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theamazingmaddyas · 3 months ago

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I've been thinking a lot about the Valdez family—and not just Sammy, Esperanza, and Leo—so I decided to make my own in depth Valdez family list with headcanons (obviously, since some we don't even know the name of)

Sammy Valdez was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was the first in his family to be born in the United States, his parents having immigrated from Mexico right before he was born.

Sammy's wife (Leo's bisabuela), Otília Delgado-Fuentes, was born in the Dominican Republic and immigrated to Houston as a teenager with her parents. She met Sammy at his shop when her car broke down and the rest in history. She ended up working the business side of Sammy's shop, selling spare parts, as well as putting in transactions for what Sammy was doing.

In addition to Sammy Jr. (I'm just gonna be calling him Samuel for the sake of simplicity for now on), I think they had three editional kids: the others being Emilio, Aleyda, and Evangelina. Samuel was the eldest, followed by Aleyda, Emilio, and finally, Evangelina.

Samuel, as well as Evangelina, followed in their father's footsteps and became mechanics. Aleyda became a writer, and Emilio helped his mother run the business portion of the shop. Both Emilio and Aleyda decided to attend college, while Samuel and Evangelina did an informal trade school under their father's tutegale.

Aleyda moved away to New York and married a fellow latine writer named Salvador García, and barely keeps in touch with the family. They have no children.

Emilio married a woman named Martha Delacruz and had three children—Silvia, Estefania, and Enrique.

Evangelina never married, instead focusing on her career. She was Esperanza's favorite person when Esperanza was a girl, and her biggest inspiration, and also adored Leo. I haven't decided why or how, but unfortunetely, Evangelina died sometime before Esperanza, because I'm convinced she would have fought tooth and nail to get custody of Leo if she was there.

Samuel, of course, had two daughters, Rosa and Esperanza. Samuel married Margarita Rosa Iglesias-Perez, a Mexican immigrant who went to Houston to attend college.

Rosa, in addition to Raphael (who Leo mentions in Mark of Athena, I believe) has two more children, María Rosa and Carmen with her husband, Matías Cisneros-Cortez.

Esperanza, obviously, has just Leo, who is the eldest of Sammy's great-grandkids, as stated in Mark of Athena. Some childhood Leo Valdez headcanons of mine is that he attended a bilingual school up until third grade (we know why third grade) and that he had to be taken to another classroom during math because he would act out due to boredom. (He has ADHD and was at a college math level at 8, of course he'd be bored.)

These next three are future, or my headcanon for Leo's kids, so if you were just here for the possibly canon-compliant ones, that's over! I'm totally fine with people using the previous name headcanons in fics without giving me credit, as it is just names, but I'd appreciate it if people tell me about some Valdez family fics! I'm always looking for some, and have only read like one or two. However, for Leo's children, if you take more than just their names, I'd appreciate the tag. I've had them since like 2016, and am really attached, even though some details have changed a lot since then (example being, back then, I thought canon couples were infallible and I had to make them Leo and Calypso's kids, when now, they're just Leo's).

This part is detailed in my Solangelo future fic, Surprise? but my favorite hc of all time is aro/ace Leo who adopts demigods to give them the childhood he deserved. So all three are demigods (children of Hephaestus as well, because I think that's fitting) and Leo's a single father who gets help from everyone at Waystation.

The eldest is Madalena Esperanza, who has her own POV in Surprise? in Chapter 7: Leo and Calypso's Garage: Auto Repair and Mechanical Monsters. She was born in Portland, Oregan, and her mother died of childbirth. With no other living family members, Hephaestus took her to Waystation to see if Emmie and Jo could take her (as Leo was still in college, at 20), but Leo saw her and instantly realized that he wanted to adopt her because he saw bits of baby him in her, and had the funds to as he was working part time at a local mechanic shop on weekends that paid decent, and Emmie and Jo were able to help. Madalena was the name her mother had planned to give her, and Leo added Esperanza when he officially adopted her. Random fact about her is she grows up to be an Olympic level skateboarder, and Leo built her a few pipes to practice.

Next, also in Surprise? is Leo's middle, Aidan. His story is detailed almost completely in the fic—his bio mother didn't want a kid and was going to give him up for adoption so Hephaestus went to Leo to ask him if he wanted to adopt another kid. Leo said yes, and him and Lena went to Illinois to pick him up from the hospital. His bio mother also didn't want to name him, so Leo and Lena did.

Finally, not in Surprise? is Emilia. Leo's youngest, who's seven years younger than Aidan, and thirteen younger than Lena, so she's not present in the fic, but is special in my heart. Her bio parent, like Lena's, died in childbirth, and Hephaestus once again asked Leo if he had room for one more kid. She was born in Miami, Florida.

So, there's my Valdez family tree! Again, feel free to use everyone in your fic, but Lena, Aidan, and Emilia are my children so I'd like a tag for them.

#valdez family #sammy valdez #sammy valdez jr #esperanza valdez #rosa valdez #leo valdez #original character #giving names to blank canvases of canon #pre canon #post canon #fanfictions #hephaestus #trials of apollo #heroes of olympus

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sclfmastery · 9 months ago

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Quickfire hot take but, even though I totally grasp each of us having favorite regens of the doctor and the master, both individually and together, as symbols of their ever-evolving positions along their personal and relationship journey.... I will never ever understand fan (or canon...) portrayals that draw such a sharp line of favoritism from the characters themselves.

Missy said "they're all the Doctor to me" when recalling a memory to Clara, and to me that encapsulates the enduring nature of their intense bond. To me that is THE line. Regeneration is a form of death and rebirth, but certain core traits are immutable, particularly to two people who are narrative foils, who have known each other for centuries (or possibly millennia) and keep being thrown together by fate again and again and again.

Bottom line is, every Doctor is the same person, and so is every Master. Acting as though one of them only cares for select versions of the other is just so strange to me. They aren't us. To them, it's just like loving (or hating, or both) someone through the eras of their life. Their same life, broken down into stages od evolution and devolution. It's the same person.

I can point to the exact episode (a lol very polarizing episode in Series 10) where I think this "they're not the same person from face to face" trend got exponentially more pronounced, but anyone who knows me knows what that episode is. I truly believe it's a disservice to every version of every Doctor and Master involved.

And I really don't think that Spydoc, which came soon thereafter, is just the playing-out of the consequences of a MASSIVE miscommunication between soul mates. It IS that, but not JUST. I think all of the writing about Thoschei that followed the exacerbating episode was trying to force this inaccurate distortion, this illusion of separateness, which is part of what made the events in Power of the Doctor so painful to Thoschei fans. The Doctor walked away from the Master (literally and figuratively, ironically inviting his inevitable despair--and her own demise) partly out of understandable hurt and rage and caution, but also out of a cold, repulsed misunderstanding: "Missy was willing to change and you regressed, you're a different person than she was, and you have angered me to the point of indifference; I am able to turn off caring about you because you are unrecognizable from her, the version of you that I could control save."

Maybe Whittaker's response is intended by Chibnall: we're supposed to recognize that she's wrong but HAS to be in order to survive another betrayal by the Master, which is what makes it all so tragic.

But I think fan reception has taken the whole thing ( "each Doctor and each Master is an entirely discrete self-contained being") too far, and it bothers me, so much, I think, because it's a trope that enforces the idea that love is transactional and contingent (in such a way that also perhaps unwittingly targets the socially, culturally, and economically marginalized). If you're the "good, small, manageable version" of yourself, then you're easier to love, and it's worth the investment. Otherwise, "you gambled and you lost," and you deserve to die lying in the filth of your own poor decisions. I get why that's an appealing, vindicting plot device, from the POV of an audience member who has felt hurt or even abused IRL. I understand it, I've BEEN the Doctor many times. It just doesn't sit well with me. Maybe that's just me. I could be at peace with that, as a Whovian :P.

But, in-universe, it's based on a premise that's factually erroneous! Dhawan's Master IS Missy IS Delgado IS Simm IS Jacobi IS Ainley IS Roberts IS Beevers etc etc etc. Just as Whittaker's Doctor is a RESPONSE to Capaldi's, but ALSO still IS Capaldi's. And Tennant's. And Baker's (x2). And Eccleston's. And Gatwa's. And Pertwee's. Etc etc. Dhawan's Master was the Prime Minister of the UK and also made chairs that eat people and also cried remembering the names of people she killed. It's the SAME PERSON.

Lol, not quickfire at all. It's an old bone to pick, I know. I just can't stop finding the whole trope...very itchy.

(ok to reblog...dunno if anyone would, LOL, but feel free to reblog and to comment).

I'm gonna tag some ppl I know I've chatted about this with before to see if there are new insights. And feel completely free to disagree with me on any count. @natalunasans @mostincrediblechange @drummingncise @modernwizard @nickcagestrufflehog @rearranging-deck-chairs @koschei-no-more @likeacharacterinamusical

#meta #thoschei meta #or just kinda me yelling lol)

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atonalginger · 1 month ago

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WIP Wednesday

Ho-ho-ho to all who celebrate and happy Wednesday to those who don't. It's a day and I do have something I'm pretty sure I haven't shared that doesn't spoil anything and so why not share, right?

I've hit a rut where my brain just decided it didn't know what I was talking about when I asked it to focus on writing. I still have story left to go but somehow it's very overwhelmed. At this point I don't know...maybe it's holiday stress manifesting as writer's block. Maybe it's imposter syndrome shitting shit down. Could be any number of things.

Part of me feels like I've been 'sitting on this one' too long but I didn't want to start posting chapters until it was done because I need to do a start to finish edit pass and...Gods it's a long fucking road still to the end.

anyway...I had a snippet....Fox's POV and it's with all the adults at the Liberated's HQ which is set in a creation club house on Cassiopeia I with a ... fancy secret room. You'll see sort of in the read more below:

“Is this what it would look like?” Bella asked.

“It’s a one to one replica,” Jay sidestepped closer, “right down to the twinkling lights.”

“Sort of reminds me of the buried temple,” Sam said as he walked down the carved stone steps to rejoin the group, “only much, much shinier.”

“And it is weird that there is caelumite deposits,” Fox added.

“But it doesn’t appear to do anything,” Jay said quickly, “might be once upon a time a starborn decided to build themselves a palace, fancied themselves a princess and everything, and then one day got bored and abandoned this place.”

“You really don’t think it does anything?” Del asked.

“We could always try hitting it with something,” Fox said with a shrug, “but no…I don’t think it does a damn thing other than look cool.”

“Mierda,” Del grumbled and kicked at one of the grooves in the platform, “knew I shouldn’t have got my hopes up.”

“It was worth trying,” Rokov said as he leaned against one of the metal pillars, “and now we all know this room is here.”

“Yes, we do,” Bella looked back at Delgado, “do not keep secrets like this from me again.”

He stared back at her, oscillating between defense and defeat. He was the boss. The one who decided what was important, what was shared, and when. And yet he knew there was no winning with her.

“I don’t see what Del did being that wrong,” Sam said as he ran his fingers through his hair, “he ran enough tests to know it wasn’t an active threat and locked it down so no one could fuck with it. We’ve known security around this place was tight, so any threats this might have attracted were going to be met with a hell of a lot of resistance, and it’s not like you and the kids lived here full time. This isn’t much different from when Solomon found the Empty Nest.”

“The what?” Bella spun around with furrowed brows, “Solomon found weird starborn shit?”

“Apparently,” Sam shrugged and chuckled, “not that he knew what he found. It was a cave a stone’s throw from where he ended up building a home. What began Akila City. He called it that because he found that none of the wildlife would go near it. It was a perfect nest but completely empty. He never told anyone much more about what he found and I never thought a thing about it until the Lodge started seriously hunting the artifacts.”

“His notes were on point too,” Jay noted, “not even ashta would mess with the cave or the surrounding area…until I pulled the plate. Shaw was so busy fending off a curious pack that she didn’t notice us leaving with our prize.”

Bella took another look around the chamber before dropping her hands to her sides and marching toward the door, “we’re locking this back up. We’re adding more locks. No one is messing with this. As far as I’m concerned it does not fucking exist.”

“That was my original plan, mi amor,” Del said as he followed close behind, “I only brought it up I thought maybe they might know more…”

“They’re going to be that way for a while,” Rokov said with a sigh, “I should go find the little ones. Maybe see if they want to go for a swim.”

“I can help with that,” Sam tipped his hat and joined Rokov as he walked out of the chamber.

With only the twins remaining Fox walked over to the armillary and watched as the rings spun around. It really was just like the ones they found in the temples. Even the engravings matched. But it was inert; no energy resonated from the plates, no song tugged at their soul. It was a forgery.

“I can’t shake the feeling that the artifacts are somehow related to whatever was going on with that grav-jumping star station,” Jay said, her voice barely a whisper, “Frost never would have given her those notes had he known it could lead her into danger…right?”

“He would never intentionally put his Bookworm in danger,” Fox hugged his twin close, “and those two aren’t helpless. Remember that incident out on Cassiopeia IV-c? Or the story Manny shared about getting jumped during a supply run? Those two are tough and whatever is happening I believe they can handle it.”

“I want to share your confidence,” Jay buried her face in his shoulder as she fought back tears, “I very much want to believe you.”

Fox hugged her tighter and shared the belief that kept him sane, “Together nothing in the starfield could stop them.”

#starfield fanfiction #atonalginger writes #wip wednesday #the coemancer crew

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ao3gobi17 · 1 year ago

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Hello, I have three questions about Custody: 1. If Spider were vegan or vegetarian, would Quaritch respect it?

2. How exactly did Quaritch escape? Somehow I didn't get it

3. If Paz hadn't died, would she and Quatitch have wanted to have their "own" child? By "own" I mean that they are both biological, not that I exclude Spider 🩷

Those are good questions!

They likely have enough variety food-wise to keep him fed if he has dietary requirements. I do think Quaritch would want to know why he's vegan or vegetarian and if he thought the answer was silly then he'd be planning to talk him out of it - but in the short term, if it made Spider comfortable and he was still eating, I don't think it would be big issue.

2. Spider doesn't know - Delgado didn't tell him and he's never asked! I hadn't specifically planned it out, but I'd probably use the same trick that I used in *spoiler* my fic Kim's Seven, which is to work on the weak link in the chain which is the human part. So likely there were bomb threats or warnings about gas leaks or something equally worriesome in the lead up to the escape (these warnings coming from the recoms by letter or hacking email). This was heightened to the point where the prison staff were all on edge and expecting a bomb (or gas leak or similar). That way when the recoms either detonated an explosive near the prison or just arrived saying they're there to deal with the expected emergency (dressed up for the part) the prison staff would bypass protocol and let them and their vehicle in because it would appear time-sensitive. I'm sure there was more to it than that, if I'd been writing from Q's POV I'd have had to figure out a lot more logistics!

3. There's no question that they at least discussed it. I reckon that if they'd wanted one they probably would have had one before Spider was seven (or Q might have referenced it as a wish that went unfulfilled). So I reckon they were just totally satisfied being a family of three at that point. Q was besotted with Spider and maybe there was a bit of him that was afraid he wouldn't love a second child as much. Plus they were both able to spend more time on Spider if there wasn't a baby around. I do think they went back and forth on it a bit before ultimately deciding against though!

#gobibside #custody

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0-numa-0 · 1 year ago

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Oigan oigan! Se que casi nadie Lee esto pero necesito soltarloooooo

Es que no puedo dormir :D

Pero creo que se me acaba de ocurrir un au de huskerdust entonces lo voy a relatar para botar mis ideas aquí y ver si sirven o solo lo olvido....okey ejem ejem

Aquí va:

Este AU nos va a hablar en una línea de tiempo o universo distinto en dónde Husk no fue tan codicioso (?) O adicto a las apuestas y supo escapar del astuto juego de Alastor, osea, que siguió siendo un overlord ; también podemos ver una situación algo distinta en angel dónde no es solo obligado a prostituirse si no que también a ser como una "mujer", vestirse, comportarse y incluso usar pelucas, obviamente esto le genera grandes ganancias al bar/prostíbulo (nose como se les llama sorry) por lo cual es constantemente solicitado para sus debidos servicios, aunque cabe destacar que cuenta con una buena voz así que de vez en cuanto lo hacen cantar en el escenario....(más adelante detallo su pasado)

El como se conocieron es algo bastante simple e incluso algo cliché, pero el como van desarrollando sus sentimientos es lo que le da el toque dulce y casi mágico a la historia, es que les juro que no puedo dormir hasta terminar..

HUSK POV:

Resulta que Husk decide hacer su parada ocasional en el primer bar que vea con el tal de encontrar un buen alcohol y aquí es cuando se encuentra con este sitio, el bar/prostíbulo dónde dijimos que trabaja angel (después cuando la historia se desarrolle se sabrá que angel le revela su verdadero nombre a Husk), el decide entrar buscando suerte así que busca un buen sitio y agarra una buena botella de whisky (o es lo que más o menos me imagino por qué se me acaba de ocurrir todo esto) y pasa que justo en ese momento pasa al escenario el número de angel dónde es puesto a cantar (ya saben cómo en algunos bares) y ahí es cuando Husk va fijando su mirada en la plataforma observando la figura de un delgado y esbelto cuerpo caminar con prudencia al micrófono, y es justo en ese preciso momento en dónde podemos ver la belleza de angel brillar en los felinos ojos de Husk (osea es casi como amor a primera vista pero más que amor es como que quedó cautivado) y empieza a sonar la música de fondo.

ANGEL POV:

Bueno, como siempre, angel se encuentra preparandose en su camerino para salir a dar su número en el escenario después de una larga jornada, en frente de muchos alcohólicos y pervertidos que esperan con impaciencia la presencia de las bellas curvas de la "dama" junto con su angelical voz (de ahí el apodo, por qué lo consideran como una presencia adictiva, por eso....😭), y como es de esperar el sabe que reconocerá cada rostro de los individuos situados en el bar, pues siempre son las mismas miradas aterradoras con las cuales le toca lidiar (o eso es lo que el ve para esta noche); y no es hasta que empieza a caminar cautelosamente en el escenario cuando cree notar una presencia distinta y desconocida en el bar, por lo que mueve con astucia su risueña mirada hacia unos felinos ojos que parecen cautivados con lo que observan - una luz....era el- y fue en ese instante de segundos que ambas miradas, ambas almas, ambos corazones....chocan explotando en mil y un pensamientos y sensaciones, simplemente inexplicable para ambos, quienes quedan confundidos con la figura del otro.

(YA SE QUE SE VE MUY CLICHE PERO ES QUE ESTA BONITOOO)

De Repente unos amargos ojos color vino son directamente clavados en la dirección de angel, quien con velocidad y nervios (quizá temor) vuelve sus pies a la madera bajando de aquella suave nube de confusión que sufrió en aquellos eternos segundos, sintiendo así las duras astillas de la realidad y con eso su trabajo...realmente lo odiaba pero era lo que necesitaba para vivir, al fin y al cabo, sin ello solo sería un alma más en la miseria de las calles; Husk a lo lejos no podia parar de beber pensando en aquellos chocantes y inesperados instantes con "aquella" joven, pero su importante y orgulloso trasero simplemente no le permito seguir pensando en ello, por lo que solo optó por apreciar la voz de la estrella frente a sus ojos, y oírla, observarla, como si de una copa de vino tratara, moviendose con elegancia a la par del jazz y meneando su corto y ondulado cabello a la par de sus bellas notas; -diablos,es realmente hipnotizante- es lo único que pudo pensar aquel poderoso señor, se encontraba perdido en las abrasadoras melodías y ya no tenía retorno ni escapatoria....

YYYYYYYY ESO SERIA POR EL MOMENTO

Yo no soy alguien que escriba mucho así que es lo que les puedo ofrecer por el momento

Pero si se me ocurre algo más lo escribiré aquí, si alguien pilla esto, muchas gracias por tomarse el tiempo de leerlo, repito, no soy alguien que escriba, asi que faltas ortográficas o de coherencia no van a faltar, eso es todo bay

#hazbin hotel #huskerdust #huskerdust au #ayuda

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countrymusiclover · 1 year ago

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23 - Super Squad Assemble

Part 24

Family is More than Blood

@secretdreamlandmentality @icefrye19

Mystic Falls - Klaus’s pov

Walking into the main office I locked the door behind me not wanting anyone to bother me. Slumping down in the chair I ran my fingers through my blonde curls sighing heavily. "Urgh…what is wrong with my head?" I groaned, feeling some discomfort in my temple.

Closing my eyes I reached for my phone about to call Raelyn until pain shot through the middle of my head. Shutting my eyes tightly I winced seeing the girl with auburn hair flash through my mind. “You’re going to be the greatest witch this world has ever seen.”

A young auburn haired girl smiled up at me. “ You think so? Having all that power scares me.

I nodded, grabbing my daughter’s hands with mine. “You are the daughter of Klaus Mikealson and nothing will scare you."

"Mommy, can we go play in the fort?" Alina, my second daughter asked me. Missy, my youngest daughter, followed closely behind her mother.

I turned around and embraced my other girls. “ Of course, girls."

"At first I just thought that having one child would be enough. But having three was a miracle." Raelyn made her way over to me taking my hand watching them go play off in the distance.

Glancing down at my wife I nodded. "I’ve missed out so much. I intended to make up for lost time."

"And you will, Klaus. You don't have to worry." She responded to me.

Dropping my shoulders the auburn haired girl named Hope ran toward me tugging me in the direction of the other girls. "Daddy, come play with us!"

"Be nice to your father, baby girl." Raelyn laughed when she watched the hybrid get dragged by the arm of the young Mikealson.

Rubbing my temple I groaned, blinking through tears having it all come back into my memory. Wiping away tears with my sleeve I heard someone knock on the door before it got blown open revealing Alina and Missy who just walked right inside without warning. "Dad, Hope wants to know how we are getting mom back."

"Oh bloody hell. Can you girls give me a minute? I've got a splitting headache." I waved my hand, still feeling uneasy.

Missy gave me a weak smile. "Okay, dad. We can talk with the Squad and you can come when you're ready." The two girls left the room giving him the time he asked for. The hybrid put his face in his hands letting his mind wander with the pain in his head and the regret of not knowing in his heart.

Stepping into one of the compound studies I could hear Raelyn typing away on a computer where I lean against the doorway with my hands behind my back. 'What are you doing here?"

"Researching names for our little wolf." She lifted her head up away from the computer screen. "Come look, I started making a list."

Moving over to her side I rested my hands on the back of her chair. "Tucker, Maxon, Delgado. Arya, Alina, Melissa, Everly, Jenny…what a minute, Rae. There's more girl names here than boys. What are you getting at with this?"

"Yeah about that…I went to our OB doctor and she thinks it's a girl." She takes my hands in hers moving one over her growing stomach grinning ear to ear at me.

Bending down on a knee to be eye level with my wife I moved my freehand to her cheek. "A king, a queen and their little princess."

“Maybe it could be more than just one baby if we’re lucky.” Raelyn smirked at me leaning forward and kissed me gently.

Leaning forward I deepened the kiss using my vamp speed and switching our position so that I was sitting in her chair and she was on my lap. “Don’t tempt me, siphon queen. You know that if you said the word I won’t let you ever leave our bedroom.” I growled through the kiss feeling her fingers running through my blonde locks deepening the kiss.

Moving one hand up underneath her shirt she smirked against the kiss until she winced feeling some pain in her stomach. “Urgh! I guess the baby has other plans tonight. I hope we can have more than one kid though.”

“Let’s get you and our little one settled. We can think of more names tomorrow.” Staring at my beautiful wife I couldn’t get the thought of a certain name out of my mind after she had said it ‘Hope’ maybe just maybe that can be a cute name someday for our little one.

Bursting through the doors shut I entered the old Salvatore alcohol room seeing that the Super Squad were all standing around a table and then focused their attention on me. “Alright kiddos, tell me what exactly you have instored for getting my wife back because I refuse to let anything bad happen to her.”

“Hope said that you think that Raelyn literally jumped into Malivore. If that’s the case how exactly do we still remember who she is?” Kaleb asked, arms crossed over his chest.

Hope dropped her hands at her sides. "Most likely because of the spell Josie blasted everyone with earlier. And the fact that she is against nature being born a witch and then turned vampire with witch power."

"If Raelyn is in Malivore does that mean she'll be the next monster now?" MG questions nervously.

Whipping my head around to the young vampire I snarled. "Bloody hell no!"

"Dad, it could be possible though. Anything that has entered that pit becomes forced to do its bidding." Alina eyed her father with an uneasy expression.

Missy remains beside Lizzie who hadn't said anything. The siphoner witch was thinking about her sister who had been keeping herself in her room since Landon needed to think through his feelings on his former girlfriend he now remembers. "So on the off chance we have to fight mom what are we going to do?"

"That won't happen!" I raised my voice feeling my entire body stiffened at the very thought. I didn't care what it took but I refused to fight or kill my own wife just because a pit of gue says so. "Now stop thinking that is going to happen and let's think of ways to rescue my wife!"

Everyone turned their heads hearing the doors behind them open revealing someone he didn’t think he would be seeing after a while. “I’d suggest if you want an actual plan you shouldn’t be shouting at them. They are just teenagers after all, Niklaus.” Her orange blonde curls bounced until she stopped walking towards the group.

“Valerie Tull, the last time we saw each other was more pleasant but I am in no mood for your snarky comments at this moment so I suggest you leave before I make you.” I flashed my werewolf eyes at her.

She crossed her arms over her chest looking over her shoulder briefly. “I didn’t come alone, Mikaelson.”

Moving my eyes away from the heretic my gaze focused on none other than Bonnie Bennett who drew the Ascendent out from inside her jacket pocket holding it up to the group. “Raelyn gave this to Caroline just in case the monsters tried to take it. And since she is recruiting she entrusted it to me. And I have a bad feeling she’s with him.”

“Him. Who’s him?” Lizzie asked, looking confused.

Josie entered the room behind the other two powerful witches until she was by her sister’s side. “He’s our Uncle, Lizzie. His name is Kai Parker and he’s been through the Merge so he must have some answers.”

“So what brilliant plan have you and your witchy companions come up with hmm?” I dropped my arms at my sides feeling like we were wasting time instead of actually doing something.

Valerie vamped over to the nearby table snapping her fingers and creating some candles quickly lighting them. “Triplets come here. I need you to all put your blood in the middle of the circle. Since you share half of your mothers blood we should be able to find her location.”

“I think her twin brother's blood would be better.” Some of them jumped slightly seeing Jacob suddenly become invisible in the room. He shrugged his shoulders, cutting his palm with his fangs. “Hayley and Andrea are in New Orleans visiting Cami. I came as quickly as I could.”

Valerie nodded, placing her hand in Jacob’s beginning a spell to move the blood across the map. “Phesmatos quare infantatum. Phesmatos quare filios. Ado finet terraeum. Nunc temos rogamus. Combutis et sanguinem. Phesmatos quare infantatum. Finet terraeum. Nunc temos rogamus. Combutis et sanguinem. Phesmatos quare infantatum. Ado finet terraeum. Nunc temos rogamus. Combutis et sanguinem. Phesmatos quare filios.” The blood moved out of the town line and circled in Fort Valley Georgia.

Jacob spun around to his brother in law. “Now let’s go find my sister.”

Bonnie sat the Ascendent down on the table. “There’s supposed to be a full moon tonight. That’s our one shot to bring Raelyn back.” Klaus sent the witch a grin praying that she would come through for their family.

Raelyn’s pov - Prison World

Shuffling book after book I tossed them onto the wooden desk behind me. Throwing my hair around I had put it up in a messy bun that was falling apart almost by the speed I was moving. Kai hadn’t returned yet but I knew he would be back at some point so I needed to find a backup plan fast. “Reversal spells…is this the book that mom used on Jacob?” Flipping it over in my hands I scanned the cover then opened the page that was bookmarked. It reveals the spell that talked about trading someone else’s spirit for yours to take their place. Sitting the book down on the table I sighed feeling tears starting to fall remembering the night we lost my mother.

Vamping through the front door of the Boarding House I lied to Klaus saying I would grab some stuff from Stefan’s room for my brother to use until we bought him his own, but really I didn’t want to face my twin just yet after remembering what I had done. I couldn’t stop crying over what had just happened. Klaus was busy letting my brother who had just come back from the dead get reunited with our parents leaving me alone for a little bit. “I can’t believe it’s come to this. I guess it’s time to see what all the fuss is about with him and Bourbon.” Opening the glass alcohol cabinet I pulled out a bottle about to open it.

“I wouldn’t have taken you to be a Bourbon drinking girl, siphon witch.” Whipping my head around I almost dropped the bottle hearing Damon’s voice and seeing him now standing behind the long couch in the middle of the room.

Blinking my eyes at the raven haired vampire. “Uh yeah sorry…after the day I’ve had I needed this. Hope you won’t mind one bottle less.”

“Not unless you don’t mind sharing some of it.” He plopped down on the couch waiting for me. He opened the bottle, pouring us each a glass and handing me one. “So what made you need to raid my alcohol collection in the middle of the night when you live in big Mikaelson Manner?”

Slowly sipping from my glass I made a disgusting face at the bitter taste but drank the drink regardless. “I just….today I had to lose my mother to bring my brother back to life. And it’s just eating away at me.”

“The soul crushing reality of the humanity switch.” Damon mumbles, taking a long sip from his glass.

Slamming my glass down on the table his blue orbs focused on me surprised at my actions. Throwing my head around I felt more tears staining my face wishing that it would get easier at some point of my now immortal life. “How do you get through all the things you did when you couldn’t feel anything? How do you move past all the emotions screaming at you and don’t say through alcohol or I will slam you into the fireplace like I did Klaus at the bar.”

“Touchy Rae Rae.” He shakes his head at me, tapping his fingers on the glass in thought briefly. “Well I would say for you…you just have to live life and fight like hell to ensure that you don’t make your mother happy. That you just keep being the person they always thought you were…just keep being your fiery spirit Raelyn.”

“Thank you, Damon. I know she just wants me to be happy and to protect my family.” Raising my glass up from the table I clinked mine with Damon’s who sent me a smirk in return before we downed the majority of the bottle that evening.

I shut the book in a rush baring my teeth causing the candle beside me to burst into flames. Whipping my head upright I heard someone start cackling in laughter. “I never thought reading those old books would make someone cry. It’s a little pathetic seeing the fiery heretic cry.”

“Shut up, Kai!” I growled feeling the veins under my eyes begin appearing.

He put his hands behind his back eyeing the mess of books I have scattered around me. "So I'm assuming you haven't found any access to the blood we need. Man am I the only one who truly wants to get out of here?"

"You're never getting out of here, psycho!" I growled, pressing my hands on the table feeling a fire burning in me.

Kai vamped forward grabbing me by my throat shoving me against the bookshelf behind me. I gasped at the impact even though we didn’t technically need to breathe anymore. He raised his other hand up and I winced shapely. “"Phasmatos navaro pulsus sanguinox…”

“Urgh Kai!” I struggled under his grip managing to grip onto one of his arms, siphoning from him even though it wasn’t necessary. But I remembered the blood spell that he was boiling my blood with now. “Phasmatos navaro pulsus sanguinox, Reboundus!"

My cousin released me grabbing his arms allowing me the chance to vamp away from him and out into the woods. As far as I could tell I was almost to the mansion. Running my fingers through my hair I released a breath feeling my heart somewhat beating in my chest. "Argh shit - let me go Kai!" I screamed feeling someone wrap their arms around my waist.

Yet the voice that whispered in my ear and covered my mouth with their freehand made me relax. "Rae, Raelyn. Calm down, it's okay. You're okay."

Comments really appreciated ❤️

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fangbangerghoul · 11 months ago

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Snippet Sunday!

Thank you as always for the lovely tag @therealgchu ! I loved your snippet and all the ones I've been able to catch so far!

I know since it is later in the day everyone is probably tagged already so if you see this; You're it!

This snippet is going to be a part of the FINAL chapter of Fleeting Pleasures!

This scene is in Delgado's POV. I can at least tell you that within this chapter you will have three different point of views. (I am sure you can guess who.)

I had a lovely time this past weekend and unfortunately none of that time was spent writing really. But the break was nice, and I am hoping soon I will have deliciousness ready to server to you all! As always thank you for reading, reblogging, commenting, and leaving kudos for this fic! It has helped make the journey all the sweeter.

Please enjoy!

He had waited long enough, been patient long enough, and there was an eager need waiting inside of him. He had let her disobedience slide the first time even though he knew what that would look like from an outside’s perspective. Delgado needed her to trust him. To want to cooperate for his legacy plans.

Ghoul – no Carmilla was skilled, durable, stubborn yes, but where other rooks had lacked beforehand, she persevered. He considered what a one-on-one match would be like between the two of them often and a part of him knew she would most likely best him no matter how ruthless he let himself be. One thing he recognized as soon as he laid eyes on her, traitor or not, was she had unbreakable willpower. The will to do whatever it took to get her where she wanted to be. Therefore, he needed her to want to be beside him whatever it took. Was it love? No. But a faux love was something he was willing to play around with if it persuaded her his way. The Crimson Fleet would always be his first but perhaps he could spare some room for a second.

The door to the command center opened from below and there she was, finally. The sound of her boots echoed throughout the room announcing her presence purposely. He knew she could move quieter than that. Her citrine eyes searched the dim room, observing every minute detail that she could absorb. Another talent he appreciated about her.

“You finally graced me with your presences, mi bellaquito.” He said loudly, purposely giving her his whereabouts, knowing her ears would lead her piercing gaze to him. Those eyes as cold as the gems that lay wait within dark caves on artic worlds.

“I heard you missed me.” Ghoul’s quip was followed by a sly smirk, giving away her amusement.

“Don’t get full of yourself now.” He tried to refrain from letting his own amusement show on his face even if his playful tone slipped. She always had an ego; it didn’t help that he had sent his own extra hands to fetch her. He started his way towards her feeling the pull of her gravity bring him in. Something he disliked but acknowledged that it was that type of presence that he needed for his mission.

“What did you want from me?” Her face was now strewn from annoyance as if he was the one pestering her. He let her forget once who was boss, but he didn’t plan to make a habit out of it.

“Tsk tsk tsk.” He wagged his gloved finger at her and shook his head. Refusing to give a real answer to her question. “I am the only one allowed to demand answers here. Like where the hell have you been so long?”

“A little bit of everywhere. Do you want to know specifics? I got the Fleet some credits and myself in the process.” Her answers were kept just as vague, and it got under his skin. Delgado saw how she bit her lip before answering. She was holding back what she really wanted to say and he wondered what it was. She was obviously going to be a handful during this meeting of theirs just by the way she stood, arms crossed as if ready to throw a tantrum.

He finally stopped in front of her, holding his breath and his temper back as much as he could. She riled him more than most. He centered his gaze onto her, tempting her to talk back again but instead he responded with a snap.

“Do you think this is a game, Rook?” He felt his nostrils flare with the hiss of his words. Her smirk was no longer amusing, his patience no longer forgiving. A part of him considered just throwing her out of an airlock and find someone else. It was making him lose his own focus. “You should be thanking me every day that you wake up breathing because I could have just as easily put a bullet in your head.”

He felt the high tension between them, their locked gazes a part of their game set in motion. He wanted her to drop the act. Delgado knew even if it wasn’t entirely intimate there was chemistry between them. He wanted her to submit with consent but with her it so far had never been that easy.

“Thank you, Delgado.” His name playfully fell off her tongue with such rebellion. Her thanks was not a real thanks but a proclamation of how she refused to give in so easy. Something he both admired and loathed.

#starfield #starfield fanfiction #delgado #ghoul vibes only #starfield delgado #fang writes #fleeting pleasures #the big finale #the coemancer crew

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abookishdreamer · 2 years ago

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WIP Intro- My Life is a Telenovela!

"This wasn't a regular ordinary kiss. This kiss... it was made out of cosmic dust and fireworks! The Notebook couldn't hold a candle to this kiss!"

Genre: YA Contemporary

POV- first person present tense

Setting- Miami, Florida

Status- outlining

Themes- friendship, creativity, coming of age, identity, family relationships, community, romantic relationships...

Synopsis- 17-year-old Lucia Serratos' life isn't exactly like the movies. It's a full blown telenovela- complete with the melodramatic happenings of Miami life! Her abuela is re-entering the dating game as a spicy septuagenarian, her parents (veterans in the telenovela world) are campaigning for the mainstream market while Lucia and her friends continue to make waves at their exclusive performing arts school- even expertly crafting "meet-cutes" to get the attention of her longtime crush. With her school's talent showcase coming up, Lucia plans to devote all her attention to her top-secret screenplay. What she didn't count on? A gravity stopping, breathtaking, knee wobbling, hotter than fireworks, soul shattering kiss with the son of her father's rival in the industry, another telenovela actor that recently gained mainstream success in a summer blockbuster movie. Soon, Lucia is dodging everything from long lost relatives, unearthed family secrets, and a real life heart twisting love triangle! Will Lucia crumble under the pressure or will she arise as the victorious heroine of her own story?

Characters that will appear in the novel:

Lucia Serratos- main protagonist

Carmen Serratos- Lucia's mom

Ricardo Serratos- Lucia's dad

Alma Colón (Abuela)- Lucia's grandmother

Leonie Guzman- Lucia's best friend

America Velasco- Lucia's best friend

Remy Leung- Lucia's best friend

Michael Bernadi- Lucia's possible love interest

Mateo Alvarez- Lucia's possible love interest

Mrs. Collins- head of the school's cinema department, Lucia's mentor

Alejandro Castillo- Lucia's godfather; Ricardo's manager

Ms. Hernandez- Lucia's world history teacher

Mr. Delgado- Lucia's principal

Sebastian Alvarez- Mateo's father; Ricardo's rival

Jorge Muñoz- Alma's love interest

Xiomara Avilés- Lucia's cousin

Mariposa (Mari) Avilés- Lucia's cousin

#my wip intro #wip intro #wip introduction #my writing #writing #writing community #writeblr #writeblr community #young adult contemporary #young adult fiction #young adult romance

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385bookreviews · 1 month ago

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2.29 Darkness on the Edge of Town by Adam Christopher

SPOILERS

Pages: 413

Time Read: 6 hours and 7 minutes

Overall Rating: 2.5★ Storyline: 2.5★ Dialogue: 3★ Characters: 2★

Genre: YA Thriller

TWs for the book: Death, gun violence, gang violence and culture, mental illness, PTSD, blood, kidnapping, murder, alcohol, serial killer, injury, war, government experimentation, drug use, car accident, ritualistic murder, mind control, fire, police brutality, NYPD glazing, classism, racism, cult, su*c*de/attempted su*c*de, psychosis, abandonment, smoking, sexism

POV: Third person

Time Period/Location: May 17, 1977-December 25, 1977 New York; December 26, 1984-December 27, 1984 Hawkins, Indiana; Set between Season 2 and 3 of Stranger Things.

First Line: Jim Hopper tried to kill the smile he felt spreading across his face as he stood by the sink, arms immersed in hot, soapy water, watching through the kitchen window as the snow fell outside in huge, fist-sized clumps.

Hopper and Eleven get snow in post-Christmas day 1984. With her friends not responding and the TV not working, Eleven goes snooping and finds a box with case files from Hopper's time as an NYPD homicide detective. She manages to get Hopper to agree to tell her the story, saying he knows about her life but she doesn't know a ton about his.

July 4, 1977, Hopper and his wife Diane have taken their daughter Sara to her friend's birthday party. The rich family hired a magician as entertainment for the parents, another parent named Lisa. She reads Diane's fortune and claims she sees darkness engulfing the city. Hopper is angry at her for trying to scare his wife but Diane says it's ok and they leave with Sara as the party ends. When they arrive home, Hopper's partner detective, Rosario Delgado, calls and says there's been another murder. Eleven makes Hopper go back to May 17, 1977 and explain how Delgado came to be his partner. He tells her about how Delgado was the first woman on the force, and that he had been promoted quickly, causing some of the other detectives to dislike him, so they made a good pair. Back on July 4, 1977, Hopper leaves his wife and daughter to go and view the newest crime scene. A man is found in a cluttered apartment, lying dead on the bed, with five stab wounds and carvings in his chest making a star. This is the third murder they've encountered like this, and realize they're dealing with a serial killer. Each time a victim is killed, they are found with a white card with a black symbol inked onto it. The first two were a cross and a circle, but the third is 3 wavy lines stacked on top of each other. The next day, Hopper and Delgado pour over the cards and pictures of the crime scene, but Hopper is interupted when Captain LaVorgna calls him into his office to tell them they're off the case. Hopper is angry, and even more so when a man in a suit, Special Agent Gallup from a mysterious government organization comes in to take the case from them and show paperwork proving that the latest victim, Jacob Hoeler, was an undercover special agent, giving them jurisdiction over the case. Hopper goes and meets with Delgado while the feds clear out their desks of all relevant casework. They make a plan for Hopper to cause a scene and Delgado to steal the paperwork that had Jacob Hoeler's addresses on them.

They meet again afterwards, and Hopper agrees to go to the second location, and Delgado goes to reinvestigate the scene of the crime. Hopper finds an empty apartment with nothing but a cot and a ton of classified file boxes. When he goes to look into them, he hears someone enter the apartment. He catches them by surprise, but it isn't an agent like he was expecting, and the intruder escapes even after Hopper chases them. By the time he returned to the apartment, the classified files are gone, and the only thing left for him to get clues from are an empty notebook with the indentations of the previous page pressed into the paper. Delgado has better luck at the crime scene, where she runs into the super of the building. He says how three boys in army jackets came knocking on Hoeler's door the week before the murder, and Delgado finds receipts and notes with addresses to community centers where AA meetings are held.

The next morning, before Hopper and Delgado get the chance to talk, Captain LaVorgna calls Hopper into his office and says he is needed downstairs to interview an informant wanting protection. Him and Delgado exchange information and then he goes downstairs to conduct the interview. The boy is barely an adult, and looks to be strung out on some sort of drug, barely cooperating to answer any questions. Hopper is about to leave when the boy, Leroy Washington, waves around a white card with black ink on it, another in the murder set. This time the symbol is a five pointed star like the ones carved on the victims. He begins talking about darkness enveloping the city and Satan coming to sit on his throne in New York, and that "the Saint" was going to make bad things happen. Hopper leaves him in a cell to sober up and goes back upstairs. Him and Delgado converse again, and she says she filled in Hoeler's notebook page with pencil, revealing that he had written the word "Vipers", and underneath it were the names of a bunch of gangs that no longer exist. They end up deducing that Jacob Hoeler and Special Agent Gallup are part of a gang busting task force, and that it ultimately was for the best that they took over the case so other peoples' covers weren't blown. They agree to tell LaVorgna tomorrow about what they found, Leroy Washington, and the new card, but Delgado tells Hopper to take the day since he looks exhausted.

Hopper takes Diane out to see Star Wars and they get egg cream afterwards. They joke and talk and Diane mentions that Hopper looks more relaxed, and he admits he's a little relieved that he feels like he can let go of the case now. When taking off his jacket, he drops the five pointed star card, and Diane says she recognizes it as a Zener card, something Lisa had in her magic act at the birthday party. When they get home, Diane calls Lisa and puts Hopper on the phone so he can ask his questions. Lisa was busy, but they agree to meet the next day. Hopper comes into work the next day and calls downstairs to see if Leroy has sobered up. They let him know that someone has released him on accident. Hopper is enraged, but Leroy calls him not long after, saying they need to meet up because he's in danger. Hopper leaves a note for Delgado to go meet with Lisa about the cards instead of him, and goes to get Leroy. When he arrives at the address, Leroy is no where to be found. Hopper waits, buying a new pack of cigarettes in the meantime. As he goes to poke around the phone booth, a mail truck comes up and five men hop out and kidnap him. He is knocked out, tied up, blindfolded, and dumped in a mailroom, and not long after, so is Leroy. Delgado goes to meet with Lisa, who is actually a decorated criminal psychologist. She explains her backstory, and her work at the Rookwood Institute where she attempted to rehabilitate prisoners for release into the real world. She left due to lack of funding and now works as a part time magician and does similar rehabilitation classes for people at community centers for a charity. She says that the Zener cards were made to try and test for telepathy and clairvoyance, and that there is one more symbol they haven't seen yet, which is the square. Delgado gives Lisa a ride to a community center, which was one on Jacob Hoeler's list of addresses. Special Agent Gallup reveals himself as Hopper and Leroy's kidnapper. He threatens them, saying that they must go undercover in the Saint's group, the Vipers, or he will have Hopper jailed and his family ruined. Hopper and Leroy agree. They plan for Hopper to be implicated in a double homicide that he will later be cleared of when the operation is done, and to then have Leroy take him into the Vipers as a disgraced cop looking for a place to belong. Before he disappears entirely, he goes home and naps, changes clothes, and then meets with Delgado to let her know that he did not commit the crime he's about to be accused of and that he has to go undercover. He also asks her to look out for Diane and Sara. Delgado, of course, agrees.

Leroy takes Hopper in a beat up old station wagon to the Bronx. On their way, they are stopped by three boys and a girl standing in the road. The girl, Martha, is Leroy's sister. They smoke weed in the car and Martha has them stop at a tech store that they plan to rob. Before they go in, Martha gives Hopper a pill that he spits out later, but not before some of it dissolved. They rob the store, and Hopper, high off the weed and the pill, attacks the store owner. They leave and head to a huge warehouse complex in the Bronx, and Hopper is introduced to the gang, and then after that, Saint John. Saint John believes that him and Hopper share a special connection due to them both having been in Vietnam, and welcomes him into the ranks, assigning him to Leroy and Lincoln's crew.

Delgado is in the office when the news about Hopper's supposed crime breaks. She goes to interview Diane, but when they interrupted by LaVorgna, Delgado slips her an address. LaVorgna then makes Delgado take a week of paid leave because she is too close to the situation. She takes this time to meet with Diane and tell her as much as she knows. After that, Delgado visits all of the community centers on Hoeler's list. She discovers that the first two victims were leaders of military support groups, and that Hoeler had been visiting them. She goes again to see Lisa at her support group meeting, but she didn't recognize the names of the first two victims, or the picture of Hoeler. Without knowing it, Delgado brushes by Saint John as he enters Lisa's meeting. She goes home and calls Special Agent Gallup to begin reporting her findings to him. At the end of her meeting, Saint John starts offering to help stack chairs, and Lisa agrees until she notices the Vipers jacket. She tells him to leave but he offers her a job, giving her the address of the warehouse in the Bronx if she is interested. Whenever she arrives home, she gets a call that she has been let go from the charity for financial reasons, and she impulsively decides to go the warehouse. She is surrounded by two men and a bunch of people on the roofs, but just when they're about to grab her, Saint John walks out and welcomes her to the Viper warehouse.

Saint John orders Hopper, Leroy, and Lincoln to go to a veteran's support group, and Hopper gets a lot off his chest. He does finally get agitated with Leroy though, and loses his cool, demanding more information. Lincoln begins to grow suspicious of Hopper, and they return to the warehouse. Hopper tries to open one of the crates they are moving, but Lincoln grabs Hopper's gun and aims it at him. Martha intervenes, telling Lincoln to go see Saint John, and squares up to Hopper with a crowbar. Saint John gives Lisa the tour of the warehouse, and, to demonstrate his abilities, orders a gang member to kill himself with a screwdriver. Lisa stops him, and wants to leave but continues to follow Saint John up to his office. She sits down at a table and finds herself unable to move, and Saint John reveals himself to be one of her former patients at Rookwood. Lincoln interrupts to tell him that Martha and Hopper are about to fight. He goes down and halts the impending fight, bringing Hopper back up to the office, but he is enraged to discover that Lisa has escaped. Hopper offers to search with Leroy and Lincoln's crews. He manages to find Lisa first, and she explains why she's there. He says he'll send Leroy to sneak her out, and that she has to go see Delgado. He sends Leroy, and then sneaks around Saint John's office, stealing plans, and finding the classified files that were in Hoeler's apartment. He then goes to the roof after hearing commotion up there. Gang members stand gathered around Saint John, all robed in white while he was robed in black. He does some prayers to Satan, and then Leroy drags Lisa forward. He uses his mind tricks on her, and she jumps off the roof of the building to her death. Hopper yells, and Martha grabs him and they both run, escaping the warehouse as the entire city is plunged into complete and total darkness from a blackout. They take Leroy's old station wagon and drive through the Bronx, where several buildings are on fire, some people are having a street party, and they have a few close encounters with a couple other gangs, causing them to eventually abandon the car and go on foot. They are hunted down eventually by seven Vipers, and they chase them through the park on motorbikes. Hopper manages to steal one from them, and him and Martha escape. They make it to where there are finally some police officers, but they are immediately arrested due to Hopper supposedly being a wanted criminal. The van they are loaded into, however, takes them straight to Special Agent Gallup in Times Square. Hopper hands over Martha and the paperwork he stole, and takes a motorcycle straight home to see his wife and kid. When he arrives, Delgado, who had been there guarding them, had left to go to the Rookwood Institute to find Hopper, since their neighbor Eric had seen the Vipers and all their guns marching on it. He contacts Special Agent Gallup over the radio, and tells him he is going to Rookwood to save Delgado and Leroy. He sneaks in, and finds Delgado unconscious on a pentagram, with Saint John standing over her with a knife. Leroy and another gang member, Rueben, restrain him, and he is drugged and knocked out. When he wakes, he is unable to move despite not being physically restrained, and Saint John explains that when he was a soldier in Vietnam, the CIA did experiments on him and he helped to do experiments on others to make them super soldiers. He believes wholeheartedly it was during this time that Satan was calling for him, and that call was reignited when he met Lisa. He tries to mind control Hopper into killing Delgado and then himself, but Hopper manages to break free and fight off Rueben, Leroy, and then Saint John, stabbing him in the shoulder. Leroy tries to fight off the drugs, but ends up shooting Hopper in the shoulder. Delgado is alright, and Saint John dies, and they wait for the cops to find them. Martha and Leroy reunite, and Hopper goes home to his family.

Delgado and Hopper are welcomed back to the precinct with open arms and cheers. In 1984, Eleven is satisfied with Hopper's story and it's conclusion. The last chapter describes Hopper's Christmas in 1977 with Diane and Sara.

Jim Hopper: Hopper was frustrating to read about at times with all of his blustering and the tough guy act he tries to pull with Special Agent Gallup. All of the scenes with him and Eleven felt dull and repetitive, especially with his repeated thoughts about "not wanting to talk about Vietnam cause he isn't ready" and worrying that Eleven is too young or not mature enough to keep hearing the story the entire book.

Rosario Delgado: Delgado comes across like a badass only to be used as the damsel in distress for Hopper to rescue and that was incredibly infuriating to me.

Lisa Saregeson: This entire character was incredibly frustrating as we are introduced to her officially with a lot of exposition of her backstory that was completely unprompted. She was essential to Saint John and his background and the story, and yet we never find out what he wanted from her, or what occurred while he was her patient, or what she knew about him. She felt like she just ended up being there to move the plot along and be a dramatic death in a climactic moment.

Storyline: At it's core, this book is just plot for the sake of plot. All of the characters felt hollow and like they were only there to move the plot forward. Information is glossed over for what feels like the sake of page numbers, and there are a lot of conversations and inner dialogue that feel repetitive and redundant. It also took me a bit to get into the story itself because I simply had a hard time caring, most likely because this was just a filler book for Stranger Things; I thought I would enjoy it but I didn't.

Representation: Rosario Delgado is Cuban American, and Martha and Leroy are black. Members of the Vipers are described as being of all races. I personally can't speak at all to how things like race or gang culture were handled in this book, but I feel like there were some things lacking. Also, Hopper and Saint John have PTSD from Vietnam, but the way it is shown that Hopper is strong and put together and got over it while Saint John became "delusional" also didn't feel like the best way to represent that as well.

Summary: While it kept me entertained enough to get through it, this book really wasn't for me. It was like reading fanfiction to be honest, and not good fanfiction either. I think the fact that I knew what happened with Hopper and his family was also unincentivizing. The murders that started the entire story ultimately fell by the wayside, and the exact source of Saint John's abilities were chalked up to an MKUltra experiment and some drugs, which not only did I see coming from a mile away, but was also never expanded upon. The entire dismissal of Lisa as a character was incredibly frustrating, and Delgado doing all that work just to end up being bait was also a let down.

#stranger things #book review #book blog #books #book reviews #stranger things books #darkness on the edge of town #adam christopher #ya #thriller #jim hopper #eleven hopper #jane hopper

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