. If you go with the first option, MC says there’s no use trying to be polite at this point; embracing the chaos/reminding them that this is only the rehearsal leads to Bertrand saying “…that’s a thought” and Sav is kind of glad this is all going down now to let off steam.

All points lead to Bertrand agreeing that holding back is no way to live, and he moves to stand, but his father calls for attention first. Barto says they need to establish order again, and he’ll be the one to do it, if necessary, but Bertrand stands on a chair while holding a quiche, and clears his throat. He stands up to his father, defending the choices he and Sav have made for THEIR wedding, putting his foot down on serving quiche. Barto thinks the stress has gotten to Bertrand and tries to get Max to outvote him, but Maxwell backs his brother (AS HE SHOULD!) and says Bertrand knows what he wants. Even though things go a bit haywire, Bertrand can hold it together and make things happen.

Once the food fight is over, you can do the responsible thing and stay to help clean up, or try to run off. If you stay to clean, Blake’s distraught over his cake (I understand your pain, bruh) and everyone works together to get the space back in order. Jess thanks everyone for helping out and says (she and Blake) will see everyone on the big day. IE TOMORROW, RIGHT JESS?! If you run off, Sav says the cleaning duties are included in the deposit, but MC and the others make a run for it anyway, lol.

MOONLIGHT MAKEOUT: Back at the house, MC’s with LI, going over the night. If you’re with Hana, this happens after another round of at-home fertilization. Liam/Drake/Maxwell/Hana then chat about the evening, and somehow the food fight was a good thing for everyone. LI asks MC what else is on her/our mind, and MC can respond with one of 3 thoughts. Thinking about the people of Cordonia, MC wonders if they’ve been away too long and what the people must think of them. [Liam] tells MC the people are likely fine, understanding the need for an heir and what that entails – and then he puts his palm on MC’s belly and I—sdjfksdjhfs. He reiterates how they want to grow their family and I am so SOFT for this man. The YT playthroughs I watched went with the last option, so I’m making an educated guess the discussion was mostly the same with the other LIs.

Thinking about having this baby already, MC worries how long the process will take, if it even happens for them at all, or if something goes wrong. In Liam’s case, he puts his hand on her shoulder and assures her they’ve taken every precaution and have the best doctors available, along with a great support system; not to mention he’ll be there every step of the way.

Thinking about being alone with LI leads to LI surprising MC with a late night swim at a hot spring in the woods. All the LIs use the same line – moonlight, nature, and nothing else/a romantic midnight getaway is just what they need. Say yes to the diamond scene and your LI gets a mischievous grin on their face, and you head into the woods until you find a secluded spring, lit up by moonlight and fireflies.

SWEET EVANGELINE: I’ll break down the diamond scene by LI. First up (with the most detail on the choices) – Liam. MC can respond to the secluded spot by saying it’s beautiful, or she likes any activity where Liam has to take off his shirt, lol. Option A leads her to ask Liam how he found the spot, and he says he’s unwilling to reveal all his secrets (DRAKE. DRAKE PROBABLY TOLD HIM) or else he’d never be able to surprise MC. Option B leads Liam to joke that the lack of clothing might have been a determining factor. Either response leads to MC pulling Liam close by gripping his shirt collar, and undressing him while gazing into each other’s eyes. Before he gets into the water, he carefully undresses MC and places her clothes at the bank of the pond, and steps back to admire her. And then he calls her a GLOWING TWILIGHT GODDESS, FIT FOR WORSHIP. Oh, and he’ll get down on his knees to worship her if she just says the word.

W O R D

That man. That man, with all the power in his being, is so willing to bend for his Queen, and only then. God I love him. He takes MC’s hand and they head into the water together. MC calls him out on his penchant for sneaking her away to secluded water features – the Forgotten Falls after the Regatta, the Blue Grotto in Italy, and even the lake in Shanghai for a late night boat ride. Liam hopes they can return to the Blue Grotto so he can go diving for another pearl to match the one he’d hidden there for his perfect partner (what happened to that pearl in the first place?!). MC says so much has changed since then, but things are ironically the same, because they either have to steal moments away together or Liam has an eye for romantic escapes.

Liam tells MC that they’ll always be in the spotlight as public figures, so time alone isn’t a luxury they’ll always get. At least for tonight they can just be husband and wife, and Liam can do things like wrapping his arms around MC and kissing her until they’re both breathless. If you tell him he’s got the eye for romantic spots, he’s glad to hear he hasn’t lost his touch, and MC makes a joke that she’d suspect some sort of invasion of the body snatchers if he DID lose his touch. Liam flirts back with “what if *I* wanted to be the body snatcher?” and grabs MC, pulling her in for that breathless kiss again.

MC can either pull Liam in or splash him. Splash him and he splashes you back, and he pins her arms? I think? He’s willing to accept a truce on the condition of a kiss, and I—WHY IS HE SO CUTE? Pull him in for a kiss and MC slides her hands up his back until their bodies are close together and they make out until MC sighs and Liam’s fingers cling to her hips, before telling her that he’s been thinking about this moment with her all day. Both options lead to Liam putting two fingers under MC’s chin (swoon) and kissing her tenderly on the forehead (double swoon) before kissing her on the lips (HALP).

You can either just kiss, or do the deed and – WHY WOULDN’T YOU DO IT WITH HIM YOU PAID GOOD MONEY FOR THIS. Okay, so let’s go with just kissing first – it’s sweet, and you kiss over and over, and he calls you “my queen” again, and you float/let him carry you in the water, feeling safe in his arms. Go all the way and he wastes no time gripping the back of MC’s thighs to hold her in the water, while she locks her ankles around his waist. You’re still wearing too many clothes, so if you tell Liam you don’t have all night, he all but rips off MC’s lingerie and he kisses MC with nearly wild abandon and he says he needs to feel MC close to him. If you tell him you want him to enjoy the process, he takes his time undressing MC with slow, tender kisses and reverent gazes. With rapt attention, he calls MC beautiful as she discards her underwear before him, and she helps him out of his boxers. Both options lead to Liam asking where MC wants him – on the shore or in the water. On the shore he carries MC out of the water into the soft grass by the edge of the water and…yeah. He tugs at MC’s lower lip with his teeth and she grabs fistfuls of grass until sjdhfskdhjf. Stay in the water and he picks MC up again, their movements causing the water around them to ripple. He calls her his queen again and digs his fingers into her waist, breath ragged as he picks up the tempo until you both give in.

Laying on the shore afterwards, Liam confesses how easy it is to forget all his cares while MC’s in his arms. One thing on his mind is how complicated families become, seeing the tension and strife within the Walkers, the Beaumonts, and his own family, and how to relate to their own child as time goes on. MC can either tell him that the food fight like the one they witnessed might not be peak family bonding, but it was hilarious – and even though the night was full of tension, hopefully they can look back on the evening in a year or so and laugh about it. MC wants them to be able to instill the idea that no matter what life drives between them, they won’t be apart for long. If MC opts to say food fights and shouting are her domestic nightmare, she wants them to promise that they won’t keep problems buried so deep that their friends or future children would want to throw food at them. Liam agrees, stipulating that any adult food fights will “only take place under predetermined, consensual rules of engagement.” I think he really just wants to pelt some people with more bread rolls, lol. MC reluctantly pulls apart from Liam and they gather up their clothes, eventually heading back to the ranch so they can sleep in a real bed.

SO. With Drake – at the pond, we find out the water is phosphorescent (algae? All I hear is Tamatoa from Moana talking about bioluminescent “AL-ghee,” lol) and he gets undressed without any prompting from MC. MC undresses slowly, and he says that what he’s looking at (MC) belongs in a museum, because if MC’s “not art, then I don’t know what is.” They wade into the water, and he tells MC the spot they’re in is actually called Make-Out Point; he didn’t understand what that meant when he was younger (when some older boys told him about the spot) and curiosity got the best of him. MC can see why a teenage girl would swoon, and Drake jokes about HIS MC swooning. MC then pretends to swoon in the water and he catches her with ease. He catches MC with a fiery kiss as his arms wrap around her, and she tugs on his hair – which is apparently HIS kink, since he lets out a low groan in response. MC dips her head back and with her hair wet from the totally not radioactive water, Drake pauses to admire her in the moonlight and compares her to a mythical siren wuuuuuut.

They roll with the siren roleplay and MC can tell him to answer her siren call and have his way with her or kiss her; going with Option A, MC tugs at Drake’s hair again and Drake starts in with the foreplay, wanting nothing more than to watch MC writhe at his touch. You then have the option to tell him to be rough or gentle; Drake bites MC’s lower lip as his hips start rocking in the water, and his breath becomes ragged as he increases the tempo, until you both burst.

MC and Drake are on the shore, and she’s laying her head on his chest, and there’s the option of telling Drake she can’t wait to have a bundle of joy cuddled between them, or she’s enjoying the quality time with him before they become parents. MC teases Drake about the inevitability of dad jokes becoming his thing, and they make their way back to the ranch to go to bed.

HANA…the scene with Hana holds the most innocence, so to speak. They arrive at the pond and the scene is described as “a symphony of nocturnal creatures fills the air around the pond” versus focusing on the temperature of the air with Liam, and it being a secluded moonlit spring with Drake. Hana’s already smiling at MC and says this is already the best part of her day. MC undresses first, pausing to let Hana admire her (at Hana’s request), before Hana undresses and MC stares at her, lol. MC and Hana help each other out of their remaining clothes and get into the water, and Hana wanted to give MC some time to relax since they’ve been under pressure and wanted to see how MC was feeling. MC tells her do to the same, and Hana remarks that “secrets mark the death of marriage.”

Hana gives MC a massage, noting that it was exhilarating – if not tiring – to participate in the food fight earlier. MC can return the favor and give Hana a massage or let her keep going; Hana appreciates the gesture and they start to kiss, before MC lifts Hana up into her arms with the help of the water. There’s a lot of heated kissing and touching, and Hana does the ol’ tease you till you’re close then slow down routine, until MC’s ready to explode.

Afterwards, floating around in the pond, Hana confesses that she’s always wanted to sneak into the woods with someone she loves, like something out of a fairytale or swimming in a sea of stars. Hana wished for storybooks where a princess could find love and happiness on her own, with the freedom to embrace her life, and hopes to tell their future child about tales like this. Tales of their mothers going off on secret adventures and stealing kisses in magical forests, madly in love with each other.

RUNAWAY GROOM: AND THEN. WHAT’S UP WITH THIS “A FEW DAYS LATER” BULLSHIT. Wedding rehearsals take place the NIGHT BEFORE the wedding. That’s a pretty common practice, since you’re ironing out all the little details about the ceremony to take care of small issues or timing things. Blake even said it earlier at the dinner – they’re getting a peek at the dinner, which is planned for THE NEXT EVENING, so…what the hell, yo? What’s this “days later” nonsense??

It’s the day of the wedding – WHENEVER THAT IS, because I don’t know at this point – and Sav’s all panicked because Bertrand is MIA. End scene.

I’ve been distracted AF this week, with a lack of regular sleep and my absolute fangirl freakout yesterday over my favorite Liam FC being cast in a new series. (Hint – It’s Henney. He’s going to be in a “tv” adaptation of The Wheel of Time as al’Lan Mandragoran via Amazon. “Lan” is an uncrowned KING/protector/warrior tasked with guarding a female magician as she completes some kind of quest. It’s HUGE. Aragorn level huge – because this (14?) book series is up there with Lord of the Rings and I’ve been missing it for yearrrrrsssss so guess who’s about to fall into a completely new obsession as a result of Henney being cast? YUP. IS ME. Anyway, I digress.)

So Daddy Beaumont is back, eh? I can’t say I’m super excited for the Beaumonts, because it feels like they sort of accepted the fact that he just wasn’t going to be around anymore. Bertrand’s nearly coming into his own as head of the family – although, Bertrand my man, the stress of managing the house hasn’t done you any favors whatsoever, based on that flashback. Maxwell’s starting to coming into his own, with a little help from the gang. It just feels rather suspect that Daddy Beaumont’s appearing NOW. Right before Bertrand and Sav’s wedding (also WTF, he couldn’t recuperate in time for Maxwell’s wedding, if MC was marrying him?) and with everything still sort of up in the air in regards to the Royal Council and getting Cordonia back into a good place.

We’re getting bits and pieces about what might be going on with Constantine and Eleanor before her untimely demise – now with Barto and Godfrey plotting something that Eleanor’s fighting against. Bertrand’s right – their dad really has a way of making moments all about him, with walking Sav down the aisle, and scoffing at wedding details. I don’t like Chippy and her constant griping towards the nobles and frequent nagging about money – it’s a wedding, woman, what the hell did you expect? For it to cost nothing?! But I can see how Barto’s comments could easily piss anyone off, especially a bride on the eve of her wedding.

Which brings me to the subject of TIME once again in PB-land. Blake says the wedding’s the next day, but at the end of the chapter, a “few” days have passed before it’s the morning of the wedding where Bertrand’s gone missing. WHAT. THE. FUCK. Make up your minds, PB! Is it a day or more than 2 days? Like… a simple proofread should’ve caught that! *I* caught that just playing through the chapter for the first time!

I loved the food fight for the absolute chaos that it was, and the interaction of the TRR gang, even amongst themselves. It’s one of the best things about the series that keeps me from not playing. The image of Maxwell dumping a bowl of salad on his brother for wanting to be Switzerland, and then Bertrand with his freakish accuracy at lobbing polenta had me laughing until my ribs hurt. I get it – sometimes the families you marry into aren’t what you expected. At all. You’re going to have these underlying tensions, but you might as well pull a Festivus and air out your grievances, to avoid future food fights when it comes to holidays and birthdays.

Each of the LIs (sorry Maxwell stans – anyone playing his route wanna start giving me recaps?) go through the diamond scene at the pond with accurate representation of their core character traits. Liam’s romantic and passionate, his thoughts constantly on family expectations and how he hopes to raise his child(ren) differently than the way he was raised. Drake’s all sexy and smoldery, and we’re seeing his guard go down in regards to what he’s into (being more submissive, the hair pulling, etc.) as he relaxes into being married. His focus is on enjoying the time together with MC before they inevitably become parents – driving home his whole “appreciate the moments in between” idea from TRR Book 1. Hana’s sweet and steamy, but most of the attention is still on MC and making MC feel good/relaxed/happy. She envisions their life as something from a modern fairy tale – one she wishes she could’ve read about as a kid, and wants to focus on showing their future child that love doesn’t have boundaries.

#the royal heir #choices the royal heir #the royal heir chapter recap #TRH chapter recap #king liam #Drake Walker #Savannah Walker #Bertrand Beaumont #Maxwell Beaumont #Hana Lee #ZaffEssays #ZaffDigsDeep #king liam x mc playthrough #choices king liam x mc #super late recap #I was busy fangirling over Henney sorry y'all #I keep getting distracted and i--#oooh shiny!

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lizzybeth1986 · 5 years

Text

Very Slow Thoughts on TRH Book 1 Chapter 8

• This chapter is meh. It's basically a full chapter of the writers taking the Walker ranch portion of the story, and stretching it like chewing gum at this point. I was pretty much sleepwalking through this one tbh.

• The only interesting bit in this was the Drake childhood scene, but because the initial scenes will always be slight buildup to the actual meat of the backstory - rather than the story itself - its placement in a chapter as dull as this one doesn't exactly do it any favours.

• To avoid seeing these posts on your dash, you can block the following tags: #trh quick thoughts, #trh qts, #trh qt reblogs, #long post

• Screenshot Credits:

Drake: @thefirstcourtesan and the HIMEME YouTube channel

Hana: The Abhirio YouTube channel

I'm sorry I don't have any Maxwell screenshots this time around, since I couldn't find it on YouTube, and I wasn't able to ask permission for screenshots on time. As soon as a video of his route is up on YouTube, I'll try adding the collages with his screenshots up. But I do have a tiny gist of what happens in certain portions of his playthrough, thanks to Tumblr, so I'll put those up as quotes.

• Title: Ride Like The Wind

Alternate Title: There Are Other Things My MC Could Be Riding...But Okay

• We begin with the sisters (yeah Leona and Bianca are back to being sisters now), worrying over how they'll get their cattle to the upcoming auction on time since every ranch hand they'd reached out for help pretty much declined.

• Not only is stubbornness a family trait, but so is the tendency to judge people at face value (I'm looking at you, Leona).

• There are a bunch of parallels between the Walker Ranch situation and the Beaumont house one in Book 1: both for the Regatta and the Beaumont Bash. Only difference is, the writers won't bother to expand much on Beaumont History but throw around every minute detail they can imagine for Drake's family (IIRC, even the mystery in Beaumont House in Book 1 was mostly Savannah related).

• Even in moments of dire need, Leona HAS to slip in snide remarks about people she barely knows.

Slight variation on the third option, if you're married to Drake. The other two highlight either the fact that the MC spent most of her life as a commoner and could think on her feet, and the second establishes that she has at least some riding experience. Leona pokes fun at you for both, but has the sense to not deliver much of her unwanted opinion for the third (besides stating they don't have much of a choice).

• The MC also highlights the benefit of bringing the others along: Hana and Liam have a lot of riding experience, Drake is 'capable' and 'outdoorsy' and for some reason Maxwell is known only for his enthusiasm (even though Beaumont House HAS horses and a stable and the Brothers Beaumont would have had SOME experience at the very least 🤷🏽‍♀ [Didn't the Beaumont Bash involve letting in a couple horses into the house? I doubt those horses would even be there if those two didn't know how to ride and manage them]).

Hands down my favourite line in this chapter (Liam's king voice one comes a close second). I really love this because in stories like TRR/D&D, there's always that divide between nobility vs commoner, aesthetics vs utility...and in dialogues like these you can really see that difference. It reminds me a little of one of my favourite scenes from D&D Book 1, where Briar looks at the MC's embroidery and wonders aloud how a pretty piece like this would be of any use to anyone.

• The suede is fine but there's too much going on with the rest of the outfit for me to really admire it. Our LIs obviously don't agree with me:

Drake and Liam have the same dialogue, Hana and Maxwell have different ones. (in Maxwell's he tells her he is ready to "serenade my amazingly dressed, darlin' wife").

• Everyone gets their horses (Bianca gives King Liam a gentler horse so she doesn't end up indirectly harming a king, and Leona gives Bertrand a rough horse on purpose. Because Bertrand has to be on his best behaviour he agrees despite his initial fears).

• Hmm. Chuck finds out about the lack of help via a rumour. Hmmmm. Bertrand gets as skittish as his horse until the MC and Bianca remind him that they might as well take all the help they need.

• So the task is to ensure that the group reaches the big fair on time (or before) so that the sisters have enough time to prepare for their auction. Since they're short of staff and have a lot of cattle, every minute counts.

• There are roughly 3 tests that can ensure we get there on time if we pass:

- help move a group of stubborn cows from the six dozen we're taking to the auction (you can either say giddyup or scream out silly idioms that they won't understand). If you don't say giddyup, Drake will say it for you.

- Move the herd of cows away from a mud patch on the way. Drake suggests a move he and Savannah used to do as kids called The Cyclone, where 1-2 people get in the way of the herd and the riders come from another side to steer them away. This ensures that they get the cows away from the mud patch. This one is the most time-sensitive of the three, because if we fail this one a lot of time gets spent in getting the cows that fell into the mud patch out of the muck and onto the path again.

- Get a cow wandering through the stream out of it safely using a lasso. The problem arises when the cow starts fidgeting while you're taking them back. Here is where your suede outfit has an advantage, because if you choose "grip the pommel with your hands" and almost fall off the horse, the sturdy outfit will ensure you're safe.

All of this results either in you getting the cattle to the auction way before time with an hour to spare, or so late that they reach after the auction itself has begun. In the second option, Leona is nervous about their chances but Bianca insists that they did better than they could have done alone.

• Some stuff that you learn/that happens on the way:

- Chuck calls Leona Miss Walker, so is Walker really Bianca's surname rather than Jackson's? Jackson is also referred to as Jackson Walker. So whose nickname was it initially?

- Wild West Nicknames:

* Maxwell can either be Mad Maxwell or Maxwell 'Calamity' Beaumont. Both nicknames from the MC speak of his tendency to veer towards chaos, or his boundless energy.

* Liam is simply called King Liam because PB is fucking lazy.

* Drake is called The Lone Ranger by Hana, and Hana is called Lucky Lee by Drake.

* The MC can choose her nickname - Cow Boss, Jewel of the Prairie and Wild [Surname]. The second is a nice callback to both one of Valtoria's House mottos (Jewel of the Earth) and a name that Maxwell gives to a caviar dish for the Beaumont Bash (Jewels of the Sea). Personally I think the second one is a better parallel since the Beaumont House situation was already a precursor to what is going on with the Walker Ranch.

Well yes Liam, on people.

That aside...Jesus Christ is this man adorable.

- Alright, so much as I can't stand Leona? At least she has a legitimate ax to grind with Cordonian monarchy. Why the hell is CHUCK being like her and acting all condescending?? The closest thing to a 'noble' he's been around was Savannah and they barely even had anything together if we go by what Savannah says. What is he, the shit stirrer of Walker Ranch?

I have two points to make about this:

1. Constantine...is a fucking asshole. Most of us knew that. I think TRH just seems to be expanding more on that.

2. Sooo...exactly what was Constantine like before the Nevrakis ppl did what they did coz at this point he sounds like an utter failure in every way imaginable. His wife seems to have serious issues with him at this point, he's too busy fighting to spend any time with his kids (well. at least the one the writers remember), has neglected his friend Hakim, doesn't have good political relations with anyone, screws over the King Guard who he gave a Guardian of the Realm honour to earlier, for saving his life...after the man has died.

3. Leona pretty much doesn't seem to care about anything else besides the money Bianca could have been bringing in. It's the main thing she mentions when we first meet her, and it's the front and center of what she's telling us now. What Bianca was going through, the fact that her kids were left behind in an environment that was seemingly not a good one for them - she hasn't mentioned this so far in any of her more obvious complaints towards the nobility. I mean, is that the first thing you think about when your sister returns to her maternal home after such a devastating tragedy? Really??

4. The other funny thing is...she complains about not getting compensation from the royalty yet forgets that for a whole year or more when Bianca and Leona were not there for her (not their fault obviously, since she likely never told them)...it was a noble family's money that supported Savannah and Bartie. The money of the same Bertrand Leona is now enjoying lording over. I guess she would only know this if she were actually giving her sister's children the time of day, and I have hardly seen her do so, so far.

• Once we reach the fair and the sisters have moved forward to where the auction is happening, we are allowed to check out the rest of the fair. Cue diamond scene!

• I kinda think of this as a Group-LI kind of diamond scene - one where you spend time with the characters, but not separately. In a usual group scene they interact and do stuff together before you get time alone with them, but here, the group interactions are minimal and you get time with each LI in different situations. If you are married to said LI, the dialogues are obviously more romantic.

Drake: Opts for bull riding. He's shocked at the number of waivers he has to sign before participating, has a tough time atop the bull BUT manages to stay on longer than the rest. The rest of the group cheers him on as he comes out victorious, and the MC can either be baffled at his daring, or try it out herself.

The MC who is Drake's wife can opt to kiss him just before he participates and tell him to be safe.

Maxwell: Asks us to join in a tandem pie eating competition with him. The MC and Maxwell can either easily win, or be disqualified for starting a pie fight. Either way, the experience is a blast.

As Maxwell's wife, you get to kiss him after you've won/gotten disqualified, and tell him how his ability to make you laugh and have fun is exactly why your marriage is so amazing. (as Maxwell puts it: "never a dull day and more pie eating contests than you'd expect").

Hana: Has found a dressage-trained horse, and is happily getting the horse to do a perfect figure-eight. What follows is a heartfelt conversation about what home means to her, all the possibilities she can now freely explore, and the changes she has experienced. You can either tell her about her tendency to be competitive (something she apparently did not know herself...uh, yeah, sure), or her love and loyalty towards her friends.

As Hana's wife, you can kiss her, tell her you're falling more and more in love with her each day, and Hana gets to tell you that for her, home is where you are.

Liam: Has learned how to make a lasso from a local at the fair. He speaks of how places like these make him feel like he perhaps may understand his own people better, even if these activities are not what the court would expect or approve of from a king. He can show a few rope tricks to the MC, like catching a chair with a lasso, or be 'captured' by the MC.

As Liam's wife, there's the opportunity to flirt either by using the lasso on Liam, or asking him to tie you up.

• Savannah gives an update from Bertrand on how the cattle drive has gone, and Drake brings along some Texas barbeque. The group love it, but the MC finds it a little too much on the spicier side (bold of you, team TRH, to think I can't handle the seasoning in Texas when I have numbed my tongue on bird's-eye chilis!).

• Gah. The paps again. But this time, we're prepared and able to put a positive spin on our trip to Texas (this is either a romantic getaway to ensure we conceive a child, supporting a local business, attending the wedding of a noble) and the paparazzo runs with it. Chuck comes to our 'rescue' a minute later and Savannah is very appreciative.

• Tensions continue brewing beneath the surface between Bertrand and Chuck. Chuck tries to bond with Bartie, who is naturally a friendly child, and Bertrand isn't able to hide how he feels about this. You get to either deflect the situation by telling Bertrand to show Bartie how a "Beaumont high-five" works, or by telling Chuck not to cut into Bartie's animal petting time.

• Savannah complains. Only improvement is that at least this time she mentions that she's spoken to Bertrand and even then he feels he has something to prove (gee, Savannah, I wonder why. It's not like your AUNT has anything to do with that, for sure!)

• "Whatever's going on with Bertrand, I hope he figures it out before our wedding". 'Because I sure as hell don't care', Savannah forgot to add. Like...the root of his current insecurities is right in front of her. Right in her family. Leona has been rubbing it in that he is a 'useless noble' ever since he's been here (even giving him a skittish horse on purpose) and not once has Savannah ever said a thing - either in front of Bertrand, or secretly to us in all the times she's been complaining about him. That's a...surprisingly cavalier attitude for someone getting married to this guy in a couple days.

• Seeing Bertrand, Savannah and Bartie as a family leads the MC and LI to talk about their own search for a family. Nowadays I generally tap over a scene like this because I personally find the MC having the option to be upset and sorry for herself about not being pregnant, a little annoying. I wouldn't under normal circumstances, considering what this book is about (in fact I would be quite happy) - but I think I'm allowed to feel sore over the fact that the MC unfairly gets the space to feel about this the way others can't. So yeah, for me scenes like these are not worth talking about.

• We're back at the ranch, where the group laughs and reminisces over the last trip some of them (Liam, Drake, Savannah) took to the ranch, and the strongest memory we here about is of Jackson, Drake's father who was once Constantine and Eleanor's security detail.

• In our second childhood diamond scene, we are taken back to their last visit to the ranch, where a rather unwell Eleanor is protected by Jackson, and where the children witness a fight between the king and queen. Drake and Jackson have a conversation in the stables later, where the father evades questions about Constantine and Eleanor from a very worried son, and instead chooses to ask him questions about his future. Here are the things I could glean from the scenes:

- Bianca doesn't get a younger sprite here even though she is present in the scene, and there's a chance that they're maybe saving that for a flashback scene for her (?)

- Eleanor's meant to appear unwell, tired and very unlike herself in this sequence - and even if we've just met her it's quite clear that something is off with her. She is shown looking weary a couple of times, and Jackson says "easy does it" at one point. She shows a lot more frustration towards Constantine than in the last scene, calling him out for his paranoia and asking him if his questions (about her wanting an alliance with Auvernal) are an order from the king rather than a request from her husband. Even Constantine points out that she is not herself.

- Other than Auvernal being her maternal home, what else do we know about her connections there? (besides that telling quote by Bradshaw about Eleanor always graciously welcoming them - which interestingly seems to leave out Constantine). I feel like the upcoming trip there next chapter is going to give us an insight into that.

- There is a heavy emphasis on Liam and Drake's friendship, and Drake's feeling of 'responsibility' towards Liam...which I think is kind of a pointer to the whole question of him returning to court after the assassination and staying with Liam when they're older. Even his conversation with Jackson has the latter mentioning that he would be of the most help if he keeps Liam and his parents happy during their time in the ranch.

- The ending itself shows a significant shift from Drake's attitude towards Liam in the first half (playful, friendly, wants Liam to be safe around his mother's home) to the last (protective, determined to cheer Liam up and more reflective). This scene is clearly a Drake scene through and through and the approach is very different from the first set of childhood scenes. This might be how childhood solo scenes will be dealt with from now on.

- Jackson also mentions not being able to speak openly about the problems between Constantine and Eleanor, and Liam tells us later on that he was kind of a confidant to both of them. Jackson also mentions in the stable scenes that he is responsible for keeping them alive but not for their personal problems. The perfect King Guard. Constantine is an ass for denying his family compensation (but also I wonder if there is more to that story the way they frame it. I hope they don't try to force another of those "it was for the good of Cordoniaaaaa" excuses the writers always keep ready for Constantine.

- If Olivia was so suspicious, why were they leaving her behind?

- There are significant differences between the Drake playthrough and other playthroughs in terms of certain scenes. One lies in the options little Drake can make with regards to his future. The third options in both playthroughs show indicators of his future. If present-day Drake is single in your playthrough, it will focus on his desire for a simpler life. If he is married now, then the flashback will include this:

The other two options are Drake speaking about wanting to be a King Guard like his dad, and wanting to stay Liam's best friend. The King Guard thing obviously doesn't happen, the second one happens because Liam almost died. The third one is more clearly a pointer to Drake's future.

- Another significant variation if you are married to Drake is that you have a conversation with him after the scene is over, about his thoughts on his child becoming an heir to the throne:

Reminds me of the conversation we had at the American bar. On the one hand, I like this because as an outsider in the court and someone close to the security detail at the time, he would think of Liam's life very differently. Kids are impressionable, and ostentatious shows of wealth in front of a kid who cannot afford that much can definitely sting.

- Hmm. Hmm. So Liam's sacrifices only become important to Drake when his own kid might face the same challenges? Until then he will yap about how much luckier Liam is and how everything revolves around Liam? How girls were after Liam and not him (yet the one girl who did like him, he eventually treated like trash)? How he thought of Liam as "leading the MC on" by spending time with her when they first met/during the social season? (that's an actual dialogue he says, in Book 3 Chapter 16). Added to this is the fact that Drake stayed in the palace for free, as Liam's friend, and hardly had to do much (he freely roams around the cities Liam has to visit for diplomatic reasons, he can opt out of court events when he wants, he doesn't even have to dress the way others do - even the MC that doesn't buy outfits has to wear a gown that represents her sponsors/duchy for official events). Now when it's convenient for Drake he chooses to think about the flip side? When that flip side should have been the most obvious to him, the Prince/King's best friend??

• The setup for the next chapter comes in the form of a letter from Auvernal, asking the MC to meet them. Well. It's not Texas, so I'll take it.

General Thoughts:

- I don't have a lot to say about this chapter. There's not much really. It's boring and bland and even the nice Drake childhood scene at the end can't save it.

- Bianca's little line about not wanting to harm a King on her ranch...I feel like part of it may be concern because Liam was after all her son's best friend, and part of it may be wariness because of Constantine? But a lot of this is definitely me reading too much into this one little line 😅

- It does have some decent callbacks though:

* Team TRH FINALLY remembers that Hana has done dressage, which was shown to us as far back as TRR Book 1 Chapter 13. Brava!

* The whole premise of a family struggling with money problems and us offering help and getting the job done, is very reminiscent of the pre-Beaumont Bash sequences where we were scrambling together appetizers, helping with cleaning and setting up the ballroom for the big event. It's kind of ironic because the Beaumonts were in this position once, and now at least 3 books later they are involved in helping the sisters get the cattle drive going.

* The pie fight in Maxwell's section of the diamond scene has some similarities to the food fight in the fondue party scene in Book 2.

* Hana's response to eating barbeque strongly resembles how she approaches eating sloppy joes in Book 1, at the beach party. Back there, she is nervous about sampling the food because it is messy, and here she initially asks about utensils to eat it with, to which Maxwell says "you have ten of them!" referring to her fingers.

* The Jewel nickname for the MC, which we've seen versions of before in Book 1 and Book 3.

* A lighter version of the MC-Drake conversation in the Drake x MC playthrough can be found in the American bar scene in Book 1, where he speaks about how his parents always tried to get him things for his birthday but Liam's parents always went many steps ahead simply because they could afford it.

* Drake being called the Lone Wolf by Hana, which was something the MC could opt to dub herself in her interview at the Derby in Book 1? (a bit of a stretch I know but I'm having fun with this okay 😂)

- Could a kind anon (or not-anon) tell me if there is a reference behind 'Lucky Lee'? In fact behind all the names except maybe the Lone Wolf one for Drake. I couldn't find any hehehe.

- Now that we're going to Auvernal, I think we'll find (paywalled) clues there that might tell us more about Eleanor. Those clues about her changed behaviour and physical condition must have been placed exactly here for a reason.

- Usually Chapters 9 or 10 have been chapters that dealt with some aspect of Constantine and his family (his abdication + news of his impending death in Book 1, discovery of his involvement in the conspiracy in Book 2, and his death in Book 3). So now would be the perfect time to discover the truth about Eleanor and her relationship with Constantine, and what was troubling her.

- One theory I have is that Eleanor's being slow-poisoned, and these may be symptoms of what she is having. @thefirstcourtesan mentioned that pregnancy could be a reason too, and it would be another connecting factor with the MC. One thing that I do feel a little certain about is that this trip to Texas may have been a little while before she died.

- How is it that the narrative has absolutely no memory of the fact that Leo was once heir to the throne? I can imagine him not being very close to Liam-Drake-Maxwell or being a teenager who didn't want to be around his father (esp if that father is acting the way Constantine does in these scenes)...but not even a reference? A mention? You have the time to draw an entire sprite of little Savannah who pretty much has very little to do with this part of the story (or any part of the overall story) but Leo isn't even mentioned? Sounds a little fishy to me.

- I possibly wouldn't have minded Savannah's complaining and lack of proactiveness with the Bertrand situation, if their entire storyline didn't revolve around her being this "perfect angel" Bertrand has to be worthy of, and Bertrand's mistakes repeatedly being pulled up while Savannah doesn't have to answer much for the occasions where she is irrational or hasn't made good decisions. What we're seeing now is just an extension of this particular storyline.

- You can tell that the original epilogue series was meant to revolve around the Walker Ranch coz whatever we're seeing here is probably way way more than we have seen of Cordonia so far. There are frantic attempts to tie this to the overall plotline, but within the larger picture it makes very little sense.

Like I hate the paparazzi in the series and even then I found myself agreeing when he pointed out that it was weird that half the Royal Council was roaming around Texas.

- Speaking of the Council I wonder what the other court ladies were doing while we were at the fair. Sleeping off those hangovers?

- There could be other childhood/flashback scenes coming up. We will need an adult perspective, so Bianca might get one. Olivia needs to be seen as important and relevant to the plot (plus Constantine was shitty to her too), so she will get one.

- I wonder why Bastien had such a loyalty and attachment to Queen Eleanor (as stated in Book 2 by Regina) if he actually wasn't that close to the royal couple then (Jackson seems to fulfill that role here). I'm pretty sure they're probably going to ignore/forget that little detail.

- Will Hana and Maxwell get flashback scenes? They should, and there are ways you could incorporate that even if they weren't involved as much. Maxwell's could (FINALLY) focus on what happened to his family fortunes and you could slip in a little something about the palace there. Hana's could focus on her family and also have Lorelai catch up on Cordonian news/talk to her Cordonian relatives. Liam needs a solo scene of his own too, because after this I'm pretty sure his life takes a turn for the worse. If Hana and Maxwell (but esp Hana) don't get one...that's going to be extremely disheartening because they deserve way more attention than what they're getting now. I'm sincerely hoping we see more of their childhood memories too.

- You know what I'm REALLY looking forward to? Writing TRR 1's Chapter 8 QT. I'm very fond of that chapter and have a whole bunch of points to make about it 😀

- Until the next chapter, everyone!

#long post #trh quick thoughts #trh qts #the royal heir #king liam #hana lee #maxwell beaumont #drake walker #bertrand beaumont #savannah walker

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eadanga · 5 years

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Love Triangle Part 2

Author Note: This series is for @mfackenthal one of my winners for my 300 followers giveaway. Hope you enjoy it and thanks for participating

MC began working on a paper for class. As she typed her thoughts drifted back to Sawyer. He seemed like a nice guy she blushed as she thought about him then shook her head No I can’t be thinking about him besides it’s not like I’m gonna ever see him again.

Then her thoughts went back to Chris MC sighed If only he had been more supportive. Part of her missed him but the other part was angry at him. MC shook her head Gotta remain focused and forget all about men. Right now passing this class is my main priority. She took a deep breath and continued to write her paper. Then she heard a voice behind her

“Well well if it isn’t MC”

MC gasps and turns around and sees Sawyer behind her.

“Sawyer!” She smacks him playfully “Don’t sneak up on people like that!”

He chuckles “Sorry about that”

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m just buying some things for the ranch”

“You have a ranch?”

He chuckles “Maybe one day but for now I work at my family’s”

MC smiles “I didn’t think I will see you again”

“Oh you’re going to see a lot of me Billings is a small city”

MC laughs “Well I look forward to getting to know you”

“How about you first? What are you doing?”

“Just writing a boring paper for school nothing special”

“There’s no such thing as nothing special” He takes a seat next to her and reads her paper “Hey this is pretty good”

“Thanks”

“Are you a writer?”

MC laughs “Not yet for now I’m just an English major”

“Well I look forward seeing your works in the paper”

“Journalism? Never thought about doing that it sounds interesting though”

Sawyer grins “I can see it now MC ace reporter”

MC laughs and smacks him playfully “Hey I just said it sounds interesting I didn’t say I was going to do it”

He laughs “Well I think you should you’ll be great at it”

MC smiles “Thanks now you’ve distracted me long enough I really need to finish this paper”

“Of course but anytime you wanna chat” He grab her arm and writes his number “Give me a call” He winks and tips his hat to her before leaving.

MC blushes as she watches him go He’s really cute and those abs She shakes her head No I can’t be drooling over this guy besides he probably has a girlfriend though he didn’t act like he had one.

MC continued to write her paper and then sent it to her professor. As she gets home her phone buzzes with a text

Hey there

Who’s this?

The sexy cowboy you were eyeing

MC rolls her eyes as she sits down

Omg you are such a dork and I was not eyeing you!

Does that mean you think I’m sexy?

MC blushes

Stop messing with my head

I’m just saying what you’re thinking

I was not thinking that

Uh huh I don’t have to see your face to know that you’re turning pink

I putting an end to this conversation

You can’t do that

Why not?

Because I like talking to you

MC smiles

Well talk to me when I’m not so tired

How about we hang out tomorrow I’ll take you to all my favorite spots

You’re lucky I have a day off tomorrow so ok

Great see you then

MC grins “This should be fun” She yawns and heads to bed.

The next day MC wakes up and quickly gets dressed. She heads downtown to meet Sawyer. She quickly spots and smiles “Hey Sawyer!”

He grins “Hey ready for the best tour of the city”

“Absolutely”

He guides her downtown pointing to all his favorite spots. MC smiles this was the most fun she had since leaving Hartfeld. She was starting like hanging out with Sawyer. She doesn’t even notice she’s eyeing him till she hears him laughing

“Enjoying the view?”

MC blushes “Sorry” she takes a deep breath “You’re flirt aren’t you?”

“Guilty as charged”

“Think that you’re girlfriend will like that?”

He grins “I don’t have a girlfriend”

MC looks at him stunned “Really? A hot guy like you…”

He smirks “Did you say hot?”

MC turns away and blushes furiously “N-no”

He laughs “Whatever you say” He smirks “And what about you do you have a boyfriend?”

MC sighs “I had a feeling you’ll ask that”

“If you don’t wanna talk about it…”

“No I’ll tell you I had boyfriend his name was Chris and long story short we had a big fight before I came here so I packed up and left haven’t talked to him since”

“Sorry to hear that”

“It’s ok I’m trying to move on but it’s hard to let go after 5 years”

Sawyer turns her back around to face him “Hey I think he’s an idiot for letting you go like that. If I was him I would have stopped you from leaving”

MC smiles “Thanks I wish he did too but it’s all in the past I know he’s been trying to contact me but I’m not ready to talk to him yet” She sighs “Coming here is just what I needed”

Sawyer smiles and pulls her into a hug “It’s good to get away from drama now you can focus on writing”

MC laughs “I’m not a writer yet”

“But you’re going to be” He takes her hand “Come on we still have more to see”

Sawyer continues to show around town then walks her back home. MC smiles as she enters her apartment This was a fun day Sawyer is a really great guy MC blushes as she thinks about him then her phone buzzes with a text.

Hey can we talk?

I miss you

MC frowns and she takes a deep breath. Then she deletes the text and heads off to bed

Tags: @indiacater @hopefulmoonobject @annekebbphotography @the-soot-sprite

#The Freshman #the junior #the senior #choices the senior #Big Sky Country #sawyer oakley #sawyer x mc #Chris Powell #Christopher Powell #chris x mc #The Sophmore #chris fanfiction #choices #choices fan fiction #choices tf/ts #tf/ts/tj/ts

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obtusemedia · 5 years

Text

The best songs of the 2010s: #100-76

Happy 2020! Now that the previous decade has finally finished, it’s time to commemorate the 2010s. The decade in which I grew from an awkward teen to an awkward adult. And a decade with a ton of great music. Let’s dive right in: these are my 100 favorite songs of the 2010s.

#100: “Monopoly” by Danny Brown (2011)

Danny Brown is so delightfully grimy. He’s like a cartoon sewer rat come to life, rapping about pills and making hilariously crude jokes. In an anti-drug PSA, he’d be the sketchy weirdo trying to get a kid hooked on bath salts or whatever. And for a quick shot of his non-replicable style, it’s hard to do better than “Monopoly.”

Rapping over a glitchy, menacing beat with his trademark squawk, Brown lands oddball punchline after oddball punchline. In a span of less than 3 minutes, he threatens to defecate on your tape (and he has to clarify that too — “No, literally, shit all on your mixtape”), compares himself to Ferris Bueller sipping wine coolers and then closes his track by describing a woman’s vagina as “smellin’ like cool ranch Doritos.” And that last insult is the perfect distillation of Brown: the Adult Swim of rap. But much smarter than that would imply.

#99: “Shutdown” by Skepta (2015)

At the 2015 BRIT Awards, Kanye West performed “All Day” with a massive crowd of grime artists on stage, all in black, with flamethrowers shooting fire into the sky.

Four days after the performance, Skepta — one of the artists on stage with Kanye — released “Shutdown.” It’s a much more fitting song for the intimidating, energized and proudly British crowd of MCs than a middling Kanye non-album cut.

“Shutdown” is the kind of song a rapper releases when they’re at the peak of their powers. Skepta was absolutely at that point in 2015, and so his finest single sounds like a coronation. His gruff delivery isn’t too loud, but it’s firm and confident. He knew he was the best MC in Britain, and “Shutdown” cemented that status.

#98: “Amor Fati” by Washed Out (2011)

Washed Out was one of the brightest voices in the turn-of-the-decade chillwave movement, and with cuts like “Amor Fati,” it’s not hard to see why.

The big single off his debut, “Amor Fati” gives you a similar sensation as taking a shower: Pure bliss and warmth cascade around you. It’s a bit repetitive, but the song is clearly meant to set a mood more than anything else, so that’s excusable. If you need an entry point into chillwave, you can’t do much better than this.

#97: “Los Ageless” by St. Vincent (2017)

St. Vincent’s trajectory this decade took her from an art-pop weirdo who collaborates with David Byrne to a more mainstream art-pop weirdo who collaborates with Taylor Swift. But in that process, Annie Clark was able to pull her sharpest hooks out and put them in use in deceptively dark songs like “Los Ageless.”

With its sleek new wave production from Jack Antonoff, “Los Ageless” could’ve easily fit on most pop records. But Clark’s atonal, shrill guitar bursts and increasingly disturbing lyrics differentiate it. The song’s themes gradually shift from “lol Los Angeles is fake and plastic” to something more tragic. The desperate (in a good way) chorus says it all: “How could anybody have you and lose you/And not lose their minds too?”

#96: “I Like It” by Enrique Iglesias feat. Pitbull (2010)

I’m aware how ridiculous putting “I Like It” — a disposable, trashy club pop hit most people might not remember — on this list. Admitting I that I love this song probably guarantees that I’ll never get a job at Pitchfork.

But then those fuzzy, cheap synths come crashing in. And Enrique Iglesias sings his sleazy come-ons in an auto-tune slurry. And Pitbull delivers a gloriously ridiculous, very-2010 verse that references both the Tiger Woods cheating scandal AND the Obamas (along with gratuitous Spanish and a Miami shoutout). And then there’s the final touch: a prominent sample of Lionel Richie’s cheeseball classic “All Night Long.” It’s too much to resist.

What can I say? “I Like It” hits all the pleasure centers (including nostalgia, seeing as it came out in the middle of my high school tenure) in my brain. It’s a beautifully stupid, hedonistic highlight of the 2009-12 pop golden age.

#95: “The Wire” by HAIM (2013)

Retro-pop standard bearers HAIM had plenty of great singles this decade. But one of their first, the groovy breakup anthem “The Wire,” is still their best.

Unlike many most breakup anthems, which tend to be wildly emotional, “The Wire” is matter-of-fact. The relationship simply isn’t working, and it’s time to end it. That’s that. You’re going to be okay.

The verging-on-curt lyrics mixed with the Haim sisters’ groovy early ‘80s rhythm makes for a pop jam that’s perfect for any “It’s not you, it’s me” moment in your life.

#94: “Helena Beat” by Foster The People (2011)

I know they represent the mainstream selling-out moment of the magical late-’00s MGMT/Passion Pit/Phoenix moment, but I have a soft spot for Foster The People. Their debut album, Torches, might not have much indie cred, but it’s all-killer-no-filler and stuffed with monster hooks. And despite “Pumped Up Kicks” being the big hit, I’ve always preferred the album’s opening track, “Helena Beat.”

With its shuffling disco beat and Mark Foster’s piercing falsetto, “Helena Beat” is likely about as close as alt-rock ever got to the Bee Gees. The lyrics, which tackle addiction, are much darker than “Staying Alive,” but it’s got a similar sense of propulsion.

And let’s not forget — Foster wrote jingles before starting a band, so he can get melodies stuck in your head. And once you’ve heard “Helena Beat,” good luck getting it unstuck.

#93: “Redbone” by Childish Gambino (2016)

“Redbone” might be the smoothest R&B cut on this list. Which is why the song’s sense of dread and paranoia makes it stand out.

Donald Glover’s scratchy, passionate falsetto isn’t conventionally pretty, but it works well while singing about some unknown boogieman who’s “creeping.” That’s why “Redbone” was a perfect fit for Get Out, because of its lurking dread underneath the comfortable exterior. This is the song that cemented Glover as being a true renaissance man, rather than an actor with a weird musical side project.

(of course, this still isn’t Glover’s greatest musical contribution — that would be the iconic “Troy and Abed in the Morning” jingle. Especially the night variant.)

#92: “Do You” by Spoon (2014)

Spoon has been America’s most consistently great rock band for the past two decade now. Even calling them “consistent” is practically a cliché.

So all you need to know about “Do You” is that it’s another solid Spoon song in a vast catalog of Spoon songs. Lead singer Britt Daniel is still effortlessly cool, the guitar-driven groove is simple and it all goes down easy. By 2014, Spoon had nothing left to prove, except how long they could keep up their streak.

#91: “I’m Not Part of Me” by Cloud Nothings (2014)

Cloud Nothings’ finest moment is four and a half minutes of pure angst and crunchy guitars. Squint hard enough, and “I’m Not Part of Me” is one of the closest approximations to ‘90s alt-rock. And while the Ohio band isn’t necessarily reinventing the wheel here, refining what made past music so great can be just as effective.

#90: “Hello” by Adele (2015)

Despite only releasing two albums this decade, Adele casts a major shadow over the 2010s. Although I find both those records to be a little on the bland side, there’s a reason she was/is a juggernaut. And the example of her prowess is “Hello.”

“Hello” has everything you’d want in an Adele song: It’s about not getting over a breakup, a very relatable topic, and Adele gets to show off her cannon of a voice. But it also has a secret weapon compared to other Adele ballads: ‘80s power-ballad production! The bombastic chorus has more in common with Heart’s “Alone” than any of Adele’s previous hits, and it’s a perfect accompaniment to one of the decade’s most melodramatic singles.

#89: “Slumlord” by Neon Indian (2015)

Despite putting out two essentially perfect albums this decade, Neon Indian’s mastermind, Alan Palomo, doesn’t really have that one mind-melting single. Yes, “Polish Girl” was a decent-sized indie hit, but it’s nowhere near his best.

But “Slumlord” comes damn close to perfection. It’s not quite as heavy on the melted-VCR aesthetic of other songs on Palomo’s best album, Vega INTL. Night School, but it makes up for that with an irrepressible ‘80s techno groove. “Slumlord” is one of those songs that could ride its beat forever — and it kind of does, with the “Slumlord’s Re-lease” coda following it on the album. It’s a nocturnal synthpop jam that even those allergic to keyboards couldn’t resist.

#88: “The Bay” by Metronomy (2011)

While most synth-weilding indie acts were trying to ape MGMT’s high-pitched fever dreams in the early ‘10s, Metronomy decided on a different, sleeker path with their 2011 album The English Riviera. That album’s best single, “The Bay,” is an immaculate blend of silky smooth yacht rock and nervy, tense new wave. Those two opposite styles shouldn’t work together, but Metronomy managed to pull it off regardless, creating the perfect beach anthem for awkward hipster Brits.

#87: “bad guy” by Billie Eilish (2019)

I expect the 17-year-old Eilish will likely be remembered more as an icon of the 2020s than the 2010s, as she has a long and promising career ahead of her. It’s like how Lady Gaga is much more of a figure of this decade, despite her earliest hits arriving in 2009. But “bad guy” — the kind of left-field, innovative pop single that signals a new era — came out in 2019. And it’s too damn weird, catchy and just plain fun to leave off this list.

#86: “Latch” by Disclosure feat. Sam Smith (2012)

It’s a bummer that Sam Smith turned out to be such a bore, because “Latch” — his introduction to the world — is pure electricity.

Smith and fellow Brits Disclosure, who provide the pulsating, sensual production, were a dream team on “Latch.” All Disclosure needed to do was give Smith plenty of room to unleash his golden pipes, complete with a few futuristic touches. Smith delivered on his end, proving his worth as one of the best vocalists for conveying drama on the dancefloor.

#85: “Need You Now” by Cut Copy (2011)

No, it’s not a cover of the Lady Antebellum hit of the same name.

There were plenty of ‘80s-inspired epic synthpop bangers this decade; some groups made their entire careers off of them. But what sets Cut Copy’s “Need You Now” above the rest is its sense of patience. It’s an incredibly slow burner, building the tension with a thumping beat and calm vocals until it all explodes with a dazzling climax nearly 5 minutes in. Af that moment, the Aussies fulfill their promise with a euphoric release of synths and thundering drums.

It’s not a complicated concept for a song, but Cut Copy executed it perfectly.

#84: “The Mother We Share” by CHVRCHES (2013)

Glasgow new wave trio CHVRCHES never really lived up to their promising 2013 debut album, which opened with the anthemic “The Mother We Share.” But man, what a way to start a career.

"The Mother We Share” is all icy synths and furious drum machines, the sounds bouncing off each other like a hall of mirrors. And lead singer Lauren Mayberry’s quiet but confident vocals add the necessary human touch, conveying a tragic feel to the song’s triumphant chorus.

#83: “Night Shift” by Lucy Dacus (2018)

One of the most ferocious, biting breakup songs of the decade, “Night Shift” is a showcase for Lucy Dacus’ vivid storytelling. The Virginia singer-songwriter spends the first half the song setting the scene of a crappy ex trying to halfway make amends, while Dacus’ character holds herself back from lashing out. She saves the visceral emotion for the second half, when the grungy guitars kick in and Dacus lets out a wounded howl, proudly stating that “I’ll never see you again/If I can help it.” “Night Shift” is a tour de force of indie rock songwriting that rewards patience.

#82: “Round and Round” by Ariel Pink (2010)

Much of indie-rock trickster Ariel Pink is a little too jokey and off-putting for my taste. But on his defining single “Round and Round,” he sprinkled in just the right touch of weirdness into a song that otherwise could’ve been a massive easy-listening hit in 1980.

The quirks throughout “Round and Round” — the woozy, off-kilter production, the lyrics that seemingly make no sense, Pink answering his phone in the middle of the song — are enjoyable. But the song’s true strength is in its chorus: a sudden punch of roller-disco AM-lite harmonies that cut through all the song’s oddities. It’s a double-shot of warmth and nostalgic beauty that feels comfortingly familiar, yet still thrilling.

Pink seemed to know the chorus was the key to “Round and Round,” as he makes the listener wait nearly two minutes for it. But its inevitable release is a truly magical moment.

#81: “4th of July, Philadelphia (SANDY)” by Cymbals Eat Guitars (2016)

Heavily referencing an early Bruce Springsteen classic in the title of a song that sounds nothing like Springsteen is quite the flex. But New Jersey indie-rockers Cymbals Eat Guitars pulled it off regardless.

“4th of July” is a clanging, anthemic scuzz-rock track about going through an existential crisis in the middle of Independence Day. While everyone else is making plans for the holiday, lead singer and guitarist Joseph D’Agostino is howling away, “HOW MANY UNIVERSES AM I ALIVE AND DEAD IN?!?” It’s one of the hardest-rocking mental breakdowns put on record this decade.

#80: “I Like It” by Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin (2018)

Rapping over extremely-obvious samples has been a time-honored tradition in hip-hop, from the Beastie Boys trading verses over The Beatles to Puff Daddy jacking the chorus from one ‘80s hit and the beat from another in the same song.

But Cardi B, and reggaeton superstars Bad Bunny and J Balvin sampling the boogaloo classic “I Like It Like That” was an inspired choice. The trio’s verses are all delicious fun, whether they’re bragging about eating halal in a Lamborghini or referencing a classic Lady Gaga hit.

But that sample, combined with a trap beat and Cardi’s swaggering charisma powering the chorus, is what makes “I Like It” a classic.

#79: “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles (2017)

Most former boy band members aim for a grown-and-sexy pop anthem once they go solo, whether its Jordan Knight, Justin Timberlake or Zayn Malik. But the standout member of the 2010s’ standout boy band, Harry Styles, chose took a sharp left turn into melodramatic classic rock instead. And it was a brilliant decision.

"Sign of the Times” is about as close to a classic Beatles or Queen power ballad we got this decade, with its clanging Western guitars, lush strings and thundering drum fills. Styles doesn’t have Freddie Mercury’s gravity-defying vocals, but his immense charisma powers the song anyways. It’s not 100% clear what “Sign of the Times” is about, but with its cinematic scope and cryptic lyrics, it’s likely about the apocalypse. And there’s not many superior songs to cry to while the bombs fall.

#78: “Dancing On My Own” by Robyn (2010)

The ultimate crying-on-the-dancefloor anthem, “Dancing On My Own” has already become a standard.

But Swedish alt-pop icon Robyn’s combination of icy synths and heartbroken, jealous lyrics can’t be replicated. Just ask Calum Scott, who slowed down the track into mushy, piano-ballad goop. Yikes.

What makes “Dancing On My Own” brilliant is its resiliency. It’s not a mopey song — Robyn is defiantly still grooving despite her crushed feelings. It’s a siren call for all those who have been hurt and know the only proper way to work out their emotions through cathartic dancing.

#77: “Trap Queen” by Fetty Wap (2015)

“Trap Queen” is an incredibly fun hip-hop banger, but I don’t think I can extoll its virtues quite as well as Fetty Wap’s hype man at the end of the track. So I’ll let him speak:

“YOU HEAR MY BOY SOUNDIN’ LIKE A ZILLION BUCKS ON THE TRACK?! I GOT WHATEVER ON MY BOY!!”

Amen. It’s a real shame Fetty wasn’t able to keep his momentum rolling past a big 2015, but at least we’ll always have the magic dying-walrus energy of “Trap Queen.” HEY WHAT’S UP HELLOOOOO

#75: “R U Mine?” by Arctic Monkeys (2012)

"R U Mine?” offers Arctic Monkeys fans the best of both worlds. On one hand, you have their AM-era slinky swagger. But it also retains the furious rock-n-roll energy of their early days.

Alex Turner sounds like a smooth-talkin’ cowboy here, but the music is anything but smooth. It hits like a semi-truck, with a calvary-charge guitar riff and so many thunderous drum fills you’d think you were listening to the E Street Band.

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shreyamistry · 6 years

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Choices September Creates

Hey! If any of you have requested something or wondering why I haven’t posted any fics lately, I’m here to tell you why! I’ve spent the past 2(ish) weeks preparing for Choices September Creates and I finished my last fic today! So without further ado, I bring you the schedule and ships/fic summaries for the upcoming events! Let me know if you wanna be tagged in any of them, the first one Rain comes out September 1st, Apology the 2nd and so forth! (these are all at liberty to change if I see fit, but currently, this is the determined schedule for me.).

l. Rain - Hana x MC

Tonight, Liam will pick Nicole to be his bride, unknowing to him that she and Hana have fallen in love. Despite her attempts to force herself out of her feelings, Hana simply can’t stop herself from falling for Nicole. Finding herself in the pouring rain, Hana has to make her choice and Lady Nicole has to accept it.

II. Apology - Hana x Madeleine (NSFW-ISH)*

Madeleine finds herself having to leave Hana after a night of love, due to her occupation in the palace it’s rather urgent and she finds herself having to leave Hana again. Reflecting on the past Madeleine and Hana talk through her apologizes, leaving Madeleine to wonder what Hana will ever see in her.

III. Dance - Eleanor x MC

When Victor’s birthday rolls around, Hannah invites Eleanor to join her, knowing it would be her first time to a club Hannah wants to make sure Eleanor can handle it. Eleanor, however, is very perplexed by the idea of grown adults in this century enjoying high tea for his birthday late at night.

IV, Magic - Kenna x Annelyse

Annelyse and Kenna journey back to Aurelia after being repaired from Dom’s destruction under Hex’s capture. Kenna finds herself compelled at how well Annelyse’s people have settled back into her home and the respect they all share for one another. Kenna sees it as nothing more than magical.

V. Fight - Drake x Liam (NSFW)

Drake wants Liam, Liam wants Drake, but Liam knows it’s not possible. Yet he always finds himself night after night with Drake beneath him, his heart full of love, desire, and lust. He wants to fight his instincts and be with Madeleine, however, he can’t bring himself to fight the sexual gratification and love he gets from Drake in the dark of the night.

VI. Home - Zekei x M!MC

Zekei and Nova decide to spend the night together, after raiding the kitchen staff for snacks they retreat back into Nova’s room and reminisce about home and their childhood, both opening up more than they ever have before. Nova finds himself straddling his best friend, but what will that mean for them?

VII. Future - Kiara x Penelope

Kiara and Penelope often find themselves questioning the future, what will it mean for them? After yet another rift between the pair, Kiara worries that Penelope is moving on and as much as she tries to not let it bother her, she ultimately fails. Trying on the maid of honor dresses together for Hana and Nicole, Penelope makes an admission Kiara will never forget.

VIII. Cozy Night In - Kate x MC

After being released on bail, Kate and Jesse decide to spend the night together at Kate’s apartment. Jesse organized all kinds of treats to help Kate relax and feel better after finally being able to come home from her time in captivity. But what’s a sleepover without an admission of love?

IX. Vacation - AME Jury House Fic (Comedy)**

The night of the double elimination, Bianca and Jamie wind up in the Jury House with all the previously booted out cast. Together in the living room, Teagan helps set up a movie as everyone argues about Han’s pick mainly Lina. Can they survive the night together or will there be hell to pay?

X. Loss - Damien x M!MC (MCD)***

With the loss of some members of their crew, Damien and Kai must move forward with their remaining crew to save themselves and other from Eros. However, Kai finds himself falling further every day unable to cope with the loss in his chest, his only safety coming from Damien now, but can he pull himself together before it’s too late?

XI. Family - Ivy x MC (SUGGESTIVE)****

Ivy invites Jamie back to her hometown for a family reunion. The pair reminiscing on the past they’ve lived and further to come, and Jamie gets to know Ivy’s mother and her past in pageantry. The night falls and Ivy wants nothing more than a few quiet moments with her lover, but her mom may have other plans for her.

XII. Anniversary - Kenji x M!MC (NSFW)

Celebrating the one year anniversary of Talos and Nightwing coming together, Kenji invites Kyle to his apartment where they share a dance on the deck and a bottle of wine. However, Kenji has more exciting and fun plans for them that night, but will Poppy and Dax interrupt their fun?

XIII. What If - Kate x MC

The night before Kate is due to be wed, she and Jesse relax in his room at the bed and breakfast in Jesse’s room. Drinking liquor they stole from Miss. Harlenay, Jesse and Kate decide to think about how life could have turned out? What their wedding would be like if it happened to them?

XIV. New Beginnings - Bianca x MC

Bianca and Jamie agree to do a swimsuit photoshoot to promote America’s Most Eligible. After the season they’ve had and the feelings they’ve harbored for each other, Piper and Jen both agreed it’d be the best course of action to get them more viewers seeing the love that will bloom on TV. However, Jamie starts to have doubts about doing this photoshoot, luckily for them, Bianca’s there to help.

XV. Smut - Kenna x Val (NSFW)

As a war takes Kenna and her group by surprise, an attack they couldn’t have planned for no matter what Kenna finds herself alone and stranded in the woods searching desperately for Val. After their fallout moments before the bombs went off, Kenna couldn’t forgive herself if Val died thinking Kenna hated her.

XVI. Heartache - Becca x MC

Armed with evidence of an affair between the pair, Becca can’t handle the drama, the deceit, and betrayal she’s felt from Emily and packs her bags. Emily begs her not to leave, confused why someone would say she and Kassidy were sleeping together behind Becca’s back and why Becca would believe her.

XVII. Unexpected - Poppy x MC

Alex sets up another date between Dax and Poppy in hopes of getting them together and leaves them in a bar to talk things through while they help Eva with a secret project. Poppy knows she doesn’t love Dax or even remotely like him, at one point maybe, but not anymore. Before the night ends she and Alex can’t help, but make a half-drunken mess of things.

XVIII. Bad Day - Madison x Becca

After being broken up with, Madison turns to Becca for a day of helping her feel better. However Becca can’t help, but notice how flirty Madison keeps acting around her and she’d be a liar if she said it didn’t scare her and excite her all at the same time. With the recent news of their breakup, how will the day affect Madison and Becca’s relationship?

XIX. Camping - Dan x MC

Dan and Devon decide to go camping in the woods to cope with everything that happened post-Redfield, Dan knew he could use the support and Devon pretending it didn’t bother them as much as they said it didn’t. Devon can’t help but want to set up a memorial for Noah, no matter how much it hurts to be there or how much Noah hurt them. All the while a surprise visitor waits for them.

XX. Fluff - Crash x Chazz

This one has been deleted. I can’t write anything I don’t like, and as much as I loved the pairing I couldn’t find myself inspired to work with it. Sorry to anyone who was loking forward to it.

XXI. Autumn -

Couldn’t figure out what to do for this day. If you have any ideas hit me up, otherwise this prompt ain’t being done.

XXII. Endings - Kamilah x MC (NSFW)

Kimberly finishes her final day working for RainesCorp as Adrian’s right-hand woman and secures herself a position now as Kamilah’s, with Kamilah’s assistant moving on to a better position within the company. An ending is a new beginning, and Kimberly wants to break in the new job with some fun.

XXIII. Birth - Victoria x MC

Victoria and Normani are having their first child, with all of their friends around Normani delivers her baby with Victoria by her side the entire time. Matt’s petrified because he looked, Seth is making fun of him, and Teja is getting her hand broken by Normani’s grip while trying to keep the boys under control.

XXIV. Animals - Maxwell x MC

Maxwell invites Riley to a private dinner for two during an endangered animal awareness event. Where he plans a special surprise for them, but Riley has other plans for how the night should go on. But the pair may find themselves in deep trouble when they get caught.

XXV. Best Friends - Kaitlyn x MC

Celeste needs help with her fanfiction, Vasquez told her to channel her creative energies further than her internship and she decides fanfiction is her best bet. However, she’s having trouble putting into words how Val and Kenna should confess their love, luckily Kaitlyn is around to help (and tease her).

XXVI. Lies - Alana x MC (SUGGESTIVE)

Nadia and Kai discuss Kai’s relationship with Nadia. Kai worries that Nadia doesn’t care about them, and the fact that she lies so much to them, even over little things that shouldn’t bother Kai as much as it does. Nadia’s advice might not be all that helpful, but at least Kai channeled away some frustration.

XXVII. Sleepover - Naomi x MC

Jesse wants to surprise Naomi at her ranch with a night of fun at home, after finally being able to make their way back to Birtchport for the weekend. They cook her a lovely meal and get news over the phone that will change both of their lives for better or worse. Can they tough it out and make it last?

XXVIII. Moving Day - Han x M!MC (NSFW)

Han and Landon finish moving all of their stuff into their new apartment after spending the entire day moving by themselves, at Han’s suggestion of not needing any help. Landon finds himself surprised they managed to do it all, and sore with his back killing him. Han offers to give him an innocent massaging, but Landon’s expecting a little more from his boyfriend.

XXIX. Clean - Bianca x MC

Lina shows Jamie Bianca’s biggest secret much to Han’s disapproval, a confession that could easily make or break their relationship. Smuggly Lina walks away leaving Bianca and Jamie to sort out the details of what happened and decide what comes next for the pair or if anything at all comes for them next.

XXX. Celebrate - Grace (@zig-a-zow’s mc) x Aiden

When Grace’s birthday rolls around, Aiden decides to plan something special for her and the rest of their friends. Grace admittedly appreciated it, however, he wasn’t sure if she even wanted to celebrate further than just her and Aiden. As the party rages on an item on the menu catches her hand and she’s determined to prove herself to have a good night.

Notes:

Books with M!MC + F!MC that just say ‘MC’ will have they pronouns, so you an picture it however you want!

* - NSFW-ISH means exactly what it says, it’s not NSFW but it directly references NSFW actions.

** - Comedy means it’s just a funny fic, it’s not anything deep except a joke fic to make you laugh!

*** - MCD is Major Character Death

**** - Suggestive hints to NSFW concepts, but isn’t directly NSFW/NSFW-ish!

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dont-play-with-me-choices · 2 years

Note

Do you like endless summer? Because that’s also incredibly paywalled

lol, not even fucking close

Finding out what happened to Estela's mom isn't paywalled.

Finding out why Jake's on the run isn't paywalled.

Dealing with Quinn's illness isn't paywalled.

None of your relationships with the ridiculously large cast of characters are paywalled.

Actually experiencing the story? Not! Paywalled!

What is paywalled in Endless Summer:

Outfit choices that actually do something in-gameplay (vs Ranch Chic outfits that give one or two bubbles of stale flirtatious text)

Sex and relationship scenes, just like every other book

Fixing Michelle and Sean's friendship actually is kinda paywalled i think (you have to see her icon's flashback and get her level high enough, but they still obviously cool down over the course of the story)

Unlocking Rourke at the end of Book 1 with the dossiers, which tbh actually doesn't do dick all (besides give you a clue for the full epilogue)

The act epilogues in general which, having seen them all, are also kinda whatever (barring one or two)

Collecting the 12's totems/icons that put you on the true path to Book 3 (which hey, I will admit is an extremely hefty collection of diamond purchases! But they're also extremely fun, give additional character backstories, and add something to the game!)

The "true" ending, which I adore but there's already two other endings available for free

Untameable just had a diamond scene to learn why the fuck nobody is on the ranch. That's not a side plot that's kinda interesting. That's literally part of the goddamn story! That sort of diamond choice is literally "pay money to potentially become engaged with this book"- and that choice is insulting.

And also, hey, Endless Summer had a fucking story! A story that you were able to engage in deeply, where "your choices mattered", no matter how many diamonds you spent!

Look me right in the digital eyes and tell me the first four chapters of this fucking book have had anything going on. Kit's shot down fucking you five times. You've met an ensemble of barely even developed characters written by people who at, at one point, picked up some soccer mom trash at the grocery store (Local Horny Girls. Megacorp Douche. Fuckhead Brother. Horse.). MC has been wafting around, being toothless and bored, and drooling after a single choice love interest that you find attractive just because the game tells you to. None of the characters are likeable. None of the characters like MC. Why the fuck am I here.

I never said "locking certain content behind diamond scenes is bad and evil boooo", bc every book does that. But it's on the team's lap to make the base story engaging enough to make those choices optional but desirable. Distant Shores locked entire characters behind diamond choices, and I picked and choosed which ones I bought because some of them were actually interesting to me!

Wake the Dead has had a shit ton of diamond choices to make so far, and I've bought a ton of them because I really enjoy the book!

Hell, I've played Endless Summer probably five times now, and I still haven't bought every diamond choice in the series!

Tons of books lock side quests and interactions into diamond choices, and I still buy them! What could possibly be the difference here!

#bro that's not even a close comparison #like ES has some bumps on the road #esp in book 3 #but damn at least there's a whole story there #Untameable has dick all going on #these two are not comparable. bye!#also bro why are you sending these anonymous. WHO is on the Secret Shit Book Defense Force!!!#is this the same anon from ages ago...... omg

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lizzybeth1986 · 5 years

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Quick Thoughts on TRH Book 1 Chapter 5

• Now that we are five chapters into this story, now seems like a good time to get the masterlist of this series out! 😁 Which I will be doing shortly after this QT is up. If you've missed the other chapters, you'll be more easily able to find them all there! I'll also be reblogging my TRR series masterlist sometime this week, since my TRR Book 1 Chapter 5 chapter is close to getting finished as well.

• I'm hoping to get this one out early, it's an extremely light chapter for the most part. It's practically filler, filled with little vignettes between the characters here and there and mostly diamond scenes. The heavy stuff inevitably seems to be left for the actual Walker Ranch (sigh).

• Here are the tags to block if you don't want my QTs to clog up your dash: #long post, #trh quick thoughts, #trh qts, #trh qt reblogs. For now a friend of mine is helping get the read-mores on the main posts, until Tumblr actually does something to make them work on a phone again.

• TW: Brief mentions of the Dr Ramirez scene in Hana's playthrough, and infertility.

• Screenshot Credits:

Hana - @pixieferry

Maxwell - Abhirio's YouTube channel

Drake - @thefirstcourtesan

Liam - Well, me

• Besides being mostly filler stuff, this chapter had a lot of diamond scenes. Two outfit changes (one OOTD and one lingerie for the LI), a group scene and the book's first character scene (Liam).

• A few people I know have been asking me about the differences between "character scenes" and "LI scenes" (and indeed a lot of people were confused by my use of these terms in my Book 3 QTs). So once I get to my general thoughts section, I'll elaborate on those.

• Title: The Open Road

Alternative Title: Enjoy The Fillers, Dear Fans, Coz You Got A Walker-Storm Comin'!

• We're now on our way to the States, barely days after we got back to our own estate. The Council is looking after stuff in exactly the way they have since we left for our honeymoon, except that now it's lost all its core group members besides Olivia. Her, Hana and Kiara must probably share whatever few brain cells exist in that Council between each other.

• If you've unlocked the "casual clothing" scenes for the LIs in Book 2 (Liam's t-shirt, Hana's crop top, Drake's Henley and Maxwell's muscle shirt and Bubbles necklace), that's what they'll be wearing on their journey this chapter.

• Maxwell is now the self-appointed Royal Entertainment Committee.

• Bertrand WOULD be freaking out about spoons.

• Our OOTD today is an off-shoulder crop top with floral designs, and ripped shorts - paired with a blue and pink statement necklace and a few bracelets. Esther DuPont and literally every other MC is more confident about pulling this outfit off than I will ever be.

• Maxwell suggests the outfit in the Liam, Drake and Hana playthroughs, and Hana suggests it in Maxwell's.

• First Stop: Our old workplace in NY! Our manager is no longer around (probably got fired lol) but Daniel is! Or as I still like to call him, Not-Henney 😂

• Hana is so cutely excited about visiting the place where it all begin, a place she must have till now only heard about in the other LIs' stories. Sigh. Wish we'd brought her here earlier.

• Not-Henney has issues with how little attention Maxwell gave to the MC's origins. @callmetippytumbles points out that there's not much you can expect from an author who put his face on the cover of a book about you. Cmon, Not-Henney.

• Told you "Things are Great" would become a meme.

• He now asks what the experience of being an actual Queen/Duchess is like. You can go for the funny route (glam parties that'll make Beyonce jealous. Oh idk, does Beyonce like an overabundance of apples?), the realistic route (speaking about everyone's expectations weighing on you), and the romantic route, which brings out some cute responses in both Not-Henney and the LIs, ranging from delight to awkwardness.

• Oh snap. The paps are here.

• We make a run for it (in two options, with Daniel's help), and keep driving. Somewhere in the middle of the conversation, the MC mentions a motorcycle when speaking about Drake, which makes me wonder in we will end up having a motorcycle scene in Texas itself. I mean, the writers did mention being excited about a scene featuring one in their livestream.

• Maxwell picks the next stop, and it's that engagement barn we built for Liam, apparently. Or the house of Robert, Steve Tennyson's (PM) dad. Where he has found the "biggest ball of string". Only Joy and Hope, my corgis, seem even remotely happy about this.

•

...Okay Maxwell.

Hana needs to roast people more. Roast EVERYONE in that friend group and EVERYONE in that court!

• Fun Fact: This chapter was released on the 50th anniversary of the historic 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing 😁

• As proven from this scene, the few brain cells this group collectively has, all belong to Hana.

• It's now time to check out what the group brought as provisions:

MC: Nothing, she's only here to ask what everyone else brought

Drake: Jerky

Maxwell: Tequila (!!)

Liam: IDK Esther I thought a four-course meal would just fall upon our laps from the heavens

Hana: ME! Bring cookies that I've NOT warmed by the fires wrought from the bowels of the deepest hells??? BLASPHEMY.

As always Hana saves everyone's ass this fine day. I actually quite like this bit with Hana, because it veers a tiny bit more towards "perfectionist" than just simply "perfect". Hana would be the kind of person to worry excessively over being a good hostess, since that's something she's been learning since she was a little girl (remember the tea scene in the flashback).

• We now stop by at Washington DC - Hana's suggestion - because she wanted to look at the cherry blossoms. I was quite chuffed about this when I found out coz I always used to have her down as more of a "plum blossom" girl, and this is pretty close 😁

• That little bit in DC where speaks of the area as "a marvel of both nature and civic engineering" is a nice touch, since Liam has always been associated with monuments and national legends.

• THE PAPS?? AGAIN????

• ...If my spouse and I have to spend ALL our time answering questions about babymaking, where are we going to find the time to babymake, mediapeople? Ever thought of that? Huh? Huh??

• This option is hands down the best fucking option in this chapter lol:

YOU'RE ALL SUCH DORKS ISTG

• We're now in a small town where Liam wants to mingle and be one with the locals. He's not been very successful in doing this in Cordonia (where people can literally look at his face and figure out who he is), but because it's the US and not many people might recognize him here, his chances of not being caught are better.

• This is the first character scene in the new series. It's pretty alright, not a lot of insights or anything, just a simple scene where Liam gets to not worry about acting like a royal, occasionally acknowledge his privilege, be charmingly naive, order milkshakes, and listen to the MC's insights on how she will bring up her/their kid. He does mention it opens some new perspectives on understanding his people, but I'm not sure we'll get to see much of what learnings he will put into action because, yknow, Cordonian commoners are practically invisible.

• This scene is also proof that you can take Liam out of the court but you can't take the court out of Liam.

• It begins with what the MC calls "a sidewalk hello", where she can either guide or massively troll him. The first two options are awkward as hell (I did like the bowing one though lolol coz she tells him he's probably made someone's day with his "courtly manners"), and the third is for Liam to simply ignore the other person and stare at his phone.

• Next scene involves getting Liam to buy groceries...coz he's never brought groceries. Why would he Esther he has a staff.

• They have a choice between fruit, nachos with everything on them (and they weren't kidding about "everything") and chocolates. I chose fruit.

• You also get some cute tidbits about Liam's life growing up in the palace. Here are the important ones:

- Constantine and Eleanor agreed they wanted Liam to be self-sufficient but "disagreed on how far to take that principle" (given what Liam says about her in one of the other options, I'm guessing Eleanor wanted to take it a lot more further).

- Liam can make spaghetti carbonara!!!

- Laundry: So there was this one time Leo and Liam played tag close to a champagne tower at an event, and it fell down. Eleanor insisted they "clean up the mess [they] made. A reasonable lesson in decorum and consequences". I kinda like this little crumb of info considering there is so little we know about her.

- Eating leftovers: Liam used to have sleepovers at Jackson and Bianca's quarters, and he tells us he was "proud to help Drake's mother microwave the leftovers" coz to his little mind he thought that was cooking 😁 I know, I know, I believed my mom when she put a tiny bit of coffee powder in my milk and told me it was actual coffee haha.

- Doesn't know how to do dishes. He knows soap and water is involved lol.

• The final part of the scene involves Liam treating himself at a diner with (what else!) a milkshake, while casually chatting with the MC about how she feels about the simplicity of her past life, and the way she plans to bring up her (or their) own child.

• Liam not immediately understanding that utensils are self-serve reminds me of Hana's confusion at the idea of a McDermots not having wait-staff.

• The MC has options for how to respond to Liam's question about bringing up a child - 1. I'd like my child to be practical and aware of their role, they don't need to learn how to fold a bed sheet or do dishes. 2. I want my child to have a bit of both worlds so that they're more flexible in their approach. 3. My child should be acutely aware of what the common person in Cordonia goes through if they're going to have to rule fairly over them. These three options in some way allow you to imagine what the MC would be like as a mother, and what upbringing this 'heir' might have.

•

I've never actually seen YOU make much of an effort to find out in Cordonia.

• There's also a tiny bit about Regina that follows this optional dialogue if you're married to him, which I really like: Liam states to Esther that those are "wise words from the wisest queen I know", following which she points out that he's lucky Regina hasn't heard it. Liam's response to that is: "after all this time, I think she'd agree with me". Regina's kinda grown on me over the series, and I do hope we see her again!

• Overall the scene's alright. It's there, it's cute, it's filler like the rest of the chapter. Only time will tell if it will actually result in anything in the future, which kind of leads me to wonder what Character Scenes are going to look like going forward (now that the LI scenes mostly perform the function for both characterization and romance). But the biggest takeaway right now for me is what Liam has to say about his parents, and optionally about his mother. I think that may point towards something later on.

• LMAO @ the random stranger in the diner optionally thinking Liam's brother might be Thor. Leo would be pleased 😂 Also a nice touch to see her recognize us again at the lingerie store if we buy both scenes!

• We now have a scene featuring the couples in their hotel bedroom, where the LI and MC have either had a bit of a wild night, or where the MC has just finished her at-home fertilization procedure (if the LI is Hana). There's a little chit-chat here and there about the moments they have now and about privacy, but it's different in the case of Hana.

• You finally get the chance to ask about how she feels, and this is the response:

• That's it then, I guess 😒 I'm honestly not surprised, given how much in a hurry they were to have Hana concentrate on the MC in the doctor's office itself. I'll expand more on this later.

LIAM. YOU FOOL. I'M WEARING IT RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU.

• Honestly I don't see the point in having the MC suggest the lingerie in Liam's playthrough (the others basically make the suggestion instead, and they say "well, you're wearing that", instead, implying that they're talking about what she has on already) if they're not going to code it properly.

• The actual lingerie scenes are pretty cute! And fun! And comes with cool dialogues options, and this:

• NOW I know why Hana's lingerie was head and shoulders above the rest. SHE WAS THE ONE WHO CHOSE IT.

• So here's a rundown of all four LI scenes:

- Liam: The clerk from the store (who was also the girl who noticed Liam in the Incognito Scene if you bought that) recognizes Liam and the MC, freaks out and closes the store so they can shop in full privacy. The rest of it is cute playful banter, like expressing surprise at this being Liam's first time at a lingerie store. She then chooses black silk boxers with a golden baroque design. LMAO trust the MC to get him a Versace. 😂

- Drake - Tells the MC he likes it when she takes the lead. The MC then gets to ask him whether he would be down to wearing handcuffs or pink feathers. To the second option, Drake claims that he would "wear a tutu and crown if you told me you had a thing for the sugar fairy". LMAO they really are desperate to show us how much they learned from the "pink cake" fiasco. Pity how they couldn't teach themselves to treat their one female LI with respect. Anyway, the MC chooses red silk boxers with polka dots (!!)

- Maxwell - This scene is a fever dream from start to finish. Maxwell is happy and excited and SUPER SUPER enthusiastic, asking the MC to drop a beat so he can break into a dance at the store. The MC chooses blue silk boxers with squid designs on them. EVEN MAXWELL CANNOT CONTAIN HIS SHOCK. (PS: This scene marks the third appearance of "release the kraken!" 😄).

- Hana - Hana has apparently seen shops like these from the outside but has never been to one (same sis same). She speaks of how she never had anyone to do it for, which is why she is so happy about it now coz she can do it for the MC. A sweet, simple conversation. The difference here is that Hana knows what she wants, and chooses the lingerie herself: a beautiful lace and fishnet number with garter belt and stockings. She looks amazing and part of that is because unlike her friends, she realizes that her wife has deplorable fashion sense.

• It's now the next day, and Drake tries really hard to hoodwink everyone into making his "next stop" the Walker ranch, but the Royal Entertainment Committee threatens him with an "intimidating interpretive dance performed by me" (is he going to jump out the car and sing Kiki Do You Love Me too?). It's enough to scare Drake into picking a nicer stop.

• It's now time to listen to some tunes!! Everyone squabbles a little over what music to choose and the MC gets to pick either of them:

- Hana's Choice: A piano concerto that Liam loves, makes Drake cry and Maxwell go all happy-sleepy.

- Liam's Choice: Chartbusters. "Top 40s". Drake is surprised coz the last time they drove together, Liam made him listen to 52 versions of a single Bach sonata, to which Liam cheekily responds that doing so made him figure out which one was Drake's favourite.

- Maxwell's Choice: Some song that Maxwell did a deejay mix to, and apparently Liam (and presumably Drake) lent backing vocals to. Going by Liam's advance apology it must be pretty fucking terrible.

- Drake's Choice: Classic rock tunes that he can do air-guitar to. Liam concedes it has rhythm, Drake responds that it has rhythm and attitude. He tries to do air guitar in the car but Hana, panicking, reminds him that he's the one driving.

- What Would Have Been Bertrand's Choice/We Shall Drive In Silence!: Apparently when the MC says this, Maxwell says that she channeled Bertrand so hard "he flashed before my eyes". The MC reasons that if no one wants to listen to anyone else's music they might as well be quiet. Maxwell tries to bring up other alternatives such as playing his kazoo-tar, at which point EVERYONE agrees that silence is golden.

• This bit is one of my favourites in the chapter. Probably the second after "say cheese" haha.

• It's Hana's turn to drive and Maxwell is helping her by asking she carve that path from her heart. Which she does, even though she has mentally memorized the next twelve steps she needs to take.

• Liam drives, explaining when the MC asks that Drake was his first driving instructor (Drake had his licence already and they may have used a royal golf course or two for practice runs).

• Maxwell finds a new waypoint: Thrilltown. His reasoning is quite poignant (everything is changing, the MC and LI - in some cases him - will be having a child soon and everyone will be busy in their respective roles, when will everyone be together like this again?). The rest of the group comfort and reassure him, stating that they will probably see more of each other now. In any case...perhaps to Maxwell this is like a last hurrah to the carefree life he used to have.

• We start with choosing rides. Maxwell and Drake choose The Accelerator, which Maxwell describes as "fast. furious. and it uses gravity at speeds that Thrilltown can't legally release to the public!". Hana and Liam choose the "gentler" option - the carousel - which has you ride unicorns, griffins, dragons and other fantastical beings.

• I'm surprised the writers don't have him react even a little to the carousel, considering one of his scariest experiences took place on one (Book 1 Chapter 16). Just show him say "yeah...I'll pass" or show some emotion or other. It's like that armoury scene in his playthrough of Book 3 Chapter 11 where Madeleine could mock Liam about his feelings for the MC and Maxwell is pretty much sitting there not reacting. It's so lazy. I can't.

• Carousel with Liam and Hana: I loved this one, very cute. The carousel has fantasy elements and mythical animals, things that both Liam and Hana love. The MC gets to sit on a phoenix (like her optional Valtoria sigil!), Liam on a dragon (like the royal family's old crest! Dom would be proud) and Hana on a unicorn (which suits her particular style of whimsy). It's cute and fun and sounds exactly like the kind of thing Liam and Hana would enjoy.

The Accelerator with Maxwell and Drake: They call it EXTREME, and it lives up to its name. Maxwell is ecstatic obviously because he's a thrill-seeker and a ride like this is completely in his wheelhouse. Drake gets caught red-handed handed actually enjoying the ride.

• We try out something called The Vortex of Terror, where Liam challenges his friends to not scream up until the end of the ride. Ironically he's the first one to cave 🤣🤣

• "I accept your terms, Liam...as long as you're prepared to lose". Badass enough to challenge the king of the country xD (considering the way that ride goes, I think she was right haha).

• I need more Competitive, Sarcastic Hana outside of cute group scenes.

• One of two people can win this challenge: either the MC or Hana. If the MC wins, she gets to hoist herself on the LI's shoulders towards the next ride. If Hana wins, she perches herself on top of Drake's because he's pretty damn tall.

• Our last ride is called "Lover's Leap" and it's pretty much the romantic portion of the group scene, really.

At the end of it, the LI brings you a green candy drink, and then lets you know how this trip to Thrilltown is representative of their journey together and the change the MC has brought to their lives.

• Both Hana and I have no freaking clue what Liam means when he says "I call shotgun" before they head out.

• Lol @ Cordonia having its own version of "Ninety Nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall". And of course it's going to feature Cordonian Rubies 🤣

• We now reach the ranch, where those of us who didn't marry Drake meet his mother Bianca for the very first time (in every other playthrough she is called "The Rider" and in Drake's her sprite is addressed by name).

• There ends the chapter, on a 'suspicious' note, the kind that seems to sound like things are suspicious but they're probably not. Bertrand's head must be exploding from the lack of spoons.

General Thoughts:

• It's a good thing this filler chapter exists, even if it's mostly inconsequential fluff, because at least that's one chapter less to deal with BertVannah and Drake and his family.

• It's also pretty expensive because the writers knew their crowd by now and know that that crowd is willing to spend.

• The scenes were in keeping with the mood of the chapter - light and fluffy, lots of friendship and some amount of romance. I ended up liking the free short scenes more than any of the diamond ones this chapter honestly.

• So...on the outset, it seems good that the MC is able to check on Hana, post the visit to Dr Ramirez. Hearing Hana's answer, however, brought back every issue I've ever had with the way they've written Hana.

I mean, sure, not everyone reacts the same way to such painful news. I understand that. But here the writers are basically using Hana to minimize what she's going through. They use her to dismiss her own pain with "oh that's okay, I'm just happy that at least you can carry that baby". All that proves is that the female LIs' experiences and pain mean nothing in front the MC's needs.

I've spoken before about the numerous times Hana's pain had been brushed aside or her space eaten into, to favour particular characters, and this just happens to be a repeat of the same formula. This is especially bad because it proves that the only reason they put Hana through this kind of hell in the first place is so that only the MC can carry the child. Her condition isn't allowed to be anything else other than a plot convenience: not an opportunity to open a conversation on this, nor to help develop her as a character. It's merely a narrative device meant to make coding easier. It's dismissive, lazy and reeks of a deplorable lack of care. And again I have to ask, why put her through this if you're so desperate to ignore it afterwards??

• The other big problem is that considering the gravity of that situation, why is checking on her an option rather than actual default dialogue?? If you choose the option to continue talking about playlists instead, the topic just never emerges again. Again I have to ask, what the hell kind of wife is the MC? I mean even before they got the news, the MC was pretty much doing nothing. She wasn't planning for Hana, she wasn't thinking much in terms of what to do for her, everything seems to just revolve around her even in a scenario where either one could have been a mother.

• The lingerie scene seems to me to have elements of a type of diamond scene in the flagship series - the ones where we could buy new casual clothing for our LIs in NY. The LI requires a new look, the MC suggests for a change and often picks out something that she thinks would work (some of her choices - like Liam's pants or Drake's sunglasses are...questionable 😅), and from then on this would be their option for ultra-casual occasions. The one casualwear scene that is different from all these is Maxwell's: he gets his sleeveless shirt and Bubbles necklace at a shop in Coney Island, during the group scene (I think part of this was that they were attempting a step-by-step LI-upgrade because they were a new couple at that point...which was why his first 30 diamond scene was during the Gala, after they'd been together for a little while. Still doesn't excuse all the ways they ignored his background and history though).

The main difference between the casualwear scenes and the lingerie ones is that the first dealt put the MC and LI in different situations and dealt with different issues (therefore was a scene of its own) and the second really just revolved around the lingerie. Perhaps the lingerie scene would be what you'd call an 'extended outfit option'? As opposed to something that's a scene all on its own?

• I was actually quite surprised we got a character scene in this series. Given how much they'd drastically cut down on them in favour of beefing up their LI scenes more, I was fully expecting not to see them. I do prefer them to the LI scenes sometimes, because my LI is not the only one I want to be keeping tabs on, and I do want to know what's happening in their lives.

• What is the difference between the two? I hear some of you ask. Well, good question because I'm about to launch into one of my long-winded explanations again.

• Diamond Scenes in TRR/H: I've been holding off on writing about these, since I believed that the series probably had done away with character scenes and preferred to use LI scenes for both romance and development. With this chapter, I now understand that's not the case.

• So...simply put, the difference between an Character Scene and an LI scene, is that the first focuses on the same character in all playthroughs (eg. no matter who you are romancing, if you buy these scenes it's Hana who will play Snow Angels with you, or Drake who will go fishing with you), and the second focuses on who you are engaged/married to (eg. If I'm romancing Hana, I will not be going to the movies with Liam. If I'm romancing Maxwell, I will not be having a cake testing session with Drake).

During Books 1 and 2, when the MC wasn't altogether exclusive with any LI as such, each character would have their own specific scene which expanded further on their characterization and gave the MC a chance to learn more about them. Most of the romance in these scenes were by choice, with the exception of a few lines here and there. The writers tried to continue this way of formatting diamond scenes even beyond Liam's proposal, but the amount of backlash from the portions of the scenes that involved the MC cheating on her confirmed LI...kind of made them backtrack on this plan quite a bit.

Book 3 switched the format up a little. It was similarish in a lot of ways to RoE, except that unlike that book (where the other two would disappear once you got engaged to one), we were also friends with the other LIs. Besides outfits and plot development scenes (such as the one in the Nevrakis replica armory with Olivia and Gladys) and group scenes, the book also offered two types of scenes for the reader to connect with the characters they liked:

1. LI Scenes: These scenes are meant for the LI the MC is marrying, and are coded differently based on that. This kind of scene was first used in the series in the first chapter of Book 3, where the MC and LI could comfort each other in the safe house. The initial chapters had a similar approach to the scenes as RoE Book 3 (where Mr Sloan, Leo and Dean all ended up sounding like each other), in that the dialogues sounded pretty cut-and-paste, with little to no actual variations beyond a few things (an example of this was how - in the Book 3 Chapter 6 Spa Scene in Applewood - all the LIs spoke of being "dumb in love" with the MC - which suited certain LIs, but sounded extremely jarring on others.

During Book 3, a high number of complaints about the series revolved around this copy-paste routine for the LIs, mostly because the characters were so different from each other, and wouldn't speak the same or even have the same experiences. Around Book 3 Chapter 8, major shifts began to happen in the way these scenes were written, starting with the Movie-going Scene in Castelserraillian. Post that chapter, and the hiatus, there was a significant decrease in the number of individual character scenes, and an increase in both number and quality of the LI scenes. It is very possible that they found juggling both stressful and dialed back on one to personalize the other further.

2. Character Development Scenes: These were scenes with the LI that you got regardless of whether you were marrying them or not. This scene would be viewed over all playthroughs, with differences based on whether you were marrying them or not. If you were not marrying them, these scenes would appear neutral and the romantic options would simply not be there, or be replaced by more neutral ones. Examples of such scenes include Drake's Cordonian Waltz Scene in Fydelia (Book 3 Chapter 3), Liam's Gastrodiplomacy Scene in Castelserraillian (Book 3 Chapter 7), Hana's Polo Scene in Portavira (Book 3 Chapter 5) and Maxwell's Armoury Scene in Lythikos (Book 3 Chapter 11).

The most important thing to remember is that these scenes are expected to be coded differently (according to your relationship with said LI), not only by adding romantic options for the MC to choose, but also in the actions of the characters by default. For instance, the Fydelia Cordonian Waltz scene in Drake's playthrough incorporates - by default - all the sensuality you should be finding in this waltz, while his friendly playthrough is merely the MC teaching him the basics so they have an edge over Neville. By default, if you buy the Gastrodiplomacy scene as Liam's fiancée, the chocolate souffle you sampled with him would feature at your wedding reception.

I say the scenes were expected to be coded differently, because very often they were not. In a lot of cases the only proof you'd have in those scenes that the LI and MC were even together were from the MC's actions. For instance, even though Hana was going to be a duchess on marriage to the MC, the same as Drake - only Drake got to speak in detail about it. This opportunity came for Hana very briefly only by Chapter 14, well past the midpoint of Book 3.

• So when Book 3 began the formula was mostly "leave the character scenes for developing the LI's issues or getting them to teach something, and concentrate on nothing else but the romance for your LI scenes". However this wasn't exactly workable given how different each LI was and therefore how odd some of their dialogue sounded. The dial back is understandable (though, as someone who has looked through various playthroughs in this book, I can tell you the imbalances found across character scenes were on a whole different level).

• Why I've elaborated on this is to give context to a question I now have about the narrative: what are the Character Scenes going to look like from here on out? Post the hiatus, they would vary - they could be mostly plot-driven, or fun and light but not much depth or variation, or fun and light, and also opening up diverging conversations based on your relationship. Now that they seemed to have locked down some format in this book at least, what's it going to sound like?

The Liam Character Scene today was fun, light, had default differences based on whether you were marrying him or not, but ultimately had very little to give to the story other than a few facts about Liam's home life and (in a way that expands on what we already know about her and her dynamic with Constantine) his mother. What exactly does he learn? What new insights is he getting as a King who self-admittedly exists and operates in a "statesman's bubble"?

It also remains to be seen whether buying this scene will have any effect of future events - like Liam's Applewood Tour Scene, where his retelling of King Fabian's story had an impact on our conversation with Kiara's mother Joelle. I'm probably going to keep track on how these character scenes are being written in this series, considering that we already have a pretty good idea of how their LI scenes are done.

• Twice I've seen Eleanor associated with pasta. In Book 1 Liam mentions simple tomato pasta as a childhood dish that reminded of his mother, and here shortly after he speaks about his parents he mentions knowing to cook spaghetti carbonara. IDK what that's supposed to mean but I'm bringing it up anyway. I'm mean, what if it's a part of Auvernese cuisine 😂

• I guess that's it for this week! Time for me to scram and finish my Book 1 Chapter 5 QT too before the next chapter drops!

#long post #the royal heir #anti the royal heir #trh quick thoughts #trh qts #infertility tw

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