#written in the past tense because idk if he ever plans on returning to the public rip

[become-a-robot]

Been thinking about how Jack Stauber handled his Micropops. The concept of making and sharing shorter 1-minute jingles/demos and extending them into full songs later. I think it's a really neat idea in theory. It allows you to brain dump a bunch of cool catchy choruses without getting hung up on one song in particular.

Unfortunately, it also requires some level of vulnerability, and pigeonholes you into getting fans to repeatedly ask that you extend a song you truly don't believe needs extending, or do the opposite and complain that a song was better off on its own.

But also, as for the songs he did actually extend, the way he did it was always very strange. There would be additional verses of course, but also like 2-3 different bridges/interludes tacked on that sounded nothing like the main chorus, giving the trippy effect of sounding like you're flipping through the radio within a single song. That's not an extension my guy, you are just gluing other tiny songs to your tiny song.

[sdr2lovemail]

I just noticed that you are alive again! So um.. I've been thinking for QUITE a while of a relationship Ultimate Impostor x Ultimate Leader (in the killing game ig?), idk why. If the requests are closed feel free to ignore this. Thank you!

You could say that I am a fan of Imposter's work. Even tho there is not a lot of content about them out there I still love them dearly.

And yes I died for a minute but have risen from the grave to continue my writing career. I hope you enjoy what I have written my friend because I absolutely love it.

⚔Mod Peko⚔

Spoilers for chapter 1

The Ultimate Imposter disguised as Byakuya Togami and the Ultimate Leader butt heads but also kinda wanna kiss each other

Teenagers and a killing game are bound to fall into chaos. Teenagers, a killing game, and no supervision will cause more chaos. That’s why they need a leader. Someone strong and brave to guide them. However two ultimates wanting to be that leader, teenagers, a killing game, and no supervision will cause even more chaos.

Breakfast was a usually calm time. Everyone just wanted to eat and get on with finding a way off this forced school trip. However there were some mornings where everyone seemed to be full of energy. Akane and Nekomaru were engaged in a fierce 1v1 training session. Chairs, tables, and food flying throughout the air from the power of their moves. The restaurant was in total disarray and with your talent of being a leader you must do something to calm the crowd. Standing up you set your arms behind your back and call out to your classmates.

“Everyone! This is-”

“Sit down, common folk. You will all cease this foolish behavior and stop wasting food.”

“Huh?”

At the mention of wasting food Akane quickly stops her fighting. She then pulls up a table and chair from the mess of the restaurant and begins to chow down. You look at where the voice came from and see Twogami sitting at a table with a plate. Just because this guy is loaded he thinks he can be a better leader than you? Oh you will just have a quick word with him to set the record straight. With quick strides you tap him on the shoulder giving him your best stern look. This look helped you strike the feeling of order into people. But Twogami doesn’t look impressed at all?! No you can’t let him see you falter. Standing up straighter than ever you begin to speak.

‘Hey what’s the big idea? I’m the Ultimate leader. I don’t need your help guiding our class.” You told him with a grim expression. Twogami gave you a look over before setting down his fork. He wipes his mouth off with a napkin before standing to face you. His intimidation factor was off the charts. Can money buy such a scary aura?! After adjusting his glasses he begins to speak with a sigh.

“Listen I, Byakuya Twogami, am much better suited to be in charge. You may have your impeccable wits and title but that is nothing compared to being next in the Togami line. Now are we done here? I would like to finish my food”

Not even giving you a chance to respond he goes right back to eating. Even with your ultimate status this guy intimidates you a lot. But you will not be backing down. He thinks he’s so high and mighty you’ll show him high and mighty.

The days feel like they’re getting heavier. Monokuma’s annoying voice rings in your ears. There’s no way you’d believe that memory loss garbage….And even if you did, you had to stay strong for everyone. Twogami’s party did nothing to calm the tense feeling in the air. You decided you were going to check this abandoned building from top to bottom before anyone steps foot inside.

You do not see Nagito when you first step in. Maybe he’s cleaning somewhere else. Teruteru was said to be in the kitchen. Entering the main room of the building you see Twogami rifling through what looks to be a metal case. Hearing the floors creak under your weight he looks over. Upon seeing you he sends a glare.

“And what are you doing here? I don’t remember you having to prepare anything.” There was a doubtful tone to his voice. Twogami was trying to let this party go off without a hitch. And he wasn’t going to let some commoner ruin his plans. Though behind the rich boy costume Imposter did feel kinda bad. They felt like they were trampling all over your pride with their Byakuya act. However this was their ultimate. And as Twogami….No. Just as themself, if that even existed, they will keep their classmates safe. Even if they have to hurt some feelings.

“As a leader it is my duty to keep everyone in order and assure maximum safety. I plan to do a total sweep of the place before the party.” And like he did to you, you did not give him a chance to answer. You quickly turn around and exit out into the hallway missing the look of awe on Twogami’s face. Walking past the fire door you come up to the kitchen. Before you can reach for the door it swings open revealing Nagito. Strange….If Teruteru was already in the kitchen there was no need for Nagito to be in there. The lucky student passed by with a smile yet spoke no words towards you. Also strange. Nagito usually said something when passing. He deemed it rude not to say hello to an ultimate.

Entering the kitchen you see Teruteru at the counter. He doesn’t seem to notice you coming in. The usual smile on his face is replaced with a look of fear and he’s shaking like a leaf. Stepping closer seems to have caught his attention as he jumps. The look of fear is swiftly changed into a smile yet he’s still shaking. Teruteru then grabs a knife and begins chopping at some vegetables. Seems as if he’s trying to make it seem like he was simply taking a break.

“W-Why hello there. Heh, what could I do for you?” He’s shaken up quite a bit. Not a single flirty remark in that sentence and Teruteru sure did like to tease about your strong authority. You stand tall and look down at the chef. He visibly shrinks back. Looking him dead in the eye you start to command him.

“You will tell me what you have discussed with Nagito Komaeda.”

This caused Teruteru to tense up. Setting down the knife he grabs a comb from his pocket and begins to bring it through his hair. Though there isn’t a hair out of place on his pompadour. Appears to be a nervous habit.

“I uh….I have no idea what you mean mon ami~. We were simply discussing plans for the upcoming party.” Teruteru had tried to come off as collected but you knew better. He wasn’t making eye contact and he was constantly fidgeting. Nagito told him something and you were going to find out what.

“Teruteru Hanamura! I command you to tell me what Nagito had told you. Simple party plans would not have such an impact on your demeanor.”

This seemed to have caused a reaction in him. He began to blubber as words poured out of his mouth like a dam cracking under pressure.

“He came in here and told me that he had plans to murder someone at the party with the knife he had hidden under one of the tables in the dining room. He planned to overload the breaker in here with irons in the storage room to cause a blackout so he could grab the knife and kill someone during the party. I-I begun to form my own plan of stopping him….by….killing him?” The last part of his word vomit stuck with Teruteru. He would’ve had someone’s blood on his hands and would send the rest of his class to their own demise. “Oh my god I was going to kill him!” Teruteru then sinks to his knees before you.

Your face softens as you see the mess of a chef on the ground. Nagito was planning a murder? Why would he share this information with Teruteru? Dropping down to his level you set a careful hand on Teruteru’s back. “Listen. I’m going to go grab Twogami and you’re going to tell him what happened. And we’ll come up with a solution.” You normally wouldn’t call for backup, but as this was his party you felt he had the right to know.

You cautiously leave the kitchen and begin to look for the blond. Not able to find him in the building you exit to the hotel grounds. Noticing the while suit and blonde hair you call out to him and ask for him to come back. Leading him to the kitchen where Teruteru still sits slumped on the ground he listens to what you already know.

A look of disgust crosses Twogami’s face before he sets off to the main room. After announcing your departure to Teruteru, you follow him. Nagito is there setting up tables and dusting the furniture. He was about to offer the two of you a cheerful greeting but is cut off by your demand for him to exit the grounds. Not wanting to upset an ultimate that is clearly in higher ranks than he is, Nagito does not question it. He leaves the abandoned building to rest in his cottage to wait for permission to be allowed back in.

Looking under the tables you find the knife that Teruteru had mentioned. Grabbing it proceeds to coat your hand in wet paint. So Nagito had just planted this. But what’s the paint for?

“Set the knife in the duralumin case I brought on the left. I am currently using it to store anything I deem unsafe.”

You let out a scoff before setting the knife in the case. He sure does love bossing people around even in dire situations. Well….I guess that’s your talent so you can’t really speak. After doing a check of the rest of the tables, Twogami walks up to you with something in his hand. It’s a handkerchief with the Togami family crest. Imposter spent many hours perfecting the stitching of the symbol. You give him a confused look about the offering. Seeing the expression he rolls his eyes.

“Close your mouth before flies start to swarm. This is to wipe your hand off. I don’t need paint smears ruining the image of my party.”

“What? I can’t wipe paint on something as expensive as that. That handkerchief probably cost more than my house. I’ll just go wash it in the bathroom.”

Upset by your stubborn nature, Twogami grabs your wrist and begins to wipe the paint off himself. After your hand is clean he drops the cloth into your hand. “I expect that to be washed before it’s returned to me. Now I have some important matters to discuss.”

Stuffing the handkerchief into your pocket you give Twogami your full attention.

“I have decided that after this little incident we need to up the security. I would ask Nekomaru but I wish to keep this between us. Letting the public know that two people were planning a murder would cause chaos. When it’s time for the party you will help me conduct body searches. I’d like for you to keep an eye on the party with me to make sure no suspicious activity is at play.”

While normally you would make a fuss about him bossing you around with people’s lives at stake it was simply not the time for that. Nodding once he finishes speaking, you and Twogami complete one last look of the place before the party starts.

It’s time for the party and the two of you are set up outside of the abandoned building. After checking everyone and confiscating anything deemed dangerous, the party is in full swing. Everything is going smoothly. 11:30 was nearing and at the corner of your eye you see Nagito inch closer to the table. Knowing you shut the irons off you pay this no mind. There’s no way he’d try to pull anything when everyone can see him. A quick look of confusion crosses his face as the lights are still on. The confused expression is swapped for one of despair. There’s a creepy smile on his face and his eyes are clouded. Even if the blackout did not occur Nagito can still pull through with his plan.

He suddenly flips the table cloth over and goes to reach for his knife. Everyone at the party has eyes on him. Before he can fully register that his knife is in fact missing Nagito is pushed to the ground. His arms are pressed against his back and his face is squished into the floor. Multiple confused cries echo throughout the dining hall. Nagito recognized this tactic. After hours upon hours of researching the ultimates he’s sharing a class with he could easily tell that this was your work.

Twogami with Nekomaru in tow walks over to you and the detained lucky student. An agitated expression is on the heir’s face. He looks down at Nagito.

“You dare to think that I would let your plan continue? [Name] and I knew about your scheme and were quick to put a stop to it. And the fact that you would try to pull through with it in broad light is despicable.”

Anger, disgust, and confusion are present in the crowd of your classmates. Trying to make sense of it all Akane speaks up.

“I’m so friggin’ confused. What plan did Nagito have? Need me to beat him up for ya?”

You were quick to diminish the violent thought. “No, that will not be necessary as he has already been disarmed.”

“Nagito had planned out a murder.”

Twogami’s words caused a commotion in the dining hall. After hearing the noise from the kitchen, Teruteru cautiously enters the room fearing the worst. Though a feeling of relief washed over him after seeing Nagito on the ground.

Nekomaru lets out a strangled noise. His teeth are clenched and his fists tightened.

“You were going to murder one of your classmates? THAT’S INEXCUSABLE! Please [Name] allow me to detain him somewhere away from everyone. SOMEONE LIKE HIM CANNOT WALK FREEEEE!”

Looking over to Twogami as if silently discussing what to do he sends you a nod. Removing Nagito from your grasp he is quickly put into Nekomaru’s. The coach is quick to remove him from the premises. With a sigh Twogami faces your classmates. Pushing his glasses up he begins to apologise.

“I am sorry you all had to see that. And I am sorry that my exquisite party must draw to a close here. Exit the building and head to your cottage for the night.”

Though shaken, everyone proceeds to leave in groups. No one wants to walk back alone fearing that someone will try something. With just you and Twogami left he turns to face you.

“That was quite impressive. What you did back there was helpful in getting Nagito detained. I believe that we should come to an agreement. Yes we are fine separately but together I feel that we could do an outstanding job at keeping everyone safe.”

Twogami extended a chubby hand out for you to shake. This handshake would seal the two of you into a partnership. One of which would keep your class safe. Looking from his hand to his face then back to his hand you sit there in thought. This could be a wonderful idea. With two people working together that’s like double the safety. With a smile you shake his hand giving it a tight squeeze.

“I think I’d like that Twogami! From here on out the two of us are now Jabberwock Island’s health and safety committee.”

[bellemorte180]

My Soul to Take....

A/N: okay, this is COMPLETELY unfinished and like I said, ends rather abruptly. Idk if I’ll ever finish it but here is what I have. @clichefangirldreamer, hope you like it.

Mystic Falls

May 2010

The invitations had been sent out and all of those who had been invited, who were not family, were confused. In the weeks following the spell Bonnie performed, it had been quiet. There were no mysterious deaths within Mystic Falls. There were a few strange accidents about fifty or so miles away from the town but nothing that caught either Bonnie's or Elena's attention. It was Damon who pointed out the weird deaths and swore that it wasn't him.

It was clear that the Originals were hunting for prey but it wasn't often and far away from Mystic Falls. Damon explained that it was most likely because they were so old they didn't need blood as often and when they did, they must be masters at covering their tracks. Stefan still had not returned from wherever he had gone and he made no attempts at contacting any of them; even Damon. It stressed Elena to no end and she found herself spending more and more time with Damon.

Even though it was their clear intent on staying in Mystic Falls, the Originals made zero contact with any of them; outside of the occasional glimpses they saw of them in town. So, it confused all of them when an invitation arrived to dine with them on the second Saturday night in May. Damon all but refused to allow Elena to go but Bonnie felt compelled to accept the invitation, Caroline's number still burning a hole in her wallet and Elena wasn't going to see her best friend walk into the lion's den alone. Thus Damon found himself dressed up in a suit and dragged to the Mikaelson Manner for dinner.

The manor was huge and had a very old southern feel to it. It was located about five miles outside of the town's boundaries. It was surrounded by woods and the property was completely fenced off by a large black iron gate. The front had a roundabout as a driveway with a fountain in the center. The manor was completely white with stone pillars standing tall in the front. There were at least three balconies that could be seen and large windows with shutters on the side. The front entrance hall, when the three of them were granted entrance by a compelled butler, was home to a massive grand staircase.

“I'd rather be dining with Katherine down in the tomb.” He muttered dryly and Elena smacked his chest. He simply rolled his eyes at her and rubbed his chest as though she actually had wounded her. Elena hissed at him to be silent, knowing full well that Damon had a tendency to allow his mouth to get him into trouble.

“I do wonder why they are keeping her down there.” Bonnie mentioned casually. In truth, she forgot about Katherine. For all intentions and purposes, Katherine was gone. After the curse she placed on Caroline, they all knew that Klaus was not going to let her go. So, instead she was still rotting down in the tomb; a fact that Damon found much pleasure in.

“Why little miss witch? Going to use that favor of yours to break her out?” Damon smirked at her.

“Elena!” Bonnie hissed. She had never mentioned to Damon that Caroline offered her a favor in return for the spell she casted. She also wanted to keep that quiet but it was clear that Elena was becoming closer to Damon and Bonnie wasn't sure exactly how she felt about that.

“Welcome!” The three turned to see Caroline strolling towards them, her stiletto heels echoing off the hardwood flooring. She appeared stronger than when they had seen her previously. She was smiling at them widely and had this complete air of happiness that surrounded her. She was in a little black dress and her long blonde hair was piled on top of her head in an impressive updo. The diamond earrings that hung from her earlobes framed her face, drawing attention to her face instead of her body. “I'm glad you could make it. Come, we are having cocktails in the living area. Mr. Salvatore, I understand that you're a bourbon man?” Damon nodded, eyeing her with suspicion. “Perfect. If you would like to be infused in blood please let me know. I can have one of the waitstaff prepare it as such.”

In perfect hostess fashion, Caroline linked her arms with Bonnie and led her guest into the living area. They noticed that they were not the only ones in attendance. All of the Mikaelson siblings were there including the dark vampire Marcel. Damon recognized Rose-Marie, the vampire that warned him of Klaus returning but didn't pay any attention to the dark haired vampire by her side in favor of the one who was leaning against the fireplace in a deep conversation with Klaus.

“Stefan!” Elena's voice cried out and she made her way across the room to him. She launched herself into his arms and wrapped hers around his neck. It took her a moment to realize how stiff his posture was but she quickly became distracted by the sound of breaking glass. Her head turned to see Rebekah, who wore a silk green dress, with a broken glass in her hand and a murderous look upon her face.

“Sorry. I don't know my own strength.” Rebekah muttered. Stefan stepped away from Elena and she looked at him with a hurt expression. Damon pulled her away, concerned that the blonde vampire might attack her in a fit of jealousy.

“Yes, well, accidents do happen.” Caroline replied and snapped her fingers. As though they were trained to perfection, several waiters appeared in order to clean up the mess quickly. Bonnie stood in amazement for she had never seen such flawlessness plan executed before her; for she didn't even see the staff until they were needed. “Now, most of you already know but for those that do not, I only have one rule to my soirees, no bloodshed. That can be handled after.” Caroline turned to Klaus and pointed her finger at him. “And that includes you.” Klaus took her hand and kissed her knuckles.

“I would never dream of ruining one of your carefully planned evenings with bloodshed Sweetheart, especially when you slaved over it for the past week despite the fact that you should have been resting.” Klaus kissed the back of her hand again, smirk firmly in place while Caroline just narrowed her eyes.

“Now Caroline, we have attended many of your gatherings in the past and most didn't end in bloodshed.” Kol chimed up. “In fact I remember one in particular where you looked fetching! Vervain weaved through your hair and everything.”

“No one wants to hear ancient history brother.” Elijah replied, narrowing his eyes at Kol, who had spent the majority of his day in the laps of college girls who now remembered nothing of the terror Kol put them through.

“I wouldn't be so sure. Bonnie enjoyed the history lesson from Freya and I. Didn't you Darling?”

“Don't call me 'darling'”

“I do like them feisty.” Kol leered at her and Bonnie scowled right back.

“Kol. Stop or I'll snap your neck.”

“Freya! Caroline said no bloodshed.”

“I'll allow it.”

“Not fair!”

“Kol.” Klaus replied with a tone that couldn't be argued with. Kol fell silent but glared at his older brother. Klaus turned to his wife and smiled at her. “I do have to agree with Kol on one thing though. You did look beautiful that night.”

“Why were you wearing vervain? Wouldn't that have burned you?” Elena asked and Caroline looked at her with a small smile. It was the first time that Caroline looked at her without a hint of contempt. She either was trying to separate her from the previous doppelgangers or she was just really talented at hiding her true feelings. Elena couldn't be sure which one it was.

“It was when we were still human. The village elders held a Summerfest each year at the close of summer. It was a way to welcome the Autumn season and choose which animals we would keep through the winter and which we would slaughter. It was a night of merry making and lots of drinking.” Caroline chuckled. “That year the elders asked me to help prepare for it. It was a great honor bestowed upon me.”

“A great honor upon me as well.” Klaus replied and smiled at her. The two shared a look for a moment, memories of the first few months together flew through their minds. “Although you did not make it easy love. There were times I thought you would walk away completely.”

“I do not think I could have if I wanted to. Despite others who may have tried to convince me otherwise.”

“She was jealous, Sweetheart. She just wanted to get under your skin.” Klaus replied. He held her close and kissed the top of her head. Most could see that Klaus was not going to allow Caroline out of his arms for most of the night. Having her awake again was still new and hard for him to believe. “It has been a thousand years and her memory still haunts you.”

“Who?”

“One of your ancestors, doppelganger.” Kol chuckled. “You see, you and Katerina are not the first who enjoyed playing brother against brother.” Both Klaus and Elijah hissed. “What? It is the truth, right? She had you both wrapped around her pinky until Klaus wised up and fell the blonde bombshell I am proud to call my sister.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere Kol.” Caroline teased.

“Wait, you're saying that both Klaus and Elijah loved a doppelganger when you were human?” Damon asked with a smirk. “And here I thought the love story of Klaus and Caroline starred only them from the beginning of time.”

“It is our families misfortune to be cursed with the doppelgangers.” Rebekah snapped. Her eyes glared into Elena's. Stefan walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder and whispered something to her. She relaxed slightly. Elena however looked at them with a look of contempt and hurt written on her face.

“Tatia was not a curse Rebekah. She may have been jealous and petty but you did not know her like I did.” Elijah replied.

“A thousand years and you're still in love with her.” Klaus stated. Caroline snorted and rolled her eyes but Klaus could tell that she was tense. She always did hate when the conversation turned to Tatia; no matter how many times Klaus reassured her that the girl meant nothing to him now. “Do the Salvatore brothers a favor and do not fall in love with this one. You do seem to have a type.”

“Elena has enough admiration. She is safe from my affections.” Elijah replied. “And I will not lie and say that Tatia did not hurt me, especially when she made it obvious she had been with you. However, I loved her enough to look past it; at least till a point. Without her, vampires would not exists”

“Sounds more like a prehistoric soup opera if you ask me.” Damon chuckled. He raised his bourbon to his lips and fixed his eyes on Klaus and Caroline. “Why don't you enlighten us with details Dracula, Dracula's bride. Whoo me.”  

*

Ancient Mystic Falls

Summer 1000

The fire burned high and the merry cries could be heard from those who were dancing around it. Ale was passed around and for one of the few times, the village wasn't plagued by what could possibly happen with the wolves. It wasn't a full moon and they simply let themselves enjoy the moment. Summer was coming to an end and they were to embrace the autumn season.

Klaus rested his back against a log with a drink in his hand. Ale wasn't one of his favorite drinks but it served a purpose. It helped drown out the memory of Tatia and his brother. True, it had been months since he saw them in the woods and months since he walked away. He knew Elijah had feelings for her but seeing Tatia giving herself to him in the same manner that she did with him was too much to accept and forgive. What hurt the most was his brother's betrayal; Klaus had thought that Tatia had chosen him and Elijah knew that he had taken her to bed.

“Niklaus.” Elijah's voice sounded from beside him and Klaus turned to look at him. He had not really spoken more than a few sentences to him in months and no matter of groveling could Elijah get his brother to break. It was the betrayal that hurt more than anything else and Elijah knew that. He took a seat on the ground and watched his brother glance into the fire absentmindedly. “Please, Niklaus at least speak to me.”

“Tatia looks lonely. Perhaps you should go to her.” It amazed even Klaus how Tatia's name did not come from his lips in bitter resentment anymore. Elijah's eyes moved towards the brown haired girl dancing around the fire in a mask. She was being twirled around by one of the village elder's sons. “Do not worry though brother, I am not one of the many men who you have to fight for her affections anymore.”

“She is hurt by your abandonment.”

“Her heartache is not something that haunts me anymore.” The brothers fell into silence. Neither knew where to go from here. Klaus wanted nothing more than to have the relationship he once had had with his brother but he just wasn't ready for forgiveness just yet, no matter how much grief it caused his mother. Instead of sitting in nothing but silence, Klaus stood and walked away from Elijah completely; taking another sip of ale.

“Perhaps it would be best to rid your soul of the darkness that plagues it Niklaus.” Klaus stopped abruptly and turned. Ayana stood watching him with curious eyes. Klaus had never been close to the witch but he knew that his mother trusted her. She was extremely powerful and even Klaus could feel the magic radiate from her. He knew of his mother's abilities and that Ayana taught her almost everything she knew; his mother passing the magical knowledge onto his brother Kol. Ayana was one of the elders of the village and highly respected one at that.

“What do you know of my soul?” Klaus snapped at her, feeling guilty the moment he did but Ayana did not look offended. If anything she appeared to be far more amused than anything else.

“We are a mix of people here. There is no place like it in the world. Your family comes from far away, a land full of vikings. Your father gave up his wealth and privilege to protect his family.” Klaus knew this and wanted nothing more than to tell the witch that she knew nothing of his father or his family. “I came from somewhere farther south. Where cliffs and rocks clashed with the sea. You could taste the salt in the air. I miss it sometimes.”

“If you miss it, why leave? Why come here?”

“To escape the darkness that was created a thousand years ago.” Ayana moved forward and placed her hand on his shoulder. “I followed the light.” Ayanna motioned her hand to the fire and as though he was under a spell, Klaus looked across the fire and saw something beautiful. Long blonde hair hung down around her waist and the purple flowers that lingered in the fields weaved through the braid at the top of her hair. He could hear her laugh as she danced with the other girls around the fire. “Caroline's family came from a kingdom hundreds of miles from your father's home lands.”

“You know her?” In truth, everyone did. It was a small village and everyone was connected somehow. He knew Caroline through her friendship with his sister but Klaus wondered if they ever shared more than a word or two. The vision he had of Caroline consisted of the sixteen year old girl who made sure the girls finished their chores in quick order. The elders adored her and was trusted among everyone. While Tatia was the girl every man desired, Caroline was the one who seemed to be the most overlooked. In that moment, Klaus wondered why he never really saw her before and how foolish the rest of the village was.

“I was the one to ask her to ensure everything was perfect for tonight.” Klaus looked at Ayana's small smile. The summer festival was given to the village as a gift from the elders. Never before had they had given such a responsibility to someone so young. “She is full of light, is she not?” With that Ayana walked away but Klaus didn't notice. His eyes focused on the smile that was casted upon Caroline's lips.

He moved around the fire just to get a glimpse of her. He saw Rebekah grab her hand and whisper something in her ear. Caroline blushed and laughed, shaking her head. His sister pouted and begged for something. Caroline narrowed her eyes before rolling them and reluctantly agreeing to something. Then a soft melody came from her lips and Klaus was frozen. He had never heard such breathtaking melodies that touched his soul. He once thought his mother had a beautiful voice as she sang to her children in the morning but suddenly, Klaus realized that he was completely wrong.

He simply stood transfixed, listening to her voice. There was something in the air; as though her voice casted a spell. Those around him seemed to agree that her voice was enchanting but none of them seemed to be completely lost in her. He didn't understand what was happening to him. He had known her for years but it felt like this was the first time he really saw her; he didn't understand but it was as though he felt magic in the air, drawing him towards her.

He looked to the ground and saw a mask made of deer skin and fur lying on the ground. He grabbed the mask and placed it upon his face. While not everyone wore masks during the festival, many did. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tatia still dancing around the fire with a mask firmly on her face. Instead of gravitating towards her, as he would have months prior, he moved towards Caroline and his sister. He wanted nothing more than to take Caroline's hand but he knew that she may seem suspicious since he never spoke with her outside the normal pleasantries.

Instead, he held out his hand to Rebekah and smiled at his sister. Rebekah's smile grew bright and she happily took his hand while Caroline took another villager's. The siblings danced happily around the fire and once the dance demanded a switch of partners, Klaus happily took Caroline's hand. They spun and danced. Klaus basked in her laughter as he spun her around; her hair flaring around in the night. When the dance came to an end, Klaus took her hand and kissed her knuckles. Before Caroline could question him, Klaus weaved his way through the crowd.

*

The village returned to normal the next morning. Villagers returned to their chores. Women cooked and reared the children. Men built the huts, repaired shelter and hunted for food. Klaus wandered through the huts looking for his sister. He finished his chores as quickly as possible and left both Elijah and Finn behind with questioning looks upon his face. It was still warm, for the fall chill had not set in, and Klaus knew that some of the young ladies would be washing their laundry at the river.

Once he reached the section of the stream that didn't reach the woods yet but ran down towards the Falls, he saw a line of several of the village girls washing their families clothes. Laugher could be heard coming from the river. He eyed the girls, seeing his sister speaking with Caroline. Caroline laughed and Klaus latched onto the sound. He reveled in it for a moment before he made his way towards them.

“Rebekah.” He called out and his sister looked up. She smiled at him the way his sister always did. She had her moments when Klaus wanted to rip his hair out but she could be sweet. He walked up to them and looked down at the girl. “Good morning Caroline. Thank you for our dance last night.”

“Of course. It was enjoyable. Although I am surprised, you normally are one who does not dance unless forced.” Her tone was playful but Klaus could see the curiosity behind her blue eyes. It was true. Normally, he would enjoy the ale, socialize with those he liked and would run off with Tatia once she had danced with Elijah. Yet, last night he felt the need to dance with her.

“That is true but I felt rather compelled to do so.” He flashed a dimpled smile at her. “You have a lovely voice.” Caroline flushed slightly but continued to gaze at Klaus with questioning eyes. “Rebekah, a word?” Rebekah, whose eyes were darting between her brother and her friend, nodded and began to follow her brother into the woods.

“Nik, what is it? You know how father feels about us interrupting our chores.” Rebekah hissed. Mikael grew angry whenever he learned that one of his children was not being what he considered productive. In truth, it was usually Kol, who was easily distracted by magic, that ignored his responsibilities but Rebekah knew the consequences. Mikael would never strike Rebekah, for she was his favorite, but if he learned that Niklaus was the one distracting her, the punishment would be severe.

“I will only be a moment and father will never need to know.” Rebekah nodded and looked at him. “I wanted to ask you about Caroline.”

“Caroline?”

“Yes.”

“What of her?” Rebekah was surprised. Klaus had never taken an interest in her before. Her and Caroline had been friends for years, one of the few people her father allowed her to associate with, and no matter how many times Rebekah mentioned her, Klaus never seemed to be listening. Yet, looking at him now she could see the vulnerability written upon his face. “Oh no. You cannot fancy Caroline! She is the closest person outside of my family that I have!”

“I have no intentions of hurting her-”

“What happens when Tatia bats her eyes at you again? What happens when she tires of Elijah and comes to you? She will because she is a fickle little girl who cannot keep her legs closed.” Rebekah hissed. Her hatred of Tatia was never concealed.  She hated the tension Tatia caused between her brothers and was of the opinion that the only way for that tension to end would be for Tatia to be gone.

“I'm done with Tatia.” Rebekah cocked her head, challenging him to prove her wrong. “A few months ago, I saw her with Elijah. They were intimate.” It felt strange to be discussing such things with his baby sister but she knew what went on between a man and woman; despite the fact that she was innocent. “I had known, both Elijah and I did but it was different seeing it with my own eyes.”

“Oh Nik. That's why you've been so sad.” Rebekah reached out and touched his arm. “Tatia never deserved you. Neither of you.” She watched her brother. She had known the pain both Klaus and Elijah felt watching the girl he had feelings for being with the other. She wanted them both to be happy and there was a change that Klaus was done with Tatia for good. “No. Caroline is not spoken for. Some have tried but she is stubborn. She makes them work for it and if she finds them disappointing, she walks away. She won't make it easy on you.”

“I wouldn't ask for anything less.”

“Every morning when I gather the water for the day she joins me. Since we need more pales than her family, she helps bring them back to our hut before heading to hers.” Klaus couldn't help smile at that. From the little he knew of Caroline, that seemed to be something would do. “She is a helper Nik. She sees a problem and she will do anything to make it right. Do not make me regret this.”

*

Just as Rebekah had indicated, Caroline was waiting for her by the river to collect the day's supply of water. She appeared completely unsurprised to see Klaus accompanying his sister.  He had thought that he would be greeted with a wide smile and shocked eyes. While Caroline did smile coyly at him, he was also greeted with a cocked eyebrow. She was expecting him and he silently cursed Rebekah. At least she had the decency to look ashamed.

“Rebekah, Niklaus. Good morning.” Caroline smiled at them before turning her gaze onto Klaus. “When Rebekah told me that you would be joining us this morning, I have to admit that I was rather curious. You've never collected water before, why the sudden change?” She was challenging him and Klaus couldn't help but toss her a dimpled smile.

“Oh, look Ayana. I need a few herbs. Excuse me.” Rebekah all but ran from them. This caused Caroline to laugh loudly. Her head was thrown back and Klaus couldn't help but enjoy the sound of her laughter. It was musical and joyful. He had thought that the sound of her voice signing a tune the other night was the most beautiful sound but her laugh was far more hypnotic. Klaus wanted nothing more than to be the reason why she laughed.

“She is not very subtle, is she?” Caroline asked.

“Rebekah and subtlety are not two things that mix well.” Klaus teased and Caroline nodded.

“Well, since you requested to speak with me this morning, the least you could do is help me gather water for your family.” Caroline smiled and bent to pick up one of the wooden pales before turning her back on him. Klaus bent down and grabbed two before running after her. He was surprised at how quickly she walked to the point that he was all but running to catch up to her.

“Slow down love or I would think you're purposely running from me.” With that Caroline stopped abruptly and Klaus nearly crashed into her. Caroline turned and looked at Klaus. Her blue eyes darted across his face as though she was searching for something.

“Rebekah told me that you have taken an interest in me. I do not understand the sudden change. You have known me for years, since we were children. Rebekah and I played in the flowers while you and Kol pretended to sword fight. Even then you just accepted me as your sister's friend. You were never mean but you never spoke much to me either. So, why now?”

“I fancy you.” Caroline sucked in a breath, not expecting him to be so blunt. There was a hint of vulnerability there that made her heart clench.  “Is that so hard to believe?”

“Yes!”

“Why?” Klaus paused. “You're beautiful. You're strong. You're full of light. I enjoy you.” Caroline could not help but be flattered by his pretty words but she hardened herself. She was not one who would fall for the first man who paid her compliments. If that was the case, she would be married with children chasing her skirt already and probably with a brute of a husband. She saw the misery her mother's marriage was made of and wanted nothing of the sort. While her father was not violent, there was no love between them. Perhaps she was a dreamer for the times but Caroline made a vow that she would never marry a man who was unworthy of her affections.

“Years of silence, of nothing and suddenly you expect me to believe that you fancy me? Emotions and feelings take time to grow. You never noticed me before.” Caroline replied. “And what of Tatia?” That caught Klaus off guard. While he was not going to hide the fact that he had a history with Tatia, he did not expect her to be aware of it already. “That is the worst kept secret in the entire village. Everyone knew that you were courting her but everyone knew that Elijah was as well; and the fact that there is a rift between you and Elijah.” Klaus's eyes closed and Caroline reached out, taking his hand in comfort. “It has been obvious that you have been sad. Rebekah told me yesterday that you ended things and took a step back; allowing Elijah to continue his relationship with her.”

There were two items flashing through Klaus's mind. The first was that Rebekah did not explain that Klaus caught Elijah and Tatia in a compromising position but rather just stated he stepped away. The second was the wave of sympathy Caroline seemed to have for him. Her compassion for him caught him by surprise. Outside of Rebekah, never had someone shown him such compassion, not even his own mother who kept him at arms length for fear of Mikael's temper.

“You're right. I did walk away.” Caroline said nothing but allowed him to continue. “I walked away months ago. I will not lie to you and say that I never had feelings for her but I had months to mourn them and let go. While I am still angry with Elijah, it has more to do with the fact that he betrayed me and not Tatia herself.”  Caroline nodded, understanding his words and accepting them.

“Why me?”

“I saw you with vervain in your hair and you looked happy. I never saw anything like it.” Klaus paused, taking a deep breath. “And then you began to sing. I will never lie to you and say that I have been nursing a childhood infatuation. You are right when saying that I always acknowledged you as my sister's friend. Another girl in the village but hearing you sing; it was as though I was seeing you with fresh eyes.” He took a step forward, standing tall over her. Tatia always looked down bashfully when he stood too close but Caroline stood her ground; looking into his eyes with equal force. “Take a chance. Get to know me. I dare you.”

“I guess it is a good thing that I can never refuse a challenge.” Her voice was breathless and her blue eyes flickered across his face. She knew that he was not lying to her but she still would hold him at arm's length for the time being. Much like Klaus himself, Caroline never thought of him as a romantic partner. She could admit that he was handsome but so were his brothers. She knew him well enough through Rebekah to know he was not cruel like his father; in fact she felt sympathy for him in that regard. Despite all of that, she would at the very least, give him the chance. “Once our chores are done for the day, you may walk with me around the edge of the trees.”

This caused the smile on Klaus's lips to grow wide with joy. “I promise that you will not come to regret this.” Caroline laughed, seeing Rebekah approaching out of the corner of her eye. He reached down and took her hand. She marveled at the feel of his lips on her knuckles. It was improper and if the wrong person saw them, she would be married by the end of the week because her parents would insist upon it. He smirked at her again and turned, heading off in the other direction.

“I think I already am.”

*

When she was nervous, Caroline had a tendency to bite at her nails. She rushed through her chores, not even snapping at the girls who would rather giggle over the men of the village than finish the tasks assigned to them. Instead she just let them waste their time and completed the tasks herself. The work took the fear of what would transpire later in the day off of her mind. However, once the chores were completed and instead of walking back to her family's hut for sometime spent either alone or with her mother, Caroline made her way towards the base of the woods.

She did not have to wait long before she heard footsteps approaching her. She turned to see Klaus approaching her with a wide smile on his lips. Caroline could not help but smile back at him. Once he reached her, he held out his hand and she linked their fingers together. She caught sight of his dimples but before she could comment, Klaus pulled her into the woods. His pace was quick and Caroline was practically running in order to keep up with him. They weaved through the trees but stayed away from the deepness of the forest. She could see the darkness out of the corner of her eye but the sunlight still graced her skin. Overtime, Caroline knew that darkness would encroach upon the trees but for now, she was perfectly happy to run in the sun.

“Where are we going?” Caroline asked.

“I want to show you something. I asked my brother to help me. I hope you don't mind. He won't stay for long.” Klaus added and Caroline could tell that they were getting close to the falls. She had only been to the falls a few times because it was dangerous during certain times of the month. The wolves lived on the side and crossing into their territory was an unwise decision.

“Elijah?”

“No, Kol.” That surprised Caroline. From everything Rebekah has told Caroline about her brothers, Kol was the biggest troublemaker. He was also the only child to inherit his mother's magic. He was a natural at it and liked to express it as much as possible. However, instead of using his gifts to heal those like his mother, he used his powers to pull pranks upon each of his siblings. It infuriated Rebekah to no end.

Before she could inquire more, Klaus pulled her into a clearing that she had never seen before. It was nothing more than a field but it was filled with rows and rows of vervain. Caroline had not known that it grew here for she thought that it only grew at the base of the giant white oak. She couldn't help but reach out and touch the beautiful flowers. Klaus reached down and picked one, placing it in her hair.

“How?” Klaus turned and pointed. Leaning up against a tree on the far side of the clearing was Kol and beside him was the youngest Mikaelson, Henrik. Kol whispered something to the young boy and Henrik's laugh echoed through the flowers. Kol waived before pulling his younger brother away.

“I asked Kol to make the vervain bloom here because I know it is your favorite flower. I thought you would enjoy seeing thousands of them bloom at once.” Klaus smiled at her and he saw Caroline bend down to pick another flower. She smelled them, taking in their scent. “You've never looked more beautiful.”

“Flattery and cheap tricks will not win my affections.” Caroline snapped but he could tell that she enjoyed seeing the flowers. It had taken some convincing but Kol agreed to do the little bit of magic in exchange for Klaus's taking over one of Kol's chores-grooming the horses. While it meant Klaus would spend the better part of the week with the horses, it was worth it to see Caroline fighting her enjoyment. “I am not someone who can be easily bought. If that is what you think of me, I shall find my own way back to the village.”

“Come on, take a chance Caroline. Talk to me.” Klaus smirked as he sat down on the ground in the middle of a million vines of vervain. “Come on, get to know me. I dare you.” He had her there and he could see it. Caroline was fearless and never one to turn down a challenge. Despite herself, Caroline found herself sitting down on the ground facing him.

“Fine. What do you want to talk about?”

“I want to talk about you.” Caroline shook her head in amused annoyance. “Your hopes. Your dreams.” She laughed again. “Everything you want in life.”

“Just to be clear, I am too smart to be seduced by you.”

“Well, that is why I like you.”

*

Ancient Mystic Falls

Autumn 1000

The weeks pressed forward and the leaves began to change, falling to the ground. The village prepared for the upcoming winter by gathering what they could for food storage and prepped their cattle. Huts were reinforced and logs gathered for fire; lengths were taken to keep them dry. Chores increased for the young as expected. Despite the work, Klaus still met Caroline every day at the edge of the woods. They did not venture far into the woods as they had the first time but they still strolled until the sun was completely set.

The village began to notice the time the two spent together. Ayana smiled at the two of them, as though she was seeing a long awaited event to take place before her. Soon it was known that Klaus was courting Caroline, even if the young woman in question refused to acknowledge it. Even though the two spent copious amounts of time in each other's company, Caroline found it hard to allow herself to be open about her intentions with Klaus.

Klaus could not be considered a patient man but found that with Caroline, he was willing to wait as long as possible for her to realize that he was serious in his attraction to her. He could see the walls that Caroline put up around her emotions and it was a slow process to chip away the stone that enclosed her heart. He could see that his attempts were not for nothing. Her smile was brighter when she saw him, her laughter louder. Her hand reached for his, linking their fingers together. It gave him hope...even if it drove him to distraction. Despite all of his patience, Klaus found that there were times that he wanted nothing more than to make Caroline see what was directly in front of her.

“Why are you so stubborn?” Klaus huffed. It was not a good day. Due to Kol's incompetence, Klaus had to endure another lecture from their father. He should be pleased that it was only harsh words and nothing violent but it made him late in seeing Caroline. When he arrived, it was clear that Caroline was keeping him at arm's length for the day. There were times when she was open with him and readily enjoyed herself and then other times that she was cold and distant. “Why can you not simply recognize that my feelings for you are real!?”

“Recognize your feelings!?” Caroline hissed. Klaus never pushed her. Never once asked for more than she was willing to give. Yet, today she could tell that his mood was foul and hers had not been much better. “You cannot just come into my life and expect me to believe that your intentions are true. Men lie and they make promises and then they leave you to cry well into the night. I refuse to let that become my life.”

“I have spent weeks trying to convince you that I want you. That my feelings for you are real.” There was vulnerability written on his face. She could tell that her reluctance was hurting him and that made her feel guilty. She did not want to hurt him but the possibility of falling for him scared her more than she expected.

“What do you want from me Nik?” It hurt him to hear such heartbreak in her voice and he loathed that he was the one who put it there. He wanted her to see that he was not playing some game with her. He knew that she was still suspicious of Tatia and thus made a special effort to not even glance in Tatia's direction when they were in the same part of the village as her. “Just tell me what you want.”

“I want your confession.”

“My confession? I have done nothing. Confession about what?”

“Me.” Caroline startled slightly. “As soon as we are done here, I will leave you to your thoughts. I will walk away and leave you in peace if that is your choice. You will never again have to look me in the eye and cover our connection with the cold hostility you sometimes process. You will never have to break down your walls for me only to rebuild them before we meet again. You will never have to face the part of you that cares for me. If you want nothing of me, I will let you go. You will be free. I just want you to be honest with me.”

Caroline could see the pain that this gave him. She could see the disappointment and hurt that letting her go caused him; but he was willing to do it if that is what she wanted.  Caroline enjoyed Klaus even when she pulled away from him. She fought the feelings that were developing inside of her because she didn't want to become the one thing she feared the most; and Klaus had that power to do that to her.

“I just turned seventeen. I know that I am of marrying age and it is something that I have been thinking about for years. You are not the first who has tried for my hand but I refused them all. I know that if I do not choose soon, my father will do it for me.” Caroline closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I want to build a life for myself. A home with a husband and children. Up until a few weeks ago, none of those things included you. The fact that you have so suddenly made those plans so real terrifies me.”

“I see.” She saw the hope fill his eyes and he stepped forward. Part of Caroline wanted to back away but she held her ground. Her head tilted upward and looked into his eyes. He was close enough to touch but neither reached out.

“No, you do not.” Caroline hissed. “Yes, I cover our connection with cold hostility because yes I hate myself for allowing you to have such power over me. I hate that the future I dreamed about is so close that I could touch it. I hate it because it is only a dream and never reality. I hate the feelings that I have because I know that one day, it will break me and I will have no escape. I will be trapped, only to be broken over and over again. I hate that it will be you to be the one who breaks me.”

“Where is this coming from Caroline? What have I done to make you feel this way?”

“Nothing. You've done nothing but be everything that a girl could want in a man who courts her.” Caroline whispered. “Sometimes I lose myself in the idea of what could be between us. Other times reality is played out before me.” She looked down at her hands. “I am terrified of becoming my mother.” Klaus's brows creased at that, not understanding her words and he said as much. “My mother has loved my father since they were children. It was no surprise when he requested her hand and when she fell pregnant with me, she was ecstatic. That is until she learned that my father was unfaithful to her.”

“It is common for men to find pleasure outside the home.” The moment the words left his lips, Klaus realized that it was the wrong thing to say and attempted to backtrack. “But that does not make the pain the woman feels any less real.”

“My mother still cares for him but knows that he never really loved her in return. It has made her bitter. My father loved another. Someone he could not have and married my mother because it was expected. The truth tore my mother to shreds and is only a shadow of the woman she used to be. She lives with the knowledge everyday that she was not his first choice. I want to be someone's choice and not what is expected.”

“Is it a woman in the village?”

“No. It was before my parents settled here and before I was born.” Caroline paused, wondering if this would change everything. “And it wasn't a woman at all.” That confession caused shock to be written all over his face. “It was why they fled England. My father and his lover were found out. While he was never in love with my mother, he cared for her and for his child. His lover was executed and they ran.”

“I see.”

“And now you hate me.” Caroline turned to walk away. It was always a fear of hers that someone would discover her father's secret and turn away from her- she never thought she would be the one disclosing it. She could not bear to see the scorn in Klaus's eyes and wanted to run as fast as she could from him.

“No!” He grabbed her hand. “I could never hate you Caroline. I cannot hate you for something that you did not commit.” He took both of her hands into his and kissed her knuckles. That was the only intimacy that she allowed and Klaus knew that it was something he could not push. She was an innocent and he wanted to keep her as such until he was able to lay claim to her. “Is that your confession then? Is that what you feel for me? Fear that I will break your heart?”

“If you promise that you will never look at another as you look at me right now, I will be honest with you. I will be honest with you about what I feel for you.”

“Caroline, I will never be able to see such beauty in another for it does not exist elsewhere for me. I know that other men say pretty things and never mean a word of them but you are the exception to every rule I have been taught. If I had you, then there is no need for me to find pleasure elsewhere. I promise.” Her eyes traced over him, her hands still linked with his. She moved closer and Klaus remained still. She was so close that Klaus's forehead almost rested against hers. She had never been that close before and he was afraid that his restraint would break and he would devour her lips like the many times he had imagined.

“Good.” With that, Caroline leaned up and pressed her lips to his gently. It wasn't deep or passionate but it was enough. It was enough for him to understand what Caroline was feeling. He could sense her fear and vulnerability, almost as though it was his own. He also could feel her desire and everything that she wanted in life. Klaus could feel that she could possibly want it with him.

*

Like every month before it, the full moon came. The villagers flocked to the caves with fur from the animals they killed and food for the night. Most gathered before the sun set and prepared small fires. The only thing that differed this month was the fact that Klaus escorted Caroline to the caves and settled near her family. Neither parents of the couple said a word, for the attachment was obvious, but they kept a close eye. Elizabeth and Bill looked on with smiles while Esther watched them with curiosity and fear. Mikael ignored them all together.

Caroline leaned against the stone wall with Klaus on one side and Rebekah on the other. Henrik found his way to them and settled beside Klaus. The three of them amused the young boy for a while until the sky grew dark and the only light was the fire lit before them. Henrik fell asleep easily and the rest settled into conversation. In the darkness, Klaus easily took Caroline's hand knowing that beside Rebekah, no one would notice. He would hold it until her mother called her away in order to sleep for the night. Despite their courtship, it would be improper for Klaus to hold her as she slept.

“She is staring again.” Caroline whispered and Klaus looked up to see Tatia's eyes on them. She was a ways down but the flicker of the flame made out her person easily. Caroline had been complaining that Tatia had been watching her. The other girl never approached Caroline or sought her out but during their chores she could feel Tatia watching her. She never appeared angry or upset, but rather curious about her. “I think she hates me.”

Klaus said that if it continued or if she bothered Caroline, he would request Elijah to speak with Tatia. Caroline declined, not wanting a row to break out between the brothers over her. In the weeks that Caroline and Klaus began their courtship, the relationship between the Klaus and Elijah eased slightly. While they were not exactly on speaking terms, they no longer avoided one another. They exchanged pleasantries, completed what was expected of them and moved on. It was progress and that pleased Caroline.

She refused to be the reason they endured a set back.

“She is harmless and her emotions towards you are irrelevant.” It was true. There really was not much Tatia could do. The village knew of Tatia's reputation and anything she would say would hardly be believed; with the exception of Elijah and any other man that was infatuated with her. There was no hint of violence but if it came to that, Caroline knew that she was stronger than the other girl.  “She is just angry that I chose you and not her.”

Caroline smiled and Klaus leaned in to kiss the top of her head. A cough echoed and they saw Caroline's mother watching them. Her eyes were hard but there was a gentle tone behind her eyes; as though she couldn't be too angry with them. The village knew by now what the end result of their courtship would be. The question was becoming when the event would transpire. While they have not been courting long, there were those who wondered why Klaus had at least not approached Bill for his permission to marry Caroline yet.  

The slow progress of their courtship was something Tatia had taken notice of. Caroline could always feel the girl's eyes on her and she could not help but feel self conscious. When she was younger, Caroline always compared herself to the other girls in the village, including Tatia. Despite the fact that Tatia was a couple years older, Caroline desired to be like her in a way. Tatia was beautiful, vivacious and had a laugh that pierced the air around her; however she was also catty, cruel and did anything that drew attention to herself. She married very young, gave birth to her daughter only months after her wedding and was widowed within the year. Caroline wanted that attention and always envied Tatia for it, especially since she did nothing to earn it. Now that she had Klaus, Caroline could not help but feel as though Tatia would do anything to take Klaus away from her.

Caroline was about to reply when her mother called for her. Klaus smiled at her and Caroline moved towards the section that her mother and father were occupying. The cave was completely dark, with the exception of the flames from the fires and most have lain down to sleep. She laid upon the soft fur located beside her mother and closed her eyes. When the morning came, Caroline made her way from the cave, only able to give Klaus a smile. Esther ushered her children out of the cave quickly, sending a curious glance as she did.

“He is going to have to speak with your father soon.” Elizabeth said, pulling Caroline from her musings. They walked across the lane that went back to their hut. Caroline looked at her mother in confusion, which only caused Elizabeth to smile. “Klaus. His intentions are clear and the village wonders why he has not made an offer yet. Your father will accept of course. He likes Klaus and thinks the two of you would do well together.”

“What?” Caroline blinked, her mother's assertion taking her off guard.

“Marriage. That is of course what Klaus is after?” Elizabeth looked at her daughter closely, eyeing her as though she could see any misdeed. However, Caroline just looked at her mother confused. While Caroline knew the concept of what happened between a man and a woman, she was still innocent. “Klaus has not done anything improper, has he?”

“What?! No. Mother of course not.” She shook her head and she could see Elizabeth relax. “I just was not expecting you to bring it up.” Ever since their argument in the woods, Caroline could not help but allow herself to dream about becoming Klaus's wife. It still frightened her but she could tell the difference in his mannerisms with her compared to the ones her father showed her mother. “Do you think he will speak with father soon?”

“I spoke with Esther and- Oh!” Elizabeth stumbled slightly and dropped the basket full of blankets she had been carrying. Caroline put down her own basket and began helping her mother gather the blankets that spilled out onto the ground. Soon another set of hands joined in and Caroline looked up to see Tatia looking at her curiously again. Tatia handed a few blankets to Caroline and gave her a small smile; a smile that Caroline could not tell was genuine or not.

“Thank you.”

“Of course.” Tatia replied and stood. She held out her hand and a small girl, no older than three, grabbed it quickly. “Come my sweet, perhaps if you are a good girl, grandmother will make that bread you like.” Tatia took her daughter and left Caroline standing there, watching her. Tatia never really paid Caroline any attention before nor would she stop to help someone else. She wanted to believe it was an act of kindness but Caroline was intelligent enough to know otherwise.

*

The weather was growing colder. The first snow had yet to fall but the ice could be felt in the air. When Caroline breathed, it felt as though ice invaded her chest. She wrapped the furs around her tighter, waiting for Klaus. He was late and it was beginning to worry her. There were only a few times that Caroline beat him to the forest and it was due to him being held up by one of his siblings. When she was the first to arrive at their meeting place, Klaus was soon to follow.

Caroline had now been waiting for an hour and Klaus was nowhere to be seen. At first she had been angry, thinking that Klaus had forgotten about her. While she tried to be more open with Klaus, there were times that she still expected the worst out of him. She knew that he had done nothing to deserve it but deep down she still feared that he would betray her the way her father betrayed her mother. He was a man and it was expected; she just hoped that they would be the exception. When time pushed forward and he still did not come, Caroline began to worry that something had happened to him. When she heard the leaves behind her crinkle, she felt herself relax.

“Niklaus, I should be very cross-” Caroline paused, she saw that her intruder was not Klaus, but instead his brother. He looked haggard and stressed. He was not dressed in appropriate clothing for the weather and she could see the concern in his eyes. “Elijah? What are you doing here? Where is Nik?”

“He sent me. He is indisposed. He sent me to let you know that he is unable to meet you. Niklaus did not want you waiting in the cold.” Elijah could not meet her eye and Caroline narrowed hers. Elijah and Klaus relationship was progressing but not to the point where Klaus would send Elijah's to deliver a message for him. That was normally done by Henrik or Rebekah. As she looked Elijah over, Caroline noticed that there was a tiny fleck of blood on his knuckle. She reached out and grabbed it.

“What happened? Where is he?”

“He is alright. Rebekah is tending to him.”

“What happened?”

“Caroline-”

“Tell me or I will find him myself.”

“He mentioned you were stubborn.” Caroline only poured her gaze into him, letting him know that she was serious. “He and our father got into a rather harsh discussion. Our father is not one for mincing his words, especially when it comes to Niklaus.”

“He beat him.” Caroline stated in a matter of fact tone with a touch of venom mixed in as well, taking Elijah by surprise. Klaus had disclosed the nature of his relationship with his father and the knowledge that Mikael could become violent towards his son was unsettling for Caroline. “Where is he?”

“At our hut.” With that, Caroline moved past Elijah quickly. He grabbed her arm, spinning her to face him again. “It would be unwise for you to go there now. Father left in a storm but he will be back at some point before dark.”

“I do not belong to your father and even if I did, I would still go. You cannot stop me.” The conviction in her words had Elijah really considering her. He never thought much of Caroline in any sense before. He liked her well enough and knew Rebekah was fond of her. He was taken by surprise when he learned that Klaus had started courting her and even more so when he was clearly serious about pursuing her. Selfishly he was pleased because it meant that Klaus was less likely to return to Tatia but he also wanted his brother to find happiness.

“You love him.” The words caught Caroline by surprise. Did she love Klaus? In truth she did not know. She knew that her emotions ran deep but they had only been on this course for a short period of time. Love came after marriage for those who were lucky. If Klaus asked for her hand, she would give it but her heart was another matter. Unless she had already given it without her realizing it? “I'll walk you but it is best if you leave before father returns.”

Caroline nodded and the two set off at a brisk pace. They were silent and Caroline found that they could not reach the hut quick enough. When they arrived, Elijah opened the wooden door and ushered Caroline inside. She had never been in their family hut before, not even with Rebekah, only seeing the outside of it. It was bigger than hers and was made up of about four rooms. The room Elijah ushered her into was a common room. There was a long table in the center and a fireplace built into the far wall. Esther was stirring something in the cast iron pot that was placed above the fire. When Esther saw that Caroline had accompanied Elijah back, she just motioned her head towards one of the doors on the other end.

“Caroline.” She turned to see Esther looking at her. “You should not be here. I would hate for my son to take another beating because of you.” Caroline paused and just glared back at her. She had always got the feeling that Esther did not particularly like her. However, her mother and Esther have spoken about the possibility and Elizabeth never once mentioned that Esther seemed opposed to it.

“What?” Before Esther could elaborate, Caroline heard Klaus hissed and she took off towards the sound. The sound came from a room in the very back of the hut. The room had several small beds made of hay and it was clear that this was the room for the older boys. Klaus was lying on his stomach, shirtless and Rebekah was dabbing what appeared to be wounds on his back with a cloth. “Nik?”

Both Klaus and Rebekah looked up to see Caroline's eyes filled with tears. She edged closer and saw that there were deep gashes on his back that appeared to be from a whipping. Not only that but there were old scars beneath the fresh ones, telling Caroline that this was not the first time Mikael has whipped him. She brought her fingers to the base of her eye and wiped away the tears. She held out her hand to Rebekah, asking for the cloth she was holding. Rebekah nodded, stood, gave the cloth to Caroline and left the room. Rebekah left the door open and sat down on a wooden stool just in sight of them both. Caroline knelt down on the floor and dipped the cloth into the bucket of water before attending to the wounds. Klaus hissed again, his fingers digging into the bed.

“Sorry.” Caroline whispered.

“It is alright.” Klaus replied. “You shouldn't have come.”

“Everyone is saying that.”

[hydrangeasimagination]

Loosely, Gently

Pairing(s): Todoroki Enji / Endeavor X Gender Neutral! Reader

Summary: It was something he hadn't considered before, even the years of being so close to you all the time. How easily you were able to push past him defenses, step into line with him without being deterred by his arrogance or pride. Before the fall of All Might, you were nothing more than someone in passing... Afterwards, he wasn't sure what you were...

Warnings: Slight manga spoilers! Mentions of Abuse. Blood Mention?

A/N: I’ve never actually written for him until now since I wanted to get the anime to get caught up with the manga and some of ya’ll aren’t believers in Endeavor’s redemption. I hated him too at one point. Only to become neutral after seeing how he behaved after Toshinori’s retirement. Which again changed to akin to understanding as the manga progressed. Horikoshi handles this issue well and I commemorate how he tackles everything.

I can only hope I can attempt and handle such issues with as much grace as he does.

You do not have to read this. Nor do you have to come in and begin an argument, just remain civil and move along.

I do not condone what Enji has done.

But I think he’s beginning to make up for it.

By showing his remorse, by reflecting that he is sorry based upon his actions as opposed to his words because we know how bad he is with those.

Drawing on my experience and the experience I’ve seen own loved ones go through. I stand by what I’ve said; no one has to forgive their abuser.

Written with TBT in mind and by association and an original character specifically... IDK if Beacon can float tho since this was supposed to be a little bit of a surprise. But it coincidentally also happened to be their creator’s birthday!

So birthday wishes to @starchaser-the-prophet​ !

Happy day of birth fam ❤️

Images were something that had always appealed to Todoroki Enji, something he's held onto tightly, like a vice.

Whether it be his own or the thoughts floating in his head.

There was always a plan after he became number two.

"Surpass the number one, surpass All Might!"

It consumed him in the end.

Wrapped him and his...

Family...

He didn't deserve to call them as such.

Wrapped them all in an entangled web of pain, of trauma....

Of abuse.

Everything that he had done, was all for naught.

The shattering of those that he should have loved, should have protected!

Cherished.

But what is he to do now?

The overwhelming pressure in his chest never lessened.

Even after the scar on his face healed, after he had given Rei and his children a new home as he lived in the cold residence of the Todoroki manor.

Even while he signed the divorce papers.

It just grew.

Tighter.

Tighter.

Tighter.

Flooding his mind with the images — the godforsaken images — of the sobbing and terrified faces of his family.

The feeling of guilt was never so stifling.

But he deserved this.

He did this to them.

So many horrible and awful things.

So many deplorable and...

His thoughts were screaming.

... He didn't expect their forgiveness.

He shouldn't expect their forgiveness

His pain is nothing compared to their's.

The dried stains of their blood on his hands is a testament to that.

These images will never stop, the images of the damage inflicted on his family.

... But as of late, something else had been occupying his mind.

"Oh, Enji, it's nice to see you again!"

Baked pastries and sugary treats suddenly flooded his senses, the warmth he felt was unmatched to his flames.

A pair of glimmering gems peered at him betwixt snow caught lashes, a sunny smile close to melting it all away.

Close, but not too close, floating on the chilled air.

You.

He really shouldn't have been staring, your radiance was something unimportant not too long ago. It was unfair of him to believe that it was appropriate in any shape or form as he’d treated you not too differently from the other heroes that had attempted to strike up a friendship with him.

He’d recently made you cry too, over the scar on his face no less.

It was truly hard not to allow his gaze to linger as you were nothing short of breath-taking, you always had been.

Enji was unfortunately just blind to it for the longest time.

Distracted by chasing titles and old flames.

Since you were starting out.

He spoke your last name with hesitation, head bowed in respect.

It makes the words of his youngest son’s significant other ring in his ears.

"Oh, come on, I've told you already!" The huff of vapor from your mouth dissipated quickly, timed with the downturn of your lips. "Just call me by my given name, we've known each other for nearly a decade now."

His mouth tightening into a thin line, the flames licking up the sides of his face doing well in covering the color flooding his cheeks, eyes narrowing as his back tensed.

He didn’t deserve this either.

Any bystander watching would have assumed that you’d upset him, that you had incurred the wrath of Endeavor. That you'd soon be someone that'd be losing their job and credibility.

The ruthlessness of his reputation plagued him, the eyes on his back never stopped.

So he was thankful when the smile returned to your features, thankful that you could read him. Even if he was to deny everything you had ever told him about himself in the past, a habit that also came in the present.

These thoughts in the back of his head became less glaring, though lingered in the reaches of his skull.

"Like I said, it's fine."

Quieter still at the sound of your sweet voice.

Soundlessly, your feet touched the floor and you held up the bag, steaming and smelling divinely despite the sour taste that lodged itself in the back of his throat.

"Cream bread?"

He felt his shoulders slowly fall, even if it is just slightly.

His expression changed.

Crystals of snow melted into drops before they had the chance to reach him, his warmth unchanged to the weather.

Sapphires hues gazed at you, a softness that was seen to few.

The curl of his lips, stretching of his scar nearly unseen...

It was such a serene expression.

Your heart gently beats against your sternum, only quickening as his impossibly warm, large hand dropped low.

Lower.

Images were something that had always appealed to Todoroki Enji, something he's held onto tightly, like a vice...

He no longer wants to be suffocating.

So he holds this new image as though it’s able to slip through his fingers.

As you look at him, with wonder and flushed features, he feels like he's doing something right.

Delicate fingers lock his in place, the pressure in his chest lessens.

While that same smile that had been unnoticed for nearly 10 years catches his attention again.

"Lead the way." His voice is low.

The squeeze of pressure around his palm in his wipes his doubts in this, tugging him along the snowy sidewalk.

All the while, your hands never part, holding one another's.

Loosely, gently.

[nossbean]

Myrcella / Sansa Anon Here: Like Jaime and Brienne are both Beauty and the Beast, Myrcella and Sansa have the potential to be both Cinderella and the Prince/Knight. Myrcella a bastard disguised as a Princess and Sansa is a Princess disguises as a bastard. When the Starks fell, the old man could have written Myrcella as one of Sansa’s Protectors since she knows how to survive Cersei while when the Lannister’s fell from power, Sansa would give Myrcella a home. For cherry on top, Myrcella could 1/2

2/2 inherit Jaime’s sword skills and her desire to pursue that could be a way to escape being her mother’s mini-me, only valued for her looks, and toxic family as well as an attempt to gain some control over her life. I had more articulate thoughts on this but I wrote them down somewhere I can’t recall. In canon, you already have Arianne set up for the fairy godmother role and Brienne as a subversion of the typical stepmother. Either way, less creepy than any potential in-canon Sansa ships.

Honestly, anon, you persuaded me with these first two, but the absolute joy is that you came through with even more! I do wanna quickly say though that I support folx shipping who they ship and in whatsoever way brings joy, we’re all here for the love of the characters and the story after all <3

I am as ever at the moment, very late to the party, but I’m so glad you came back to share all this! A lot of what you’ve said by way of potentials has lived rent free in my head. I’m very into the fairy tale elements you’re describing (particularly noting Arianne as fairy godmother, and Brienne as a subversion of the typical (boring, sexist) fairy tale stepmother...!) and the incorporation of major themes that could be present in Myrcella’s arc (I’m poss wearing my clown shoes, etc, but I do think there’s a chance some of those could come to bear in the remaining books, with or without Sansa, so let’s hope) Your note about Myrcella inheriting Jaime’s sword skills set off a different thought in my head, that it would be interesting for her to instead pick up a lot of the knight’s code and utilizing it to her whims and needs, though without the fighting/sword skills element. There’s resonance and balancing there, then, with parts of Sansa’s arc, and also with themes in Brienne’s arc, and is again, a repudiation of much of what Cersei (and Joffrey) thinks and believes. Though am also very much here for more sword wielding ladies.

Anyway, onwards with the rest of your Sansa/Myrcella galaxy-braining:

Also, we know Myrcella wasn’t scared of Joffrey so we could have had Myrcella getting in his face to defend Sansa and having a tense stand-off. Plus, it would be a more explicit sign of Jaime and Cersei not being soulmates and gender swapped mirrors as the cruel and cowardly Joffrey being Cersei if she was a boy and brave and clever would be Jaime as a girl.

ANON. I am SO INTO playing with aligning Cersei with Joffrey and Jaime with Myrcella explicitly! It definitely could be there for the taking (that note about where did Myrcella and Tommen get their sweetness, I WONDER) but whether GRRM will take it... Things seem to be pointing Tommen-ward atm when it comes to possibilities with Jaime and his children, which is, idk, to be expected to a degree I guess. BUT ALSO, as is on the record, I’d really rather a sharp veer towards Myrcella instead (Tommen can come too I guess but centring Myrcella would be grand)

And also just: a Myrcella who takes on her brother (and by extension, Cersei) *on behalf* of Sansa would have been fucking incredible, and would absolutely have been particularly satisfying for the resonance it would have for Jaime’s later arc. And there’s every possibility Myrcella could have stood up for Sansa, or even if we frame it more as “against Joffrey”, at least at first. Also what you describe as being possible later by way of role reversal of who protects who, yes thank you please. Deeply into how that shapes Lannister-Stark relations and also honestly the potential impact on LSH storylines, in the event Sansa meets LSH in around the same time Brienne and Jaime are confronting her (I mean, that would substantially alter the timelines, possibly, but still!) 

Also ALSO, Sansa being sapphic would better show the limits societal scripts have a person’s perceptions, agency, and ability to connect with others since her character is so influenced by storytelling, imagination, and societal roles. It would also expand her understanding of womanhood and femininity, paving the way to reconcile with Arya.

Into this, as well! Don’t really have much more to say than that, really XD Oh, only that Sapphic Sansa is very satisfying to say, hehe. Anon, I ask if you’ve read this excellent meta about Sansa? It’s a long read but a good one. 

admittedly, Myrcella did luck out with getting the sweet, age appropriate, and non-creepy Trystane Martell as her canon love interest.

My cynical take here is that it isn’t coincidence that Myrcella lucked out with Trystane being sweet and being part of a family who (mostly?) wants her safe and happy not just because of her proximity to the Iron Throne but for her own sake, only to be almost certain to lose him, heh.

Sansa/Myrcella it could be about forgiveness, chosen families, breaking the cycles of violence and revenge, hope for the future, the importance of female solidarity, re-writing the future to include everyone.

Just here to say I am a sucker for each and every one of these themes, thank you.

Physical doubling is another shared feature of both Myrcella and Sansa’s stories. Everyone comments on how much Sansa looks like her mom and Littlefinger plans to unveil her identity using her red hair. Myrcella also looks like her mom and has a double in her cousin. Both are hurt and almost killed while in care of someone they should trust, Myrcella during the Queenmaker plot and Sansa with her Aunt Lysa.

Sansa’s themes of identity, self-preservation, perception, longing for something beyond your childhood home, the power and consequences of shaping stories through truth and lies can easily be mapped onto Myrcella.

Your Jaime and Myrcella post reawakened my dormant interest in Myrcella and Sansa, since Jaime is tasked with returning Sansa.

Again, mostly am just here for all this, particularly the potential theme sharing and how they could help one another through 😍🤩

Reading all this, I feel like you hit on one of the major things that GRRM fails with on the regular in ASOIAF, which is that women and girls... often like one another? Even when they’re, like, different from one another? 😱😱😱 And even if he didn’t want to pursue a shippy route, to your earlier point, there was plenty of room for friendship and solidarity between Sansa and Myrcella when they were both in KL, even with Myrcella being younger. There could be an added element wherein Myrcella goes behind Cersei’s back somewhat to do this, given Cersei would undoubtedly put the kibosh on it had she been aware - which again, would have had resonance later for that Jaime and Myrcella mirroring angle. Buuut that would require GRRM to recognize the power of relationships between girls and women, and I admit I remain stuck on the idea that apparently no woman or girl in Brienne’s life ever did anything but mock/deride her until Catelyn came along. I invite you to imagine that a small part of my soul is always howling to the heavens: NO ONE????????? (though this is, happily, an easily retconned detail, so my clown nose is honking that there may be even a throwaway note about some girl or woman in Brienne’s past in Winds, anyway, I digress)

I DUNNO, I’m trying to, like, contribute to this excellence but mostly I’m just picking up everything you’re putting down...! 

And finally:

I don’t have a Tumblr, though I enjoy reading fic and people’s meta, so I forgot I sent that ask to be honest, haha.

Again, I’m sorry for how very, very late here, but I am so very glad you did...!!!!

[allwaswell16]

Annual Writing Self Evaluation

I was tagged by @louandhazaf <3 Thanks, Nic! 

1. List of works published this year: 

Faded From This Touch | 7k

 No Easy Love (Could Make Me Feel This Way) | 17k

Running Through a Cloud of Steam  | 5k

 And Follow the Sun | 100 words

 I Didn’t Fall For You (You Fucking Tripped Me)  | 20k

 Every Piece of You (It Just Fits Perfectly)  | 7k

 Maybe I’ve Been California Dreaming | 100 words

 Dive (Series)  | 21k 

 When the Sun Won’t Let You Sleep  | 30k

 Sit Next To Me  | 12k

 Falling Back | 100 words

 If I Loved You Less  | 36k

 Staring Across Barcelona  | 7k

 Charity Ficlets | 10k

 Pictures of You | Drarry | 2k

I saw someone add some stats here that I found interesting, so I’m going to include that here:

I published 15 works for a total of 199,784 words (not including some drabbles that are only published to tumblr.) Hmmm, I’m realizing my stats might be skewed because of an epilogue I wrote for a fic from last year. Oh well, I was told there would be no maths, so I’m not going to figure it out now. Oh for fuck’s sake, I’m realizing I have counted the Dive series as one work, but ao3 counts it as 5 or however many of them there are. Blah. No one check my maths please.

10 fics rated Explicit, 3 Mature, 3 Teen, 2 General and 1 Not Rated.  All were Larry except for one Drarry fic.

My most popular fic this year was I Didn’t Fall For You (You Fucking Tripped Me), which is also the most popular thing I’ve written ever. Why? I have no idea. You guys are weird. I’m not weird at all for writing about monitor lizards. My second most popular fic was If I Loved You Less, which is telling me you guys like a/b/o fics, maybe? idk.

2. Work you are most proud of (and why):

Probably When the Sun Won’t Let You Sleep. That fic consumed me while I wrote it. I constantly thought about it, and the characters talked to me all the time in my head. I knew them inside and out. When I first came up with the idea of Antarctic research scientists, I had no idea what the story was really going to be about until I started researching the British Antarctic Survey. There are so many stories to be told from the absolute ends of the earth that I had no idea existed. The fic became a story of why Louis found himself in Antarctica, but he’s not an entirely reliable narrator of his story. The other characters help you figure out why he’s really come to the ends of the earth.

3. Work you are least proud of (and why):

I wouldn’t say I’m not proud of anything I wrote this year, but I’m a bit mystified by the popularity of I Didn’t Fall For You (You Fucking Tripped Me). To me it was just some silly thing I wrote to fulfill a couple of prompts that I put together. I had fun writing it though! And it’s always fun to have lots of people talk to you about a fic, so that was nice, too! 

4. A favorite excerpt of your writing:

(From If I Loved You Less)

Louis’ heart pounded at the sudden intimacy of a darkened garden, although other couples strolled through the lantern lit pathway.

“I hope I was not interrupting you in the ballroom.”

Lord Styles’ voice sent a shiver through him that Louis could never quite control whilst in his presence. “No, you did not, and I thank you for coming to my aid.”

“Ah, I sensed you were in need of it,” he said simply as he offered Louis a sly smile. It seemed they were both in agreement on Baron Winston. The music of a waltz floated through the air, and Lord Styles hesitated on the stone path. “Shall we return for our dance?”

“If you’d like to,” Louis said, though a bit reluctant to leave this small oasis from the heated ballroom and if he were honest with himself, reluctant to sever this small moment of privacy with Lord Styles.

“I would rather walk and speak of nearly any topic rather than return to the ball,” Lord Styles declared.

“Is that right?” Louis ducked his head to hide his smile at Lord Styles’ honesty. He quite liked that he seemed always so forthright.

“Yes, and I’d dearly like to spend my time elsewhere.”

“Why don’t you?” Louis asked boldly as he looked back up at Lord Styles’ handsome profile, almost sure of the answer.

Lord Styles’ lips pursed a bit and he made a funny twitch of his nose as though to prevent a grin from spreading across his face.

“I think you know why,” he whispered into the darkness.

5. Share or describe a favorite review you received:

I had the opportunity to write a fic for @greatpemberly this year as part of @1dfanworksforcharity and when I discovered what her ao3 was, I was so so happy. I recognized her ao3 immediately as someone who has been reading and commenting on my fics for years. It was an honor to write for someone who has supported me for so long. 

I feel extremely lucky to have the response I’ve had to my fics in general and to get the comments I receive. I respond to every single comment, and I appreciate every single one. The long ones with people yelling about specific parts make me grin like an idiot, and the short ones letting me know they’ve read or reread something show up in my ao3 emails and bring a smile to my face, too. Whenever I get a comment from a writer I admire, I try not to make a fool of myself in the response but I don’t always succeed. lol. I mean, come on, if Dolce comments on your fic, you get to dance around your kitchen for a while, right? 

6. A time when writing was really, really hard:

I had a meltdown in November. I was trying to do nanowrimo and I’d written 27k of my Big Bang for next year and was kicking ass really. However, my Big Bang is angsty, and it was way too intense for me to try and write that much difficult writing in that amount of time. It messed with my head in a way fic has never messed with it before. It scared me a little. So I quit nano halfway through, and it was definitely the right thing to do for my mental health.

7. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you:

Niall and Shawn in If I Loved You Less. When I started writing that fic, I had basically no notes on what Shawn was like and only a vague idea of what Niall was like, but as soon as I started writing it, they threatened constantly to just take over the fic. lol. My beta said when I started, if I was sure I wasn’t writing a Shiall fic. 

8. How did you grow as a writer this year:

Just the act of writing so much last year and this year has helped me hone my skills a bit. There are things about how I write now that isn’t present in my earlier fics. And it’s simply from just writing so much that it gets easier to create a more well rounded story, I think. When I structure a story now, my outline isn’t just a series of points anymore. I’m much better I think at coming up with the story arc so that I can focus more on characters. Taggiecb really helped me with “inner monologue” and calling me out when I wasn’t doing it. lol. I also wrote a fic in past tense this year for the first time, which was a much bigger challenge than I ever thought it would be.

9. How do you hope to grow next year:

I just hope to keep writing and reading as much as possible! I think the fics I have planned are ambitious in different ways, so I hope to keep challenging myself. 

10. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc):

My answer is always @taggiecb. I don’t know if anyone understands that every single thing I write must first pass her initial test. I write first to entertain her and then I think about myself and everyone else. haha. We’re not co-dependent at all! But truly no one understands me like she does and no one loves my writing like she does, and it’s definitely mutual. <3

11. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:

Always. Every fic has something of me in it.

12. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

I hope to just encourage writers to seek out other writers for support if they need it. Writing doesn’t have to be something you do alone. If you’re having trouble getting people to read your stuff, I’d say to write for challenges and exchanges. I wrote for so many over the last few years, and I really think that’s where a lot of people found my fics. This certainly isn’t new wisdom, but I think it helps to write and read as often as possible. The more you write, the better you’ll become at the craft of writing. The more you read, the more inspired you’ll become. If you don’t read the other fics in your fandom, you will miss out on finding new and exciting things to write and reminding yourself on what you can work on to get better. The reading is nearly as important as the writing.

13. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year:

I’m in the middle of writing my Big Bang fic right now. So that’s what I’ll be working on until it’s done. It’s an intense amnesia au that has a twist to it. Hopefully, I can pull it off. It will likely be the longest thing I’ve written. 

@afirethatcannotdie and I are going to run another round of @larryabroad, so actually, Ellie, we need to get on organizing that again soon. haha. 

I have two other fics that I have plotted that I’d like to write in 2019. One is probably for the @1000feelingsfics challenge and is a soulmate au based on a drabble I wrote for the Fall Drabble Challenge. The other is a bucket list au that involves a lot of travel, so maybe that could be for Larry Abroad. Not for sure on that yet. 

14. Tag three writers whose answers you’d like to read.

@goodmorningtoyouuniverse @rosegoldhlfics @phd-mama   @becomeawendybird @taggiecb @helloamhere @hereforlou @2tiedships2 @humhalleloujah @dimpled-halo I tagged more than 3 because everyone should do this if they want! If you see this and want to do it, just say I tagged you! <3

*All answers should be about works published in 2018. Also, you can skip any questions you hate or don’t want to answer, but please leave them on the list so that others can do them if they want.

(also, here’re my responses from 2016, 2017)

[dxrkblaze]

Give ME ALL FOR THAT MEME BC IM A HO N I LOVE UR WIRITNG U FUCK

this just in: ru is gay and I love her HHDGSHHDDL THAnk u sm homie I cri,,, ❤️❤️

1) of the fic you’ve written, which are you most proud of?Hmm… probably all my colors? Like, there’s a lot I’d like to go back and change, but at the end of the day it was my baby for a good two plus years and there’s a lot of personal stuff sprinkled in there. It kinda shows my emotional progression throughout high school in the story, and while that’s def not why I wrote it, it’s cool to go back and look at it sometimes to see the things I used to say/think about. Plus it’s one of the only massive projects of mine that I’ve actually completed, lol.

Also I have a lot of love for amc just bc it’s so… different, I guess? Like, I’ve never really seen something like it fleshed out into a full-length story, especially not with silver and blaze. And the fact that it rlly touched several ppl and got them rlly into it… that makes me feel kinda accomplished when I’m not being a self-deprecating prick lmao. I rlly rlly wanted it to be my first fic to get to 100 reviews for a reason!

2) favorite tense (past/present/future)Definitely past, I tried present with the unforgiven and it just made it frustrating to write, lmao.

3) favorite POV (first/second/third/etc)I prefer writing in first person, actually. I think it simplifies things for both the writer and reader, and I’ve always found a lot more freedom to be creative when I write in first person.

4) what are some themes you love writing about?Lmao well, obviously romance is priority one for me, so most of my themes stem from that. I rlly love writing about class struggle tho, whether it’s someone low who’s aiming high or a noble who isn’t satisfied with such a high class. Morality also comes up a lot in my writing, I guess; tryna figure out what the right thing to do is, tryna figure out if this character actually did the best thing, all that good stuff!

5) what inspires you to write?Definitely music… sometimes I’ll stray from it and pick up some inspo from movies/stories/etc, but 99% of the time I’ll be listening to a song and suddenly come up w a fic idea from it lmao.

6) thoughts on critiqueI encourage it!! bc I think it’s the only real way to improve. Sometimes it can make me feel bad if I’m in one of those rlly shitty self-deprecation ruts, but still I usually get over it soon even when I’m like that. I know it’s for the better, and I appreciate everyone who’s ever been kind enough, and cared enough abt my writing to give me critique!

7) create a character on the spot…. NOW!UMMMM OKIE,,, what abt a snow leopard named Kyra… she likes to sit around n read n eat noodles… her main hobby other than reading is dancing. she’s v shy but she loves her close friends n BAM I just made her gay. She’s a lesbian, harold.

8) is there a character you love writing for the most? the least? why?Most - probably silver… his personality is always one I’ve gotten a lot of joy out of writing. He’s basically a walking contradiction, lmfao. He’s also pretty easy for me to self-project onto, idk why. Least - I’m gonna say amy for this one, just because it’s been hard for me to focus on more than one aspect of her personality and flesh all of it out. Plus amy is a somewhat overused character lol, I get a lot more fun out of writing blaze/tikal/others when I need a female role, even if it’s something simple

9) a passage from a WIPOh u kno I gotta dip into royalty au for this one 👀

–

It was nearly a fortnight before any word was received from King Pyrus. It came in the form of a small parcel addressed to Blaze, which held a note inside for her. The young princess jumped at the feet of the servant who had brought it in, and once it was lowered into her hands, she hurried to her chamber. Once there, she closed the door behind her and jumped on her bed, unable to contain her excitement. With a careful claw and an eager expression, she tore the parcel’s paper away. Before looking at what it contained, she snatched the note from her father, and brought it to her face. It read:

My Little Flame,

I am sorry I could not write to you sooner. I remain busy, but I finally began exploring, and I found something I think you will simply adore. It is a traditional robe (I believe it is called a kimono) from here in the Eastern Isles. It is just as beautiful as the land, and just as special as you are to I, my dear. We must make plans to bring you here one day, it astounds me each time.

Do not fret about the ongoings in the world, how ever much you have heard. Kiniti watches over us at all times, and she will ensure peace among all kinetics. Hopefully, I will depart in the coming few days, and we will see one another soon.

With love,Father Flame

Blaze, of course, merely skimmed over the second half of the note as a formality. She laid the message aside, and her jaw dropped once she held the kimono out. It was a beautiful shade of dark purple, with an equally enchanting design. Trails of dainty cherry blossoms sat on rugged branches, which climbed up either side of the robe. The silk seemed to melt between Blaze’s fingers; it was the softest material she had ever felt. She rubbed one of the sleeves against her cheek, and purred into it. When she turned the robe over, she gasped. A large, pink bow was already tied at the back, as if it had been made just for her. She slipped the kimono over her shoulders, and although the sleeves hung low over her arms, the length was just right. Blaze tied the pieces of ribbon at her waist, just as Pyrus had taught her, and words could never express how delighted she was with the gift. She could not wait to show her father once he returned.

As Blaze was fitting her tail through the bow on her back, Baxton entered the room. Whenever Pyrus was absent, it was usually Baxton who took up the king’s general duties. He signed letters, addressed the people, attended court; it kept him quite busy. The only responsibility he didn’t inherit was any control of he army - the sole post he would be familiar with. Quite the chore it was, but Baxton was always fond of his temporary sovereign role. At least in terms of the power he held, that is. In fact, Blaze assumed that he had been yelling at some servants not too long ago, judging by his flushed face.

The elder cat scratched his head. “Princess, did the king leave a letter?”

Blaze pointed to the note on her bed. Baxton scurried to it, and frowned as he glanced over the elegant handwriting. “Is this it?” he quizzed.

The princess nodded, and held her arms out with a smile. “Look, Baxi! Look at what father sent me!”

Blaze couldn’t quite tell what Baxton’s expression conveyed, but it was something between a smile and a scowl. The note crumpled in a quick motion from Baxton’s fist, and was thrown back onto the bed cover. Blaze didn’t think much of this as Baxton hurried out, and she walked to her mirror to admire the kimono again.

–

10) what are your strengths wrt writing?Hmm… I get a lot of ppl saying that I’m pretty eloquent when it comes to phrasing/word choices? I’m constantly tinkering with how things are said, even up until like 30 seconds before I publish smth lmao. I also like to think I never just string sentences together and leave it at that when I’m narrating, I pay a lot of attention to how different sentences/phrases flow together.

11) what are your weaknesses wrt writing?My main weakness would probably be going overboard on all the little things, like how a sentence sounds or flows and stuff like that. I end up being a perfectionist with it, and sometimes when I’m crafting/changing phrases around, I end up with a sentence that kinda drags on or tries to do too much.

12) what’s your favorite place for writing resources?Tumblr’s pretty good for me, actually. I rarely ever seek out resources, but I do reblog a lot of them that come to me here and they’ve been very useful to me in the past.

13) who are your favorite writers?Ok first off binch u@aurora-boring-alis (FF: aurora-boring-alis) Then my other peeps who also make the quality goodness™™ I can’t get enough of (some fanfic accounts more active than others)@maliwarm (FF: biteworsethanbark) @lordoftheghostking28 (FF: lordoftheghostking28) @weezernaut (FF: space mercutio)@ebachan (wattpad: witto150)