#it's always a fine day to be a caroline anti

[hyperactivewhore]

But Klaus and Caroline would love each other so much, she'd become queen of New Orleans and they would have magical tribrid babies after having tree sex 🥺🥺🥺

I'm kinda tired for Caroline being labelled as the best girlfriend in the world and no one being worthy of her except one (Klaus)…

i'm tired of argument "Tyler chose revenge over her, Klaus did not". Sorry, but I'm sick of it. Tyler chose revenge because she gave him an ultimatum. Klaus VICTIMIZED TYLER, HE HAD NO RIGHT FOR ANY REVENGE JUST BECAUSE TYLER FREED HIMSELF AND TURNED AGAINST HIM.

Tyler was still severely traumatized. Caroline after her mom's death switched her humanity off and bullied her friends. Even tho it's a bit unfair to compare the pain, I still it's easier to deal with that your parent died of natural causes. Tyler? His mother died terrified! It was not a natural cause, it was a m-rder. Straight up mu-rder to torment Tyler. God, Klaus even mocked and laugh into Tyler's face for it. She expected him to party and move on like nobody m-rdered his mother, like nobody enslaved him, killed his friends and was hunting him for fighting oppression? Again, SHE TURNED OFF HER HUMANITY AFTER HER MOTHER'S DEATH, SHE DID NOT DO THE BEST DECISION TOO, BUT NOBODY SAID THEY ARE DONE WITH HER, she had still her door opened. Sorry, but Caroline did not give a sh!t about his mental health. But she's the one who felt mistreated, she was the one who was mad and slept with the one who tormented all of them, just because Tyler did not have the strenght to move on yet. "Not a villain of my story". Sorry, but the one who does this to people I love is maybe not a villain of my story, but I'm not gonna shag him. Do not even let me start how season five of The Originals sugarcoated all previous events. It's fine when you are ok with the past, but srsly, this is not the case. Klaus left dead bodies of people Caroline knew, he almost killed people closest to her, he tortured a man she loved, he tortured her best friends and traumatized them in worst way possible, he almost killed her two times, almost sacrificed her, said into her face he will kill her boyfriend, watched her dying in pain.

Tyler was not a perfect boyfriend. But Caroline definitely was not a perfect girlfriend. Sorry, if she loved him that much, why she was so fast done with their relationship and hopped on a dick of someone who she did not even love? Just because she felt hurt, that Tyler's world doesn't just revolve around her? Because she wanted her scandalous sex? Everyone says how it's all about her feelings for Klaus, but it always strikes me as part of the post-breakup sulking.

[georgiaheartsdilfs]

Request: Can I ask klaus x reader x Damon Salvatore? Where reader belongs from the lineage of different siren's, who were blessed by the gods? But reader doesn't know it yet and also readers parents knew but hid it? So when accidentally reader touches large amount of water she kinda turns into this mermaid thingie? So the mystic fall gang promises to reader's parents to protect reader from the Mikaelsons?  So Damon falls hard for reader as ofc reader is a siren, but when klaus sees the reader he is also head over heels for them?

Secrets | Klaus M x Damon S x F!Reader

author's note ↪hey, i hope you don't mind i sort of like twisted your idea so the gang like knew before the reader did and that's why they are protective, because like the reader's parents told her friends since they were accustomed to the supernatural life and then they made the pact to protect the reader a couple years ago but the reader finds out now, but if thats what you meant then... oh well idk. sorry if you don't like it <3 if this wasn't what you were looking for i'm sorry this is my first request

I always felt... different. Mystic Falls was a lovely place, although it was crawling with vampires it seemed to have it's perks. My parents had told me that my ancestors settled here years ago and they called it home ever since.

I never knew why I felt out of place in Mystic Falls, maybe because all my friends were vampires, Damon, Stefan, Elena and even Caroline. Bonnie was a witch so I suppose she was like them aswell just less demonish, I was the only human.

"Stefan" I groan over the phone "Where is your brother, he was suppose to come pick me up" I had been standing outside of school for an hour.

"I'm sorry y/n but I can't find him, maybe he just got lost?" Stefan questioned "Damon getting lost in a town that he's lived in all my life, I highly doubt it" I mumble "I'll just walk" my voice goes quiet before ending the phone call.

Gripping onto my bag, I turn in the direction of my house. My parent's worked until late hence Damon picking me up all the time, my father seemed to know about the vampires, so did my mother but considering they don't look a day over 40 i'm sure they knew everything, including the secrets of anti-aging cream.

Being a human was ok, I guess. I mean sure it would have been cool to have all the powers that Damon did like super strength and super fast running if thats what you call it.

My house wasn't too far from school, it was actually pretty close but I hated walking home. It was scary, I had to walk through the cemetery which lead to a big lake that was near my backyard.

My mother said I couldn't swim in the lake, she had claimed it was polluted and it would be unhealthy for my skin condition... which she also never told me, but then how did I shower?

"shoot" I mumble dropping my inhaler right in front of the cemetery "impeccable timing, y/n" I huff bending down to pick it up, my phone rings and I immediately pick it up "y/n are you okay? i'm sorry I forgot to pick you up, Me and the gang were busy doing stuff" Damon says over the phone in a panick.

"I'm fine, just tired from standing around for an hour, I'm also hungry." I complain "where are you I can come pick you up" he says "I'm in the cemetery so if you can drive into it, then sure but I'll just walk."my foot steps echoed as I walked through the cemetery.

"near the lake?" he asks "yeah, why?" I say in a confused tone "you know you're not allowed near the lake, that's why I pick you up all the time." he says "look turn around meet me at the high school and I'll drop you off" he says breathing heavily.

"what? no, i'll be fine." I don't see why he was worried about me all the time, all of them for that matter. Maybe it was because I was the baby of the group or because I was human and they weren't.

"fine" he mumbles before hanging up abruptly, moving the phone from my ear I stare at my phone in offense at how he hung up.

Pulling my inhaler out of my pocket I play with it in my had passing the cemetery "alright, please be kind lake." I huff, I had been scared of the lake ever since I heard stories that your deepest fear came out when you stared into it, not that it helped my anxiety.

The shape of the lake was odd, almost like it hid something underground even though I knew it didn't, getting closer to the Lake I try to distance myself just incase I touch it.

Tossing my inhaler around, catching it with one hand and passing it to the other I try not to think of my fear incase I look to deep into the Lake.

"Almost there" I sigh my eyes noticing my house coming into my vision as I toss the inhaler to the other hand failing to catch it. I fall to my knees trying to catch it as it falls into the lake "no, no, no, no ,no." I say in a panicked tone.

My hands reach into the lake, my hands turn blue as I quickly try to pull my hands up. I stand up trying to wipe the water off my hands by rubbing them on my bag.

Looking up I see that the once dull looking lake had now changed, something jumps up from the water giving me a fright as I step back. A human? What is this a mermaid movie.

"it is a mermaid movie" someone says near my feet "wait what, did you, did i?" I say confused "no you didn't say it out loud, i'm like you, i can read peoples minds" the mermaid claps excitedly "l-like me? what, I-I'm just human". I stutter.

"look down hunny, haven't you noticed you're significantly shorter" she chuckles and I notice I had webbed feet and my toes hand broken through my shoes, somehow "AAAH" I squirm falling into the lake.

The lake was much clearer when I had fallen under, "the inhaler is down here" the mermaid says swimming downwards, I look to my hands and see they were also webbed. I scream once more before following the mermaid.

She stops "this is deep" I say speaking clearly under the water "how can I hold my breath this long?" I ask her and she shrugs, I grab my inhaler and swim back to the surface jumping back on the grass and drying myself off.

"y/n!" I heard a voice, Damon runs through the cemetery towards me "sh" the mermaid says before swimming off "what are you doing, you're skin.." he runs up to me "it's fine.." I mumble "what?" he says grabbing my hands "i'm fine" I say looking up "I just dropped my inhaler" clearing my throat he throws his leather jacket over me.

"what happened?" he asks "nothing" I clear my throat "i know you very well, y/n, you're lying." he says grabbing my hand pulling me through to the other side of the lake where my house was.

"tell me." he demands, still freaked out I try to slow down my heart rate, obviously I had no idea how but I still tried "nothing happened damon, i'm fine." I smile "alright" he says grabbing my hand again pulling me up to my house.

He drops me off and the vamps away, before knocking on the door my mum opens the door "where were you and why are you wet?" she says in a concerned tone "i touched the lake, it filled up with like a bunch of mermaids and then the mermaid said look down and I had webbed feet oh yeah and I dropped my inhaler but i got it and i cant hold my breath under-" "y/n, please breath." my mother says grabbing my hand and rubbing it gently.

"what am I mum?" I ask her "what?" she says confused "don't what me, you knew Damon was a vampire before we moved here, you knew about its history, you knew about the lake what is so special about that lake?" I question her.

"it's not the lake hunny, it's you" my father walks in, his hands on his hip "now isn't the time Jared." My mother looks down, her grip on my hand getting tighter "what is it?" I ask my father.

"you're a-" "Jared" my mother turns to him "she needs to know." my father says and my mother sighs in defeat "you're a siren" my father says "a siren?" i repeat.

"you're immortal, y/n. we're immortal, we're psychic and but we are different sirens." my father says placing a hand on my mothers shoulder "unliked other sirens who follow the devil, we were gifted by gods, we don't feed on pure souls." my mother clears her throat.

"i'm a what?" I ask "a siren" they both say "and how old are you both..." I look between them "older than the oldest vampire on earth" my father says as my jaw drops "and me?" I ask "you're 17, the gods bless us with a gift every hundred years, a few years ago they blessed us with fertility that's when we had you, a siren baby." my mother smiled sweetly.

Damon knocks on the doorframe since my parents hadn't shut the door "you knew?" I asked him "we're just trying to protect you sweetheart..." my mother says "from who?" I say standing up.

"the mikaelsons." Damon clears his throats "You may be powerful hun, but we didn't want you to know about this side of you until you were older and we could explain it. The Mikaelsons have been trying to find us since they heard about us, Sirens with Pure Intentions, they never existed until we did." My father said.

"And knowing the Mikaelsons they want the Siren's miracle baby, for a miracle ritual." Damon says talking with his hands "the mikaelsons, who are they?" I ask "oh wait no don't tell me, the people that tried to kill your girlfriend a couple years ago." I say pointing at Damon and he nods.

"Great so Klaus and Elijah want me." I huff, "it's fine we can protect you, all of us." my mother says grabbing my hand once more "i just turned a whole lake into a pool of mermaids and I turned into one myself, how will you protect me if you couldnt even prevent that from happening?" I question them and they all stutter.

Walking over to Damon I hand over his leather jacket "leave" I mutter to him "i-" "leave, damon." I say and he leaves the house, getting in the. car as I spin back around to my parents "as for you both, why did you think you couldn't tell me this, i tell you everything" I peer between them both.

"we didn't know how to tell you at first, we were scared because there's never been a siren child before, only sirens and your father and I are very powerful, we didn't want to tell you because-" "I could be more powerful than you." I roll my eyes cutting my mother off before storming out of the house.

Walking past the lake once more, passing the cemetery. "y/n stop" Damon yells "I thought I told you to back off." I say angrily as he moves in front of me as I try exit onto the road.

"move Damon." I say "I can't leave you, you know this." he says holding his hands out for me to stop "Do I? Do i really know? or are you hiding something again." I mumble before storming off.

"y/n" Stefan says and I throw my hands up in the air frustratedly, "don't tell me you didn't know, because I know all of you knew. My parents told me." I say "you don't understand how powerful you are" Elena says and I spin aroud.

Bonnie, Jeremy, Matt and Caroline all form a circle "what're you guys doing?" I ask "we're trying to get you to calm down." Tyler says appearing out of the blue "well this wont work" I say shoving past the lot of them.

Continuing to walk down the long narrow road, my 'friends' don't bother following me. How could everyone I know lie to me?

What was so important that they felt the need to lie to me, to make me feel more out of place.

The moon had risen indicating that it was now night time, I didn't want to go home, nor did I want to go to the Salvatore house because it was filled with a bunch of liars.

Looking up to the moon I sigh, sitting down in the middle of the road. I found comfort in the moon more than anything else, the moon was the thing I confided in. Laying down on the road, staring up at the moon I sigh "I need a miracle right now." I huff.

"I suppose i'm not the miracle you're looking for, love." a british voice says and I sit up immediately spinning around to see the hybrid. "just when I thought I had enough of supernatural people today" my hand connects to my forehead shaking in disappointment.

"if it comforts you, i already knew what you were from the beginning, i just couldn't bring myself to do the ritual." he says his hands behind his back walking towards me "it doesn't comfort me that you knew Klaus, it comforts me that now I don't have to be afraid of you." I mumble before walking away from him.

He vamps in front of me halting me by raising his hand "let me explain." he says quietly "if you're telling me that I'm powerful, I had that talk and my friends made it quite obvious by circling me." I mumble looking down at my hands.

"you're confused aren't you?" he asks "beyond." I mumble "as am i, my siblings and I researched your kind, they aren't in the books." he says "well they aren't well known clearly, only the devil worshipper ones." I say looking up at the moon.

"blessed by gods, fertility, i was a miracle baby." I say and he chuckles "I know a thing or two about miracle babies." he chuckles looking down "I figured." I chuckled, my mind had almost completely forgotten that he had a daughter in New Orleans.

Klaus and I continue walking down the road, talking about who I was and how different I am to everyone else. When we had started exiting Mystic Falls, Damon appears in front of us "I can't let you leave." he says.

Klaus looks at me and then Damon "Why is that?" Klaus asks tilting his head "you can't control anything here." he clears his throat. I walk over to Damon, placing my hands on his hair and everything goes black.

Until I saw it, everything he cared for, was I in his mind?

damon's mind

"i'd protect her with my life, Mrs and Mr y/l/n" Damon says to my parents, I was asleep as Damon sat next to me "this is very important she doesn't find out Damon, I mean it." my mother says and Damon nods, stroking my hair. "You're feelings for her only boost your want to protect her." my father says and Damon looks at my parents standing up.

It then turned black again, until i saw it. I was at school, he was waiting in his car and I ran out, the school bell had rung obviously meaning that the school day had now ended "Damon" I said, Damon's head turns to face me. I could feel his heart rate, it was the fastest thing I had ever heard "Hey y/n, how was your day?" he said.

Once again, it turned black and then the scenery had changed once more. It was the Salvatore house, "Damon, you're dating Elena you can't fall for another woman" Stefan said as Damon nods, his face aggrivated at the fact he felt something for another woman whilst in a relationship.

"It's like she can control my mind" Damon says and it echoes, "my mind" his words echoe I take a step back, breathing heavily, Klaus catching me before I could fall to the ground. "what did I just do." I huff, sweating dripping from my head "it's started" Damon says "what? what started." I say panicked.

I get up from Klaus's arms, looking between them. "y/n?" Klaus says, my head starts spinning, Damon takes a step towards me "look the further away you get from your house, the more powers you get." Damon says and I run down the road back to the direction of my house.

Klaus stops me and I place my hands on his chest. klaus's mind "you can't just leave to mystic falls to get her, we've heard about how strong she is." Elijah said walking around the room "if anything she's exactly like you brother, a ticking time bomb. Who knows what powers she exerts" the older brother had his hand on his dome, rubbing it gently.

"you've fallen for someone you've only met once." Rebekah said "I don't fall for anyone, Rebekah. I simply need her for a ritual" Klaus said, yet I could hear his heartbeat and he was lying, the look on Rebekah's face proved that she knew he was lying.

"I swore never to return to this place" Klaus said staring at the 'Welcome to Mystic Falls' sign, his heart racing almost as fast as Damon's. "i need to meet he-"

My hands are removed from Klaus, he had more control over my powers than Damon did, I step back "I'm so sorry, Klaus." I panick.

They both had feelings for me. I run to the lake, as fast as I can, although it wasn't as fast as vampires I eventually made it, without question I jump into the lake, Why? to get away from everyone, from everything.

I hear their muffled voices talking "Where did she go?" Klaus had asked, he sounded lime he was walking around just near the edge of the lake "In there." Damon says pointing exactly where I was.

"Why are you two so Infatuated with me" I ask "I didn't ask for this" I scream. I swim to the top seeing them wait for me "can't you just go away." I say "how long for?" Damon asks "an hour atleast, I'm dying, give me room." I say finally calming down.

I didn't know if I was overreacting or under reacting, it had been hours and I still didn't understand what I was. If I wasn't human, I was a siren, but not any ordinary siren, I'm a miracle siren, a siren blessed by the gods and god knows how far back in time our kind goes.

The two smartest vampires I've come across have recently discovered they had feelings for me, one that has a girlfriend, the other a child. What do I do.

Rule the world? No.

From the water I look up to the moon "if this was your miracle, i'd much rather be a human." I huff.

[lollypopsx]

Little Charleigh accidentally cutting herself or scraping her knee and Harry's reaction?

Drabble Request

Drabble Masterlist

——————

Harry, Louis, Liam, Zayn, Niall and Charleigh had been at the O2 Arena all day, doing a rehearsal, soundcheck and checking costumes.

Charleigh had been couped up all day and was starting to get bored and restless.

The newly four year old was getting whiney in the room, she had watched films most of the day, and played with some of her toys, did some drawing and the boys even read some of the books with her.

She was slumped on the sofa and huffing in her stroppy mood while Harry was very busy sorting outfits out with Caroline.

"What's the face for, trouble?" Louis leans against the back of the sofa, ruffling Charleigh's hair gently.

"She's restless and bored but I can't do anything because I have so much to do" Harry huffs in frustration.

"You wanna come and play some football outside with me and Liam? Hm? Get you outside in the sunshine for a bit?"

Her eyes lit up as she turned around, standing up on the sofa and climbing up onto Louis "Yes please!" She grins happily.

"Cheers Louis...I owe you one" Harry thanks him in relief.

Lou and Liam took Charleigh outside to the gated off car park, which the tour busses were parked in, letting her have a run around and kick the ball a little bit.

---

"DADDY!!!" Charleigh's screams erupted through the corridors of the backstage area.

Harry was getting his hair styled and finished by Lou, wearing tight black jeans and no top.

The sudden cries caused Harry to jolt up from his chair and rush to the door.

Tears were streaming down her bright red cheeks as Liam held her to his hip, Louis trailing behind. "I'm sorry H..." Louis gulps

"Hey hey, what's wrong?" Harry frowns as Charleigh sobs against Liam's shoulder, her arms instantly reaching out to her dad.

"Daddy I fell over" She sobs as Harry takes her in his arms, a small trail of blood running down her leg from a small graze and cut on her knees.

"Oh baby girl" He frowns, kissing her head. "You'll be alright, let's go and clean you up, maybe Uncle Li and Uncle Lou can go and find you some chocolate buttons..." He smiles softly.

"She was running and tripped over the ball...we were watching her the whole time I swear" Louis mumbles, panic evident in his voice.

"Boys, it's fine. Kids fall over all the time...Especially this clumsy little mare" He reassures them.

Charleigh's cries were muffled into his neck, gripping his skin as he sits her on the dressing table, grabbing the first aid kit from the wall and sitting on the chair in front of Charleigh.

"Shhh, hey it's okay" Harry whispers, swiping his thumbs under her eyes to catch those falling tears. "Daddy's here, g'nna clean you up my little Cherry"

He rests her foot on his thigh, using his teeth to rip open the sachet containing an anti-septic wipe.

"This is going to sting a little but it will make sure it's clean? Alright?" he holds her tiny hand with one of his as Harry gently dabs at her graze, her cries growing louder once again and she pulls her knee away.

"No! Stop!" She yelps.

"Shhhh, hey. Look at me...squeeze my hand if it's sore okay?...That's it" He hushes her gently, stroking her knuckles with his thumb as he continues to dab her knee.

Her breath began to slow down as he wiped her leg clean. "There we go...now...here's the important part! Which plaster would y'like? You have two little scrapes." He pulls out the box of One Direction plasters from his bag, to which she always chose Harry.

"Mmmm Uncle Liam and Uncle Lou!" She grins, pointing to her desired two.

"What?!" Harry gasps. "You don't want me?!" He growls and starts to tickle her belly, the room filling with her joyous giggles.

Her knee was slightly bruised but if he didn't make a huge fuss, she wouldn't notice unless she felt it.

He gently stuck the plasters over her knee, wiping her leg once more and pressing his lips to her knee lightly.

"Right, let's go find those boys and the chocolate buttons" He lifts her from the table onto the floor, holding her hand as they walk to the next room.

It wasn’t the first scrape, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. But there was nothing that a One Direction plaster, chocolate buttons and a little bit of loving couldn’t fix.

——————

Tag List: @harryhoney-bee - @sunandherflores - @beachwood-cafe - @damnasstyles - @awesomebooklover17 - @hazgoldenstyles - @evanjh - @harrysbracelet - @nerdypartytrashpsychic - @harryssweatcreaturee - @hibaiqbal12 - @ayeshathestyles - @michellekstyles - @rach2602 - @randomwriter1021 - @elizabethrosecresswell - @izziestyles - @florencepughily - @finelinevogue - @justalostgirl - @handsomerry - @watermelonlovershigh - @harrys-cherrry - @crustyblackvans - @kaitieskidmore1 - @vanteguccir - @vodka-popsicles - @emlovesharrystyles - @ffinelinerry - @candystar288 - @somanyfandomsbruh

[strawberry-lemonade-kisses]

Songs from my spotify Library that remind me of the demon slayer characters

You can find the playlist here <3

Note: My music taste is bipolar asf so forgive me

Tanjiro: Sorry bud

Wish you were here - CL

4:00 AM. - Taeko Onuki

Fine On The Outside - Priscilla Ahn

Cellophane - FKA twigs

Nezuko:

Eleven - IVE

Banana Allergy Monkey - Oh My Girl BANHANA

Step Back - GOT the Beat

Inosuke: this is what goes on in Inosuke's head

Can you feel it - super junior d&e

Who are you - BamBam, Seulgi

Catallena - Orange Caramel

Zenitsu: no words needed

Them changes - thundercat

The only Heartbreaker - Mitski

My Universe - BTS, Coldplay

LO$ER=LOVER - TXT

Kyojuro: My love letter to Kyojuro

They long to be close to you - the carpenters

Fourth of july - sufjan stevens

Mmmh - KAI

My Love - maye

Obanai:

Snake - A-Jax

Domino - stray kids

Misery Business - Paramore

Out Of The Black - Royal Blood

Sanemi:

More - 5sos

Deadline - ZELO

Change - RM, Wale

Die, Die - GIRIBOY, CHOILB

Butterfly’s Repose - Zabawa (That one scenario i wrote, this song will always remind me of him)

Daechwita - AgustD

Muichiro: I feel like his head is like an ocean, vast and empty but calming, so thats why these ones remind me of him

The ocean music box - cookie run

The Boy Who Swallow a Star - Joe Hisashi

Love Is Rare - Tom Day, Monsoonsiren

Tengen: picture this, Tengen in leather booty shorts and thigh high heels, DROPPING IT LOW while absolutely eating these verses up

Mr.Clean - Yung Gravy

Streets - Doja Cat

Have Mercy - Chloe

Mitsuri:

P.Y.T - KimYeji

Cry For Me - TWICE

Anti-Romantic - TXT

Nobody - Mitski

Shinobu: the baddest bitch

Harenchi - chanmina

Serenade of water - men i trust

Stupid - Ashnikko, Baby Tate

Hello Bitches - CL

Giyu:

You & I - washed out

Over it - katherine mcphee

Ocean of Tears - Caroline Placheck

Die For You - The Weeknd

Gyomei:

Rock with you - seventeen

Little Bit - Erika de Casier

Sparks - Coldplay

Starting line - Luke Hemmings

BONUS!!

Kokushibo:

Psycho - red velvet

Sick of Losing Soulmates - dodie

Jolene - Dolly Parton

Douma:

Eat you up - Boa

Cold blooded - Jessi

Akaza:

Thin white lies - 5sos

All I Wanted - Paramore Akaza's love letter to Kyo

Kaigaku:

Kitty Kat - Megan Thee Stallion

Cat & Dog - TXT

Gyutaro and daki:

Smells like funk - Black eyed peas

Reversal Dancing (傾城大黒舞) - QUEEN BEE

Merry Go Round - YOHIO

Muzan: Not Sorry

Smooth criminal - Muzan jackson

Ubuyashiki: I'm Sorry

Blow - Ke$ha

[xxwritemeastoryxx]

Welcomed Distraction

Author: xxwritemeastoryxx

Pairings: Damon Salvatore x Reader

Word count: 1.7K

Warnings: Mentions of plotting murder but nothing else?

Author’s note: Welcome to fluff week! And here is how we're gonna start the week off. With a very Anti-Valentines day fic. What other way is there to start this holiday? XD I swear this is the only anti vday fic I have for this week. It is kinda Vday centered, so it's not like ya'll are missing out. Plus I needed this scenario. And I could only picture Damon for this so, here you go!

Feedback gives me life and motivation for future things

Flires covered the halls with posters for the dance this weekend. The Bitter Ball was meant for all of those that were heartbroken could get together and express how much they hated Valentine's Day. Of course those that celebrated were going to be out on their dates, spending their time with their loved ones.

Y/N wouldn’t be going out on a fancy date. Nor would she be spending her time at the Bitter Ball. It wasn’t like she had recently experienced heartbreak that would make her want to attend the dance. She was just single.

She had tried proving several times that there was nothing wrong with it. But of course her friends had tried setting her up with someone days before, but it didn’t end up working out. And Y/N actually preferred that. Why spend the money to show off how much you love someone on one specific day.

This way she could stay home for the night. It meant she could stay in her pajamas and binge watch whatever was on Netflix that caught her interest. There was no need to get dressed up for anyone and that was how she wanted it. All that was needed was an assortment of junk food and a drink of her choice.

And it was as Y/N was getting ready to plop into her bed and begin watching a serial killer documentary when there was a knock at her door. For a brief moment, she thought of just ignoring it and climbing into bed. But the other part of her believed that if it was anyone had to come find her, it must have been important and left her room to go answer the door.

Her eyebrow raised as she took in Damon Salvatore standing on the opposite side. She could see he had obviously been dressed for the Bitter Ball. The all black outfit had given that away seeing as it was a requirement for it.

“You know, when I was told everyone was heading to the Bitter Ball, I was surprised not to see you there.” Damon said as he leaned against the doorframe.

“I’m not bitter.” Y/N said as she took a step back to allow him to enter her home. “I’m single. There’s a difference.”

“I doubt everyone that’s there isn’t exactly bitter.” He said as he walked in.

Y/N chuckled and shook her head. “Caroline is bitter.” She noted. “You on the other hand, I can't exactly figure out why you’d want to go to the anti-valentines day ball.”

It was his turn to chuckle. “A bitter heart tends to lead to nights of very entertaining activities.” A smirk pulled at his lips, causing her to roll her eyes. “I mostly went because I thought my partner in crime would be there to be miserable with me. But she wasn’t there and when I found her, she’s ready to veg out without so much as giving me an invite.”

Her eyebrow raised. “I never took you for wanting to stay in and just eat junk food while watching serial killer documentaries.”

“Not with just anyone.” He said with a shrug. “But with you, I’d do it.”

Y/N eyed him a moment. For as long as she had known the man standing in front of her, she had never just been content to just sit there and watch documentaries. After a few seconds she nodded her head. “100 says you’ll get bored and start complaining about some of the cases.”

Damon laughed and shook his head. “That’s a bet I’ll take and even win.”

“Somehow I doubt that.” She said with a shake of her head as she began making her way back towards her room with him in tow.

As they both had settled into Y/N’s bed, Damon had every intention of winning the bet. If it meant he could spend some time with Y/N, he was going to do so. At least that was until they got some details wrong about a case that he had personally had a part in and that seemed to irk him.

A smirk had pulled at Y/N’s lips as she watched him from the corner of her eye. She could see the way his face either scrunched up in disbelief at the facts that had been pouring out of the narrator. Or even the way he sat up straighter and crossed his arms over his chest. It was in complete contrast to how laidback and comfortable Y/N had been.

“Just admit it, you’re ready to complain.” Y/N said as she never took her eyes off the tv.

Damon shook his head. “Never. Just really getting into this amazing documentary with all the wrong facts.”

Y/N laughed and stuck out her hand towards him. “That was a complaint. And I’ll take my money now.”

“That was not a complaint.” He said shaking his head as he looked over at her. “That was merely an observation.”

“An observation, my ass.” She chuckled. “That was a complaint on how they have the wrong information.”

“One would say that’s an observation that they gave credit to a serial killer, when in fact it was a Vampire.” He said with a shrug of his shoulders.

“What other observations do you have to voice?” She asked with a raised brow knowing she was about to win the bet.

“For one, they managed to say this guy had over 50 victims when, let’s be honest is more like 10 and was given credit for some that were not in fact his.” Damon continued on with every ‘observation’ he noticed during the first hour of what they’ve seen.

It was as Y/N rolled over on her stomach and propped her head on her fist, and a small smirk pulled at her lips that Damon realized he had gone into a full blown tangent on just how wrong the documentary had been. He had stopped mid sentence and took in her position and shook his head.

“Fine, you win.” He said with a roll of his eyes.

She began laughing away at his reaction and her laughter grew at seeing the slightest pout form on his lips. Damon was the one that usually won bets against a lot of people. But when it came to Y/N, she somehow won them. Even when her odds were against her.

The group used to say that was her supernatural ability. To be able to make bets go in her favor. But Y/N was as ordinary as they came. She wasn’t a relative of anyone special, she wasn’t descended from any kind of witch coven or royalty. She was as human as they came and she preferred that.

The moment the laughter died down, Damon watched her for a moment. “Want to talk about it?” He asked, keeping his attention on her.

His words hadn’t caught her off guard. She had been expecting them from the moment he had shown up at her door. But even then, her face fell and she looked away from him as she thought about it.

She may not have been bitter, but Y/N had gone through a bad heartbreak almost a year ago. One that left her broken in a way she’d never believed she would ever feel. That had been before she met the Salvatores and found out about the world she now lived in. While her friends had known about it, they always tried to get her back on the horse. But she never had been ready to do it.

“I don’t think I am.” She said with a shake of her head. “One day I’ll be able to talk about it without reliving it.” Even as she spoke of it now, she felt an emotion bubbling within her. “That time is just not right now.”

Damon laid back on the bed so that he was leveled with her. “You know I could always make him some serial killer’s next victim.”

Y/N chuckled and shook her head. “I think that would complete your previous offers of compelling, eating him and ripping his heart out.”

He smirked. “Just say the word, point me in the right direction and it’s done. No questions asked.”

“I’m surprised someone hasn’t done it already.” Knowing her friends, she was expecting it. Especially with the way everyone went behind each other’s backs from time to time to make sure they were safe.

“Oh, we’ve been tempted.” He said with a nod. “Okay, mostly me, but that’s because I'm impulsive and usually don’t care what other people say.”

“What stopped you this time?” She asked, curious. As Damon had said, he did things without thinking. And the fact that he had thought about doing so from time to time and not actually doing it had surprised Y/N.

“Because, believe it or not, while I’m impulsive and do things behind the backs of the people I care about, I don’t think I’d be able to handle your reaction afterwards.” He nodded his head. “I can handle everyone else being angry with me, or even hating me for a period of time, but I don’t think I could handle it coming from you.”

Y/n nodded her head as she took in his words. “I don’t think I could hate you, Damon. You could go out there and kill him tonight without me knowing and I still wouldn’t hate you for it. I’d probably thank you in the morning once I found out.”

“Well,” He said with a smirk pulling at his lips. “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard someone be okay with murder.”

She chuckled as she pointed towards the still playing documentary. “It would be interesting to see what details they’d get wrong when you’re the culprit.”

While she may have been only slightly joking, the whole conversation had distracted her from the hurt that she had been secretly hiding from the others. Planning out a revenge with a vampire was the last thing she had been expecting to do tonight. But the way it happened showed she was getting better.

Because creating a hypothetical murder scene with a vampire is just the next step of the healing process.

Always and Forever Tags:

@taylordrunkonwhiskey @thewolf-and-thesheep @wayward-dan @neeadinghugs @fafulous @kenmen02 @elizamonet @dora-the-grownup @mschellehitt @xanderling @fandom-princess-forevermore @buckysarm4 @hi-my-name-is-riley @helenasingers @mrs-jackson-kenner @hellotvshowtrash @dpaccione @dumble-daddy @theactressstaringinyourbaddream @maldita-world @nikmikaelsonswife @mikaelson-emma @elijahs-wife @moon-child-writer @xoxo-nikki-xoxo @njeancastro316

[firelxdykatara]

not gonna lie I would love to hear more about the drama and infighting that went on in The Vampire Diaries fandom if you have the time (and also want to use that time to give your experience with the fandom, which from the snippets you've told sounds Not Fun so I get it if you don't want to lol)

oh god, there was like, SO MUCH, i just

i really feel like tvd is one of those fandoms that is so hard to describe without a lot of ‘you’d have to have been there’, but it really felt like this huge and all-consuming beast for about five years until the show finally imploded and the fandom basically turned on it en masse. (you ever see that post going around that’s like ‘if you ever want to know what true regret feels like, ask someone who once called tvd their favorite show’? still a mood, all these years later. basically the entire fandom thought the show should have just bowed out with whatever shreds of dignity it had left at the end of season 6, and became more of a hatedom than a fandom for the last two seasons. when you have an entire fandom cheering news of your show’s cancellation, i think that’s a sign you done fucked up, julie.)

first and most infamous, of course, are the ship wars. which are pretty much inevitable in any teen-centered drama, and i really think the CW fucking thrives on them, but it was particularly egregious in TVD’s case because not only was the base premise of the show a love triangle, but the two main romantic leads were brothers that the show constantly pit against one another--in pursuit of elena’s affections, but also because it kept up this insistence on the ‘good brother/bad brother’ dichotomy which stopped making sense after about season 2 (by which time we have found out that the good brother was never as good as he appeared, and the bad brother has been growing and isn’t nearly as bad as he pretends to be)--and the question of which brother ‘deserved’ elena (and no, what elena wanted very rarely factored into these discussions, especially in the team stefan camp because they turned on her when what she wanted was no longer The Good Brother, but i’ll get to that in a bit) was hotly contested.

i’m not kidding when i say the shipping wars were vicious. i started watching tvd shortly after it began to air, which was late 2009, and kept up with it fairly sporadically over the years. i didn’t come onto tumblr until 2011/2012, and by then, the fandom was already pretty much a garbagefire. there were anti ship and anti character blogs, any time something bad happened for one ship the rival ship would invade the tags to gloat about it (seasons 3 and 4 were especially rough, and i’m not gonna pretend delena fans weren’t just as bad about tag invasion and shit, but as that was my side of the road i saw a lot more of the stelena shippers being assholes, which soured my opinion on the ship a long time before i started rewatching and realized the red flags were there from the start), confessions blogs were popular also toxic as fuck (so much fighting happened in the notes of those posts, good gods), and this was right around when twitter’s popularity was on the rise and the line between Celebrity and Fan was thinning, so the fandom was absolutely atrocious to much of the tvd cast and crew.

(some of them deserved a lot of the later backlash, but in the early years a lot of it was ‘how dare you write the story in a way i dont like, you terrible fucking person’, and gods don’t get me started on the dobsley vs nian Thing)

i think what really encapsulates my feelings on the tvd fandom as a whole, though, is the way they (to this DAY) treated elena gilbert, which can be summed up in one meme that gained a lot of traction around season 3 if i remember right: that gif of pam from true blood, with the text altered to read “i’m so OVER elena and her precious doppelganger vagina!”

i swear at one time i had over half the active tvd fan accounts on tumblr blocked, because i got to a point where i would no longer tolerate elena hate, and she was (and still is, in what remains of the fandom; you’ll see a lot of ‘elena was one of the worst things about the show’ takes from ex-fans, too) one of the most widely despised characters in the entire fandom. because she -checks smudged writing on hand- was a traumatized teenage girl who -reads off a crumpled notecard- couldn’t always perfectly sort out her own feelings and -squints at the ceiling- sometimes made mistakes or bad decisions. (except a lot of the fandom also insisted that she was a mary sue who had no character traits or flaws or faults and it was like....make up your fucking minds???? is she a calculating conniving bitch whose somehow manipulating these centuries old vampires to tie them around her little finger or is she a boring flat character with no depth and no flaws??? jfc)

there was this massive double standard, too--like, stefan and damon could fuck whoever they wanted and that was fine, but elena was constantly raked over the coals for the crime of developing romantic feelings for the two men who had become constants in her life and whom she cared for deeply, and oh my GOD the slut shaming that happened when elena slept with damon was fucking wild. (and also happened in canon lmfao. like the show had one of elena’s best friends basically call her diseased on screen for falling in love with someone other than stefan. it was gross and ridiculous and the friend in question was also being a giant hypocrite at the time since she was happily flirting with someone who was directly responsible for the deaths of like four of elena’s loved ones and her own boyfriend’s mother but that’s beside the point) but like elena was called a slut and a bitch and a whore for ‘cheating’ on stefan (she hadn’t, and she had in fact broken up with him on screen the episode earlier) and ‘immediately’ jumping into bed with damon, even though none of them said fucking boo when stefan had one night stands or damon had fuckbuddies or whatever.

shit, caroline didn’t get any of this treatment when she started falling for tyler while dating matt! which isn’t to say i think she should have, just that i think it’s fucking ridiculous that elena was absolutely demonized by the fandom for daring to have feelings for two guys at once and eventually acting on them--despite the fact that the entire premise of the show was a love triangle. it’s not a love triangle if both sides don’t eventually get explored, and the crew had been pretty explicit about the fact that delena was going to happen at some point--but when it did, a huge chunk of the fandom absolutely threw a fit.

and a lot of these elena haters were alleged stelena stans, and i say alleged because they hated her so much for not wanting stefan’s dick anymore that it was clear they were really stefan stans and only wanted stelena to be endgame because they wanted stefan to ‘win’ at the end of the day, because ‘he’s the good brother’ so he deserved elena more.

it was all very gross and very misogynistic and very sex shaming (apparently delena was a ‘shallow’ and ‘superficial’ relationship because they had sex after two years of unrequited feelings slowly becoming requited and then pining for ages on both sides, and because they had a lot of on screen chemistry that the show capitalized on for years so of course they did a lot of making out and shit but it’s not like stelena didn’t have its fair share of making out and sex scenes, stefan was just too much of a coward to let elena top i’d apologize for that joke but i’m really not sorry because it’s true), and when i say it was egged on by the crew, that’s because they refused to let the love triangle die back in season 4 when it should have.

they insisted on stringing stelena fans along, dropping little bread crumbs to keep them invested, like dreams of a future where they were married and revealing that stefan was also a doppelganger and he and elena were descended from a pair of star-crossed lovers (a plot that ultimately went nowhere, to no one’s great surprise), and then fucking like. julie plec turned around and threw nina under the bus after she chose not to extend her contract and pretended that stelena might have happened again if she hadn’t left the show, which....i mean frankly i wouldn’t put it past her, but it would have been shitty writing. then again, she thought having a vampire pregnancy where a uterus was magically transplanted from a witch into a vampire that could somehow......carry the babies to term.... made sense and was a good way to accomodate candice’s RL pregnancy rather than like literally ANYTHING else, soooooo. but anyway julie saying that around like, end of s6 sparked off a new wave of nina hate and elena hate and ship wars bc they SEers took it as ‘confirmation’ that stelena was REALLY meant to be endgame and it was all just a hot fucking mess

another thing is that, while tvd was in its prime before the anti/purity culture shit started picking up any real steam, there was still this pervasive attitude throughout the fandom that if you liked Damon, you were A Bad Person. liking damon was apparently grounds for insults and harassment, and apparently he was The Worst Person on the Show even though literally nothing he does on screen is any worse than shit we know stefan has done (and frankly every other vampire too, but i mention stefan specifically because he was always held up--in the show but especially in the fandom--as the Good Brother while damon was the Bad One, and if you liked damon more then that had to mean your morals were dodgy and you clearly couldn’t appreciate what a heroic and saintly figure dear stefan was and....oops, i’m sorry, my salt keeps leaking -cough-).

meanwhile klaus quickly became a fandom darling despite not even really having much of a redemption arc (on tvd anyway, he just became more ‘affably evil’ as the show went on and more inclined to work with the main characters rather than try to kill them; i have no idea what went on over on his show, though), and like i can 100% appreciate liking villains and not caring that they do dodgy villainous shit, even just liking them bc they’re hot and wanting them to kiss a main character bc they have insanely good chemistry (yes i ship klaroline, no i won’t apologize for it, they could have been Really Great), it’s just really the double standard that gets me.

and all of this, incidentally, required ignoring some truly gross shit stefan was responsible for wrt his relationship with elena, that frankly it has always bothered me never really got addressed in the show. i get why elena herself would never be able to actually call him on it, but the fact is that he stalked her for months after he first saw her and thought she was katherine (meanwhile it only took damon .5 seconds to realize she was someone else entirely, but that’s another topic entirely), and then he deliberately inserted himself into her life because, in his words, ‘i have to know her’. he never gave a thought to how his presence in her life might affect her (or rather, he did, and tormented himself about it in his internal monologue, but never let this actually dissuade him from disrupting her life), and elena would wind up blaming herself for every tragedy that befell her friends and loved ones as a result of getting mixed up in vampire bullshit even though none of it was her fault--she literally blamed herself for existing but most of the fandom didn’t give a fuck about that lmfao--and stefan did shit like find out that she was adopted and then withhold this information from her until she got pissed about another secret he was keeping (her resemblence to katherine) and drop it on her to try and distract her from her very reasonable anger, and like... i should stop before this becomes a whole rant about how much i hate stefan fucking salvatore, but the point is, he did a lot of really sketchy shit he never answered for and elena never really took him to task for, and the fandom just kept eating up his insistence that he was the Good Brother and therefore he deserved to have elena, and if she didn’t want him anymore it was because she was a heinous bitch who didn’t deserve him.

uh.....i think i got off track there. and there’s probably a lot of shit i missed, like i think i was incandescent with rage for most of seasons 5 and 6 so i missed a lot of the interfandom shit cause i was too busy being increasingly pissed off at the show itself, but if nothing else this should give you an idea of how much of a goddamn cesspit the fandom was while the show as in its prime. there’s a reason both the show and the fandom have such a lousy reputation lmfao.

[mantra4ia]

Debris 1x13 "Celestial Body": rewatch Reaction'd, questions and comments

So if all those people are experiencing emotional convergence, who are they converging from? Who's sending the emotional signal that the debris is channeling, or is it the debris manifesting it's "consciousness" in a way that we can understand it by way of human conduits?

Maddox is clearly trading debris pieces with Irina (perhaps the piece that he took out of storage off the books), and Irina is on the phone with presumably her handler/ boss to negotiate this trade. She gives him lateral (which I assume means latitudinal) readings and then he asks for longitudinal readings which we don't get to hear. They are: Lateral 105, 112, 115, 120, 113, 110, 109

What's the significance of these measures? Latitude goes from 0° to 90° from the equator, so that doesn't track unless the scene is cut wrong and they're meant to be longitudinal (E/W) readings, which go to 180° relative to the prime meridian. That would make more sense, because after Irina is done with the first set of readings, the unknown caller on the phone says "drop to level two for vertical" and latitudes are North/South.

If we're talking Western longitudes, notable landmarks include: Denver, Salt Lake City UT / Phoenix AZ / nearly Sedona AZ - aka where the telesphere went, Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe/ Nevada border, Great Salt Lake, Alberta-Saskatchewan border, and the Utah-Arizona border.

Or perhaps they're not part of terrestrial measurement at all. The act of "lateral reading" could just mean verifying your sources/accuracy as you go, where as vertical reading is reading for content first to see if something is worth evaluating for sources.

However, if they are part of coordinates, then is the fragment that Maddox is trading with Irina a legitimate "mapmaker" piece like George previously said Influx was seeking? Ya know, when he lied to his daughter. Can a mapmaker piece track moving/animate debris akin to the telesphere? Are those black dust cloud beings George is running from made up of animate debris?

Bryan: After becoming a parent you're in a heightened emotional state, emotionally raw.

George: Higher highs, lower lows, the joy of having a child, the postpartum depression, and the fear of getting it wrong.

Me: Are we in a pensive, self-reflective mood, George? Are you practicing your pub trivia Bryan, delivering exposition, or are you speaking from personal character experience? Seriously, how would you know?!

John Noble as Otto, man why does he always make such a good villain?

What is with the cryptic vagueness when Maddox tells Irina, "You know I can't let you leave with that case right? I mean you know that. There's another door for you Irina, one that only you can go through." They seemed almost on good terms in a previous episode, like friends or something more in a past life "nice car, i almost left / no you didn't", he wouldn't kill her, would he? Or is it more like a code between them, a sort of "I'm being watched, take the back exit"?

Hey, so why is it that sometimes George's eye seems opaque and damaged from the debris implant, but then when he's talking to Finola after he distracts Bryan while being Debris whisperer, his eye seems fine? PS: I googled Tyrone Benskin just to see what he looks like when he's not playing George Jones and I didn't know he's a former member of Canadian Parliament. Don't trust the government, eh?

George: "You're such a compassionate person, you always have been. So much of your mother in you." That's the second time that Finola's mother has been mentioned in the series, back from the pilot. Is it a coincidence that the first piece of debris that chose to interact with Finola resonated her mom? More than just Finola's desire being reflected by the debris, but the debris emoting it's first impression of her as someone compassionate that it can trust?

It also raises my heckles that George repeats, almost word for word, something that Finola said in episode 3. "If we can't help people, we do not deserve this debris / if we don't use this debris on these people, we are not worthy to have it." Are father and daughter that ideologically similar, or has he been spying on her progress this whole time, or both?

George: "I took my life to allow myself a rebirth, I paid the price. I want you to know that not one day goes by that I don't think of you and your sister. I want you to know this." This coincides with my initial impression that George staged his death to get away from Orbital after he assessed how his research was being used/abused.

George: "You never wanted to go into the pool, I had to throw you in, and you kicked and screamed, but you always did better that way." Immabout to throw you George, just keep talking!!!! I'm sorry, this charicature of absentee father reminiscing about the good old days really ticks me off from personal experience.

Also, as a person with a disability, I am not particularly pleased with the use of Dario as a plot device instead of a thoughtful character with a backstory at this point in the show for 13 whole episodes now. Pretty pissed off actually, so they better do something phenomenal and pivotal with Christian Rose (Dario) in season 2 [maybe have his character interact with debris in a similar way to Caroline]. But that's another rant about ableism in screenwriting for another angry day....

George: "A telesphere was born yesterday. It came from a pocket dimension inside Orbital. I think it's birth may have triggered the debris." This is perhaps the one-ish episode that I find George remotely interesting and also infuriating, particularly because of the way he speaks, like he's finally taken off the guise of the old, well-meaning eccentric and turned into a sharp, cunning, and at times calculatingly ruthless individual. I find it peculiar that he says a telesphere is born. Makes me think that the debris is not just part of a spacecraft, but a hybrid of the beings piloting that craft.

I get tremendous satisfaction from Finola head-butting people. This should continue.

I'm not familiar with all of the work of JH Wyman to know if this is a running theme or an ongoing joke. But does he keep his writing staff in a constant state of starvation? Is that why pieces of debris are called "Nachos", and why Influx has "Beans" to shield them from debris side effects, and why Bryan is always eating junk food? Should I be worried about the writer's room and start sending them healthy snacks?!? Just give me an SOS in the credit roll.

Speaking of: is the "Bean" that Finola ingested a piece of debris? Similar to the pieces of debris that fused with Anson Ash? Will it impart some physical benefits to her moving forward?

"I won't lose you again...you belong with me." What are you talking about George Jones, you made the conscious decision to leave your family. You didn't lose Finola, she lost you. In this version of reality at least. Or (unscripted backstory) did Jones and his wife separate prior to her death / was Finola brought up mostly by her mother? That doesn't seem the case if she was buying her father birthday presents and took it upon herself to settle his affairs after his death.

Why do the Influx Operatives Otto and Anson have tattoos on their hands, but not Loeb? Is he like the low end of the totem pole FNG who hasn't earned his stripes, hence why Otto gives him s***: aka "Careful you cretin. All the finesse of a butcher."

What is the hierarchy of Influx anyway? Despite being an anti-government "for the people/ elevate the human consciousness" organization they do still seem to have a governing hierarchy and Otto and George seem to be on the same level, pretty high in rank / they talk with confidence to each other like they go back a while.

What is that weird thing that Otto does with his hands to Bryan's head? What are all the weird things Otto does, including his massacre at the petrol station? Ick.

Why is it that Leob and George are freaked out by the black smoke (debris particle?) man, but Anson and Otto aren't? They seem to see them(?), but don't overtly react.

Bryan: "It seems like we're entering some kind of new phase." Gee where have I heard that one before? Oh yeah, the story of "Blackwater grandfather" and the black wind that they're still teasing endlessly while refusing to tether it into some kind of world building lore. Agggghh!

Lololol, Bryan and Finola's dynamic even in the midst of a very serious episode makes me laugh. "Devon Reese / two e's? / Two e's!" "This one smells like baby diapers. Almost as bad as the tech section of the plane/ You mean your section of the plane. / Almost." That zinger 👍

Paraphrasing Bryan: "[recapping, recap, and did I mention recap]...something about George doesn't feel right." Personal pet peeve: I HATE IT when episodes have intentional explanatory lines like this to point out the fact that we as audience are privy to information that the main characters aren't. Not only does it make the main characters seem less intelligent, it breaks the fourth wall a little bit and gives the impression that the audience, which is ahead of the plot, is not as intelligent and needs a reminder that we're ahead. Lackadaisical writing drives me nuts!!! I can't outright say that it's "bad" dialogue, but it's not a choice I would make if I wanted uninterrupted viewer immersion.

Finola: "My instincts are good" Me: You are an emotionally intelligent decision maker with gaping personal blind spots.

George: You belong with me, your father.

Finola: My father died six months ago, and you are not him.

Me: Chef's kiss 👏👏👏

Otto: "It would never have worked out with that girl [Finola], not in any iteration." Definitely makes me lean towards the fan theory that the alt!Finola in (presumably) suspensia in Sedona Arizona got plucked from another reality.

Surprisingly, the ending credit roll has no voiceover as all the previous episodes of the season have. Disappointed that there's no potential teaser to a season 2 if the show gets renewed. But I find it curious that the extras who were demonstrating emotional convergence were credited as: chess board persons. Not sure if that's relevant, but I definitely feel like this show is playing games with me and my emotions.

[bellemorte180]

Winners of the Wanderlust Betting Pool - @helpfulfairy​

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the Wanderlust Betting Pool. In return, @klavscaroline​ and I decided to make a mini drabble and edit of their choice for the winners.

Prompt: anti-steroline: Klaus turns up at Liz’s funeral and reminds Caroline of them. She realizes how bad of an idea Stefan is and keeps him in the friend zone.

Written by @bellemorte180 | Edit by @klavscaroline​

Caroline stared down at the grave, her mother’s name etched onto the stone. She never thought she would be at this moment so soon. She knew that one day, even before becoming a vampire, that she would have to bury her parents. When she was blessed with vampirism, Caroline also realized that she was going to face eternity without them; she just thought she had more time.

When her father died, granted he chose death instead of becoming a vampire, she still had her mother to lean on and that softened the blow. However, now her mother was gone, and Caroline was faced with the fact that she was the last Forbes; and she never would have children. She never would die and was doomed to walk the earth alone for all eternity. Vampirism, something Caroline always viewed as a gift, suddenly felt like a curse.

She turned as to look at her friends who stood beside her as the casket was lowered down into the ground. Elena stood beside Damon, providing comfort at the fact that one of his friends was now dead. Caroline almost felt a bitter taste in her mouth at the thought. Not wanting to dwell on Damon, Caroline’s eyes shifted to his brother.

Stefan.

Stefan had been her rock throughout Liz’s illness. He had been there for her, helped her when she needed it and for the first time; acted in a very selfless manner with her. Seeing him in that role almost made Caroline wonder if there was a possibility for more; then he rejected her at her mother’s funeral.

She supposed that perhaps asking him about what he wanted in front of her mother’s casket was not the best time to broach such a conversation; but his response was deafening. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she turned to look at the casket that was now being covered in dirt. She waited until the grave was full of dirt and the casket was completely out of sight.

It wasn’t until she felt a hand on her shoulder that startled her. She had realized how dark the cemetery had gotten nor that her friends had left; probably to give her some time and space. She knew that they would be heading to the Grill in order to celebrate her mother’s life. In truth, Caroline did not feel like celebrating.

“Klaus?”

“Hey Sweetheart.” Caroline gave him a confused look, baffled to see him there with her. She had not known that he had heard of her mother’s passing; although it should not surprise her. She took a good look at him. He appeared to be far more collected than she was. His eyes were soft when they typically were hard; tracing over her as though looking for some sign of damage.

Physically, she was fine but they both knew that it wasn’t an injury he was looking for.

“What? I thought-“

“That I promised to stay away?” Klaus replied in a light tone, his eyes still inspecting her. “I intended to keep that promise but I felt that this warranted an exception. I am sorry about your mother, Caroline. I’m sure she would have loved to see the amazing woman I know you’re on the road to becoming.”

Tears pulled in her eyes and they broke free, streaming down her face. The damn broke and every emotion that she was terrified of feeling swarmed her. The realization that her mother was dead left a gaping hole inside her that she realized was never going to be filled. Pain that Caroline had never experienced before took over; tearing at her insides, showing her no mercy. It wasn’t until her tears dried that she realized that Klaus was holding her; rocking her and letting her cry. His fingers were running up and down her spine, his lips pressed against the top of her head.

“How are you here?”

“Stefan called.” Caroline blanched at the thought; the mere idea that Stefan would call Klaus to come and comfort her was baffling. “He is concerned that you will not be able to handle your emotions. He said he did not want another episode similar to what happened with Elena and asked that I ensured that you did not turn your humanity off.”

“He asked you to compel me?” Caroline asked, her stomach turning nauseous. Stefan, out of everyone, knew how much she hated compulsion. She rarely used it herself and the idea that Stefan asked the one person who could compel her to do so felt like a momentous betrayal. This mixed with his rejection earlier made Caroline want to do nothing more than to claw at his throat.

“I won’t.” Klaus told her softly. “I didn’t come here to do that. I never would do that to you. The choice remains yours. If you want to turn your humanity off, then do so. Wreak havoc until the pain is bearable. It is okay, Caroline, to be selfish right now and do what you feel is best for yourself.”

“Won’t that mess with, what did you call it? My light?” That caused Klaus to chuckle and his dimples deepened into his cheeks. He looked upon her fondly, taking in every moment of her presence, not caring that her eyes were red and filled with tears or that her hair was falling from its pins. He gave her that same look he had when she had laid in his arms not even a year earlier, leaves falling all around them.

“Your light will shine through even in your darkest of moments.” Caroline laughed and shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself. She looked down at the grave, reading her mother’s name once again. Realizing that the one thing that truly tied her to Mystic Falls was gone and knowing that she could not bear to look at Stefan, made her decision easy to make.

“You know, you make a lot of promises but haven’t kept a single one of them.” Klaus cocked his eyebrow at her in question, a smirk playing on his lips. “First you come back to Mystic Falls. Let alone the fact that you haven’t even shown me Rome, or Paris or Tokyo.” Klaus froze, eyeing her with a burning question in his eyes. “Although, you do have a small child so I suppose I could just settle for that tour of New Orleans. That is, if the offer is still available?”

“For you, Sweetheart? That offer will stand for an eternity. The choice is yours.” Klaus held out his hand and Caroline did not even think twice as she took it. By the time her friends realized that Caroline would not be meeting them at the Grill, her closet was already emptied and several pictures of her mother missing from the house.

When Caroline learned of Stefan's death six years later, standing in a playground in the middle of Venice watching her stepdaughter play with her father, she realized that she never really loved Stefan; at least in the form she had thought at the time. He was nothing more than a good friend once upon a time.

[targaryenkaz]

can you read my mind

Ninth work for @klaroline-events bingo

Prompt: Telepathy

A very loose The Gifted AU if anyone’s seen that show

Joining a secret organisation to try and overthrow the government was about as difficult as Caroline thought it was going to be. They lived in a run down, old mansion which was fine with her because she’d been on the run from Sentinel Services for a while, so the fact she got a small spring mattress was enough for her. You couldn’t breathe without bumping into someone else, which was also not a problem because the isolation of running from the authorities had long since started affecting her. It was odd at first, interacting with people. The once bubbly, extroverted, type-A cheerleader whose room was always spotless now lived in a in-constant-need-of-repair-and-vacuuming home with dozens upon dozens of other people who she regularly was too shy to approach and start a conversation with, waiting until someone would talk to her. To say she’d changed since her small town found out she was a mutant would be an understatement.

 People always wondered how she stayed so on top of things, and she would throw off a line about how hardworking she was, which was true, and that anyone could be a straight A-student and president of the several student clubs if only they tried hard enough, which was not necessarily true. When Caroline was a little girl, she discovered she had an edge of everyone else – teleportation. It helps cut down on time when instead of getting in a car and driving to the library or to cheer practice or to prom planning meetings, all she had to do was find a quiet spot like her bedroom or a public toilet or a quiet alley in town, then rip a gleaming purple portal into mid-air and jump through it. As a child she was reasonably freaked out, but before she could confess she saw all the anti-mutant propaganda on the TV so opted to keep it to herself.

 She ended up teaching herself this immense power and put her natural discipline to good work. Not a single soul knew. Until they did. Until her dad disowned her and her mom told her to run while she held Sentinel Services off. Then there was the wanted ads plastered in every store and the double takes from people on the rare trips into small towns while she tried to remain unseen. Good thing was she always had a quick getaway but after two years on her own the loneliness had started eating her up.

 Then they had found her. They being some shady but secretly good coalition of mutants. Caroline had grown untrusting in her time alone, but when they offered her a hand she grasped it without question, whatever the risks. She was ready to fight back instead of running.

 In this group she had started to find friends, maybe one day she’d feel a part of the family they had built. Among them there was Bonnie who had elemental powers, Elena who could create forcefields, Enzo who can harness and weaponize light, Elijah who had the power of destructive touch and her least favourite of the bunch, Klaus, who was a telepath.

At first, she didn’t realise why Klaus was such a crucial member of the team, it’s not like his abilities would be that helpful in a fight. Turns out she was wrong. His telepathy is so strong that he can anticipate someone’s moves before they make them, break their wrist before they’ve even thrown the punch they were thinking about. Klaus claims his true power is reading people, their motivations, their desires, and that helps the organisation know who will help them out, which officials can be bribed, and which ones will betray us.

 The problem with telepathic powers that strong, though, is that he can’t control them. Supposedly. From his smug, smirking face she’s not sure she buys it.

 So, yeah, maybe she had a sex dream about him. Sue her, it’s been a while. It’s not like she likes him. He’s far too controlling and egotistical and…Klaus for her to like him. But she couldn’t help the blush that overcame her the next morning when she saw him at breakfast. She looked away quickly, but not quick enough, and he briefly caught her eyes. She had to sit there and eat her cereal, pretending everything was normal when out the corner of her eye she could see him staring at her, smiling like the cat that got the canary.

 She’s been avoiding him since. Usually she wouldn’t be so embarrassed by something like this but again, her people skills are kind of off these days. It’s not like they even like each other.

 But he is the only one she’s never been shy around. Once she’d finally settled in, he was the first one she’d argued with. They were making a plan to infiltrate a local prison to release wrongfully arrested mutants and he’d seemed so flippant about the whole thing. She didn’t know the extent of his abilities and what he was capable of, so his attitude bugged her. She snapped, he snapped back, it led to some light yelling and she felt fantastic after. For so long she’d existed only with herself that having such a strong emotion and expelling it at someone instead of internalising it was like breathing easily again.

 Caroline kept picking fights after that, and he always responded in kind. She wasn’t sure if Klaus knew why she was always so testy with him, if he’d seen that in her head, but sometimes from the brief glimpses he gave her around the compound, she thinks he knows. What she doesn’t know is why he humours her. She really doesn’t want to lose the easiness of their interactions, even if they are mostly them trading insults.

 She sits at an empty table in their dinner hall, which is really just a decrepit dining room crammed full of tables people scavenged from dumpsters with wobbly legs.

 “Penny for your thoughts, Caroline?” Klaus says, appearing from behind her to join her at the table.

 “You don’t need a penny,” she says between mouthfuls of what can only be described as gruel. It still tastes great to her. Her taste buds must have died somewhere along the way. “You can take them for free.”

 He sighs as if he’s bored of this conversation. To be fair, he probably is. “I can’t always control it. It’s not something I enjoy, you know. I do live in close quarters with my siblings and their partners. There are many thoughts I really never needed to know. And then there’s you,” his stare pierces her. “Some of your thoughts about me aren’t so generous. Then again some are very, very generous.”

 “Shut your mouth, Klaus.”

 “Is there something you’d rather I do with my mouth?”

 Her face flushes. She pushes her tray away, standing to leave.

 “I’m only teasing, sweetheart. Sit down.”

 She does, reluctantly, and only because he sounded genuine when he asked.

 “You needn’t be embarrassed. Truly.”

 Caroline rolls her eyes, feeling embarrassed that he knows how embarrassed she is. A never-ending cycle of sheepishness.

 “I’m not kidding, love. If you could see into my mind, you wouldn’t feel so awkward. My thoughts about you, well they put yours to shame is all I’ll say.”

 “Shut up,” she says again, laughing a little.

 “You were the first interesting person to walk through the door, those first few weeks were ridiculous. My brain was working overtime to put it politely.”

 “And now?” She asks before she can stop herself.

 “Now?”

 She fights the learned anti-social tendencies that scream at her to end this conversation and run far, far away. “Is your brain still working overtime?”

 “Not so much.” She tries not to feel disappointed. “A man has to pace himself, you see. I’m trying to exert some patience. Things weren’t easy out there for you, I gather. It seemed wiser to wait before I put my grand plan of seduction into action.

 Heat rises to her face and she doesn’t even try to stop it. “Is this part of the plan?”

 “Oh no. This is all very improvisatory. I missed yelling at you is all. And being yelled at by you. I figured when I saw you sat here, I could cajole a conversation out of you. Now, I think I’ll wait for you to seduce me. It’s the 21st Century after all, I can’t be doing all the work.”

 He smiles at her then. A genuine smile, not the smug one that makes her roll her eyes.

 “You’re right. That does seem only fair.”

 “Next time you need to blow off some steam, though, it doesn’t have to be arguing,” he says, eyes scanning her hotly. “Or it could be both. Whatever you want.”

 “I thought I was meant to be doing the seducing.”

 He fake winces. “I forgot. Can’t quite help myself around you.”

 Now it’s time to roll her eyes. “Get out of here, go do something useful,” she shoos him away from the table.

 Klaus stands, hands up in surrender. “I’m going, I’m going. I’ll be on patrol until twelve then I’m free. If you fancied a midnight stroll is all.” He leaves her with a final wink.

 At 11.55 she’s still awake. A lot of people means a lot of noise, people shuffling around, some sniffling, or snoring. It couldn’t hurt to go for a walk, she thinks, getting out of bed. Just a walk to get to know him better. After that, maybe they can discuss making some dreams come true.

[lynyrdwrites]

kc + all the good girls go to hell // billie eilish

I’m not entirely happy with this, but it’s what I could put into words.  Takes place in the “Life After Rapture” ‘verse.

---

 Caroline hadn't been raised particularly religious.  It was part of the reason she hadn't been all that surprised that she had been left behind on Earth during the Rapture.  And really, it had ended up not so bad for her, all things considered.  

But she had been raised with a certain set of morals.  

Yet somewhere, between being hired by the Anti-Christ and falling in love with him... she worried those morals had been lost.  Not that she went around killing people randomly, of course.  That was messy, and involved paperwork... and the whining.  God, the whining.

And that was where the problem was - these days, she found herself being anti-murder, not because it was wrong, but because it meant extra work, and wasn't there something pretty wrong about that.

"You've been distracted, Love."

Klaus' voice was warm in a way it only ever was for her.  For the rest of the world, he was cruel and careless.  He only showed mercy if Caroline requested it, and she found herself doing that less and less out of the goodness of her heart, in a way that was kind of worrying.  

And Klaus clearly wasn't happy with the way she kept letting her thoughts distract her from his presence, because he nipped her neck hard enough to make her yelp and glare at him out of the corner of her eye as he pressed a soothing kiss to the poor, abused spot.

"Pay attention, Caroline.  You'll miss the best part."

"You know, we both have work to do," she muttered, even as she reached back to run a hand through his curls, and tilted her head a bit, so he could have better access to her neck.  She loved the way he kissed her there, and the damn Devil knew it. 

"I know the boss.  I'll excuse us."

She smiled, but it felt a little strained.  Because half her mind was still on the thoughts that had been troubling her dreams lately - thoughts of how her morality was becoming twisted, and did that mean she was twisted too?

"You're distracted." Klaus sighed, and pressed a kiss to her shoulder.  "This isn't fun if you're not fully involved.  What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Caroline replied, pasting a bright and incredibly fake smile onto her lips.  "Just thinking about a problem Finn handed over to me."

That seemed viable.  Finn was always finding new problems to hand over to Caroline.  She was pretty sure he took a twisted sort of glee in it.  He might not be the Anti-Christ, but Caroline was pretty sure 'Evil' was a trait that really came from their shared mother more than the Devil.

Klaus just looked at her, and raised a brow.  Her excuse was valid, but he wasn't buying it.  So rather than try to lie again, she just shrugged, her thoughts a discomfort she wasn't ready to share, and climbed out of bed.  

"Should I guess?" Klaus asked her back as she walked to the ridiculous walk-in closet that she had all but monopolized.  

"No reading my mind," Caroline shot back, still not looking at him.

"I don't need to read your mind, Love.  I can simply read you.  In fact, it's really the only talent I've ever truly dedicated myself to perfecting.  Even my art hasn't taken up so much of my time." Caroline rolled her eyes at his dramatics, but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little bit charmed.  Mostly because, dramatic or not, she knew that Klaus meant it.  "You're not evil, Love."

"Sometimes, dating the Anti-Christ sucks," Caroline muttered, but she dropped the blouse she'd been holding to turn around and glare at him.  "Finn really did toss me a problem the other day, you know.  There's a group of idiots that have taken to carrying around flags with crosses and claiming that the reason they were left behind was to be God's warriors on Earth to take you out.  And don't look at me like that - I took care of it Klaus.  They won't be doing anything like that again.  But I knew if I involved you, they'd be dead."

"They still could be," Klaus murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly in thought.

"No, they won't.  Because you won't find them.  Trust me."

"Fine" - Klaus waved that away, though Caroline suspected that they'd come back to it at some point.  Klaus never let anything go that easily - "Please, tell me how saving some fools' lives makes you evil.  I'm sure your logic will be fascinated."

"Because, when I was doing it, all I could think about was how much of a pain in my ass they were.  And I had to keep reminding myself that the resulting paperwork if I did let you have them would be even worse." Caroline turned away from him again, but she didn't really see the closet.  Instead, she remembered her dreams of her disappointed father.  "It had nothing to do with the fact they were people and killing them would be wrong."

She didn't realize Klaus had joined her until he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.  It was comforting, the weight and warmth of his arms.  

"Elijah informs me that the group homes you created are up and running," he said after a moment.  "It was a good idea to put Kol in charge of them.  Annoying as he is, he's quite good with the equally annoying brats."

Caroline's brow furrowed at his words, trying to figure out the logic in the topic change.  She had put Kol in charge of creating group homes for the minors left behind in the Rapture because the rest of his family treated him as the reckless daredevil who had nothing to offer.  She had known he would be good for the lost souls that had been left behind by their parents in favor of the Heavens, and some solid responsibility had calmed Kol's habit of annoying Klaus near constantly.  Win all around.

"I'm glad, but I think I'm missing the point."

"You created those homes because you saw lost souls that needed them.  And you gave the responsibility to Kol, because you recognized that he was a lost soul too, when the rest of us simply wrote him off." Klaus pressed a kiss to her cheek.  "Don't judge yourself based off your reaction to a bunch of self-righteous evangelicals who can't accept that their way of doing things went against what their precious God stood for.  Judge yourself based off of that. Besides, you conscience will never be rotten as mine."

Caroline snorted, because there weren't many people worse than Klaus.  But his words gave her some comfort, and she turned in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck to kiss him.  

"You're not as awful as you claim.  That was almost sweet.  You softie."

"Only for you, Caroline." He kissed her again and grinned.  "Now... back to bed?"

She pulled away and retrieved her blouse with a laugh, tugging it on.

"Sorry, my attack of conscience stole our time together.  Three... two..."

And right on schedule, Finn gave three sharp knocks on the door, because you could always set your clock by Finn Mikaelson.  Klaus groaned and flopped back onto the bed, and Caroline finished getting dressed, and listened to Finn's latest litany of problems through the door.

Maybe her morals had become a bit burnished... but this was a time after the Apocalypse.  And she had better things to worry about than self-righteous hypocrites.  

Unless they were named Finn Mikaelson. 

[ylizam]

dear creator: femslashex 2k20 edition

Hi, Hello, Hey. First of all–thank you! This is my standard you offered to write one of my fandoms, so thank you for being awesome opening spiel, full of generals likes and dislikes, I’m sure you know the drill. I’ll make sure the fandom specific stuff is up by the time assignments go out. (That said, if you already have an idea about how you want to write about the fandom/pairing we match on—wow, I’m jealous! tell me your secrets!—just skip over the fandom stuff and go forth with your bad self.) 

Things I like include, but are in no way limited to: fun with POV, fun with linear vs. non-linear storytelling, fun with tone, fun with writing. I really dig character studies, stories that really get into what makes a character tick (and something porny that can get at that is wonderful too), and I like relationships that are hard and prickly and worth fighting for. I like happy endings that don’t feel tacked on or forced. I like doubt, and hope, and theology; I like actors, and directors, and I like the random deity. I like fairy tales. I like (love) romance tropes. Forced to share a bed, marriages of convenience, fake dating, friends-to-lovers, idiots-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers: it’s all like unto catnip. I like interesting turns of phrase, I like the perfect line, I like any story written just for me. If you have any questions about my taste (or lack thereof), feel free to ask @summervillen​ who probably knows my fannish tastes better than I do.

DNWs: noncon, necrophilia, pedophilia, incest, animal harm or death, child harm or death, pregnancy fic, A/B/O. Things that I would prefer you not include—especially gratuitously; there are obviously ways to engage with problematic actions/thoughts/etc. in fiction, but there’s such a fine line there—are as follows: non-character driven racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, anti-semitism, etc. etc. etc. I’d prefer no high school AUs. I also have a pretty big embarrassment squick. And while I'm mostly interested in these characters in the worlds in which we meet them, if you really have an AU (non high school division) you want to write I'm there. Just, you know, grounded in the characters and their relationships and all that fun stuff. That's basically it.

Babylon 5 Delenn/Susan Ivanova I just ship them post-canon so hard. Later in life chances at love are sort of a thing of mine, and add to that two of my favorite characters ever, well, it’s like this pairing is made for me. That said, if you can find a way to write them during canon (maybe John doesn’t return from Z'ha'dum, maybe Delenn and John just never get together at all, maybe you can think of something I can’t) I’d love that too. Delenn/Shaal Mayan I’d love a story about them that’s really Minbari–that understands that neither of them is human. Something set when they were young and just figuring themselves out (and first love is rarely forever but it feels like it must be) or something set when Mayan visits Babylon 5 in season one or, heck, something set after the series ends. (I have a thing for writing on skin, so if you can find a way to fit that in more power to you.)

Last Tango in Halifax Gillian Greenwood/Caroline McKenzie-Dawson Oh gosh I have so many feelings about Gillian and Caroline and their relationship. How it’s grown, changed, and now they’re at a point where they see each other all the time and talk about basically everything and it’s all so beautiful. And, I mean, come on, they both have the best chemistry with the other; it’s just a fact. So what if they get drunk and kiss (or shag or something in between)? Or just deal with things like adults (I’m sure you could convince me that’s possible)? (She wasn’t part of the tagset, but I also liked what little we saw of Olga, both how she interacted with Caroline and how she befriended Gillian when they both showed up late to the play, so if you want to go the threesome route–whether it’s a V or a triad or whatever confusing mess of emotions you prefer–I’m there.) (P.S. I haven’t seen the most recent season, but I’m spoiled and have seen all the gifs and screencaps so include or don’t as you see fit.)

Lucifer Linda Martin/Mazikeen

Their relationship on the show is a thing of delight and wonder, so basically I want that but also MORE. Maze fighting people to protect Linda! Linda, well, trying to fight people but mostly realizing that Maze loves it and is good at it so. Maze panicking again about Linda eventually dying, but also MORE SO because now they’ve been fucking and also having weird candlelight dinners and um is this romantic this might be. (Whether Amenadiel is involved (romantically with either or both, as an active parent but no longer romantically, etc.) or off doing something else stage left and never mentioned is up to you, but please no bashing, killing off somehow, etc.) Feel free to include hijinks with the rest of the gang, but I’d prefer no focus on any police work. 

 The Old Guard (Movie) Andy/Quynh

Note: I haven’t read the comics, so this is strictly a movie request (I know they’re separate fandoms and listed thusly, but I just wanted to be clear). I’d love anything about them, in all honesty. Something in the past: a first time (they kissed, they said “I love you,” they refused to say “I love you,” they had sex, etc.), a fifth time, a mission gone wrong. Or something in the present/future: angst and fractured trust and fighting on opposite sides until they’re suddenly not. All too mortal Andy. Immortal Quynh. The options are basically endless. I also love everyone on the team, so feel free to include them however you see fit. 

Star Trek: Classic Timeline

First of all, I don’t know book canon, so include it, don’t include, whatever floats your proverbial boat. Second of all, I am more than happy with “this character lives” stories here. Obviously. Third of all, please no bashing of any other characters (even that one).

Beverly Crusher/Laris

So I came out of Picard with an undying devotion to Laris and a burning curiosity about what the heck Bev is up to these days. So tell me more about both of them. Is there’s a longstanding affair, often at a distance? Did they start out prickly and reserved, wary? How are Jean-Luc and Zhaban involved? (I am happy with whatever you decide on the Jean-Luc and Zhaban front, other than gratuitous death or bashing of either. Feel free to have them off having their own adventures and don’t mention them if you prefer not to involve them.) Is Beverly’s French as terrible as Jean-Luc’s? 

Kimara Cretak/Kira Nerys

Feel free to have Kimara escape/live/etc. I’d especially love something that recognizes that neither of them is human; play around with what we know of their cultures, about how those cultures might clash or unexpectedly mesh, how that can affect a relationship both positively and negatively. I’m always interested in Nerys’s faith and religious beliefs, and how that interacts with Romulan culture would be very much something I enjoy. 

K'Ehlyer/Deanna Troi

K’Ehlyer deserved better, and who is better than Deanna? I posit no one. This is another pairing where I’d love something about the fact that they’re not fully human and the implications thereof. (Feel free to include Alexander or not, as you choose. Ditto Thaddeus and Kestra. I’d prefer they not be a focal point though.) Whether you set it during TNG or Picard or in between, I’ll be equally happy (or an alternate version of reality works too! those are just the time references I can think of right now!). (Please note that I very much also ship Deanna and Will, so please, please, please don’t bash him or kill him off for no reason or have Deanna cheating on him or whatever. I’d much rather you don’t mention him at all if you don’t want him in the fic.) 

The Untamed Jiang Yanli/Wen Qing

Is part of this my desire to have two of my favorite characters pushed together? Yes. Is it also part of my desire to have them actually live? Absolutely. (Which is to say: I’d love a “Jiang Yanli and Wen Qing live” AU here. Or at least live longer than they make it in canon?) I’d also be fine with modern AUs here, but I’d prefer cultivation be in there somewhere even if it’s set in the present (or the 1980s or basically any time period). Maybe there’s a political partnership of convenience situation! Maybe something shifts in canon and Jiang Yanli helps the Qishan Wens out and things happen and trust grows and they fall in love! Maybe they have a secret fling! Honestly, it’s all good. 

[persona-minty]

Robot Revival AU

Sooo I was talking to @friskyghost about a certain AU they created (link) and they were kind enough to indulge me and talk about it for a while. It was really fun! Anyway, I asked and they said I could make a post about what we talked about and they said yes, so I’m going to do just that. @friskyghost is the primary creator of this AU, but this post is mostly mine with my own headcanons and details that may not hold true for friskyghost’s version of the AU. Persona 3 and 5 spoilers abound and this is a pretty long post, so be warned.

Premise/TL;DR

Minato, Hamuko, and Ryoji are all resurrected several years after the fight against Nyx, except there’s a catch. While their souls are still around and unable to naturally move on, their bodies have long since decayed, so SEES finds a way to infuse their souls into Plumes of Dusk and then crafts three Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon bodies to put those Plumes of Dusk into. Later, Hamuko, Minato, and Ryoji are sent off to Shujin Academy along with Labrys and Ken during the same year the Phantom Thieves will be active. Naturally, they get caught up in the goings on of the metaverse.

Appearances

Minato, Hamuko, and Ryoji all look like they did back in 2009, except with several clear Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon features, like the headphones and metallic shoulder and leg joints Aigis had. Labrys looks essentially the same, and Ken and all of the other members of SEES save Aigis are just older versions of themselves, likely similar to what we saw in Ultimax.

Prelude

Elizabeth and Theodore figure out a way to permanently destroy or detain Erebus, perhaps thanks in part to Yaldabaoth’s creation/birth. From there they dismantle the seal and set Minato and Hamuko, twins in this AU, free from the seal. Ryoji is there with them, has been since the creation of the seal, and decides that if the twins are leaving then he will too. Liz and Theo relay all of this information to SEES, and SEES acts by creating robotic bodies for the three of them. So Hamuko, Minato, and Ryoji all come back to life.

Of course then there are happy reunions. Hamuko, Minato, and Ryoji are happy to be alive, and their friends are happy to see them again. It’s great for everyone, but despite the fact that all of this is generally seen as positive, there are drawbacks. Hamuko and Minato have to get used to having suddenly jumped forward in time several years, all of the friends they’d worked so hard to make being so much older than them, technology being so much more advanced (a bit ironic coming from two robots), and so many world events having come to pass while they were in stasis in the Great Seal. Ryoji is less affected, having only existed for a couple of months in 2009 before. The matter of them finishing high school comes up, because Mitsuru has always been a bit of a stickler about that, though she is gracious enough to say that they don’t have to if they really don’t want to.

The original plan is for them to attend Gekkoukan, but they realize that most of the teachers that taught them back in 2009 are still teaching at the school, and furthermore, some of their friends/social links are still living in the area. They’d surely be recognized if they hung around the area, but they’re not ready to answer any questions about their miraculous resurrection to those not in the know yet. So Ken suggests that they attend the same high school that he does: Shujin academy. Originally he transferred to investigate the mental shutdowns that began occurring some time ago and showed several similarities to Apathy Syndrome, but despite that he was unable to find any potential crossover points where shadows could get access to those affected by the mental shutdowns in order to cause those shutdowns like how they caused Apathy Syndrome. Still, he stayed at Shujin partially because it was a school on par with Gekkoukan so he felt no need to transfer back, and partially because Shinjiro, not dead but permanently injured and therefore basically incapable of fighting shadows without putting himself at great risk, now lives in Tokyo and since waking up on graduation day, he and Ken have become closer and closer and healed past wounds.

It’s then that Labrys decides that she wants to attend school as well, and transfers to Shujin with them, both for her own curiosity’s sake, and to help them adjust to living in robotic bodies. So Shujin gets five transfer students that year: Minato, Hamuko, Ryoji, Labrys, and Akira. Minato, Hamuko, Ryoji, and Ken are all third years, while Labrys is a second year.

Entering Shujin

So the twins, Ryoji, and Labrys begin their year at Shujin Academy. Immediately there are whispers that one of the transfer students is a dangerous criminal, but it’s quickly determined that it isn’t the twins, Ryoji, or Labrys. Instead, it’s a second year transfer student that none of them know. Among them it’s decided that they shouldn’t make quick judgements on this student, but that they also have no reason to get involved with him and should just focus on adjusting. 

For the first two weeks or so, they just hang around and try to get adjusted. There seems to be five new rumors about the criminal transfer student each day, while Minato and Hamuko are gathering several admirers akin to Akihiko or Mitsuru in P3 because of their maxed stats. Ryoji, Ken, and Labrys share in that popularity to an extent.

Hamuko, excited about playing volleyball again like she used to, wants to sign up for the volleyball team. The coach of the volleyball team, Mr. Kamoshida, seems very supportive of this, but Hamuko discovers that her new robotic body might be harder to hide if she were to begin playing volleyball. This majorly bums her out, seeing that they can’t risk revealing themselves, but her friends are there for her and promise to play volleyball with her outside of school. She joins a less risky club, like the cooking club, and Minato joins something like the light music club. Labrys, meanwhile, takes interest in the student council and makes it her goal to become the student body president next year, after the current president has graduated.

Then, two weeks in or so, the twins have a very strange dream. It’s a place that’s a very familiar shade of blue, but so different from what they remember. Instead of an ever moving elevator, they find themselves trapped in a prison cell, peering out at Igor from behind steel bars. Liz and Theo have been replaced by two little girls named Caroline and Justine, and even Igor himself seems very different. He tells them of a place called Mementos and how to get there, and then they are released from the dream. They wake up, discuss amongst themselves, and then discuss it with Ryoji, Ken, and Labrys at school. They all decide to investigate after school.

Entering Mementos For the First Time

After school, they go to investigate the place called Mementos. It’s similar to Tartarus, and Ken theorizes that perhaps this is what he was looking for when he first began investigating the mental shutdowns. They run around for a little bit and discover that though Ryoji has no persona, he can still operate just fine as a navigator. Meanwhile, Minato and Hamuko have been “reset”, kind of, so they only have their respective versions of Orpheus and Messiah right now, but they still retain the ability to gain more personas through Shuffle Time. At the end of their investigation session, they venture into the Velvet Room once more and are told by Igor that Mementos is a manifestation of humanity’s sins.

Once out of Mementos, they discuss what they should do next. They agree that Igor must have shown them Mementos for a reason, and that it very well may have something to do with the mental shutdowns and/or psychotic breakdowns. So all of them agree to head back to Mementos again. Admittedly, it also feels good to fall back into the groove of fighting shadows. For Minato and Hamuko especially, since they’re struggling with the drawbacks of their new bodies and their sudden jump in time, so something familiar is extremely welcome.

The Calling Card

The next day at school, a calling card is posted about Mr. Kamoshida. It’s from a group calling themselves the Phantom Thieves, and claiming that they’re going to take Mr. Kamoshida’s twisted desires and change his heart. The next day, Mr. Kamoshida doesn’t show up for school. Nor the next day, and so on and so forth until the assembly where Mr. Kamoshida confesses his sins onstage and vows to kill himself. Mr. Kamoshida is taken into custody by the police, apologies are made to the people who Mr. Kamoshida’s actions affected, and rumors begin to swirl.

Minato, Hamuko, Ryoji, Labrys, and Ken are intrigued by the Phantom Thieves, but not overly interested right now. They’re more focused on discovering why Igor showed the twins Mementos, and they don’t yet consider the possibility that the Phantom Thieves may be persona-related.

Mementos Exploration (1)

They investigate further and further into Mementos, until they discover that they seem to have found the end of it. Mementos was much smaller than any of them imagined, and Ryoji even says that he was almost positive there was more. They discover the answer when they talk to Igor, and he says that they have barely scratched the surface of Mementos, but that to access more of Mementos the public would need to be aware of their existence.

(This is around the time that the Phantom Thieves first enter Mementos, but they do not cross paths with our group).

Making the Public Aware of Them

They discuss whether or not they should go forward with the exploration into Mementos. They are all a part of the Shadow Operatives, so taking care of shadows seems almost natural. Minato and Hamuko also trust Igor, despite him seeming very different, because of his assistance in the past, and the fact that it was Liz and Theo that freed them from the Great Seal. However, they have no idea how to proceed in Mementos, as they have to find a way to become known to the public. Ken, Labrys, or Ryoji then points out that the twins are musically gifted, and if they became famous that way then perhaps they’d be able to get further in Mementos.

After a quick brainstorming session, they come up with the idea to post a video of themselves on YouTube (or an equivalent), hoping that will be enough. Their video is a good enough quality that it draws in many people, but not enough to get them much further in Mementos. They try posting a few more videos, but the results are the same. They lament the fact that this does not seem to be working very quickly and debate just giving up on Mementos, but word of their struggle makes it’s way to the rest of the Shadow Operatives and the next day they find that their videos have skyrocketed in views because Rise promoted one of the videos they made.

(I haven’t decided quite what I want these videos to be about. Since the twins are always wearing headphones I definitely want it to have something to do with music, but I don’t know what yet. If need be, just imagine them posting covers to idol songs.)

Mementos Exploration (2)

The popularity that ensues from Rise’s actions is enough to get them further into Mementos, and it’s here that they discover that some people have actual shadow selves in Mementos. That’s when they decide that the mental shutdowns could be from someone killing these shadows, and first consider the possibility that there might be another persona user in Tokyo, and not one with good intentions. Remember, Ken was investigating the mental shutdowns from the perspective of someone who had dealt with Apathy Syndrome and automatically assumed shadows were the cause of the mental shutdowns.

Meanwhile, the Phantom Thieves take care of a few side requests in Mementos while looking into the Madarame case and Yusuke. When our group finds out about these requests, they officially determine that the Phantom Thieves can access the metaverse and are likely persona users if they can navigate Mementos without dying. That means they become suspects in the mental shutdowns case, at least to our group, but it’s not definite. They have no proof aside from both the assumed culprit and the Phantom Thieves likely having personas and being able to access Mementos, and the Phantom Thieves only showed up a little while ago while the mental shutdowns have been happening for a few years at least.

Still, our group makes the decision, with the approval of the other Shadow Operatives, to investigate Mementos and the Phantom Thieves further. If they wouldn’t, the Shadow Operatives would send others to check it out, because this seems important. As is, Mitsuru wants to send others in, protective of the twins after everything that’s happened, but they all but beg her not to. I think the twins would probably see this as a very good opportunity to get used to living again, especially in these new bodies in this new time. They really became comfortable with living their lives when they fell in with SEES, and this is a similar enough situation that they’re eager to get entangled with it. 

Conclusion

I don’t currently have anything more for this AU imagined, but I think it’s a strong start and has a lot of potential. The story from there would continue with the Phantom Thieves doing as they do in the game while our group investigated them and ventured further into Mementos. Meanwhile, Minato and Hamuko would be dealing with all of their emotional turmoil from being resurrected, being robots now, and being six years into the future. Like honestly, that’s a triple whammy right there, but at least they have each other to confide in. Meanwhile, we could get a more in-depth look at Ryoji, Labrys, and Ken’s characters, or at least a fan-written version of them.

I have what I believe to be a really interesting idea for the progression of this AU that involves our group joining Haru and Morgana in Okumura’s palace, but I haven’t fleshed it out yet so who knows if I’ll ever make a post about it. As it stands, if you like this AU you should go check out @friskyghost, who created the original concept for it. I think they’re a really cool person.

Thank you for reading this suuuuuper long post, whoever made it this far, and FYI, if anybody wants to come chat with me about any persona AU you or I create, I’m always up for it. Message me anytime. Seriously. I love fleshing out AU’s.

[francesderwent]

A TVD ask for you! Top three romantic ships? Your three least favorite canon romantic ships? Three favorite female characters? Three favorite male characters? How would you rank the seasons from favorite to least favorite? And finally - name three unpopular opinions about the show :)

Thank you!  This washarder than I anticipated!

Top 3 Romantic Ships

Damon and Elena – the best redemptive love story I’veever encountered.  when they’re epic,they’re earth-shatteringly epic, but when they’re soft, they’re so soft.  

Alaric and Jenna – they made each other so happy!! and shewas so patient with him in his healing but also never took any shit!!

Matt and Caroline – she sings to him at the bar, okay?? itdoesn’t get any cuter than that.

3 Least Favorite Ships:

Jeremy and Anna – particularly while Anna was a ghost.

Jeremy and Vickie – try as I might, I cannot like Vickie.

Jeremy and Bonnie – they’re not as bad as the other shipsin this category, but they’re also not very interesting.

(Somewhere in between favorite and least favorite you willfind Klaroline and Steroline, both of which I really like in principle andwhich really do have their moments, but which were tragically really, extremelypoorly executed, and Bonnie and Enzo, who were very cute together but have themisfortune to exist only within the Worst seasons) 

Top 3 female characters:

Elena – Elena is so beautifully feminine.  it’s impossible toreduce her to just an action girl or a “strong female character”, because allher strength comes from love.  she seesthe good in people, she brings it out, and she’s courageously unselfish,always.

Caroline – Caroline’s journey from anxious insecurity to perfectlypoised confidence is absolutely one of the best arcs on the show.  she is such a generous friend, she lights upevery scene she’s in, and she’s so incredibly lovable.

Jenna – it’s possible she’s a favorite of mine because Itotally relate to her frazzled grad student persona, but whatever!! she’sawesome!

Top 3 male characters:

Damon – romantic love embodied – fallen, but still humanand capable of being redeemed.

Alaric – I love that his story begins with him searchingfor revenge, but ends with him as a protector.

Jackson (from The Originals) – I know this is cheating,but all the guys on TVD tend to have really downward arcs (Tyler and Matt, I’mlooking at you), and so it’s difficult for me to love them overall.  Jackson, on the other hand, was a trulydecent guy, and he loved Hayley and Hope so much!! 

Seasons, from favorite to least favorite:

3 – not the best season, but my favorite.  the season-long arc was good, and I live forthe almost-ness of Damon and Elena this season!

2 – objectively the best season. Elena and Katherine as foils! Katherine and Klaus as big bads!  thecentral season for Damon’s redemption!  

1 – a really solid opening season!  the tomb vampires aren’t especially gripping,but all the foundational character work that happens here is glorious, and Ilove early-days Delena episodes like Friday Night Bites, Bloodlines, and MissMystic Falls.

6 – I loooove the overarching marriage theme, I love Damonand Bonnie being friends, and the anti-magic spell is clever.  the rest of the season can go rot.

4 – this is where the quality of the season-long arcsstarted to go downhill, and the Originals started to feel extraneous.  I don’t enjoy either the sire-bond arc or theno-humanity!Elena arc.  there is goodstuff this season, but it’s wrapped up in a lot of really bad stuff.

5 – the Augustine institute is the crappiest big badever.  Damon’s character choices don’tmake any sense.  Enzo, even though I dolike him, doesn’t serve an obvious purpose.  Katherine narrowly misses out onredemption.  the finale’s good, though.

7 – the skipping back and forth between present and futurewas a sloppy device to hide the fact that the plot was boring.  I like Bonnie and Enzo, though.  and even though mystical pregnancy is alwaysa bad trope, Caroline is a good mom.

8 – this season is creepy. I haven’t finished it completely, but I doubt they’re able to resolve itadequately since the solution to “the sins I’ve committed are bigger than meand I cannot redeem myself” is actually the Cross of Jesus Christ Incarnate, trueGod and true Man – God so He can forgive my sins, and Man so He can representme.  (I’m not kidding, this is literallythe biggest reason I take issue with this season.)

Unpopular Opinions:

There is more sex in this show than actually makes sensefor the characters.

Kai isn’t a good villain or an interesting character.

The plot definitely pushes Bonnie around, but the vastmajority of the characters (Elena included!) treat her just fine.  Caroline takes way more personal abuse.

[jamfingers]

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY - your tipsy internet neighbor

if you had a twin i would still choose you

AO3 Link || FFN Link

@thenameismaynard bc this is your fault @kingcobrakai1972 bc you asked me to @shadowcatgirl09 bc I just love you, hey girl @respectable-alcoholic bc you also asked to be tagged in trash fics

To the whole Bonkamily, I love you all, you’re beautiful people. Enjoy your Valentine’s Day fluff, it’s also under the cut if you don’t feel like leaving Tumblr.

Bonkai. Fluff. AH AU. Humor. Mildest angst bc I apparently can’t help myself. Motivated by a conversation gone terribly awry that I had with @thenameismaynard on Tumblr (keenan24 on ffn, I believe). Anyway, the prompt we hijacked was “Person A shuffles nervously around at a party. Person B startles them with a ‘Hello, glad you could make it. I’ll be your designated extrovert for the evening if you could please follow me.’”

I’m not going to tell you the song the title came from - if you don’t know, I’m disappointed in you. Also Funyuns vs Hot Fries/Cheetos is an actual ongoing debate between myself and my SO. I’m team Cheetos and he’s team Funyucks. No beta, all mistakes are mine and I wrote this while fairly tipsy, so there’s probs quite a few.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

“Okay, so…” Kai pauses, considering his words. “Right, so Funyuns. It all starts over a bag of Funyuns.”

“Funyuns?” a disbelieving voice queries.

“That’s what I said,” Kai answers. “Anyway, you know how I teach little kids piano for this after school program? Well, one day, I was just desperately craving Funyuns, so I go mug the vending machine.”

.o.0.0.o.

Kai groans, irritated at the stupid snack machine that ate his money again. With a sigh, the tall man looks up and down the hallway before proceeding to kick in the fucktarded money-stealing vendor. It’s an older model, not one of those futuristic ones that locks up tighter than a nun, so  eventually the force of his kicks causes his bag of Funyuns and a honey bun to fall into the receptacle. The hungry grad student takes both treats and makes his way back to the music room.

He’s an adult volunteer at Whitmore’s elementary school every Tuesday and Wednesday. It was something he started doing two years ago as an undergrad because it looked good on a resume, but then kept up with because fuck him, he actually liked the way little faces lit up  when they realized what their grubby little hands could do. It was cute.

Also, Whitmore elementary had it’s very own teacher bae and no lie, Kai was trying to hit.

Tucking the honey bun in his jacket pocket and opening his Funyuns, Kai takes the long way back to the music room. It was break time for the kiddies, they were all munching on healthy snacks before pick-up, which Kai always used as an opportunity to grab his own junk food. And to pass by Miss Bennett’s classroom.

Bonnie Bennett a.k.a. Kai’s personal hot teacher fantasy and reason number one Kai still volunteered at Augustine-Whitmore Elementary School. She taught third grade science and she had a smile like the sun and hips like a hula dancer and just seeing her made Kai’s day better. She was one of the science tutors for students who needed extra help before testing days, so she had her own room full of brats when he passed by her brightly decorated doorway.

Most of the kids are chatting and eating their apples and crackers, so Bonnie’s attention gets pulled to him when he pauses at her door and boom. There it is. The sun.

Kai grins back and waves her over and Bonnie casts a look around her classroom before coming to greet him. She wrinkles her nose at his chips.

“Funyuns, Kai?” she asks in disbelief. “The vending machine has hot Cheetos with lime and you went for Funyuns?”

“If I wanted to eat sawdust,” Kai replies. “I’d be a carpenter.”

Bonnie scoffs at his snappy comeback and Kai’s smile grows before he very deliberately fishes a big ring out of his bag and bites into it, crunching with a relish. Teacher bae’s face grows disgusted and she looks over her shoulder at her kids before looking back to him.

“Aren’t you supposed to be with Caroline and Nora in the music room, onion breath?”

“They can handle twenty kids on their own,” he states. He leans back on the doorframe. “Speaking of our mutual friend, Caroline, are you going to her party on Friday? It’s off campus, and I know you don’t have a ton of homework to grade on Fridays.”

Bonnie shuffles nervously. “I’m not really a party person. And it’s a college party -”

“A grad student party,” Kai corrects. “And you live with Caroline. You’d be pretty much the same age as everyone else in attendance Bonnie, it’s not like you’d be the odd one out. ‘Sides,” he crunches on the dregs of his chips. “I though Care-bear was one of your besties.”

The science teacher purses her lips at him. “She is. That’s not the point. I’m just...not big on parties.”

The volunteer tutor hides his disappointment by tipping the Funyun bag into his open mouth to catch crumbs. Bonnie sighs in disgust and Kai ends up smirking at her as he bundles up the empty bag and puts it in the trash.

“Tell you what, Ms. Hot-sawdust-with-lime,” his heart races when Bonnie shoves him half-heartedly. “If you decide to come out of your shell, I’ll be your party-buddy okay?”

He starts to walk away, backwards, so he can still see her face as he fake pouts. “You won’t let me down, right Bonster? Be my party-buddy?”

Teacher bae rolls her eyes and smiles. More sunshine for Kai.

“Fine. I’ll see you Friday.”

And just like that, Kai’s Wednesday afternoon was a lot brighter.

.o.0.0.o.

“Oh. My. God!” Caroline squeals. “It’s a date.”

“It’s not a date.”

“It sounds like a date,” Nora speaks up, glancing up from her phone long enough to smirk at Bonnie. The shorter girl scowls at her roommates for ganging up on her. They were all sitting around the living room in their PJs with their respective snacks and Caroline’s Netflix queue up since it was her turn to control the big T.V. The blonde was a huge Shondaland fangirl, so they were watching How to Get Away With Murder. It was paused when Caroline demanded for Bonnie to tell her why Kai was all smiles after his snack run and Bonnie looked helplessly at Viola Davis’s unimpressed face.

“Guys, it’s not a date. I was going anyway, Care invited me.”

“Yeah, so you could get laid! And Kai is practically front row of the class, waving his hand around, screaming ‘pick me, pick me, Miss Bennett’ and you’re still insisting it’s not a date.”

“Because it isn’t!”

Two pairs of cornflower colored eyes look at her in disbelief.

“He’s my friend. He’s your friend - you invited him too!”

“Oh my god,” Nora muttered at the same time Caroline sputters. “Bonnie, honey, Kai is our friend, but he’s not yours.”

“Yes, he is!”

“He looks at you like a shark smelling blood in the water!” Caroline bursts, having finished short-circuiting. Nora puts her phone down to nod in solidarity of the blonde.

“He wants to fuck you,” she says plainly and Caroline sweeps her hand at the pretty brunette.

“Thank you! And you need it after the Jeremy mess. Besides, I’ve heard around campus that Kai’s pretty good with the,” she makes a catcall whistle.

Bonnie buries her face in her hands and braces herself for a long night. She should have grabbed some wine to go with her lime hot Cheetos.

.o.0.0.o.

Bonnie blanches at the sight of club’s V.I.P. room. It was huge, and per usual for Caroline, who had no sense of limitations when it came to blow-outs, packed with people and free-flowing liquor. It was Caroline’s annual Bloody Valentine party, a sort of weird horror-themed anti-Valentine’s ball - it made no sense for Care to throw it considering her boo’d up status with Klaus Mikaelson, but “it’s tradition, Bonnie!”

The green-eyed beauty leans back against the wall carefully so her roommates wouldn’t yell at her about messing up the hairstyle they did for her. Sipping on her Love Potion drink and watching as writhing bodies got down to Nora’s No Scrubs remix, Bonnie can’t help the flare of disappointment she feels when she’s unable to spot Kai anywhere.

He had to have known she was around - Caroline had stepped up to the mic earlier to play host and introduce Nora as DJ Heartbreaker. So honestly, if the whole party was made aware of her roommates’ arrival half an hour ago, then surely Kai knew she was around.

You’re kidding yourself. He’s probably already drunk and with some girl. You heard Caroline, he has a repu-

“Hello, glad you could make it,” a familiar voice coos in her ear, startling her out of her thoughts. The smell of soap and fresh cologne hits her subtly. “I’ll be your designated extrovert for the evening, if you could please follow me.”

A warm hand wraps around hers and tugs her along to the dance floor and Bonnie inadvertently follows after Kai’s tall form before realization strikes her.

“Kai?” she questions. He glances over his shoulder at her.

“Yeah, party-buddy?”

“Did you just get here?”

“Yeah,” he turns around to face her and pulls her closer, taking her drink and downing the rest in one go. Bonnie is both grateful because she didn’t really like it and appalled because Kai can be so obnoxiously rude sometimes. “Did you miss me?”

The question strikes a nerve and she looks away. “Not really. I just thought you might’ve gotten drunk and forgot we were meeting up.”

“Ouch,” Kai chuckles and draws her in. They start to sway together and Kai’s intense gaze makes Bonnie licks her lips nervously. His stormy eyes narrow in on her mouth at the move and then darken. “I’d never forget about you, Bonster.”

Her heart constricts and she bows her head.

He wants to fuck you.

It’s not like these moments were rare between her and Kai. This...chemistry, this allure, had been there since the first time she’d met the volunteer music tutor two years ago. But back then, she’d been in a long-term relationship with Jeremy and just resisted the pull. She’d been engaged and living together with her fiance, trying to build a future with him - but then of course it fell apart when Jeremy’s ex somehow drifted back into his life and he cheated on Bonnie with her. It had hurt, the disintegration of a relationship she’d held so dear for a while, but after the initial messy dissolution and heartbreak - it didn’t even bother Bonnie like she thinks it should. She’d moved out of their apartment and in with her friends, had pulled herself together and worked her ass off to finish her teacher certification early and now she was employed full-time.

Last month, she saw Jeremy’s announcement on Facebook about Anna’s pregnancy and didn’t even feel an ounce of anger.

But Kai was different. Bonnie wasn’t a coward, but when it came to people and relationships, she wasn’t exactly forthcoming, introverted in the extreme. All of her friends were pretty much the old ones she’s had forever or the new ones who came to her. Kai was of the latter type, always popping up to tease or encourage or piss her off at any given moment, inside and outside of the halls of the elementary they gathered at weekly. His teasing words from earlier hold truth; he was her sort of designated extrovert.

This feeling like electricity, like she could get burned if she got too close, it was always there. And it scared the shit out of her, because if she let Kai happen and he turned out to be another Jeremy...

She wouldn’t be so nonchalant about that. Not if this barely there, unexplored feeling was an indicator.

Suddenly, she’s picked up and twirled around. A huff of laughter is shocked out of her and Kai’s mischievous eyes flash up at her. He lets her down gently, but his arm stays loosely hooked around her waist, his hand just thisclose to grazing her ass. It sends the intrusive thought of what his ringed fingers would feel like squeezing the globes and the spot between her legs clenches.

“There we are. How was your space trip? Did you see the rings of Saturn?”

“No, but I did have tea with a lovely Martian.”

“I’m jealous,” he laughs. He peers down at each other. “You want to get out of here? I mean, I love Caroline and all, but her parties are kind of O-T-T. I’ve got some tea at my place you might like. Some fancy rooibos my sister gave me for our birthday.”

Bonnie swallows and stares up at his face, looking for any signs of deception. She knows it’s not really about the tea. He knows she knows, but he’s willing to pretend if she changes her mind later. He’s giving her a potential escape route. Bonnie nods.

“Yeah, lets go. I’ll text Care later.” Kai grins at her answer and takes her hand again, leading her out of the club. Bonnie can only focus on how well his large hand fits around her small one and the stretch of his shoulders under his denim jacket as she follows him to his car.

.o.0.0.o.

It wasn’t a lie. He did have some fancy rooibos tea tucked away in one of his kitchen cabinets, saved for days when Kai was feeling nostalgic for his family back in Portland and so the box was fairly untouched. He’s sure Bonnie would have liked it, but the second he closes his front door, her hungry mouth was on his and Kai forgot his last name was Parker.

His hands migrate to Bonnie’s hips, gripping them through her lace and sheer dress. He’d wanted to rip the barely-there pink and black fabric off and fuck her like his name was Ron Jeremy the second he saw her, but with her lips pressed to his, right now all he wants is more. More of her body on his, more of her sunshine smiles, more of her disgust with Funyuns and gross preference for hot Cheetos with lime, more of her time. Just...more Bonnie filling the spaces in his world.

Greed was probably going to be his downfall.

Hands sliding from her hips to her ass, Kai grips under her thighs and then hauls her up his body. The petite woman’s legs go around his waist, her arms encircle his neck and suddenly all of Kai’s senses are filled by her. He pulls away from her slightly, breathing in her oddly sweet shampoo.

“Yeah?” he breathes, before his mouth clamps around her neck and sucks.

Bonnie’s answer is the sinful moan that leaves her mouth and the tightening of her limbs around his body. Her nails drag down his back, tugging his denim jacket down and Kai shrugs it off with her help. Their mouths reattach. He takes a few steps forward in the dark, towards the general direction of his bedroom, but forgets trying to navigate when Bon sucks his bottom lip between her teeth and his mouth is suddenly damp with the taste of iron.

His already hardened cock strains even more in his jeans and Kai just laughs, pushing her towards the couch because it’s closer and overstuffed and just as soft as his bed anyway. Bonnie’s hair is rucked, her malachite eyes are heavy-lidded and dark, and her lips swollen and painted red by the blood she lured from his mouth her sharp kiss. She sits up, watching hungrily as Kai shucks his shirt and undoes the front of his jeans, giving his dick some relief from the pressure. Her hands reach out for him, pulling him in as her crawls forward, reclining back into the cushions to give him the freedom to invade her space.

Their mouths meet again. Her dress zipper comes undone beneath his fingers. Kai follows the top’s descent down her body with his tongue, leaving cool trails on her skin. Bonnie had forgone a bra that night, so he latches onto a nipple, sucking as much of her breast into his mouth as can fit, gently rubbing the other into a peak before pinching it harshly - it make her gasp and her body arch into his like a bow, both of her hands burying themselves in his hair. He smiles around the breast in his mouth, glancing up at her with mirth dancing in his eyes. Bonnie swats at his head, but Kai only shoves up the hem of her dress so that the whole thing is belted around her hips, leaving her essentially bare. He presses against her briefly, grinding their groins together teasingly.

“Fuck,” Bonnie utters and Kai likes the way the curse sounds on her tongue.

The long-limbed brunette clasps the seat of her panties with his free hand, feeling the damp and twisting the thin, lacy crotch around his three of his fingers. There’s a threat of removal without actually taking them off, leaving Bonnie exposed to him and the cool air of the apartment. Kai can feel the way her core flutters against his hand, makes himself comfortable in the cradle of her hips as she adjusts herself to fit him there.

Meeting her gaze, Kai deliberately slides one then two fingers, slowly into her core, fingerfucking into her leisurely. Teasing. Bonnie whimpers and it sounds like his name. The small fingers in his hair clench.

Finally releasing the brown nipple in his mouth, Kai blows a breath on it, then laughs at Bonnie’s annoyed groan. The hand making a home of her sex picks up speed and then her irritated sighs melts into appreciative moans and her hands pull him back for another kiss. Thumb pressed to her clit, two then three fingers sliding in and out of Bonnie, Kai plays Bonnie’s body for a few minutes until she’s tensing up, wetting his hand her release and then he’s smiling against her lips, nose bumping hers as he eases off on fingering her slightly to not overstimulate.

“Good?” he breathes. Bonnie nods, eyes half-lidded and dazed.

“Mmm,” she hums, sliding her own hand under the band of his underwear. Kai’s dick is rock hard, the picture of an orgasming Bonnie Bennett, the single hottest thing he’s ever seen. Precum has left a damp spot on his boxers and his tip and Bon’s thumb grazes it, smearing it. Her other hand snakes around his back, squeezing his ass before tugging down the band of his his underwear and jeans.

“Off,” she demands simply and Kai nods obligingly, toeing off his shoes and socks and helping her discard his bottoms. He properly sheds her of her own clothes until at last they’re both bare and flush together and then finally, fucking finally, Kai is sliding inside her warmth, inside Bonnie. He does it again and again, so that they both enjoy it.

It feels good. It feels right. It feels like coming home.

.o.0.0.o.

It’s like maybe one in the morning and after the second time they have sex when the two of them finally get up and drag themselves to Kai’s bed. The next day is Saturday, so neither of them is worried about their respective classes. Kai turns on the T.V. puts on Buffy, but leaves it on a low enough volume so that he can hear Bonnie’s moans as he goes down on her. After her third shuddering orgasm via Kai’s hungry mouth, she pushes him away with a laugh.

“I’m going to die, stop,” she laughs.

“Oh no, not that,” he whispers in mock horror before kissing her again. The science teacher sighs contentedly against his mouth.

Kai smirks as he pulls away, wrapping around her, head on her belly and arms under her back, both of them settling on top of the sheets to cool down. Bonnie’s back is propped up slightly against the pillowed headboard, angling her to better see the T.V. while Kai acts as her human heater.

She gets oddly keyed up the longer they lie there. Kai’s somewhat drowsy, watching Buffy’s misadventures, but Bonnie is really fidgety. The man bites at his teacher bae’s hip half-heartedly.

“Stop wiggling.”

She goes still for a minute, but he can feel the energy building in her body under him. He wonders if she’ll explode if she can’t twitch. He frowns at the thought. He can’t keep her if her guts are splattered all over his wall. Not in the way he wants to at least.

Kai raises his head to look at her.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She says it too quickly and Kai narrows his eyes at her.

“Bon,” he utters warningly. Don’t lie to me isn’t said, but she hears the implication and sighs.

“This doesn’t have to be awkward,” she tells him. Kai stares at her. She fidgets again and he grabs her hands, stilling her movement and waiting for her to look at him. Bonnie takes a breath and meets his eyes.

“Look, I mean we’re friends, right?” she asks. “I like being your friend. So this can be a one-time thing, you know? Some weekend fun and then we’re friends again. No big deal”

.o.0.0.o.

It’s not like Bonnie doesn’t trust Kai. She does. They are friends despite what Caroline and Nora think and wanting to fuck each other - having fucked each other - doesn’t change that. Bonnie doesn’t want it to change that. She likes having Kai in her life and she wants to keep him there, but his reputation as womanizer makes her weary and so instead of finding some way to progress she panics and tries to regress.

His face is inscrutable as he stares at her and Bonnie is painfully aware that not long ago that same handsome mug was buried between her thighs and making her scream his name. But it’s about as readable as a stonewall now and so she fidgets again.

His hands tighten on hers.

“So what, you want to be friends with benefits for the weekend, then on Monday, it’s business as usual?” his words are a little harsh, but he doesn’t sound mad. He doesn’t sound anything and it makes Bonnie nervous because she can’t read him when he shuts off like this, can’t tell if he’s actually upset with her or considering her words.

“If you’d like,” she says quietly. His stormy eyes flick over her face quickly and suddenly he stands up, naked body making her flush in remembrance and slight embarrassment before he’s out of the room. She hears banging in what she thinks is probably the kitchen and she wonders if she should leave. Kai has a mean streak, she’s seen it - maybe she pissed him off to the point of him wanting to look for a sharp kitchen knife. Suddenly she remembers that the CDC put out some statistics stating that one of the top killers of American women is intimate male partners and she blanches.

Before she can convince herself to run for the hills, Kai is back in the room and dropping something slightly weighted in her lap. It’s an orange and green family-sized chip bag with a cheetah mascot on the front. Bonnie looks up at Kai in amazement when he plops down on the bed with her.

“I have like, a whole shelf in my pantry just full those gross ass chips. I get a bag every time I’m at the store,” he explains.

Bonnie stares at him. “But...you hate hot Cheetos with lime.”

“I know right?” he scoffs. “They’re gross. But you love them.”

Something in Bonnie’s chest constricts and she stares at the naked man in front of her. She thinks she might cry. Or laugh. Something. There’s a lot of feeling building up in her chest so she needs to make sure.

“You buy these for me?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?” she asks softly. Kai smiles and grabs at her hand, entwining their fingers. They slot together well.

“I’m your designated extrovert right? I need my little introvert to have a function.”

.o.0.0.o.

Jo stares at him.

“You got together...over your chip preferences?”

“Yup.” Kai pops the ‘p’. His twin raises an eyebrow at him, a sudden mean gleam in her eye.

“So literally, you only have a girlfriend because you’re the only idiot on Earth who doesn’t like lime hot Cheetos.”

“They’re gross!”

[omnomwithrob]

The headline I would've gone with is “No-strike bowling bowler struck by Knope’s striking beau.”

In late May of 2020, I was slowly working my way through episodes of “Nadiya’s Time to Eat,” featuring Nadiya Hussain of Great British Baking Show fame. In one of her episodes, she makes a salmon poke bowl that inspired me to make my own version with cooked salmon.

I’m generally an Aldi shopper these days, and I used to buy their packs of frozen salmon, which was fine, but never great. Eventually I discovered their wild caught, “fresh never frozen” salmon in the fresh proteins section, and it is LEAGUES better. I love that it comes in a great big (but still affordable) chunk that I can slice into attractive filets. 

I like to cook my salmon according the the recipe in an anti-inflammation cookbook that I have, which is basically just roasting it in the oven at 375 with olive oil and salt and pepper until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. It’s simple and always comes out juicy and delicious.

I’ve taken some other liberties with Nadiya’s idea, including using brown rice, removing the avocado (since I’m allergic), adding salad greens, subbing the sauce for Molly Yeh’s kimchi mayo, and adding my take on Molly Yeh’s carrot slaw. 

Here’s how I make my Salmon Rice Bowls, inspired by Nadiya Hussein’s Salmon Poke Bowls:

Ingredients: 4 raw salmon filets 1 cup of uncooked rice (sushi rice and brown rice are both good) 4 tablespoons pickled red cabbage 4 green onions, thinly sliced 2 cups salad greens (e.g., spring mix) 1 sheet of nori, torn into pieces 1 large handful of peanuts, roughly chopped 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber (optional) Kimchi mayo (see below) Sweet potato slaw (see below)

For the Kimchi Mayo, inspired by Molly Yeh 1/2 cup mayonnaise (use Kewpie mayo if you want, but it’s a little sweet for me, and I prefer the tang of other mayos) Chopped kimchi and kimchi brine, to taste (this is my favorite brand)

For the Sweet Potato Slaw, inspired by Molly Yeh 2 cups shredded sweet potato 1/4 cup rice vinegar 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon minced ginger (I use the kind from the squeezy bottle)  Scallions, finely chopped Directions: 1. First, cook the rice of your choosing according to the directions on the back of the package.  2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the four salmon filets on a sheet pan and coat it with olive oil, then sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees, about 15 minutes.  3. Meanwhile, make the sweet potato slaw by mixing the rice vinegar, maple syrup, soy sauce, and minced ginger in a medium bowl until combined. Add the shredded sweet potato and toss to coat in the dressing. Mix in chopped scallions to taste; set aside in the fridge while you make the rest of the salmon bowl. 4. Next, make the kimchi mayo by adding the mayonnaise to a small bowl. Add kimchi brine and finely chopped kimchi to taste.  5. To assemble, divide the rice into bowls. Top with salmon (whole or shredded), pickled red cabbage, green onions, salad greens, nori, peanuts, kimchi mayo, and sweet potato slaw. Enjoy!

This came out so well! It only barely resembles Nadiya’s original recipe, but I’m so glad I saw her make her salmon bowls to inspire these. Each component brings something unique and balancing to the bowl, both in flavor and nutrition; Rob mentioned that he thinks the addition of the sweet potato slaw was essential to add moisture and a nice sweet and sour note throughout. 

I’ll also add that Rose loves this dish! It’s a regular in our dinnertime rotation, making its way to our table probably once every three weeks or so. It takes a little bit of time to get all of the components ready, but it’s worth it for that rare combination of healthy and flavorful. I’d encourage you to give it a try!

Caroline

[carolightpenvenys]

doctors a penvenys au chapter 8

I am so sad I missed AU day of fic week! I was working! But this would’ve been my contribution! Enjoy and don’t forget to leave feedback x

Mondays were always the worst for Dr Enys.

Especially since he’d had the weekend off. But today was a Monday like no other.

Well at least it was until around midday where he was opening his Kinder Bueno and there was a knock at his door.

“Come in.” He said through a mouthful, not even bothering to sit up.

The door creaked open but Dwight didn’t even turn round, he was midway through paperwork.

“Ah, Dr Enys.” The voice he heard made his eyes instantly roll back into his head, before he slowly turned his chair round with a shit eating grin.

“George Warleggan. How can I help?” There was just something about the hospital’s regional manager and local council member that made his skin crawl. But he’d never show it. Dwight was a professional.

“Bad news I’m afraid.” He said this with an almost glee and Dwight reminded himself why he would vote for the many, not the few next election. “It’s that time of year.”

“What time?”

“Cuts time.” George winced but in such a way that it seemed mocking. “So I’m just coming around to tell you all that you’re under observation.”

Dwight smiled politely. “That’s good of you George. Not sure we need cuts though, we have been struggling recently for staff.”

“But there’s just not enough money.” George shrugged casually. “My hands are tied.”

Dwight’s passive aggressive brain was on full power. Really? That’s funny considering I know for the fact your wages bought you a manor house and a holiday home in Barbados whilst the staff at this hospital are striking every two weeks because our wages can’t even afford to get people out of food banks.

But ok.

“Oh right.” Was what came out. “Thanks for letting me know. I’ll be on my best behaviour.” He smiled through gritted teeth and waved George out of the office, who was almost strutting as he left.

“What an arsehole.” He said to himself as he turned back around, professional as ever.

He looked at the time. It was coming up to half past twelve and he thought to take his lunch break officially, maybe snooping around the hospital for Caroline Penvenen.

Not that he would ever admit that but i freely will.

It was about a ten minute walk to the physiotherapy wing but Dwight made it last fifteen by kicking a vending machine until a seven up came out. He had taken his white coat off otherwise people would think he was on duty and make him do work, but he loosened his tie a little.

It was lunch time after all.

He  shoved the door to the wing open after crossing a road outside. He’d just go for a walk, a walk around the building, have a little snoop around and then go back to his office. Yeah.

He looked through the first window but it was a full on hospital room with a body inside sleeping. The body was also a 70 year old man.

He walked along the corridor and it was just more of the same. He felt very lost in this particular area of the hospital, slightly befuddled.

He threw his seven up in a perfect shot towards the bin.

Or so he would have you think.

I can tell you for sure it bounced off the rim and onto the floor and he had to humbly pick it up, rubbing the back of his neck slightly.

He continued to trudge up to the upper floor, telling himself if he saw nothing of interest here, he would just give up and go eat his sandwich alone with some milky tea.

Just then he came across a small window in a door and he manically found a way to stand by it without the people inside seeing.

Because inside was, in his opinion, the best physiotherapist and Ross’s ex girlfriend Elizabeth Chynoweth and her patient- Caroline Penvenen.

“Sorry I’m late!” Caroline was sat in the wheelchair with a kind of comfort that Dwight hadn’t encountered in their park adventure the other day which begged the question, did he make her feel uncomfortable. “Sarah needed her nappy changing. When it’s just me and her you can assume I will be a lot later!”

“It’s alright for today Caroline.” Elizabeth smiled warmly. You need a lot of patience to be a physio, you know. “But you need to be signed off from physio before you get Sarah full time.”

He saw Caroline’s smile falter, even from a distance as if this was new information. “Well that just makes me more determined.” She replied and Dwight couldn’t help but appreciate her strength. “Plus there’s a guy I really like and I want to be able to get my strut  on when I ask him out.”

Dwight’s heart dropped. Not two days ago had she told him that they should just be friends but now she had already moved on to another? Dwight knew he shouldn’t have come, he knew this was an invasion of privacy but he couldn’t stay away.

Elizabeth stood away from her computer and held up her hand to help Caroline up. “Ok Caroline.” She laughed. “Are you ready to go for the bars?”

“Of course.” Caroline smiled.

But Dwight was in no way ready for what was to come.

She gripped the bars with a firm unsteadiness and it looked to be an absolute effort. Her brain was working a mile a minute but she just couldn’t get her legs to do the same.

“Caroline.” Elizabeth was at the other end of the bars, leaning down to look at her. “Slow down.”

But Caroline persisted. “No. I have to get better, you don’t understand.”

“You’re not going to get better straight away!” Elizabeth persisted, approaching the bars to try and get her to slow down. “Walk slower, it’s a process.”

But Caroline was in the zone. What Dwight liked to call a negative zone. A zone where you put your physical health at risk for personal gain.

And that, readers, is when she fell.

She collapsed onto the floor, her legs crumbling and Dwight could only imagine the pain from her burns on top of this.

She howled. She howled so loud as Elizabeth came to her side and hoisted her back into the wheelchair, trying to sedate her with calming words.

“Hey.” Elizabeth smiled. “Not to worry, you’ve just got yourself into a tizz. It happens to all of us.”

Dwight stepped away from the door, ashamed to have walked in on a private moment. He shook his head and continued down the corridor, acknowledging other doctors walking the other way. He found a hot drinks machine and made the milkiest tea he’d ever seen but spent a good twenty minutes sat back down on the lower floor just staring at it. His lunch was nearly over and he may as well just trudge back to his office with a new fear instilled in his heart. He may as well-

“Doctor Dwight Enys?” Wow. Maybe this was the worst day of his life as he looked into the questioning eyes of Elizabeth.

“Dr Chynoweth.” He stumbled a little on his words. “It's been a while. I haven't seen you since-”

“Since Ross and I broke up?” Dwight’s face paled but she just laughed. “Come, have lunch with me. You look very depressing.”

Dwight mutely followed her into her office upstairs but his mind was elsewhere. He had so many unresolved questions as he popped his lunchbox (yes he owned a lunchbox) onto the table.

He sat opposite Elizabeth in her patient’s chair and stared at some of the equipment, fallen onto the floor. “Tough patient?” He asked.

“Ah, a doctor’s work is confidential.” But she was smiling. “But yes. Unintentionally difficult.”

Dwight knew that he shouldn't probe, especially when he knew it was Caroline and he knew that she wouldn't want this but, “How so?”

Curiosity got the better of him.

“It's really not her fault.” Elizabeth sighed.“She’s just in a completely different reality to everyone else.” “I don’t think I follow.” Dwight sipped his drink. “Who are you talking about?”

He really hated himself now. This was completely against everything they taught him at doctor school. Medical school. The medical book of ethics.

“Caroline Penvenen.” Elizabeth stated, matter-of-factly. “I’m only telling you because you’re not one of her listed doctors, so you probably don’t know her.”

Haha.

“I know of her.” Dwight smiled wryly. “I heard she’s something pretty special.”

“Don’t get me wrong, she’s lovely.” Elizabeth held her hand out to emphasise her point. “But I’m a pretty experienced therapist, as you well know. And it’s quite often in therapy that people just expect things to get better straight away.” She sighed. “But it’s called therapy for a reason you know? She’s talking about getting custody of her kid back really soon.” Elizabeth shook her head. “But she has some intensive physical and mental counselling to even get a hearing. My cousin is her social worker and says the child is already living in less than ideal circumstances with the godmother, but it’s the best they can do without putting the baby into care. Sad really.”

“Yeah.” Dwight’s mouth was dry. “So sad.”

This situation was more serious than he expected and he really hoped Caroline wasn’t putting herself at risk for this new guy she liked.

“Sorry. It seems I just emotionally unloaded on you.” Elizabeth laughed. 

“It’s fine, it’s just been a rough morning, cuts and all.” 

“Yeah I heard.” Elizabeth winced. “They’re naming physio as non essential so they can make cuts.”

Dwight decided it was best to go on an anti capitalist rant, but if you want to hear it, ask your humble narrator. It was long and boring but Elizabeth just nodded and nodded.

Until they were rudely interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Come in!” One could say Elizabeth was grateful for this interruption but her face drained of colour when she saw who it was.

It was George Warleggan no less, with his Porsche carkeys in hand. “Do you need a lift home today Elizabeth?” He acknowledged Dwight. “Dr Enys.”

“George.” Dwight lacked any understanding.

“I will be quite alright George.” Elizabeth smiled awkwardly. “I will see you at home.” 

Dwight’s eyes widened and George winked (I know) before shutting the door.

Dwight turned back to Elizabeth. “Elizabeth...”

 Elizabeth looked mildly angry and looked at her computer. “Says here, your lunch finished five minutes ago. I will see you Dwight. Goodbye.”

“I better be going then.” Dwight smiled awkwardly but knew whilst he was in the rehab area of the hospital, he had one more stop to make.

His walking was a little shuffly and weighed down with thoughts, thoughts of how he had been so selfish, he’d not even thought of how Caroline might be recovering. Also thoughts of Elizabeth and George Warleggan? Hopefully it wasn’t what it looked like.

He opened the door to the psychological rehabilitation building. He would just make sure Caroline had booked an appointment. That’s all. That’s all he’d do.

“Hi.” He addressed the receptionist. “I was just making sure my patient had booked an appointment here. I wasn’t sure that she would.” He showed her his ID and hoped to God she wouldn’t check he wasn’t one of Caroline’s listed doctors.

“Patient name?” She asked.

“Um.” Dwight stuttered. “Caroline Penvenen.”

She typed vigorously into the keyboard before smiling. “She’s booked in for next Tuesday.”

For some reason, this answer didn’t satisfy him. “Could I give some papers to her doctor?”

He felt like a twat because he literally had no paper, he was just going for a snoop. He was pretty sure the receptionist knew this. However, he noticed his medical bag hung over his shoulder which, for all she knew contained paper; Thank God.

“Sure, he’s free. Upstairs first door on the right.” He realised as he walked towards the elevator, he didn’t even know the doctor’s name. Regardless he stepped out onto the first floor and knocked on the door of this psychiatrist.

A Dr Sam Carne.

“Come in!” A highly accented voice called from inside and Dwight stepped in to see a man almost too young to be a doctor (remember you have to go to school for seven years).

“Hi.” Dwight waved awkwardly. Kill me.

Dr Sam Carne looked him straight in the eye and said. “How may I save your soul today?”

“Oh no.” Dwight’s eyes widened. “I’m a doctor.”

“I know I got the alert.” Dr Carne looked at his computer, running a hand through his hair. “But I feel your soul must still need saving.” He furrowed his eyebrows. “See, ye is not on Miss Penvenen’s list of doctors… Which begs the question.” He looked intensely at Dwight. “What is ye doing here?”

Dwight was taken aback. This was by far the most perceptive member of staff he’d encountered so far. “Do you know what? I’m just gonna g-”

“Wait.” Dr Carne’s went wide. “I knows ye. You’re a friend a my sister’s. Demelza Carne.”

So Demelza had never spoken of any brothers ever. For all Dwight knew she could have seven. “Yeah I guess.” He realised now that both Demelza and Sam had different levels of the same accent and shared many features in common.

“Everything is lining up for me.” He shook his head. “She was ‘avin a right go about ye other day on the sibling group chat. She say ye’s obsessed with a girl- it must be Caroline Penvenen.”

Dwight just stood there like a deer in headlights, not even trying to defend himself.

“Well I have some advice for ye- don’t do it. Once upon a long time ago, I did feel like ye- fell in love with a patient I did and I nearly got fired. ‘Twas horrible and she left me because she doesn’t love Jesus like I do.”

“I don’t blame her.” Dwight said under his breath as he stared at the crucifixes on every wall. “Thanks for the advice, I guess.”

“Now scram outta here before I tell Demelza ye came.” He got up from his desk and ushered Dwight out. “Just don’t do it, alright?”

Dwight just smiled weakly. He seemed to do that a lot recently. But just as he thought his day couldn’t get any worse, he turned around to George Warleggan already waiting.

“Don’t do what?”