#damon x gem

[writememysticfalls]

Jealous | Stefan Salvatore

Summary: Stefan is the perfect boyfriend - but all you can think about is his dirtbag brother Damon. One night, Stefan can't take it anymore.

Pairing: Stefan Salvatore x reader

Genre: Angsty, jealous!Stefan

Word count: >1k

“Happy 18th Birthday!” everyone cheered as you walked into the Salvatore house. You spun round and grinned at Stefan, who was leaning on the doorframe, looking modest.

“You like it?” he said quietly.

You jumped onto Stefan, hugging him and wrapping your legs around his waist. “I love it.”

Just when you were enjoying yourself, someone entered like a dark cloud: Damon Salvatore.

He sauntered down the stairs into the living room and whisked your cup from your hand. He sipped it in disgust.

“Beer! Naughty Nancy. Should I call the cops on you kids?”

You snatched the cup back from him, your heart racing. “Go away,” you said.

You hated Damon. You hated his arrogant smile, the way he looked down on you and Stefan like you were kids. Most of all, you hated how dumb he made you feel.

“Ooh, nasty,” Damon said, clutching his heart in false agony. “I might never recover from that.”

“Go back to your room,” Stefan said, pushing his chest out at Damon. The move didn't manage to look threatening, because Damon was taller than him.

“Ooh, looks like little bro’s getting angry,” Damon said. “I would love a fight. This party is a yawn. I bet you'll have the whole crowd going beddy byes by 9.” He said that last part in a baby voice.

“Just ignore him,” Stefan said, steering your shoulders away as Damon loped up the stairs.

You grabbed a random red cup from the table, and gulped it down, then did the same with a second. “Right, right,” you said. “I can't believe Damon! I mean, does he think he can just waltz in here and tell us what to do?”

Stefan nodded. “Damon loves to waltz.”

You huffed. “He didn't just insult me - he insulted you. He talked to you like a child, Stefan. Didn't that annoy you?”

Stefan pulled you into a slow dance in the centre of the room. “Forget about Damon, babe. This is your night.”

But you were too full of alcohol and righteous indignation to listen to your boyfriend.

“He thinks I don't know how to have fun? I know how to have fun!”

You stormed up the stairs, and to the door to the roof. Stefan tramped behind the whole way.

Once you were on the roof, you looked down at the Salvatores’ swimming pool, which glowed like a blue gem three floors down. Swaying a little, you yanked off your black vest, and then your shorts, so you were just in your underwear.

“No, Elena, this is crazy,” Stefan said. “You're human, you could break your neck.”

“I'm not afraid of a little danger, Stefan,” you said. Only, the icy wind was sobering you up, and you were realising that it was an awfully long way down.

“Why are you acting like this?” Stefan said, and he sounded so despairing you turned to look at him. He rubbed his hands over his face and sat on the edge of the roof. “Your friends spent days organising this party. You ignored all of them, got stupidly drunk and are now risking your life for an insane stunt. What's gotten into you?”

You locked your jaw firmly into place. “Maybe you're the problem. You treat me like I'm made of glass. I mean, you're a vampire, isn't dating you meant to be fun?”

Stefan’s mouth fell open a little. He seemed too angry to speak for a moment. “This isn't you, Elena, this…” He stopped speaking mid-sentence. “Oh my god. You have feelings for my brother.”

You frowned. “You've got it twisted. I hate Damon. He ruins every waking hour of my life.”

Stefan gave a faintly hysterical laugh. “Oh my god. How did I not see this? I am such an idiot.”

“Shut up!” you said, feeling suddenly vulnerable in your nakedness.

Stefan stared at you, and his black eyes were so cold and careless, you shivered. “Why exactly do you hate my brother, Elena?”

You blinked. You hadn't expected this question. “Because - because he makes my blood boil. When I'm around him, I feel like this stupid child that can't speak or think straight. Because he sticks in my head and ruins every good moment I have with you.”

Stefan turned away. “I see.”

“Wait,” you said, following Stefan, suddenly aware in your drunkenness that you had said something wrong. “Don't go away like this, Stefan. I love you. Can we just start over?”

He stopped walking, and you moved in front of him, wrapping your hands around his face. “Stefan, you're- you're so sweet, and kind, and you love me, and you actually pay attention to me-”

Stefan broke you off with a grating laugh. “I get it. You chose me because my brother ignores you and I don't. Just what every guy wants to hear.”

You froze, stunned by the truth of what he had said. It was true that you had first approached Stefan, because his soft, friendly beauty was the safe alternative to Damon’s gut-wrenching charm. You could be cool, and funny, and smart around Stefan - because he didn't make you feel the way Damon did. It didn't feel like your heart would burst out of your chest every time he walked in the room. You didn't spend nights lying awake, overanalysing every flutter of his hand on your back, replaying every time he said your name. It was just… easier.

“I just hope you're happy together,” Stefan said, his face unreadable. He vaulted over the roof in a flash and was gone.

You sat there with your hands grasping your knees, shivering and half-naked. This birthday had quickly gone from being a perfect night to being a terrible one - all because you couldn't hide your feelings for your boyfriend's idiotic brother.

—

MAIN MASTERLIST

Let us know what you thought in the comments or on anon! 💋

[sirenlulls]

baby i'm yours → g. gallagher

pairing —gene gallagher x albarn!reader

summary —where gene’s a bit of a cheeky bastard & you post a new podcast episode

baby, i'm yours, and i'll be yours until two and two makes three

♡ liked by lennongallagher, damonalbarn, and 66,987 others

genegallagher bitz n bobz

user blud was def giggling to himself choosing the second pic

↳ user "they're gonna think im so cool for this"

↳ user "everyone's gonna be so jealous I'm sleeping with the it girl of the millenium" WELL I AM JEALOUS. IM SEETHING WITH JEALOUSY. IM GREEN WITH ENVY. THANK YOU MR GALLAGHER. I HOPE UR HAPPY.

user step up the game bro not enough y/n

↳ genegallagher I'll work on it

yourusername hihihihihihihihihi

yourusername hello

yourusername hey *in a really cool n suave n sexy voice*

↳ genegallagher Hello

↳ yourusername ur pretty cute icl 🤭

↳ genegallagher You're not too bad yourself xx

yourusername just scraped my knee falling for u

↳ genegallagher There's plasters in the bathroom press

↳ yourusername let me flirt with you ballache bastard

↳ genegallagher I've never felt so romanced 😍😍

yourusername guys don't be fooled, he had no idea how to use the camera!!! he's a caveman!!!!

↳ genegallagher Smh this defamation is heartbreaking.

↳ yourusername awe the baby :(

user mum and dad

user my pants drop every time i see them

↳ user ur so me

ruby1kid Such angels xx Must meet up again soon!! Love you both 😘😘❤️❤️💋💋

↳ genegallagher Love you too xx

↳ yourusername definitely!! missing our chats xx

♡ liked by lizzymcalpine, stellajones, and 86,799 others

yourusername look the lover to the beach (plus a hidden gem of moody chops junior + senior)

liamgallagher Who are you calling moody chops?

↳ yourusername no one special 😇

↳ user oh no the gallagher cheek is getting to her

genegallagher Don’t appreciate this.

↳ yourusername poor thing :(

genegallagher You look okay I guess…….

↳ yourusername sleep on the couch xoxo

genegallagher Think those shells are still in my coat pocket

↳ yourusername forgot you picked them up tbh 😭

↳ genegallagher Kinda had to since you kept going on about how pretty they were 😔🙄

↳ user only relationship ever

gracieabrams ilyilyilyilyily

gracieabrams hi wife

↳ yourusername hi loverrrrr

bobbyskeetz beach.

↳ yourusername beach!

↳ bobbyskeetz beach?

↳ genegallagher beach

↳ user gene is soooo sick of this shit lmao i eat it up all the time

user mother is mothering so hard y’all

user im in love w you

user i wont u so bad

user nepotism done right i’m on my knees fr

graciebrns AHHHHBHBABABABABHAAAA

↳ user grace is so me

graciebrns i love u sososo bad

↳ yourusername I LOVE YOU MORE PRETTYYYYY

♡ liked by lennongallagher, izzy_richmond, and 86,799 others

genegallagher Got dragged to the beach and got some of the best views

yourusername omg romance?? i didn’t know it did that 😱😱

↳ genegallagher Won’t happen again xx

yourusername iloveu

↳ genegallagher I love you too

yourusername you’re so sappy

↳ genegallagher If it’s such a problem I can stop

↳ yourusername NO ITS CUTE

user the last pic 🤭🤭🤭

user praying damon skips this post because he doesn’t deserve to be traumatised at the last slide

user “some of the best views” gene can u kys i deserve this life

user genes getting too bold im half expecting to see tits on the tl soon

↳ user don’t give him ideas

ruby1kid Stunning!!! ❤️❤️ Hope you’re having the best time, lovies!! 🥰🥰🥰

↳ yourusername we’re having a ball! can’t wait to see you next week xx

↳ ruby1kid I expect to see all the photos (even the bad ones) 🤣🤣🤣🤣

↳ yourusername oh especially the bad ones 😝

↳ genegallagher I don’t like this

genegallagher just updated their instagram story!

yourusername just updated their instagram story!

[lizzaneia-elizalde]

Hi, Goodmorning/night! how has your day been? :3 i hope it went well!

If its okay, can I request mermaid reader (preferably fem), dropping some stuff down to Viper? It can be small jewelry she doesn't quite like or anything REALLY shiny — because she thinks sending him stuff would make him less interested in her and more on the stuff she drops. Basically her doing an offering and praying Viper would take the items instead of her

Always rest! And can I be "🦪" Anon? Im mostly a huge fan of Viper and Damon, so i might ask a lot about them! Again always rest and take care of yourself!!

Yandere! Male! Deep sea creature x mermaid! Fem! Reader: Viper route 1

That's so cute! Okay cuz I think Viper has like some similarities to Orion. He's also a collector! So I just let my hands flow and see where it takes me. Also, welcome 🦪anon! It's so nice to have more familiar faces here!

Also a bit sick, so I'll probably slow down a bit till i'm healed. Sore throat plus a runny nose, plus A FEVER WHAT LIKE LET ME BREATH????

Writing puts my mind at rest from being sick anyways...

You pursed your lips and looked down at the void below the trenches.

It's been quite a while since you escaped Viper's grasp, and Viper has continued to try and fail to seduce you back to him with that dang light of his.

You're a curious fish, but not that curious.

You're even deliberating on moving out of the trenches and back to civilization again, but something's telling you to don't do it.

Deciding on taking your mind off of the deep sea merman, you dedicated your time in talking to Orion and knowing more about human technology. He's happy to oblige too, anyways.

But you can't help but glance back at the deep, dark void down below, telling you, whispering that you belong there.

Surely you don't.

You're a creature of light, someone who enjoys the sunrays reflecting on the blue, tranquil sea. Someone who loves looking at the boats passing by, cleaning up trash, finding little treasures that you stock up and design your little pod inside the trenches...

You're satisfied...

Are you?

You can't help but remember how cold yet warm the darkness was. How Viper coiled his long tail around yours, his body heat enveloping yours. You can still feel against your back, your skin, the way his torso pressed against yours flush and fit. Significantly stronger, can kill you with one bite and yet...

You shook your head as you shivered away the daydream. No. No no no!

Slapping your face, you grabbed your bag and zoomed back to the trenches to start your little... Littering.

You've been sprinkling these little gems, trinkets, and jewels down below to him. Sure, you might need them as it's currency, but you're self sufficient enough with a farm and an aquatic ranch. You rarely even go to civilization anymore to really use these.

So, as valuable as these treasures are, and would literally make you rich, you decided to dump them on Viper.

Sweet, little naive you thinks that this counts as littering. You really didn't want to throw down actual trash-- you're environmentally friendly, you don't want to do that. And Viper is still a merfolk despite how um, scary he is. Hope he sees it as a bribe too. Who knows? Maybe he'll leave you alone if you make him rich enough?

But then again, you're sweet, you're little...

And you're naive.

Didn't you really thought that this practice looks like you're giving him gifts?

No, a wedding gift specifically?

He did propose to you to be his mate, his eternal partner.

And you're doing this?

Oh, little one. You're too cute! Acting all shy and bashful-- you're so upfront at wanting to marry him by giving him what's equal to a dowry!

Viper collects them meticulously. Putting them in a giant pit that's slowly but surely making him richer by the second.

Should you and him move out of the trenches and back to civilization with this money? With all of these riches, both of you are basically at the upper crust now.

Then, he'll show to those pesky upperdwellers that one of them is his, and only his.

He'll show them how he owns you, loves you, and will have a family just to piss them off.

Oh, how it makes him shiver just thinking about it.

So yes, continue giving him the dowry, little one.

Sooner or later, he'll snatch you up and drag you back down to the abyss,

and live happily ever after.

That's what you wanted, right?

[lgwifey]

Hi, may I ask if you can write something about Damon Albarn and a female reader?  (Maybe something fluff if you want, but I think anything will do). 

P.S I really like your writing :) .

Hiiiiya babes, thanks so much xxx I hope you like this, I’m not entirely sure what type this falls into but it’s all my brain’s giving me <33

RUN

90s!Damon Albarn x fem!aristocratic!reader

Y/F/N : your full first name. Y/N : your nickname/shortened version of your full name

MASTERLIST

"Y/n Y/L/N is at it again ladies and gentlemen !"

The eighteen year old rolled her eyes, mumbling to whoever was in the room with her to 'turn the blasted thing off, won't you'. She sat up, lifting her pink silk eyemask off and throwing it onto her lesser used bedside table.

"Good morning Miss Y/F/N."

She looked aside to find her childhood nanny at her bedroom door, just having placed the hot pink television remote on her vanity.

"How many times do I have to say Vanessa ? Just Y/N."

She sent a smile to the mother figure before jumping out of her bed, quite literally. The winter chills sent her to pull on some pom-pomed slipper boots, pulling on a pair of fluffy pyjama bottoms aswell.

"Of course, Y/N."

She sent a smile back to the young lady before informing her that her mother was downstairs waiting for her, which caused her to go wide eyed and immediatly rushed down the two flights of stairs which lead to the dining room.

She stopped before the overly elegant double doors, quickly pulling her hair out of the pink scrunchie she had slept in and trying to pat it down. She gave a quick knock before opening the left door, walking in with a perfect posture.

“Good morning mother."

The girl caught her mother's eyes at the other side of the room. They didn't get along, not in the slightest bit, so when the older woman was actually at the house, conversation at breakfast and at supper where dead, other than small notes on each other's jobs or family events that might be occuring. Y/N sat on one side of the exagerated table whilst her mother sat on the other side.

"You have a fitting at eleven."

"I know."

"Yes well knowing you, you would forget."

She discretely rolled her eyes, looking down to her juice beside her plate.

"And I would have to clean up your mistakes which I have neither the time or effort to do Y/F/N."

She bit her lip, and just gave a hum in response before standing up and leaving to her room, leaving her untouched food to be dealt with by the butler a few meters away from her. She bit the inside of her cheeks hard as she ran up the stairs, turning left and running up the next set before reaching her room. The bedroom door slammed shut and y/n threw the scrunchie off her wrist onto her bed.

She quickly washed and fixed yesterday's makeup, which she didn't need to overly bother with since it would all be redone at the fitting she needed to leave to go to. She slipped on a pair of beige highwaisted suit trousers and a white lace bralette. She threw a bunch of her things into a handbag before slipping on chestnut uggs, an a long denim afgan coat. She brushed through the knots in her hair before throwing the gem decored flip phone into her bag and rushing out if the room.

Before she got to the end of her drive, she slipped on a pair of large sunglasses due to the reporters at her estate's gates.

She could see and hear the laughs of people passing by as they watched her try to avoid the cameras and shouting journalists who where running after her down the path.

If only they understood.

After her dress fitting for one of her mother's arrangements next month, Y/N decided to stay in the city and get a bit of lunch before returning back to the house. She ended up not having to hide from people as much since apparently there was someone else on the same road as her who was deemed more important, her mind thanked whoever it was because their misery was currently allowing her to relax for a bit.

She ended up in a little cafe off a main road. After ordering a coffee and a snack they had in their counter display, she sat in one of the booths by herself. Her bag sat on the inside of the row as she flicked through one of her new books. One of the girls who was working at the till when she ordered placed a mug and plate down infront of Y/N and with a smile gave a timid "if you need anything else feel free to ask." She gave a smile back before taking a sip of her coffee and humming to herself, tapping her fingers on the table as she read through her open page.

As she ate, she took extra care in keeping and crumbs away from the new hardback and when she had finished with her food she left the few belongings in their spot before ordering an iced drink to have before heading home.

At least that was her plan, but that plan was quickly dropped when as she was about to get up and thank the girl on shift for the drinks, a crowd of cameras appeared. Y/n gave a yelp before slouching back into her booth, sliding the book into her bag and hopeing no-one knew or saw that she was there.

As the door crashed open, a figure in baggy clothes ran in and jumped into the opposite side of her booth. She noticed him muttering to himself, distracted and seemingly having not noticed her.

She hid further away from the cameras, crushing her bag as she fell onto it, letting out a sqeak as she did so, begging that she hadn't broken anything in it. Having got the stranger's attention, his muttering stopped and he looked over to her with a clearly very confused expression.

"Hi."

"Hello."

Her reply came before a short, awkward pause and after it was a sudden burst of annoyance displayed through hushed shouts.

"What the hell are you doing ! I don't know who you are but I was having a nice time away from those parasites and now they're going to know that i'm here !"

He blinked for a moment before waving his hand in a confused manner, causing her to roll her eyes. To say the stranger was even more confused when she started climbing under the table to his side of the booth, dragging her bag behind her.

"I'm Y/N."

She held out a hand for him to shake in their slouched and cramped situation.

"Damon.”

"Okay, now Damon how am I supposed to leave this cafe without gaining those people's attention."

He grinned at her, almost as if she had told a joke, Y/N shuffled herself around with her elbows and their faces where way to close for any stranger's to be, but there wasn't much either of them could do due to the glass exterior of the cafe and the little booth space which couldn't be seen from outside.

"I could run out in a moment, I just need to catch my breath."

Y/N swore she was actually having palpitations from his accent but tried to keep her calm. It was just so different to all the upper class pricks her mother tried to match her up with.

"It's okay, I can call my driver to come collect us both, it'll probably force them to leave us both alone for the time being."

It was obvious Damon wasn't expecting her to have a driver who was able to appear at a moment's notice, sure she sounded posh and looked rich... but a driver !

“We could just make a run for it ?”

She paused typing on her mobile, looking up to where he was slightly less slouched than her.

“If we run fast enough they won’t be able to catch us.”

She smiled to him, kicking her bags to fall on the floor so she could grab it.

“Well if I’m going to be stuck on a front page with you, I think it’s the polite think to know your full name Damon.”

“I could say the same to you Miss Y/N.”

She cringed slightly before telling him, watching his features drop slightly before buzzing back to how they where before.

“Y/N Y/L/N”

“Damon Albarn at your service Miss Y/L/N. And I’m three, two, one, run !”

[froppy-butterflyfan2000]

The Nightmare and its after effect/The daughterly, yet feral gem: Take place in November and December, after the summer months of the adventures in Camp Synonymous, The Bishops are doing their monthly meeting together at Camp Synonymous Island on November, where they learns more about gems, for the betterment of the community of Townsville for Mayor Blossom and the representation of managing gems’ affairs in the city Blossom selected and their own. On December, someone suffers a nightmare of his past and one event affects a certain gem, changing her life forever.

Warning: Please be advise, you are reading this story that contain spoilers of Neighbour. You can ignore this and wait for Volume 1 and 2 of the Cappyverse main storylines, The Neighbors to come. Or just read it and keep this informations to yourself and not share with others. You have been warned.

Damon Drakken, Nebula Butterfly-Lucitor (mentioned), Sandra Stoppable, Travis Mystery, Olivia Carbunkle (mentioned), Nicholas X (mentioned), Ethan Corduroy (mentioned), and Lucas Harper (mentioned) belong to @ej-cappy-universe.

Morgan Morningstar (mentioned), Rebecca Batson, and Eliza Hardy (mentioned) belongs to @aprilbrowines.

Serenity Universe (mentioned), Misty Universe, Anty Diamond, and Calypso Charleston (mentioned) belong to @cooltmoney95.

Leona Torasdottir-da Costa (mentioned), Kingsleigh Braddock (mentioned), Marianne of Domino (mentioned), Clark Christopher Jones (mentioned), Leonidas (mentioned), Eugenia Maximoff, Duchess, Hibonite, Dougal Cauldronello-Valentines (mentioned), and Janaya A. Bloodworth-Thomason (mentioned) belong to @froppy-butterflyfan2000 (me).

Javelin (mentioned) belongs to @hotsassbacon.

The concept of radioactive gems belongs to @dangerpack.

[crescentcityhellmouth-rpg]

arc-one • p r e s e n t

spike came back from the amulet in which his life was preserved. he stuck around with angel and helped him take on the forces of darkness; trying his best to leave buffy in the past. though he remained firm in his conviction not to make it all about the blonde slayer again it became evidently clear that he would always remain love’s bitch, and unlike angel he was incapable of moving on, especially without closure. though going to new orleans with angel they were looking for his newborn son, conner, checking for illyria high and low he had other plans, plans to make both himself and angel equal to the rest of the magically made vampires around the city in search to recreate the gem of amara.

divergent • c o n n e c t i o n s

damon salvatore (x)

back in the good old days, when spike managed to kill a slayer back in new york, he ran into another there. he wasn't really the same type, but he'd never really ran into anyone like him since. they had some good times together back then, and when he runs into him in new orleans, hes still the same guy looking for a good time. he could also be he one to point him in the bennett witches direction.

dean winchester (x)

since dean is really working against the clave behind their back, he will be hunting any and all supernatural beings. though if he meet spike, a vampire who fights vampires.. things might get a little more confusing for the winchester and he may rethink his moral standing on the matter. spike could also let him in on the details of the old one illyria that is on the run.

bonnie bennett (x)

spike needs someone to help him walk in the day light, and he very well can't ask willow or the scoobies for help.. afraid they might not think it such a good idea. when damon tells him who spelled his own daylight ring and how there is a bennett witch right in new orleans, spike will most definitely be on the prowl for the witch.

PLOT • A V A I L A B L E • APPLICATION

[anitosoul]

tripreport.017: Curaga

sonic healing for the soul ☮️

Key Inspirations

Ghostly (Music label)

Yaeji’s set at Nowadays Nonstop (DJ set)

John Glacier – SHILOH (Music album)

Dub music (Genre)

UK Garage (Genre)

Rachika Nayar (Music artist)

K Wata at Nowadays Nonstop (DJ set)

My dog Noodlez (RIP)

Cigarettes on the fire escape (Activity)

TSHA (Music artist)

Damon Bradley (DJ)

Drag shows (Event)

PinkPantheress (Music artist)

Reunions (Event)

MoMA (Place)

Basement (Venue)

Being emotionally overwhelmed at a Phoebe Bridgers concert (Activity)

Claud Monet’s Water Lillies (Painting)

Violeta Parra (Music artist)

Curaga Tracklist A-Side: Intima

Lee “Scratch” Perry & The Upsetters – From Creation

Little Simz – Gems (Interlude)

PinkPantheress – Passion

Nia Archives – (Over)Thinking

Triathalon – Pressure

Yaeji – Therapy

Amindi – Great Again

John Glacier – Platoon

The Montclairs, Phil Perry – Dreaming’s Out of Season

Ivy Lab – When I Go

Isaiah Rashad, Amindi – All Herb

Hiatus Kaiyote – All the Words We Don’t Say

Frankie Knuckles, Jamie Principle – Your Love

King Princess, Avalon Emerson – PAIN (Avalon Emerson’s Half Dub)

Hana Vu – Maker

Park Hye Jin – i jus wanna be happy

Audrey Nuna – 80deg

Curaga Tracklist B-Side: Insula

Soul Bros. Inc., Mr. Saturday Night – Pyramid (Mixed)

Thee Sacred Souls – Will I See You Again?

quickly, quickly – Everything is Different to Me

Ombachi, Chloe Hart – BREEZE

Vince Staples, Fousheé – TAKE ME HOME

JPEGMAFIA – living single

Tirzah – Sink In

Injury Reserve – Superman That

L’Rain – Find It

Lil Nas X – LIFE AFTER SALEM

Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)

The Sanctuary – hold on

Rachika Nayar – Clarity

TSHA – Sister

Mix Factory, DJ XTC – Take Me Away (XTC Come Hard Mix)

Jamie Jones, Katy B, Nookie – Sound of Music

Kacey Musgraves – gracias a la vida

Link to my original writeup for this month can be found here.

This month’s mix continues the themes from Ep016 and is all about sonic healing through music. Curaga is the strongest healing spell from Kingdom Hearts, a video game series I’ve played since childhood. I thought it was a great representation of what music has been for me after going through a lot in September; I’ve really leaned into using music as a way to process everything that’s been happening in my life. A few ideas came up this month that were particularly relevant for me:

When nothing around you makes sense, listen to the music—it always makes sense

The beat is eternal

Your 20s are a constant balance between intimacy and isolation

A good friend told me that last point, and it was the framework for the A side/B side of this month’s mix, Intima and Insula. Each of the songs I selected for this mix have represented some form of intimacy, isolation, or healing for me, and spending so much time with these songs through working on this mix and getting more into DJing has been very comforting. The lyrics of each song are important and tell a narrative that is representative of my feelings from the past month, so I hope the mix speaks for itself.

The theme for this month originally started off as “The Future,” where I wanted to highlight songs and artists that represented the future of music. While this mix ended up taking a more personal slant, a lot of the songs on here are uniquely genre-bending and come from artists with underrepresented identities. Major inspirations this month come from artists like Yaeji, TSHA, Little Simz, Lil Nas X, Injury Reserve, and a lot of artists from the Ghostly label; these are all artists who are pushing the boundaries with the music they make and unapologetically celebrate their identity in their sound. 

I also made a physical mixtape for this month’s mix which is a hobby I took up during lockdown. It was really fun designing the cover and having a tangible form for the mix, allowing it to exist as a physical journal through music. The images for the cover art are photos I took of the water lilies paintings in the Monet room at the MoMA which really captured the mood of the mix and my September in general.

[slushrottweiler]

The Gem and the Other

My travellers from the VN @andromeda-six.

Because I can never make a single canon MC, I have these two. Please say hi to Their Royal Highness Gemina, and their body double Elsie.

When the coup happened, Gem had snuck away to look for Vexx, and Elsie spilled from the palace to find them. They were both hurt during the attacks, with Elsie’s leg broken and Gem knocked unconscious. June found Elsie struggling to pull Gem to safety, and when he asked who they were, she claimed they were twins who worked at the palace. It was only after Gem gets their memories back that Elsie admits she was their body double, and was supposed to die in their place. She cuts her hair as a gesture of returning Gem’s identity to them, and is waiting for the hair dye to grow out.

Now Gemina has to figure out who they want to be when they can hardly remember who they are; and Elsie needs to learn how to be herself when she has spent so long being someone else.

Gem is developing feels for a certain charming assassin; whilst Elsie is still pinning over the man who betrayed her charge.

[serzhantkris]

Haunted- 17

Summary: He knew, from the moment he found her there, bathed in the glow of fire, that she would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Damon Salvatore x Reader

Masterlist

Taglist Open

Word Count: 2431

A/N: I hope everyone who celebrates had a good Christmas! Here's my gift to you. Big secrets are exposed in this chapter, so have at it!

Matt and Elena were arguing. You could hear it from the front door, your ear turned toward it and fist raised to knock. Something about Matt being attacked, and he was blaming Damon. You shook your head, fighting off the urge to eavesdrop through the argument, and knocked on the door.

It swung open, and Elena’s face fell. “Sorry, I thought maybe you were Jeremy or Damon.”

“Sorry to disappoint,” you said, following as she went back into the house. Matt was standing in the hall, his eyes boring into the floor. “Everything okay?”

“Damon almost got me killed,” Matt said, interrupting whatever Elena was about to say. “He led me and Jeremy into a bar full of vampires. They went back to finish the job.”

“What? No, why would he do that?”

“To get the map, why else?” It had been a long time since anyone had looked at you with such disdain and resentment. You barely knew Matt, had spoken to him less than a handful of times, but he was clearly shaken, and despite the fact that you had nothing to do with it, you felt guilty. “All he cares about is finding that cure for you.”

“That’s not fair,” Elena said. “He’s been helping us since way before she got here-”

“Yeah,” Matt agreed, but he was still glaring hard at you. “And now he’s being twice as reckless.”

You sat down heavily at the bottom of the staircase. “I’m sorry,” you said. Matt’s eyes softened.

“It’s… Not your fault,” he said. “Damon’s just a lunatic who only cares about himself.”

Elena’s phone rang, and she fumbled to answer it. “Jeremy?”

“Elena, we’re in trouble.” He was out of breath, heaving between words. “Kol attacked us. I barely got away but he has Damon.”

***

“That looks like it hurts.”

Kol planted a foot on the chair in front of him, leaning forward to get a good look at the stake buried in Damon’s chest. It was a few inches from his heart, but deep enough at Damon groaned in pain, his hands clenched tightly around the stake.

“Little more, if you don’t mind.”

Damon fought against it, but there was little he could do as he pushed the stake further into himself. “If you’re gonna kill me,” he said, grunting as the wood scraped and tore at the inside of his chest. “Kill me.”

“Not gonna kill you,” Kol said. “Just want to hurt you real bad.”

“I’m gonna rip out your spleen.”

“A bit touchy.” Kol lowered his foot, then spun the chair so it was backwards and sat in it, facing Damon with one leg on either side of the seat. “Tell me, you don’t really want to find the cure, do you?”

“Go to hell.”

“Come on, Damon, let’s be honest with each other. Stefan’s plenty for Elena, and you don’t really want to cure Y/n. You already lost her once, didn’t you?”

Damon didn’t answer. Kol’s hand shot out, seizing Damon’s hair, forcing him to look Kol in the eye.

“Tell me the truth.”

Blood seeped into the crevices of Damon’s fingernails as his hands tightened around the stake, splinters digging into his palms. “More than once,” he said, the compulsion forcing the words out of his throat.

“You know,” Kol said, letting go of Damon’s hair. “She’s pretty resourceful, your girl. Probably have to be to have survived this long. Though, I suspect she had some help along the way. Not from you, though. I hear you abandoned her, is that true?”

Damon tried to bite his tongue. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, I did.”

“Her daylight ring,” Kol tilted his head, motioning to the blue gem on Damon’s own hand. “I might be mistaken, I only caught a glimpse- it’s a wedding ring, isn’t it?”

The stake in Damon creaked, his knuckles turning white. Blood oozed out of his chest from the motion. “Yep.”

“She was married, then?” Kol nodded, lips twitching into a smirk. “How tragic. I bet there’s a story there. Whoever it was, she must have loved him very much to keep wearing his ring. But surely he must be long dead, else she’d have brought the lad along. Must still be carrying a torch. But, oh, she loathes you, doesn’t she? Tell me, Damon- Did you kill her husband?”

“Yes,” Damon said, clenching the stake in his hands, choosing his words very carefully. “Yes… I killed Christopher Taylor. Are you happy now?”

***

“You said nothing would happen to him.” Rage fueled your words as your foot pressed heavily on the gas pedal, the car racing to the outskirts of Mystic Falls. Trees and buildings flashed by as you wove between other cars, taking corners at a dangerous pace.

Jeremy clenched the handle on the car ceiling, leaning into the window. Matt hadn’t tried to stop you as you stormed back to your car, the keys digging into your palm, and Elena had only protested that you couldn’t go alone, begging Jeremy to let you pick him up along the road.

“I said I wouldn’t go after him, love,” Even through the phone, you knew Klaus had a smug smirk plastered to his lips. “I have little control over others being annoyed by that smug grin. It does seem my bratty little brother has made things worse, hasn’t he?”

“He’s trying to stop us from getting the cure,” you turned the wheel, dust spitting up in the air behind you. “If he kills Damon-“

“You’ll what?”

“I’ll eliminate Rebekah from the equation. She wants the cure almost as bad as I do. And she has an in with the others. Do this for me, and I won’t let her touch it.”

“Well I suppose we can make that work.”

The line fell dead, and you dropped your phone onto the center console, forgotten.

“I can’t believe everyone is working with Klaus,” Jeremy huffed, watching the world speed by out the window. “You really gonna sell Rebekah out? What ‘in’ does she have?”

“She has the tombstone,” you said. “She stole it from Shane and is using it as a bargaining chip with Stefan. As for Klaus, we only have this problem because he could kill us in a heartbeat if he wanted to.”

“So that’s why you were lying to everyone?” Jeremy turned to look at you, but your eyes remained fixed on the road. “‘Cause you’re scared of him?”

“I wasn’t lying. No one asked if I was helping Klaus. And Stefan knew. Which means Elena knew. Damon knew.” Your hands tightened on the wheel. “I’d say you’re crazy if you aren’t scared, but I can’t imagine you are, what with the whole Buffy thing you’ve got going on.”

Jeremy was quiet for a moment as the tires squealed, the car taking a corner much sharper than it was meant to. “Why are you doing this?”

“What? What do you mean why-“

“Going after Damon,” he said. “He’s an asshole, a murderer, and I’m pretty sure I’ve overheard more than once that he treated you like shit.”

“Yeah, well.”

“Well, what?” Jeremy sat up straighter, propping his arm on the door. “I get not trusting Klaus, but why would you trust Damon? He’s gonna get people killed. People I care about, people my sister cares about. Trust me, I would know.”

“My feelings surrounding Damon are complicated,” you said, flexing your fingers. The wheel felt fused to your hand from gripping it so tightly. “When Damon sets his sights on something, he gets it. Right now, that’s the cure.”

“And what about when he decides he wants something else? Like stopping you from becoming human?”

“That isn’t his decision to make,” you said. “I don’t belong to him.”

***

“Where’s Damon Salvatore?”

Kol paced in front of Damon, holding the phone to his ear. Damon’s head lolled back, fighting the pain of the stake as he twisted it, the splinters digging into his chest.

“Just having some fun,” Kol said. “Catching up.”

“A very concerned Y/n would like him back,” Klaus’s voice was slightly muted by the phone, but Damon lifted his head at your name, face contorting as his body protested the movement. “So playtime’s over, brother. Time to let him go.”

Kol clicked his tongue, hanging up the phone. “Your girlfriend just keeps getting in the way,” he said. “Suppose I’ll have to put an end to that. Think if she dies, the rest of your friends will give up, or should I be on my way to kill them?”

“Don’t… touch… her.” Damon growled between breaths, his teeth clenched. Kol stalked toward him, squatting so he was at eye level.

“Or what? You’ll kill me?”

“You wish,” Damon breathed. “I will… skin you… alive.”

Kol grabbed Damon’s hair, pulling on it. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m not going to kill her. You are.”

***

The bar door flew open, the hinges cracking under the pressure of your boot slamming into it. Dust floated up from the floor, skittering across the wood.

“Kol!”

Jeremy was close behind you, crossbow raised as the two of you moved into the bar. You carefully stepped over the smear of blood on the floor, trying to block out the smell of it.

“We were in the cooler,” Jeremy said, moving towards it. “Watch my back.”

“Got it.”

He brushed aside the hanging plastic, his figure becoming blurred as it obscured his silhouette.

“Jeremy.” You heard Damon’s voice, the syllables cracking. “You gotta go.”

“Where’s Kol?”

You glanced around the bar, hairs on end, looking for any sign of the original. Behind the curtain, you heard the sound of ropes being strained.

“Stop,” Damon said. “Get Y/n out of here, now.”

“Let me get the rope-“

“Don’t!” You jumped, turning back toward the curtain. “If you let me out, I’ll kill her. Kol-“ he coughed, and the sound of squelching burned your ears. Scrunching your nose, you brushed the curtain aside, looking over Jeremy’s shoulder.

Damon was tied to a chair, rope fastened around his shoulders and hands. Blood soaked the front of his shirt, a gaping hole in it where a wound had been, and Jeremy dropped the bloodied stake, which clattered on the ground. Damon’s eyes met yours, and he pulled against the ropes, trying to get loose.

“Y/n, run!” Damon’s bellow was met with the cracking of the wooden chair, the ropes snapping as he broke free. Then he was on his feet, shoving Jeremy against the wall. You moved backwards, stumbling, putting the curtain between you as Damon bent down to retrieve the stake.

“Kol compelled me. I can’t stop it,” he said. Jeremy grabbed at him, the crossbow hitting the ground as the two began to wrestle. A dull thud shook the floor as Jeremy hit the ground, landing in the doorway, unconscious. “I’m going to try to kill you, so you have to run, or kill me first.”

Damon brushed aside the curtain, stepping over Jeremy. You had made it to the pool table, and grabbed up a pool cue as Damon rushed at you. He hit you at full force, knocking you both onto the ground, his body on yours. The stake hovered over your heart, stopped only by the pool cue that separated you, held tight in both of your hands as you pushed against him. You twisted the cue, tilting it so one end shoved his arm into the pool table beside you and knocked the stake out of his grip. It skidded through the damp blood, stopping a few feet away.

“Clever,” he said, almost smiling as he grabbed at the pool cue, hefting you up. You let go of the cue, scrambling backwards, and grabbed at the balls left on the table. You threw them like softballs, one after the other, and the cue clattered to the ground as Damon dropped it in favor of grabbing the billiard balls soaring at his face. Damon backed up, ducking behind the bar until you were out of balls. You moved so you were between him and the stake, as he stood up, stepping back into view.

“Good girl,” he said. His eyes landed on the pool cue between you at the same moment yours did, and there was a flurry of movement as you both dove for it.

The cue strained as you both grabbed it, each trying to rip it from the other’s hands. “Break it,” Damon breathed, shoving so that his side pushed against your shoulder. “Break the end, and stake me.”

“Damon-“

“Hurry,” he said, looking at you. His hand slid down the cue, stopping against yours, and he shifted the cue so it was pointed at you. “You have to kill me, Y/n. Get it over with.”

“Not gonna happen,” you breathed, pushing as hard as you could with your whole body, feet braced against the floor. Damon grunted as he pushed back, and his foot slid back in an attempt to give himself more leverage.

Damon’s foot slid in the pool of blood behind him, knocking him off balance just enough that you could turn the back end of the cue, and jammed it as hard as you could into his stomach. His hands caked with blood, he clutched the cue where it was now protruding from his gut as his knees slammed into the ground.

“You’re gonna have to aim a bit higher.” His hands jerked, snapping the cue in half.

“I’m not… killing you.” You stumbled, still holding most of the cue.

His face softened, even with the pain as he planted one foot on the ground, and his voice dropped low, calming, as though he were speaking to a child.

“No choice, flower-“ Damon pulled on the piece still stuck in his abdomen. It came out with a sickening squelch, flipping in his hand. He drove it up at you, aiming for your chest.

You sidestepped the broken wood, swinging the cue in your hands with all your might. It smacked him in the side of the head, hard. Damon fell as splinters soared every which way, the cue shattering to pieces, and caught himself on his hands and knees. You dropped the broken fragments of wood, grabbing his head as he tried to push himself up. His hands grabbed your wrists and you jerked to the left, snapping his neck. Damon landed facedown in a pile of blood and fragmented wood as you leaned forward, hands on your knees as you struggled to catch your breath.

“Don’t… call me… that.”

@navs-bhat @suspiciousmuffin @lordofthunderthr @hereforsumbucky @allinhishands

[velathetanager]

Seeing a Ghost: a Cybersphere One-Shot

Author’s Note: This is basically the conclusion of Crown Jewel.vbs’s origin story (Crown Jewel is Amy, but she became an exe due to fusing with the Phantom Ruby to get an edge)

The sky split in two, red and blue power colliding. It felt good to have the upper hand. Before, Amy had to be carried by her robots and snipers, but now she could fight Evangelus one-on-one. She poured as much raw power into her battle with her ex as she could, letting herself unleash it to devastating effect.

Evangelus, for his part, looked like he was having the time of his life. “COME ON!” he called, a grin splitting his face. The red power of Cybernet illuminated his hands as he answered every beam she fired with one of his own.

Amy clenched her teeth. Oh, he wanted her to come on? Yeah, sure, she could do that. She had months of shit and Cream’s disappearance to work through.

When she brought out her hammer, she mentally told herself she needed to practice more. A lot of the swings she was missing would usually hit her opponents, but Evangelus was sidestepping and blocking more and more attacks. Still, that he had to conjure up a staff out of shadow in order to do so made her prouder of herself than she probably needed to be. Knocking him down made her even prouder. Quickly, Amy stepped on the hedgehog’s chest to keep him from getting back up, pointing a blast at him. “I win.”

“Do you?” Evangelus coughed, never losing that grin.

“What, did you bring Sha- Ambrose?” She had to catch herself a lot these days. Ambrose wasn’t Shadow. Not anymore.

“Nah. Figured I didn’t need him.”

“And look where that got you.”

“Oh, please. I’m not worried,” the blue blur smirked.

“Let’s fix that, shall we?” Amy shot back, and brought down her hammer.

Only it didn’t connect. Not to him. Instead, it hit the blade of a silver scythe adorned with the same red eye that could be seen on Evangelus’s torso, where the silver stripes formed an X. Amy’s eyes widened as she looked to the wielder of the bladed weapon, and her eyes widened.

Holding the scythe was Cream, but it was Cream with some heavy alterations. Her fur had gone from a cream color with light orange to purple and red. A gray and black short dress, black leggings and shoes, and gray leg warmers replaced her old orange dress and shoes. One of the hands that held the weapon was pure machinery, the silver metal shining against the light of the Phantom Ruby. The other bore a fingerless glove. A robotic mask covered the lower half of her face, and above it, two black eyes with simple white dots as pupils stared into Amy’s soul.

“Hi, Miss Amy!” the corrupted version of Cream greeted cheerily, and it was so unmistakably Cream that Amy stopped in her tracks.

Evangelus flashed Amy a grin as he rolled out from under her and stood up. “Surprised? Damon found her a month ago while you were looking for the Ruby. No clue why she was alone, but I guess it worked out.”

“Cream...” was all Amy could reply with, and the cyborg went on the offensive.

“They call me Rei now,” came the reply. How could someone be so sweet while actively attacking someone with a scythe?!

“Cr- Rei, I-”

“It’s okay, Miss Amy! Mr. Evangelus was right! I feel better now! And I just know you’ll feel better too if you come with us!” 

Amy fought back tears as she blocked Rei’s attacks, all sorts of terrible thoughts rushing through her mind that cracked reality around them. I’m a failure. I let them take Cream. I let my closest friend get turned into one of them for the sake of power. To track down the Phantom Ruby. I can’t lead everyone else like this! I can’t protect Ailton if I’m just going to screw up this royally!

She couldn’t tell what was real anymore aside from her fight with Rei. Errors in reality, shadows of other people, what looked like ghosts, the world seemed to come crashing down around her…

And then it all ended. Amy found herself in Big’s arms, the counter gem in his chest glowing a soft yellow. “I got you,” the cat told her, carrying her away from the fight.

That day marked one of the first retreats the leaders of Ailton would ever order.

---

Big sighed, patting Froggy as he watched Amy work. Or, the woman who had been Amy. He didn’t think he recognized the pink hedgehog anymore. Not after she’d learned about Cream. Where there had been a bright, hopeful mother to her men, now there was a cold, regal leader. He understood, though. She was upset. He was, too. So he promised himself he would be there for Crown Jewel; who knew what she would become if she lost him, too?

[onlythegentle-survive]

if i kept hiding - chapter one

Pairing: Ezra (Prospect) x F!Reader  Rating: T (for this chapter) Summary:  After Ezra rescues you from a fiery crash when you land unexpectedly on the planet he's on, he offers you a partnership. As the partnership progresses, both of you are unaware of how the other feels. Warnings: PINING. SO MUCH PINING. Angst. Yearning. Fear of unrequited love. Mentioned violence/death Word count: 3.6k words Notes: This is 99% angst/mutual pining. I woke up and listened to 13 Beaches by Lana Del Rey and the muse in me said “write about Ezra but make it be really sad.” (I’M SORRY, I’LL MAKE UP FOR IT IN THE NEXT PART)

Tagging (requested and those I think will enjoy): @goldafterglow @frannyzooey @absurdthirst @catfishingmorales @ithinkhesgaybutwesavedmufasa @hopelikethesun @forever-rogue @f0rever15elf @thewaythisis @marvel-and-mischief @seasonschange-butpeopledont @lose-eels @ezrasarm @din-damn-djarin @opheliaelysia @pajamasecrets @mandohatesdroids @poenariuniverse @fioccodineveautunnale @fleetwoodmactshirts​ @auty-ren​ @profkenobi​ @storiesofthefandomlovers​ @ithinkwehitametaphor​ @yespolkadotkitty​ @cinewhore​ @wille-zarr​ @tangledlove27​

next chapter || masterlist (main) || masterlist (ezra) 

An alarm blared on the console of your pod as you tried - blindly - to ease it into a gentle landing. You weren’t a pilot. But ever since the mercenaries had killed your now former partner, Damon, you were it.

After you had escaped a similar fate that Damon had met (you had turned and run just as the mercenaries were searching Damon’s corpse for any hidden gems. They were going to be sorely mistaken when they discovered that Damon, for all his many faults, wasn’t lying about not having anything of value), you’d somehow managed to hotwire the ship and escape that hellish planet known as the Green. You were attempting to make it to the freighter before its final slingback, but you got the feeling that you weren’t going to make it.

The entire pod shuddered and shook as you entered the atmosphere of another planet - the first planet you had come across after your narrow escape. With any luck, those mercenaries - you didn’t remember their names (why were you worried about their names?) - would have forgotten about you or given up on trying to find you. You had been hiding in a thicket when you heard Damon over the radio saying something about “… my partner isn’t the best at what she does.” Your heart had frozen when he said that. Not the part about not being the best, but the actual mention of you. It had been agreed upon that you wouldn’t be mentioned.

 With a sickening jolt, your pod crash landed gracelessly in an open field. Breathing shuddering breaths, you attempted to assess the damage of the pod through your quickly waning consciousness. “Oh,” you thought, “the ship is on fire. Lovely,” and promptly passed out.

                                                               * * *

Vaguely, you were aware of someone in your pod. A panicked, disembodied voice. Someone asking you if you were all right. You couldn’t tell who it was with their helmet on. You supposed, dumbly, that you probably should have left yours on. It was then that you realized that this mystery person had put it back on for you. You felt very sleepy still, and as the person lifted you up in their arms, you welcomed the sweet embrace of darkness with open arms.

The sound of someone humming filled your ears as you came to. You weren’t in your pod, but someone else’s. Where am I, then? A cot. Covered in blankets. Your space suit and helmet had been removed, leaving you in your thermal shirt and work coveralls underneath. Thick gauze padded your left cheek as you slowly became more aware of your surroundings. You tried to speak, tried to find the source of the melodic humming, but all that came out was coughing and sputtering.

“Ah, she’s awake at last!” You had found the source of the humming; a man slightly older than you came into view. While your eyes were still attempting to focus, you could tell that this man was handsome - more than that: he was beautiful.

“Where…?” you attempted to say in a croaky voice that made you cringe. Your saviour hushed you gently.

“Don’t try to talk just yet, understand, birdie? I reckon you inhaled a healthy dose of smoke in your landing,” said the man. You recognized that slow, melodic voice.

“You!” you whispered, realization coating your hoarse voice. The man nodded slowly.

“I am Ezra, delighted to make your acquaintance, little bird,” he said. It was then that everything came into focus, and you realized that his hair had one rebellious streak of blonde in the sea of dark brown. “What is your name?” he asked.

Your eyes were still so heavy with exhaustion. As you whispered your name, he repeated it, tasting it on his tongue. You realized in your hazy state, that you quite liked the way it sounded on his lips.

You sipped gingerly on some tea as Ezra explained that he had been coming back from his daily stone search when he heard a horrific crash about fifty yards away from his own pod, where you now were. “Nigh unsalvageable, save for one important thing,” he said, giving you a meaningful glance as he continued. “You were rightfully banged up. I don’t know how you got that slice on your lovely visage, but with any luck, it should be right as rain in a week’s time.”

Ignoring how he called you important and your face lovely for just now, you tried to remember how you had cut your face, but couldn’t. It must have happened in the crash, you thought. “Thank you,” you whispered, your voice almost inaudible. But Ezra heard you all the same, gave you a nod.

“Now, if you don’t mind my askin’, how did you manage to find yourself in my little corner of the world?” Ezra asked.

You explained as best that you could that your former partner Damon had needed a new partner after his daughter, Cee, had run away in the middle of the night to go to the Academy. About how awful he was and how you should have gone on to the next call for a mining partner at Puggart Bench. All he cared about was money, the one thing he never seemed to have or find. When you had come across a large batch of aurelac on the planet before the Green, he had stolen it in the middle of the night while you slept and squandered it on sleeping medicine. Ezra frowned sympathetically at this. You had been so close to being finished with mining, being with him, and he had gone and wasted it all away.

 You spoke of your time on the Green, surprised when Ezra interrupted to say that he had meant to be on that planet now, too, but his own partner - Number Two, he had called him - had “marooned me here with a crowd of disreputable individuals.” You smiled ruefully, sympathetically, at your new … acquaintance. As your voice shook as you described how the mercenaries had found you, how you had had to make a run for it after they had killed Damon before they found you, Ezra quietly covered your hand with his for a moment. It was a small comfort, but one that you appreciated.

As you wrapped up your story, Ezra sat there, across from you at the kitchen table of his pod and gazed at you for a moment. “Well, little bird, it looks like fate has dealt you a terrible hand in life thus far.” That about summed it up, you thought ruefully as you nodded at him. “I am sorry we had to meet in such circumstances.” He patted your hand gently before getting up to do some things outside.

As the day passed and you phased in and out of sleep, you tried not to think about how you were stuck on this planet with Ezra - a man who seemed nice enough, but someone you did not know past his name and that he was a floater like you - how you had no way of leaving. A small part of you whispered that Ezra might offer to give you passage off this planet to the Pug, but you couldn’t let him do that. He seemed established here, like he was trying to make the best out of a bad situation.

 You worried about having to share a bed with this man, too, but that solved itself easily enough - you had been sleeping in Number Two’s bed. Ezra had his own bed on the other end of the room that you had failed to notice before now. You would figure something out in the morning, you thought as Ezra’s soft breathing filled the pod.

                                                      * * *

The next morning, you sat at the table, your wound needing a replacement dressing. Ezra sat in front of you, a medkit beside him on the table. You tried not to wince as he pulled the taped gauze from your cheek. A stifled gasp escaped your lips. “I do apologize, birdie,” Ezra said, studying your injury for a moment before pulling out an antiseptic wipe. He cradled the back of your head in his hand as he gingerly applied the antiseptic wipe on your cheek with his other hand. You groaned quietly at the stinging sensation as Ezra stroked the back of your head with his thumb while he continued to wipe the antiseptic generously across your wounded cheek. You mourned the loss of his hand as he pulled it away to finish dressing your wound. A strange look crossed his face for a fraction of a second as he noticed your expression of loss before carrying on in his task, his tongue sticking out between his teeth as he taped the gauze in place. “There. All finished, little bird.”

You guttered out a thank you, your voice still a bit rough. As though he could read your thoughts, Ezra said, “Birdie, I have been doing some rumination. I am in need of a new partner, one that I know isn’t going to leave me high and dry like Number Two did those many months ago. And forgive me for assumin’, but you appear to be in dire need as well.” He looked at you meaningfully. Who were you to disagree with that? “You don’t need to give an answer straight away. Just think it over and in the meanwhile, I won’t kick you to the curb.”

You didn’t need time to think. “Yes,” you said quickly. Ezra quirked a brow, but let you continue. “I, uh, that is … I don’t need time to think about it. I’ll stay, u-until you don’t need me anymore.”

Ezra cracked an easy smile. “Little bird, in my line of work … I don’t think I’ll ever not need you.”

Your heart galloped at that for reasons beyond your comprehension. But you took Ezra’s large calloused hand in your own small one to shake the agreement all the same.

What’s the worst that could happen?

                                                        * * *

This. This was the worst that could happen.

You should have given it some thought before accepting his offer on your second day with him. Oh, no mistake that Ezra was wonderful and kind and roguish. But he was so good, and nice, and perfect.

It had been six months of being Ezra’s dig partner, and you were helplessly, endlessly in love with him.

You had realized it just after your second month of this. You had been eating with Ezra after a long day of digging, chatting amiably about this thing or that, when he had noticed a stray bit of food on your upper lip. He’d reached out with his hand, and stroked it away with his thumb, cupping your chin with the rest of his hand. You had inwardly keened at his touch. It was at that moment that you realized you had been doing that since the very beginning.

As you went to bed that night, you thought over everything in the past two months, how he had made you feel: at ease, comforted, secure. How your skin flamed whenever his hand grazed yours. You were in love with him.

                                                             * * *

It had been easy to hide your feelings at first, but after six months of it and it was starting to wear you down. You knew he didn’t feel the same way for you that you did for him. He was always looking at you oddly, not quite sure what to make of you, you assumed. There had been a few nights where it looked like he wanted to tell you something important, something flashing in his brown eyes, staring a second too long.

You couldn’t let yourself continue like this. You wanted to tell Ezra how you felt. Wanted to kiss him. Have him hold you in his arms. He hadn’t asked for this when he offered to take you on as his partner. Neither had you, you noted. But when the feeling wasn’t reciprocated, it made things uncomfortable, awkward. And Ezra was not an awkward man, you knew that, but it would be there - unspoken but there, an elephant in the room, if you let it carry on any longer. He knew something was wrong. He just knew, you could tell. The way his brow would morph into a frown if he caught you gazing at his face for too long.

It would break your heart to leave. But it would break your heart even more to stay. You were colossally undecided. You wanted to be around Ezra, you enjoyed his company. At the same time, though, it hurt too much when he looked at you with those strange expressions, his eyes burning with the need to tell you something. He probably is trying to figure out how to tell me to leave without hurting my feelings, you thought morosely as you chewed on a crusty piece of bread while you waited for the object of your affection-slash-affliction to come out from the shower.

                                                              * * *

She had to know he loved her. Had loved her since the day he came across her crashed pod. She had to. It can’t go on like this, Ezra thought, as he stepped from the shower. He could hear her making dinner in the kitchen as he dried himself off. He couldn’t bear to see her so sad. Something was clearly aching her soul, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. There was a look of something in her eyes that he couldn’t quite place a finger on. And the way she stared at him sometimes when she thought he wasn’t looking.

Ezra had known that he’d loved her since almost the beginning, though he didn’t know it was love at the time. Initially, he thought it was his loneliness rejoicing in the fact that there was finally someone again. Someone kind and honest and good. A beautiful soul, inside and out. But then, things settled. And those feelings didn’t go away. They only intensified. He’d realized halfway through the first month that he loved her, and that those feelings weren’t going away anytime soon. He knew that he made her uncomfortable with his gazes in her direction, that she didn’t reciprocate his affections.

Still, he clung on, loving her silently. Trying to convey through his glances towards her that he did nothing but care. In whatever capacity she wanted. As he finished dressing in his shirt and coveralls, he noted that the sound in the kitchen had gone quiet. She was probably sitting at the table, waiting. She always waited for him to eat. Mostly.

Regardless of her feelings for him, whatever they may be, he wouldn’t ask her to leave, despite how much it hurt. She had nowhere to go; she had made it clear when she accepted his offer all those many months ago.

He remembered when he had taken her into the village, miles and miles away, for supplies in the third month. How excited she had been to see it for the first time, her joy lighting up her entire face. It was infectious. Although Ezra almost always had a smirk of some description on his face, he always smiled a full, true smile when she smiled. Hell, even just thinking about her put a smile on his face. But that day they had meandered through the marketplace, unrushed, enjoying their time. Her laughter had filled the air as he told her about the time he had gone there with Number Two, how disastrous it had been. He enjoyed her company in a way that went beyond his feelings for her. Easy to be around. Although these days it was growing increasingly hard to be around her for too long without the fear of his heart bursting.

Ezra sighed as he hung his towel up next to hers. He knew she’d never reciprocate his feelings for her, that he was nothing but a lovesick fool.

                                                        * * *

You pushed the food around on your plate. Ezra, as always, had a hearty appetite and ate as though it was his last meal. “I was thinkin’ birdie, that we’re going to need more supplies soon. Noticed this mornin’ that we are running mighty low on some necessary provisions,” said Ezra around a bite. You poked a potato with your fork, nodding absently as you chewed. “I was thinkin’ we could go in a few days. Maybe the beginning of next week?”

You shrugged. “Sure, that sounds great,” you said, your voice distant. You hadn’t really heard what Ezra had to say.

Ezra placed his fork down. “What troubles you, little bird?” he asked. “You’ve seemed … off recently.”

I’m in love with you and you don’t feel the same way and it’s breaking me.

“Oh … nothing really. Just tired, that’s all.” You knew that he knew that that was a bald-faced lie. Ezra had seen you tired. This was not tired, this was morose. You mentally willed Ezra to not pry, to leave it at that.

“Well, get a good night’s rest tonight. We got a full day of work tomorrow.” Relief flooded your veins, grateful that he didn’t push. You were tired. Just not in a physical way.

                                                           * * *

After brushing your teeth that night, Ezra caught you at the bathroom door. “Are you sure you’re well, birdie?” he asked softly. Your heart squeezed painfully at his worry. Schooling your expression, you nodded. “You know you can tell me anythin’ that’s weighing on you, right? That’s what friends are for.” Your heart sank at his choice of word friend.

“I’m fine, Ezra. Really,” you said. Your voice cracked slightly on his name. You hoped he wouldn’t notice. If he did, he was kind enough not to point it out. Before you could add anything else, he reached out and cupped your face in his hand, stroking your cheek where a faint scar from your wound had been. A tear slipped involuntarily down your other cheek. It was dark enough that he couldn’t see it. You leaned into his touch for a moment, wanting this moment to extend forever.

Suddenly aware of himself, Ezra pulled his hand back. Your face stung with the loss of it. Too dark to read your expression of love, confusion, and dismay, Ezra simply drawled a “goodnight, little bird.”

Waiting until you were in your cot, you let your tears fall silently and freely. Your time alone was limited, Ezra never took too long in the bathroom. You let out a shuddering sob. It hurt too much to be in his presence, let alone be touched by him. You weren’t sure how you were going to be able to keep this up for much longer.

You needed to leave. The thought permeated every part of you. That moment back there in the hall, the way he had suddenly dropped his hand, was proof. Ezra didn’t love you. 

Suddenly, the running water from the bathroom stopped. You heard Ezra spit his toothpaste into the sink, the water resuming for a second as he rinsed his mouth. He would be out in a minute. Maybe two. Swiping away any residual tears, you shut your eyes, pretending to be asleep when Ezra finished in the bathroom. It would be too dark for him to see your red, splotchy face or your puffy eyes. The light from the bathroom protruded into the main room for a moment as Ezra opened the door before he shut it off. Your eyes stayed shut as you listened to Ezra shuffle across the floor in the dark. He knew this pod so well he could navigate it in the dark without a problem.

Just then, he whispered your name. Your real name. Not a nickname. His voice came from the foot of your bed. You froze for a moment, not responding, keeping your eyes shut, your breathing even. After a moment, assuming you were already asleep, Ezra walked across the room to his own bed. Before too long, his breathing evened out with sleep. You opened your eyes and stared up at the ceiling, your mind flooded with confusion. Fresh tears silently filled your eyes as you listened to Ezra snuffle in his sleep, spilling over as noiselessly as possible. Your own sleep would be a long time coming, that is, if it came at all that night.

[livlepretre]

The thing about your character interpretation of Elena is that you really draw from her initial core traits and character arcs. I think some people might disagree with you about interpretation because they are remembering Elena from the later seasons. It is like if you wore a slightly different colored shirt everyday for a few months. You could start out with a blue shirt and end with a yellow one, but everyone would be under the impression you have been wearing the same colored shirt the whole time. Season 5 is the start of this skewed view of Elena, I believe. I think this has a lot to do with the fact that she was A.) a vampire and B.) less involved with the main conflict of the season. Sure, the plot of season 5 had a lot to do with doppelganger destiny and whatnot, but think about how that plot relates to Elena throughout the season. What was she doing to stop Augustine Society? If it were season two or three Elena, she would have probably used her charm and familial connections to the society to infiltrate them and find a way to shut them down. But season 5 Elena is barely involved in anything. In fact, her screen time decreases dramatically this season. I just scrubbed through an episode to fact check what Elena was doing, and she was in like 5 scenes. However, Nina Dobrev herself appeared in way more scenes as Katherine. I think having Nina Dobrev playing 2 main characters in one season was an extremely difficult bad idea. Having two doppelgangers as main characters would be awesome in a written story (like in but still, like dust, i’ll rise by twocankeepasecret), but with a live action format where both characters have to be played by one actress, it just isn’t feasible. The vampire aspect also made all scenes Elena was in kind of boring. She didn’t really have to come up with anything interesting because she could now physically fight with her enemies. The episode where Qetsiyah traps her and Stefan in a lake house could have been interesting, but the problem was solved by them stabbing her and then superspeeding out of the building. Jesse attacks Damon two episodes later and Elena solves the problem by just superspeeding up to them and staking him in the back. It takes all the fun out of how Elena goes about doing things. Season six marks the first season without any doppelganger relevance. Elena is compelled to lose all good memories of Damon, and that could have been interesting. Since Elena was specifically compelled to hate Damon in a way that wouldn’t make her miss him, we could have seen how Elena deals with him after he comes back. This is an Elena who believes she didn’t forgive Damon for killing her brother. That could have been an interesting arc to see, but no. Elena falls in love with him like 4 episodes later, so did it even really matter? The point is, I think people have a hard time seeing Elena as she used to be because the audience really stopped getting to see those traits of hers in the later seasons. Her prominence in the narrative, and the obstacles that she had to overcome sort of disappear until the Elena that you’re looking at doesn’t resemble the one you started with. That is why you're an absolute gem to this fandom. Your stories all feature a post season 3 Elena who retains her character traits. Your gift of creating complex emotional conflicts proves that in a show like TVD, you don’t have to keep going bigger and badder. Sometimes the best way to expand the plot is to make the conflict more personal and utilize the characters and relationships established throughout the previous seasons. Elena’s arc throughout FE, especially the isolation arc, is a perfect example of this. Moments like Elena trying to will Klaus to come back, having her miscarriage, and almost accidently drowning are all heartwrenching, and it makes the scenes like her deciding to make the most of her life/ falling for Rebekah (her once tormentor) so much more rewarding. This was entirely too long, but just know, you are seriously my fav fanfic author, and your takes and analysis are always welcome here.

I'm actually a bit overwhelmed by this, thank you so much for sending this in. I agree with you so completely that a lot of the issue seems to be that Elena's characterization does change radically-- I don't really recognize her in seasons 5 & 6-- which is why I largely ignore them when writing for her character. (And that's what fanfic is for-- taking the pearls and chucking out the clots of dirt.) Seasons 1-3 Elena is an entirely different character, the true version of the character, in my opinion-- since she was at this point still the main character on the show, and a force of agency and plot development. You've also articulated something which drives me wild about the later seasons once she becomes a vampire-- super speed plus super strength basically negate the need for Elena to find interesting and twisty ways to solve her problems-- she no longer has to scheme and seduce and take insane risks, because she has supernatural powers. She no longer needs to make back room secret deals with giants who could crush her, or stab herself or slit her own throat in wild gambles, or even just to charm people-- and that takes away a key element of her character. Which is such a shame, because we see Katherine displaying these same traits as a vampire, and we can see that Katherine is the natural culmination of where Elena is heading, which is so dark and so fascinating in those early seasons. I agree completely with your analysis of what went wrong with the later seasons, and why the earlier seasons really worked for Elena as a character, and why fandom has such a bad taste in its mouth about where Elena ended up do to some truly bizarre and unfortunate storytelling decisions.

And-- gosh-- thank you x a million for your comments on FE. I am so appreciative and cannot wait to share the rest of the story with you!!

[mrs-maximoff-kenner]

Since Forever

This is my first space on my bingo card for @xxwritemeastoryxx Blogiversary Bingo! This was the moonstone space and it's Klaus x Reader. Please enjoy 😊💖

You followed Klaus through the woods, Elijah hot on your heels. He had finally broken Esther’s curse and you couldn’t be more proud of your Hybrid. Yes, your Hybrid. Klaus had been the love of your life since you moved into the small hut beside the Mikaelsons with your Uncle.

The family was still human then, having just lost Henrik to the wolves. You were human as well, being able to bond with Nik as your parents had been lost to the same wolf pack that took his youngest brother. It certainly didn’t take long for love to blossom or for Esther to arrange a marriage. Mikael was all too happy to get Nik out of his home. A celebration of your engagement was how you ended up at the Mikaelson home that fateful night. You drank that wine and Mikael thrust his sword right through your heart after you saw him impale your soon to be sister Rebekah. You awoke with them and turned with them. You learned what your future husband was. But the love you had for him overshadowed any fear, any anger. You tried to stop Mikael and Esther from placing the curse on him to bind his wolf side but Finn held you back. Finn… your least favorite of all the siblings. You had no objections to him being daggered and staying that way for the past 900 years. Hate wasn’t a strong enough word to describe how you felt towards Mikael Esther and Finn. Since the curse had been placed on your lover and you watched as he later killed his mother you vowed to stay by his side. Along with Rebekah and Elijah you swore Always and Forever. And, unlike the others, you stayed. Through. It. All.

You were snapped out of your memories by a very human Nik, now dressed you noticed with a hint of disappointment, speaking with an aggravated Elijah. However, Elijah and his tantrums could wait. Without any warning you flung yourself into Nik’s arms and kissed him effectively ending the conversation. Moments later he pulled away to cup your face and gave you that signature smirk that makes your knees weak. “Hello Love.” You grinned right back at him and no more words were needed. The two of you were so connected that pure eye contact conveyed all that needed to be said,,, ‘We did it.’

Back at the apartment you were not at all surprised to see Stefan, nor did you flinch when Nik daggered Elijah. You had planned to do it yourself if he didn’t. Serves him right for trying to kill his brother. The one thing that did catch you a bit off guard though was Nik’s plan to blackmail Stefan into becoming a ripper again and taking the trip with you in order to gain the cure and save Damon. Then again… you’ve always trusted Nik before so why stop now. Once Stefan was riding a blood high and Katherine was on her way to Damon with the cure Nik took your hand pulling you into the bedroom and locking the door. “Nik…” you blushed. “Stefan is right out there.” Your lover chuckled and kissed your cheek. “As much as I would love that my darling, I have other intentions. Right after the ritual I had Maddox do me a little favor.” He pulls a small box from his pocket, sliding down to one knee and holding your left hand. “(Y/N) I have loved you since you moved into that hovel of a hut beside our own, one thousand years ago. When times were easier, things were much simpler, when we were human. Through the years you have provided me with the unconditional love, comfort and support that I always craved. You see past the beast to the man that I am inside. All of the good parts of me are because of you, my love. My angel. My light. You have stood by me when no one else has and together we have made the impossible a reality. It is because of all of this and much more that i kneel before you now, my darling, and ask you…”

Klaus pops open the box. Nestled inside is a simple ring with a silver band. But what catches your eye instantly is the gem in the middle. It isn’t a diamond. It’s a small piece of the Moonstone that was spared from the ritual to break the curse cut into a heart shape and placed into the center of the band. A symbol of what the two of you can accomplish together. Nik squeezed your hand seeing the tears in your eyes as they move from the ring to lock back on him. “What do you say My Love… Always and Forever?”

[werezmastarbucks]

coming back was a mistake

the reader bonds with kai over their shared dislike of mystic falls

kai parker x fem!reader

word count: 2494

warnings: language, the POV’s are changing

music: poa alpina by biosphere

This damn hole hasn’t changed a bit. The same old story: clean, tongue-licked glowing welcome sign. There we go. Then there will be this turn on the left... oh no, wait, bless, the road has been destroyed. The wooden white bridge connects this part of the highway with the town, and here we go. First houses, Livingstones used to live here, and their son was bullied by literally everyone at school, because he always had stupid haircuts. Word is, he’s dead. Welcome to Mystic Falls, the town where normal people can last up to one year.

Your house was still standing on the 19th November Street, cuddled by dry rose bushes. Apalling. All the other houses on the street have it together. The window sills are freshly painted and the porch is clean, the flowers are watered and cut, and then there’s this fucking outrage of a dwelling where the remains of your family reside.

You had to keep your act together but this town just infuriated you. You couldn’t understand why people would stay here when they could leave right after they’ve turned of age. What kept them? The charming crab-shaped park where everybody stored their dead bodies? The library on the main square where the entitled old lady has been residing for the last 500 years and telling you off for breathing? The blood-red clock tower dinging and donging every damn twenty minutes. No, wait, it must be the staggering fifteen streets. It must be the magic of running into your parents on the Market Street at ten am when you’re supposed to be at school. It’s the neighbors watch, the bored, jaded people’s desire to know everything about everybody. It must be all the supernatural jerks swarming here, killing everybody left and right, acting like their collective age is twenty years old. The fashion in this city has not changed since two thousand and thirteen, either. Nothing did.

The blood-red clock tower was still announcing the midnight hour through the dense hot air, the cars were still disgustingly clean like the citizens had nothing else to do except wash their cars all day long; Damon Salvatore still had the bitch expression on his face, fuming over the next this-just-in ghoul drama, pacing slowly in the living room of his ridiculous, always half-lit mansion with a glass of bourbon in his hand. Stefan was still miserable. Elena’s hair was still golden-black, smooth like a mirror, and you were still mortally tired of all this.

You could feel your negativity fill you up to your throat and eating on you as you drove up to the house and looked at it. The light was on, but nobody came out to meet you.

You were still coming once a year.

You sighed and turned off the engine, then left the car. It’s just a week. Then you can come back home and start pretending you don’t have Mystic Falls past again. The thought of going back home, running back like a rabbit, was what got you through every year.

You walked up the porch. The door wasn’t locked.

He liked this space here. The tenth row, seventeenth seat. He was like a cat, choosing the perfect spot. From here, he could see the clearing between the trees on the other side of the field, where a lady was walking her adorable huskie every evening at eight sharp. The dog was damn smart and the lady wasn’t. Kai had no idea how smart she actually was, she just didn’t look smart. The field below was empty now that it was summer and the eerie hollow feeling gave him a lot of kicks. The place that’s supposed to be full of people, literally made for big gatherings, the seats and all, empty, gave a special vibe. Looking around it, especially at the evening hour, when August was doing its best in the skies, was strangely nice. Nobody saw this side of Kai Parker when he was just sitting quietly, an expression of satisfaction on his face, on his chosen spot, and observed this quiet empty place like a little black king.

He saw somebody and went invisible in a second out of some instinct he couldn’t explain. It’s been some time since his presence caused an outcry of anguish among the party of people... a lot of time, actually. Nowadays, people would just roll their eyes. Don’t care. They’re the losers, living in this boring swamp, fidgeting with their pathetic drama every day. Kai didn’t know how they managed to tolerate themselves. And the hair! Everybody had this inexplicably perfect hair, glistening like they all wore wigs.

Oh my god.

What if they all wear wigs?!

Kai started giggling, thinking about that.

He was now looking at this girl in a crop top that matched the color of her skin. The girls do that, they wear the tops that match their skin which Kai finds very suggestive. Okay, you have all my attention.

Cruising around this unbearable place, he has familiarized with all the faces, and this one was new right away. She started running. You know how people usually jog, without a hurry, with the dumb light-hearted expressions on their faces, and the 90% of them always imagine they’re in some expensive automobile commercial. It helps them jof. This one ran. She did two tours around the field and stopped. Wrong, you’re supposed to walk or else your heart will burst. She stood, her hands on her thighs, her face up, and watched the sky. Kai had no idea why he was hiding from her, but he felt too comfortable now to manifest himself. She was listening to her music in her earphones and looking at the slowly drifting long clouds, and she looked like she was either pissed or very thirsty. Leaning a bit backwards, she just gave him the honors. The ribs were heaving, her stomach breathing for her. Her hand came up to her throat. Kai tried to picture her at the Mystic Grill, or on the main square; whether she looked similar to anybody he’s seen here; he looked at her hands and arms, the way she moved her jaw as if those pretty lilac clouds have done something to her and she was about to get even. She shook her head animalistically, getting rid of some thought. Girl, I know that. You’re trying to shake them all off through your ears, it doesn’t work. He felt for this pretty, collected lady who ran around the track like she was chasing somebody for a murder. Kai liked that kind of interaction the most; when he pretended they had connected. That they had a conversation. When nobody could argue with his illusion they had something in common.

He liked how she had her hair, a bit messy but feminine; the way she looked around dispassionately like she’s had enough of whatever shit she had going on. Like she seemed as if she was a separate entity. Her elbow pointed aside, with some kind of expectation.

Then she gave up. She put on a hoodie she’d thrown onto a first row seat and started walking up slowly. One, two three... four rows... Kai watched her curiously. He never doubted his magic. That’s right, not ever. You know.

But when she passed row nine he tilted his head. She came up to his row and started walking. Now, if she sits right on him, she will feel it. He will, too, and of course he won’t mind, but the girls usually freak out if they try to take a seat somewhere and there’s an invisible dude. Not that Kai had practiced it a lot. He just knew they didn’t like being stalked on. He didn’t really care. He doesn’t know her. If she’s a part of this town, screw her. She’s pretty up close, though, such a nice, frowning face, big eyes. She took the next seat to him and they almost rubbed shoulders. If she took off her earphones she would hear Kai breathe next to her. Instead, he was listening to slow ambient. It went well with the evening sky.

Together, they watched the huskie and the lady run around in the field behind the footbal field. Then she shivered a little in her hoodie. Kai wished he could read her mind when she started crying. When people don’t know they’re being watched, they cry in a very specific fashion. Kai was sure it wasn’t the huskie that upset her; it had something to do with her standing and watching the sky, rubbing her elbows with nervous fingers.

Or maybe she was unhappy with her running time, who gives a fuck.

You were watching this dude. The Grill did not appreciate him the way they should’ve. First of all, he was different breed. People come and go, but the type is always the same. This one was not the type. You had no idea who he was, but he was damn entertaining. Unapologetic singer. Stretching the notes like nobody was watching. Singing for the soul. He enjoyed himself the harder the more confused people looked, throwing awkward glances in his direction. His self esteem was on point as he expressed the ultimate artistic freedom through his bad singing, skipping the words masterfully and changing the melody on a whim. When the song was finally over, nobody clapped, and you felt that truly, he was the underrated artist, the local gem. Where Mystic Falls citizens cared for how others perceive them, he didn’t give a shit about it; while they side eyed their friends judging him silently, he was glowing with self-satisfaction. He was a bad singer, and a bad dancer; he chose an old song nobody knew, and did the finger guns at the DJ as he left the stage. A collective sigh of relief shuddered over the bar; you leaned over the counter, and the bartender nodded at you.

“Pass a cider to that guy. Tell him he saved my evening”.

Jerry was the name of the bartender. He was the new guy, because almost all bar people at the Grill were always human, which meant they died all the time. They all looked exactly the same though, and Jerry was no different from Evan, from seven years ago. Short dark hair, dimples, could star in American Pie. He smirked and nodded again.

The guy has just landed at the counter with a swing. He sighed happily as Jerry put the glass in front of him. You weren’t watching, because you didn’t feel like it; you made the sincere gesture of friendliness, no need to take it further. However, you should’ve known what would happen next. No good deed ever goes unpunished in this world.

You spotted him with the corner of your eye as he approached you, with the cider you ordered for him, and sat next to you.

“Well, that’s not too bad at all...” he started.

You turned to the guy - who looked rather like a boy who got stuck in his post-teenage phase - sharply.

“Please, don’t take it personal. It was not intended that way. It’s just a drink, so, drink it”.

For a second, he just watched you, as if challenging you for more talking. Then he shrugged.

“Somebody’s feeling antisociable today”.

And sipped a little from the glass.

“I usually take cocktails, the sweeter the better, just so you know”.

You sighed. A part of you knew you would regret it. But you still did it. Why? You looked in front of you, meeting your own miserable face in the reflection of the mirror wall behind the bar. The guy kept talking.

“I mean, it’s so nice to start acquiring the fan base, I guess, you can get a lot of things as a rock star. I’ve always wanted to be one”.

“You won’t be a rock star for your singing voice”, you noted.

Drinking alone at the Grill sometimes made you do weird stuff. But it was a tradition.

“Huh? You didn’t like it?”

“I enjoyed how much it confused everybody else”.

The guy expressed an ‘oof’ emotion.

“I’m sensing some xenophobia here. You hate this place, too?”

You didn’t answer. The guy sighed mockingly, as if he was pretending. He sounded like a hyperactive child, and in spite of your very self, you found him relatable.

“I say to myself every day”, he went on, in a slightly more serious voice, “Kai, today you’re leaving Mystic Falls. I’m not in the place where I can tolerate this boredom any more, you know? But this thing... keeps me here. I can’t wait to...”

You blinked and looked at him.

“Kai? Your name is Kai?”

“Uh, yeah”.

He clincked his glass on yours.

“Cheers”.

“What’s it short for?”

He didn’t look too proud saying,

“Malachai”.

You dropped your jaw.

“That is the coolest name I’ve ever heard. Malachai? Seriously?”

He lit up a little bit, straightening his back with praise.

“Yeah”.

“Dude, this is badass. Show me your ID!”

His dark eyes were laughing. You finally took a proper look of him. There was something foreign about him although he spoke very clear American English. It was a different kind of foreign: alien. Given it’s Mystic Falls, stagnating in its own revolving old routine, alien was good even if it was dangerous.

“You wanna see my ID?” he chuckled. He looked down on you with an adoring glint in his eye as though he was admiring something he saw. His reactions were inexplicable.

“Yeah, I wanna see how it’s spelt. Come on, Malachai, it’s so boring here. Show me”.

He sniffed through his nose.

“Okay”.

He had to stand up a little bit to take his ID from the back pocket of his jeans. You looked at it, visualizing his unusual name. Malachai Parker sounded fucking elite. He’s come a long way from Oregon, too. You wondered what he was doing here and was about to ask, but your glance got hooked on the year of birth.

“1972? You were born in...”

Frustration filled you slowly like lake water. Of course, the only interesting, good-looking character who’s fun enough, will be one of the messy freaks, here. You passed the card back to him.

“Are you one of them?”

Malachai didn’t look confused or insecure which further advanced your disappointment.

“What do you mean?” he asked with a grin, playing with you.

“I’m not having this tonight”.

You downed your glass, feeling earthly tired. Like the earth. The Earth, that’s billion of years old, like that.

You stood up to walk away.

“I’m not one of the vampires”, Kai chanted, turning on his seat.

You shrugged.

“Even worse”.

He watched you as you went, his eyes not leaving your back until you were out of the door. Then he realized he still didn’t have your name.

[pettyprocrastination]

Ok I have a major thing for handwriting idk so what do you think Ezra's handwriting looks like? (And on that topic, try not to think about love letters from Ezra when you're apart... Or do, I'd love to hear your thoughts bc I'm kinda dying here) I also feel like he's the kind of person to have just... a box of things you've written for him... Like literally anything. Shopping lists, letters, etc. and when he's away he takes them out and reads them :))

okay im feeling lonely and a little sad tonight so I immediately ran with this and uhhhhh this happened. (last bit is between him and reader from the thing “Stupid Man” that i posted earlier today. ) this ended up being a bit longer than expected sorry lmao

I’ve never written Ezra before please be gentle with me y’all

For this we're gonna say that Ezra is right-handed. 

I think Ezra had beautiful handwriting. Smooth, sloping neat lines ever since he was able to write. While other kids had to work on their penmanship, his was a natural gift. His handwriting was one that teachers would compliment in grade school, so distracted by the smooth strokes of his pencil that they hadn’t noticed the words used on his assignments weren’t even his, but that of the student sitting right next to him. The girls in his class would giggle and swoon at the albeit juvenile words of affections he’d write to them on secret notes passed back and forth between them, a habit he kept well into his adulthood. While he wasn’t proud of it, the harvester would leave notes of bittersweet goodbyes to lovers the morning after, remarking on how he would never forget the time spent working together on harvesting deposits as well as the intimate “and dare I say magical” nights they spent with one another. The women he laid with would be so enamored with his words and the rose tinted images his words painted, that by the time they would realize he’d taken off with their share of the harvest as well as his own, he’d be far enough into the stars all they could do was curse his name to the sky in anger. 

And then, one harvest in the Green, he had met a man named Damon and a brave little girl named Cee. 

These meetings, whether it was predestined or not, lead to him losing his right arm, and with it his beautiful handwriting. 

Learning to write again was frustrating, as a child it had come to him with ease, a natural gift. But as a grown man? Kevva alive it was enough to make him contemplate putting his fist through a wall. Until-

“Ez,” You poked your head into the den, eyes squinting and a blanket wrapped tight around your shoulders. “It’s three am, come to bed baby.”

You. 

You made it worth it. With every shy smile you wore each time he gave you a written proclamation of his love and dedication to you, no matter how messy his chicken scratch writing was you’d pepper his face with his kisses in gratitude. 

“My poet.” You’d coo in his ear. He’d feel that every moment of frustration was worth it, if he could see you like this every time. 

After losing his arm, Ezra became more appreciative of little written things. The notes you’d leave on the kitchen counter when you go to work, the way you doodle smiley faces and cartoon fruit on grocery lists, even the little slips of encouragement you sneak into his pocket when you thought he wouldn't notice. 

He did notice. He noticed every time actually. But he didn’t say anything out of fear that you would stop. 

Ezra had a little box of mementos about you, a ticket stub from the first movie you saw, an aurelac gem from your first dig together (one he swore to himself to never sell) and all the little notes, lists, and reminders you’d ever written. When one of you has to leave for a long period of time, whether it be work, or family or whatever reason. Each time he’ll open that box when he feels deepest in his lonesome, and his heart will lift just the tiniest bit. 

(next bit is just a little except with Ezra x Alien!Reader following this prompt)

Ezra must not have heard your key slide into the lock, or the door open at all. The washing machine was loud enough to drown it out, the damn thing was on its last life as it shook and trembled enough for you to send it a distasteful glare as if it were human. 

The wood creaked under your steps and yet, nothing. No thumping of excited feet to be met with a bruising kiss to your lips, mumbled “I missed you” against one another as you inevitably celebrated your return in bed with each other. 

You continued your trek to his bedroom as softly as you could. 

Maybe he was asleep?

He sat on the corner of his bed, his back to you and a box in his lap.

You found yourself staring at him with a smile, leaning against the door frame as you watched his sift through a box full of little notes and lists you’d written over your time together with a bittersweet smile. 

“Is this what you do whenever I leave?”

Ezra jumped, flinging the box from his lap and spilling all it’s contents onto the floor. A variety of emotions crossed over his face before one took over them all at the sight of you. 

Pure joy. 

He crossed to you in three quick strides. His hand found itself at the nape of your neck, pulling you to him for a heated kiss that you were all too grateful for due to your time apart. 

“Oh my darling warrior has returned.” He spoke between the feather-light kisses he laid all over your face, turning you into a fit of flustered giggles at the feeling of his scruff against your skin.

 “Were those diplomats as horrid and soulless as you claimed them to be?”

You pulled away and groaned. “Even worse. But that doesn’t matter now.”

“That it does not.” He agreed, his thumb rubbed comforting circles against your skin. “Not a day went by when I didn’t think of that shining smile or alluring voice, having you part from me is like robbing an addict of their temptation.”

You pressed your hand against his mouth. If he spoke any further you definitely wouldn’t be able to focus on anything other than taking off his clothes. “Enough of that smooth talker.” Your eyes went to the pile of notes across the floor. You spotted one, a tiny birthday card with a coffee stain on the corner, that was from the first time you celebrated his birthday together. It had been three months into your relationship. You stared up at him.

“You really kept them all?”

The look in his eyes, so soft and tender part of you was worried he’d break in your hands. But you knew better than that. 

“I’d be a fool if I didn’t, brave one.” He rested his forehead against yours, exhaling a shaky breath as he did. “I am afraid I’m not as strong as I first surmised I would be at your frequent departures-”

Guilt washed over you in a hot wave. “Ezra-”

“-but I am extremely grateful that you return to me each time.” He interrupted, a soft kiss pressed against your pulse-point to punctuate, your eyes fluttered shut and he smiled. 

“It is a blessing with no disguise that such a woman as yourself would go see the world and decide to return to the humble abode of a lowly, former harvester such as myself after each one. I do not need a reminder of that gift, but still, it helps the distance feel just a click smaller.”

You sniffed and bumped your forehead against his with a tear smile. “Stupid man.” You weakly scolded, your voice wavering and not holding its usual command of the room. 

Ezra smiled, oh how he loved to hear you call him that. Ever since you first found him years ago on your home planet, and witnessed him nearly get killed because of his lack of knowledge on the plant life there. You’d guided him throughout his dig, all while criticizing his stupidity, lack of preparation and “positively abhorrent attitude, you stupid man! Coming to a planet you know nothing of? Surely you want to die!”

Over time he learned that “stupid man” was your version of “I love you.”

“You know you’ll never be without me, Ezra.” You dipped your head down and pressed a kiss to his chest. “No matter how far I am, you will always have me with you. Please don’t ever forget that.”

His hand slid up to rest on your cheek, you didn’t miss the way his fingers trembled oh so slightly against your skin. 

“Oh gentle warrior.” He whispered with a warm smile. “I do not deserve you.”

You thought-no, you knew he deserved you and much more. But he hadn’t realized that yet. You believed that Ezra deserved the world. You couldn’t give him that, so you settled for your love, devotion and handwritten notes slipped into his back pocket when you thought he wouldn’t notice. 

He noticed every time.

[thatfanficstuff]

Sweet as Pie - Elijah

Pairing: Elijah x Reader

Warning: nope. It’s fluffy. Feel the fluff.

A/N: This was not on the list. Blame heythereelejah on wattpad. Elijah could not be tamed. That makes this sound dirty. It’s not. Maybe it should be.

***

Just one normal day, that was all you wanted. Not even a whole day. You just wanted one meal. One dinner with the people you considered family. No interruptions, no drama, no distractions.

You texted or emailed the invitations and one by one the responses came in. For once, everyone could get together on the same day. You spent weeks planning the menu and two days preparing what you could ahead.

It was five hours before dinner was to be served when you received the first call. Kol and Davina had something else come up. “Another time though, darling,” the Mikaelson had said and hung up before you could even respond.

You were a little disappointed but two less people would hardly put a dent in your numbers. You took their place settings from the table and put everything away. But as the afternoon went on, the guestlist whittled away and the table grew emptier. Eventually, you took the extension out and made the table smaller. 

When Damon texted to tell you that he and Elena had taken an unexpected trip out of town, that left only three plates on the table. You wiped a tear away that threatened to spill over and sighed. Damn it. You should have known better.

Truth be told, you’d been prepared for something to come up, but you’d been thinking trouble of the supernatural variety. This just seemed like everyone decided they had other things they’d rather be doing then spending time with you. Maybe you should have told them it was your birthday. As soon as you had the thought you brushed it aside. There was a reason you hadn’t mentioned it. While you wanted to spend the evening with your friends, you didn’t want them to make a big deal out of it.

Your phone rang. You bit your lip as you frowned at it. At this point you were afraid to answer. A glance at the screen told you that Elijah was calling and you sighed. The one person you wanted to spend the day with more than anyone else and even he was calling to cancel. You swiped the tears away from your eyes and answered. “Hello, Elijah.”

“Ah, Y/N. I am terribly sorry to give such late notice—”

“It’s fine,” you cut him off, not really wanting to hear what he found a more appealing option than you. “Things happen. I appreciate you calling to let me know that you can’t make it.” You needed to get off the phone so you could curl up on your bed and have a proper cry.

“On the contrary. Niklaus and I both plan to be in attendance. However, we may be running a bit late. There is a rather delicate matter we must see to first.”

Relief flooded through you. “That’s fine, Elijah. I’ll keep your food warm.”

“Thank you, Y/N. We’ll see you soon.”

When the call disconnected you gave into your childish desire to celebrate by bouncing and giving a little squeal of happiness. Elijah and Klaus were still coming. Perhaps, the evening could be salvaged after all.

***

Dinner had been scheduled for six. Since everyone else had cancelled, you planned for it to be done at seven, figuring the Mikaelsons would arrive soon after. Or not.

Your gaze shot up to the grandfather clock that stood in the corner of the room for what was undoubtedly the hundredth time in the last hour. You rested your chin in one hand and used the other to twirl your wine glass. Nine o’clock.

You huffed a laugh at your stupidity. Why had you even thought this might work? You weren’t the planner, you were the tagalong. Maybe no one had wanted to come in the first place and just didn’t know how to say no. You downed the last of the wine in your glass and pushed yourself to your feet.

You kicked off the heels you’d bought to go with your new dress. Well, you thought you’d looked pretty, even if no one was around to see it. As you walked into the kitchen, you removed the pins from your hair and fluffed it a bit with your fingers. The food was easy enough to put away. It was well cooled so you simply covered everything and made space in the fridge. As you did so the pie on the top shelf caught your eye.

Two chocolate cream pies with whipped cream. Your favorite. You stared at them for a moment before grabbing one and pulling it out. Taking the cover off you tossed it aside and got yourself a spoon from the drawer. If no one was going to join you for dinner, you didn’t have to share your pie. You leaned against the counter and dug your spoon right into the center of the pan. After making certain your bite contained a bit of everything, you placed it in your mouth. Your eyes closed as the rich flavor coated your tongue. That was some damn good pie even if you did say so yourself.

Somewhere around your third bite you were interrupted by a knock on the door. You took your time strolling to the door, pie still in hand as you opened it. Elijah stood on your porch with one hand in his pocket and the other wrapped around a bottle of wine. One side of his mouth kicked up in a grin as he took you in from your now disheveled hair to your bare feet. “Hello, Y/N.” His voice had a teasing lilt to it and there was a mischievous spark in his eye.

“Hello, Elijah,” you greeted before turning and walking away.

After a moment, you heard him step into the house and close the door. “I realize that I am unforgivably late, but I had rather hoped at least a few of your other guests would still be in attendance.”

You laughed around the spoon in your mouth as you dug in your silverware drawer for another one. Turning, you found Elijah leaning in your doorway, wine still in hand. You gestured for him to move and took a seat at the dining table before passing him the spoon you’d gotten for him. You sat the pie between the two of you. “Dig in, Elijah.”

He looked between the rather ravaged pie and you with his lips twitching.

“Would you like me to get the other one out so you don’t have to worry about my germs?”

“I am a vampire. I have nothing to fear from germs.”

That was a good point. You nodded and pointed at the pie with your silverware. “Eat then. If you want dinner, it’s in the fridge.”

He took a bite of the dessert and hummed in appreciation. “That is very good. Did you make it?”

“Of course.”

You were both silent as you ate a bit more.

“The wine is from Niklaus. He regrets not coming tonight, but he was rather messy when we were handling our problem. It will take him a bit to get set to rights. He asked that I inform you he will call on you tomorrow to take you for a birthday drink.”

Your head jerked up at that. “Birthday?”

Elijah’s brow furrowed. “It is your birthday today, is it not?”

You cleared your throat. “Yeah, I just can’t believe you remembered. Or he did. Whatever.”

The scowl didn’t leave his face. “I assumed that was the reason you chose tonight for your dinner.”

You shook your head and took another bite of your pie. “You never cease to surprise me, Elijah Mikaelson.”

He tossed his spoon on the table and leaned back in the chair. Crossing his arms over his chest he tilted his head and studied you with a narrowed gaze. “It is not often that I feel at a loss, but when I do it always seems to be when I am with you, Y/N. There is something I am missing about tonight.”

“Actually, you didn’t miss anything, including the dinner party. You are the only guest. So, this is the party.” You made a circle with your spoon to indicate the two of you as well as the table.

He lowered his arms and straightened in the chair. “You can’t be serious.”

You shrugged. “It’s fine, Elijah. I had a very nice bottle of wine. I am eating a lovely chocolate pie and I have the pleasure of your company. It could be much worse, all things considered.”

“It could also be a hell of a lot better. I cannot believe everyone cancelled on your birthday. And then I was abysmally late. I am so sorry, Y/N.”

“To be fair, I’m pretty sure you’re the only one that actually remembered it was my birthday.”

“Surprisingly, my brother actually did remember on his own. You are permanently in his calendar it seems.”

That warmed your heart a little. At least someone cared. “Do you suppose that wine goes with pie?”

Elijah arched a brow. “Don’t be ridiculous, Y/N. Everything goes with pie.”

You grinned. “I knew there was a reason I liked you, Mikaelson.” You placed the two unused wineglasses on the table in front of him while he opened the bottle. He poured you both a generous portion.

“I would hope my questionable taste in wine pairings is not the only reason you like me.”

You sipped the wine and hummed in appreciation. It was rich and sweet, just the way you liked it. Your gaze shifted from the glass in your hand to the Original sitting in front of you. “Are you fishing for compliments, Elijah?”

He gave a half-smile at that. “I guess that is what it sounds like, isn’t it?” His gaze became unfocused and you stayed silent as you watched him. He was contemplating something and it was best to leave him to it. Finally, he produced a box from his pocket and sat it on the table. He pushed it toward you with one finger. “Perhaps it will be easier to just give you your birthday present.”

You reached for the box with a trembling hand, excited and terrified to see what he’d gotten you. The top of the box snapped open and you sucked in a breath as the light reflected off the stone within.

A necklace with a heart shaped pendant cut from a brilliant red ruby rested atop black velvet. Encasing the stone were three bands of diamonds. If it had come from anyone else you would have assumed the gems were fake. You reached out to touch the beautiful piece of jewelry but quickly snatched your hand back before you smudged the shine. “Elijah. It’s beautiful, but I couldn’t possibly accept it.”

“See that’s unfortunate, Y/N,” he said as he stood. He lifted the necklace from the box and moved behind you. He continued to speak as he fastened the chain around your neck. “Because this heart belongs to you whether you want it or not. Much like my own, I’m afraid.”

What? He couldn’t possibly have just said what you thought he had. You tried to turn to face him, but he held you in place with his hands on your shoulders. “They’re yours, sweet Y/N.” He leaned down as he spoke, his breath tickling along your neck. “The bands signify our past, present and future.”

He released you then, allowing you to turn. You looked up at him with tears in your eyes and he dropped to his knees in front of you. Both of his hands clasped one of yours. “I have lived a thousand years. I have seen nations rise and fall as their heroes faded into obscurity. I have known love and hate and desperation.” His tongue darted out to moisten his lips. “I could fill libraries with the tales of my past. And a hundred more with my hopes for the future. But it wasn’t until I met you that I realized my purpose in this life.”

Your chest was tight and your heart raced. You’d dreamed of him telling you that he loved you, but none of it could possibly compare to this moment.

He kissed the back of your hand. “Y/N, my heart has belonged to you since the day we met. Please say you’ll at least give me a chance to earn yours in return.”

His dark eyes studied you and you couldn’t help but laugh. Your free hand covered your mouth, not that it did any good. He could clearly see your grin behind the hand. You gave a little shrug. “It’s always been yours, Elijah. Even before I knew you, it was yours.”

His gaze searched you again. When he saw the truth in your words, a breathtaking smile covered his face. He surged forward and his hands cradled your face as he pressed his lips to yours. His tongue traced your bottom lip and you gasped, granting him the entrance he wanted. As his tongue swept inside, your chest heaved and your heart raced.

He pulled back and pressed his forehead to yours. “Sweet as pie,” he teased and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear.  

“I love you, Elijah Mikaelson.” Your voice was little more than a whisper.

“And I love you, Y/N Y/L/N.”

Best. Birthday. Ever.