Icon by @cleomayfield. Header by @pixieferry. Some of the stuff I write here may be NSFW and not suitable for minors. Lover of Choices: Stories You Play app. Resident King Liam, Hana Lee and Hayden Young Ph.D holder. Writes meta and sometimes fanfic. Occasionally squees over Daniel Henney and Queen. Headcanons/fanfic | Essays | Perfect Match Essays | TRR Quick Thoughts | D&D Quick Thoughts | Moodboards
My old essay masterlist was written during the time I was still actively playing Choices, and often went into detail on the diamond scenes of certain characters. But in more recent years, I began writing essays stemming from asks I recieved. I couldn't put them in that masterlist because it was too full by then, and over time all my essays/meta posts became difficult to track. I thought it would be a good time to compile them in a separate place.
Many of these essays were written around 2019-2021, and a lot may have happened since the writing of those. So do understand that some of them were written at a time when the full story was not out, but the arguments behind them often still hold.
I will keep adding to this list as and when I find more essays.
Choices and Race
Fear of the Second Book (ft. Sloane Washington)
CoC and Fandom Hypocrisy (ft. Xanthe)
Colorism
What White Woman are Allowed that WOC aren't (ft. Aurora Emery)
A Litmus Test to See Which Characters Writers/Teams Care For (ft. Zoey Wade)
PB and Fronting Diversity
LGBTQ+ Issues and Choices
My Issues with The "Playersexual" LI Term
TRR
Cordonia and Sexism
Cordonian Nobility and Their Upbringing
Madeleine
TRR's Alternative LIs: The Romances that Didn't Happen
Character Specific Essays
Shane
The Character Who Provided A Counterview
Sloane
Rebel Goddess: An Appreciation of Sloane Washington
Nadia
Nadia Park: The Moral Epicenter of Perfect Match
Hana
Hana and the Effects of Controlling Parenting
Hana Lee: A Study in Erasure (an ongoing essay series)
How Retconning Madeleine Harmed Hana
Using Hana's Pain to Generate Sympathy for Penelope
A Breakdown of the Madeleine-MC Confrontation
Kiara
To Be Not Heard: Kiara, Penelope and the Question of Validation
Kiara Theron: The Character that the Fandom Loves To Hate
Why There is a Disdain for Kiara
PB's Obsession with Keeping Kiara Away From Liam
Liam
Monuments, Memory, Meaning: King Liam and Historical Sites
Drake's Retcon
Who is A Forced LI
The "Sucky King" Argument
Princess Lena
Hayden
The Beauty of Hayden's Harajuku Scene
Hayden's Breaking Point: Unexpected Tantrum, or a Long Awaited Catharsis?
The Hayden Young Project (an upcoming essay series)
- Basil and Sloane are very fond of exchanging different cultural stories and legends on constellations!
- Loves collecting pebbles and smooth stones!
- Favourite food item is the saffron and rose ice cream sandwich from Mashti Malone in LA. At one point in their friendship, he told Damien once he wouldn't mind moving there just to have it every day (that was how he found out Damien was from LA, coz that's what he said after Basil said that). He also loves bagels with cream cheese and lox
- Is a good singer and has learned tap dancing
- Like all PM MCs, can't cook to save his life
- He dated Sloane and Sage from the start, but started dating Damien shortly after they reunited in Tokyo
- On the jet plane to Berlin, Basil and Hayden listened to music together. Simon and Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair" was a song both Basil and Hayden loved, and they sang the refrain together, very dramatically ("parsley saaaaaage rosemaryyyy and thyyyyyyyme!!!"). So when she wanted to change her name, the two chose Sage as an inside joke on that song 😅
Education: A BFA and MFA in Illustration from School of Visual Arts, NY. Nadia and Basil have both always showcased talents and interest in the visual arts, but Nadia's interest encompass various genres of art, while Basil focuses more on illustration and visual design. He's designed a couple covers, mostly for children's books.
Favourite Travel Destination: Jeju Island in his native SK, Santorini in Greece.
Backstory: No one who knows him now will believe how much of a wild-child he was as a kid. Very distracted, extremely talkative, really stubborn, and Basil and Nadia always got annoyed with each other at that age. Most of the family wouldn't be able to pinpoint exactly when he changed coz it happened so gradually over a long period of time, but clearly by the time he left for college he was a different person altogether. Since he and Nadia attended the same uni, they grew closer to each other in comparison to most of their cousins (tho they do love them all!)
Relationships and Children: I'm still deciding on kids! I do know that all the group besides Damien (coz he usually sticks to one relationship), the others date other people - Sloane dates Khaan and Alana, Sage also dates a Sri Lankan woman called Nilukshi who she meets while taking up rock climbing.
--
Tagging @choicesficwriterscreations for Meet My MC!
Nicknames: Share Bear (Nadia), Baby (Iris Young), Little Detective (Damien and Alana)
Age: 25 when she first met Iris (Hayden)
Birthday: April 13
Sexual Orientation: Lesbian
Hair: Naturally black and curly (3b), but likes to style it often. She has coloured it purple and midnight blue in the series.
Eyes: Dark brown
Birth City: New York.
Race/Ethnicity: Afro-Jamaican and Indo-Jamaican.
Love Interest: Iris Young (formerly Hayden Young)
Trivia:
- Fave colour EVER is purple 💜
- Both she and Nadia are very very protective of the people they love and will fight to defend them. Hazel does find it harder to forgive people than Nadia does tho.
- Fave thing to eat is Eileen's Cheesecakes, esp the strawberry one. She has a fondness for boba tea too, but not as much as Nadia.
- Has a tendency to drape her leg over Iris' when they're sleeping 😄
- Likes to experiment with hair colours, and encouraged Nadia to do it before they left for Berlin
- Astronomically, her fave celestial objects are the moon and the planets, while Sloane and Iris favour certain constellations and stars. The two love to plan a stargazing trip every time a supermoon is meant to show.
- Loves kaleidoscopes
- She never fully forgives Damien for his behaviour towards Iris and Sloane in Berlin. While their relationship gets mended over the years, it never returns to what it was.
- Share Bear is an ironic nickname Nadia gave to Hazel because she isn't very fond of sharing food 😄 and also said bear is purple haha.
Education: MFA in Creative Writing from NYU. She did get into advertising soon after but does write often besides that. Some of her creative work has been published in some amazing zines. Later, she encourages Sloane to go back to writing, offering to help edit and give feedback on her work.
Favourite Holiday Destination: Hazel loves beaches, so her ultimate destination is Baía do Sancho in Brazil, and Anse Source d'Argent in Seychelles.
Backstory: Hazel had a pretty ordinary life before Iris came along. A comfortable job in advertising that she was happy with, a cousin she loves immensely, and a huge extended family who have family get-togethers often. Hazel is known to be more eloquent with her words, while Nadia is a far more visual person and her art has taken her places. Hazel's also a huge romantic, which is what intrigued her about Eros in the first place.
Children: Iris and Hazel adopt two adorable girls soon after they get married. The first one is named Violet by Iris, the second one is adopted 2 years later. She is named Lavender, as an affectionate nod to Sloane who loves all things lavender-scented.
--
Tagging @choicesficwriterscreations for Meet My MC.
Gearing up for @haydenyoungappreciationweek by getting some of my MC Character Sheets ready 😁
Solid canon friendship, polar opposites, amazing fic potential. I'm currently trying to write an entire rewrite of TRR2 and 3 with them as the main couple 👀
Chapter 14: Make You Mine from Turning the Page by @tessa-liam (ft. art commission by artbyainna)
Part 1 of Rainy Days by @missameliep
Family Addition by @lorirwritesfanfic
Chapter 1: The Statues of Legacies by @lizzybeth1986
Chapter 4: Garídes Saganáki from Eleanor's Kitchen by @lizzybeth1986
Estranged by @twinkleallnight
The Start of Forever by @liaromancewriter
Three Princes Walk Into A Bar by @thosehallowedhalls
Undone by @dcbbw
Backstory: The Briefcase by @dcbbw
Video Edit
Once Upon A Time... by @ao719 (recommended by @kristinamae093)
DAY 2: VANILLA/CHARACTER APPRECIATION
Character Appreciation
Art
King "Liam" x Iara by @lilyoffandoms
Commissions
King Liam by @bayleedraws-sometimesx (commissioned for @angelasscribbles "Dark Elf" series)
Fencing by @sazanes
Fanfic
O Bom Nom do Rei de Cordonia by @madamealien
Chapter 9: Acts of Defiance from Forevermore by @khoicesbyk
Part 1 & Part 2 of Heartstopper by @katedrakeohd
Headcanon
Character Profile: Liam Rys by @lorirwritesfanfic
Vanilla
Fanfic
Part 5 of Estranged by @twinkleallnight
DAY 3: ROSES/MONUMENTS
Roses
Art
The Royal Wedding by @lilyoffandoms
Juliet Rose by @sazanes
Edit
Liam with a Bouquet of Roses by @angelasscribbles
Fanfic
Rosas de Aniversário by @madamealien
Fallen Petals by @lorirwritesfanfic
Monuments
Art
Commissions
Pont des Arts, "Lovelock Bridge", Paris, France by artbyainna, for Chapter 15: Bridge of Dreams of Turning the Page by @tessa-liam
Moodboard
The Cordonian Royal Palace by @angelasscribbles
Applewood by @angelasscribbles
DAY 4: RELATIONSHIPS/COFFEE
Relationships
Art
King "Liam" x Iara by @lilyoffandoms
King "Liam" x Iara: Wedding by @lilyoffandoms
Edit
Riley and Liam's Wedding by @aussiegurl1234 (recommended by @angelasscribbles)
Fanfic
To Catch A Killer from The Defiant King by @angelasscribbles
Chapter 2: The Dark Lord from The Dark Kingdom by @angelasscribbles
Chapter 10: Dèja Vu from Forevermore by @khoicesbyk
Break - Part I by @lorirwritesfanfic
Estranged - Part 3 by @twinkleallnight
Coffee
Fanfic
Água de Lava-Louças by @madamealien
Pause for Coffee by @lorirwritesfanfic
Moodboard
Liam, Coffee and Coasters by @lizzybeth1986
DAY 5: HEALING
Fanfic
Lírio e Mogno by @madamealien
Brothers-in-Arms (WIP) by @tessa-liam (ft. commissioned artwork by artbyainna)
Part 3 of Estranged by @twinkleallnight
--
This is an amazing masterlist of pieces, with incredible variety, and we can guarantee you will enjoy each of these pieces!
As always, this masterlist will be open to entries all the way into the next KLAW event! Be sure to send in stuff whenever you'd like (and here are the themes!)
(this beauty of a video is from @sazanes, our co-host and one of the best artists in our fandom!!)
We still can't believe it's been three years since we first started appreciation weeks for Liam! It's always been a beautiful experience, seeing the love and creativity you all shower on this amazing character. Even though the series met its end a long time ago.
It is a testament to how enduring and memorable Liam is, that he still captures imaginations long after the series that introduced him is over.
This year saw some incredible pieces, and fantastic commissions and recommendations from fellow fans. Our CONTRIBUTORS amazed us with their innovative interpretations and enthusiasm, and each entry we received was a labour of love!!
You all have given us so much joy, and so much love through each piece here. Not a day of this appreciation week passed by where we weren't thrilled, enthralled, amazed by the talent and spirit on display here. You all are the jewels on the crown that is this appreciation week. We cannot imagine this week without you.
Some of our contributors also sent in incredible recommendations of work from a wonderful constellation of artists! We were treated to work from @bayleedraws-sometimesx, @ao719 and artbyainna (Instagram) by @angelasscribbles, @kristinamae093 and @tessa-liam. Thank you so much for your dedication in lifting up fellow artists!!
FAN COMMUNITY BLOGS are an incredible source of inspiration and creativity. Many of them have been helping us, year after year, in promoting these events and increasing our reach. Their dedication and commitment to providing a space for our creativity has been nothing short of amazing. We hope to see them continue to do more fantastic work in the future.
And last but definitely NOT the least - our wonderful SIGNAL BOOSTERS!! Where would we be without you all? You have always been our pillar of strength, the reason we keep these events going. How your support and encouragement makes us feel cannot even be put into words. Thank you so much, from the bottom of our hearts.
The week itself may be over, and the masterlist will be out soon, BUT this blog will be open for entries all year long! Please do not hesitate to send in any work you had planned for KLAW even into next year - it will be open until the next KLAW event.
We hope to be back with more themes, more fun and more joy celebrating Liam next year! Until then, stay safe, have fun and have a great year!!!
Summary: In her first few months as Queen, Regina Amaranth bonds with her youngest stepson over an unlikely sweet.
Word Count: 2, 653 words
A/N: Inspired by Regina's "parent advice" in the MC's baby shower in TRH - "Don't let the palace kitchen serve baklava after midnight" . Regina and Constantine have just been married for a few months, and Liam is just a couple months short of turning 12.
Tagging @kingliamappreciationweek and @sazanes for KLAW Day 1: Baklava, and @choicesficwriterscreations for FoTW
For the hundredth time tonight, the newest Queen Consort of Cordonia shifts uncomfortably in her bed - her eyes heavy with the promise of slumber, yet refusing to remain completely shut. As if in defeat, they stop forcing themselves closed, and rest wearily upon the steady, almost-hypnotising rise-and-fall of her husband's chest. It moves in a slow, steady rhythm; a rhythm perfectly matched by the deep, broken rumble of his snores.
Regina sighs heavily, and stifles the very childish urge to bury her ears beneath her pillow. It's been five months now since their wedding. Surely that's enough time to get accustomed to a man's - any man's - oddities and idiosyncracies? Even the ones that disrupt your sleep and force you to consume pill after pill for your morning migraine?
Constantine snores on, blissfully ignorant of the woman glaring in the direction of his half-open mouth. The loud, crackling rattle seems to emerge not so much from his nose as from his chest; so deep is the sound. Most nights, she can manage to drift off into slumber before he does - tonight, she is not that fortunate.
Regina winces; her forehead throbs, in what she knows to be a precursor to a particularly vile, sleep-deprived headache. She grabs her robe and hauls herself, reluctantly, off their bed. If she can just get someplace else, just relieve herself of the sounds of snoring for twenty minutes, she is sure she can salvage this one awful night with at least five hours of sleep.
Gingerly, she ties her robe, feels her toes around for her slippers, then pads her way out the bedroom with a measured softness, still taking furtive glances at the slumbering form of her husband. She runs a nervous hand through her hair, tousled and very unlike the sleek updo she prefers to be seen in, in public, and hopes fervently that no one else is awake. "Carefully rumpled" is more her cousin's style.
The corridor is mercifully dark, except for the thin slivers of light emerging from two rooms.
Regina stands still and keeps her breathing a bit slower, a bit more measured, listening for sounds. Five months and she still feels as much of a stranger here as she did on her wedding night. Part of her wants to believe that it is most likely because she is the sole woman in a family surrounded by males, the one who came into this family when it had already spent several years functioning as a unit (even if a little dysfunctional sometimes) with an altogether different type of woman.
A woman who clearly knew how to work around "her boys", even if they couldn't work with her.
But another part of her wonders if the lack is within her. If it is because - no matter how she and Constantine feel about each other - she could be the right queen but the wrong wife...and, most importantly, the wrong mother for their boys.
Regina faces the first door with narrowed eyes and a pinched mouth, sighing as she strains to ignore the reedy rasp of a rock star's voice and frantic guitar strumming, made faint by the door that blocks any entry into her eldest stepson's most private space. Neither knocking the door nor telling Leo off would change things - if anything, he would snap back with what he believes to be a smart remark, or increase the volume just to get a rise out of her.
Regina shakes her head. It's almost hard to believe that it hadn't always been this way. And depressing to know, that there was a time when the boy seemed to at least try. Murmurs in court from as recently as last year seemed to indicate that while his far-younger brother was clearly better suited to be heir to the throne, Leo was beginning to show a little interest in the role.
Looking at him as a member of this family, Regina wonders now what changed for him so drastically. Yes, the cruel, untimely death of Queen Eleanor would doubtless come to mind - Leo had already lost a mother figure, to lose another at this vulnerable age would have broken anyone - but she is beginning to get the feeling that there may have been more to it than even that devastating loss.
Still...even if that were the case, Regina knows that she would be the last person Leo would want to confide in. He has made no secret of his resentment of her even since her engagement with the King, of his displeasure in having her as part of their family. No compromise, no olive branches, no attempt to reach out to him seems to work.
She cannot blame Leo entirely either. Perhaps, embracing Queen Eleanor and accepting her as his mother had taken up so much of the boy's energy, that he has none left for the woman who has now - unfortunately - taken her place.
Regina shakes her head, moving away from Leo's door. She isn't losing hope, not really, that she will...one day...succeed in changing things between herself and Leo. But she is beginning to sense that she shouldn't hold her breath for that moment either.
Softly, soundlessly, she makes her way across the corridor. She stops midway, at the door of her younger stepson. By the little sliver of light she can just about see from the slightly-ajar door, she can tell young Liam has made a rather appalling attempt at pretending to be asleep. Surreptitiously, she knocks.
A pause. Perhaps he is still weighing his options, still wondering if he can still get away with acting like he is asleep.
Unconsciously, Regina taps out a rhythm with her foot as she waits for Liam to decide. It is ironic how, of the two boys, it is far easier for one to get a read on Leo. What you see is what you receive.
Now Liam...is another kettle of fish. He is a wonderful boy, really - gentle and generous of spirit. He has made all the effort a young teenager could possibly make, to ensure his new mother experienced no distress in her first months here. He has been affable, he has been charming, he has been kind.
But there is a wall. And so far, any attempt to be a mother to him, adds yet another brick to it, making it almost impossible for her to reach him.
Regina genuinely likes Liam, even if she doesn't feel particularly maternal towards either of the boys yet. If she continues to fail with him, Regina will consider that the more crushing failure.
She doesn't knock again, giving Liam the opportunity to decide what he wants. He could wave any questions he gets in the morning, with the excuse that he had forgotten to switch off the lamp in his room. She would be impressed enough with his ability to spin at age eleven, that she'd pretend to believe it.
He does not. He opens the door, fully. Hair tousled, bags under his eyes, not a single wrinkle on his plain blue pajamas. And the look on his face spells - plainly - his intent to not lie to her.
Regina is a tad bit more impressed than she expects to be.
"Not asleep yet?" she asks him lightly, as if it's just 10 PM, and not quarter to 2 in the morning.
Liam's eyes flit from behind Regina to around her to her slippers and the floor - anywhere but her eyes. On closer inspection, she thinks she can spot crumbs of something around his mouth.
When he finally lifts his eyes to her own widened ones, he quickly, and guiltily, covers his mouth, mumbling inaudibly. Biting back a smile, she moves her gaze from his face to a spot behind his shoulder. A spot on his bed where only sheets should be. A spot on his bed...where a small, half-finished golden box of baklava now rests.
Regina's brows raise almost to the level of her hairline. "I thought you liked baklava."
Taken aback, the boy lifts a finger to a corner of his mouth, furtively directing a stray crumb inside, almost as if to savour the honeyed taste he had just enjoyed a minute ago. "I do," he says, hesitantly, "a lot."
She takes a mental inventory of the box. One...two...five and a half pieces left, glistening in the soft light from Liam's bedside lamp. The box itself looks half empty - it came from Istanbul packed with twenty pieces of baklava, five pieces each for four varieties. Walnut, almond, cashewnut and pistachio.
It had been addressed specially to Liam two weeks ago, from Evrim Köse, the Turkish ambassador to Cordonia. And by specially, she means that not another soul but him could lay a hand on those sweets. Which suited the rest of the palace just fine - most of them tended to find such a treat too cloying, too sugary for their tastes.
Regina feigns flicking lint lightly from a few fingers. "I thought you'd have finished that box by now. The last one didn't take you two days!"
Liam tries, and fails, to stifle a giggle. "I really, really wanted to savour it this time."
Intrigued, Regina turns her gaze back to him. It's not every day she hears of an eleven-year-old extol the pleasures of waiting. "What do you mean?"
Slowly, Liam pads his way back to the bed, gingerly touching the box. There's a certain glow of pleasure in his eyes, as he remembers that first exhilarating experience of biting into a baklava in Turkey three months ago. As if he only has to look at the sweet to relive how that one bite nearly changed his life.
"The last time I took a box like this home, I gobbled it up in two days." The two chuckle together at the memory. "It got over so fast. I'd wake up at night craving one more bite and wishing I hadn't hurried up so much, eating it," Liam says, his murmur tinged with slight regret. "This time I promised I'd take my time with it. That lovely little feeling every time I have a taste... I want it to last a little longer."
As he says it, Regina can already see in her mind's eye the way Liam would hold that sweet, carefully, delicately...the way he would chew, slowly...the way he would close his eyes so every available sense would be attuned to the golden glow, to the sweet rosewater scent, to the delicate crunch of forty layers of filo pastry. The way he would prolong this bliss till that was no longer possible.
How long she's spent, attempting to be mother to this boy. Yet how little she - really. truly - knows him.
Almost as if he is reading her thoughts, Liam raises his eyes to the level of hers. He holds a piece out to her.
"No, no," Regina whispers guiltily, wondering if anything on her face could give the impression that she wanted the sweet. "It's all yours. I am not as fond of it as you are."
Neither do his eyes leave hers, nor his hand the baklava. She relents, holding the piece for a moment, her gaze soaking in its heavy, golden perfection. She pops it in like it's candy, then grimaces.
"You don't like it?"
Liam's voice is soft and unnervingly speculative, for a mere boy on the cusp of adolescence. Regina cannot make out from his gaze whether he expects her to feign a liking for the sweet, or be honest with him. Every bit of maternal advice she has heard from noblewomen who used to be her friends - noblewomen who settled into marriage and children far earlier than she did - has recommended appeasement, especially at this delicate stage in a child's development.
One more look into Liam's eyes, and Regina opts not to pretend. Her grimace stays unmoved on her face.
"Too sweet for me," she murmurs back.
On the face of it, Liam's expression seems to remain unchanged. Quiet, watchful, casually moving from her face to the baklava in her hands, and back. But Regina can sense a shift in the air. There is a glimmer in his eyes, some trace of an unspoken need reflected there, that she has unwittingly met. The muscles around his mouth relax more, his stance feels less guarded. He takes out another one, not exactly smiling, but Regina can feel the welcoming sentiment in the gesture regardless.
"This one has walnuts."
Regina smiles. She can't pretend not to be a little touched. "I do like walnuts," she says as she accepts this little treat, grateful not just for what it is but what it represents.
All this time, Regina had focused on being a mother to Liam and Leo. Inwardly cursing herself for not feeling that maternal instinct straightaway (or at all), wondering whether her new sons will resent her for not being mother enough. Especially for Liam, who had just lost his mother two years ago, and who was still too young to fully process that loss.
When all this time, what Liam needed hadn't been another mother at all.
Regina bites into the baklava Liam has offered. It's a tad bit better than the previous one; the walnuts prove a better, slightly more bitter contrast to the sugar syrup...but the latter is still too overpowering for her to ignore. It shows on her face, again; she begins to feel an involuntary pang of regret, then shakes it off.
She isn't sure yet what it is that Liam needs from her. What would strengthen this tentative bond that has blossomed between them tonight. But one thing she does know: whatever their relationship grows to become - a friend, a guide, a mentor - the foundation of it has to be her willingness to be honest with him.
For the rest of their time in the room (twenty minutes at most), Regina is content to merely watch as Liam finishes off the remaining contents of the box. "Anaïs told me I should finish them off now before they start going bad," he explains to her when she remembers his wish to savour the baklava slowly.
Aha! Regina stifles a bubble in her throat that feels suspiciously like laughter. So it's the head chef who has told him where the baklava was kept!
"It's almost two now, Liam," Regina tells him, a frown wrinkling her forehead. "You ought to get some sleep."
Liam appears a little taken aback when he looks at her, perhaps in response to the doubt in her voice. Somehow she highly doubts he will be able to sleep tonight. He's had so much baklava tonight that the ensuing sugar rush would make him too keyed up to sleep at all.
Regina isn't wrong. When Constantine - bright-eyed and alert - casts suspicious glances upon all three members of his family at breakfast time, she knows he has seen the bags beneath all their eyes.
"Has no one gone to bed on time tonight, besides me, Regina?"
Inwardly, Regina bristles. Indeed, it is so easy to sleep soundly in the face of such earth-shattering snores, when you're the one doing the snoring!
Meanwhile, she is conscious of the way their two sons stare at her. Leo's resentful and defiant (although he couldn't possibly know she was outside his door last night), Liam's nervous and hesitant.
"Surely I would have known if they were up all night," Regina feigns a bored drawl, "You know how sensitive I am to noise, darling."
The sigh of relief from the two brothers, once Constantine leaves the dining table, is almost audible. Before Liam leaves for his morning lessons, he rewards her with his biggest smile.
Regina bites back her own, and moves to her study so she can write a note to Chef Anaïs, in anticipation of any future kitchen-related adventures from the youngest prince. It is simple; a single line. Regina has to remind herself to not laugh, even as she passes the note to a member of the palace staff.
Let Prince Liam have baklava at any other time, except midnight. We really can't afford any more midnight sugar rushes at his age.
--
Notes:
1. The reference to Liam's first experience of baklava comes from this headcanon.
2. This story also hints at Leo's relationship with Eleanor and his secret relationship with a boy named Damien, which is explored to some extent in Eleanor's Kitchen, Chapter 6.
At this point in the story, Constantine has paid the family to leave Cordonia for good, after discovering Leo's romantic relationship with Damien. Leo - who before Eleanor's death was willing to work hard at being a Crown Prince despite not being fit for the role - now has lost all motivation to learn or become Crown Prince after losing both his mother and the boy he loves in the span of months.
Hello and be welcome to the Choices MC Appreciation Week of 2025! Years ago, user beaumontbash created this wonderful event where we had the opportunity to gush and show off about the wonderful and rich MCs in the fandom, and I have decided to bring back this awesome tradition!
Before I give you the prompts, here's some ground rules and things to have in mind during the event:
• You aren't obligated to post for every day! You can post any day you feel like
•The MC doesn't have to be yours
• OCs are welcome and encouraged!
•This event is MC-OC centric, and while a mention of LIs and other characters is welcome, please focus on the MCs
• Everything is welcome! From a screenshot of your MC and some fun facts, to meta and art and fanfiction!
• Posting about your friend/mutual's MCs is counted as an entry and highly encouraged!!!
• Be kind and respectful to one another. MC/OC and user bashing is extrictly prohibited
• Remember to have fun and don't be afraid to check the tag #choicesmcaw25 to see more OCs and MCs!
And now, onto the prompts...
Day One: Straight A+ Students
From The Elementalists, to Ride or Die, Roommates with Benefits, High School Story... Any MC who's a student, show them some love on this day!
Day Two: Terrific Heroes
From the It Lives Anthology, Terror Fest, Wake the Dead, Haunting of Braidwood Manor... Any MC who is involved in everything horror, today's your chance to show some love!
Day Three: Iconic Celebrities
From Platinum, Red Carpet Diaries, Hollywood U... Show some love to that MC that made it big!
Day Four: Awesome Adventurers
From Hero, to Endless Summer, to Blades of Light and Shadow, this is the day to show some love to those brave MCs!
Day Five: Nosy Detectives
From Veil of Secrets, Murder at Homecoming to Crimes of Passion, let us show some love to those MCs who always dig deeper
Day Six: Historic People
From Desire and Decorum to The Royal Masquerade to A Courtesan of Rome, today we show some love to those MCs who made history in the Choicesverse
Day Seven: LGBT+ and Proud
From All of Us, to Bachelorette Party, to Foreign Affairs... Any MC who is part of the community and didn't make an appearance on the other prompts, today's the day to show them off!
The event will be done on February, from the 3rd to the 9th! So start piling your MCs, dust off those WIPs and get ready!
(This incredible poster is the handiwork of our wonderful co-host @sazanes!! You guys, she made a freaking VIDEO POSTER!!! Love so much how this turned out 😍😍)
Welcome to our third edition of King Liam Appreciation Week!! Last year saw a record-breaking turnout of stories, art, headcanons and all kinds of creative work - all celebrating this amazing character.
And while the fandom may not be what it used to be in the past years, we still hold out hope that there will be plenty of people who still love Liam and want to show that through their creative work!
November 17th is World Baklava Day, and can you think of a bigger fan of this irresistible sweet than Liam? 😃
This year, the event will run from 17th - 21st November. The themes for the days are as follows:
Day 1 - Nov 17th - Baklava/Throwback
Day 2 - Nov 18th - Character Appreciation/Vanilla
Day 3 - Nov 19th - Roses/Monuments
Day 4 - Nov 20th - Relationships/Coffee
Day 5 - Nov 21st - Healing*
(*Healing can be interpreted any way the reader wishes, both physical and mental healthwise - though we tend to lean a bit more to the latter because of how stoicism is such a central aspect of his growth)
Keep in mind that you don't have to send the content on the exact day of the theme - if you give it a little later as well, it's still fine as long as you tag the piece with the day it was meant for (#KLAW Day 1, #KLAW Day 2, etc).
Any content is welcome! Fanfic, fanart, edits, moodboards, meta, interactive media, headcanons, character appreciation... anything! As long as it celebrates Liam as a character, focuses on him and shows positive depictions of him. We also accept WIPs and a specific day (Throwback) is set aside just for past pieces on Liam. If you like, you can even tell us about the process of creating that piece!
Make sure you tag @kingliamappreciationweek in your posts, as well as the hosts @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes in your content so we don't miss it! It would also make it easier to track if you use the tags #kingliamappreciationweek and #KLAW in your posts as an extra precaution.
Various fan content blogs have helped in promoting our weeks and also run great events on a weekly/monthly basis. We would definitely love for our participants to check them out in case they'd like to be part of those too: @choicesficwriterscreations, @choicesmonthlychallenge, @choicespride, @choicesprompts, @choicesholidays, @choicescommunityevents).
Once the week is officially over, we will keep a bonus week for participants who have trouble sending content during the week itself. Additionally, this blog will be open for entries all year round!
We have about a month to get ready for KLAW, and we're super excited to see what our fellow Liam fans might have in store! See you all in November!!
(This incredible poster is the handiwork of our wonderful co-host @sazanes!! You guys, she made a freaking VIDEO POSTER!!! Love so much how this turned out 😍😍)
Welcome to our third edition of King Liam Appreciation Week!! Last year saw a record-breaking turnout of stories, art, headcanons and all kinds of creative work - all celebrating this amazing character.
And while the fandom may not be what it used to be in the past years, we still hold out hope that there will be plenty of people who still love Liam and want to show that through their creative work!
November 17th is World Baklava Day, and can you think of a bigger fan of this irresistible sweet than Liam? 😃
This year, the event will run from 17th - 21st November. The themes for the days are as follows:
Day 1 - Nov 17th - Baklava/Throwback
Day 2 - Nov 18th - Character Appreciation/Vanilla
Day 3 - Nov 19th - Roses/Monuments
Day 4 - Nov 20th - Relationships/Coffee
Day 5 - Nov 21st - Healing*
(*Healing can be interpreted any way the reader wishes, both physical and mental healthwise - though we tend to lean a bit more to the latter because of how stoicism is such a central aspect of his growth)
Keep in mind that you don't have to send the content on the exact day of the theme - if you give it a little later as well, it's still fine as long as you tag the piece with the day it was meant for (#KLAW Day 1, #KLAW Day 2, etc).
Any content is welcome! Fanfic, fanart, edits, moodboards, meta, interactive media, headcanons, character appreciation... anything! As long as it celebrates Liam as a character, focuses on him and shows positive depictions of him. We also accept WIPs and a specific day (Throwback) is set aside just for past pieces on Liam. If you like, you can even tell us about the process of creating that piece!
Make sure you tag @kingliamappreciationweek in your posts, as well as the hosts @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes in your content so we don't miss it! It would also make it easier to track if you use the tags #kingliamappreciationweek and #KLAW in your posts as an extra precaution.
Various fan content blogs have helped in promoting our weeks and also run great events on a weekly/monthly basis. We would definitely love for our participants to check them out in case they'd like to be part of those too: @choicesficwriterscreations, @choicesmonthlychallenge, @choicespride, @choicesprompts, @choicesholidays, @choicescommunityevents).
Once the week is officially over, we will keep a bonus week for participants who have trouble sending content during the week itself. Additionally, this blog will be open for entries all year round!
We have about a month to get ready for KLAW, and we're super excited to see what our fellow Liam fans might have in store! See you all in November!!
(This incredible poster is the handiwork of our wonderful co-host @sazanes!! You guys, she made a freaking VIDEO POSTER!!! Love so much how this turned out 😍😍)
Welcome to our third edition of King Liam Appreciation Week!! Last year saw a record-breaking turnout of stories, art, headcanons and all kinds of creative work - all celebrating this amazing character.
And while the fandom may not be what it used to be in the past years, we still hold out hope that there will be plenty of people who still love Liam and want to show that through their creative work!
November 17th is World Baklava Day, and can you think of a bigger fan of this irresistible sweet than Liam? 😃
This year, the event will run from 17th - 21st November. The themes for the days are as follows:
Day 1 - Nov 17th - Baklava/Throwback
Day 2 - Nov 18th - Character Appreciation/Vanilla
Day 3 - Nov 19th - Roses/Monuments
Day 4 - Nov 20th - Relationships/Coffee
Day 5 - Nov 21st - Healing*
(*Healing can be interpreted any way the reader wishes, both physical and mental healthwise - though we tend to lean a bit more to the latter because of how stoicism is such a central aspect of his growth)
Keep in mind that you don't have to send the content on the exact day of the theme - if you give it a little later as well, it's still fine as long as you tag the piece with the day it was meant for (#KLAW Day 1, #KLAW Day 2, etc).
Any content is welcome! Fanfic, fanart, edits, moodboards, meta, interactive media, headcanons, character appreciation... anything! As long as it celebrates Liam as a character, focuses on him and shows positive depictions of him. We also accept WIPs and a specific day (Throwback) is set aside just for past pieces on Liam. If you like, you can even tell us about the process of creating that piece!
Make sure you tag @kingliamappreciationweek in your posts, as well as the hosts @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes in your content so we don't miss it! It would also make it easier to track if you use the tags #kingliamappreciationweek and #KLAW in your posts as an extra precaution.
Various fan content blogs have helped in promoting our weeks and also run great events on a weekly/monthly basis. We would definitely love for our participants to check them out in case they'd like to be part of those too: @choicesficwriterscreations, @choicesmonthlychallenge, @choicespride, @choicesprompts, @choicesholidays, @choicescommunityevents).
Once the week is officially over, we will keep a bonus week for participants who have trouble sending content during the week itself. Additionally, this blog will be open for entries all year round!
We have about a month to get ready for KLAW, and we're super excited to see what our fellow Liam fans might have in store! See you all in November!!
My fanfics for KLAW (and HYAW! 😭) are still underway, so I thought I'd do a moodboard for Liam the Coffee Lover in the meantime.
Tagging @kingliamappreciationweek and @sazanes for KLAW Day 4: Coffee
• Perhaps the only person who relates to Liam's preference for coffee over tea is Regina. She and the palace chef Anaïs were pretty much the first people to know about it 😅
• Regina prefers hers black with very little sugar. Liam likes it lightly creamed and with sugar. When he marries Esther, who also loves coffee, the three of them often secretly have what they call a "coffee and chit-chat" together.
• As the MIL and DIL grow closer, Esther makes sure to carry along some religieuse to perfectly pair with Regina's dark, bitter coffee, and some nutty treat to go with Liam's creamier, sweet concoction.
• Liam LOVES coasters! He's been in love with them ever since he was a kid, and needed some for his mug of hot chocolate.
• Cordonia's Art Society commissions a King Fabian-inspired coaster collection, complete with intricate art of famous Cordonian Renaissance figures, for Liam's fifth anniversary as king.
(Rumour has it that they heard the king was appalled (appalled!!) by the inaccurate, ahistorical - and quite frankly, rather ridiculous - depictions of the events of 1500 in the Netflix special The Royal Masquerade)
For his tenth, he gets TCaTF-inspired coasters, because by then he becomes a world-renowned coaster collector.
• He has a special affinity to Auvernese coffee, though he will never openly admit it. It's the mineral-rich volcanic soil that makes the produce there taste so good.
(also, his mother used to often feel homesick for it)
• None of his immediate friend-circle have the passion for coffee that Liam does. Maxwell doesn't like caffeinated drinks that much (he loves fruitier concoctions), Drake would much rather enjoy his personal stash of whiskey (he won't turn down an Irish coffee though, for obvious reasons) and Hana really loves tea.
