#Gloria and the wolves

[oddlittlestories]

Midnight Burger spoilers ahead. I think some of you House MD folks might actually enjoy it so mind the post

Thinking about how Caspar’s choice to launch Ava into space changes his trajectory so much. It’s that violent reaction to needing consistency that opens him up to the possibility of change. That he’s the only one who could’ve helped Ex and also the one least likely to help her and most terrorized by her existence.

Thinking about how via Ex, the Leifs, Ava and a couple other things, we have explicit statements of how stuff for Our crew is changed vs in other timelines.

That your worst decision could be your best catalyst. That the dynamics you thought were set in stone might be clay after all. That people will surprise you, and you’re a people.

That leaps of faith are, well, kind of everything.

[vicioustoker]

the kpop wolves are a fucking hysterical concept as it is but the fact that caspar actually learned and remembered their names is even crazier

[coffee-fueled-art]

totally didn't forget to post these or anything

i submitted some character designs to the StoryCo for Midnight Burger's multi-media project and completely forgot to post them. These designs are based purely on vibe, voice, and whatever descriptors I could find in the show.

yes. yes I am hyperfixated. You can thank my mom, she introduced me to the show.

[starclast]

Legendary dog features ⚔🐕🛡

[nanowatzophina]

Werewolves x Winter

((I drew these during my dad’s christmas concert. It was dark so it’s a bit wonky. Oh well))

[inahallucination]

For the 'controversial dps headcanons': I ship Ginny with Tina and Meeks with Gloria. I feel like Chis and Ginny are genuinely just friends. Tina, a wlw with an obsession with literature, was totally making fun of Charlie in her head during the 'made up poetry' scene and went to the cave just to keep Gloria company. Also, Gloria did date Charlie for a while, but just enough to get to know Meeks. More about tinny: they attend the same school and they became friends because of the theater club: Tina is working backstage and Ginny, of course, as an actress. It's a bit messy, but that's it, probably not even that controversial? I don't know really.

idk if its controversial but its one hell of a fic concept

i do like tina knowing about literature tho

[itsleifnotleaf]

[deerdeardarling]

Me trying to explain & make sense of all the made up pokemon lore/aus/headcanons I have in my head to. Litteraly anyone.

[voluptuarian]

another thing that's weird about adults who make an identity out of reading children's books is what they hold up as representative of the values they find in YA/young reader's fiction. They typically bring up wish fulfillment fantasy, morals and clear cut lessons, adventure stories with mild peril, strong centering on friendship and found family, and stories that make them "feel good" and are extremely light on genuinely challenging themes or ethically dubious situations.

Meanwhile when I was neck-deep in YA as a kid in the 90s and early 2000s this was the kind of stuff I was reading, other kids were reading, and that was winning awards, being highlighted on shelves and recommended by librarians:

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, in which a teenage boy survives a plane crash and is stranded in the Canadian wilderness and forced to survive on his own for months. He is ultimately rescued but is permanently altered by the experience. His navigating the drama of (I believe either currently separating or recently divorced) parents is also a major plot element.

Virtual War by Gloria Skurzynski, where real-life wars have been eradicated and instead are fought virtually, (inspired, if I remember correctly, by the disastrous results of a previous nuclear conflict) by specially chosen champions who are trained in combat strategy from childhood. Throughout, the three child champions are forced to question and push back against what the government has told them is the truth as well as against their own prejudices, including toward one of their own who is considered a "mutant" due to his dwarfism; it also details the grueling hours-long "war" in which the kids watch thousands of little 3D soldiers get blown up and dismembered and leaves them feeling genuine guilt for participating in.

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George, which focuses on a teenage Inuit girl who is orphaned, forced into marriage and sexually assaulted, then runs away and ends up lost in the Arctic and survives by befriending and living with a pack of wolves.

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, in which the heroine lives with her parents on a failing farm as the Dust Bowl is beginning, accidentally sets her pregnant mother on fire resulting in her mother's lingering death and the death of her baby, and the girl herself being permanently maimed, after which she and her father become estranged and she eventually tries to run away.

Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene, which follows a young Jewish American girl on the WWII homefront who befriends (and falls in love with) a German POW, and when he escapes, hides him in her home for months; eventually the prisoner is caught and killed and the girl is sent to prison after being ostracized from the community and disowned by her parents.

The Ramsey Scallop by Francis Temple, where the heroine, engaged since childhood to her current fiance, is sent on a pilgrimage with him as way of working out his trauma from serving in the crusades. Neither of them feels ready to get married and the fiance is dubious about doing much living at all, but they're able to get to know each other and build trust on the road. It's been ages since I read it but I'm pretty sure there's a scene where a hot single guy who helps patch up an injury she sustained then offers to have sex with her, which she decides to turn down.

Music of the Dolphins by Karen Hesse, where a feral child who has been raised by a pod of dolphins is rescued and taken to a center for rehabilitation. The whole thing follows her progress at understanding to how to be human, and eventually her decision to reject it all and go back to her dolphin family.

The Last Book In the Universe by Rodman Philbrick, whose hero is a teenage orphan living in a purposely abandoned dystopia, ostracized by his community for being epileptic, whose only friends are an old man who is the last literate person in the community and a monosyllabic feral child. The split between the have-nots and the haves, who live in sheltered futuristic cities, and discussion of privilege (one of the main characters is a girl from the cities who comes out to do charity work in the dystopian district) are major themes, and violence is a regular occurrence, including toward the finale when the boy's mentor is murdered by a mob while he watches.

(And of course there's Among the Hidden and its sequels by Margaret Peterson Haddix which I never read, but my sister did, and I know at some point a whole bunch of child characters are massacred by the government because it upset my sister so badly she cried.)

And I couldn't forget The Dear America series, which includes:

character who is finishing high school as the Vietnam War begins and watches her social circle split nastily over the issue, lives through classmates and friends getting drafted, and ends up working at a hospital as volunteer where she is assigned to help disabled veterans

character whose mother (and I think siblings), as well as numerous fellow travelers die while traveling alongside her on the Oregon Trail, and later accidentally poisons to death several of her friends after picking a look-alike plant for their dinner; only one survives, who she eventually marries

character who is kidnapped by a local native tribe and eventually adopted, then marries a fellow captive, only for him and other friends and family to be killed when the tribe is attacked by Europeans, putting her into a total crisis of identity and conflicting loyalties

character who is taken from her tribe to be put in residential school, during which she is forcefully acculturated, severely bullied by another classmate, and a childhood friend of hers is accidentally buried alive

multiple books about immigrants in the 1800 and 1900s which highlighted struggles with poverty, cultural pressures, and prejudice; one of them follows a pro-union factory worker who watches as multiple friends die in the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, and another whose father imports her to America at 13 to marry a coal miner

most of these stories emphasize the young protagonist ending up in situations were they are either on their own, or so alienated from the adults around them that they might as well be. The protagonists have to assume the adult duty of taking care of themselves, but also of thinking for themselves and making their own decisions and judgements about their lives and the world.

they are also going through big changes, often ones created by their parent's decisions, and which they frequently dislike or are straight up Bad for them. This contrasts with later, when the protagonists are able to make decisions for themselves-- often this comes through hardship and abandonment, but ultimately allows them to control their narrative going forward.

the setting and events are often harrowing, deeply unpleasant, and put the protagonist and their friends in danger of victimization by forces around them. Obviously this is exciting for kids to read, but it also allows them to see someone their age on their own, entering into Adult situations and taking on that role. It's also a break from the overtly positive or cartoonishly (but usually un-seriously) bad circumstances that dominate younger kids fiction and an introduction to the idea that life is just terrible most of the time, sometimes massively and unbelievably so. (It's going from the early childhood story of Madeline's thrilling adventures escaping forced labor in a factory, to the older kid's or YA story of seeing the protagonist work at one day after day, getting injured, having friends get sick, and then watching a girl's scalp get ripped off by the machine, something which creates not excitement but genuine horror and sympathy.) These plots also allow adolescents a chance to experience Big Emotions (like the ones they're about to fall head-first into themselves) in a stable, safe way. All of this aims to create a bridge from the juvenile reality to the genuine, adult one. Trite moral lessons are dispensed with in favor of allowing the child to go out and start thinking for themselves. And especially in stories like the Dear America books, it allows a look at things that happened in the past that we have, or should learn from, but also allows for a fuller emotional, ethical, and empathetic development.

often the introduction of sex is part of the story, from initial experiences of attraction (and the resulting self-consciousness, jealousy, etc.) but also sometimes actual sexual experience. Especially in the historical stories, marriage is also frequently part of the story-- either again, as a fantasy introduction to adult experiences, or as a realistic detail separating a child's historical experience from current ones and creating a better understanding of the hardships historical people went through.

and most include some form of rejection of prevailing authority and thought. Instead of blindly "doing what your parents tell you to" these protagonists must do what they think is practical or ethical. The boy in Hatchet cannot wait for an authority figure to guide him, he must figure out how to survive entirely on his own, while the kids in Virtual War are old enough to begin questioning the entire structure they've been raised in, and to develop empathy for figures that structure has deemed outsiders; the heroine of Music of the Dolphins decides the entire experience of being in human society is not for her, and returns to living with animals.

So these books offer harrowing circumstances, protagonists who are isolated literally or through moral or political alignment, and who must learn to live on their own and make decisions for themselves, often in defiance of prevailing attitudes. They usually emphasize finding one's place (even if that place is completely alone and unsupported), fostering understanding and sympathy with others, even with people who are considered "undesirable," who are different, or who have behaved badly to you in the past. And they frequently involve violence, budding sexuality, exploitation and abuse by authority figures/structures, and a heaping helping of death, including the deaths of beloved friends and family members. What is "feel good" and "unchallenging" about that? And like, I can't speak for what YA is bringing to the table now, but these people are overwhelmingly adults, they were reading YA at around the same time I was, I don't think it would be possible for them to have somehow missed the plethora of books with these hallmarks. So where did they get this idea that YA is some land of comfort where no complicated idea can ever reach you? Even Harry Potter is full of them, and we know they read that!

[hotvintagepoll]

How are the more recent Dracula castings affecting the movie?

When we last left off, Jimmy Stewart (Jonathan) had just beheld Mary Philbin (the agonized woman) getting eaten by wolves. (this being a vintage film we do not actually see her get eaten. we are given a haunting image that subtly conveys her getting eaten which is somehow ten times worse). He stares, shocked and bereft, out his lonely black-and-white window in Castle Dracula. The movie has gotten very solemn and a little bit artistic.

SMASH CUT to Omar Sharif (!!) and Leonard Nimoy (?????) on board the Demeter! Omar Sharif makes total sense for this role and is conveying responsibility, stoicism, nobility. Leonard Nimoy is thanking god and his agent that he finally got onto a film that doesn't have him in the pointy ears. (he is still contractually obligated to call the strange cargo they have on board "fascinating.")

Back in England, our heroines Setsuko Hara (Mina Murray) and Judy Garland (Lucy Westenra) are sitting by the seaside cemetery, enjoying the ramblings of old seaman Mr. Swales. because Mr. Swales is played by Ed Wynn, this is less "crusty old sea man giving bram stoker's idea of a British dialect" and more "the movie is suddenly produced by Disney in the 1960s and everyone is having a GRAND time because this man is Silly™." his various tales of suicides, deaths at sea, child abuse, and familial hatred are all suddenly very harmless and cute and Setsuko Hara is wondering where all the Technicolor came from.

Back in Hell on the Demeter, the movie is sliding back into black and white as the fog gets thick and the crew is picked off one by one. Omar Sharif is shooting for an Oscar with this one. He is terrified stoicism personified. Leonard Nimoy has hit his stride and is doing that brand of feverish madness the amok time fans know so well. We catch a shot or two of Gloria Holden's Count, but she is mostly veiled in mystery.

In Whitby, a plucky reporter sees a ship coming in: Ethel Waters is on the case! You know if anybody is going to book it on to a ship with a corpse tied to it (rip Omar) with 0 issues, it's going to be her. She's after a story, by god, never mind that mysterious dog!

Speaking of that mysterious dog, it's headed up the hill toward the cemetery. Boy, I hope it doesn't run into Mr. Swales. Seeing an Ed Wynn character get killed off in gruesome fashion this early in the movie would be a pretty horrifying tonal switch! I'm sure he'll be fine though, the movie seems so lighthearted and comedic now :)

[ananxiousgenz]

"i'm standing here in the middle of this weird place with you. I choose this." followed shortly after by "gloria's making stew for the k-pop wolves right now" is the true caspar midnightburger experience

[transdimensional-haboob]

Headcanons I've been cooking;

-the paradise theater doing a mystery science theater 3000 bit most days (I'm like 90% sure that its basically the equivalent in their multiverse anyway, oops)

-frank and clementine still tries to keep contact and make visits if even possible anymore. June likes to receive letters and postcards as a loose penpal relationship as proof of their "mad lib situation"

-I feel robbed that June and Ava didn't interact much, they'd have so much fun and nobody would be able to handle these bar buds. Never mind theres probably a reason why these two aren't allowed in a bar together, but I love their raw chaos and hijinks would definitely go on

-Gloria makes the storage closet her room at first but when Caspar gets back, he gives her the main office since she's da b0ss now, she still spends a lot of time camping with her bts wolves making stew for them, its her own therapy

-Leif putting together a game console for the gang when theyre bored, Caspar is the best at retro games surprisingly aside from the fact hes been asking for a pinball machine forever, everyone cracks old man jokes. Mostly David and Ava, his biggest hecklers <3

-eventually they begin to cultivate a small arcade, leif fixes up a few machines for the diner (its free) kids across the cosmos go 'you mean you have to play the game with your hands?? Its like a baby's toy :/" caspar is flabbergasted, Leif just shrugs and goes "i warned you bro" and does more Leif shit

-David plays cod on their designated staff console in the office space in their down time between shifts. Feet kicked up and the lazy fan blowing, do you see my vision? this is the most important highlight so far

-David used to stream sometimes on earth in LA for funsies now and then during lockdown when he wasnt up for running out at night vandalizing the blank canvas known as the streets

-he still talks to his mom and plays catch up even from space despite the time it takes to send messages. David continues to find her drunk calls entertaining (canon anyway) Caspar doesn't really drink alcohol and is worried about the loss of control, I think hes just anxious and insecure about it.

*I don't really think caspar was much of a dick when he drank raising david, he probably was a rambling annoying dad with a shitty attitude that was hard to tolerate. like, okay, old man, we get it the world sucksss stop being so sad and let's play legos and not roleplay the state of the economic decline about it (shh, I'm not projecting gay son and drunk well meaning dad dynamics)

-Ava peer pressures Caspar *only* for celebrations anyway

-micheladas for everyone the next day, some sweet hair of the dog when the various drank theyre able to get their hands on is too much to cope with the next day if they still even have moonshine to spare left

-Leif stocks up on so much fucking hash whilst in Pasadena (as one does stuck in shitty corners of California for hangovers, generalized depression, and dread. hence all the alcohol mentions I'm not promoting alcoholic diner dwellers I swear-) which tbh parallels the way Ava stocks up nicotine from ye old moonshiner imo

Idk I have more I might add and tack on later I love these doofuses

[vicioustoker]

gloria naming the fucking wolves after bts this show is not real im losing my mind

[deconstructthesoup]

Stories that Midnight Burger could absolutely cross over with, and how that would go:

Dead Boy Detectives: Either Midnight Burger's been bouncing back and forth between various places in the DBD/Sandman universe and the agency is charged with investigating it, or they just randomly appear to help them with a case that they're stuck on. Ava wants to know literally everything about how ghosts work, Leif makes the mistake of introducing Charles to all of his insane alien gadgets, Niko befriends all of the wolves in the deep freeze, Crystal gets advice from Caspar about becoming a better person, and Effie and Zebulon take one look at Edwin and decide that they have to give him some advice and kind words.

The Magnus Archives: Midnight Burger appears right outside the Institute---during which season? Who knows! All that matters is that they're there, and they are very eager to help these depressed academics navigate the horrors. Gloria takes advantage of Jon's Eye powers to ask him about all the great unsolved mysteries of the world, Caspar goes to sit in the deep freeze the second he learns about The Lonely, and Melanie and Ava immediately bond over some very heavy drinks. If Sasha's here, she and Gloria become fast friends, and literally nobody knows what to make of Effie and Zebulon. Tim and Leif unsurprisingly get along pretty quick.

Dimension 20: A Starstruck Odyssey: Midnight Burger appears inside The Wurst, and pretty much everyone goes "yep, this might as well happen." Leif is very eager to meet every single one of the corrupt organizations out there, and he and Skip are almost immediately fighting for custody over Gunnie. Sundry Sydney and Gloria become BFFs on sight, and Margaret spends the entire time subtly flirting with Ava. Also, Effie and Zebulon are a hit with Gnosis.

Leverage: Midnight Burger pops in and winds up accidentally interfering with a job, and they've gotta scramble to help out the Leverage crew before it completely falls apart. Hardison---and Breanna, if we're going by the Redemption crew---geek the fuck out over all of Leif's weird shit, Parker and Ava quickly realize that they match each other's freak, and Eliot and Leif end up trading weird stories while Caspar slams his head on one of the tables in the background. Gloria uses her "I started a revolution" skills to the extreme.

Hatchetfield: Midnight Burger shows up, fixes the timeline, and leaves. The Lords in Black are befuddled and incredibly pissed. Also, Miss Holloway and Duke wind up sticking around.

[richincolor]

Mid-Autumn and Mooncakes

With the Mid-Autumn Festival coming up at the end of September, mooncakes have been on my mind. Several conversations have revolved around the festival and food in my real life and on social media so I started wondering if there were YA books for that. And yes indeed, here are a few books featuring the moon or mooncakes that I've read or have on my TBR.

Retellings Related to the Moon

An Arrow to the Moon by Emily X.R. Pan Little, Brown Books For Young Readers

Hunter Yee has perfect aim with a bow and arrow, but all else in his life veers wrong. He’s sick of being haunted by his family’s past mistakes. The only things keeping him from running away are his little brother, a supernatural wind, and the bewitching girl at his new high school.

Luna Chang dreads the future. Graduation looms ahead, and her parents’ expectations are stifling. When she begins to break the rules, she finds her life upended by the strange new boy in her class, the arrival of unearthly fireflies, and an ominous crack spreading across the town of Fairbridge.

As Hunter and Luna navigate their families’ enmity and secrets, everything around them begins to fall apart. All they can depend on is their love… but time is running out, and fate will have its way.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan Harper Voyager

Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.

Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor's son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.

To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.

A captivating debut fantasy inspired by the legend of Chang'e, the Chinese moon goddess, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm. Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting, romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.

Mooncakes 

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu Oni Press [Jessica's Review]

A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.

When You Wish Upon a Lantern by Gloria Chao Viking

Liya and Kai had been best friends since they were little kids, but all that changed when a humiliating incident sparked The Biggest Misunderstanding Of All Time—and they haven’t spoken since.

Then Liya discovers her family's wishing lantern store is struggling, and she decides to resume a tradition she had with her beloved late grandmother: secretly fulfilling the wishes people write on the lanterns they send into the sky. It may boost sales and save the store, but she can't do it alone . . . and Kai is the only one who cares enough to help.

While working on their covert missions, Liya and Kai rekindle their friendship—and maybe more. But when their feuding families and their changing futures threaten to tear them apart again, can they find a way to make their own wishes come true?

Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee Underlined

Dylan Tang wants to win a Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competition for teen chefs—in memory of his mom, and to bring much-needed publicity to his aunt’s struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn.

Enter Theo Somers: charming, wealthy, with a smile that makes Dylan’s stomach do backflips. AKA a distraction. Their worlds are sun-and-moon apart, but Theo keeps showing up. He even convinces Dylan to be his fake date at a family wedding in the Hamptons.

In Theo’s glittering world of pomp, privilege, and crazy rich drama, their romance is supposed to be just pretend . . . but Dylan finds himself falling for Theo. For real. Then Theo’s relatives reveal their true colors—but with the mooncake contest looming, Dylan can’t risk being sidetracked by rich-people problems.

Can Dylan save his family’s business and follow his heart—or will he fail to do both?

[diorncoke]

Your my little sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey⋆˙𖤓⟡˙⋆ (1/2)

🫧⋆｡°✩ summary: in the moments of being under the influence of a man who averaged out the death rate of an entire state, Stefan is tangled in finding a comfortable home for a sweet girl who has the status he hadn’t heard about in centuries.

authors note: goddess, i had a fanfic about this years ago, and i didn’t go anywhere with it. so here is that tiny space in my brain that wanted to post this :) — word count: 7.8k

🌞 characters: the vampire diaries \ college au! , jeremy gilbert , / x black! fem! little! reader .☀︎ ݁ ˖

🌞 content warning(s): no set plot line, some use of y/n, talks of anxiety attacks, reader is a wolf pup, stefan & damon being big brothers, baby babbles, ¡male lactation!, use of rattles (i want one so bad), fluff, mentions of weapons, bottles, nesting, swearing, protective tatted jeremy, littles are knowledgeable, cliche asf ;) — third person pov!

🌞 before reading: her outfit, pjs & bottle , https://pin.it/2eS7TCc , https://pin.it/5VSFrm0 https://pin.it/4DQNyfF

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆ The sun reached its peak before completely shining on the state of Michigan, New Orleans, specifically in the small town area of an infamous bar owned by the well-known witch in the area. Gloria is a flamboyant soothsayer, and many would describe her as charmingly intelligent with looks that have the appearance of only being forty years old. Though she wasn't anywhere near, she was more than a hundred years old, though she was not immortal.

She held the tasks of the spirits coursing through her fingers that allowed her to create many mixtures to slow down the aging she would have been subjected to. The world she accepted was due to her knowledge of mystical objects and the magical arts she knew best.

In the area, the day was ending, while for Gloria, it was just the beginning of a long day of watching the town folk drink themselves silly at barely noon. She began by noting out the invention from last night and checking for any fruit flies that tried to find homes in her classic liquor bottles. With her wooden clipboard, she walked around the remaining spaces behind the bar running her own rancid on the boxes. Considering it to be finalized, she threw the clipboard inside a drawer before pulling out a wine glass before she eventually poured herself a small glass of Chardonnay.

She held the tasks of the spirits coursing through her fingers that allowed her to create many mixtures to slow down the aging she would have been subjected to. The world she accepted was due to her knowledge of mystical objects and the magical arts she knew best.

The witch felt the vibrant flavour of the white wine flourish against her dry thirst perfectly. She could age the wine with access to the best wineries in the area; who would care for this damned bar like her if she wasn’t alive. With a deep breath, she gathered the bottle and glass to its rightful place, still tasting the sweet tangle in her mouth before she took it upon herself to unlock the doors without having to walk over.

She began to walk against the bar edge before she heard the bell on the top of the door ring announcing its presence to the owner. Her back faced the bar top, placing tiny red straws into cups. It had only been a few minutes of opening before she felt folks pouring in; her bar was a classic spot with plenty of folks from over a hundred years ago still coming in and out. The perks of knowing a witch in the area to keep her young, she couldn’t imagine the looks of her ancestors as they watched her as closely helping wolves and a select few humans.

She smiled to herself, thinking of her past family before she took it upon herself to drown herself in an ageless potion to pause her aging, though she knew it would catch up to her eventually. Thinking so profoundly, the hairs on the back of her neck formed a light chilling breeze feeling the presence of something beyond human. Gloria was adept at reading people and the energy they gave off into the world; she had to. Bad energy minimizes the effect on the corners of the bar she saged with.

“What brings you here? You brought a friend, I see.” She announced her knowledge to the being before she could even turn around to face him. She plopped her hand around the cups of straws to place them behind her to the top above the seating arrangements for customers.

Gloria looked up towards the infamous Klaus Mikaelson in all his glory; she didn’t have to try and give off confidence as she held the powers of her ancestors. With one flick of her wrist, he would be forced out of her bubble alongside his friend without a second thought. She took in his body language, the glint of desperation in his eyes, looking behind to the clear picture of him and the former man she had known as Stefan Salvatore. A ruthless man who forced a man to drink his wife’s blood while they laughed, though from the look of him. He looked dazed and under Klaus’ compulsion. A clear abuse of power right in front of her. The damned wolf needed something from her, witches were always pulled into vampire drama.

Before she could ask what the infamous Klaus needed. He beat her to it.

“I need help locating a certain necklace. That my dear sister lost.” The sister in question scoffed from the front door of the bench she crossed her legs against. Gloria crossed her arms, hearing the beginning banter of the sibling just like they did in the 20s. She flared her eyebrows towards the hybrid, reminding him that he genuinely wanted something from her; he would need to be serious with her. If not, get the fuck out of her bar and don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

“Hmm. Give me your hand, sweetheart.” Gloria raised her hand, awaiting the vampire to do so. The sooner she did this, the quicker she could get them out and away from her upstairs home. She grasped the soft blonde’s bloodied hand into her own, instantly feeling the dark shadows of the vampire's mind. Her first heartbreak being of a father’s betrayal, brushing his children as though they were nothing. That said, she was only here on behalf of her brother and the undying love she mindlessly had for Stefan. With a deep breath, she placed herself into the powers the necklace had for itself, scouring into the universe, looking for its source before her search stopped. She had placed the energy perfectly in a matter of time.

“There’s a girl with her friends.” However, she got more than she liked to lead. The perfect carbon copy of the woman known back then as Katerina Petrova wearing the original witches necklace dangling between her chest as her friends watched her stir a pot of chilli. The atmosphere surrounding the doppelgänger when dark as she placed herself in her energy bubble, burning the girl's flesh harshly before her ancestors pushed her out of the vision. She opened her eyes, feeling goosebumps erupting between their hands across the til of the bar.

“Yes, a dead girl with dead friends if I don’t get my necklace,” Rebekah spoke out, still feeling Gloria's hand intertwined with her own. Before the witch let go of her, standing further back from the trio of vampires. The feeling she received was not something she was used to when it came to doing spells. It was dark; even though she fused into old voodoo, this was something she wouldn’t allow herself to tap into. Regardless of what the damned wanted her to do, she needed a plan. It wasn’t only her that needed protecting.

“That’s all I got. Just images. I need more time.” Gloria truly believed she had the upper hand in giving the vampires what they wanted. She needed time, so she pursued Stefan to understand why she did what she did. In hopes, he would take in the reader who lay sleeping in the connected house without a care in the world. Continuing the notion of confidence placed her hand on the same glass she had only placed underneath the bar top. She pushed the glass of wine in between her lips and drank. Though it did nothing to tolerate her nerves, it tasted good. From the glasses eye, she watched Klaus debate giving her what she wanted before Stefan took it upon himself to take the attention away from the witch.

“Hey, you know, why don’t we just come back later? I’m hungry. I’ll let you pick who we eat.” Stefan filled the void with an enthusiastic voice while walking to the front door. Knowing the siblings weren’t looking, he scrunched his eyebrows towards the drinking witch, understanding without much words from the way her heart was beating. Stefan couldn’t help but want to know more, regardless of the circumstances of his humanity that was destroyed like a light switch. When he looked at the witch, it reminded him of Elena, the desperate look behind her chocolate brown eyes that wanted nothing more than to embrace in her soft hug. Stefan knew it wouldn’t be the same after turning the one thing that brought everything back on, but this was the first step. He wouldn’t be the man he was being compelled by.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆ It was effortless to make the Mikaelsons believe Stefan had betrayed the bonded trust of what Klaus mistook as a friendship. He forgot the truth of their connection is a clear abuse of power in the twenties and used his vampirism to create fantasies that fuelled his instincts he knew deep down were of his true nature. Although it made Gloria sick to her stomach, the feeling that he could rip her throat out in the second of vulnerability. She still took the correct herbs and mashed them grinding bowl speaking to the ancestors above with nothing but salted intentions in her words.

She created a sinister scenario that led the siblings in thinking the vampire had fled to find refuge in an unfamiliar place they would seek for enough time too distracted by petty things to realize Stefan was in the outs of Michigan. A lengthy time before her dear one would be blessed in sanctuary from the darkness of that damned hybrid. Though here she was in front of the door that reminded her of what could change the rest of her life and sharing that with a vampire was something she never expected. When she first met the reader she had all intentions of harming her as she wasn’t welcomed in a place she sacrificed everything for.

All the ageless nights to be disrupted by a broken window and shattered glass she refused to let the reader allow to seep her bare feet into. She had no shoes. Gloria took a deep breath and reminded herself of the severity of the current situation.

“Stefan, do you understand that in these circumstances, I will kill you with my bare hands if she is not taken to safety? Right?” Gloria has no room for doubt or frolicking regarding the very thing behind this door. The witch was not one to keep the reader so hidden for a long duration; it was perfect, though; she had a late night practicing her shifting abilities. The memory caught her in a frenzy of smiles before the witch remembered to unlock the multiple locks on the flowery door across the stairs to the bar.

“Of course. I remember you. I’m sure you’ll do much worse. I want to understand why you have chosen me?” Stefan asked hesitantly, leaning next to the door and awaiting the dreaded conversation between them. The vampire watched her fumble with the keys to each lock before beginning the discussion. He blinked softly, crossing his arms against his chest.

“You can be good for her. Or I trust you will find someone who is. My aging remedies can’t stop the aging from catching up to me much longer. I’m getting too old to take care of her.” Anyone in the listening distance could hear the pain straining in her voice, thinking of leaving this world before she could help her little one find herself again and have the ability to be small. Gloria placed the multiple keys into the loop of her denim jeans, giving Stefan one last look over. She wanted her words to linger in his senses; this was impotent to her and her ancestors. She would not give them the impression of disappointment.

The supernatural entities heard the locks click into the ears before Gloria pushed the door open lightly, not wanting to scare the little one behind it if she had still been sleeping.

Stefan stopped in his tracks and recalled a developing scent of wolf pups that was still undergoing growth before he could get a glimpse of them. It wafted into his sensitive nostrils before he took a deep breath taking in the sweet flowery scent wanting to keep it under his nose for the rest of his immortal life. It was divine and filled with life, something he couldn’t quite comprehend behind what he surrounded himself.

Gloria looked behind her, taking in the vampire's reaction to her little one. She smiled before clicking the light switch that only turned on the fairy lights across the walls, as the pup was quite sensitive to light fixtures that beamed into her eyes. The colourful area of strawberry shortcake decor covered the entirety of the room she could barely remember the colour of the walls or floor presences to her.

The witch took a light step towards the bed covered in plushies that the reader loved to cuddle against and scent. Her favourite one to do so was of a cow named Print; he was a special thing that if you pushed a button on his foot, his stomach lit up with stars on the ceiling. Close enough to the pup, she removed the picnic table printed blanket from the reader's sleeping state. Anyone could tell she was still a pup as she didn’t wake up alarmed by others entering her room.

Gloria looked to the side of her to see the pup she had been trying to wake up with tender swats on her back and bum. Her pretty doe ( eye colour ) opened up to the familiar face above her cradling face.

“Who is she? I haven’t seen littles in centuries. How did you find her?” Stefan hadn’t uttered a word in some time. He couldn’t bring himself to. He couldn’t vaguely remember when everyone had taken in people with smaller headspaces to fill the void for the undermining issue of no children for quite a while. The man stepped into the occupied territory before closing the door quietly, letting the question linger for an answer to meet.

“Hm. Her name is y/n. The poor thing was sent to kill me. Many folks in her pack believed she was an abomination and sent her to kill a witch. They hoped I would kill her. Boy, were they wrong? I fell in love with taking care of her. I don’t have any children of my own, you see.” Gloria believed the spirits called the reader to herself, guiding her through the hardships of life til she finally found someone who cared for her. Which is why she is the woman she is today. Gloria glanced towards the girl before taking a deep breath, knowing Stefan was not here to hear the whole story. However, she might have been wrong. The heavy vampire's eyes glanced at her baby beyond anything she had seen from the first time she met him. It was soft but short, knowing he had a reputation to uphold despite having no humanity.

“What happened to this pack?”

“I burned every single one of them to the bone. It took a lot, but I did it to protect her.” Gloria smiled, maneuvering the little so she rested against her shoulders rather than flush on her lap and pillow. She pushed her nose against her freshly washed hair, breathing in the brisk relaxing air surrounding her. It calmed her down in ways she didn’t know; coming into this room was a breath of fresh air. She would miss the comfort of her.

“I’ve kept her far too long from a pack. She needs one, Stefan. She won’t survive much longer with just me.” Before the vampire could speak, she quickly stated how long the reader had been away from the ritual of piling clothing and items; she loved to create the perfect area for a quiet hibernation. The reader's old pack was big on the little ones to ensure they were comforted in ways that some had seen as prehistoric for this day in age. Doing so was the first time in years of waiting to be found by Gloria that she created a nest. Gloria grimaced, feeling the painful memories of her pup during the nightly hour of how she craved to cuddle into her neck and scent her as pack members did.

“I will help you. I know someone who will take her in.” He heard her plead, thinking someone he had broken the heart of would understand his place in the vampire empire. He would beg on his knees to Elena after seeing the beautiful little creature grasping Gloria’s hand. Though, deep down this would be the perfect distraction to his whereabouts if they had a little one to take care of.

Stefan watched the witch place her black nail tapping the pup's squished face against her shoulder as she blinked slowly and softly, taking in the presence and warmth through the connected skin. The yawn, so simple yet cute from her chest, left a pout on her lips from the dryness that came with it. The blanket was sitting perfectly, squished around her legs and stomach though he could still see the flare of freckles on the reader's shoulders and stomach that were out, dancing for his eyes to consume. The vampire was attentive to everything she did, including the deafness of not hearing Gloria introducing him to the wolf before him. Eventually, seeing her ( eye colour ) eyes turn towards his own with a hint of curiosity. All he could do was place his sweaty hand on his pants to get rid of the wetness that came with being in this room.

“H-hello.” He called to her, seeing her sit up more comfortably in Gloria's lap. She fiddled with the hair in braids with her pink-coated fingers, twirling around each lock before she gave the courage to smile at the man. Before she eventually hid her face into Gloria's shoulders with a giggle. She was adorable in his eyes, though he wasn’t sure what to do. Was he supposed to continue standing awkwardly, or maybe he should sit on the chair on the opposing side of the bed? Though he didn’t sit unknowingly for long as Gloria picked up on his hesitance.

“You can sit. She’ll want to scent you eventually. If that’s alright?” Gloria asked, hoping it would be something he was comfortable with; it was something she did as not only a greeting but a nighttime routine when it came to accompanying a new member. They watched her lean away from the witch's lap and chest, awaiting Stefan to grasp her hand into his own. In doing so, she couldn’t help but try and place his hand close to the bottle that was empty on the side table he was sitting beside. She was building up quite an appetite.

“H-Hi.” She made sure to use her manners like Miss Gloria taught her. Her voice came out much more reluctant than she anticipated, she hadn’t seen many visitors in her time here. Most of the time she played by herself in her room or sometimes watched the people of New Orleans walk the street at nighttime. She gazed upon the burly man, taking in his presence that made her wolf whine on the inside. Something about his scent notified her that there was a part of him missing. Before she could dwell longer her mama interrupted her train of thoughts.

“Would you like to feed her?” The witch questioned, hoping he would, it was unfortunate, but she would have to understand she would no longer be the one to take care of the reader. Her heart was crushed just thinking about removing the littles' favourite pieces in the room condensed into a tote bag within the hour. Smiling sadly at the precious pup in her arms playing with the vampire's fingers, she distracted herself by creating a bottle of pure milk into the once empty one on the side table.

“Up and about. There you go, my little love.”

Stefan smiled for the first time in a while since he had given his humanity to Klaus without repercussions or any thoughts filling his mind thinking of the death of the love of his life. Before he could think further he felt the flush of the wolf's head find its way to his shoulders awaiting the bottle he held with no use from him. The previous scent of her hair crème against her raven skin was heaven-sent, he couldn't imagine comparing this to anything else. He breathed in deep that savoury scent he could relish in for the entirety of his life. It was almost off how comfortable she got in his arms and scented him, so different from each fight he had with vampires and full grow werewolves. The pup was so trusting or the most obvious was the fact that her caregiver was only a foot away and held powers of a thousand witches in the palm of her hand.

“It’s now or never Stefan. She’s getting fussy.” Gloria became fond of the quick response to her words the vampire had. The man maneuvered the reader close to the inner elbow of his arm, cradling her head against it for support. Before he began aligning the bottle to her already open and starving mouth and soon she began suckling. They both heard the sounds that resembled a baby drinking its mothers' nutrition in the early morning before starting the day. In other circumstances, Gloria would begin feeding her while walking to the common areas of the apartment to collect the things the little one would need to start the day. Or the reader would do it herself when she was feeling older.

A hesitant smile formed on his lips holding the reader's head against the left inner elbow not before using the gentlest touch to move the strands of curls that stuck out against her face. With a deep breath, he scooped up the bottle that mysteriously had filled with warm milk into his right hand aligning it to the hungry little one in his arms. Stefan observed her movements like he was sightseeing, her lips covered the nipple of the bottle before it filled her mouth with droplets of milk filling her growling belly. The sounds of tiny suckles filled the supernatural entities with pure joy. The thoughts of keeping the image of being this ripper disappeared into the room's environment into nothing. This moment here was something so beautiful he didn’t want to give her up to Damon and Elena.

Pushing these sinister thoughts away he watched his hands without much knowledge of what he was doing, to the side of the reader's hips in a rhythm he memorized his late mother used when he was younger. He could feel the pup's chest vibrate liking the sensation of his rough hands patting her soothingly. Soon enough she engulfed the bottle in twelve consecutive minutes leaving her mouth to make a recall sound letting him know she was finished.

Knowing of the routine Gloria grasped a cloth into her own before placing it on Stefan’s shoulders. Connected eyes with him she nodded, watching the vampire softly place the reader's head on his shoulder to burp the pesky bubbles out of her belly. He laughed to himself seeing the eyes of pups closed calmly and how her legs were like jelly against his torso. It was quite a sight.

Once she burped out anything that was stuck in her throat watching her mama pull away to cloth before she squished her face into Stefan’s neck. She hoped to stay in this crevice of his body for a while, none of her stuffies gave her this feeling, maybe because they weren’t real.

“She likes you.” Gloria beamed sadly holding the empty bottle, getting up smoothly border taking her leave of the room. She had to prepare to clean and pack a bag for her little one. As well, to make a herbal tea she would ask Stefan to have her drink from time to time to protect her energy. She hoped the deranged hybrid won’t find the lost wolf pup as he would change her to be like him like the speed of light. Fuck she couldn’t bring herself to just abandon the poor thing, she would need some form of an excuse to see her every month.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆ Damon swindled his way against the chilled bathtub of the bathroom connected to his bedroom. His back barely hit the cool bottom of the tub before he began looking for a more comfortable position. The man being over a hundred forty-five vampires had its kinks and one of them was stubborn on his back and neck. The damned thing clicked out of place at any given moment after he had fought an idiot who dared to attack the drunken asshole. He tense before letting out a sigh in content, it wasn’t long before he pulled the bottle of champagne from the bathroom floor into a glass.

A swift swallow in relaxation reminded him of the times he was human, laying out against the grass and the sun beamed on his milk skin for hours before he was rudely pulled out of that blissful state by his overbearing father. Maybe that was why he was the way he was, the dammed. The recoil of his fathers' disapproval secretly mended him to the vampire he was today. Godsend. He began distracting himself from his thoughts of his personality that somehow some tolerated by pouring an overload of bubble bath that was scented of husk from dear Elena into the bath. The white substance coated the body deliberately, pure relaxation was a must in this state. Hey! vampire can like bubble baths too.

Though, there wasn’t much he could think of when he was left alone with his thoughts running wild into spaces he concealed with impulsive decisions without thinking about the consequences for anyone involved. A common goal was all that he knew and clouded his judgement, like Elena. How much she wanted to know here Stefan did with his time while being in the presence of an original vampire that tortured for fun.

Damon lived for torment but when it came to his brother, who would come back into his life to take the girl he loved right back out from under him. He still wanted his little brother, the one who banter amongst either of the Mystic Falls humans they still fought like hell for. He laughed to himself getting sentimental placing the glass of champagne on his lips and taking a long sip.

It didn’t last long. His eyes plummeted at the sound of his front door opening, heavy footsteps and a scent of something he hadn’t smelt covered his nostrils more than the bubbles did. Damon gritted his teeth, swirling his head in distaste before forcing the bottle of champagne on the floor lifting himself to stand tall. The suds fell slowly down his body promptly to his feet that extended outside the tub. His motion cause water to pool onto the floor, though it would dry he would be dammed to know who entered the Salvatore home unannounced. Adding to the fact they ruined his needed self-care.

Before departing to the area where he knew the culprit would be, he placed a black robe around his body and tied the given straps on top of his waist. Damon made his way underneath the bedside table that hid a wooden stake for the times Katherine made appearances. He felt his weight shift between each step to the downstairs corridor before he became dazed with a familiar scent. The vampire was quick but cautious in his movements as before he wasn’t sure who had made their way into his home but now he was. The husk of a teenage boy sat alarmingly quiet at the fireplace, facing the floor before Damon stepped on a cracking piece of the floor. He was quite surprised by the confidence of the dead Jeremy Gilbert who was here to try his best to kill him that awfully made stake he was fiddling with. Thank goodness he wasn’t really in the mood to fight ninja turtles right now.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Damon questioned allowing it to linger in the boy's ear before he walked closer to the bar table to pour himself a drink of course. The teen looked as if he had seen a ghost, the man knew of his presence before he did. Jeremy sucked in a breath through his teeth removing the hoodie that was placed on his head. His black shaggy hair flopped on his forehead peeking through it. He thought lengthy to what the man had stated to him, his sister was preoccupied with Stefan’s whereabouts to know he was planning on killing Damon with the poorly made stake. Neither did he expect the vampire to continue pouring a glass of bourbon picking one up to give to him. They both sighed contently in each-others presence drowning in the sorrows of their siblings' absence.

“Did you come here to kill me? You’ll need a better weapon.”

“It’s only fair you did kill me.” Jeremy gave a smug look on his face knowing he wore a ring that prevented him from meeting the other side of being amongst the living. Although the facade was seen by those who looked close enough, he was constantly reminded by the trip there left him cold, leading him to understand he was meant to look for his body. His against the odds of staying in this state for too long could lead to him being stuck. Although Jeremys' body was close, he still felt his soul shift energies leaving him eerie and dark trying to find something to fill that void. He thought by killing Damon it would.

“Look I don’t do the big brother thing very well. Sorry, I don’t have any milk and cookies to offer you.” The brunette bit his lip feeling a heavy ache on his shoulders hearing his words. He knew to never expect anything less from the vampire, but maybe if he gave him some sort of closure he wouldn’t have been struck by gloom. It was almost like a cloud of it shadowed his being with no regard for why it sat polished on his shoulders.

That once smug look on his face turned sour.

“Dick.” To pick up where he left off he stood abruptly from the chair he sat in, taking his final departure from the Salvatore boarding house. The sound of the glass that was once being held in his hand alongside the stake felt broken on the carpet. The teen couldn’t care less about the mess he was making in a vampire's home, the guy was an asshole and he didn’t deserve his sisters' attention or the unrecognized love she had for him. There was almost steam coming from the top of his head from the fumes, he took one look back at the vampire before he finally walked his way to the front door.

A deep breath came from his chest pulling on the door handle, however, he didn’t expect to see the unpredictable.

Stefan Salvatore standing with his hands in his leather jacket. He liked almost the same except for the worn look of fatigue on his face, it showed heavily underneath his eyelids. The age of being under the compulsion of a damned hybrid they forced those around him to be the same. Klaus and his ways didn’t care about the ones that sat and were forced to watch. Jeremy couldn’t mask the shocked face he displayed to the vampire without thinking back to the question of why he was here, to begin with. How much more shit could Elena deal with before she snapped at seeing him again?

“Jeremy.” Stefan's voice sounded nothing less than smug sighting the shocked look that struck on his face. The act of surprise was something the vampire secretly loved when it came to victims thinking they were safe then he would display his presence to them. It wasn’t the same way as he looked Jeremy, the boy had grown taller from what he could imagine was only four inches higher than himself. Though was the young Gilbert even at the boarding house, to begin with? Had Damon had him under some stupid spiel to get Elena in his good graces?

Stefan bit his tongue from using his uncontrollable words in the man’s presence that he knew was sitting on the couch facing the unlit fireplace. He took one last breath before asking Jeremy a simple question so he could ask his brother for a favour. Though before he could the boy beat him to it.

“Damon you might want to come here.”

“Look, Jeremy, I’ll say I’m sorry. I’m not good with this whole thing.” Damon took several steps to the entryway of his home before his words died off at the end. He felt frozen in his spot, he indeed didn’t expect to see Stefan again after the star he left in. Was he here with the hybrid? The vampire shrugged his arms over themselves displaying his distaste for him to come back to Mystic Falls too soon for Elena’s sake. With a glance to Jeremy who had a look in his eyes, he bite his tongue before speaking.

“And what are you doing here Stefan?” Damon questioned smouldering the non-existent attendance he had in his mind. He caught his brother unattended looking at the parked car that was sloppily parked in the driveway. Hearing those words, Stefan took a step back, he of course knew his presence would strike some nerves from everyone but to see it on full display alarmed a certain part of his brain to push itself to the surface once again. He had been fighting it all day. His humanity. Not only from the wolf pup that would probably be waking up anytime soon from the unmoving car for something to eat. But to pass by the places that he and Elena would always visit. Goodness, he needs to get out of Mystic Falls before he goes back to Klaus and smells the humanity on him.

“I need a favour.”

“So you show up unannounced asking for a favour? Fuck off, Stefan.” The young Salvatore flared his eyebrows close to the gap between his eyelids, he couldn’t recall a time he was genuinely unhappy to see him. Border he lashed out from the scoff that came from the door almost being slammed in his face. He watched Jeremy move his foot forward before the gap closed between the two worlds. The boy walked in front of Damon gifting the man a look to go on pleading for whatever this favour would be.

“Wait here. I’ll go get it.” It? Was it some silly little book that would eventually curse all the bloodlines that so happen to be inside the boarding house? They both gave each other a look before watching Stefan gravitate toward the truck that we most definitely not his. With a deep breath, he placed his hand on the truck handle pulling it open to reveal a distressed little one that was biting the surrounding areas of her fingernails. She had been awake a lot longer than he intended, he felt so bad knowing she was strapped between the seatbelts and blanket he pressed into the sides of her legs. The tears that silently streamed down her face didn’t help the decision he would make by leaving her with his demented older brother. Maybe instead he could have him convince Elena too, goodness this was all just a dumb idea he got way too in over his head.

But as he looked at her grabby hands she gave him and the thick lashes that were smudged against the tears, he swallowed thickly. Y/n didn’t deserve people debating on whether or not she would have a life of comfort. He began removing the blankets and then the seatbelts to formally place her against his chest so that if he needed he could high tail out of there before any of them could taint her mind. The reader's tears became yesterday's problem once she felt Stefan’s finger swipe the water away from pooling against her freckled cheeks. Then her head was softly placed against her newly favourite place between his shoulder and neck with a soft hand on the back of her head. Before she felt the soft blanket she was once cradled against on her back once more. It was her favourite scent, between Gloria and her bed back home with her. She kissed her already and it barely was a day.

“I have people I want you to meet. Trust me. I won’t let anything happen to you. Okay?” Stefan looked down at the girl's cradled figure on this side of his chest awaiting a response before he turned around to face the curiosity of Damon and Jeremy. He smiled softly to himself at what his current state was, a little in his arms while holding a diaper bag filled with everything she needed. If you would have told him this is what his life would look like a year ago, he would have looked at you as if you were crazy. He felt her nod against his chest before he eventually took a step to not only close the truck door but to face the entryway of the Salvatore boarding house.

Damon was the first to react to the newcomer in the man’s arms, pushing his way between the doorway his curiosity taking over everything he was planning on being. He truly didn’t expect to be in the sight of something so small in the presence of someone like himself. The vampire took a step back to observe from the sidelines watching Jeremy behave differently. He took it upon himself to grab the bag from Stefan’s left hand. He picked up on the scent of something he hadn’t smelled since he killed Mason Lockwood in this very home. Though it struck of something lighter and less potent as if it was smaller. This being was a pup of a werewolf pack but didn’t smell of though it was currently a part of one.

Jeremy couldn’t help himself from taking the tiniest glance at the bundle of joy wrapped in the thickest blanket he had seen attached to none other than a vampire that had almost killed his dear sister. He proceeded to walk into the living room to place the light pink diaper bag next to the couch. Y/n took in the world around, the deep darkness of the wooden panels that filled the unknown place that Stefan seemed so familiar with. She scented the place with a wiggly nose before her breath caught in the back of her throat feeling someone come close enough to grab her baby bag. Was this man a thief?

“H-hi.” She broke the light silence that filled the room she was walking into, on top of the fact that her mama had always told her to be nice to those who deserved it. She lifted her head slightly getting a better look at the brunette who was somewhat human in the room of supernatural entities. No one could deny the atmosphere of the room change as she was softly placed on the couch away from the warmth of Stefan’s chest and neck. She kept a small smile on her face pacing her tiny hand in front of the blanket that was tribally placed on her lap and socked feet. 

“Care to explain?” Damon questioned allowing it to linger in the air barely taking his eyes off the wolf pup on his couch. He gripped the robe closer to his skin, gifting them both his signature smirk that would work for those under his charms. The vampire took a glance at his little brother, the worn fatigue and clear deepness under his eyes from the lengthy trip of being Klaus’ pet. The slight cherry hue on his lips from the possibility of ravishing a human before coming to Mystic Falls. He couldn’t acknowledge the unknown scent that seemed to come full force through his heightened senses.

Stefan took a slight breath before he dumped everything that happened in last hours since he left high and dry from Mystic Falls all together. He carried himself from his standing position to sitting himself next the little that was already hoping he would. The reader was already appreciating his presences and the beautiful ring that sat on his finger she liked to play with.

“Would you mind taking her to the kitchen to grab a snack for her, Jer?” This surprised him completely he hadn’t expected himself to be so fond of someone’s feelings despite his humanity being on the outs. The vampire couldn’t help himself in doing so, he continued to hold her hand for a few seconds with a dewy smile on his face. Before he gasped the bag was on the floor of the couch to hand to Jeremy. He jerked his head towards the kitchen awaiting his response before hearing the boy tell her about the animal-shaped crackers she never had before in the cabinet.

( No one cares about their banter. NEXT!)

The reader wrapped her tiny hand in between the unfamiliar male's hand feeling the light texture of tattoos she subconsciously traced with her painted fingers. She could already feel the rising warmth that came from being head to chest with the waking figure towards the deepness of the kitchen. It was beautiful, though it seemed to be unused compared to the one her mama had. All she recognized was the raging amounts of alcohol on the opposing sides of the sodden stools in front of the counter. The wolf began to lose the skip in her steps as she felt the man slow down his pace. She took a glance upwards to gift the man a small smile, though he was already looking at her feeling nervous by his gaze she lifted her other hand and gifted him a small wave.

“Hi. I’m y/n. Y-You’re Jeremy, right?” It was weird just how comfortable she was being pooled into those pretty chocolate soul catches he called his eyes. She felt him move his gaze over her face causing a slip of a stutter to come front at the end seeing him do so. They both stood in from the counters of the kitchen taking in each other's beings while she took in his delicate human scent she hadn’t been around in years since with Mama. Jeremy almost had a heart attack hearing the words she stuttered over, licking his dry lips trying to find the right thing to say to her. He noticed that he was still holding her in comparison to his small hand didn’t help.

“Yeah, I am. What do you want for a snack, little lady?”Jeremy shook their intertwined to regain her attention from his face. Although he would never consider himself cocky in any way he still smirked internally after seeing her blink away her dewy eyes away from his. He pulls her hand once more finally taking the long awaiting stop to the fridge for her to see. The reader took in the minimal amount of snacks and drinks that were in it. She knew they were vampires by holy was there only a half-full orange juice container, a cartoon of eggs and expired milk. Although she was disappointed she removed her hand from Jeremy feelings intensely cold from the action to proceed to open the diaper bag to find her favourite snacks.

She handled him the basic puffs of strawberry banana bites that quite literally melted in her mouth. Not even acknowledging the mess she created in the bag she continued to display the puffs to Jeremy who gladly opened the container not before popping one in his mouth to her distaste after handing them back to her.

“Can I have some orange juice?” The reader questioned the man messily eating standing chest to chest to the man liking the feeling of his fluffy sweatshirt on her cheek. Her chin rested perfectly there looking upwards with that stupidly cute dimple that showed, switching between each eye of his to look a tiny bit closer. Jeremy pinched his fingernail on his palm looking down at her chubby cheeks and light wash of powder from the puffs. He reminded his hand from the sides of his body to lightly brush away the powder that stuck to her lips and slightly in her cheeks.

“Uh yeah. Why don’t you go sit in the chair, okay?”At first, watched her struggle to climb on the spinning chair but gave up in the mix of it. The man took it upon himself to quietly ask her if she wanted any help. So here he was softly placing his hands underneath her armpits to lift her to sit against the chair. The warmth of each other's skin to skin gave off a rumble between each-other chests that could have easily been mistaken for a hungry cry. But to a wolf pup, it was something completely different in her eyes. She began by taking in his eyes like they were meant to uphold hers, before feeling the chilled barstool he ever so gently placed her on top. They both felt instantly disappointed without the skin to skin but she still happily thanked him for doing, kindly offering him a puff in his much larger hand. Jeremy could help but smile at a small gesture, he took a step back to the opposing countertop to look at the diaper bag that he had previously placed on the dining room table a mason jar of vervain and herbs assorted inside, taking a glance back to y/n that was currently swaying her legs to the hums of her own throat. He turned back around to look at the mixture not thinking much longer to crumble them inside the juice before closing it back up and shaking it to face the girl.

“Maybe we can hang out sometime? Away from the supernatural, the vampire kind at least.” Jeremy placed the bottle to her lips as her hands were occupied by the puffs and looking around distracted by none other than himself. Still suckling on the off-tasting orange juice, that chilled her dry thirst as she began to nod at his question. He removed the bottle from her mouth allowing her to gift herself with the glory of his, all she thought of was how much she would love to be lifted by his arms and held close like she was with Stefan just a moment prior. They looked into each other's eyes warmly gifting one other a smile before they both liked away.

Across the home in the living room, two vampires listened closely to the little one's mannerisms toward the unseen boy and the way he spoke softly and seemed so smitten by one other so quickly. It was clear that part of herself was called to the boy named Jeremy. Gloria was right, he might have been the thing to encounter to meet the person who was perfect for her.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ ⸝⸝ part two

🫧*ੈ✩‧₊˚ I hope you enjoyed it!! 💗 please don’t be a silent reader, let me know what you think⋆୨୧˚