#[can't pretend to be something i'm not;alaric about]

[rhaenizziettie]

Legacies 1x03 Rewatch

Haven't even made it past the Previously On ... and I'm already rolling my eyes at Alaric's speech to Hope. Like how did the writers think yes, let's sprinkle this all in so heavy handed but next season, when it's his blood daughter doing all that and more, let's have him sit silently and coddle her and force her murder victims to be nice. The character assassination -

I can't be the only one who does not give a fuck about the flashbacks over the season. Like not a single one is memorable except the Ben/Jen ones. I forget they exist and I really don't care.

My chain spell potential. Wasted.

No but why is Lizzie actually so nice to Penelope in the beginning?? Like last episode, she's willing to go along with Penelope's ideas and this episode, of all the people in the room, she's the one to say why Penelope's absent? I know Josie said she used to have a crush on Penelope but GIRL GET UP.

"If it pleases the court." Is this and 4x12 foreshadowing Lawyer!Lizzie? Because if so, I'm down for it.

"If anyone should take the blame, it's Josie." "WhAt?" I mean, look. Did Lizzie need to point it out? No. Bitch move. But it literally is because of Josie. How is she gonna stand there and pretend like it wasn't.

"I promise I'm not gonna betray you by being friends with Hope (who I made you believe hated you and did some fucked up things to you)." The very next morning:

"You only play by the grown-up rules when you don't need something from me." Get him again Hope!

"Baby, I'm a loser, yeah, yeah, yeah." as Lizzie stares at Hope's ass. I can read between the lines.

"Litter, weeds, graffiti." And then they immediately forget about weeds. Like they split into two groups and not a soul went to weed??

"I love trash. As of this moment." "Your sister's kind of a dumpster fire." HOPE. I SEE YOU. I SEE RIGHT THROUGH YOU.

"Daddy's girls." Said the pot to the kettle.

"You run, I run. Period." BRING RAFAEL BACK TO ME ALREADY. THE JOKE ISN'T FUNNY ANYMORE.

"She hates me, doesn't she?" "I don't want him to hate me." Tethered.

As much as I hated it, I miss Kaleb's stance on supernatural-human relations. I hate that it just went away. It made him into a villain-like character, but damn it, it was interesting. Why did Legacies let all their interesting plots go in favor of "immortal man dies again" "the girl who grieved grieves again" "girl who ran runs again"??? I would have rather seen Kaleb start a small sect of students who believed in his idea that supernaturals were better than humans than listen to Josie whine about how she wants to leave again because people don't like that she murdered them for a season and a half.

No because fuck MG and Connor for that one. I will never understand the absurd Lizzie hate in S1. It reads like a bad fanfic where they layer on the abuse to set the tone but it also is wildly unrealistic and not based on anything.

PEDRO! (Side note: Had a dream last night where J*lie appeared to tell me there was a spin off about Pedro coming and I just told her everything she did wrong)

Enough time has passed. Emma and Alaric should've ended up together.

Call him a bitch, Lizzie. You know you want to.

"Hope and Josie are all sisters in solidarity." Baby, just say your crush is picking trash with someone else.

"But as I was walking home, I did the work and I dug deep." I want to give you a hug.

"She has a point." This is gonna be a real controversial opinion here but I think Emma was more of a mother figure to Lizzie than Caroline was.

"People disappoint." "When I let my guard down, people disappoint." How did I not see what they were setting up from the beginning.

Lizzie sacrificing herself for all of Mystic Falls who had done nothing but treat her like shit really get glossed over

"We've known each other over a decade and anytime you get the chance, you poke." Maybe because you've been spreading rumors about her and bullying her since you were eleven?? She heard that shit??? God, I can't stand Josie's fake innocent act.

"I can heal it." BUT YOU CAN'T HEAL THAT BEAUTY OF A SHOE HOPE.

"Sir, we've already taken your money twice." Landon's so soft.

"I just think that that's making me a little bit nauseous." It's called jealousy.

"MG has the impulse control of a pre-schooler." That's such a nasty thing to say about your "best friend" who has diagnosed ADHD?? Open a fucking book.

"He also always goes for the wrong girls." Yeah, you're gonna tell me that wasn't a shot at Lizzie? The one girl MG goes for repeatedly??

"Lizzie has dibs" and mind you Lizzie just arbitrarily decided to try and crush on him

"She always has dibs." So is it canon that Lizzie called dibs on Penelope then?

"Lizzie's sensitive." IF I SPEAK -

"That's why she's extra testy lately." No I'm pretty sure that's because in the last 48 hours, she's been assaulted several times, you've been lying to and gaslighting her, and her father's been a giant hypocrite. But sure. She's not there to defend herself, so keep going.

Jeremy really just showed up once and never again, huh?

Josie feels it when Lizzie is attacked by monsters but not when she uses black magic?

Dana and Penelope would have been best friends and she should've been in the Dana x Josie AU.

"I had to ask the honorable -" Blah blah blah. I'm really finding it hard to fall for the nice guy act this time around knowing what he does at the end.

Standing there silently while Kaleb talks all sort of misogynistic shit on Lizzie. Ooh if I could reach through a screen -

"She didn't. I did." ... okay?

No because Rafael losing Cassie and Hope losing Landon at the same time would have hit hard. And what if I just rewrite Legacies myself? Like damn.

I love that they just leave Lizzie on the floor. Like not a soul even holding her hand as she whimpers in pain. Wow.

Alaric jumps in front of Hope like she wouldn't just wake up a Tribrid if the gargoyle had got her. You're telling me this man was ready to die if his research was wrong just so she could stay human?? I'm not buying it.

"Me being the evil one in this scenario?" and I know she was flashing back to eleven years old hearing Josie make all the witches laugh at her for being a villain

"These secrets are gonna tear us apart." If only she knew.

"In their minds, we're the villains because we won't give them what they want. We don't even know why they want it." Oh the Dark!Josie foreshadowing.

Me, trying to listen while also trying to jam out to Raign.

"I had the kitchen make these. Your favorite. Brownies." "Someone else's baked goods?" Oh Hope was throwing shots and I didn't even know yet.

Also Lizzie's favorite isn't brownies. It's key lime pie. She says so later in the season. Get it to-fucking-gether, MG.

No because Dana running into the Salvatore School to deface it, finding out about the supernatural, and turning THAT into a plot would have hit so good.

[gryptids]

*breaks down your door* OCS ASKS!!!!

Cule: 20 and D for Saoirse, 34 for Cara, 43 for Vic, 7 and G for Jude

TGG: 23 for Luce, 38 and F for Maria, 28 and B for Alaric, 22 for Leander

annnnnd 40 and E for &Lav!!

HE HE HE >:3C Thank u so much for askin!! Answers will all be below the cut :]

CULE:

(Saoirse) 20: If they were asked to explain the difference between romantic and platonic or familial love, how would they do so? Re: platonic and romantic love, it's not too different for them! I don't think they see much of a distinction -- for them, relationships are very cyclical, so it's more about the point in the cycle the relationship is in (growing & then fading closeness/intimacy) than other distinctions. For example, she considers Victor a friend, but has a deep, intimate dynamic with him that involves sex. It's more about what the other party wants to classify the relationship as; if they had it her way, she wouldn't label them at all.

(Saoirse) D: Have they always had the same physical appearance, or have you had to edit how they look? Nope! Saoirse went through a big change when I was first settling on character designs. They've always been goth, but she originally had a different hairstyle (natural hair w/ braids on the sides to emulate a fauxhawk) AND was plus size! I knew I wanted to have plus size characters in the cast, because the splinters can 'choose' what form they pick, and I wanted to demonstrate that fatness was something people can and would chose to be if social and medical stigma around size didn't exist. But then I read a book called “Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia” by Sabrina Strings, where she argues that "slim, desirable white women [are explicitly and figuratively juxtaposed] against corpulent, seemingly monstrous black women." Well... I had made a thin white woman and a fat Black femme (who was also somewhat monstrous as a part of the story) as juxtaposed parties. That book as well as some gift art I received from YOU made me reconsider which characters I wanted to be fat -- and I eventually settled on Carolyn and Victor. I gave Saoirse another one of my favorite body types instead -- broad shoulders, narrow waist!

(Cara) 34: How hard is it for them to shake a sense of guilt?  Ooh, this is a juicy question. Cara tends to move to the beat of her own drum; the rules that society holds aren't necessarily the ones she believes in or follows in her day-to-day life. Where she feels the most guilt is when she feels like she's failed by her own metrics; when she can't live up to the ideals she holds for herself. She pretends it doesn't affect her when she fails to live up to her own expectations, but it will eat away at her until she directs her frustration at the nearest target.

(Victor) 43: If someone asked them to explain their sexuality, how would they do so?  "I'm bi. Why, you interested?" (In fact, the entire quartet is bisexual! As a bisexual myself, it's very important for me to increase bi visibility through my characters. Plus, that way I can smash them together in whichever configurations I please <3)

(Jude) 7: What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling? Answered here!

(Jude) G: What trait of theirs bothers you the most? There's plenty to get bothered over when it comes to Jude, but the trait that bothers me the most is his obtuseness; he REFUSES to be vulnerable with others, and instead thinks he can guess what someone will like better than they can judge for themself. Instead of just letting someone fall in love with him, he tries to put on a show and tailor himself to their expectations. That and his (related) milquetoast opinions bug the hell out of me. Where's the vulnerability?? Where's the locked-and-loaded rant about your least favorite pastry????? He won't risk being 'wrong' for someone, which inevitably means that he's never right for someone either.

TGG:

(Lucia) 23: How does envy manifest itself in them (they take what they want, they become resentful, etc)?  She gets VERY competitive when envious (which happens a lot in the story; she has incredible magical talent, which has been outlawed in her home nation, and comes from a very low social rung). She WILL prove that she's the best, that she deserves what she wants, tooth and nail -- even if she's leaving with broken bones and bloody lips. It'll all be worth it to prove everyone wrong.

(Maria) 38: What memory do they revisit the most often? Maria holds a lot of fond memories around the ocean; it was a source of independence and bonding for her and her sister, and represents a wild kind of freedom that she was never allowed to embody growing up. She'll often return to a memory of her floating naked in the ocean underneath a full moon, completely at ease, and completely alone. No expectations, no needs she must address... just her and her skills, and the uncaring eye of nature.

(Maria) F: What do you feel when you think of your OC (pride, excitement, frustration, etc)? LOVE!! I love Maria so much. I've poured so much of myself and my experiences into her. She perseveres alongside depression and chronic pain, and her creative and passionate spirit never dims even in the worst circumstances. Her curiosity, kindness, and fierce defense of the ones she loves is what it's all about, babey!!

(Alaric) 28: Would they prefer a lie over an unpleasant truth?  Never. Lies ruined his life at a very young age, and turned him into the bitter fuck he is today. He makes it his mission to force people to face unpleasant truths whenever possible. Otherwise, when the truth eventually reaches you (and it will reach you), everyone will be caught in the crossfire.

(Alaric) B: What inspired you to create them? This is a great question! The seed narrative that would become TGG originally included just Maria and Leander -- but I decided I wanted a messy, bisexual love triangle (as well as a twist on the 'evil advisor' trope), and Alaric was born. Though that love triangle element wasn't retained into the current story, I still think it's a very fun dynamic. Two people who butt heads bond over the man they think they can't have, and have sex with each other as a substitute instead? That's the exact kind of mess I love. If the romantic rivals simply had sex with each other to blow off that frustration, everyone would be happier.

(Leander) 22: How does jealousy manifest itself in them (they become possessive, they become aloof, etc)?  ANOTHER GREAT QUESTION! Leander gets (even more) withdrawn when jealous, mostly because it's a very overwhelming feeling. It's very rare that he's confronted with something he wants but can't have, and even rarer that someone is willing to challenge him. It's... refreshing, in a way. So while he does get withdrawn, it's not in a submissive way, but in a 'the volcano is quiet but there's still molten rock underneath' way. That challenge is exactly what he needs to actually kick his ass into gear sometimes. Be assured; he might be quiet and stony-faced, but the gears are turning.

&LAV: (gonna answer for the main three -- Lav, Ro, and Zan -- since u didn't specify a char!)

40: How sensitive are they to their own flaws?

Lav: They try not to think about it (which works sometimes, and not others). They try their best to live an upstanding life, but upstanding lives are just so boring. The constant battle is between impulse and societal pressure, and they've yet to balance them in a satisfying way. Slipping up is a 'flaw' -- but they discover that flaws can actually be kind of delicious when held in the right light.

Ro: Kind of, but it doesn't get to her. I mean, her job is literally to get showered with praise in exchange for performance, so a healthy sense of self-confidence is key. She's had her ups and downs -- and she would say her biggest flaw is her isolation -- but has gotten to a place where she can handle herself with grace and confidence. Sometimes a little too much confidence.

Zan: Very sensitive. He was recently punished -- both socially and physically -- by his superiors for slipping up. Now he's back and trying to prove himself, and he's very aware of how much is on the line. He's prepared to claw his way back to the top (and then some), but he'd be lying if he said he never dwelt on what landed him in his current predicament.

E: Are they someone you would get along with? Would they get along with you?

Lav: They are very pretty, but we don't have much in common. I'm a very energetic person, and they tend to be more withdrawn; they're very refined, and I am... not that. I think we would have great conversations about their work (they carve gems! That's so cool!) but it would be a congenial exchange and nothing more.

Ro: A tentative yes! She's a homebody, so I think she'd appreciate that my idea of a fun hang-out is snacks and a movie at home. However, she's busy as fuck, so we wouldn't get to see each other often. Kind of annoying, but it's always a good time when we do see each other!

Zan: He IS an effervescent conversationalist, but our worlds are so different that I have no idea what we'd talk about. I'm not into cigars, or poker, or couture brands, or other rich fancy status stuff; likewise, he's not super interested in outdoorsy hikes or art, though he does have a good aesthetic eye. We might chat a bit at a bar, but it would be very low intimacy.

[kiss-my-freckle]

Full Episode Commentary

2x6: Plan B

Toys. That's what I want you to consider while watching this episode. Katherine doesn't have friends. She has toys, and Mason is one of them. They're blending Stefan and Elena with Katherine and Mason in this opening scene. You can see how they stich them in their dialogues.

Another good reason Damon needed to dance with Elena at the Miss Mystic pageant. So not only does Stefan think the near touch is overrated, he thinks gazing is creepy. Their cuts with Mason and Katherine show where this is heading with Ripper Stefan, and Damon knows exactly what he's saying in 2x8. "I wonder if Elena would be so quick to open her veins to that guy." Elena seems to be the only one worried about Katherine finding out, so I get the same vibe that I did with Noah. It's as if Damon is the only one that thinks about the other people in the house.

"Till we get him, this house isn't safe. For anyone who lives in it." I'm saying that it would've been better for them to get Damon's advice on hiding from Katherine. He would've told them that Jenna and Jeremy were in danger.

"And you're a Gilbert and you just can't help yourself. Wow. Your search for life's purpose is as obvious as it is tragic." Damon knows he's bad for Jeremy, so he's only inviting him in for the moonstone… and he's totally gonna tell Elena. What fans should know about these scenes of Damon and Jeremy, is Damon's knowing that Jeremy is a rebel just like him. That's why Elena doesn't know he's there to get involved in supernatural business. It's kinda like Damon's desire to keep Stefan out of the loop on his plans to become a vampire with Katherine. They're your rule breakers. Tell them what to do, they'll do the opposite. This is a dual comment. Damon is well aware that Elena is a Gilbert and she can't help herself either. Ever since he pulled her in to bait Noah, she's been seeking out that adrenaline rush. Anna said the same thing because she's in the tomb with Damon, risking herself. Elena will do the same thing in these episodes because she's a junkie for danger. Damon created a monster lol

They think they can hide from Katherine when they can't even hide from Jenna. "Really? Because that's not what it sounded like this morning. Light sleeper. You know what? I heard nothing." Despite the fact that Elena seems to be the only one worried about what Katherine will do if she finds out, she should've truly considered it.

Stefan didn't just force himself into Elena's life. He did it to her friends too. Bonnie has no choice but be part of their supernatural world or risk losing her friend. "Losing Caroline was bad enough, I didn't think I'd lose you too." This is disgusting beyond words. Like how you gonna let your boyfriend and the drama he brings into your life push your best friend out of it.

Like Liz, Bonnie feels she lost Caroline. "Yes and no." This is what Damon meant at the carnival. Caroline is dead, but she's not. Now that Liz knows, he regrets what he said to her, but that's how Damon is with vampirism. He's honest in everything he says. Alaric questions Jeremy just like Damon did. "Does Elena know you're here?" It's all about Jeremy's rebellious nature. He went behind her back, all-knowing she didn't want him to be part of it. This scene of Alaric, Damon, and Jeremy shows why Damon is the one to train Jeremy while Alaric is on the other side.

"It's the same book that says a werewolf bite kills a vampire. Ignoring it would make me an even bigger idiot. Let's go." Damon isn't an idiot. He knows that the moonstone unlocks something just as Emily's talisman was meant to unlock the tomb. He doesn't underestimate witches because of Emily. She saved 26 vampires from a vampire-hating town, and did it right under their nose. "It's not that you and Stefan are pretending to fight. It's that I didn't even know you guys were fighting at all." Like I said, this is gross. If not for Caroline being a vampire, she wouldn't have known either. She'd be compelled like Jenna. The time Elena spends with her boyfriend shouldn't take over the time she'd spend with her friends.

"But from now on, you'll have to do your own dirty work." I can't stop laughing at Mason. He should run, and run now… Damon is coming for him lol. Bonnie bumps into him and has that same cold reading she has with every vampire. "No, Bonnie, Elena wouldn't kiss… You didn't see Elena, you saw Katherine." Bonnie is the one that figures out Mason is tied to Katherine. This is where things get twisted in season 3 because Elena falls for Damon and un-falls for Stefan. She would kiss Damon. I feel it's extremely important to see all of these scenes in their opposites to know what Damon does to Elena in season 3.

"Looking for my baby bro. Speaking of, would you tell yours to stop following me around?" Damon tells Elena to tell Jeremy to stop following him, and says this all-knowing that Jeremy won't because he's a rebel just like him lol. All of this is written on the opposite side of 1x22 and 2x1. Damon is in their relationship and Elena can't stand it because she's in Damon-hating mode. She automatically assumes Damon is forcing Jeremy to do something even though Damon just got done calling him an eager beaver. "There's Damon and whoever Damon is using, and those people, they end up dead." She uses scare tactics to try and get Jeremy away from Damon, but it's the other way around. Those who don't help Damon are likely to end up dead.

Jeremy: So I'm sorry, but you really don't get to tell me what I'm gonna do. Damon: You do not get to lecture me on how to live my life. Not any more.

This conversation Jeremy has with Elena is similar to Damon's conversation with Stefan in 1912. Yeah, Damon knew what he was doing. It's in this scene with Elena that Jeremy basically lays blame at her feet. He's esseentially telling her that Damon snapping his neck is on her because she's the one that allowed him into her life. Relevant to the fact that Elena is talking to the wrong person about people ending up dead. Jeremy was the one Damon killed, so he's well aware of how people end up dead. Elena has to choose. She either pushes both brothers out of her life, or Jeremy involves himself wherever he likes. She's not his mother, she's his sister... and she's being a "do as I say, not as I do" hypocrite.

"I know, but Mason Lockwood?! Werewolf thing aside, the guy is a surfer. She's got to be using him. She has to be." Understand the fact that Mason's death is written on the other side of Elena's comment to Jeremy. "There's Damon and whoever Damon Katherine is using. And those people, they end up dead." Damon isn't stupid, he just doesn't know Mason is important to the ritual. If he did, he would've spared him to save Tyler. Damon is pissed because he wanted to be done with Katherine, now he has to deal with her being in the middle because she's tied to Mason.

Stefan: Why would you involve Jeremy? Damon: He's playing Indiana Jones. He involved himself.

Stefan picks and chooses according to his own agenda. He's upset that Damon involved Jeremy when Jeremy involved himself. This switches in season 4. Stefan personally involves Jeremy and literally breaks his conscious mind because he thinks Elena needs to be fixed. If Alaric thought for one minute that Jeremy was in danger, he would've stepped in. He doesn't because he's not. They know Tyler isn't a werewolf yet, he's just super strong. "You just gotta take the good with the bad sometimes." Tyler speaks the truth of life.

Liz: And as long as you have blood, you don't need to kill? Caroline: I want to. It's my basic nature now.

The ugly truth about vampires, and Damon's about to enjoy a kill. It's part of their conflict. Vampires truly enjoy the kill, and their humanity makes them feel guilty about it.

I love Bonnie's scene with Caroline. It's sweet. Matt talks to Elena about Caroline, suspecting she's seeing someone else. That's when Stefan walks in and runs back out because Bonnie texted him the location of the moonstone. Elena runs out after him. "You must have a taste for it. You scream and shriek and even bother to escape, but then you just come right back to it." This is what Anna was talking about with Elena. She can't handle being out of the loop, she has to be in the thick of it. I'm being serious when I say Damon created a monster lol. She literally complains about wanting a normal day without vampires, then she's desperate to be all up in it. Stefan can't even have a conversation with Bonnie and Damon without Elena getting impatient because he's not responding to her texts. She's then chasing him out to the well, not once minding the risk of Katherine catching them together. Stefan out of his own mouth told her she shouldn't be there. Keep this in mind when you get to season 3.

I can't stop laughing. Stefan jumps in having no idea the well is filled with vervain. Caroline shows up to help.

"Oh, but you heal quickly. Not good. Guess I'll just have to keep applying pain." Mason is really feeling it now… with a fire poker. "I'm guessing toxic." And he's a bad poker player lol… Damon is reading his tells. He has a lot of fireplace scenes because of Katherine and Elena. With Katherine, it's all about The Battle of Willow Creek and Fell's Church. With Elena, it's all about bringing the dead back to life. It reminds me of a quote from Hannibal. Fire destroys and it creates. Katherine is his destruction, Elena is his resurrection. "I thought I told you to leave." Damon wanted Jeremy to leave because he shouldn't be there for this. It's bad for him. Damon has every intention of killing Mason, and only Elena has the power to stop him. So yeah… Damon will have to get violent with Jeremy to get his point across. Jeremy is having a hard time stomaching the torture. A necessity though, given what Katherine has planned for Elena.

"Did she seduce you, tell you she loved you? You're supernatural so she can't compel you. I'm sure she used her other charms. Katherine's good that way."

This is what it looks like for Damon to torture himself. He might as well be looking in the mirror as he stabs that poker into Mason's chest. "She's here with me. Why do you ask, you jealous?" Damon doesn't do jealousy with Katherine anymore. He's getting pissed because he's essentially torturing himself and seeing his own stupidity through Mason. That's why I love these torture scenes. Mason would've needed to die either way because he's as deep in it with Katherine as Damon was. He can't see the truth just as Damon couldn't. Damon has... random moments like this throughout the season, and all of them push him to one final realization: Katherine didn't just ruin him, he allowed himself to be ruined in his own foolish love for her. There's a split moment after Damon rips Mason's heart out... you can see the connection he made with him. He feels it.

"I've been where you are. But Katherine will only rip your heart out. Let me do it for her."

"Have you ever been so bent on someone just to have your heart ripped out by them?"

The physical heart-rip vs the emotional heart-rip. I always point these out to show why Elena dies. It's the difference between Stefan consuming Elena's blood and Damon consuming Elena's emotion. He doesn't need to sink his teeth in to kill her, so you get the well and the moonstone.

"Grabbed her, gagged her, threw her in a well. I don't know. Anything other than let her trust Elijah."

Full circle vampire Elena because she's Damon's girlfriend. Bonnie and Caroline show up to help Elena with Stefan. Yeah, I love this scene because it's everything for 3x22. Elena has to feed Stefan her blood. "If he was gonna say anything, he would have already!" Jeremy has no understanding of torture, that's why he shouldn't be there. It takes a great deal of pain to get information people would rather keep secret. Damon urges Jeremy to leave and he's refusing to listen. This moment reminds me of a quote from The Blacklist. "But this is my world, and you're a tourist." If Jeremy can't handle the heat of Damon's world, he needs to step out.

I really wish Caroline hadn't compelled her mother here. She was bound to find out again. It's because Caroline compelled her that Jeremy will end up getting shot in 2x22.

"Oh, last number dialed. I wonder who that could possibly be?" Similar to Defan's scene about Jeremy, Stefan gets pissed off at Damon, as if Katherine needs to be provoked. Her plan requires a werewolf, provoke her or not. She told Stefan to stop seeing Elena, provoke her or not. I consider Katherine a bigger idiot than Damon. She's having to threaten everyone Elena cares about just to get Stefan to stop seeing her. That should tell her something. Katherine has two plan B's in this episode. Matt is her plan B for Damon killing Mason. Jenna is her plan B for Elena seeing Stefan.

Mirrors...

"She's gonna pay, Elena. I don't know how, but she's gonna pay." The answer to this is simple: Delena. Katherine should enjoy her existence while it lasts. Jeremy is a sweet brother, and I love their Gilbert hugs. I feel bad for Tyler because he's left believing that Mason only came into town for the moonstone. "We were stupid. Sneaking around, thinking that we weren't gonna get caught." Insane to believe they can fool Klaus in season 3 when they can't even fool Katherine in season 2. And how much is Elena supposed to pay for the lies? The only person I feel sorry for in this scene is Jenna. Both Stefan and Elena have been saying how dangerous Katherine is since the moment she threatened Stefan to stop seeing her. They didn't listen, so yes, Jenna is on them. Play with fire, get burned.

Stefan cries because Katherine took his toy away. And she does it again... goes for a friend instead of a stranger. She actually compels Matt to start a fight with Tyler for the sake of triggering his werewolf gene. This will be the first thing Mason gets to witness from the other side… exactly why his friend died at his hands.

Have this beautiful Delena scene...

"I wasn't thinking. I didn't think." This comment is impulsivity. Katherine just made the wrong move. Damon is all hands on deck.

[sleepywriter00]

I missed Monday but couldn't help but want to post mine!

From my WIP Moonlight which you can find on Wattpad! (I'll leave a link down below!)

CW/TW: mentions of blood, self hate, self harm,self destruction, mental breakdown, attempted suicide, hit by parental figure.

Please don't read if any of those things listed above are triggering for you. And please let me know if there is a warning I may have missed and I'll fix it. I don't want to accidentally trigger someone!!

From chapter 18: Alice POV

“I'm so tired, Alex.” I swallowed the lump in my throat, refusing to meet his eyes as I stared down at my bloodied chest. “I'm fighting a losing war inside my head every day, and to be honest, I'm not so sure it's worth fighting anymore.”

“Come on Alice, please don't talk like that.” Alex pleaded with tears in his eyes as he stepped over the glass on the floor, his feet protected by those hideous fuzzy slippers he wears around the house. “C'mon let's go get you cleaned up and we can continue to talk about this… You'll bleed out if I don't.” A bitter laugh escaped my lips. The first laugh I've had in a long time, and it's a sad, bitter one. “Let me bleed out then… it's not like I don't deserve to die or anything anyway–” A loud smack reverberated around the walls of my small bathroom, and it took me a second to realize that Alex had slapped me. I didn't even feel it. Maybe it's the blood loss? Or the adrenaline? I'm hoping for the former. “A slap? Really?” I smirked, my voice deathly calm as I turned my head back to look at alex. He seemed just about as shocked and angry at himself as I thought he'd be. “Why not a punch? Oh! Or maybe even a kick to the gut? Cmon Alex! Hit me!” “i'm not gonna fucking punch you, Alice, now stop playing games and let me help you!” He snarled, taking another step toward me, but I took a small step back, halting his movements. “You letting me die is helping me! So dammit, Alex, hit me!” “No.” “Hit. Me!” “No!” “I said HIT ME!” I snapped, letting all of the emotions I've been keeping bottled up for so long spring forth as I screamed at him. Within a second I was wrapped up in Alex’s arms. The freezing cold water had been turned off so only the sound of my loud, aching screams and sobs filled the room. I began weakly punching and kicking at him as he held me flush against his chest, my blood absorbing and changing the color of his white t-shirt a morbid shade of crimson. “I'm so tired of fighting, Alex… please just let me die…” I murmured, feeling myself quickly losing energy. “I'm a monster and monsters deserve to die.” “You are not a fucking monster, Alice!” Alex snapped, carrying me out of the bathroom when I finally stopped struggling. “You are my daughter! My little girl! My fighter! So don't you dare say something like that again! Do you hear me?”

...

“Then stop trying to fight alone.” She (Aileen) sat up slightly so that she could look me in the eyes while I remained silent. “We are all here for you, Alice. I know that I don't know all the details about what you're been through, and I won't pretend that I do. But you need to understand that all of us– Alex, Alaric, Cassandra, even you're friends Derek and Jeremy– we all love you and only want what's best for you.” she gently stroked the side of my face with the back of her hand as she sat back, giving Alex some room to work. “It's okay if you can't see that right now, so I'll ask you to do one thing for me, Alice… trust me. Trust us.” Trust… “I don't think… I don't think I know how to trust…” I sniffled, wiping away at my eyes as I tilted my head to look at her over Alex's head as he cleaned me up. “... But I'll try.” “And that's all we ask.” Alex mumbled as he pressed a bandage over my chest.

It's a sad excerpt, but in my opinion, one of the most important moments in the book. And probably one of my favorite chapters so far.

If you're interested in reading the book from the begining here's the link:

Share an excerpt overview!

Every Monday until I get tired or forget, I’ll queue a post asking writers to share an excerpt based on a theme! Please use these posts as an excuse to share your work and to read work shared by others! I’ll try my best to respond to as many posts as I can.

Here are some thoughts and ideas:

This is meant to be fun! You’re welcome to note whether or not your writing is polished, but don’t knock yourself down.

On a similar note, don’t knock others down. This is not an appropriate avenue for constructive criticism.

If you want to share an excerpt, it may be better to reblog the original post rather than adding to an existing reblog. This will prevent the post from getting too long.

There’s no expectation, but if you share an excerpt, consider reblogging someone else’s excerpt as well. Try to comment, even if it’s just a keysmash. (No pressure if you don’t know what to say!)

If you have a WIP intro or page, consider adding it to your post in case others want to learn more!

You’re welcome to share excerpts from your published works (provided that’s something you’re able to do!!)

Use a read more if your post gets too long.

Prompts are queued for Mondays, but reblog and share whenever you’d like.

[piiecesofovrpast]

tag drop for Alaric ‘Ric’ Stone

[countrymusiclover]

10 - Klaroline Travels

Part 11

Werewolf Forbes masterlist

Okay let's just pretend Hailey didn't want Hope so a witch transfer Hope into Caroline instead....dedicated to all Klaroline shippers.

Caroline's POV

If someone had told me when I first started liking boys that I'd end up with a bad boy hybrid like Klaus Mikaelson I would've laughed in their face. But now I don't think I can remember my life without him. There's been Matt, then Stefan and finally Tyler all leading up to him. Everyone else always picked me second but he's picked me first without hesitation. Glancing to my phone as we drove to New Orleans Klaus reached over the with one hand on the steering wheel. "What's wrong, Caroline?" Looking up at him he kept his eyes on the road lisening to me. "It's just Y/n, I'm worried about her. There's a full moon coming in a few weeks and it's the first time she'll turn since the coma." His eyes stared into mine holding a reassuringly grin. "She'll be fine love. She's a strong wolf-" I repeated his words at the same making us both chuckle. "Like her brother."

It's only been days and I've already fell in love with this city. Klaus told me his favorite things about it and it makes me smile seeing him get passionate about something other than violence for a change. When we first got here he showed me pieces of art so I had to admit that I didn't really understand it. None the less he explained it without getting angry. Today I woke up feeling slightly different when I got a blood bag from the fridge but I feel arms wrap around my waist whispering in my hair. "Morning love." Ripping open the bag I nearly choked on it when he nozzles his head against my neck. "I have to visit an old friend today. Are you going to be alright on your own?" Turning around in his arms draping my arms around his neck I smiled. "Go see your friend-" He cuts me off kissing my lips and I couldn't not kiss him back because his kisses were like blood I craved him a lot.

"Sure. I might take a walk through the bayu. Or go shopping I'm not sure which one." Klaus kisses my forehead grabbing his jacket as I finish the blood bag hearing my phone vibrate. An hour later I'm walking through the woods taking pictures of the surroundings until my sister's picture flashed on my screen. "Hey sis, so what's happening in Mystic Falls?" She responded with the sound of a car in the background clearly in a panic. "Well Damon's about to be drove across the border and Ric went to save him. Oh on the upside I'm engaged to him...shit Ric!" The door slammed as she kept screaming to Jo about something I couldn't pick up. "Y/n what's going on-" I get cut off when someone snapped my neck making me drop hearing my sister crying "Alaric!"

Klaus's POV

Elijah called me to meet a witch named Sophie out in bayu said it was something important. The witch tilts her head starting to explain about Marcel who I turned into someone who now runs New Orleans. I started to leave until her voice calls out to me. "Klaus, please listen to them." Whipping my head around I parted my lips seeing Caroline standing there. Her blonde hair tousled as her hands rested on her stomach. "What they're saying is impossible, but..." She breaths out as Sophie spoke. "I have a gift for sensing when a girl is pregnant." Elijah finally answered when my eyes never looked away from Caroline. "The girl is carrying your child."

"It's impossible vampires can't procreate!" I shouted throwing my hands up to the witch who explained sternly. "But werewolves can. Magic made you a vampire but you were born a wolf...you should know that you got a wolf pregnant but she didn't want it. So my sister didn't believe in killing the child." Caroline finished her sentence glancing to her belly shock written all over her face. "So they put it in a safe place. With someone who they thought would love it better...into me." Stepping up to her I gently grabbed her arm starting to leave but my brother instructed me. "Please just lisen." Closing my eyes my vampire ears caught the sound of a small heartbeat while Caroline's heart was faint since she's technically dead.

Once we're back at our place I throw a bunch of furniture as she leaned against the wall watching. "I know this is crazy, but it's a miracle." Running my hands through my hair I groaned knowing that I probably won't be a good father being raised by someone who hated you didn't give me a good experience. Caroline has a perfect mother to look up to for advice. "Klaus...look at me." She stepped up grabbing my chin making me look into her eyes. "I know this isn't something we thought would happen. But you asked me once to tell you my dreams. This is one of them. To have children." Slowly I place my hands on her stomach with a nervous smile. "What if I'm a bad father to this little one?"

"Don't say that Klaus. You aren't like him...you aren't defined by your parents." She cups my face in her hands staring deeply in my eyes. I sighed resting my forehead on hers hoping that what she says is actually true. She lays her head on my chest letting me wrap my arms around her waist holding her close. I want to just stay in this moment right here. This moment where there's no threats from the enemies I've made over a thousand years of my life. Because that day will come where they do discover this child and Caroline. "You're not a villain to me. There's good in you, I've seen it. You have a bunch of love to give...I love you Klaus Mikaelson." Lifting my head from her head I felt tears slip out hearing her say the words I longed for. "I love you, Caroline Forbes." She leans up kissing and I immediately kissed back until her phone rang making me grumbled. "Who is it?" She answered talking for a few minutes with whoever it is. "That was Y/n. She has stuff to tell us things that are complicated over the phone. The only thing she said was that we still can't get into Mystic Falls." Running a hand through my hair I smiled to her. "Looks like we're heading home, love."

Comments really appreciated ❤️

[oh-holy-slut]

Team up

Pairing: Stefan Salvatore x fem! reader

Word count: ~2,1k

Dedicated to @yipee101 and all the Stefan Salvatore stans on Tumblr. Even though I love Damon, I have a special place for Stefan, too. ❤️

Warnings: none. This is very fluff and has kind of an open ending. Maybe human- Caroline can be a bit annoying.

Summary: Y/N just moved to Mystic Falls and has a rocky start. Stefan Salvatore, as the gentleman he is, comforts her.

"This is the new girl. Our school principal linked her to me. I'll show her around school", Caroline explained to a group of girls, pointing at Y/N like she was a zoo animal. "Her name is..." An ironical smile, even a little evil, appeared on Caroline's pretty face. "Anyway. I forgot. Lilly, Kathy, Jenny or something similar. The important part is, that I'll get particular remarks for helping her, underlying my social skills in the next school report. It is a good outstanding feature for my college application, I guess."

Y/N shifted weight from side to side, her eyes widened. Why was Caroline treating her like she was the enemy in the middle of a teen drama? The next instant, Y/N's disbelief changed into anger.  Maybe the blonde had forgotten her name - but Y/N got a bunch of names crossing your mind, which would perfectly match Caroline. At least Y/N decided to ignore her inner compulsive urge to snap back and kept silent.

"Why do you act like a... I mean, why are you so rude?" A black-haired girl, with beautiful dark skin questioned, while rolling her eyes. Her gaze drifted from Caroline to Y/N and suddenly her lineaments soften. "Hey. Nice to meet you." She waved, her lips curled up to a smile. "I'm Bonnie. And this -" she pulled the other girl closer, put her arms around the girls shoulder "-is Elena."

The brown-haired girl mouthed "hi". 

"I'm Y/N", she kindly introduced herself. "Not exactly Jenny or Kathy - but never mind." Elena chuckled, but it was drowned out by the bell ringing, announcing the next lesson. "We have history with Alaric", Bonnie explained; being on the move to a classroom on the left.

Y/N followed and made a confused face. Her glaze slit at a paper she got from the secretary earlier.

"I can't find anyone named 'Alaric' on this."

"Oh, yeah. It probably says Mr. Saltzmann. But he wants the students to call him by his first name." It was Elena's voice next to Y/N.

"A little weird but... got it. Thanks."

Y/N found the only free seat left, hastily rummaged through her bag. As she placed her history book, a spiral-bound notepad and a ballpoint on her table - therefore Y/N realized lately, that the trio was sitting in another row.

Though it was too late to take a look at her colleague, an older man entered the class, holding some notes in his hand. "Good morning everyone. Today we want to get deeper into the history of our beloved hometown, Mystic Falls." A collective sigh filled the room.

Y/N bit her lip to not burst out laughing. "Beloved" wasn't exactly what Y/N would describe the little town as.

"Device into rows of two", Alaric determined, pretending not to notice the annoyed faces the students made. A tumult broke out. A heartbeat later Alaric looked at a note, holding his hand up high. "Stop, guys. We have a new -"

Caroline interrupted the teacher, with a patronizing voice. "I'll take the burden an-"

"We already teamed up." The boy who objected and literally saved Y/N from an embarrassment, had a gorgeous side profile, masculine sharp features with brownish hair. It looked so soft, Y/N imagined running her fingers through.

"It would be my pleasure", he added. His complexion was slightly tanned and his deep, attractive voice perfectly fitting.

'Mystic Falls, the town of model's', Y/N thought, not recognizing, she was staring directly into Mr. We-Already-Teamed-Up.

Alaric Saltzmann looked alternated on him and Caroline. He kept silent for a split second, obviously thinking about how to handle the situation best.

"Mr. Saltzmann." The deep warm voice filled the room again. The kind of voice consumed people listening. "I'm pretty good with numbers, history was always one of my best subjects, and I'm sure, her and I could easily catch up. Also, I was the new student not long ago - I remember how that feels, especially when others have the audacity of calling you a 'burden'"

Y/M tried hard to ignore the shivers down her spine. He had her back, what made Y/N flushing. Nevertheless, she didn't get, why he was trying this hard. It seemed almost as he wanted to work with her at all costs, which was ... flattering...and suspicious.

"So, it's on Y/N to decide. Mr. Salvatore had some convincing arguments, and Ms. Forbes -"

Y/N flushed over the eyes laying on her. "It's like he said. We already teamed up, while I was spreading my stuff." Her voice was barely loud enough, but Alaric nodded and turned to the blackboard. "Okay. So, you have a week to prepare. I want at least five pages, but the more, the better. This will make a huge part of your grade. Take it serious."

The rest of the class time flew by. They had to copy what was written on the blackboard, listen to Alaric's monologue and got a paper about the conditions of the partner project.

During the first break Y/N had to show up at the secretary, filling out a few more documents like contact in case of emergency, and mobile numbers.

The few minutes left she decided to search for Mr Salvatore, whose first name was Stefan.

'Stefan Salvatore' didn't sound very American at all, Y/N brooded, while strolling through the hallways. Well, Stefan is pretty common, but Salvatore sounded Italian, which raised her curiosity. Maybe he wasn't based in Mystic Falls his entire life, and maybe, just maybe, they could find some mutuality. In case he had European Roots, maybe there was an interesting backstory to that...

Gosh, how can I think about a stranger this much? She urged herself to focus on school, not boys. 

She had goals, worth studying for. 

Speaking of the devil, the handsome stranger appeared in front of her. Y/N nearly ran into him, but was able to stop in the very last minute. 

"Hi, I didn't want to startle you." He raised his hands in defense, his lips curled up. "We haven't talked about our topic, so I wanted to talk about the whole teaming-up-thing." 

Y/N didn't really listened, she was all over his looks. She knew, he was handsome. But she wasn't imagine him this stunning. He was wearing jeans, and a winered sweater. Revealing eyes so green and brilliant, they couldn't be real. They were an intense emerald color that stood out in vibrant contrast against his skin.

"Are you okay?"

Y/N sucked in a sharp breath and took a step back. A wave of embarrassment heated her face. By the time she found her voice, she wanted to sink to the earth out of shame. He clearly catched her check him out. And it felt terrible. But Stefan Salvatore was gentleman enough to overlook.

"Sure. Umm ... I don't know much about Mystic Falls, I just moved here two days ago." Y/N shrugged. "I guess, I couldn't name any suitable topic. But I wanted to say thank you for having my back earlier."

His eyes twinkled. "I knew you were new to town the second I saw you. It's hard not to know pretty much everyone's face around here. I'm sorry, Caroline can be moody. And I.." He rubbed his neck, obviously searching for the right words.

Y/N chuckled. "You think?" Words tumbling out of her mouth, before she could do anything about it.

"Anyway. This is not about Care. Maybe we could meet later - after classes - at the library? ", he suggested.

Y/N nodded. "Sounds good. And even if you don't want to hear that: thank you. Thanks for not making me feel sort of a misfit."

"Thanks for keeping me company."

After school Y/N used her phone, guiding her to the library. To her surprise Stefan was already there, leaning on a red car, waving at her.

His family must be rich, she guessed. Good-looking and rich. She sighed.

Y/N walked a little faster. It always made her feel awkward to walk towards someone for too long.

"Hey, there", she said smiling, with a cheerful voice.

They headed inside and grabbed several books.

"We have a book about the museum and about church." Y/N listed. "And something about the founders. Not exactly something, but about three different records."

Y/N was preoccupied with the different records, so she missed this look on Stefan's face. It was inscrutable, but clear enough to know he didn't want to do anything about the founders of Mystic Falls.

The girl mentioned a few other titles, and suddenly her eyes lit up. She was holding a book like she just found a rare gem. Her voice was overjoyed.

"This is amazing. It's about myths and vampire's. Maybe it's weird, but I'm all over vampires. Well, folklore generally, but vampires are my favs."

Stefan kept silent, his glance searching for something in her face, his lips obviously weren't capable to form.

The joyful look left Y/N's lineaments in a heartbeat. She cleared her throat, putting her favorite book back on the table. "Sorry. We didn't have to ... Anyway. I have some interests, not many people could relate to. Besides, vampires aren't really historical. So, we would probably fail, going with that."

Her voice cracked and she forced herself to smile.

A few seconds passed away. Stefan finally found the right words, innocent enough, not to seem suspicious.

"You believe in vampires?" He asked in a calm voice.

Now it was on Y/N to rethink her phrases. "Although that's going too far. I rather would like to have some of them hanging around. The friendly one's, of course." She sighed. "I would trace my kidney to talk to a vampire." A glimmer showed in her eyes. "I think it would be fun. But it's impossible and even a little childish."

Stefan suppressed a laugh, what made Y/N laugh herself. "You couldn't convince me, that you believe in humans being the only intelligent species in the whole world."

"You have no idea", the young vampire responded amused.

It was the first time he really thought about opening up to someone. Y/N was speaking so confident about his being, he could imagine she would be rather curious than scared. He felt alone for many years, since he had a secret every time he interacted with someone and build a bond. It couldn't be that deep, when you can't be honest.

Sadness filled his eyes, made his unreal emerald green turn darker.

Like a kick in his face it hit him - chances he will be accepted are at the bare minimum. Beaten by the creature, the non-human, he truly was.

He covered his face in his hands, exhaling a deep breath.

"I have to go. I owe my brother a dinner, and I'm running late." "Umm... okay... We'll see each other tomorrow at school, right?" Y/N tilted her head. She didn't believe, he had so set off so rapidly - but she kept her doubts to herself.

Whatever Stefan Salvatore had moved to leave, she wasn't in the position of asking questions. Even though they barely knew each other.

The vampire slightly nodded and set off with quick steps.

Y/N blinked, surprised by his speed.

"You should become an athlete, Stefan Salvatore", she mumbled under her breath, hoping his disappear had nothing to do with her.

She liked him not only because of his looks, but in the way she could be herself around him. She didn't mingle with people her age that easy. But with Stefan it felt naturally and easy. She hoped, she really didn't ruined the begging of something great.

It took her the whole way home to sort her emotions and when she arrived her mum already waited for her in the living room.

"How was your first day at school?" It was unmistakable, she was concerned.

Y/N took a seat next to her and shrugged. "Kind of mixed up, but it could be worse." For Y/N's circumstances 'could be worse' was synonymous for "not bad".

Her mum held her hand on her chest, letting out a deep breath. "I know, moving is hard for you, and I'm glad you made it through the day."

"Mum? I met a ... few people..." - Stefan Salvatore to be precise - "and I fear, my first impression wasn't the greatest."

Your mum raised an eyebrow. "Make an effort", she said like it was the easiest thing to do. "I'm sure they will not mind. Just let them know, you are enjoying their company, and it'll be fine."

She said those things so warm, only a mum could do.

Y/N stood up, an idea formed in her mind. Tomorrow she would start over with Stefan, and maybe even with Caroline. She'd try her best to make new friends.

"Mum, I need to go somewhere. Making an effort, like you told me, too."

Hello, Love ☺️ I hope you had fun reading this and it was, what you expected. I leaved the story open ended, so it doesn't get too long - BUT I am totally down to continue writing this, if you wish. ❤️

@yipee101

[landonkirbyappreciation]

Spoiler alert....

So what we did get of Landon this episode I liked. He was smart enough to figure out why some people couldn't cross over bc they have unfinished business(I wonder what Landon is? Watch it be about Hope). And he ended up helping Ted be able to cross over to peace without even meaning too. Which somehow got him and Ted a coin. But I figure he won't go bc of Alaric and what he tells him about Hope and how he died.

And that trailer for the next episode really just confirmed that Landon is Hopes humanity. I'm taking this as such a win for us Handons. Because the first thing they thought to do to get through Hopes humanity was Landon. I have this theory that they might try and use therapy box(that stupid box they can't seem to get rid of). Or they'll try to use that Ring and try to pretend to Landon. And if that's the case it's gonna end so badly for them. Because none of them(other than Hope that is) knows Landon well enough(or at all) to pretend to be him. Hope will see right through that.

I can't believe I have to wait 2 weeks to see what happens next with that and hopefully what's going on with Landon in limbo

I always love seeing Landon but my gosh, at what point are we ever gonna see anything that’s actually about Landon? And not have it be about any of the other characters, but just himself? Nothing is ever actually about Landon as his own individual character anymore, every time he’s on screen it becomes about somebody else. We went a whole season without him, now he’s stuck where there’s finally the chance to spend time on him and what happened to him and they manage to make it about some other random character that we’re never gonna see again. And now the next character in line to take over Landon’s screen time and storyline is Alaric. Sorry to be negative, I’m just so tired. They can’t even show how traumatized Landon should be or anything. But yeah, I did like how he was able to figure things out. I love how that one guy was there for how many years and couldn’t figure out what Landon did in like 2 minutes. 😂 Although I’m still bugged with them messing with canon by having the whole coin thing. We’ve seen many characters find peace before, they just go to peace, they don’t have to get a coin and pay a ferryman to go there... 🙄 But I also wonder what Landon’s unfinished business is, but you’re probably right, it’s most likely gonna be about Hope. I was honestly wondering if he was gonna have to maybe process or come to terms with what happened to him in s3 and what he went through and whatever he had to do to survive. Like maybe if he’s been blocking out how it’s affected him or something, because then we’d finally get to see something about his s3 storyline but nope. Now it’s all gonna be about helping Hope, which I want to see as well, but wish they would also take the time to address what Landon just went through. But yeah, I’m sure that Landon won’t go to peace now once Alaric tells him what happened. Landon probably doesn’t even know it’s possible for him to go back, but I’m sure they’ll somehow find a way.

And yess of course, and we all knew Landon is the key to Hope’s humanity! And I’m so glad they’re gonna acknowledge it in the show! But the squad making Hope see Landon is so surprising to me. Because I honestly have such a hard time believing that any of them are gonna be willing to admit that Landon is the way to get to Hope. Since it seems they can never bring themselves to acknowledge that Landon has any value or importance. And have obviously wanted him dead and out of Hope’s life so I’m very curious how that will happen. And you’re probably right, they might use the therapy box that they rely on for everything, or the ring seems likely too. But right? If they use the ring and someone tries to pretend to be Landon, Hope is gonna be pissed. Especially after she was tricked with a fake Landon last season? Hope is not gonna believe it’s really him after what happened in s3, and you’re right, none of them would be able to pull it off anyway. So I’m hoping it’s not gonna end well tbh.

Yeah I guess we’ve got 2 weeks to wait, hopefully it’ll go by fast. And I hope we see what’s happening with Landon in limbo too, I just hope it’ll actually be about Landon at some point. It’s very frustrating to watch and they never answer anything.

[doyelikehaggis]

Rowing the Rarepair Rowboat: Caroline Forbes x Seline (The Vampire Diaries)

"I feel like I shouldn't even have to say this," Bonnie sets down her coffee and stares at Caroline; a stern, slightly disbelieving and exasperated stare, "but don't sleep with the babysitter."

She says it with such conviction, too, as if it's a genuine concern. Like she's going to just waltz up to the new girl and suggest it! 

Caroline rolls her eyes, laughing, and replies, maybe a bit too testily, "I'm not going to sleep with her! I just..." She takes a deep breath and tries again -- without the sheepish smile this time. "She's... I just think that..."

"She's hot and you want to have sex with her."

"That's--!" Her words actually register, alongside an image of Seline, the new babysitter, as of this morning and Caroline slumps with a defeated sigh, "--totally true."

Bonnie picks her cup back up to take a drink and totally not to disguise the smile that Caroline can see on her face, plain as day. Groaning, she drops her head onto her arms with a thump. 

Bringing up the interview was a bad idea. Coffee with Bonnie had just seemed like a good opportunity to whine a bit about how infuriatingly perfect Seline was throughout the entire interview, because she can't say anything to Ric without him going all gooey-eyed and gushing even more about how great she seems. And he wouldn't even listen to her when she tried to point out that it was so obviously all just a ploy to try and seduce him, and get under his skin!

For what reason... she actually isn't sure. But it worked! Because now she's under Caroline's skin as well like the slightering little snake she is, if snakes were slender, and had impossibly smooth skin, and were able to work their venom into your veins without even touching you!

Another groan escapes Caroline but it comes out as more of a pathetic whimper if she's honest. She props her chin on her arms and pouts. 

"Why couldn't she be really horrible so that we were forced to hire the old lady nanny?" she asks miserably. "Couldn't she be like every other stranger in our lives and turn out to be some bloodthirsty monster, or an ancient, evil witch with a murderous vendetta? Why did she have to be perfect and... sparkly?"

Bonnie's eyebrows raise, and she laughs, sets down her cup, and shakes her head at her like she's the saddest sight she's seen. And that's saying a lot; she dated Jeremy, for gods sake. 

"All right, you need to pull yourself together," Bonnie tells her, leaning in across the table with a smile that's getting far too much entertainment out of this for the words coming out of her mouth. "Or else you're going to end up getting sparkly with this girl. I repeat: Do. Not. Sleep with. The nanny."

"Fine," Caroline says but she isn't convinced by her own agreement. She sits up straight, finally shaking herself out of this ridiculousness, and repeats, more clearly and calmly, "I'm not going to do anything with the nanny that would count as even slightly unprofessional. All conversations will be about the girls, or Ric, since she is clearly already trying to get her perfectly manicured claws into--"

She catches Bonnie's stare. Closing her mouth, she nods, getting the message. 

"Yeah, I'll work on it."

Bonnie nods back. "You do that. But, uh... I'd suggest doing it fast, because based on your descriptions of this gorgeous demon of a babysitter, I'd say that she has just walked in and is -- oh, yep, she's coming over here. And she's smiling. And waving. And I'm still talking -- I'm gonna go!"

Caroline's eyes widen as Bonnie is already grabbing her stuff and getting out of her seat -- the only other seat at the table. She shakes her head frantically and tries to grab for her, not able to speak as Seline reaches them far too fast with those annoyingly gorgeous long legs. 

"Hi!" Seline greets, and the moment for escape has passed. 

"Hey!" Caroline says, with way too much enthusiasm and a smile that probably looks a bit crazy. Judging by the look both she and Bonnie give her, she's guessing it does. 

"You must be the new nanny," Bonnie says to Seline. "I'm Bonnie."

Seline sticks out a hand and shakes Bonnie's with a bright smile. "It's nice to meet you! Are you leaving already...?" she asks, gesturing to Bonnie's stuck gathered rather hastily into her arms and her seat now left unoccupied. 

"I have to get to Whitmore College. My class starts in a half hour, and they're not going to learn much if their professor isn't there," she explains with a laugh that Seline joins in on, to Caroline's great dismay, because as it turns out, even that sounds perfect. Soft and silky and like a god damn siren. As an afterthought, Bonnie adds, "Well, professor in training, I guess."

"Oh, did you intern with Alaric?" Seline asks.

Bonnie and Caroline share a subtly amused look at that, and Bonnie falters for a second, trying not to let her smile show too much.

"Uh, yeah -- in a way. I'm actually teaching Occult studies, so, having him around has certainly been... a big help. What with the... history side of things and all." Recognizing her own fumbling, she quickly says, "Anyway! I have to go. I'll see you later, Care. It was nice meeting you, Seline. You two have fun!"

Caroline shoots her a disbelieving glare, eyes wide as Bonnie just smirks and makes her escape out of the cafe. Fantastic. Now it's just her and--

She turns to find Seline already taking the seat across from her and asking, "Is it okay if I sit with you for a little while? If you're not busy, of course! I'd love to get to know you better, seeing as how you're trusting me with your kids."

"And their father," Caroline says tightly, then regrets it when it comes off as a jealous ex. Even the thought of someone assuming that makes her shudder. She was more just meaning because of his bad luck in the dating department, any new women in his life seems like a bad idea, especially now that Lizzie and Josie are in the picture. 

Seline actually looks surprised by the comment. She blinks and sits up straighter. Then her expression shifts, and she's clearly trying to suppress a smile -- though, not very hard, as it twitches and tugs at the corners of her mouth as she momentarily ducks her head, nodding. 

"Ah," she says, like everything makes perfect sense now. That's worrying. Caroline is really hoping she didn't go down the wrong route with this. "I get it now. I couldn't figure out why you seemed so... off with me during the interview. I was actually worried that I had done something wrong, or my resume wasn't enough."

"No." Caroline sinks in her seat with a sigh, guilt popping her with one sharp poke. "No, Seline, that's not--"

"It's okay!" Seline assures her. "I totally get it. I've watched the movies. Girl interviews for a job as a nanny, and nine times out of ten, they end up sleeping with the father. I absolutely get why you might've thought that's what I was trying to do."

Caroline shakes her head. "No, really, it's fine. It's my fault, I shouldn't have jumped to assumptions like that. You are... lovely. And perfect. For the job! For the kids -- Lizzie and Josie will adore you, I just know it. It was extremely rude of me to assume that you had any other intentions towards the job, or towards Ric."

"Well... thank you for saying that." Seline smiles at her, mouth stretching so far across her cheeks that it's kind of impossible for Caroline not to smile back. Then Seline is saying, "But I just want you to know that, I promise, I am not trying to go after Alaric, just so that you're totally reassured and don't have any concerns about that. I'm actually gay, so."

The bluntness throws Caroline. Bonnie returns in the form of a stern voice in the back of her head, giving her a good thwack for good measure as she repeats: Do not sleep with the babysitter. There is a line and it should not be crossed. But with this new information, as well as the smile that she is currently directing right at Caroline like a very obvious beam of sunshine, it's harder to see that line. 

"Oh!" Caroline says then immediately kicks herself and scrambles to correct. "I mean -- that's great! For you. Obviously, it has no impact on me. Not that I'm not -- oh god, that came off incredibly wrong. I... am so sorry."

Seline's laughing that silky laugh again. Like music, floating into Caroline's skull and filling it with clouds, soaking up all of the worries and bad things. A sort of peaceful content is washing over like a gentle shower of rain. 

"Don't be," Seline tells her. "It's fine. And cute."

Heat rises to the surface of Caroline's skin, and she flushes. She tries to laugh it off. "Uh... thank you. I try my best."

The joke has Seline laughing even more. Caroline can't help laughing, too, letting the embarrasment be washed away.

Then Seline says, "I was actually trying to impress you, not Alaric."

Maybe it's just the slight giddiness of it all lingering for a moment afterwards, but Seline gives her a lingering look before finally switching the subject, and she swears that it meant something. If that something is a toe over the line then... she'll just pretend she can't see it. Lines are easily moved. 

[kiss-my-freckle]

I find it so annoying how in the vampire diaries fandom people constantly hate on Damon and love Stefan and Klaus despite doing the same things. Klaus is worse than both of them since he's done more awful things and has felt less remorse for his actions. I side eye when people claim Klaroline is healthier than Delena when Klaus made Tyler bite Caroline and right after he acted like he was saving her cause he fancied her. He also tried to sleep with Caroline while pretending to be Tyler. Damon gets shit on for the way he treated Caroline, which I get but he didn't abuse Caroline to the extent that hypocritical SE stans claim. After he compelled Caroline to let him feed on her there was no intimate scenes shown between them afterwards. They ended quickly after he compelled her to be okay with him feeding. Stefan was shown to feed on girls he compelled in a flashback where they were half dressed and making sounds that were explicit than other feeding moments in the show, but this hypocritical fandom doesn't think that suggests anything but they think the scene with Damon suggests something more horrid. Also what we found out about Stefan and his diary early season 3 isn't considered as implying something of that nature by Damon antis. Damon was the one who helped the girls get away from Stefan in the flashback and Stefan even told Elena that he was worse than Damon's present self.

I always look at intent and consideration. What are they trying to accomplish and is there a better way. I toss impulsivity out the window because I could tell you stories lol. I understand Damon. He has a lot of parallels that offer an even better understanding. His biggest problem sits in 4x23.

Damon can't let go and move on as Lexi tells Stefan to do with Elena because Damon believes Katherine is desiccating in the tomb. Letting go and moving on requires he find the tomb empty, and Stefan tries to deny him access. I'm talking about the same brother that was able to let go and move on because his love for Katherine turned to hate in his denial. Stefan was the only brother to "live" after they became vampires, one human life after another because he spent the past 145 years doing just that: denying. Damon merely existed because he suffered in his truth. It was real for him. If Stefan didn't want Damon to rescue Katherine, then he might as well have killed his brother in 1x13. Stefan forced Damon to become a vampire, and to live in a world without Katherine after Damon explicitly told him there is no world without her. And after forcing Damon to turn, he threw her death in his face... that's why Damon left him with Lexi. He killed Coach Tanner for the same reason. Her death thrown in his face - again.

Neither one knew about Katherine's plan to fake her death, so in Damon's mind... Stefan doomed him to an eternity of misery. He doomed Damon to an eternity by forcing him to become a vampire, and doomed him to the misery of that eternity knowing Katherine was to desiccate for 145 years. According to Stefan's knowledge, to the misery of that eternity knowing Katherine died in the church fire.

Damon's journal entry to Elena in her coffin... that's Katherine in the tomb. Damon's words after their dance in 6x22... that's him and Katherine. What would Damon be had Katherine actually given a damn.... happy. What does Stefan say when Damon goes to the prison world... Damon was "finally" happy.

Damon suffered without Katherine for 145 years, so Stefan had to suffer with him. Misery loves company. Who the hell wants to suffer alone? Elena being the border lurker in season 6 is every bit Damon, but she's quick to fix herself with Alaric's compulsion. Damon is a vampire, no one but an Original could compel his love for Katherine, and they knew nothing of the Originals then. Damon has been and still is stuck in neutral. Once he finds the tomb empty... he wants answers from Katherine for the same reason Alaric needs answers from Isobel. It's about closure. They can start over or end where they are, but Damon wants that closure because he's far past done with neutral.

Elena is the only reason Damon is able to move on... and she does it just by getting him into that tomb. She then made sure Damon got out before the seal was set to go up. 145 years waiting for Katherine shouldn't turn into another neutral. Elena is not a spiteful person, and she truly understands Damon. She not only feels his grief, she wants to alleviate it, so she hugs him. Very compassionate, that one.

Yes, Stefan admitted to Elena that he was worse than Damon. Stefan is in denial about that as well. There is no "was" for vampires because they're "still" vampires. "Was" requires the cure for vampirism. Stefan more than proves that. Alaric tries to explain this to Elena in the first season. He thinks Stefan is a good guy, but at the end of the day, he's "still" a vampire. Vampires are a toxic species, period. Elena doesn't believe Stefan to be worse than Damon. She loves him blindly and recklessly, only to have him rip into her neck. That's where she parallels her comment about Rebekah in 3x8. Blind to the vampire she truly believed would never hurt her. I consider it Stelena's fatal blow. Stefan's girlfriend died, and the necklace became Damon's. Just picture Elena's name on Stefan's Chicago wall and that all-girls high school around the corner.

Klaroline is nowhere near healthy. Klaus took over Alaric's body without consent and used him to kill Bonnie, Alaric's own History student. He planned to kill Tyler and Caroline herself - both only alive because Damon rescued them, killed Elena's Aunt Jenna, then literally killed Elena by draining her blood. She only survived because of the Damon-John combo. Had Klaus' ritual went as he originally planned, girls night wouldn't exist in season 4 because all three would be dead along with Caroline's friend, Tyler. That's Klaroline in the second season alone.

If Bonnie's to die, it's only because Damon wants Elena to live. If Matt's to die, it's only because Damon wants Elena to live. He wants her to get the life she wants. When Elena becomes a vampire, he responds in anger because he knows that's not the life she wanted for herself. He doesn't kill for more power. He drinks human blood and builds a tolerance to vervain. The only power he wants for himself is that required for survival. That's Delena.

Klaus is like Katherine in that regard. Not happy with the power they have, they want for more. He wants to be the most powerful creature on Earth, and after becoming the most powerful creature on Earth, still feels the need for a sired hybrid army completely fulfilling his every need. Because more power is more power. All of these young people dying or nearly dying because that's what Klaus wants. Damon just wants to love, be loved in return, and protect that very love.

Klaus and Caroline would never work as a couple. Caroline is too pure for Klaus just as Stefan is too pure for Katherine. Even the purest hearts are drawn to darkness, yes, but "drawn to" are the key words here. "Falling in love with" is a different story. Caroline would never fall for him. What Damon does in the show, Stefan does or has done. The Ripper wouldn't ask women permission. Without his humanity in the 20s, what permission is he to care for? He took... and I'm quite certain of that. Sadistic, what he does to the couple at Gloria's bar.

[doyelikehaggis]

Rowing the Rarepair Rowboat: Carenzo | Caroline Forbes x Enzo St. John (The Vampire Diaries)

"Thinking of jumping down and trying to walk across it?" Enzo asks from Caroline's right, sitting beside her on the stairwell. His tone is light, joking, one that she hadn't quite realized she'd missed all these months they've spent apart. 

She sniffs, sucking in a deep breath that only makes her chest hurt, and lifts her head up. She keeps her eyes straight ahead, staring at the buildings stretching out in front of her as far as she can see before the snow makes it impossible. 

"The thought crossed my mind," she admits, cracking a slight smile. "With vamp speed, we could probably get to the airport just in time. Compel a pilot if the flight's cancelled." She looks at him, blinking once or twice to see him better as she pulls a teasing look, nudging his shoulder. "Or we could just get you to fly it, Captain Lorenzo."

Enzo chuckles at the emphasis she puts on his name. It eases a little bit of the twisting in her stomach, her smile a little more genuine as she watches him duck his head for a moment.

"I actually didn't go by my right name back then," he tells her, and she raises her eyebrows, but he shakes it off. His eyes and his smile turns sad as he gazes at her. "I'm sorry about all of this, Caroline. I know you wanted to be on that flight."

She did. She needed to be on it. Lizzie and Josie are counting on her. Were counting on her, and now she's probably going to have to let them down. Again. She had told herself she would be there, especially after everything that's happened with them lately. 

"It just wasn't supposed to be like this," she says, shaking her head. "I was only supposed to be gone a few months. I wasn't—wasn't supposed to miss Christmas, or their birthday, or—"

She clamps her mouth shut, her throat aching like it's made of sandpaper.

"I just wanted to be there."

There are only so many holidays she's going to get with them. Even without the merge, she was always going to outlive them, and she's hated the thought since the day they were born. But it's so much worse now. 

"They have six years left," she says quietly, her voice shaking and her chin wobbling. "And I am running out of options. I just—I just wanted to be there, you know? For one day, at least. To see their faces light up. To watch them just be happy, without having to worry about any of this, to just—to just be there with them, as a family, and I—I just wish I had my mom because I am so lost and I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

She breaks down completely, sobs racking her body in a matter of seconds. Enzo's quick to pull her in, his arms wrapping around her as she closes her eyes against the tears and all of it. It's too much, too overwhelming. Everything hurts too much and she hates it, and why does this keep happening? Why can't something just go the way it was supposed to, why can't she be allowed to be happy?

"It's alright," Enzo murmurs into her hair, one hand stroking her back, her face buried in his chest and hands clinging to him. His voice cracks ever so slightly, and he tries to clear it. "Let it all out, sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere."

She can't begin to express how much relief the last part brings her, even if it fills her with so much dread as well. Everyone who promises they aren't leaving her finds a way in the end. Even the immortal ones. She just hugs him tighter, letting herself believe it for this one moment, because she needs this. She needs him.

They just sit there. She doesn't know for how long, but Enzo never once stops talking to her, his voice soft and soothing. Slowly, the bubbling of pain and guilt and too many other things that are tearing her apart from the inside starts to ease until it's a gentle simmering. Her sobs turn to sniffles, the tears eventually dry, the shaking in her body turns to shivers. 

Enzo pauses, and she can't see him but she can feel his chin move from her head and assumes he's looking at her. "Cold?" he asks her with concern in his voice.

Caroline huffs out a soft laugh that holds the smallest fragment of humour. "Freezing. So much for vampires being immune to everything."

Enzo chuckles along with her, one of his hands moving to her arm, rubbing through her thin coat. She curls in closer to him.

"We still function as humans," he reminds her. "Even we're not immune to frostbite. Immune to dying from it, yes, but getting all of the symptoms of it where our hands go numb and can't move? Unfortunately, no. Probably not the best idea to be sitting outside in the coldest weather of the century."

Caroline hums her agreement. Her throat is still aching, rubbing raw every time she talks. 

"Here."

She feels Enzo move again and pulls back slightly to look at him. Her eyebrows furrow in confusion as he produces a scarf seemingly out of nowhere.

"When you came up here, I was going to follow you but figured you'd end up on the balcony in our room," he explains as he winds it around her neck, adjusting it to wrap it around and back down. "But then I remembered the key, and I saw the door coming out here open. You've always had a thing for being outside when you're upset."

Despite all of the crumbled, broken pieces inside of her, she smiles a little. He pauses, checking to make sure the scarf looks okay. She just gazes at him as he gently moves a few strands of her hair until he pulls his hand back. Alarm rises in her as he begins slipping his arm out of his own jacket.

"What are you doing?" she asks him as he takes it off. 

"You need it more than I do," he simply says. 

Caroline starts to protest, but he's already wrapping it around her shoulders, seemingly unfazed that he's now sitting in the middle of a snowstorm in nothing thicker than a flimsy long-sleeved t-shirt. 

"But you just said—"

"Darling, I meant you're not immune to the cold," he cuts her off, shaking his head. He has a faint smile as he adjusts the jacket, pulling it closed around her. "I've endured much worse than a chill. Trust me, I'm perfectly fine. I can barely feel it anymore."

Caroline's heart sinks. It always does when she knows he's referencing his past in Augustine but trying to veer around actually saying it. She watches his face as he continues playing with the jacket, and then the scarf, making sure they're both just right enough to keep her warm. 

"I'm glad you're here," she tells him softly, making his hand falter and his eyes move back up to hers. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You would get through this," he says, completely serious and sincere. His hand is still hovering next to her, a few strands of hair between his fingers. "You would be upset, but you would pull yourself together, and you would find a way to get on that plane. Even if it meant you had to march right through this snow and demand that the plane takes off otherwise you'll fly it yourself if you have to."

Caroline can't help but laugh softly at his exaggerated tone, his intentions clearly to make her do just that as his eyes sparkle with a flicker of happiness. She knows he's right, of course. It would feel so much harder if she was here all alone, stranded with little hope of getting home, but she wouldn't stop trying to find a way to make it happen.

She sighs, wiping her eyes, feeling the dried tracks on her cheeks. "Well, it's a good thing you're here then, because putting me in control of a plane definitely wouldn't get us home."

"Nonsense," Enzo says, grinning, wrapping an arm back around her shoulders. "You'd make a damn good pilot. With some supervision."

"Oh, high praise from an ex-captain," she jokes, then pauses. "It is ex-captain, right?"

Enzo nods. "Yes. That whole part of my life is in the past."

Caroline just nods back as he shifts to lean against the wall behind him, pulling her closer. She settles against his side, tucked under his arm, her head on his shoulder. There's no hope of the snow stopping any time soon, and by the looks of it, they don't have much of a reason to be in any rush anymore. 

A beat passes, silence falling over them like the snow blankets the ground. She listens to the beating of his heart as her own finally slows back to an even pace, the anger and frustration and guilt seeping out of her, leaving her nothing but exhausted. 

"Can I at least ask what your alias was?" she asks softly, her curiosity poking at her as she looks up at him with a slight raise of her eyebrows. 

Enzo glances at her, then smiles.

"Michael Quinn," he answers with a strange raise in his accent, slipping from the gruff, charming British one she's used to, to a slightly softer American one.

He gives a laugh at her obvious surprise and confusion, and his voice goes back to normal.

"I adopted a completely different identity back then. Faked an accent, pretended to be American. It was easier to blend in."

"That makes sense," Caroline agrees, but can't quite wrap her head around the idea of an American Enzo, even if just for an act. 

"I started off a pilot in '42, because of World War One," he continues, to her surprise. "By '52, I was made a Captain of the US Air Force. I ended up working with the government. Shocker, I know."

Caroline's definitely thrown, that's for sure. "I thought you weren't allowed to talk about this?" she questions. 

"Well, considering all of the people I worked with back then are more than likely dead now, I think I'm safe," Enzo says, shrugging. 

Caroline nods slowly. His logic makes sense. And if he thinks it's safe to talk about then who is she to argue? It's not as if she wouldn't like to know more about this secret part of his past.

"So, the government?" she asks, twisting around in his arms and resting her chin on his shoulder. "What, did they have some shady secrets? Oh, did it involve alien conspiracies? Please, Captain Quinn, tell me this story has aliens."

Enzo laughs, and it makes her feel a little more at home for a brief moment. This storm will pass, she thinks. In all senses.

She'll call Alaric, somehow, and let him know what's going on if he hasn't already been filled in. They'll work something out. She will find a way back to Mystic Falls, even if she does have to compel someone to fly them home.