#things haven't been easy for me regarding all my animals i had to leave behind when i moved. i miss them every day

[chickie-birdies]

Recently bought the chickens a rat-proof feeder because the world's biggest pack of rats has moved in and I've had enough. Training the chickens to use it is going well, if slowly. (It would be a lot faster if I still lived with my chickens, or at least lived closer than 30 minutes away... 😅 I can't be there all the time to work with them.)

Midnight, however, refuses to engage with the thing and instead stands next to it looking cranky while she watches the young'uns eat.

[suffarustuffaru]

hey so not too long ago, i saw a post from rz twitter that said that during the first loop where subaru meets otto, when subaru met the witch cultists and were chanting something to subaru before they left, that these cultists left because some outsider (who's therefore an enemy to their witch and its prophecy) was nearby. And the tweet said how that "nearby outsider" was actually otto who stayed behind because he was worried that subaru, (whom he met only as a customer in that loop and otto had already fulfilled his job) would succumb to danger. And despite frufoo's warnings, it's heavily implied that otto had in fact died in that loop waiting for subaru to come back. And the replies were saying that it's common knowledge?

First of all, is that true? I can see how one would come to the conclusion that the cultists left because otto, an outsider, was nearby. But i haven't seen proof of the implication that otto died from that loop. Secondly, with this perhaps being true, does that confirm that any loop in which otto was nearby and subaru is in danger, that otto risked his life for him? Some ppl say "but the whale incident!" But like you said way earlier, otto came back to him after pushing him off, and it's implied that he died trying to save subaru. There's no loop i can recall otto leaving him to the dust, even when he doesn't know who subaru is. And thirdly, Otto get some self-preservation skills, you barely knew the guy and already risk your life for him. What the fuck.

HAH anon your ask intrigued me so much i immediately went to the anime to try and confirm this. and bc the anime is the closest bit of info i got wjdndn i dont have arc 3 ln or access to arc 3 wn (i do not understand japanese either, sadly) but!! while the anime doesnt explicitly confirm otto died in that first loop his character debuted in, i think its definitely a possibility that he died to the witch cult there. (if anyone knows the lore on this for sure though feel free to add?? yeah)

also regarding about whether this is common knowledge or not—id argue its kind of not, at least in certain circles, bc im gonna be completely real i had to double check the anime to see how well i remembered it bc its 1. been a while since i’ve watched season 1 in full and 2. when i was looking at it on my first watch i was focused more so on what the hell was happening to subaru, rem, emilia camp rather than otto, who at the time seems like just some random guy who wont appear ever again. but also maybe im a little too used to people misinterpreting rezero over on reddit ajfbdnd bc some people STILL completely forget that otto went back after pushing subaru off the wagon. and some people still forget ottos died for subaru even though its super obvious in arc 4?? so i dont think ottos involvement with subaru across loops is really common knowledge? or at the very least its not common for Certain portions of the rezero fandom bc i see ottos whole fixation on subaru gets glossed over at times. but i do genuinely think moments like the first loop with otto are probably easy to sort of miss if youre not paying attention. but also again i might be a little bit brainwashed by rezero redditors misreading things bc the amount of people that forget otto went back for subaru in the white whale loop made me doubt my own memory of that scene to the point where i rewatched it in the anime just to be sure wkdndnd. i dont really see any english rezero people talk about this loop in particular too unless theyre referring to you know, rem arlam and emilia camp dying. but anyway moving on for now…

alright!! lets go over this scene i suppose. the anime doesnt go into like. Specifics, like how the tweets you mention do anon, but it does have some interesting stuff.

in the anime, the first loop with otto happens in episode 14 to about the beginning of 15, but the focus is of course more so on subaru, rem, arlam, etc, bc rem left for the mansion and subarus trying to get there quickly so he pays otto to do that. otto takes the time to warn him before they even set off, not only for his own sake but also for subarus:

but you know, bc ottos desperate for money bc hes in debt, he takes up the job. but once otto and subaru actually get to the road leading up to arlam and the mansion, otto stops bc frufoo’s frightened and shes warning them of danger—

but subaru being subaru jumps off anyway and leaves. he says this quickly before he goes:

otto replies by trying to call out to him desperately as he runs away:

your point about ottos self preservation is super interesting anon because otto DOES have self preservation skills. he almost kind of prides himself on it, sometimes—as a merchant, especially from a merchant family, hes been raised to treasure it. to go for things that work in his favor. especially with his bad luck fucking him over too. and he can be slightly morally ambiguous at times, so he is Very aware of self preservation and staying out of trouble. but at the same time, leaving behind innocents does kind of weigh on him bc. well hes still human. that and the further into rezero you get, the more clear it is that ottos self preservation skills just get thrown out the window the moment he sees subaru. like otto takes a significant amount of time on screen to complain about danger or trouble hes found himself in, or go on and on about how the moment he sees danger, hes just gonna turn around and run—but its just COMPLETE AND TOTAL BULLSHIT SOMETIMES. he has plenty of chances Every Time to turn around and run and the moment subaru enters the picture, he doesnt take it. the only exception to this was him leaving subaru in greed if, but thats because he saw that subaru didnt give a shit about him and even then. he made that choice FOR subaru’s sake too, bc he recognizes that greed if subaru is just gonna micromanage everything and deal with it on his own. otto knows he’d just be another burden to subaru, so he leaves to lessen the load.

main route otto though? yeah youre absolutely right his self preservation is way beyond dead at this point. his self preservation is absolutely gone when it comes to subaru. this first loop is an example of it—while of course ottos you know treating subaru like a stranger bc thats what they are, he goes out of his way to warn subaru repeatedly. at first it looks like its mostly just for his own benefit bc hes Also in danger here, but then he says that he cant just accept taking subarus money and items. he talked about how hed accept subarus payment just a few minutes before this?? and we know in retrospect that he desperately NEEDS money bc hes in debt??? and subarus giving him an out right now to just leave and not look back but he still hesitates and frantically tries calling after subaru??? he has EVERYTHING to gain from just taking the money and subarus things and just leaving, but we dont actually see him leave on screen.

and then right after this, we cut to subaru running to arlam. of course, the witch cult stops him, and in the anime, all they do is circle him, then bow (to foreshadow how the witch cult + petelgeuse think that hes one of them, im assuming), and then they disappear without saying a single word.

its interesting to note though that when they leave, they run towards the direction subaru just came from. which is where otto was.

and then subaru keeps continuing on to arlam and the mansion where he finds out that the witch cult Basically wiped everyone out there. episode 15 continues this loop and then quickly ends it bc subaru is having a mental breakdown finding everyones corpses and then he promptly proceeds to die to puck (iirc?) inside the mansion. and thats all the details the anime gives about the ending of this loop. so no clear hint like the white whale loop that otto Died from this, but i think the implication is definitely there if you choose to read into it. (again, im not sure if the ln adds more details to this or not, but iirc the anime doesnt touch on this much.)

its strange that the witch cultists that find subaru just. up and leave in the direction where we Know otto likely is, bc 1. the cultists move Fast and 2. only a couple minutes passed at most, so its likely that otto is Still There, even if he did start trying to leave. even then though, i think its in character for him to still be there and try to wait for subaru. or, at the very least, otto waited there debating with himself on whether he should just leave or not. waiting there satisfies both his self preservation and the guilt he’d feel if he just abandoned subaru—he doesnt go any further to minimize the danger to himself and frufoo, but he doesnt completely leave just in case subaru comes back or if otto decides to move forward and check on subaru or something. but then we see subaru find everyone at arlam and the mansion dead, and we the audience know the surviving witch cultists left in the opposite direction (where otto is) after killing everyone at arlam, so—i think theres a connection there. as in: yeah. if otto was still there, hes probably dead.

additionally, of course later in arc 3 we see that otto gets captured by the witch cult. this time he was captured bc the witch cult caught him hurrying to get to another location for its job offer, so the witch cult captured him to interrogate him on what exactly he was doing iirc?? so in that sense yeah he was caught by the witch cult for being an outsider getting into witch cult territory while they were in the middle of doing shit (and he likely wouldve been killed if ricardo and the others hadnt rescued him) o.O

but yeah thats all the animes got regarding the first loop (aka ottos official debut into the main story as well)!!!

“There's no loop i can recall otto leaving him to the dust, even when he doesn't know who subaru is." also anon youre so right for saying this bc. yeah i cant recall any loops either bc every time otto is there near subaru. hes risking his life for subaru. hes so incredibly ride or die that its concerning. it kind of boggles my mind that some people overfixate on how he pushed subaru out of the wagon in the white whale loop and YEAH that was fucked up, but not only does he feel bad and die trying to go back for subaru later, but when you watch that scene in the anime and think about it from ottos perspective. yeah some guy you just fucking met is yelling at you about how you apparently forgot about some person youve never heard of in your life, hes yelling at you to go back and TOWARDS THE WHITE WHALE when all youre trying to do is save both of your asses, he starts trying to wrestle with you while youre both being hunted down by the whale, and then he starts rambling to himself about how maybe its his fault the white whale is chasing after both of you while you keep hearing the white whales deranged thoughts in your head the whole time bc of your dp??? its a miracle otto didnt push subaru out of that damn wagon sooner and its a miracle otto even decided to go back for subaru after all that T^TT any person in ottos shoes would be RUSHING to push subaru out of that wagon.

but like. once you think about it - yeah Every Time in the main route that ottos been near subaru and theyve gotten into danger? otto actively puts himself at risk for subarus sake. and he doesnt always die or get hurt for it, but we know that he ALWAYS goes out of his way to help subaru. hes been like this since his debut in arc 3, practically, regardless of whether or not he actually died there. bc he still Lingered around and tried to warn subaru not to leave.

so what im saying is that so much of ottos screentime is spent helping subaru in some way.

[mediaevalmusereads]

The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu. By Tom Lin. Back Bay Books, 2021.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Genre: western, historical fiction, magical realism

Series: NA

Summary: Orphaned young, Ming Tsu, the son of Chinese immigrants, is raised by the notorious leader of a California crime syndicate, who trains him to be his deadly enforcer. But when Ming falls in love with Ada, the daughter of a powerful railroad magnate, and the two elope, he seizes the opportunity to escape to a different life. Soon after, in a violent raid, the tycoon’s henchmen kidnap Ada and conscript Ming into service for the Central Pacific Railroad.

Battered, heartbroken, and yet defiant, Ming partners with a blind clairvoyant known only as the prophet. Together the two set out to rescue his wife and to exact revenge on the men who destroyed Ming, aided by a troupe of magic-show performers, some with supernatural powers, whom they meet on the journey. Ming blazes his way across the West, settling old scores with a single-minded devotion that culminates in an explosive and unexpected finale.

***Full review below.***

Content Warnings: violence, blood, gore, racism, animal suffering and death

Overview: I haven't read a lot of books set in the Old West, so when I happened upon this one in my local bookstore, I figured I'd give it a go. The premise looked interesting, and I was curious to see what a western story would look like with an East Asian protagonist (especially given the history of Chinese immigrants and the railroad in the West). Overall, I was impressed by this book; I think Tom Lin has a talent for writing atmospheric prose and he holds back just enough to keep the reader guessing. While I do wish a couple of things had been done differently, I also think this was a solid debut novel, and for that reason, I give this book 3.5 stars.

Writing: As stated above, Lin's prose is very atmospheric, conjuring up vivid pictures of the desert and endless stretches of dry heat with an economic style. I very much appreciated how much atmosphere and action Lin could convey in sentences, paragraphs, and chapters that weren't very long, and I loved how Ming's reticence turned the protagonist into a fairly moody character.

I also appreciated the tension that Lin wrote into Ming's ethnicity and his cultural identity. Ming is a Chinese man by birth, but speaks no Mandarin (or other dialect) and has no ties to Chinese culture, yet the world keeps trying to forge an association between him and the Chinese immigrants who are working for the railroad. What I found interesting about this tension was just how complicated it made questions regarding race, ethnicity, and culture, and though I wish Lin had more fully explored what life for a Westernized Chinese man might have been like, I think putting Ming out there for readers to grapple with was a smart move.

Lastly, I liked the blend of Western and magical realism throughout the novel. While I think it would have been easy to make this book a full blown historical fantasy, I felt like keeping the magical elements understated enhanced the overall mood.

The only thing that I think bothered me about the writing was the pace. Lin seemed interested in progressing fairly slowly, showing every detail that other writers might have glossed over or edited out. As a result, the journey west felt slow, but maybe that was the point. Maybe Lin wanted readers to feel sluggish, especially since the travel was across a desert.

Plot: The plot of this book follows Ming Tsu, a former criminal who seeks revenge on the people who wronged him. Ming was the protégé of a notorious criminal named Silas Root, who taught Ming how to kill. But Ming decides to leave all that behind when he meets Ada, the daughter of a wealthy railroad baron. Ming and Ada elope only for the baron to hire a bunch of men to break them up and send Ming to work for Central Pacific Railroad, trapping him there by threatening to murder Silas. Once Silas dies, however, Ming escapes and starts his revenge journey.

On his way West, Ming teams up with a curious cast of characters, including a prophet who can only "see" forward in time and a band of traveling magic-show performers, all of whom have uncanny abilities.

What I liked most about this plot was the way the characters came together. Not all of them get along, but when they do, it's varied and interesting enough to keep me invested. I wouldn't quite call them a found family, but there are definitely some relationships that feel deep and meaningful.

I also liked the general arc of Ming's revenge journey, as it followed a trajectory that one might expect out of a Western. I'm all for playing with tropes, but sometimes, sticking to the classics works just as well, and I think it worked well here.

I do think, however, that Lin could have made his plot more compelling by getting the reader more invested in both the character dynamics and the revenge plot. As it stands, it seems like Ming is largely unaffected or not invested in his relationship with the magic show performers, and though he comes to like Hazel and Hunter, those bonds aren't quite strong enough to make him seriously question whether or not revenge is the most important thing in his life. As for the revenge plot, I did enjoy the list of people Ming wanted to kill, but to me, each of his targets were just names. When he finally killed someone, I didn't quite get a sense of relief or fulfillment, and perhaps this is because we are told about Ming's past but aren't invited to feel his feelings. Maybe Lin did this on purpose; maybe he wanted killing to feel emotionless and empty, but if so, I wish that had been balanced by pouring emotion into something else.

The members of the traveling sideshow are varied enough to be interesting, and I think Lin differentiated them well. I also liked how each one of them had their own relationship to Ming, so some connections felt more familial while others were businesslike or even hostile. I especially enjoyed Ming's relationship with Hunter, the deaf-mute boy who could "talk" inside people's heads. The disability representation was appreciated, and I was touched by the way Ming strove to protect Hunter while also learn to communicate ate with him.

Characters: Ming, our protagonist, is fairly compelling as a protagonist in that he has a checkered past and a fair bit of trauma. Not only does he have a criminal history, but in true Western fashion, he was done wrong by a powerful man and is now on a quest for revenge. I sympathized a lot with Ming's desire for revenge, and I wish Lin had leaned a little more into the psychological effects of his various experiences. As it stands, Lin seems most interested in showing us Ming's hang ups around his wife, Ada. These parts were very well-done, and I wish we had flashbacks to other points in Ming's past.

The prophet was a compelling character in that his prophecies gave shape to the overall plot. I liked that Ming and so many others came to rely on him, and his prophecies were useful for creating suspense and narrative tension. The prophet also had some insightful things to say, and I was charmed by the way he lived in the present.

TL;DR: The Thousand Crimes of Min Tsu is an incredibly atmospheric novel that blends Western with magical realism in a compelling way. Though I think Lin could have done more to help invest the reader more in the plot, this book was a fairly solid debut and I look forward to seeing more from the author in the future.

[supremeuppityone]

The Old Megalomaniac and the Sea

This was written for KC Week Day 8. Klaus isn’t entirely sure how he ended up on a dolphin-watching tour, but the mysterious blonde captain is rather enchanting and the gentle waves are quite relaxing...almost like magic. 

“Luck is a thing that comes in many forms and who can recognize her?”

― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea

             An army of dolphins. The idea had merit, Klaus thought to himself as he recalled the utter stupidity of the hybrids he’d sired in preparation for the battle against Mikael. He leaned against the padded bench seat of the pontoon boat, an unusual calmness settling over him as he watched the gentle rise and fall of the waves as several dolphins frolicked in the distance.

           Klaus basked in the blinding lights as he stood on the stage, addressing the crowd as he mockingly taunted the Mystic Falls group who no doubt would attempt to foil his plans. “Thank you for being here with me to celebrate! It’s been a long time coming!” As he basked in the sunlight, he recalled the anticipation he felt that night, knowing that his father would die at his hand, despite whatever lies the Mystic Falls group tried to feed him about Mikael already being dead.

           He blinked, realizing that he couldn’t quite recall how he came to be sitting alone in a boat on what appeared to be the Gulf. A soft laugh behind him gave him pause. As he turned around, he was greeted by a pair of blue eyes that regarded him in amusement. Tipping the brim of her faded baseball cap emblazoned with, “Good vibes happen on the tides,” she said, “You’ve been deep in thought for awhile. Is everything ok?”

           While Klaus couldn’t exactly recall how he came to be there, he did recognize the stunning blonde at the wheel. After he’d broken his curse and he’d set out in search of werewolves, he’d made his way to Florida and a charming coastal town had proven to be home to a few werewolves he could add to his army. As he’d wandered among the docks to seek out his recruits who were fishermen by trade, his attention had been diverted by a lovely blonde rinsing off a boat that gave dolphin-watching tours.

           His attempts to chat her up had been frustrating as she’d narrowed those fierce blue eyes of hers and gave him the brush off each time. Finally, he’d grumbled that he was even willing to go on her bloody tourist trap cruise if it meant he could get to know her, but the feisty boat captain had smiled an oddly sad smile and replied enigmatically, “It’s not time.”

           He’d been both confused and charmed by the mysterious woman, but then Stefan had lured him back to Mystic Falls by claiming Mikael was dead, and he had no choice but to take his freshly made hybrids and leave. He’d been intending to seek her out again once he’d eliminated the threat of Mikael for good, and he was pleased to see he’d clearly followed through on the promise he’d made to himself.

           Realizing he’d been staring at the beautiful woman for a shade longer than was deemed polite, Klaus shyly ducked his curly head, answering with, “I can honestly say sweetheart I feel more peaceful than I have in years.” He added flirtatiously, “It must be your superior seafaring abilities, sweetheart.”

           She laughed in delight, her twin blonde braids flirting with the thin straps of her black tank top. “Usually the people I transport aren’t nearly as charming as you seem to be. You can call me Caroline.” She jerked her thumb behind her, pointing to two enormous black dogs that seemed to be the result of a Staffordshire shagging a bulldozer. “And that’s Acheron and Styx.”

           He blinked in surprise. How the bloody hell had he not sensed those beasts? “Interesting names for your companions. A fan of the classics, Caroline?”

           “You could say that,” she replied with a saucy wink that made him twitch pleasurably.

           Smoothly sliding over to the bench seat across from where she was driving the boat, he told her with a sexy smirk, “You can call me Klaus. And you could say I am a classic, love.” The Gulf breeze brought an unexpected chill with it, sending a shiver down his spine as he recalled Mikael’s taunts: “The big bad wolf. You haven't changed. Still hiding behind your playthings like a coward.”

           “Something on your mind, cheeky classic guy,” Caroline asked curiously, bringing him out of his dark thoughts.

           Klaus sighed, letting his gaze drift to the horizon, where the endless blue water seemed to beckon him. “Family troubles,” he offered, hating the hurt that tinged his voice as Mikael’s voice echoed in his mind: “Nobody cares about you any more, boy! What do you have other than those whose loyalty you forced? No one.”

           She nodded knowingly. “Yeah, I know what you mean. My parents are the personification of primordial darkness.”

           Taking in the way the sun gleamed in her hair and the brightness of her smile, he snorted derisively. “Rubbish. You’re a creature of light, anyone could see that.”

           The blush that stained her cheeks was immensely gratifying. Clearly embarrassed by his flirtation, she hastily asked, “What about you then? Which relative is giving you trouble?”

           Frowning at the reminder, Klaus answered, “My father. Well, the bastard I’d thought was my father. We recently had a...battle and despite knowing that the vendetta has been settled, I somehow still feel as though things are unfinished.” He was surprised at how easily the words tumbled from his lips, no regrets at having revealed his innermost concerns. As the waves gently rocked the boat, the peaceful calm returned, and he found himself returning Caroline’s soft smile.

           “I’ve seen my share of people with unfinished business,” she mused, sliding a finger along the opening of a dusty jar full of coins, “It’s easy for people to get lost down here.” Scrunching her nose adorably at him, she added, “You don’t seem the type though — there’s an inner strength you have that’s unusual in someone so young.”

           He chuckled at her ridiculous comment, closing his eyes momentarily at the curious noise the edge of the glass made as she continued to trace it with her finger. It was almost like a melody, one he couldn’t quite place but it felt like home. When he looked at her again, he was pleased to catch her returning his gaze with something akin to curiosity and perhaps even a hint of lust. “You flatter me, love. Although I must confess I’m a bit older than I look.”

           A metallic glint from a sunbeam caught his attention, and he noticed that the jar contained a variety of coins from all over the world. He was taken by surprise when he realized he didn’t recognize some of them, which appeared quite old. Arching a brow, he gestured toward the jar, “That’s quite the coin collection you have, sweetheart.”

           “People pay what they can afford,” Caroline answered with a shrug, “you could say I’m a collector.”

           Klaus was surprised by his wistful tone when he admitted, “In my time, I was a collector as well. Rare and beautiful artwork, some of which I flatter myself into thinking I’d inspired.”

           “And some of which you created yourself,” she said shrewdly, casually steering the boat as it gliding smoothly along the current. Noting his surprise, she explained, “You’re obviously a creator; I could sense it.”

           Such an intuitive creature, he thought. He wondered what else she could sense about him. He was surprised when Acheron and Styx suddenly approached him, one placing its massive head on his knee and the other nudging his hand until he started petting him. Sighing contentedly, he scratched behind their ears, not even minding the puddles of drool seeping into his clothes. Once he broke his curse and became a hybrid, he’d found that most animals were wary of him, sensing his ‘otherness’ and marking him as an even larger threat than when he was an Original vampire. However, these two beasts showed no signs of nervousness; in fact, whenever he tried to stop petting them, they seemed to take turns nudging him with a cold, wet nose or insistent paw.

           Noticing her pets’ antics, Caroline grumbled, “Acheron, Styx, down.” They immediately stopped pestering Klaus and lay on the floor between them, taking up all but a tiny sliver of space between their feet with their immense yet strangely calming presence.

           He was silent as he considered Caroline’s companions along with her enigmatic words during the cruise. Normally, his hybrid senses delivered nearly everything he needed to know about a person, but for some reason, he felt off. While his millennia of experience told him he wasn’t in any danger from Caroline or her odd companions, he still understood that he was missing something. There was something ‘other’ about Caroline that he didn’t understand how he could’ve overlooked. Searching for clues, he hastily put together the dogs’ unusual names and the ancient coins he saw peeking through her tip jar, and finally guessed, “You’re a Nereid, aren’t you, love?”

           “Because I have an affinity for the Gulf,” she asked with a knowing smile, “Trust me, anyone down here can make that claim; they wouldn’t put up with the ridiculous humidity otherwise.”

           Shifting a bit underneath her flirtatious gaze, he responded gruffly, “Also your beauty, sweetheart. I’d consider it an honor if you’d permit me to paint you.”

           “I think I’d like that,” she answered a bit breathlessly as she steered the boat toward a vibrant sunset. However, she grew unusually serious as she told him, “But I’m not a child of Nereus.”        

           Before Klaus could ask what troubled her, he was struck again by the echo in his mind, thinking back to some of his final words to Mikael as he threatened to end the doppelganger’s life: “My whole life you've underestimated me. If you kill her you lose your leverage. So, go ahead. Go on. Kill her. Come on, old man. Kill her. Kill her!” And then the Mystic Falls gang created a distraction as they double-crossed Mikael, while Klaus grappled for the white oak stake. Ending Mikael’s life had been his life’s quest for hundreds of years, and when he finally plunged that weapon into his cold, dead heart, he felt...odd. Why couldn’t he remember that moment? The details of his battle with Mikael were suspiciously blurry and he couldn’t understand why.

           Suddenly realizing that they couldn’t possibly have been on the boat long enough for it to be sunset, not to mention that he’d never seen a sunset with ribbons of blackest night like the one they were heading toward, he carefully asked, “Then what are you, sweetheart?”

           Caroline’s beautiful blue eyes darkened into twin glowing coals, reflecting the same darkness that threaded into the unusual sunset. As though sensing his disquiet, she placed a comforting hand on his arm, telling him, “Before time began, I was called Charon.” At his confused expression, she hastily explained, “The gods aren’t as the stories would have you believe. We appear as we choose. Tell me, Klaus, would you prefer to ferry lost souls to the underworld as a haggard, bitter old man, or a sassy little blonde with a fondness for dimpled bad boys?”  

           Her flirtations charmed him despite what he now knew deep in his soul to be the truth of his battle with Mikael. It was Mikael who had plunged the white oak stake into his heart. Mikael had killed him. Not ready to contemplate what that dark knowledge meant, he cleared his throat and flicked his gaze to the two enormous dogs at their feet, asking, “I don’t recall Charon having pets, love, wherever did you find them?”

           Caroline chuckled, her twinkling eyes resuming their innocent blue as she told him, “Hades freaks out if Cerberus isn’t guarding the underworld at all times, so he stubbornly only lets me take two out of the three heads with me when I’m out on the boat.”

           Blinking as the fog from his mind lifted, Klaus saw how the beasts merged into a two-headed dog. They whimpered, nudging his hands until he petted them once more, while a massive tail whipped against his legs with a force that would’ve knocked him down had he not already been sitting. With a sigh of resignation, Klaus asked her softly, “Mikael killed me. Now what is to become of me?”

           Caroline’s powerful gaze studied him in a way that was far from unsettling. If anything, it drew him near and warmed him from top to bottom, igniting a flush across his cheeks that he was helpless to stop. Seeming to reach a decision, she nodded to herself and switched off the boat, the curious sunset before them fading away into glorious day once more. “You’re far too intriguing to be trapped in the underworld, Klaus. So, I’ve decided to revoke your boarding pass.”

           She helped him to his feet, slinging her pale arms around his neck as she toyed with his dirty blonde curls. At his gobsmacked expression, she whispered, “So, go get your revenge. I can’t wait to watch you kick Mikael’s ass.”

           As much as Klaus wanted to celebrate the fact that he would be given a second chance, an almost suffocating sadness gripped his heart. Barely believing the words that hastily tumbled from his lips, he protested, “But I want to stay here with you, sweetheart.”

           Caroline pulled him in for a passionate kiss, both of them pouring everything left unsaid between them in that powerful moment of blissful connection. Pulling back slightly, she mumbled against his lips with a wicked smile, “Who said you’d be going alone? I’m long overdue for a vacation. And you better pack your paintbrush.”