#let him have his ten emotional support cats

[basicallykiyotaka]

Enji has a major inferiority complex and constantly feels the need to prove himself day in and day out when in reality he's a complete coward. He hides behind fake confidence because he's doing the classic fake it til you make it. He became so envious of heroes yet still felt so weak compared to them that part of him gave up and instead raised a child.

He, in fact, loves his family. He truly believed that he could create something happy one day and that fatherhood was going to help his wounds heal, and when all it did was make him even more scared, he pulled his walls back up and demanded control over himself that he never actually had. He didn't want to hurt his family, but he did anyway. He shut out everything that would make him vulnerable and poured all his self loathing into training Shoto.

He most certainly knew, for a long time, that what he was doing was fucked, but when you're in that mental cycle, you can't justify breaking out of it because that's what that kind of fear does to you. This created more self hatred which in turn created more stress which created more anger.

Because there's nothing to relieve it and all his wounds are torn open through Touya dying, he buries himself into the places he knows he can regulate and knows he can feel powerful up until the start of his arc where he finally feels himself calmed down. The urge is satisfied yet it leaves him hollow, and only then can he truly reflect and say out loud that he should have done better.

TL;DR - Enji Todoroki has insecurity issues stemming from not feeling strong enough after his father died which resulted in an unending cycle that took itself out on the people around him.

This is what the subtext and direct text is trying to tell you. The fact I'm even explaining this to people who love him makes me concerned for reading comprehension...

[kitkatkitzune]

THE DARKNESS

Pairing(s): Kol Mikaelson x Salvatore!reader, Platonic!Mikaelsons x Salvatore!reader, Platonic!Salvatores x Sister!reader

Summary: The real reason you return to Mystic Falls is revealed to your brothers.

Warnings: Emotional Neglect? (on the Salvatore brothers side), Betrayal (duh), Blood, ANGST, Violence, Klaus getting dagger happy, Klaus being incredibly cruel and deranged (normal Klaus behavior), Reader is traumatized (because of Klaus), Reader isn’t really a good person, A lot of neck snapping, Katherine Pierce, Inaccurate historical depictions, Switches between past and present, Some timeline errors and changes, Uses of Y/N, Kol not showing up til like 2k words in, Inconsistencies in the tense it’s written in (what a shock.)

Notes: THIS WAS ORIGINALLY TITLED ‘THE ART OF BETRAYAL’ BEFORE I DECIDED ‘THE DARKNESS’ FIT BETTER!

Reader is ten, turning eleven when she meets Katherine. She isn’t turned into a vampire until she’s 19.

Pizzelles are an Italian cookie. (Yes, this is random. Yes, this is kind of important.)

Canonically Kol was daggered in 1821 because of his lovely iteration of Hamlet, he wasn’t undaggered until 1901. In this, we’ll say he was still daggered in 1821 but was undaggered some time before 1870. Again with the dagger stuff, Rebekah is canonically daggered until 1887 after all the Marcel thing, in this she was undaggered some time before 1870.

And finally, a big thank you to @wholoveseggs for all her support and encouragement while I’ve been writing this because without her, I probably wouldn’t have finished this!

Word Count: 16.3k (goodness gracious)

MASTER POST , TVDU MASTERLIST

———————

Present Day

Mystic Falls

It had been one hundred and forty-six years since you had seen your brothers. Actually, it had been one hundred and forty-six years since they had seen you. You kept tabs on them over the years, always so close but not close enough for them to find you. As far as your brothers were concerned, you were dead and technically you were.

In truth, you didn’t want to see them but you had to. You had to for him.

So here you were, driving past the Mystic Falls welcome sign. Your jaw clenches at the sight of it, you hadn’t been here since 1864. Every fiber of your being was screaming at you to turn around, that you didn’t want to be back here, that it was going to hurt you. You shoved the feeling away and continued driving until you reached your destination.

The old Salvatore Boarding House, your old home.

You take a deep breath before walking up to the door. It’s wide open and you can hear Stefan and Damon arguing inside. Your best guess is Stefan tried to walk away from Damon by slamming the door on him and all it did was make Damon angrier and he flung it open.

You followed the yelling to the living room, they were so caught up in their argument that they hadn’t noticed you leaning on the door frame.

“I see you two still fight like cats and dogs… I’m sure this is about some silly girl,” you finally speak up, announcing your presence.

They both immediately stop and look at you.

“Who the hell are you?” Damon asks instantaneously and you couldn’t blame him, the last time he saw you, you were just a kid.

You pout, placing a hand over your heart, “that hurts Damon.”

Letting out a dramatic sigh you place your hands on your hips, “I guess that’s fair though… I mean, it has been a really long time, one hundred and forty-six years in fact and I was just a little kid then.”

“I was about this tall…” you gesture with your hand then gasp, bringing your hand to your mouth, “And the last time we spoke was in this house, in this room!”

Stefan’s eyes widened a bit, his face becoming one of shock and realization, “Y/N?” he whispers.

You smirk and Damon scoffs, “That's not possible, our sister is dead.”

“Well, you’re not wrong about that, though, I believe the proper term is undead—“

You’re cut off by Damon rushing at you, slamming you into the wall, and holding you up by your throat.

“Damon.” Stefan warns.

“This isn’t Y/N, Stefan! It can’t be! This is some sick imposter! I don’t know how they found out… but Y/N… she’s been dead for over a hundred years!”

You knee him in the stomach, causing him to double over and drop you, “Undead.”

Damon grunts, stumbling back but he quickly recovers, “Okay, let’s say you are our sister… Why now, huh?! Why find us now, after a hundred some years?!” he shouts.

You scoff, standing up straight, “Because I saw you both die! I saw father shoot you both dead! You remember that night right? The night you both tried to save Katherine? The night you were turned?”

You paused for a moment, directing your next words to Damon, “The night you told me I wasn’t your sister anymore.”

You knew being back here would be hard, you knew it would hurt. What you didn’t expect was for Damon to seemingly forget everything that happened in 1864. He looked away from you causing you to scoff.

“That woman ruined our family the moment she stepped foot in Mystic Falls.”

1864

Mystic Falls

You stood next to Stefan, rocking back and forth on your heels as you watched the carriage approach.

Your father had told you that a woman was coming to stay with you all, a woman named Katherine Pierce. You were excited for her arrival, you loved Stefan, Damon, and occasionally your father but you were ecstatic to have another girl around.

The carriage opened and two women got out, you followed Stefan down the stairs, standing right next to him.

“You must be Miss Pierce,” your brother says with his hands still behind his back.

Miss Pierce smirks, “Please,” she reaches her hand out for him to take, which he does, “Call me Katherine.”

They stare at each other for a moment, seemingly having a silent conversation before you interrupt, “Hello!”

Katherine seems taken aback by the sudden voice but puts on a smile, “And who might you be?”

“Y/N!”

Stefan chuckles and places his hand onto your shoulder, “This is my little sister, father jokes that she’s my shadow,” your brother teases, “She’d be following Damon around as well but he’s off at war.”

You frown at the mention of your other brother, not noticing the way Katherine’s gaze hardens.

Katherine would grow close with Stefan over the next weeks and unfortunately for you, she made it abundantly clear that she didn’t like you. You couldn’t figure out why but Stefan continually reassured you that Katherine had no problems with you so you tried to let it go.

Then after some time, Damon returned home and you were overjoyed. You had always been close with your brothers, they were practically your only friends. You had been lonely since Katherine had arrived due to Stefan’s infatuation, you hoped now that Damon was back you wouldn’t be so lonely.

“Damon!” you cheered upon seeing him, “Day! You’re back!”

He chuckles, “That I am!”

You rush to hug him which he quickly reciprocates, patting your head. But his gaze focused elsewhere.

“Who is she?” he points.

You turn to see who he’s looking at and sigh, “That is Miss Katherine Pierce, she’s been staying with us for some time now.”

You beckon Damon to lean down so you could whisper in his ear, “I think Stefan may be in love with her.”

Your eldest brother raises a brow and stands up straight, “Hm? Well… I suppose I should introduce myself to our guest…”

Just like that, Damon was infatuated as well. It was as if Katherine was a siren and both your brothers had been tricked by her song.

You watched Katherine as she led on both your brothers, knowing that at least one of them would be getting a broken heart. Though, you had a feeling they’d both end up heartbroken.

The one event that really broke you was when both your brothers were nowhere to be seen on your birthday, and when you did find them it was like they had no idea what the day was.

You hated Katherine, but you weren’t scared of her. Until you saw her true face.

You knew what she was, a vampire. Your father had told you stories about vampires, they’re evil monsters. He told you if you ever even heard whispers of a vampire that you had to tell him and he’d take care of it.

So you told him and he came up with a plan that you would enact within the week.

“What is that delicious smell?” Damon asks as he walks into the kitchen.

You let out a little laugh, “I baked cookies! Would you like one?”

“I’d love one,” Damon takes one of the cookies from the tray, patting your head as he did.

The first step of the plan was complete, now all you had to do was sit back and wait.

It wouldn’t take long for Katherine to come back to the boarding house with Stefan, he goes and sits on the couch while Katherine begins to go upstairs. She turns to give Damon a look and he immediately rushes to follow her up the stairs.

Moments later there’s a scream, followed by shouting from your father, Damon, and some men you don’t know. Stefan is off the couch quickly and at the steps immediately.

Multiple men are dragging Katherine down the stairs while Damon yells at your father. Stefan stands in shock as you reach his side. Katherine is taken out of the house by the men and put into a guarded carriage. Your father holds Damon to the wall as the carriage leaves your home, finally, his eyes land on you and he lets go of Damon, rushing to you, he places a kiss on your head.

“You were right, my dear. You did good.”

With that, he rushes out the door to the carriage, leaving you alone with your brothers.

Stefan’s voice is quiet, “You know what she is…”

“And you told father!” Damon shouts.

“She’s a monster Damon!” you yell.

He scoffs, “You don’t know what you’re talking about! You’re ten! A child!”

Your frown, “My birthday was a month ago Damon… I’m eleven… or have you forgotten?”

“It doesn’t matter! How you could be so cruel… I don't understand… I don’t recognize you… you’re no sister of mine. Not anymore.”

“Damon!” Stefan yells.

Damon shakes his head, shoving past you to the door, “Let’s go Stefan! If we’re quick we can save her!”

And just like that, they rush out of the house without sparring you a second glance. They didn’t know it at the time, but moments later you would run out of the house after them.

Present Day

Mystic Falls

“I never went back home… it wouldn’t be home if you were both dead... So I ran and ran and didn’t look back… I travelled all over… never staying in one place for too long.”

Stefan steps forward and pulls you into a tight hug and you allow him too. It had been a century since you had hugged anyone, you almost forgot how to. He pulls away to get a better look at your face, how you’ve grown since he last saw you.

“How old are you? Physically?”

“It’s rude to ask a woman’s age, Stef…” you giggle before giving an actual answer, “Nineteen, I was turned in 1872… which I guess makes me your big sister.”

He chuckles, “I don’t think that’s how it works.”

Damon crosses his arms, “How’d you turn?”

“Willingly, if that’s what you’re asking… my boyfriend at the time turned me, we wanted to spend forever together.”

“Ironic, sounds a lot like my story with Katherine.”

You furrow your brows, “What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying, you’re a hypocrite.”

You scoff and Damon takes that as his signal to continue, “Where is this boyfriend of yours now?”

You squeeze your eyes shut, “He’s gone.”

“Gone?”

“Dead.” you lie.

“I’m sorry Y/N,” Stefan smiles softly, placing a hand on your shoulder.

Suddenly, the floorboards creak causing all of you to look at the sound. There she stood, Elena Gilbert.

“Oh… I’m sorry I didn’t realize you had company…” She clears her throat, “Uh… Stefan, you called me?”

Thinking quickly, you speed away from Stefan and slam the girl into the wall. You weren’t dumb, you knew who she was and you knew she wasn’t Katherine but your brothers didn’t know that you knew. Everything would be fine as long as you didn’t kill her, he wouldn’t mind if she was roughed up a bit.

“You keep the bitch around?! After everything?!”

Stefan and Damon sped to your side, Damon ripping you away from her.

You scoff, “You still protect her!”

“This isn’t Katherine,” Stefan says before pulling Elena to him, the girl holding her throat.

“Looks exactly like her!”

Damon rolls his eyes, pulling you farther away, “We know. We have eyes. It’s weird, some weird, freaky nature thing but she’s not Katherine. Smell her, she’s human.”

You turn your attention to Stefan and Elena who are both looking at you, waiting for your next move. Stefan is ready to jump in front of Elena to save her, you almost roll your eyes but resist, this would be like 1864 all over again.

You walk over to them, slowly, tilting your head at Elena.

“I’m Elena…Elena Gilbert.”

You give her a half smile, “Y/N. Sorry.”

You hold out your hand for her to take, which she does after looking at Stefan to make sure you were safe.

“This happens a lot, you’d be surprised…”

“No, I wouldn’t be. Katherine’s a bitch. A lot of people want her dead,” you pause, “Consider getting a tattoo on your forehead,” you brush your pointer finger and thumb across your forehead, “‘Not Katherine’.”

Elena giggles, “In size forty font.”

You crack a smile, she seemed sweet, you almost felt bad about what was going to happen, almost.

“You’re a friend of Stefan and Damon’s?”

“I’m their sister,” you smirk, chuckling at the shocked expression on her face.

“Our sister who we thought was dead up until about five minutes ago,” Damon adds, still suspicious of you.

“I didn’t know you were alive either until I heard rumors from some vampires that fled from here…” another lie.

Stefan and Damon share a look and you look between them, “What?” You ask.

“The tomb vampires.”

Stefan pats your back, “C’mon, we got a lot of catching up to do.”

“Well, this is lovely but are we going to discuss what we’re here for?” A new voice cuts in, she looks familiar but you can’t quite place her.

Elena on the other hand looks terrified, “You…”

“Like he said, a lot of catching up to do,” the woman smiles.

You all sat down in the living room while the woman who you learned to be Rose began to pace back and forth while speaking, “Okay, you have to understand, I only know what I’ve picked up over the years- and I don’t know what’s true and what’s not. That’s the problem with all this vampire crap but Klaus I know is real.”

You keep your expression neutral, you had been told the story of Katerina Petrova, Katherine Pierce as you knew her and how she escaped her death by Klaus and Elijah both. That’s why this woman was familiar, she had played a role in the escape.

“Who is he?” Elena asks.

Damon speaks up, “He’s one of the originals. He’s a legend,” he widens his eyes for dramatic flair.

”From the first generation of vampires,” Stefan gestures with his glass.

“Like Elijah?”

Rose sighs, dropping her shoulders, “No, Elijah is the Easter Bunny compared to Klaus. He’s a foot soldier, Klaus is the real deal.”

You look down to hide the smile on your face, Elijah? The Easter Bunny? Now that was a funny joke.

“Klaus is known to be the oldest…” Stefan adds and that almost makes you giggle.

“So…” Elena begins, “You're saying the oldest vampire in the history of time is coming after me?”

Well, not the oldest.

“Yes.”

“No.”

Damon sighs, standing up, “No, what they’re saying is, I mean, if what she’s saying is true—“

“Which it is,” Rose cuts in.

“—And you’re not just saying this so we don’t kill you…”

“Which I’m not.”

Damon sighs, “Then… we’re looking at a solid maybe?”

“Look,” Stefan says, going to sit next to Elena, “Elijah’s dead so no one else even knows you exist.”

This makes you look up, unless these idiots found a white oak stake, Elijah was not dead, he was simply resting and he’d be pissed when he got back. You only hoped that he’d stay clear of you, you still held a soft spot for the man and you didn’t want to rat him out, but you would if you had to.

“Not that you know of,” Rose adds.

“That’s not helping…” Damon mutters.

“I’ve never even met anyone who has laid eyes on him, we’re talking centuries of truth mixed with fiction!” Stefan argues, “For all we know he could just be some sort of stupid bedtime story…” he looks at Elena, trying to reassure her that she’s safe.

Rose scoffs, “He’s real and he doesn’t give up. If he wants something, he gets it.” Well ain’t that the truth.

“If you’re not afraid of Klaus then you’re an idiot.” Rose adds. Also true.

“Well, what about you little sister?” Damon asks, gesturing to you, “You ever heard of Klaus?”

“No.” Yes. “I doubt he’s even real.” He’s very real.

“You mentioned you traveled a lot,” Stefan looks at you, “You’ve never heard of the original vampires?”

“Never.”

1870

New Orleans

You had showered off all of the blood, trying to rid yourself of the horrible memory. Why was it that vampires seemed to be everywhere you went? And now you were staying in a house with not one, but four vampires.

Sighing, you get out of the shower and change into the outfit Elijah had provided for you, it was a simple night gown, reaching past your knees. You find your way to the guest room that Elijah had shown you and curl into the bed, unable to sleep. You stay in that position all night, not getting even a wink of rest.

When morning comes, you make your way downstairs to the living room, “Elijah?” you call out softly, knowing that he’d be able to hear even the faintest of whispers.

There’s a whoosh behind you causing you to spin around on your heel, expecting to see Elijah but you don’t. A man stands by the couch, smirking.

”I see my brother has taken to copying me. Bringing home his very own charity case,” the man announces as he drops down on the couch to sit, urging you to sit down as well, you do in fear of upsetting him.

You fidget with your hands out of nervousness and he cracks a smile.

“No need to be scared, love. I’m Klaus…” he holds a hand out for you to take and you do, rather reluctantly.

When you don’t say anything, he continues, “Did my brother say something about me?”

You shake your head, “No, not you.”

“Oh? Not me? Did he say anything about my other siblings, do tell me. I’m just dying to know.”

You look around the room before turning back to him, “He said I should be careful around Kol…”

“Ah, my little brother, yes, he can be quite reckless… and rather… insatiable…”

“Are you talking badly about me to our new guest?” a voice that you assume belongs to Kol fills the room.

Klaus clicks his tongue, holding back a laugh, “No, no, little brother. Simply warning the girl of your tendencies…”

Kol scoffs, before leaning over the back of the couch, his chin practically touching your shoulder as he whispers to you, “Don’t listen to him, darling… or Elijah for that matter.”

You jump a bit and tilt your head away from him, inadvertently giving the vampire easy access to your neck. He chuckles and surprisingly, leans away.

“Don’t tempt me.”

“Kol! Elijah already said you’re to leave her alone!” a blonde girl comes bouncing into the room, pulling Kol further away from you.

In a flash she’s in front of you, holding her hand out for you to take, “I’m Rebekah! It’ll be nice to have another girl around!”

She then looks you up and down, taking in your current outfit, “Now this just won’t do, come now,” she reaches her other hand out for you and when you take it she pulls you off of the couch.

She quickly begins to pull you towards the stairs just as Elijah comes back into the room, he sighs upon seeing you and his sister.

“Do not overwhelm the poor girl, Rebekah.”

“Relax Elijah, I’m only going to get her a change of clothes… and we must do something with this hair!” she twirls a piece of your hair.

And with that, Rebekah practically drags you up to her room.

“Sit.” she guides you to a vanity chair, “You’ve got gorgeous features but this hair… this dress… they are not doing you any favors…”

Your face flushes, “Oh, I haven’t had much money for clothing let alone food… It's been hard to find work and I never really learned how to do my own hair… my brother used to do it for me and he’d allow me to braid his… I just can’t seem to do so when it’s my own head.”

Rebekah smiles softly, “You needn’t worry, I have plenty of options for you!” she rushes to her closet, opening it to reveal a plethora of different dresses.

She holds up a gown with a bit of lace detailing that goes up to the neck, “This will do nicely. Much better than this night gown…” she says as she brushes the sleeve of the dress you currently wore.

She hands you the gown, “Go now,” she points to the bathrooom, “get dressed and I’ll do your hair!”

You do as she says and come back, having her help you tie the back.

“Now, let’s fix this hair.” she pushes you back down into the chair, “Would you like a braid?”

You nod, “That would be lovely…”

Rebekah hums, “You said your brother used to do your hair… Where is he now?”

Your eyes widen a bit before you look down, “Oh, uhm, he’s dead… That’s why I ran from home…”

“You’re a runaway?”

You crack a smile, trying to be as confident as possible, “Was my ratty appearance and lack of cash not enough to give that away?”

Rebekah chuckles, “I suppose… were you always poor?” she asks, nonchalantly.

“Oh Heavens no. My family was very wealthy… the wealthiest family in our town. My father was a landowner.”

“You didn’t think to take any money before running?” She raises a brow.

“I was only eleven at the time and had just witnessed… something awful…” you take a deep breath, you hadn’t ever spoken about this out loud, “I needed to get away.”

Rebekah frowns, dropping your hair, “Elijah said you’re seventeen, you’ve been on your own for six years?”

You nod and Rebekah’s frown deepens, “That’s a long time to be alone… that must have been awful.”

“I’ve managed,” you shrug, “I went back once, a week after I had left when I got second thoughts… I found out that my father had also passed. I came across a newspaper, they believed that someone had killed my father and taken me…”

“He was killed?”

You hum, and Rebekah picks up your hair again.

“Did they ever catch his killer?”

“No… but I have a suspicion it was a vampire.”

“Why would you think that?” she asks as she finishes your braid.

“His head was nearly ripped off.”

A few days later, Klaus found you. Elijah was dealing with other matters so he wasn’t there to monitor his brother's behavior.

You were alone when he found you, in the kitchen. Baking was something that you enjoyed doing at your old home and after running away you hadn’t been able to. Elijah welcomed you to use the kitchen and bake whatever you’d like, saying he wanted to make sure you felt comfortable during your stay.

“Not too broken up about your father being murdered?”

The sudden voice causes you to jump, spilling the cup of sugar you were holding.

“You startled me,” you sigh, beginning to clean up the sugar.

“You’re easy to frighten,” in a second, Klaus is directly next to you, making you yelp, he smirks, “Now answer the question.”

“What?”

“Your father…” he practically circles you, “You think a vampire killed him? You didn’t seem too sad about it.”

“I… it was six years ago… wait, you were listening when I was talking to Rebekah?”

Klaus hums, “Six years is not that long,” he ignores your question, besides, you already knew the answer. “Well, to a vampire at least. I suppose I could buy that if your heart wasn’t racing.”

You let out a breath, “Klaus—“

“Yes yes, I know Elijah has told you to stay clear of me even if you deny it…”

“That’s not—“

“You didn’t like your father!” he exclaims, making your eyes widen, “I’ve figured it out, huh? What was so awful about the man? Do tell.”

You scowl, you knew you shouldn’t mouth off to the vampires but Klaus was testing your patience, “Not that it’s any of your business but, he… he killed my brothers.”

“Brothers? Plural? Interesting, you only mentioned one to Rebekah. You’re lying to us now?”

“I- No! I only mentioned the one that did my hair! I didn’t lie!”

“Withholding the truth then,” he smirks.

You sigh, “Elijah knows everything already, I’ve told him everything. I haven’t lied, both my brothers fell for a vampire- my father got involved…” tears begin to prick the corners of your eyes, “…he ended up killing them both… I assume the vampire- that she got away, that she killed my father… that’s why I’ve been alone.” tears begin to stain your cheeks.

You sniffle, rubbing at your eyes when the door opens. Klaus has a sheepish expression when Elijah enters the room.

“Niklaus,” he practically hisses, “What did you do?”

“Nothing! I simply asked the girl a few questions!”

Elijah narrows his eyes, “I’m sure.”

You went upstairs and stayed there for the rest of the day, trying to avoid everyone. You were deep in thought when Kol’s voice startled you.

“My brother made you cry? He does tend to have that effect on women.”

Kol chuckles, and you turn to see him leaning against the doorframe of the room Elijah has you staying in. Your eyes widen and you turn your back to him, probably not your best move considering he’s a vampire but Elijah had told you to stay away. It was bad enough that you had spoken to him earlier but at least then his siblings were around, now you truly were alone.

“Like I said darling, you needn't be scared.”

“Elijah told me not to speak with you, he wouldn’t have told me that for no reason.”

Kol scoffs, “He’s always so dramatic.”

You don’t respond and Kol sighs, “I’ll go if you want, I simply wanted to make sure Nik didn’t upset you too badly… you’re too pretty to be upset over him.”

You blush, he sounds genuine but you couldn’t trust it. You also didn’t want to upset Elijah, he was the one who was giving you a home after all. He could easily kick you out and back onto the street to fend for yourself.

“I’d just like to be left alone… please.”

You hummed mindlessly in the kitchen, swaying while you baked. It had been three months since the Mikaelsons had allowed you into their home, Elijah promised he would find you your own home soon enough but he had been so busy with other duties.

You didn’t mind, you had grown used to living in their home. Ironically, living in the house of deadly original vampires had been the safest you had ever felt. The Mikaelsons had completely changed your opinion of vampires in just a few, short months. Rebekah had become a close friend of yours, Klaus had stopped his frequent questioning and began to see you as a friend (he never apologized but you knew he felt bad when he gifted you a necklace), and Kol… well… Kol was complicated.

After he had checked on you that day, you became curious about him. Elijah’s warnings only did so much to curb your curiosity. At first you had listened, avoided Kol at all costs but there was just something about him that kept pulling you in.

You would often find your mind wandering back to him. His face, his hair, his eyes, his cheshire-like grin…

Kol was determined to get you to break your walls down, he would find you all the time, whether you were painting like Nik had taught you, braiding your hair like Rebekah, or even just laying in your bed. He would find you and you’d just chat.

You brought up Kol to Elijah once, you wanted to know what was so horrible about him because when he was with you, he was sweet. Elijah wouldn’t give you a clear answer, just reminded you that he was dangerous. You wouldn’t mention how much time you had begun to spend with Kol to Elijah, in fear of making him upset.

But he found out, just like you knew he would.

“Miss Y/N, may I speak with you?” Elijah asks as he enters the kitchen.

You turn to look at him, just having finished the dough for the cookies you were making, “Of course, Elijah.”

“I notice you have become quite close with Kol as of late.”

You gulp, looking down, feeling guilty, Elijah had asked one thing of you and you weren’t even able to do that.

“I’m sorry, I know I—“

Elijah holds up his hand to silence you, “Please.”

You let out a shaky breath and Elijah lowers his hand, “I’ve never seen my little brother care for someone like he cares for you… especially after such a short amount of time. You… you’re good for him. He’s changed… so no more of this sneaking around like children,” he waves his hand to gesture around.

Your face flushes, “Oh we’re not… we’re just… we’re not together…”

Elijah smirks, giving you a knowing look, “I never said anything about a relationship.”

1871

New Orleans

“What are you reading?” Kol asks as he drops onto the couch, sitting next to you.

“Frankenstein,” you hum, not bothering to look up from the book, turning a page.

Kol nods, “I’ve heard of that one…”

You two sit in silence for a moment before Kol sighs dramatically. You close your eyes, composing yourself when Kol sighs again. You mark your page and close the book, finally turning to look at him.

“What Kol?”

He shrugs, “I’m bored.”

“Bored?”

“Very.”

You sigh, “Can I at least finish my chapter before we go off to cause whatever chaos you have planned?”

Kol rolls his eyes, “Fine,” he draws out the word.

Just as you’re about to pick up the book again, Kol drops his head into your lap, laying across the couch.

You tense up immediately, “Kol. What are you doing?”

“Waiting for you to finish your chapter, darling,” he mumbles, “Your thighs are very comfortable.”

You sigh, forcing yourself to relax, it wasn’t that you didn’t enjoy his touch or him being this close, it was that it made you nervous. You were falling for Kol, you knew you were and every touch, no matter how small, made you nervous. Touching was common with Kol, you had a feeling it was how he showed affection.

It didn’t take long for you to finish your chapter, “Kol,” you say quietly but get no response.

Your brows furrow and you look closer at him in your lap, he was breathing evenly, his eyes closed. He was asleep. He looked peaceful, and if you didn’t know any better you’d say he looked innocent and angelic.

You weighed your options, you could wake him up and put distance between the two of you… or you could let him sleep, curled in your lap, while you read another chapter.

You decided on the second option and it definitely had nothing to do with the fact you wanted to keep him so close.

It was calm, everything about the moment was so domestic. You wished you could stay here forever, reading a novel while an original vampire laid asleep on you as you brushed your fingers through his hair.

Unfortunately, no nice thing could last.

The door to the compound flung open, angry footsteps filling the silence.

“Niklaus, wait a moment. Let us think about this.”

“There is nothing to think about!”

Kol tenses in your lap at the loud voices, stirring in his sleep. He sits up, forcing the sleep from his eyes.

Klaus enters the living room, glaring daggers at you. You don’t seem to pick up on his angry gaze, “Did you get it?” you ask excitedly.

You had mentioned a few weeks ago that your mother had a cookbook that contained all of your family's recipes. After she died, the book remained in the study of the boarding house. You were sad, you wanted the book back because you couldn’t remember any of the recipes and Elijah had offered to go get it for you.

You told him not to be ridiculous and that he’d have to travel the whole way to Mystic Falls to get it, he seemed to tense a bit at the name but insisted nonetheless. So you told him about the boarding house and where he would find it, Klaus insisted on accompanying him.

“Yes.” Klaus answers coldly, dropping the book onto the coffee table.

You squeal and lean forward grabbing the book, “Thankyou!” you begin to flip through it, “You have no idea how much this means to me…” you look up, trailing off when you finally notice the look on Klaus’ face.

“We found something else too,” his tone is detached as he tosses a picture onto the coffee table.

You recognized the photo instantly, it had been taken shortly after Katherine arrived in Mystic Falls. It was of you, Stefan, and Katherine. The three of you had smiles on your faces, though, it was obvious Katherine’s was fake.

“Her,” he points to Katherine.

“What?”

“Don't play dumb with me,” Klaus practically growls, “This is the vampire you mentioned?”

You gulp, nodding, “I- yes, that’s Katherine…”

“Katherine?” Elijah muses, “Is that the name she’s using now?”

You didn’t miss the subtle way that Kol slid forward on the couch, or the way he placed his hand on your thigh, attempting to hide you behind his arm, to shield you from Klaus’ fury.

“Where is she?” Klaus keeps his gaze locked onto you.

“I don’t know… I haven’t seen her since I ran from home…”

Kol squeezes your thigh to try and calm you down, to reassure you that he wouldn’t let Klaus hurt you even if he tried. You were grateful for him and Elijah, Klaus was impulsive at times, especially if he thought he was being betrayed.

After a considerable amount of time, Klaus had calmed down. He and Elijah explained the story of Katerina to you, how she had escaped her death, and how Klaus wanted her to be scared before he killed her. How he wanted her to suffer.

Just like last time, Klaus didn’t apologize, the day after you found three books on your nightstand, Pride and Prejudice, Little Women, and Les Miserables.

A few weeks had passed since the Mikaelsons found out about your history with Katherine. And you all went on with life like nothing had happened, Klaus would occasionally ask about Katherine and you would always answer his questions. Katherine was why your brothers were dead. Katherine was the reason you hated vampires. And the Mikaelsons were the reason you didn’t anymore.

“My mother used to make these when I was little… this is actually her recipe- well, my great grandmother's recipe,” you tell Kol as he watches you close the pizzelle iron.

He hums, reaching for one that’s cooling, “In all my life, I’ve never had one of these…”

Your eyes light up, “Oh! I’ve been meaning to ask you this! I know you eat my baked goods… but does human food actually taste good to you?”

Kol tilts his head, “I’ve told you numerous times, darling, you’re an excellent baker…”

“But that’s not what I asked, I wish to know if you enjoy them…”

“Your treats are delectable… as are you,” Kol flirts, leaning closer.

Your face heats up at his comment, “Flattery will get you nowhere, Kol Mikaelson.”

“No?” he raises a brow, his face just inches from yours.

“Well, maybe somewhere…” you whisper, your gaze flickers to his lips.

He smirks, “And where would that be?”

“You tell me…”

The tension between the two of you was thick, it had been for a few months now but nothing had come of it. The two of you danced around each other and your obvious feelings, Rebekah would tease you about it, often remarking on how you could do better than her brother.

Just as his lips were about to brush against yours he pulled back, “Darling…”

“Yes, Kol?”

“The iron.”

Your eyes widen and you quickly turn back to the pizzelle iron, standing up from your chair, opening it quickly, coughing a bit as the smoke hits you directly in the face. You use the tongs to toss the burnt cookies onto the cooling rack as Kol doubles over in laughter.

You glare at him, before letting out a small laugh, “You distracted me! This is your fault!”

He smirks, standing up to his full height, wrapping an arm around your waist to pull you close, “I’m a distraction?”

“Yes… you are.”

He presses a kiss to your temple and hums, “Too bad you’re stuck with me…”

You pull away a bit to look up at him, “You think?”

Kol stares at you, debating internally about what to say, “I think… no, I know,” he takes a deep breath, “…that I have completely fallen in love with you, Y/N Salvatore…”

A smile appears on your face, “Well I know that I am utterly in love with you as well, Kol Mikaelson…”

He smiles before capturing your lips in a soft but passionate kiss. The arm around your waist tightens, he pulls you impossibly close and you loop your arms around his neck.

A low whistle followed by clapping causes the two of you to break apart, Kol didn’t let you get too far though, still keeping his hand on your waist.

“Took you long enough,” Klaus smirks.

You cover your face with your face with your hands, completely embarrassed but Kol just seems annoyed by the interruption.

“Is there something you need Nik?” Kol asks, rolling his eyes.

“I was just wondering what that burning smell was, wouldn’t want our lovely home to burn down. But I see now our little baker was just… preoccupied…”

“Rebekah!” Klaus shouts, causing your eyes to widen.

“Nik no!” you retort, peaking through your fingers, but you knew it was too late.

“What the bloody hell do you want now?” Rebekah asks as she walks into the room.

Klaus smirks and then gestures towards you and Kol by tilting his head. Rebekah immediately notices the hand around your waist and gasps.

“Finally! I thought you two would be dancing around each other forever!” she squeals.

“What is all this shouting about?” Elijah asks, entering the room while adjusting his cufflinks.

Kol pinches the bridge of his nose before leaning over to whisper to you, fully aware his siblings could still hear him, “It’s like they all come out of the woodwork at the most inopportune times…”

Elijah spots the cooling racks of pizzelles and makes his way over, immediately picking up one of the burnt cookies. He holds it up and raises a brow at you, waiting for an answer.

Klaus begins to cackle, speeding over to Elijah to take the charred cookie from him, “Brother, Y/N got distracted…” he points at Kol, “the distraction.”

Elijah lets out a little chuckle, clearly amused, “Yes, well, try not to get distracted in the kitchen… we eat in here.”

1872

New Orleans

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Kol holds your face in his hands.

“More than anything… I want to be with you.”

Kol chuckles, “My darling, you’re already with me, you already have me.”

He takes your hands and places them over his heart, “This dead heart belongs to you.”

You giggle a bit at his words and he smiles before frowning, “I just… I don’t want you to think you have to do this for me…”

You smile softly, “I know, but this is what I want, I promise…”

“Then it’s a good thing I’ve already had my witches make you a ring… a gorgeous ring for a gorgeous girl, my gorgeous girl…”

You giggle again and pull him in for a kiss which he quickly reciprocates. After a moment he forces himself to pull away. He scoots til his back is against the headboard then pulls you so you’re sitting with your back against his chest.

Kol brings his wrist to his mouth, fangs protruding and bites into his own flesh before holding his wrist near your mouth for you to take. Both your hands grab onto him, pulling his wrist as close to your mouth as physically possible and begin to drink from him.

He groans at the sensation and brushes some of the hair from your face, “Atta girl… that’s it… just a little more… good…”

When Kol decides you’ve had enough he pulls away, chuckling at the way you try to follow his now healing wrist, “My, my, already so bloodthirsty…”

You look up at him and pout, some of his blood dripping from your lips. He could get used to sight of you and blood, his two favorite things, together. He gives you another kiss, tasting his own blood from your mouth.

Pulling back, he sighs, “This is the part I don’t like.”

You lean up and kiss his cheek, “You’re the only one I’d trust to do this… it’s okay, my love, it’s what I want.”

Reluctantly, Kol brings his hand up to your neck, “I love you, my darling.”

“I love you… now please, kill me.”

He winces at the sound of your neck breaking, squeezing his eyes shut. He lays in your bed, holding your body, brushing the hair from your face while softly humming until you wake up.

Present Day

Mystic Falls

You stare at your daylight ring, spinning it on your finger.

“Y/N… Y/N… Y/N!” Damon snaps his fingers in front of your face to gain your attention.

You jump and look at him and then at Stefan, now noticing that Elena left.

“Are you alright?” Stefan asks, tilting his head.

“I’m fine… just… lost in thought.”

Damon’s gaze stays focused on your ring, “Is that your daylight ring?”

You hum, looking up at him and then at Stefan, before holding your hand up to show off the ring, “I know, it’s not nearly as gaudy as yours.”

Stefan chuckles but Damon narrows his eyes, “It’s not a wedding ring,” he notes.

“No…” you state but it sounds more like a question.

“So the guy can ask you to die and be forced to drink blood for the rest of eternity but he can’t get down on one knee and pop the question?”

“Damon…” Stefan sighs, they had just gotten you back and he was worried that all of Damon’s passive aggressive comments were going to drive you away again.

You scoff, “He didn’t ask me to do anything, it was my choice. I wanted this. We… we didn’t need to be married to be in love… it just wasn’t the right time for a wedding anyways…”

Stefan seems a little shocked, “You asked him to turn you?”

Before you can respond to Stefan, Damon interrupts, “This was your first boyfriend?”

“He was my first everything,” you state matter-of-factly.

Both Stefan and Damon groan in disgust at your words and the implication of them.

You roll your eyes, “Oh grow up.”

Stefan stands up, “And on that note, I’m going to school… make sure Elena’s okay…”

You fake pout, “You don’t wanna hang out with your sister after not seeing her for so long?”

“That’s not—“

You cut him off, “Relax Stef, I’m kidding. Go.”

He gives you a curt nod and heads out of the room, leaving you alone with Rose and Damon. You almost forgot Rose was here, she had been quiet ever since she had finished her speech about Klaus. Damon gives Rose a look and she nods, leaving the room.

“I thought you hated vampires,” Damon states, taking the spot on the couch where Stefan once was.

“I did… until I met him.” Them.

Damon stays quiet for a moment, his eyes soften a bit, “This guy must have been special.”

You squeeze your eyes shut, “He was… I really loved him, Damon. I really do still love him…”

Your brother sighs, scooching closer to you on the couch. He wraps an arm around your shoulder and pulls you to him.

“I am happy to have you back, you know… it’s just… you’re not the same kid I left behind, you’ve grown so much, to me you’re still the little girl whose hair I used to braid…”

“It’s okay, Day… I get it… I do,” you smile, using the nickname you used to call him as a child.

He ruffles your hair, “Why don’t we go out, I’ll show you around town… it’s practically the same, just modern.”

“I… uhm…” you sigh, “I’m tired to be honest, I traveled a long way to get here… and I think all the ‘excitement’ just made me even more tired…”

He nods, “Alright, I’m assuming you want your same room, you remember where it is?”

You stand up from the couch, “How could I forget?”

You leave Damon on the couch, making your way to the stairs. You take note of Rose who was standing near the kitchen doorway, she had clearly been listening to your conversation. There was no such thing as privacy with vampires.

Your room was exactly as you had left it, you could tell that no one had even entered the room in years. If you had to guess, you’d say that the last ones to enter were Klaus and Elijah— they had also retrieved your favorite teddy bear on their mission to get the cook book. There was dust floating around and cobwebs everywhere. You let out a sigh just as Damon makes his way up the stairs to you, he must have remembered the state of your room.

“No one’s been in there since…”

“I know,” you cut him off.

“We didn’t want to disturb it…”

You sigh, “Can I just… have another room for now?”

He nods and leads you down the hall to one of the guest rooms that had been maintained over the years, “I can get you extra blankets? Extra pillows?”

You shake your head, walking further into the room and sit on the bed, “This is fine.”

”Alright, well, I’ll let you sleep,” as he’s about to leave, his hand goes to the light switch to turn it off.

In a second, you’re off of the bed. You grab his hand causing him to groan in pain, you were sure you broke fingers but you didn’t care. You couldn’t let him turn off the light.

“Ow!”

You let go after a second, “I… I’m sorry…” you mumble.

“Jesus! If you didn’t want it off you could have said that!” he waves his hand around, wincing as his fingers snap themselves back into place.

You just blink at him, and he sighs, “Just get some rest.”

He reaches for the door this time, you grab it as it’s about to close and he stops, “Yeah?”

“Don’t close the door.”

Damon raises a brow, “You want the light on and the door open?”

You nod, “Please…”

“You can sleep like that?”

“It’s the only way I can sleep.”

Damon goes to open his mouth, but quickly shuts it, deciding that for once in his life he should just be quiet. He nods and leaves it at that, you let out of a sigh when goes, dropping down onto the guest bed.

You want to close your eyes but you can’t. It’s too dark.

Stefan eventually returns and finds Damon sipping on bourbon as usual.

“Our sister is strange,” Damon announces the second Stefan steps foot in the door.

Stefan sighs, “Alright, I’ll bite. What happened?”

Damon sets down his glass, “She’s upstairs, sleeping.”

“Okay?”

“With the door open, the curtains open, and the light on.”

“Damon, just leave it alone.”

The older Salvatore scoffs, “Come on Stefan, that’s weird.”

Stefan shrugs, “I didn’t say it wasn’t. I just said to leave it alone. We just got her back, literally today and if you keep pushing like you always do, you’re going to push her away. Again.”

“Don’t act like this is all on me. We both pushed her away… pushed her right into the arms of some scummy vampire and now she’s stuck like us. Well, at least it sounds like she actually got to make that choice.”

“I thought we were past that,” Stefan lets out a humourless chuckle.

“We’ll never be past that.”

“I was just joking before about you two constantly fighting…” you mumble as you walk down the stairs.

Damon smirks, “Stefan loves to bicker.”

You raise a brow, “So it’s only Stefan then?”

You swiftly make your way across the room to the bourbon and grab a glass, you turn to Damon, “May I?”

“Knock yourself out.”

Humming, you pour yourself a glass, looking at Damon over the rim of the cup, “You and Rose woke me up earlier, safe to say I’m disgusted…” This was a lie, you never fell asleep in the first place.

Damon rolls his eyes, “Now who needs to grow up?”

Stefan sighs and takes that as his que to cut in, “You sleep well? Besides that…”

You take a sip of the alcohol before responding, “Like a baby.”

Another lie, you hadn’t slept ‘like a baby’ since 1914.

1914

New Orleans

“He’ll never let us leave, he’ll never let us be happy.” Kol holds you tightly in his arms, “This is the only way…” he pulls back to hold your face in his hands, “I’ll find the diamond, my witches will do what we need, and then we will leave this place, my love. I want to show you the world, just as you wish but we can’t do that with him looming over us.”

You swallow, “I am tired of watching him hurt you… all of you.”

“And I do not want him to ever hurt you.“

Klaus had been a friend to you over the years but the one thing you disagreed on was how he handled his siblings. It broke your heart to watch any of them be daggered and put away in those wretched boxes for however long he deemed necessary. It drove a rift in between the two of you and you knew Kol was right, with how tightly of a leash Klaus kept on Kol, it was only a matter of time before Klaus saw Kol as a threat and daggered him again.

Besides, it wouldn’t be killing Nik. It would just be giving him a taste of his own medicine for once.

“Okay…”

“Okay?”

You nod and Kol lets out a small chuckle, half smiling at you, he presses his lips to yours.

Pulling back, he looks you up and down, “All you have to do is look pretty, which is an easy task for you considering you always look gorgeous.”

He takes your hand and has you do a twirl, admiring the way your dress moves as you spin, “Absolutely stunning.”

You roll your eyes, giggling as he spins you right into his arms, “Always such a charmer.”

“Only for you…” he presses a kiss to your head, “You head down to the party I’ll be right there.”

You hum, connecting your lips one last time before heading downstairs, blending into the crowd around you. Soon after, Kol would make his way downstairs, he snuck up behind you, placing his hands on your hips and whispering into your ear.

“Rebekah knows but do not fret… she’s going to help us.”

Only she wouldn’t, Rebekah ran straight to Klaus and told him everything.

All of you were currently on the stairs, posed for a family photograph. Kol had his arm wrapped securely around your waist when Klaus raised his glass, taping the side of it with a knife to attract the attention of everyone in the room. He starts by thanking those invited for attending but then makes a special toast to Rebekah.

He looks at you and Kol while speaking, “It is especially gratifying in times when treachery runs deep to know you have someone you can trust…” he turns back to face Rebekah, smiling at her, “A toast, to you, my sister.”

Kol tenses, the two of you share a look and quickly begin to make your way up the stairs. You make it to the top of the stairs before Kol does and just as he’s about to join you, Elijah speeds in front of him. Elijah grabs Kol’s arms, successfully detaining him as Klaus slowly walks up the stairs. You’re frozen in place, unsure what to do and Kol looks at you. He knows this will be the last time he sees you for a very long time so he decides to commit your features to memory. He regrets not asking you for a dance earlier.

“Ladies and gentlemen! I do apologize for the disturbance! But, what’s a Mikaelson party without a little squabble…?” He reveals a silver dagger.

“Y/N run!” Kol shouts and you listen.

You rush away making Klaus sigh, looking at Rebekah over his shoulder, “Catch her,” he commands.

Kol looks at his sister, a pleading look in his eyes as he struggles in Elijah’s hold— watching her run after you, knowing that it would be near impossible for you to outrun her.

You hear Kol’s pained scream as Klaus shoves the dagger into his heart, trying to fight your tears as you run. You were outside when Rebekah caught you, slamming you into the wall.

“Bekah please…”

Her eyes scan your face, your fear, your grief, and she loosens her hold, “I have never had a true friend until you, Y/N… please… forgive me for what I am about to do.”

Rebekah takes your face in her hands, staring into your eyes and you begin to panic, knowing what is about to happen.

“You promised you’d never do that! All of you did! That you’d never take my choice away!” you fight against her.

“Look at me,” her voice becomes hypnotic and you find yourself unable to look away from her eyes, “You’re going to forget Kol, you’re going to forget that you were ever in love with him. You’ve never even heard his name. You are going to forget all about Elijah and… me. All you will know regarding the Mikaelson family is that you have to keep running from Klaus. You don’t stop, you don’t stay in one place for long, you keep running.”

Your eyes have completely glazed over, pupils dilated, “I keep running from Klaus…”

Rebekah pulls back from you, staring at you as your eyes go back to normal, “Y/N?”

“I… I’m sorry, do I know you? I… nevermind that I need to get going, I’m sorry again,” you say, walking past her before using your speed to get farther away.

Rebekah lets out a shaky breath, knowing that Klaus will not believe that you were able to outrun her. She brings her own hands to her neck and snaps it, falling to the ground.

Maybe he’d believe that.

Present Day

Mystic Falls

A few days had passed since your arrival in Mystic Falls, while everything had seemingly calmed down a bit, there was still the looming presence of Klaus.

You had been briefly involved with their plan of getting the moonstone from Katherine, you knew it wouldn’t do them any good and it was clear they were grasping at straws to try and save the doppelgängers life. After contacting him, he told you to just continue on as is so you wouldn’t raise suspicion. You had witnessed Elena’s attempt at a self-sacrifice play, which she failed at terribly due to your brother's intervention… and Elijah’s.

Damon was incredibly annoyed when he found out Elijah was still alive. And after a lot of back and forth and changing of plans, you managed to convince Damon to let you accompany him to the bar to confront Jules. You refused to be on babysitting duty with Jeremy.

You made it your mission to avoid Elijah, knowing that if you saw him you’d end up telling Klaus in fear of him interfering with their plan. You already knew that Elena and her group of friends would try to interfere but you could handle them - you had plans. Caroline was meant to be the vampire… but you had plenty of options for a vampire, maybe even your own brothers. Tyler Lockwood was a werewolf, but you needed a backup, which is the whole reason you went to the bar with Damon. You wanted to get an idea about Jules so that it would be easier to get her.

Jules was smart, she wouldn’t drink the wolfsbane and she instantly knew what you and Damon were. That wouldn’t matter, you knew when it came down to it - you’d be able to capture her with ease. You backed down from the argument, not wanting to fight in the middle of the bar but Damon didn’t. He kept pushing just like he always did.

That brought you to where you were now, back at the boarding house with Damon and Rose. The two were clearly having a moment so you decided to take a step back into the living room. Just as you do, a large wolf jumps through the window, slamming you into the ground. You hold its jaw, pushing its mouth away from you in fear of being bit.

“Damon!” you shriek, “A little help would be nice!”

Damon goes to the fireplace mantel, picking up a sword, taking a swing at the wolf. It lets out a pained sound and releases you- now going to attack Damon. Before it’s able to turn your brother into a chew toy, Rose jumps in front of him, taking the brunt of the attack. The werewolf sinks its teeth into her shoulder, infecting her with its deadly bite.

Your brother slashes the wolf once more and it takes off into the night, knowing it wouldn’t survive another hit from the blade. You let out a sigh of relief, turning to look at Damon and Rose.

“How bad is it?” Damon asks Rose, helping her off the ground to examine the bite.

“It hurts…” Rose whimpers.

You frown, already knowing what is going to happen, you knew of the false hope that she would get.

Damon’s eyes widen, “It’s healing!”

Rose tilts her head to look at her shoulder better, “Oh my God… I thought a werewolf bite was fatal!”

‘It is’ you want to say, to warn her of what is going to happen about how she’ll lose her mind. But you stay silent.

“I thought…” tears fill Rose’s eyes and Damon pulls her into his arms.

“You’re going to be okay…” he reassures her, giving you a look.

You press your lips together, nodding, leaving the room to give them their moment once more. Allowing them to live in a fantasy where Rose would be okay.

You made the decision to disappear for a few days, leaving your brothers and Elena to deal with Rose. Both of them left numerous messages on your phone.

“This is what? Call two hundred and twenty four? You’re really not going to answer them?” Klaus muses.

You sigh, shaking your head, “No. I’m not. They just want help with Rose… I don’t… I don’t want to see her like that, losing her mind… I’ve seen that happen too many times before.”

Klaus hums, “Let me guess, you’re going to ask for my blood to heal her?”

“No,” you shake your head, “She needs to die, she knows too much about you and your family, she’s a threat… besides she’s probably dead now.”

“Our family,” Klaus corrects.

You continue, ignoring him, “I just thought she’d die with a stake in her heart not from going insane.”

“Still sensitive.”

You choose to ignore his comment once again, playing the latest voicemail left by Stefan.

“Y/N, I don’t know where you are or why you left… I’m worried though… about you, about Elena… I miss you… can you please come home? Listen, Rose is dead and Damon is doing what he does best— deflecting. He’s got this new girl… Andie Star I think? I- I don’t know what happened that night, maybe you got bit too? I really hope not… Maybe you got scared… you ran… just please at least call me if you’re not going to come home… I need to know you’re okay. I love you.”

“I presume you’re going back now?”

You nod and Klaus smirks, “Excellent… I’ll be making my appearance soon.”

By time you arrived back in Mystic Falls, Elijah had been ‘dealt with’ as Damon put it. That made you anxious, you doubted they had found a white oak stake but the only alternative was a dagger, and that thought made your stomach churn.

Leaving had fractured the trust you built between your brothers, you knew it would but that was fine with you. The less you knew regarding Elijah, the better. You told them the truth, that you knew Rose was going to die - painfully and out of her mind. Damon was angry that you didn’t tell them and Stefan understood.

There was also the little fact that Katherine had been released of her compulsion. You had to admit, you were a tad anxious she’d find a way to Klaus and find out about your deal. If she ratted you out to Stefan and Damon, every part of your perfectly calculated plan would be ruined. Hopefully, Klaus would be enough to distract your brothers from you so they wouldn’t get too suspicious.

It was no secret that Niklaus Mikaelson liked making an entrance and being as you were currently not getting all the intel since they still didn’t trust you fully— Klaus decided to use one of his favorite tricks which you suggested. Body possession.

On the night of the school dance, Klaus possessed Alaric's body, revealing himself to Bonnie and Elena with dramatic flair and then he killed the Benett witch— at least that’s what you two thought.

The truth of Bonnie’s fate would be revealed on the night of the ritual when she showed up to kill Klaus with the help of Elijah.

Elijah had dug his hand into Klaus’ chest and you had no idea what to do. You couldn’t fight Elijah, that was one fight you’d certainly lose, not to mention Bonnie and all of the others being there, they’d stop you before you could lay a hand on him.

Klaus looked at you, silencing your fears with one glance before looking back to Elijah and confessing the truth, “I didn’t bury them at sea.”

His gaze flickered to you and Elijah looked to where his brother was, he hadn’t seen you in so long but still, he trusted you, so when you nod your head ever so slightly… he believes Klaus.

Two days had passed since the ritual and Klaus was now a hybrid. You had spent those two days following Elijah through the woods, cleaning up Klaus’ mess.

In fact, that’s where you currently are. It had been practically silent between the two of you, neither of you wanting to start the conversation, after all it had been nearly a hundred years. That was until you decided to open your mouth after arriving at another camp that had been ripped apart.

You move a body and scoff, “He’s not even draining them. He’s killing for sport.”

Elijah hums, “You sound shocked, you should know by now this behavior is expected of Niklaus.”

“He’s wasting perfectly good snacks,” you grumble as you throw the body to Elijah who catches it with ease.

“You’re thirsty?”

“No, Elijah, I’m annoyed,” you throw your hands up, walking closer to him, “It’s been two days since the full moon, why is he still a wolf?”

“I don’t have the answer to that.”

“Okay, well, what if he’s stuck as a wolf? Hm? Then what? We’re going to put him on a leash and have him lead us to the coffins?”

Elijah lets out a chuckle, “While that image is amusing, I’m sure he’ll be turning back soon.”

You sigh and go back to cleaning up the bodies in silence, when you’re done you both continue to follow the trail that Klaus was leaving behind, you had no doubt you’d soon run into more bodies.

“What have you been up to for the past century?” Elijah asks, walking so close that your arms brush against each other.

You come to a stop, and it takes Elijah a moment to stop and turn back, looking at you slightly confused.

“Are you serious? I was trapped, Elijah, and when I wasn’t trapped I was running from him,” you jab your finger into his chest, “from you.”

Elijah looks down at you, a frown on his face, “I haven’t been doing Niklaus’ bidding since he said he dropped all of them into the ocean… he implied that he had found you as well… that you were gone… I never did want to hurt you, Y/N.”

“Well it didn’t seem that way to me. I didn’t know that. I’ve spent the last century looking over my shoulder, not staying anywhere for more than a moment because I knew that no matter where I went, you, or him, or some minion of his would be waiting. And when I wasn’t running I was trapped… there… all alone…”

“Y/N—“

“I know what we did was unforgivable,” you say, taking a step away from him to continue following the trail and he follows, “but what he had planned for me was just cruel…”

“If it’s any consolation, none of us agreed with Niklaus’ ‘gift’.”

You let out a humorless laugh, “Is that what he called it?”

“Yes, it was intended to be given to you for your engagement… obviously you were shown sooner than intended… it was his disturbed way of welcoming you into the family officially.”

Your brows furrow, “What engagement?”

Elijah stops, seemingly realizing his mistake, “I apologize, I thought you knew… Kol…”

You stop and turn to him, “He was going to propose?” your voice breaks a bit as you will away your tears.

Elijah sighs, stopping to face you, “He had rings, new daylight rings… I do not know much of how he planned to propose, just that he planned to do it after the new year… You two had been together for so long I assume he thought it was time to ask…”

You blink a few times, before clearing your throat, “Let’s just find Klaus.”

He nods, continuing to follow the path, he can practically feel the emotions rolling off of you. Grief, sadness, anger, and even jealousy. Then there was the look on your face, the look of heartbreak. Even after all these years, he still hated to see you like this. He would always feel guilty, after all, he was the first one you met, the one who introduced you to everyone. He would forever feel at least somewhat responsible for your pain.

1869

New Orleans

It had been five years, nearly six since you ran from home, since your brothers were killed, and you were still having a hard time settling down. You found yourself in New Orleans, you loved everything about it, but there was one problem. It was hard to find work as a woman and even harder as a seventeen year old so you adapted to stealing.

You would wait by stands or alleyways and wait for the perfect target, you’d typically go for men who held their heads high as if they owned the world. Men who were so well dressed that you knew they had money to spare. Sometimes you’d even hang out near bars to find men stumbling around, too drunk to notice you taking their entire wallet.

It was late now, you were leaning against a wall when you saw him. A rather attractive man dressed in a fancy suit, you had no doubt that it had been tailor fitted to him. He begins to walk down the street, walking right past you, seemingly not noticing you. There weren’t as many people out now, normally you’d use the strangers during the day as cover but this man clearly had too much money for his good, you couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

As quietly as possible, you push yourself off the wall and follow behind him. You smirk when you see his wallet in his back pocket but just as your fingers graze what you assume is real leather, his hand snatches your wrist.

“What do you think you’re doing?” His voice was low, dangerous.

You curse yourself for being so reckless. You swallow your pride and decide to try and flirt your way out. Men with the kind of money you knew he had, always enjoyed being flirted with, it boosts their already over-inflated egos.

You giggle while leaning a bit closer, “You’re even more handsome up close…”

He chuckles, “Is that so?”

“And this suit… it fits you so well…” you brush your hand along his chest.

“That’s very flattering…” he smiles, bringing his hand up to cup yours.

Hook. Line. Sinker. You had him.

“But I know what you’re doing.”

You did not have him.

Your smile fades away and you pull back from him. This had never happened before, most of the men were too dumb to figure it out (at least until they got home and found their wallets missing), it was just your luck that you’d try and rob the only smart guy around.

“How old are you?” He looks you up and down.

You gulp, “Seventeen, sir.”

He pulls his wallet from his pocket and holds it out to you, “Take it.”

“What?”

“Take it, you want my wallet? Take it.”

With shaky hands, you reach for the wallet, it was embarrassing being caught like this but you needed the money.

“Thank you…” you trail off, realizing you hadn’t learned his name.

“Elijah Mikaelson.”

Your eyes widen at the name, you had heard of the Mikaelsons before. A rich, powerful family and there were whispers all around that they were the thing you hated most. Vampires.

He smirks at your reaction, “And you are?”

“Y/N.”

He nods and smiles but it quickly fades when he glances at his watch, “Well, Miss Y/N do try to stay safe… you never know who or what may be lurking in these streets, especially at this time of night.”

And just like that, he was gone. The next time you saw him was after the new year when he pulled a newly turned vampire off of you. You saw him a third time when this exact thing happened again, you didn’t know why but you it seemed you were practically vampire bait.

After these two incidents, Elijah decided it wasn't safe for you to be on the streets any longer and invited you to come stay with him for some time before he could find something more permanent. An idea you were not so eager about when he confirmed that he and his family were in fact, vampires. But you couldn’t pass up the offer when he was offering you an actual bed to sleep in and numerous necessities. Little did either of you know that the compound would become your permanent home.

Present Day

Mystic Falls

After your conversation you had fallen behind Elijah, walking slower to keep the distance. When he called out that he had found him, you hardly even picked up the pace.

“You’ve been busy…” Elijah remarks, leaning on a tree.

“That was… amazing.” You hear Klaus’ voice before you see him.

And when you do see him you groan, spinning around and closing your eyes, “You could have told me he was naked.”

“Did you think I was carrying around his clothes these past two days for fun?” Elijah raises a brow.

“It’s been two days?” Klaus asks, you can hear him shuffling around while getting dressed.

“Full moon came and went. You remained a wolf.” Elijah states but it’s more of a question.

“I can change at will then, that’s good to know.”

Klaus smiles and then chuckles, “I remember… every single kill.”

“Yes, we’ve been cleaning up your little mess along the way.” Elijah gestures between the two of you.

“Just like old times then.”

Elijah hums, and pushes off the tree, handing Klaus his boots, “Well, you’ve had your fun. I believe we have a bargain.”

“That’s right!” Klaus exclaims, leaning down to put on his boots, “Now what was it again? Oh yeah, wait, I remember, that’s it! You wish to be reunited with our family!”

“And you!” he shouts towards you, “You want your precious Kol back…”

You turn around, finally facing him, pleased to see that he has put his pants on. You want to say something but hold your tongue, there was a time where you weren’t afraid of him but now it felt that if you even stepped a toe out of line he’d hunt you down.

Elijah brushes off Klaus’ jacket, “You gave me your word, Niklaus.”

Klaus smiles, cheekily, “And what kind of brother would I be if I broke my bond… even if you did try and kill me.”

You sigh, and Elijah holds out Klaus’ jacket for him to put on, “I could have… but I didn’t.”

Klaus puts on his jacket and fixes the collar, “And now no one can,” he turns to face Elijah, “Relax, Elijah, all is forgiven.”

He smiles at you, “That applies to you as well, love. You have more than proved yourself loyal.”

“Where are they?” Elijah cuts in.

Klaus grins, patting his brother's arm, “You need to lighten up… I’ll bring you to them soon enough.”

He walks ahead of you and Elijah, the two of you sharing a look before you scoff and follow after the hybrid. He ends up taking you to Alaric's apartment, you feel a pit in your stomach knowing that Katherine is going to be there but you do your best to push it away.

“Look who decided to come for a visit.” Katherine gestures to Stefan as you, Klaus, and Elijah enter the apartment.

“I need your help.” Stefan states, his eyes flickering to you, wondering why the hell you’re with them, there was no way for you to know what had happened to Damon so that couldn’t be it.

Elijah shuts the door, and Stefan steps closer, “For my brother.” he then looks at you, “our brother.”

Klaus clicks his tongue, “Oh well, whatever it is, it’s going to have to wait a tick. You see, I have an obligation to my brother.” he points at Elijah. “And your sister…” he points at you.

“It requires my immediate attention.” Klaus brushes past Stefan.

You hug yourself, feeling anxious of the entire situation, it was bad enough that Katherine was here and now Stefan was too.

“You understand how important family is or you wouldn’t be here.” Elijah walks a bit closer to Stefan, “My brother gave me his word that he would reunite me with my family.”

“And so I shall.” Klaus speaks from behind Elijah, Elijah spins around to face his brother but it is too late, Klaus shoves a dagger through his heart.

You feel frozen when Elijah screams, tears begin to fill your eyes, you know what is about to come and there's no point in running because he’d just catch you. Rebekah wasn’t here this time to buy you time.

His body drops to the ground with a sickening thud, his skin completely grey and you knew you would not get the privilege of a quick death.

Klaus smiles at you and the tears begin to fall from your eyes.

“Please! I- I didn’t know about Elijah’s plan! I didn’t even know he was here! I only heard rumors! I swear! You said it yourself, Klaus- I’m loyal! I’ve proved it!”

Klaus shushes you and walks closer, your body doesn’t move, you’re rooted in your spot. He brings his hand up to hold your cheek and brushes a tear away, you shudder at the touch, letting out a sob.

“Loyal…?” Stefan questions, the floorboards creaking when he steps forward.

Klaus’ gaze immediately snaps to your brother, “Another step and I’ll rip her heart out.”

“She’s my sister-“

“All the more reason for you to stay put, Stefan.”

The two stare at each other for a moment before Stefan steps back. Klaus smirks, turning back to you. You tense up when he rests his hand on your neck, another sob wracks through your body.

“Don’t do this… I did what you asked! I found the doppelgänger! I found Elena! I called you as soon as I found her! Sure- Katherine found the werewolf but I made sure you had the backup one! And you needed the backup one! And- and using Alaric was my idea! I came up with that, it was perfect! You thought it was hilarious! I’ve helped you!”

Stefan’s brow furrows at your admission, his voice barely audible as he connects the dots, “You’re the reason he’s here… that’s… that’s why you came back to Mystic Falls to find us… not because you missed us, but because you’re helping him…” 

You don’t bother to look over to your brother, you felt bad for betraying his trust, for lying to him but he could never understand, you don’t say anything, it wouldn’t matter now.

You look up at Klaus with tears staining your cheeks, “I did everything right!” your voice falls to a whisper, “Don’t make me go back there, it’s dark, Nik, I hate the dark…”

“You know, I considered you family once, I treated you as such.”

“Please Nikkie… you gave me your word…I just want him back, you promised me!”

“Oh love…” Klaus brings his hand up to brush some of the hair from your face, “You have me confused with Elijah…”

In a split second his hand falls to your neck, the sound of it snapping fills the room and he drops your body on the ground, discarding you.

Klaus turns back to Stefan who looks devastated by the news, “Don’t look so glum Stefan, you wouldn’t be the first to be tricked by your sister. She’d do anything to survive, even if it meant betraying those closest to her,” he glances at Katherine, noting the similarities.

He shakes his head, looking back at Stefan, “But that’s a story for another day…”

Klaus speeds forward, slamming Stefan into the wall, “Now… what am I going to do with you?”

Present Day

Chicago

“My sister? She knew you? All of you?”

Klaus approaches the coffins, “If you can’t handle it, don’t ask.”

Stefan looks at all of the coffins but two of them catch his attention, they’re away from the rest, almost like they’ve been isolated. One of the coffins is made of some sort of metal and they both have engravings on them that compliment each other.

Klaus notices his gaze and smirks, “I see you’ve spotted the lovers.”

“the lovers?” Stefan raises a brow.

His smirk deepens, he steps away from Rebekah’s coffin and to the others, he opens one of them, revealing a boy in clothing from the the early 1900s.

Stefan looks over the boy, completely confused he turns to Klaus who grins.

“You wouldn’t recognize him… you never had the pleasure of meeting Kol…” he brushes his hand over the engraving on the other one, “You’d recognize whose in this one though…”

Klaus could see the gears turning in Stefan’s head, his eyes widening as he pieced the puzzle together.

“My sister?” his voice breaks a bit.

Klaus laughs, “You always were quick, Ripper.”

“This is what you meant by family? You got her a coffin and a dagger? That’s family to you?”

The hybrid clicks his tongue a few times, wagging his finger, “No Stefan, I got her a coffin… I never said anything about a dagger.”

Stefan’s heart sinks at the new information, it all hit him at once, why you hated the dark, why you had to have the door open, why couldn’t stand to be in silence.

You didn’t get a century long sleep like Klaus’ siblings would, you got to lay there and rot, slowly and painfully, all alone.

“I had a witch make it, it’s spelled… only I can open it.” Klaus boasts, clearly proud of his work.

“That’s cruel, even for you.”

“Maybe so, but I must punish those who betray me accordingly.”

Klaus takes a step closer to Stefan, “You met Rebekah and I in 1920… but we did not meet by chance. I sought you out, I was looking for your sister… The girl can really run when she wants to. I was hoping you’d be able to help me find her, but you were too busy draining civilians, Ripper.”

“I wouldn’t have been helpful either way. I thought she was dead.”

“I’m aware… I thought that she’d maybe be nearby, watching, that was something she often did— check up on you and Damon. Regardless, I found her on my own in 1924.”

1924

London

Today marks four years since Rebekah’s compulsion had worn off which meant one of two things, she was dead (unlikely) or she had been daggered (very likely).

It had been four years since you remembered Kol and ten years that you had been running. You were tired, tired of running, tired of having to look over your shoulder every five seconds, tired of not having your beloved around.

Klaus was hunting you and you had done a damn good job at keeping him off of your trail, always being careful when finding a snack and making sure you were never in one place for too long.

So you decided to do the opposite, you had been in London for two weeks now, ripping through crowds of people with no remorse. You wanted Klaus to find you, you wanted him to kill you.

You’re currently in a bar full of people, well, dead people. You slaughtered everyone and now had your teeth buried in some man’s neck.

“Perhaps you’re more like Stefan than I thought.” Klaus’ voice fills the bar.

Reluctantly, you pull yourself off of the now dead, drained man. You look at Klaus with blood coating your face and staining your dress.

After staring at each other for a moment, you stand to your full height, Klaus gives you a once over before raising a brow.

“You’ve gotten sloppy, left a trail of bodies a mile long leading me right to you.”

You simply stare at him and he smirks, “You wanted to be found.”

“I can’t do this anymore… not without him. I‘m tired, Nik. Please, just end it.”

Niklaus clicks his tongue, “End it?” He takes a step towards you.

“Kill me.”

Klaus laughs, “You think I want to kill you?”

Your brows furrow and you take a step back from the hybrid, Klaus snaps his fingers and two men enter the room carrying a coffin.

You take another step back, eyes widening and Klaus grins, “You can try to run but you won’t get far…”

“No… you… you can’t dagger me…”

“You’re right, daggers are such trivial things to make… you would know after all. But a lockbox that only I can open, now that’s much simpler.”

You decide to risk it, attempting to speed away but he catches you in a second, holding you up in the air by your throat.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be back with him soon enough… consider this me officially welcoming you into the family.”

Present Day

Chicago

“What was the point of letting her out just to lock her back up? To be cruel?”

Klaus shrugs, “I was bored and decided to make her a deal in 1984.”

“1984? You kept her in there for…”

“Sixty years, Stefan. She betrayed me and those were the consequences. When I woke her up we made an agreement.”

“What kind of agreement?”

“She’d find me Katherine and bring her to me. She couldn’t ever find Katherine but she found me something even better…”

“Elena…”

“Yes, the doppelgänger.”

“So she knew the truth about your curse? That you’re a hybrid?”

“She was my family once, lived with us for nearly half a century. She knows a lot more than she led you all to believe. But don’t get any ideas, she’d never tell you anything that could hurt us… she wouldn’t risk Kol or Rebekah getting caught in the crossfire… or Elijah, though I suppose she’d be alright losing me considering she attempted to do so herself.”

“Moving on!” Klaus chirps, moving back to Rebekah, “It’s time for my little sister to wake up…”

“And I knew her?” Stefan asks, looking into the now open coffin, “I don’t recognize her.”

“Well don’t tell her that,” Klaus muses, “Rebekah’s temper is worse than mine.”

He pulls the dagger out, waiting for a moment before sighing, “Any Day now, Rebekah… she’s being dramatic.”

Present Day

Mystic Falls

It had been months since Klaus had locked you away. You were a bit surprised when he came to free you, your bones creaked, skin practically gray… still, you weren’t nearly as desiccated as the last time you had been in that coffin.

He fed you blood and brushed your hair for you as if you were a doll then provided you with a white colored dress that went to your knees, it reminded you of the one Elijah had given you when you first arrived in their home.

When Klaus revealed he was hosting a dinner with Elijah for Stefan and Damon you realized what he was doing. You were a bargaining chip.

You sat in the living room, humming to yourself, waiting for them to arrive. You still felt weak from not having blood for so long and the fact you were shaking was proof of that, the little blood that Klaus had provided was not enough.

Soon enough, your brothers arrived and were let inside by Elijah, “Niklaus, our guests have arrived…”

“Damon… Stefan…” Klaus greets, standing by the head of the dining room table, “Elijah tells me you seek an audience… very bold. Let’s discuss the terms of our agreement like civilized men, shall we?” he gestures to the large table that was set for five.

“It’s better to indulge him,” Elijah states, moving past your brothers.

“I didn’t come here to eat Klaus,” Stefan narrows his eyes, taking a step down the stairs, “I didn’t want to come here at all… but… I was told I had to, because you’d hear us out.”

Klaus hums, “Well we can sit and eat… or I can reach down your throats and pull out your insides…” he takes his seat at the head of the table, “choice is yours…”

Your brothers decide it would be best to sit and eat. Once the four brothers had sat down, Klaus sat forward in his chair, dramatically placing his hands in front of him, “I almost forgot! Sweetheart!” he calls out, “You can come out now!”

That was your que to enter, walking through the doorway and making a beeline for the table, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. Elijah stands when he sees you, pulling out your chair for you and when you sit he pushes you in.

“Y/N…” Damon says quietly, it isn’t until then that you realize he hasn’t seen you since the night of the ritual.

“Damon…” you mumble in a voice so quiet that anyone without supernatural hearing wouldn’t be able to hear you.

“How are you—“ he begins but is quickly cut off by Stefan.

“She’s practically part of their freaky family, Damon, and Klaus won’t kill his family… he’ll just torture them endlessly.”

“That’s not very nice Stefan,” Klaus clicks his tongue.

You grab the glass of wine, downing it as quickly as possible. Hoping that it will not only curb your blood cravings but also make this dinner party a little more bearable. When you finish your glass, you reach for Elijah’s.

He raises a brow, shooting you an unimpressed look, “By all means, help yourself.”

You take a sip of the wine, ignoring Elijah, “Can we please get on with this dinner… I’m starved.”

“Well at least one of you is hungry… Stefan seems to have lost his appetite,” Klaus notes, nodding his head in Stefan’s direction.

Damon glances at his brother, gesturing with his fork, “Eat. I thought we agreed we’d leave the grumpy Stefan at home.”

Reluctantly, Stefan picks up his fork making Klaus smile, “That’s the spirit. Isn’t it nice? Five of us dining together? Such a treat. Is that what you had in mind when you pulled the dagger from my brother?”

Damon smiles sarcastically, “Well, I know how he felt about you, so I figured the more the merrier,” he winks playfully at Elijah.

“Well, Elijah and I have had our share of quarrels over the centuries… but we always make it through,” Klaus takes a bite of his steak.

“Kind of like you and Rebekah, right? Where is she, by the way? Last I checked, she was still daggered because you were afraid to face her,” Stefan quips, smirking over the rim of his bourbon glass.

Damon shoots a warning look at Stefan but you can’t be bothered by their conversation, you’re too focused on your bloody steak in front of you. Savoring the small amount of blood you’d get from its juices.

“If you’re referring to the fact Rebekah knows I killed our mother, I’ve already come clean to Elijah,” Klaus smiles at Elijah who has remained silent, resting his head on top of his fist.

“Hey Stef,” Damon cuts in, grabbing everyone’s attention, “remember when you killed dad? Might want to dial down on the judgement until dessert.”

You had been fighting the urge to lick the dish clean, hoping for just another drop of that delicious, bloody flavor. But Damon’s words distract you, making you look up from the plate.

“You killed dad?” you ask, looking directly at Stefan, he doesn’t verbally answer, only narrowing his eyes at you making you hum, “I always thought it was Katherine…” you fidget with your fork, pushing it across the plate. 

“You want another plate, love?” Klaus asks, his tone was sickeningly sweet, he snaps his fingers and a compelled blonde girl comes running to get your plate.

She leans over you, hair falling past her neck and you could feel the veins beneath your eyes begin to ripple. The girl's eyes widened, Klaus may have compelled her to do his bidding but he never compelled away her fear.

“Y/N,” Klaus says your name in a sing-songy tone, a warning.

Your lips part at the sound of her heart pumping, the smell of the blood in her veins, and your fangs begin to descend.

“Y/N. No,” Klaus tries again, setting his fork down.

But it was too late, you were out of your chair in a split second. You wrapped your hand around the girl’s neck, slamming her into the nearby wall hard enough to crack it, your other hand holding one of her wrists. You nearly moan at the taste of fresh blood, like an animal you can’t get enough.

Removing your hand from her neck, you flatten your palm and push the tip of chin up until it’s out of your way— effectively breaking her neck. You continue to drink, not caring as the blood stains your mouth and neck, dripping to your dress.

Klaus sighs, “One nice dinner, that’s all I ask, is that too much to ask for?”

He rises from his chair and speeds to stand behind you, “That’s enough.”

You don’t listen and Klaus decides there is only one solution to the problem he caused, snapping your neck. Your head is practically on backwards and he allows your body to fall to the ground next to the blonde, dead girl.

Damon stands up, his chair screeching but Stefan grabs his arm, dragging him back down, and Klaus clears his throat, walking back to the table as if he hadn’t just broke your neck.

Elijah sighs, excusing himself from the table, he picks up your body with ease and brings you back to the table, setting you in your seat. He twists your head so your head is facing the proper way, hoping that it’ll allow you to heal and wake sooner. The dinner would proceed as normal, other than Damon looking at your body every few seconds, it was as if nothing had happened.

When you woke, you were alone at the table and you could hear voices coming from the living room.

“Elijah… why haven’t you left?” Klaus sounds confused.

You stand up, finding your bearings.

You can hear the smugness in Elijah’s tone when he speaks, “You’ve lectured Y/N on her manners all night… but where are yours, brother? We forgot dessert.”

You take slow steps towards the living room.

“What have you done?” Klaus’ voice is panicked, he sounds betrayed.

“What have you done?” Elijah retorts, “You see, I’ve learned not to trust your vulgar promises, Klaus. We’re doing this on my terms now.”

You’ve nearly made it to the living room door way when you stop in your tracks after hearing Klaus utter a single word.

“Kol…”

“Long time brother.”

His voice, Kol’s voice. Your Kol, he was here, he was awake.

You rush to the doorway, freezing when you finally see him. Kol, he looked the same as he did on that fateful night in 1914, still wearing the same outfit. He still looked as beautiful as you remembered him to be, tears began to prick the corner of your eyes but not tears of sadness or fear, they were tears of joy.

You could see Stefan still by the fireplace where he had been burned, you could see Damon standing off to the side of Elijah, but it didn’t matter, you didn’t care about your brothers in that moment. It was as if everything around you faded away and it was just you and Kol.

“Kol…” you whisper, softly.

His gaze snaps up to find you, his eyes softening when he sees you.

“Y/N…”

Without giving it a second thought, Kol takes one of the hands restraining Klaus and uses it to snap the hybrids neck. He speeds towards you, something Damon takes note of but when he moves to get to you, to try and protect you from what he thinks is a threat; Elijah places his hand onto Damon’s chest, stopping him from moving.

You slowly bring your hands up to hold his face and he covers your hands with his, ”You’re real…” you breath out, you still couldn’t believe he was in front of you after all this time.

He smiles, chuckling a bit, “I’m real… and I’m not leaving you ever again.”

You smile, causing more tears to flow and you throw yourself into his arms, nuzzling your face into his neck, squeezing your eyes shut and welcoming the darkness that came with it because for the first time, in a century, you weren’t alone in the dark. You were with Kol, your Kol.

His arms wrap tightly around your waist, inhaling your scent that he remembers so fondly, “I missed you, my darling.”

It must have been those words that finally helped Damon connect the dots, that this was the boy, the one that changed your opinion on vampires, the one who turned you into a vampire. This was the boy you lost a century ago, the boy you’d do anything and everything to get back. Including betraying your own family.

“You’re free to go. This is family business.”

Elijah’s words made Damon realize something, you weren’t his family anymore, you hadn’t been for a long time. Maybe you never officially got married because you ran out of time but you were no longer Y/N Salvatore, you were Y/N Mikaelson. He can pinpoint the exact moment you stopped being his family and it was long before the Mikaelsons, it was when he and Stefan chose Katherine Pierce over you. That fateful night where he told you that you weren’t his family anymore.

The truth hurts and the truth was that there was no fixing your relationship with either of your brothers. The next few months would make that abundantly clear. Like when you snapped Damon’s neck after he snapped Kol’s. Or when you stood by while Kol beat Damon with an aluminum bat. And of course you stood by Rebekah when she had compelled and trapped everyone in the school. You even helped Kol slaughter all of the newly turned vampires meant for Jeremy… and you let Kol torture Damon.

So maybe you really weren’t their family anymore, maybe that’s why they wouldn’t feel as guilty about what was going to happen when Jeremy would kill Kol.

At least you wouldn’t be alone when the darkness came, you would die in the arms of your love in the middle of the Gilbert family kitchen. It didn’t matter to you that his body was still crackingly, still burning, you‘d endure the feeling of your flesh melting to his if it meant you got to hold him one last time. There would be no coming back for either of you, you knew this and accepted it. You closed your eyes and faded away into the darkness, welcoming it.

You only hoped that when you’d wake on the other side, you’d still be in Kol’s arms.

The Darkness.

The End.

[squidsquidsquidsquidsquidgame]

hiii :D

think of it ... actress reader and idol jiyong who broke up due to personal reasons but he still loves her so jiyong pulls a taeyang to get her back :') lolol that was just a random idea bcs eyes nose lips has been stuck in my mind !!

❤️Saranghae❤️

Pairing: Kwon Ji-Yong (G-Dragon) x Actress!Female Reader (Exes → Lovers) Genre: Angst, Fluff, Idol x Actress AU, Second Chance, Hurt/Comfort Warnings: Emotional themes, mention of media pressure Word Count: ~2,000

Summary: You and Ji-Yong ended things quietly, hearts bruised by the weight of careers and timing. Months later, your name never left his lips—or his lyrics. One day, he releases a surprise single with no warning. The world hears it. But it’s only meant for you.

“Back to You”

by G-Dragon (Unreleased track debuted live, 11:58 PM KST)

You told yourself not to listen.

The notifications had been flooding in for hours—tweets, DMs, news alerts.

KWON JI-YONG DROPS SURPRISE SONG. NO PROMOTION. NO WARNING. JUST EMOTION.

You knew what that meant.

You weren’t just the inspiration.

You were the target.

The breakup had been clean, at least on the outside. Two professionals parting ways. "Due to personal reasons," your agency said. "Mutual respect and support," his company added.

Behind closed doors? It had been anything but calm.

You’d cried on his couch with your makeup smudged and his sweatshirt drowning you. Told him you were exhausted—by the press, by the constant hiding, by how small you felt beside his ever-burning spotlight.

He didn’t fight you on it.

He should have.

Months passed. You filmed two dramas. He toured Japan. You told yourself you were okay. That you’d done the right thing.

And then the song came.

You heard the melody first—slow, stripped back. His voice, raw and unfiltered, like a studio mic had caught him in the middle of breaking.

It wasn’t just a love song.

It was a confession.

Your name wasn’t in the title. But it was everywhere else.

In the verse where he mentioned your chipped nail polish from that night in Jeju.

In the line about your scarf he still kept in the backseat of his car.

In the chorus that repeated your favorite line from your drama debut.

No one else would know.

But you knew.

Your phone rang before the song ended.

Ji-Yong.

Of course, he still had your number memorized. Of course, you still had his contact saved—even if it was buried under "Don't."

You answered.

Neither of you spoke for ten seconds.

Then his voice—quiet, hoarse.

“I didn’t write it to chart.”

You laughed, breathless. “You wrote it to ambush me.”

A pause. “I wrote it because I’m still yours.”

Another pause. Then softer:

“Unless you don’t want me anymore.”

You closed your eyes.

Everything you’d buried came rushing back—his hoodie, his playlists, his stupid little nicknames for your cat.

“Ji,” you whispered, “do you still have the scarf?”

“I sleep with it when I miss you.”

“Which is...?”

“Every night.”

Your throat closed.

“Then,” you said, voice shaking, “maybe it’s time to bring it back to me.”

And just like that—

He exhaled, shaky and almost laughing.

“Tell me when and where,” he said, “and I’ll run.”

SONG LYRICS: “Back to You” by G-Dragon

(Written and composed by Kwon Ji-Yong)

[Verse 1] You left your scarf in the backseat, Still smells like spring and salt air. Tried to toss it once, but I couldn’t— Too many yous still hiding there.

You said you felt small in my shadow, But you were the sun in my sky. Now I’m just cold and I’m hollow, Writing your name in the night.

[Pre-Chorus] They say time moves on But my clock's still stuck on you. Every second, every song— You’re the part I can’t undo.

[Chorus] So I sing, sing to the stars Hope you hear this heart I drew. Tried to let you go, but girl— I always bend back to you. Like waves to the shore, Like the moon does too. Doesn’t matter where I run— I bend back to you.

[Verse 2] Your chipped nails, your drama lines, You laughed when I memorized. Didn’t say much, but your silence Always said you were mine.

Still drink that tea you hated, Still hum that lullaby tune. Still lie like I’m okay, But I only breathe in your room.

[Pre-Chorus] They say I should heal, But my wounds just spell your name. If moving on is real, Why does it all still feel the same?

[Chorus] So I sing, sing to the stars Hope you feel this love cut through. I lost my way, but babe— I always bend back to you. Like ink to a page, Like songs do too. Even silence sings your name— I bend back to you.

[Bridge] If you want me, say the word— I’ll run through every storm. If you’re cold, I’ll bring the hoodie You left here last fall, still warm.

I’m not perfect, I’m not whole, But I’m still yours, if you’ll hold— Me again.

[Final Chorus] So I sing, sing to the stars Let this melody undo All the space between our scars— I bend back to you. Like light through the blinds, Like dreams do too. Girl, no matter where I’m thrown— I bend back to you. Always you. Only you.

[fourmula1]

winter warmers day 31: NYE countdown

max/daniel. 974 words.

-

Ten:

It’s been a long year. A rough year. There’s been more lows this year than any before and Daniel has spent the last few months trying to figure out how to process the emotions and feelings. The regret, the woe, the sadness of losing something he loves so dearly, and it not even being his fault. He was so close to having it all – the perfect end to his career, one more season back in the Red Bull and then he’d bow out gracefully. And it was yanked out from under him with no warning. It hurt.

Nine:

But it hasn’t been all bad. He’s had a few months, also, to do the things he loves outside of racing. Riding dirt bikes in the California hills. Hanging out with Josh in New York. Spending time in Australia that he hasn’t had the ability to do for over a decade. Connecting with old friends, spending so much time with his niece and nephew, strengthening family ties. He’s developed new concepts for his brand, met Scotty’s little baby, watched a best friend get married. These are all the things life is really about, and Daniel’s glad to have done it all.

Eight:

He's grateful for his family’s unconditional love and the pride his parents have always had in him, no matter what. On the top step of the podium, or being fired mid season, has never mattered to them, and Daniel is grateful for their support. Grateful to be reminded that none of it really matters, in the grand scheme of life. No one will care about how many trophies, or fastest laps, or pole positions he’s got. They’ll remember his smile, and the way he treats people, and how he loves his people. That’s what matters.

Seven:

But that little niggling feeling in his brain won’t stop getting to him. What’s next? Who is Daniel without a race seat? Without that passion and energy for achieving the best he can with the car he’s got? Racing has been his life for nearly 30 years at this point and imagining a life away from it is hard. These few months off haven’t been that unfamiliar – he’d spent the same time away from the sport during winter breaks. The next few months are what’s going to really challenge him, when he isn’t going back to the factory or the sim or Monaco.

Six:

There’s no reason to stay in this absurdly expensive country when he’s not racing, not needing to be in the mix. Packing up his apartment and saying goodbye to this life is hurting him in ways he didn’t imagine it would. Australia has always been home, and the call of Perth in his heart has been a constant longing for over a decade. But Monaco is a piece of his heart too. Leaving the home he’s loved for the last few years. Leaving the sunshine and the harbour and Jimmy’z and his apartment. And Max.

Five:

Max. Leaving Max. Leaving the ease of going upstairs to Max’s apartment and bothering him to come on a run with Daniel. Leaving the countless evenings of take-out and Max’s video games while Daniel scrolled on his phone, content to be in each other’s company. He’ll miss Max entering his apartment unannounced because he’s known the keycode for years at this point. He’ll miss Max dragging Daniel to play padel because he’s got – another – new racket to try. He’s going to miss the ease and comfort of sprawling out on opposite ends of his sofa and listening to Max talk and talk and talk about the races until Daniel starts to doze off, and Max lets himself out, and Daniel realizes he doesn’t want him to go.

Four:

Daniel never wants Max to go, on those easy warm nights. He never wants Max to go when they leave the padel court and part ways in the elevator of their building. He never wants Max to go when he leaves the Red Bull hospitality to go to his own race briefings. He never wants Max to go when it’s just for a moment to check in on the cats before he returns to Daniel’s apartment to hang out for the evening. He never wants Max to go.

Three:

Daniel looks up looks across the room for Max. It’s New Year’s Eve and the party is in full force and Daniel’s spent the last few moments thinking about regrets and hurt and sadness. And suddenly he’s thinking of the future and happiness and what he wants and it hits him all at once that it’s Max. It’s Max, and Max’s laughter and smile and stubbornness and quirks and all of Max. And he’s nowhere to be found as Daniel scans the room.

Two:

He finds Max in his sim room. Where everyone knows well enough not to go. But Daniel knew he’d be in here; quiet, alone, taking a moment to himself to recharge and grab another Red Bull from his mini fridge. He looks up when Daniel opens the door, his smile bright when he realizes who it is. His beautiful, happy, squinty eyes as his whole face scrunches with delight at seeing Daniel.

“It’s you!” Max grins as Daniel closes the door behind him. This is it.

One:

Daniel crosses the room in five steps, hand coming up to curl at Max’s jaw and pull him into a kiss as the party crowd on the other side of the door cheers for the stroke of midnight. It’s a new year. A new chance. A new life. A new love.

“It’s you,” Daniel says as he pulls back, Max staring back at him wide eyed and surprised and flushed; cheeks dusted pretty-pink.

Max leans in to kiss him again, and Daniel knows everything is going to be okay.

[ruru195]

Mickey the Menace: Professional Third Wheel

Scene 1: The Classic Couch Cuddle Intrusion Felix and Oswald are wrapped up in a warm cuddle on the couch, watching a movie. Just as the lovebirds exchange a soft kiss— Mickey: (busting through the door like he owns the place) “What are we watching?! Is there popcorn? I brought soda!” Felix: “We’re watching silence and intimacy, thanks.” Oswald: (grinning) “You can be the emotional support pillow, as usual.” Mickey dramatically plops right in the middle. Ten minutes later, he’s being gently squished by a loving make-out session and deeply regrets not choosing solitude.

Scene 2: Rooftop Regret Felix is lying peacefully on the roof, Oswald beside him, the sky above them. It’s quiet, romantic. Mickey: “AH-HA! Found you two! Thought I’d join for a night under the stars!” Felix: “There goes the vibe.” Oswald: “You brought three blankets and a pillow, didn’t you?” Mickey: “And snacks. And commentary.” Cut to: Mickey staring straight ahead, mouth full of crackers, as Felix and Oswald make out beside him. Mickey: “I deserve this.”

Scene 3: Kitchen Chaos Felix and Oswald are baking cookies, throwing flour at each other, laughing like kids. Mickey: “Looks fun! I’ll help!” Five minutes later, Mickey is covered in flour, Oswald is feeding Felix cookie dough with his fingers, and Mickey stands in the corner like, Mickey: “Why do I always walk into a Hallmark movie?!”

Scene 4: The Blanket Thief Felix and Oswald are snuggled in a giant blanket burrito on the floor in front of the fireplace. Mickey: “I’m cold.” Felix, without looking: “No.” Oswald: “Bring your own blanket, Mickey.” Mickey pouts. They sigh. Oswald: “Fine. But no complaining when the snuggling starts.” Mickey jumps in. Two minutes later, he’s awkwardly wedged between two affectionate heat sources who won't stop whispering sweet things across him. Mickey: “I hate it here.” Felix: “Then get out.” Mickey: “...I won’t.”

Scene 5: Public Third Wheelery The trio go out to a park. Felix and Oswald walk hand-in-hand. Mickey: (shoving himself between them) “So anyway, my dreams last night were SO weird—” Felix: “Did your dream also have us trying to escape from your endless monologue?” Mickey: “YES—wait—HEY!” Oswald throws an arm around Mickey. “Let’s walk our clingy little barnacle together.” Mickey: “You love me.” Felix: “We tolerate you.” Oswald: “...Lovingly.”

Scene 6: The Ultimate Mistake Late at night. Mickey barges in without knocking. Mickey: “I forgot my charger and I need—oh my god.” Felix and Oswald are mid-make-out, tangled in each other, shirtless and lost in the moment. They pause. Felix: “Do you mind?” Mickey: (backing out slowly) “I have seen heaven, hell, and everything in between. Good night.” He shuts the door and stares at the wall outside for 10 solid minutes. Mickey: “This is what I get for needing 100% attention.”

Final Scene: He’ll Never Learn The next morning, Mickey walks into the kitchen. Felix: “You’re early.” Oswald: “Back to third-wheeling?” Mickey: (sipping juice) “You two literally traumatized me last night. Let’s go to the beach.” Felix: “He’s like a stray cat. Keeps coming back.” Oswald: “At least he’s our cat.” Mickey: “I HEARD THAT.”

Moral of the Story: Mickey chooses the chaos. He regrets the chaos. But he’ll always return to the chaos... because being around Felix and Oswald is like living inside a romantic sitcom—with him as the loud audience member who refuses to leave.

[girltigerclaw]

breaking into ur house rn

top ten characters and bottom ten. reasons are optional

I just finished this chart thing i think i actually stole from your blog a few months ago <3 Slightly edited to my own prefs.

If anyone wants the template check the reblogs, and feel free to add you own. I'd love to see. I'm just rambling under here:

Leafpool: She is more special and sacred than the virgin mary. She has everything. Daughter of the first protagonist, ex boyfriend for me to hate, TONS of wlw situationships<3, a lifetime of tragedy, and some of the most gorgeous canon art to exist.

Crookedstar: Crookedstar is a trans woman to me. Her life is genuinely just so tragic and fucked, I love it. The erins asked: “How much truama, death and misfortune can you fit into a single cat?” and then they wrote Crookedstar’s promise.

Tawnypelt: GIRLS WHO HATE THEIR FATHERS. The erins dont love her like I do.

Tallstar: I love old men… I fucking love seeing older characters and how much they’ve changed from their younger selves. Tallstar is considered one of, if not the most peaceful leader in the clans. But also when he was like 19 he went on a quest to fucking murder a guy :3

Cloudstar: I rlly do not care abt anyone in Skyclan(I like Leafstar but she's not a fav yknow?) Cloudstar... he was based as fuck. Why did Starclan get away with this shit for real??

Scourge: It’s fucking Scourge. He’s awesome

Briarlight: I’m disabled and I love her. She has such a consistent fun, sweet personality and she makes me happy!!<3

RavenBarley: It deserves all the attention and hype it gets. Though I wish mlm ships didn’t overshadow wlw ones in this fandom, RavenBarley is genuinely well written and makes me very emotional even if the publisher didnt allow it to be explicitly canon.

CrookedBlue: TRANS WOMEN CROOKEDSTAR YURI. Two leaders having a forbidden relationship and kits is way more interesting than Oakheart. The angst of Crooked and Blue sitting next to eachother every gathering while the entire forest has their eyes on them. Don’t look for too long, don’t let the mourning slip into your voice. You have to pretend your lover is a stranger. You… have become strangers. You can never be together again. You're enemies now. This is what we wanted, isn’t it? …We’ll never be happy again.

Mothwing: Her novella delving into her relationship with Hawkfrost was so good and heartbreaking.

Heathertail: Daughter of leader, sister of a major villian, and former love interest of a protagonist! Why did she fall off the second po3 ended. She’s shown to be very compassionate and willing to put her own feelings aside for the sake of others. Would’ve honestly prefered her as a mate to Lionblaze or get a pov herself over the nothing we got.

Blackstar: *Murders an elderly woman trying to stop me from kidnapping children. Supports a dictator openly abusing/neglecting children and the elderly. Murders a man for refusing to kill mixed raced children- then tells said man’s sister that she will never be safe.* Man…. i sure do feel bad for abusing and killing all of those people…. Good thing I will face no consequences and proceed to be made leader, where I will have even more power over the wellbeing of others.

I hate. This guy.

The New Prophecy: A classic. My first series was actually tnp! i feel more attached to first arc cats tho, if you couldn't already tell by my list lmao

Johanna Map- Best Tawnypelt content out there

BlueQuince: My personal handcrafted, homemade Yuri. Bluefur feels terrible about Tiny going missing and promises Quince she’ll help her find him. They never did, but they had a very… fleeting but intimate relationship. Quince is grieving and Bluefur feels so overwhelmed by the duties in her clan. They’ve always thought of eachother since but never met again.

Tigerclaw: My name sake<3 The angst of his earlier life is so, so facinating to me. Starclan being straight fucked up and decided killing him is their only option? He was a kid and they saw him as a lost cause from the start. They never tried any other methods, never tried to steer him in the right direction or… even just take it into their own hands and kill him themself, which they have SHOWN they’re capable of.

They watched all the the horrific crimes he commited, entirely aware they were going to happen. Thats. Fucking. Horrifying. Starclan is scary as shit… and his death? FANTASTIC. I only wish he’d gotten lives from cats he killed so that him coming back to life to suffer over and over was an actual curse from Starclan and not blessings. They knew how he would die and they gave him the lives to torture him for his sins…

Flywhisker: Adhd girlies. Painfully relate to that feeling of the constant scolding for never being “good enough” because I prefer to do things a certain way or struggle to focus. So, SO happy for her when she left the clans! You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone! Hope she’s happy and warm indoors with her brother💕

(P.S. I was very suprised to find she actually had an official art piece!)

Bluestar: Get behind me women with mental disorders. I will defend you. Beautifully complex and tragic character, my favorite written in the series. Literally can't think of a single other female character in handled as seriously and with the complexity of Bluestar. (Although her super edition was a bit of an L with how others treated her, it ultimately makes her breakdown even more painful.)

Exile from Shaodwclan: Nightstar my beloved! He's such a great guy. The rightful leader of Shadowclan, always and forever.

Ravenpaw's Farewell: HE DIED IN BARLEY'S ARMS, TELLING HIM HE WILL FIND HIM, NO MATTER WHERE HE IS. FUCK.

Crookedstar art: So beautiful. I genuinely think she's one of the prettiest cats in the series. This along with her official art by Wayne Mcloughlin.

Leopardstar: As a kid I hated her and loved Blackfoot, now I hate Blackfoot and love her. #feminism. But seriously I think she has way more going for her than he ever has. Her father is a medicine cat who hates violence, the DRASTIC change in Riverclan's view of outsiders upon Crookedstar's death and her leadership. Her already having a position of power before proving she's unworthy of it. (Unlike Blackstar who gets rewarded for his racism and violence by being made leader afterwards) and the fact she has to interact with her victims on a daily basis after what she did.

The writings attempts to redeem her are really lame and dismissive of the actually damage she did, but at the very least they TRIED to do something else with her. Personally, I would have loved to see her assassinated by Mistyfoot. Just like her mother Bluestar was almost killed all those moons ago by Tigerclaw... The parallels of violence for power and violence for peace. A victim repeating the actions of the very man who killed her brother to put an end to what he started in Riverclan.... A shadow in Riverclan, if you will. (<-Pretending erin hunter has hired me to rewrite their series)

Windclan: Tunneling as a concept and inviting outsiders into their clan so friendly and casual makes the clan seems so much more diverse than the others. It always stuck out to me!

Andddd there are my current warrior cat options as of 2023! If someone actually read this whole ramble ily<3

[relatableblorbopoll]

Round 1 of preliminaries, group 18

The first two places get a place on the bracket

Little reminder: there will be 2 more rounds of preliminaries, the losing blorbos of this poll still have 2 chances of getting in the official bracket

Propaganda under the cut

Tobias (Animorphs)

"his mom left him and hes at least a little transcoded and also hes a bird for the rest of his life"

Isaac O'Connor (Paranatural)

"he's like me but specifically when i was thirteen which should tell you all you need to know about both me and him. emotional wreck of a lad who feels excluded from his friend group no matter what. drew a gjinka of a fruit bowl in art class. canonically a fan of hatsune miku. will apparently be eaten by a cat in the future and survive."

Trisana Chandler / Tris (Emelan book series)

"Grumpy girl just wants to be left alone with her books but oops she actually has such a big heart with so much love in it. Always annoyed about having to put down her book to help her friends or save a bunch of innocents. Also she's got trauma out the wazoo, her family didn't want her and she was always bullied for her weight, and then at like age ten she has to kill a bunch of people and live with THAT trauma."

Sokka (Avatar: The Last Air Bender)

"I also like meat, sarcasm, and boomerangs. On a more serious note, he's the only one out of his group of friends for the longest time without special powers (relatable when you're friends with super talented people), he really likes organization and charts (same), and he completely fumbles his first attempt at public speaking (painful, but same). We're also both just a little bit goofy."

Haruhi Fujioka (Ouran Highschool Hostclub)

"She gets into a rich kid school and immediately goes into debt. Constantly annoyed by rich kid problems (including but not limited to: buying them instant coffee instead of expensive ground coffee). She’s supportive but doesn’t let them walk all over her. The whole show revolves around everyone thinking she’s actually a boy just because she has short hair and wears the boys uniform instead of the girls one— and that’s relatable because i wouldn’t want to wear the girls uniform either it’s not great"

Shinji Ikari (Evangelion)

"THE LAST 2 EPISODES OF THE SERIES??? holy shit I've never actually related to some fictional character so much. his self image, attitude, emotions, decisions, relationships, etc; he's just. me. that's not even funny. also thank god this thing is anonymous i would've delete my blog outa shame"

[meetinginsamarra]

mayprompts2024 #6,

Read part one (using the prompt “box”) here

Read part two (using the prompt “familiar”) here

Read part three (using the prompt “fall”) here

Read part four (using the prompt “awkward”) here

++++++

If you thought the last chapter/prompt was awkward (LOL) it's not getting better.

The testing intensifies...

++++++

The Perfect Place - Part Five

John needed a handkerchief to deal with his sweaty fore head and since he also needed to fetch the catalogue with the type-of-boxspring-in-relation-to-body-weight spreadsheet, he went to the counter.

Opening the drawer, he saw his gun lying on top of it. He took out both, cramming the catalogue under his arm and shoving the gun into the front pocket of his corduroy trousers. As ugly as the trousers were, they had the undeniable advantage of sporting a baggy cut with spacious front pockets so the gun could vanish easily in its depths.

(To be fair, normally John would not have touched this pair of trousers with a ten-foot pole. But he had assumed they would make him look like a trustworthy and respectable salesman and they let him hide the gun easily. Also, they had cost him nothing since he had inherited them from his sister Harry and practical as John was, he would not simply throw them away.) (Which would have been better, actually.)

Anyway, the familiar feeling of the gun’s cold metal against his body gave John some much-needed emotional support in further dealing with this intense (John meant arousing) customer. It distracted him from salivating (too) openly over the client. John could not risk that the man would get cold feet because of John being creepy and leaving the shop without buying the bed. Luckily, today John also wore a long cardigan, therefore the gun was practically invisible.

(The cardigan was another piece of exceptionally ugly clothing John had inherited via Harry. His sister on the other hand had also inherited the cardigan via their grandfather who had been gifted the hand-knitted atrocity by his wife. The grandmother had been an avid cat lover and had adorned the cardigan’s front with several hand-stitched cat faces.)

John returned to the customer and found him staring into space with a dazed expression and observed a weird smile forming on this beautiful face.

Meanwhile, Sherlock had been in a daze. He couldn’t believe his luck. John had actually picked his brain earlier to learn if he was gay and single, ergo John was interested in his person apart from selling the bed.

Sherlock had also noticed that the delightful rigidity he had attested while testing the mattress had been mirrored in John’s midsection. Even the baggy corduroy trousers had not been able to hide all of the rising bump. Sherlock deduced that John had been aroused and the only source could have been Sherlock himself and concluded further that his plan was working out fine.

Originally, the steps had been to get John to move into 221b as Sherlock’s flatmate and then seduce him into being his boyfriend. But apparently, it went the other way around and Sherlock had made John fall in love with him already, putting the flatmate-thing onto second position. This was perfectly okay, just a little bump in the way of totally winning John over.

Sherlock decided to step it up a notch with the testing. He wanted to see how far John would go and how far he could push him respectively. (Sherlock assumed that it would be important for their later relationship to know what he could get away with.) He needed to see how John would react in a precarious situation.

Sherlock watched John returning with the catalogue, fixed his eyes on him, smiled and offered his hand.

“Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. Potential partners should know each other’s names. I’m Sherlock Holmes.” (Sherlock was so exited that he got a bit ahead himself.)

John stopped dead in his tracks. What? We’re partners? Since when? I didn’t notice… his brain fired frantic questions at him. Blood pounded in his ears.

Sherlock cleared his throat, realizing his blunder. “Business partners, that’s what I wanted to say. As in you sell the bed and I buy it. Therefore, we do business with each other, right?” That was close, he thought.

“Oh, sure, sure. John Watson, pleased to meet you. Again.” John released his breath. “Great. The deluxe bed suits you, then?”

“Yes, well, all seems very promising.” Sherlock looked at John from under his long eyelashes, deliberately changing his voice to a lower register because he knew exactly what effect this had on other men. (And women, but Sherlock din’t care about that.)

“Yet, I have to test the mattress for real. May I lie down, please?”

+++++

The Bed Shop Boys will continue to be idiots in love tomorrow!

tagging some people @calaisreno @totallysilvergirl @lisbeth-kk @peanitbear @raina-at

[ll-but-its-random]

Imagine if the Loric actually had a chimaera with each of them.

Oh... oh my god. Yes.

One:

Golden retriever called Caramel.

The kind of dog who would leap on you and you just instantly fall. That's how big.

Plays a little too much.

Hessu once told her to try looking after it on her own when she was like 5 or 6 and needless to say, the first time was the worst.

She became sort of a dog mom after that.

We don't talk about what happened to Caramel when the Mogs found them.

Two:

A ragdoll cat she calls Will.

Likes being a cat, but sometimes he just turns to something like a hamster to fall asleep unbothered.

First time it happened, Maggie thought he died and the crying woke him up.

Just sits down next to her on the couch or desk.

They usually end up dozing off in some weird position.

Three:

A wild dog he named Duma.

They experimented with multiple wild animals' forms before, they also don't talk about the time he shapeshifted into a hippo.

He is generally good at pretending to be a hunter dog, but then comes into the house through the window for a snack or something.

Everyone thinks Hannu has somehow tamed a wild dog and Hannu is there like:

As much as Duma likes being out in the open, he almost always shapeshifts into a bug and hides in Hannu's hair so he can go around with him.

Five:

He calls him Marlin, because he liked to be in a fish's form on the island (finding nemo reference).

He sometimes turns to a crab or bird to go on land but any time Five is at the beach, he takes the chance to go back into the water.

Emotional support hugs were more frequent after Rey died.

He sort of liked Emma at the start and Emma liked him because he was a cute little bird, what's not to love.

The Mogs didn't let Five keep him :(

Six:

Almost always a raven that she wanted Katarina to name for her- Fiachra.

Bird sort of human-like intelligence.

The many times she saved Six's ass, but she wouldn't phrase it like that.

When Six is mad and glares at someone, it pulls on the emotional tether, and Fia comes, perches on her shoulder and gives her own glare making them 10x more intimidating.

The were separated in her capture, but she found her again- don't ask me how, she did.

Seven:

A chimaera called Buttercup who is mostly taking the form of a rodent.

Like, imagine Marina walking around with a little hamster, squirrel or mouse in her front pocket. Absolutely adorable.

Some of the girls in the orphanage found Buttercup and it was hard to pry them off after that.

Adelina wanted her to release it into the wild, so after that argument, she pretended she did, but stopped carrying her around everywhere.

Buttercup once jumped on Eight's hair and matted it down while hugging him. Marina had a nosebleed.

Eight:

Adil never stays in the same form for two days in a row.

Eight sometimes got confused which animal he was until he jumps at him on first sight.

Eight tried to mimic what Adil does when he got his shapeshifting.

They almost always sleep cuddled together because what on earth would feel safer?

When he lost his chest, he was very anxious and worried at first and Adil was there on his back waiting a belly rub (he's so out of context).

Nine:

A hawk, or a Dalmatian, called Domino. Depends on how many mud prints Sandor doesn't want on the floor.

Literally just an animal version of the dude.

Maddy probably liked him more than she liked Nine.

He would stick his snout/beak around when Sandor is working then go feral when a spark from the welding thing catches him.

The garde can now tell when Nine is internalizing something because Domino's tail falls drastically.

Ten:

One of the baby Chimaera from the ship followed in the same direction as them when they landed and Crayton didn't have the heart to leave it alone.

Ella named her Coco because she liked to be a brown rabbit.

Crayton taught her almost everything about tending to chimaera by the time she was six, so she probably has more experience than all of the others combined.

Coco huddles up with her in bed and even in the blanket she was always in during FoF.

Snuck into her shirt when the Mogs kidnapped her, got on the Anubis undetected, tried to bite off Setrakus' fingers then felt bad because she hurt Ella instead.

[moonfurthetemmie]

Champion-Related Stuff. Mostly Fluff.

this is the last of what I have for now

Jasper has made homemade dog treats on at least once occasion and he immediately became Champ’s second-favorite

Obsidian is canonically a dog person, but I have a feeling Shale isn’t too keen on having a husky in the manor. Champ is pretty well-trained though, so Shale can get him to at least go away when he’s going aAWAWAAWAWAWA. Also Lucidity would probably run him through and fry him if he tried to hurt his dog, so there’s that. Other than that, tho, he does like Champ. Champ will lay down at his feet and chill with him sometimes. They’re vibing. Mostly. 

Jade loooooves Champ. Lucidity lets him and Dark keep an eye on the good boye when he has to leave, though he makes sure Jade actually knows how to take care of a dog first. While Dark isn’t super sure he likes Lucidity, he doesn’t mind watching Champion. Champ seems to be very happy and well-cared for, so Lucidity can’t be all that bad. Right?

Koroit builds up some crazy static if she’s not careful, and has to wear gloves just so she doesn’t burn her own hands from her magic, so I feel like she might not want to pet Champ. He desperately wants pats but she doesn’t want to accidentally zap him. Especially since she has no idea how much might kill him. Eventually she does figure out how to make sure she doesn’t hurt him giving him pats. Out of necessity. He keeps putting his head on her knee and giving her these big ol eyes when she’s sitting down.

I think Lucidity trained Champ not to get up on furniture, but Champ’s smart enough to realize that he can get away with it with some people. In particular Jade. Jade will let Champ up on the couch or his bed and let Champ squish him. Jade’s lucky Dark’s the only one who knows so far that he’s the main one responsible for this, because Shale’s not happy with all the husky fur on his goddam furniture.

Jet feels like a cat person, but I also feel like Nightshade would be the kind of guy who goes ‘we are NOT getting a dog’ and then becomes the dog’s best friend when they get one. Though let’s be real, Nightshade is also probably letting Champ up on the furniture once in a while. He only does it if he’s not wearing his nice clothes that he goes out in public with. He is NOT getting dog fur on his clothes!!!!!!!!!

Champ will sit with Paraiba and Silver and ‘join’ their conversation. He recognizes that Silver’s hand thing is a way of talking, because he can see that Paraiba will stop making noise when they start signing things, and start making noise when they’re done. They’re rather impressed. Once Champ starts ‘talking’ though it’s just him and Paraiba. 

“AwwaWAWAAWa”

“Oh? Really? Tell me more.”

“grrrOOO”

“I see, I see. Have you considered communism?”

“BARK awawa”

“Hm, yeah, good point.”

Just. that. For like ten minutes. Silver is having a hard time keeping a straight face

Zuli’s a little afraid of Champ at first, but since he’s a very well-trained good boy Champ knows to sit and be calm, especially when someone seems nervous. Champ happily accepts head pats. Champ will trot along beside Zuli when he comes upstairs. He tries to get Zuli to play with him but Zuli doesn’t usually have the energy to. Champ is sad. Zuli gives scritches though so he’s not too upset. 

Actually, I wonder if Champ gets a little vocal if Shale’s around and he notices Zuli’s getting really nervous. Especially when Shale gets close. Champ’s not being aggressive or even threatening, but he’s clearly not happy. Zuli is now Champ’s biggest fan in the manor, aside from Lucidity himself. Champ has become his emotional support dog and he’s almost looking forward to coming upstairs now. He gets mostly left alone by Shale, there’s a very sweet dog who wants to hang out with him, and the very sweet dog seems to keep telling Shale to fuck off. 

Lucidity doesn’t even know why or how Champ seems to know what’s going on, but he’s more than happy to let Zuli go around with Champ while he’s upstairs. Eventually Shale just leaves him alone entirely. Not worth it. This might mean Zuli can just stay upstairs, but I think Zuli would be too afraid that Shale would want to mess with him again if he does. Because there’s no way Champ’s going to stay with him 24/7; Champ has all these other people, including his actual owner, to hang out with and play with and mooch treats off of. He doesn’t begrudge Champ time with the other humans who adore him, he just would like to continue having Shale leave him the hell alone.

Lucidity gets Champ a few dog beds. They’re around the manor. One’s in his room, there’s one in a couple of the shared spaces like the living room and stuff. In about a week there’s 3x more dog beds than Lucidity got and no one will admit to getting any. There’s also a bunch of dog toys, like, everywhere. Champ is having a GREAT time. Lucidity caught Nightshade bringing Champ a squeaky toy. Champ loves this squeaky toy. Shale does not like the squeaky toy. Champ can’t have the squeaky toy when Shale’s around :(( 

Champ’s presence is actually boosting the mood of pretty much everyone in the manor. This means better performance from the team, but shale doesn’t like that everyone’s so happy. Lucidity keeps making comments about him being a cartoon villain whenever Shale says anything about it, even indirectly, and it’s just making Shale more mad. Nightshade is having so much fun watching this. 

Champ probably follows Jasper around some nights. Human up??? What human doing??? What going on :0 

As much as Lucidity would like to take Champ for a trip outside of the manor’s universe, he knows that the manor is safe. The only people who know where it is are the people who live there. And he’s terrified that someone would see them and try to take Champ from him, one way or another. Fortunately, Champ’s very happy to have this ginormous house and yard to run around in, so Lucidity doesn’t feel too bad. 

Lucidity is very protective of Champ now. He’s all he has left. He’ll lose Champion one day, yes; but peacefully passing from old age is something Lucidity can handle. It happens. It’s happened so many times. It’ll break his heart, but at least he’ll know Champion lived a full, happy life. 

[boomboxboi]

Narancia Ghirga

An in-depth look at the character.

————————————————————————

Buckle up, folks. This post is going to be a disgustingly long one.

I’ll break it down into 5 categories;

Past

Personality

Relationships

Stand

Conclusion

This post is going to have a lot of theories presented based on facts we are given about the character. You are welcome to disagree with these theories.

That being said- there will be heavy topics addressed ahead so read with caution.

————————————————————————

Past

Narancia’s past was summed up in a total of 9 pages in the manga (yes, I counted).

I’ll give a VERY brief summary of his past here.

Narancia’s mother died from an eye disease when he was ten years old.

His father (unnamed) never showed affection to Narancia. Especially after his mother passed away.

Narancia stopped attending school and spent time with his friends, instead.

Narancia was framed and sent to juvie.

The cops beat Narancia.

Narancia left juvie with an infected eye.

Narancia’s friends avoided him.

He learned he was betrayed by his friend.

Narancia stays in the streets and gives up on life.

Fugo crosses paths with Narancia and takes him to eat spaghetti.

Bucciaratti brings him to a hospital for treatment.

Narancia asks to join the mafia and Bruno yells at him.

Narancia returns home and never trusts his father again.

6 months later, Narancia joins Passione.

All of this is a very glossed over summarization of what we learn about Narancia in 9 pages. And those nine pages are extremely telling.

Let’s take a more in-depth look at all of this information.

First, let’s start with the fact that Narancia, at age 10, effectively lost both of his parents. Between his mother suddenly dying from an unnamed eye disease (which I speculate to be orbital cellulitis) and his father (word for word in the manga) “never showed much affection for his son, and after the mothers death, he only became more and more distant”.

Narancia, without outright stating it, was neglected by his father.

The following are what is considered neglect from the written work “Child Neglect: A Guide for Prevention, Assessment, and Intervention” and examples that Narancia directly experienced in those short 9 pages;

Physical Neglect

Abandonment - the desertion of a child without arranging for his reasonable care or supervision.

{source 1}

Example:

Narancia was roaming the streets and sleeping at friends houses.

Nutritional Neglect - when a child is undernourished or is repeatedly hungry for long periods of time, which can sometimes be evidenced by poor growth.

{source 1}

Examples:

Narancia was stealing his dinners (pre-juvie).

Narancia was “scrounging for food like a cat through the trash cans behind a restaurant” (post-juvie).

“Narancia was hospitalized. With a real bed and proper nutrition—-“ (direct from the manga).

Medical Neglect

Delay in Health Care - the failure to seek timely and appropriate medical care for a serious health problem that any reasonable person would have recognized as needing professional medical attention.

{source 1}

Example:

Narancia’s eye infection- which was a result of the beatings he received from the cops while in juvie.

Inadequate Supervision

Permitting or not keeping the child from engaging in risky, illegal, or harmful behaviors.

{source 1}

Examples:

Narancia stealing food.

Narancia roaming the streets unsupervised or with other children.

Narancia dropping out of school.

Emotional Neglect

Inadequate Nurturing or Affection- the persistent, marked inattention to the child’s needs for affection, emotional support, or attention.

{source 1}

Example:

Narancia’s father was noted as being distant (and extremely so after his mother passed).

Narancia’s father (in the anime) did not reassure him of the eye disease that killed his mother and left him alone at her grave.

Other permitted maladaptive behavior - the encouragement or permission of other maladaptive behavior under circumstances where the parent or caregiver has reason to be aware of the existence and the seriousness of the problem, but does not intervene.

{source 1}

Examples:

Narancia goes to juvie.

Narancia drops out of school.

Narancia joins the mafia.

Educational Neglect

Permitted Chronic Truancy - permitting habitual absenteeism from school averaging at least 5 days a month if the parent or guardian is informed of the problem and does not attempt to intervene.

{source 1}

Example:

Narancia stops attending school.

Narancia only resumes school attendance (for a time) under Bruno’s directive.

Narancia drops out of school again and joins the mafia.

Failure to enroll or other truancy- failing to homeschool, to register, or to enroll a child of mandatory school age, causing the child to miss at least 1 month of school without valid reasons.

{source 1}

Example:

Narancia not attending school and only having a basic education due to dropping out of primary school and not attending up to age 17.

His father shows multiple signs of neglect in just 9 pages by being relatively absent in Narancia’s life. So much so that Narancia actively looks up to and admires a member of the mafia.

Studies also show that losing a parent at a young age through death typically has a negative impact on the child’s life.

Most notably being that kids who have lost a parent are more than twice as likely to show impairments in functioning at school and at home, even 7 years later.

{source 2}

Narancia is shown to struggle immensely with school and education as a whole. It’s likely that Narancia’s mother’s passing heavily influenced his behavior to drop out of school- coupled with the lack of parenting and guidance he received from his father.

All in all, it’s pretty clear that Narancia had a turbulent upbringing that led to him joining Passione.

————————————————————————

Personality

Narancia is often described as being childish, quick-tempered, and loyal towards his friends.

A lot of this is displayed throughout the manga. And a lot of this is easily explained away by his upbringing.

Let’s touch on Narancia’s behavior which clearly stems back from his childhood neglect. For this, I will focus on how neglect effects childhood development.

Children who experience neglect in their childhood often display the following symptoms;

depression

anxiety

apathy

failure to thrive

hyperactivity

aggression

developmental delays

low self-esteem

Substance misuse

withdrawing from friends and activities

appearing uncaring or indifferent

shunning emotional closeness or intimacy

{source 3}

Narancia does show signs of anxiety when he’s forced to choose in betraying Passione (granted, many would experience that. However, his response was heavily focused on at the time and he had a visceral reaction to having to make a choice for himself).

Failure to thrive is indicated heavily with his poor education. As well as developmental delays.

Narancia also appears to be aggressive. This showing in how he reacts to those he deems a threat to him or giving him any negative response.

Take for example the first time we meet Narancia as he’s studying with Fugo. The two break into a fight and Narancia is ready to stab/attack Fugo. This shows up again when he violently attacks Formaggio with his stand while also kicking the car Formaggio is in. There are other instances as well, where he kicks Zucchero’s head, attacks the man with the white suit, and other various instances where he reacts with extreme violence.

I would also argue that Narancia’s experience in betrayal from both his father and those he deemed his friends affect his personality as well.

Betrayal Trauma occurs most commonly from:

Child abuse- including physical, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse (e.g., manipulation, gaslighting, verbal abuse, etc.)

{source 4}

As discussed prior, Narancia had experienced abuse in his childhood via neglect from his father. However, betrayal trauma can occur from other instances of trauma in one’s life as well.

Betrayal trauma differs vastly from other types of trauma because it involves not just the experience of abuse but also the experience of being betrayed by a key relationship such as; a parent, caregiver, guardian, significant other, or other individual who is relied upon for support and safety.

{source 4}

It’s made relatively clear that Narancia relies on his friends for support and safety when his father does not provide it. He stays in their homes, steals food with them, and blatantly states that friendship is what he deems as most important.

A few signs of betrayal trauma are:

Intrusive thoughts and images

Nightmares or flashbacks

Avoidance behaviors

Hypervigilance (constantly scanning your environment for potential threats)

Irritability or angry outbursts

Insomnia

Fearfulness

Social withdrawal

Feeling emotionally numb

Physical symptoms of tension headaches, migraines, and fatigue

{source 4}

Narancia could be stated to be rather hyper vigilant when you realize his stand has a radar to detect carbon emissions. He also has angry outbursts (as discussed prior), irritability, and even a tinge of fearfulness (when left to make his own choices).

Those who suffer from betrayal trauma may also have issues with regulating their emotions. This is something we see in Narancia time and time again. Where as other members of the Bucci Gang are able to compose their emotions (especially when it comes to their tasks at hand), Narancia struggles with this. He’s the only one who has an outburst over Abbacchio’s death, he constantly lashes out when harmed, and overall seems to struggle with handling his emotions.

The betrayal and neglect that Narancia suffered at a young age does seem to contribute heavily to his childish personality despite not being the youngest member of the team (Narancia 17. Giorno 15. Fugo 16).

I would also say that Narancia seems to have unwavering loyalty for those that he trusts. Those he does not trust immediately receive volatile reactions from him. We see this when Formaggio is in the car (constantly referring to him as a stalker), attacking Trish when they first encounter one another, immediately claiming a civilian is an enemy and attacking them, and so on. I strongly believe that this also stems from the betrayal that Narancia faced at a young age (coupled with his role in the mafia).

————————————————————————

Relationships

Onto my favorite part about this post. Relationships. I’m going to delve into the relationships that are presented in the manga and give my thoughts on three categories;

How the relationship is outwardly presented

How it effects Narancia

Overall thoughts of the relationship

Theories (for fun)

The characters we will delve into on this section are as follows;

Narancia’s Mother

Narancia’s Father

Unnamed Blond Friend

Bruno Bucciarati

Panacotta Fugo

Guido Mista

Leone Abbacchio

Giorno Giovanna

Trish Una

Narancia’s Mother

Outwardly Presented: He does not seem to have any ill-will towards his mother. In the anime, Narancia seems to be genuinely concerned of his mother’s well-being while she’s in the hospital. And once she passes away, he even visits her grave.

Relationship Effects: While Narancia only had his mother in his life for 10 years, the impact it left on him is a core feature of his character. He constantly dwells on his mother’s death and the eye disease that killed her. He even tells his unnamed blond friend over this and then has it used against him.

Overall: I believe Narancia was close to his mother in the way any young child would be. He does seem to be worried about his mother when in the hospital and is even seen visiting her grave when older. I can’t speculate on what relationship his mother and father had together, however I feel I can say that once his mother passed, the neglect he experienced only seemed to grow.

Theories: Because Narancia’s mother had passed from an eye disease (read my thoughts on that here: https://m.facebook.com/groups/5738337702888821/permalink/6284327651623154/?mibextid=qC1gEa) that manifests due to trauma to the eye, I would say that her relationship with her husband may have involved physical altercations. I think this compounded the trauma that Narancia faced once his mother had passed and I would even say that his mother may have originally been pressured to not have Narancia but opted to do so which put a strain on the relationship.

Narancia’s Father

Outwardly Presented: It is clearly stated that Narancia does not think highly of his father. He refers to him as a piece of shit, was neglected by him, and does not trust him.

Relationship Effects: Due to the neglect that Narancia faced under his fathers care (which was gone over in above sections), I think it’s safe to say his father was a large contributing factor as to why Narancia had become a part of the mafia. Without proper guidance or parental care in his earlier years, Narancia was bound to slip into a life of crime. Especially after the people who essentially saved his life were members of a crime syndicate. Had his father been present in his life, there likely would have been a different outcome.

Overall: The manga makes a clear point that Narancia’s father was not involved in his son’s life. So much so that when Narancia was living on the streets and dealing with an eye infection that clearly was taking it’s toll on him, he did not go home or if he did, his father did not handle the situation accordingly. This lack of care is what sent Narancia on the path he wound up on.

Theories: Buckle up because I have a few theories on Narancia’s father. I’ll touch on 3 big ones that I feel are highly possible (but do not have concrete facts to back these up).

Narancia is not the unnamed man’s biological child. How his mother wound up pregnant with Narancia is irrelevant. Where the issue stems from is that the man he perceives as his father does not have the interest of the child in mind.

Narancia’s father was abusive towards his mother and it’s how she wound up with the eye infection (and why Narancia getting beat by cops resulted in the same eye infection).

Narancia’s always been a problem child and his father was not equipped to handle this and he grew distant from his child. Especially after the mother’s death.

Unnamed Blond Friend

Outwardly Presented: We only see two brief interactions with Narancia and his unnamed blond friend. The first is when he convinces Narancia to dye his hair blond. The second is when he sees him again after he’s let out of juvie. Both interactions had forms of manipulation in them to benefit the blond male.

Relationship Effects: The effects of this relationship are, essentially, what sent Narancia into the lowest point of his life. Before, Narancia had his friends to trust and rely in. He even mentally beat himself up when he suspected his friend set him up and only accepted this as a fact once he saw his friend again after juvie and learned he was spreading rumors about the eye disease that killed his mother.

Overall: Overall, this relationship is what I think solidified Narancia’s path in life. While his father set him on that path, this betrayal from a close friend is what led to him giving up on life. After all, he had valued his friendships above all and now that was torn from him.

Theories: My only theory in regards to this man is that I think he was addicted to drugs that Passione were distributing. Hence why he beat the old woman for her money and then framed Narancia. Not to mention, in both the manga & anime, he seems a bit disheveled.

Bruno Bucciarati

Outwardly Presented: Bruno is Narancia’s hero. It states as much in the manga. Bucciarati is, after all, the one who gave his food up for Narancia to eat and then took him to a hospital. Even his harsh words about Narancia not joining the mafia made Narancia realize there are people who care for your well-being. He even wants Bruno to call the shots for him when he has to make a life-altering choice.

Relationship Effects: Where as the first people mentioned are people who set Narancia down the path of becoming a mafioso, Bruno was there to try and deter him. Of course, this did not work but only because Narancia found he had far more admiration for Bucciarati than he ever had for his father. After all, Bruno showed him he cared through actions and words. He did this by getting Narancia the medical attention he desperately needed, offered him a place to stay (though immediately told him to go back home and to school), and then told him that the mafia life was not worth joining and that he would be better off having a normal life as a civilian. He also had Narancia choose his own life path and refused to order him onto the boat to betray the boss. Which, ultimately, sparked the conviction Narancia was lacking in his life.

Overall: Bucciarati had the biggest (positive) impact on Narancia out of everyone in his life. He truly wanted what was best for Narancia and not with any implications behind it. This was something that Narancia had not experienced before in his life. His father abandoned him. His friends used and betrayed him. Bruno was there for him at his lowest and remained there for him without expecting anything in return.

Theories: While Narancia did return home after his stay at the hospital, he clearly thought a lot about what Bucciarati said and did for him. It was stated that, after he returned home, he never trusted his father again. I truly believe that this was because this is the first time Narancia saw and experienced what it was like to have someone care for you with no conditions attached. I always found it curious that it was stated so clearly that Narancia NO LONGER trusted his father. Especially up to that point in his life. And after thinking on it, I believe Bruno is what made Narancia learn he deserved so much more than he was getting.

Panacotta Fugo

Outwardly Presented: This relationship has always vexed me. Clearly, the two are very close. Both have extreme tempers and easily explode on one another. But there’s also the level of care and concern they both have for one another as well. Fugo takes on a pretty large role in Narancia’s life. After all, he is the one to bring him to Bruno. He’s also the one that helps him study. And if you count PHF as canon, he’s also the one to help Narancia join Passione behind Bruno’s back.

Relationship Effects: While I could say Narancia was impacted by Fugo, I think it was the other way around. Fugo was Impacted by Narancia. Especially if we take PHF into consideration as canon. Throughout, Fugo constantly reflects on his time with Narancia. Sure, Fugo helped Narancia with getting off the streets and helped Narancia with his education, but he also helped Narancia join Passione behind Bruno’s back and against Bruno’s wishes. I certainly think he cares deeply for Narancia but I do feel there is also a level of selfishness in his care, as well.

Overall: Narancia and Fugo both have large impacts on one another. Where Fugo helps with giving Narancia a new chance at life through bringing him to the mafia and helping his education, I believe Narancia helps Fugo by showing him that there’s always room for growth and that you can better your circumstances in life even when it feels impossible to do so- solely by having the right people around you.

Theories: Here is where the fun theories begin. Aka the ship battles. So feel free to agree or disagree because it’s gonna be a hot take (maybe). I actually do not think these two would ever work out romantically. Aside from how volatile they can react to one another from time to time, there’s also a power imbalance between the two. I do feel that there may have also been some misunderstandings between the both of them in regards to having a romantic relationship but I do not ever see it truly working out between the two. Esepcially due to the fact that Narancia, in the end, decided to follow change, while Fugo remained the same (which is an allegory I would love to touch on one day).

Guido Mista

Outwardly Presented: The two come across as friendly and very close with one another. Friendly enough that 1) they know a whole choreographed dance, 2) they constantly bicker and tease each other over little things (ie.pouring soda on the speaker, the chocolate bickering, etc). and 3) the way they hang off of each other and outwardly show concern for one another.

Relationship Effects: While we don’t see a lot of interaction focused heavily on these two, there are a lot of background interactions we see that show these two are close with one another. It’s hard to really say what effect the two have on one another aside from when Narancia passed, Guido was clearly very distraught. More so than he was with Abbacchio in the sense that he did not hide his emotions through his death. And that, to me, speaks volumes.

Overall: Everyone sleeps on these two. It’s clear that they are close to one another despite the focus of their interactions not being front and center. They have a deep connection, as they’re able to have a coordinated dance routine, and Narancia’s death leaving a large impact on Mista.

Theories: They’re fuckin’. Okay no- but if it’s not clear, y’all sleepin’ on them as a couple. One day, I’m gonna write a whole essay on these two as a pairing and you’ll be subjected to my disgusting opinions. But aside from that, I just want to say that they do come across as extremely close to one another despite screen time between them never being the main focus and I wish there would have been more interactions that focused on just these two, as a whole.

Leone Abbacchio

Outwardly Presented: These two are another that don’t have a lot of direct interactions with one another. However, it does seem that Narancia holds Abbacchio in high regards, going as far as to ask him to have Fugo stop jamming him with the keys and then being distraught at Abbacchio’s passing.

Relationship Effects: I really wish we would have seen more interaction between these two. However, I still believe they’re close enough to warrant the reaction Narancia had upon his death.

Overall: Narancia seems to have respect for Abbacchio and seemed to be touched by his death. I really wish we could have gotten more interactions between the two of them but also it makes sense that we didn’t, as Abbacchio seems more the type to keep to himself.

Theories: Less of a theory and more of just a part I wish would have been explored more. I really wish that the topic of Abbacchio being a former officer and Narancia experiencing brutality from the police at juvie would have been touched up on. I’d love to have seen how Abbacchio would react to that and how Narancia would have felt upon learning about Abbacchio’s former job. (Maybe a fic idea for the future).

Giorno Giovanna

Outwardly Presented: Another person that could have had more interaction. However, it’s clear that Narancia has no qualms with Giorno. He even views him as smart and reliable. Though, Narancia seems to tease him about the age difference between them and bragging about being older.

Relationship Effects: Narancia seems to have respect for Giorno. Whether this is because his allies (especially Bruno) trust him or because Giorno earned his respect, is up for debate. However, he clearly thinks Giorno is smart- trying to relay the message of an enemy attack with his fight against Tizzano and Squalo. Additionally, he does try to save Giorno, as well. There’s also the point where they swap bodies and both seem relatively comfortable in each others skin. I do think they have very similar upbringings and would have loved for them to have a conversation about this on screen. There was a lot for them to relate to.

Overall: Narancia has respect for Giorno and has a similar upbringing as him. I would even dare to say that because of the similarities, they would have been extremely close friends had Narancia survived. I also want to point out that Giorno had seen something in Narancia enough to 1) become visibly upset over his death and 2) promise to take his body home at the end. Both of these were things he did not promise to Abbacchio nor Bruno. Though, it’s clear they all had an impact on Giorno.

Theories: Because of how similar I feel their upbringings are, I strongly believe that Narancia was meant to be a foil to Giorno. Not only do we see them have emotionally unavailable parents and neglect, but both find their savior through the mafia. However, Giorno has a clear dream and goal and a driving force to push him through where as Narancia does not have this until he’s forced to make a choice between staying behind or betraying the boss. Only then does he have a goal and direction and meaning given to his life.

Trish Una

Outwardly Presented: Narancia does not seem to have much of a connection to Trish until he sees her wrist and fully understands how she’s alone, like him. Once that happens, Narancia states he wants to protect Trish with his life and that she’s “just like him”. From there, the two seem to become rather close. Just under Trish trusting Bruno, I would say she trusts Narancia the most, after that.

Relationship Effects: Trish is Narancia’s biggest driving force to change his life. Without her, his life would have remained the same. There would have been no drive to become better and do better by himself or others. With Trish, Narancia has a reason to do better. He has a goal to protect her and, by default, now must put effort into his own life.

Overall: As elaborated, Trish is Narancia’s reason. His “why” for the actions that follow the remainder of the series. I also think that it was good for Trish to have another person aside from Bruno to put her full trust and faith in. Additionally, Narancia was able to learn from Trish that it’s possible to move past trauma and push forward to a better life.

Theories: I truly believe that Narancia and Trish would have started a new life outside of the mafia together (romantically or platonically) had Narancia survived. They both seemed to have formed a deep bond with one another after Narancia opted to protect Trish. Narancia often trying to give her some form of comfort (and Trish even seeking for comfort when their bodies swapped and she hugged Narancia’s body while forgetting that Giorno was in said body).

To wrap up this section, Narancia had his life impacted by multiple people. Some in a positive way and others in a negative way. The way each interaction helped to shape how Narancia, as a person, was shows how intricate the character. No matter if the interaction was shown direct on screen or implied off screen, he has a deep ness to his character that is shown through the interactions he holds with others and the lasting impact he left behind.

————————————————————————

Stand

In this section, I wanted to go over Aerosmith, as stands are stated to be a physical representation of the user’s soul. This means that Aerosmith, with all design choices in place, is a direct representation of Narancia as a whole. While most of this section is purely speculation (due to the lack of facts we are given), I want people to really consider all aspects of the stand design.

These are what I will focus on for this section:

Appearance

Abilities

Attitude

Appearance

Taking on the shape of a toy fighter jet, Aerosmith is small but deadly. A tiny pilot is inside (Mr. Smith), which seemingly controls the jet. Additionally, there are features of eyes and a mouth on the front of the plane and the primary color pallet used is red and yellow (though other color pallets are used from time to time).

A deeper dive on what these appearances convey are interesting to ponder.

The first thing to note is that it takes on a fighter jet. To me, this shows that Narancia could come across as having both a fight or flight mode, though he often chooses fight. It could be interrupted that, while he fights for smaller ordeals in his life, he tends to avoid or “fly away” from the bigger issues. To elaborate on this, Narancia easily fights off enemies and direct threats. However, he is avoiding the issue of a deeper purpose (until deciding his purpose is to protect Trish).

Next, the plane is toy-sized. This fits in with the fact that Narancia, as a character, is still very child-like. A contributing factor to this was the neglect he faced at early stages in his life. Both malnutrition, educational neglect, and lack of guidance gives him the air of being much younger than he is and room to grow, as an individual.

Mr. Smith, the pilot, is also what controls/guides Aerosmith. To me, this indicates a need for guidance. Someone else is piloting his life until he seemingly takes control. Or, it could be seen that he is attempting to escape living life on auto-pilot.

The eyes and mouth feature also is fascinating. It gives the plane a more threatening aura. Be this an outside mask to come across as more aggressive to ward off those who may try to harm Narancia.

Finally, the main color scheme being red and yellow. Red is often the color of passion. Passionate feelings arise in not just romance but in intensity of any emotion. And Narancia displays his emotions very intensely. The yellow color often is attributed to hope, youth, and joy. This, to me, shows he is striving to have a life of joy.

Abilities

Aerosmith, as a stand, has a wide range of abilities and uses. Between being a long-ranged stand that can shoot endless bullets from its machine guns, drop a bomb, and detect carbon dioxide on a small radar, it’s astounding how much this tiny stand can truly contribute to the team.

When really dissecting what each ability could relay about Narancia’s soul, you may find some interesting attributes to think through.

The difference between long range and close range stands always has me perplexed. What decides on who gets long range versus close range? I believe it’s a wide array of factors that decide this. In Narancia’s case, I believe it stems from his needs to wanting to be close to others but the struggles to truly allow himself that closeness unless earned. He, like his stand, prefers to keep a distance unless he trusts them enough to “land”.

Endless bullets, for me, shows Narancia’s boundless energy and constant rebuttals to life. He’s had to constantly keep his guard up so the fact that his ammunition never seems to run out is awfully convenient for a stand to have. On the flip side, it also shows that Narancia has had to constantly fight to keep afloat.

The singular bomb shows Narancia’s explosive attitude when angered. Small things can set him off and when he’s set off, his outburst can lead to irreversible damage. Much like a bomb going off, Narancia cannot undo the damage that is done when he lets his emotions get the better of him.

The radar, for me, really shows Narancia’s profound need to find those he can rely on and trust. It also shows how he has his guard up at all times, as well. A radar is used to search and locate. So what is it Narancia is so keen on finding that his stand- the literal representation of his soul- manifests a radar? For me, it’s finding who he can trust and keeping an eye out for danger. Carbon dioxide comes from living beings but it also comes from fire. Both can provide comfort but also hurt you. So the radar, for me, represents the duality of humans.

Attitude

This may be the hardest to dissect, as Aerosmith is not exactly a humanoid stand (though Mr. Smith is presumably a humanoid pilot). However, Aerosmith does have a few distinct actions that gives it “attitude”. Father way in which the stand moves, is what I am referring to. Specifically how it behaves when flying and landing. It can either fly erratic when attacking, slow and steady while hunting, or, when it lands, on Narancia’s arms like an airstrip.

Studying how the stand moves is an important key factor in understanding Narancia, as a character.

Erratic movements while fighting displays the same erratic behavior Narancia shows when he is upset. There is no regulation in his stand’s movements just as there are no regulations with his emotions.

Contrastly, when Aerosmith is searching for a target, it flies steady and with determination. This showcases Narancia’s capabilities of focusing when he puts his mind to something.

Finally, the fact that his stand lands on his arms like an airstrip is such a unique and compelling attribute. The fact that his stand uses Narancia to “land” really shows that Narancia, and only Narancia, has the ability to guide himself. Whether he thinks that or not is not the point. The fact that his soul manifestation uses him as a guide for landing shows that Narancia was the only one, in the end, who could make life choices for himself.

————————————————————————

Conclusion

Narancia is so much more than what people give him credit for. Sure, I may have speculated a lot, but this is just a character deep-dive of what I feel was shown through all aspects of his character.

You may have a different opinion, and that is okay.

But at the end of the day, Narancia is a great character with so many complexities that come across as so deeply human and he deserves more appreciation.

————————————————————————

Sources

{source 1 - https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/neglect_ch2.pdf}

{source 2 - https://www.psychiatry.pitt.edu/news/longest-and-most-detailed-study-pediatric-grief-following-parental-loss-date-department}

{source 3 - https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/childhood-emotional-neglect#symptoms-in-children}

{source 4 - https://mindwellnyc.com/top-betrayal-trauma-signs-triggers-strategies-to-recovery-2022/}

Note: I wrote this and posted it on a few other sites. Also this is just me being speculative and very bored at work one day. Feel free to disagree but please don’t be rude. I just don’t have the energy for it.

[casspurrjoybell-20]

FOOLS Fall - Chapter 3 - Part 2

BOOK TWO: The 'Fools Fall in Love' Trilogy

*Warning - Adult Content*

Samuel Moretti

At home, it was just me and my parents with Haven gone at college.

'Yes, she was still dating Zach Price. They were on and off every other weekend'.

Plus my cat, Dumbass Junior that Noah got me for our first Christmas together.

I just called him Dummy, sometimes DJ.

My parents were still at work, so it was just me and Dummy.

My cat had definitely become my emotional support animal for sure.

I couldn't even tell you how many nights I cried over a petty argument between either my sister and I or with Noah or when I was just upset over not seeing him and DJ was always there, ready to cuddle with me.

But I also had one other person who had became a good distraction from my lonely thoughts and he was opening my front door, closed it behind him and sat down on the couch.

Carter took Dummy from me and started petting him.

"You know you could knock," I suggested with a dry tone.

"Why knock when you leave your front door open for me?"

That was true, Carter almost always came over after school, after the first two weeks, I started leaving my front door unlocked.

Carter switched subjects before I could answer back with a snarky reply.

"What do you think about Elliot?" he asked, not looking at me as he scratched behind the ears of Dummy.

"Um, I think he's cool," and I also thought he had a crush on Carter but I didn't want Carter to use Elliot as a sex toy and then dispose of him when Carter was satisfied.

I loved Carter 'he had become my best friend' but I also knew how he treated women and men, like shit.

"I heard when you transition into a male, your clit grows to a mini dick, is that true?" Carter genuinely asked me as he was wondering, 'one plus one equals two, right?'

I grimaced at Carter words, not because of what may or may not happen during a transition but that word... 'clit'.

That word had the same effect on me like the word 'moist' had on others.

"How the hell would I know? I don't like... vaginas and I'm not transgender."

Carter rolled his eyes.

"I don't know how someone can not like vaginas"

"I'm gay, Carter, like a hundred percent," I laughed.

"Whatever, what do you think it'd be like to go down on him?" he asked in nonchalance.

"You're disgusting," I told him, standing up and making my way to my kitchen.

"How?" Carter let Dummy go before following me.

"Because you just want to fuck Elliot, so you can 'experience it' and say you fucked someone who's transgender."

Yeah, I may have adapted to Noah's crass language.

"That's wrong. People have feeling, ya' know."

Then, unrelated, I asked him.

"Do youu want Mac and cheese?" as I pulled a pot from under the kitchen counter.

"Yeah, I guess," Carter said like he'd rather eat anything else but I was already adding water to the pot.

Carter continued on about Elliot,

"If I told him it was just a one-time thing before fucking, then I think it's okay," he hopped up on the counter after snatching a box of Cheez-it's.

He opened the recently bought box and put his hand in the bag, grabbing a handful and shoving it in his mouth.

I didn't know how he got laid so much.

I shook my head, chuckling.

"No and I'm pretty sure he's a virgin."

Carter cringed.

"Damn never mind. He'll get too clingy."

"You're the worst," I claimed and that was basically how our friendship worked, Carter made himself at home in my house and said or asked dumb stuff while I told him it was a bad idea.

Or sometimes I ranted about my problems when I couldn't talk to Noah or when my problems were about Noah and Carter listened.

It was a good, platonic friendship.

Carter left before my parents got home a little after five PM and I did homework, hung out with Dummy until around ten PM when I Face-Timed Noah.

I felt giddy thinking about the sexting earlier and wondered if Noah would want to do something similar but when I called him, Noah wasn't alone.

[oceanicartistry]

Claws and All

They sat together, Cat’s sobs broken and tortured, often interrupted by gasps for breath after a long moment of emotion so intense he can’t find himself able to breathe. Dog held him, subject to the push and pull of Cat’s simultaneous embrace and flee, one second grasping at his shirt as though he would leave, get up and walk out the door, and the next pushing him, trying to crawl away in an attempt to free himself from the strong clutch holding him hostage. Dog was confused, so willing to help in any way he could, so desperate to alleviate the pain that Cat’s distress was causing, but so helpless to do so. He didn’t know what was wrong, what cat wanted from him, but he knew the cycle, it was a common one for them. It was one they had gone through too many times, the graze of plush paws quickly followed by sharp claws, a scared Cat reclusing again into his solitudine. 

Cat wished–oh how he’d wished a thousand, ten thousand times–that things didn’t have to be this way, that he didn’t have to be this way, that he could love and be loved without fear, without the pit of rejection sitting in his stomach a way it never had before. When Dog would need him, he would run, hide himself away in uninterested, short texts and ignored calls, fear quickly turning to disgust and annoyance. Annoyance that Dog even could need him, that dog would surely throw him away when his problem was gone, that dog thought he was so stupid to believe him. He knew it was stupid, and he knew it was fake, Dog was genuine in all he did was would rather hurt alone than take advantage of Cat. This thought plagued him as he sat crying in Dog’s arms, he felt unworthy, a terrible man, a worse partner, he clawed at Dog to get away from him, to let him go and urged him to run far away, where Cat could never scratch him again. 

And oh, how many times too, he had longed for dog to just leave, how he wished dog didn’t have to selfishly keep cat in his arms, smothering Cat without second thought; Cat was his own man, he had his own life, dog simply couldn’t understand that. Dog held cat tighter despite his thrashing, doing–to his understanding–all the best he could. The safety was a threat in itself, Dog was suffocating him, Dog thought he was keeping him safe but all he was doing was hurting Cat, just like always–selfish like always. 

But that didn’t sound right. That didn’t sound like Dog?

Cat slowed for a moment, his breathing coming down and his sense returning to him, he knew Dog loved him, and he knew he returned that love, even if it didn’t look that way. Dog was always too good for him, giving him the support that he needed, knowing he needed to just be held and not let go; to let go was to tell Cat that he was not needed anymore, that he was too much, that his emotions had run too far and high this time. But Dog didn’t. Dog’s hold loosened as Cat calmed, cooing “what’s wrong?”’s and “talk to me please.”

Cat’s words didn’t come, but he stopped clawing, and Dog felt those soft pads again replacing the previous digging, itching pain of cats nails. Cat’s tears flowed endlessly from his large dilated eyes, the ones Dog discovered to be so perfect, so readable, now the shape of the moon in the sky at its very fullest, a thin border of color being the only thing remaining of their previous yellow chartreuse. He couldn’t look up at Dog, a sense of shame, so deep that his heart panged in pain, washed over him. Quickly tapping Dog’s arm twice, a small, unspoken request for freedom, he crawled out of dog’s lap, onto the next seat of the couch.

They sat in silence, both sweaty and tearstained, neither knew how long, Dog staring at cat, Cat staring at his hands, the floor, the individual tufts of carpet, the lines in the wood of the coffee table, the glow of their tv–muted long ago–as colors flashed and disappeared with ads and scenes. Cat knew Dog didn’t understand, he could never fully understand how real it was in his mind, the quick switches between push and pull always seeming urgent, so life or death that cat have him, or rid of him. Dog was so loyal, so steadfast, so sure in what he wanted, so unbearably close to Cat. Cat knew they would talk soon, knew the conversation would come and he would tell it all to Dog, all he could muster to bridge an understanding. But for as long as he could, he wanted to sit, wanted to keep the shame of admitting his faults at bay, keep the grasp dog had of him to a minimum. Keep himself away for just a little longer.

I actually don't know how to use tumblr!

Cat also lowk has borderline personality disorder

Inspired by 2 posts!

"So sick of dog motif what about cat motif. I love you but we don't love the same. I can't be near you when you want me to be. Your love is smothering and your need to keep me safe is trapping me. I'm my own person but I don't know how to show you that. I lash out and hurt you even though I don't mean to. I need you to move slowly around me or I'll bolt. I love you, even though I don't say it. If you stay still I'll sit next to you, and even though we don't understand each other we can be together like that." by @/syzygy-yzygy

and!

"crying in your lovers arms, face buried in their chest, while their heart breaks at your every sob" by @/urfriendlywriter

[tayalisn]

Emotional support... who? Can't you just be normal and have a blanket or something... or a baby? Jack can be your emotional support human. Writing me sonnets? Alright, now we must collab. It's in the cards. Especially since you know I'm writing sonnets all damn day long. Folklore candle sets, huh? Is this you declaring your favorite era? I must say, I'm impressed. Most people's favorite era is Evermore and I feel like Folklore has always been at the bottom, so... my Folklore heart is full. You can't even pour a bowl of cereal without hearing that Mulan song? From bestie to bestie... I think you need to get checked out, bro. Broski is full thrust in and he's belting out, "LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS TO DEFEAT THE HUNS!" Help... help is needed. Benjamin really is. My little baby boy. My only boy. I need to learn how to swaddle Benjamin. Can you teach me? You're just swaddling Jack and I'm over here swaddling my cat. I'm weird. I'm a weird person. Listen, I'm glad. Not to sound like a hater, but, I'm glad something as powerful as our collab could break the internet... and not a picture of someone balancing champagne on their ass. Sorry... feeling petty. I'm over it now. I'm glad you finally came to your senses about him, though. Don't you feel so much better without him in your presence? Oh! Like you always say, cinematic and layered. I love it. I love the vibes. Someone take a video camera and film you in black and white. Let's make this a movie. You're really curious about this bestie basket, huh? Well, knowing me, only the finest of goods. Ninety percent for Jack... and about ten percent for you. And no whining. It's his world now. He gets all the gifts.

okay, hold up, let me grab my emotional support helmet because you’re coming in hot and i’m loving every second of it. layered and cinematic was just the start — keep this up and i’m gonna be out here writing you sonnets and tying them to the bestie basket you’re about to ship over. i’ll take mine with some folklore candle scents and maybe a custom cat battle armor set, thanks. honestly, bad blood part 2 with a literal army of feral, beautiful cats sounds like the revenge anthem the world didn’t know it needed. meredith would be the general, olivia the strategist, and benjamin would just be out there distracting the enemies with his pure vibes. also, no, you are not crazy for bursting into "let's get down to business to defeat the huns!" — because same. that song lives rent-free in my head at all times. i cannot even pour a bowl of cereal without hearing it. it’s the battle cry of our generation. benjamin truly is too pure. like if golden retrievers were somehow reincarnated into perfect, squishy little cats? that’s him. and yeah… i still can’t fully believe it. one minute you're worrying about tour outfits and studio sessions, the next you’re googling "how to swaddle a baby without them looking at you like you owe them rent." boss baby is 1000% real and he's got the tiniest, most powerful grip on my soul. are you kidding me? we wouldn’t just break the internet — we’d annihilate it. the swiftie and belieber crossfire would cause seismic activity. news outlets would be calling it "the great pop quake of 2025." the cat army would be our PR team. don’t worry — he who must not be named is permanently on mute. your razor scooter threat lives rent-free in my heart. someone may or may not have blasted "the tortured poets department" on a suspicious amount of late-night drives while pretending they were in an indie film about lost love and self-discovery. no shame. now tell me, what’s going in this bestie basket?

[elliesmainhoe]

Flour and Jam

Streamer!Ellie X Fem!Reader

Summary: Yours and ellies attempt at a cooking stream

Contents: fluff, fluff and more fluff, food fight, general chaos.

My Masterlist

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 (you're here)

"Welcome to my kitchen" Ellie said, looking into the camera that was situated on a tripod resting upon the islands wooden countertops.

User1: New room unlocked 🔓

User2: omg are we cooking?

"Yes we are cooking, thought I'd do something special for you guys to celebrate hitting 500k on YouTube- which is honestly insane."

User3: Been here since 5k on YT 💪

"And due to this being a very special stream I have a very very special person to keep me company!" Hearing your cue, you stepped Infront of the camera "And because I can't trust Ellie to not burn down my house." You add on, smiling mischievously at her annoyed expression.

User4: my favourite person ever 😭

User5: One chance Y/N, plssss

User6: Ima steal Ellie's girl, just you wait and see

User7: omg look at how cute they look together 🥲

User8: The Y/N and Ellie tiktok editors are already screen recording this for later lmao

"Shut-" before Ellie could finish her sentence you pecked her lips- catching her off guard and laughing as you saw the chat go at the speed of light.

User9: Stop I'm so lonely 😭

"Your so lonely? L"

"Ellie! Don't be mean?" You scold her, shoving her shoulder playfully.

"Why?"

"Because I said so, be nice"

"Yes ma'am" Ellie replies, her right hand lifting into a mock salute as she laughs.

"We are going to make a cake. What kind of cake you may be asking?" She spoke, replying to an invisible comment.

"No one asked that baby" you laughed,, reaching up and messing with her hair. Her mouth went to retort but before any words could fall out you cut in front of her "yes I know I'll 'shut up'."

"Were making a 'victoria sponge' cake, because Y/N knows how to make it and there is a higher possiblity it will turn out least half decently" she grins, looking down at the ingredients you'd laid out on the counter. Eggs, flour, sugar, butter, vanilla, cream, jam (jelly if your American), icing sugar and strawberries.

"It'll be great, we'll do so well. I 100% believe we will make an edible Cake" you affirm, lying but trying to be positive.

User10: Uhuh very convincing 💀

User11: manifest it besties

•••••••••

"How the fuck have we managed this?" Ellie laughed out looking down at the mess you two had managed to create.

"I honestly have no idea" you reply looking at the copious amounts of flour and various sticky substances that coated the counters. "It could honestly be a modern art piece" you hummed

User12: Girlie said modern art

User13: #1 modern art hater for life

Ellie began spewing jokes, continuing to crack eggs and whisk, even though you'd told her to stop adding anything ten minutes earlier.

"You really have no regard for my advice, huh?"

"Nope." She said back to you, the familiar annoying grin plastered on her freckled face when she heard your disappointed sigh.

User14: she looks so done lmao 😭

You move out of view of the audience, silently searching for some emotional support for the foreseeable future. You entered the living room and the familiar ball of ginger fluff you were searching for was curled up in the cat tree you and ellie had bought him for his first birthday. After a few seconds of internal conflict on whether to leave him be or disturb him you decided on the latter.

Picking up the grumpy cat, who made his displeasure known by letting out a tired yowl as you cradled him, before coming back into the kitchen. "I needed some emotional support."

User15: Garfff 😭🐱

User16: pussy lol

User17: Everyone needs emotional support due to this chaotic asf stream lmao💀

You stood back, cradling Garfield in your arms, letting Ellie have free rein, giving a few tips and advice that were swiftly dismissed by Ellie as she continued to do her own thing, including putting salt into the batter instead of sugar, even though you had literally put out all the ingredients for her beforehand which did not include salt.

"Taste test?" Ellie asks, turning around to face you, a wooden spoon in hand a scoop of beige mixture on top of it. "Absolutely not".

User18: DO ITTT

User19: do it! do it! do it!

'User30 donated $50: 'Do it Y/N, also congrats on 500k on YT Ellie <33'

"You hear the people. Taste." Ellie laughs thrusting the wooden spoon towards your mouth.

"It's confirmed, you all hate me and I will never forgive any of you for this" you scowl, opening your mouth hesitantly, allowing Ellie to place the spoonful into your mouths. The overwhelming taste saltiness hits your tongue immediately, making you gag at the unpleasantness.

You immediately rush over to the sink, spiting out the mixture, grabbing a glass of water and washing out your mouth, trying to rid it of the after taste that lingered behind. You hear Ellie's laugh from behind you, the only thing going through your mind was revenge.

Flour. Perfect. You reach into the half full paper bag pulling out a handful. Ellie was otherwise occupied, talking to her chat and answering donations, so when a handful of flour exploded in her face, it's an understatement to say it caught her of guard.

After recovering from a coughing fit triggered by the powder, she reached into an open jar, said jar having fresh strawberry jam inside of it. You saw this and of course, you began to run away, trying to get away from Ellie and the weapon that was her handful of red jelly. Eventually she caught up to you, her empty hand wrapped around your waist pulling you into her body as she smeared the sticky substance across your cheeks laughing at the ridiculous expression on your face.

Because your body was pushed against hers, the flour that coated her body transferred onto you.

"OH FUCK!" You yelled "my new sweater..."

"oh look, Y/N's discovered that her actions have consequences." She grinned cheekily, leaning down to kiss you, the jam from your face smudging onto hers.

----------

Taglist: @aunslie @lonelyfooryouonly @strawberrysmoochesxo @daryldixonh0e @kittynnie @lovelyyevelyn @randomhoex @moonlightdivine @haerinwho @mufflaa @mial1l @sarahsmileslikesarahd0esntcare @moonlighting87 @escaping-reality8 @hejdevkdbdjsd @dergy @half-of-a-gay @ellieismami @cyberlainn @gollumsmygel @sseorii @kyleeservopoulos @taloulalila @ellieluhme @kiiyoooo

NOT PROOFREAD

[harrysmimi]

Handsome

Synopsis: One where Harry harbours a little concert crush on someone

Ps. I dreamt this :)

More of my work

YN was very excited to go see Harry finally!

She have been saving for it for ages that she did not hesitate to go just a tiny bit over budget when buying the pit tickets. Her friend was coming too with her. She has been his fan since his first solo album came out and have been wanting to go see him since his very first tour.

Camping out from the sunrise, being exhausted was worth it if she got to see the person who literally kept her sane during her most difficult of times. In fact even save her at some extent.

She was the typical fangirl. But didn't had any of his merch or his vinyls because she couldn't afford it. That doesn't make her any less of a fan. She spent a little too much on the tickets so she had to stick to her closet to pick out an outfit.

She didn't care. Literally. About what she wore. She wore a gown she'd sewn from a bedsheet for an Instagram reel (she just had a public account where she posted a video of her making that dress and it sort of blew up, got about ten thousand likes). It had big puffy sleeves with green leaves printed on the fabric. She didn't know where she'd wear the dress anyway so she pulled it out today.

Though she didn't felt like it, YN did put in some efforts in how she looked, according to her she might bump into a handsome guy or a very pretty girl tonight. People meet at concerts, it wasn't something unusual but rare. She has been single since she last went to prom which was ages ago and her friends have been bugging her to go out so they all can go on a couples only vacation. She is just going to take her Emotional Support cat with, he is only male and a pussy in her life who's not disappointed her yet. It would at least put an end to what her friends have to say when she doesn't find someone at the concert to go on a date with the very next day.

She woke up an hour early to make a sign for Harry. Not a big paper, just a two by two feet thick craft paper. It is big enough for him to read without blocking anyone's view. She was planning to head first so she can stand at the barricade. She doesn't care if she gets crushed. She just wants to have a nice time with her celebrity crush and her best friend.

Oh, and she did picked up a single rose to throw it towards him. Or at least attempt to.

She kept it close to her so no one can steal her idea as she saw many fans making their signs outside. It wasn't very creative, what she wrote but it was her idea. Soon she was let in and luckily her sleep deprivation was rewarded that she got to stand near the barricade.

She stood there, jammed to the pre show set lists and the opening act, waiting patiently for the person she has been dreaming to see for so long. She even made good friends with one of the security guard standing in front of her by the stage. Her heart started racing the moment the love band stepped up on the stage, it would calm down eventually but start pounding again in anticipation of he could pop up anytime on the stage.

He did eventually came up, with his brown guitar as he kick started his show with Golden. He took her breath away, quite literally as he worked and did his job.

An absolute angel, Harry appeared to her. Dressed in a all jean outfit, a vest and his usual pants with his initials on the back pockets in red sparkles. She found it adorable. Though for the longest the initials and three cherries on the back of his vest was only what she saw.

An hour left. Harry was already dreading to go down the stage. He was having a good time, prancing and jumping and running around the stage like a toddler, singing his songs with double sexual meanings to them. That was an ironic combo he liked to call when he'd see his fans talk about him using those exact same words.

He walked around. Care free. Up until someone caught his eyes. Though she blended in with crying and freaking out fans. She had a small sign with her which she held over the barricade. He found that very sweet of her as she wasn't blocking anyone's attention. But what her sign said was even sweeter and melted his head.

Sunshine, you look so very handsome tonight!!! - it said with a yellow iPhone esque smily emoji drawn on the the end. And there was a red rose in her hand.

He felt blood rushing upto his face, warming his cheeks as he read her sign, again, as he sang through Daydreaming. The nickname got him.

YN almost peed her pants seeing that he saw her sign and smiled at her. He was red like a tomato, how pale he was didn't helped to conceal it either in bright artificial lights around him. From then he kept going back to where she was stood, checking in on time to time, her sign was still on it's place. She wasn't filming but she made sure her friend was. At one point she even doubted he was even looking at her and expressed her concern tk her friend.

"He's looking at you idiot," she said, "he's not cross eyed!"

YN liked to believe that in that moment because everything felt like a waking dream to her. She was dreaming with her eyes wide open in all her consciousness, in all her senses. Though she still doubts it's one of those dreams which feels awfully real that when you wake up you feel like it literally happened to you seconds ago.

Harry couldn't help himself but look at the girl with the sign. He'd said it before that he can tell how he feels about someone with just looking in their eyes and he saw how sweet she was through her eyes. Or at least he liked to think so, because she is also so very gorgeous and easy on eyes to look at, like holding onto am Amethyst crystal or places slices of fresh cucumber on your eyes, or getting the perfect amount of sleep at night time.

Is he over exaggeration? Absolutely he doesn't not care!

Before the encore, he stopped to read a few signs. Talk to a couple of people before he went ahead and read her sign out loud because it was just that sweet of a gesture anyone has ever done for him. And he just wanted to talk to her.

"Sunshine, you look so very handsome tonight," Harry read, "why thank you, darling, so do you!" He was flattered all over again, he saw her eyes sparkle as tears brim up in her pretty eyes. She was surprised!

"What is your name?" He asked, crouching down to get closer so he can get her name right, even took off one of his ear piece.

"YN!" She said as loud as she could.

Harry heard it, "YN?" He asked to make sure and she nodded. "Yes, got it right!" He celebrated making the crowd erupt in screams. "Are you from around here YN?" She nodded in no to answer him, "where are you from?"

"India, but I'm here to study." She said, not loud enough but he could read her lips.

"You're here to study? What are you studying, YN?" Harry asked.

The more he kept saying her name the more it made her go crazy inside, and not to mention cry happy tears. Harry knew that so he didn't pointed it out.

"Business?" He said, "that's amazing, best of luck with the rest of your course. Are you having a good time tonight, YN?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed.

"Thank you so much for coming to the show tonight." He stood up because he's got a show to do, "whenever you go back home, give my love to the fans in India. Thank you for bringing such a sweet sign."

"I got you this!" She forwarded the red rose to him holding it at the very tip so it could reach him, standing on her tippy toes as she leaned forward.

"Oh that's for me?" He asked, he didn't hear what she said as he's put his earpiece back on, "thank you." He took it, smelled it.

He went on to introduce the next song, and YN stood there in shock, letting her brain process what the just happened. Just for him to hit her in the face by singing Medicine after two songs. Well, he didn't hit her but it was like a punch in her face. But he still kept going back to where she was stood, not even being subtle about it. The girls around her started to give her side eyes seeing that.

She was looking for the rose she gave him. She thought he threw it away at some other fan like he usually does, but instead she found it hung on the belt hook of his pants.

"He's got a crush on you!" Her friend yelled when he looked at her for the millionth time there.

"Stop it." She mumbled to her friend, feeling suddenly threatened when more people around her started to look at her and even film those little interactions. Being in the fandom YN has closely seen how scary his fans can get, even though he was just looking at her, it made her feel scared somewhere in her heart.

It was best to brush it off and move on and enjoy the rest of the show.

"Do you like know him?" A girl standing next to YN's best friend asked once Harry had ran off stage and everyone was leaving as well.

"Like personally? No," YN answered confusedly and earned a weirded out look from the girl as she walked away.

"Well, she was a bitch." YN's friend commented making her laugh. "See your bedsheet dress caught his eye, now when are you two getting married?" She hooked her arm around YN's as they walked out.

"Next week." YN smiled with a faux-blush and they both ended up in a fit of laugh. "Did you get all the pictures of us?"

"Oh yes!" Her friend nodded. They looked through the pictures both of them took together today, going though the memories they miss already. "Oh my god, I'm going through my post concert depression. How do you feel?"

They both were in a can back to their flat, "I feel like I'm dreaming. I might miss all of this in the morning."

"Did you gals went to Harry Styles concert today?" Their cab driver asked. It was a lady who seemed to be in her mid 40s, she was super sweet and they talked throughout the ride back home, to YN and her friend's surprised she liked his music too.

It was when YN reached that it hit to her that everything happened tonight was real!

She really talked to the guy she has been crushing over for past six-seven years. That made all the sleep disappear from her system even though she. She stayed up going through the videos her friend sent, giggling to herself like a little idiot.

She is idiot for him and she takes all the pride in that.

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