#But 10 years have passed since she died and they're very different

[h4zardousch3micals]

I wanna remake some old oc's

[papers-pamphlet]

masterpost for the the lore/timeline of my amrev ocs :3

So the ocs i have are :

Giles Eleison and his lore/background

Claudia Eleison (née Difiori) and her lore/background

Josephine von Segensfeld.

there is also Carol (Giles & Claudia's daughter)

i have designs for the parents of these goobers but I won't focus on them too much.

Some stuff before we get to the timeline

here are all my tagged posts for these bozos, in order from when they were posted ! ; #Giles Eleison, #Claudia Eleison, #Josephine von Segensfeld

I also have a rp blog for Giles & Claudia, although i'm not too active there.

now onto the timeline.

BEFORE THE WAR

**Germany

Claudia Difiori is brought by her father, to Germany. See her lore.

So began a love affair between Claudia and Josephine von Segensfeld. But during a party hosted in the manor, Claudia "broke up" with Josephine because this was "unnatural" and "she had to marry a man". They had a huge fight and became bitter towards each other.

Giles Eleison is there as well. His father took him there so he may find a wife.

Giles Eleison meets Claudia Difiori, shortly after, he asks her to marry him.

**England

They both thought marriage would fix them. it did not. [1]

some years pass. Carol is born.

News of the rebellion in the American colonies reaches them. Giles reads about it one certain morning and suddenly it feels like his entire life's purpose was revealed to him.

Giles quickly leaves his home to join the army.

DURING THE WAR

Giles is thriving ! The bloodshed, violence and death is exhilarating ! He's a completely different man than who he was before !

Frederick Kenneth (@lil-gae-disaster) gains the friendship of Giles. They become drinking buddies !! [1] [2] [3]

Frederick returns from a spy mission and brings along one Joseph Hayes (@hamalicious-soup)

Giles is tasked with interrogating Joseph. [1]

Giles, for the very first time in his entire life, experiences attraction to someone. and its that man .

Joseph falls for Giles as well after seeing him covered in blood

they're tentmates :)

GILSEPHH !!!!!! [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] (I love Hamalicious's art so much genuinely)

Joseph finds a certain miniature portrait of Claudia, this is how he discovers Giles has a wife

What Claudia has been getting up to since Giles left

^^ After years of not responding to her letters, Claudia caves in to her loneliness and invites Josephine over. She sails all the way to England by herself just to see her again and so began another love affair. Despite that, Claudia is still deep in her delusions and it ends just as messy as the first time.

Cathy trynna investigate her brother

**not exactly sure where this would fit but since this is in the redcoat hamilton au, Giles would try to kill Laurens for the fun of it. But he also does find Lams "interesting"

POST-WAR, the Kenneth Farm

note: Giles was originally meant to have one ending -- he would be shot and would die alone on a field without anyone having loved him. But thanks to Joseph, his fate is split into two possible paths, or routes as i like to call them. One where he does die, and one where he ends up surviving, but pronounced dead at first.

Secret ending: Liver Failure .

Frederick reaches out to Claudia to live in the Kenneth farm

Freddie bonds with Carol !!

Claudia meets Joseph there and much awkwardness ensues [1]

Late night interaction with some of the residents [Do you not feel guilty ... for not marrying a woman? & explanation], [Which Giles Eleison did Joseph Hayes know?]

Claudia finds out about Joseph and her husband somehow and awkwardness increases tenfold

About Claudia and self-acceptance. [1] [2]

Claudia finds out about noblefarm, also she finds an actually good father figure in Gilroy

Freddie learn about one "Miss Josephine" from Carol [1]

despite that her time in the farm has been really good.

GILES DIES ROUTE

It can't stay like this forever, y'know !

after Gilroy Kenneth's death, Claudia is reminded of her own father. She quickly moves away and returns to her solitary, lonely life, spending her days as a widow and nothing more.

GILES LIVES ROUTE

GILSEPH REUNION !!! [1] [2]

silly farm shenanigans [1]

m..marriage . woah . [1]

Giles becomes a freaky priest [1] [2]

**will continue :3

extras, fun facts

Giles first started out as a character ai persona that i used to torture Laurens in front of Alexander. Also he was meant for my redcoat Lauren au at first.

Inspo for Claudia's backstory: "utang na loob"

Josephine and Freddie are cousins !

Josephine von Segensfeld and Joseph Hayes were once meant to have an arranged marriage. Josephine went livid when she found out and threw a huge hissy fit. Richard called off the marriage. [1]

a memory from giles' childhood

modern au giles :3

@marsfingershurt @lil-gae-disaster @hamalicious-soup @laurenshamiltonjr @cacaobeans

[zaenaris]

I think that Akane died when she was 16, she didn't look a lot older than that.

Since she is 6 years older than Koko and Inupi, it mean that they would have been 11 for Koko and still 10 for Inupi, at the moment of the fire, few days before Inupi's 11th birthday.

Because if Koko was 12 and Inupi 11 (or already 12), Akane would have been 18. So almost adult. And she doesn't look like a adult.

So i bet that she was 16/17, second or last year of high school, and that the boys were 11 for Koko, et almost 11 for Inupi. And they had still a year to do in elementary school.

Akane stayed in coma for few weeks, months. Inupi had already his short hair that he had in Shinichiro's ship when Izana visited him, Inupi and Koko had already grow up to look more like teen than that children. I think that they had already started their last years in school for some weeks when Akane died.

Koko was just a kid, he didn't manage to have enough money to help Akane in a so short period of time but he had enough time to get a reputation and having still a lot of money

But It couldn't have been only few weeks. It must have lasted for few months, maybe 6 months. Inupi has just a shirt when he call Koko to tell him, so it was warmer outside. Maybe it was summer or end of spring.

After that, Inupi was in 8th Black Dragon, then in 9th Black Dragon, then send in juivie.

Inupi is older than Mikey for a year. He was 13 when Mikey was 12. When Mikey beats the Black Dragon, it was almost his 13th birthday. And Inupi was in juivie at this moment. We don't know the date of his liberation but it was after Shinichiro's death, so after Mikey's birthday. He was 14 at this point. 16 in the BD Arc. and 18 in Mabu Arc.

So he must have been almost 11 when the fire happened, had spent his birthday at the hospital and Akane "survived" for at least 6 months, while Inupi was in his last elementary school year. Inupi has been send in juivie during his first year of middle scool and got released during his second year. But it must been less of a year in reform school.

Koko is few months older than Inupi, since he's born in April. But they are in the same year. So Koko was already 11 when the fire happened.

@naehja

Yeah, I agree that Akane could have been 16/17 when she died, for sure she was still in high school given her uniform, but she's 5 years older than Inupi (ch.158)

also Inupi is older than Koko!

Inupi is born on October 18 1989, while Koko on April 1, 1990, but they're in the same year at school because of how the Japanese scholastic system works (there was a typo in the first character book, the official twitter made a post to confirm that). Inupi, Koko and Taiju are all in the same scholastic year. If Koko were born on April 2, then he would have been a year younger! (school years start on April 1 and ends in March and kids has to be 6 already to start school, they cannot be, let's say 5 and 364 days old lol, at least, this is what I understand, this system is a little tricky for me, it's very different from the one used where i live lol)

We don't know exactly when the fire happens, but since they have long sleeves with no coat it's probably autumn or spring. And unfortunately we don't even know how long she stayed in coma, but i agree some months could have passed. Here Koko says 1 month was passed since the fire (ch.159)

so either she dies after 1 month of coma (and in the meanwhile Inupi also gets out of the hospital), or some generic amount of time passed, no more than a few months tho. I agree with you, I feel some months should have had passed in order for Koko to start making some money

(lol Inupi is calling from a public phone, how does Koko knows it's him??)

In chapter 81 Chifuyu says that 2 years before (so in 2003 since in ch.81 it's the end of 2005) there was the new born Toman (that was created to help Kazutora) vs Black Dragon 9th generation, that was lead by Madarame Shion, but there was no Inupi around in the extra chapter from the DVDs, later reunited in the full color volume "Stay Gold"

Inupi is older than Mikey for a year. He was 13 when Mikey was 12. When Mikey beats the Black Dragon, it was almost his 13th birthday. And Inupi was in juivie at this moment. We don't know the date of his liberation but it was after Shinichiro's death, so after Mikey's birthday. He was 14 at this point. 16 in the BD Arc. and 18 in Mabu Arc.

Yes, Mikey is born on August 20, 1990, so since Inupi is not around when Toman vs 9th gen BD happens, we can assume he was in juvie at the time, in 2003, and it is heavily implied he was in juvie, since he asks for confirmation here (I mean, he could be just Wakui giving us some context + inupi finding a way like another to introduce the "i want to recreate the gang" topic, because i doubt Inupi would have waited to get out of juvie to get info about his beloved gang)

I agree that Inupi probably didn't spent more than a year in reform school (i mean, Tora didn't stay long in juvie the first time, when he killed Shin) But when Inupi is released from juvie he's in his 3rd year of middle school -but we don't know what time of the year was, the only hint is that Koko's uniform was not the summer one- and 9th BD was no more(ch.105)

I mean, depending on when the fire happened, Inupi could have spent his birthday at the hospital, it's a possibility. Unfortunately, Wakui has been quite vague with the dates, so we are sure Inupi and Koko were in elementary school when the fire happens, that Koko is younger than Inupi, the year of release from juvie of Inupi, but the rest is up to our imagination I guess

[power-rings]

Till Death

AN: So, I just finished Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover and it inspired me to write this story. Just a heads up... if you don't like Shadamy don't read. I'm not usually writing about these two so this is different than my usual content. They're a guilty pleasure of mine. ;) Listen while you read!

Chapter 1: This life Without You

(Amy's POV)

Every now in then I will sit in our bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about our beautiful children we made together. How they are living life without you, just as I am. I would have never imagine you'd go first. You died doing what you loved, though. Died as a hero. I have to remind myself that constantly. I guess I should have expected it. You have came to so many close calls before. But, seeing our oldest daughter trying to process the meaning of death. She's eight-years-old now, and she's slowly understanding it. It's heart shattering. We decided to have you cremated, we spread some of your ashes and ever since then all I could see is our daughter's teary eyes watch them as they fall. We had a stuffed toy made for our younger son with your ashes inside. I kept a ring with your ashes inside the stone. It's been 2 years since your passing. Most of everyone we know has mostly moved on, excluding Tails. I haven't actually slept in our bed since your passing. If I'm in our bedroom, I just usually hug your pillow and try to savor your smell. I tried so hard to wash it out. It still smelled like you, and that's why I can't sleep in here. After about 10:30 I get up and start my day with a cup of coffee. The house is eerily silent, our children went with your parents, and Uncle Tails to the beach. They deserved it with school starting in a couple of weeks. I'm trying my hardest to get back into routine now that the kids are going to away from home more.

Cream and her mom still runs their cafe in town, and they're gonna have me work there. I need to get out of the house, anyway. Cream will be starting her own career soon. She surprised me as she grew up very interested in fashion, and over the years with her mom's help, she landed an opportunity to purchase a spot to design and sell her clothing. I never felt so proud. Since she'll be away finalizing some paperwork with her mother, so I'll be working with some other employees instead. I stand before the closet and sighed. It's been 2 years. You've got this, Amy. I pick out a white top, with the uniform provided for the employees. It's just a simple blue apron with the emblem of the company's name "Vanilla's Cafe". I positioned my name tag near the front pocket.

I left the porch light on in case I have a later shift. I lock the front door, fix my purse strap on my shoulders, and hold my coffee tumbler close to me as I make my way towards the cafe. The cafe is located almost at the end of street, it's an adorable little building. Suits Vanilla perfectly. I hesitate at the door, before Cream rushes towards me, and embraces me tightly. I embrace her just as tightly. "I'm so glad you showed up, Amy!" Her gaze was apologetic. "We shouldn't be too long," she squeezed my hands. Understanding that I haven't been in the work environment since Sonic passed away. "Alex, and Clarice will be there to help. Ciara should be in soon too." I didn't say much, just nodded and gave Vanilla and Cream one last hug before they hurried over to a nearby taxi. Immediately, the smells of cupcakes, cookies, and coffee is overwhelming to my senses as I step inside. Alex is the first one to greet me, and help me find a spot in the back to put my belongings. Clarice greeted me once she finalized the customer's order. They're both wonderful company. They ask which task I prefer to do. Cream must have told them I have been out of work for awhile. I ask to keep up with inventory, restock items, and clean. After about a slow hour or two, the customers started pouring in as I was cleaning off a table. We got a phone call from Cream that everything went well finalizing the paperwork, and payment. However, they discovered some electrical issues, and wasn't sure how long that would take. We were all doing well, by ourselves, but I know Cream and her mother felt awful about abandoning them at the cafe. After the phone conversation, we continued on handling orders, I was able to take care of some costumers at the register, while another employee took a restroom break and Ciara handled a big to-go order.

It's been about 6 hours that I've been at the cafe, I was told by Ciara to go to my break. I actually felt hungry for a change. I finished sweeping under the booth nearby, then she took over willingly. We each had 30 minutes, unless we were running slower than normal. Ciara encouraged that I take a longer break if needed. I grabbed my purse, and stepped outside. Looking down at the various shops nearby. A diner caught my eye. It was one of Sonic's favorites. I hadn't been in years. I don't think I can handle going in there. I stop in front of the door. Hesitating, to go inside. It's torture. I see a sign with hot dogs topped with every topping that I could think of. The sight of it made me sick to my stomach. I shook my head, and I pushed myself to open pull the door towards me and walk indoors. Nothing had changed about the diner. Same smells, same workers, the only difference was some of the decor. I picked a booth near the entrance. I sighed in relief. It's a step forward. A familiar waitress came up with a big smile, "Good evening! Just one menu?" She kind of looked confused, I guess she remembered Sonic and I coming here often. I felt a lump in my throat.

"Yes please. Can I have a water?" I asked, before she handed me the menu, and some utensils rolled up in napkins. She nodded, and went towards the bar while I looked over the menu. The first item I noticed was of course the well-known chili dogs that Sonic loved so much. I didn't eat them very much, but I loved making them for him at home and his excitement when he came home to a good handful of chili dogs. When the waitress came back, I asked for a chili dog, with no jalapeño or onions, and a side of steak fries. The waitress actually looked shocked; I'm sure she remembers I would mainly order a salad here. She went back to the bar, and gave the cooks my ticket. I sat back and waited. Feeling antsy, I got up and fiddled with the boombox to find something. Sonic always liked rock. I picked a random playlist, and played it on shuffle. It played Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival. As it played my feet tapped along with the beat, while I opened my bag and retrieved my phone to see if there were any missing calls, or text messages. I only saw a few from Tails letting me know how there kids were. I opened one text message that had an image attached to it. Before the picture, Tails had texted:

Mach got stung by a jellyfish. He's ok! He handled it like a pro. It looked really nasty so we took him to ER. got him some painkillers to relieve the swelling.

I scrolled down, and noticed he sent me another about two hours ago,

You doing ok? How's work?

Of course he was worried about my wellbeing. Always did. I went to type a message back.

It's going well, I'm on break now! I respond with a heart emoji. I notice the bar on the bottom of the message box spin, until it shows delivered. I put my phone aside when I hear the waitress come to my table 10 minutes later with my food. I thanked her and stare down at my order. I munch on the fries, not daring to take a bite of the chili dog just yet. Memories of Sonic sitting with me, at this diner come flashing back to me. I could picture Sonic enjoying his meal, messy as ever, napkins and napkins piled on his side of the table. I was always so disgusted by it, but I missed seeing that messiness. Back at home, I was use to random clutter (he called it his hobby), but after his death, I had to hide all of that clutter of his. I felt like I was cleaning after him constantly, but that's what he got for marrying a neat freak. Although, he would do his best to keep the house tidy when I had a bad day, or was under the weather. I was so grateful for that. Since his death, the house hasn't been as tidy as I typically preferred. It didn't feel the same anymore. I shook my head, and turned my focus back on my food. I probably need to get back to work soon, anyway. I glance at the time on my phone. I have exactly 25 minutes before my break is over. I know I shouldn't worry, but I didn't want them having to pick up for my slack. I finally managed to eat my chili dog. It was okay. I didn't understand Sonic's fascination with it, but it was edible. The waitress' timing was the worst, as she approached the table after I dabbed a napkin at the corner of my mouth wiping off any chili remains. "Do you need anything else?" She asked, "we have several dessert options if you like?" I shook my head no, "It's so nice seeing you-" she paused, "it's Amy... right?" I forced a smile and a nod. "Where's your fella? I hadn't seen him in ages!" She exclaimed, as she took my empty basket of food, and refilled my glass of water. "I remember all the times he'd-" I interrupted her my eyes met hers. Her lips formed a straight line, as if she shouldn't have said anything in the first place.

"He died." I hate saying those two harsh words. I probably sounded so cold towards her; when I didn't mean to. I felt my hands shake, and my eyes sting. No. We agreed to not cry today. "It was all over the news, was it not?" More words formed, dry, and cold. I looked down. I couldn't look at her. I shook as I reached for my phone, and put it in my purse.

She swallowed, "I'm sorry... I -" she backed away, when I stood to my feet. I didn't realize I was even standing. I felt sweat pouring down my forehead, she went to put a hand on my shoulder, but I made a beeline to the bathroom. I vomited my lunch, and then when I composed myself. I started to sob over the bathroom sink. Grief is funny like that. It hits like waves... one minute you're fine, you're listening to his music, enjoying his memories, and then... you lose it all. There was a knock at the door, it was the waitress. The thought of her asking more stupid questions made me want to throw up again. I leaned against the bathroom wall.

I can't do this thing called... life.

Not without him.

But... I have a family to think about. Our children. I had to push through for them. I had to remain strong. I swallowed, my throat felt like it was on fire, I took a deep breath, and fiddled for my phone in my bag. My hands still shook as I struggled through my contacts. I stared at the name "A-hole" a pained smile spread across my face, Sonic must have gotten my phone and renamed Shadow's name to A-hole. He never did ask why his number was in my contacts. Shadow and I kind of formed a friendship, if you can call it that. He was honestly very comforting to me after Sonic passed away. Despite his demeaner.. I knew deep down he cared. My finger hovered over his name, hesitating. I could just call Vanilla, couldn't I? Or someone from the cafe, even. Even Rouge... something tugged at me to call him though. If he didn't answer. Fine. Rouge was next on my list. I meant to send him a text, but my hands still shook so bad so I just called him. Each time it rung, I felt tears start to stream my face again. I shouldn't talk to him. I don't think I can even talk. It rung several times more, and then there was a pause. "S-Shadow?" I managed to get out, in a shaky tone.

"...Rose?" He always called me that. I didn't mind, of course. I grew accustomed to it after so many year; I stopped correcting him. I breathed out in relief, and cried.

"Can you come get me?" I slowly make out these words.

"Where are you?"

"Diner... in town. " I couldn't even remember the name of this damn diner. I couldn't even recall the name of the street it was on. There was silence on his end, so I responded with a "please." Shadow didn't answer back, the phone call was dropped. My heart sunk. I'm not sure if he would actually come, or knew which diner I even meant. I slapped my forehead, and brought my knees to my chest. Normally the thought of being on the floor of a restroom disgusted me, but I didn't care. There was another knock, I believe it was the owner. He was concerned. "Ma'am? Are you alright?" I wanted to answer with no, but I remained silent. I blocked out their voices by covering my head with my hands, and continued to cry. I was feeling so many things right now that I couldn't keep track what they were. The phone ringing scared me to pieces. I jumped and saw Shadow's number show up. I blinked back the tears. He told me he had arrived. "I'm in the restroom..." I heard a commotion going on, and his voice to confirm he was at the right location. I pushed myself up, and wiped away more tears. I tried to wash my face, but my face still looked pale, and my eyes were bloodshot. I forced myself to open the door, outside stood the owner, and the waitress that served my table. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Shadow walking towards my direction. He looked me over, his expression unreadable. I looked away, avoiding his gaze. "Can you take me home?" He didn't say anything, shrugged and angled his head toward the door. He lingered long enough for me to pass him out the door. The waitress gave Shadow a ticket, but said the bill was taken care of. Not that paying for my meal was a concern at the moment.

I was shocked that Shadow didn't ride his motorcycle. Sonic never did understand why he got one. He was "almost as fast as him" Sonic would clarify. Shadow walked alongside me the entire way to the end of the street. "Did you just leave work...?" He finally spoke. Oh, shit. I forgot. I paused when we reached a crosswalk. The light was still red, so we had to wait. I asked him to text Cream on my phone. He blinked in confusion, but seconds later he did as I requested. This was the longest walk to my house. He didn't ask any questions, but he kept glancing my way. I just kept glancing at the sky, after we left town. The sun was setting, and I always loved watching it. Sonic would always watch it with me outside on our porch. I gave a sigh. We reached the front door of my quiet home, I fiddled with my keys, and opened the door. I was disappointed that no one welcomed me. I dropped my belongings on the bar and hugged myself. Shadow just stood at the doorframe when I slowly made my way deeper in the kitchen. I took off my apron, and grabbed a bottle of water. I hovered over the sink feeling my eyes sting even more. Shadow slowly inched deeper in the house, closing the door behind him. "Are you okay?" I saw him kind of wince like he shouldn't have said that.

I took a sip of my water. "I... I will be." I say this as if I'm trying to convince myself more than Shadow. I wiped at my eyes, I slowly glanced over with a weak and forced smile. "You don't have to stay, Shadow.." I leaned against the counter. "Thank you." There was a silent acknowledgement from him. I didn't see him make his way to the living room.

"Where's the spawns?" I jumped back into reality, when he spoke after minutes of silence.

"You mean... children?" I raise a brow.

"Yes."

I needed to sit down, so slowly made my way into the living room with him, and laid down on the pillow that rested on our sectional couch. "They're on vacation with their grandparents, and Uncle Tails."

Shadow glanced over, looking me over again. "But, you stayed home to work?" I couldn't tell what he was getting at. So, I just looked at him. He shrugged.

"Rouge says you're the one who works too much." He stayed silent before he scoffed. Before long, nothing was spoken between us again. "Shadow." His ear twitched in attention, "please speak... this house is way too quiet nowadays.." I sunk deeper into the couch. Closing my eyes, trying not to cry again.

"You didn't tell me what happened at work." I felt him sit at the end of the couch.

"I... it didn't happen at work. Work was fine!" I dramatically responded, "I ate at that stupid diner... " I swallowed my words, "his favorite diner." His red gaze locked with mine for a moment. "Ate his favorite food. Damnit. I should be over him after two years. Shouldn't I?" I didn't really want him to answer that, or think he would. I finally sat up, and hugged a pillow close to my chest.

"You never do." He could see the confusion on my face, so he elaborates. Shadow glanced away, "you never get over their death." I probably look dumbfounded to him. "Do you think I don't miss Maria still?" It felt weird hearing him speak of her. He rarely did anymore. He had moved on, and continued to follow her wish and lived his own life. He face furrowed. "I never knew you could cuss."

This earned a smallest grin from me, "does that bother you?"

"Hell no."

"I didn't think so." I gave a sigh. "I just assumed I would feel better by now. I usually pick myself up pretty quickly." I glanced at the clock, and then back at Shadow. "I loved him so much. It's like a piece of me is gone..." I wipe at my eyes again. Here we go with the water works. "I hate this house now. It makes me think of him. Sometimes... I.." she swallowed, "when I see our children I break down." I grab a handful of tissues, "I hate how clean it is in here! I hate... life without him, Shadow. I really do." I finally stood up, and walked in the kitchen, trying to compose myself. But, feeling his gaze on me doesn't help. I silently sob at the kitchen sink.

My ears prick when I hear his footsteps. He's leaving me. He's gonna walk out and leave me alone in this quiet house, with just the sounds of my sobs. I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around. I feel more tears sting, not in grief but relief that Shadow did not leave. I want to hug him. "I shouldn't be saying all this... you didn't even like him." I stubbornly respond, with a uncertain smile. "Heck, you probably hated him. You're... probably glad he's dead." I don't even know why those words escaped my lips. It even shocked Shadow. I immediately want to apologize. He's been so supportive this evening... and I'm being a bitch about it.

"...He was annoying, but I'm not glad he's dead." His eyes darted from me, to the floor. "Sonic gave me more chances than I deserved, Amy. Hell, I even tried to destroy -" Shadow pauses, I can tell he is so mad at himself for that mistake. "he didn't deserve to die the way he did." Shadow hesitated about going on. "You didn't deserve to watch him die, neither." Shadow paused again, unsure of what to say next. He always struggled with expressing his feelings. Just like the blue blur. Before I could control myself, I buried my face into his chest. No tears escaped, this time. I just wrapped my arms around him. A single tear fell down my cheek.

"You didn't deserve to watch Maria die, either." Maybe I shouldn't have said that. I know he doesn't like to think of that day. I don't understand all what happened. Maybe he didn't hear it. I sorta hoped. "I'm sorry." My voice shook, and I went to pull away but stopped when I felt his hand on my back. Like he was sort of accepting this embrace; if you can even call it that.

"Thank you." Shadow hadn't heard anyone say those words to him. They always blamed him, or his creator. It was nice to hear someone actually was concerned about all that he witnessed that terrible day, and how that would affect him. We both distanced ourselves. I hid my blush from his gaze. "You look exhausted." The heat in my cheeks went away. Ha, no kidding. "I should let you get some rest." My disappointment must have been noticeable, but his eyebrow raised slightly.

"Don't leave. Please." I must sound really bipolar. An hour ago, I was hoping he'd leave so I can cry myself to sleep. But now, I can't imagine being alone. Shadow looked awkward now. "Just for tonight... I can't be alone.. right now." My ears went flat.

"Okay." Was all the dark hedgehog said. It was enough to ease my concern. I gave him a thankful look, and then encouraged him to sleep in the spare bedroom. If he even sleeps. Sonic always said he didn't sleep. After getting my pajama's on, and my teeth brushed I come in the living room. I gave him the remote, "If you wanna watch tv... that's fine." I collected my sheets, and comforter and settled on the sectional. I wasn't sure if Shadow stayed in the living room, or hid in the bedroom. I did hear the television moments later, and then I was out like a light.

The next morning, I woke in my bed. I sat up quickly. Went to the bathroom, and washed my face trying to make sure I was actually awake. I went downstairs to find someone on my sectional. It was Shadow. He rolled to face me, and sat up. "You didn't look comfortable... so I took you upstairs." My mouth formed an O shape.

"I hadn't been able to sleep upstairs.." I muttered. Shadow didn't say another word. Like, he knew how it felt. "I... what time is it?" I couldn't recall whether I was gonna need to go to work or not.

"Just before noon."

"I'm surprised you stayed this late." He could hear the sound of gratefulness in my voice. "Uh... you want coffee? Because I need it."

"I fell asleep." Shadow shifted slightly, "Sure.."

"I didn't know you even slept." I laughed slightly, as I started gathering a coffee pod for us and pressed my preferred brewing setting.

"Sonic said that didn't he?"

"Yep."

"I don't require sleep like everyone else. I can go a whole week or more without it."

"How did Sonic know you didn't sleep?" I pestered the black hedgehog. "You two have a slumber party that I didn't know about?"

Shadow looked at me, disgusted. "No. We were on a lookout for Eggman. He noticed I hadn't slept."

"Code for slumber party." I whisper. Shadow gave me a stern look.

"I like this side of you, better."

I blinked. "What?"

"Your sarcasm." He raised a brow, and stood to his feet. Making his way over to the kitchen. I noticed he looked slightly shorter. He had removed his shoes. I handed him a cup of coffee. "Who says that was sarcasm? You two could have had a slumber party, and you just not admit-"

"Hush." Shadow surprised me when he covered my mouth with his hand. "I take it back. I like the cursing side of you." There was a small grin that I saw forming on his face.

"Fine. Asshole." I pushed his hand away, and muttered the insult under my breath.

I encouraged him to sit with me at the small table as we finished our coffee. It was odd having his company here. Of all my friends, I had chosen to call him last night. However, I realized his company was exactly what I needed.

[waterloggedsoliloquy]

Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth is a science fiction novella that's a retelling of Antigone. Roth's prose has improved since I read Divergent almost 10 years ago, but the way she handles the story of Antigone and its setting is... Odd.

In the story, the kingdom of Thebes is the last bastion of civilization in a post apocalyptic world. In order to prevent genetic bottlenecks in a small population, it's mandatory that citizens 1. have children and 2. do not procreate but instead use preserved sperm and/or eggs from a library of long-gone donors. They've created a faith out of this process, attributing to reincarnation. It's better to pick the genes of a long-dead hero because it means your child will grow up the same, etc.

Antigone's brother dies, and the plot kicks off because King Creon bans his genes from being added to the gene library, and Antigone wants her brother to have a chance at reincarnation. Sure, I guess this is one way to do the plot in a science fiction manner.

It's just that this is used to sidestep the incest entirely.

The crime of Antigone's-- and her siblings'-- birth is not through incest and the degradation and tragedy and horror of the family unit, but because Oedipus and Jocasta have a natural birth-- Oedipus impregnates Jocasta naturally and has 4 children. Because they're the reincarnation of nobody, the children of Oedipus are claimed to not have souls, and this is the reason why so many people believe their family line is broken beyond repair. But like... This doesn't have a real-world counterpart. There's not really any believability in a society that considers genetic relation between siblings as a degradation of the family, let alone as a metaphor of incest.

This would be a cowardly action to begin with-- this is a book for young adults and adults where they say fuck-- but the biggest offender is that they DO allude to incest, somewhere else-- Eurydike's mother recently passed away, and Eurydike wishes she could be reincarnated, but if she used her mother's DNA for a new child that'd be incestuous. So instead of one of the core pillars of conflict in the story, incest is relegated to an offhand comment about a completely speculative fiction element.

This book wants to talk about abuse, about misogyny, and lesbophobia (there's a weird tangent where Antigone observes a lesbian couple at the gene bank, and ismene is gay) about marital violence, about filial piety, but is actually really afraid to, because these topics are scary. Roth's prose may have improved since Divergent but her political literacy very much has not.

On top of that, the book gets 33 pages of preamble before Polynikes and Eteocles actually kill each other. The play of Antigone starts with those two already dead in the field. I cannot stress this enough, we have PLACES TO BE. The story should not start a THIRD of the way into the book. it's also a matter of personal distaste but i dislike the fact that chapters are written from the perspectives of different characters. i dont actually care about ismene's inner monologue, or to watch the siblings talk at a cafe. Why does Eurydike have a POV chapter before the "play" even starts??? Her entire role is one of futile passivity. She has no relevance until the point of no return. She has 4 lines of dialogue, a fact several better adaptions comment on and explore (Antigonick and Antigone Will Take The Stairs Today) and her presence this early in the area adds nothing.

Antigone's anger feels toothless and performative no matter how many f-bombs she drops. The narrative is unfocused and meandering and is overinvested in justifying its science fiction premise. Despite the attempt to characterize them in a story that doesn't need it, Polynikes and Eteocles and Ismene feel flat.

It's a bad adaption of Antigone that's fundamentally inequipped to deal with the source material and elects to disrespect the care it requires and the emotional core of the original work, and this just makes it, in general, a bad book.

[star-mum]

the ages in Teen Wolf make no fucking sense and the MTV writers made it MY ISSUES SPECIFICALLY

insane rambling (and very bad math) under the cut

I was thinking.... the Hales weren't recluses ??? (post fire Derek doesn't count, he's been through stuff) cause Derek went to highschool like normal ??? So WHYYYY (besides convenient writing) doesn't ANYONE REMEMBER THEM ??????

Like yeah Derek was older than the main cast, whatever, but CORA ????? SHE'S THEIR AGE ???? THEY PROBABLY ALL WENT TO PRESCHOOL TOGETHER ???? AT LEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL ????

SO !!! i have JUST NOW decided that Cora, Derek and Laura are 3 years apart from each other. "What about Talia and Peter?" you ask me and if you'd given me a FUCKING SECOND I'D TELL YOU !!! GEEZ !!!

Okay so IF we assume Peter is in his early 20s when Derek is in highschool considering ONLY the actor who played him in the Paige Flashback then okay, fine they're like almost 20 years apart BUT !!! Look at Peter now !!! LOOK AT HIM !!! THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN IN 4-6 YEARS (depending on how old you think s1 Derek is) (we'll get to that too, hold on) SO !!!! Im gonna ignore that weird casting choice and confidently give Talia and Peter a 13 years age difference, why ? you ask... idk sounds like a good number, I like things in 3s- WRONG !!! I DID EXTENSIVE MATH AND THINKING ON THIS !!!

We're gonna take some liberty here and assume Wolf Born Families are a bit traditional when it comes to kids and stuff SO Talia would've probably had her first kid in her very early 20s BUT we also need to consider that she was The Alpha of the house (and I refuse to believe Hale isn't HER family name) (OH ALSO !! Since the spark passed from her to Laura we can assume, cause I want to, that, at least, the Hale Pack worked as a matriarchy) which demands a lot of respect and work soooo I'm gonna go with her being about 24-25 when she had Laura

WHICH !!! Would've made Peter 11-12, which is not that different from the age gap he has with Talia, so he probably used to look at Laura much more as a sister than a niece (you know for the pain and suffering and drama) SO !!! when Derek was 15, Peter was 29-30 aaaand 29 makes the most sense to me, so I'd go with that!

Please dont get me started on the contradicting age of our "teen" cast !! Scott is 15 and then 18 in 10 months ???? Doesn't make sense !!!! So to ME the teen cast is all 17 in season 1 !!! except for Alison who's a year older and very understandably insecure about turning 19 and still being in highschool. And then in the span of 10 months we roll around to Scott's 18 birthday !! hooray time is linear !!!

All this to say, these are all people around the same age as our main characters AND THEY WERE PART OF THE TOWN !!!! HOW COME NO ONE REMEMBERS THEM ????

Even if we operate on the belief that Derek is, during season one, between 19-22 (which feels correct to me) that still makes the family fire NOT THAT LONG AGO (4-6 years) HOW COME PEOPLE ARE FORGETTING ABOUT IT ALREADY ????

Cora is the same age as EVERYBODY ELSE !!!! did they not go to middle school together ? do they not remember her ? who was she friends with ? Before Paige died Derek was very well integrated into High School culture, we have no reason to believe either of his sisters were homeschooled. Peter was a grOWN ADULT !!! I KNOW THE HALES WERE OLD MONEY RICH BUT DID HE NOT HAVE A JOB ???? DID HE NOT HAVE A LAW FIRM TO WORK AT ??? (recently came across a "Peter Hale had a law degree" post and it's canon to me forever now) Did Laura not pick up her siblings from school not a SINGLE DAY OF THEIR LIFE ????

OH !! WHICH REMINDS ME !! Derek said at some point that the fire happened when he and his sister were still at school and I'm pretty sure that was on s1 so he obviously meant Laura (i don't think the writers had Cora planned from the beginning, she was there to work in Erica's place) BUT !!! What if he did mean Cora, he walked his little 12 yo sister to school because he's Big Sister Laura (18 yo) was away for college at that time !!! And Kate had no choice but to leave those 3 out cause Laura wouldn't have come home without a good reason and Cora went to school at the time was Derek just a different building

This brings me to my (hopefully) final point: what the fuck is Deatons problem ???? He was Talia's emissary, he knew the pack inside and out and they very OBVIOUSLY KNEW HIM !!! HE WAS BESIDE THEIR ALPHA ALL THE DAMN TIME !!! How come Derek didn't recognize him ???? My vague memory on the dialogue between Deaton and Peter in s1 makes it seem like they Knew Each Other, in that ominous way... why didn't Derek ?? He wasn't a small child, he knew Deaton too, he could've remembered him ????

Again... things that feel like they were written into the plot only AFTER s1 aired

[taylortruther]

Even just in my life experience godparent can mean anything from “you’re not my sibling but you’re like my sibling so I think you’ll be closer to my kid than just a regular friend of mine” to “if I die I expect you to become the parent of my child” for the same kid at different times in your life.

I have a godson and at the time I was so selected, the expectation was that if his parents passed, I would actually assume responsibility for him and care for him as my child, because twelve years ago when he was born I was the most responsible of the friends and family - none of our friends were married or had kids, and her sisters were still kids themselves, being younger than she is. Now, however, I have moved away, and the friend who asked me to be his godmom’s sister has grown up and gotten married and has two kids and lives down the block and my godson has two additional siblings so in reality the sister and her wife would take the cousins in if anything happened. But I retain the honorary title, without the responsibility, and still see him and his siblings in person when I can or online when I can’t.

So when someone says “my godkids” I have no idea if they mean “my children if their parents died” or “kids I who are important to me whose lives I am super involved in like a very important aunt/uncle” or “kids I expected to be close to when they were born and even though times changed I still have a special place in my heart for them compared to the kids of other friends.” Oh, and there’s the religious part too. I have a goddaughter that was born when I was like 10 so obviously no responsibility there, but it was supposed to be like a ‘mentorship growing up in the church’ thing (neither of us is religious oops).

that's really sweet that you stayed close! did you have to sign paperwork or something to be his guardian or was it assumed that if something happened, you'd do the paperwork then? i'm so curious about this!!

my family is technically catholic, so i guess that's why they took godparents semi-seriously. and we're mexican. i don't call my aunt and uncle my tios, i call them my ninos (not to be confused with niños), since they're my godparents.

[triviareads]

Could you suggest any books where the heroine is a widow who discovers how good sex is with a new lover?

Her Protector's Pleasure by Grace Callaway: She's a lady, he's a cop; what's really great here (apart from Ambrose basically pouncing on Marianne like every 10 seconds) is that because Ambrose knows Marianne's husband was shitty and abusive towards her, he makes sure to check in with her during sex (specifically before a blowjob I believe, because Marianne's late husband forced her to perform them).

Pippa and the Prince of Secrets by Grace Callaway: Pippa's late husband was another shitty man who shamed her for seeking pleasure during sex, so when Pippa gets with Cull (The Prince of Larks lolol), she's finally able to be fearless in her sexuality (so fearless that they use the first sex swing ever invented... at least I'd like to think).

The Viper by Monica McCarty: Bella's husband dies midway though the book from what I remember, definitely after she's met the hero Lachlan. They don't get off to a good start; they both have immense trauma they're dealing with (Bella's husband was abusive and they had huge political differences) but when her and Lachlan do get together, it's probably some of the sex scenes in the Highland Guard series.

The Recruit by Monica McCarty: Mary is the widow of a philandering traitor when she comes across Kenneth (Kenneth! who knew a hero named Kenneth would do it for me!) having sex with another woman— truly one of the great historical romance voyeur scenes, and Ken has excellent follow-through with Mary too.

Wicked Again by Kathleen Ayers: Marissa has been widowed thrice and she's had lovers before the hero, but she chose purposefully dull "age-appropriate" men (she's 49) before the hero Haddon, who's 40 and fabulous in bed (the book starts with them having sex, which made me very happy).

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera: Similar to Wicked Again, Cora has had relationships with other women since she was widowed, but sex with Manuela, who bargains with Cora to to take her to all the lesbian haunts in Paris in exchange for her land, is a *revelation*.

The Duchess in His Bed by Lorraine Heath: Aiden is the owner of a sex club and rumored to be a great lover, and Selena is 100% trying to take advantage of that... so she can get pregnant and pass the baby off as her recently-deceased husband's child. Classic bonkers Lorraine plot, and it WORKS.

Between the Devil and Desire by Lorraine Heath: Classic fire-meets-ice; Jack is a former street urchin turned gentlemen's club owner, and Olivia is a widowed duchess (her husband was much older) and Jack is named as Olivia's son's guardian so now they need to live together.

The Earl Takes All by Lorraine Heath: So uh, the heroine is not aware that the man she's sleeping with is not her husband, but rather, his identical twin as the husband died in a gorilla attack but, the sex has gotten way better since her "husband" came home, and he's a lot more jacked.

Lost in Your Arms by Christina Dodd: Another instance where her estranged "husband" is recovering from his injuries, and is suddenly giving wayyyy better sex than he ever did before, and is also way taller and jacked...

The Scandal of it All by Sophie Jordan: Graciela's first husband was a cheater and called her "cold" in bed, and now she finds herself inconveniently attracted to her step-son's best friend (who is younger! le gasp!). Colin's always had a crush on her and his vibe is very "I'm not a boy anymore; I'm a MAN".

Duchess by Day, Mistress by Night by Stacy Reid: Georgiana's first husband came to her "the third week of every month for three years" so Rhys is understandably a revelation for her sex-wise, being the bit o' rough hero that he is.

The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt: She's a widow and the hero's secretary, and decides to disguise herself as a prostitute to have sex with him. I'll never stop recommending this book because the sex scenes in this one are that great.

Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt: This one has an older, more experienced widow and he's a virgin(!!!!!) so like, yes Isabel is surprised by how good the sex is (hell she cries at some point), but also, Winter is wayyyy more shook.

I know Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt is another good widow romance but I've yet to get around to reading it (rereading it? honestly, 2020 is a fever dream).

Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas: Kathleen's (abusive alcoholic) husband of three days dies and the new heir to the earldom, Devon, arrives to take charge and they immediately antagonize one another even as as he's chasing after her and dragging her into carriages and stuff.

Devil's Daughter by Lisa Kleypas: Kind of the opposite of Cold-Hearted Rake; Phoebe's late husband was sweet but very ill all the time before he passed away, so a lot of the plot is Phoebe being afraid to move on, especially with a more unorthodox, forward-thinking, and comparatively vigorous man like West.

The Harlot Countess Joanna Shupe: Simon and Maggie kinda had a Thing back in the day, but then Maggie was compromised and forced to marry an older man and now the two of them have hella beef, BUT their chemistry is amazing and the voyeurism scene might be tied with the aforementioned Kenneth/Mary scene.

From the VIllian I'd Like To F... anthology:

Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson: Estelle is a recently widowed duchess who's sold off to Blake, a gambling hell owner, to pay off her BIL's debts and is thrown in the deep end of exhibitionism, voyeurism, and sex toys galore.

Lady Viper and the Bastard by Eva Leigh: This is a cusp rec for me because Violet has been widowed for a while and I think she's had good sex, BUT obviously none are on the level of the chemistry she shares with Ian (and their shared propensity for excellent roleplaying is unmatched).

I was gonna include The Conquering of Tate the Pius by Sierra Simone but I think Adelais has had fulfilling sex before she met Tate lol... but would absolutely recommend.

Erotic Romance:

His Countess by S.M. LaViolette: Another case of a prim and proper widow falling for her late husband's slutty disreputable heir; Gideon allows Alys to explore all her fantasies (bondage, having sex with other men, etc.) after their marriage of convenance.

Passion by Lisa Valdez: This book literally starts with Passion's post-mourning sexual awakening when she's groped by a stranger in the Crystal Palace, and they have lots and lots of cervix-hitting sex. Don't worry, it's better-written than the way I'm describing it.

Modern:

Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai: He's her late husband's brother, and he's back in town and she nearly has sex with him without realizing who he is; a fabulous start and there's sooooo much guilt and angst.

Sin and Ink by Naima Simone: Another late-husband's-brother book, more angst and guilt with a side of stomach licking(?) and really good sex.

[bluberimufim]

21, 5, and 10 for the writer’s ask :))

Hiii thank you for the ask! Sorry for the late reply, I had this tab opened for an eternity and forgot about it.

21. Have you ever thrown any major rules that everybody follows out of the window?

Kinda?? I usually don't look too hard at writing rules and just do whatever. I find that figuring it out myself works better than following advice I don't fully understand, sometimes.

But I guess I could say I've discarded a few? I write mostly fantasy and, when people give advice on writing fantasy, they tend to gear it towards a more stereotypical idea of it. A lot of advice on story climaxes and character writing for fantasy focuses on there being a Big Bad Antagonist to beat and a Great Showdown at the end. And that just isn't how I like to write.

I've said it before, but my stories are all extremely chill. There are still big events happening and there are obviously stakes to the plot, but it's more emotional than anything else. The climax of "Black and White" is a tense conversation at a coffee shop and a farewell between two friends. (You could also say that the climax is Alphonse's death, but. Eh.) People literally just talk to each other all the time with almost no action scenes involved. "Devourer of Souls" features an entire war with an outcome that ultimately doesn't matter because the story is about the relationship between two characters. The climax is Seth trying to revive Theo after she dies and that's literally just. Also a conversation.

This also happened to me a bit in my architectural project classes in my first year of college. All my professors were like "pick an axis and go with it" and I discovered, together with my professor, that I just think differently about space, and tend to focus more on staying in a certain place rather than in walking through it. Everyone is different. Be yourself.

Wow. Sorry for the ramble. It turned into life advice. Dammit.

5. How would you describe your writing style? Does your writing style change for different WIPs? If yes, describe all or maybe just a few.

I've mentioned this once in passing. My style of story structure is very... jumpy, I guess? I switch POVs to get the better picture of a certain scene, and I skip around a lot in time. Both B&W and the dystopia WIP have a "present day" plot happening parallel to a "flashback plot". The dystopia WIP technically has five different flashback plots, but they're all told separately. This is because they have multiple protagonists who are at different points in their lives. Darius's story happens over three years. Diedrich's happens over thirty-five. To be given the same weight, they must mix. Otheriwse the story becomes "Diedrich and Some Dude".

"Devourer of Souls", however, is completely different. It has one protagonist, Seth, and it tells the story of her life. Book 2 has two protagonists, introducing Flick, but there's still no need for flashbacks, because the story of Seth's past has already been told. And I gotta say, it is super weird to write something so linearly. It feels wrong, but it's one hell of an experience!

10. How often do you stick to your original plot?

I only really outline the bare bones and the scenes I daydream about before writing, so it leaves a lot of room. I am technically still within DoS's outline, but I have since added two characters, new magic mechanics, and an entire mini-arc in the middle.

But the basis is usually still there. There's also bits that I just leave as "???" in the outline that stand for "pretty much 2 years of relationship development that I'll figure out in the moment". Anything character-driven I just leave as "whatever, we'll make it up as we go". I plan plot but I 100% pant the hell out of character development.

[cityandking]

👪 ❌ ✨ 🌱 🔮

For Dai and Minah (rip Dai ♥️♥️♥️)

rip dai 😔✌️ // prompts I'd like to receive

[ 👪 ] what is your muse’s relationship with their parents like? was it always this way?

DAI — he doesn't know his mom at all but his relationship with his dad is really good! they pretty much only ever had each other and dai's dad has always been his hero and role model. throughout his training and his posting at the garrison, daichi made a point to keep in touch and write letters, and he's been keeping up with that even through their travels (even though they're more journal entries than proper letters at this point)

MINAH — she had a good relationship with her parents. they had their fights like any family, but they all liked each other and always made a point to support each other as a unified whole, and she was proud to call them her parents. they both passed when she was a teenager, though, so there may be a tinge of rosy nostalgia to her memories

[ ❌ ] is there something your muse struggles with that they might never overcome? what is it? why do they have so much trouble with it?

DAI — being dead he's got a bit of a ~complicated~ relationship with duty and obligation. his sense of responsibility veers close to guilt. a lot of it is a mix of only child and gifted child syndrome, and also probably the trauma of being a kid in a war camp

MINAH — trust issues! she has major trust issues! she had a very very very bad time of things right around the time her parents died and it messed her up reaaaaaaally good. it's been solidly like 10 years since all that happened and she's still very much refusing to deal with any of it so those trust issues sure are sticking around!

[ ✨ ] what aesthetics or symbols do you reference when writing your muse? are these backed up by canon, if your muse comes from a canon? is there any specific relevance to these choices?

DAI — as a cleric of Pelor and oath of the shield paladin, suns and shields feature pretty heavily in his aesthetic. the sky in general, and also light—so, so much light

MINAH — I'm still working her out, and as a warden-to-be there's definitely some grey warden stuff that's probably going to work its way in there, but as an entertainer (and thief) I think masks are going to be a pretty big part of her vibe. also like, ribbons? scraps of fabric and color and pieces of other costumes; things that can be laced and tied and made into pretty clothes but are also torn and ruined things and bindings

[ 🌱 ] what themes are relevant to your muse?

DAI — duty, honor, what it means to be a protector. homecoming and freedom. flight. uhhh hopefully rebirth?

MINAH — we'll see as the campaign goes, but I think trust and masking/unmasking. knowing and being known, that sort of thing. and the heartache of knowing you turned your back on something you can never return to, no matter how hard you try (and trying anyway, even if it's pointless).

[ 🔮 ] what is your muse’s relationship with religion and spirituality? were they raised in a certain religion? have they stuck with the same set of spiritual beliefs all their life, or have they changed over time? are they settled in their spirituality now?

DAI — oh yes my favorite daichi question. dai was raised 100% in the order of Pelor and Selene—his dad was part of a holy army overthrowing a corrupt monarch and he's known members of the religious order since he was a kid. his dad especially was faithful to the order (and its mission and its war), which was a big reason of why daichi joined the order and became a cleric of Pelor in the first place. his travels really shook his faith, and so did his first death, to the degree that he (consciously or not) sought out a different kind of faith and ended up catching the attention of a different god (Tempus, god of war). over the past few months he's really reconciled his faith in the two and reoriented his belief from something innate and expected (as part of the order back home) to something he actively affirms and reaffirms within himself, which he finds to be a truer kind of faith than that of those, say, blindly following the path laid out before them (cough). one thing I can say for sure is that he faced death fully at peace and absolutely certain his sacrifice was the right thing to do in the eyes of himself, his gods and the city at his back.

MINAH — minah was raised staunchly andrastrian and is now staunchly very much opposed to the chantry and its teachings. her parents' deaths pretty much shattered her faith, which was something she was raised in and had never really thought about until her entire world was flipped on its head. that (and her travels) consequently made her far more open-minded about the chantry's usual bullshit about mages and elves and whatnot, so. net win? but yeah no she had a major spiritual change and doesn't believe in the maker and certainly doesn't give a rat's ass about the chantry or the chant or any of the whole institution

[funnuraba]

Here is the order of Threepwood siblings that I worked out for an ageswap fanfic where Baxter is working for the 8th Earl instead of the 9th:

Clarence, Lord Bosham: 21 (as of early 1884; his birthday is apparently in summer, in between Summer Lightning and Heavy Weather)

Ann / mysterious 10th sister (see my theory that Lady Ann doesn't exist): 19

Galahad: 18

Hermione: 16

Diana: 15

Florence: 14

Lancelot: 13

Dora: 11

Jane: 10

Constance: 9 (11 or 12 year difference from Clarence depending on time of year)

Julia: 8

Charlotte: 7

Georgiana: 6

Considerations and meditations on what we actually know from canon under the cut:

My considerations: Gally tells Clarence that they should have "set their faces against sisters at the start", which implies that they're two of the eldest siblings, if not THE oldest, rather than several sisters preceding Clarence, the eldest son. And every sister with children seems to have had them around the same time, meaning a minimal amount of time probably passed between each sister's birth.

Hermione feels like an older sister to me; Diana must be close in age to Galahad since he remembers her being sought after when he was a young man; he also remembers Julia and Constance being supervised by governesses at a time when he was running around London with Julia's future husband. (Connie attended Roedean, per A Pelican At Blandings, so presumably her younger sisters received formal education as well, starting at 11, but they would have returned to governesses for the holidays.) I noticed that George is a repeating name in the family tree (the current Bosham and his son) and thought that Georgiana might have been the youngest, after several attempts to have a final son who could be named George. (Possibly the previous Lord Emsworth's name?)

All we know from canon is that:

Clarence is older than Galahad, who is older than Constance, who is older than Julia but not by much (Crime Wave; Heavy Weather). Clarence is also older than Hermione (Full Moon).

Also, Galahad is 56-57 except when he changes in a later book to his early 50s. Clarence winds up being around 59-60 most of the time but is 76 in the very first book. Connie is mid-40s in Leave it to Psmith, so there are *at least* 10 years between her and Clarence, except that she has memories of him and Galahad as children, and they're said to have shared a nursery where she once slapped Clarence upside the head and he was sister-pecked by her specifically from earliest boyhood.

But she's absolutely still in her 40s, because she's of an age with her sisters, seven of whom have children in their 20s. Also sometimes she's the same age as the Duke of Dunstable, who is explicitly Clarence and Uncle Fred's age, which is 60+. And their romance was 20 years ago (the same time Clarence's wife died), so she was in her mid-20s, and he was 40 and still unmarried as a future Duke, and she's still fond of him now, except when she forgets that and thinks she's always found him very annoying. That one is the book set in 1926, where we learn that she's a longtime close friend of James Schoonmaker, whom she'd never met before as of Summer Lightning, which is set in 1923, but also his name was John back then so who knows. And in 1926 she's known the Duke for "some 40 years", ever since he went around wearing Little Lord Fauntleroy suits, which was an odd habit given that he was previously said to be 60, which would make him 20 back then.

OH and she went to Roedean, which is one of Wodehouse's standard schools for female characters... except that Connie is much older than most of them. Roedean didn't exist by that name until 1898, when she would be in her 20s according to Leave it to Psmith, and it would have had about 10 students in the years she was young enough to attend.

So that's all very clear!

Oh, and Beach has been working at the castle for 18 years, no matter what book we're in or how much time has passed.

[feuqueerfire]

Infernal Affairs (2002) Live Blogging

Watched The Worst of Evil in like 24 hours and that was full of excitement and adrenaline, so I feel empty now. Finished that this morning and it's almost 10pm and thinking of starting this show because of this post which mentions Junmo seems to think he's in Infernal Affairs. Is it a good idea to start a new gangster infiltration movie right after I watched Worst of Evil? Who knows. Hope it goes well

June 22, 2024

wait what? He's a gang member who infiltrated the police academy to be a cop implant but he got expelled?

and the other kid is a police academy kid who's being planted in the gang

the editing is kinda killing me, why does it remind me of Bollywood a little bit, though not as dramatic as the Indian serials

20 years pass by with them in the gang, which is interesting/funny because lmao Seungho climbed the ranks fast as well in The Worst of Evil

bruh okay I'm watching these on random sites lol so at first when I started watching I was like... why do the mouths not match but seems like that one was dubbed, so I found the original on a different site. Wish I knew the difference between Mandarin vs Cantonese to tell but I think the first one was Mandarin dub while this is Canto original purely based on this being a Hong Kong movie

oh, wait the kid who got "expelled" from police academy is gang implant?

and it's been almost 10 years

okay yeah this is def not Mandarin, it's so unfamiliar to me. the audio that i first started with was def familiar to me since I've watched a bunch of Taiwanese stuff and some mainland Chinese stuff too and that was probably Mandaring

only one guy now knows this man's identity as a cop, that's scary af like what if he dies?

and the cop actually works for the gang right?

i'm confused about what the fake-cop did with the Triad member, like did he get genuine info from him and give it to the cops? Did he get secret info from him that he didn't give to cops? Is the location not genuine/will he give a heads up?

ah, they Triads are doing a drug trade while the cops are trying to catch them and the mole on each side is trying to (inconspicuously) help the other side lmfao

so does this fake-gangster actually have to do coke, that sucks for him :(

so they cop and fake-gangster-mole communicating in morse code through fingers right? so the finger is tapping the mic to make morse code sounds? and the fake-cop has caught onto his supervisor doing it?

ahh the gang leader trying to figure out who the mole is

the fake-cop and fake-gangster's meeting and they seem to take notice of each other but... do they recognize the other?

The gang leader and cop leader having a tense but funny conversation about how they each have a mole in the other's midst and they both know it. [TODO: how does the kidney patients and the cards story end?]

so is she the fake-cop's gf? very pretty. i also like their physicality together

the fake-gangster also likes his therapist? each male lead has a love interest, the women won't die right...

please why is he telling his therapist that he's a cop T.T couldn't she be threatened and spill the beans

the cops want the mole-cop to investigate the mole-cop lmfaoo good luck

the moles almost saw each other's faces since fake-cop met the gang leader while fake-gangster was keeping an eye on the gang leader maybe

and the gang leader also trusts fake-gangster the most lmfao pls they're both very good at their jobs ig

fake-gangster: Yan. fake-cop: Lau

fake-cop and his fiance are really cute oh man

and also she's an author and she's asking how the story should end because her main guy is a good guy who has done many bad things loll

omg... that's not his kid, is it? because the mother said the daughter is 5 but daughter corrected her saying she's 6... and the two of them haven't met in "6 to 7 years" girl... this fake-gangster cop has a child he doesn't know about bc the mother doesn't wanna get mixed in with gangs?

damn, the gangs really cornered the cop and fake-gangster. hope cop Wong doesn't die bc uh how will Yan then be known as a cop and be able to get out and stuff. his file is still in the cop folder though

oh damn, sad ending for cop Wong

damn, this side character gang guy also got shot

hm Lau is taking responsibility for Wong’s death and apparently tracking him before that

oh, the file is password-protected and so they don’t know who their mole is

oh, cooperation? what is Lau planning now that he has access to the mole but the mole doesn’t know Lau himself is also the mole

they’re framing the guy who died while driving as the cop mole?

Is Lau actually gonna help Yan? Does he feel ambivalent toward the gang now after seeing Wong die?

Lau kills the gang boss just like that ong

omg Yan found out that Lau was the mole then Lau found out Yan knows and deleted his fucking file?!

Should I care about this romance what i’m nervous about what is gonna happen to Yan

oh, Yan’s got voice recordings of Lau communicating with gang leader Sam

dang, so this guy is a cop who is also a spy for the gang and he fucking

shot and killed Yan omg

and was telling Lau that he’ll follow him now etc assuming he’s still on the gang side but Lau also ended up shooting him dead

so Wong is dead, Yan is dead, Lau continues to be the cop without anybody knowing he used to be mole

Overall:

This is a movie that I think I'd like to rewatch and would be able to follow it more on the rewatch. I'm not super used to older movies or crime/gangster movies, so I think a second watch would be beneficial.

It's fast-paced, fairly short (100 minutes), lean, and straight to the point but full of subtlety and quite philosophical in a way. The main characters have both been cosplaying for a decade and their lives have been shaped by their current lives, so despite technically being a cop and a gangster, are they still now more like their mole identities?

Infernal means like relating to hell, so these events in the show are hellish and they make references to hell at the beginning and end of the movie. Yan was a cop but nobody other than himself and Wong knew it, so after a decade, what difference does it even make that he's a cop? The thought of the little girl being his daughter is so tragic because he met the woman while he was a gangster and because of that he never got to pursue a love or a family the way other people can. In the end, what did his mission even accomplish, Wong and him both died (and Yan so close to the end too) while Lau is the while who shot Sam and is lauded with praises for it and also catching the police mole. What a tragic life he's lead.

On the other hand, Lau has always wanted to be Yan. At the Academy when he was getting kicked out because I guess he wanted to be with the gang, not spying as a cop and at the end because now Yan's dead but is laid to rest with respect while Lau is now always paranoid that somebody will find out about his previous affiliations and also the guilt of never having faced consequences. Lau's fiance's story about whether the man who was good or bad was also an interesting thread. And though Lau got the chance to have a romance unlike Yan, he lost that when Mary (?) found out that he's part of the gang.

It's a tragic ending where Wong and Yan both die while Lau is praised for killing Sam and the other cop mole without being found out as the real mole who was working with the gang for 10 years, I appreciate its bleakness. Then again, it's a movie where you don't even necessarily want Lau to face retribution because you can see him want to become better and abandon being a mole for the gang.

I liked this comment about the film discussing its philosophies/why the way it ended mattered.

Rating: 7/10

[wondereads]

Personal Review (10/31/22)

Shades of Rust and Ruin by A. G. Howard

Summary

After her twin sister, Lark, died on Halloween night, Nix has been terrified of the holiday. She finds solace in her drawings of the Mystiquiel, a magical place where faerie lore and steampunk come to life. Years later, her fears manifest as her uncle is stolen away to the land of her drawings, leaving her and her best friend to save him and escape Mystiquiel, all before the clock strikes midnight.

Plot 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

I enjoyed this plot, but I have one major gripe with it. As someone who is a huge A. G. Howard fan, this book is shockingly similar to one of my favorites, Splintered. They're both about a teenage girl with a morbidly artistic touch who ends up in another world (alongside a childhood friend she has feelings for) because of a curse stemming from a classic piece of literature passed down through the family. Now, does that mean this story was unenjoyable? Absolutely not, I eat this up every time. Does it mean it's unoriginal? Unfortunately, yes. I can appreciate this story for the entertainment it brought me, but the similarities are a little too obvious to ignore.

On the bright side, I did love the worldbuilding. This book takes traditional faerie folklore and mashes it together with machinery and an industrial style, and it's really interesting to think about. I loved that it played off things the reader will be familiar with without rehashing the same characters again and again that would have made it a bit more dull. Also, Nix's powers of creation as an artist were very cool, and I hope to see more of how they work in the next book. This book is inspired by The Goblin Market by Christina Rosetti; the influences are clear beyond just Nix's obsession with the piece. As a side effect, other works inspired by it echo in this book, particularly the cult classic movie Labyrinth—there's even a ballroom scene. I love the callbacks to both the poem and the movie. Finally, as a forewarning, this book does end on a cliffhanger!

Characters 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

Nix was a very interesting character. She is very apparently flawed, and the narrative preys off of that. I do wish she weren't so aware of those flaws, but seeing things like jealousy, a thirst for control, and extreme guilt in a character makes them a lot more compelling. It also opens her up to manipulation, so it's easier for the different forces in Mystiquiel to get their claws into her. However, I wish she'd been a bit more aware; she wrote some of these characters and yet she doesn't seem to notice the inconsistencies in their motivations.

Clarey is Nix's best friend, and he's also the love interest. In terms of how love interests are represented in YA, Clarey is pretty unique. He's a bit more delicate and feminine than male love interests tend to be, which is a breath of fresh air. His relationship to Nix is quite interesting considering he's also Lark's ex-boyfriend (the dead twin). It's been a while since Lark's death, but it's hard for either of them to move past it. It adds a layer of tension; neither of them want to endanger their friendship, and they also don't want to disrespect Lark's memory.

The Goblin King, who is sort of the antagonist but also kind of not, doesn't really get much attention this time around. I am hoping to see more of him in the second book, especially to see how Nix and him will interact. Finally, even though she's dead, Lark is a pretty major character through flashbacks and such. And I hate her guts. It's a good kind of hate, the kind that will make me care and root for Nix, but I just cannot find any sort of sympathy within me for her.

Writing Style 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

This is the third book by Howard I've reviewed, and the writing is as good as ever! As always, it isn't for everyone. It's quite flowery and detailed, which some people don't enjoy, but I do! The descriptions are absolutely gorgeous, which plays into the atmosphere of the book. It's so easy to get an amazing picture of what the creatures and the world look like, and it truly feels like the story is being told through the eyes of an artist.

However, I have to bring up the pacing. It takes over 100 pages before Nix is even in the Mystiquiel, so the ending feels rushed while the beginning drags. Establishing Nix's normal life and her state of mind is important, but it just took way too long.

Overall 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

I am so excited to get more A. G. Howard retellings! Although this book has its flaws, the writing is amazing, as usual, and I love the characters. It's a great Halloween read, and I'll most definitely be reading the second book when it comes out. This book has quite a few similarities to Howard's previous books; I found it pretty noticeable, but it doesn't directly detract from the reader's enjoyment, especially if you've never read the others. While I don't think it tops anything else by this author, it was still a fun, holiday-appropriate read!

The Author

A. G. Howard: American, 51, also wrote Stain, Splintered, and Roseblood

Check out my review of Stain here

Check out my review of Splintered here

The Reviewer

My name is Wonderose; I try to post a review every week, and I do themed recommendations every once in a while. I take suggestions! Check out my about me post for more!

[klarolinelibrary]

Hi KC readers,

We have decided to create a list of KC stories that were updated during the week which we plan to share every Friday. This is one of the ways we plan to promote different KC authors and stories in our community. 

For our first weekly releases, we have collected stories on FFN and AO3 that were updated during the week of April 16 - April 10! We hope you enjoy the new stories.

Happy reading!

FFN

He's got you mesmerised (while i die)

Author: klavscaroline

Rating: T

Length: Drabble

Summary: You gave him your sweater, it's just polyester. But you like him better a.k.a. unrequited carolijah (high school au)

Date of update: April 10 2021

Klaus POV - The Trouble with Spells (chapter 20)

Author: ilovetf

Rating: M

Length: Multi Chapter

Summary: The Trouble with Spells as seen through Klaus's eyes and his POV. Over the years, people kept liking this story and some even asked for Klaus POV, so I decided to give it a try. Hope you enjoy it. All feedback is more than welcome. Good or bad.

Date of update: April 10 2021

Black Roses (Chapter 29)

Author: xKlaroStylesx  

Rating: M

Length: Multi Chapter

Summary: Vampires, witches and werewolves are welcomed at the Whitmore Academy for the Supernaturally Gifted but that doesn't mean they all welcome each other. Ambitious student witch Caroline Forbes shares a mutual loathing with arrogant yet mysterious vampire Klaus Mikaelson. A spiral of events occur when their two dueling worlds collide and a life changing connection is formed.

Date of update: April 13 2021

Our darkest moments (Chapter 8)

Author: CookieDuo

Rating: M

Length: Multi Chapter

Summary: Discovering her entire life has been a lie, Caroline is determined to find out the truth and travels to the small town Mystic Falls in search of answers. Meanwhile, in the woods outside of Mystic Falls, a "monster" prays on unsuspecting young woman. In time the connection between the two becomes clear... Dark Klaroline!

Date of update: April 14 2021

A Failed Sacrifice (Chapter 3)

Author: CookieDuo

Rating: M

Length: Multi Chapter

Summary: She ruined the sacrifice to save her own life, and in order to survive she turned to the only other vampire who'd been able to survive the wrath of Klaus Mikaelson. She gets away, and learns from the master, but when Klaus eventually catches up to her, her life will never be the same again.

Date of update: April 16 2021

AO3

Always Finding Trouble

Author: Cupcakemolotov

Raiting: M

Length: Drabble

Summary: Assassins in love were so cliche, but here she was. Married, even.

Date of update: April 10 2021

In Your Hands

Author: ThrowMeAStory

Raiting: E

Lenght: Drabble

Summary: 4x16 au, Part 6. The date.

Date of update: April 10 2021

The blood in your mouth

Author: perfectpro

Raiting: T

Lenght: Drabble

Summary: After Liz Forbes's untimely death, Caroline finds herself at the helm of her mother's empire. She's been trained for this role, but Klaus Mikaelson is a man she hadn't known to expect.

Date of update: April 10 2021

I AM SORRY BABY 2

Author: wincefish16

Raiting: Not rated

Lenght: Drabble

Summary: CONTINUATION OF I AM SORRY BABY. THIS WILL FOCUS ON KLAUS'S CHEMO AND THE PROBLEMS THAT COME WITH IT.

Date of update: April 11 2021

Give Me A Sign (Chapter 2)

Author: PumpkinDoodles

Raiting: M

Lenght: Multi chapter

Summary: Caroline Forbes is happy that she left founders' parties, competition over guys she'd known since elementary school, and even Mystic Falls itself behind years ago. She's not second-best to Elena anymore. Even Liz would be proud of her new life working on the side of the law. Mostly. (If you need to compel someone into giving up stolen goods, is it really a crime?). Of course he's the one person from her past who comes looking for her. Klaus does that.

Date of update: April 11 2021

The Wolf II (Chapter 31)

Author: Yokan

Raiting: E

Lenght: Multi chapter

Summary: The Guerreras' threat still looms over the Mikaelson house as Caroline tries to adapt to life as a vampire, away from her daughter. But an unexpected family reunion makes everything worse, taking away the little peace Klaus, Caroline and Elijah managed to find after the war that nearly broke them. [It's The Originals Season 2, but Caroline was a witch, had Klaus' baby and now she's a vampire. Klaroline, obviously.]

Date of update: April 11 2021

A smutty anniversary (Chapter 5)

Author: kcatdino

Raiting: E

Lenght: Multi chapter

Summary: Caroline and Klaus celebrate 3 months together with a day full of smut.

Date of update: April 11 2021

One of a Kind, Two of a Kind, or the Three Musketeers (Chapter 9)

Author: Phandancee74

Raiting: T

Lenght: Multi chapter

Summary: Caroline recognizes how hard it is for Elena to be a doppelgänger, her fate predestined as well as her face. It's pretty tough being the last of your kind too though, and Caroline is determined to protect them both, with some very helpful Bennetts on their side. A fic that integrates Malivore and the larger supernatural universe into TVD from the start.

Date of update: April 11 2021

Humanity (Chapter 8)

Author: FandomizedArtist

Raiting: Not rated

Lenght: Multi chapter

Summary: Now with the power of an Original vampire Lucien had everything, everything except his complete revenge on the all mighty Klaus Mikaelson. With the help of a witch he had tracked down the only woman who in thousands of years Klaus had fallen in love with. Miss Caroline Forbes. Adding her name to his list of evil todo’s he created the plan to kidnap, drain the vervain and compel the newbie vampire to be his. In this fanfiction Klaus does have hope but Caroline did not have Alaric’s twins.

Date of update: April 12 2021

Magics Miracle (Chapter 5)

Author: 1Jemmagirl22

Raiting: T

Lenght: Multi chapter

Summary: Caroline is in Paris with out her humanity after the death of her mother. It seems her friends aren't happy with her new state so they inform the one person capable of turning her emotions back on. Klaus. When a prophecy about a second Tribrid comes about in New Orleans, shock to sweeps through the city. It seems nature doesn't consider Hope such an abomination after all as an even greater one is about to be created. The hands of power are changing and when they're done even the worlds most powerful witches won't be able to stop it.

Date of update: April 12 2021

We are young (Chapter 11)

Author: kcatdino

Raiting: T

Lenght: One shots

Summary: Basically, Klaroline flirt in front of their kids who they are barely older than, and Landon is appropriately confused. Edit: Now a series of one-shots!

Date of update: April 12 2021

When Blood Calls for Blood

Author: Cupcakemolotov

Raiting: M

Lenght: Drabble

Summary: At sixteen, Caroline helped kill monsters. Hers, his, and theirs. Ten years later, and Klaus returns to Mystic Falls with unfinished business.

Date of update: April 12 2021

The War of Succession

Author: BelleMorte180

Raiting: E

Lenght: One shot

Summary: When King William I dies without a living male child, the whole of England spends two generations at war over who is the true heir to the throne, sending the houses of Lockwood and Mikaelson into battle. When the love of her life is slain in battle, Caroline realizes that her hand is betrothed to the victor since she is the only grandchild of the late king. Upon her wedding to the new king, she vows that she will hate him for all eternity but time is a fickle thing and so it the heart. Written for Au Season Enemies to Lovers. Kind of based off the War of the Roses.

Date of update: April 14 2021

Some ancient call that i've answered before (Chapter 2)

Author: klarrolines

Raiting: T

Lenght: Multi chapter

Summary: According to Greek mythology, humans were created with four arms, four legs, and a head with two faces. Fearing their power, Zeus split them into two separate parts, condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other halves. Or all the lives throughout time that Klaus and Caroline found each other in.

Date of update: April 14 2021

Soulmate visions (Chapter 3)

Author: kcatdino

Raiting: T

Lenght: Multi chapter

Summary: On your soulmate's eighteenth birthday, you see through their eyes for an hour, but they don’t know. And if your soulmate turns eighteen before you are even born, you never get a vision. Klaus gets his soulmate vision right after he orders Tyler to bite Caroline on her birthday.

Date of update: April 15 2021

World Enough and Time

Author: perfectpro

Raiting: E

Lenght: Drabble

Summary: Caroline is perfection in and of itself, and Klaus thinks that he could search the world twice over and never find a creature so endlessly fascinating, so perfectly enigmatic that he is still finding things to learn about her a thousand years later. Or, what gift is suitable to celebrate the passing of a thousand years?

Date of update: April 15 2021

LITTLE TENSE

Author: wincefish16

Raiting: T

Lenght: Drabble

Summary: PROMPT- HUMAN MARRIED KLAROLINE. THINGS ARE NOT LOOKING GOOD IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP. DAMON IS CAROLINE'S BROTHER AND KLAUS'S BEST FRIEND. HE TRIES TO FIX THINGS BETWEEN THEM.

Date of update: April 15 2021

Reasons Not to Date a Mikaelson (Chapter 2)

Author: kcatdino

Raiting: T

Lenght: Multi chapter

Summary: Bonnie and Caroline gain a new roommate for their freshman dorm when a vision leads them to tracking down a pregnant Hayley in the Rockies. Also, Bonnie may or may not have raised a certain dead Original instead of Jeremy and Klaus takes a job at Whitmore teaching, to be annoying. He’s very good at it. This is a season 5 rewrite where the Originals never leave for New Orleans. But you know, with comedy.

Date of update: April 15 2021

Quiet Light (Chapter 4)

Author: coveredinthecolors

Raiting: E

Lenght: Multi chapter

Summary: Caroline Forbes sets off to the Bahamas with her boyfriend, Elijah, where she'll finally meet his brother for the first time. But as it turns out... she knows Klaus Mikaelson a little too well.

Date of update: April 16 2021

AO3: Contingency Plan (Chapter 3) FFN: Contingency Plan (Chapter 3)

Author: Eliliyah  

Rating: M

Length: Multi Chapter

Summary: When Stefan's idiocy threatens Caroline's carefully laid plans, she has no choice but to turn to Klaus Mikaelson for help. Unfortunately, the criminal king of Philadelphia won't be swayed by simple seduction and has a different kind of proposition for her. It's a good thing she has a contingency plan. Never try to overthrow an empire without one. Dark Klaroline Mafia AU. COMPLETE

Date of update: April 11 2021

AO3: Last Love FFN: Last Love

Author: kirti_01

Raiting: M

Lenght: Multi chapter

Summary: Klaus had promised to be her last love, was sure that Caroline, will come to him. Maybe in a year, or a 100, perhaps. But Caroline decides not to wait for that long. After graduation, Caroline moves in with Klaus to give her feelings for him a chance. And Elijah finally lets go of his obsession with Katherine and finds himself attracted to a university student, his student, a human named Samara.

Date of update: April 12 2021

AO3: A Beautiful Symmetry (Chapter 153) FFN: A Beautiful Symmetry (Chapter 153)

Author: Uppity Bitch

Rating: M

Length: One shot

Summary: A collection of random AU one-shots featuring Klaroline. *2019 KC Award - Best one-shot series* Chapter 153: The Blonde Identity. Spies on opposite sides always had one mission, and nothing should ever compromise an operation. But Klaus always had a weakness for a woman who wore murder in her eyes.

Date of update: April 14 2021

AO3: Always and Forever (Chapter 8) FFN: Always and Forever (Chapter 8)

Author: WingedLadyColette

Raiting: E

Lenght: Multi chapter

Summary: Always and Forever is put to the test when the Mikaelson siblings  all gather together once more to throw the balance of nature into disarray when the Petrova Doppelganger reappears once again in a little Virginia town of Mystic Falls. But that's not the only thing that catches the big  bad wolf's attention.

Date of update: April 16 2021

[spicymayo1983]

Hiya. This is chapter 20, the finale to this series. After welcoming your miracle baby girl you have the family that you've always wanted.

Two gorgeous kids, a loving husband, what more could you ask for?

Will this be the happy ending you've always wanted or will fate deal you another cruel blow?

Warnings, angst, smut, squirting, female receiving oral sex, not for anyone under 18.

20+years earlier, Yavin 4

Even as teenagers you had always sensed that there was a deep bond between you and Poe.

It was a unique bond that transcended time. It felt almost mystical. Surreal in a truly beautiful way.

Your parents never tried to discourage your relationship because even they knew, and could see, the tender love that was shared between the two of you.

It was a love that truly only came around once in a lifetime.

Late one night you're tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep, when you hear a gentle knock at your bedroom window.

You immediately turn on your bedside lamp, and see the smiling face of your boyfriend.

You jump out of bed and open the window. You grab his arm and pull him inside your room.

"What are you doing here you dork? It's almost 4 in the morning". You tease with a slight laugh as you help him up.

"I sensed that you couldn't sleep, so I brought you these". Poe replied softly with a slight smile as he presented you with a small bouquet of freshly picked wildflowers.

"Oh Poe, that's so sweet". You tell him with a smile as you plant a soft kiss on his lips. "You're truly something else".

"Let's sneak out and go to our favorite spot". Poe whispered into you ear as he kissed your neck. "I want to cuddle you and look at the stars".

You quickly get dressed and the two of you quietly sneak out of your bedroom window.

Once at the spot overlooking the ancient temple the two of you relax on the damp, cool grass.

It seemed like there were a million stars in the sky that night.

You playfully climb on top of Poe and start to kiss him. The two of you roll around a little, making out and playfully wrestling.

Poe finally pinned you down, with a giggle you say,

"Oh no, looks like you win, what do you want the prize to be?"

"You". Poe replied quickly, smiling wickedly and passionately kissing you on the lips.

You unbutton your shirt a little, revealing your bare breasts. The tightness in a particular area of his pants betrays the fact that Poe is more than ready for you.

Poe kissed all the way down to your bellybutton, you removed the belt to your pants and he unzipped them for you, revealing your soaked panties.

With a quick kick your pants are off and on the ground. His head immediately went between your legs and he started to lick your clit through your underwear, making you close your eyes and cuss.

Poe slid three fingers inside of your tight hole as he nibbled on and sucked your swollen clit.

Your underwear quickly came off next.

It must have been a combination of the cool, damp grass against your bare skin and the intense pleasure he was treating your body to but you could feel your legs start to tremble and shake.

Your tightness gripped onto his fingers, gave them a squeeze and then gushed warm fluid all over him.

"Wow". Poe said softly as he gently removed his fingers from inside your body, softly stroking your clit and inner lips with his thumb. "That was really hot".

As your legs continued to tremble Poe began to lick your inner lips, teasing and pulling on them gently with his soft lips.

As you relaxed on the cool grass, nude and looking up at the millions of stars, Poe took his clothes off and climbed on top of you.

Because you were so wet his thick cock slid easily inside of your warmth.

"Poe". You whimper softly, closing your eyes and savoring the pleasurable sensation of your bodies connected together.

"I love you forever". Poe whispered into your ear as he leaned down and gave your neck a playful nibble.

Afterwards, just as he had promised, Poe cuddled with you under the stars.

As he's holding you tight in his strong arms you kiss him and ask,

"How did you know that I couldn't sleep?"

"I don't know". Poe replied with a laugh as he kissed you back. "That's what is so weird about it".

Present day

Whenever you're not doing well your mind wanders off and you recount the delightful memories with Poe.

You were able to return home with your baby girl two days later.

You're sore, and exhausted and weak, unbelievably weak. You can barely muster enough energy to even roll over on your back.

Poe was worried about you, this wasn't normal and he could sense it.

It was almost like you were slowly fading away, keeping your eyes open was a difficult task, it was like your body was finally giving up.

Poe had been taking care of his newborn daughter and now nearly 5 year old son by himself and he was at the end of his rope.

Your friend Esmaria came over to help.

"Poe, how is she doing?" She immediately asked.

"Not very well". Poe explained, with tears in his eyes as he snuggled his infant daughter. "She can barely move or keep her eyes open".

"I'm sure she'll be okay". Esmaria told him as she gave Poe a hug.

"I think we need to get her back to the doctor". Poe explained as he continued to snuggle little Kya, giving her a little kiss on the forehead. "But she's being hard headed and won't go".

"Ugh, typical y/n". Esmaria told him with a deep sigh as she shook her head a little. "I think she's just depressed after having the baby".

Poe pulled up a chair next to your bedside and held your hand in his. The look on his face was a mixture of heartache and worry.

"Are you feeling any better?" Poe asked, leaning down and kissing you softly on the forehead.

"Not really". You reply weakly, your voice barely above a whisper.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" He asked again, tears streaming down his face. "Anything to make you more comfortable?"

"Poe, I think this is it". You tell him tearfully. "I think I'm dying".

"No, no, don't say that". He replied back quickly, shaking his head as he kissed your frail hand. "It can't be, it won't be, we can get you back to the doctor".

"I love you Poe". You tell him softly as you struggled to keep your eyes open. "I love our son and daughter too. Take care of them for me".

"Please don't leave us". Poe begged softly as he continued to hold your hand. "We were supposed to grow old together, remember?"

With a weak smile on your face you mouth I love you to your husband one last time as you close your eyes and drift away forever.

Ten years later

"What was mom like? Dad?"

"She looked a lot like you, I guess, with a different hair and eye color".

It was a full decade since you died. Poe was with your now 10 year old daughter in Yavin 4, who looked a lot like you only with her father's hair, skin and eye color.

Kya was 3 days old when you passed away. The older she got the more she would ask questions about her mother.

Poe told her what he could, but it was still extremely difficult to talk about you. He thought about you, his soulmate, constantly, and wondered what you would be like today.

Poe was in his mid 50's now, his once dark hair was mostly gray except for a few stray strands.

He had fully embraced the silver fox look and had aged gracefully. Poe was very distinguished looking.

He was still the leader of the black squadron.

Boe was a handsome, muscular 15 year old who was the direct image of his father. He was also into flying, adventure and getting into a little bit of trouble.

The girls loved him but he didn't have one steady girlfriend yet.

Kya was a beautiful, intelligent 10 year old whose interests included music and writing. She was a quiet introvert.

Esmaria, your best friend, had become Poe's second wife. She was an excellent stepmother and your children loved her.

Poe was visiting your grave with Kya. He was attempting to tell her all about you but it was still difficult for him.

He felt like half of his soul was gone. Poe loved Esmaria yes, but to him it was a different kind of love.

It lacked the passion, depth and intensity that the two of you had shared.

Kya went off by herself, leaving her father alone at your burial site.

"I miss you everyday". Poe confessed tearfully as he leaned down to clean off your headstone. "It still hurts like it was yesterday".

"Thank you for the beautiful kids, they're a pain in the ass sometimes but most of the time they're great". Poe continued, laughing a little. "Kya looks just like you, she's beautiful. Boe looks like me".

He left your family cemetery and headed to your favorite spot that overlooked the rainforest and temple.

Poe relaxed on the cool grass and with tears in his eyes imagined you next to him, cuddling him, kissing him.

When he opened his eyes you were right there, a figment of his imagination perhaps? But it looked so much like you.

Your image was solid, just like a real person. And your skin was soft and warm.

The memories came flooding back. The Summer days spent as teenagers, him consoling you after losing your parents, the day he found out that he was going to be a father.

You looked young, beautiful and healthy. Poe leaned over and kissed you tenderly, and with a huge smile on his face said,

"Y/n, things haven't been the same without you, I think about you every day".

"Poe, I didn't want to leave but I was sick and my body gave out". You explained, smiling a little. "I'm no longer in pain now".

"We were supposed to grow old together but I'm the only one that got old". Poe told you with a slight laugh.

"It isn't fair".

"I have to go now". You told him as you shared a final kiss. "But please tell Esmaria thank you for raising our children".

"I will". Poe told you with a weak smile as he stroked your soft cheek. "Goodbye".

With those final words you are gone again. The tears continued to stream down his face as he realized that you weren't coming back.

"Dad! There you are! We were looking all over for you".

The tranquil calm was interrupted by Boe and Kya, who had been looking for their father all afternoon.

Boe gave his father a huge bear hug, with a slight smile on his face Poe told them,

"I needed some alone time, I hope you kids didn't get into any trouble".

"Nah dad, I was just showing Ky around the temple". Boe replied quickly, smiling a little. "I think we're ready to go now".

Poe hugged his daughter tight, smiled and said,

"Your mother would be so proud of you two".

The end

[crazy-loca-blog]

Meet My OC: Oliver Valentine

A/N: Of course I was going to use my OC card in the @openheartfanfics "Meet My MC" event to introduce him! If you thought Ethan was a protective husband, then you don't know Oliver Valentine, Casey's "evil" twin. Once again, I used the base template by @jamespotterthefirst. and I added some extra items to it.

~~*~~*~~

Oliver’s Bio

Full Name: Oliver Sean Valentine

Face Claim: Adrian Grenier

Nicknames: None

Birthday: December 3

Sexual orientation: Bisexual

Love Interest(s):  None at the moment, even though Casey insists that he should rekindle his relationship with his high school sweetheart, Emma.

Kids: None (yet)

Hair: Black

Eyes: Green

Height: 5'9"

Hometown: Abingdon, Virginia

Education: Lawyer / Duke University

Occupation: Freelance lawyer

Family: Maggie and Tom Valentine (parents, dead), Marie Smith (grandmother, dead), Casey Valentine (twin sister, alive)

Personal motto: “Every person deserves to be respected”

Background: Oliver and Casey grew up surrounded by love in a middle class family. His parents, Tom and Maggie, had been high school sweethearts and had been happily married for two years when the twins were born. After his parents died in a car accident, his grandma Marie took care of them for 20 years, until she passed away. He ows his popularity at high school not only to his good looks, but also to his sense of justice when it came to defend his peers, something he learned from his parents at a very young age.

Personality traits: Being raised together means that Oliver and Casey have a lot in common when it comes to their personalities. He is a noble guy who can't stand injustice. Since he was a kid he defended the weak and fiercely protected his sister. But whenever Casey avoids a conflict, he faces it. He is a very straight forward person, and he won't shut up if he has something to say. He has no filter when he is mad. This attitude causes that some people may not like him, but he couldn't care less about it. With Oliver, what you see is what you get.

On the relationship with his sister: The fact that they are twins made them have an unique bond. The fact that they lost their parents as such a young age only made that bond stronger. Casey is his best friend, and the only person in the world he knows he can openly talk about literally everything. She is also his biggest cheerleader, and the only one who had faith in him when he applied to law school. At first, he hated the idea of Casey leaving to Boston by herself. Now, he loves to see her being as happy as she deserves, even if that means sharing his sister with Ethan (lol). He truly aspires to have something like what she has in the future.

On his love life: Oliver is openly bisexual, and he has experienced with both men and women. However, when it comes to a serious relationship, he may be inclined to prefer girls, as his personal experiences have made him believe that girls tend to take commitment more seriously than guys. He won't admit it, but Casey knows his soulmate is Emma, his high school sweetheart. The only reason they broke up was because they were going to different universities and didn’t feel like having a long distance relationship after they graduated. But they've always remained friends, and they've kind of rekindled their romance in the past. Now they're both single and back in town. Time will tell.

On his parents accident: Their parents' accident hit Oliver and Casey differently. While Casey focused on healing (one of the reasons that led her to become a doctor), Oliver just wanted to have answers. That's why he went to law school. Despite living in a small town, he has always had this idea that "the Valentines' case" is kind of a taboo among older residents. People remember it, but no one talks about it. The fact that the case was closed because of lack of evidence (it was always said the responsible escaped and that they were never found, something that doesn't make sense at all, given the fact that the car crash was severe enough to kill his parents) doesn't help either. He feels the only way for him and Casey to find real peace is by finding out who did it. And he is determined to unveil the truth.

~~*~~*~~

10 Random Facts on Oliver

Oliver and Casey are one of those rare cases where one of the babies is born before midnight and the other one is born after midnight. So even though he legally was born one day before Casey, he's technically 10 minutes older than her (yes, their parents celebrated two birthdays on two different dates to keep them both happy).

He wasn't the most dedicated student, but he is incredibly smart. He was definitely one of those kids who didn't need to study a lot to get good grades.

Even though he knows Casey can defend herself, he may have helped her several times in high school without her noticing it. Even though Casey wasn’t at the bottom of the popularity list, the fact that Oliver was a popular kid may have helped her to be more respected by her peers.

He considers himself Casey's biggest fan, no matter what Ethan says. He has known her since she was literally an egg, and that's enough for him to win that discussion.

One of the reasons he became a lawyer is because he wanted to help all those people whose cases were closed with no answers. He knows how it feels because him and Casey have been trying to live with it, but he knows it’s hard sometimes. So he’d like for everyone to find the peace they deserve.

He likes writing and he is very talented. In fact, he may publish a novel someday. His grandma always thought that the biggest difference between him and Casey was how creative he was, so she always encouraged him to develop his artistic side.

After his parents' death, there was a time where he couldn’t express his emotions. Now, he has no problems telling how he feels (he'll always thank Emma for helping him overcome this), but he would never say ILY to another person without meaning it, he’s seen his sister going through hell because of some jerks, he wouldn’t forgive himself if he becomes one.

He loves kids and someday he'd like to have a bunch of them. But for now... damn! He can't wait for Casey and Ethan to come to their senses and to become parents so that he can become an uncle!

He has had a serious conversation with each and every one of Casey's boyfriends or potential boyfriends. The only conversation that ended up well was the one he had with Ethan. And nope, Casey doesn't know this conversation took place.

At first, Oliver didn't have the best opinion on Ethan. He thought he was an asshole and a coward for escaping to the Amazon and leaving his sister alone after all they had gone through (and yes, Oliver did tell Ethan this to his face during the chat mentioned above). His opinion only changed after he saw how much he cared about Casey during and after the incident (yes, he also told him this). Now he is sure that Ethan is the best thing that could have happened to his sister (and he made sure that Ethan knows it as well).

Tags: @adiehardfan @izzyourresidentlawyer