#but commonplacing?? ohhh boy

[amitykinz]

commonplacing has taught me more about myself in two days than journaling has taught me in 12 years

[findafight]

Ohhh fic where Steve and Robin and Dustin and Erica all casually make funny little haha jokes with each other about getting tortured/almost caught by the Russians under Starcourt because they all have that shared trauma and had many a long late night calls reassuring each other they're alive and playing dnd together and fulfilling lifetime supply of icecream obligations.

They do this because sure the rest of the party knew there were Russians under Starcourt but everything they went through in that basement was sorta...forgotten in the aftermath of literal flesh monster. And with Hopper dead and the Byers moving, there's so much happening that whatever happened to Steve's face (lost another fight...) and why he and Robin went from mildly antagonistic co-workers to codependent goobers who couldn't go literally a day without seeing the other or what made Dustin always ask if Erica was going to come for party hang outs are all sort of brushed under the rug. Not a big deal, really. Bigger things happening after everything.

And they cope together and scoops troop is a weird little section of the party no one but them really understands. Robin and Steve are attached at the hip and to a lesser extent so are Erica and Dustin (but they'll never admit it), and they all have mini gatherings together.

So, the casual mentioning of starcourt and specifically what went down with the Russians is commonplace for them. (Erica is quick to remind them she saved their asses, and are they so lame they need her help again? but she smiles and Steve and Robin just laugh and give her a big hug.) And somehow, they forget that not everyone really knows what went down before July 4th 1985.

And I want them to do it in front of everyone. I want them to have their stupid "this was so fucked up but we're alive and we got through it so now we have to laugh or we may never stop crying about it" banter at a big "we saved the world again!" Barbecue. I want the rest of the folks there to go silent and them not to notice.

I want someone to mention Steve not getting a black eye this time, congrats! and Robin going "the only reason why I didn't get one last time was because the Russians said-"

And Steve, who is lying with his head in her lap, reaches up to gently cup her cheek and says in a terrible Russian accent "don't worry, we will not ruin your pretty face!" (everyone is quiet around them, they do not notice)

She laughs. "And punched me in the gut a few more times. I peed blood for like, three days."

Steve goes "ewwww" only to be pinched by robin.

"you peed blood too, dingus. You got it worse than me and my pretty face."

He giggles and opens his hand up for a high five "pissing blood buddies, hell yeah!" And shifts in her lap. "But they bruised my pretty face. Rude."

"aww. It's okay, Stevie, your face is still so pretty. Prettiest boy in Hawkins."

"thanks Robin."

"at least Dustin and Erica got us out before they started ripping out fingernails." She shudders.

"or used the bonesaw"

"mmm. Unfortunately not before we got funky truth serum drugs though."

He leans up, looking at the two "y'all couldn't have been a bit faster?" But he's smiling, teasing. A well worn joke.

Dustin and Erica respond simultaneously with "I'm missing bones, Steve, what do you want from me?" And "I was ten and my legs were short as shit. Beggars can't be choosers." Respectively.

It is at this point an Actual Grown Up butts in.

"what. What do you mean ripping out fingernails?"

Robin and Steve look towards Joyce, who asked.

"like. To interrogate us? Because we just kept saying we worked for scoops even with the truth serum."

"because they thought we had to be superspies to get into their creepy lair and not a bunch of kids."

"mmhmm"

Hopper jumps in "wait. You were tortured by them?"

Robin and Steve give him eerily similar looks that express how obvious the answer to that is.

"yeah, duh."

"I don't go looking to get brain damage every year, you know."

Hoppers eye twitches. "Why didn't you say anything?"

[honestsycrets]

First and Last

gunnhild x reader nsfw. Reader is bjorn’s first wife and she decided to have fun with the situation 

Bjorn lost count of how many wives he actually had. Before Porunn, he had one. You were his first love. Admittedly he thought more with his cock rather than any brains that he had… or didn’t have. You were exactly one of the body types that he loved. Short, voluptuous and love filled or tall, domineering and brilliant. The perfect place to relax his mind after having to deal with the harsh reality with being the firstborn son of Ragnar.

Although he kept you around, Bjorn constantly traveled. Divorcing wives, gaining others, fucking bed thralls until he at last found peace in Gunnhild. And Gunnhild? As queen she sought out her peace in the most unusual of places while Bjorn was out raiding... or at least, when she did not join him. Gunnhild would be the strong king to take his place… while you? The more commonplace people enjoyed you.

At the end of a long day of kissing babies, dancing with strange women and men you had taken a warm bath. It soothed your skin and in response, you lathed yourself in a fine smelling oil. Oh most definitely expensive. You should have held that for intimate moments with Bjorn… but what was life without a little spoiling?

“He doesn’t spoil you enough.” Gunnhild whispers smooth and deep in your ear when the words make it out to you. You hold your underdress against your chest for coverage. She hid in the shadows of the criss-crossed leather curtains, hiding from your eyes.

“He’s a good man.” You whisper. “But he has his ambitions.”

Oh that he did, all men did. Otherwise he would have left his passions to Harald and kept his first wife. Gunnhild moves forward, the silk of her dress against your back. Expensive and beautiful-- but more than that lies beneath the surface. One of her arms curls just under your breasts to hold you in tight.

“Why settle?” Her breath tickles your ear, hot puffs that tickle you even as she curves over you. She warms her fingers in the rose oil that you prepare your body with, then just as sweetly, rolls your breasts in her hands.

The perfume on your skin is soft and you welcome her touch against your skin. Since she had come touch had been less… and less. The only hands that warmed your body? Yours alone… until now. You lean into her touch, dropping the underdress to a clothy puddle in front of your body. Gunnhild abuses the opportunity, coming to the soft trim hairs covering your pussy.

“Ohhh.” You lean into her touch, evident proof of the fact that… well, Bjorn had not been tending to his husbandly duties. A better woman, like Gunnhild, would have divorced him. Why accept this as your life? You softly sigh as she slips her fingers between your folds, drawing two fingers forward and back.

“You could be a queen.” She whispers, daring to smear the excitement of your sweet pussy up to your clit. She encircles the little nub and draws back down to your entrance. The one that Bjorn-- and only Bjorn, had been in.

“I don’t think I’m…” Gunnhild dips her fingers into your pussy, massaging your velvety walls. “...the type.”

Boy, standing grows difficult. You bend in her arms as the tall woman alternates the other hand to your pussy. She twiddles her fingers, stretching you around her with every thrust. Pretty soon your body spills sweet excitement over her slender fingers.

“On the bed.” She whispers into your ear. So you set down the pot of oil and obey, watching as she alternates between her skirts. To your surprise, she pulls out a wooden shaft-- much like Bjorn’s dick. In full fledged shyness, you lay face down upon the bed as to not face her. She chuckles, forcing you to face her yet again.

“Everyone loves you, you would make a beautiful queen.” She leans down, letting the wooden tip of her dildo up against your tense pussy. You squeeze tightly in your fear, squeezing tight. “Relax.”

She has this natural domineering voice about her. You force yourself to relax and accept her wooden tip, followed by the rest of the faux extension of her body. Your legs bob about her hips, moaning a long, jagged moan.

“But Gunnhild.” You moan. “You make the best queen.”

Your pussy throbs around the synthetic thing. Gunnhild pushes your legs just behind your knees to your chest. She tightens her hold around your legs, kissing the side of your feet while pounding her slim hips forward into your body. Instantly you let out a shout, clenching her as if that would keep the dildo from filling you with her sweet thrusts. With one last kiss, she separates your legs and sinks between them. Though she has to bend, she works soft kisses across your neck. Her hands drift up to your breasts, rolling them under her war ravaged hands.

“There is room for two types of queens here, (Y/N).” Gunnhild dips back up, her hair like honey curtains around your face. “But not for a king.”

@captstefanbrandt as the only person I know that likes the F/F love.

[thevampirediariesdiary]

2.04 Memory Lane

A good episode - in fact, a very good episode.  This is where TVD really starts to hit its stride. 

We open on the Lockwood Mansion, the first founders party in 1864; Stefan and Katherine are doing the Simple-Intimacy-of-the-Near-Touch dance.  Stefan goes in for the kiss, Katherine holds a finger in his face and teases, “Ah! No touching, Mr. Salvatore, those are the rules!”  “I thought you didn’t believe in rules,” Stefan answers.  She giggles.  Stefan glances over her shoulder, says, “My brother is still upset you chose me to escort you.”

Yup, that’s pretty upset.  “Well,” Katherine says, “Damon needs to concede that his younger brother is a better dancer.”  If they hadn’t yet established that Katherine is an inveterate liar, this line would cinch it.  She completes the next turn, looks back at Damon and says dispassionately, “Ah, it looks like he found someone to occupy his time.”  Stefan looks – it’s Elena, looking odd in the middle of 1864 in her usual jeans and tshirt.  She and Damon smile at each other, he takes her hand in both of his.  Elena glances over at Stefan, who finally recognizes her, says her name.  “Stefan, don’t,” Katherine warns, placing a hand on his chest, but he follows his brother, who’s leading Elena away, hand in hand, just as he did at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant.  They step outside, Stefan follows them and finds himself in the middle of the Mystic Grille – Elena is posed with a pool stick, grinning.  “It’s your turn,” she says.  Stefan smiles back, relieved, and steps forward, only for Damon to step out in front of him, sing-songing, “Be prepared to lo-o-ose.”  This is no longer fluffy-haired flashback Damon, whom Katherine called “sweet, sweet Damon” – this is the Damon of the present, clad in his usual black button-down and smirk; Elena’s smile was for him.  He leans down to kiss her; Stefan watches, looking lost and a little defeated.  

Damon breaks off the kiss and attends to the game, as if this is all commonplace, as if he’s used to these little moments – he doesn’t see the way Elena is smiling at him, he doesn’t need to.  “It hurts, doesn’t it.”  Stefan turns around, Katherine is standing behind him in full founders party regalia – she, not Elena, is out of place.  “Now you know how I feel,” she tells him.  Stefan turns back to the happy couple, who despite Damon’s competitive trash-talking are leaning over to make the shot together, wrapped up in each other and laughing.  “Don’t fight it, Stefan,” Katherine says, “you loved me once, you could love me again.”  He turns away from her, caught by the picture in front of him, perplexity turning to horror as his brother kisses Elena on the cheek.

He moves forward, but Katherine stops him. “I love you, Stefan,” she repeats, and they’re back in 1864, alone.  “We’ll be together again, I promise.”  She kisses him, folds herself into his arms – and then Stefan wakes up, in his bed in the Salvatore mansion, Elena sleeping next to him – except then he remembers that Elena didn’t fall asleep there last night, and flies out of bed.  Katherine sits up and smiles at him, self-satisfied.  “Katherine,” Stefan says, sounding annoyed with himself. “You have to admit, I am getting better at this,” she says.

Do you think I’ve spent too long on a two-minute dream sequence?  Think again, because I’m about to break it down even further.  First of all, I’m taking for granted that Katherine is working with Stefan’s real memories here, and that alone is fascinating.  What we briefly see of their dynamic before the trippy stuff starts happening feels very familiar, since it’s basically how Stefan and Elena interacted during their MMF rehearsal – Katherine’s little “no touching, those are the rules” is the same way Stefan chose to flirt during the dance with Elena.  As much as he claims he hates her, as much as he insists none of it was real, Stefan learned romance from Katherine – and the effects of that are still very much lingering.  She’s a part of him.  Then, even more fascinating, compare this to the other nightmare sequences we’ve seen: in 1.03, Damon gets into Elena’s mind and causes her to dream that Stefan turns into him while they’re making out.  And in 1.04, Damon shows Stefan his deepest fear: a stoic, unfeeling Damon stalking and killing Elena.  Now?  The fear that Stefan is shown is specifically that the casual, comfortable affection that has somehow always been there between his brother and the love of his life will blossom into the casual, comfortable belonging that he sees in front of him.  It’s not the fear that Damon will kill her (even after Jeremy!), and it’s not the fear that Damon will seduce her into bed – because even if Damon is a black-wearing, smirking vampire, Stefan knows that floofy-haired human Damon is still somewhere inside of him, and this is the Damon he fears is going to lead Elena away from him – whom, tragically, is also the Damon he loves.  Just because it’s Katherine showing it to him doesn’t make it any less real.  This scene is absolutely brilliant, as a demonstration of how far we’ve come, and a foreshadowing of 2.08 and 2.22.  Oh season two, how I do love thee.

Well, it’s high time I moved on.

Katherine tells Stefan it was easy to get inside his head, asks, “Have you completely forsaken your nature?”  This is more or less what Damon said to him in 1.04; Stefan attacks her and is thrown aside.  He asks her what she wants; “I wanted to see you, I missed you, Stefan,” she answers. 

Elena, meanwhile, is studying in the Mystic Grille, joined by – surprise, surprise – Damon.  He vamp-speed appears in the seat next to her (really subtle, dude), she gasps. “What do you want?” she asks flatly. “So this is where you spend your time when you’re not stabbing people in the back,” he answers, making a very dramatic show of looking around as if he’s never seen the place before.  “I tricked you into telling me the truth, that’s not stabbing you in the back, that’s using your own tactics against you,” she answers, rapidly packing up her books.  “Where are you going?” Damon says.  “I made myself clear, Damon,” she says, “I want nothing to do with you.”  “Okay,” he says, lightly, “see you at Jenna’s barbecue.”  Elena turns back around slowly; “How did you know about Jenna’s barbecue?”  “It was my idea,” he says.  He wants a social gathering to get to know Jenna’s old high school buddy Mason Lockwood, and so told Rick to tell Jenna.  “What are you up to?” Elena asks.  “I’m gonna put some silver into Mason Lockwood and prove he’s a werewolf,” Damon says, leaning in closer than necessary, as per usual.  “See you at the barbecue.”

Tyler pesters Mason to explain why he turns into a wolf; Mason assures him it won’t happen to him because he won’t “trigger the curse”, and then refuses to explain any further.

Back in the Salvatore house, Katherine is reading Stefan’s diary while she waits patiently for him to get her a drink...which he does??  She confirms that a werewolf bite kills a vampire, and then points out that the push to rid the town of vampires in 1864 was led by the Lockwoods.  We return to the original founders party, before the boys knew what Katherine was – Katherine and Stefan laugh together over a glass of champagne, Damon makes a toast to George Lockwood to show off how not-bothered he is by their being together.  “So you’re saying that all the Lockwoods are werewolves?” Stefan says, sounding bored.  “That the werewolf gene runs in the Lockwood family, not that they’re all wolves,” Katherine corrects.  “My turn to ask a question,” she says, then pulls her portrait out of Stefan’s diary and asks why he kept it.  “You wanna know why I came back?” she says.  “Well, I have a better question. Why did you? For Elena? No. You came back here to fall in love with me all over again, didn’t you?” He struggles with that for a moment, then vamps over and cups her face in his hand.  “What is it about you that makes me still care?” he asks.  She goes to kiss him; for a moment it really looks like he’s going to kiss her back – and then just before their lips touch, he stabs her in the back with a vervain dart, and carries her into the basement to chain her up.  “Now where were we?” he asks, coldly. “That’s right.  You were going to tell me why you returned to Mystic Falls.”  “You didn’t have to do this,” she says, voice shaking. “Answer the question,” he says. “I came back for you,” she insists. He walks to the other end of the cell, puts gardening gloves on, and then picks a vervain blossom and presses it to Katherine’s cheek.  She screams. “Are you gonna torture me now?” she asks, teary-eyed.  Yes. Yes, he is.

At the Gilberts’ house, Elena is putting chips in a bowl.  There is nothing about this gathering or this group that makes me think anyone here is barbecuing anything.  She thanks Jenna for letting her invite Caroline; Jenna says Caroline isn’t the plus-one she’s worried about.  “Why is Damon coming?” she asks Elena.  “Because Alaric is a pity-taker,” Elena says, “Come on Jenna, be nice.”  “I’ll be nice,” Jenna answers, “when Damon learns to keep his paws off you.”  Remember: Jenna has no idea Damon invited himself into Elena’s room, forced a kiss, and then murdered her brother.  She’s still working under the assumption that Damon and Elena shared a passionate kiss on the porch which merely had the unfortunate effect of leaving Elena confused and uncommunicative.  Caught between these realities, Elena looks uncomfortable, but is given a chance to slip out by Mason’s exuberant entrance: “Good news, I found the shot glasses!”  “You’re here ten minutes and already I’m back under the bleachers at the pep rally,” Jenna teases.  Mason pulls her into his side, both of them beaming.  “It’s just like old times!”  

I like them.  “Ohhh,” says Alaric, coming in bearing steaks, which now that I think about it makes sense.  “The expensive stuff, I like you already!” he tells Mason.  “I’m just happy to be invited,” Mason says, looking like he’s trying not to be suspicious.  “Well, thank Rick, this was his idea,” Jenna says.  “Really?” Mason says, increasingly worried.  “Yeah, I thought it would be nice to meet some of Jenna’s high school friends,” Rick says easily, “dig up a little dirt.”

Beautiful people, beautiful people in looooove.  Oh, I’ve got dirt, I’ve got dirt,” Mason says, laughing.  “I have no secrets,” Jenna says, “only dirty, dirty shame.”  Honestly, Jenna is so, unfortunately relatable.  They toast to dirty shame just as Damon walks in.

You can see precisely how he’s ruined the mood. Jenna is annoyed he’s there, Alaric is sad that she’s annoyed, and Mason just wants everyone to be friends.  Jenna hands Damon her shot glass and escapes; Rick follows her.  “She doesn’t like me very much,” Damon tells Mason.  They introduce themselves; Mason tells Damon he’s heard great things about him. “Really?” says Damon, genuinely thrown off his game. “That’s weird, ‘cause I’m a dick.”

Katherine asks Stefan if he pretends to be human with Elena; he claims he doesn’t have to pretend to be anything with her.  This is some seriously selective forgetting of large chunks of season one.  “Does she know that you love me?” Katherine asks.  He leans closer, says simply, “I don’t.”  “That’s where you’re wrong, Stefan,” she says, struggling with her chains.  In 1864, Stefan tells Katherine at her door after the party, “I know we’ve only known each other a short while, and I know I’m in competition for your affections, but I’ve never met a woman quite like you.  I look at you and I see an angel.  I touch your skin, and my entire body ignites.  I kiss you, and I know that I’m falling in love.”  They kiss, he repeats, “I am in love with you.” “There’s just so much you don’t know about me, Stefan,” Katherine says.  “More to learn and love,” Stefan answers.  “I must say good night,” she tells him, and disappears into her bedroom, where she is promptly kissed by Damon.  “What are you doing?” she asks, pushing him off.  “I told you I would come,” he says, in all his soft-haired innocent glory. “Well, I’m tired,” she says.  “Did my little brother’s confession overwhelm you,” Damon says teasingly, kissing her hand.  She snatches it back, snaps, “You shouldn’t eavesdrop.”  Damon looks at her more closely; his brow furrows.  “Is my love not enough?” he asks.  “I told you, I’m tired,” she says, and then compels him: “I wish to be alone tonight, please leave.”  He wishes her a good night and obeys; left alone, she touches her lips where Stefan kissed her and smiles to herself in quiet wonder.  (This is a far cry from the story that Damon taunted Stefan with – we knew Damon was waiting for her in her room, we didn’t know she kicked him out, and we especially didn’t know she compelled him.)  “Go ahead, Stefan,” Katherine tells him in the present, “torture me, keep me captive, drain me of my blood until my body turns to dust, it will never change the truth.  I never compelled your love.  It was real.”

“And so was mine.”

“It wasn’t real,” Stefan tells Katherine.  “I remember you compelling me.”  “Only after you learned the truth of who I really was,” she says. “You were so scared of me, I had to take away your fear.”  “Well, whatever feelings I had back then, they’ve all turned to hate,” Stefan says.  Katherine is unimpressed. “Love, hate, such a fine line.  I can wait.  Anyway…” And she proceeds to tell Stefan that George Lockwood had blamed the vampires to cover his own tracks, but was willing to strike a deal.  They’d rid the town of vampires – but he’d help Katherine escape.  “You knew that they were going to burn the vampires in the church?” Stefan asks.  “I practically lit the match,” she says. “They were your friends,” he says, “they were your family, and you just sold them out?”  “Without blinking,” she answers.  “So you sent twenty-six of your friends to their death just to fake your own?” he asks. “No, you were running from something, what was it?”  She sighs, shakes her head.  “Everyone has a past, Stefan.  Mine needed to stay far, far away.”  She goes on, saying that the plan was almost ruined by Giuseppe poisoning Stefan’s blood, and Damon pulling her out of the cart.  “We came for you,” Stefan says, tears brimming over in his eyes, “we tried to save you.”  “I didn’t want to be saved,” she answers.  “Then Damon and I died for nothing,” Stefan shouts, “for nothing!”  “No, Stefan, you died for love,” Katherine says. It’s worth pointing out that this meltdown of Stefan’s is long overdue – Damon went through all of this when he found out the tomb was empty, and had pretty nearly processed it all by the time Katherine ever came back.  But Stefan was so deep in denial that he couldn’t admit finding anything out about Katherine would ever mean anything to him – but it does, as we see here.  He died for her – and that was poisoned by the realization that she compelled him, but now it’s been completely shattered. 

A very wholesome game of pictionary is taking place at the Gilbert residence.  Damon draws a dog in a tutu, Mason correctly guesses Dances With Wolves.  Elena has secluded herself in the kitchen away from the game, which is also unfortunately relatable.  “Aunt Jenna is getting tipsy,” Damon tells her, entering.  “Will you stop plying her with alcohol?” Elena answers.  “Well, I want her to like me,” Damon says.  Elena asks about operation Lockwood, Damon tells her he’s his new bff.  Jenna wanders in just as Damon is speaking directly into Elena’s ear and Elena is glaring at him.  “There you are!” she exclaims, I think to Elena. “Isn’t this fun?”  “Yes!” Damon says, imitating her level of inebriation. “Thank you so much for inviting me.”  “Did I have a choice?” Jenna says, resentful.  “I know what you must think about me,” Damon starts, but she interrupts, “No!  You don’t. You have never dated you, I have dated many yous.”  “Well,” Damon says, not quite sure how to respond to that, “I’m a work in progress.” Elena meets his eye over Jenna’s shoulder; she’s not impressed.  Damon gets distracted by silverware; Elena pretends to ignore his stabby, stabby shenanigans.  Damon offers peach cobbler to Mason with a silver serving utensil; Mason fishes a piece out with his hands and then says jovially, “I apologize, I’m an animal.” Alaric asks about Mason and Jenna’s history, he says she was too busy with Logan Fell to ever date him.  “He had the girls lining up,” Jenna says fondly. “Really?” says Damon. “I always pegged you for a lone wolf.”  “Well,” says Mason, maintaining eye contact, “I’m sure I wasn’t half the lady-killer you were.”  Okay guys, we get it, you’re very cool and clever.  Mason proposes a toast to new friends.  

In the other room, Caroline and Elena are cleaning up pictionary, and Elena asks if it’s okay if she goes over to Stefan’s – he hasn’t gotten back to her all day, and she has a bad feeling about it. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Caroline says.  “Damon has it under control here,” Elena says, which is the most insane sentence ever spoken.  Caroline offers to drive her, and then lets the air out of one of her tires.  Up until this moment, I’d totally forgotten her little meeting with Katherine last episode.  Poor Caroline.  

“Jenna’s bringing out guitar hero,” Mason tells Damon, “it might be time to mutiny.”  “Well I just happen to like guitar hero,” Damon says, “so you, my friend, are barking up the wrong tree.”  “Okay, enough with the innuendos, you win,” Mason says, “you’re hilarious.” “Thank you,” Damon says.  “Come on, man,” Mason says, half-sadly, “you think I don’t know what this barbecue is about?”  “How do you know about me?” Damon demands.  “Doesn’t matter,” Mason says, “I’m not your enemy, Damon.”  “You tried to kill my brother,” Damon says, flatly. Mason explains he has no control once he shifts, and just hadn’t been able to chain himself up in time.  “What, no obedience school?” Damon snarks.  “I’m serious,” Mason says, “let’s not spark some age old feud that doesn’t apply to us.”  They shake hands; Mason looks grateful.  Damon steals the Gilberts’ good silver knife.

Elena and Caroline drive off to the Salvatores’; Elena accuses Caroline of being snippy, Caroline says it’s her own drama. “I’m sure you two will beat the odds. Not that there’s any study to pull odds from…what is the ratio of success for vampire-human couplings?  I’m guessing nil.”  “Okay, Caroline,” Elena says.  The tire blows, and they pull over.  I’d honestly agree with Caroline – success for ‘human couplings’ is determined by those who die of old age, married, probably with grandchildren.  There are literally only tragic endings to vampire love stories - breakup or murder, with no one to carry on your legacy. 

Mason wishes Alaric and Jenna goodbye, tells Alaric they’ll catch that game.  Damon follows him out.  “You are a wonderful hostess,” he tells Jenna, kissing her hand.  “And you are a terrible artist,” she answers.  “Is that the only thing that makes me terrible?” he says, surprised.  “Still deciding,” she admits.  “Good enough for me!” he says.  “Alaric?” Alaric smiles at him.  “Let’s not catch that game next week,” Damon says.  Awww.  Bros. 

Elena and Caroline are still waiting for the tow truck, the sun fully set.  Elena says they can walk; Caroline says she can’t leave her car, and finally snaps, “Why are you in such a hurry to get to a relationship that’ll never work?” Elena accuses her of projecting her feelings about Matt onto her and Stefan; “I’m not projecting anything!” Caroline answers.  “He’s a vampire, you’re not.  You’re gonna be seventy and in diapers and he’s still gonna be smoking hot.  And – you will never have his children, Elena, and you are too maternal to not have children!”  Elena’s eyes widen.  “Where is this coming from?” she asks.  “I’m just trying to be your friend,” Caroline says.  “Well, do me a favor and stop trying,” Elena answers.  The tow arrives, Elena decides to walk, but Caroline grabs her. “Don’t leave me alone,” she begs. “What’s wrong with you?” Elena exclaims.

Damon catches up with Mason in town square. “What, more dog jokes?” Mason says. “Nah, those got old,” Damon says, and stabs him.  But of course, it turns out the silver thing is just a myth and Mason was trolling him with the cobbler.  “Now you’ve made an enemy,” Mason tells him.

Stefan asks Katherine what she’s doing in Mystic Falls. “Have you not listened to a word I’ve said?” she says. “I’ve answered that question five times over now.”  “Make it six,” he says.  “I want what I want, Stefan.  And I don’t care what I have to do to get it,” she says. “My list of victims is a long one and I have no problem adding one more name to that list.”  “Come on, Katherine,” he says, “if you wanted Elena dead you would have killed her by now.”  “I still could,” she says, “I could snap her neck like a twig and you know it.”  He grabs a stake, poises it to kill her, and then backs off, growling.  “Guess you don’t hate me as much as you thought you did,” she says, amused.  Then, authoritatively, “I don’t want you seeing Elena anymore.  If you don’t remove her from your life I will kill everyone she loves, while she watches, and then I will kill her, while you watch.” The stake comes back up, “Don’t think for one second that I won’t kill you,” Stefan says.  She throws him off her, and one-by-one, effortlessly, breaks her chains.  “I have been sipping vervain every day for the last one hundred and forty-five years, she says, standing over him where he fell.  “You caught me by surprise once, I wasn’t gonna let it happen again.  It doesn’t hurt me, Stefan.”  “What?” he says, “why – ?”  “I told you, Stefan,” she says, in what’s eerily close to baby-talk, “I missed you.  I just wanted to spend some time with you.”  Upstairs, Elena enters and calls for Stefan – he and Katherine look at each other, she stakes him through the leg and vamps upstairs.  Elena turns and finds herself face-to-face with herself.  “You must be Elena.”  To her credit, Elena completely skips fear and heads into problem-solving: “How is this possible – how do we look exactly alike?”  But Katherine only leans closer, examining her, until Elena starts to realize the danger she’s in. “You’re asking the wrong questions,” Katherine says.  Stefan appears, calling Elena’s name.  She spins to face him, and when she turns back around, Katherine’s gone.

Katherine corners Caroline in the Mystic bathroom. “Occupy her, that’s all I asked.” “I told her her relationship was doomed, and all that mortality stuff,” Caroline says, “I really think I got to her!” “Let’s hope so,” Katherine says, “I already killed you once, I can easily do it again.” 

Mason tells Tyler that the way to trigger the curse is to kill somebody.  He didn’t want that to be hanging over Tyler the rest of his life, but Tyler admittedly caught him on a pretty bad day and he caved.

Elena and Stefan run into Caroline in the Grille; Caroline apologizes.  “Everything you were saying was right,” Elena admits, “it’s just hard for me to hear.” She and Stefan sit down and have a fight about whether she should be afraid of Katherine.  “If she had her way we’d be breaking up right now,” Elena says. “And if today taught me anything it’s that Katherine is used to getting her way,” Stefan says.  “This is what she wants, she wants us to fight, she wants to get between us,” Elena says, her voice quavering.  Stefan sighs, turns to her, says, “She already has, Elena.”  Elena nods, silently, and then gets up and leaves him sitting there.  Caroline, listening in, really does look sorry.

And Damon looks…?

Confused?  Conflicted? He was there for Elena the last time she and Stef were on the outs, but now they’re barely on speaking terms.  He leaves the bar, runs into Katherine. “Bad day?” she asks him.  “Bad century,” he answers, then adds, sounding strained, “Heard you were on the loose.”  “What’s the matter?” she says, “jealous I spent the day with Stefan?”  “I don’t do jealous,” he says, “not with you.  Not anymore.”  “Then why so pouty?” she asks, following him.  “Tried to kill a werewolf and failed,” he says, “and now I feel like I’m not living up to my best self.”  “Well, werewolves aren’t easy prey,” she says.  He stops, looks at her.  “What do you know about werewolves?”  “Why don’t you ask your brother?” she says, then adds, “don’t try to be the hero, Damon, you’ll end up dead.”

“Been there, done that,” he says.  “At least this time it’ll be worth it.”

He, it seems, really has made his peace with all her betrayals.  And something about this new life - his love for his brother, who he tells Mason he wants to protect, or perhaps something else? - makes even the possibility of a hero’s death worth it.  He only wanted to turn into a vampire to be with Katherine, and would have chosen death without her if it weren’t for Stefan - but he’ll die for Elena.

Elena gets home, finds Stefan waiting in her room; they faked their fight for the benefit of eavesdropping-Caroline, whom Elena realized was behaving strangely.  “I think Damon heard us fighting, too,” she says, “are you gonna tell him it wasn’t real?”  “The only way Katherine will believe it is if everyone believes it,” Stefan says.  “All this, just to get you back,” Elena says, shaken. Stefan scoffs, smiles at her, says, “It’s not why she’s here, okay?  No matter what she says, I know her.  Katherine doesn’t care about anybody but herself.  She never has, she’s incapable of love.”

In the square, Katherine looks up at the moon and is thrown back into 1864, seeing the Salvatores’ bodies on the road the night of her escape.  She runs back, brushes Stefan’s hair from his lifeless face, speaks the words from his dream: “I love you, Stefan. We will be together again.”  

This episode is the Friday Night Bites of this season.  Stefan soliloquized then about how Damon was a monster incapable of love, while we watched Damon tenderly brush Elena’s hair off her sleeping face.  Here we are again – the question of the show is becoming clear: is anyone really only a monster? Or do we have to look again, even at someone as vicious and manipulative as Katherine Pierce?  

Music Moments: Tyrone Wells’ “Time of Our Lives” plays while Stefan and Elena ‘fight’, and Sara Bareilles’ “Breath Again” plays over Stefan’s monologue about Katherine, and her memories of her last kiss with Stefan.

[blueneonlightshow-blog]

Share our thoughts

"Hey, Star, I think I heard some… thing… um... is there something special going on?" Marco asked as he looked around Star's vibrantly decorated room. Streamers and flowers covered the walls while several colorful orbs lit up the room. The moon shone just through her balcony, bringing an even more beautiful ambience to the room. "Woah… your room looks amazing! What's the occasion?"

He found his best friend approaching him with glee and excitement. "Ohhh! Marco Marco Marco Marco! Tonight's a special niiiiiight~!"

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"Becaaaauuuuuuuse…" Star leaned closer to Marco's face. "Tonight is a special holiday on Mewni!"

The boy looked away, too shy to make eye contact. "Oh? What's it about?"

"Well, back on Mewni, we pair up with our closest friends and share our thoughts! Basically becoming besties for life, but on a whole deeper level kind of thing. And it only happens once every one hundred years when Mewni's moon is full!"

Marco tilted his head. "Share our thoughts? You mean you guys just… talk for a night?"

Star snickered. "No, silly! We share our thoughts."

"That doesn't make things any clearer…"

"Don't worry, it'll allllll make sense when we actually do it." Star walked over to her closet, looking for something.

"Wait, we? I'm doing it too?"

"Well, duh, Marco! You're my best friend! You're the one I'm closest to. Who else am I going to share my thoughts with? Tom? Bleh," he heard her say as she threw random junk out of her closet.

Marco smiled. 'Aww, she thinks of me as her closest friend.' "Well, I'll be happy to share my thoughts with you. So what're we going to talk about- why do do you have your wand and book?"

Star finally found the book and placed it on her bed, flipping through the pages for the right spell. "I told you, we're going to share our thoughts! Our minds and souls are going to connect. Oooooohhhhh~ maaaaaagicalllllllll~"

"O-oh… and what kind of thoughts are we going to be sharing again?"

"You know, everything from our past, what we saw, thought, felt, joy, sorrow, pain, and love. The usual."

"Oh." Marco watched as the princess searched for the proper incantation. "Wait… love?"

"Yeah, you know, who your favorite food, place, crush, all that stuff. Oh! Here it is!"

The boy began to panic. Their thoughts would be known to each other. All of it. Their past, their secrets. This wouldn't bother Marco so much if he didn't have a crush on his best friend. And he definitely didn't want Star to know about that just yet.

"M-maybe we can do that some other day? Star?"

Star gave him a sad puppy eyed look. "But Marcoooooo! Today's the only day we can do this! I don't want to wait one hundred years!"

"Um…" He stared into the princess' beautiful eyes. He felt his heart beat faster as he maintained eye contact. "...er… f… fine…"

"Yay!" She went back to the book for one last look before performing the spell.

Marco sighed. 'Maybe I can pretend not to have a crush on her. Would that work? No, she'll know what I'm thinking, I can't do that-'

"Okay! Let's do this!" Before Marco had time to think, Star chanted softly as the wand began to glow. The light from the wand began floating upwards, splitting into two orbs. One went towards Star's chest, the other into Marco. He suddenly felt a rush of emotions hit him like a strong wind pushing him back. He felt a familiar presence with him. In him. Bound by souls. The room became dark. The princess was no longer sitting in front of him, yet he wasn't afraid. He felt comfort and safety. He wasn't alone. He knew that this presence was kind and benevolent. He couldn't see it, but he knew it was Star.

The floor illuminated softly as a memory began to appear. He sat, watching from above as if he saw the images through a reflective pool. He could see a young Star in a blue dress chasing after a rainbow winged butterfly. He could hear her parents call her name as she followed the insect. He felt her exhilaration.

The memory soon changed to Star sitting in a desk, a tall, funny looking Mewnian teaching the history Star's ancestors. The tutor turned his back to write something down, allowing Star to sneak away from the room. She opened the door and tried to crawl away, but her mother stood in her way and pointed her back to her seat. Star groaned as she walked back to her seat. Marco couldn't help but laugh. He felt her boredom.

Star sat alone in her moonlit room. She walked over to her window and leaned out to see the town below. Fires and lanterns lit the streets while people laughed and talked with music playing through the wind. A smile appeared as she listened to the murmur of voices. Star sat down and leaned against the wall next to her window with her legs curled to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She sighed. He felt her isolation.

She watched as her mother and father met with King Ponyhead, an old friend to both Butterflies. Star looked behind the guest to see a smaller floating creature. The being approached her and introduced itself. It was Ponyhead. They became friends in a matter of seconds and asked their parents if they could go play with each other. They cheered as they ran outside. Ponyhead was Star's first friend. He felt her joy.

Star begged her parents to stop King Ponyhead from sending her friend to St. Olga's Reform School for Wayward Princesses. Her parents told her to be silent and that if she ever broke an interdimensional law again, she would have the same fate. She was fortunate to avoid the reform school. Ponyhead was not. She watched and waved goodbye to her friend as the carriage took Ponyhead through the portal. Once again, he felt her isolation.

It was hers! She was now old enough to burden the responsibility of the wand! She could do anything with it- oops. A flaming rainbow over Mewni. And now the city is on fire. Maybe she should've practice with it more. Her parents approached her. She panicked, thinking she would be sent to the reform school. Her parents assured her she wasn't going there, but rather to a safer dimension to practice her magic. An unknown place called Earth. She got in the carriage with her parents and looked behind her. She was going to live in a whole new dimension. New people, new school, new friends! He felt her excitement.

Marco watched as he saw himself nearly go crazy as he adjusted living with Star. He smiled, thinking how much he's changed since then. Monsters and weird magic have become so commonplace in his life. He can't even imagine life without Star now. The two went on adventures, got into trouble, nearly died countless of times, and yet they laughed and smiled. He saw Star's Mewberty take place. She restrained all the boys in her cocoons, hunting down one after another. He saw himself step in and tried to stop Star. He felt her lust.

Star was surprised when she found out Marco had followed her to the underworld during the Blood Moon Ball. Tom looked up to see the red light disappear. Anger took hold of him as he began to walk over towards Marco. He jumped in the air, about to attack, but Star froze him. They went back to Earth, ending the disastrous night. He felt her betrayal, disappointment, anger at Marco. Yet there was another feeling mixed into it he couldn't figure out.

He saw Star panic as she ran back and forth, trying to find Marco. He felt her fear. She reported it to the police, but found out that he was taken to Mewni. She met Toffee and tried to fight off the monsters and free Marco, but to no avail. She had to choose either the wand or Marco. She chose Marco. The wand exploded, her family heirloom. A part of her history was now gone. But it was worth it. She needed to save Marco. He felt her… He felt her…

"Marco...? Marco?"

He heard Star call his name. It wasn't a memory. Star was done seeing all of Marco's thoughts… but he wasn't. Marco didn't respond. He continued to see through her memories.

The floor began to shift again, revealing another memory. It was Star trying to get Marco out of her closet. He heard himself read Star's secret journal. He felt her fear. He then heard her dip down and felt an immediate rush of emotions go through him again. He felt his heart race. He felt an emotion that was all too familiar to him.

"Marco? You don't have to go through all of it. We shared all our experiences together, remember?" he heard Star say outside the spell. He ignored her and continued to watch.

Star was now in the graveyard with Janna and Glossaryck, where they set up everything for Bon Bon. Star was a bit distracted though. She looked at the photo she took of Marco and Jackie. She called his phone several times before resorting to dark magic to spy on them. She saw the couple together. He felt her jealousy.

"Marco! You can stop now! I-I think that might be enough…" He heard Star nervously say.

He saw all the times he and Jackie went out on their dates, his neglectfulness of Star. He saw how happy he was before he left Star alone in the house. Star smiled and waved as she watched her best friend leave. She closed the door and went to her room. She fell onto her bed and hugged her pillow, tears beginning to form in her eyes. He felt her loss. He felt her isolation.

"Marco, stop!"

"Woah!" the boy tipped over, landing on his back. He looked around, seeing the room back to normal.

Star stood over him with an unreadable expression. "You okay? Y-you were going through those memories forever, haha…"

Marco rubbed his head. He was now alone to himself with his thoughts and emotions. There was no presence with him anymore. He didn't feel the unity he felt when he saw through Star's mind. It made him feel like he just lost a part of himself. He looked over to the princess who was watching him carefully.

"S-so… that was the spell… aaaand that's the end of the event! Time to sleep! Got some big plans tomorrow! I think I'll stop by the cotton candy dimension, then the mall, then the-"

"Star?"

She flinched at her name and slowly turned to face Marco. "Y-yes?"

"..."

"..."

Marco approached her. She wasn't too sure what was happening. Was he upset? Was he freaked out?

He pulled Star into a hug. She was surprised, too shocked to do anything.

"I'm… sorry, Star." He tightened his hug.

"..." Star slowly lifted her arms and wrapped them around Marco. A small tear formed in her eyes as she hugged him with equal strength.

"I promise I won't leave you."

"Thanks, Marco…" The two continued to hug. It felt more meaningful than any hug they've ever done. After all, they did just share their emotions and memories. He pulled away and planted a kiss on her forehead. The two blushed at the simple act. "So… you saw through all my memories."

"Yeah?"

"And I saw through yours."

"..."

"And I know you like me."

Marco looked at Star and smiled. "And I know that you like me," He said, leaning in for a kiss.

She put a finger on his lips "Ask me on a date first, Marco."

"...Will you go on a date with me?"

"Of course, silly."