#Role of Elijah in the Second Coming

[mindfulldsliving]

CFM | Understanding the Spirit of Elijah: Doctrine and Covenants 2 and Joseph Smith's History 1:27-65

This week’s Come Follow study of the Doctrine and Covenants highlights the eternal connection “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn to their Fathers.” Understanding these scriptures help us understand the fulfillment of Elijah’s return, restoration of priesthood keys, and the sealing power of in temples uniting families beyond mortality. Through the Angel Moroni, Joseph Smith received divine…

[ithrilyann]

Peter Jackson on casting Frodo

“Frodo was a very, very important character in the movies. But he’s also a very difficult character to play and to cast. […] We were convinced that Frodo is gonna be an English actor, ’cause we wanted the Hobbits to basically be English as Tolkien really wrote them. So, we went to London and we started auditioning.

We couldn’t think of any actor to play Frodo. We had nobody in mind. We thought it would be unknown English actor, a young kid. We were in London auditioning for about a month and we’ve probably seen three hundred Frodos. There were two or three that were okay, but nothing magical, you know. ’Cause Frodo had to be magical. Every time the casting room door opened and some nervous young actor would come in, we were saying, ‘is this gonna be Frodo?’ And you sort of know within ten seconds that it wasn’t really Frodo. It was a worry, but we were plugging on.

And then our casting director said to us one day, ‘A package’s just come in the mail. It’s from Elijah Wood’. It was a video tape, a VHS tape. I had heard Elijah’s name, but I’ve never seen a film he’d done. I actually had no face for Elijah, I didn’t know how he looked like.

So, we put the video tape in. Elijah was in LA and heard that we were in London and we’re not gonna come to LA. He really wanted to get this role. So, he hired a dialect coach to teach him accent, he’d gone to the local costume-hire, got some cheesy kind of Hobbit costume on. He’d gone into the trees somewhere behind his house with a friend, and he just videotaped his own audition. He didn’t have our script, so he was reading from the book, he was doing Frodo parts from the book.

I just put this video tape in, and literally, not having known who Elijah Wood was really, I just thought, ‘he’s wonderful, he’s absolutely great’. And so, Elijah cast himself”.

(x)

[yolobloggers]

Forever After Goodbye (II)

~Summary: The reader has taken some off to mend her heart and move on. What she didn’t plan was falling in love and finding her happily ever after with the powerful original, Elijah Mikaelson.

~A/N: Dear Readers,

Wow, long time. Thank you for patiently waiting for the second part of the The Last Goodbye. As promised, I opted for two alternative endings; one where the reader ends up with Klaus and other other where the reader ends up with Elijah. Elena is not the main lead, I do not have anything against her, its just for the plot. Your feedback is always welcome! Happy Reading xx

~You can refresh on the story here:

The Last Goodbye

Forever After Goodbye (I) - Klaus Mikaelson

~Characters and Pairings: Elijah Mikaelson x Reader, Damon Salvatore x Reader(Platonic), The Mystic Gang and The Mikaelsons

~Warning: Swearing.

~Third Person POV:

“FUCK!” Y/N exclaimed, her forehead meeting the steering wheel with a dull thud. Her mind felt like it had split in two—one half applauded her for finally choosing herself, for walking away from the chaos that had consumed her life. The other half screamed at her to call everyone back, to reassure them, to slip back into the role of the ever-dependable, ever-sacrificing Ms. Goody Good.

She leaned back in her seat, staring at the dashboard, and exhaled sharply. Why am I like this? she wondered. Was this an ingrained habit or the psychological fallout of years spent bearing everyone else’s burdens? Shaking off the thought, she forced herself upright and took a long, steadying breath.

The vibrant energy of New Orleans surrounded her—the French Quarter buzzed with life, its colorful streets alive with the soulful wail of jazz, the clinking of glasses, and the allure of trinkets sold at eclectic shops. A faint smile tugged at her lips. For a moment, she allowed herself to lean into the part of her subconscious that patted her on the back. She’d done it. She’d taken a step toward herself.

But the path forward wasn’t easy. She had years of grief to unravel, years of pushing down her pain. Since her parents’ untimely death, Y/N had been in survival mode. She had attended their funeral while shouldering her brother Jeremy’s grief, navigated the endless drama the Salvatores brought into her life, and even let herself fall for one of them—a choice she now regretted deeply. She’d lost so many people along the way, but worst of all, she’d lost herself.

Yet, before she could truly embrace this second chance, there were two things she needed to do: call Jeremy and find Elijah.

Digging through her tote bag, she found her phone, which she had turned off the moment she fled Mystic Falls. With a sigh, she powered it back on, bracing herself for the barrage of missed calls and texts. The notifications flooded in, her screen lighting up with names that once brought her comfort but now only stirred frustration.

Her thumb hovered over Damon’s name as she read his text.

Damon:Y/N, come back home. Everyone is freaking out… Elena is all over the place. She’s very upset. We’ll figure something out. Come home.

A scoff escaped her lips. “Fuck you, D,” she muttered under her breath before hitting speed dial for Jeremy. The phone rang only a couple of times before his worried voice came through.

“Y/N!” Jeremy exclaimed, the relief and panic clear in his tone. “Where the hell have you been? Are you okay? Are you hurt? What’s going on?!”

“Hey, J-bear,” she said softly, her voice calm despite her racing heart.

“What the fuck, Y/N/N? I’ve been losing my mind! Where are you? Are you safe?” he ranted.

“J... J, stop,” she interrupted gently but firmly. “Let me talk. Please.”

She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. “Are you alone?”

“No,” he replied hesitantly. “Bonnie, Caroline, and Stefan are here.”

Of course, she thought, biting back a groan. “Fine,” she said, resigning herself to the lack of privacy. “I’ll just get it over with. Look, I’m fine. I needed to leave Mystic Falls, J. I know the timing isn’t ideal, but I had to do this. I need space—from everyone and everything.”

“Everyone?” Jeremy’s voice held a note of hurt.

“Not you, J,” Y/N said quickly, her tone softening. “I love you, and I need you to understand. Please, respect my decision.”

There was a pause on the other end, and Y/N could picture Jeremy processing her words, torn between his protective instincts and his love for her. Finally, he spoke, his voice quieter. “I love you too, sis. Just... take care of yourself, okay? And keep me updated. I can’t lose you.”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she whispered, “Thank you, J. Take care of yourself too.”

She could hear the commotion in the background—the gasps and hurried whispers of the Mystic gang—but she didn’t care. For once, their opinions didn’t matter.

She ended the call, leaned back in her seat, and glanced at her reflection in the rearview mirror. She looked like a mess. Her lavender silk dress—picked out by the bride—was wrinkled, her makeup was smudged, and her hair was dishevelled.

“Jeez,” she muttered, grabbing a makeup wipe from her bag. “I’m not going on an Elijah hunt looking like this.”

Once she had tidied herself up, she stepped out of the car and surveyed her surroundings. The memory of her last meeting with Elijah played in her mind—the feel of his arms around her waist, his warm hand brushing her cheek as he whispered promises of loyalty and love. It had been her lifeline then, and it was her guiding star now.

She adjusted her handbag on her shoulder, took a deep breath, and started walking through the French Quarter. The lively streets were packed with people, but Y/N’s focus remained on the task at hand. She passed by charming cafés and quaint shops, mentally noting which ones she’d revisit when she had more time.

Eventually, she found herself at Rousseau’s, a cosy bar that seemed to hum with history. Sliding onto a stool, she caught the bartender’s eye.

“Whiskey on the rocks, please,” she said, flashing a polite smile.

As she waited for her drink, she glanced around the bar, scanning the faces of patrons. Part of her wanted to call Elijah—just a quick call, and he’d be there—but something held her back. She needed a sign, an organic moment to confirm that she was doing the right thing.

The city buzzed around her, full of possibilities. Y/N wasn’t sure what the future held, but for the first time in a long time, she felt like she was moving toward something good—toward someone who had always been her safe haven.

When the bartender set her drink down, she took a sip and let the burn calm her nerves. As her fingers toyed with the trinkets she had bought earlier, she whispered softly to herself, “Where are you, Elijah?”

She knew better than to mention the name “Mikaelson” here. She could tell that there were other supernatural beings here. Gulping her drink, she picked over on her search for the man in the suit. 

“Y/N...” The voice reached her through the din of the crowded bar, cutting through the noise like a melody she could never forget. She turned on her barstool, her heart thundering as her eyes met Elijah’s.

Without thinking, she leaped into his arms, tears spilling down her cheeks. She buried her face against his shoulder, clinging to him as though he were her lifeline. “Y/N, are you all right? Why are you crying?” Elijah’s voice was laced with concern as one arm wrapped securely around her waist while the other cradled her head gently.

“I missed you,” she whispered, her words muffled against him.

Elijah pulled back slightly, his hands coming to rest on her cheeks as he examined her face with a mixture of worry and tenderness. His touch was featherlight, but his gaze held depth—confusion, concern, and something Y/N dared to hope was love.

“My dear,” he murmured, his lips curving into a soft smile. “I missed you too.”

His heart ached at the pain he could see in her, a hurt that seemed to radiate from the depths of her soul. He wanted nothing more than to take it all away. But the hushed whispers and curious stares from the bar’s patrons reminded him that this wasn’t the time or place.

“Let’s go somewhere quieter,” he suggested gently, his hand brushing against hers.

“Okay,” Y/N agreed, grabbing her bag and linking her arm with his.

Elijah opted to walk instead of whisking her to the compound. He could sense her fragility, the delicate state of her emotions. This wasn’t a moment to rush; it was a chance—a rare one—to offer her the safety and space she needed.

As they walked, Y/N began to vent. She spoke about Damon, the wedding she’d run out on, and the weight of disappointment that had been suffocating her. Elijah listened attentively, occasionally offering a quiet word of acknowledgment. His presence was steady, calming, as though grounding her chaotic thoughts.

Eventually, they arrived at a grand, timeless structure. Y/N paused, taking in the elegant details of the house, a masterpiece of New Orleans’ golden era.

“Welcome to the Compound,” Elijah said, his voice warm.

“Lijah, this place is... magnificent,” she breathed, her eyes wide with awe.

She turned to him with a shy smile. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything,” he replied, sincerity evident in his tone.

“Does your offer still stand? Do you still have a place for me here? I’d understand if—”

Elijah’s hands came to rest on her arms, halting her words. “Darling, I’m so sorry...” he began, his voice heavy with guilt.

Y/N’s face fell, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. “Oh,” she muttered, her voice breaking.

“Please, let me explain,” Elijah said quickly, his grip on her firm yet comforting. “I’m apologising for the pain my family and I have caused you. We were careless, blind to the cost of our actions. But know this—you will always have a place here. I made a promise to you, and it’s one I intend to keep.”

Tears streamed down her face as his words sank in. Overwhelmed by the warmth and belonging he offered so freely, she wrapped her arms around his torso and let herself break down.

Elijah held her tightly, whispering soft reassurances as he carried her to his room. She cried against him for what felt like hours, her emotions finally spilling over. Through it all, Elijah remained patient, a steady anchor in the storm of her grief.

When she finally pulled away, her eyes red and puffy, she looked up at him. “I’m sorry, Lijah. I stained your shirt... And thank you. You don’t owe me an apology. Klaus, maybe, but you? You’ve always looked out for me. Thank you for being here and for letting me stay.”

Elijah cupped her cheek, his touch impossibly gentle. “You never need to apologise, Y/N. You are safe here, always.”

In the following days, Y/N allowed herself to feel, to sit with her thoughts instead of running from them. Elijah, ever mindful of her healing, moved her to his loft outside the city—a tranquil space where she could rebuild her strength.

Some days, she found herself mesmerised by the beauty of the world during their quiet walks. On others, she struggled even to get out of bed, overwhelmed by the weight of her emotions. Elijah never pushed her. On those difficult days, he simply sat beside her, offering his quiet presence.

Healing wasn’t linear, and Elijah understood that. The loft became her sanctuary—a peaceful retreat where she could rediscover herself, bit by bit.

One evening, as Y/N sat on the balcony with a journal in her hands, Elijah approached with a cup of tea. “I thought you might like this,” he said, placing it beside her.

She looked up, a soft smile playing on her lips. “You always seem to know what I need before I do.”

Elijah’s gaze softened as he took the seat next to her. “Sometimes, it’s the smallest comforts that make the biggest difference.”

Her fingers brushed his lightly as she took the tea, her cheeks warming. “Thank you, Elijah. For always being here.”

Over time, her feelings for him deepened, though she hesitated to act on them. She wanted to ensure what she felt was real—not a rebound. Elijah, ever patient, gave her all the time and space she needed.

One morning, Y/N woke to the smell of fresh coffee. She found Elijah in the kitchen, his sleeves rolled up as he prepared breakfast.

“You don’t have to do all this for me,” she said, leaning against the doorway.

Elijah turned to her with a playful smirk. “And yet, I enjoy it.”

Her heart fluttered. “Why, Elijah? Why go out of your way for someone like me?”

He set the coffee pot down and approached her, his gaze unwavering. “Because, Y/N, you’re not just ‘someone.’ You’re everything I’ve longed for—a reminder that there’s still light in this world.”

At that moment, Y/N knew. She was undeniably, irrevocably in love with Elijah Mikaelson.

“When can I meet your siblings?” Y/N asked casually as they ate breakfast. “Whenever you’d like, darling. Though may I ask why?” Elijah’s voice was calm, but his curiosity was evident. Y/N shrugged, her tone light. “Because I think I’m ready.” When Elijah didn’t respond immediately, she glanced up from her plate to find him watching her intently, questions swirling in his eyes. “Ready?” he asked, his voice low, as though he was afraid to disturb the moment. Y/N carefully pushed both their plates aside, reaching out to take his hands in hers. “A while back, you and I were dancing in a room full of people, yet I could tell the only person you saw in that room was me. In some ways, I’ve been naive… maybe even disrespectful, Elijah. I knew what you felt for me was more than friendship or pity, but I chose to dwell on my feelings for Damon instead.” She paused, her gaze earnest. “You’ve been nothing but a gentleman to me. You gave me a place to stay, a safe space to heal. That night at the ball, you asked me to let you into my world. Today, I’m asking if I can be part of yours. Your family is your world, Elijah, and I want to be part of it. To stand by you, to care for you, and to love you.” For a moment, silence filled the space between them, the weight of her words hanging in the air. Elijah’s fingers tightened slightly around hers, his usually composed expression softening.

“My dearest Y/N,” he said, his voice almost a whisper, “do you have any idea what those words mean to me?”

She opened her mouth to respond, but he gently pressed a finger to her lips, stopping her.

“Please, let me speak,” he continued, his dark eyes searching hers. “From the moment I met you, I have been captivated by your strength, your compassion, and your light. Even when you did not see yourself clearly, I saw you. I saw all of you, and I have waited for the day when you might see me too—not as a noble, not as a Mikaelson, but as a man who loves you beyond reason.” His voice broke slightly at the end, and Y/N felt tears prick her eyes. “I have lived a thousand lifetimes, Y/N,” Elijah said, his thumb brushing over her knuckles, “but none have held meaning until now. To hear you ask to be a part of my world… I cannot tell you how much it humbles me. Yes, my family is my world, but so are you. And there is nothing I desire more than for you to stand by me, to care for me, and to love me, as I have loved you.”

A tear slipped down Y/N’s cheek, and Elijah reached up to gently brush it away. “You are my sanctuary, Y/N,” he whispered. Before she could reply, he leaned forward, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. It wasn’t rushed or overwhelming—it was a quiet, unspoken promise, filled with all the emotions he had held back for so long. When he pulled away, Y/N smiled through her tears, her heart full. “So… when do I get to meet your siblings?” Elijah chuckled softly, his composure slipping just enough to reveal his joy. “Perhaps we should wait until after breakfast. I’ll need to prepare them—they have a tendency to be… dramatic.” Y/N laughed, and for the first time in a long while, it felt light and free. “Let them be dramatic,” she said, leaning into him. “I’ll take it all if it means being with you.”

Y/N walked confidently through the grand doors of the Mikaelson compound, her heels clicking against the tiled floor. She had asked for this—demanded it, really. If she was going to be part of Elijah’s life, she had to truly step into his world. That meant confronting not only his complicated siblings but also the pieces of her past tied to them.

Elijah walked beside her, his posture as regal as ever, but there was a faint tension in his jaw. “Are you certain about this, Y/N?” he asked, his deep voice tinged with concern. “You know they can be… unpredictable.”

“I’ve dealt with the Mystic Falls gang for years,” Y/N said, her tone dry. “I think I can handle a few Original vampires.”

Elijah’s lips twitched into a small smile, impressed by her composure. “Just remember, you’re under no obligation to win them over. This is about you and me.”

“Yeah, well,” she said, brushing an imaginary speck off her imaginary blazer, “if I’m going to be with you, I need to deal with them. That’s how families work, Elijah. Even the psychotic ones.”

They stepped into the courtyard, where Rebekah, Kol, and Klaus were already gathered. Rebekah sat elegantly at the edge of the fountain, while Kol leaned against a column, tossing an apple in one hand with a devil-may-care grin. Klaus stood nearby, his usual air of dominance radiating from him as he swirled a glass of bourbon.

“Well, well,” Kol drawled, tossing the apple aside as soon as he saw her. “If it isn’t the fiery Gilbert sister. To what do we owe the pleasure?”

“Kol,” Y/N said, her tone dripping with mock sweetness. “Still working on perfecting the art of doing absolutely nothing, I see.”

Kol clutched his chest dramatically. “Oh, she wounds me! Elijah, where did you find such a sharp-tongued treasure?”

“Kol,” Elijah said smoothly, stepping between his brother and Y/N, “perhaps you could save your antics for someone who hasn’t already seen through them.”

Rebekah smirked from her spot by the fountain. “Don’t waste your time, Kol. Y/N’s not like the other doe-eyed girls who swoon at the sight of you. She’s far too clever for that.”

Y/N shot Rebekah a quick smile. “Glad someone noticed.”

Klaus, who had been silently observing, finally spoke, his voice low and cutting. “Cleverness didn’t stop you from being at the mercy of this family before, did it, Y/N?”

Y/N turned to him, her posture straight and unyielding. “No, but it didn’t stop me from surviving, either. Which is more than I can say for some of the messes you’ve created.”

Klaus’s smirk faltered for a fraction of a second, replaced by a glint of something darker in his eyes. “Careful, little Gilbert. You’re in my house now.”

“And I’m here by invitation,” Y/N shot back without missing a beat. “Yours, no. But Elijah’s, which matters a hell of a lot more to me.”

Elijah stepped forward, his presence commanding as he placed a hand gently on Y/N’s back. “Enough, Niklaus,” he said firmly. “She’s not here to rehash old grievances. This is about moving forward.”

Klaus looked at his brother for a long moment before shrugging lazily. “Moving forward, is it? How quaint. Well, far be it from me to ruin your little romance.”

Rebekah rolled her eyes. “God, Nik, must you always make everything so unbearable? Honestly, Y/N, I don’t know how you put up with him.”

Y/N smirked. “I tune him out. It’s a skill I picked up growing up with Damon.”

Kol barked out a laugh. “Oh, I like her, Elijah. Are you sure I can’t steal her away?”

Elijah turned his head slightly, fixing Kol with a look so subtle yet piercing that it made Y/N’s heart flutter. “Kol,” he said, his tone deceptively calm, “don’t push me.”

Kol raised his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. I’ll behave—for now.”

Rebekah stood and linked arms with Y/N, pulling her away from the tension brewing between the brothers. “Come on, Y/N. Let me give you a proper tour of this place. It’s far more interesting than the constant male posturing.”

As Rebekah led Y/N away, Kol called after them, “Don’t let her bore you with her interior design ideas. They’re dreadful.”

Y/N laughed under her breath, shaking her head. “It’s like dealing with toddlers.”

“You’ve no idea,” Rebekah muttered conspiratorially.

Later, in the Drawing Room

The tension from earlier had eased somewhat. Y/N sat with Rebekah on one of the plush sofas, a glass of wine in hand. Kol was lounging nearby, still full of cheeky comments, while Elijah watched her from across the room, his gaze soft and thoughtful.

Klaus, however, remained distant, his eyes flickering to her now and then with suspicion.

“Tell me, Y/N,” Kol said, breaking the silence. “What’s it like being the Gilbert sister who actually has some sense? Must be exhausting.”

Y/N smirked, swirling her wine. “Exhausting, yes. But at least I’m not the Mikaelson sibling known for being expendable.”

Rebekah nearly choked on her drink, and even Elijah’s lips twitched with amusement.

Kol stared at her, stunned for a moment, before bursting into laughter. “Oh, I think I’m in love.”

Elijah cleared his throat, stepping closer to Y/N. “Kol, I believe it’s time you found another pastime.”

Y/N glanced up at Elijah, catching the faintest glimmer of jealousy in his otherwise calm demeanour. She reached out and lightly brushed her fingers against his hand, a silent reassurance.

“I can handle Kol,” she said softly, her eyes meeting his.

“I have no doubt,” Elijah replied, his voice low and filled with warmth.

From across the room, Klaus watched the interaction with narrowed eyes. Despite his usual bravado, he couldn’t ignore the way Y/N seemed to command respect in a way so few ever did.

For Y/N, it wasn’t about winning over the Mikaelsons. It was about proving, to them and herself, that she belonged—not just in their world, but beside Elijah, where she knew she was meant to be.

It had been a week since Y/N decided to immerse herself in Elijah’s world, and despite her initial reservations, she found herself growing more comfortable within the walls of the Mikaelson compound. Time had softened her edges toward some of the siblings. Rebekah had quickly become a confidante, her blunt honesty and fierce loyalty making it easy for Y/N to trust her. Kol was, as always, the mischievous brother, his flirtatious remarks now more playful than irritating. Freya had been a recent addition to their gatherings, and her warm, composed demeanour was a welcome change amidst the usual chaos.

Klaus, however, remained the elephant in the room. Their interactions were minimal and strained at best, laced with underlying hostility. Y/N’s anger at him lingered—after all, this was the man responsible for so much pain in her family’s life: Aunt Jenna’s death, the torment Elena and Jeremy endured, and countless other manipulations that left scars on her soul. Yet, for Elijah’s sake, she kept her sharp words and biting sarcasm in check when Klaus was around. Barely.

Tonight, the group was gathered in one of the compound’s sitting rooms. A fire crackled in the hearth, its warmth mirrored in the laughter filling the room. Rebekah and Kol were bickering over a board game they’d unearthed, while Freya and Y/N were deep in conversation about New Orleans folklore. Elijah sat close to Y/N, his hand resting lightly on the arm of her chair, their closeness speaking volumes without words.

“Honestly, Kol, your strategy is abysmal,” Rebekah huffed, crossing her arms.

“You’re just upset because I’m winning,” Kol retorted with a grin, earning an eye-roll from his sister.

Freya chuckled and leaned toward Y/N. “This is what I endure every day. Welcome to the madness.”

Y/N smirked. “It’s oddly comforting. Like watching Jeremy and Elena argue over the last slice of pizza back home.”

Elijah’s hand brushed against hers subtly, a quiet gesture that made her heart flutter. His silent support was a balm in the chaos, grounding her amidst the whirlwind that was his family.

Unbeknownst to her, Klaus had been watching from the doorway. His sharp eyes caught the way Elijah’s gaze softened when it landed on Y/N, the way she seemed to bring an ease to his usually stoic brother. It wasn’t lost on Klaus how rare it was to see Elijah this content, and it stirred something unfamiliar within him—something almost resembling guilt.

For days, Klaus had avoided addressing the tension between himself and Y/N, stubbornly pretending it didn’t matter. But seeing her here, effortlessly weaving her way into his siblings’ lives, made him realise that she was no passing fancy for Elijah. She was important. And that mattered.

With a sigh, Klaus stepped into the room, his presence immediately commanding attention.

“Ah, Nik,” Kol drawled, tossing a game piece onto the table. “Come to ruin the fun, as always?”

“Not tonight, brother,” Klaus replied smoothly, his eyes fixed on Y/N.

Y/N stiffened under his gaze, her guard instinctively going up. “What? Did I sit in your chair or something?” she quipped, her sarcasm a shield against his unpredictable nature.

Klaus’s lips twitched in faint amusement before he gestured toward the hallway. “A word, if you don’t mind.”

Y/N exchanged a wary glance with Elijah, who gave her a reassuring nod. Rising from her chair, she followed Klaus out of the room, her arms crossed defensively.

They stopped in a quieter part of the compound, the hum of conversation fading behind them. Klaus turned to face her, his usual swagger replaced with an uncharacteristic seriousness.

“I owe you an apology,” he began, his voice low but steady.

Y/N blinked, caught off guard. “I’m sorry, what? Did I just step into an alternate universe?”

Klaus exhaled sharply, resisting the urge to retort. “I’ve done unspeakable things to your family. To you. And while I can’t undo the past, I can acknowledge the pain I’ve caused.”

Y/N’s eyes narrowed, searching his face for any hint of deceit. “Why now? Why bother apologising at all?”

“Because,” Klaus said, his tone softening, “you matter to Elijah. And Elijah matters to me. Despite everything, I don’t wish to be the reason you bring him pain.”

For a moment, Y/N was silent, her emotions warring within her. She had every right to hold onto her anger, but she also knew what it meant for someone like Klaus to admit fault.

“Fine,” she said finally, her voice clipped. “I can’t say I forgive you. Not yet. But I can be civil. For Elijah’s sake.”

Klaus nodded, a flicker of respect in his eyes. “That’s all I ask.”

When they returned to the sitting room, the atmosphere shifted. The tension that had lingered between them seemed lighter, replaced by a tentative truce.

Rebekah arched her brow. “Well, that’s new. Did hell freeze over while you two were gone?”

Kol grinned. “Or did Klaus finally learn how to play nice?”

Elijah’s gaze flicked between Y/N and Klaus, a small smile tugging at his lips as he realized what had happened.

Freya leaned toward Y/N, whispering with a grin, “That’s the closest you’ll get to a heartfelt gesture from Niklaus. Congratulations.”

Y/N chuckled softly, leaning back into her chair. For the first time, she felt like she truly belonged—not just to Elijah, but to the family he cherished so deeply.

And that night, even Klaus couldn’t find it in himself to ruin the peace.

Later that night, Y/N stood on the balcony of Elijah’s room in the compound, overlooking the vibrant city of New Orleans. The French Quarter buzzed with life below, but up here, in the serenity of this room, it felt like a world away.

Her fingers trailed absentmindedly over the cool metal of the balcony railing as she lost herself in thought. The events of the past week had been a whirlwind—meeting Elijah’s siblings, finding her footing among them, and even reaching a tentative truce with Klaus. Yet, amidst it all, there was one constant: Elijah.

“Penny for your thoughts, my love?” Elijah’s deep, velvety voice broke through her reverie.

She turned to see him stepping out onto the balcony, his suit jacket abandoned, the sleeves of his crisp white shirt rolled up. The sight of him, always so composed yet so effortlessly alluring, made her heart race.

“You’d need a fortune to get through all of them,” she teased, a soft smile gracing her lips.

Elijah stepped closer, his hands resting gently on the railing on either side of her. He leaned in slightly, his presence wrapping around her like a protective cocoon. “Then perhaps I’ll settle for the one that makes you smile like that,” he said, his gaze searching hers.

Y/N laughed softly, leaning into him. “Just thinking about how far we’ve come. How I went from avoiding you at every chance to... this.” She gestured to the space between them, the connection that was now undeniable.

Elijah’s eyes softened, his hand lifting to brush a strand of hair away from her face. “And does ‘this’ bring you peace, Y/N? Happiness?”

Her breath hitched at the tenderness in his tone, the way his touch sent shivers down her spine. “More than I ever thought possible,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Elijah’s lips curved into a rare, genuine smile. “You mean so much to me.”

He cupped her cheek gently, his thumb brushing against her skin. Y/N leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment. When she opened them, she found him watching her with a reverence that made her heart ache in the best way.

“You’ve brought light to a life shrouded in centuries of darkness,” he continued, his voice filled with emotion. “You’ve reminded me what it means to hope, to feel, to love. And for that, I am eternally grateful.”

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, but she held them back, letting a soft laugh escape instead. “How do you always know the exact thing to say to make me melt, Mr. Mikaelson?”

“Perhaps because you inspire every word,” he replied smoothly, his lips now only a breath away from hers.

Unable to resist any longer, Y/N closed the distance between them, her lips capturing his in a kiss that was both tender and fervent. Elijah responded instantly, his arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her flush against him. The world around them faded away, leaving only the two of them, lost in each other.

When they finally parted, both were breathless, their foreheads resting together.

“I love you,” Y/N confessed, the words tumbling out before she could second-guess them.

Elijah’s eyes lit up, his expression one of pure joy. “And I, you. More than words can ever convey.”

They stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms as the stars began to dot the night sky. In that moment, nothing else mattered—not the dangers of their world, not the complications of their pasts. All that existed was the love they shared, a love that felt timeless and unbreakable.

“You know,” Y/N murmured against his chest, “we’re going to have to deal with your siblings’ endless teasing now.”

Elijah chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Let them tease. As long as I have you by my side, I can endure anything.”

And with that, they stayed on the balcony, basking in the quiet intimacy of the moment, two souls finally finding their home in each other.

The sun was starting to set, painting the sky in hues of gold and pink as Elijah and Y/N walked hand in hand through the lavender field, surrounded by the fragrant flowers that had once been a playground for Elijah and his siblings when they were children. The field was a rare moment of peace for them both, far from the chaos of their supernatural lives.

Y/N gazed at the endless rows of purple, a soft smile on her face. "You know," she said, glancing at Elijah, "this place is beautiful. It's almost as if it holds the memories of your past... and all the times you've been forced to leave them behind."

Elijah squeezed her hand gently, his gaze softening. "It's more than just a place for me. It’s a reminder of simpler times, before our lives were filled with endless complications and heartache. But it’s better now, isn’t it? With you by my side."

Y/N smiled, her heart fluttering at his words. She turned toward him, standing on tiptoe as she kissed his lips, slow and tender. They were both completely in their own world, the lavender scent mingling with the warmth between them.

When they pulled apart, Elijah looked into her eyes, searching, as though seeing her in a new light. "I don't think I've ever been as certain of anything in my life as I am of you."

Y/N chuckled, her thumb brushing over the back of his hand. "That’s a little dramatic, even for you, Elijah Mikaelson," she teased.

Elijah smirked, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. "You think so? Because you make me want to be dramatic. You're worth it."

She laughed, her heart full. It was moments like this—just the two of them—that made her forget the tumultuous past and the storm that was always lingering. Elijah pulled her closer, resting his forehead against hers.

"Promise me you’ll always be with me," Y/N whispered, her voice barely audible.

"I already am," he replied softly, wrapping his arms around her. "And I will be for as long as you’ll have me."

Before they could get lost in each other further, Elijah’s phone rang, interrupting the moment. He glanced at it, his expression turning serious as he looked at the caller ID. Klaus. He dealt with the call. 

"We’ve been summoned to the Salvatore Boarding House. We need to head there. It seems that the Mystic Gang, as you refer to them, have landed themselves in a mess again."

Y/N sighed, her fingers still intertwined with his as she pulled away reluctantly. "Can’t we have just a few more minutes?" she asked, half-joking.

Elijah smiled, though the weight of their responsibilities always lingered. "As much as I would prefer to stay here, I’m afraid we have no choice."

The evening sunlight filtered through the tall windows of the Salvatore Boarding House, casting warm, golden hues over the tension-filled room. The Mystic Gang—Damon and Stefan Salvatore, Bonnie Bennett, Caroline Forbes, and Elena Gilbert—sat scattered across the living room. Their expressions ranged from apprehension to outright frustration as they awaited the arrival of the Mikaelsons.

“They’re late,” Damon muttered, swirling the bourbon in his glass. “Typical.”

“Maybe don’t insult them when they get here,” Bonnie warned. “We need their help, remember?”

Elena sat on the edge of the couch, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap. She hadn’t seen Y/N in months. The memory of their strained last encounter weighed on her, but she was determined to fix things—if Y/N would let her.

Suddenly, the heavy wooden doors swung open, and in stepped Elijah Mikaelson, effortlessly poised in his tailored suit. At his side, hand entwined with his, was Y/N.

The room fell silent.

Y/N looked radiant, her smile soft but confident as she stepped into the space like she belonged there. Her gaze swept over the familiar faces, lingering momentarily on Elena before she looked away. The Mystic Gang, meanwhile, wore expressions ranging from stunned to incredulous.

“Y/N?” Caroline finally broke the silence, her voice tinged with disbelief.

“Surprise,” Y/N said dryly, raising an eyebrow. She gave a small wave, the corners of her lips twitching upward.

Jeremy stood there, eyes lighting up when he saw Y/N.

"Y/N!" Jeremy exclaimed, rushing forward and enveloping her in a bear hug. "I can't believe you're here! It's been way too long."

Y/N laughed softly, hugging him back. "I know, I know. It's been... a lot. But I’m here now."

The warmth and familiarity of her brother’s embrace made her feel grounded, even amidst the chaos. They pulled apart, and Y/N looked him over. "How have you been? Really?"

Jeremy gave her a small, sincere smile. "I've been good. Missed you, though. Things have been... complicated, you know? But it’s good to see you again."

Elijah watched the exchange with a quiet smile, though his hand found Y/N's, grounding her with a touch that said everything without words.

When Y/N turned to the others in the room, her gaze landed on Elena, who had been standing quietly off to the side, watching the reunion with a mix of uncertainty and hope. Slowly, Y/N approached her, eyes softening as she did.

"Hey, Elena," Y/N said, voice steady but warm. "How are you?"

Elena hesitated, her gaze flickering between Y/N and Elijah before she finally stepped forward. "I’m... I’m okay. Really. I just—I’ve been trying to reach you. I wanted to apologise for everything that happened, Y/N. I should’ve understood sooner... but I was too caught up in my own pain to see yours."

Y/N’s heart softened, but there was still a guardedness in her voice. "It’s not just about you, Elena. I know you’re sorry. But you still haven’t really understood why I had to leave, have you?"

Elena looked down, visibly pained. "I get it now, I do. It was never about me. It was about you needing space, needing to find yourself again. I wasn’t there when you needed me most."

Y/N took a deep breath, her voice firm but not unkind. "I know you’re trying, but it’s going to take time. I’ll speak to you when I’m ready, okay? It’s just... it’s hard. For both of us."

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Damon blurted out, his gaze bouncing between Y/N and Elijah. “You’re with him?”

Y/N’s eyes narrowed, her sarcasm cutting through the room like a blade. “Hello to you too, Damon. Always such a charmer.”

Elijah placed a reassuring hand on the small of her back, his calm demeanour unshaken. “It’s lovely to see you all again,” he said, his voice smooth and composed. “I trust this reunion will be...productive.”

“Reunion?” Stefan echoed, his brow furrowed. “Wait, how long has this been going on?” He gestured between Elijah and Y/N.

“Long enough,” Y/N replied, her tone sharp yet unapologetic. She glanced up at Elijah, her expression softening instantly. “And if you’re wondering, yes, we’re very happy.”

Bonnie’s eyes darted to the engagement ring glittering on Y/N’s hand. “Is that…?”

“Yes,” Y/N said, holding up her hand briefly, smiling. Jeremy hugged Y/N again congratulating her. 

Klaus entered the room then, with Kol and Rebekah trailing behind him. “Ah, the gang’s all here,” Klaus drawled, his smirk firmly in place. “I see you’ve all met my future sister-in-law. Delightful, isn’t she?”

Y/N shot him a mock glare. “Don’t start, Klaus.”

“Who, me?” Klaus said innocently, earning a snicker from Kol and an exasperated sigh from Rebekah.

Damon looked at Klaus, his irritation bubbling over. “How does she put up with you? Or any of you?”

“Patience,” Y/N said with a smirk, settling into a chair with Elijah gracefully taking the seat beside her. “You’d be amazed what it can achieve.”

Klaus chuckled. “And yet you somehow tolerate this lot,” he gestured to the Mystic Gang, “despite their...endearing flaws.”

Bonnie shot Klaus a warning look, cutting in before the conversation could devolve further. “Alright, enough. We need to talk about the threat we called you here for.”

As the discussion shifted to the supernatural danger facing Mystic Falls, Y/N listened intently, her hand still resting in Elijah’s. Occasionally, their gazes would meet, and the shared warmth between them was impossible to ignore—even to those who didn’t want to see it.

Elena’s eyes lingered on her sister throughout the meeting, noting the quiet strength and happiness radiating from her. It was a version of Y/N she hadn’t seen in years, and it left her both awed and uneasy.

By the time the meeting ended, it was clear that Y/N’s allegiance—and her heart—firmly belonged to the Mikaelsons. And while the Mystic Gang grappled with their shifting dynamics, Y/N couldn’t have cared less.

As she and Elijah left the Salvatore Boarding House that evening, his hand rested lightly at the small of her back, their love palpable in every touch, every glance. For Y/N, it wasn’t just about finding a new family—it was about building a future with the man who had shown her a love she never thought she deserved.

(Gifs credits goes to the rightful owners)

~Tags~

~The Last Goodbye:

@thefandomplace

@a--1--1--3

@misselsbells06

~The Vampire Diaries/The Originals & Supernatural:

@akshi8278

~The Vampire Diaries:

@sparklesmolwarriorprincess

[k3nz1ekorn]

Jayvik actor au- "This isn't my bedroom?"

Shooting continues at the lot, production is finally ramping up and our beloved actors Vlad and Joel get to talk a bit more. Part 2 chronologically in the au.

Character cheat sheet: Vi-Viola, Cait-Cathrin, Mel-Miah, Savannah- Sevika, Sky- Skyler, Powder/Jinx-Piper, Ekko-Elijah

Disclaimer: I know nothing about professional acting or studios, lot setup, etc. I will not be looking things up while writing this so if you notice something is blatantly wrong leave a comment about it! This is purely self indulgent and fics will probably be posted out of chronological order in the timeline. (If I write enough I’ll make a timeline list of them tho)

It was obvious to anyone with eyes that Vlad had a busy schedule. Between shooting for arcane and his other projects he was on the production lot practically 24/7 this week. It was mostly other roles he’d booked that he was shooting this week since basically all of his scenes in Arcane involved Joel, who was turning out to be quite the busy man. They’d barely spoken since their first official meeting and none of it had even been to run lines! He was a bit worried about that specifically. They were both good actors, but that on screen chemistry didn’t always come naturally. It was always good to practice, he thought as he absently massaged a knot in his thigh. It was only in these early hours that he really had time to himself, time to just exist as he is, to not think about his lines or how to say them, and especially not to think about any of his co-stars. It wasn’t that he hated them, quite the opposite actually. The ones he’d met so far he gets along with very well, even joining them for lunch when his schedule allows it. They’re people he could actually see himself enjoying the company of outside of work. He makes a mental note to invite them all out for drinks this weekend, the ones that were going to be in town for it that is. The problem with his co-stars was actually a singular person, one with striking golden eyes and a face Vlad is sure was sculpted by the gods themselves with the explicit intent to taunt him. 

The brunette squeezed his eyes shut and brought his mug up off the table to take a long sip of his coffee, to distract his wandering mind. He wasn’t going to think about Joel right now. This was his me time, not fantasizing about his coworker time. He had found it too much of a hassle to make the drive back to his apartment the previous night and had opted to instead sleep in his trailer, meaning his clothing for the day were whatever he had supplied for himself when he packed the dressers before it was brought to the lot. A pair of black jeans  and a thick dark grey sweater seemed to be his best options that day, it didn’t matter too much anyways, he would be in and out of costume all day anyways, this outfit was just for his meal breaks. 

He was already showered and ready for the day, which he knew was going to be starting soon, it was already- Jesus 8AM? He had to get moving. He stood up as he chugged the rest of his half finished barely lukewarm coffee, rinsing the mug in the sink and moving to the table on the opposite side of his trailer to grab his script and water bottle before descending the steep ass ramp out of his trailer. Skyler should be here soon, he thought absently, should she not? It wasn’t like her to be late and call time was slowly approaching. He pulled his phone from his pocket as he let the door shut behind him, did she maybe text him and he just hadn’t seen it? 

Ah. He had a few missed texts it seemed.

Displayed brightly on his screen were three texts, the first from his aforementioned assistant, saying the line at their usual coffee shop had been longer than usual and she was running a bit late, delivered maybe 15 minutes ago. Second was from Viola, a picture he’d have to actually open the message to see and the words ‘did you get it yet?????????’ received about 3 minutes ago. He didn’t need to guess what she meant as yes, he had in fact gotten it. The third text is no doubt what she was referring to, and the one that had initially caught his attention. It was from an unknown number, a simple ‘this is joel we should meet to run lines over lunch,’ and he definitely wasn’t mentally scolding his clothing choice for the day. He didn’t have time to dwell on it though as he felt a hand on his shoulder and saw two coffees on a holder come into his line of vision.

“SO sorry for running late Vlad, the line was crazy, even mobile ordering ahead of time they were just slammed.” She sounded out of breath as she spoke to him, her other hand holding the coffee lowering a bit as the hand that had been on his shoulder moved to cover her chest. She looked as professional as ever in her black pantsuit and deep red button up. Her hair was up in a high puff today, a few pieces coming out to frame her face. She moved her free hand to grab her phone from her pocket to go over the itinerary she no doubt had open. “You have a few new faces for your scenes today, some old ones too I noticed! So we should probably get you there just a pinch ahead of time. Wanna head to the set now?” She finally looked up at him as she caught her breath. Vlad was already looking at her when he opened his mouth to speak. He hadn’t thought about a response yet. She’d given him plenty of time to refocus himself and yet here he was, still reeling over a text like some teenager. He raised his phone just a bit.

“Joel texted me.” The silence was deafening. Skylar blinked once. Then twice, before finally letting a smirk overtake her face.

“Oh did he? And why are you telling me this?” Truth be told he didn’t know. Most likely because he hadn’t had a coherent thought since she got there and he’d like to believe they are at least on friendly terms by now. 

“I should respond to it before we head over. It would be rude not to, no?” He turned back to his phone and unlocked it before clicking on the new number to respond, Skyler let out an amused laugh from beside him. He had to send something before he could overthink this, and fast. ‘Yes please omg’ seemed like too much, and a simple ‘Sure.’ was definitely too cold, he needed to be professional but enthusiastic about it. He settled on, ‘I’d actually been meaning to ask you the same, we will discuss further when I get to the set, yes?’ He quickly clicked out of their texts to stop himself from rereading it and opened the text from Viola instead. Texting back a quick ‘I did :3’ he looked over the photo she sent. The picture was quite cute to say the least. The camera was at a high angle, only showing her forehead and eyes at the bottom of the screen, the main focus of the photo being Cathrin and Joel a few feet away holding out their phones in front of one another. Was that a blush he saw? He quickly blinked the thought away and pocketed his phone before turning back to Skyler to let her know he was ready to go.

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Vlad had finished his second cup of coffee before they even stepped foot onto the set they’d be at for their first scene. He had to, after nearly spilling coffee on his Academy uniform earlier in the week he’d had to cut back on his on set coffee breaks. That’s actually why he was now drinking more water,.much to Skyler’s delight he may add. His cane gave gentle clicks as he moved into view of the set, a dark hallway and a door loomed in front of him, this was their scene breaking into the lab if he was not mistaken. The schedule had said all of their group scenes would be before lunch, which meant this one, the trial with the council, and the scene where they get to be hooked up to a bunch of wires. That one made him a bit uneasy if he was telling the truth, he never liked heights much, and having no experience with being hooked up like that he was unsure of how his leg would handle it. They had a fantastic team helping to make accommodations for him, but he’d had his fair share of bad experiences so it was natural to be cautious.

He was broken from his thoughts as he recognized a familiar face out of the corner of his eye. He adjusted himself to face the newcomer and gave a warm smile, “Miah! I was hoping we’d get a chance to chat before we were called to places. You look wonderful! That makeup was a great choice I must say.” His old friend only laughs in response, head tilting back in amusement before coming to embrace him in a small side hug. There was no lie, she was a vision really, in a beautiful all white dress with gold accents that perfectly matched the jewelry in her hair and makeup painting her face.

“Hey Vlad, can’t say I’ve seen the costume or makeup department make anyone look bad so far, yourself included. Did they make your moles bigger? And that vest, oh my god!” She circled him once, as if he didn’t already know how good he looked right now. “The lace up sides are a very nice touch, on both you and Mr. Torres over there.” She gestures somewhere behind him and he has to grip his cane a bit tighter to keep himself from shooting around to gawk at the new topic of their conversation. Instead he just gives a light chuckle and takes a breath to respond- “He’s on his way over.” She says glancing between him and who he can only imagine is the very man that had been capturing every other thought he’d had for the past week. His eyes crease at the corners every so slightly as he turns to look over a shoulder to greet the new addition to their conversation with a polite smile. 

“Joel, how good to see you again, have you met Miah yet? She’ll be playing Mel.” It would be rude to not introduce them, he thought, especially since they’d all be filming the next few scenes together. Joel gives him a glance and turns his attention towards Miah to extend a hand.

“Pleasure to meet you, you are Vladimir's friend?” A shiver definitely does not try to make its way down his spine upon hearing his full name, and gods does he hope he’s not blushing again. The handshake, he notes, is much slower and longer than the one he had received…he tries not to read into that. He looks up at the woman beside them as their hands part, she clasps hers together in front of herself and gives a polite nod.

“The pleasure’s all mine! I was very excited to hear I’d finally be getting a chance to work with you! And to work with Vlad again too, on the same project no less. We’ve been friends since filming that weird pumpkin themed horror movie a few years back. Have you two worked together before? Vlad didn’t mention it when we went over the cast list together.” She raised her eyebrow as she spoke, her eyes pointedly moving between the two of them, as if trying to hint at something almost. It was at that moment he realized Joel had stopped nearly directly behind him, just barely off to the side enough for them to see each other's faces actually. The cough that escapes him is definitely not nervous, just a tickle is what he tells himself as he brings his hand back down to readjust his cane. He reminds himself to ask Skyler where she’d had them put his chair.

“We haven’t. I met him filming a scene earlier in the week,” the taller man’s eyes move to Vlad again, “I’d like to have a word before we’re called to places. I’ll be in my chair.” He started to turn to leave, eyes moving back to Miah, “I look forward to working with you.” And with that he was walking away. He really didn’t like letting people respond did he? Two of their interactions now he’d ended by just walking away. With a small shake of the head he turns back to his friend, who is now trying to hide some very obvious amusement. She says her next words in a hushed tone, her wrist partially covering her mouth.

“Oh my god he’s so into you.” 

“He’s what now?”

Vlad’s jaw drops open and he gives the most incredulous look at the woman across from him. He turns away from her, only to look back at her completely aghast, “He barely looked at me when he was actively speaking to me just now. What about that indicates he’s into me? If anything I’d say he was checking you out!” He emphasizes his words with a flick of the wrist in her direction and tries to keep his voice hushed so nobody overhears their conversation. It is quite embarrassing to be having this conversation while at work actually, something he’d rather keep private.

“Are you kidding me? First of all,” she raises a finger up beside her head. Oh great, she’s making a list, “you didn’t see what his eyes were doing when your back was turned. Second,” another finger and a pointed tilt of the head, “he was staring me down. NOT the same as checking me out. Third,” hopefully the final finger in this conversation raises, “even if he had been we both know he’s nowhere near my type in men. Much too…stoic.” She finishes with a slight downward curl on her lips and a shake of the head before finally putting her hand down to cross her arms over each other. She glanced over his shoulder once more and her eyes just barely widened before she smirks, letting her eyes fall back to his once more. “You better get a move on with your conversation, your man keeps looking at us.” As she looks back again her eyes shift to a new area behind him and stop, her mouth forms a soft ‘o’ and a new look overtakes her and she seems to spot something else, something not Joel he decides. A hand is placed on his shoulder as she very quickly steps around him. Her next words come out quiet as he walks away. “Speaking of my type…I’ll see you on set.” He turns to watch her go with a mild curiosity, eyes following her direction of travel to the prosthetics tent where he could see a very muscular woman with a short ponytail getting pieces attached to her already augmented arm. He gives an impressed hum to himself and nods, he’d definitely have to invite them all out for drinks if for no other reason than to hear about how that develops.

He turns a bit more to face Joel’s direction and notices the other man’s eyes just barely darting down to the script he held in his hand. Vlad begins to make his way over when a very very small chuckle breaks through his lips, any previous tension about how the other perceived him already forgotten. Either he was trying to look nonchalant and failing miserably, or he could read upside down, seeing as that’s the way the script was being held. With a final few steps they’re next to each other and Vlad decides at the last minute he won’t mention the little continuity error in the other's facade.

“Eager to steal my attention eh? I already agreed to have lunch with you.” There’s a chuckle in the way he says it, something light. Joel lifts his eyes from the pages he’d definitely been pretending to read and gives a small hum. His unoccupied hand came up to smooth over his jaw and chin before he spoke, turning his head in his direction but still not fully looking at the man he’s addressing.

“We have a lot of scenes together. It seems our characters become…very good friends, by the end of the season. Over half of the dialogue I’ve read so far is either directed at or talking about your character in some way. We should discuss their dynamic.” With that he turns his head to rest it on his hand, and finally makes eye contact with the other. There’s no real identifiable emotion on his face aside from what seems to be sheer boredom. “I was told by my manager the production team wants them,” he raises his head to make air quotes with the hand he had been leaning on as he continues,”‘strictly platonic with no room for romantic interpretation,’ I assume you were told the same?” Vlad closes his eyes and he lets a little giggle slip at that, bringing the back of his hand up to cover it. He misses the way the other’s light up just a bit more at it.

“I was, yes, I assume you think we should take more creative liberties with it? You wouldn’t be talking to me about it otherwise, correct?” His hand comes back down to rest in his pocket, his posture relaxed, and he gives an inquisitive look. He really hopes he’s about to suggest what he thinks he is.

“Yes. Whether my character knows it or not, he will be in love with yours by the end of the season, and whether yours reciprocates or not is up to you.” He speaks with an air of certainty that leaves no room for discussion, luckily Vlad is already in agreement with him.

“He will. I’m very glad we had this chat actually, I had been planning on adding a level of…longing? I’m aware your character is romantically involved with Miah’s by the second half of the season, however I do love some good old fashioned, one sided, seemingly unrequited tension.” He lets his lip curl up into a mischievous grin as he looks down at the other. “It won’t be too obvious of course, just an underlying something or other to give a bit more depth to their relationship…though it does seem quite deep even without it. They become quite close, no? We should find some time outside of filming to talk, get into character a little as they say.” He’d already said he wanted to find ways to get to know him more, and he fully meant that shit. Whether the reasoning he was giving was the only reason was not important. Joel gives a hum of agreement and looks back down at his script, he’s silent for a second before- oh he’s blushing. He must have finally noticed his script was upside-down.

Credit where it’s due, Joel has a very good poker face aside from the light blush dusted across his cheeks. Vlad keeps his eyes on him as the other clears his throat and closes his script, looking back up as if nothing had even happened. The bell to signal a start rings and places are called, cutting the rest of their conversation short.

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“So far, so good.” He whispers, the glowstick just barely illuminating the lock enough for him to see it. Suddenly a bright light flows over them both, slightly startled he looks directly into it before bringing his hand up to try and deflect some of it. Blinking a few times to correct his eyes he hears a familiar voice in front of him.

“Hmm. Willing to risk exile for your endeavour. That’s quite the conviction.” It’s said with a hint of amusement. They’d filmed this scene a few times already and he felt his lack of lines right here kept making the whole exchange rather awkward. Time for a new strategy I guess.

“Councilor!” He hears from behind him. Quirking a brow up he barely listens to the continued flustered rambling, he feigns confusion and turns back to the keys still in the lock by his face.

“Wait a minute this isn’t my bedroom?” He mutters with mock embarrassment, “How could I have…” Their voices overlap for a second before silence engulfs them. He looks back up at the ‘Councilor’ and sees her fighting for her damn life to keep in the laugh that’s threatening to spill out. She’s come to expect this of him, he supposes, makes it easier to keep her composure. Joel seems as composed as ever, easily continuing on with his lines and it’s only a little disappointing he didn’t laugh. It’s almost too easy the way the rest of the scene flows from there, almost too easy the way Joel looks at Miah with such curiosity and wonder as she walks away with the security guard. Almost too easy how he doesn’t have to fake the way his lips pull up to his nose in distaste, or even the slightly annoyed huff he gives before turning back to the door, bending down to finish unlocking it as the director yells cut. They didn’t have to redo the scene again at least.

Authors note: This shit is 3.5k words and I edited without coffee. Thanks for the love so far! Glad to know yall are liking it. I'll definitely be branching out at some point to do more with Caitvi and Melvika. I'm not sorry about it.

[thebirdy74]

HI HI HI I WENT TO COMIC CON UHH I met SOOO MANY cool people aauughhwhh I included all the autographs I got! Some CRAZY people in there... Anyways so I drew this as a gift to Chuck Huber, my favorite voice actor! My favorite role of his is Austria from Hetalia but of COURSE I adore Hiei, 17, Pilaf, and many others too...

He not only signed this print (and my nendoroid and 1 other print AND gave me a free metallic one because he said I was awesome)(!?!?!!) BUT he asked for my info so he can COMMISSION ME!?!? which is. erm. insane... I'll update y'all if anything ever comes of that... But um yes he loved the drawing (yay) and so did the other Dragon Ball voice actors (my mom wanted to show it to everyone💀) AND ANDROID 18 AND KRILLIN'S VOICE ACTORS ALSO SAID THEY'D BUY MY ART AND I WAS SO FLOORED WHERE THE ACTUAL HELL AM I.

But probably the highlight was meeting Blueys parents, I won't go into detail but I cried like CRAZY and I got awesome hugs they were the nicest people ever (shocker)😭 And I met Jared Padalecki and Elijah Wood and Sean Austin (literally the main characters from THE LORD OF THE RINGS and Supernatural!?) and holy gyatt guys this was far and away my best con. Dameon Clarke was also there again but he literally lives in my city (lmfao) so I didn't bug him this time since I've met him a lot already :]

OH YEAH AND THE SECOND DRAWING HERE IS TOTALLY UNRELATED I JUST THREW IT IN HERE BECAUSE AUSTRIA LMAO

[thatfanficstuff]

For the writing ask _

😀😝 xo

Oh, I love this gif. Thanks for sending it!

***

Angry

Pairing: Elijah Mikaelson x Reader

When you broke up with Elijah Mikaelson you'd expected many things from him. Disappointment, irritation or maybe even indifference. What you hadn't expected was his anger.

He didn't yell or argue, he simply narrowed his eyes and walked away. Every time he saw you after that he stared with a clenched jaw and sharp gaze. No words had been spoken between you since that night three weeks ago.

Now you were spending the evening with his siblings at Nik's request. After an hour or two, Elijah disappeared. Once you noticed, you rolled your eyes. Really. The man was a thousand years old and was acting like a toddler. Frankly you were tired of it.

"I'll be back," you told the hybrid.

He smirked and took a sip of his drink. "Take all the time in the world, love. None of us are going anywhere anytime soon."

You shook your head and left the room to head to Elijah's personal library. It was technically his study but there were far too many books for it to be anything other than a library.

You stepped into the room without knocking and shut the door behind you.

Elijah stood at one of the windows with a drink in his hand and his back turned toward you. "Why are you here?" he asked after a long beat of silence.

"Why are you so angry?"

His head snapped in your direction with a look of confusion on his face. "You can't be serious."

You arched a brow and shrugged.

His long strides ate up the space between you until he was standing right in front of you. "Perhaps you recall the ending of our relationship."

"Of course, but I don't see why you are upset about it. It's not as if you were invested in the relationship. I needed more. I told you that." What you didn't say is that you were head over heels in love with the man in front of you. That you had cried for weeks before finally ending the relationship.

Sure, he called you his girlfriend. He bought you trinkets and spent time with you when he could be bothered. And that was the problem. You were an afterthought. A woman that filled a role and the space by his side when he needed to keep up appearances. And it wasn't enough for you. Not anymore.

He pointed at you with the hand holding his glass. "Not invested? You think I wasn't invested?"

You just looked at him, uncertain what answer he was looking for.

He sighed and set his glass down on the table beside him. "This. This is why I am angry." He studied the floor for a moment before looking back up at you. "I am angry with myself for ever making you feel that way."

You sucked in a little breath, surprised at his words. He gave a sad smile and stepped forward, closing the distance between you. His hands cupped your face as he looked you over.

"You are the center of my universe. My entire being revolves around you and I am devastated for ever letting you believe that it doesn't." He licked his lips as his eyes darted down to yours before looking back up. "Please, please, come back to me and let me love you the way you deserve."

You saw nothing but sincerity in his eyes. "I love you so much, Elijah. But I can't do this if you don't love me the same. No more pushing me away. I won't survive the heartbreak a second time."

His lips pressed against yours in a hungry, desperate kiss. After a long moment, he pulled back only to lay his forehead against yours. "I swear to you, I will never give you reason to doubt me again."

A/N: so this turned out way longer than expected.

[andreal831]

I am so mad we didn’t get real mommy issues Elijah. Like we can read into it but no storyline abt him with his parents. When he went to Esther after the ball to apologise for his younger siblings’ behaviour and Esther cupped his cheek, THE FACE HE MADEEE. Like he made Esther doubt her plan for a second, he also out of all his siblings wanted to be a real family the most he wanted it to work sm. They didn’t even show us him that disappointed at Esther’s real plan.

I often wonder if Elijah's mommy issues are worse than his daddy issues. I could write a book on how badly they both messed all of their children up, but particularly Elijah.

As you said, you can tell this by his characterization, however, a lot of people overlook it because he is not as blatant with it as other's, namely Klaus. But how he interacts with everyone and even the relationships he has show just how badly these issues are.

From the flashbacks, and even his present day actions, you can tell that a lot was put on Elijah from a very young age. He feels personally responsible for his siblings. Not only their well-being but their behavior. The scene you pointed out perfectly shows this. I had to go back and make a gif of it. Esther is actively planning to kill her children and tells Elijah that she "wish[ed] the others were more like [Elijah]." Elijah doesn't fully get the gravity of it, but as the audience we do. Maybe if the others were more like Elijah, Esther wouldn't feel the need to kill them all. The pressure this simple 'compliment' puts on Elijah to keep his siblings in line is indicative of the guidance he has gotten his whole life. If he could keep his siblings well behaved, bad things would stop happening to them.

People call out his suits and his "cleanliness" but it's literally a trauma response. Esther, at one of the lowest moments in his life, used magic and told him that if he kept himself clean, everything would be okay. She then emphasizes this by coming back to life and reminding him that he is the 'moral' son, even knowing everything she knows about him.

This is reinforced when just a couple of years later, Esther imprisons and tortures Elijah, calling him a monster. She had all of the same knowledge in TVD as she did in TO. We can blame it on bad writing, but it's canon, so if we are accepting it as is, it's pure manipulation. It was a reminder from her that he allowed himself and his siblings to slip and that made him a monster.

Elijah throughout the shows struggles to connect with anyone in a meaningful way. Even those he loves outside of his family are easily discarded when necessary. While he feels guilty and lonely doing so, he does not hesitate to protect his family. The entirety of 'always and forever' is based on the fact that Esther and Mikael raised them to believe that their family was more important than anyone else. They were willing to anger nature in order to protect their family. To Elijah, that literally meant his siblings lives mattered more than anyone, including himself.

He so desperately wanted a family, wanted his family, to be happy and together. Yes, he makes plenty of mistakes along the way, but his underlying impulse is to protect his family. He wanted to make his parents proud, he wanted their love, but we never see him receive it. Even as a child, he is basically discarded. Elijah struggles with his self worth because of this. He even tells Hayley he has no purpose to his family if he isn't fighting to save them. He feels he has no worth outside of his role in saving his family.

Esther's neglect left lasting wounds in Elijah that are only brought up on occasion and then quickly glossed over. Even after he found out what he did to Tatia, we get like one episode for Elijah to grieve and then it shifts to him begging Klaus for forgiveness for some reason. Elijah never has a moment to just feel. His pain is always deprioritized in order to support his family.

Thanks for the ask!

[forbidden-sin-bin]

By Your Side - Chapter 4

Chapter 3 | By Your Side Series | Chapter 5 (coming soon)

Summary: You experience what it’s like being on a film production for the very first time, whilst thinking about home. Luckily, your fellow castmates and film crew seem friendly enough... 

Word Count: 2,772 words

---

February 18, 1998

---

“Alright,” the director clapped his hands together, bringing everyone in the room to his attention. “Now I know we all practically know each other by now, but since everyone’s here, let’s begin by introducing ourselves and our cast roles. I’ll go first, and then we go round clockwise from there.” He nods to the group and takes his seat down at the table.

“So! I’m Robert Rodriguez, and I’ll be your director for this movie.” He motions to the person sitting to the left beside him to continue, to which a young man with  speaks up.

“Hey guys, I’m Josh Hartnett, and I’ll be playing as Zeke Tyler.” He nods shortly. 

“Jordana Brewster, and I’m playing Delilah Profitt. I’m looking forward to be working with you all.” The gorgeous brunette flashed a brilliant smile.

Next was a tomboyish looking blonde, though you had a hunch it may have been stylized that way for her role. “Hi, I’m Clea DuVall, and my role is Stokely Mitchell. Cool.” The group shared a small chuckle.

“Uh, hi, I’m Shawn Hatosy, playing as Stan Rosado.” He quickly runs a hand through his curly hair as he spoke.

“Hello everyone! I’m Laura Harris, and I’ll be playing Marybeth Hutchinson.” Her gentle voice matched her kind looks as she offered a small smile. Beside her, one of the smallest of the group, perked up as he introduced himself right after.

“Hi guys, I’m Elijah Wood. Really excited to be here, and I’ll be playing Casey Connor.” He spoke quite self assuredly despite sharing most of the group’s slightly nervous jitters, having been on multiple film productions in the past.

“...”

“Uh, Y/N? That’s your cue.” Robert whispered across the table, and suddenly you realized it was your turn, but not before you caught Elijah’s eye as he gently prodded you with his elbow.

‘Oh shit.’

 “Oh shhh...oot.” You caught yourself at the last second, not wanting to look bad in front of your peers by cursing. “Yeah! Yeah, it’s my turn.” The table shared a lighthearted laugh, though you weren’t sure if it was meant to be comforting or not. 

“Uh... hi guys!” You introduced yourself, first name and last. “I’ll be playing as... Jordan Fulcher. Nice to meet you all.” A ripple of amusement sounded throughout the table, and you were half tempted to just lay your head down on the surface with embarrassment. 

Instead, you added: “Sorry, first day on the job.” A couple of people you heard responded with “Same here”, good naturedly.

Luckily or not, the person you sat beside - whom you’ve already been introduced to as Usher - took the attention off of you to charismatically introduce himself. 

“Alright, alright! How’s it going y’all? You might’ve heard of me, you might’ve not. But that’s aight if you don’t; You can call me Usher!” He pauses, letting the room quiet down after another round of laughs and playful cheers. “Usher Raymond, and I’ll be playing Stan Rosado, thank you all for comin.”

Half of you felt grateful that the fellow beside you was able to shift the attention off of you so quickly, though the other half admonished yourself for messing up within the first day of production. ‘Great job, dumbass.’ You thought to yourself.

Looking up, you met the eye of another castmate across from you; The kind eye of Robert Patrick gave you a slight nod of reassurance as he silently mouthed: “You’re okay.”

Feeling comforted as the far more experienced actor gave you his approval, you let yourself smile back. 

It’s always nice to know you’ve got THE T-1000 as a cast member to learn from, as well as other friendly-enough faces.

No longer cornered by your awkward first introduction, you gently prodded Elijah back with your elbow to whisper: “Just wanna let you know: You did a great job in Flipper last year.”

His eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, thanks! It was a ton of fun, I’m glad you liked it.”

...

Sighing in frustration, you forced yourself to take a seat once you entered your assigned dressing room’s chairs, after pacing around the room, nothing short of stressed and anxious. Unable to shake the feeling of uneasiness, you leaned down, burying your face into your arms as they lay atop the vanity table, not daring to look at yourself in the mirror right in front of you. 

‘How the hell did they decide to cast someone with a face like mine?’ You thought, running a hand over it.

Did anything go wrong today? No, actually, if any other person would be asked this question, the most agreed answer would be: No, things went quite well for the first day.

You weren’t any other person, unfortunately; Or at least, you concluded that you cannot be any other person even if you wanted. In fact, you still felt the absolute embarrassment of messing your introduction up; Anyone else would have long forgotten by now; you however, couldn’t shake the fear of wondering if people were about to use that slight slip-up against you, or if they wouldn’t let you live it down, or-

Someone called your name as they knocked on your door. “You doing alright in there?” Robert called, and you shot up, any admonishing thoughts upon yourself being flash frozen for the time being. 

“Uh... hang on just a second!” You called back, giving yourself a once-over in the mirror to rid yourself of any evidence of stress upon your face before beelining towards the door. “Ah, hey there sir.” You gave him a welcoming smile, hiding away your inner turmoil. “What’s up?”

From the initial look on his face, you had already guessed there was something else he wanted to ask. Still, he returned the friendly expression as he replied: “Just wanted to check in on you, also wanted to say that you did great today. Don’t sweat it, just take it easy and enjoy yourself, okay?”

Nodding, you gave him a thumbs up. “Noted. Sorry about that. I... just want to make sure I can give you guys the best performance I can, so...”

“Oh, no need to worry at all.” The director laughs a little. “Everyone’s been talking about how quickly you change into your character like this.” He snapped his fingers. “It’s just the table-read, but it already looks like you’ve got your character down just like that.” You slightly bowed your head in thanks.

“I do my best, and my best is what I can only give, even on day one.” You shrugged lightly. While his words did comfort your nerves somewhat, it’ll mean nothing if not applied to the final product. 

Robert gives you a clap on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit! Now, come on, you don’t want to be eating alone on your first lunch break on the job. Everyone’s been waiting for you!”

You sighed, this time with a bemused look. “Alright alright, as long as they don’t start applauding the moment I enter the room, I’ll hang around more often.” Quickly turning to grab your headset and walkman, making sure the cassette inside still held Marshall’s new EP that you’ve been listening to more often than you would’ve liked to admit, you followed your boss to lunch. “I appreciate it, you know.” You added, genuinely grateful.

“Oh, it’s no problem at all. Don’t burn yourself out by pushing yourself too hard. You’re gonna do fine, trust in the process and you.”

---

Several weeks later...

---

“What’re ye listening to?”

Raising your head to look at whomever interrupted your peaceful quiet time before another set of rehearsals, you gave Usher a deadpan look and replied: “Nothing your ears should be hearing.” 

He raised his hands in surrender. “I mean, if you know my kind of songwriting, pretty sure that means you’re listening to the HARD, hard stuff.” He angled his neck to try and take a peek at the cassette slotted inside to no avail. “You’ve been leaving us at a cliffhanger for like, what, two and a half weeks? I wanna know what’s made this tape so special, honest to god!”

“Now that,” Clea, having heard your response, came up and sat down beside you. “Is something I’m interested in knowing about; Considering you’ve shot down all of our guesses as to who you’re listening to.” 

Sighing, you groaned, facepalming. “Ugh... not you too, Clea.” Though, you couldn’t help but smile along as your two co-stars laughed. “At this point, you’re gonna get the whole gang in on the investigation-”

“Hold up, did I miss something?”

‘... Speak of the devil.’ You thought as Shawn sidles up beside Usher to look alongside him. “Are we finally gonna hear what you’ve been playing on that walkman?” He inquired.

“If I could, I would.” You replied, keeping your face stone cold with fake annoyance. “But like I said, give it time till this guy’s made it big enough for the mainstream, and then y’all won’t look at me and think: ‘Wow, this kid is a nutcase.’“

“Oooooh, so it’s a guy.” Clea leaned in a bit, raising her eyebrows. Meanwhile, the other two boys followed along with teasing “Oooooooh’s”, like a group of gossiping fangirls.

You didn’t say a thing, except look across the room where Kidada Jones was sitting, making eye contact, you gave her a pleading look of ‘help me’. 

Tragically for you, she just shrugged, grinning playfully. “Sorry babe, you know I’m just as obsessed as the rest of ‘em.” 

“Auuuugggghhhh.” Throwing your head back in exasperation, you called out your two other co-stars that weren’t even here. “Jeez, Laura? Josh? Why must you two not be here in this very moment to defend my pride?!” The group cracked up laughing at your dramatic bemoaning. It was all in good fun, you were hardly even offended at their sibling like pestering to reveal your secrets, but god, sometimes you really needed someplace more introverted than this.

Shoving your walkman back into your pocket and got up from the couch. “I’m being held hostage here, so I’m just gonna... make my escape. See ya.” Leaving the break room to find some other place to chill. 

”Only a matter of time!” Usher called as you left. You looked back and gave him a shake of your head with a smirk, determined to win this war.

Unknowingly to them, your muscles were sore from training on another movie production, set to start filming practically right after this one ended. If you could, you’d hole up in your trailer and sleep the rest of the day away. Stretching out your back with a wince, feeling your overworked sinews creak and stretch, you continued walking down the hall to find Elijah and Robert in another room, playing a game on the Super Nintendo.

“Hey guys-” You greeted before realizing what they were playing, your eyes lighting up. “Oh shoot, is that DOOM?”

“Yeah!” Elijah briefly turned to reply to you before focusing back onto the level. “You wanna try after we finish this level?” 

“Hell yeah, say no more.” Taking a seat on one of the chairs to watch the two play out their match, you stifled a pained groan as you bent your legs to sit down. “Man, I’m already feeling like an old person.”

Robert chuckled, his character reloading their shotgun shells. “You’ve got a long way to go before you actually start feeling that way, kid.” The room was comfortably silent as you watched them play, before he piped up again: “So, how was training with Ed and Brad? Tough crowd, huh?” 

You let out a single “Ha!” before responding:

“Honestly, I’d rather have everyone here pester me about my musical choices before having Mr. Norton urge me to keep going after like, twenty reps? Don’t tell him I said that.”

“Lips are sealed.” Elijah said, as his character turned the corner of a hidden path to collect a blue keycard. “Got it.”

You clapped your hands once. “Nice! You’re almost there.” 

Figuring you may as well resume listening to your music as you watched the gory video game, you quickly put your headphones back on to hear the middle of Just Don’t Give A Fuck, muttering along to the lyrics as if on instinct.

But if you see me on the street and duck ‘Cause you gon’ get stuck, stole, and snuffed ‘Cause I just don’t give a fu-

“Hey! Language.” Robert lightly reprimanded you, breaking you out of your trance.

“Oop, sorry.” 

“...Interesting music choice you got there.” 

You gave a grimace-sort of a smile. “Exactly why I’m not showing my cassettes off to anyone. Not for the faint of heart.”

“Pfft.” Elijah waved the warning off. “We’re all adults here, honestly. What’s a couple of swear words and dark topics gonna hurt anyone?”

‘Ohhhh boy, you have no clue, Eli.’ You thought, leaning back in your seat.

--- 

Another few weeks later, March Break, 1998... 

---

Your pager bleeped loudly within your pocket, taking you out of your well earned peaceful zone-out of just letting the world go by, watching Quinn play around in the grassy park fields.

Nearly deciding against checking, you reluctantly took your pager out of your pocket, unsurprised to see your agent’s number displayed on the little screen.

Unsurprised yet somehow not having the strength today to feel irritated, you just sighed and dialed him up on your phone. Pretty handy these days, despite being manufactured a few years ago, it was a worthwhile investment if it meant being able to take calls outside the house.

As soon as you heard him pick up, you didn’t let him have a chance to say hello: “I swear to god, you better have a good reas-”

“Pack your bags, we’re going to L.A.”

You blinked. 

“...Why?”

Usually you’d be far too happy to make a beeline for the airport, but Shaun specifically agreed to not contact you during March Break, just so you could spend some time alone with your family. Having him break that protocol, despite not having any written in agreement, well, let’s just say you had a right to ask why.

Luckily, your agent seemed both excited and probably in a slight state of panic as he explained. “You remember the demo tape I told you to give to me before you left for the first table-read, right?” Not waiting for your confirmation, he quickly got to the point. “Well, someone here wants you to get that song out ASAP, if you can, you get to perform live on the 31′st as THE opening act for another artist’s debut!”

Huh.

Running a hand over your face, you shut your notebook and began to pack your things to leave the park, phone pressed between your ear and shoulder. “Which one, exactly?”

“Florentine Garde- oh, no wait, that’s not what you meant - All of them! Well, pretty much all of them. Look, just, you got a song that’s pretty much done in there right? Which one is the quickest to be produced from now before the 29th this month?”

“Alright, alright, calm down. I know which one I’m gonna do. Just let them know I’ll be there hopefully by tomorrow.”

“Already booked your flight.”

“Wow, great. Thanks for doing all this stuff before letting me know beforehand so I can tell my parents and nephew-slash-son know that I’m going back to work whilst on vacation.” You snipped.

“Look, I’m sorry, I really am. It’s just... this is an opportunity you can’t miss if you want to make it big in the music industry. I told you before that I saw your potential in your songs you showed me, and now’s the time to show an audience what you’ve got! C’mon, please, work with me here. I promise, I’ll show you the best places there to get the best ice cream. I know you like ice cream, right?”

You just chuckled, zipping up your bag. “Alright. You don’t have to bribe me like a child, but now that you mentioned it, you better uphold to that promise or so god help me if shit goes south. I’ll see you tomorrow in L.A.”

Quickly bidding him goodbye, you hung up and called Quinn over, beckoning him to come tidy up and leave. He was fairly understanding every time you told him you had to go to work, which meant not always being able to pick him up from school or taking him outside to play like today, which you were grateful for. 

Hopefully, he would forgive you for having to leave so soon, once again.

‘I’ll be back home soon, baby boy. I promise.’

----

(End of Chapter 4)

----

A/N: GET READY FOR THE REUNION YOU’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR IN CHAPTER 5. MORE MARSHALL CONTENT FROM THERE ON OUT LET’S GOOOOOOO-

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[debtdealt]

if i had the offer to do it again make me invincible, invisible, or brain dead if the body and the life were two things that we could divide i'd deliver up my shell to be filled with somebody else

general.

full name — robin numali. nicknames — rob, robbie, or just robin. age & d.o.b — 36 & october 1st, 1988. gender & pronouns — nonbinary & they/he. sexuality — bisexual, masc lean. ethnicity — ugandan. occupation — third grade teacher at strawberry elementary.

background.

place of birth — rockport, maine. residence — redford, california. ( staying in sea grove apartments; two bedroom, well furnished but not because he had any say in the styling of the interior. ) known languages — english, ASL, spanish, french. accent — non-specific east coast-ian. education — bachelors in elementary education. parents — kaikara namuli, father. fayruz namuli, mother. siblings — fisher, older brother. elijah, younger brother. kit, younger sister. rae, younger sister — disappeared. pets — black cat named jerry.

phys.

face claim — daniel kaluuya. height — 5'9" ft. hair color — black. eye color — brown. details — perpetually tired expression, but his eyes are always warm — may be thanks to the fact that he spends most of his day gentle parenting children, but it's always been there. worry - pinched eyebrows. engagement ring that he can't quite take off, fidgeting fingers. style — norm-core with eccentric accent. sweater vests. yellow tones and popping colors. build — stocky, fit. tattoos — none. piercings — navel. physical health — chronically bad back. best friends with his heating pad.

a closer look.

traits — open - minded, mellow, morbid, patient, kind, pessimistic, reserved, prone to escapism, creative, empathetic, witty, responsible, reliable, capable, bitter, always screaming internally a little despite his cool demeanor. zodiac big three — libra sun, cancer moon, scorpio rising. alignment — lawful good. mental health — anxiety, depression. pinterest — here. playlist — here.

overview.

robin doesn’t hate his parents. you’d think he did, the way he spun out of his hometown the second he could, age eighteen — but he doesn’t hate them, as wildly imperfect ( and at times, downright difficult to associate with, bigoted and set in their ways ) as they can be. same can be said for the bulk of his siblings, of which he is one of five ( robin being smack in the middle ) but has semi - regular contact with two of them. semi - regular comes in the form of a groupchat that only his younger sister ( kit ) and older brother ( fisher ) bother to ever check, but their youngest sister ( rae ) has an excuse: she disappeared, along with a third of the planet. robin’s younger brother, elijah, just doesn’t really like them; but don’t worry, the feeling is mutual. robin spends a nonzero amount of time wishing he could trade eli for someone else who’d been taken, but we’ll circle back to that shortly. their family was a far cry from white picket fence dreams while not broaching especially dysfunctional territory, and when it came time for robin to go to college, shooting across from rockport, maine to berkeley, california just had to be done; if he wasn’t at odds with his parents ( he usually was ), then he was at the epicenter of a friendship dilemma with his high school friend group. attempting to play peacemaker, you know? that was always his role, whatever the dynamic. standing between eli and his dad while they screamed and panicked about eli’s life choices ( for instance, getting involved with loan sharks because he wanted to open a tie-dye shirt business ), pulling his best friend out of a fist fight with a guy who looked at him funny… then sorely regretting it when he got his ass kicked too. robin left behind a family that he loves dearly, but often could go without hearing from; same could be said about most of his friends, even his girlfriend at the time, who shot her way down to florida and wasn’t all that broken up about it either. merry christmas, please don’t call.  college was good to him. he had the experience you hear people rave about — met all kinds of people, expanded the world around him beyond the tiny town of rockport, and gave him the room to grow that he so desperately needed. he did the whole nine yards, living in dorms and working part time to keep himself fed, dating around and just generally finding himself. he’s always been this mellow, passive type, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but he tended to blend into the background of noise back at home; out here, he was seen. not just watched, not just worked around. eventually, they fall in love with someone that opens their whole world up — a guy named andrew that, frankly, becomes their whole future. they move to redford with him because there’s a job out there for him, and there’s schools everywhere, you know? not like he wouldn’t find work. six years ago, they land here together, robin starts working as a third grade teacher. they talk about marriage. he dies. or, disappears, whatever — it’s all the same, right? he’s gone, and what is robin to do but keep moving. he spends most of his time in libraries and cafe's, doing jigsaw puzzles and teaching kids how to read who just look at words they have memorized and can't sound out. yeah, they'd trade their shithead brother for andrew back in a second. is that evil? maybe. yeah, okay, it is, but he's bitter, and eli's the devil anyhow. robin gets stuck on the odds of the fact that only one out of seven of his immediate family was taken, which would be extraordinarily lucky, if not for the fact that his husband-to-be goes too. it's all shit. he hasn't given up on life, but it's difficult to stay carefree these days.

[severants]

What are the AUs? Any further information you'd like to share? :] (@eldritchships)

hey elijah 🫶 if it was up to me id scrub all of them from my brain .. the first is just. normal. coffeeshop au. my s/i is a barista and boris is the stupid weirdo that comes in every morning on the way to work for his insanely complicated mocha caramel latte extra foam extra caramel mocha add whipped cream and drizzle and caramel crunch mix. sir you just want a cup of sugar. no i cant do light espresso. sir we have a caramel hot chocolate on the menu. i am the manager sir.

the second is a little more self indulgent. i fucking love pretty woman okay its like my #1 guilty pleasure movie. and all im saying is. pretty woman au. alec hires my s/i and pays a weeks advance to shut boris up and hopes it keeps him from being annoying but what if instead we just sit and talk and im fascinated by how good he is at his job and after a while we fall in love and and and. ugh

last one is just for funsies. my s/i being a retired polish counterintel agent (retired due to injury) who gets reinstated as a spy and is sent to track and keep tabs on boris bc of his hacking spree but instead we fall in love. lots of drama and him being super suspicious but my s/i brushes it off and plays the harmless role so well he finally lets his guard down. something something eventually they tell him, but admit they dont want to turn him in and they fell in love For Real and That Part Wasn't Fake. something something hashtag betrayal but not actually bc he always kind of knew. post movie they make fake identities for the both of them and take him across the eu probably to like france or something and harbor him there until he recovers and they live happily ever after as a retired spy househusband and their idiot hacker vigilante boyfie. bonus points for this one on account of Boris Gets Cool Scars in this au

[weclassybouquetfun]

Everything's coming up Cillian Murphy

....until March 10 when he loses the Oscar to Paul Giamatti

I kid, I kid.

But perhaps?

In any case, Cillian has been having more than a moment during this awards season. He feted Robert Downey Jr at the Santa Barbara Film Festival where RDJ was honoured with the Maltin Modern Master Award

The fellas with Leonard Maltin and Rob Lowe.

He won an AACTA this weekend;

his edition of DESERT ISLAND DISCS dropped;

and he will be interviewed on 60 MINUTES next week

-He's not the only Murphy doing the thing. His son Aran has booked a role (his second film, despite what media reports) in the film adaptation of KLARA AND THE SUN. The film will be directed by Taika Waititi and will star Amy Adams, Jenna Ortega and Mia Tharia (Phoenix Rise).

Eve Hewson, could you please be Ireland's Nepo Baby orientation leader and let Aran know what to expect?

Maybe bring your brother Elijah (lead singer of Inhaler), in on this too?

[isca-rambles]

5x06

Oh no, the introduction of Monica. Ugh.

Aaron. My sweet sweet boy. Please don't leave. I'm holding onto how that one article phrased it as 'won't return as a series regular' so we can still see him from time to time. Maybe he transfers or takes a leave of absence, swaps to part time (can you do part time? idk). I just really love him and Tru's been such a great addition to the ensemble. I don't want to lose the dyamic he has with everyone :( Good riddance Ashley, Tim'll be fine. Grumpy boi ignoring his sunshine girl, c'mon Tim. You really think she'd let you get away with hiding things from her? And Aaron again with his beautiful face and expressive facial acting. Oh god, I thought it'd be bad enough going through the show knowing what's to come for Chenford, and now I have to go through knowing we're losing Aaron? Monica. Ugh. Villains should not take away screentime and character storytime from the ensemble. Aaron you cutie please. How are you this adorable? Ya know, Bailan is growing on me. It's still not going to be in the top 5 ships on this show, but they're not awful. I think the show just gets too bogged down in having them so involved in every episode. Lucy riding on her own makes me so sad. She just bounces so well off of other people, so the idea of her driving around talking to herself :( but oh, how her face lights up when she realises she has a way to figure out what's going on with Tim. Literal sunshine human being right there. Angela and Nyla utter cuties. God my commentary has gone right downhill today. It's just mostly me being sad about Aaron and saying everyone is a cutie. Which is accurate but still. J. AUGUST! OH MY GOD J. AUGUST! God I love him so much. I had no idea he had a guest role. It's criminal he's not in more. Having him in Agents of Shield was such a blessing, even if he wasn't in it anywhere near enough. I'd say he needs to be in this show more, but knowing my luck he'll be dead or in jail by the end of this episode. Aaron stop being so adorable it's not helping! Celina keyed in on that ship so hard. The fact that Tim knows it's Lucy, because he knows how well they know each other. Just picturing them sitting in the shop over the years, Lucy getting those little snippets of Tim's life and real-self out of him, maybe without him even realising. God he can't even stop himself from smiling when he's with her. The fliiiirting. Guys, you're at work. There are people around. Tim just tell your wife what's wrong. Don't give her soft heart eyes and then lock her out. Lila is the absolute sweetest. I hope we don't lose her completely from the show. Again, I need my Lucy babysitting Lila or having a girls' day out with Lila and Nyla fics please and thank you.

Okay, every scene with Monica is just going to be an 'ugh' from me. Nothing against the actress. Just...ugh. Also, Wesley, I expected better of you. I still love you but I expected better. I do love Nolan and Celina's relationship. I still don't think he's the best TO for her, at least not right now, but they have got a very sweet dynamic. Tim it's illegal to ignore your sunshine person. How does Lucy exist as a character? How can one person be so adorable? Del Monte. Another ugh. J. August survived \o/ and he's not in jail. Oh please bring him back as a recurring character. God Lucy/Melissa, it's not fair how gorgeous she looks in every scene. Tim can't help himself. He has to tell her. He knows how much it means to Lucy to be able to help him, to know what's going on with him, and the second she concedes he can't stop himself. The lingering silent look until Chris interrupts. The longing as he watches her go. The missed backwards glances. Good lord these two have been, are, and will be the death of me. See I don't mind Elijah as a villain. But with Monica? You guessed it. Ugh.

5x07 Oh Jan, you poor thing. I wish I had a Celina in my life. I need someone fixing my energy. Nyla and Angela having to ask dad!Grey if they can take their little sister Lucy out for the day. Aaron's puppy. Oh. Yep, now I'm sad about Aaron/Tru again. God I'm so deflated today watching these episodes. I know there's so much Chenford goodness coming, I've seen all of it already a million times, but I still just feel so sad watching knowing we won't get Tru back. At least not as a regular. Oh I hope his departure wasn't over anything negative and he's open to coming back as a guest. Damn right you are, Lucy. God I really need more Nyla and Lucy. I'll never stop saying that because it'll never stop being true. I want more of Lucy with everyone, but Nyla is her biggest supporter and Lucy needs more people in her corner.

Lucy, our queen. I need a little fic of her and Tabin talking in the car before they get out. She slips into character so easily, you can tell a second before she was probably reassuring him and telling him it'd be okay. Tim's face the entire time, especially with the gun. He trusts her so much but the tension in his jaw and his eyes. This man cannot handle being this far away from Lucy when she's potentially in danger. Oh Aaron. Sweetie. And Lucy struggling so hard when she sees someone vulnerable like that, but she knows she can't do anything. This is why, as good as she is at UC, I think she'd struggle long term. She needs to be helping, teaching, guiding, protecting. UC does that to a degree, but it's a painfully drawn out process. That she tells them she has to keep her cover but the instant she sees Tim and Aaron in potential trouble, all that goes out the window. Like I said, she's great at UC but she has such an overwhelming desire to protect people, whether it's the people she knows and loves or the vulnerable, and it's not easy for her to ignore that desire. Another lingering look. Oh my god these two.

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

It feels like every single fantasy film has been building up to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. This sprawling world of myth and magic is a landmark achievement. The special effects, characters, art direction, score, scale and faithfulness to the source material make it the kind of picture that will shape generations. It’s big, wonderful and epic but also small, intimate and emotional. This is a labor of love and it shows.

In the Second Age of Middle-earth, the Dark Lord Sauron forged the One Ring. With its power, he was poised to conquer all. Defeated through sheer luck, his evil dissipated. 3,000 years later, the One Ring is discovered in the possession of a humble hobbit named Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood). To save the world, from Sauron's return, the ring must be snuck back into the shadowy land of Mordor and thrown into the volcano where it was forged. On this quest, Frodo is accompanied by his friends Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin), Pippin Took (Billy Boyd) and Merry Brandybuck (Dominic Monaghan), his mentor, the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen), and representatives of the free races of Middle-Earth: humans Strider (Viggo Mortensen) and Boromir (Sea Bean), dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) and elf Legolas Greenleaf (Orlando Bloom).

To get us up to speed, the picture begins with a history lesson that’ll knock you off your feet. The armies clashing seem immeasurably large. Sauron effortlessly radiates evil despite having no dialogue. You can feel the thousands of years of culture in the fighting styles, weapons and scenery. Middle-Earth feels real. The scale is immense, which makes director Peter Jackson’s decision to focus the plot on an ordinary hobbit a genius move. In a story with caverns so large our civilization could never dream of carving them, elven cities that seem to grow from the trees that surround them, seamless towers of black stone and all sorts of monsters, it would be easy for audiences to feel alienated. We’d all like to think that when push comes to shove we’d be great heroes but in reality, there’s no way. The best a tiny person like you or me could hope to do is stay brave, which is exactly Frodo’s role.

Several times throughout, we hear that “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.” There couldn’t be anyone smaller than Frodo Baggins - except, perhaps, his friend to the end, Samwise. The hobbits are humble little people who have lived peaceful, simple lives free from adventure and are now thrust into a journey that will be the stuff of legends. Their joys are simple: warm meals, fields of brightly-colored vegetables and parties with friends & family. One particular scene that shows you just how small they are comes towards the end of the story. Sam and Frodo are traveling down a river. In the distance, they spot these enormous statues, the kind that would make the Statue of Liberty blush. Like us, they gaze at them in wonder, wondering who could’ve built them and who they represent. None of the other members of the Fellowship seem to give them more than a passing glance - and yet, these simple people prove themselves just as brave and reliable as the seasoned guardians they are traveling with. It’s awe-inspiring in so many ways.

By focusing on Frodo and his part of the journey, the film has a strong emotional core. The Fellowship of the Ring knows it has this time-tested story that’ll enchant audiences but before doing anything else, it made sure to get the basics right. Even if it hadn’t, it would’ve been an impressive production. Surrounding the inspirational battle of good vs. evil are incredible visuals, standout special effects and exciting action scenes. The film contains elements of horror in the form of its shadowy Ring Wraiths and scenes set in the deep mines of Moria. It’s got comedy to lighten the mood when necessary, chases so perfectly paced they should be shown in film school and battles that remain exciting whether they feature millions or a handful of fighters. There are so many great lines and iconic scenes you’ll love to quote it to your friends. The score by Howard Shore is this powerhouse that immediately sets up residence in your mind.

Though it ends in a "to be continued", The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the kind of movie you need to watch just to be part of the cultural conversation. Don't worry if you're weary of following trends; you would fall in love with this film even if you discovered it on your own. (Theatrical version on Blu-ray, April 26, 2022)

[yuv4na]

Eternal melodies : honouring the resilience and artistic brilliance of 3 timeless artists

Introduction:

In the ever-evolving tapestry of the music industry, stars often rise and fade away, leaving behind echoes of their extraordinary talents. Among these luminaries are Juice WRLD, Lil Peep, and XXXTentacion—musical prodigies whose brilliance was tragically overshadowed by the darker facets of fame, mental health struggles, and substance abuse. As we unravel the narratives of these artists, a collective story emerges, prompting us to ponder the profound impact of these interconnected themes on their lives and artistic expressions.

Juice WRLD:

Jarad Anthony Higgins, widely known as Juice WRLD, soared to fame with a distinctive blend of emo rap and melodic tunes. His poignant lyrics resonated with a generation navigating the complexities of mental health. Regrettably, on December 8, 2019, Juice WRLD faced a seizure at Chicago's Midway International Airport, succumbing to an accidental overdose of oxycodone and codeine. Albums like "Goodbye & Good Riddance" and "Death Race for Love" showcase not only his introspective and emotional themes but also the artistic prowess that captivated audiences. The former features hits like "Lucid Dreams," while the latter explores a darker sonic landscape with tracks like "Robbery."

Lil Peep:

Gustav Elijah Åhr, or Lil Peep, pioneered the "emo rap" subgenre, seamlessly merging elements of emo, trap, and rock. Discovered lifeless on his tour bus on November 15, 2017, Lil Peep fell victim to an accidental overdose of fentanyl and alprazolam. His discography, including "Come Over When You're Sober, Pt. 1" and "Come Over When You're Sober, Pt. 2," bears witness to his eclectic mix of genres and profound emotional depth, illustrated vividly through his cover art. The first part includes standout tracks like "Awful Things," while the second part further explores Lil Peep's artistic evolution with singles like "Gym Class."

XXXTentacion:

XXXTentacion, born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy, made waves with his genre-defying approach that blended rap, rock, and R&B. Tragically shot and killed on June 18, 2018, during a robbery in Florida, XXXTentacion's legacy lives on through albums like "17" and "?" which showcase his versatility. "Sad!" and "Moonlight" are emblematic of his ability to connect with listeners on an emotional level. Beyond his music, XXXTentacion was known for his philanthropic efforts and attempts at personal growth. Despite a troubled past, he endeavored to make positive changes, leaving a complex legacy that sparks ongoing discussions about redemption and personal transformation.

Common Threads:

While Juice WRLD, Lil Peep, and XXXTentacion each possessed a unique sonic identity, their stories intricately intertwine through common threads. The relentless pressure to sustain success, the struggle with mental health, and the normalization of substance use within the music industry played pivotal roles in their untimely departures. The collective tragedy of these young talents serves as a poignant reminder of the imperative to address mental health and substance abuse within the entertainment world.

Legacy:

Beyond the heart-wrenching conclusions to their stories, the legacies of Juice WRLD, Lil Peep, and XXXTentacion endure through their timeless music. Fans continue to celebrate not just their artistry but also the profound impact they had on shaping the music industry. The lessons gleaned from their struggles underscore the urgent need for open conversations surrounding mental health, addiction, and the immense pressures faced by artists in the spotlight.

Conclusion:

The narratives of Juice WRLD, Lil Peep, and XXXTentacion transcend cautionary tales, inviting us to celebrate their resilience and artistic brilliance. As fans, we remember these luminaries for the indelible mark they left on the musical landscape, acknowledging the challenges they confronted. Their untimely departures should inspire a collective commitment to fostering a healthier and more compassionate creative environment within the music industry.

Sources: Wikipedia.com , youtube.com/ publish x, rollingstone.com , nytimes.com

[kiss-my-freckle]

3x9: Homecoming

3x9 opens with Mikael's fake death, flashback included 3x9 ends with Mikael's real death, flashback included

Hilarious that Damon and Mikael talk about his feeding on vampires instead of humans, considering Damon gets hit with the ripper virus and feeds on vampires in season 5. This post is a long one, so scroll to the gifs if you don't feel like reading. Just know that the program I normally use for gifs is on the fritz, so these gifs aren't as great as they could be.

Some "Homecoming" gifs

"You think I'm annoying now? Wait till homecoming. Hey, who you bringing, by the way? I don't want it to be weird."

"I hate everything in my closet. I have nothing to wear to Homecoming."

"I need to borrow a tie. Hm… I'm 162 years old and I'm going to a Homecoming dance. I need better ties."

Elena had plans to go to Homecoming, but it got rained out. It's because Klaus turned their Homecoming into his wake, that Elena wasn't able to go to the dance. She knew that Damon had plans to replace her with Katherine for the sake of killing Klaus. Know what Stefan sees in this switch because it plays a certain role later on.

"And when we kill Klaus, I'll be free. Free to leave." "I'm just calling to thank you for my freedom."

This is the episode when Stefan's actions start to matter where Elena's character is concerned. It's because he knows he lost Elena that he was prepared to leave once he got his freedom. Rather than leave as he told Damon he would, he decided to seek revenge against Klaus because he blames him for this loss. While I do blame Klaus for certain things, I place blame solely on Stefan in that regard. He chose to leave town with Klaus in 2x22 despite knowing he didn't have to because yes, deals are made to be broken. While he didn't want to risk the chance that Klaus would kill Elena, leaving town was his choice. For the same reason, he spent the entire summer lying to Klaus when he didn't have to. So while he didn't want to risk the chance that Klaus would kill Elena, lying all summer was his choice. For the same reason, he refused to go home with Damon and Elena when they went to rescue him. He refused these rescue attempts in 3x1, 3x2, and 3x3. So while he didn't want to risk the chance that Klaus would kill Elena, denying these rescues was his choice. When people make choices, they take on the risk of those choices. What I'm saying is… in choosing to leave town with Klaus, lying to him all summer, and refusing to be rescued… he chose to accept the risks that came with it. He chose to risk losing Elena, chose the risk of Klaus lashing out over his lies, and chose the risk of not truly "coming home" until Homecoming. Just because Stefan didn't expect Klaus to find out about Elena surviving his ritual, doesn't mean he's not responsible for the choices he made. He knew going into this deal with Klaus that he's not a man to screw with. They made this point in the second season when Damon rescued Tyler and Caroline, and Elijah stated this in front of Stefan specifically. "A punishment for meddling." So yes, he knew going in that he was accepting certain risks. He's basically seeking revenge against Klaus because he blames him for losing Elena, and seeking this revenge despite the fact that "losing Elena" was something he accepted when he left town with Klaus in the first place. The truth of Stefan's choice of revenge is this… Klaus knows about Elena's survival, knows that her blood is the solution to his hybrid problem and plans to continue taking her blood for that purpose. Stefan is home, has his "free will" freedom and his humanity. The one problem Stefan has right now, is being home. "Homecoming" for Stefan is living with the fruit of his labor. The only home he has is Damon, and because Elena is Damon's home, Stefan is forced to see his loss every single day. A miserable existence to be had, so he wants to make Klaus just as miserable as he is.

"Umm - slight problem with your Homecoming date. How would you feel about a backup date?"

"This is weird. Us being here together…"

"Plan's changed."

A good idea to pay attention to Matt in this episode. It's what I term the double switch. The Rebekah-Katherine-Elena of it all in 3x9 becomes the Rebekah-Katherine-Elena of it all in 3x14 and 3x22, then gets pulled full circle as it becomes the Rebekah-Katherine-Elena of it all in 4x18. I call it the double switch because Elena takes Rebekah's place as Matt's date, then Katherine takes Elena's place as Matt's date as she's pretending to be Elena. When you truly see this play out, you'll know why Damon sleeps with Rebekah in 3x14 and why Elena ends up off that bridge in 3x22. "Plan's changed."

The truth of Damon's intelligence can be seen in his plan to kill Klaus. While Stefan is academically smart, Damon is people smart. He's the brother you want in your corner in times of war. The brother you want in your corner in times of chaos. Damon had Klaus dead to rights because he's people smart.

Tyler: Whatever move you're making, Klaus is gonna be ready for you. He'll kill anyone at this party if he has to. Damon: Tell someone who cares.

Katherine: It won't be for lack of trying. Klaus: Ah… you'd be smart to tell Damon to mind his manners tonight. Because if I die, I've already ensured that he'll die along with me! Even in death, my hybrids have their orders. So you kill me, you're killing him too.

Katherine: If Klaus gets killed, he is taking Damon down with him. Stefan: So pull the plug on the plan.

Something I feel the need to point out as it pertains to Damon's plan. I'm pointing this out because yes, Stefan manipulates just as well as Damon does. Stefan refused to care what Damon would want, and instead, completely oblierated his well-laid plan to kill Klaus. Had he cared what Damon wanted, he would've asked Damon first. So as Klaus threatened to have his hybrids kill Damon, Stefan refused to let Damon take that risk for himself. Push this to 3x18, and it's another matter entirely. Stefan is so hellbent on killing Klaus, that he manipulates Elena into going along with their plan to kill Finn. This is despite the risk of Rebekah killing Damon. Rebekah having Damon's life hanging in the balance is no different than Klaus' hybrids having Damon's life hanging in the balance. But it's all about what Stefan wants and when. That's how manipulative he is. I've decided to point this out now because when I get to 3x14, I'm gonna show the difference. After all, the very goal of manipulation is control.

Scene cuts and more scene cuts. The Elena/Tyler of it all.

"The big deal, Tyler… is that Matt is an innocent, good person who should not be going to dances with evil blood sluts!"

As I said in my 3x5 post, they started doing their Elena/Tyler sire bond scene cuts. And yes, it'll always be Damon with Elena because she's in love with him. You can literally hear Caroline's judgments and hatred for Delena in her comment to Tyler. The stupidity and ignorance of her character, of her belief that it must be Tyler's sire bond that makes him support a bad girl like Rebekah taking a good guy like Matt to Homecoming. She actually blames Tyler's sire bond, as if he's not capable of forming his own opinion on the matter. When all is said and done, their parallel to the glitter on Tyler's hands in 3x9 is the blood Elena licks from her fingers in 4x4. So when you watch Delena in season 4, know the reality of their situation. It would be like Caroline forcing Tyler to hang streamers and paint with a glitter gun. Elena will still be in love with Damon just as Tyler would still be in love with Caroline.

Note the parallel... Damon and Elena conspiring without Stefan like Stefan and Elena conspiring against Damon at the open of 1x13.

I can say with certainty that Stefan is bothered by Elena's comfort with Damon. While they're not as intimate as they were in their 3x6 first aid scene, she's still comfortable enough to be with him in his bathroom as they are. It's what I term intimate distance. "Intimate distance" is what cooking in the kitchen looks like. It's what their first aid scene looks like. Doing an activity in a single room together like the kitchen or the bathroom. It's in these "intimate distance" situations that they risk brushing up against each other, like Damon purposefully brushing up against Elena in the kitchen in 1x13. Understand this, you'll understand what I mean about Stefan. He's getting an up-close look at Delena and how comfortable they are with each other.

lol... Damon and Elena are so adorable.

"Elena! If this thing blows up in our face- just remember: only one of us heals quickly."

"You are mad at your little brother. You'll yell at him a little, teach him a life lesson. You can't really be mad like I am mad."

Elena's conversation with Bonnie is every bit Defan and Delena in 1x14. However, their conversation in this episode happens because it's meant to push Elena to stab Rebekah in the back. Rebekah can't be mad at Klaus like Elena is mad at Klaus. The very point. Rebekah will yell at him a little, teach him a life lesson, but Klaus is still her brother. She's not gonna let anyone kill him. So Elena stabs Rebekah in the back.

Like Damon, Rebekah has no problem with Elena stabbing people in the back as Katherine would. It's being on the receiving end of that stabbing that bothers them as it would bother anyone. That's why Damon confronts Elena about it at the open of 2x4, and Rebekah continues hating Elena as badly as she does. Rebekah gets extreme with it simply because their feud continues. Otherwise she'd get over it like Damon did in season 2. Everyone likes a bitch, they just don't like being on the wrong side of that bitch. That's why Elena has so many haters. It's not her they actually hate, it's the side she's on.

Damon: Hey, I'm not judging you. It's very "Katherine" of you. Elena: Not the way to make me feel better about myself, Damon. Damon: It was a compliment. Sort of...

The reality of this is the reality of Delena in season 4. Damon will make vampire Elena feel good about herself. She just has to accept what's necessary.

Before I forget to mention this, I'm gonna talk a little bit about the vervain necklace. As I've said before, the necklace became Damon's at the end of 3x5. Whether people believe me or not is besides the point. Because it's Damon's necklace, he's the one who'd deem how important it is to him. So while Elena used it to stab Rebekah in the back, it was up to Damon as to whether or not he took it back from Rebekah once Elena daggered her. Elena wouldn't take it because it's not her necklace anymore. Unlike Elena, Damon doesn't need to carry it around with him. He wouldn't feel naked without it, that's why he had it stored in his room in 3x7. So as you see them try to use the necklace to flip Stefan's switch in 3x7, Caroline does the same with Damon when she gifts him the necklace in 8x7, and it's the only time you'll see Damon actually "need" it. Because it's a symbol, where it ends up in season 3 actually matters. That's why they let Rebekah keep it. When Rebekah tosses it at Elena in 3x15, it's meant to stay there… beyond the vampire seal in the Lockwood tunnel. While there, symbolizes human Damon, to him actually walking past that vampire seal. That's why Elena doesn't pick it up. The necklace Caroline gifts Damon in 8x7 is the same necklace Elena places at Stefan's grave in 8x16. Understand this is not the original necklace, it's the 1994 prison world necklace. The original necklace is still in the Lockwood tunnel, waiting on human Damon to retrieve it. 3x15 is that moment when fans had to know the Salvatore brothers would become human through Elena just as they became vampires through Katherine.

Damon: Do you trust me? Elena: Yes. Damon: Then you have nothing to worry about.

No hesitation on Elena's part, thats how much she trusts him.

"We'll survive this. We always survive. Trust me."

And Damon trusts Elena. Their entire relationship is built on it.

"Then we'll let him go. Okay? We'll have to let him go."

A good scene to keep in mind while watching 3x22.

"Stefan is gone and he's not coming back. Not in your lifetime."

"We're never getting Stefan back. You know that, don't you?"

I'm gonna be blunt. Damon is telling her the same thing here that he told her on her birthday. And I mean this literally. Despite Damon telling her the exact same thing, you can see the difference in Elena's response here and her response in 3x1. My opinion regarding that difference… this is what it looks like when Elena is no longer in love with Stefan. And it's not just the difference in her response that makes me feel this way. If she were still in love with Stefan, letting him go wouldn't be an option for her. Stefan isn't dead, he's without his humanity. To actually let him go simply because they're having a hard time flipping his switch… it's made clear to me in this scene that Damon is the brother Elena can't let go of, so he's not going anywhere.

lol... Damon and Elena were very close to kissing here. They likely would've had Katherine not interrupted. Because home is where the heart is, Delena puts the "home" in Homecoming.

[godsavethecam]

Man, I really have given a Legion character a solid try on this Fallout: New Vegas playthrough, but I may just abandon Caesar at the last second.

Big ramble inbound about role-playing in New Vegas. Be warned.

Jamie despises the NCR. Hates thinking about politics, always felt powerless in the face of the neo-American monster spreading all around her home. I wanted to role-play someone so angrily, bitterly "apolitical" that she fell into supporting fascism. Caesar gave her a chance at power, at sticking it to the NCR, feeling important for the first time in her life. ...But she doesn't genuinely believe in the Legion's values. It's not like she's supporting them because she fucking loves slavery. She's more like Caesar himself than any Legionary—the rules are just a path to power, to be ignored as she sees fit. Hell, she's a woman fighting in support of a nation that subjugates women in every way (and to be clear, she loves getting to be the exception). I went through most of the Legion path quest with her, role-playing as someone who ultimately thinks the Legion's values are full of bullshit, but enjoying the power trip it gives her.

Then came the DLC! I role-played her going to Zion in Honest Hearts as her trying to get away from all the constant politics over Hoover Dam. God knows she doesn't need the money from the caravan job, that reason wouldn't swing. Starting with that conceit meant that something along the way would have to motivate her back to helping the Legion slaughter NCR at Hoover Dam. I figured Ulysses would do that in Lonesome Road. I wanted her to have some kind of arc, y'know?

Unfortunately, Old World Blues took my power-hungry gal with no real patriotism, and handed her a giant science lab littered with weapons of mass destruction. She didn't kill the Think Tank scientists, but coerced them into working for her. The Big Empty is her horrifying, beautiful oyster. During Dead Money, Elijah told her exactly how to use this Old World technology to wreak havoc on the Mojave. Why does she need Caesar anymore? She can wage war on the NCR completely independently. No one can make her feel powerless again.

In Lonesome Road, I tried to come up with a way for Ulysses' ramblings to give her some pro-Legion epiphany. But that doesn't feel authentic to how I've played this character. It feels more genuine for her to kill the fuck out of Ulysses for judging her, and come out more angry at the "Bear and Bull" than ever before. If anything, Ulysses trying to nuke the NCR just reinforces the lesson that she doesn't need the Legion to destroy the Woke Gay NCR she hates so much. She can wipe all of it away.

I was trying to do a Legion playthrough with a twist. Instead, it ended up being the story of a woman who thought she needed the Legion to exercise her rage, but amassed so much power that she lashed out against them too. A story about how people who act in service of power, rather than ideals, will ultimately betray everyone around them.

....And that's how my Legion run turned into another ding-dang Yes Man run at the last second! Ring-a-ding, baby!