#and hayley. nasty work at play

[philtatosbuck]

do you think elijah would have fallen for bonnie if she ended up with one of his siblings?

i assume you're asking because he was into hayley after she slept with klaus but she was never in a relationship with klaus. they had a one night stand. elijah's white knight ass just liked being the protector in that situation. we have never seen elijah fall for someone who was in an actual, genuine relationship with any of his siblings, whereas klaus and rebekah's codependent weird asses have done all types of weird shit.

elijah's irritating ass attitude towards his siblings' relationships are often dismissive, when he acknowledges them at all. if she's dating kol, she's just ignored until he needs her, because so is kol. if she's dating rebekah, she has the best chance of being treated well. if she's dating klaus, it depends on how he feels about klaus at the moment.

besides that, bonnie has historically been a nonfactor for elijah. he betrayed them and never said shit to her about it. he got her mother killed and wrote an apology letter to elena. as much as it's about elena is the protagonist, elijah literally did not care about anyone in the mystic falls gang besides her (not that i would expect him to?) whereas other characters have expressed an interest in at least one or two other members of the mfg while tormenting or helping them. not bonnie, not caroline, not the salvatores, not alaric, etc. i don't think her being an active part of his siblings' lives is going to change that if her being someone who tried to kill them, and came close to it, wouldn't.

if it's the scenario that bonnie is pregnant by klaus instead of hayley, i still don't think he's going to fall in love with her because he isn't going to get to play protector or have her thinking he can be her savior. bonnie doesn't need him, and more importantly, would not rely on him. if she had to rely on any mikaelson, it would be rebekah or klaus (begrudgingly). his focus would be on the baby, which would rub bonnie the wrong way, which would mean they would be even more distant than anything.

if their individual relationship became anything, it would be allies and maybe friends down the way once he starts treating her like her own person and not someone who can do something for klaus (and ergo, the family).

[maxsimagination]

Hope you have a good day,could you do a Hayley Raso one were reader gets injured and Haley gets overprotective but after that she comes over and checks if your alright? Thankyou:)

𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙝𝙚𝙧 - 𝙝.𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙤

summary: in a game vs chelsea, yn cops a nasty injury and hayley gets protective.

-> !! mentions of blood and injury !!

-> no hate to chelsea or its players, it’s just for the fic

𖦹 masterlist

𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗦𝗘𝗔 𝗩𝗦 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗬. the two strongest sides in the super league.

all the passion and power both teams had was coming to a head today, in the cup final.

to say i was nervous was an understatement, it wasn’t my first major game with the club but i got the jitters before every important fixture.

gareth had published the starting lineup yesterday at training, which i’d immediately looked over and noted that he’d put me in first. starting at centre back, lucky number eight.

when we arrived at the stadium, there was people all around in the stands. you could hear the crowd, not yelling, but the sheer amount of them made all the talking reverberate and was heard from the changing rooms.

eventually, we all ran out to start warm up, spending time running basic drills, gareth shouting instructions here and there, psyching ourselves up to play in our biggest game yet.

you could hear over the loudspeakers throughout the stadium, they announced each player one by one, as we each came up on the big screen. when we were called back into the tunnel, hayley came up next to me, bumping my shoulder with a grin.

“you excited?”

“yea, you could say that. nerves are buzzing in my stomach though.”

her laugh was light and sweet, her eyes sparkling with humour.

“you’ll do great. best centre back we’ve got.”

i could feel the blush spread on my cheeks. it was then that gareth herded us all in the change room, wanting to give us a pre match pep talk.

“go out there and crush them, girls. we got this.”

with one last cheer, we all walked out. the starting eleven lining up behind steph houghton, the experienced defender leading us out.

when we first kicked off it wasn’t an exciting start.

i didn’t get much ball time within the first ten minutes, kiera and georgia kept the ball up in the middle, occasionally passing back to defense who promptly kicked it back up.

chelsea’s first break came in the 25’ minute with sam kerr. she was lightning fast and had the ability to head in goals from anywhere.

lauren james had given her an amazing pass from the mid, and kerr was bolting for the ball down the left wing. i knew that jen was meant to be there, but she was too far up the field to make it back and still defend.

that’s where i came in, sliding along the grass to kick the ball away from sam’s foot at the last moment. it was a brilliant save, if i did say so myself, and ellie in goal was punching the air at my moves.

finally, we broke the stalemate, kiera landed an unexpected but amazing shot from outside the box. it was 1-0 to man city.

the whistle blew for half time shortly after and i dragged myself down the tunnel. chelsea was definitely making us work for it.

a fifteen minute break only seemed like five when we had to walk back out there. gareth had subbed hayley onto the field to play in striker, hoping we had another lucky break.

quite the opposite happened, however.

chelsea had the ball up our end, before it was tackled away; they had a corner kick. guro took that shot, and props to her because it curved beautifully. i had leapt up to header the ball away, but at the same time, lauren james was there.

her body had smashed into mine, knocking me back. however, it wasn’t the crash itself that had caused damage. when i had fallen back i was too close to the goal and my head had been hit on the metal post.

i heard the crack, and an audible gasp, although i couldn’t determine who that came from. a wave of pain consumed my body, from my head down. the first thing i did was reach a hand up to my head. when my fingers pulled away, the tips were covered in blood.

my blood.

i could barely make out what was happening around me, it was a fight to keep my eyes open and my ears were ringing, but what i did see was hayley going toe-to-toe with lauren james.

the medics had reached us then, but for me it was already too late, i closed my eyes and let my vision go black.

hayley was almost screaming in lauren’s face, this was her fault, she pushed me into the goal post and now i was unconscious. our teammates had to physically restrain her before things got out of hand. the ref handed lauren a yellow card for her dangerous play and hayley got a warning for her words.

i was stretchered off the field and taken in ambulance to the nearest hospital before the girls could restart their game.

when i woke up, the first thing i noticed was the white room. everywhere i looked there was white. then i saw hayley sitting next to me. i didn’t know how long she’d been there, but she was currently asleep in the chair so my guess was long enough.

hayley had always been a light sleeper, so when i moved my hand, it was no surprise that she woke up immediately.

“you’re awake.”

she stood up and called for the nurse. a younger woman walked into the room with a clipboard and some paperwork.

“yn yln?”

“yea-a.”

my voice was all croaky from not having spoken in a while.

“how are you feeling? took quite the fall on the pitch today.”

i didn’t have a clue what she was talking about so i just answered the question.

“my head hurts a bit. i don’t remember anything though. what happened?”

hayley was the first to speak up this time, recounting what had happened on the pitch earlier.

“your head was whacked against the goal post.”

turns out i’d split my head open, even if it was only a little bit, and gotten a concussion.

slowly i took in everything that had happened within the last couple of hours. i didn’t say anything just say in silence trying to process things.

the nurse ended up leaving after a bit, telling me i was free to go, as long as i had someone that could supervise me for a couple of days. that left me and hayley in the room alone again.

“i was so worried that you wouldn’t remember me.”

i don’t think she expected me to answer, or even hear what she said in the first place, but i knew.

“i wouldn’t forget you, ribbons. i’d never forget you.”

[nevermorgue]

Hello Hayley! I've been binge reading your Nevermore headcanons and I LOVE every single one. If you're taking requests, may I ask for some Montresor and Morella friendship headcanons please? I feel like they would tease each other, but be able to bond over a shared love of food. Thank you for all of your work :D

YES!!! I was so inspired by pluto’s morella and monty platonic art in the server. i love the idea of them getting along. but to start, i’m gonna be evil

- Obviously things wouldn’t go so great. Morella doesn’t like him and actively stands up against his nonsense. Montresor probably only sees her spectre, really. He understands that her defense skills are necessary. Probably thinks she’s too kind hearted. Probably also thinks she’s stupid to some degree, but not entirely because of how she stood up to him.

- I can only imagine their relationship changing if Morella just kinda forced herself to tolerate him to keep the peace as much as possible. She doesn’t want unnecessary problems to arise (like the wall thing) nor does she want to feed into what he wants (her to snap/react)

- So her method is to attempt to treat him the way she treats everyone else. Montresor finds it amusing, using her kindness against her and purposely being worse to get her to break.

- That backfires. He’s trying to put her on a Will/Ada level, but Morella is too headstrong to be fooled. She’s kind to be kind, and his pleasantries don’t work on her. If anything, she’s more responsive when he drops the whole charisma thing- because he’s being REAL.

- With this dynamic established. Imagine. She’s a great cook. She ends up making a big meal for the misfits and is oh so kind enough to save a bowl for him. She knows damn well he doesn’t deserve it, but her continuing to be nice to him despite how horrible he is…it’s kinda like a game between them now. She’s trying to say she’s better than him with every kind act. And he’s not only entertained/mildly pissed, but he’s stubborn and wants her to snap and drop the act so he plays along.

- “Lemme guess, doll. Poison’s in here. Naw…maybe dirt.”

“Just spices and care, Montresor. Try it!”

And of course, it tastes fantastic. He says it tastes like shit and slams the door in her face. He eats the entire bowl.

- As time goes on, Montresor doesn’t realize it but he’s starting to see her as less of a game like his lackeys and more of a neutral company that he doesn’t really necessarily hate. And he can tell that their ‘game’ goes more and more stagnant as Morella becomes less faux-kind, allowing herself to pout or scold him. It’s become less of a “try to get the other to back off” and more of a natural sort of interaction.

- She genuinely asks him if he’s ever brushed his hair in his life. He proceeds to answer by running his fingers through his hair, only to cuss when he hits a particularly nasty knot.

- She just kinda tosses a spare hair brush at him. She’s not willing enough to touch him/comb his greasy ass hair for him, but at least gives him the means to do it himself.

- I do agree that they bond over food. They have big stomachs and Morella is just so good at cooking.

- Ada invites Morella to sit with her and Monty in the common area once. She was hesitant, but agrees after she’s encouraged by the misfits to go for some strange reason.

- But once the interaction starts, Morella can tell that Ada doesn’t really want her there. She keeps glaring and tugging Montresor’s sleeve, as she always does.

- It doesn’t dawn on her why she was invited until Ada spills it.

“Why did you want her here so bad, dear? I wanted my alone time with you…” Ada would whine. Ada doesn’t HATE Morella, but she’s still not very happy about their argument in the cellar.

Morella can’t believe what she’s hearing. It wasn’t Ada that wanted her here- but Montresor

- She grins. She has no idea what their relationship really is or if it can be anything other than a okayish neutral, but perhaps this moment right here is proof that Monty can feel something that isn’t cruel or unnecessary.

- And Montresor? Refuses to look her in the eye. She’s not terrible. But don’t get him wrong, it’s only because she’s in the middle. Not smart enough to be on Annabel or Prospero’s strategy levels, but not pushover-y enough to be of any use to him. That’s it.

[dustedmagazine]

Cassandra Jenkins — My Light My Destroyer (Dead Oceans)

By all accounts, the gestation of My Light My Destroyer, Cassandra Jenkins’ third full length recording, was fraught. In 2022, a nasty case of Covid forced her to leave a tour midstream and quarantine in a hotel room. It yielded the demo for “Aurora, Il.,” a slow song with an indelible arrangement that builds to a roar from multi-tracked electric guitars but keeps understated vocals throughout. It feels like the usurping nature of the disease meets its victim, weakened but undaunted.

“Devotion” opens with acoustic guitar, harmonica, and vibraphone accompanying Jenkins’ sultry alto voice. The feel may be laidback, but the lyric is anything but; the first sentence sets the tone, “I think you’ve mistaken my desperation for devotion,” and later, “Don’t mistake my breaking open for being broken.” Despite the powerful statements made by Jenkins, a subdued arrangement persists, and finally a soft trumpet plays a syncopated riff that serves as the song’s coda.

“Clams Casino” is an obscure dish both to Jenkins and the character in her song who orders it at the hotel bar; they seem to order it to find out what it is. The joke is in the midst of a song about loneliness, exemplified by the torn suit Jenkins wears in the video and the repeated refrain, “I don’t wanna laugh alone anymore.” It is being given the single treatment, and one can well hear why; the compelling lyrics are buoyed by exuberant electric guitar and a tight rhythm section. “Delphinium Blue” has a prominent bass guitar line, loping drums, and a high vocalized synth patch accompanying Jenkins’  melodious verse vocal and spoken word chorus. The song is about a game of phone tag, with Jenkins taking the role of the woman at work who picks up a voicemail at the end of an extra shift. Is it a character study, or an implicit critique of who needs to work harder in a relationship?

“Petco” is another song about loneliness, with the refrain “I’m trying to be less alone,” serving as a mantra for the protagonist, who visits the pet store just to wander the aisles and be among people. The topic is circumvented by a testy guitar riff and rollicking solo that suggest indomitability amidst uncertainty.

“Omakase” features the album title, “My Light My Destroyer,” as a lyric that is sung and, between choruses, spoken as if it is a poem. Jenkins sings in a higher register, still with a detachment that suggests surrender. After all, the words, “Pull me apart, put me back together again,” could easily be set with a scream. Jenkins prefers to intone the important things, like the way a lover can change you, in a soft voice. “Tape and Tissue” has an elliptical lyric and ornate arrangement, with multiple keyboards - acoustic piano, electric piano, and jazz organ as well as a guitar harmonics solo on the bridge, in subtle yet intricate layering.

The incorporation of spoken word and field recordings has become nearly de rigueur in rock circles. “Shatner’s Theme” is a brief combination of cricket chirps and a UFO landing with an angular whistling tune. There is nothing commonplace about the dialogue in “Betelgeuse,” in which Cassandra’s mom talks to her about celestial bodies during their adventure looking at the night sky through a telescope. It is accompanied by piano and saxophone and needs no singing to express its touching nature.

The last song on My Light My Destroyer is “Only One,” in which the desire for a particular partner causes distress and hope in equal measure, a juxtaposition that expresses the recording’s overarching conflict. A brief instrumental, “Hayley,” (a respelling of her previous hit) for sustained strings with a bit of electronic treatment, is an enigmatic minor key closer. Seldom does a pop album abandon the voice of its protagonist at its close, but Jenkins seems quite content to leave the frame when other elements are expressive in their own right.

My Light My Destroyer is a transformational record for Jenkins. However daunting the path forward may seem, she has a lot to say as she overcomes successive challenges. Let's hope that her next recording doesn’t require so much suffering in its planning and making. 

Christian Carey

[brckendiana]

►  well, well, well, looks like DIANA ALVARADO is still in hawkins after all. a little earthquake has nothing on them. i heard they have this tendency to be ( selfless & loyal ), but can also be ( impetuous & presumptuous ). they’re supposedly the ( BROKEN BIRD) of hawkins, indiana; and they plan to be here for only ( UNTIL SHE CAN AFFORD TO LEAVE ). sometimes when i see them on main street, i see a flash of ( the smell of vanilla candles, wandering in bookstores, plants all over their apartment, neat handwriting, sticky notes everywhere, a little bit of sadness behind her eyes, saving everyone but herself )

❝   𝐢. 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬.   ❞

𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 ─ diana alvarado  𝘦𝘵𝘺𝘮𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 ─   modern latin; associated with the goddess of the moon, because of the silvery crescents on the wings. 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 ( 𝘴 )   ─ n/a at the moment 𝘢𝘨𝘦   ─ twenty five 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘥𝘢𝘺  ─ november 18th 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴   ─ english, italian 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘴   ─ she/her 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳   ─ cis woman 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯   ─ hetrosexual 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘴   ─ currently single 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳   ─ cashier at family video

❝   𝐢𝐢. 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥.   ❞

𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮   ─ sofia carson 𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳   ─ dark brown / almost black 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴   ─ hazel 𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵   ─ 5′4″ 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴   ─ a few scars across knees and palms, freckles on cheeks and the odd freckles on her arms 𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘴   ─ small rose near left hip, ‘every flower must go through dirt’ 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 ─  ears, nipples, stomach

❝   𝐢𝐢𝐢. 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲.   ❞

𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴   ─ lydia alvarado, thomas alvarado 𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 ( 𝘴 )  ─ two younger sisters

❝   𝐢𝐯. 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐬.   ❞

𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘴  ─ kind, selfless, loyal, articulate 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘴  ─ transparent, impetuous, presumptuous 𝘢𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 ─  the smell of vanilla candles, wandering in bookstores, plants all over their apartment, neat handwriting, sticky notes everywhere, a little bit of sadness behind her eyes, saving everyone but herself

❝   𝐯. 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 / 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬.   ❞

𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴  ─ music, movies, reading, spending time with friends, roadtrips, driving at night in the dark 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴   ─ singing, guitar, writing music, cooking, baking

❝   𝐯𝐢. 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.   ❞

nicotine.

❝   𝐯𝐢𝐢. 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜��𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.   ❞

◦ hayley james scott ( one tree hill ) ◦ lexi howard ( euphoria ) ◦ peyton sawyer ( one tree hill )   ◦ cassie ainsworth (skins)

❝   𝐯𝐢𝐢𝐢. 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 …   ❞

𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘳   ─ red 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵   ─ cherry scented candles 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥   ─ spaghetti bolognese 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬 ( 𝘯𝘰𝘯-𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤 )  ─ coca cola 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬 ( 𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤 ) - cherry vodka sour 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯   ─ autumn

❝   𝐢𝐯. 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬.   ❞

mentions of abuse, eating disorder, alcoholism & divorce.

❝   𝐱. 𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲.   ❞

- when diana was a child, she had a picture perfect life. her mom and dad seemed happy and in love and she was doted on constantly, up until the age of nine when everything suddenly changed.

- her dad lost his job due to staff cut backs and struggled to find another, instead he would spend his free time sat in front of the television and drinking his life away.

- once he had drank, thomas turned nasty - hurling insults at his family and especially picking on diana when it came to her looks and weight; manipulating her to believe that she would never be good enough to be loved by a man, she was too fat.. too ugly.

- this led to becoming physical abuse against his wife and eldest daughter until lydia decided she had had enough, divorcing him when diana was thirteen years old.

- after he had left the house, things seemed to improve but unfortunately diana could never get his words out of her head and she began spiralling into over exercising and starving herself; something that was made easier due to playing soccer.

after leaving school, diana went on to work at family video; not quite sure on where she wanted to go with her life but one thing was certain, she would not be letting her walls down when it came to men. often declaring she would never be married.

- knows that there is something going on more than she is being told when it comes to the town, doesn’t believe the cover up stories for one second.

- has a lot of trust issues.

- tends to have flings with men as believes she will never be good enough or wanted for anything more than that.

- would fight to the death for her friends and is fiercely loyal.

[hopelikethemoon]

Shattered Stars (Ezra x Reader) || Moonbeams  || [smut]

Title: Shattered Stars Rating: Explicit  Length: 5,600 Warnings: Pregnant!Reader, injuries, hurt/comfort, past relationships, angst, smut (female receiving oral and werewolf smut), seriously you’ve been warned. Notes: Hey, I’m stressed and writing filth soothes me.  Part sixteen of the Moonbeams series.

Taglist: @princessbatears @djarin-junk @absurdthirst @hdlynn @legally-a-bastard @opheliaelysia @heather-lynn @sabinemorans @crazinessgraveyardsandcartoons @pedrospunk @maybege @chews-erotically @katlikeme @lose-eels @youmeanmybrain @theindiealto @irishleesh93 @seawhisperer @hdlynn @demigod-dragonrider-schoolidol  @grapemama @roxypeanut @kochamcie @kiwi-the-first @hellomothermoon @soft-fanfics @spacegayofficial @storiesofthefandomloversreblogs @kindablackenedsuperhero @goblinqueen95​ @nominalnebula @wheresthewater @letmybabysleep @hayley-the-comet​ @corrupt-fvcker​ @i-ship-it-ironically​ @mrsparknuts​ @the-feckless-wonder​ @gamingaquarius​  @findhimfives​ @wanderlustmags​ @hellojustheretolookatmeemees​

Ezra let out a pained sound as you gently dragged the betadine soaked cotton pad over the l wound that snaked around his ribs. Staring at it only reminded you of just how deadly the beast could be. All it took was one swipe of a paw to leave four nasty gashes on his side. 

“I wish you had told me you were injured.” You remarked as you shifted on the bed to grab the betadine bottle, squeezing more of the liquid onto a new cotton pad to tend to the last wound. 

“I thought it would be healing when you arrived,” Ezra offered unconvincingly before admitting. “I didn’t want to worry you, moonbeam. It was just a scuffle.”

You shook your head slowly and grabbed the wound cream off the bed beside you, priming the nozzle as you glanced up at him, “This is going to hurt.”

Ezra reached blindly for you, curling his fingers around your calf as you sprayed the expanding cream into each gash and watched as it pulled the skin together. He hissed loudly, bracing himself with his other hand as he pitched forward.

“I don’t want it getting infected.” You told him, reaching out to gingerly stroke your fingers down his back. He was trembling almost imperceptibly and the hair at his temples were damp with sweat. “Ez…”

“I’m fine.” He gritted out, sitting back on his legs and letting out a pained exhale.

You reached out to comfort him again, but you stopped short, reaching for the bandaging instead. 

Ezra rested his hands at your hips as you awkwardly straddled his knees to wrap the bandaging around his torso. 

“Just take it easy,” You told him as you grabbed the bandage clips and worked to fasten the bandaging closed. “I hate seeing you in pain.” 

He rubbed his thumbs in gentle circles at your hips as he stared at you, “Moonbeam, I can’t help but notice that you…” Ezra trailed off shaking his head as he looked away from you. 

You frowned resting your hands at his shoulders, “What’s wrong?” 

“It’s nothing,” He assured you, letting go of you as he looked down at the bandaging. “Thank you for tending to me, I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

“Ezra,” You brushed your fingers over his cheek, trailing them down to nudge at his chin. “What did you notice?”

He met your eyes and you tried not to think about the past you saw. You tried to forget what malice looked like in his eyes. You had always thought he had the kindest eyes — even the beast did — but now you knew that wasn’t true. 

“That.” Ezra pointed out, keeping his voice steady as he spoke. “You keep shying away from me… you won’t even hold my gaze.” 

You felt heat rise through your body, a heady combination of shame and guilt. “Ezra—“

“If you’ve grown tired of me, little lamb… just put me out of my misery.” He started to pull away from you, unseating you from his lap as he moved to get off the bed. “Don’t prolong the inevitable because you pity me.”

“It’s not that.” You followed after him, grabbing at his arm and forcing him to look back at you. “Do you ever have one of those nightmares that you just can’t shake?” 

His eyes narrowed as he looked down at you, “What do you mean?”

“Like you dream you had a massive go at a friend because of something they said and you wake up still fuming at them?” You tried to find a way to skirt around the promise you’d made on Arcadia. 

You couldn’t tell Ezra what you knew, but you could find a way to force that conversation to come to a head. 

You didn’t want to lose Ezra — that was the last thing you wanted. But he was so quick to believe that no one would want to put up with him. That your care only extended to pity. It didn’t help that he was in physical pain too, but the hurt in his eyes was sincere.

“What did you dream about?”

You ran your hand down his arm, curling your fingers around his hand and rubbing your thumb over his palm. “Come back to bed with me.” Yoh urged him, letting out a little sigh of relief as he let you guide him back into your quarters. 

Ezra remained silent as you cleaned off the bed, tucking all of the equipment back into your medkit and stowing it in a drawer under your bunk. 

It would be so much easier if you could just tell him that you’d let something get under your skin and you hadn’t been able to shake it. Instead, you had to find a way to turn the conversation to your own past. 

“I’ve told you about Mars, right?” You asked as you moved to sit down on the bed, scooting back to press your back against the cool durasteel wall. 

Ezra perched on the side of the bed, wringing his hands together as he glanced back at you. “The one with the multiple wives, right?”

You nodded, “Yes. After Mars there was Alia… it’s only been two years, actually.” You couldn’t believe it had been that long already. Though these past few months had been a whirlwind.

Ezra turned to face you, his jaw clenched tight. “Is this about your nightmare?”

You nodded slowly, “Alia and I were together for six months. We did everything together. There was no question in my mind that we loved each other.” 

He carefully scooted back on the bed, leaning against the wall beside you. 

“She had me convinced of this future we could have together. Just the two of us against the world.” Your voice wavered, “And then we signed up for a curadonian pull because I had moved up in the ranks. Six months seems like a long time to play someone, doesn’t it?”

You glanced at Ezra, but his expression was unreadable. 

“We were only on the planet for two days before she turned on me.” You snapped your fingers. “One day she’s talking about our future and the next day she’s holding a blaster to my head with this look…” You looked away.

Ezra cleared his throat, shifting awkwardly beside you, “This occupation brings out the worst in all of us. There are things I did in my youth that I have regretted every day of my life, moonbeam.” 

“I’ve done a lot of things I’ve regretted too,” You told him, forcing yourself to stare at him then. “I’ve killed… I killed her to save my own life.” You left her for dead and took off without even pulling the ore. “But there’s something so unnerving about that look.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat and he exhaled slowly. “It’s a defense mechanism in its own right. Cutting off emotion.” Ezra started. “When you keep yourself guarded, it’s easy to spot weakness in others. In my youth, I wasn’t a good person, moonbeam. You may sleep at night and see the callous betrayal in her eyes, but I’ve lived with the ghosts of my actions. I see their faces. They were more than just a means to an end.” 

You bit down on your bottom lip until you tasted blood. At least he seemed remorseful. If he was unrepentant about what you had seen — it wouldn’t be as easy to look beyond it. 

“I know you weren’t a perfect person,” You told him, reaching out for his hand. “None of us are in this life, but… I just couldn’t shake that nightmare. Seeing you look at me like that...” You shook your head slowly. 

“It was just a nightmare, moonbeam.” He drawled out, lifting your hand to his lips. “My love for you is genuine.” Ezra rubbed his thumb over the center of your palm. “It’s not something that’s just going to burn out.” 

Your brows furrowed as you looked at him. Where had you heard that before? You squeezed his hand tight. “I know. I’m sorry I let a… nightmare get under my skin.” 

“I wasn’t a good person,” Ezra admitted. “The man I was five years — ten years — ago may have been capable of treachery, but I’ve changed. Maybe not by choice, but by my circumstances.” He kissed the center of your palm. “I’m trying to become a man, and a beast, who is worthy of this.” 

Your heart started beating a little faster as Ezra reached out to rest his hand on your stomach, his fingers splaying out. 

You covered his hand with yours, “A nectarine.” 

“What?”

“Kriff.” You laughed as you rubbed your thumb over the side of his hand. “Our baby is the size of a nectarine.” 

A faint smirk played over his lips, “A nectarine.”

You leaned in and kissed his cheek, “They were sucking their thumb when the medic took the scans.” You told him, “I meant to ask for the download of the scan, but I forgot to.”

“It’s alright.” He rubbed his thumb over your stomach. “Next time.” 

Ezra started to move, despite his injuries. He stretched out on the bed, resting his head in your lap so he was face-to-stomach with you. “I never pictured myself becoming a father, moonbeam… but knowing that I have contributed to something so…” He lifted up just the hem of your shirt so he could press his lips to your skin. 

You reached down and played your fingers through his hair, toying with the hair at the nape of his neck. “Perfect?”

He nodded his head a little, pressing his lips to your stomachs again, letting them linger there. “I look forward to the day you return to me and I can see the changes.” 

You laughed softly, tugging at his hair a little. “Such a man.” 

He flashed you a lopsided grin, “Blame the beast. I told you… it’s primal.”

“I haven’t forgotten.” You brushed your finger over the scar on his cheek. “Speaking of the beast… guess who had a bet going.”

Ezra’s eyes widened, “Are you kidding me?”

“What’s more shocking is that it was Shiva who assumed it would happen.”

“I don’t know how to feel about that.” He laughed, showering your stomach with kisses. “I would’ve thought Quinn would be the one to bet for it to happen.” 

You snorted, “Right?” 

Ezra turned his cheek to your stomach, pressing his ear against you so he could listen to the baby. “They’ve got a steady little heart beat.” He told you, “Can you feel them?”

“Sometimes I think I feel flutters,” You told him, playing with his hair still. “But I’ve been assured by the medic it’s just gas.”

“I can hear them moving around. Little flinches.”

“Your hearing is impeccable.” 

“A burden.” Ezra laughed. “I have to focus on what I want to hear. Otherwise I can hear the drip of the exhaust line clearing out all night.” 

You made a face, “I hope I don’t make too much noise.”

His brows rose upwards as he looked up at you, “I’m more focused on your smell most of the time.” Ezra ran his tongue over his bottom lip. “And taste.” 

He grimaced as he pushed himself up, his eyes flickering to your lips. 

“Give it a day or two.” You told him, stealing a quick kiss. 

“As long as you need.” Ezra bumped his nose against yours. “I love you, moonbeam.”

“I love you too.” You promised him, cupping his cheeks. “But right now, I need you to focus on getting yourself healed.” You trailed your hand down his chest and brushed your fingers over the bandaging. “Use lunaxium.”

He huffed a little, “I’m fine.”

“Ezra.”

“Fine.” He sighed dramatically, reluctantly moving to get off the bed. You knew he hated it — but it would help him mend. And give you time, while he slept, to try to reconcile the two sides of Ezra that you now knew. 

 “So few have been as undeterred as you,” The shadowy figure told you, wispy tendril-like fingers reaching out to touch your cheek. “Though few have had to face the malice of the past.” 

You took a step backwards, “So, what are you going to do this time? Force me to watch Ezra do something a decade ago? People change.” You gritted out. 

“All things change,” The figure told you, sinking into the ground and stretching out across the floor. “Even a river changes course.” 

The sound of the river above suddenly shifted, flowing backwards — rushing at the unnatural hand bending the current.

“What are you doing?” 

“He’s toying with you.”

You stiffened as ice cold dread flooded through you. You knew that voice. It wasn’t fair that this creature knew your weakness. 

“You aren’t real.” You whispered, clenching your eyes closed. 

“No.” The voice whispered. “But I’ve never left your mind, have I?”

This time, the shadow spoke. “You wear her betrayal like a shield, but you killed her didn’t you?”

Your eyes flew open, “Because she was going to kill me!” 

Why did you have to open your eyes? Why did you have to see her face again? It was bad enough that you dreamed of her sometimes. 

But to see Alia standing in front of you, looking as real as you were… it hurt. You wanted to reach out to her, to feel her warm and real beneath your fingers. 

“You’re not real.” You reminded yourself, your eyes flickering towards the shadow as it rose up out of the stone again. “Why are you doing this?”

“I did love you,” Alia told you as she took a step towards you, causing you to take a step backwards. You didn’t want her close enough to see the flecks of silver in her eyes, the freckles on her nose. Even in the stone abyss, her hair shone like cascading flames down her shoulders. 

“Then why did you try to kill me?”

“I tried and you succeeded.” She reminded you with a twisted little smirk. “I did fall in love with you when we first met, those first few months were everything to me. But then I realized your standing in the program — the opportunities I would have beside you.”

“So you killed me?”

“I got a better offer.” Alia shrugged. “It wasn’t personal… just business.”

You laughed bitterly, shaking your head. “You looked me in the eyes and told me you never loved me.”

“I had to.” She looked genuinely sad and that only served to piss you off. “I had to convince myself that I didn’t love you.” Alia glanced over her shoulder at the figure. “You found someone perfect to project your feelings onto, didn’t you?”

There was a sharpness to her voice that made your heart ache. The figure hadn’t succeeded with forcing you to live through Ezra’s cruelest moments — so now it meant sink new hooks into you. 

“Will you use him too? Will you garner sympathy because your beloved Ezra lost his mind to a curse you couldn’t break?” Alia questioned, reaching out to touch your stomach and you didn’t give her the satisfaction of pulling away. “A baby was an interesting choice. That’s one way to ensure that at least one person will love you.”

“I’m not going to lose Ezra.” You retorted, holding her gaze. 

Alia shook her head slowly, “You never learn, do you? You didn’t learn with Mars, you didn’t learn with me, you didn’t learn with anyone in between.” 

“You're not real. You’re just here to get under my skin.” You pushed her hand away from your stomach. “This is just another test.” 

“Is it?” Alia questioned, reaching out to cup your cheek with familiar affection. “Or is this a warning? He’s a man. A lonely man. Don’t mistake lust with love. It’s embarrassing to watch you throw yourself at him…” She shook her head slowly. 

“Then you’re clearly not paying attention.”

“I hope he’s worthy of your love.” Alia told you, brushing her thumb over the rise of your cheekbone before she leaned in and kissed you. 

The sound of rushing water seemed to swell until it was deafening and then… there was silence. And darkness. So much darkness. It was like you were falling backwards into an abyss, but there was something drawing you upwards by your belly button, keeping you suspended above the endless nothingness below. 

You inhaled sharply as you jerked awake, your sheets tangled around your legs and your sweat drenched shirt clinging to your skin. 

It took a moment to realize where you were. To recognize the low rumble of the engine, the occasional reassuring beep from your navigational panel down the hall. 

The floor was cold against your bare feet as you walked out of your quarters and down the corridor to the cockpit. You weren’t going to the Block this time. Quinn and Shiva were gone and Ezra needed you. 

He tried to pretend that he was strong enough to endure the full moons alone, but it was clear that he was drawing near to the end of his tolerance. It was dangerous — you’d have to venture alone through the woods to Ezra’s transport. 

But you weren’t going to let Arcadia get under your skin. 

The trek through the forest was uneventful. You came across a herd of cervos, making their way towards the clearing for their early morning by feast, but neither of you had any interest in the other. 

The forest was almost too quiet. You couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched, but you didn’t let it deter you. You were still disoriented from the stone abyss and the last thing you needed was to feel like you were being pursued by the ghosts that the shadow had reanimated. 

Alia had shaken you to the core. You could still feel the taste of her lips on yours, as real as they had been before. But you couldn’t even tell Ezra about it. You couldn’t unload the agony of being reminded. You just had to swallow it down and move onward. 

Sure, you would freely admit that you had “thrown yourself” at Ezra. You had both been desperate for a connection — to feel someone, to feel something. But it hadn’t been that way since that first encounter. 

It wasn’t even Alia — it was just another trick to make you stumble. To make you give up on your side of the bargain. 

So what if it started out as lust? There wasn’t anything wrong with that. 

The door of Ezra’s transport slid open before you even had a chance to get close enough to knock on it. “What are you doing here?”

“I decided I didn’t want to go back to the Block.” You told him as you climbed the short flight of steps to him. “You shouldn’t be alone.”

“It isn’t safe.” Ezra said quietly, even as he pulled you towards him. He buried his face against your shoulder, wrapping his arm around you. 

You cradled the back of his head, running your fingers down the scar on his neck and toying with the soft hair there. “I know it isn’t safe, but it’s worth the risk.” You turned your head to press your lips to his cheek, pulling back enough to look at him. 

His dark eyes seemed darker as he stared at you, pupils blown and his gaze a little unfocused. “Moonbeam—“

“What do you need?” You questioned as he drew you inside the transport, setting the door closed behind you. 

Ezra’s jaw worked slowly as he kept a firm arm wrapped around your waist. “I can’t control the beast.” He told you, his voice rough as he continued. “We mourn the loss of you so profoundly and now… here you are.” He leaned in until his forehead brushed against yours, pinning you back against the door. 

“If the beast needs me.” You told him, trailing your fingers down his cheek, fingers curling at the curve of his throat. 

“Are you sure?” He questioned, his lips brushing against yours as he spoke. “Before…”

You nodded slowly, “I’m not afraid of the beast and what he can do.”

Ezra’s lips crashed against yours, his tongue sliding past your lips to curl against the roof of your mouth. For the first time in weeks you felt need wash through you — undeterred by the hormones of your pregnancy, or maybe amplified by them. 

“I don’t want to hurt you,” He drawled out as he broke away from the kiss, stumbling backwards. “I can’t… Not this close to the moon.”

You reached out and took his hand into yours, rubbing your thumb over the mild of his palm. “Let’s go to your quarters.” You urged him, holding his hand tight as you started down the corridor with him. 

“It’s getting worse,” Ezra told you honestly. “I’m using more lunaxium than I ever have and it barely scrapes the surface.”

“We’re going to ride this one out together,” You promised him, “But you have to know, I’m not afraid of the beast. You don’t have to fight it.”

“You’re too good to me.” He drawled out, before he pulled his hand from your hold and started to shed his clothes. You helped him with the fastenings of his pants, tracing your fingers through the dark line of hair that vanished beneath his pants. 

You smiled at him, lifting your other hand to cradle his cheek as you leaned in to kiss him. “You’re good to me too.” You told him, brushing your nose against his as you shoved his underwear down his hips. “Let me soothe the beast, Ezra. Let me help you.”

He pressed his forehead against yours and nodded, letting out a ragged breath. “I might not come back up until after the full moon has passed, moonbeam. Please take care of yourself and our baby.” 

“I will.” You kissed him again, “I love you.”

Ezra grabbed at you desperately, “I love you too.” He smiled, his eyes warm and adoring. 

You had forgotten how painful it was for him. Watching him writhe on the floor as his bones broke and grew, muscle tearing and reforming, sinew and fat forming where he was thin, fur sprouting over every inch of his body. His face contorted in agony as he became unrecognizable. 

The transition into the beast was always the worst, and the sounds he made you would never forget. The cries, the groans, the rattle of anguish that escaped as he collapsed into a heap of beast. 

The beast seemed startled to find you standing in Ezra’s quarters. A flash of panic crossed his features, before realization seemed to dawn. He crouched forward, knees bent and a hand planted on the ground so he wasn’t towering above you. 

He cocked his head to the side, breathing heavily as he studied you. 

“Hi,” You whispered, taking a short step towards him. You held your hand out to him, smiling as he leaned in to sniff at it. “It’s been awhile since I saw you.”

The beast made a little growling sound that seemed like he was agreeing with you, his gaze lowering to your stomach. He leaned downwards to rub his forehead against your stomach, reaching out to curl his massive paw around your hip to keep you where he wanted you. 

He nuzzled at your stomach for a long moment, before he dragged his nose up your stomach, over the valley between your breasts, to stare at you nose-to-nose. 

You reached out hesitantly to stroke his cheek, trailing your fingers up to scratch at a spot behind his ear.

Interacting with the beast was different. Fundamentally you knew he was still Ezra inside, but it wasn’t the same. Ezra barely remembered his time as the beast, but you had a feeling the beast remembered his time as a man. 

The beast took a step backwards, crouching low as he sniffed at your stomach again. 

“They're doing well,” You told him, “Getting bigger every day. I bet you’re just like Ezra.” The beast looked at you curiously. “You can’t wait until I’m showing.” 

He let out a growling bark sound in response, nudging at your hip with the broad width of his forehead. 

“Easy.” You told him as you took a step backwards.

Your heart skipped a beat as the beast repeated the action with a little more force. 

“What do you want?” You questioned, glancing back at the bed that was only a few steps behind you. 

The beast rose back up to his full height, looking every bit like a predator that had found his prey. You were that prey. 

“Is that what you want?” You questioned, your eyes widening a little as he approached you slowly. “Do you want to reenact our little encounter in the forest?” 

The beast’s lips split, revealing his dangerous teeth as he growled again. It wasn’t a hostile growl, his ears were pitched forward with excitement, his body language more relaxed than before. 

“All you had to do was ask.” You told him, testing your luck as you reached out to gather a fist full of hair between your fingers as you leaned into the beast. 

The beast dragged his paw down your back in a gesture that Ezra regular did. But his beastial paw was nearly the width of your back. 

You stepped out of his grasp, working to remove your clothes as the beast watched you with rapt attention. His eyes never left you as you peeled off each layer of clothes until you stood naked before him. 

He growled again, licking at your face and the crook of your neck. His breath was warm against your skin as moved his mouth downwards to your breast, his tongue dipped out to tease your nipples — just like Ezra did. 

You let out a soft moan as one of his teeth brushed against the pebbled peak of your nipple, your eyes falling closed as you savored his attention. 

The beast lingered and teased you, before lowering his head to the apex of your thighs and breathing heavily. You knew you should’ve been ashamed how easily this aroused you, but you weren’t. 

You dragged your fingers through the soft fur at the top of his head, before you moved to sit down on the bed. 

Your heart was hammering in your chest as you watched the beast stalk towards you, his jaw hanging low as he panted with his own anticipation. 

“I came back for you,” You said lowly, running your fingers down your body as you parted your thighs to the beast. 

He moved towards you, licking at your inner thighs before finding his way straight to where you needed him. 

The beast’s tongue swept between your folds, feasting at you as you squirmed beneath him. He lacked the finesse that he had as a man, but there was something about the way he worked his tongue into you that drove you to the brink of madness. 

The fur around his mouth was slick with your arousal, glistening in the low light of the room. A low growl rumbled in the back of his throat and it sent a wave of desire through your core. 

Yet again you had surrendered yourself to the beast; stripped yourself bare and given into your own primal desires. 

The beast took his time with you — more human than some partners you’d had in the past. His tongue split you open, curled within you and reached the most intimate parts of you. 

Your back arched against the mattress and you rolled your hips towards his mouth. All it took was for the beast to sweep his tongue over your clit and then sink it back into your aching center to set you off. Your orgasm was explosive — a dam breaking within you as you convulsed beneath him. He didn’t relent, drinking up every drop that spilled from you. 

“Ezra.” You breathed out as you turned your face towards the mattress, fingers weakly grabbing at the blanket beneath you. Your mind went blank, overwhelmed with nothing but bliss and the sensation of his hot breath dancing over your throbbing cunt. 

You cried out softly as he started lapping at you again. Your thighs instinctively tried to close around his massive head, his soft fur sticking to your sweaty thighs. Every sweep of his tongue made you tremble, your inner walls clenching around nothing. 

The beast curled his fingers around your thigh with surprising gentleness, his sharp claws barely brushing against your skin. He held you steady as he focused his tongue over your clit again and you swore stars burst behind your eyelids. 

His name spilled from your lips like a desperate plea as he pulled away from you, leaving you aching for more. The burn of need you felt for him defied reason. It was all instinct, all base desires and an innate sense of knowing. 

You grabbed at the sheets, using them for leverage as you rolled over beneath the beast’s looming presence. Your legs ached, muscles drawn tight from the way you’d clenched your toes in the throes of pleasure. 

The beast knew what you were doing, his breath hot on your back as he licked and nuzzled and path from the base of your spine to the nape of your neck. He crowded himself into the space above the bed, his fearsome clawed hands planted on the mattress on either side of your shoulders as the soft fur of his stomach and chest brushed against your bare back. 

“Oh.” You breathed out as you felt his cock slide over your oversensitive folds as he rutted against you. 

You balanced yourself on one foot, moving beneath him to draw your knee up to the edge of the bed, opening yourself to him even more so. 

The beast nudged at the crook of your neck, his tongue darting out to taste your skin. You reached out and curled your fingers around the powerful muscles of his forearms, clinging to him desperately as his cock caught against your soaked center and finally he filled you. 

You both needed this. You needed to forget about everything that had happened on Arcadia — the swirling emotions the shadowy figure tried to force on you. The beast needed to know that you were his. That for better or for worse, you were its mate. 

All you could hear was the sound of your bodies moving together; the low rumbling timbre of his growls, the slick slap of his cock driving into you, the needy sounds you couldn’t keep trapped behind your lips. 

The beast had thoroughly fucked you with his tongue and now his cock was driving you to new heights of pleasure. It was like you were on fire with pure desire burning through you. 

Every nerve in your body seemed to respond to the release he pulled out of you. Earth shattering seemed like a pale comparison to the way he made you feel. Your cunt clenched around the length of his cock, trying to keep him buried within you, but he kept slamming into you — again and again. 

The beast growled loudly, his body going rigid against you as he sank his cock into you one final time and spilled out within you. 

His breath was hot against the crook of your neck and he let out a soft whine as he turned his head to lick at your face and jaw. 

“I love you.” You whispered, sinking into the mattress beneath him and idly playing with the fur that covered his arms. 

The beast whined again, rubbing the length of his muzzle against the curve of your jaw. He kept one paw pressed into the bed beside your shoulder, while his other hand reached down to cradle your stomach. 

“Yes,” You breathed out. “That’s yours.” You winced a little as your leg started to give out on you and you shifted beneath him to regain your footing. The beast swiftly pulled his softening cock from you — far quicker than you were prepared for. 

“Fuck.” You swore, pressing your face into the mattress beneath you as you felt the mess of the moment running down your thighs. 

“Wait, no!” You gasped when he tried to tend to you. You pulled away from him, rolling onto your side and using your foot to press at his chest to hold him off. “Easy there.” 

The beast almost seemed amused by your protest, a twinkle of amusement in his dark eyes as he crouched back on the floor. 

You grabbed a pillow and chucked it at him, laughing at the bark-like sound he made in response. “Bastard.” You breathed out, grabbing a blanket to pull around your naked body. 

“You know, if we keep doing this… Ezra’s going to get jealous.” You taunted, laying down on the bed and turning to face the beast. 

He kept himself hunched over, leaning towards the bed so he could rest his head on the bed beside you. 

You smiled fondly, reaching out to push your fingers through the soft hair on his broad forehead. “I’m going to rest for a couple minutes and then I’m going to take a shower.” You told him, tracing your fingers down the length of his nose. 

The beast nudged at the palm of your hand, sniffing softly. “No offense.” You whispered as you closed your eyes and sank into the exhaustion.

[shirtlesssammy]

1x02: Wendigo

Then:

No Chick Flick Moments

Now:

In Blackwater Ridge, Colorado, three dudes enjoy the wilderness by gaming inside their tent. Something stalks their campsite from the shadows but the unattended fire that’s dangerously close to their flammable homes must be keeping it at bay, right? Erm, well, one dude heads out to the little boy’s room (a nearby tree) and gets snatched. 

Another one pops his head out the tent door and gets snatched as well. The third dude kills his light and watches the shadow of a very fast creature circle his tent until it slashes the side and snatches him as well. 

Palo Alto, California

Sam’s visiting Jessica’s grave. It really didn’t affect me the first time I watched this. It’s devastating to watch now though. Knowing Sam now --knowing how he doesn’t let people in, knowing how he didn’t even really let Jess in but loved her and wanted this world he could never have with her. Knowing that it’s fifteen years later and he’s had no one to really be with (Amelia was a construct of his damaged brain when forced to face the supernatural without Dean or Cas. I will not be taking questions at this time.) (But I guess he gets a blurry wife so ALLS GOOD FOR SAMMY.) He tells Jessica, “I should have protected you. I should have told you the truth.” Gah. Nothing could have saved her, and he has to go another fifteen years before he realizes this for good. 

Psych! He was actually dreaming, but I hold firm with my thoughts on the dream scene. 

Dean asks if Sam is okay. 

Sam says yes and clears his throat. Classic! Then Dean asks if Sam wants to drive for a while. GAH. Like, Dean’s looking out for his little bro in the only way he knows right now --letting him drive. 

They discuss leaving Palo Alto, and Dean points out that if they’re going to find the thing that killed Jess, they have to find their dad. He’s sending them to Colorado. Specifically to a National Forest in Lost Creek, Colorado. 

They get to the warden’s station and introduce themselves as Environmental Study majors from UC-Boulder. “Recycle, man.” Bbys. The ranger sees right through their bullshit though. He asks if they’re friends with “that Hailey girl.” Dean sees his chance to learn more and leans into it. Hayley apparently has a brother that’s on Blackwater Ridge. He isn’t technically missing but she knows something is up. 

Dean gets the brother’s camping permit. And now I need to process the next couple of lines. Sam asks if Dean wants a hook up with Hailey. Like, fuck you Sam for not knowing your brother at all, but also I guess you’re forgiven because your brother does do everything in his power to project that kind of energy. However, Dean is working the case and wants to know what they’re dealing with on this mountain. 

Dean and Sam head over to Hailey’s to ask her about her brother, Tommy. They say they’re rangers.

Hailey gets on Dean’s good side by complementing his car. Hailey tells the brothers that she feels something is wrong because Tommy checks in every day via his cell and satellite phone. Hailey’s heading out first thing in the morning to try and find him. 

Later at a bar, Sam “NERD” Winchester pulls out his extensive research on the area. People disappear on the ridge every 23 years. There was one survivor in 1959. They go to interview him. He tries to stick to the grizzly bear story, but eventually admits that they won’t believe him since no one else ever did. He said it moved fast and came into their cabin. It took his parents and left him with a horrible scar. 

The next morning, Sam and Dean meet up with Hayley, her brother Ben, and the guide, Roy. The guide is skeptical but Dean just wants to help find her brother. 

Cut to Tommy tied up in a cave. He wakes just in time to watch one of his friends get chomped to pieces by the monster. 

Dean and Roy try to out alpha each other. Roy finds a bear trap and saves Dean from a nasty injury. I’m over here wondering wtf that’s doing in the middle of a national forest. 

Hayley calls Dean out on their lack of provisions and wants to know who they are. He comes clean and tells her that they’re brothers looking for their father. But also, uh, Dean wearing jeans and boots is way more practical than SHORTS when hiking. Who wants to fuck around with ticks and poison ivy? All these years we thought Dean was just posturing about shorts when he was actually being a practical son of a bitch. 

They reach the ridge and hear absolutely nothing. Roy decides he’s going to wander off alone. Solid choice, dude. The rest stick together. Soon they hear Roy call for Hailey. They run to him. They find her brother’s destroyed campsite. They find tracks of where the bodies were dragged and Tommy’s destroyed phone.

They explore the campsite, which is torn to absolute bits. Dean tracks the struggle to just outside of the campsite, where the trail quickly grows cold. Everyone gets lured further into the woods by desperate cries for help but it gets them nowhere. When they return to the destroyed camp, Sam pulls out their dad’s journal and they use it to pinpoint the monster: it’s a wendigo. 

They hunker down for the night at the camp, and Dean protects them with Anasazi symbols drawn in the dirt. Soooooooooo in one breath you’re telling me that wendigo are found around the upper midwest / Canada, and in the next you’re telling me that the Anasazi (Southwestern/Western US) created widely-established protections against the wendigo? STARES DIRECTLY INTO THE CAMERA. The timelines! The geographic areas! Sigh...Supernatural ain’t ever had that good of a track record.

Dean tries to unpack Sam’s gourd. Sam doesn’t want to waste time hunting a wendigo when he can find their dad and hunt for what killed Jess instead. Dean holds out John Winchester’s journal like it’s a friggin’ (gags a little) bible and delivers the now-iconic line: “I think he wants us to pick up where he left off. You know, saving people, hunting things. The family business.”

Sam wants to know why John doesn’t just call his boys and give them an update - “It makes no sense.” OMG RIGHT, SAM? #JohnWinchester’sA+Parenting 

Dean tells Sam that helping other people and other families is what helps him make it through each day. We cry in Dean’s face a little, even when he immediately attempts to mask his empathy in his very next (also iconic) line: “Let me tell you what else helps. Killing as many evil sons of bitches as I possibly can.”

Pleas for help start to echo through the woods again. Roy fires indiscriminately into the trees and races after his prey, sight unseen. Hands grab him by the head and haul him up into the trees. Everyone else makes it through the night safely and Roy’s demise reminds us that toxic masculinity KILLS.

The next morning, Sam’s moodily staring at their dad’s journal while Dean chats with Haley about the hunt. 

For LOOK AT THIS BEAN Science:

We get info-dumped a truly mixed bag of lore, attributing wendigo tales to the Cree people (right region, at least!) and saying that wendigo are created by cannibalistic acts gone into overdrive. The implication here is that cannibalism equals power but alas, it also turns one into a monster. Wendigo like to squirrel away humans like nuts, so Haley’s brother might be alive and trapped for later snacking. And they can kill it! Kill it with fire. 

Cut to Dean striding through the woods with a molotov cocktail in hand. THAT’S MY BOY. They follow an easy trail of bloody claw marks along the trees. Too late, Sam realizes it was TOO EASY.  Roy’s body drops from the canopy and the group splinters as they flee. Dean and Haley get nabbed, leaving Sam and Ben to find their missing siblings. Ben finally gets some lines, alerting Sam to Dean’s breadcrumb trail of peanut M&Ms.

They head into a defunct mine. (Speak friend and enter?) Growls echo through the darkened tunnels, but Sam and Ben discover the body storage by accident when they fall through floor boards into a lower level. They discover Haley and Dean trussed up and free them. Tommy’s there too! And still alive! 

Dean finds some flare guns and they make their way out of the tunnels. Dean tries to lure the wendigo away from the siblings and Sam. All his attempts are for naught, because the wendigo tries to attack Sam, and the three siblings. It’s okay, though! Dean fires a flare gun right into its gut and it burns into embers.

Later at the ranger’s station, they spin tales to the cops about a grizzly. 

Haley thanks Dean with a gentle kiss, and Dean watches the siblings leave with a fond and wistful expression. JENSEN ACKLES YOUR FACE IS A MENACE!

The Winchesters hit the road, Sam behind the wheel of the Impala. Time to hunt some evil sons of bitches and play some classic rock!

Oh sweetheart, I don’t do quotes:

Recycle, man

Nobody likes a skeptic

I think he wants us to pick up where he left off. You know, saving people, hunting things. The family business

Man, I hate camping

Want to read more? Check out our Recap Archive! 

[carinyms]

(I don’t know if anyone who follows me even watches Loki, but if you do and feel compelled to analyze it with someone please hmu, because no one I personally know cares about this show and listen I care SO MUCH)

Anyway, here’s an extremely disjointed thought dump on episode three, it’s a lot :)

1. I got so much serotonin from them playing that Hayley Kiyoko song over the opening credits, oh my god.

2. I love Sylvie, I LOVE her. Just an iconic badass—so snarky, so powerful. 10/10. (When she took that cape off?? That outfit?? This whole show is just Bi Panic for me) I’m sure they’re setting her up to be very sympathetic and then she will inevitably stab Loki in the back at some point, and you know what that’s fine.

3. Their screen chemistry and banter is incredible, nearly on the same level as the scenes with Mobius and Loki. (Which is good bc speaking of which, I miss Owen Wilson). I can’t wait till we get a scene with all three of them working together, it will be fantastic.

4. God, I want to see Loki truly in full power just annihilate someone in a fight just once. I do think it’s purposeful that we’re not seeing that right now — the writers can’t seriously think the audience collectively forgot that this guy took down 5 (6?) dark elves with his hands bound and now he can’t throw a knife and hit a target that's not even moving?? There has to be a reason. I’m choosing to have faith in Kate Herron here. (But I’m tired of seeing him getting tossed around like a sack of potatoes :( )

5. I think Sylvie explaining how to enchant someone has to be foreshadowing, right? By the end of the series, either Loki will have puzzled out how to do it and tap into Sylvie’s mind, or vise versa, Sylvie will get into Loki’s head an unearth something nasty (This is SO dumb of me to hope for, I’m setting myself up for disappointment, but maybe Thanos memories here?? I’m really going full fanfic narrative with this one lol but wow can you imagine.)

6. Or, Loki will use this tactic to get into Mobius’ head and wake him up to the truth. (Also, can we talk about how concerned he was when he was like, ‘But the TVA workers don’t know they’re variants!!” Loki you little SOFTIE. Headcanon that he’s now not gonna want to hurt any of the TVA workers because they’re all brainwashed and our guy knows a thing or two about that?? BEGGING the show to acknowledge this. (Please, could we have a little bit of recognition of trauma Marvel? As a treat?)

(I will be let down lol)

7. Speaking of the brainwashed TVA workers, I have questions about how this works. Mobius remembers jet skis, but Casey didn’t know what a fish was? Is it just because Casey doesn’t work in the field? Does Mobius just have a stronger mind that Ravonna has to keep continuously wiping because he remembers snippets? That would explain the multiple water rings on her table they drew attention to— but why would the TVA let him have that magazine if they didn’t want their agents remembering anything??

8. Also, uhh…Is Ravonna a timekeeper? This is a theory that keeps popping up for me.

9. Loki and Sylvie’s conversation on the train was wonderful.

10. We LOVE a confirmed Bicon.

11. Him talking about and remembering Frigga, and his viewpoint on love feels like lines out of a fanfic come to life and I love it. Part of me is like “this level of vulnerability feels OOC” (and don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of other things that felt truly OOC) but this particular aspect feels more like we’re seeing a more apathetic, carefree, nihilistic version of Loki than we’ve ever seen, so maybe he’s just given up on the masks? Anyhow, I love this side of his character we’re seeing.

12. Loki singing in Norwegian. That is all.

12.2 Actually no, that’s not all. It had such ‘Aragorn singing at his coronation vibes’, in that it both caught me extremely off-guard and got me very emotional. Apparently the lyrics (someone translated) are all about missing home, and wow he’s really just missing his family and a sense of belonging *so much* that he’s chosen to recreate what I’d imagine an Asgardian party was like — getting drunk (although he clearly wasn’t drunk, just acting drunk), singing asgardian songs, smashing the glass on the ground and saying “Another!” (Which we can now assume was just an asgardian custom at parties bc how would he have known Thor did that?) Someone pointed out the planet that they’re on is called Lamentis, and dang this whole episode is all about Loki grieving and longing for what he’s lost? and I’m so hyped for when they end up in Asgard again. I don’t know what will happen but there will be Angst and tears, perfect recipe for a good time.

13. Speaking of Thor, is he going to tell Sylvie about him at some point? Because I will cry. Like, I guarantee it.

14. My only gripe here is that drunk Loki was giving me big Jack Sparrow energy towards the very end and I am Not About That

15. Why does Sylvie understand Norwegian?? This song meant something to her too, clearly, she was getting teary eyed, like it was something she was familiar with and I just have so many questions about how her timeline was different/similar.

16. And going off that, I’m just going to say it—I DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW VARIANTS WORK. Because if a variant is created by someone branching from their ‘true path’, wouldn’t every variant have the same base-story? Thus all look the same, have a similar past? (The same parents, the same origin?) I know the TVA’s sacred-timeline thing is all BS, that much is obvious—and Sylvie’s history is making me wonder (that is, if she truly IS a Loki ‘variant’), is the TVA’s description of branched timelines really accurate at all, or are some variants from a fully alternate reality overlapping with this one? I’m trusting they will make this make more sense.

17. I love the moments of humanity we’re getting from Loki, but especially the one where he’s surveying all those people in the town and goes “they’re gonna let these people die…” Like, what a great comparison to Loki in Ragnarok, who goes back and rescues his people because he couldn’t let them die in good conscious when he could do something about it. I like to think that being raised as a prince, there is an inherent feeling of ‘rulers should look after their people” buried under everything, and that what was going through his head was “how could they abandon these people without thought?” I love that even though that was a different Loki, they’re showing (not just telling) that the core of him truly does care about people, and the person he developed into in the original franchise is still there.

18. Also that line perfectly sets up what I’m sure is going to happen in the next episode—that they’ll find a way to escape the planet and save the people (or some of them), which will create a branch and alert the TVA to where they are, thus Loki getting brought back in.

19. the Rolled Up Sleeves look is. mhmm. It’s Good.

20. LOKI CATCHING THAT WHOLE BUILDING WITH HIS MAGIC???? BYE

Alright I’m done now, this was so chaotic, but also I really just wanted to document my thoughts on the show for myself so it's fine

[tayasam]

Dean O’Gorman landed his first paid television acting gig at the age of 11 when he appeared in a family television film called The Rogue Stallion.

“It was about a horse and someone trying to help it or something,” he says.

“Jodie Rimmer and I played brother and sister and we were like the nasty kids of the main bad guy.”

“I can’t remember much about it. The first day I had to throw a stone and it hit a big light and I broke it and I remember feeling quite paranoid.”

Fast-forward thirty-something years and O’Gorman is still on our screens.

This year he appeared in the Queenstown drama One Lane Bridge and now he’s back on television in the local comedy Golden Boy.

The show, which is in its second season, is set in the rugby-mad fictional town of Crawdon. O’Gorman plays ‘Aussie Dave’, the romantic interest of Hayley Sproull’s character, Mitch.

While rugby is a big part of Crawdon, it doesn’t feature heavily in O’Gorman’s own life.

“I grew up in a school that loved rugby,” he says.

“I didn’t play it. They loved their sport. I was kind of a skinny little drama kid.”

“I didn’t really spend a lot of time with rugby. A lot of my friends really enjoy it. So I sort of, by osmosis, have watched a few games.”

At school, he studied photography, which continues to interest him.

He sometimes takes photographs for actors who require publicity shots. Generally speaking, though, he says actors hate having their photograph taken.

“I think it’s a common misconception that actors because of their choice of a career are actually flamboyant people,” says O’Gorman.

“A lot of actors I know are really shy and I include myself in that. Large audiences for me, is not a dream.”

“I like being on set because there is the crew and there are the actors you work with but it’s quite an intimate setting. Actors are not, generally, models and it’s a completely different technique and art form.”

[purplesurveys]

1264

Who are you subscribed to on YouTube?  Oh man, I’m probably subscribed to over a hundred, if not 200. I’ve subscribed to channels relevant to interests I’ve had over the years, and since it’s not my habit to do spring cleaning on my feeds, the subscriptions have just keep piling up even if I no longer keep up with literally like 98% of them.

Do you like to go to the farmer's market?  I don’t think I’ve ever been in one yet. They aren’t very common here and the ones we do have are pricey and mostly inaccessible to the everyday consumer, I’m sure.

What will (or was) the color of your wedding dress be?  I wouldn’t want any other color than white.

What's your favorite melon?  I don’t like fruits.

What was the name of the last pet of yours that died?  Arlee. Technically my family mostly considered her as just Nina’s pet, but the sting was felt all the same when we learned she died.

When was the last time you wished the day would just get over with?  Yesterday, because it was Friday. Pretty self-explanatory, I wanted to get to the weekend so I can finally let go of work for a couple of days.

Name one person you've never had a fight with:  Andi. I think we’re both afraid of pissing the other off, which works out for us lol.

What are you currently listening to?  I can just hear the really loud whirring of my electric fan because it’s a grossly humid day today.

What would you rather have: cat or dog?  Dogs.

Who is your least favorite person in real life?  I have a lot of uncles I just don’t like.

Do you ever watch anybody's live stream of... anything, really?  Technically, yeah. I will sometimes tune in to livestreams of lofi music on YouTube, but I do it to listen, not to watch. 

Does your house have security cameras?  No.

If you go grey as you age, would you dye your hair or let it be?  I think I might dye it for a certain period of time, but I also think I would eventually reach the point where I’ll just accept it and slowly let go of the dye.

What was the last establishment you stopped going to due to bad service? What happened?  I haven’t run into much bad service, but I’ll never forget how long my order and bill took for Mad Mark’s. I never really vowed per se to never go back there again and I definitely didn’t confront the staff, but I haven’t eaten there since that incident.

What soundtrack do you listen to the most?  Not a big soundtrack listener.

Was there a family secret you weren’t told about until you were an adult?  Nah, they’re kept from us until now. The biggest one I’ve heard about was having a kleptomaniac in the family but we were never told who it is.

Do you have an opinion most people you meet seem to disagree with you?  Yeah, my dislike for fruits.

What’s something you like to have many options to choose from?  Clothes, I guess, like bucket hats. I don’t shop a lot and clothes aren’t a priority in my budget, so when I do pick out clothes, it has to be exactly what I want so that I don’t feel it was a waste of money.

What’s the strangest decorative object you own?  We have several quirky, disconnected decor in the living room from gifts we’ve acquired over the years. One object I can tell you about is the polar bear glass figurine we have on the coffee table.

What’s a thing you couldn’t imagine doing with your life right now?  Dating around.

What’s been your proudest moment?  Managing to stay alive this year and turn my life around for the better when I thought there was no hope.

What’s the filthiest non-pornographic movie you’ve seen?  Eyes Wide Shut, probably.

Do you know anyone who doesn't seem to be fond of animals?  I don’t think so. Like any animal...? I would find that quite odd, honestly. And I wouldn’t want to be friends with them if we weren’t already close .

Are you planning any outings or trips anytime soon? Whereabouts?  No, nothing set in stone. I do want to fly out to South Korea soon, though.

Do you know anyone who has a phobia of a certain animal?  I know a few people who are afraid of dogs.

Is there a particular brand of technology/electronics that you prefer?  Yeah, Apple.

Is there a singer whose voice gives you goosebumps/chills?  Hayley Williams and Jin, especially when he’s belting; and I don’t listen to her much, but I find that Billie Eilish has a unique voice that sounds really nice.

And is there a singer whose voice you simply can't stand?  Selena Gomez for some of her songs, Meghan Trainor for most of her songs.

Are there any authors that are particularly dominant on your bookshelf?  No.

Have you seen any photographs or videos that made you smile today?  Sure.

Which item in your fridge are you most looking forward to consuming? My aunt sent over this gigantic-ass slab of salmon that I can’t wait to eat as sashimi. I already had a few pieces last night and it was hea ven ly.

Has anyone you know got into a new relationship lately?  Hmm, I don’t think so. I know my coworker Dev got into a relationship a few weeks ago but it fizzled out as soon as it started because the guy was shitty.

If you menstruate, do you experience much PMS prior to it?  Only on the emotional side; I rarely get physical symptoms. I usually feel down or emotionally heavy a few days before my period.

Have you ever had a tattoo covered up or added to?  No, I don’t have any tattoos. Can you remember the last time you had a sudden change of mind?  Hmm, like last night. I wanted to stay up to maximize the weekend, buuuut I decided against it and slept instead since I had been up since 2 in the morning.

When was the last time you did something on a whim?  Two weeks ago when I impulsively dropped a thousand bucks to have cheese tarts delivered to Angela and Reena, hahaha.

Were you raised by both of your parents? If not, then who raised you?  My mom, grandma, and one of my aunts were the main people who raised me. Dad works overseas, so he was never at home much.

Have you ever began a relationship with someone you knew for less than a week?  No, I wouldn’t do that.

Has one of your friends ever tried to ‘hook you up?’  Mik tried to pair me with one of his friends just days before I finally implied on social media that I was no longer in a relationship. It was a cool ego boost but I declined, since my emotions were still super turbulent then. Andi tried to initiate sex with me once too, but I also declined.

What is your card game of choice?  I hate card games; I can never seem to understand them lmao, though that’s really more of a me problem than anything else.

What is your favourite books series?  Growing up, I really loved the Septimus Heap series. But the thing about it was that I got into it while the series was still ongoing; and with how bad my attention span is, I always forgot the events/plot whenever the newest book came out. 

So whenever that happened I had to read the entire series from Book 1; eventually the number of books I had to reread/revisit became too many (it was a seven-part series) and I simply just lost the time to read and I never got to know about the conclusion.

Do you prefer landmarks or street names when being given directions?  Street names – more precise. Landmarks to me can be pretty subjective – a green building might look blue to me, and I could just end up being lost.

Do you read the prologues in the beginnings of books?  Sure.

What was your favourite gym class moment?  If I genuinely like or already play the sport that was being taught. That’s why PE table tennis was a lot of fun for me.

Do you think that ocean boardwalks are fun?  I’ve never been on one but I imagine they are fun, yeah.

Do you dread when people ask you to sign their yearbooks?  That’s not a tradition here.

Do you have a favourite Scooby-Doo movie?  No. I was too young for Scooby-Doo in a sense that I do remember watching the movies as a 3/4 year old as they were kept on in the background at home, but I didn’t get any of the plots/didn’t really appreciate the films.

Do you think it’s cute when toddlers try to run away and fall down?  Sometimes, yeah. If the fall looked nasty I would obviously be concerned.

Do you enjoy listening to your grandparents tell stories of their past?  Honestly, only one of my grandparents would be the type to do this but he’s been dead for six years now. It’s a big shame he passed before I could bond with him the way I had always wanted to. My three other grandparents are either too closed off or too quiet to share stories from their youth.

Do you have a crush on someone? Nah, nothing more than a celebrity crush.

If so... what does his/her name begin with? 

What attracts you to them? 

Do they know that you like them? 

If they don't know, why didn't you tell them? 

Name two people that you miss:  Angela and Laurice.

Have you ever seen Titanic?  More times than I can count. I’m sure I memorize like 80% of the script, too.

Have you ever swam with dolphins?  No. I’m not so sure if I’ve seen dolphins, either. Maybe I have? Or maybe I’m confusing it with whales...idrk.

When was the last time you had a stomachache?  Wednesday.

What's going to bed early for you?  11 PM or midnight.

Do you want to have a big family in the future?  I used to, but I don’t think that’s the future I want anymore. One or two kids should be okay.

What was the last thing you did that gave you a rush?  Technically speaking, an orgasm, I guess?? Lmao idk

Favorite Nicholas Cage movie?  I don’t think I have one.

Have you had your Covid vaccine yet? Which one, if you have?  Yeah, I’m fully dosed. Sinovac.

If you've had your vaccine, did you experience any side effects?  I was suuuuuuper tired right after my first dose and I wanted to be knocked the fuck out, but I went right back to work after the shot because I am allergic to filing leaves hahaha. Second dose went smoothly.

What's the next item of clothing that you intend to buy for yourself?  A bucket hat or maybe one of the Fila x BTS shirts because the collection is actually quite cute!

What Facebook groups have you found the most helpful?  I join Facebook groups to be entertained, not because I actively look for advice.

Do you like your butt? Why or why not?  Yeah. It...has a good form hahahahahaha.

Have you ever personally been a victim of homophobia?  Yes, a few years ago I went to a food park with my ex-girlfriend. I was already not feeling my best that day to begin with, so having to see an old woman stare daggers at us for what felt like years really stung. I felt small under her look and almost cried, but in the end I felt angry that I momentarily felt shame about my relationship. I decided to just piss the woman off on purpose and do PDA right in front of her.

Do you think you’d be happier if you had a pet? I have two dogs at present and I know they make me extremely happy.

Who was the last person you went on a date with?  Gabie.

Were you ever hospitalized as a little kid?  No. The first and only time I was hospitalized (other than being birthed), I was about 12, I think.

What’s your favorite way to curl your hair?  I don’t do that. I rarely style my hair.

At what age did you start swearing?  I was 11.

What is something you physically can’t do?  Ride a bike.

What do like better, apples or oranges?  I don’t like any fruits; but in terms of flavored stuff, I like orange-flavored food, especially chewy candy, slightly more.

Around the holidays, do you hope for snow?  Well, no.

What are your top two favorite bands?  Paramore and Against Me!

How many people do you 100% trust?  There are a handful. I generally trust easily just because I like to believe all people are kind and loyal – but I can also take it away in the snap of a finger.

Do you care what others think about you?  Not so much.

Has anyone ever called you a bitch?  Sure.

Did you watch Teletubbies when you were younger?  Yeah but just super super faint memories. It wasn’t one of my main shows.

Do you have any licenses other than your driver's license?  I don’t.

Could you live the rest of your life without eating meat?  I doubt it. I could try, but I think I’d get cranky and start looking for meat way earlier than I would like to admit.

Have you ever had a rolling backpack?  Yup, if you mean a stroller. I think I’ve answered this on a previous survey.

Did you make any money today?  No, because it’s a weekend. What was the highest place you've ever jumped from?  Nothing dramatically high. I’ve had acrophobia-themed nightmares in the past, so even though I don’t actually have a fear of heights, the idea of jumping from a high place still makes me antsy.

Have you ever gone swimming in a river?  Not that I can recall.

What was the last souvenir someone got you?  I dunno if it counts but Andi bought merch from the AEW shop but made sure to also get a CM Punk sticker set for me :(

Do you have a favorite remix of a song?  Remixes have never been my thing. What do you think is the most saddest sounding instrument?  Piano.

Do you really pay attention to the ratings on movies?  Yeah they can definitely affect the level of appreciation I hold towards a film. For instance, if I genuinely enjoyed a movie only to find out it has average to bad reviews, it invites me to think more critically about the movie.

Do you have a favorite species of wild cat (tiger/lion/cougar/etc.)?  No.

If you had $500,000, what would you do with it?  Give half to my parents and let them do whatever they wish it. With the remaining P12,500,000, I’d probably get myself my own condo and have it fully furnished, then get braces, then get a new phone and laptop. I’ll have a bunch of money still left, I’m pretty sure – the rest of it I’ll save.

Did the last person you touched lips with have a kid?  No. I mean, I have honestly no clue what’s going on in her life now, but I know she doesn’t want kids so this is very unlikely.

"First loves are never really over." Is this true for you?  It’s true in a sense that she left me a lot of trauma and self-esteem issues that will irrevocably always be a part of me now even though I’ve worked hard to resolved most of them by myself.

Did you like Michael Jackson before he died?  Yes, because he has always been my favorite singer’s role model.

What are some things that would make you break up with someone?  I don’t know how to answer this question, honestly. All the red flags were thrown and tossed and slapped into my face and down my throat for six years yet I never left. I don’t actually know what my limits are, and I believe it’s because my coping mechanism has to just accept things and suck them up no matter how bad they get. That’s what I’m trying to change for myself now.

What was the worst breakup you've ever had?  I’ve had two breakups with the same person, and the second one was worse.

[taste-in-music]

taste-in-music’s top 30 songs of 2020

Hey everyone! If you missed it, you can check out my year end wrap-up post going over my favorite albums and EPs of the year. This list will go over my favorite songs of 2020, whether they happen to be on those projects or not. My only limit is one song per project, and thirty songs total. Now then, let’s get started! 

First Aid by Gus Dapperton: There is one easy way to get me to love a song, and that’s if an artist adds in another person’s vocals for the bridge and final chorus, hence infusing them with more dimension and meaning. “First Aid” is the best usage of that device all year. The song tackles Dapperton’s struggles with mental health, citing his sister as a large help in the midst of it all. Who best to come in for the bridge and final chorus, then, but his sister (who goes by the stage name Amadelle)? It all comes together to make the final act of the song hit like a gut punch. 

Josslyn by Olivia O’Brien: Every year I have to have my helping of big, sugary, bombastic pop tunes on this list, and “Josslyn” was the first of that type of song I fell in love with this year. This song is full of snark and blunt lines, (maybe don’t listen with mom in the room,) but god help me if it didn’t have one of the catchiest chorus melodies of the year. I’ll shout along to the entire song every time I hear it. 

Frustrated by Lauren Sanderson: Okay, I only found this song by chance, like, last week, (another good reason for postponing these lists until the year is actually over,) and I have to include it. If you love the hooky guitars lines of The 1975, vocalists with a gritty edge to their delivery, and a free-spirited feel that captures the euphoria of youth, then this is the song for you. I may have just discovered it, but I’ve already played it countless times. 

To Me by Alina Baraz: Everything about “To Me” communicates blissful tranquility, from the watery production to the subtle confidence in Baraz’s delivery. Every time I was feeling overwhelmed or stressed this year, (and lord help me, that was a lot,) this was the song I’d always return to to center myself. Baraz demanding respect out of her relationships and the best things out of life was downright inspiring.

Do It by Chloe X Halle: If there is one word I would use to describe this it would be effervescent, this song is so fresh, bouncy, and bubbly, like orange soda in musical form. With its tropical production and effortless vocals, this song made me want to hit a dancefloor like nothing else this year. It was the perfect pop Summer smash that deserved a better Summer.

ringtone (Remix) by 100 gecs ft. Charli XCX, Kero Kero Bonito, and Rico Nasty: This is probably the best remix of the year? The original “ringtone” was a cute, hooky fragment, but this turned it into a fleshed out, full-on posse-cut where each guest gets a moment to shine. Charli XCX turns the hook into an earworm, Kero Kero Bonito contribute their signature chirpy vocals, and Rico Nasty jumps in for an awesome bridge that provides a nice change of pace. And, of, course, 100 gecs are the glue that holds everything together. If you’re new to the gec train, this is a great place to start. 

By Myself by Maya Hawke: “By Myself” was the song that proved that Maya Hawke was way more than the usual actor trying to cash in a quick buck. She was a bona-fide craftswoman with the potential to being tears to my eyes with blissfully simple yet artfully constructed folk ballads. This song feels like a long-forgotten lullaby, gentle and beautiful with just enough woeful melancholy to remain emotionally resonant the whole year. 

killing boys by Halsey: “killing boys” is the epitome of short but sweet. This song is a fifteen second long dialogue bite Jennifer’s Body followed by some of the most focused, atmospheric pop of the year that only lasts two and a half minutes. The way the thudding heartbeat, low plucked strings, and Halsey’s hushed delivery all build to the distorted end is a pure adrenaline rush every time. It always had me coming back for more, and by the end of the year it had climbed its way up into my top 5 most listened to songs of the year. 

Bloom by Donna Missal: It’s not a list of mine without a Donna Missal song, is it? As soon as I saw the name of this song on the Lighter track list, I just had a feeling I was going to love it. “Bloom” is the most stripped-back moment on the album, with just a guitar accompanying Missal, and yet it is also one of the most memorable and evocative songs it has to offer. What the stripped-back production allows is for Missal’s sheer, raw talent as a vocalist to blossom, especially in how she displays so much power not by belting, but by holding back. Accompanied with lyrics that detail the fear of holding someone back in a relationship, “Bloom” is awe-inspiring every time. 

fever dream by mxmtoon: mxmtoon’s double album from this year didn’t leave much of an impression of me, but lead single “fever dream” got countless spins. This song feels like a warm hug, with mxmtoon’s amiable vocals, pillowy indie pop production (the chirps! the chimes! the gentle woodwinds!) and comforting lyrics that seemed to synthesize everything I was feeling while giving me a comforting pat on the shoulder at the same time. Take the line: “I want something more than / More than restless mornings / Getting by is so boring.” Gee, I wonder why I would’ve hit a nerve in a year like 2020?

Shoulda Known Better by Nasty Cherry: From the first chord of the intro’s ringing guitars, this feels dug up from a mid-2000s coming of age soundtrack. In fact, there is an inexplicable nostalgic feel to this whole song, from the frankness the lyrics, to the filmy vocal processing, all of it. And the way the song kicks into a faster groove on the chorus is so fun, it makes me want to speed down a highway every time I hear it, and I hate driving! I guess that’s just the power of a great pop rock song. 

Heart of Glass by Miley Cyrus: Do you ever hear a song that stops you clean in your tracks and makes you sit in stunned silence until it’s over? Hearing this cover for the first time did that to me. I had been wanting Miley Cyrus to take the rock route for a while, but this cemented that my intuition was 100% correct. It’s not necessarily better than the Blondie version, (Debbie Harry’s original delivery is very smooth and nonchalant, Miley’s is more gritty and rough around the edges,) but it fills an entirely different purpose. And that purpose is to be listened to on a never ending loop, in absolute awe. 

WIGS by BLACKSTARKIDS: SURF traverses a slew of sounds, from boisterous rock to hip hop to indie pop. One of the albums best moments, however, comes when all those sounds meet in the middle “WIGS” is a blissed-out in the best way, still providing a memorable hook, (one of the best the album has to offer,) while also letting you relax and hang on for the ride.

Dead Horse by Hayley Williams: This was the most unexpected bop of the year. The lyrics may be all about betrayal in the lead-up to divorce, but the delivery is so upbeat and bouncy that I can often forget just how soul-crushing the content is at times. The production on this is so catchy, with the chirpy, tropical synths, the “ya-ya-yas,” and Williams’s stellar vocals.

this is me trying by Taylor Swift: My favorite songs on folklore came to me in waves. First, “epiphany” was my favorite, with its timely lyrics and orchestral arrangements. Then, it was “the lakes,” with its nostalgic, poetic feel, (consider it a very close runner-up.) But in the end, it was the slow burning ache of “this is me trying” that didn’t just become my favorite on folklore, but one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs ever. Looking back, “this is me trying” synthesizes what I like about those other two songs. It has a grand, atmospheric instrumental and pointed, detailed lyrics, combining the two into a single, perfect, emotional wrecking ball. 

Susie Save Your Love by Allie X ft. Mitski: This was my most anticipated duet of the year, and it didn’t disappoint! This song goes by like a long sigh on a humid Summer night, filled with breathy vocals set against a churning groove. The lyrics detail parties gone wrong and unrequited love with a best friend with just enough ambiguity to allude to something darker hovering under the surface. Mitski’s vocals work great in an alt-pop context, I love what she does with her solo work but I certainly wouldn’t be mad if she hopped onto more tracks like this. Also, that guitar solo makes me levitate every time. 

Fetch The Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple: Okay, who had “Fiona Apple meows on a song” on their 2020 bingo card? But it works, it works so well! From its opening clatter of percussion, “Fetch The Bolt Cutters” establishes a locomotive groove that never stops moving forward. In fact, the entire song seems to be dedicated to that sentiment, each lyric linking lines about middle school bullies, media critics, and Kate Bush references into their perfect place. It’s a narrative that may span a lifetime, but it still feels as timely as ever. 

forever by Charli XCX: I’ll admit I haven’t returned to How I’m Feeling Now all that much throughout 2020, but I have returned to “forever,” again and again and again. The sugar-sweet hook at the heart of all the blown-out bass is just irresistible. The way it manages to fight to the forefront, cutting through the clouds of distortion like a shimmering pink diamond, is nothing short of hopeful. 

Fit N Full by Samia: This was my instant favorite off The Baby. The glistening guitars make for a sweltering summery jam that you can’t help but move to every time you hear it. The way Samia weaves lyrics about the agonizing pressures of womanhood, diet culture, and body image into a catchy pop hook is pretty genius. She wraps them all up into a pretty package for consumption, just like women are forced to do with their pain. 

Heartbreak Weather by Niall Horan: Niall Horan has made folksy balladry his mainstay, which is all fine and good, but god help me if his turn towards stadium-rocking power pop didn’t result in one of the most anthemic songs of the year. “Heartbreak Weather” is sharply written, lushly produced, and performed with so much spirit and heart that I can’t help but think that this is the genre Horan has been meant to fall into all along. It’s certainly deserving of its title track status. 

Pretty Please by Dua Lipa: Future Nostalgia was an excellent showcase of Dua Lipa’s mastery over nonstop pop bangers, (”Physical” is the very close runner up for this list.) But surprisingly, it was the breather moment on the album, the song where everything slowed down, that really hooked me. I’m gonna say it, “Pretty Please” is so fucking sexy. The whole song screams sensuality, from the lyrics, to the bass line, to the funky synths, to Lipa’s delivery. It may not be as in-your-face as its peers, but it deserves just as much hype. 

Woo! by Remi Wolf: I had such a hard time picking a Remi Wolf song for this list that I had to resort to the raw data. “Woo!” ended up on my Spotify Wrapped, so “Woo!” gets this spot. This song just works in some ramshackle way I can’t describe, all the disparate pieces come together with so much charm. The way Wolf’s performance effortlessly flip-flops between jaunty half-rapping modulated with distortion to full-blown, raw belting on the bridge is a wild ride of the best kind every time. 

gold rush by Taylor Swift: We have another entry for the highly esteemed category of songs that capture the feeling of butterflies in your stomach. This latest Antonoff-Swift collaboration is a wistful, glittery whirlwind that captures the simultaneous excitement and soul crushing realization of a blooming crush. The way the dreamy intro snaps into the steady thrum of the rest of the song, before the song fades out in the same way, as if to illustrate how your mind can race to dozens of different places all within in the moment of meeting someone? Damn, I’m getting butterflies just thinking about it. 

Eugene by Arlo Parks: “Eugene” is a testament to soft-spoken heartache, as Arlo Parks details watching her straight crush in a relationship with a man. The song is incredibly intimate, both with Park’s hushed vocals and the specific details she utilizes in her writing, (Sylvia Plath poetry, a cigarette hanging between purple lips.) It all comes together to make the song all the more personal and heart-aching. 

People, I’ve been sad by Christine and the Queens: Christine and the Queens have perfected setting emotionally resonant sentiments against wire-tight grooves, and “People I’ve been sad” may just be their most elegant effort yet. The echoing, stuttering drums, fluttering backing vocals, and reverb give the track a wide sense of space, which perfectly illustrates the loneliness Chris describes. But there’s also this intangible warmth to the song too, harking from the strings and Chris’s introspective performance. Just gorgeous. 

XS by Rina Sawayama: Picking a song of SAWAYAMA for this list was damn near impossible. My first favorite off the album was the nu metal rager “STFU!,” then the slinky intrigue of “Akasaka Sad,” then the glitter-flinging “Tokyo Love Hotel.” But did those songs end Karl Marx’s career with their razor-sharp critique of capitalism? No. Hence, “XS” gets this spot. The craftmanship of this song is so impressive, with the rock guitar hits contrasted against the glossy pop production, Rina’s pitch-perfect performance, the witty lyricism, everything. This will go down as a classic in Ms. Sawayama’s discography, no doubt!

Guilty Conscience by 070 Shake: I didn’t even realize this was one of my favorite songs of the year until I was writing this list and felt like something was missing. This feels like a song that plays for the last stragglers on a prom dance floor. It’s melancholic yet just upbeat enough, sprawling yet buoyant, and hooks you in with the perfect balance monstrous, shimmering 80s synths undercut with rattling modern trap percussion. It’s just irresistible. If HBO doesn’t put this on the next season of Euphoria then they’re fools. 

I Know The End by Phoebe Bridgers: I don’t even know if I can describe the full impact of this song, so I’ll keep to short. One word: catharsis. The way this sound builds up from signature Phoebe Bridgers Ballad™ to forceful rollick to gut-wrenching climax gives me chills every time. I don’t want to spoil it. If you haven’t heard it before, go listen to it, (preferably with the rest of the album, too.) If you know, you know. 

Delete Forever by Grimes: Okay, now who had “Grimes makes the best country song of the year” on their 2020 bingo card? I certainly didn’t. I’ve loved Grimes’s work in the past for its ability to transport me to another place. “Delete Forever” does the exact opposite in its discussion of loss, exhaustion, and hopelessness, rooting me right to where I am. But you know what? I think I like that a lot more, especially when the song incorporates a lush acoustic guitar and strings, sunny synths, and just enough optimism to remind me that there is always hope to keep the darkness from fully taking over.

circle the drain by Soccer Mommy: This song was in the running for my favorite song of the year since even before the pandemic began, for its classic 90s-alternative sound, for its clever production choices, and for its anthemic feel. But as the year went on, it just kept getting more and more emotionally potent. I’ve been wanting to look at the songs and albums I’ve discussed on these lists without putting on pandemic-tinted glasses, but the truth is, that experience drastically shaped my year, and how I consume music. The lyrics in this song were so goddamn relatable as this year kept spiraling and it felt like I was along with it. “circle the drain” showed me that it’s okay to be feel like I was “falling apart these days.” Because those feelings are not new, I’m not alone in feeling them, and I may keep feeling them, but you know what? I’ll still have this song, in fact, many of the songs on this list, to return to when I do. 

Here are some songs I loved this year that didn’t come out in 2020: “Nikes” by Frank Ocean, “Prom” by SZA, “Rhinestone Eyes” by Gorillaz, “Anyone Else But You” by The Moldy Peaches, “Cold War” by Cautious Clay, “Plans” by Maude Latour, “Sleepyhead” by Passion Pit, and “Narcissist” by No Rome ft. The 1975.

Whether you liked, reblogged, or commented on a post, sent me an ask, or interacted with this blog in any way, thank you so much for all the support throughout the year! I can’t express how much I appreciate it.

What were your favorite songs from this year? Did I miss anything? Send me an ask and let me know. I’ll tell you my thoughts, or put it on my to-listen-to list if I haven’t heard them.

Here’s to 2021! May it clear the extremely low bar set by this year.

[elejah-verse]

Hellbound/1

Fanfiction

Part 1

This a tvd+to fanfiction story. Totally AU.

Premise:

The Mikaelsons helped the Mystic Falls Scoobies fight a clan of ancient werewolves called the Hundings. Klaus and Caroline paid the ultimate price, as well as Damon. But as it is the case in the magical world of the Mystic Falls vampires, death is not the end.

There is also a new adventure looming for the Mystic Falls Scoobies and their now friends, the Original vampires, as everything is somehow always connected to them. And so, they are Hellbound…

Main pairings_ Elijah MIkaelson x Elena Gilbert,

Rebekah Mikaelson x Stefan Salvatore

Kol Mikaelson x Bonnie Bennett

Damon Salvatore x Katherine Pierce

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

thanks for reading - xoxo

* nate and kat gif is not mine

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

As they landed Elena in Nova Scotia, Elena switched her phone on. There was a voicemail mesage from Jeremy. She played it.

"I guess you're on the plane. Hm-Caroline and Klaus were just here, as ghosts. Call me."

The Original siblings looked at one another stunned to hear the message. Elena made the call to Jeremy.

"Hey -we just landed." Elena said as her brother picked up the call.

"Hey... yeah... Caroline and Klaus woke me up."

"It was really them?!"-Rebekah said.

"As their ghostly self, yes." Jeremy replied.

"What did they say and why did they contact us?" Elijah said.

Jeremy now told them what Caroline told him.

"Sigrid Mikaelson?!" Kol uttered."Have you ever heard this name? Do we have more syblings we didn't know about?!"

"Who says we are the only Mikaelsons?!" Rebekah said.

Now Stefan raised a question,"What about your cousins?"

"Father didn't have any brothers or sisters" Rebekah explained.

"What about Grandmothers?" Bonnie then said.

"Not by that name." Elijah said.

"How much do you really know about your family?"-Stefan said looking at the Original vampires.

"You're right." Elijah said "It looks like so much is shrouded in secrets. But why?" "And why did my grandmother have it?" Bonnie said.

"Ok. Talk to you later, Jer. If they come to you again- call us." Elena said to him and gung up.

"Let's get settled and we can start with the research" Elijah suggested.

They all agreed.

Elijah had found a suitable house where they could all stay together.

****

New York, NY

Sophie packed her bag. She looked at the e-mail Bonnie had sent her.

"Grams told me that she doesn't know anything about a map. She has never been to Nova Scotia."

"Does it ever stop with the Mikaelsons?!" the witch muttered to herself looking at the clock. She then put her jacket on and picked up her keys. She glanced once more back at the apartment to make sure she hadn't forgotten something and then picked up her bag and walked out of the apartment.

***** Yarmouth, Nova Scotia

A woman played with a four year old child in her garden.

"Ok...now you throw me the ball back” the woman said smiling at her daughter,"that's really good Rae."

And as she was about to throw the ball back to the girl, she saw a woman come into the garden.

"Hello, Hayley. Is that Rae?! She has really grown?!" the woman said.

Hayley shot a nasty look at the woman and then her grandmother hearing the voice of the visitor came out and took the girl back into the house not to watch the women exchanging insults.

"What do you want Francesca?" Hayley said in a stanoffish manner, " I told you not to come around the house?

"Where then? In the bar, where everyone can here about werewolf and witch business?!"  Francesca said.

"I am done with the witches. I told you that."-Hayley said.

"I know that it is not in your nature to just give up your alpha status."-the witch continued.

"You don't know what parents are capable to do to save their own. I just want a peaceful life with my daughter. I don't care about the ancient crap and territory and who owns what. I told you I am done!" Hayley spat and turned to walk towards the house.

"Well, this is about your daughter"-Francesca said.

Hayley turned around and charged at the witch, who had no problem stopping her with her magic.

"I heard it on the witch grapevine that someone is looking to raise an old powerful witch back to life."

"Leave me alone. I am not the leader of the pack. Go and talk to Cat about it." Now Hayley's grandma came out.

"Rae needs you"  the old woman said to Hayley.

"Go Francesca and leave us alone." Hayley sifted.

"As you wish. But don't say I warned you" the witch said and left the garden.

Hayley got into the house and saw that the child was watching the TV serenely.

"Why did you call me in? Rae is fine."- Hayley said.

"I just wanted you away from her. We made a deal with the pack and not with the witch. As you told her you are no longer the leader, so I don't know what she wants from you?!" the old woman said.

"We should have gone the night I gave up everything. She will always want something of us." Hayley looked at a photo of her and a man standing next to her hugging her."Jackson would still be alive." *

In Halifax, Elena and the rest of the gang made themselves comfortable in the house they rented.

Bonnie used the spell Sophie taught her to make the place private as they were too many vampires ears around.

Elena had ordered food for them and Rebekah went for a fresh supply off blood for them with Stefan.

Kol played on his computer trying to cross-reference the latest trails Sophie had sent earlier about two witches coven in Nova Scotia that might have some knowledge about the map.

"Anything?" Bonnie asked as she got into the kitchen.

"No. Loads of dead ends. I think it was done on purpose or they have closed ranks for some reason," Kol said,"but here is a name. Dumas. Heloise."

"A witch?" Elena looked at the vampire tilting her head.

"Oh, yes. Not just any." Kol's eyes shone with the discovery.

Elijah now walked in and asked him about the lead.

"I heard them talk about her. She possessed powers apparently like our mother. It was rumored that she was a werewolf too." Kol said.

"A hybrid witch? Is there a picture?" Elena inquired.

Kol showed them the photograph of the woman.

" Right, now we have to figure out what her coven has to do with you, the Mikaelsons?!

" Sophie thinks that these two covens being the oldest had to have some knowledge of the past?!"

Kol now enhanced the photo-" look on the broach on her blouse- the sign-it's like triple crescent moons?!"

Elijah looked at it and so did the others.

"This sign was on the map, too."- he said and got the map out to verify it.

"There it is!"Kol said." Sophie, you badass!"

"Now we only need to find the coven now" Elijah said satisfied with the prompt result.

"Ok, Kol said. Let's go and snoop around town! Anyone for a good night out?!"-he looked at Bonnie, and turned to his sister and Stefan adding, "the lovebirds here will probably snooze in front of a TV and watch a silent film"

“Shut up” Rebekah snapped at her brother. 

Elijah rolled his eyes a bit, and turned to the doppelganger. "Elena, how about a drink? It feels a tad bit stuffy in this house?!"

"I'd love a drink." Elena said smiling.

”Right. We will leave you to have your meal.” Elijah said and turned to his brother asking him if he could have a word with him.

Elena and Bonnie sat down to eat.

"I still can't get over that all this is so pretty normal with them." Bonnie said.

"Weirder things have happened. I so would like to know how Caroline and Klaus get on? Is it still honeymoon or did they rip each other's ghostly heads-off?!" Elena said.

**** Plantation house, near New Orleans

Katherine finished her gardening work and went into the kitchen to wash her hands. She took some vegetables out and started dicing them.

"Katherine Pierce in a domestic mode?! I must be in Hell." a voice so very familiar uttered making Katherine turn around slightly shocked pointing the knife at the person instinctively.

"D-Damon?! How...what blasting magic is this?" Katherine said seeing Damon leaning on the back of a chair.

"You can see me?!" Damon then said.

"I can see you. I can hear you?!" the doppelganger uttered still amazed. She approached him wanting to touch him, but it was clear that he was in his ghost form. "You've come to haunt me?!"

"To haunt?! Maybe?! I have been here the whole time. I have seen everything. You all burying me. Them going away. You crying over me. Very touching" "Even as a ghost you have to be an ass."-Katherine replied miffed.

"Hey, come on, even you have to admit that is a bit wacky all this- you, the great Katherine Pierce not that selfish. Showing all your real emotions! But... how come you can see me all of a sudden?! This morning, you couldn't see me when I was lurking?!"

"First, Don't call me Katherine. My name is Katerina. Secondly, there is magic involved. I am not a medium like Jeremy"

"Where is he, btw? And why are you still here? I saw Elijah leaving you plenty of money and the deeds to this property?! Elena must have been really pissed- though I saw you to talking about me. All sweet like two lost sisters?!" "I have to find a witch to make you go away. Maybe those crazy werewolves didn't bite you well enough" Katherine said taking her phone calling Elijah. *

Downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Rebekah compelled a man after she had a quick drink turning to Stefan.

"Ok. I just had to have a bit of fresh blood." Rebekah said. " I just can't go on with the pig blood diet of yours!"

"I didn't say anything, did I?"  Stefan said.

"No, but you just looked at me the way you look at me?! Ah, ok...what did they want? Have they all figured out?"- Rebekah asked as Stefan read Elena's message.

"Here- " he showed her the triple crescent symbol and the picture of the witch, and her name - Heloise," Rebekah said, "right, witch hunt it is!"

"So, the Miakaelsons started from where exactly?"  Stefan asked.

"Great great-grandfather was from Gotland. Then he went to what we now know as Estonia. Father told us that his family always wanted to get richer and trade more. And they did. They said that the winters would be very harsh and it was hard to farm and keep the animals, and they have always wanted to go places. There was one story mother told us once, and that four children died because the village they were living in got trapped by snow. That was probably my great great great grandfather Mikaelson. I don't know. And he was left with one son, who survived. He took his woman and they left for Gotland.Well, it is obvious that my mother and father got to England. There is nothing after the Hunding battle, is there? Something must have happened?!" Rebekah gave an extensive account.

They walked into a bar and asked for drinks.

"So, the plague happened in Estonia?! Who moved to England?!"

"My parents married in Estonia. I know that much. The left because all of their stock died and people were dying of some disease. At least that's what my father told us. When they would talk about family in those days it was in the manner of the sagas. They were tales of worthy men. Epic work of fiction. " Rebekah said.

"Hey, blondie, bring us some more beer over here?! Do your job. You can" a drunken man said to Rebekah mistaking her for the waitress.

Before the man could say anything more, Stefan had him by the throat sifting, "You don't speak to my girlfriend that way or I will tear you head off right here, right now! Apologize!"

The man apologized quickly and Stefan let him go.

Rebekah looked at Stefan with eyes wide open. His sudden outburst was something she didn't expect of him although it flattered her that he official called her his girlfriend.

"That's what you get when you go into a dive!" Rebekah said and now kissed Stefan seeping with passion. She pulled him out of the bar into the back alley.

"This was the hottest thing ever coming from you!" she said and pulled him onto her. He now had a taste of the human blood that he felt in Rebekah's mouth. It made him lose his control and he bit into her neck. Ever since the battle of the Hundings and Damon passing away, Stefan's personality shifted slightly. He had angry ripper outbursts at times, or he would completely shut out and seemed not to care.

Rebekah pulled him off of her.

"Stefan?!"

He looked at her horrified at his actions.He wanted to run off, but she caught him reading his inentions in his eyes and he slumped on the floor screaming.

"I don't want this. What is wrong with me?!"

"Shshsh" Rebekah embraced the vampire. "I won't drink from humans anymore...sorry... you will be all right. We will sort this out.  I promise! I love you"

*

Somewhere not far from Rebekah and Stefan were stuck in an alley, Kol, Elijah, Elena and Bonnie walked into a bar.

"Let's see what Taboo has to offer us"  Kol said. “70s night! There you go. Great music.”

"What are you ladies drinking?" Elijah asked Elena and Bonnie.

"Beer" Bonnie said and Elena nodded in agreement.

Elijah went to the bar to get the drinks. "We forget research tonight.” Bonnie said.

"I can smell werewolf scent" Elena then remarked. Bonnie looked surprised at her.

"Trust me, being able to smell things like a vampire is pretty gross. If werewolves are here, vampires are not. " Elena said.

"Would they lead us to the covens?!" Bonnie said.

"Sophie said these witches are connected with werewolves?! " Elena said. "Like I need to see a werewolf so soon."

Elijah returned with the drinks. He brought some shots with the beers. Kol joined them.

"My brother learns fast." Kol said taking a shot.

"Come on, let's dance!" he took Bonnie by the hand. She protested a little but got carried away with the music.

"He is totally - easy tonight." Elena said looking at Kol, who seemed a fun loving-self.

And when he was in good mood, the Original shone like no one else. As the karaoke stage was freed, he had Bonnie do a duet with him.

“They say that you are an amazing singer.”

“And what if I was?” Bonnie cocked an eyebrow at the vampire.

“I am not bad myself.”

The witch rolled her eyes. “You so love yourself.”

“Darling, there is nothing bad in excercising self-love. Ok - how about this one - Elton John and Kiki Dee - ‘Don’t go breaking My Heart.”

“You know Elton John’s music?” Bonnie was surprised to say the least.

“I am in with the times. Though 70s was forty-odd years ago. I’m not like Elijah. I like pop culture. Right. Ready?” Kol took the mic.

Don't go breaking my heart I couldn't if I tried Honey, if I get restless Baby, you're not that kind

Don't go breaking my heart You take the weight off me Oh, honey, when you knock on my door Ooh, I gave you my key

Ooh-hoo, nobody knows it When I was down I was your clown Ooh-hoo, nobody knows it, nobody knows Right from the start I gave you my heart Oh oh, I gave you my heart

Everyone present was impressed as both of them showed they had a great talent, plus they made it even more fun, playing off as if they were a couple.

“I can’t believe how good they are” Elena said.”Wow, he is a totally - yeah.” Elena said and took a swag of the beer herself, and swayed a bit to the beat, looking at Elijah.

"He agreed to use a herb to keep his attacks of rage under control." Elijah said. "We had a long talk about - a lot of things. One is his behaviour. He wishes he could earse some of the things he had done.

" I wish I could erase and rewind, too -at least some things." Elena said.

"Wouldn't we all?!" Elijah said pensively taking a swag of the beer.

“No negativity tonight.” Elena suddnely got up. “I’m going to dance. You?”

Elijah swayed his had as in no. Shrugging with her shoulders, the doppelganger acknowledged that this was not his thing and now went to the crowd that danced to Kennetts second song.

Continuing with his beer, Elijah’s eyes were fixed on Elena. Whenever he was around her he felt an unusual tingling happiness cross his heart. For years his feelings were so neutral nearly all the time. Love was something he had stopped believing in. Up to the day, he came to Mystic Falls again and met her. The third doppelganger. And those months around her, getting to know her brought the feelings he had thought were safely guarded out. He started to feel love, joy and happiness so strongly it made him tingle right down to his bones.

Elena, who was in full dancing mode, now turned to Elijah inviting him to come join her.

“Come on” Elena said with a broad smile. “I know it’s not the cotillion - actually it is much easier.”

“I don’t know -” Elijah said standing up.

Seeing his brother with Elena in a semi -tug, Kol, who had noticed Elijah tiptoing around the doppelganger, chose a softer song, compelling the person, who wanted to get them off the stage to go away and just have delirious fun and let them be.

“What’s up with you?” Bonnie said galring at the Original.

“Look - Elena is trying to get Elijah to dance - and knowing my brother - he needs something more slower and softer - this one is for them.”

“What are you talking about?” Bonnie said.

“Elijah and Elena need a push - you missed so much being away in the underworld - help me here.”

“This one.” Bonnie said as she saw the Bee Gees’ How Deep Is Your Love.

“Perfect” Kol said and got the song going.

As they started singing, Bonnie turned her head to the dancing area. Her friend and the Original were now slowly swaying to the song. She of course knew the song so well, as her gramps used to play it often. Strangely, after a very long time they were having fun.

Rebekah and Stefan, who finally appeared in the bar, were not surprised to see Kol being the master of ceremonies.

“There is Elena with Elijah - finally” Rebekah said as her eyes caught her eldest brother dancing with the doppelganger.

“Wanna dance, too?” Stefan said to his girlfriend.

“Yeah,” Rebekah said,”crazy dancing fun is what we need and lots of it cuz something tells me there isn’t going to be much fun soon.”

***

In the spirit world, Caroline stood next to the window in the room resembling very the Lockwood Mansion. Her mind wondered to a moment a few weeks back.

Flashback

Tyler stood next to Caroline.The light around them shone like it was the brightest sunny day they had ever seen. Three women came to them. They were the norn elders.

"You are granted the wish your hearts desired. We are eternelly greatful for your sacrifice." and as they said it the women disappeared.

As Caroline turned around she found herself in a room so very familiar to her.

"This can't be?! Am I dead - really dead?" the blonde uttered and she found herself in her room. She walked down the stairs to the living room. Her eyes couldn't believe who she saw was standing in it.

"Caroline?!" Klaus uttered in amazment seeing the blonde standing in the room.

Without a word, Caroline went into his arms, squeezing him tightly.

"They let you go!" she exclaimed happily. Then looked at the hybrid.

"My darling" Klaus said smiling a bit and then kissed her.

Soon it became all too clear to Caroline that she had passed away into the spirit world. The reward for fighting bravely against the Hundings was that she could spend eternity with Klaus, lessening his sentence by alowing him to be with her. His blood ultimatively helped make Elena the one who could whitstand the Hunding king.

“Hey, love” Klaus touched the blonde’s shoulder lightly, “are you all right?”

“I am” Caroline said turning to face the hybrid. “It is still kind of weird that we are here - wherever this is. It definitely isn’t the other side - or?”

“It’s not.”Lexi said entering from the side room. “Ok, you guys, I’ve got something.” The former vampire now also a ghost passed a scroll to Klaus. "He used all of us to channel the dark magic helping the witches from underworld awake. And here is something I found he left behind. Do you understand what it says?”

Fylliz fiǫrvifeigra manna,rýðr ragna siǫtrauðom dreyra.Svǫrt verða sólskinof sumor eptir,veðr ǫll vályndVitoð ér enn, eða hvat?

Klaus read it and translated immediately,"It sates itself on the life-blood of fated men, paints red the powers' homes with crimson gore. Black become the sun's beams in the summers that follow,weathers all treacherous. Do you still seek to know? And what?"

"What does it mean?" Caroline wanted to know.

"That's from Ragnarok" Klaus said pensively.

"Right, can you be more specific?!" Caroline looked at him anxiously.

"All Hell will break loose." Klaus said simply.

***

In Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Hayley returned home from her friends with her daughter Rae. She called for her grandmother walking in the kitchen. The old woman was lying on the floor covered in blood. "Gramps" Hayley tried desperately to wake the woman up. “Please, wake up. Gramps, please.” Taking the woman’s hands the werewolf noticed strange markings made on her palm. It was the triple crescent moon symbol.

[sweetsmellosuccess]

Sundance 2021: Day 1 & 2

Films: 5

Best Film of the Day(s): Summer of Soul

Coda: It is mostly a truism that the festival tends to start things off on Thursday night with a genial offering, to whet the appetite, as it were, for the vastly more far-reaching, and oft-madcap rest of the program. Sian Heder’s sweetly realized light drama, about Ruby (Emilia Jones), a high school senior in Gloucester, MA, who works in the early morning non-school hours on her father’s fishing boat, and full-time as the only member of her family, including mom (Marlee Matlin), father (Troy Katsur), and brother (Daniel Durant) who isn’t deaf. Balancing out her workload, she joins the choir, in order to be able to spend time with her crush, Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo), and turns out to have significant enough talent that her flinty music teacher (Eugenio Derbez), encourages her to apply to the prestigious music college in Boston of which he is an alum. Formulaic, to be certain, but moving nonetheless, with fine performances from the family  —  in keeping with the film’s own set-up, all but Jones actually deaf  —  and a strong sense of their relationships, especially between Ruby and her father. Heder’s screenplay also plays out the difficult dynamic between Ruby, and the rest of the hearing world, as the lone interpreter and defender of her family. As she puts it, they can’t hear themselves being laughed at, but she has no choice. It’s certainly glossy, but it’s also heartfelt, as in one pivotal scene, as Ruby performs a moving duet with Miles for the choir’s big show, Heder unexpectedly douses the sound for a few long moments, giving us a moving sense of what her parents get to experience during their daughter’s moment of artistic triumph.

Censor: As the title suggests, Prano Bailey-Bond’s discreet horror flick is about the idea of repression  —  what we want to cut away from the ugliness of the human experience. Set during the Thatcherite ‘80s, during an era where “video nasties” had become the topic du jour of cultural critics and political wankers, suggesting the sudden proliferation of demented, ultra-violent straight-to-video releases in the UK was somehow leading the country into sadistic nihilism, as opposed to their representing the result of Thatcher’s choking brand of right-wing oppression. Enid (Niamh Algar), a censor working for the government to render such films as Asunder, and Violent Coda properly palatable to the squirming masses, by excising excessive eye-gougings, brutal rapes, and disembowelments just enough to pass the board. She’s already living with her own past demons, a younger sister who disappeared in the woods under her watch years before, leaving her family shattered. Bailey-Bond shoots the film until the very end, as if underground, even while literally outside. Enid makes her way through the tube stations, and pedestrian tunnels, to her windowless office, and back again, with overhanging branches, overpasses, and canopies keeping her away from contact with the outside world. Creepy  —  but notably restrained in its own depictions of violence, save for the grainy, 4:3 imagery Enid has to make her way through at her job  —  Bailey-Bond’s film works well as a half-remembered bad dream from a similar tableau as Peter Strickland, but doesn’t quite have to chops, visually or in its surreal storytelling, to push it past those boundaries. It’s gripping enough, but doesn’t stick with you terribly long.

Summer of Soul (...Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised): In 1969, during the Summer of Love, when white hippies and counter-culturalists were grooving to Woodstock, and NASA had successfully landed whitey on the moon, an entirely different sort of cultural fusion was taking place in Mt. Morris Park in Harlem. A performer and concert promoter named Tony Lawerence conceived of the event, a big outdoor stage where for six consecutive weekends, people could flock to the free shows that featured Jazz, Afro-beat, blues, R ‘n B, gospel, Motown, and funk. More than 300,000 attended the concerts in total to watch legendary performers including B.B. King, Mahalia Jackson, Max Roach, Mavis Staples, Gladys Knight, Hugh Masekela, a 19-year-old Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, and, in the sort of fierce performance that defined her live presence, Nina Simone, but even though the shows were meticulously filmed, the footage had never found an outlet, until now. Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s directorial debut doesn’t just present the artists’ performances (though it certainly could have), but adds insight from some of the surviving artists, and some of those in the crowd who witnessed them. He also works to put the shows into the cultural context of the time, when a rare mixture of political outrage, multicultural strength, and a dawning of the Black Pride movement created a fulcrum for Harlem, and Black people all over the world. Hippies got the press, and much of the mainstream media coverage, but Thompson makes a strong case as to how the same repressive forces that lead to the explosion of the counterculture movement amongst white college students and young people, also affected the rise of rebellion and tide-shifting in communities of color. Watching Jackson and Staples perform a riveting version of MLK’s favorite gospel song, “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” in the wake of the black leader’s assassination, or Simone rip into “Backlash Blues” is to witness the shift of cultural winds, as they whipped across a steamy, jam-packed park in Upper Manhattan.

John and the Hole: The title is, on first blush, terrible, but as with several things in this confidently enigmatic coming-of-a-kind-of-age tale from Pascual Sisto, there’s more to it than that. What initially sounds dumpy becomes somewhat cannily constructed: It’s meant to evoke a kind of modern myth vibe, along the lines of “Jack and the Beanstalk.” As it turns out, the film’s refusal to explain itself becomes a significant strength. John (Charlie Shotwell), is a 13-year-old kid from a wealthy family outside of Boston. Skinny and stammering, he’s also difficult to read, either by his parents (Jennifer Ehle and Michael C. Hall), or his older sister (Taissa Farmiga). Which is why, when John’s family wake up one morning at the bottom of a deep, cement shaft  —  part of a bunker built in the woods near their house  —  after having been drugged, and dragged there by John, their reactions run from mildly surprised to mildly upset. John leaves them down there, occasionally stopping by the edge to drop down food, water, and jackets, while he lives on at the main house, zipping around town in the family’s Volvo SUV, and taking out cash when needed from his dad’s ATM card. At first, he finds it liberating  —  eating a mound of chicken nuggets, endless pizzas, and leaving the mess littered around the house, as he attempts to stave off suspicions  —  but, eventually, he gets lonely, and realizes he prefers their company to being on his own. There’s maliciousness implied in his actions  —  a frequent shot looking up at John from inside the pit keeps re-establishing the peculiar power dynamic in the family  —  but nothing happens, it appears, that can’t be taken back. Sisto shoots the film sumptuously, drawing out the beauty of their immaculate house in contrast to the mess it slowly becomes under John’s ambivalence (an idea neatly echoed with the rest of the family down in the bunker, who quickly become filthier and filthier until the mud and grime seems etched into their pores). What conclusions it may draw are difficult to ascertain, in keeping with the nature of the project, but there is the definite sense that the nuclear family, as rigid as the formation may seem, remains a useful tool for healthy emotional growth after all.

In the Earth: Shot in the summer of 2020, in response to the pandemic (director Ben Wheatley explained pre-screening that he wanted a film that “reflected the politics of the times”), the film is loaded with imagery of madness and obsession. Or, you know, what happens to the human mind when it’s forced to stay in place for months at a go. Set in the near future, when a different and even more deadly virus has devastated the planet, the story concerns a scientist named Martin (Joel Fry), who needs to head deep into a boreal forest to find a research lab headed by a former flame (Hayley Squires). He is aided by a guide, a forest ranger named Alma (Ellora Torchia), who takes him on the supposed two-day trek. En route, however, they run into trouble in the form of Zach (Reece Shearsmith), a crazy devotee of the forest gods, and what he believes are their ritualistic demands. Breaking free from him, they arrive at the research lab, only to find similar insanity. Wheatley’s film feels rushed in places, and is violently incoherent in others, but its sense of immediacy is acute. With its characters having plunged into bizarre cryptic conspiracy theories, having plunged deep into the Boreal heart of darkness, and the sense that reality has been splintered, it ends up being a pretty fair summation of current life and times. It might not hold up under much scrutiny years from now, but it could hardly be more of the moment in the meantime.

Sundance goes mostly virtual for this year’s edition, sparing filmgoers the altitude, long waits, standing lines, and panicked eating binges  —  but also, these things and more that make the festival so damn endearing. In any event, Sundance via living room is still a hell of a lot better than no Sundance. A daily report.

[queeniecamps]

 2 drawings in one night, I’m on a rollllll

Makki fam | Spacetabs fam | The Millers |  The Lovett-Goodplays |  The Nikssips |  The Hharts  | Cultists & Counselors

(Info below!!)

About the family:

6 years after Max and Nikki married, the two of them realized how much they rushed in, and lost interest in eachother romantically as time went on, and agreed to a mutual divorce.

Eventually, Max and Sasha reunited at a coffee shop, and the two hit it off immediately. After a year or so of dating, they married, and the year following, they were expecting the twins.

---

Max Jones (Age 36):

(Continuing from the Makki family pic)

Max continues to find Daniel and uncover his schemes, working his damn best to try and stop him before he murders another camp. 

He feels like he’s at this race against time as news of more camps being hit by Daniel, which leads him to travel across the States to stop him in his tracks.

After a brush across him occurs (but, unfortunetly, the damn rat bastard gets away from him), panic sets in as he worries that Troop #789 or Camp Campbell are going to be his next target when Daniel finds out that his children and wife attend those camps.

Sasha Murphy (Age 37):

After years of anger management, therapy, self reflection, and plenty of love, support, and validation from her besties, Sasha has grown out of her toxic personality and mindset, embracing a more calm demeanor instead.

When she and Max were about to make it official, Max gave her the one condition to try and apologize to Nikki (who, had that point, she had lost contact with for nearly 10 - 13 years), which really pushed Sasha to change for the better, and lead to the two to becoming good friends.

She wound up becoming the next Troop Leader of Troop #789 after Miss Priss resigned, and Sasha vows to help raise the next generation of Scouts with a less toxic (but still badass!!) mindset, in hopes of none of the girls there to feel left out like Nikki was.

On the offseason, Sasha makes at-home skincare products, selling them on her Etsy to earn some coin $$$.

Abby Murphy-jones (Age 10):

Abby is your run of the mill Soft girl ™, a real sensitive sweetheart who wants to get along with her older half-sister, Gretchen. She tends to look up to her and how bold she is, despite her nasty attitude towards her.

She started playing the ukulele at a young age, seeing as her sister was working on Music Camp, she decided to pick it up so she could teach her. Despite her being reluctant, Gretchen taught her all that she knew, and Abby went on to learn more and more on her own. The two of them bond over music, and that’s pretty much the only time you can see the two of them getting along.

Aside from the ukulele, Abby likes to play with the family pet, Butterscotch (big ty to Hayley for helping me pick that name out dsfghfsfdg), and can also occasionally be seen doodling on anything she can find.

Abby is also a bit of a brat when she’s angered, and will 100% cry to daddy if you upset her. Bullies beware.

Dillon Murphy-Jones (Age 10):

Dillon, compared to his sister, is a bit of a mastermind. He tends to pull pranks around Troop #789, whiiiiiich often result in him getting sent over to Camp Campbell where they can handle him better.

He’s got his mama’s shark teeth, and managed to get both of his parents old childhood wit and charisma. Although that fact tends to combat the fact that he’s also lazy, so nobody quite knows when he’ll strike next.

Overall, Imagine Louie Duck in the 2017 ducktales and that’s him.

Butterscotch (Age ??):

THE GOODEST BOY. BEST DOGGO. AMAZING, 10/10, VERY TALENTED AND SMART AND CUTE.

Called Butters for short.

[qualitystart]

oooh boy, this is a big complicated question and I’m not sure how well I’ll be able to do at answering it. I’ll take a whack though.

anyone else who wants to add onto this post, feel free.

so, the CWHL folded. a whole bunch of players declared they were #forthegame and that they wouldn’t play in a North American league unless it was full-time, living wage, all the benefits, etc. okay. shame they’re not working with the NWHL but they’ve got different visions and that’s okay. the PWHPA is formed and announces the Dream Gap Tour. cool.

oh, where will this shiny new league be coming from, you ask? hmm. don’t have an answer. could it be the NHL? well...

"We're supportive and we're watching," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told ESPN this month. "We don't want to do anything that would undermine an existing league. If Dani Rylan and her partners are able to make a success out of it, that's great. I also understand there's another group that's gone about elevating the profile of women playing hockey, and we think that's great too. I think both sets of approaches need to sort out exactly what's working for them. This is not a 60-minute game that's going to come to a conclusion immediately. This is going to evolve." (x)

players were asking questions too.

from the Ice Garden interview with Kaleigh Fratkin in May:

TIG: Without naming any names, do you know of other players who have raised questions that also weren’t answered? Are there a lot of them? Also, do you think some of the lapses in communication you experienced were a result of how large this group of athletes is?

KF: Not to name players, but I would need more than two hands to count the number of players that I have been talking to that have asked the same questions. Anyone who looks at this situation will start asking questions. I know people who aren’t even close to the game who have been asking similar questions.

It comes down to a situation where — and it’s kind of sad to say it — there are players who almost feel like if they’re not going along with it, then it will look like they don’t want what’s best for the sport.

When I was first approached with it I had my questions, I finished the conversation, and then thought about it for about 24 hours before I was asked, ‘Are you with us, or not?’

Well, wait a second. Am I going to be the only person who is not on board? I had those questions too. I think it’s normal to. I can only imagine how I’d feel if I was a girl just coming out of college who is five or six years younger than I am now. Imagine idolizing a lot of the players who are making these decisions and who are asking these young girls if they are on board. If I was in their shoes, I wouldn’t know what to do. How could you?

 so we don’t really have answers, we’re not sure what their plan is.

the Dream Gap Tour starts. they do showcases. 

the NWHL keeps on keeping on, with...

better salaries and benefits, and a 50-50 split of sponsor revenue

a new broadcasting deal with Twitch (which is going very well so far)

the sale of the Boston Pride to a group of private investors, led by a local who already loved the team

and more funding

the NWHL has repeatedly said they’re open to talking with the PWHPA. the PWHPA, apparently, is not.

meanwhile, PWHPA members forget everything they’ve ever learned about PR and get nasty.

Noora Räty tweets out a dictionary definition of professional, with a heavy implication that NWHL players are not

Hilary Knight calls the NWHL a “glorified beer league”

Chelsea Purcell says “The NWHL doesn't look like it's going to fold and that's the worrisome part.”

Hayley Wickenheiser says the NWHL is holding pro women’s hockey back and “needs to fold for the right reasons.”

and that’s pretty much where we are.

if you’d like to get back into women’s hockey, here’s the NWHL schedule for this weekend:

all games will be streamed free on twitch!

[ks-caster]

May 8th, 2019

Fandom(s): The Vampire Diaries, The Originals

Characters: Caroline, Klaus, Marcel

Premise: Klaus has been pain-daggered in Marcel’s keeping (see end of TO season 3) and meanwhile all is not well in the magical world. Upheavals in leadership make new potential Big Bads overconfident, and Marcel is too busy sitting on his laurels in NOLA to be of much use as a deterrent. After the deaths of many of our MF peeps, Caroline leaves her ghosts behind to work for the new supernatural division of the FBI. She is fitted out with the ability to time travel (who better to experiment on, since she’s immortal and if she goes too far back and runs out of battery she can just wait until it’s the right time again.)

Summary: “This is the field record of Time Agent Caroline Forbes. It is May 8th, 2019, and it has been May 8th for over six months now. Today marks my 188th attempt to rescue Klaus Mikaelson from Marcel Gerard. I’m betting it ends with death by mega-hybrid bite. Not really feeling too optimistic.” 

Before:

Everybody from the Mystic Gang basically dies—the few who survive are rebuilding their lives together, but Caroline can’t stand the constant reminders of everyone she’s lost. She gets a job with a Hephaestus, the FBI’s new “Special” R&D department. They’re using a combination of futuristic science and black magic to create agents who can time travel, appropriately called “Time Agents.” Caroline becomes a Time Agent prototype, and does extremely well for herself at the agency, but isn’t very personable at all.

Caroline runs into Hayley and Hope May 1st, 2019, and Hayley tells her what’s been happening. Caroline had assumed that Klaus was in hiding with his family, giving his daughter a normal-ish childhood. She puts Hayley in contact with Hephaestus, to try to find a way to cure Kol and Elijah. Part of why the FBI needs Hephaestus in the first place is because the supernatural world went pretty crazy after the Originals left. Vampires and Witches used to prioritize keeping a low profile, but ever since Marcel Gerard took charge, they’ve been run ragged trying to keep the humans safe. Caroline tells her bosses that the Mikaelsons were once the ones who kept everyone in check, and they’re the only ones with a hope of taking down Marcel. Hephaestus confers and then decides to help. Ultimately, they realize that the best way to cure Elijah and Finn is to actually use Klaus’s venom to burn away the venom in their bodies, then cure it once all that’s left is something they can cure. But for that, they need Klaus. They make plans to do basically a big group suicide mission to rescue him, but Caroline goes in alone the day before they’re supposed to attack—May 8th, at 9am. 

Day 1: “This is the field record of Time Agent Forbes. It is May 8th, 2019, the time is 9:06am, and this will be my first attempt to extract Klaus Mikaelson from imprisonment in New Orleans, Louisiana.

She enters NOLA, learns where Marcel lives, tries to sneak in the back door, trips an alarm, is captured, goes through Marcel’s famous mockery of a trial, and publically beheaded.

Day 2: “This is the field record of Time Agent Forbes. It is May 8th, 2019, the time is 9:01am, and this will be my second attempt to extract Klaus Mikaelson from imprisonment in New Orleans, Louisiana. Yesterday was completely unsuccessful—I was captured attempting to sneak into Marcel’s private residence, tried—if you can call it that—and publically beheaded. Today I’ll avoid tripping the motion alarm on the back door.”

Caroline tries to sneak in through an upstairs window, and is caught by the two witches who work for Marcel. They turn off the spell on her daylight ring, trap her in the sunlight, and she burns to death.

Day 3: “This is the field record of Time Agent Forbes. It is May 8th, 2019, the time is 9:07am, and this will be my third attempt to extract Klaus Mikaelson from imprisonment in New Orleans, Louisiana. Yesterday’s attempt ended in another lethal failure—Marcel has two witches working for him, and when I attempted to enter the house through a third floor window, they deactivated my daylight ring and I burned to death.”

Caroline gets in by a different window than the room where the witches work, but is eventually caught by Marcel. He bites her, but then leaves her to die. She is able to explore his house a little more, and concludes that Klaus isn’t there, before succumbing to the pain.

Day 4: “Field record of Time Agent Forbes, May 8th, 2019, 9:02am. This will be my fourth attempt to extract Klaus Mikaelson from New Orleans. Yesterday I made an important discovery—do not let Marcel bite you ever again. His venom is not only more deadly than Klaus’s, it’s also a lot more painful. However, since he left me alone to die, I had a chance to explore his house a little. I don’t think Klaus is there. Today I’ll focus on finding out where he’s being kept. Hopefully it’s nowhere near Marcel. I don’t really want to repeat that experience.”

Day 25: “This is the field record of Time Agent Forbes, May 8th, 9:16am. This will be my twenty-fifth attempt to extract Klaus Mikaelson from imprisonment in New Orleans, Louisiana. Yesterday I learned that he’s not at (place). Over the last two weeks I’ve managed to cross off (list of places), so today I’m going to get a witch to do a locator spell, even though I know Marcel will find and kill me. This will probably be the third time I’ve died from nasty juiced-up hybrid bite. Really not looking forward to this.”

Day 38: “Time Agent Forbes, field record, May 8th, 2019. The time is exactly 9:00am, and this will be my 38th attempt to rescue Klaus Mikaelson. Yesterday I learned that Klaus is being kept somewhere in or around the old witch graveyard in the French Quarter. I also learned that pretty much every witch in New Orleans is on Marcel’s payroll, except for Vincent Griffith, who won’t help me, no matter what I do or say. Today I’m going to play innocent, get a bunch of flowers, lay them on a grave, and see if I can pinpoint his exact location.”

Day 42: “This is the field record of Time Agent Forbes. It is May 8th, 2019, the time is 9:19am, and this will be my forty-second attempt to rescue Klaus Mikaelson. Yesterday I finally managed to find him—he’s bricked into a tomb. I also discovered that nobody looks twice at a pretty blonde laying flowers on graves; three days in a row and the most suspicion I got was from the florist when I knew her prices by heart. Today I’m going to try and subtly get him out.”

Day 43: “This is Time Agent Forbes. It’s May 8th, 2019, 9:02am, and this will be my 43rd attempt to rescue Klaus Mikaelson. So, it turns out, there’s a spell on the tomb that alerts Marcel to any supernatural tampering. I got venom’d to death. Again. Today I’m going to try and compel a human to open the tomb for me.”

Day 68: “This is Time Agent Forbes. It is May 8th, 2019, 9:13am, and this will be my 68th attempt to rescue Klaus Mikaelson. After many unsuccessful attempts, I have discovered that the perfect formula for getting Klaus out of the tomb is to compel Jacob Woolworth from Home Depot to come and rip out the mortar, after calling the police with a fake bomb threat so that they clear the area around Marcel’s house, and waste his time trying to get him to evacuate. This ensures that he will basically stay put because he thinks someone is trying really hard to get him to leave. Today’s project is finding out what’s wrong with Klaus—he’s catatonic.”

Day 76: “May 8th, Time Agent Forbes 9:00am, if Klaus doesn’t kill this Marcel guy immediately after I rescue him, so help me God I’m coming back to do it myself. Ahem. Today will be my 76th attempt to rescue Klaus Mikaelson. I’ve learned that he has a black magic dagger of unspeakable torture embedded in his chest. To get it out, I have to touch him—humans can’t even seem to find it, and I waste precious time directing them. That means I’m not going to have much time before the alarms go off and I have Marcel and all his minions on my ass. Not really feeling very optimistic about today. Yeah, I’m pretty sure this is die-of-Marcel-poison day.”

Day 87: “This is Time Agent Forbes. It is May 8th, 2019, 9:25am, and this will be my 87th attempt to rescue Klaus Mikaelson I don’t think there’s any way around it—I’m going to have to learn how to fight Marcel.”

Day 99: “This is Time Agent Forbes. It is May 8th, 2019, 9:04am, and this will be my 99th attempt to rescue Klaus. Basically, I definitely can’t fight Marcel. Day 71 is still my record survival time at one minute and eight seconds—and I definitely wouldn’t have been in any condition to rescue anybody after about half of that.”

Day 100: “This is Time Agent Forbes. It is May 8th, 2019, 9:11am, and this will be my hundredth attempt to rescue Klaus. Milestone day here. 

Day 123: “This is Time Agent Forbes. It is May 8th, 2019, 9:11am, and this will be my 123rd attempt to rescue Klaus. Marcel (analyze fighting style). I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it was definitely a good thing Agent Hanes made me go through basic training. I survived a total of one minute and twelve seconds, and other than the part where he ripped my heart out of my chest, I was in pretty good condition by the end. I’m getting there. It’s not easy, it’s not fast, it’s not even going very well, but it’s going. Klaus, you seriously owe me one when this is all over. Or, like, ten. At least. Seriously. Today I gotta avoid Marcel’s left hand when I go to kick his kneecap.”

Day 145: “This is Time Agent Forbes. It is May 8th, 2019, 9:05am, and this will be my 145th attempt to rescue Klaus. As long as I can mess with Marcel’s senses enough and remember his moves, I can beat him. He’s not very creative—he relies heavily on his enhanced abilities, so things like joint locks and sensory confusion are highly effective. I can simulate more strength than I have by using leverage and momentum. Today’s all about simplifying that fight—I can’t waste all my energy fighting Marcel when his minions will arrive thirty seconds after his defeat.”

Day 178: “This is Time Agent Forbes. It’s May 8th, 9:09am, and this will be my 178th attempt to save Klaus. Okay, so far I can beat Marcel, then either un-brick Klaus or fight off the four vampires who show up at exactly 4:11:26. I need to speed up the Marcel fight somehow, but keeping him down long enough to escape is proving difficult. Today also marks my hundredth time dying from his venom. I really, really want a day off at this point.”

Day 203: “This is Time Agent Forbes. It is May 8th, 9:06am, and this will be my 203rd attempt to save Klaus. So, I figured out how lure the minions in before Marcel, so I can fight all of them, then un-brick Klaus, but then I don’t have as much energy left to fight Marcel. Even if he doesn’t remember it, I’m finding it harder every day to watch Klaus’s face when he comes around only to watch me die. To be honest… after everything that went down in Mystic Falls, after I lost everyone… I had kind of convinced myself that there was no one left in the world who cared if I lived or died. I was wrong—and that hurts more than I could have imagined. …I’m going to get you out of there, Klaus.”

Day 235: “This is Time Agent Forbes. It’s May 8th, 9:08am, and this will be my 235th attempt to save Klaus. So, if I have the Marcel fight in his house, the minions don’t realize I’m in the graveyard, and they go to help Marcel instead of catching me. But then by the time I get Klaus out, they’re all on me at once, and I die. No matter what I do to distract whoever I can, the fewest opponents I can get is this combination of Marcel and these four.”

Day 273: “Time Agent Forbes, May 8th, 9:14am, 273rd attempt to save Klaus. Okay… so if I pull the dagger of doom out of Klaus and then turn and throw it, I totally miss Marcel every time. But I’ve only tried three times so far, and practice makes perfect, right?”

Day 300: “Time Agent Forbes, May 8th, 9:14am, 300th attempt to save Klaus. Okay. We can do this. And by “we” I mean me. And by “I can do this” I mean I might need someone to save me next—because I totally cannot do this. I can’t… I can’t do it anymore. I’m tired. So very, very tired. I just don’t see how I can win this. I don’t… I just…. (sighs, breathes.) I’m going to drive my f*cking car through Marcel’s front door and just skip today. Who knows—maybe that’ll help.”

Day 340: “Time Agent Forbes, May 8th, 9:12am, 340th attempt to save Klaus. I can now throw the dagger straight every time. What I can’t do is fight off all four vamp minions and get Klaus from the tomb to my car in one piece before Marcel gets the dagger out of him. I am really, really tired of dying from super-venom. It hurts. A lot.”

Day 386: “Time Agent Forbes, May 8th, 9:14am, 386th attempt to save Klaus. I’m getting pretty good at fighting a bunch of opponents at once. I get about two minutes ant twelve seconds from the time the dagger makes contact with Marcel to the time he gets it out of him and bites me. In that time, I can take down all four minions and get Klaus almost all the way to the graveyard entrance. I wish I had another dagger… I just need one more thing to keep Marcel off of me so I can get Klaus to the car.”

Day 408: “Time Agent Forbes, May 8th, 9:14am, 408th shot at saving Klaus. So, stuffing an explosive into Marcel’s chest when he comes after me for round three just gets me blown sky high too, no matter how I time it. I’m just not strong enough after everything I have to do today to carry Klaus and get outside of the blast radius. I’ve been revenge-tortured to death a total of forty of these attempts so far, and the explosive gets me into that position every time. I really, really hate this. I need a vacation. A long one.”

Day 437: “Time Agent Forbes, May 8th, 9:14am, 437th attempt to save Klaus. I finally found the perfect set of arguments to convince Vincent Griffith to make me a paralytic ash spell to use on Marcel. Here goes nothing.”

Day 437b: “Agent Forbes, May 9th, 1:56am. I have successfully retrieved Klaus.”

After: Klaus slowly comes around in the front seat of Caroline’s car. She’s driving at breakneck speed down the highway, and there are cars after them. She calls for a ride, and a hover-jet flies down in front of a pier, which she drives off, right onto the loading ramp, which they’ve opened. She pulls the emergency break and only hits the interior wall a little. She helps him out of the car, and then hands him off to Hephaestus’s medical team. Klaus is weak and exhausted, has little choice but to basically let them do what they want. 

Klaus wakes up in a hospital-type bed with Hayley next to him. She explains where they are and why Hephaestus is working with them, and says they’re trying to find a cure for Elijah and Kol, and for Freya. She then lets Hope in to see her dad, and they have an adorable scene of awesomeness. 

Later, Klaus asks how he got out—thinking he dreamed up Caroline in the car—and Hayley tells him that Caroline works for Hephaestus and that she went out two days ago with no explanation other than a note with instructions about where to pick her up. She says that Caroline is really different—everyone says she’s like a machine, and she does seem pretty detached, but not switched off; not as liberated as that. She seemed broken and grieving and hard. But somehow she had the skills to rescue Klaus in one day. She shows him some traffic camera footage of one of the fights with Marcel. She says that the most expression she’s seen on her face in the week they’ve been here was the triumph when she drove up with him in the car.

Caroline’s coworkers also ask who the hell Klaus is that she cares so much about him—they say she jumped 437 times, and the record is 182—and that wasn’t dying every day, that was potentially world-ending consequences, AND the agent needed years of extreme therapy afterwards, and tendered his resignation. “You must be really something, if the Ice Queen cares enough about you to go through all that.” Klaus is horrified by everyone’s descriptions of Caroline, but she confirms that a lot has changed in the time he’s been gone. He begins to try and bring her back, and eventually she admits that everyone died and she lived.