#and a warning for me unrepentantly being myself

[my-pleasant-good-morning]

Name 10 Characters from 10 Fandoms that you love

I have been tagged. So I guess that means you want to know some blorbos. Most of them will be from things other than shows. 

-Lets start with Renathal. I got a little burnt out of his side of the Warcraft fandom by anti-shipping toxicity and it reminding me of church related trauma but I still love him. Also one of my OCs is head over heels in love with the guy. Like I’m talking some Gomez and Morticia level get a room you two bs. And I love that for them.

-Michael Distortion of The Magnus Archives. AKA That damn yellow door, the walking drug trip, the twink with the yaoi hands, and the throat of delusion incarnate. What can I say. He is fucked up in just the right way for me to love him. Also. Monster Hot.

-Sunny from FNAF Security Breach. I want to spend a day crafting with him. There are a lot of feelings about him that I find hard to find words for but yeah. Lets make stuff together you beautifully uncorrupted robot you.

-Grand Karcist Ion of SCP lore but mostly @soliusss form of him. I enjoy the flesh jesus. I wish he would teach me to grow a dick. And maybe some other things. But mostly just enough flesh shaping for that. 

-Elim Garak from Star Trek DS9. I too wish to be a gay coded, villain coded, hero. And maybe also a tailor.

-Venom from Marvel. The Eddy Venom to be clear. Look at that walking marriage. When things are good they are fantastic. When they aren't I ignore the comics and read fic instead. 

-Khayman from Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles. Clearly I like my vampires old and pained. Probably because I want to fix it. Call it a power fantasy. I want to heal the things that time could not. 

- Maedhros from Tolkien’s extended writing. Hmmmm. It might not just be vampires that make me feel like that. Also who doesn't love ambiguous gift giving habits with a guy’s closest male friend? 

 - Stolas from Helluva Boss. Lets see? Gay? Yup. Aristocratic? Yup. Villainous? I mean he is a demon prince. How could I not love him, given that I am me.

-Harley Quinn of DC. I realized all I had here were men. For this I blame both how men get more depth in things and also my sexuality making me look at them more. I’m not the biggest DC fan but I enjoy Harley every time I see her and it isn’t merch that glamorizes her toxic relationship with J. More of her kicking ass on her own(or with Ivy) plz.

With almost all of them I feel like there is more I could/should say if only the words would word right. I also tried to only pick one per-fandom. It’s hard because I almost always don’t have just one favorite. 

I am not going to tag people because the person I most want to do this finds that too much like chain letters. So feel free to do this if you want.

[cypanache]

okay darling. for the wip ask game that you tagged me in. I know it's been a minute since you posted it, so feel free to ignore, but i'd like to know more about either 'date my wife' or 'raised a sith'– you pick! since I know all about the obidala stuff, and very little about those, i'm curious.

Ugh, I've been so heads down on Countdown, I'm finally getting around to going through my ask box so apologies for the insanely late reply on this.

I talked about the 'date my wife' wip here. So let's do the raised a sith au, because I'm insanely excited about this one, and it even has a title now "Chirality".

So after repeatedly and painstakingly walking back sexual tension in like every draft of every obidala fic I have ever written, because they're just so damn good and they wouldn't, not yet ... I really just wanted to let Obi-Wan and Padme be unrepentantly hot for each. So I asked myself what would it take for them to stop worrying so much about it all and the answer as you so eloquently put it, is 'they could be evil, as a treat'

That's it, that's the fic.

No really. Imagine a world where Obi-Wan got left on Bandomeer by Qui-Gon and then eventually rescued by Dooku and taken as his apprentice and later left the order with him. Meanwhile imagine a Padme who never left Coruscant after her appeal to the Senate in TPM and instead stayed under house arrest while she watched her world ravaged by the Trade Federation with Palpatine stoking her outrage and anger into something truly spectacular. But to the galaxy she still presents as Padme Amidala as we know here during AotC. So drop poor baby Anakin into the events of AotC and The Clone Wars between these two opposing dark proteges who are sort of allies and sort of adversaries, but are definitely obsessed with each other, watch them ruin him.

I honestly feel a little bad tagging this obianidala because its me, so its definitely very obidala focused and Anakin is in way way over his head being manipulated and gaslit at every turn, but it is there at least as an implied future state so there you go. Also its a SithAU so while I don't write terribly explicit or kinky sex, all the warnings for mind games, manipulation, violence, unnegotiated everything, and basically terrible people who should absolutely be kept away from Anakin Skywalker at all costs, but won't be. Sexy, though not explicit, excerpt below the cut:

He’s waiting for her when she gets back to her apartments.  Lounging on the bed like he owns the place. Utterly unconcerned with the fact that in less than a day’s time all of the Senate will be calling for his head along with his Master’s. 

One of her handmaidens comes over to assist her and Padme grits her teeth in irritation as she takes in the blank expression, the clumsy movements.  Oh, she despises when he does this.  True, it was amusing the first time or two.  And she has always had a weak spot for power in all its flavors.  But these days she just finds it tiresome.  They’re utterly useless for anything more complicated than the most basic of tasks for hours after he does this.

Dismissing Eirtae with a wave of her hand she rounds on him in a huff.

“I wish you would stop doing that.  You know you don’t have anything to worry about.  They’re all completely loyal.  I’ve made sure of it.”

Obi-Wan grins, vulpine and vicious and absolutely unrepentant.  “To you.  They’re all completely loyal to you.  I doubt there’s a single one among them who would spare me a second thought.”

“That’s not true, there’s at least three who would strangle their own mother for the opportunity to put a blaster to your temple and pull the trigger.”  Turning, she holds out her arms and then looks back over her shoulder, imperious and expectant.  “Well?  You can hardly expect me to get out of this on my own.”

He doesn’t.  That’s the entire point of this petty little show of his.  He likes the opportunity to undo her, deconstruct the facade she presents to the galaxy layer by careful layer.  Until she’s laid bare in more ways than one.

Coming up behind her, he trails his fingertips up the length of each arm before he settles his hands against the line of the high collar in a way that from anyone else would be a threat.  But he could force choke her from halfway across the room and they both know it.  And they both know Palpatine would make him regret it for the rest of his very long and very painful life if he ever tried.  

She smiles at him in the mirror and presses back a little into the joints of his fingers calling his bluff.  “You know we debated putting a bounty on your head this afternoon.”

He tsks.  “How very uncivilized.”

“Yes, well, attempting to exterminate the entire Jedi Council does tend to provoke people’s ire.”

“Oh, is that the version they’re selling to the Senate?”

She spins in grasp, indignant now, “Don’t be insulting.  You know better than anyone how useless the Jedi are at politics.  It’s the version I’m selling to the Senate.  Very effectively I might add.”

“I’d expect nothing less,” he says, skimming a kiss once against her mouth.  Then deepening it as his hands come up to her headdress and she feels him begin to remove the hairpins holding it in place one by one.  It’s not precisely what she had in mind when she told him to undress her, but Obi-Wan wouldn’t be Obi-Wan if he wasn’t always looking for the loophole and Padme allows it.  It’s been months since she’s been kissed well.  Whatever Anakin’s potential, both as a lover and a darksider, and it is glorious, it’s all raw and unrealized, it will take her years to mold him to her liking.  Pleasurable work perhaps but work to be sure.  Sometimes a lady just wishes to rest on laurels.

Particularly when her laurels are so very, very appealing.

Obi-Wan frowns against her mouth, “Your shields are down.”

“Are they?” She asks innocently, biting at his bottom lip with just a little too much force in punishment for both starting and stopping without permission.  “And did you like what you heard?”

He pulls back.  “You know I didn’t.”

She turns away with a huff, and removes the last few pins herself, running her fingers through her hair to free it and denying him the pleasure.  “Oh yes, you’ve made your feelings on the matter quite clear.  His arm, Obi-Wan?  Was that really necessary?”

“Maybe not, but it was fun.”

Padme scowls at him over her shoulder.

He just laughs.  A cocky, contemptuous sound that sets her teeth on edge and her blood on fire, “Oh dear, are you upset I scratched up your pretty plaything?  And here I thought you were a fan of my work.  I even signed this one for you.”

“And if I thought it had anything to do with me, rather than breaking the boy Qui-Gon Jinn actually wanted enough to take as an apprentice, I might be flattered.  Besides–” she gives him her most petulant pout, “I didn’t even get to watch.  You know that’s my favorite part.”

[vespaer77]

OMG I’ve been waiting for someone to start talking about this, haha!

I mean, I could do it myself but I don’t have a lot of followers, and I’m not sure how many folks are here anymore and screaming into a void hurts my feelings. But I just...

When the news broke, I was immediately exhausted. I really wanted to be excited to see Rey again because I loved her, I just loved her... And then I remembered that she’s not that Rey anymore. She used to stand for something that dared to make Star Wars bigger than what it once was - to reach people in a new and mystical form. This thought that *anyone* could be a Jedi. That anyone could be chosen by the Force. That anyone could be the Light that rose to meet the Dark.

(That anyone could have a very sexy connection with a very sexy, dark and sad prince... *cough*)

And then I remembered that that’s not true anymore.

(There’s a ton of negativity under this cut, this might not be the post for you if you’re looking to keep positive, fair warning.)

And not only was that hope killed, but other hopes as well. The hope for forgiveness. The hope for redemption. The hope for a happy ending to 40 year, nine film saga, one that makes me glad for the time I’ve spent, and one that excites me to watch it again all over again.

In a post-2016 world - a world in which even the magical, child-like chosen-one mythos of the Harry Potter franchise is now tainted by the sins of its author - these things are more important than ever. And the only thing Star Wars proved to me is that storytellers are still capable of being woefully ignorant and unrepentantly tone deaf. Like I absolutely cannot fathom once, not even once, thinking that killing Ben Solo was a good idea. The very thought is just incomprehensible. Yet here we are.  And I can forgive Palpatine. I can forgive Rey Skywalker. I can forgive the two hours of slapped-hammy fan service, I can. Even post-2016 I can forgive. And a lot of these things are pretty classic Star Wars moves anyway.

But I can’t forgive the killing of a character who was just learning how to love and forgive. And be loved, and be forgiven. One who was still young and had his whole life left before him to make amends. One who only became what he was as a result of the cruelty of others (namely, a child predator). That is a level of incompetence that should forever live in shame.

And what’s worse is that Star Wars has taught me that I can be this hurt by someone whose only crime was to be.... just this terribly bad at his job. I’m probably bad at my job too. It’s an easy thing to be. And that’s why I’m worried about this next film for Rey. Well, it’s the first reason of many. This next writer is gonna have to be astronomically good and lucky to dig this character out of the hole she’s been left in, and I’m not sure I trust anyone to have that kind of skill anymore. I’m certain I don’t.

But really, what it comes down to, is it just feels like they’re trying to salvage her by pulling her away from TRoS and the past. A fifteen year time jump. That just feels like an attempt to cleanse the palate and start fresh. And her character probably deserves a fresh start.

But Ben Solo doesn’t deserve to be forgotten. And that’s the part that’s bothering me. Because as much as we all want it, this film isn’t going to be about Rey reuniting the dyad. They’ve already told us what the film is about. It’s about Rey rebuilding the Jedi Order. And I truly (and sadly) don’t believe that Ben Solo will have any part in that, or any mention in this film at all aside from a throwaway line of dialog near the beginning, to remind us of Rey’s character and establish her baseline.

And then move away from it.

And I don’t want to move away from it. I’m still hurting. I want him back. And I know he’s not coming back. And I don’t want to sit and watch her lovely face on that screen and ache the whole time for someone else. It’s not fair to her. It’s not fair to Daisy Ridley. It’s not fair to me. It’s not fair to the writers who are doing their best, but are only guilty of not doing an astronomically good and lucky job.

So.... yeah. I really was hoping that they’d move, like 50-75yrs in the future and start fresh with someone else. And that maybe Rey could be mentioned as a very important historical figure. That is the palate cleanser I need. But this... this is just salt in a wound and I’m not ready for it.

Soooooo what are your thoughts on the Rey film?

Hey Nonnie,

I have a lot of feelings LOL. None of my ire is directed at you, and I'm trying not to get too worked up given that we know who the director will be and that Daisy will be in it (everything is meant in a general sense, and it's just my feelings on the matter so whatever). Also, given their track record with directors and writers.... we'll see how it all ends up going!

As far as story, well...

So this is such a coincidence, given that I just saw Su//zume and was thinking that if anything that follows up TRoS ISN'T at least thematically similar to that movie, I don't want it. It still holds.

This is my interpretation, and if others don't agree. That's fine. I'm not really looking to argue with anyone or win anyone over lol. People are allowed to have different interpretations of media, but for me, TRoS didn't work. Both as a fan of the ST and as a lifelong fan of SW. And I don't know how they plan on moving forward with that fucking albatross weighing them down! I really don't!

My problem was and remains that TRoS IS NOT REY'S STORY or really any of the ST characters, it's all focused on the past and that's not a great way to build a point to go forward from. Hell, it's not really even a story so much as characters moving from one set piece to another in an effort to disguise how it's a movie that's basically serving one purpose: address and make up for prior criticism (mostly from re//ddit and prolific you//tubers).

I could go point by point about how that film was set up to make up for "disappointing" certain fans with how TLJ went, but I don't have the time rn for that (I have a lot of work to do in the next few days and not much time, but here i am on tumblr lol). I'm sure it's been done to death, anyway, but people far more eloquent than I.

That film is and was and ever will be is a reactionary film that was made to be an answer to very specific criticism from a very specific subset of the fandom, and it failed. Not only to address their criticisms but to stand on its own as a film. That story takes Rey, takes her character and her story, and reskins her to be Luke 2.0.

But they didn't want that. Those fans didn't want her to be a stand-in for Luke. They didn't want her to symbolically be a Sky//walker, they wanted her to BE one via BIRTH (Luke's daughter or whatever). What we got was insulting to those fans and to fans of TLJ. It's one of the more blatant examples of pandering that I can think of (even if it's badly done), and I really don't know if I'm ever gonna get over it entirely lol. Like I've mostly moved on because there are storytellers out there busting their ass telling stories that deserve to be told, so I have other things to focus on.

Rey's story needs to be her own, and I don't know how they're going to accomplish that given what's happened in TRoS. She's not her own character anymore. She's just... a vessel. Fuck I hate that. I hate saying that! I HATE IT! But that comes from the creators themselves! I love Rey! I wouldn't have written like three-quarters of a million words of fanfic about her world otherwise! AND THEY DID NOT. AND IT SHOWS.

And it's personally offensive to me that they took a character that I loved THE WAY SHE WAS and tried to make her fit for people who were committed to hating her from the start!!!! How dare they! And not just her, but what they did with the rest of the ST characters makes me so fucking angry i have a hard time being chill about it lol.

Anyway, I have some reservations about their ability to craft a tale that's going to honor her character and not just be some sort of way for Luke to jump in and take over the narrative again. As he's done before and will do again (hi there, mano, nice luke you got there for no fucking reason).

Anyway, I very much try to keep to my own corner of the fandom because I just don't have the energy for much these days, so I'm sure other people have different feelings about it all. I hope it goes well! I doubt it will! Like Andor was great, but Tony is a great storyteller, and I don't think the person they've tacked on to finish the Rey script is capable of doing her justice (sorry bro, PB is good, but it's tragic, do I want that for Rey??? no).

Storytelling should be the first and foremost thing they're focusing on, and... I don't really trust them in that regard anymore. The SW ip is too all over the place, and there's a certain note of cynicism that just seems to infect everything these days. I'm fucking tired of the american monomyth, i'm tired of campbell redux (with no deeper thought or criticism of the aforementioned, just shallow retelling to tick of fucking plot points and NOTHING MORE).

It just... feels like they're trying to find their way without really thinking about what got them to this point. I hope it doesn't suck, but if it does, then there's always fanfic.

PERSONALLY idgaf about rebuilding the gd jedi temple, so i hope THAT changes because it's been done and they fucked up REPEATEDLY like how many movies do we really need of that!!!?? God, there's a whole wide sw universe out there, and they make it feel so small.

So fucking small. What a waste.

TLDR:

Anyway! Hope it works out for anyone who's interested. If anyone's really interested in how I'd like a post-tros narrative to go, please go see su//zume. i fucking adore it to bits and pieces.

Cheers, Nonne!

[latesummerfrost]

If any of you seriously went into an adaptation of an Anne Rice property on goddamn AMC expecting a trigger warning you're sipping some Olympic-grade delusion juice. Settle back down with a nice soothing episode of The Owl House on Disney and stop pussy-aching about media with blatant adult themes if you can't handle it. This is the network that ran The Walking Dead adapting a book about a wildly abusive relationship between preternatural creatures who literally kill people for sustenance and amusement. Seriously, disconnect from your idiot-box of collected trigger words and go kick open a DVD out of the Twilight collection for that wholesome, family-friendly, Mormon-skewed vampire experience you so dubiously crave. Lestat unrepentantly ate a whole damn baby in the books, sweets, you think this is the worst it's gonna get? 😂😂😂

Sidebar; as someone who grew up in an extremely violent household, I can safely attest that THAT scene was exquisitely done. Putting Louis and Lestat's relationship through the lens of Claudia's POV the last two episodes was nothing short of inspired. And sorry to say it, but every queer story isn't going to be sunshine and daisies (especially not one that is, again, about preternatural creatures who kill people for sustenance and amusement). I can binge Heartstopper on Netflix anytime I want, but I've been waiting for THIS particular show my entire life.

Horror isn't just about beings with special powers peacocking and monologuing between luscious set pieces. The real horror of this story has always been underneath all of that simmering in the protagonists' extremely flawed humanity. Did you seriously walk into a horror show and balk at people experiencing and perpetrating horror?

And as a lifelong reader, let me close with this; this IS our Lestat. This is Lestat in as many forms and personalities as he's ever held (countless, btw), fused into one being who is going to fit the trappings of this story as its NEW custodians lead us down dark new paths.

Jesus god between this all and the assertion that Rice hated women because - let me check my notes - bad things happen to women in The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches (because it would have been a much better series if Lasher was a friendly pet ghost who tied the neighbors' shoelaces together when they were mean to Deirdre, and Rowan just spent the entire saga cruising on her boat and patching peoples' brains together between calls home to her loving and unproblematic Aunt Carlotta), I don't know how to engage with fandom anymore. I don't know how to politely tell people to shove their weird puritanical ramblings into the orifice of their choice, so I'm just gonna word it like that. Get real; get a grip. Bad things happen to women and all you're doing when you bitch and moan about women writing about these things is passing the narrative torch on to men who can't fucking relate enough to themes like rape and forced childbirth to touch on them well. And YES, a lot of Rice's women are super horny. LET WOMEN BE HORNY. Are you people on crack? Ya'll smokin' that shit the conservatives be slingin' on corners about women needing to think more with their brains than their privates? Women have sexual agency. I didn't phrase that as a goddamn question, women can suck dick and eat pussy till their incisors fall out. Women being sexual has LESS THAN NOTHING to do with rape when it happens to them. Seriously, Mom's Got A Date With A Vampire is fully streamable on Disney, ya'll. God knows I love Caroline Rhea and Charles Shaughnessy enough to give it another watch myself in between maimings and tragedies on Interview.

[keelywolfe]

FIC: Snowdrifts ch.2 (spicyhoney)

Summary: Undertale brothers in the house! Blue is gonna have to bring out more chairs.

Tags: Spicyhoney, Violence, Rescued Child, Medical Experimentation, Babybones

Read it on AO3

or

Read it here!

~~*~~

From the first moment his brother chose to lead him through the filthy hallways of the old lab to show him an innocent child, Edge felt as if he weren’t quite aligned with the real world any longer. His memory of taking the baby into his arms and summoning that first attack held almost a dreamlike quality, as did their desperate flight from Hotland to the outskirts of Snowdin. It left him in the unfamiliar position of a memory he both didn’t want to remember but also never wanted to forget.

In a single moment, his world was twisted and turned upside down, so he supposed in that way it made sense that they ended up in Underswap.

It was also amusing, in its way, that the first reaction of all of their alternates was so similar to his own: pure doubt of what they were seeing, and the chaos of the Undertale brothers meeting Snow was another memory that wouldn’t be soon forgotten.

Before he could even agree that yes, their sight was not deceiving them, it was indeed a baby and a skeleton Monster baby at that, the door to the bedroom upstairs opened. Stretch emerged in a loose-limbed shamble, still sleep drowsy and wearing only a sagging pair of boxer shorts.

He’d barely made it to the landing before Blue said with loud outrage, “Papy! Put some clothes on!! We have guests!”

Stretch all but screeched to a stop and looked down at himself, blinking owlishly as if trying to figure out exactly what part of his wardrobe was unacceptable for company. Edge could only hope that he didn’t choose the boxer shorts and tried to look as if he certainly wasn’t appreciative of the very lovely view of smooth, silky bones.

That was, until he noticed the way Red was smirking as he took his own gander at the scenery. Edge frowned, jabbing an elbow into his brother’s side as he hissed out, “Quit staring!”

Red only rubbed at his ribs unrepentantly. “hey, lil’ window shopping never hurt anyone.” That leer tore Edge between the urge to slap his brother upside the skull or to cover Snow’s little sockets to protect her from such a terrible sight.

“It’s going to hurt you right in the tailbone!”

“oh, so sorry bro, didn’t know you were the jealous type.”

“I don’t need to be the jealous type to not want to see you drooling on the floor!”

In the midst of their whispered argument, overshadowed by Blue’s shouts, Stretch stood frozen on the landing. He spared a horrified look at them in the living room and all the eye lights staring up at him, then back at himself and wealth of bare bone he was showing. Stretch didn’t say a word, only turned on his heel and went right back into the bedroom. When he emerged again, he was dressed from his socks to the hood pulled over his skull and Edge was again split in his emotions, both mourning the loss and righteously grateful that his brother lost the privilege, too.

In the meantime, Papyrus took possession of the baby with much the same awkward enthusiasm that Blue had, bouncing her lightly in his arms as he burbled happily, “What a precious, adorable child who was definitely not here the last time we came over! What’s her name?”

“It’s Snow,” Edge told him. It was only then that he remembered he hadn’t yet shared the name with his brother, who groaned loudly, slumping back on the sofa.

“snow? really, bro?” Red complained. “we’re surrounded by the stuff every day and now you want to add it to the roll call? don’t we even get to put it to a vote?”

“I’m trying to protect her from the evils of the world,” Edge told him stiffly, “a name chosen by you would likely qualify.”

The way his brother’s grin widened should have warned him, if warning was even necessary when it came to Red. “snow kiddin’, bro, here i am just chillin’, and you gotta snowball me like that? i coulda picked an ice name for the little flake—"

“You seem to be under the mistaken impression that I won't hurt you in front of the baby.”

“Let it go, let it go,” Papyrus interrupted brightly. He held the baby up, dangling in his hands in a way that made Edge resist the urge to snatch her away. “It’s a perfect name for her, absolutely! Even if she occasionally gets ribbed about it.”

“yeah, it’s a great name,” Stretch agreed. Within the depths of his hood, his grin was cheekily wide. “if i do say snow myself. and i did.”

At that moment, Snow decided she’d had more than enough of being the center of attention or perhaps she simply had good taste when it came to horrible puns. She let out a loud wail, squirming in Papyrus’s hold as she reached for Edge. He gathered her into his arms, privately grateful to have at least one person on his side when it came to a dislike of awful humor.

Her cries cut through the general chaos, rendering normally loud skeletons fretfully silent and Edge stood, cuddling her close as he tried to coax her hiccoughing sobs to stop.

“someone’s had too much excitement,” Stretch said. He stood and went over to the pillows that had served as her nest and ended up haphazardly pushed aside to make way for the highchair. He rearranged them and patted a spot right in the middle. “bring her over here, she can have a laydown while we explain the sitch.”

Edge carried her over, patting her back as she whimpered and clung. “Perhaps I should take her upstairs, instead.”

“nah, sit with her,” Stretch said firmly, “she’ll settle down. better to train ‘em young to sleep through anything, useful skill.”

“Yes, you and my brother make use of it often.”

Despite his worries, Edge settled her into the pillows, following her down to sit next to her on the floor. He gently rubbing her sternum, paying no mind to the greenish bean stains on her pajamas, and very soon, the child calmed, falling asleep with an ease that would make several skeletons he could name envious.

He sighed, relieved, and turned around, startling to find everyone looking at him. Waiting, Edge realized; he had said he would explain and it seemed Red was more than willing to leave that task to him. Trust Red to stick to the more enjoyable parts of childcare and leave the difficult task of revising the birds and the bees to him. Or in this case, more like beakers and broken ethics.

This time, he kept the information to the barest details of finding her and taking her from the lab. It was not a story he cared to keep reliving.

“…and so we brought her here, to keep her safe,” Edge finished. Despite his cursory explanation, the entire time he’d been talking Blue and Papyrus sat in silence, their sockets huge. With every word, they’d crept forward as they listened until both of them were only inches away from him, still listening raptly.

“You save her,” Blue said, awed, “like a hero from a storybook!”

“Yes!” Papyrus agreed fervently, “A knight. Riding in on your steed—”

Red snorted, “that’s one i ain’t ever been called.”

“—saving the damsel from the evil villain!” Papyrus finished triumphantly. “If only I could have been there with you!”

“And me!” Blue added, starry-eyed, “the Magnificent Sans!”

“And the Great Papyrus!”

“Heroes!” The last was said in unison, both of them striking bold poses with hands on their hips right where they sat. Their glowing triumph was only diminished by sheepish guilt as the baby stirred uneasily at the noise.

“Heroes,” Edge murmured. He didn’t have the soul in him to disabuse them of their fantasy, even if he could somehow persuade them that there was nothing heroic about his so-called rescue, not in the slightest. He glanced back at the baby, watching the soft rise and fall of her chest as she slept peacefully. No, not heroic, only this small glimmer of goodness stolen from the depths of misfortune.

“so what are the odds of anyone popping through a portal to come looking for the little princess?”

They all turned to look at Sans, who was leaning against the sofa arm, his hands tucked into his pockets. He was the only one who’d made no attempt to hold the baby, Edge realized. Even now he kept back in that half-hidden way he had where one didn’t quite notice he was even missing until he spoke, his normal easygoing smile tightened into a near-grimace.

There was a question buried in there, but Edge wasn’t going to be the one to bring it up, entirely too busy deciding how to field the one he’d just been asked.

His brother chose that as his moment to finally speak up. “chances of that happenin’ ‘s at about zero, sansy. no new visitors are gonna stop by from our little slice of the universe.”

“you sure about that?” Sans said. His tone was light, almost teasing. The brief strobe of his eye light into a blur of blue/yellow, anything but.

“yep,” Red popped the ‘p’ loudly, “real fucking sure. now, how’s about we get to work on that movie before the abominable snow monster wakes up?”

Papyrus and Blue scrambled to their feet and headed for the kitchen, speaking in hushed tones that were really only just below a shout about popcorn and snacks and dashing deeds.

Edge stayed where he was next to the child and fought the urge to look at Sans. He could feel the weight of his gaze resting heavily on him, right up until his line of sight was broken by Stretch crouching down next to him.

“you want me to bring you some popcorn?” Stretch grinned ruefully, “figured you might want to sit next to the snowflake for this.”

“Yes, thank you,” Edge said, surprised. It was hardly necessary, he could certainly manage the two minutes required to go to the kitchen himself for a bowlful. He could, except for the fact that Sans’s question sent an uncomfortable trill crawling up his spine. Ridiculous, his brother was right, it was impossible for anyone to come from Underfell now, the machine was the only way, there was no other path.

Utterly ridiculous, and yet, Edge wanted to stay close to the baby all the same.

Stretch hadn’t yet move. “hey, edgelord,” Stretch leaned in, whispering right next to his audial canal. “i know you don’t think much of it, but i’m tellin’ you, they had the right of it, hero.”

“I’m not a hero,” Edge said, softly. He’d only done what any person whose soul wasn’t hardened to stone would, likely what his brother intended all along. It was only incidental that he’d been the one doing it, a combination of circumstance and luck.

“you are to her. and me.” Stretch stood quickly without giving Edge a chance to protest, faint orange dusting across his cheekbones as he headed for the kitchen where the rattle of popcorn was beginning. Next to him the child stirred, murmuring softly in her sleep. Edge reached over to settle a gentle hand on her, crooning wordless soothing. She didn’t wake, only took two of his fingers into a surprisingly strong grip and held on.

How was it, he wondered distantly, that her tiny grip transferred so easily to his soul, squeezing with gentle warmth around it right in his ribcage and holding on tight.

~~*~~

tbc

[writerrachelspangler]

The long awaited book release

So, I wrote a book. I mean it’s my 18th book, so like the book writing itself isn’t a surprise, it’s sort of my job, but the fact that I got this particular book written and published is a big deal.  

For the like 4 of you who actually follow this haphazard Tumblr, you know that I started my account because I’d been in a massive writing funk since my friend Diane Gaidry died. I hadn’t felt even remotely cohesive in my creativity for almost a year. I’d already abandoned two other projects in that time. And when I found Tumblr I wasn’t trying to do my job at all. I was mostly laying on my couch, grief stricken and watching too much Gentleman Jack. It was really that show and the fandom surrounding it that made me want to start writing again.  

If you read my early posts here they’re filled with both trepidation and hope, and totally interspersed with GJ fandom reblogs, along with the occasional gushing about other things that got in the way of being a functioning professional (I’m looking at you gender dysphoria and conservative family members).

This was not the novel writing process I’d ever known or would recommend to an aspiring author. It went against everything I’d ever learned about how to be successful in my field. Tumblr is not well organized, does not facilitate strong focus, it doesn’t conform to high ideas of craft or form. It’s not filled with serious topics to hone the mind or sharpen creative stamina, (at least not the way I follow it). Most of all it draws more heavily on the work of others than anyone who fears copy right lawsuits should ever be comfortable with. For me Tumble was pure fandom, the exact thing people warned would lead to the watering down of my voice and derivative story telling. And yet, the voices I found here were also so unapologetically enthusiastic I dove right in, not in spite of all those things, but because of them! The content I used as a crutch was passionate, unrepentantly whimsical, and wildly joyous in ways I desperately longed to be again. And I’ll be damned if it didn’t work

At first I would write like two paragraphs of my own work then, totally exhausted and emotionally spent, I’d zip over here to emote and/or distract myself for the rest of the day. Many of my colleagues posted about their own impressive progress, and shook their heads at me. But just like learning to ride a bike with training wheels I got less wobbly as I went. I grew more confident, and a picked up speed. Soon queer Tumblr became less of a distraction and more of a reward for a job well done. Then it became a way to unwind after a full day of writing. I leaned on the mental/emotion supports less and less, until one day I realized the training wheels had fallen off and the writing had actually become it’s own inherent support system. 

From there I took off, and the book took off, too. Modern English not only finished strong on the first draft stage, it flew threw edits, and copy edits, and early reviewers. Everyone who got their hands on it talked about how it was just “one of those special books.” The kind that reads like an effortless gift from the muse.  

I still don’t know if I should laugh or cry when they stay that.

Nothing about this was easy. Nothing about it was normal. This was a mess of absurdity, heart wrenching, teeth gnashing, and clinging to random lesbian period romance memes with all of my fingernails. 

It wasn’t even until recent weeks that I could loosen my white knuckled grip and breathe deeply enough to look in the rearview mirror at how far I’ve come. Reading my early posts now is humbling. I couldn’t see the path forward from there, which I suppose makes sense. I was so lost, but after I found my way again I forgot to bring you all forward with me.

I’m sorry for that. Once I started writing on the book in earnest I stopped writing here.  And I’m not sure anyone particularly cares, but it didn’t seem right to just ghost Tumblr.  Y’all deserve better.  At least a few of you took me at my worst, so you deserve to see me at my best.

So here you go. Here’s the full circle moment. The culmination of the crying, and crazy random fandom, and deep dives into obsession, and therapy style blogs, and my complete submersion into the queer content sections, and my trying to wrestle all of that into something that meant something, something I could make sense of, and something I could give back to the community that gave so damn much to me.

Modern English, my 18th full-length, women loving women romance novel is now available wherever great queer romances are sold.  

The reviews are rolling in, and every one who reads it assure me no one would ever know what I went through while writing. 

But I know, and you all know too.  

So thank you. 

https://www.amazon.com/Modern-English-Rachel-Spangler-ebook/dp/B08NWF3RC7/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Rachel+Spangler+Modern+English&qid=1613866103&sr=8-1

[mekandawn]

edelweiss :   what was the bravest moment in your muse’s life ? are they known to be courageous from then on ?

"What does it-" Caythaes pauses, huffing as they glance over to the side and chew on their lip a moment, picking over their words carefully. "What does it mean to be brave? What is courage? A- a lot of.... of commonly known depictions of bravery and courage come- come from war and heroics, and- and those aren't really... a part of my life. Yes, I- I have defended my home on multiple occasions; from trolls, naga, and- and the occasional murloc swarm, but... those never really felt heroic to me. It- it was just a thing that needed to be done."

Caythaes pauses again, blinking as a well of emotion bubbles up inside them, one ear flicked out to the side in confusion. Sometimes, emotions come up with no warning, and they're not really sure of the source or nature. It passes quickly as they wipe away a tear, huffing and sighing tiredly. Caythaes doesn't know know how to label the emotion they just felt, but they do know what thought triggered it.

"I don't- I don't feel brave, very often, but- but something that's- that's been expressed to me several times is that- is that my way of being myself inspires others to be more themselves, and- and to try the thing they've always been afraid to do. That's-"

There's another burst of emotion, but this time, Caythaes knows and understands it. They smile, ears wiggling as they lift their head. "Even if it's not necessarily a- a single moment, a conscious decision, I think that's enough for me. Every time someone- someone says that I inspire them, I think I become a little braver. I feel stronger, and- and I try a little harder to be more myself."

"As- as awful as breaking down is, I- I think it's good for me, because I realize another thing about myself. So I think that, deciding that no, I'm- I'm not going to bend over backwards, or feel sorry for being difficult, and I'm just going to be me, as- as unrepentantly as I can be, that was my last brave moment."

They nod with a soft hum. "And. I'm- I'm going to do my best to- to... to keep that momentum up. We'll see. It won't be perfect, but. I'll be better, anyway."

[i-need-entertainment]

Dreams Can Come True: Chapter 8 Watch it

Chapter 7-Chapter 9

Ken Hashimoto Chrono clenched his fists as his shoulders began to shake in anger and frustration. How could he have been so stupid!? He should have gone looking for her sooner, now she’s gone! Overhaul answered the call and put it on speaker, Ken had put his on video call. “What do you want Ken?” Overhaul asked, venom soaking his tone. “Overhaul! Why must you always be so mean,” He gripped a now conscious Y/n’s chin, forcing her to look up at him, “Especially when I’ve got one of your precious associates with me. We wouldn’t want something…bad to happen to them..now would we?” 

He gripped Y/n’s face harder, causing the girl to lightly cry out in pain. “You leave her alone!” Chrono shouted, causing Ken to look at the phone is shock. “Hey!! If it isn’t Cryogenics or whatever your name is. She’s spoken very highly of you mister~” He felt the tears threatening to spill out of his eyes at seeing her at the mercy of the man who tried to kill him just a week before. “Listen Overhaul, I don’t want much, just money.” Overhaul squinted his eyes at Ken. Sure, he wasn’t known as a nice guy, but he was messing with one of his good employees, not to mention his best friends love interest. “I’m not sure if you remember, but last time we tried to make a deal, you ambushed us.” Ken frustratedly sighed, “Yes, yes. And it didn’t exactly go according to plan. But now, I just want the original amount, and you can have this delicious little lady of yours. Mostly unscathed anyway.” Ken started to caress her face with his hand, his hand starting to go lower, and lower. “Don’t, touch her.” Chrono growled, anger and disgust evident on his face. Ken smirked, “No promises. Overhaul, you know what to do.” With that, Ken hung up the phone, leaving the Shie Hassaikai in complete and utter silence. Chrono took a few deep breaths to calm down, he knew if he was too riled up Overhaul wouldn’t let him go on the mission, and he needed to go. “When do we go?” Chrono said, seemingly calm on the outside. “Now.” Overhaul said. With that, the Hassaikai all got ready to fight to the death if it meant bringing Y/n back in one piece. They were about to leave when, “Daddy!!” Eri went running into Chrono’s arms, with Chrono tightly latching onto his little girl. This is the last time, Eri, that I’m going to leave you like this…I promise. “Daddy, where are you going… A-Are you coming back..?” The little break in her voice matched the break he felt in his heart, “Daddy just has something really important to do, he has to help Mommy. I’m coming back sweetheart, and when I do Mommy’s going to be right here with me.” Chrono gave his daughter one last squeeze and kissed her forehead, before handing her back over to Pops. After their quick goodbyes, the Hassaikai left to go get Y/n back.

~Meanwhile at ??? Location~

“Aww~ Come here, don’t be like that sweetheart~” Ken said as Y/n did whatever she could to get away from the vile human. “Give up, won’t you? This cat and mouse game is getting quite tiring.” He had her backed into a corner, and he started leaning down when, “SIR! THE SHIE HASSAIKAI IS ALMOST HERE SIR!” He sighed frustratedly before turning to his associate. “Very well. Time to prepare.” He looked down at Y/n and smirked. “Get ready to put on a performance, Y/n~” Ken snickered and walked out of the room, only to return with some things. Y/n shivered from the coldness of the room and fear. Please…help me…Kurono…Y/n whimpered as Ken smirked. “He can’t save you now, Y/n L/n.”

~Now from the Hassaikai’s ‘perspective’~

“Okay everyone, stay sharp. The last thing we need is emotions taking over us,” Overhaul looked to Chrono, who simply nodded firmly once in response. They split into their groups and went as follows:

Setsuno, Hojo and Tabe

Rappa, Katsukame and Tengai

Nemoto, Mimic and Sakaki

Overhaul

Chronostasis

They all split into their respective groups and headed off to find Y/n. Chrono was off, looking down any and every hallway, looking for even a glimpse of H/c hair, or the smallest trace of her kind soft presence. He was about to turn around until he heard soft and quiet sobs emitting from one of the cell looking rooms. He quickly rushed down the hallway to see Y/n, hands bound behind her back, in a kneeled/sitting position chained up in a corner, cloth stopping her from speaking. From warning Chrono. He walked into the cell and tried to get her free. He removed her gag- “You have to go! You can’t stay here! He’s using me-“ She was shushed by the harsh *whack* that echoed through the small room as Ken hit Chrono over the head. When Chrono woke up, he couldn’t move his hands, he looked down to see his hands were chained to the wall behind him, he was left kneeling on the ground, facing Y/n and Ken. Y/n now had her hands chained above her head, and she was standing, crying. “Ah~ So he’s finally awake is he? Good then. Time to start~” He devilishly smirked as he (he being Ken) walked over to Y/n. Originally when I was deciding how to get back at the Hassaikai, I thought I’d just kill everyone, but when I saw this, cutie” Ken started to caress her face. Y/n’s hair had been disheveled and outfit ruined. The dress was torn, missing a sleeve and almost in halves. “And I truly couldn’t help myself. And imagine my surprise when I found out you two were on a date! It made this whole thing really come together quite nicely, don’t you think?” Chrono scoffed, and might as well have growled at how Ken’s right arm dropped to Y/n’s waist, and the other started to caress her h/l h/c hair. “I think you’re insane, Hashimoto.” “Well, nobody’s perfect I suppose. Although…Y/n does come quite close… I imagine you’re quite fond of her, yes?” Chrono remained silent, not wanting to provoke the unstable young man. “I’m taking your silence as a yes. Excellent. It should make your torture that much more…well…torturous!” Ken started to hysterically laugh, not the heart warming endearing laugh, but one of a true and unrepentantly mad-man. Ken started to put his hands all over Y/n, after seeing how mad it made Chrono. He then started to kiss Y/n. This infuriated Chrono. Chrono was thrashing around, trying to break free, trying anything to get out of the quirk cancelling cuffs they had put him in, trying anything to help the love of his life. Ken had continued to kiss Y/n, Y/n fighting back as much as she could, he probably would have gone further until a *clink* was heard, and all Ken felt was a sharp pain go through his chest. He slowly (because he couldn’t move any faster) turned around to be met with a now standing Chrono, retracting his hair back to his head. “Oh stop your struggling. It’s no use. I struck you with the short hand, You won’t be moving normally for another hour. Not like I need an hour.” Had it not been for Y/n still being in the room, Chrono would have smirked at Ken’s terrified expression, but with her still being present, he was still enraged. Chrono shook the chains off of him, and then began unchaining Y/n. When he had finally freed her of the chains, she collapsed into his arms, exhausted of what had happened. “Just wait a little longer, okay?” Chrono gently whispered into her ear, holding her close to her chest. Y/n looked at him and nodded, putting on a soft smile before gently letting him go. He gave her a warm half smile, before turning his gaze to Ken, letting all emotion drain out of his face, glaring down to the dirt bag on the floor. In one swift motion, Chrono had taken his gun and shot him (After telling Y/n to turn away). He then quickly went over to Y/n, picked her up, and started making his way out of the base. He met up with the other Yakuza members who were ecstatic to see Y/n back safe.. They got in the car and started driving, with Y/n being sat snuggled up to Chrono’s side. Without words having to be exchanged, everyone knew Chrono and Y/n would be inseparable for at least the next few days. They got back to the base and made their way inside, parting ways. Y/n was about to go back to her room until Chrono gently, but firmly grabbed her arm. “Y/n…I want you to stay with me tonight..Only if you want to of course! It’s just…it kinda freaked me out when you disappeared…and I just want to make sure you’re safe.” Y/n softly smiled, and had she not just gone through what she had gone through, she would have been crying tears of joy. Tears of joy that the man she’s been falling in love with wants her to be safe…he wants to protect her. She nodded and Chrono led the two back to his room. (Don’t worry, this is still a wholesome book, no unholy happenings hErE) They got inside and Chrono shut the door, going over to his dresser to get clothes for sleeping in. He got out a t-shirt and sweatpants for him, and another pair for Y/n. “I don’t know if these’ll fit you, but they’ll definitely be more comfortable than what you’re wearing now.” Y/n thanked him and changed in the bathroom while Chrono quickly changed in his room. When Y/n came out, Chrono could practically hear his heart rate it was going so fast. She was literally wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants. Yet he still found her to be the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. “Beautiful” He spoke, smiling softly at her, slowly making his way towards her. Her face went very red at the statement. Sure, they had gone on a date, well not really, but they were GOING TO go on one, but his advances still took her just the slightest bit off guard. He came up in front of her and took her chin in between his pointer finger and thumb, tilting her chin upwards to meet his loving gaze. “I mean it Y/n, you’re beautiful. By far the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen anyway.” “Thank you Kurono… You’re the most attractive man I’ve ever met…” Y/n shyly looked away before Kurono moved her glance back to meet his. “Hari, after all we’ve been through,” He chuckled, “I think it’s safe to say you can call me that.” Subconsciously (And maybe a little consciously) the two began to move in closer, Chrono looked into Y/n’s eyes once more, looking for any sign of discomfort or hesitance, but she just looked at him and ever so slightly nodded. That was the a-ok he needed to close the ever so shrinking gap between the two and FINALLY kiss the girl he’d been dreaming of for the past month. The kiss was passionate but sweet, telling the other exactly how they felt without having to say a word. When they parted, Chrono pulled Y/n into his chest, and the two stayed like that until they broke away. “Lets go to bed, yeah? It’s been a long day.” Chrono said, guiding Y/n over to the bed. Y/n nodded and yawned. Chrono got into the right side, and Y/n the left. When they laid down, Chrono opened his left arm, and Y/n happily snuggled into his chest. He placed one last kiss to Y/n’s forehead, “Goodnight Y/n.” “Goodnight Hari.” Smiling at being called ‘Hari’ Chrono drifted off to sleep, in a heartfelt bliss at the events that took place.

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch. 67

In theory this was queued to post at 2pm EST today... so, 4.5 hours ago.  I am SO SORRY it didn’t post on time!

I’m baaaaack!

The break after the holiday was very much needed, so thank you for your patience with no chapter last week.  Taking the time helped me level-set a few things and get back to a good place with this.

Also!  This chapter has been beta’d, once again, by the fabulous @satan-parisienne.  What I would do without her is a mystery of the universe some days.

I’ve received some very curious and polite feedback about how out-of-character some of the main characters have behaved in this arc - I have the nicest readers, ever, I swear! - and I wanted to let everyone know that it’s actually intentional.  I wanted to show them fraying at the edges a bit, showing various levels of cranky from feeling the effects.  Something true-to-life, in my experience.

Trigger warnings: Mention of sorta-suicide in this chapter.  About as much as that sentence, honestly.

As soon as Conor heard that our microscopic new friend was safe for the time being, he gave Maverick very stern instructions to make sure I lied down and did not try to sit back up once I had done so.  While one of my partners gently but firmly ensured just that, the other started dragging an empty berth until it was pressed directly against my own. Rapidly, and with focused determination, he rigged the two together so they would not move apart – although, given the sheer weight of the berth, I was surprised he moved it in the first place.

Miys seemed to understand entirely what Conor was up to, as it very gently lifted me and placed me in the center of the combined platforms, carefully ensuring any tubes were tucked where they could not be pulled loose or crimped. Before I realized exactly what had happened, I was sandwiched between Conor and Maverick, their own transfusion ports reconnected.

Gently, I tried to loosen the arms both of them had thrown across my stomach. “I’m not trying to get up, I promise.  But I need to breathe, you two.”

“Sleep,” Maverick mumbled in my right ear, the one that could still hear. “You promised lots sleep.”

“Else – “

Conor sat up slightly, leaning on his elbow so I could see his face and read his lips. “You’ve been debriefed.  And you heard Xio as well as the rest of us: Else is sentient, so killing them is off the table. You promised.”

Picking my head up slightly, I dropped it as dramatically as possible and huffed. “You’re right. I did promise.  I’m just worried.”

“Worried for a bacteria that could potentially kill you.”

Conor chuckled. “That’s her nature, mate. Forgiving as the moonlight, dancing on water, our Sophie.” Gently, he pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I bet you’ve already forgiven us, too.”

“You were scared – “

“So were you,” Maverick argued mournfully. “And we still stormed out of here.”

I tried to stifle the yawn that crept up on me, but judging by the looks I got, I was unsuccessful. “Can we table this until I wake up again?  Or until this crisis is over, just before the next one.”

“No more crises,” he mumbled into my neck, burrowing as deep as a grown man possibly could.

“If only,” I sighed. “That would be nice.  But a nap sounds nice, too.”

“Lots of sleep, you promised.”

I nodded. “I did.” Glancing at Conor, I nodded again.  That seemed to satisfy him, because he dropped off his elbow, grabbed the knee Maverick had hooked over my hips, and proceeded to do his part to pin me to the bed.

“I’m gonna snore, you two,” I complained weakly.

“Least we know you’re asleep if you’re snoring.”

“As opposed to awake?”

“As opposed to dead if you three don’t shut up,” Tyche’s voice called from across the room.  I was extremely grateful she couldn’t see past the shaggy head of black hair that was hiding my blush from her.

When I finally fell asleep, I dreamed vaguely.  I could remember seeing the Ark again, this time in the best shape it had been in yet.  Else spoke to me, but I could only recall that they sounded tired, frail. I’m worried about you, I remembered telling them.  They already knew.  They were worried about us, about humanity.

I woke, eventually, and I immediately recognized two distinct sensations. First, I was incredibly well-rested, more than I could say I had been since before the Food Festival.  My body practically sizzled with unfamiliar energy and begged to move.

Second, I felt an overwhelming amount of dread.  Something terrible was happening, but I couldn’t remember what it was. I sat bolt upright, belatedly realizing that I was no longer being cuddled to the bed. “Where is Grey?” I gasped, looking around wildly. “Xiomara, anyone.  I need a member of the Council. Or Tyche.”  In my panic, my eyes were entirely unseeing, and I jerked violently when I felt something touch my hand.

“Wisdom.”  A familiar buzz brought me into focus.  Miys had one liw on my hand, another on my shoulder. “You must calm yourself. No one is in any danger.  Antoine is retrieving Xiomara as I speak to you.”

“Thank you,” I panted.  Pulling my free hand to my chest in an attempt to calm my breathing, I bruised my sternum with the sheer amount of force I used. “What in the – “ Staring down, I felt my eyes start to hurt with the effort of opening even wider.  “That hurt.”

Gingerly, I held my hand out, turning it back and forth, flexing my fingers, trying to figure out what was different.  “Bones and ligaments, check,” I muttered to myself. “Five fingers, palm, wrist, check. Whopped up bruises, check…” Something caught my eye – or rather failed to – and I held up my arm further, looking at the crook of my elbow. Bruised.  A glance at my other arm showed more mottling. Frantic, I carefully patted my body down as quickly as I could without hurting myself.  A few more bruises made themselves known.

The bruises weren’t the alarming part… “Where are the transfusion ports?”

“They have been removed, Wisdom. You no longer need them.”

“Am I dying?”

A humming, clicking noise that I was pretty sure involved profanity followed. “You are not always dying, despite what Human Conor seems to believe.”

Human Conor. Someone was on Miys’s bad side.  “Am I dying at this moment?”

“No, Wisdom. You are not.  Your red blood cell and hemoglobin count are well within range for a Terran, and have been for quite some time – “

“How long?”

Wringing vomu were not a good sign. “I would prefer to let Antoine and Xiomara explain that.”

“How long, Noah!?”

The door hissed as my fellow Councilor breezed in, followed by a very concerned Antoine. “Oh, for about two days,” Xiomara answered airily.

“WHAT!?” I squawked elegantly.

She whirled around on me about the time Antoine came to check my vitals. “No one could wake you up, bonehead. So, before you get mad at us for drugging you, or not waking you, or some crap like that, we tried.  You were barely not in a coma, woman.  We didn’t drug you, and gods above and below know we tried our damnedest to wake you.”

I glanced at Antoine, who was nodding furiously. Mollified, I made a point to tone it down a notch. “So, I was asleep for two entire days?”

“More like four, sweetie,” she grinned unrepentantly. “You were ‘clinically exhausted’, which I didn’t even know was a thing…”

Her eyes widened comically as I waved her off. “Eyeah, it’s a thing. Feels like the flu. Nothing new.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but Antoine sent a Tyche-level cutting look at her. “I told you that it was in her file.”

“I thought you meant the current situation.”

“I TOLD you she has a history of this!”

Tears pricked my eyes as I turned to face him fully. “You didn’t let them give me medication to wake me up, did you?”

“Of course not,” he scoffed, his eyes kind and giving lie to the harshness of his comment. “Conor and Maverick were right about you needing sleep.  I made sure to tell them as much so they would be as insufferable as possible about allowing you to sleep.”

“Sneaky motherfucker,” I whispered with a smile, earning myself a conspiratorial wink.

Xiomara rolled her eyes at our antics. “Anyway, you called us here for a reason…?”

Sitting up abruptly, I narrowly missed headbutting my favorite nurse on several worlds. “Something is wrong.” I waved off the inevitable request for clarity. “Not all of us being sick, or Else eating all the iron in sight.  I talked to Else while I was asleep, and I don’t remember much, but they are weak.  Frail is the word I remember saying.  I know I told them I was worried for them, but when they responded, they said they were worried for us.  They sounded like they were… dying, honestly…”

“No one has taken action against them,” Xiomara asserted. “Even Grey. Once you fell asleep, Grey was frustrated that we had to wait to negotiate with Else, but made no further attempts to eradicate them.”

”How sure are you?”

“Pretty sure, considering they have been holed up in their office since then, trying to determine logical alternatives such as relocation.”

That tracked. Grey was like logic made into an organic body, usually. “Then how am I getting better?”

Xiomara shrugged and looked to Antoine.  He gave us each a regretful look and shook his head. “We do not know. It is not only you, but everyone on the Ark who is improving. We do not know why.”

My mind raced, feverishly looking for an answer. “Nixe.  How is Nixe?” I demanded.

“Out of her life support tank, being transfused regularly.  Noah is working to clone new lungs,” Xiomara reassured me.

“They didn’t want to hurt anyone,” I whispered, but Xio caught Antoine looking at me strangely. I spoke up. “Else didn’t want anyone to die. They didn’t want to hurt anyone, they said.  They were sorry.”  I gasped and tried to get out of my berth, but Antoine firmly pushed me back and shook his head.  “Don’t you two see what Else is doing?”  I repressed a groan as both of them only returned my question with confused looks. “Noah! Noah, you have to know what I’m referring to. If your use of resources hinders the life of another being, what do you do?”

“I place my bodies in hibernation until equilibrium is reached.”

“And when your race couldn’t place itself in hibernation, what did it do when resources were strained?”  I hoped and prayed I got the answer I was expecting, but prepared myself for the instance I had to argue.

Fortune favors the bold, it turned out, and Noah told me exactly what I anticipated. “My kind would return our bodies to the soil, Wisdom.”

Xiomara looked frustrated, but Antoine gasped and covered his mouth. When she gave him a confused look, he actually groaned. “Killing themselves, Xiomara.  They killed the extra bodies to maintain ecostasis.  They aren’t individuals, so it isn’t really suicide, but they still killed the necessary amount of bodies to reduce resource demands.”

“Except Else isn’t as evolved as the Hujylsogox are,” I continued. “There is a possibility that, once they reach a certain point, they aren’t sentient anymore.”

“So, they can just grow more, right?”

I shook my head emphatically. “They may not be the same being anymore ��� Antoine! I’m fine! This is urgent! – If they drop below threshold and then essentially re-evolve, we have no guarantee that we are parleying with the same group. They could hate us for all we know, if that happens.”

Realization dawned on her face. “We have to do something.”

I nodded in grim confirmation. “I need an open channel to the Council, and I need it right fucking now. We have to figure out a solution that doesn’t result in giving PTSD to a bacteria that can easily kill us.”

<< Prev  Masterlist  Next >>

[razieltwelve]

Bask (RWBY AU Snippet)

Note: This is set prior to Dragon-Rider.

X     X     X

A normal person would have taken one look at the massive golden dragon sprawled onto its back and run away as quickly and quietly as they could. Ruby was not a normal person.

“Come on!” Ruby growled, walking over to the dragon and giving her a stout kick in the flank. Of course, all this achieved was stubbing Ruby’s toe. The dragon, whose scales could easily withstand all but the most potent of spells, simply opened one lilac eye and snickered. “Ouch! Stop laughing!”

The dragon chortled unrepentantly, and Ruby’s eyes narrowed before she gave her another mighty kick with her other foot.

“Ouch!” Ruby tumbled to the ground and clutched at both of her feet. Even with boots on, kicking the dragon had not been a good idea. It had been like kicking metal. “Oh, be quiet. We’re supposed to be practicing for the tournament, Yang. Instead, you’re lazing about in the sun.”

Lazing about? I’m a solar dragon, Ruby. I draw power from the sun. What looks like lazing about in the sun to you is actually an important part of my day. I’m harvesting power from the sun, so I can operate at full strength.

Ruby eyed her sister sceptically. “No. I do not believe you. You might be a solar dragon, but you don’t have to be in your dragon form to absorb energy. You can just absorb energy in your human form.”

Would you believe if I said surface area matters?

“Nope.” Ruby shook her head. “Dad never mentioned anything about that, and he’s a solar dragon too. He always said that just being in the sun was enough, regardless of what form he was in. He also said he didn’t need to spend more than an hour or two out in the sun a day.” Ruby scowled. “You’ve been basking on this hillside for half the day, Yang.”

I’m a growing dragon-blessed. Yang rolled over. I need more time in the sun.

“You’re just lazy!” Ruby countered. She stumbled to her feet. Instead of giving her sister a kick, she grabbed a stick and jabbed it into Yang’s scales. The stick broke. She was tempted to use the dagger at her waist, but she’d just break that too. Solar dragons were amongst the most durable of all dragons. Yang could take a ballista bolt to the chest without slowing down in her dragon form, and anything less than a magically-enhanced boulder wouldn’t even get her attention. “Come on! We need to practice! Velvet and Coco will be participating in this tournament, and you know they’re strong!”

Yang shifted her head to peer at Ruby. Velvet and Coco?

“Yeah, dad said they would be entering.”

Yang sat up. I guess we should practice.

Ruby grinned. Velvet was a changeling dragon, a dragon capable of temporarily assuming the forms and characteristics of other dragons she had encountered. She was never quite as strong as the originals, but the ability gave her a huge amount of versatility. For instance, her solar dragon form would never be able to match Yang’s, but the last time they’d fought, Velvet had taken on the form of a tidal dragon. Consider the bout had been held over the ocean, Yang had suddenly found herself being attacked by absolutely colossal quantities of water. Had Ruby been with her, she could still have evaded the attacks and overwhelmed Velvet, but the two dragon-blessed had been sparring, and Yang had been forced to concede the bout.

“Coco is pretty good too,” Ruby said. 

The older dragon-rider’s magic allowed her to increase the overall ability and power of the dragon-blessed she was riding, which eliminated the main weakness inherent to changeling dragons. The pair were thus perfect for one another, and they had already won several tournaments although their last tournament had ended in a loss.

If the rumours were to be believed, they had faced Pyrrha Nikos, a dragon-blessed who had won multiple tournaments without a dragon-rider. No one really knew exactly what kind of dragon she was, but she was supposed to have gleaming, red metallic scales and to have outstanding speed, strength, agility, and durability. Yang had wanted to face her for ages, but their duties fighting off the Grimm meant that a trip to Mistral was out of the question for the time being.

What practice are we doing today? Yang sat up onto her haunches and flared her wings carefully. Instead of being hurled away by hurricane-force winds, Ruby merely stumbled back a few steps.

“Well, we need to work on your breath attacks a bit. Velvet is fast and agile, no matter what form she takes, but your breath attack can move faster than any dragon.”

Yang grinned toothily. Sounds fun.

X     X     X

The firing range was a devastated plain of scorched rock and mangled stone. It had been left in ruins after a colossal battle between twelve dragon-blessed and their dragon-riders against a horde of Grimm, many of them airborne. Ever since, it had been use as an area for dragon-blessed to hone their breath attacks since those were usually too destructive to be used freely elsewhere.

As a solar dragon, Yang had three main types of breath attacks. The one that had always come most easily to her was fire. A single sharp burst of breath produced a short, compact bolt of flame that detonated on impact. A longer, more drawn-out breath created a cloud or torrent of fire. Each had their place, and Ruby watched from atop Yang’s back with a special pair of goggles on to protect her eyes from the glare. Yang, of course, could peer right into the flames without blinking.

“Hmmm… let’s cue up some targets,” Ruby said. Using a bit of magic, she set several rocks into motion, flinging them far away. 

Easy. Yang fired four times in quick succession, and each rock was obliterated in an explosion of flame.

“Yeah, but fire has always come more easily to you. Try light next.”

A solar dragon could also spew beams of light. Yang had always found that more difficult. Fire had an easy enough mental switch to use. All she had to do was thinking about the damage the Grimm had done, and her flame would rush to answer her call. Light required a more subtle touch. It drew off the protective instincts she possessed. 

Unlike flame, the light she spewed was absolutely abysmal at engaging multiple targets. What it could do, however, was travel at far greater speed and strike with much greater piercing power. She’d used it on heavily armoured airborne Grimm, and she’d yet to meet one whose armour it couldn’t pierce.

Instead of throwing rocks, she and Ruby took to the air. They had marked out targets before, and as Yang flew past, she unleashed her light. The beams dug out narrow, thin furrows in the rock, and she frowned. Her aim with her light still wasn’t as good. Despite not carrying a lot of explosive force, the recoil when using it was quite large. It made firing multiple shots from her mouth in quick succession very difficult.

“Hmm… we need to work on that.” Ruby studied the pattern of strikes on the ground thoughtfully. “I doubt you’ll be able to hit Velvet with fire unless she makes a mistake, but light should work. Okay, let’s try the last one.”

Weaving light and fire together was a special gift for solar dragons. It created a breath attack that had the properties of both: the extreme speed and piercing power of light combined with the explosive force and potential for explosions of fire. Yang had only recently unlocked the ability, and her aim was less than stellar.

“Let me just strap myself in first,” Ruby warned.

Really?

“Well, you did almost blow up part of the academy last time you did this, so…”

Oh, be quiet.

Yang drew her head back. The combination of fire and light required a mixture of rage and protectiveness, a sensation at once familiar and utterly foreign. She fought to grasp the sensation and then called upon her power. The resulting beam of radiant devastation carved out a massive trench, leaving an entire swathe of the landscape engulfed in fire as the ground became a swamp of molten rock.

It was also not where Yang had been aiming.

“On the upside,” Ruby said. “At least it’s not like this place can look any worse, right?”

X     X     X

Author’s Notes

More dragons! You can never have enough dragons.

You can find me on fanfiction.net, AO3, and Amazon.

Definitely check out my Amazon stuff if you enjoy my sense of humour.

[ghostofviperwrites]

Party Crowd

Requested by anonymous

Pairing:  Seiya Sanada/FC

Category:   Suggestive

Warnings:  None

12.          “I ain’t nice, no I’m quite a dick, I’m the bad guy who’s making you sick.”  Villain – Theory of a Deadman

I’ve been thinkin why feelin’ wrong feels so right

And I know

Yeah I try

To turn myself around but I know what I like

Seiya Sanada took a long sip from the crystal tumbler of scotch, his eyes scanning the room.    If he had his choice, this wouldn’t be his first choice for his evening entertainment.  Unfortunately, duty called so he was stuck attending this company party.  At least they weren’t sparing any expense.  He wasn’t sure he could tolerate this if he had to choke down crappy food and cheap wine.   Lots of pretty waitresses in skimpy dresses didn’t hurt either.   Much to his chagrin there was a serious lack of other options, only the wrestlers having been invited to this particular event.   It made for an overflow of testosterone.

Catching the eye of the cocktail waitress who had been serving him, Sanada flashed his smile and beckoned her over with a crook of his finger.  She eagerly approached coming much closer than was professional and smiled widely at him as his hand landed on her hip and he moved in to whisper in her ear. 

“You’re doing an exceptionally terrible job of keeping my drink filled.”   Sanada said.  “Go find yourself another section and get me a new waitress.  Preferably better looking too.”   He smirked at her offended gasp, leaning back in time to see her tear-filled eyes as she practically ran across the room to get away from him. Before long a new waitress was tottering over on her ridiculously high heels a professional but cool smile on her face. 

I ain’t nice No I’m quite a dick I’m the bad guy who’s makin’ you sick It’s easy for me I’ve got no shame I’m in it for the money and fame

“My friend told me what an asshole you were.  How you made her cry.  Told her she wasn’t pretty enough. “Do I meet your exacting standards?”  She asked sarcastically.

“That depends how well you fill my drinks.”   Sanada said unrepentantly.  “As for the looks?”  he ran his critical gaze over her form before giving a shrug.  “You’re better than her.”  He admitted. “But I’ve had better.” 

Utter fury raced through her and before she thought better her hand was raising to slap him right across his pretty face.  Before it connected her wrist was caught and she spun around seeing Tetsuya Naito holding her with a smug grin.

“I hope you weren’t going to smack my friend.”  Naito said.  “He’s not really into that.  I’ll let you slap me though. As long as I get you naked at some point after.”  He grinned widely as anger flashed through her eyes.   With a strangled yelp she ripped her hand free and stomped off.

“My drinks better still get filled.”  Sanada told his friend who slid into the chair across from him.

“Hey, I saved you from having a nice red imprint right on your pretty face.” Naito defended himself.  “You should be thanking me.”  

“You chased her away.   Maybe I was going to fuck her.’  Sanada argued.  

“You weren’t going to fuck her.  You’re still in your being a complete dick and still making all the girl’s want your cock stage.”  Naito said.   “Besides if you really do want to fuck her I have no doubt that she will fall right into your lap as soon as you say the word.” 

Sanada tipped his glass at Naito acknowledging the truth of his statement.  

Everybody wants to be like me The villain is the one that you came to see Sick of all the good guys savin’ the day Cause the villain always wins when the hero’s away

“How long do we have to stay?” Sanada asked looking his wristwatch. “I’m bored.” 

“At least another hour or two.” Naito said, signaling another waitress for a drink.   “Looks like our friend ran off.  Keep this pace and there won’t be anyone left to serve us.”  

“Whatever.  Not like there’s anything here that I can’t get elsewhere.” Sanada laughed.  

“Well you have always been willing to put in much more effort than me.” Naito said.  “I’d much rather have a few drinks, take one of these beautiful ladies home and let her suck my cock.  Maybe two of them.” 

“You may have a little competition for that.”  Sanada said nodding across the room, drawing Naito’s attention to where Kazuchika Okada was holding court, two of the waitresses hanging on his arms.   Naito rolled his eyes and called across the room.

‘No wonder we can’t get drunk, all the waitresses are on Okada’s dick!”   He yelled laughing with delight as Okada raised a middle finger in Naito’s direction as the waitresses scattered.  

Okada strolled across the room to their table, ignoring the disapproving glares of the New Japan executives as he joined Sanada and Naito.  

“You just had to do that didn’t you?”   Okada said giving Naito a friendly shove as he grabbed a stool and pulled it up to the table. 

“Quit hogging all the prime ass then.” Naito said with a shrug. 

“And what do you think Sanadaa? Am I taking your prospects?” Okada asked mockingly.  “Cause I’m a pretty confident guy but I’m pretty sure if you put your mind to it you could take any girl in here from any guy.”  

There’s days when I wanna give in But it’s hard to be a saint when you’re full of sin Why would I ever think of goin’ back When it feels so fuckin’ good to be bad

“I could.”  Sanada said confidently.  “But I don’t really give a damn. I have other plans as soon as I can make my escape.  I just want my drink to stay full. You and Naito can argue over the pussy.”

“Or we could share?”  Okada suggested earning an agreeing nod from Naito.  “Sounds like a plan then. Enjoy your evening Sanada.”  Okada said as he and Naito left the table, leaving Sanada once again to himself. 

Much to his chagrin the next hour was spent with various executives talking his ear of about things he couldn’t care less about and trying to issue directives neither he nor his brothers would have any intentions of following.  He didn’t know why they even bothered at this point.  Finally, he was able to break free and began plotting his exit. 

He was over this place.   Despite his repeated attempts he had yet to be served enough alcohol to get drunk which really wasn’t helping his disposition.  Sneering at his long empty glass Sanada left the table and pushed his way through the crowd and towards the exit. 

He had wasted enough time at this little party.  It was time to really get his night started.

Everybody wants to be like me The villain is the one that you came to see Sick of all the good guys savin’ the day Cause the villain always wins when the hero’s away

[hirazuki]

I’m going to try and summarize what bothers me about VLD from as objective a standpoint as possible. A lot of people, including myself, have already made posts pointing out specific issues, especially with regards to the messages it sends to abuse victims, so I’m not going to touch on that or any type of emotional issues here at all. I’m going to skip specifics except where needed as examples, and just talk about the nature of story telling itself. As someone who not only has used fiction for escapism, but who has studied story telling both in terms of literary analysis of novels and of religious texts, it’s a subject that I feel very strongly about.

Warning: long ass post.

Okay, a couple of disclaimers first.

One, I am a firm believer in the “don’t like, don’t read” mentality. If I don’t like something, I don’t talk about it, I just move on. Y’all have never seen a single discourse post about The Dragon Prince, right? Yup, that’s ‘cause I really didn’t like it. It goes for countless other things too. I don’t expend time and effort and energy on things I don’t like, that’s just wasteful. So, why am I harping on VLD? Because I really enjoyed it, despite a couple of what I felt were minor issues at the time, for most of its run. That’s why I -- and I imagine the same goes for many other fans -- am so bitter.

Two, I came late into the Voltron universe. I joined in a couple of days before s6 dropped, and only watched DotU as well as the other Western versions in the past couple of months. Haven’t had a chance to see the original Japanese anime yet.

Three, I’m not a shipper, in general. I don’t ship anything in VLD except Zarkon/Honerva. Romance/sexual stuff is just not my thing, I’ll take swords and explosions any day over that. So my saltiness regarding the series has nothing to do with ships.

Alright, so I think my major gripes with the series can be sorted into three categories:

1. Inconsistency of Story Type:

This is, of course, my own opinion, but through my time of consuming fiction, I think there are three types of stories:

Good vs. Evil: the most basic type of story. The good guys are good, the bad guys are bad, and everyone stays well in their lanes. Think Disney movies, typical Saturday morning cartoons -- the heroes are exemplary of good traits, the villains are one-dimensional and unrepentant, evil for the sake of being evil. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this story type imo, and there are several stories of this nature that I really do enjoy.   

Grey Morality: a much more nuanced take on the concepts of good and evil, right and wrong. Due to the very nature of grey morality, there are varying degrees to which this can be implemented. Probably the most common one I’ve seen is where the heroes do some bad/questionable things, the villains/antagonists do some good things or have the right motives or are “noble” in some way; but overall, there is a sense that there are certain lines that shouldn’t be crossed, certainly by the heroes but also sometimes by the villains/antagonists too. An excellent example of this is Firefly. Another example, that puts a total twist on it by having the protagonist also be the “villain,” is Death Note -- even though the story resolves in a way that to the audience is, really, the only sustainable way possible, it still leaves neither the characters in-show nor the audience with any sense of victory. This concept is taken to the extreme by a series like Tenpou Ibun: Ayakashi Ayashi, where no one is right and no one is wrong, but at the same time everyone is right and wrong, and simply just human. There is no good and no evil, just context, circumstances, and choices. 

Combination: this type of story starts with the Good vs. Evil dichotomy but, as the story progresses and the protagonist becomes more acquainted and involved with their environment, both the protagonist and the audience come to understand that the picture is actually much more complicated than that, and it evolves into Grey Morality. Bleach is a great example. We start with seeing the Hollow as evil, mindless monsters that need to be killed; we learn that they are actually human spirits that have transformed into “monsters” through pain and grief and, therefore, we pity them but also understand that it’s a mercy to put them down; we then find out that, actually, not all are mindless and they have a complicated society and culture of their own; and, eventually, come to accept them as (reluctant) allies against a bigger threat, understanding that they are creatures in their own right. 

From the moment that Keith -- arguably the character within the main cast that had the most time/character development spent on him -- was revealed as being half-Galra (that is, half the “evil” race of the show), VLD promised to be that third type of story. Because there is no way that the writers would make one of their protagonists evil by default because of his blood in a kids’ show, duh, so by logical conclusion this means that that race is not all evil, after all. This was further emphasized by Lotor’s introduction to the plot -- a severe departure from his character in any previous incarnation -- and cemented by the episode, “The Legend Begins,” where we finally get to see the other side of things and the fact that not even Zarkon and Haggar were “born evil,” as well.

After the Keith reveal, we got shocked reactions from his teammates, notably and understandably Allura; got only an apology from her and not the rest for their treatment of him (which could have been better but, whatever, it was a step in the right direction, great!); and then... back to a weird strained relationship in working alongside Galra without another word on the subject.

Okay. Fine.

Then we get Lotor -- again, some of that initial resentment/treatment could be understandable to some extent, and eventually on the road towards, seemingly, genuine acceptance. Cool.

I won’t go into details about the colony episode, because that’s been done to death already, but, woah, major setback there. Back to the knee-jerk reaction of treating individuals of a race as complicit and responsible for the actions and perception of that race as perpetuated by a handful of individuals. And then -- flash forward to s8 -- we are welcoming Galra allies in our cause! Please join our Coalition! We want to help you!

Look. I’m not saying that you can’t retcon stuff; that you can’t go Good vs. Evil, develop into Grey Morality, and then reveal something and BOOM, jk, it was Good vs. Evil all along, gotcha! I’m sure that there is an author somewhere out there that has pulled that off effectively (I can’t think of any examples myself right now, but I’m sure it must exist somewhere).

I am saying that if you’re going to do that -- if you are going to pull the rug out from under everyone’s feet and sacrifice some crucial character development (and crucial characters themselves, let’s be honest) -- you better have a DAMN GOOD IN-UNIVERSE reason for doing so. And no, shock value or getting rid of a character because they were overshadowing the protags doesn’t count. Otherwise, your protagonists will look like giant jerks. Unless, of course, that’s what you’re going for, but I highly doubt that was the thinking here.

And then, we proceed to flip flop between “I knew it, the Galra are irredeemably evil, what’s wrong with these people?!” (I think Hunk -- HUNK, by far the most empathetic character -- said this at some point in s7?) and “Here, we can work together towards a brighter future” or some shit. You can’t do that. I mean you can, but you’re gonna get major backlash from your audience. Pick a fucking direction and stick with it.

For the past three seasons, it has really felt like the story line is being pulled into two different directions: 1) staying true to the original source material of Paladins = good, Galra/Drule = bad, and 2) providing the viewers with a groundbreaking, nuanced interpretation. 

My dudes. You can’t have both. Trying to implement both of these approaches means having morally grey, nuanced characters operating within a narrative framework that is subject to an overarching principle of a strict Good/Evil dichotomy. Do you know how fucking hard that is to pull off effectively without diving headfirst into the pitfall of punishing your morally grey characters by default, simply because they happen to exist in a universe that cannot, by nature, support them???? I can think of only a handful of authors that have managed that and, I would argue, that the man at the top of the list only managed to be so effective and influential because what he wrote was, in essence, a mythology. Mythologies have a totally different set of concerns surrounding them. And even then, he went to great lengths, both in his works and outside of them in discussions/interviews, to note that the “evil” in his world could never have happened without it intentionally being part of the larger cosmological design, i.e. balance. I’m talking, of course, about Tolkien. 

Why the fuck would you attempt to pull something like this off in a kids’ cartoon?! Avatar: The Last Airbender, since everyone loves that comparison, was defined by a black/white view that developed into a very simple grey morality, and it was this limited scope that allowed it to be presented so effectively. None of this sashaying back and forth. 

Especially when this flip flopping is done for le dramatic effect/shock value, with seemingly no good in-story reason?? Of course it’s gonna fall flat.

2. Concept vs. Execution:

This is probably what drives me crazy the most about VLD. 

As an idea, it was fucking brilliant -- anyone who has watched DotU, even with all the nostalgia, I imagine, can admit that it was very much a cut and dry 80s cartoon, with simple concerns; Vehicle Voltron attempted some nuances, but the Lion Voltron part of the show, which was by far the more popular part, was pretty stiff in that regard. VLD took that and introduced themes like: being biracial (Keith, Lotor, etc.), having to choose between duty and family (Krolia), having to choose between personal dreams and important relationships (Shiro), having to overcome deep-seated understandable prejudice and work with people you never thought you could come to stand for a greater cause and through that see that not everything is black and white and attain a greater understanding of the world (Allura), leaving home and learning to survive in a totally foreign environment in the worst circumstances possible (the paladins), dealing with disability, mental illness/ptsd while also dealing with issues of being in a position of leadership/power (Shiro), parental abuse (Lotor), substance abuse (Honerva and Zarkon), being a clone and coming to terms with that (Shiro/Kuron), learning to compromise and sacrifice personal integrity/morals for the betterment/survival of those you have made yourself responsible for (the paladins), and so much more than that. Lotor’s relationship with Honerva/Haggar had serious undertones of both Mother and Child symbolism, as well as Arthurian legend. The whole quintessence thing drew pointers from ancient and medieval concepts of alchemy.

The inclusion of any of these things, injected into a pretty straightforward and tame original source material like DotU, was inspired. What an absolutely fantastic take, with incredible potential.

... and it was the shoddiest, shittiest implementation and execution of any concepts that I have ever seen. Like... how? How did they manage to not be able to successfully see any of these themes to a close, and to actually offend the vast majority of their fanbase (regardless of background, age, race, sexuality, literally from all walks of life) by the way these themes were handled???? 

I’m sure time restraints, direction from above, etc., played a big part in it, but still. If you don’t have time to properly develop the interpersonal relationships between the core members of your main group of characters -- to the point that, say, Keith and Pidge? Hunk and Shiro? Did they ever properly, truly have any meaningful interactions? -- there’s no way you could properly handle all of this.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew. 

Also? As stories are being fleshed out, they and their characters tend to take on a life of their own. The Lotor/Keith parallels? I totally believe and understand how it’s possible that it was unintentional. But when that happens, you go back and rework the rest of your plot to make sense with what you now have before you. You adjust and adapt. You don’t barrel on ahead headless and not acknowledging it, and you don’t force your characters into straitjackets just because you want to doggedly follow this one idea.    

3. The Female Lead: 

Let me begin by saying that I really, really wanted to like Allura, and the way she was written was one of the biggest turn offs and disappointments for me. I won’t go into specifics regarding her, as there many posts that already address the problematic nature of how she treats people of her race vs. anyone Galra, but I will just look at her character development as a whole.

Perhaps the easiest way for me to voice my frustrations here would be with a comparison. Let’s look at my favorite female protagonist of all time, Nakajima Youko, from Juuni Kokuki (aka. The Twelve Kindgoms).

Youko starts off as a very meek high school girl, from a typical modern Japanese family. Class representative, top grades, is scared of conflict and wants to live up to everyone’s expectations of her, which makes her very submissive, a total coward emotionally, mentally, and physically. She seeks to please everyone and, as a result, harms her own development by never giving any thought to her own desires and ends up bullied by everyone around her. Magic happens, shit goes down, and she is whisked away to a different world that is parallel to our own, along with two friends from school; ripped from her home, her family, with absolutely no way back. This other world has a different language, people who end up in there from our world are treated like garbage and are slaves, has a medieval level of tech/advancement, and Youko with her friends has to figure out how to survive. She finds out she is actually queen of one of the realms in this world, which makes her a target of various groups. She is betrayed by literally everyone around her, everyone she places her trust in, including the two friends that got transported to this world with her. 

She goes from meek and mild to bloodthirsty and brash; lashing out at everyone around her, plotting to kill those that offer her a helping hand, becoming unreasonably suspicious and racist and way out of line. Understandably so, but the narrative doesn’t, for one moment, present this as okay. Some more stuff happens and she finally snaps out of it, comes to a couple of realizations, and has major character development. She develops the attitude that, yes, people have betrayed and hurt her, but their actions towards her and their opinion of her is none of her business. It will not stop her from acting in ways that are in line with her own morals; if people choose to betray and use her, that’s on them. She will simply do what she must, and treat everyone as an individual according to their actions. This doesn’t mean that she adopts a pushover mentality -- it just means that she loses her knee-jerk reaction, and doesn’t rush to conclusions. She becomes a badass warrior and queen, strong and just, and, frankly, one of the most well-developed female characters I have ever seen.

Do I think this is the only way to write a strong female character? Of course not. But I’m convinced this is what the writers wanted to do with Allura, this kind of progression and path, from being angry, lost, and alone to being a confident, capable, magnificent ruler. And, imo, they totally missed the mark.

I think that the writers were so focused on giving us a “strong” modern female character, and getting as far away from her DotU damsel in distress depiction as possible, that they ended up writing her as, basically, a bully. Sure, they tell us -- both through other characters’ words in the show and through interviews -- about her diplomacy, peaceful nature, leadership quality, open-mindedness, etc., but they never show it to us. In almost every key moment in the series, she has been written to be combative and suffering from tunnel-vision.   

And a huge part of this is that they simply didn’t give her any room to grow. Youko’s character started off at maybe... 5% of her potential? She was honestly so “weak,” I thought about dropping the series. But by the point the anime ended (because the story itself is unfinished and unlikely to continue, unfortunately), I’d say she’s at around 70%. That makes for an extremely dramatic, fulfilling, and believable character development. The VLD writers started Allura off much higher than that. Too high. From the get-go she’s a highly accomplished martial artist, has incredible physical strength due to her Altean heritage, a seemingly natural affinity for leadership and for appealing to people, she’s very attractive, well spoken, had a loving and supportive family, is a princess, had a brilliant alchemist for a father, has access to the universe’s greatest super weapon -- I mean, yes, she’s had to deal with immense loss and grief and come to terms with it in a very short period of time, and lost her father a second time so to speak with Alfor’s AI -- but overall, everything has been set up and handed to her in a nice package. Other than overcoming her hatred towards the Galra and idealization of Altea/Alteans, really, there’s nothing left for her to do that would be defining for her character.

That’s not to say that characters that are extremely accomplished from the start are a bad thing. But in their case, their emotional and mental development and maturity is that much more important, because that’s all that’s left to work with. The writers didn’t really give Allura any significant room to grow in terms of any of that. (And no, I don’t consider her new alchemical powers from Oriande as her growing; she expended no effort for that, it wasn’t really a trial at all for her; it was like me playing a video game on casual mode with the “killallenemies” console command enabled). Her overcoming her racism towards the Galra, beginning with Keith and BoM and continuing to do so with subsequent Galra allies, had a TON of potential and I had been so excited to see where it would go; but that fell flat, totally forgotten by the story.

In contrast, you have Lotor -- we see him struggling to claw his way out of the hand that fate has dealt him, to grow beyond his family’s influence and abuse. Both on and off screen, even described by his own enemies in great detail, we see just how much he has had to fight and to earn everything he has and he is, even things that shouldn’t have to be “earned” in the first place. He’s lost Daibazaal and Altea, both his father and his mother, he’s too Galra for anyone who’s not and not nearly enough Galra for anyone who is. Literally nothing has been handed to him. The juxtaposition between him and Allura, had Allura been given more breathing room by the writers, could have been fantastic and I would have shipped the hell out of it, like I do in DotU. She’s had everything he’s ever wanted (loving family, supportive father, Alfor himself, exploration, alchemy), etc.; envy would have been extremely appropriate on his part, and very interesting to work through, but that was never explored either.

So, I feel like what ended up happening was that a huge imbalance in how these two characters came across was created, made only more evident when their relationship with each other was what was front and center. And, at least for me, this is what makes me completely unable to see Allura’s side of things, and I freely admit it -- I simply don’t understand her or her actions, because I don’t feel like I’ve been shown enough of her inner workings as a character to be able to care about her in the slightest. I can definitely see where the writers were going with her, or where they thought they were going. But unless they actually meant for the character that is, for all intents and purposes, their female lead to be a  racist, abusive, immature person playing at being an adult and at being the leader of a coalition spanning galaxies, who has no problem condemning millions of lives to death and devastation at a whim of her emotions because they are Valid™, and who wades dangerously close to “Mary Sue” territory many times due the way the narrative frames her... then all I see on screen is an unfinished character. Unfinished, because the writers didn’t take any opportunities in the narrative for the flaws and issues she does have to be addressed and overcome, opportunities of which there were plenty! I absolutely don’t mind that she has flaws -- flawed heroes are amazing. But, you gotta do something about them, i.e. address them and work through them. Otherwise your heroes remain static in a plot that is evolving and that’s not a good look.

And, you know, I honestly think DotU Allura is a much stronger female character. She works for everything she gets. She works her ass off. She has to fight to not only be allowed to be part of the team and fly a lion, but even just to do everyday common things like be out in the fields or swim or whatever; forget practicing martial arts. Coran literally ties her up at one point to prevent her from participating. Nanny is a constant battle for her. Over everything, from her clothes to her manner of speaking to where she’s going. But she doesn’t stop, she doesn’t give up. And she fucks up, BIG TIME, several times, she does TONS of stupid shit. But she learns, acknowledges it, gets called out on it, tries again, and keeps on trying. DotU Allura’s biggest battles, in my mind, aren’t with Lotor or the Drule forces or Zarkon, but with her own team and those she considers family, and her struggle for the others’ acceptance of herself and her skills within the group. And for that, she is a much stronger, more solid female character than VLD Allura, despite all superficial appearances and frilly pink dresses and 80s voice acting.

Again, like I said in a previous post, I don’t conform to the view that creators owe their fans anything. Write things however the fuck you want. You want to kill Allura off, fine. Do away with Lotor too? Cool. I completely understand people who want happy endings in fiction because, it’s true, reality fucking sucks; there are several fictional works I turn to whenever real life is too much. And I would be lying if I said that I don’t crave stories where characters like Lotor are given happy endings; of course I want my favorite characters to be okay. But overall, I’m the type of person who, as long as things make for an effective, compelling narrative, I’ll be content with it, regardless of whether the ending is tragic or happy or anything in between. 

So you want to kill off your morally grey character and your female lead, who is also one of the only women on the team, who is also a princess figure, who has also been completely visually redesigned in such a way that you know women of color will relate to her? That’s fine by me, go right ahead. But do so in a way that is meaningful and makes sense within the larger narrative you created, and isn’t some empty, sensationalist gesture. 

And also be aware of your fanbase. This is a reboot -- that comes with certain expectations attached, as a number of the viewers will very likely be fans of the old series, watching out of curiosity, nostalgia, etc. Expectations like, the princess lives, the heroes aren’t assholes, etc. (and I’m referring to expectations from DotU and other Western iterations, rather than the original Japanese series). You don’t have to conform to these expectations -- personally, I’m a big fan of tropes being subverted -- but you need to be aware of them. You need to know the rules before you break them, and if you break them, you better break them damn well.

Imo, VLD ultimately failed to deliver on these fronts, and pretty much fell prey to what a lot of series do -- it couldn’t handle the shift from being primarily episodic in nature (i.e., each episode is self-contained, with a clear beginning, middle, and end, while operating under a distant general goal, like defeating Zarkon; so, s1 and s2) to becoming a more complex narrative unraveling a hidden agenda (s3 onwards). Kind of like how the paladins made no provisions for how they would handle things after Zarkon’s defeat, it feels like the writers didn’t really have one solid plan for how to develop past that point as well.

tl;dr: Whoever is responsible for the way VLD turned out should write a book: how to offend your entire audience in eight seasons or less.

[moku-youbi]

Spideypool Rec List

. So, I know it can be hard in some fandoms to find quality fics, but I gotta tell you, I feel super lucky with this one, because almost everything I’ve read is just excellent. It’s really hard to narrow it down, because I’ve read literally dozens and dozens of Spideypool fics that I love, so this list is by no means exhaustive, but I’ll try to include all my favourites! Oh, and these are all completed fics. There are some good WIPs out there, but I tend to wait until they’re finished before really getting into them.

* took no time with the fall by cherryvanilla  A 5 times +1 fic with Peter running into Deadpool on the job after being warned about him by the Avengers. This was such a cute, terrifically in character fic, just a fun ride from start to finish as Peter realises that despite what the Avengers say, and despite their differences, he and Wade are sort of perfect for each other. And be sure you follow up with the deliciously, unrepentantly porny sequel:  now you're in my way

* BF(F) by Carol989 Another 5 times +1 fic (those are sort of popular in this fandom) with the 5 times people thought Peter and Wade were dating, but they were totally just doing friend things, including friendly victory kissing and it is fucking ridiculous and adorable how clueless Peter is. 

*But Today My Heart Swings by bankrobbery Holy shit, this is so, so, so hot. I’m in love. Peter probably shouldn’t be teaming up with *Deadpool* of all people, particularly where sex pollen is involved. Oh my god, their voices are absolute perfection (this author has RR’s Deadpool down to a fucking T, and Holland’s adorably out of his depths Peter Parker). They are sexy as hell, but fair warning that even though it’s complete, it will leave you hanging and wanting for more. But it’s worth it.

*you grow up and you lose touch by scarlett_starlett  9 year old Miles Morales from another universe is stranded in Peter’s, and Tony thinks Peter is the best person to raise him and train him to be Spider-Man. I gotta tell you, I wasn’t sure about the premise of this one, but I ended up loving it, and being sad when it’s over. The dynamic between Wade and Peter is just about perfection (even if the development of their physical relationship feels a little unrealistically slow), and the two of them with Miles make such a beautiful, happy family, each helping to heal different broken parts in the other other.

*are you sure you wanna' love me? by scarlett_starlett Deadpool shows up at Stark Tower during business hours and Peter can’t get over how Wade just *ignores* him. Maybe Wade’s only into Spider-Man? This fic is great for me because so often fics stress Deadpool’s insecurity or disbelief that Peter could want him, but sort of forget that Peter is a nerd who’s been bullied and maybe has a lot of his own insecurities, too. Also, it’s adorable :D

*Peter Parker's Home for the Wayward Villain by BeanieBaby  This is another one of those premises I was pretty uncertain about, with Peter the adopted son of Tony Stark and therefore powerless, but it turned out amazing? Like, he’s still Peter, but struggling with the fact that he’s the only normal, non-powered person growing up surrounded by the Avengers and the Fantastic Four and X-Men, struggling to find himself and ending up buying a rundown far and accidentally becoming a halfway house for the likes of Bucky, Loki, Wade, and more. And somehow even though there’s some crackiness, it manages to do the characters real justice, as they work towards a place of reconciliation with the people they’ve hurt. The Spideypool is on the side, but sweet and satisfying (and there’s some adorable background Bucky/Steve and other ships). It’s all about found family and finding who you are, and managed to even satisfy the part of me that was a bit upset over no-power Peter in a way that’s sort of ingenious. Just. Go read it. Very long, very worth it.

* Pictures are Worth a Thousand Words by iamtheyellowbox Cute little one-off where someone snaps a picture of Deadpool making out with Peter...and everyone mistakes DP for SM and wonders who he’s kissing, churning out a lot of speculation to make them both stupidly jealous. Underaged Peter is implied.

Alright, as much as I’m all about the hot, smutty porn these two can get up to, I gotta say, this fandom has some quality slow burn long fics full of UST and identity reveals, and declarations of love that leave you clutching your chest. Here are some of my favourites:

*Damage by dontcareajot

*you are the space in my bed by sleeponrooftops (and all its sequels, one of the best out there, it’s just glorious and heart-breaky and then heart-fixy and just UGH wonderful)

*Said the Fly to the Spider by BC_Brynn

*buddy you're a boy make a big noise by spiekiel  (and its sequel)

*Mistakes by WebbedUpKatanas

And now about that scorching hot porn I mentioned...with a lot of somnophilia because, um. Deadpool is involved. Fair warning to check the warnings and tags on these, just in case. There are some that have dub-con because Wade and boundaries, you know.

*Monday Morning Massages by TheMadKatter13

*Because of Unlocked Windows by MarbleAide

*Hand Made Alarms by ArraFrost

Aaaaand, okay, this rec list is getting way out of control. so I’m going to stop myself now. But I will probably rec some more later, because as mentioned, this fandom has too many awesome fics :D

[originalhybridloverfics]

Good to You CH15

If you like to be tagged just message me the name of the fic to let me know.

Notes:

Okay, so I'm nervous about this chapter. Once you read it, I think you'll know why. If you don't like the direction all I'm going to ask is that you don't be rude about it.

[Fair Warning] If you're a huge Hayley fan or you not a fan of baby plots you probably don't want to read further.

There's a lot of Harvest flashbacks in this chapter. Feel free to skim over it if you don't want to bother reading that. The flashbacks or in italics. I tried to make sure it wasn't that confusing.

I had planned to get this out sooner but I was in a foul mood earlier. I apologize for any mistakes or errors in advance.

Last but not least, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!!

Elijah observed Davina calculatingly. He knew Rebekah and Klaus were trying to ensure his freedom but he saw this as an opportunity if he could sway Davina to their side they would gain the upper hand on Klaus and ensure the safety of Klaus’s child. However, if he couldn’t he would have to do whatever he had to to make sure his family came out on top including doing whatever was necessary.

His gray skin from not feeding a stark contrast against the suit he wore.

“You're the one they call honorable,” Davina stated knowingly.

Elijah smiled in response. “Yes, that's what they call me. And yet, I followed my brother here to New Orleans to engage in a war. So, I ask you; does that sound honorable to you?”

“You don't look well,” Davina commented, taking in his gray skin and disheveled appearance.

“Well, only this morning I had a mystical dagger embedded in my chest, so I'd say I'm holding myself together quite well.” He paused momentarily choosing his words carefully. “Davina, I believe that you and I have the power to end a war between witches and vampires before it truly begins. I, by keeping my brother in line; you, by behaving like your true self—not some tool for Marcel or the witches.”

“And why should I trust you?” Davina questioned with narrowed eyes.

“Well, for one thing, in spite of a ravenous hunger, I have not tried to take your blood.”

“Why not? I'm the only one here.” She pointed out.

“Even in my present condition, I would not feed from a child.” Elijah declared.

Davina picked up a hat pin pricking her finger with it. A drop of blood clung to the end of the needle and she walked forward placing the drop on Elijah's lip, testing his control. Testing him.

After a moment, Elijah's skin returned to its normal slightly complexion.

Davina looking pleased that he hadn’t attacked her with the taste of that one single drop of blood.

                                     ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Klaus paced back in forth in the back kitchen of Rousseau's, blood splattered on his neck, dripping down the corner of his mouth and splatters on his hands.

When Sophie came in carrying bags of produce, she dropped everything to the floor at the sight of Klaus covered in blood.

“Oh my God. What did you do?!”

“No, it’s not what I did.” He strode forward, wrapping his hand tightly around her, yanking her forward, glowering down at her. “It’s what didyou do? You and the witches? I warned you if anyone was too threatened Caroline’s life there would be a price to pay in blood.”

Sophie swallowed. “Who did you kill?”

“Two witches from your precious coven. You’ll find the first one's body on your doorstep and the second one on Agnes’s. In pieces, I might add.” He nodded his head at the table and to her horror, there was a set of bloody eyeballs on the table along with a ripped out tongue."

Sophie gagged, bile rising. “Oh, God, I’m gonna be sick.” She said revolted.

“Be quick about it then.” He said before speeding away and she suddenly found herself in front of the Victorian mansion the Mikaelsons were currently occupying. She jerked forward with the change, the bile she felt churning in her stomach coming up as she retched into a rose bush next to the large Mikaelson Mansion.

When she was done, she barely had time to wipe her mouth before Klaus was dragging her inside and pushing her into a chair, pausing as he looked out the window and caught sight of Rebekah and Caroline outside. He shot her a look of warning. “Wait here!” He ordered before disappearing out the door expecting her to obey his command.  

He was gone only two minutes when Hayley came bounding into the room closing the door a look of anger plastered on her face.

“Hayley, what the hell is going on?” Sophie asked her in alarm.

“What is going on is that Agnes set me up to be picked off by a group of witches!”

“What?” Sophie shook her head. “She wouldn’t. That would jeopardize everything.” Everything she and Jane-Anne did, everything they have done would have been for nothing.

“I didn’t sign up for this. You promise to help me with my family, my pack if I helped you and your sister. And I have done everything you asked of me but I did not sign up to be slaughter out in the swamps!” Hayley's voice started to rise due to the anger she felt at almost dying. “I fucking became an incubator for children that aren’t even mine! And for what? Just so I could be killed because suddenly Agnes decides she doesn’t want Klaus’s children being born!”

“Would you lower your voice!” Sophia snapped, looking out the window that overlooked the green field outside and she could see Klaus approaching Rebecca and Caroline who looked like they were in the middle of sparring. “If Klaus hears you I’m dead and you will be too as soon as those babies are born. He can’t ever know the truth. He’s already killed two of the witches of my coven for what happened.”

“I know he can’t ever know the truth. I don’t need to be told that.” Hayley lowered her voice. “If Klaus ever found out that we stole Caroline’s children from her, their children, before either of them ever knew about them death would be the least of our worries.” Hayley was sure of it. She was sure Klaus would make them suffer long before their death ever came.

“And that is why he can never find out,” Sophie stressed, turning away from the window to look back at Hayley. “Everything from the moment we met would have been for nothing. Do you have any idea what I had to do to ensure that those babies came into existence after you told me about Klaus Mikaelson's one weakness.” Sophie shook her head. “I needed more than one bargaining chip, more than one baby vamp. I had to plan and manipulate everything to go exactly accordingly to plan, down to every little detail and it wasn't easy. It was near impossible."

“They're not just bargaining chips.” Hayley found herself saying. “They're more than that. They're innocent.”

A look of surprise and knowing came over Sophie. “You’ve come to care for them like their actually yours, haven’t you?”

Hayley looked away from her not wanting to admit it. Did it matter if she did or not? She was basically a womb snatcher or something.

“It’s okay if you do, Hayley.” Said Sophie in a moment of empathy for the wolf. “It’s natural to feel love for children you're nurturing with your body.”

“But their not mine,” Hayley said, conflicted.

“Not biologically.” Said Sophie. “But you’re the one carrying them, you’ll be the one to give birth to them. In that way, they’ll be yours.”

Hayley looked down her hand instinctively rubbing her stomach. “I can’t imagine giving birth to them and having them being taken from me.”

Sophie placed her hand on Hayley’s shoulder. “If no one finds out the truth they won’t have to be.”

Hayley nodded. She just had to make sure Klaus never found out the truth about the pregnancy and when all was said and done, when Sophie kept her end of the deal she would leave and she would have her own pack and her own family in the children growing inside of her whether they were her’s or not.

                                      ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Klaus stood back watching as Rebekah tried to correct Caroline’s leg stance and her arms.

“Don’t tense up,” Rebekah instructed. “You’re body will react quicker and better if you relax.”

“Kind of hard to relax if you’re being attacked,” Caroline responded, rolling her arms and trying to force her body to relax as Rebekah had instructed.

“Not if you’re confident you’re going to win.” Rebekah retorted.

“That depends on if that is confidence or arrogance?”

Rebekah grinned. “In my case? Confidence.”

“I’m sure.” Caroline found herself returning Rebekah’s grin with one of her own.

“Alright. So there are a few things you want to keep in mind when fighting old vampires. One; whatever you do if their really, really old, I’m talking centuries, do not give them the chance to knock your head clean off your shoulders.”

Caroline’s face scrunched up at the image. “Decapitation? Yeah, definitely wouldn’t want to lose my head.” She mumbled.

Klaus found himself letting out a chuckle at her mumbled words, he tried to cover it up but he had already drawn the attention of Rebekah and Caroline.  

“Nik, been maiming again?” Rebekah asked sarcastically indicating the blood on him. “Or are you just going for a new look?”

“Couldn’t let the witches think they were going to get away with what happened without consequences.” He responded unrepentantly.

Caroline frowned. She couldn’t say she was surprised by this. But still, it didn’t mean she liked it. “Do I even want to know who you killed?”

“Probably not.” He responded easily. “Getting an early start on training I see.”

“Well, we were until you showed up.” Said Rebekah.

“Well, you’re gonna have to postpone it.” He stated. “Sophie’s here and she has some explaining to do. Figured you both would like to hear what she has to say.”

“How considerate of you, Nik.” Retorted Rebekah. “I guess there’s a first time for everything," she walked forward brushing past him.

Klaus looked at Caroline. “Will you be joining us?”

Caroline nodded, walking forward and falling into step beside him. “Do you actually trust anything Sophie says?” She didn’t, maybe that was her being petty about Sophie forcing her into this situation but there was just something desperate in the witches actions. At least they were to Caroline.

“If I don’t trust my own family, I’m definitely not going to trust her.” Klaus held the front door open for her.

Caroline paused in the doorway, searching his eyes. “But you trust me.”  

“Well, you’re you,” Klaus told her with an ease that if she had still been human would have her heart pounding in her chest. As it was, a feeling of warmth filled her chest.

She bit her lip with a faint smile, walking into the house. “So where is Sophie?”

Klaus placed a hand on her lower back as they walked further into the home. “In my study.”

When they arrived at the study she saw only Sophie and Hayley. “Is this something Hayley should be here for?” She wondered. She thought Hayley should still be resting after what she went through in the bayou at least for the sake of the twins well being.  

“No. She should be resting after her ordeal that the witches put her through.” Rebekah stated

Hayley rolled her eyes. "I'm fine."

Sophie shifted around cautiously, her eyes on Klaus. “Look, I had nothing-“

“We had a deal!” Klaus cut her off angrily. “You protect my unborn children, Caroline remains unharmed, I dismantle Marcel's army. And whilst I've been busy fulfilling my part of the bargain, you allowed Hayley to be attacked and almost killed by a gaggle of lunatic witches.” His eyes flashed black and amber momentarily. “If she died my children would have died. Caroline would have died!”

Caroline felt a shiver course through her with the anger in which he spoke of the possibility of her death. Like it was not an option for him.

“I had nothing to do with it, I swear.” She defended herself, feeling a real flash of fear at his hybrids eyes that had shown briefly. “Hayley and I are linked, remember? She dies, I die.”

“Then who were they?” Rebekah questioned, eyes narrowed.

“They are a faction of extremists. Sabine stupidly told them about some vision she had about the twins.”

“What kind of vision?” asked Klaus, stepping back to stand beside Caroline, reaching to the desk and opening the drawl, removing a white cloth, wiping the blood from his hands and mouth that he had gotten on him earlier when he killed and mutilated the two witches.

“She has them all the time,” Sophie informed them. “They are totally open to interpretation. I'm guessing she's wrong on this one.”

“Well, how, may I ask, was this particular vision interpreted?” Klaus insisted on his line of questioning.

“Pretty much that your children would bring death to all witches,” Sophie told him.

“Figures as much that your children would follow in your footsteps.” Caroline cast a look at Klaus, while the words could be interpreted as harsh, it was said without any malice and she even had a small smile.

Klaus returned her smile with a full one.  “Ah, well. I grow fonder of the twins by the second.”

“Sophie, look, I promised Elijah that I would protect the Mikaelson miracle twins whilst he tries to win your witch Davina's loyalty,” Rebekah informed her. “Why don't you tell me just how extreme this faction is?”

“Elijah's talking to Davina?” Sophie asked surprised by this information.

“Yeah. As we speak, I imagine.”

“I'm guessing she'll have plenty to say about that crowd.” Murmured Sophie.

“Do tell.” Said Klaus.

“I… wasn’t always an advocate for the witches,” Sophie admitted.

Klaus moved around the room, grabbing a chair and pulling it forward. “Why don’t you have a seat, Love.” He grasped Caroline's hand pulling her forward.

Caroline looked at him in surprise at the gesture.

“Sounds like we’re in for a story you shouldn’t be spending it standing.” He insisted.

Hayley quirked a brow at them. She was already sitting but she doubted even if she wasn't that Klaus would've shown her the same consideration he showed Caroline.

“Thanks.” Caroline took the seat, appreciating his kind gesture.

“I don’t see you offering me a seat.” Rebekah cut in, sending Klaus a dry look.

“By all means, if you like to sit down take a seat, sister.” He responded, hands on the back of the chair Caroline sat in.

Sophie paused as she watched Klaus with Caroline, how he kept close to her when in the same room, the way his eyes constantly flickered to her, taking everything in about her.

She kept the frown from her face, seeing the way he was with her and his earlier threat she prayed that he never found out the truth about the pregnancy.

                                  ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

8 Months ago

Sophie danced to the music behind the bar of Rousseau’s as the crowd cheered loudly.

“Woo, drink up everybody!” Sophie shouted to the cheering crowd. “This is how they party in Rio!” she poured the liquor down her throat straight from the bottle.

                       ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

“My sister was devoted, like our parents, and our upbringing was very strict, which drove me nuts. The minute I turned 21, I left the Quarter to travel... and play.” Sophie said.

Caroline raised a brow, she would not have taken Sophie for a party girl. Not with what she knew of her so far.

                            ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Sophie poured alcohol into another girl's mouth before kissing her after the girl swallowed the drink down.

                          ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

“But, I wanted to be a chef, so I came back to Rousseau's.” Sophie continued with her story.

                             ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

“Oh, Jane-Anne!” Sophie greeted when her sister walked into Rousseau’s to find her.  

Jane-Anne smiled, hugging her sister. “Welcome home, Soph. Can we go someplace to talk?”

“Just tell me.”

“The elders called a vote. We’re moving forward with the Harvest.” Jane-Anne informed her.

Sophie looked at her sister, stunned. “What?”

                            ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

“What the bloody hell is a Harvest?” Rebekah demanded, having never heard of it before.

“It's a ritual our coven does every three centuries so that the bond to our magic is restored. We appease our ancestors, they keep our ancestral power flowing.” Sophie explained.

“And why haven't I heard of this?” Klaus wondered, it sounded like something he would have heard of before.

“Because a Harvest always seemed like a myth. A story passed on through generations like Noah's ark, or the Buddha walking on water.” Said Sophie. “The kind some people take literally, and some people don't.”

“So was there any truth behind it?” Caroline wondered. “And what exactly does the ritual entail.”

“Nothing pleasant,” Sophie admitted, unable to keep from grimacing.

                          ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Several young witches kneeled in the grass just outside a farmhouse. An older witch held a knife in her hand as she drew a small cut in the first girl’s hand, she had long dark curly hair. “To be reborn, we must sacrifice,” Bastiana stated like a vow. A chant.

“To be reborn, we must sacrifice.” The young girl repeated.

Bastiana moved down the line to the second girl. “To be reborn, we must have faith.” Bastiana cut into her hand much like she did the first girl.

“To be reborn, we must have faith.” The second girl repeated.

“Do you have faith in the Harvest?” asked Bastiana as she cut into the third girl’s hand.  

“Not for a second!” Sophie declared as she approached the older witch quickly from behind the girls.

“Sophie!” The first girl said in surprise.

“What are you doing?” Sophie's eyes were set on the older witch anger in her dark eyes.

“Saving the community you renounced.” Bastiana looked at her with contempt.

“You're all ridiculous.” Sophie looked at the first girl who had spoken her name. “Monique, seriously?”

Monique frowned and with a look of reluctance admitted. “My mom told me I had to.”

“Yeah. Well, your mom and I are gonna have words.” She responded angrily storming off toward the house.

At the end of the line was Davina watching as Sophie stormed away.

                                ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

“They had the girls of our community preparing for months. Four would be chosen for the Harvest. They said that it was an honor, that they were special. I thought it was a myth.” Said Sophie.

“Was it?” asked Rebekah.

A look of guilt flickered across Sophie's face, her frown deepening but before she could answer, Klaus's cell phone ringing sounded through the room.

He glanced at the screen and Marcel’s name flashed across it. He swiped his thumb over it before placing it against his ear. “Marcel. Bit early in the day for you, isn't it?”

“I know, I make this look easy, but I still have an empire to run.”

Caroline looked over her shoulder at Klaus, curiosity written across her face at hearing Marcel’s voice for the first time even if it was filtering through a phone call. Admittedly she was rather curious about the man that was a lot like a son to Klaus, she wondered what he was like having been raised up by the Original family.

“Rather you than me. All that responsibility seems like such a bore.” Klaus spoke into the phone easily.

“Well, this might spice things up,” Marcel responded. “ I just heard about a bunch of dead witches out in the bayou. The kinda damage a werewolf might do, only there was no full moon. Plus two more were found in the witch Quarter mutilated. I have an informant out there in the Bayou I need to meet and I would love for you to go with me.”

“Dead witches in the bayou. Sounds like less of a problem, and more like a cause for celebration.” Klaus said in response to Marcel. "As for the dead witches in the Witch Quarter." he turned his gaze on Sophie. "Seems to me someone was sending a message."

Sophie glared hatefully at him and it gave him a sense of triumph, he smirked smugly at her.  

“Well, something killed them. And may still be out there. And with your blood the only cure for a werewolf bite, I would love for you to accompany me.” Marcel insisted.

“Oh, why not? Haven't been to the bayou in ages. I'm on my way.”

“Peace out, brother,” Marcel responded before hanging up.

“You can't go out there now.” Sophie protested as Klaus pocketed his phone. “I need to gather the witches' remains and consecrate them. If I don't get to them before sundown, we'll lose the link to their magic.” she glared at him. "That goes for the witches you killed as well."

“Those witches tried to kill Hayley. I'd prefer for Marcel's informant not to find anything that would lead him back to us, to Caroline, to Hayley, or to... you know,” He pointed at Hayley’s stomach. “that.”

Caroline snorted earning a glare from Hayley.

“You are all class.” Hayley snarked.

Klaus pointed at Sophie. “Stay put.” He ordered. “And save the rest of your story 'til I return.” He turned and looked down at Caroline placing a hand on her arm. “A word before I go, Sweetheart.”

Caroline's brow furrowed unsure of what he had to talk to her about but stood, curious about what it could be. She followed him out the room and outside onto the porch.

Klaus turned to face her. "I know you're dead set on not hiding away as you put it and I'm not going to try and tell you what to do. Just don't be reckless. I hate to have to kill everyone in this bloody city because something happened to you."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I'm not reckless."

Klaus raised a brow at her. "Since you've been in New Orleans you have been."

"No, I haven't," she replied indignantly. "Things are just crazy here."

Klaus would have argued with her more about it but Marcel was expecting him. "Just be careful, will you."

Caroline felt her instinct to argue with him fade at the genuine sound of his voice which held concern. "Yeah, I will." she watched him carefully, eyes flickering across his face. "I thought you would insist I stay put like you have been ever since this all started."

"Oh, I want to," Klaus said with a shake of his head. "Believe me, I want to. But your you're own person and you have the right to make your own decisions and I'm gonna do my best to respect them." he smiled wryly. "I don't know how well that will go. You're just gonna have to be patient with me."

Caroline laughed. "I'm sorry." she laughed. "It's just really ironic you asking for patience when I'm pretty sure you don't know how to be."

Klaus' eyes lit with amusement but he loved hearing her laugh and the way her eyes lit up. "Yeah, yeah. Just be careful."

"I will," she told him. "And thank you for understanding I make my own decisions. I hate when people tell me what to do."

"I know." he leaned forward, brushing a kiss across her cheek, close to her mouth. "I'll see you later." he walked down the porch steps.

"Why do you do that?" Klaus turned back to her on the bottom step, his brow furrowing questioningly. "I mean, the kissing my cheek thing."

Klaus smirked. "I love pressing my lips against your skin."

Caroline opened and closed her mouth, her cheeks heating up as she watched him turn and leave. She blew out a breath as she remembered vaguely what it had been like to have his lips against her skin that one night when she threw caution to the wind and slept with him. It seemed so long ago but she could still remember the way he had kissed her, the way his mouth felt against her skin, the way his tongue tangled with her own.

A heated flush traveled through her. "Damn him."

                            ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Marcel swept into St. Anne's church.

"Look who's back." Father Kieran, stopped sweeping the church floor. "Here to visit your prisoner in the attic?"

"Lay off," Marcel responded, he didn't need Father Kieran judging him. "She's not a prisoner. And I'm moving her tonight. Too many people know where she is."

"I have been hearing about what you've been up to since I've been out of town. Using that girl to keep the witches from doing magic?" His eyes appraised Marcel accusingly.

"All respect, Father K. If you're going defend the witches' rights, we got nothin' to talk about," Marcel stated, continuing on his way up to the attic.

                                      ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Elijah walked around the attic of the church that was serving as a room for Davina, who was drawing, he picked up Tim's damaged violin, holding it in his hand.  "Do you play?"

Davina looked over at him, her gaze falling. "That's... not mine."

Elijah took a seat in a chair and started tinkering with the violin for a moment but when he heard approaching footsteps outside the room he hid away in the room just as Marcel entered.  

"Good news, Little D. I'm moving you out this pile of dust." he announced.

"Are you serious?" Davina's eyes lit up with hope. "When?"

"Tonight." He said, missing the way she faltered. "I just need to lock in the arrangements. How's our Original?" he gestured to Elijah's coffin and took a step toward it.

"Uh, don't disturb the body!" She quickly stepped in front of the coffin. She didn't want Marcel to know Elijah was up or that she was talking to him. "I have a spell in progress." she lied.

"Bet you do. Pack up, 'kay? Only what you wanna take. I'll buy ya anything else you need." He told her moving back toward the door.

"Okay," she answered just before he left.

Once Marcel was gone Elijah emerged from behind a corner. "You didn't reveal that I was awake."

"We're not done talking yet," Davina stated, it was the only reason she hadn't said anything to Marcel.

Elijah picked up the violin again, retaking his seat. "You and Marcel seem very close."

"Marcel's my family." Davina declared with a certainty, a feeling she felt in her bones. No one could tell her otherwise.  

"And yet Marcel is someone who delights in harming the witches. Those people, I would think, you would consider family. This doesn't trouble you?" Elijah inquired, trying to figure the young witch out if she was as loyal to Marcel as she seemed to believe herself to be.

"No. They deserve it."

Elijah could hear the defiance in her tone. "Why would you say that?"

"'Cause they're liars." Davina accused. "All of them."

                                  ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Bastiana touched each of the four girls kneeling in the grass on their foreheads indicating that they had been chosen. Monique, Davina, and two other girls had been chosen for something that was considered a great honor among the witch community.

                             ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"They made me and my friends do this Harvest ritual. They said our participation would bring our family strength, health... that we'd forever be celebrated as saviors of the community." Davina shook her head, anger written all over her features. "But all they really wanted was more power. So, I left before they could get it. Now, they're running out of time, because after the Harvest, comes the Reaping. And if they don't complete the Harvest, there won't be a Reaping. Soon, all the witches in the Quarter will start to lose their power. Eventually, they will cease to be witches altogether."

"So what does it take to complete this ritual?" Elijah inquired.

"I have to die." Davina answered, shocking Elijah.

                                 ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Sophie was in Lafayette cemetery, packing a little bottle into her backpack, preparing to go out to the Bayou, she heard someone entering the mausoleum behind her only to see Hayley enter.

"Hey. What the hell?"

"You're going out there anyway, aren't you?" Hayley questioned but didn't wait for an answer. "I wanna go with you."

"No, thanks. Already got assaulted by Klaus this morning and two of my coven is now dead. Don't need a repeat." she responded, plus she didn't want everything she and her sister sacrificed to be for nothing.  

"What if whatever is responsible for all those dead witches is still out there? We've already established that it likes me and hates witches, so you'll be safer with me." Hayley bargained.

"Sorry if it's not happening. I won't risk losing everything we've tried to accomplish up until now."

Sophie had every intention to push past her but Hayley blocked the exit, forcing her to stop.

"Listen. We're in this together. The whole reason I came to this stupid town in the first place was to learn more about my family. You and your sister promised if I help you, you'll help me. I've been keeping to my part," She motioned to her stomach pointedly. "Now it's time you do too. Your sister's the one that told me Marcel ran the werewolves out of the Quarter, into the bayou. And, last night, I'm pretty sure that some guardian-angel-wolf saved my life. So, I'm coming with you."

"Could you two be more idiotic?" Rebekah walked in.

"Clearly." Caroline appeared. "Their planning to go out to the Bayou aren't they?

Hayley and Sophie both froze. Hayley hoped they hadn't overheard too much but when she saw no signs of real anger she figured her and Sophie's secret was still safe, they shared a brief moment, sighing in relief.  

"Two can play the follow-game, you know!" Rebekah told them, looking at them like they were two of the stupidest people she ever met. "You heard Klaus, he and Marcel are headed right where you're going."

"So distract them," Hayley told her.  "Because unless you wanna see lock a hormonal, pregnant werewolf in a tomb, I'm coming with you." she told Sophie before turning back to Rebekah. "And wouldn't Elijah be mad if he hears that the babies and I died of asphyxiation?"

"Yeah, I'm nowhere near ready to die so that won't be happening." Caroline said with a pointed look. "Which is why I am here in the first place. If you're doing something stupid and reckless, I'm coming to make sure you don't get killed." Caroline wasn't about to let Hayley and Sophie get her killed because Hayley went and got herself killed. And she cared about what happened to the babies.

Hayley shot her a glare. " I know to keep myself from being killed."

"I won't be taking any chances." said Caroline, crossing her arms over her chest challengingly.  

Rebekah looked between Hayley and Caroline annoyed though she could see where Caroline was coming from, if her life was linked to a pregnancy she wouldn't have let Hayley out of her sight.  

Sophie rolled her eyes and sighed again, resigning to having Hayley, Caroline, and Rebekah come along with her. She and Hayley would have to be careful with what they say, couldn't have Caroline or Rebekah find out their true connection.

                                     ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Klaus stood just outside of the bar in the Bayou his phone pressed to his ear. "What's the matter, Rebekah? You cross that I'm out with your ex?"

" What is all that dreadful hillbilly ruckus in the background?" Rebekah demanded, hearing the god-awful country music in the background.

"According to the dreadful signage, it's Big Auggie's Bayou Bar."

"Well, order up a few rounds of moonshine and steer clear of the dead witches for a few. The witch is on a burial mission, your baby mama is on a spirit quest, and Caroline is insistent on her not getting herself killed and in turn her killed." Who would have thought she and Caroline would agree on something. "and I'm keeping Elijah's promise to keep her safe, so stall, please? "

"Caroline's out in the Bay-" the sound of Rebekah hanging up on him, had his jaw clenching in annoyance and anger. He was choosing to trust that Caroline could handle herself. He pocketed his phone, entering the bar.

"Everything okay?" asked Marcel taking notice of Klaus's sour mood.  

"Oh, just the usual. Temperamental sister." He dismissed, taking a seat at the bar next to Marcel. "So, where's your informant?"

"Tomas?" Asked Marcel. "He's out sniffin' around. Grab a drink, and then we'll chase him down."

"Well, I suppose it will give us a chance to talk things over, like why you haven't returned Elijah. Maybe your young witch has grown partial to his company. She must get so bored."

"You never stop, do you?" asked Marcel.  

"You never answer, do you?" Klaus shot back at him.  

"Why're you so curious about Davina?" Marcel questioned with suspicion.

"If I had a 16-year-old, all-powerful witch at my beck and call, you would wonder about her, too. " Klaus responded with ease.

"You're never gonna get her." Marcel said confidently, a spark in his eye.  

"Okay, okay. I'll ask the harmless questions, then." Klaus conceded. "How did you meet her?"

Marcel laughed. "That might surprise you." he saw no real harm in answering this question. "This was eight months ago, before I banned the witches from using magic. Relations between vampires and witches weren't what you'd you call friendly, by any means, but let's just say we were a little less... divided. In fact, some of us were getting along just fine."

                                           ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

The water cascaded down her body as she slanted her mouth against Marcel's, their skin slick and wet from the running shower beating down on them. After, Marcel laid back in his bed, while Sophie dried herself off beside him, venting to him about her coven. "Ugh, it's so screwed up, I'm dealing with whacked-out, militant witches."

Marcel smiled. "Hey, you witches all got a little crazy in you."

Sophie continued. "And my sister has really gone off the deep-end this time."

"Jane-Anne's got martyr written all over her, that's for sure."

"They've got every 16-year-old girl in our coven dying to be one of the four chosen for this crazy-ass ritual." Sophie complained.  

"Anything I can do to help?" asked Marcel.  

"No, you've caused enough trouble with them." Sophie responded though she did appreciate the offer.  

"What, little old me?" He asked with an air of innocence and confidence.  

Sophie giggled. "You're a dick. You always stir it up with the witches. Which is why this," She leaned over, touching her mouth to his, "stays between us." she slanted her mouth over his kissing him deeply.

                                            ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"You and Sophie?" Kaus smirked. "You hypocrite. You torture those witches, and yet there you were, getting positively Romeo and Juliet with Sophie Deveraux."

"Oh, hey hey hey, it wasn't like that." Marcel denied with a grin. "It was a... mutually satisfying hook-up."

"So, if Sophie didn't turn to you, her secret vampire lover, in her hour of need, what did she do?" asked Klaus.

"She did what any good girl do. She went to her priest."

                                 ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Sophie, Father Kieran, Jane-Anne, Bastiana, and Agnes were gathered inside St. Anne's Church.

"You've never cared about witch business, Sophie. And now, you have the gall to reveal our private dealings to an outsider." said Bastiana glaring at the dark haired woman.  

"You have to find another way." Insisted Father Kieran.  

"You think we do this lightly?" Bastiana demanded. "The vampire presence in the Quarter is growing stronger, we need more power to fight them off. Harsh times call for harsh measures."

"This is a little more than harsh, Bastiana." Sophie responded, how could Bastiana not see how wrong this was.  

"You don't understand, because you don't believe. You've never believed." Jane-Anne told Sophie. "But I believe enough to put everything on the line for this. And being chosen for the offering – it's an honor."

"It's a myth, Jane-Anne." Sophie wanted to make her sister see reason but she didn't know how to.  

"What you are planning to do is not only wrong; in my city, it's illegal." Father Kieran declared, it wasn't something he could knowingly allow.  

"In your city full of vampires?" Jane-Anne countered.  

"The vampires and the human faction have an arrangement, just like we have with you all." Father Kieran responded. "Protect the locals, protect our homes, we look the other way. What you are planning goes too far."

"We are simply taking what we need." Argued Bastiana. "Our connection to our ancestors weakens over time. You sow, and you reap; that's the way the Harvest works."

"I am the only ally the witches have in this town!" Father Kieran reminded heatedly. "Do you really wanna face Marcel without me? Because that is what you'll be dealing with if you go through with the Harvest."

A young man overhears them arguing and approached them. "Everything okay in here, Uncle Kieran?" He questioned in concern.  

"We're just finishing, Sean. Right?" Father Kieran glared at the witches. "I believe I've made myself clear."

"We'll take this matter to the elders." Agnes responded turning to Sean and grasping his hand in hers. "Continue your studies, Sean. Your uncle is an excellent role model." she smiled something beguiling. Sean nodded and as she turned to leave, she muttered a hex under her breath, hexing the young man. Father Kieran would regret putting his nose in their business. Something that had absolutely nothing to do with the Father.

                                    ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"The witches were furious with Kieran." said Marcel. "Sophie tells me that the witches put a hex on his nephew Sean, made it seem like he was slowly losing his mind in order to distract Kieran, while they kept planning for the Harvest."

"So they attacked Kieran's nephew." Klaus realized.  

"Yeah. Kid wasn't the same after that, ended up going postal, killing all his fellow seminary students, all of them, and then himself."

"I might have read about that. The boy... killed a twin, or he was a twin or something." he said knowing the boy was Cami's twin.  

"Ah, no no no, they said he had a twin sister." Marcel said,

confirming his suspicions.

Marcel sipped at his liquor, while Klaus downed all of his in one gulp.

                                     ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Elijah still tinkered around with the broken violin as Davina had started packing her suitcase.

"So, enlighten me. What did you mean when you said you had to die?" Inquired Elijah.

"That's what the Harvest was." Davina informed him. "They said they'd put us four girls in a state of, like, peaceful limbo as part of the offering. And then later, at the Reaping, we'd awaken and be reborn. I never got as far as the limbo part, which means the Harvest isn't complete. That's why the witches are so freaked out. The Reaping is just around the corner, and if they don't finish it before then, it's over. All I have to do is wait it out."

"And then what?" asked Elijah.  

"They're punished, and I'm free." She stated, she hoped and dreamed of that day when this stupid nightmare she'd been living would finally be over.  

"From Marcel?" Elijah questioned.  

Davina shook her head. "Of magic." she corrected. "All our power will drain away. I'll be normal." she smiled slightly at the thought.  

"Is that what you want?" asked Elijah rather surprised she would want something so mundane. "To be normal?"

"I just don't wanna be what I am. I can't control it sometimes. Magic. I..." Davina's eyes grew wet, a feeling of guilt in her chest. "hurt people. Even when I don't mean to."

"Why don't you tell me about your friends." Elijah suggested encouragingly. "You must miss them."

"There's Tim. He doesn't know about any of this witch stuff. He's normal. My best friend, Monique. She was a part of the Harvest too." She replied before adding. "She's lucky. No one ever fought for me, but someone fought for her. The only one who ever spoke out against the Harvest was Monique's aunt."

"And who is that?" Elijah wondered.  

Davina sighed.  "Sophie Deveraux."

Elijah looked at her in shock at the name and everything he was learning about the Harvest and everyone involved.

                                       ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Sophie, Rebekah, Caroline, and Hayley walked through the Bayou to look for the dead witches.

"So, this Harvest thingy—tell me more." Rebekah told Sophie.

"Klaus said to wait." Sophie insisted.

"Yeah, you seemed to listen to everything he says." Caroline drawled out sarcastically. "Or we not out in the swamps?"

"Exactly," Rebekah waved a hand at Caroline. "here we are, amongst the crawly, buzzy creatures."

"We're here." Hayley announced suddenly.  

Caroline looked around and it was definitely the place where the witches were killed. Their bodies or what was left of them littered the ground in bloody ripped apart pieces, heads torn from the bodies.

Sophie's stomach churned in disgust, feeling sick to her stomach at the sight, she knelt down digging around in her bag for the ingredients she needed to consecrate her fallen witches.

Hayley's eyes widened as she caught sight of a huge pawprint in the mud. "Whoa." And not far from the pawprint there were three bloody scratches marking the bark of a tree.

Sophie's brow furrowed. "Is that a wolf track?"

Caroline's head whipped around when she heard a crunching noise like sticks being stepped on. Her eyes zeroed in on an approaching male as Rebekah called out. "Who's there?"

"Rebekah."

Rebekah followed Caroline's line of sight.

"What the hell? An Original?" The vampire questioned.

Caroline felt her chest tightened they couldn't let anyone know they were out in the bayou. She ran at him but he booked it.

"Caroline, no!" Rebekah cursed, under her breath. "Fuck.  

Caroline could hear Rebekah calling after her but she ignored her and pushed faster to catch up to the guy and by some miracle she did, stepping in his path.

"Get out of my way" he growled.

"Can't do that." she tensed when he advanced on her and it was like her body acted on instinct alone. When his hand reached out to grabbed her she grabbed his wrist before he could touch her, twisting it behind his back, she shifted behind him bringing her knee up before bringing it back down on the back of his leg, she heard the bones breaking as he collapsed to his knee with a cry of pain, acting quickly she gripped his head and gave it a violent twist, snapping his neck, she pushed him away, his body crumpling to the floor.

"I gotta say you're a quick learner."

Caroline looked to her left and saw Rebekah standing there. "I just reacted to my instincts." She let her instincts take over and it felt good. Fuck, did it feel good to be in control again. "Is this going to be a problem? Should we call Klaus?" She didn't wait for Rebekah to answer already nodding to her own question. "I'm gonna call, Klaus."

                                             ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Klaus glanced down at his phone ringing, Caroline's name flashing. "I have to take this." he didn't bother waiting for Marcel's response as he walked outside. "Caroline, is everything alright?"

" Depends on your definition? " She responded.

"Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

" No, I'm fine but I might have taken down one of Marcel's guys out in the bayou ." She hedged cautiously. " Well, Rebekah thinks he might be Marcel's informant."  

Klaus rolled his eyes heavenward. "And where was Rebekah during this encounter?"

"He caught me by surprise ." Rebekah huffed and realized Caroline must have handed her the phone.

"Let me understand this: against all logic, you, Caroline and Hayley went to the bayou, where you ran into a man you think may be Marcel's informant, and Caroline took him down?"

"She was quite efficient but now we have a problem, what do we do with him now that he saw us?"  

"I'll handle it, but I'll need a distraction," he told her. And he wanted to see that Caroline was unharmed with his own eyes.  

"I'm on my way." Rebekah hung up.

Klaus frowned, he would have rather talk to Caroline before she hung up. He pocketed his phone before going back inside.

"Your sister again?" asked Marcel as Klaus retook his seat at the bar.  

"She craves attention. So come along, you were just getting to the juicy bits."

"I can't joke around about this." said Marcel on a more serious note. "I've done a lot in my day, but I do have a rule about kids."

                                    ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"No one but Sophie ever questioned the Harvest." said Davina. "Not even my own mother. So neither did I. We thought it was such an honor, we had such faith." Her face twistedth bitterness. "We were so stupid."

"So how did it begin?" asked Elijah.

"We were led out like princesses. My mother was so proud."

                                   ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Night had fallen, and the four girls were led out into the Lafayette Cemetery by the elders to start the Harvest. There were birdbaths with liquid that was lit on fire burning around them, creating a bright orange glow.  

Bastiana started speaking. "Our magic fades as our ties to our ancestors weaken over time. We beseech them, accept this offering as a sign of our faith."

The girls knelt in a row in the middle of the crowd of people, of witches gathered.

                                       ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Bastiana, one of the Elders, called upon the four elements to bind our past and future magic together. Earth, to connect us to our ancestors. Water, to heal the community. Wind, to carry us to our ancestors and back. Fire, to purify." Davina went on to continue telling Elijah her story. "After all our preparation, we knew exactly what to expect. For weeks they told us that the magic in the knife they used to cut our palms would put us to sleep, and that later at the Reaping, we would all be resurrected. They said we'd awaken, and all be together and more powerful than ever. And it was just like we rehearsed it. All that was left was a little cut on our palms for the blood sacrifice."

                                       ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

The first girl in the row stood up to begin the Harvest but it was interrupted immediately after when Sophie ran into the cemetery.  "No! Stop! Bastiana, stop! You have to stop, Bastiana, please don't do this!"

A male witch wrapped his arms around Sophie restraining her, covering her mouth with his hand so she couldn't intervene further or scream creating a larger scene.

                                 ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Even after Sophie tried to stop it, we didn't suspect anything." Davina stated.

                                   ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"To be born, you must sacrifice. Do you have faith?" Bastina asked the girl.

The girl nodded in response and held out her hand for the blood sacrifice. But instead of taking her hand Bastiana slit the girl's throat, the young witch falling to the ground. The other three girls started to scream in terror, but they were restrained so that they couldn't run away. Davina's mother stared straight ahead at her daughter screams, unflinchingly.

                                              ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Everyone involved in the ritual knew that this would happen." Elijah realized.  

"Except the four of us. They weren't putting us to sleep, they were slaughtering us!" Davina said with pure betrayal.

                                                      ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

The next young witch was pushed forward and Bastiana slashed her throat despite her protests and her fear.

"No, no!" Davina screamed.

"Monique Deveraux." Bastina said.

"NO, NO, NOOO!" Davina screamed as a man forced Monique forward.  

                                           ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"I begged for someone to help. My own mother turned away from me." She recalled how much it hurt that her own mother didn't lift a single finger to help her. "Sophie screamed and screamed for her sister, anyone, to do something."

                                        ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

" What is wrong with you!?" Sophie screamed at them all in horror.  

A worried look flickered across Jane-Anne but still, she did nothing. Said nothing.  

                                     ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"But no one did." Said Davina, not a single member of their coven.

"And yet you survived." Elijah said pointedly. "Therefore, someone or something intervened."

Davina nodded. "Yes. Someone finally did."  

                                          ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Monique, run away! Run away!" Sophie shouted right before a shrill whistle cut through the horror and a group of vampires descended, killing the witches, led by one man. "Marcel."

                                  ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"You're the one who stopped it." Klaus stated, appraising Marcel closely.  

"Kieran knew every detail from Sophie. After his nephew's massacre in the church, he was so torn up. He left town just before the Harvest. But on his way out, he came to me, and he asked me to stop the Harvest. He knew I didn't want the witches getting any more power. And I do have a rule about people abusing kids, so, I did what he asked." Marcel shook his head ruefully. "But I was too late."

                                   ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

The vampires attacked the Elders. One of them ripping into Bastianna's throat, draining her dry before letting her dead boy fall to the ground, the magic knife she used to slit the girl's throats clattering to the ground. Agnes acted quickly picking up the fallen knife, grabbing Monique, slashing her throat clean open.

Davina screamed, hysterical and trying to break free of the arms around her as hard as she could. "No, Monique! Nooo! Let go of me! Stop it! Stop it! Let go of me! Stop it!"

Marcel watched as she screamed and rage and fought back, thrashing, headbutting the guy holding her in the face. Marcel sprung into action, killing the man quickly and taking Davina protectively into his arms. "I got you." He murmured, doing his best to assure her that she was safe. That he would protect her.

                                          ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"There was something about seeing Davina fight." Marcel said, sloshing his drink around in his glass. "She didn't just go along to the slaughter, you know?"

Klaus smiled slightly thinking of a younger version of the man sitting next to him. "I do... Marcellus."

A somber look came over Marcel. "I felt like she and I... we were kindred spirits. "

Klaus could understand where Marcel was coming from. He had felt the same when he met him.

                                     ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Marcel held Davina protectively to him while Sophie knelt on the ground, holding Monique's body in her lap. Grief-stricken, Sophie looked up at Marcel and Davina. Davina extended her hand out toward Monique. A light inside Monique leaked out from her body and into Davina's outstretched hand, Sophie and Marcel stare at her in utter amazement.

                                      ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Every girl who died released her power on to the next. When I was the last one, I suddenly had all of it, all the power that was supposed to be released back into the earth to appease our ancestors." Davina explained.

"So... the Harvest was actually working?" Elijah inquired.  

"Something was working." She couldn't be sure it was the harvest and she did not want to find out. "And I knew that I was supposed to be killed so the Harvest could be completed and we would all be resurrected. But, they lied to us about how they were killing us. How do I know they weren't lying to us about coming back?" She paused, falling silent for just a moment before admitting. "But mostly, I just didn't want to die. So, I let him save me. Marcel saved my life."

                                            ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Marcel watched the look of surprise flicker across Sophie's face and vamp-sped himself and Davina out of there before the witches could take her back and complete the sacrifice by killing her.

                                           ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Elijah felt a strong wave of disgusted by how Davina, someone who was still a child in the larger scheme of things was treated, he felt an equally strong wave of sympathy for her it was no wonder the girl latched onto Marcel and trusted him to keep her safe.

                                              ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

“You were quite the knight in shining armor, though Davina must realize you owe her as much as she owes you. You never could have banned the witches from using magic without her.” Klaus stated.  

“She's not exactly besties with them.” Marcel responded. “I'm protecting her. A lot of them would like to get their hands on her and kill her to finish the Harvest. If they don't, the other girls stay dead, and they lose their power.”

“And if they do, you lose yours.” Klaus said knowingly.  

“And Davina loses her life.” Marcel stated.  

“Isn't this like old times?” Rebekah said in greeting announcing her arrival. “Just how drunk are you two?”

“Skating on the razor's edge.” Klaus responding intentionally slurring his words as if he was actually drunk. “I'm gonna use the loo. Back in a tick.”

“I haven't seen him this lushy since the '20s.” Said Rebekah, once he got up from his seat, disappearing from sight.  

“So you came to take him home?” asked Marcel.

“Why else would I be here?” She responded.  

“I don't know. Maybe to make sure I didn't get too drunk and spill secrets better left unspilled about you and me. I know better.” He told her.  

“I hope so because you don't wanna end up on the wrong side of me.” she threatened.  

“Oh, Rebekah Mikaelson.” he said, locking his gaze on hers. “You do not wanna be on the wrong side of me.”

The two stare at each other intently, gazes lock, a quiet tension falling over them.

                                                 ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Klaus walked outside glancing around before taking off heading for tha Bayou. It didn’t take long for him to hear Sophie complaining. “Marcel is going to notice his guy missing. You shouldn’t have done that.”

“No, I should have just let him go back to Marcel with what he saw.” Caroline retorted. “That would have been a much better option. Wouldn’t it? All you care about is consecrating your dead witches.”

“If I don’t their power could be lost forever.” Sophie insisted.

“And won’t that be tragic you could no longer control peoples lives to suit your own agenda.” Caroline sniped.

“Could you two stop arguing for five minutes.” Hayley snapped annoyed with their bickering. “You’re going to lead someone straight to us.”

“Too late for that.” Klaus stated, watching as Caroline whirled around her annoyed expression quickly fading.

“Klaus.” She said and there was an edge of relief in her voice that he enjoyed.

He moved toward and glanced at the body she stood over. “I take this is, Marcel’s informant, Tomas?”

Caroline nodded. “I just acted when I saw him and I have no idea what we’re supposed to do with him now.”

Klaus settled his hand on her shoulder. “No, you did good. You weren’t hurt were you?” He asked his eyes looking her over carefully.

“No, it was over really fast,” Caroline said, a little surprised that she had taken care of him so quickly.

“Don’t sound surprise, Love.” He grinned at her. “I think you’ll find you’re more than exceptional when you set your mind to something.”

“Are you going to flirt with Caroline until he wakes up or can we get to the issue at hand.” Sophie waved a hand at the currently dead vampire.

Klaus shot her a glare. “Mind your tongue.” before ignoring her completely turning back to Caroline. “I’ll take care of this.” he told Caroline. “Do try not to get in any more trouble, will you?"

“No promises there.” Caroline knew how much trouble and her seemed to go hand in hand these days. “What are you going to do to him. You can’t kill him, you’ll tip Marcel off.”

“Let me worry about that,” Klaus stated, scooping up the body, throwing it over his shoulder. “I’ll see you back at the house, Love.”

Caroline watched as he sped away.

“It’s like we weren’t even here.” Sophie grumbled. It was like he had Caroline blinders or something. If she was near that was all he cared about.

“It’s not surprising.” Hayley glanced around the forest. “Now that that’s taken care of we should hurry this long before more of Marcel’s men show up.”

Caroline had to agree. Maybe next time she wouldn’t be so lucky in taking the enemy down so quickly but man did it feel good.

                                            ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Klaus glanced around at his surroundings outside the bar, making sure no one was around before stuffing Thomas’s body into the back of his car, carelessly, shutting the door. That was one problem taken care of.

                                      ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Elijah proudly presented Tim's violin to Davina. “You may return this now to its rightful owner. It's restored.”

Davina accepted the instrument, staring at it with a sad expression.  “I don't even know if I'll see him again.”

The room started to shake as if there was an earthquake. Elijah and Davina looked around worriedly, the window shutters burst open as the shaking abruptly stopped.

Elijah looked at the young witch in worry realizing she couldn’t control the power that she had. “Davina, this power that you contain, drawn from your fallen friends—it's too much for you. You need control which requires study and practice.” This was a way for him to gain her trust and possibly an ally in her.  “Now, my mother was a very powerful witch. She left behind her grimoires, a legacy of books filled with spells. These books contain all of the tools that you might need to control your magic. If you free me from here, I can share them with you. However, if you leave now with Marcel, we'll never see each other again, and I cannot find you, and I can't help you.”

Davina glared at him. “The witches manipulated me. You know how that ended.”

“This is not manipulation. This is one thing in exchange for another. I'm offering you a deal.” Elijah responded, hoping she would consider her options.

                                             ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Klaus entered the bar again only to find Marcel was gone just as Rebekah was returning from the restroom.

“That was fast work, Rebekah.” He praised almost tauntingly.

“Where's Marcel? In there, touching up his lipstick?”

Rebekah shot him a disgusted look. “Credit me with some taste, it's filthy in there. Where'd he go?”

Klaus’s eyes narrowed. “He didn't tell you he was leaving?”

“No.” she frowned. “Do you think he realized we were stalling him?”

“No.” but then it occurred to Klaus. “Unless... he was stalling us.”

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Marcel bursts into Davina's room. He wasn’t sure how much time he had until Klaus realized he had been stalling him. He was completely unaware of Elijah hiding in his own coffin. “Okay, now's our shot. You ready to blow this joint?”

Davina smiled. “Can't wait.”

Marcel grabbed  Davina's suitcase.  “We'll leave Elijah behind as a parting gift. Might buy me a little forgiveness for pulling one over on his siblings. Let's go.”

The two leave the attic with Davina giving her room a final parting glance before she followed Marcel.

Elijah waited till they were out of earshot before pulling himself out of his coffin.

Downstairs, Marcel walked ahead of Davina but she stopped suddenly in the middle of the church's main room, and he turned to look back at her, concerned.  “What's wrong? What's happening?"

The church started shaking, ”I don’t know. Something’s wrong.” her body tensed up as she started spasming.

Marcel ran up to her, to help her in any way he could.

“Marcel. There's something dangerous out there.” she warned. “Take me back!” she demanded before losing consciousness.  

Marcel caught her before she could collapse to the ground. “Damn it.”  He picked her up carrying her back to her room.

Elijah, smiled waiting in the doorway, he hid before Marcel reached the room.

Marcel placed her on to her bed, tucking her in, and looking at her with a tender look for just a moment before taking his leave.  

Once he was gone, Davina opened her eyes and lifted her head, dropping the act.  

                                               ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Marcel and Davina entered the attic room for the first time. “No one's gonna look for you here. It's only for a little while, 'til I get you out of town and someplace safe.” he reassured her. “For now I can get you whatever you want. What do you like to do? “

“Draw.” she whispered, nervous.  

“An artist, huh? That's cool, okay. I can buy out Vincent's for you tomorrow. Maybe get you some curtains, or–”

“Marcel?” She interrupted. “You know what I really want?” she paused for just a beat. “I wanna make them pay.” and Marcel nodded in response.  

                                                      ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Davina sat up in the bed when she was sure Marcel was gone. “Elijah?” she called out.  

Elijah emerged from where he had hidden himself. “I'm pleased you stayed.”

“You'll keep your promise about your mother's spell book?” Davina questioned.  

“I will.” Elijah said. “You know, difficulties aside, I value my family above everything. I am sorry that yours failed you.”

“Your brother Klaus handed you to Marcel in a box, yet you still don't give up on him?” Davina questioned, having trouble understanding how that was possible.  

“Well, I've given up on giving up.” said Elijah. “It's an affliction. I will fight for my family until my last breath.”

“And I'll fight the witches until mine.” Davina declared. She wanted them to pay for everything they have done.

                                                  ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

“Now what? You just gonna leave her up there for anybody to find?” Father Kieran questioned as Marcel was leaving the chuch..

“I'm not in the mood, Kieran.” Marcel responded annoyed.  

“You were supposed to get her out of New Orleans after the Harvest.” Father Kieran reminded him. “We failed those other three girls, we didn't fail her. That is why I came to you for help. That was the plan.”

“Plans change.” Marcel told him.  

“Especially after you found out how powerful she was.” said Father Kieran with judgment.  

“Let's get something straight.” Marcel tired of the Father’s judgment. “For eight months since you left, I've been running this town just fine. I don't need you coming back and gettin' in my business. I will do what I want, where I want. Got it?”

“You wanna be the boss? You wanna call the shots?” Father Kieran shot back defensively. “Fine. But I call the shots with the humans. And you don't wanna make an enemy of me. So, I would suggest one thing—stay away from my niece.”

“Fine. Who the hell's your niece?” Marcel asked.  

“Cami.” Father Kieran answered causing Marcel to stop in his tracks, processing what Kieran just revealed to him before huffing in frustration and leaving.

                                                   ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Night had fallen, Hayley, Caroline, and Sophie were returning to Sophie's truck

“Those people, all this, because of a vision about these babies, you don't think it’s true?” Hayley wondered.

Caroline frowned at Hayley. “These Babies? That’s how you address your children?”

Hayley shifted, uncomfortably, glancing quickly at Sophie before looking back at Caroline. “I meant my babies.”

“Look, I love Sabine, but she's the witch equivalent of a drama queen.” Sophie cut in quickly, hoping to distract Caroline. “I've learned to take little stock in whatever she says or sees. Just kinda wish she'd kept her mouth shut.”

“The Harvest ritual. You said you didn't believe in it. Were you right?” asked Hayley.  

“No. I saw it with my own eyes.” Sophie answered. “It was working. It was real.”

“So, how can you be so sure Sabine's vision isn't?” Asked Hayley.

Sophie didn’t have an answered because the truth was if it was true those babies would have to be killed.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s true are not,” said Caroline strongly. “Your children are going to be a target simply because Klaus is their father. You shouldn’t be worrying about something that might not come to pass and focus on keeping them safe.”

“And you would be so willing to protect them?” asked Sophie. She wondered how Caroline could speak so fiercely about children that she didn’t even know were actually her’s.

“Yes.” Caroline said without hesitation. Beyond the fact that Klaus fathered the twins Hayley carried they were two innocent babies who didn’t ask for any of this for that fact alone she would protect them.

Hayley’s hand drifted to her stomach self-consciously, feeling protective of the babies inside of her even as guilt filled her.

                                                   ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Marcel walked into the courtyard of the Abattoir not surprised to find Klaus waiting for him.

Klaus stood on the top of a cement barrier. “Taking me on a field trip to distract me. Pathetic. And obvious—I taught you better than that.”

“You taught me to protect what's mine.” Marcel countered. “You will not take Davina from me—end of story.”

“An immutable law of nature, Marcel, is the strong always take from the weak.”

“Oh, if you were so strong, you wouldn't have run away from New Orleans like a little bitch, all those years ago.” Marcel responded with ire.  

Klaus jaw clenched at the insult, jumping down from where he was standing, his fist slamming into Marcel. “You've been playing king with a bunch of children for too long. Don't mistake me for one of your nightwalker lackeys, Marcel. I can take Davina anytime I like.”

Marcel lunged for Klaus in retaliation but was knocked back down, hitting the ground, he looked up and Elijah stood there.

“Do forgive me, Marcel. If anyone is to teach my brother a lesson... it's me.”

Klaus stared at his brother in shock, his jaw clenching. He had spent so much time trying to get Elijah back yet here he stood in front of him and if he was honest with himself he wasn’t all too pleased to see him.

                                                       ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

“You did good out there today, Caroline.” Rebekah told Caroline grabbing three glasses, they had returned to the Mikaelson mansion. “I didn’t expect you to take down Marcel’s informant so easily.”  

Caroline smiled at the compliment as Rebekah poured several drinks as she started speaking to Hayley. “I don't care if we have to get you a leash, that was your last trip to the bayou.” Rebekah said to Hayley as she poured three glasses. “What is it with you and those wolves, anyway?”

“I feel like we're connected somehow. I don't know. Maybe it's just some pipe dream that I have of finding any real family out there.” She hoped she wasn’t deluding herself that she could find any semblance of her real family out there. She didn’t want everything she had done to be for nothing. “But sometimes, when I feel like it's me against the world, it keeps me going.”

Rebekah gave Hayley a sympathetic look and handed her a drink.

“She can’t have that!” Caroline protested as Hayley side-eyed Rebekah.

A look passed over Rebekah as she remembered that because of Hayley being pregnant that she should not be drinking. “Oh, right.” Rebekah shrugged and gulp down the glass she poured for Hayley in one go. “Well, if you ask me, family is a pain in the behind.” She held a glass out to Cariline as Hayley rolled her eye.

Caroline accepted the drink. “Thanks.”  

“And as for being in it alone, how dare you? I don't ruin a perfectly fabulous pair of boots traipsing through the bayou for just anyone.” Rebekah told Hayley sending her a pointed look.

Hayley smiled and Rebekah downed her second drink. The conversation between the girls was interrupted when Klaus came walking through the front door.

“Klaus.” Caroline smiled. “Finally, I-” she trailed off as Elijah walked in behind him with a huge smile and she tensed instinctively, remembering how he had invaded her mind.

“Elijah!” Rebekah broke out into a smile, running to Elijah and hugging him tightly. “You’re safe.”

Caroline not really wanting to stick around for Elijah’s reunion, downed her glass before reaching for the bottle, walking past Elijah and Rebekah, offering Klaus a faint smile as she passed him, heading outside.

Klaus brow furrowed as he watched her head outside. He wasn’t the least bit surprised that Rebekah was thrilled Elijah was back but he was surprised by Caroline’s reaction. Caroline had not gotten the chance to get to know Elijah yet but still, she seemed less than pleased about his return.

Klaus threw one more look at his siblings, watching as his brother went in obvious search of Hayley. Klaus turned, walking back outside. He didn’t see Caroline right away, which had him tensing. He scanned the grounds and caught sight of her walking to the apple tree and taking a seat on the ground with her back against it.

He tilted his head watching her a moment as she took a drink from the bottle of bourbon she had grabbed, he frowned wondering what was wrong.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Caroline sat back against the tree, her hands peeling at the label of the bottle she held.

She was happy for Klaus and Rebekah. That they had gotten their brother back but that didn’t mean she had to like it. It was conflicting to be happy for them but also not liking it. When Elijah was around she felt like she had to have her guard up every second, not wanting him to mess with her head again.

She looked up at approaching footsteps to see Klaus. “What are you doing out here?” he asked.

“Wanted some fresh air.” she said in answer.

Klaus didn’t think she needed to come all the way out here for fresh air. He took the last few steps forward taking a seat beside her against the tree, his arm brushing against hers. “What’s wrong?”

Caroline turned her head to look at him and found his intense blue gaze on her expectantly. She looked away, avoiding, his eyes. “Nothing.” she dismissed.

“I don’t believe that.” Klaus shook his head, he turned his body toward hers, reaching to cup her cheek and direct her eyes back to him. “Tell me what’s wrong? What’s bothering you?”

Caroline stared back at his searching his gaze and felt compelled to tell him the truth. Not because he was trying to compel her because he wasn’t and she knew he wouldn’t. But because of the concern in his gaze, left her with the feeling of being pulled toward him in the best way. “Your brother? Elijah. I don’t like being around him. I don’t trust him not to try and mess with my head like before.”

“You mean when the witches had you and he searched through your memories?” Klaus frowned. “It really bothers you, doesn’t it? Having someone mess with your head?” He recalled how she reacted when she learned he was compelling Cami, a woman, she didn’t even know. Her dislike for the way he controlled his hybirds. How determined she was to not let Silas into her head again.

“No one likes having their head mess with.” She avoided looking into his eyes by looking over his shoulder.

Klaus felt anger boiling at the surface, a quiet rage feeling his chest but it wasn’t for him or his family or his plans. No, this anger had far more importance. There was only one reason why Caroline could possibly feel so passionately about this. Someone had messed with her head and since vampires couldn’t compel other vampires it had to have happened when she was still human. “Who?” his voice was low with anger, taking on a darker tone than he usually used with her.

“What?” Caroline brow furrowed in confusion.

“Who messed with your head when you were still human?” He demanded, his hand gripped her arm. “Who compelled you?!”

Caroline glanced down at his hand, his grip tight before dragging her eyes back to his. Klaus realizing he might be hurting her lessen his grip and brushed his hand down her arm until he could grasp her smaller hands in between his larger one. “Tell me?”

Caroline was sure if she told him the truth he would kill Damon and she couldn’t allow that. Not because he didn’t deserve it because there was a part of her that would always believe he deserved whatever he got for what he did to her. But because of how much Stefan loved his brother and she wouldn’t wish that loss on her best friend regardless of her anti-Damon feelings.

“Caroline..” His thumb brushed against her wrist, making goosebumps rise on her flesh. “Tell me.”

Still, she hesitated even though he was looking at her so imploring sounding completely earnest and genuine.

“Please, Caroline.” his other hand reached out to cup her cheek. “I need to know.” He had to know so he could make the person pay in the worst way imaginable.

Caroline opened and closed her mouth, her hand reaching up to grip the one he had on her cheek, seeing the concern, the need to know who hurt her, Caroline felt herself giving in. “You can’t kill him.”

“Kill who?” he just needed a name and they would pay for their mistreatment of her.

“You have to promise me you won’t kill him.” If she was going to tell him she had to know she wasn’t signing Damon’s death warrant.

Klaus clenched his jaw, reluctant to make a promise he was certain he would break.

“Promise me.” Caroline insisted, her hand tightening around his.

Klaus breathed deeply, his chest rising and falling with the movement. “I promise.”

Caroline watched him for any sign that he was lying before nodding more to herself than him. “Damon.” she admitted slowly. “It was Damon.”

Klaus' eyes thinned, jaw clenching, he had to keep his hands from, tensing not wanting to hurt her as he slowly removed his hand from hers, not certain his anger wouldn’t get the better of him in a moment of impulsiveness. “What he did he do? What manner did he compel you?”

Caroline frowned as she looked away, her eyes closing as she forced the memories of those few weeks with Damon to the back of her mind as they started to surface.

“Caroline.” Klaus’s hand squeezed around her own, bringing her eyes back to him slowly.

“When I met Damon I was still human. Honestly, I was an insecure mess. I felt like everything I did back then was in competition with Elena. So when Damon showed up showing an interest in me it felt like a win.” She murmured quietly. “But it wasn’t. That first night I slept with him on my own but he fed on me and when I woke up I was terrified, I remember what he had done.”

Klaus felt rage coursing through him that Damon would dare feed on Caroline, prey on her insecurities. But he forced himself not to react physically, feeling there was more to the story and we wanted to know all of it. He didn’t want Caroline shutting down on him now that he convinced her to tell him something so personal. “What happened after?”

“I fought him but he attacked me again and later he compelled to be okay with the fact that he was a vampire. He fed on me, treated me like a human blood bag.” She shook her head in disgust. “He had me run stupid errands for him, he was cruel, I was nothing but a puppet that he could feed on anytime he wanted.” Her fist clenched, muscles tightening, her stomach turned like acid. “It went on for a few weeks” she muttered in utter disgust.

“Damon controlled you, he took your choices away.” The words were said through clenched teeth, his voice lethal.

Caroline nodded slowly. "Yes, he took my choices away. My actions were not always my own."

The thought of anyone taking Caroline's choices away from her, controlling her actions, feeding on her like she was nothing but a walking blood bad angered him. He wanted to tear Damon apart.

Klaus reached up, cupping her face, his other one wrapping around her hand. “You deserved so much better than what Damon Salvatore did to you. No one should have treated you like that.” he paused, his hand tightening around her hand as he felt it tremble in his grip. “Does your mom know?”

“No.” Caroline gave her head a shake. “I never told her.”

“What about Stefan? Elena? Do they know what he was doing to you?”

Caroline admitted in a whisper. “They knew what was going on.”

“And they did nothing!” Klaus responded heatedly unable to keep his opinion to himself. “Because of your friends, Elena, you had to pretend like nothing was wrong!”

“These friends of yours that you’re so determined to stay loyal to they don’t deserve you none of them. You’re worth so much more, Caroline,” he cupped her face with both his hands. “You deserve people in your life who will always put you first. You deserve someone who would show you even a fraction of the loyalty you have shown your worthless friends.”

Caroline bit her lip to keep it from trembling. “And that someone’s supposed to be you?” she asked her voice somber.

“I’ll be whoever you want me to be.” Klaus told her. “But more importantly I will never let anyone treat you the way you’ve been treated, I will never let anyone hurt you.”

His words hit her in the chest, causing the pain she felt to lessen. She knew he meant every word and she felt a gratitude that what she’d been through hadn’t just been swept under the rug because it was convenient. She couldn’t stop her self as she reached out, gripping fistfuls of his shirt and tugging him forward, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Klaus’s hands fell away stunned by her embrace but seconds later he wrapped one around her and stroked a hand through her hair as she buried her face in the crook of her shoulder. “I promise, you’ll never have your choices taken from you again.”

And when the time came and he saw Damon again he would make him pay, he wouldn’t kill him.

He would make him suffer in ways he never imagined. His eyes blackened taking on the look of his hybrid eyes, hugging her more tightly to his body as he continued stroke a hand through her blonde strands.

Caroline's arms tightened around, feeling a wave of comfort as his hand's stroke through her hair, his strong arms around her making her feel like there was not a single thing on this earth that could hurt her in this moment.

It could have been seconds or minutes or longer but footsteps sounded before they were being interrupted. “Niklaus, come inside, I have information to share.”

Caroline pulled away at the sound of Elijah’s voice and tried to compose herself, putting more distance between her and Klaus.

“Not now, Elijah.” Klaus snapped, annoyed with the intrusion.

“This is important Niklaus.” Elijah insisted, looking between the two.

Klaus snapped his gaze around to his brother. “I said not now, Elijah!”

“No, it’s fine.” Caroline stood up, brushing grass from her pants. “It could be important.”

Klaus stood, taking her hand in his and catching her eye. “ You’re importan t, Caroline.”

Caroline shot him a warm smile, appreciating his words. “So is this.” She looked at Elijah her warm smile fading. “We’re coming.”

Elijah observed the two, his eyes zeroing on his brother’s grasp on Caroline’s hand with a thoughtful look before he nodded, walking back toward the house.

“Thank you.” Caroline told Klaus, taking a step closer to him when Elijah was gone and brushed a lingering kiss to his cheek, her free hand, gripping his shoulder.

Klaus nodded in surprise, squeezing her hand, his eyes taking her in, feeling more connected to her than he had before.

Caroline gently removed her hand from his and nodded to the house with a small smile. “We should join the others.”

Klaus nodded reluctantly, grabbing up the last bit of the bottle finishing it off and tossing it aside, before placing a hand on her lower back as they the walk back to the house. A comfortable silence between them.

                                                ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

The Mikaelson siblings, Hayley and Caroline sat around the study in various places, Elijah stood behind the desk in the room, explaining everything that he had managed to learn from Davina. “Everything that brought us here to New Orleans was a lie.”

A trickle of fear traveled down Hayley’s spine. They couldn’t know the truth about her and Sophie, could they? The truth about the babies she carried?

“This story that Sophie Deveraux fabricated, this struggle for control of the French Quarter, this war between vampires and witches, wasn't over territory at all, this was over Davina.”

Relief hit her like a wave but she did her best not to outwardly show it. She was just glad that they hadn’t found out the truth of her envolvement with Sophie or how she had stolen something, two something’s that were never meant to be hers but was a price she was willing to pay if it meant she got her family back. Her pack.  

“So all of this for one girl?” Caroline asked, trying to understand. It was a lot to go through all to get to one girl.

“She isn’t just any one girl.” Elijah responded.

                                            ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

“I swear, I had no idea that the Harvest could possibly be real!” Sophie argued, to her sister in the back room of Rousseau’s. Her face was filled with guilt and grief, eyes wet with tears.  

“But the one thing that you were sure of is that I was wrong and that I would risk Monique's life on a maybe. And now my daughter is dead.” Jane-Anne cried, face grief-stricken.  

“Please tell me how to fix this.” Sophie pleaded desperately.  

“Now that Marcel has Davina, how we are even supposed to find her? If we don't finish the Harvest, Monique and those two other girls are dead for real.” Jane-Anne responded, sounding defeated, lost.

Sophie stepped toward her sister, grabbing her hands.  “Look at me. You and I are gonna find a way to get Monique back.” She said firmly, face set in determination. “It'll be our little secret. We'll do it together. I'll seal off the cemetery from the vampires, find Davina, stop Marcel and finish the ritual once and for all. Even if I have to slit Davina's throat myself.”

Jane-Anne nodded, holding tightly to her sister’s hand as she gave her something to hope for. A chance to get her daughter back. No matter the cost.  

                                            ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

“Eight months ago, Sophie Deveraux and her sister Jane-Anne lost everything. Now, four months after that, a young pregnant girl wanders into their restaurant. Suddenly, all hope is renewed. Jane-Anne actually sacrificed her life so that her sister could use Hayley to find Davina. If Sophie Deveraux is successful in capturing Davina, she can return Jane-Anne's daughter back to life.” Said Elijah with weight, looking at each of them. “We thought we'd come here to wage a war for power. This is about family. In order to return her niece to life, Sophie Deveraux will fight to the death. That makes her more dangerous than anyone.”

                                                     ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Sophie kneeled in front of Jane-Anne's grave at Lafayette Cemetery in the pouring rain, crying. She was not going to let her sister’s death be in vain. She would get her niece, Sophie back at any cost. And she didn’t care who she had to sacrifice to do it.

                                                 ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Hayley slipped out of the room with the excuse that she was tired but the truth was she needed a moment, breathing deeply, she pushed down the fear that they would find out the truth. She knew if Klaus ever did find out she would be as good as dead. No amount of pleading, begging or negotiating would save her.

She prayed to a god she didn’t even believe in that if Klaus ever did find out the truth she would be long gone.  

Notes:

The Klaus and Caroline scene discussing her experience with compelling was not what I wrote at first. I changed it cause I didn't want to offend anyone but I will be posting the original scene I had planned separately if you want to check it out. It may be triggering so if you're easily triggered you shouldn't read it or if you're a big Damon fan.

Thanks for reading and the continued support for this story. It keeps me motivated.

[wellhalesbells]

i’ve been getting a lot of messages lately (and unsurprisingly, considering how unrepentantly i’ve been reblogging stuff from them) from followers asking me for podcast recommendations - and i love getting those so thank you, guys! - and i thought i’d make a masterpost of what i’ve both a) finished and b) enjoyed since i’ve started bingeing them.  and, as an extra added bonus, what has canonical lgbt+ representation (since i know what you guys are into [waggles eyebrows]).

1. the bright sessions

canon lgbt+ is a ✓.  this is definitely the first podcast that i’ve fallen in love with as hard as my original gateway podcast: welcome to night vale.  it’s so well-written, the characters well-drawn, the premise fascinating - atypicals, or people with some sort of special ability, in therapy - and it’s such a positive story and experience that i can’t help but feel better on days i listen to it.  it really believes in humanity and that’s such a wonderful thing in this day and age.  plus, the voice acting is killer.

2. eos 10

canon lgbt+ is a ✓.  i don’t think it’s been officially confirmed that dr. dalias is, at the very least, bisexual (in fact, the official channels seem to be dancing around it, possibly so as not to spoil anything in the upcoming season), though it’s been hinted at plenty in story.  especially as i don’t know how else you can explain a supposedly “straight” male character getting called out on repeatedly thinking about a naked man during a group mind-link experience.  that aside, it is freaking hilarious.  the premise is doctors in space, one formerly drug-addicted doctor helping to stabilize a currently alcoholic one with amazing side characters including nurse jane johns and levi, a hypochondriac alien and deposed prince who seems to have a personal vendetta against wearing pants.  it’s well-acted, cleverly written and a freaking joy to listen too.  so funny and so smart, i can’t recommend it enough!

3. the penumbra podcast

canon lgbt+ is a ✓.  so much queer representation it’s bananas.  this ask the creators got is actually pretty representative of their approach to the show, slyly funny and very gay.  our main character is a genderbending queer private investigator who’s lost his heart head over a sweet-smelling thief with a heart of gold and more aliases than jennifer garner, all set against a noir backdrop.  oh, and on mars.  yeah, you read all of that right.  there are a few awesome side stories as well, including a couple of horror ones (that have no effect on the main juno steel story line, so can be skipped - and the creators are VERY GOOD about warning what’s to come in the episode notes), as well as lesbian outlaws and a disabled knight.  there’s literally nothing not to love.  EXCEPT FOR HOW JUNO STEEL WON’T LET HIMSELF HAVE NICE THINGS.

4. the black tapes

hey, hi, if you’re into horror, suspense, creepery or demons, this is so very much for you.  the premise is that alex reagan, our host, begins a podcast to interview people with interesting professions.  she starts out with dr. richard strand, a paranormal investigator whose mission statement is to debunk all things paranormal.  he even has an institute that offers a one million dollar prize for proof of the paranormal, which he has never even come close to having to part with.  while alex is interviewing him, she comes across a handful of black vhs tapes: the only cases that strand hasn’t been able to definitively solve yet.  the technology to disprove these incidents simply hasn’t come far enough, in his opinion.  needless to say, she never moves on from dr. strand and the mystery of the black tapes.  each episode, alex investigates another of the black tapes and much later on realizes it’s possible that they’re all connected.  oh my god, i almost got chills just writing that, it’s so good, it’s so real, because dr. strand is such a good anchor to reality.  alex will occasionally lose her skeptic’s perspective; dr. strand does not.  and once alex starts experiencing intense insomnia, making you realize your narrator might not be so reliable?  things somehow manage to get even murkier.  i really, really adored this one.  it’s paranormal set in the most normal of normal worlds, only making it that much spookier.  or, alternatively, avoid this like the motherfucking plague.  [curtsies]  if you’re still intrigued, stop after season one.  two, if you can’t find it in yourself to get off the ride any earlier.  ZEUS HELP YOU IF YOU CONTINUE ON, I AM THE OLD MAN AT THE GAS STATION WARNING YOU TO GO BACK BEFORE YOU’VE GONE TOO FAR, ON YOUR HEAD BE IT IF YOU DECIDED NOT TO HEED IT.

5. wooden overcoats

canon lgbt+ is a ✓.  okay, well, if you’ve ever watched black books?  this is kind of like black books, aka one of my all-time favorite shows.  rudyard funn is just as incapable and universally disliked as bernard black, which was all well and good when the village of piffling vale (which is very nearly a town, you know!) only had one funeral home to choose from.  unfortunately, that’s not the case anymore.  eric chapman has moved his funeral home right across the street and stolen all the business from rudyard, his embalmer (cum part-owner) and twin sister, antigone, and georgie, their assistant.  to add insult to injury, he’s charming and universally adored by everyone except those at funn funerals.  very british, very ridiculous, and very funny!  WE GET THE BODY IN THE COFFIN IN THE GROUND ON TIME.  (well, like that one time they did.  [coughs])

6. ars pardoxica

canon lgbt+ is a ✓.  i listened to this one pretty slowly, for me.  it’s very much plot over character, at least in my opinion.  which is fair since there’s quite a lot of plot and set dressing to establish.  we’re following (dr.) sally grissom, a scientist from the twenty-first century who accidentally creates time travel and ends up stuck back in the 1940s.  think a bombs and eisenhower.  it was always interesting, and the paradoxes created by the time travel experiments they kept doing were fascinating (i love time travel stuff because of the paradoxes it creates) but i didn’t get really ravenous for it until season two, which is when i really felt it picked up speed.  you’ve got anthony stuck in a literal CAGE - a “blackroom” bubble set outside of time, sally trying to garden (oh god), a gang consisting of a veteran, a (former) widow and time doubles trying to bring down ODAR (the company sally used to work for, and that anthony still does) and esther sliding down the ladder of morally unsound one determined rung at a time and it makes for a REALLY grabbing audio drama, eh?

7. the strange case of starship iris

canon lgbt+ is a ✓.  i’m already in love with violet liu, all right?  she’s a science officer on starship iris--well, what was starship iris.  when we first join violet, every single one of her crew mates has just died in an explosion on the pod they were traveling off ship with and the starship iris is in its last throes as well.  luckily(?) a passing ship comes along with a plan to get her to safety.  this has a real illuminae vibe to it (which is an amazing book btw) and all the characters are already so freaking likable.  it’s only on episode two and already shaping up to be a favorite!

8. the orbiting human circus (of the air)

canon lgbt+ is a ✓.  if there’s a more heart-warming podcast out there, then i haven’t run across it yet.  first of all, julian koster’s voice is so vulnerable and soft that i would use myself and everyone i know and also puppies as a shield against everything terrible in the universe for him.  second, the rest of the cast - leticia especially - is just as freaking talented.  the premise is that julian is the janitor at a radio show that broadcasts from the top of the eiffel tower and has strange and impossible acts every night, from tale-telling crickets to singing saws to the orkestral, a bird that can play every orchestral instrument (except that it refuses to play the viola, because reasons).  it’s fun and cute and breaks your heart with happiness regularly and often!

9. alice isn’t dead

canon lgbt+ is a ✓.  this is a horror podcast about a truck driver who is looking for her missing wife.  jasika nicole has to have one of my favorite voices around and having it be so heavily dependent on that makes me ridiculously happy.  throw in the story-telling of joseph fink, the depth and cohesiveness of his writing, and there is nothing not to love here.

10. within the wires

canon lgbt+ is a ✓.  this is really sufficiently creepy considering it’s not often overtly creepy.  this is set up as a series of relaxation tapes, which progressively get more and more interested in helping the listener break out of the facility in which she’s being kept.  super chilling at times, because the voice is so calm and the action so dangerous.

11. welcome to night vale

canon lgbt+ is a ✓.  okay, well, what more can be said about this at this point?  if you’re not listening to it, you’re wrong.  why wouldn’t you want to visit a town that can’t be visited and where every conspiracy theory is real and a part of everyday life?  yeah, everyone knows about the vague yet menacing government agency, steve carlsberg, you’re not hitting on anything new there.  there’s a dog park that doesn’t allow dogs, angels that are never to be identified as angels, mountains that aren’t real, a glow cloud that--ALL HAIL and a love story so complete and perfect that it can and will utterly steal your breath at times.  go, listen, inhale.

[thejgatsbykid]

[warning that my opinion is “I hate this book and I hate Edward Rochester in particular” so if ur gonna not like that don’t read it and it’s My Opinion that I’m not really trying to present as defensible and well-founded literary analysis so i’m not super interested in arguing abt it either]

Cause, listen, having refreshed my memory of Jane Eyre, my thing abt the Brontes is that they very clearly are the kind of people who don’t… like, they think love w/out Drama is somehow less valid/not Real? which, like, I can get behind thinking angst makes for a better story and I can get behind thinking that the couple that’s good together from the get-go and doesn’t have to struggle at all for their love is less engaging as a narrative for a novel for whom romance is, if not the focal point, a major element. But the think about the Brontes is that I remember learning about them in high school and learning that they were super like isolated from the world (not a historian, don’t know much about them, but I remember being taught they basically didn’t leave their house much at all for whatever reason) and I remember reading Wuthering Heights and thinking “yeah, the fact that they never talked to other people really shows through in their writing.”

Bc, like, and I’ll bring this back to Jane Eyre (which I haven’t read in a long time so I’m working off the memories of hating it when I read it and refreshing myself on plot and character summaries), I have this whole speech abt why I dislike the Brontes, and it’s basically “there’s like, normal human behavior in the real world, and then slightly to the left of that is how characters behave in books, bc it can’t be 100% exactly like Real Human Behavior and that’s fine and the space between book-people and real-people behavior is generally like excused by the fact that it’s fiction and we suspend our disbelief. But the thing about the Brontes is that you can tell they’re getting a lot of their ideas about people from books, which puts their baseline of “normal people behavior” at the slightly-to-the-left that most of us call “fictional people behavior” so then THEIR characters are slightly to the left of THAT, which puts them well outside where I’m personally comfortable suspending my disbelief” and I acknowledge that a lot of people can suspend their disbelief further than me and accept characters like Heathcliff, but I just can’t, because it’s not outside the realm of believable fictional characters in any way that isn’t just SUPER bad.

Anyway bringing this back to Jane Eyre: I checked wikipedia to look at its genre (bc conventions of genre do affect the way you read novels and analyze and understand them) and it told me it was a bildungsroman, which like, listen. I adored Jane Eyre, I loved the first part of it, I loved her at school, I was all about it, right up until she fell in love w/ Mr Rochester, bc I was vibing so hard w/ Jane as a character, I loved her, I admired her resilience, and when she started being into Mr Rochester I was like “wait wait, stop. But he’s awful.” bc up until that point he’d been… a big old dick to her! And my primary memories of his behavior are as being largely just… mean, and manipulative, and underhanded, and even though I went into it expecting to like it (bc people always lump the Brontes and Austen together, which I resent DEEPLY, because they’re not the same, and the fact that I like one woman author whose books get made into period piece movies a lot doesn’t mean I like all of them, especially since the brontes suck out loud) and expecting to be wooed by Rochester, but I genuinely could not get past how unrepentantly dickish he was, over and over, and claimed to love Jane but never did ANYTHING to show that, even a little bit, and was just… ugh I couldn’t like Rochester if u paid me tbh.

But see, here’s the thing. I would love Jane Eyre- I would probably adore Jane Eyre if Charlotte Bronte had followed through on it being a coming of age, bc her going back to Rochester, after he’s displayed so openly how much he sucks (even if everything else about him wasn’t… just gross, from Jane’s perspective at least he would be flighty as HELL just for virtue of the fact that he was supposed to marry Blanche but then changed his mind and the whole time he was actually married to Bertha) (which there’s a whole other argument to be had abt the treatment of Bertha, obviously there was no good choice in that scenario, bc asylums were fucking nightmarish, but what Rochester did was… bad lmao. And I keep meaning to read Wide Sargasso Sea, before anyone @‘s me about it, but I keep not getting around to it, so that would probably drastically affect my opinion, but if nothing else I just… I know my perspective on it is super anachronistic but I really just can’t get over how much Rochester screwed over every person involved in how he treated Bertha, you know? Like if nothing else find a nurse more competent than Grace Poole, I guess, idk, that’s not an argument I have the knowledge to really make or uphold so I won’t try to make any genuine points, but his treatment of Bertha doesn’t sit right with me if only because it involved so much deception of Jane in particular).

Boy that got away from me. Jane going back to Rochester after St John just displays a regression, to me. If we’re looking at it from the perspective of a coming-of-age, my ideal alternate Jane Eyre book would have her learning from Rochester as a mistake she made, acknowledging that he was a dick and that she did love him but that he was cruel and deceptive and hurt her and she shouldn’t put up with that, and Charlotte Bronte would have given St John (or some other character in St John’s place/after St John himself, bc St John himself could represent another point of growth where it’s like, Rochester shows that Jane learns not to accept cruel treatment just bc of passionate love, while St John is on the other extreme and she decides she does still deserve to be loved and won’t settle for a loveless marriage of duty just bc it’s a safe and stable choice) a chance as a romantic prospect instead of being like “oh he’s a kind person so OBviOUSLY nobody’s gonna love him.” Like… let St John be the inoffensive but loving Colonel Brandon to Jane’s learning-to-be-a-grownup Marianne Dashwood. If we’re gonna make Austen comparisons.

Also the whole dream sequence where Rochester asked her to come back was bullshit. Just like, I don’t even have an academic justification or anything, it’s just bullshit lmao.

And I don’t remember properly but I don’t get the impression Rochester, like, learned the error of his ways and decided to change and be less of a human nightmare. I think it’s also bullshit to put Jane in this position of eternal caretaker to him now- like on the one hand it means he depends on her in a way, which equalizes them a little bit and mitigates the fact that he’s a man w/ wealth and status and she’s a poor governess, but like… not enough for me to feel like it’s going to stop him from being a dick, and judging by my sketchy memory of Jane as a character, even if he was a dick to her, she’d probably feel obligated to put up with it bc he Needs Her, which is… not great imo.

Like my overarching take on it is “the first third is GREAT, the middle third starts to go downhill, and in the last third Charlotte Bronte does her heroine so unacceptably dirty that it just tanks the rest of the novel.” Congrats if you made it through this, you’re a trooper, and again this is largely an opinion formed when I read it a while ago, and I’m not really trying to make any hard and fast literary arguments bc I don’t have the on-hand knowledge to defend them so I’m okay w/ being like… wrong about some things, but I hated this book, and I think it’s garbage, and I think Wuthering Heights is even more garbage and I read that one more recently and more thoroughly than Jane Eyre so I feel a lot safer in that opinion. Anyway thanks for coming to my Ted Talk

i don't know if you've read it but i'm really interested to know your opinion on jane eyre ... :)

Anon, i’m super sorry, bc the smiley face implies to me that you enjoy this book, and my opinion on Jane Eyre is that it’s fucking garbage and it offends my sensibilities as a person, a reader, AND a writer, and no Bronte should ever have been allowed to publish bc boy howdy are their books universally terrible on so many different levels (and I always feel a little bad abt that bc I’ve never read anything by Anne but she’s super obscured by her sisters who suck so hard so I want to believe her stuff is just bland and inoffensive which is why it isn’t popular like Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights) (I would go into more detail abt why I loathe it but I’m on my way to a cat cafe so I don’t wanna bum myself out and i also don’t have the time)