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karahalloway · 3 years

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Harper & Drake - OTP Asks (Part 1)

Series: TRR

Pairing: Drake Walker x F!OC (Harper Gale)

Summary: So, @aussiegurl1234 and @nestledonthaveone both decided to send me a chucky list of questions from an OTP Asks list that was circulating on Tumblr. And rather than responding to them individually, I decided to make a 'masterlist' of the selected questions and the corresponding (in-character) responses.

Word count: 3,200 (you can blame the many questions... 🙃)

Warnings: Swearing, references to lemons and SPOILERS. This 'interview' takes place about halfway through the as-yet unwritten and untitled Book 3 and references conversations and events from (Un)Common Attraction and (Less Than) Noble Intentions. It also contains spoilers for (Less Than) Noble Intentions and Book 3. So, if you hate spoilers, STAY WELL AWAY! Otherwise, happy reading!

Also, if anyone has any additional questions they want answered by Harper and Drake about their relationship (much to Drake's disgust), then feel free to send an ask and I’ll add them in here!

Drake: Seriously? What's with all these questions? We've done so many of these already.

Harper: We've done two.*

Drake: Which is two too many. Do these people have nothing better to do than stick their noses up our business all the time?

Harper: I like these! I think they're fun! Wonder what they're gonna ask us this time...

Drake: Deeply personal stuff, knowing them... *Looks at the questions* Sweet Jesus! Have you seen this list? It's never-fuckin'-ending!

Harper: Best get started then, hadn't we, Walker!

Drake: The things I do for you people... *Takes a swig of whiskey* Right. Let's get this done.

. 5. What personality trait do they love the most about each other?

Harper: The fact that underneath all the snarky eye-rolls, he's got a heart of solid gold. He will do literally anything for those he cares about, without expecting anything in return. It's seriously sweet... and hot.

Drake: Yeah, well, my parents raised me right.

Harper: What about you? What's the thing you love most about me?

Drake: Apart from the fact that you're perfect in every goddamn way?

Harper: Yeah. I think they want specifics.

Drake: I know I'm gonna regret saying this... but if I had to choose, then it would be your unrelenting Yankee sass.

Harper: Ha! I knew it! I knew you just pretend to gripe about that!

Drake: I love that you don't take no shit from nobody... including me. But you've not vindictive about it like Livy is.

Harper: I'll be sure to remind you of that next time we disagree on something!

Drake: Oh, I know you will...

. 6. What random everyday object/activity makes them think of each other?

Harper: Horses. Whiskey. BMWs. Biker jackets. Burgers. Literally every Luke Bryan song...

Drake: Chocolate. Frappuccino's. Anything that smells of honey or chamomile. Whenever I see someone wearing a white sundress. Any kind of view... And pool tables. Can't look at a pool table without—

Harper: I think that's all they need to know!

Drake: What happened to wanting to over-share, Gale?

Harper: They don't need to know everything!

. 7. What is something they'd want to change about the other if they could?

Harper: Nothing.

Drake: I'd say the same...

Harper: But?

Drake: But you do snore. Real loud...

Harper: Only when I'm really tired. Or sick.

Drake: Right. In. My. Motherfuckin' ear. Every goddamn time.

Harper: It's not that bad...

Drake: It really is. It's like sleeping next to a congested elephant sometimes...

Harper: What happened to being perfect in every goddamn way?

Drake: I remembered the snoring...

Harper: *Leans into Drake and snores loudly at him*

Drake: *Pulls a face that's equal parts disgusted and exasperated* You're lucky I love you...

. 10. Have they had romantic partners before?

Drake: Seriously... Who came up with these questions? They expectin' us to be celibate or something?

Harper: Of course we had. We had lives before we met each other, and we had to gain experience from somewhere, right? Or, in Drake's case a lot of somewheres.

Drake: Like you said... Had to gain the experience from somewhere. But now you reap all the benefits, baby.

Harper: Lucky me... *Leans in for a kiss* Though I'm pretty sure all that experience of yours has ruined me for other guys...

Drake: Good.

. 19. Would they ever lie to each other? Why or why not?

Drake: She's tried a few times. But her poker face is terrible...

Harper: Hey! I've never lied to you! I've just... omitted certain key pieces of info.

Drake: Omission... commission... It don't matter how you slice it, girl, the end result is the same. I'm gonna know you're hiding something.

Harper: How else am I supposed to organise your birthday parties?!

Drake: Get better at lying. Or better yet, stop with the parties. You know you don't need to surprise me.

Harper: But everyone likes it. Including you.

Drake: ...I invoke my right to the Fifth.

Harper: Who's not being honest now, Walker?

Drake: You're not allowed to draw inferences — positive or negative — from that statement. And I'm not being dishonest. I'm just reserving the right to not answer the question.

Harper: You and your technicalities...

. 20. Are they interested in marriage? Why or why not?

Harper: We wouldn't be gettin' hitched if we weren't!

Drake: Seeing Mom and Dad together... sharing those little moments in between with each other, or with Savs and me... it made me want the same. Even though he was busy with work, Dad was always so happy to come home, to have dinner with us when he could, take us camping, or just throw a barbecue together on the weekend where we'd all chip in. Because ultimately, that's what really matters... what ends up staying with you. But living at court, it wasn't something I thought I'd be able to make work, so I wasn't really even looking for anything long term, let alone permanent. Until Harper came along.

Harper: Yeah, I was the same. My mom's been pushing me to find a nice boy and settle down since I finished college, but I wanted to do all these other things like see the world, broaden my horizons, experience life outside of Montana. But when Drake proposed, there was only one answer.

Drake: Took your sweet ass time to say it, though!

Harper: I was literally speechless... You caught me so massively by surprise!

Drake: Yeah... myself as well. It wasn't planned. At all. I didn't even have a ring.

Harper: Which is funny, 'cause normally you're so detail-oriented.

Drake: Yeah, well... Spontaneity works sometimes too. *Thoughtful pause* How d'you feel about eloping?

Harper: I'd love it. It's so romantic! But our families – mine especially – would never forgive us.

Drake: Who says they need to know?

. 21. Are they interested in having children? Why or why not?

Drake: 100%. I want to be able to teach my kids everything Dad taught me.

Harper: Yes. Definitely. Can you imagine a mini-version of Drake running around?

Drake: Yeah... total chaos. A mini-version of you might be better.

Harper: Be careful what you wish for, Walker! I was apparently quite a handful... constantly trying to keep up with my brothers.

Drake: Yeah... I can imagine. Either way, it's gonna be life-changing. In every sense of the word. But we've agreed that we'd wait a year or two after getting married before trying.

Harper: Yes. Everything's been so hectic the past six months with the social season and the engagement tour... I just want the chance to spend some time with Drake — just the two of us — before we drop a baby into the mix.

. 24. Are there any kinks or fetishes they share or don't?

Harper: We both like tying each other up.

Drake: And licking food off each other.

Harper: You a bit more than me.

Drake: If I covered myself in whipped cream or chocolate sauce, would you say 'no'?

Harper: ...no.

Drake: There you go. And the teasing and the edging's pretty great too. Even if it drives both of us up the wall when we're in the middle of it.

Harper: Not sure about the spanking though...

Drake: *Raises a brow* That's not the message I've been gettin'...

Harper: It's not that I don't like it... It just... feels a bit strange.

Drake: We can drop it... If you stop wearing panties under your dresses.

Harper: We've been over this! I need to wear underwear sometimes! And anyway, I thought we agreed—

Drake: I never agreed.

Harper: Yes. You did. You specifically said—

Drake: I acknowledged your statement. But I never agreed.

Harper: You're impossible!

Drake: Thought you knew that by now...

Harper: *Rolls eyes*

. 25. Are they sentimental about gifts they've received from each other?

Harper: I get sentimental every time Drake buys me something!

Drake: Not to mention majorly turned on...

Harper: *Blushes* Yeah... That too... Not sure why, but it just happens. Especially if I'm not expecting the gift... Like with the phone and the charm bracelet.

Drake: That's why I make a point of surprising you.

Harper: Yeah, so you can get laid in exchange.

Drake: Hey. Don't complain. It's a win-win-win.

Harper: That said, you got quite sentimental when I got you that surprise gift in Florence.

Drake: Well... yeah. I wasn't expecting it.

Harper: But I picked well?

Drake: *Laces fingers through her hand* I haven't taken it off and I never will.

Harper: Just like I won't ever take off the bracelet you got me *Leans in for a kiss*

@aussiegurl1234 And that's all you're gettin'! You have to sit pretty and wait 'til Italy to find out what this mysterious present is! Muhahaha! (Need to keep some things a surprise, after all... 😋)

. 26. What holidays do they like?

Harper: Christmas! I love Christmas! Especially a white Christmas (which you normally get in Montana). I love waking up Christmas morning with snow on the ground, grabbing an eggnog latte and sitting around the tree in my PJs and fuzzy boots opening presents while listening to Christmas classics!

Drake: For me it's the Fourth of July.

Harper: Ooh! That's a good one too! So much barbeque and the fireworks...

Drake: Dad never really made a big deal out of his American heritage. Except on Independence Day. Then he'd go all out. He'd make all the food from scratch, stick little US flags in everything and blare American classics like Springsteen, Hendrix and Credence from the stereo while cooking. It's actually one of the things I remember most from when I was a kid... in addition to the camping trips.

Harper: Well, we can certainly keep the traditions going.

Drake: I definitely plan to.

. 27. How do they feel about Valentine's Day?

Drake: I honestly don't see why you need to designate one day of the year to show someone you love 'em. Just an over-commercialised con in my mind...

Harper: You're just saying that because you've never done Valentine's Day before.

Drake: That's irrelevant.

Harper: I can't believe you said that! You – of all people – should know that you should never judge a book by its cover.

Drake: Trust me, I don't need to have read that particular book to be able to judge it.

Harper: *Narrows eyes* Unbelievable...

Drake: ...we're doing Valentine's Day, aren't we?

Harper: Bet your ass we are, cowboy!

Drake: Fine. But only if you wear sexy underwear.

Harper: That's kind of a given...

Drake: Now we're talking.

. 28. Are they jealous/possessive of each other?

*They glance at each other again*

Harper: I wouldn't say jealous or possessive...

Drake: We're territorial.

Harper: Yeah, that's probably a good way to describe it. I love Drake, and I know he loves me, so even though I know he has a past, I'm not worried about him cheating on me or anything like that. But probably because of everything that we had to go through during the social season and the engagement tour, having to hide how we felt about each other and sometimes needing to pretend that we were interested in other people to ward off suspicion, both of us developed a kind of compulsion to... stake our claim on each other...

Drake: Is that what we're calling it now?

Harper: Why? What do you want to call it?

Drake: The term 'branding' comes to mind...

Harper: *Blushes again* Erm... yes. Passions definitely ran high during the engagement tour. For both of us.

Drake: Hey. I'm not complainin'. But it was definitely hard having to watch all those aristos make passes at you and not being able to intervene. Because I while was never worried about you, I was sure as hell worried for you. Especially after what happened with that son of a bitch Tariq.

Harper: Luckily, that's all in the past now.

Drake: Yeah, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna let my guard down. I promised you that I'd have your back. And I intend to keep that promise, come hell or highwater.

Harper: I know. I love it when you get protective.

Drake: *Pulling her closer* You're worth protecting, girl.

. 32. How do they comfort each other?

Harper: If I'm stressed, angry or upset, all Drake has to do is pull me into his arms, and I instantly relax. There's something about holding him, about breathing him in that just makes me forget the world around me.

Drake: Exactly what she said.

. 34. What's their favourite nonsexual activity together?

Harper: We like doing most things together. But for me personally, it's going for a long ride on horseback, or slobbing out on the couch with a movie and some takeaway. Oh! And having a bath together. With lots of bubbles, of course!

Drake: Those are all great. As is showering together. Or just going for a walk or a drive. But for me, it's falling asleep tangled up together. That'll never get old.

Harper: Or waking up together.

Drake: Breakfast in bed... I love every moment we get to spend together.

Harper: Same.

. 35. How do they deal with being away from each other for a long time?

*They glance at each other again*

Harper: Honestly? We don't deal that well with being apart...

Drake: It fuckin' sucks...

Harper: Video calls help a bit, but—

Drake: Like hell they do! They make it worse. I hate not being able to touch you... kiss you... breathe you in... Those calls are the worst kind of torture...

Harper: But like Drake said, they kinda just make us miss each other more because we both need that full body, sensory experience that you can only get when we're physically together.

Drake: The reunion sex helps make up for it though.

Harper: Yeah... Those... those are intense.

. 36. What is their favourite place to kiss the other? (Cheek, hand, closed eyelid, neck, nose, etc.)

Harper: Eugh... Do I have to choose?

Drake: Yeah, seriously... What kind of dumb ass question is this?

Harper: I love kissing him everywhere...

Drake: Same. I could kiss her all—

Harper: ...and licking him, and biting him...

Drake: —over. You are good with your mouth.

Harper: So are you. Tongue especially. And you just taste so good...*Runs tongue over top lip* I'd eat you up if I could.

Drake: You mean, like this? *Grabs her for a hungry kiss*

Harper: Mmm... Just like that. So, suffice to say, we're both pretty insatiable when it comes to each other.

. 39. Who gets hit on the most?

Harper: Definitely Drake.

Drake: No way. The number of times I've seen those pervy aristos get handsy with you during the engagement tour...

Harper: They weren't hitting on me. They were trying to encourage me to put a good word in with Christian for them.

Drake: By hitting on you.

Harper: Eugh... I guess... In their own sick world... *Shudders* But what about all the times I've caught Kiara pawing at you and trying to—

Drake: Fuck, don't remind me...

Harper: Not to mention all the waitresses and receptionists who moon over you...

Drake: What?

Harper: ...and random girls at bars trying to chat you up...

Drake: When?

Harper: Literally every time we go anywhere!

Drake: I'd've probably noticed if it were true... You sure you're not imaging things, Gale?

Harper: *Narrows eyes* I'm sure. They're pretty damn obvious about it. But, if you haven't noticed it, then I guess I don't have anything to worry about, do I?

Drake: Definitely not. You know I only have eyes for you, girl. *Leans over for a kiss*

Harper: So, basically, both of us get hit on. A lot.

Drake: There is a way to remedy that, y'know...

Harper: How? Both of us put on 30lbs and wear paper bags on our heads?

Drake: We stop going out. Spend all day naked in bed... or on the sofa... or on the floor.

Harper: Hmm... there's a thought...

. 42. Who is the sensible, mature one?

Harper: Depends on the situation. If I freak out, Drake's normally able to stay calm and level-headed.

Drake: And when I lose my shit, you're usually able to calm me down.

Harper: But overall, we're both quite practical and realistic.

Drake: Yeah. We work well together.

. 45. If one of them forgot to log out of their SoMe, what would their partner do?

Drake: Again, what the hell is this question? Do they want to know whether we'd trawl through each other's social media?

Harper: Well, with your job, it's not an unreasonable question to want to know the answer to.

Drake: I don't spy on you. Never have and never will.

Harper: But you have tracked my phone.

Drake: That was different. I needed to find you and tracking your phone was the fastest and easiest way to do it.

Harper: I guess...

Drake: What about you? Would you look?

Harper: I want to say 'no'... But if I'm honest, I probably would. Not because I don't trust you, but because—

Drake: You're a shameless snooper who has the curiosity of a cat with two lives left.

Harper: You know me so well.

. 46. How do they make each other laugh?

Harper: Usually just by talking. Even if things get heated, one of us will say something unexpected in the middle of a back-and-forth that will crack the other one up.

Drake: Definitely helps that we have pretty much the same sense of humour. And neither of us shy away from snark, sarcasm or cussin'.

Harper: It's what happens when you grow up with three older brothers...

Drake: I don't mind. Means you can hold your own.

. 48. Who would bring home a homeless animal?

Harper: Drake.

Drake: Definitely Gale.

Harper: What? You were the one who took pity on Marvel in Rome.

Drake: Because he was injured and starving. I wasn't gonna leave him on the side of the road to suffer. But my plan was to drop him off at the local shelter. You were the one who insisted we keep him.

Harper: Were you? Really? When you been hankering after a dog for how many years?

Drake: Yes. Really. With the engagement tour in full swing and that piece of shit Besnard still on the loose, not to mention the no pet policy at the Palace, I didn't think adopting a 30lbs adolescent Husky was a smart move.

Harper: *Scratching Marvel under the chin* But who can so 'no' this cutey-wootey face...? Not Drakey-Wakey...

Drake: Sweet Jesus...

Harper: *Continues loving on Marvel* No! Because he's a big ol' pile of fluffy marshmallow fluff on the inside, isn't he?

Drake: *Rolls eyes*

Harper: Isn't he? Oh, yes he is! We know he is! Don't we? Don't we, Marvel?

Drake: Are you done?

Marvel: Arf!

Harper: See? Even the dog agrees with me.

Drake: You're gonna be the death of me, girl. You and that mutt.

Harper: But you love us really.

Drake: *Shakes head with a smirk* Yeah... Yeah, I do.

Harper: Says it all, really... 🥰

*A/N: This comment refers to the two sets of character profiles that I did for Books 1 and 2.

Photo credits

Harper - Hug - Kiss - Jump - Drake - Sleepy

Permatags (let me know if you want to be added!)

@twinkleallnight @lovingchoices14 @petiteboheme @aussiegurl1234 @queen-arabella-of-cordonia @tessa-liam @alyshak92 @secretaryunpaid @princessleac1 @walkerdrakewalker @fictionloveevie @angelasscribbles @drakewalkerisreal @nestledonthaveone @tinkie1973 @lunaseasblog @indiana-jr @knaussal @differenttyphoonwerewolf @texaskitten30 @kingliam2019 @pinklipsandmasonjars @sillydg

#harper gale #drake walker #drake x mc #otp asks #uncommon attraction #less than noble intentions #the royal romance #trr fanfic

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sincerelyella · 3 years

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RAMifications masterlist

Book: The Royal Romance (AU)

Pairings: Liam x MC (Ella)

Characters belong to Pixelberry; MC Ella Brooks and Ethan belongs to me

Summary: How Liam met Ella and their love story.

A/N: This entire idea came from Burnsy and her unBEARable series featuring her OTP Drake x Alyssa Devereaux. This is Ella’s backstory and how she met the love of her life King Liam of Cordonia. This doesn’t follow much of TRR books, there is still a social season but not all of the players are present. Throw canon out the window! If you have not read unBEARable by @burnsoslow (catch up here) I suggest you go and read that first. There are SPOILERS in this series!

Series Warnings: Adult language, NSFW

Prologue - Breakaway

Chapter 1 - Dear No One

Chapter 2 - Almost Is Never Enough

Chapter 3 - I Can Love You Like That

Chapter 4 - Who Do You Tell?

Chapter 5 - Why Don’t We Fall In Love

Chapter 6 - Breathe

Chapter 7 - Kiss Me

Chapter 8 - Butterflies Pt. 2

Chapter 9 - Breakin’ At The Cracks

Chapter 10 - So Emotional

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

#RAMifications #Liam x MC #Liam x Ella #trr fanfic #trr fandom #trr #trr choices #choices trr #choices the royal romance #choices liam x mc #choices trr au #choices liam #choices #pixelberry #play choices #the royal romance #the royal romance fanfic #the royal romance au

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choicesenthusiast · 4 years

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A Comprehensive List of Characters PB Ruined For Me

Maxwell Beaumont (TRR/TRH)- Maxwell used to be one of my favourite characters until TRH. Even though he was still playful and entertaining, he was also humble and loyal. Mature, but still fun-loving. He didn’t exist in the first draft of TRR and was written to be Bertrand’s foil, and man, is he a great foil character. The scene in TRR2, Ch. 14 (where he officially became an LI) was one of his best moments. He was always taking Bertrand and Liam’s happiness and well-being into consideration before his own. Now, PB’s watered him down so much that he’s just immature. A whole-ass man-child. He sold out with that stupid memoir and made himself the star. Sometimes I question why he’s even allowed at the grown-ups’ table. All I’m saying is that I want TRR Maxwell back.

Olivia Nevrakis (TRR/TRH)- Staying on the TRR train, next we have Olivia Nevrakis. Like with Maxwell, she was one of my favourites. Her redemption arc was fantastic and well-deserved. Now her only personality trait is knives, and since the incompetent Cordonian security can’t do their damn jobs, she was demoted from badass noble to security guard. The only thing PB didn’t mess up is her begrudging acceptance the she and MC are best of friends. TRR 2 and 3 Olivia was the best Olivia. I’ll drink to that, bro.

Ethan Ramsey (OH)- Ah, Ethan. We’re getting a little more extreme now. I was an Ethan stan before. I know, I know. But the way he interacted with Dolores, Mrs. Martinez, and Naveen, as well as slowly opening up to MC, was a great display of his complexity. This was the slow burn. He knows his boundaries, unlike *other* bosses and superiors. But everyone knows what happened. Spoiler alert: he’s forced as fuck. I got sick of seeing his face. I missed the other LIs. It wasn’t fair to them (or their stans for that matter) that they were being fed breadcrumbs for screentime while this dude hogged it for all of book 2. I am sick of this dude and I want him off my screen, you hear me, PB? Give him a hobby. Justice for Raf, Jackie, and Bryce.

Ava Lawrence (MTFL)- Ugh, imagine if Ava was on screen for longer than 3 seconds every 6 chapters? She was written in simply to develop the three other main characters of this book, leaving her with no character development at all. Literally none. This is the epitome of the black best friend trope, which hits even harder if you picked her black variant. Not to mention that this book is so incredibly heteronormative, it’s as if PB falsely advertised her as an LI to appear inclusive. No wait, that’s exactly what they did. Honestly, kudos to the wlw in this community who even bother with this book anymore. It isn’t fair to you either.

Oliver Cochrane (DS)- Haha, Lieutenant Cockballs. Sorry if you romanced him, but I didn’t. The weakest attempt at a morally grey character; he was practically the Admiral’s lapdog for majority of the book. I never got invested in him because he was never on my screen. His big “plot twist” of him not being a pirate at the beginning of the book wasn’t even a plot twist because PB already advertised him as the lieutenant. RIP to what could’ve been.

Poppy Min-Sinclair (QB)- Oh, here we go. Fucking hell, the more I think about this, the angrier I get. I’m fucking delusional for thinking that PB could handle this with grace. After Jaylen, Ellen, Olivia, Madeleine, Jackie, Aurora, and hell, even Sofia, I thought we could have one decent enemies-to-lovers plot. I got really fucking tired of the female rivalries, if you couldn’t tell. IMO, she never crossed the line until those vile comments about the Benji situation, where in two seconds this potential was just destroyed. I joke about being a clown, but I was really just deluded for creating a caricature of how I wanted this to turn out.

Kenna Rys (TCaTF)- LOL, PB never ruined Kenna. I just needed to see a comforting face after this whole rant. The only crimes against Kenna are the misspelling of “Rys” and the current state of the mess that is Cordonia. Hope she’s living her best life.

#playchoices #choices stories you play #the royal heir #open heart #queen b #distant shores #the crown and the flame

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homeformyheart · 3 years

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choices advent calendar - update!

*due to an unfortunate incident (which i can only blame myself) with my main blog, i don’t have access to my peaceinmidstofchaos blog anymore. so i’ll be continuing this event from this blog, while hoping that tumblr will fix access! i will start the reblogs from here starting december 21. fyi - @choicesmonthlychallenge; @starrystarrytrouble; @angela8754; @aylaramseycarrera; @lovealexhunt; @iemcpbchoices

i had this random idea to do something centered around an advent calendar - for those of you who may not have encountered this, typically it’s a calendar-style chocolate/candy/trivia-type reveal thing you can buy and gift someone. it lets them reveal something for each day of december that is a treat!

with the spirit of that in mind, i offer you - the choices advent calendar! for each day in december, i will go tag diving according to the choices books on the calendar below and reblog 1 fic/writing-related and 1 art/edit/aesthetic-related fan content that has fewer than 20 notes or 5 reblogs, whichever is less. all reblogged content will be fluff / sfw / feel-good / holiday, etc. to help keep our spirits up as we ride out the rest of 2020.

feel free to block the tags below if you don’t want these reblogs to clutter your dash - but i promise to keep it to 2 per day! additional details under the cut!

also, here’s the best part (i hope) - you don’t have to do anything! just follow the tags or my blog and enjoy walking down memory lane (or gaining content on your feed you’ve never seen before) every day in december!

how did you decide which books to feature since there are over 31 books?

i went through the booklist and grouped ones that made sense to put together (e.g., the freshman/the sophomore, and it lives anthology)

i removed holiday specials (since these are usually one-offs for specific series)

i removed 2020 releases and currently running series (e.g., open heart, etc.) since those would have the most recent (and to a certain extent, the most) content generated already and the goal is to promote content that didn’t get as much attention

i removed VIP books since not everyone has VIP or would have read the books and this would avoid spoilers (odds are there isn’t a ton of content either)

and i removed any series that i was aware of having a dedicated event in december (i.e., the elementalists)

what is the full list of books that didn’t make the cut?

Holiday specials

Home for the Holidays

The Elementalists (due to TE AW occurring in December)

VIP Books

2020 releases & currently running series – TRR/TRH, MTFL, Queen B, TNA, Rising Tides, Distant Shores, BOLAS, Witness, Baby Bump 1 & 2, Open Heart 1 & 2

how will you decide what content to reblog?

i’m going to go hunting through the tags, sorting by popularity and recency and paying attention to how many reblogs make up the notes. unfortunately, even if you have a ton of “likes,” reblogs are given more credit on tumblr in terms of the popularity of a post so i’m going to do my best to balance those with a ton of notes but few reblogs vs. those that have minimal notes to begin with but it’ll depend on what i find.

will you only limit it to 2 if there is a wide-range of non-written content (e.g, social media edits, fanart, edits, moodboards, etc.)?

i want to be fair to all the books so i’m going to do my best to limit it to 2. however, for books that seem to have less popular content or have multiple books in the series (e.g., HSS / HSSCA has a combined 6 books), i may make an exception.

are you going to be posting or reblogging content not related to the advent calendar?

i will do my best to keep that at a minimum since i want to give the content i find a chance to get noticed but i do have some things already planned and scheduled (e.g., potluck reveal and TE appreciation week).

what if i want to keep following your blog but don’t want all these reblogs clogging my feed?

first of all - i am humbled and appreciate you following my blog / wanting to keep following me, i truly am! 🥰 if you don’t want to see these reblogs, feel free to block the tags #choices advent calendar, #jens advent calendar, or #december X (whatever date it is).

what if i want to make sure i don’t miss any content?

feel free to follow my blog or the tags above! 😊 and thank you! you can also use these tags to search for these posts on my blog.

this is a great idea - can i also go tag diving and reblog old content that may not have gotten a lot of attention?

yes, of course! the more, the merrier! just let me know so i can support you and use the #choices advent calendar tag (feel free to create your own version of the other two) so we have at least one tag with all the reblogs 🤗

what if i have other questions?

use the askbox, comments on this post, or DM me! 🤗

#choices advent calendar #jens advent calendar #signal boost

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theraven-gil-lyn · 2 years

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(minor)

‘But it wouldn’t be very diplomatic to do so,’ Will said.

Arazan’s Wolves // Ch 3

#trr 6 spoilers #//#oak.tree #oak.art #ranger's apprentice #rangers apprentice #the royal ranger #gilan davidson #maddie altman #will treaty #alyss mainwaring #wilyss

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theoakleafpancake · 1 year

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ARAZAN’S WOLVES SPOILERS

George was sitting at his desk—a large table covered in manuscripts and volumes of reference material.

GEORGE

#rangers apprentice #john flanagan #trr 6 spoilers #arazan’s wolves #the royal ranger

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zigtheeortega · 4 years

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4, 5, & 6!!

4. your favorite moment with an LI?

hmm i think i answered this before, but i’ll come up something else!

tbh any makeup after a fight with zig is my favorite bc it reminds me why i love him so much in the first place. he’s seriously so thoughtful and caring and apologetic and comforting and compromising (when they write him in character lmfao but thats a convo for another time). he’s a very tender emotional boy and i love the moments when they display that soft side of him

5. your favorite moment in any book?

SUCH A GOOD QUESTION!!!! hmm i’m gonna name a couple that i really genuinely love - ALSO SPOILERS MIGHT BE BELOW (just adding this in case even if its an old book)

- when zig showed up for the first time. my jaw dropped i swear

- when hayden is revealed to be a robot. that art made my heart stop

- the whole dark!nia sequence.... absolutely unmatched

- punching declan

- slapping vanessa

- clearing mc’s name in trr2 (even though i dont talk a lot about trr i can’t help but admit that i love that plotline in book 2 and it’s so satisfying to get the truth out)

6. your favorite ending to a book?

BLOODBOUND II’S ENDING !!!!!!!!!!!!!! i literally cannot tell you how satisfied i was with that ending oh my god like???? the whole fight with gaius and when he killed her and she had to die in her li’s arms and then was turned??? the fang art made me gasp like i’m not even joking i had such a real reaction to it. deadass one of my favorite endings EVER. it’s in my top 5 definitely. pb has issues ending books...... but that? unmatched

#asks #ask games #thank you so much for this ask via !!!! <3 #this was such a good group of questions omg <3 ur the best #i crave violence apparently SDKFKJSDF #long post #queue

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iohourtime · 5 years

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Moeyo Ken (Burn! O Sword!) - Novel Recap 1

One good thing about a book/manga adaptation is that you can read the story right away, spend the next few months contemplating how certain scenes will be adapted, getting hyped while reading about people saying how the casting is all wrong, and then hopefully not be disappointed when the movie inevitably end up being different from your imagination!

Moeyo Ken, a 2-volume historical novel about Hijikata Toshizo and the Shinsengumi, written by Shiba Ryotaro1 will be adapted into a 2020 movie directed by Harada Masato. They only announced the cast for 5 key characters as of end of April 2019:

Hijikata Toshizo (Okada Junichi) - “Demon” Vice Commander. Originally from Hino, near Edo (Tokyo's former name).

Oyuki (Shibasaki Kou) - Hijikata’s one true love; a widow from Edo who followed her late (unnamed) husband to Kyoto.

Kondo Isami (Suzuki Ryohei) - Commander and Hijikata’s childhood friend.

Okita Souji (Yamada Ryosuke) - Captain of the First Unit and kind of like Hijikata and Kondo’s little brother. (Also Hijikata & Okita are rather popular ships. They are HijiOki.)

Serizawa Kamo (Ito Hideaki) - The original Commander of the Shinsengumi.

Harada also adapted and directed2 Sekigahara (2017), another Shiba novel about the rise of the Tokugawa shogunate. I watched that movie and ended up spending a good hour on Wikipedia trying to make sense who's who 😅. So while the Shinsengumi story is more straightforward, it might be helpful to have some background before watching Moeyo Ken.

I split this into two posts. The first is a brief background of the era, including some details of the story itself. In order to keep the spoilers to a minimum, the plot I did include might be a bit vague. The second talks about the main characters, specifically the trio. There are major spoilers on what happened to them. (Or you can look at Wikipedia. 😅) While there are other interesting characters in the Shinsengumi, they were more like background characters in the novel. Moeyo Ken is predominantly about Hijikata3, with Kondo and Okita as major secondary characters. Anyway, you can decide if you want to skip any parts. (If you just want to read about Okita, click the link here and skip to the end. 😅)

The movie officially cranked up on April 27. Suzuki Ryohei posted some location shots (just scenery) on his blog here. I guess if you want to visit the filming locations, you can use this as the guide.

The World of Moeyo Ken

Disclaimer: I don't know much about Japanese history. This is more of the worldview of the novel. Shiba definitely took some liberties and included some fictional elements.

Moeyo Ken was set in the Bakumatsu4 period and the story spanned most of the decade of 1860. Although there was an emperor at that time, the military power belonged to the Bakufu (the shogunate), which was led by the Tokugawa family for almost 300 years. Due to corruption within the Bakufu and a fear of foreigners, a group of rebels, the Ishin Shishi, or more commonly the Tobaku faction, tried to bring down the Bakufu and restore military power to the Emperor. As the Ishin Shishi (many were from the Choshu samurai clan5) were causing trouble, the Bakufu decided to do an open recruitment for a “roshigumi”, or ronin squad. Ronin (wanderers) were simply warriors who didn't serve a master. They could be ex Samurai or just regular folks.

Back in those days, you could only become a Samurai if you had the right lineage. Even if you were a superb swordsman, if you weren't born with the right connections, you were out of luck. So when the Bakufu opened up the recruitment to everyone, guys like Hijikata jumped at the chance to become a “real bushi (warrior)”. At the same time, people saw them as wannabes.

Hijikata was the youngest son in a relatively wealthy family that made medicine in Hino, near Edo. While he tried his hands at various jobs, at the beginning of the novel, his main job was to peddle his family’s secret formula, sometimes in exchange for one or two martial arts moves. He spent his spare time studying kenjutsu and hanging out with his best friend, Kondo, who was the heir of the Tennen Rishin-ryū (“TRR”) dojo. He eventually taught full time at the dojo with Kondo and Okita. Life was simple, other than the occasional (i.e semi-regular) duels to defend the territory. For that reason, the dojo also "employer" a number of outside martial artists by providing them with room and board. Approximately 1/6th of the novel dealt with the Hino arc, although I don’t know if Harada plan to adapt much of this. I actually liked this arc the most.

Due to a plague that devastated the villages and decimated the dojo’s business, plus an intention to do something for the government, Kondo took his group of 9 to join the roshigumi. In addition to the core 3, the gang included:

Inoue Genzaburō

Nagakura Shinpachi

Saitō Hajime

Harada Sanosuke (unlike the others, he used a spear)

Tōdō Heisuke

Yamanami Keisuke6 Looking back, the Bakufu was weak and corrupt while the Tobaku side represented hope and progress, so why did our guys align with them? At that time, the seat of power was in Kyoto, so the regular folks from Kanto tended to be less politically savvy. Furthermore, Hino’s region benefited greatly from the Tokugawa shogunate, so the guys joined the ronin squad partly out of loyalty. Of course there were other reasons why they stuck with the Bakufu after. I digressed.

When the TRR group joined the roshigumi, as they came from some backwater dojo, they were not valued by the leader at all. They also found out the leader was using the recruitment as a front to build his own army of nationalists, which was not what they signed up for. Kondo's faction joined forces with Serizawa Kamo's faction to form the Mibu Roshigumi (named after their base at Mibu Dera), which was affiliated with the Bakufu but not quite. As Serizawa had connections, he was installed as the first commander. Unfortunately, Serizawa’s gang was corrupt and went around bullying businesses and residents of Kyoto to pay them protection money, so his reign over Mibu Roshigumi didn't last long. Kondo became the next commander, Hijikata became the infamous “Demon Vice Commander”, and the group changed its name to the Shinsengumi. In its short history, there were power struggles, assassinations, betrayals etc. Yes, this squad lasted only about 5 years, culminating in a battle in Hakodate, Hokkaido.

Although the Shinsengumi was a police squad protecting the residents of Kyoto on paper, their real mission was to kill those any suspected Ishin Shishi. The Choshu samurai clan, in particular, was loved by the residents of Kyoto, so Kyoto itself was already somewhat sympathetic to the Tobaku side. So back in the days, the Shinsengumi was viewed as a bloodthirsty gang of wannabes, lapdogs of the Bakufu, and more like thugs hired by one of the pro-Bakufu Samurai clans. People actually called them the Wolves of Mibu. This changed with the Ikedaya Incident, in that people no longer called them that to their faces.

When Yamazaki Susumu, the resident spy in Shinsengumi, got word that the Ishin Shishi were planning something, the Bakufu tasked the group to arrest or kill the rebels. They learned from one of the rebels (through days of pretty graphic torture 😱) that they planned to set fire in Kyoto and used the confusion to kidnap the Emperor. The Shinsengumi was deployed. While 30+ Shinsengumi members took part in this mission, they actually split into 2 groups, so only 5 of them led by Kondo were at Ikedaya taking out 30+ opponents. As you can see, after the incident, people stopped dismissing the group. At least they were very effective and tactical!

Shinsengumi was not kind to its own people either. During Serizawa's reign, the organization was really no better than gangsters. So after Kondo took control, Hijikata created the (in)famous code with 5 articles (trimmed down from about 50):

Do not deviate from the bushido (Warrior's way)

Do not leave the Shinsengumi

Do not engage in private fundraising (more like coerced “fundraising”)

Do not part in others' litigation, and

Do not engage in private fights.

These rules were intended to get the members to fall in line, so while they were still bloodthirsty 😅, at least they were honorable! The punishment for breaking any of the 5 rules was death. You might be given the honour to commit seppuku*, beheaded, or assassinated. 😧 The Shinsengumi weren't very nice, right?

* Seppuku is a ritual suicide used by a samurai either to avoid surrendering or to atone for his sins. The samurai basically sliced himself across the abdomen. If he had the chance, he could nominate a person as his “second” to chop his head off and end the pain earlier. Once a samurai commit seppuku, he was viewed as having died honourably.

After Ikedaya, the Bakufu elevated the status of the Shinsengumi by making them an official branch. That was probably the peak of the group. Shortly after, Ito Kashitaro, who was very well educated and Tobaku, joined the Shinsengumi with the intention to steal the group away from Kondo. Hijikata hated his guts but Kondo loved and relied on him. At first anyway. Ito became very popular among the members. When Ito realized Kondo was all in with the Bakufu, he staged a coup (ish) and coerced Kondo and Hijikata into letting him leave with his faction. It was “resolved” in the Aburano Koji incident.

There was no time to breathe though. The Shinsengumi was immediately sent to fight against the Tobaku in the Toba-Fushimi battle during the Boshin War. Well, Bakumatsu literally means the end of Bakufu, so how do you think it went? 😅 Eventually Tokugawa gave up his military power, ending the shogunate’s 300 years of military rule. After the final battle in Hakodate, a new era begun - the Meiji Restoration period.

Early in the Meiji Restoration period, the Bakufu and Shinsengumi were vilified. But perhaps due to the charismatic and/or oddball characters of the squad, or perhaps they were like the ultimate underdogs, people started to view them in a different light over time7. Although Shiba never set out to show the Shinsengumi as nice people, his novels romanticized their escapades and brought new fans to the squad. The Shinsengumi has been pop culture fixtures, spawning numerous tv shows, movies, manga about their exploits and the brotherhood*. Even in defeat, the Shinsengumi were forged into the exquisite swords of Bakumatsu, and their lives burned with such intensity that nobody could ignore.

*Then there was Gohatto (Taboo), based on one of the short stories in Shiba's Shinsengumi Keppuroku, which explored the gay relationships within the squad. According to surviving letters written by Kondo to his family, homosexuality was quite widely practiced.

Notes

A well-known author of Japanese historical novels. ↩︎

Harada is a big Shiba fan, based on his extremely long comment on the movie webpage. He said that there were 3 incidents that shaped Japan's history: The battle of Sekigahara, Bakumatsu, and WWII. He has been hoping to adapt Moeyo Ken for a while. He apparently loved the HijiOki banter. Hopefully he kept most of them. ↩︎

Shiba’s other novel, Shinsengumi Keppuroku, actually delve more into the non-Hijikata characters. I do wonder how much of the other novel will Harada incorporate into the movie. ↩︎

Although the protagonists and antagonists had different agendas, they were all purportedly protectionists. It was a bit ironic later on when both sides relied on Western armory to fight their civil war. ↩︎

There were many Samurai clans across Japan and they each had difference allegiances and agendas. ↩︎

The names sound familiar, right? The Shinsengumi in Gintama was based on the historical characters, but they may not have the same personalities. Some characters appeared in Rurouni Kenshin too. ↩︎

I read online that there may have been BL fanfiction written about Hijikata and Okita as well as Hijikata and Kondo in the early 20th century. Apparently, someone found them in his or her grandmother’s belonging. 😅 ↩︎

#Moeyo Ken #novel #recap #background #okada junichi #shibasaki kou #suzuki ryohei #yamada ryosuke #ito hideaki #minor spoilers

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