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jerzwriter · 7 months ago

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The Exes: Trystan & Carolina Edition

Fandom old-timers may remember this template from the summer of 2022 (or was it 2021?); it was created by @jamespotterthefirst as a tool to help us delve into our characters' histories a bit more. Since I plan on expanding my HC for Trystan and Carolina in the near future, so I pulled it out, and once again, it really helped! (Thanks, Bree!). Relationships should never define us, but our actions in and surrounding them say a lot about who we are, and if we let it, they teach us about ourselves. Further, the way people treat us absolutely impacts us, sometimes temporarily, sometimes for good. So, I think exploring helps us get to "know" our characters better.

I highlighted 6 exes for both Trystan and Carolina. I imagine they had many more dalliances, flings, and one-night stands between them, but these are relationships that shaped them in some way - for better or worse - and played a part in bringing them to where they are today as individuals.

I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Dahlia Aceves: Dahila grew up in the same Bronx neighborhood Carolina did, but they only met at 16 because they attended different schools. They became fast friends when Dahlia transferred to Carolina's high school. Dahlia was a bit closed off from others, and while she was generally liked, she didn't have a "clique" or fully fit in. Carolina was similar in those regards, and that drew them to one another. Shortly thereafter, their relationship also became sexual but neither had any desire to be in a relationship, so their friends-with-benefits arrangement began and remained on and off for nearly a decade. Everyone knew there was "something" between them, but no one dared to pry. At times, Dahlia was a fixture at Carolina's place, and she still pops by to see Tommy to this day. While neither woman even envisioned a "serious" relationship together in the future, they both thought (to different degrees) that their arrangement might just go on the way it had indefinitely. (Of course, it didn't). Carolina still sees Dahlia around the neighborhood, and they're friendly but not exactly friends. Dahlia never warmed up to Trystan and she tends to ignore him or give him an attitude when she bumps into him. (FC: Lee Rodriguez)

Marcos Candella: Carolina cannot remember a time when she didn't know Marcos. They played on the streets together as kids, went to school together from K-12, and always had each other's backs. When her father was murdered, Marcos checked in on Carolina daily, dropping off some of her favorite treats prepared especially for her by his mom. Their connection was always platonic, but that changed briefly after HS. Carolina was confused about her sexuality. She always believed she was bisexual, but at that point in time, she had only been with other women and felt like she couldn't fully make that determination unless she gave men a shot, too. Also, she also couldn't understand why she enjoyed sex and comradery with partners but couldn't form a romantic attachment to anyone, so she decided to try dating Marcos. The physical attraction was real, as was their long-established bond of friendship, so it was much more than a meaningless fling. When they reached the 6-month mark, Marcos asked her if she felt they had a future, and she said only as friends. She was happy to see he was relieved about her answer. They are still friends to this day and always have each other's backs. They usually forget this brief part of their life together ever happened. (FC: Ismael Cruz Cordova)

Josh Bowlan: After graduating from Hostos Community College, Carolina began working on her bachelor's degree in criminal justice at John Jay College in Manhattan. It was the first time she was outside of her Bronx bubble on a daily basis, and that changed her life drastically. Her on-again-off-again thing with Dahlia was in an off spot after the two women had a big spat, and Carolina was 100% single when she started at John Jay. Josh was the guy everyone wanted to date, and when he pursued Carolina, focusing all his attention on her, it was a bit intoxicating. Despite a little arrogance, he was a good guy and treated Carolina very well, even though they were far from a perfect match. She was still confused about why she couldn't "feel" the same feelings her friends did when it came to relationships, so she mostly played along because she didn't want to feel different. She liked Josh; she enjoyed his friendship, the intimacy, the sex, but that butterfly, I need you and never want to be without you feeling... it just never came for her. Josh sensed it but tried to ignore it. He assumed it would happen in time. Just shy of their one-year "anniversary," Josh stopped by Carolina's place unexpectedly and found her with another woman. He was furious that she was "cheating" on him; she reminded him that they never once said they were exclusive, so she hadn't done anything wrong, but Josh felt it was just "understood." Hurt, he broke things off, and they only saw each other when their paths crossed at school, where things were contemptuous between them. Most people "sided" with Josh, though Carolina's real friends had her back. (FC: Logan Schroyer)

Kayla (Kai) Sato: After Josh, Carolina was pretty certain she wanted nothing to do with relationships. She and Dahlia started up again; she had many short flings and ONS, but for years, relationships were a no-no, and she ran anytime a lover suggested they take things further. That changed a little when she met Kai at a fundraiser during Pride. The two women had many friends in common and were passionate about similar causes. Carolina was drawn to Kai's creative nature, and Kai found Carolina's practicality settling. They started a passionate affair, and Carolina began to think the infatuation she was feeling could be something more, but for Kai, there was no confusion. She was head-over-heels for Carolina from the start. When she told her that she loved her, Carolina chose to be honest. She explained she cared for her and enjoyed being with her, but love wasn't in the equation, and she wasn't even sure it ever could be. Kai said that was fine. She insisted it would come in time, and until then, she "had enough love for both of us." Carolina told her she couldn't make any promises, but Kai chose to live in denial. A few months later, Kai asked Carolina about becoming exclusive, and when Carolina declined, Kai was furious. Shortly after that, Carolina ended things, knowing they wanted very different things. (FC: Karen Fukuhara)

Raul Montes: Enter Raul. Raul was one of Carolina's father's best friend's sons, and they had known each other forever. He also lived in the Bronx as a child but moved away for college and never came back. Six years her senior, Carolina was only 12 when he moved away, and neither gave each other any thought. When Raul moved back to NYC for a career opportunity, he settled on the Upper West Side of Manhattan but would visit his family in the Bronx several times a month. It was on one of those trips when he spotted Carolina, who was in the middle of a spat with a street vendor who was trying to rip her elderly neighbor off. Raul's interest was piqued, and they began talking. When he asked her on a date, she felt something and accepted. It was only in retrospect that she realized that feeling was solely because Raul had a connection to her father, and that was something she desperately craved. Raul was 30 and wanted to find a wife and settle down... and the thought of that alone terrified Carolina, but then again... he knew her Dad. He loved her Dad. Blinded by this, she wanted to see if she could make it work. By this point, Carolina knew she was demiromantic, and when Raul wouldn't slow down the relationship escalator, she explained this to him. If he wanted things to work, he'd have to be patient. She wasn't going to jump into anything just to satisfy him. Raul didn't even know what demiromantic meant, so he did some "research", but ended up mostly on information that suited his needs. On their next date, he told Carolina that he had looked into it, and she was honestly impressed, thinking he cared enough to try to learn more and understand her better, but those hopes were quickly dashed. He told her his "research" found there was really no such thing as being demiromantic. Obviously, she just had commitment issues stemming from her father's murder. He encouraged her to get more "help" so they could move forward. Not wanting to make a scene in public, Carolina smiled curtly and attempted to change the subject, knowing this was their last date. But when Raul didn't take the hint and kept pushing the issue, Carolina told him he was an ass. He smugly replied, "No, I'm not Carolina. You're just confused." She proceeded to pour a pitcher of sangria over his head as a string of Spanish curses fell from her lips, and she walked out, never to see him again. (FC: Anthony Ramos)

Daphne Miller: After Raul, Carolina went into a serious "fuck relationships, fuck people, I want none of this" period. Sex and her friendships more than satisfied her need for intimacy, and she had no desire for anything more. One of her lovers was Daphne, a fellow detective in the NYPD. They worked well together... on cases and in bed and in life. Their shared passion for their jobs, the NY Yankees, and just living the best life they could brought them closer. Daphne loved Carolina very much and would have pursued more with her, but Carolina was upfront about her wishes, and Daphne respected her boundaries. While they were together, Daphne, who was polyamorous, moved in with another one of her partners, but her affair with Carolina continued as it had before. But when Carolina was forced out of the NYPD, it caused tensions in their relationship, eventually leading to its end. At the time, Carolina felt Daphne was being disloyal to her; in hindsight, she can tell that Daphne was just in a terrible position and trying to make the best of it. They had no contact for a long time after their split, but in time, they became casual friends again, sometimes even going on double dates where Daphne often challenged Trystan to drinking match-ups, which she almost always won. (FC: Kim Delaney)

Irena Baciu: As the heir apparent, Trystan was expected to court women from the finest families in Europe and find a suitable wife as soon as his formal studies ended at seventeen. His lack of interest in doing so was of little consequence to his family. After having a bevy of lovers, both public and in secret, he and Irena came up with a pact. A wealthy heiress from a traditional family herself, she was in a similar situation, so they pretended to court while secretly seeing others as well. It got their family off their backs, and the tabloids got a "darling" couple to focus on. It was a win-win. But, they found that they enjoyed each other's company, so their ruse turned into a no-strings relationship. They both knew it wasn't going to last, but they enjoyed it while it did. They remained friends, and Irena was among those who always believed in Trystan and stood by him after Juliana's death. They're still friends to this day and she totally shipped Trystan and Carolina. (FC: Anastasia Kuchinskaya)

Juliana Georgescu: When Trystan refused to find a suitable bride on his own, his family took matters into their own hands and arranged a political marriage with Juliana. It was good for their families and good for Drakovia. Trystan didn't have the will to fight it; if he was going to be stuck in a loveless marriage, he could do worse than his childhood friend, Juliana. They had known each other their whole lives, and he believed they were still friends. He didn't know that Juli had been having a secret affair with his half-brother, Vasili, and she believed Trystan to be a hedonistic, self-entitled lout. Still, she accepted her fate as his future wife because she felt it would be best for Drakovia and would allow her to enact positive changes in the nation. As time progressed, she got to know Trystan better and discovered he wasn't the man she thought he was. Under Juli's influence, Trystan matured and began to take his responsibilities more seriously, and in time, the two fell madly in love with one another. The engagement was no longer solely a political match, and the two looked forward to marriage, starting a family, and ruling Drakovia as husband and wife until that fateful night. Heartbroken, guilt-ridden, and devastated over his true love's death, Trystan was forced into exile and began a new life in New York. (FC: Isla Fisher)

Daniel Berger: When Trystan's abject depression over Juliana's death morphed into plain old depression, Trystan chose to soothe his pain with a hedonistic lifestyle. He didn't believe he was worthy of love, so living the life of excess expected of a rich playboy suited him well. Daniel attended one of Trystan's lavish parties, and the attraction between the two was instant. Their passionate love affair began that very night, and before long, Daniel had a key to the prince's apartment - with strict rules about what days he could use them. It was all about sex and fun at first, but Daniel was a sensitive soul and could sense the pain Trystan was in. He was there for him, and his tenderness, warmth, and understanding soothed Trystan's mind, body, and soul. Before long, they were exclusive. But Trystan was not out yet, so their love had to remain a secret to most. Just shy of a year after dating, Daniel was offered a lucrative position in Paris. Knowing Trystan couldn't leave the States, Daniel told him he'd turn it down in an instant if they had a future, but Trystan wasn't prepared to be open about his sexuality. Further, Trystan still didn't feel like he deserved real love, and he knew he might not be able to give Daniel what he so richly deserved, so they parted tearfully but amicably and remain close friends to this day. (FC: Chris Salvatore)

Augustine "Gus" Riccio: Trystan let Daniel go, but his loss impacted him more than he had anticipated; he found himself sad and lonely. Most of his nights were spent with a bottle of whisky and memories of Juliana and Daniel; he was beginning to spiral. That's when Gus stepped in. One of Manhattan's best-known party planners, he made himself indispensable to the wealthy prince. Planning one huge bash after another. Their business arrangement quickly turned into a personal one, and Trystan allowed himself to believe it might be real. Eight months after they began dating, Trystan received an envelope containing compromising photos of him and Gus. The sender threatened to out Trystan unless he transferred a large sum of money to an offshore account. Using his connections, Trystan found out that Gus, who was pretending to be outraged by the blackmail, was actually the one behind it. With proof in hand, Trystan tossed him to the curb and threatened to make his life unbearable if he went to the press. (FC: John Mayer)

Alicia Porter: Trystan was done—more than done at this point. Worried about him, his sister Marguerite began dragging him everywhere she went, including plenty of fashion shows. At one such show, he was introduced to Alicia, one of the newer models, and sparks flew. Trystan made it clear, he wasn't looking for love, just a lover and sometime companion, and Alicia was fine with that. They partied, traveled, and slept together; the fun and levity were just what Trystan needed. Six months after they met, Alicia told Trystan she was pregnant and planned to have the child. He wasn't thrilled but wasn't about to back away from his responsibility. He suggested Alicia move in with him, and that they should try to see if their relationship could be more for the sake of the child. But, at minimum, they could raise their child together. Unfortunately for Alicia, her acting skills weren't as good as she believed, and before long, Trystan realized she wasn't pregnant at all. She had been hoping for a lump sum payment to "take care" of the non-existent "situation" and go away. Of course, they were over at that point. (FC: Millie Lewis)

Lucas Bernard: After Gus and Alicia, our poor prince was 150% completely done. He trusted precious few people, but among those few were his good friend Lucas. He met Lucas years before when he first moved to NYC. Lucas was kind enough to show him around and let him know he had a friend in his new hometown. Their friendship had deepened over the years, and Lucas was there for him after Daniel and Gus, and he was there for him again after Alicia. Their long talks led to the two men developing deeper feelings for each other and they embarked on a very close friends-with-benefits relationship. Lucas wasn't interested in settling down with anyone, and Trystan wasn't interested in anything more at that time. While neither expected the relationship to last forever, that doesn't mean they didn't take it seriously. It was filled with trust, kindness, compassion, and love. It was during this period that Trystan found the strength to be open about being bisexual. The two men briefly discussed more of a future together, but neither took the conversation too seriously. After about a year, they decided to remain just friends, but Lucas had helped Trystan heal and realize everyone wasn't to be mistrusted; there were still genuine people in the world. Lucas has since moved to LA, so they don't see each other as often as they might like, but they still consider each other dear friends and will always be a part of each other's lives. He and Carolina get along famously. She teases that she only adores Trystan a little more than Lucas. (FC: Keiynan Lonsdale)

Carolina would gladly save any of her exes - even Raul, who she doesn't care for one bit; she's just not that kind of person. But she took the assignment seriously and limited it to one. She chose Marcos because he's been a friend since they were children and has been there for her even in her darkest days.

Trystan may no longer be with Daniel or Lucas, but he considers them to be two of the most important people in his life, so it was an easy answer (though he wouldn't leave Irena out to die either!)

They both dislike Raul the most of Carolina's exes, while Trystan dislikes Gus and Alicia equally; Carolina gives an edge to Gus.

Carolina is still friendly-ish with Dahlia too, but since she can't stand Trystan, it causes some friction.

Who the family liked the most was a no-brainer for Trystan. After all, they didn't even know about most of his lovers. It was slightly more difficult for Carolina to answer, as she hadn't been terribly serious with any of her exes, and her family didn't get to know them well, but Marcos was beloved by them on his own, so she picked him.

"Happiest with" was also a no-brainer for Trystan. After all, if Juliana hadn't died, he had hoped to spend his life with her. It was a much harder question for Carolina, but she selected Daphne because Daphne loved and respected Carolina for who she was and never pressured her to become or give more.

But Daphne was also Carolina's most difficult break-up. Partially because it was tied into her departure from the NYPD, but mostly because Carolina really liked and cared for Daphne and missed her when it was over.

Trystan selected Gus as his worst break-up because he felt so betrayed. He thought Gus cared for him, and the realization that he was being used all along hit him like a ton of bricks. It made Trystan doubt himself in ways he hadn't before.

Carolina realized none of her exes was particularly funny, but that's OK. Trystan makes up for it in spades. Daphne was sharp as they came, so she was the smartest. Marcos was the kindest to her.

Juliana was easily the funniest and brightest of Trystan's exes. He would say kindest, too, but Daniel had an edge because his love and kindness to Trystan were so selfless. He gave without expectation or agenda from the start, and he was always honest & trusted Trystan. While Juli was very kind, and their love grew, their relationship didn't have all of those elements from the start.

Why Dahlia and Daniel for kiss? They'd both say because they were fucking great kissers. Marry was easy for Trystan, but Carolina was surprised to find her visceral answer was Daphne. Carolina chose Raul for kill, making it clear that she really wouldn't kill him, but maiming didn't sound so bad. Trystan chose Gus and said killing seemed perfectly suitable.

They both meet their exes, who remain friends in their lives. Marcos and Daphne both liked Trystan, and Dahlia tolerates him on occasion when needed. Irena, Daniel, and Lucas all get along well with Carolina, but she and Lucas are the closest of the three.

Thank you for checking this out and if you have any questions about this, feel free to shoot me an ask!

#crimes of passion #trystan thorne #carolina rose #m!trystan thorne x f!mc #trystan x carolina #trystan and carolina hc #their exes

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