raiderjet

[imjulia-andilikecats]

You know, why I love Marecal so much? Part 3544

Mare Molly Barrow had indirectly and directly wiped out ALMOST all of Cal's family. His step-mother, father and baby brother.

YET.

Our guy still WANTS HER, LOVES HER AND EVEN MARRIES HER

Cal Tiberias Calore Barrow, was probably like, "It's fine, babygurl. You're the love of my life and we can just RESPAWN👶 a family together."

[lilyharvord]

Flash Fic Friday #3

Another part of that fic I mentioned once. Connected with this one. This part I wrote this morning after my exam and after I heard some clock app sound with the dialogue. I knew instantly who would say it and who it would be said to. @nortaeventcouncil. It's kinda all the prompts smashed together? A lil bit of this and lil bit of that. 🤷🏼‍♀️

It was cold, bitter and biting cold. Normally, he would hate it, and would have taken precautions to make sure he stayed warmer. Doing that meant taking one of Cal’s jackets though, and he was not about to do that. He was not about to wear something that smelled like him or even remotely reminded him of his brother.

Blowing warm air into his cold hands, he stared out across the little space around the cabin. It was tucked away safely in this place that he refused to call majestic. No matter that it had taken his breath away when he had stood on the jetway and seen those mountains dusted with snow and cutting the bluest sky he had ever seen to ribbons. He refused to admit that he liked it here and that the peace and quiet had settled over him, leaving him feeling oddly stifled and quiet.

The porch door creaked and then slammed shut. He twisted his lips, deciding that as long as he kept his back to the door that neither of them would bother him. Maybe they would just see he wasn’t doing anything but sitting and staring out at the trees that were slowly growing nightmarish shadows as the sun dipped behind the mountain range.

The steps that approached him sounded more like someone hopping from one foot to the other, and it was a little body that dropped down onto the step next to him. He observed her out of the corner of his eye, already shying away as she started to swing her little booted feet so the heels struck the wood in an off-kilter rhythm.

He didn’t hate children. This one though, he wanted to hate her with a earnest that sometimes made him wonder how he couldn’t.

She watched the trees with him, not speaking. She was quiet, Maven had learned that about her very quickly. Sh observed everything around her, and she had observing him more than he would like. He knew Mare had told her to stay away, to never speak to him. He had seen the way those little pink lips had twisted, and how her eyes had sparked in such a familiar way after that warning, and deep down had known she would eventually find a way to go behind her mother’s back. He knew why he believed that, but he refused to admit it. It meant thinking about the past, about growing up, and his brother. Who conveniently had to go back to the city early yesterday to handle something. He was surprised Mare had let him go, given it meant she would be alone to deal with him and watch the child next to him.

Slowly he unfurled from his crunched state as she continued to sit and not speak but just kick her feet. He blew more warm air into his hands before glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. Her boots weren’t tied, and her brightly colored blue jacket wasn’t zipped, but she was at least wearing proper pants. He didn’t care. He told himself he didn’t care if she was cold. He was a Burner, and he had a feeling she was too. He had overheard Mare and Cal talking about it quietly one night while they carried her to bed. She wasn't showing signs yet though. So while it was freezing, it was this ridiculous child's decision to sit out here with him.

“She always looks at you like she’s mad.”

He froze, his blood going cold at the sound of her voice. Slowly he glanced down at her. Her little lips were pursed tightly and her brows were scrunched tightly together. She wrinkled her damn nose the same was he used to. He snapped his head forward again, ignoring her completely.

“Does everyone look at you like that?” The direction of her voice had changed. It wasn’t forward anymore, it was directly at him. He tried to avoid looking at her. He always avoided looking directly at her. He didn’t like being hurt, he didn’t like it when he did things that made him ache, but he also had come to realize over the course of his life that he had a hard time avoid it. This time was no different. He looked down at her.

His heart stuttered and his body heated unintentionally as she set those uncanny fucking eyes on him. Fucking Iris’s gods. They had given her Cal’s eyes. Those were his eyes, with the same earnest need to understand with the intetion to aid, to mend, and to heal. He wanted to claw them out of her head, wanted to remove them forever. Cal had always looked at him with those eyes, and it had always reminded him of the sucking, gaping hole in his heart and head where his love for his brother used to be.

She had his hair, his eyes, and she had that sweet face that he had faint memories of from when he used to run after Cal though the hall of Whitestone. Before Cal had gone to the front, before he had come back a yonng man and not a child anymore. Before his mother had ripped any connection to Cal out of him by the root and stem.

But she was not him, even though the first time he had seen her he had almost mistaken her for him in a strange flash of déjà vu. She had peeked around the doorway as Mare had paced in front of him, setting the boundaries that he had thought were laughable. Now he wished she had set more, wished she had left her daughter with her parents in the city. He wished that this girl had not been born, that she didn’t exist. But she did, and in his deepest heart… he didn’t hate that. It meant--he didn't want to admit to it. Twisting his lips, he finally let the words form, but not leave him. It meant he had subverted his mother's meddling, and had found a way to love his brother again. Even if it was just loving the strange mirage of him that his daughter was.

It took longer than he liked to put himself together just enough and put the mask back in place and shrug as if that question was inconsequential.

She continued to watch him, even though he had started to turn away from her.

He felt the moment she slipped her little hand in his. It was warm, warmer than he thought it would be. Maybe she was a Burner after all.

His entire body locked, and he whipped his head over his shoulder, wondering why Iris’s gods had not send Mare out here yet. He didn't smell ozone, or hear the tell tale crackle of lightening waiting to scorch through him.

“I’m not mad at you.” She said, leaning toward him as if she could push those words though his cold exterior and embed them in his heart. His throat locked up against his will, and he had to take a short, shallow breath and swallow multiple times. It wouldn’t dislodge. If he looked at her, he knew he would not see her. He would see his brother, he would see the Harbor Bay room. He would see that look that Cal had given him over his shoulder before slipping out. So he continued to stare out at the advancing shadows, keeping his eyes on the tree line, but he didn’t let go of her hand either.

[lucy-the-cat]

I just wanted to say that Beneath the surface fascinates me. There are so many possibilities like how has Maven changed over time, has he found a way to cope with his obsessions? (probably not very healthily ofc) or has it festered over time? What will cori have to sacrifice to convince Maven that she’s on his side. I can totally see it as like a mean girls esc situation if that makes sense. Where she slowly morphs into the person she’s pretending to be. Anyway, I love your work! You do a beautiful job of making characters come to life poetically and yet also realistically, and I hope you continue with that fic!

Thank you! I do have to shout out @lilyharvord again for coming up with the base idea/outline, we just took it in different directions genre wise and thematically to the point where we couldn't collab anymore. I think we both plan to have some level of her "becoming the mask", but we have VERY different ideas on how his obsession should manifest. You should totally follow her to see how her version plays out if she ever posts it!

Also . . . Have a treat!

CW: Alcohol, references to alcoholism

“No.” He held a hand over her glass with a sudden sharpness. “You’ve had enough.”

Head in for the kill. "Dad’s always drinking, why can't I?”

That caught his attention. His eyes fluttered, searching for something just out of reach. “Cal drinks?”

“Yeah?” She leaned back, fingers creeping to slide her glass back. Immature. Act immature, and he will lower his guard. “Mom won’t shut up about it. I thought everyone knew.”

He swatted her away. “Runs in the family, I suppose.”

Cori bristled. “Excuse me?”

“Not you. Father.” Maven swirled his champagne, letting a few droplets splatter on the table. “He loved wine, and little else.”

Cori’s dad never spoke of the old king, only the grandmother she was named for. That he’d loved her, but not enough to make her happy. Not enough to surrender the crown that swallowed her whole.

Her throat bobbed. “He never drinks wine.”

“Oh?” A raised brow. “What does he drink?”

“Whiskey. Liquor.” She lunged for the glass, and he sighed. “That bubbly stuff you won’t give me.”

It wasn’t a lie. Her parents would do shots when she was supposed to be asleep, when she tiptoed around the house in rebellion. Their ears were tuned to every sudden creak, every footstep the threat of a war veteran's paranoia. It’s how she’d learned to keep her footsteps silent as a swan. How she’d managed to catch the eye of Elane Haven.

“You truly are a nuisance.” He dumped the glass on the floor. “If someone slips, I’m blaming you.”

Cori pouted. “How cruel.”

Maven sighed. “I am a cruel man, Cori, but I don’t hide it. Don’t believe those who claim to be kind: they’re often the worst of us all.”

[sourtimesemi]

i need coriane and shade content right now 😡

[ball-of-butter]

red queen characters and their fav video games:

mare: grand theft auto 💀🙏 any gta game she can get her hands on but it started with the chinatown wars on ds

cal: missed out on a proper childhood so is treating his inner child to fnaf for the first time and idk… something something about the story being an overarching narrative about a brother trying to pick up the remnants of his family through his grief… he says he doesnt get the lore butbhe kinda does. also had a goat simulator phase for the same reasons but minus the angst

maven: i would like to say some really cool psychological game but this mf would probs love playing chess against a cpu the most 💀 silent hill takes second place though (he’s obsessed with the idea of a purgatory of one’s own making… hmm… i wonder why 🤔)

evangeline: mario cart (she eats anyone who even THINKS of playing as peach)

elane: some sort of dating sim methinks… maybe like those ikemen games (let her be y/n)

ptolemus: fortnite for the dances.

kilorn: also fortnite but he has one-sided beef with ptolemus on there who keeps trying to add him. he also has the toph skin and keeps wiping the floor with his ass (ptolemus has the miles morales skin)

cameron: the attack on titan vr game where the world’s best comedy is originated from

gisa: what remains of edith finch. cursed family narrative goes hard with these folk.

shade: hes a legend of zelda girlie.

diana: she genuinely doesn’t play any game besides minecraft because she gets forced it by other people. but i know she’d love red dead i just don’t think she could be convinced into playing it (tragic)

iris: virgo versus the zodiac would speak to her, i feel. she has a secret weird side that only indie games could tease out of her.

wren: star stable!!! secret horse girl lore.

thomas: resident evil 4 because depending what you headcanon him as hes either feening for leon or ada or both.

coriane: definition of stardew valley girlie. but considering what she went through maybe yume nikki would be a game she keeps close to her heart (someone check up on her).

elara: if the sims 4 existed in the red queen verse it could have saved a lot of lives. maybe even her own.

sara: she wipes everyone in super smash bros you best believe it.

julian: castlevania: symphony of the night… mm the grip it has on this nerd loser… do not even breathe the name alucard around him he will give you the entire dracula lore starting with le fanu’s carmilla.

dane: detroit become human. played markus’ storyline and bro suddenly was made to govern a democratic republic for the people by the people.

[lateatnewyork]

TRQ Series

the red queen main characters as taylor swift songs

evangeline: mad woman

maven: you belong with me (but more aggressive)

mare: the 1

kilorn: innocent

farley: eyes open

cal: enchanted

shade: dress

coriane: the best day

elara: look what you made me do

[drewtanakagf]

For the first few rounds I'm going to do a google form because otherwise there's just going to be a wall of polls and no one would like that. Once it gets to the semi finals/ finals though, I'll use tumblr's poll feature.

Each google form will be open for 48 hours, each tumblr poll for 24.

here is the bracket, (click for quality!)

Here's the round one poll:

[maventheforgotten]

I hate so many characters in the Red Queen series. I understand it's a book (and these are fictional characters) and absolutely no hate to the author it's an amazing series, but on like a personal real-life I hate them. To anyone who doesn't want to hear how I hate a specific character, you can skip their part. Also understand these are my OPINIONS and understanding of the characters if you disagree you are free to tell me but understand I have the right to disagree with you as well.

Anabel Lerolan grandmother to both Cal and Maven and my absolute least favorite character. She makes me so mad mainly because she makes no attempts to save Maven from his mother. Anabel knew and saw what Elara did to Coriane and hated her for it but yet when Elara shows signs of doing the same thing to Maven she looked at Maven as Elaras son, not her grandchild who was being forced at such a young age to go through the same pains that caused the death of an adult women then has the aducaity to blame Maven for everything that happened.

Julian Jacos is next on this list for much the same reason. He saw what was happening but viewed Maven as the son of Elara instead of a boy who needed someone to step in much as his sister did. I understand why it would have been hard especially after Elara cut out Sara's tongue but even spending time with Maven making sure he understood he wasn't alone was all he needed to do. (This part goes with Anabel as well.)

Evangeline Samos just annoys me because I think she's a self-centered, selfish brat who can only get over herself when family or her girlfriends are involved. She did have some character development at the end but for me it was to late for her to be saved.

Mare Barrow is riding in the same boat as Evangeline but on a whole other level. I despise her to put it simply. In the beginning, she is obnoxious, self-centered, and blankly disregards the feelings of others for whatever she believes to be right. She also has attention seeking behavior and throws a fit when it doesn't go how she wants it. The main example I see of this is when Cal chose the crown. There has been a major debate on this sceen and what he was thinking but for my stand point I don't seem him chosing the crown just to be King but I see him chosing the crown to be HER king. When Cal tries to explain his reasoning to Mare, she refuses to accept and leaves. She had the right to be upset with his decision but not to claim she was not enough for him.

Tiberias "Cal" Calore VII I don't have much to say about. I don't hate him. I just felt he had a right to be added to the list. I think he's okay, and he's trying his best to be a good person despite what he grew up around. I don't like that he ignored the signs he saw from Maven and Elara's relationship, but he was just the prince and a kid for most of it, and at least he never gave up on Maven.

Tiberias Calore VI we didn't see much of but I have no love for him. He was depicted as a drunk and neglective father who was to caught up in the loss of Coriane to really pay attention to either of his sons and obviously favored Cal the son of his late wife. I do think he loved Maven he just didn't know how to be a father to someone that wasn't Coriane's son.

Elara Merandus is a bitch and I hate her. She was mentally abusive and hurtful to Maven from a young age. She manipulated his views of his family members and made him dependent on her and deserved her death. I don't have anything else to say on her.

None of this makes anything Maven did right or any less his fault. I'm just saying at all of these character except Cal and sometimes Mare want to throw all the blame on Maven. It's not just his fault- someone should have done something to help him before it got out of hand. This was all a rant I had to my friend and just felt like letting the internet know about. Remember these are OPINIONS- so it's cool to disagree but be respectful and know I didn't see the book the same way you did.

[thebridgehqs]

The following need to make the below number of posts within 1 week of this check (unless on hiatus) or message the main for an extension:

@rosewaterdrunk:  One on Catherine Alexander, Elsa, Genevieve Duke, Hope Van Dyne, Katy Chen, Misaki, Nimue, Raven and River Mekhala Niranpai. Two on Vilya.

@mlndless:  One on Li Lonnie.  Two on Hunter Clarington and Glenn Rhee.

@virtuousouls: One on Jaskier, Jon Snow, Joyce Byers, Maya Lopez, Peeta Mellark, Rick Grimes, Skye Richfield, Spencer Rei, Violet Richards and Xu Xialing

@hxlcycnx:  One on Artagan, Aziraphale, Christian, Death, Din Djarin, Erik Destler, Kaiya O'Conner, Lia Beaufort, Kharas Indago, and Tanya

@totouchthcstars:  One on Giulia Marcovado, Jester Lavorre, and Lady Amalthea

@fidclium:  One on Jake Sully, Eddie Diaz, Keegan O'Conner and Rick Neven. Two on Caitriona O'Donnell, Jared Cameron, Lorenzo Crawford, Sarah Cameron and Slider.

@lcnelylcves: No comment.

@allxthingsxglxtter:  One on Aether, Caitlyn Kiramman, Carter Kazansky, Coriane Calore, Dane Whitman, Dean Winchester, Dev Dakkar, Erasmus, Jacen Solo, Jason Todd, Kai Whitlock, Kaz Brekker, Khonsu, Link, Luc, Maelstrom Adler, Maeve, Merlin, Merrin, Neil Vikander, Odysseus Pierce, Sapphire, Shaun Gilmore, Teddy Lupin, Tedros, Telemachus, Thomas, and Viktor. Two on Aeneas Fairworth, Alanna, Albus Potter, Alicia Boyd, Ahsoka Tano, Barry Allen, Bilal Belkebirs, Bucky Barnes, Cassie Anderson, Castor, Chase Slater, Chris Rodriguez, Daja Kisubo, Diego Hargreeves, Diluc Ragnvindr, Dimitri, Dof, Elias Stone, Ezra Neven, Garrett McKinnon, Gawain, Grace, Hades, Hermes, Hermione Granger, Ivan Kaminsky, Jace Herondale, Jake Stone, Joel Watson, John Watson, Jonathan Carnahan, Kida Nedakh, Leo, Lito Amana, Lyra Samos, Makkari, Malyen Oretsev, Matt Murdock, Matthias Helvar, Maven Calore, Megara, Merry Brandybuck, Michael Scofield, Morpheus, Nathan Byrne, Nil, Nile Freeman, Ophelia Langston, Patroclus, Pervival De Rolo, Percy Jackson, Pete Mitchell, Peter Pevensie, Quylla Vanity, Reid Garwin, Sage, Shade Barrow, Shang Chi, Skye Winters, Sokka, Thalia Grace, Triss Merigold, Uma, Veralidaine Sarrasri, Wayland Norwell, Xanthe Abernathy and Zahra Jaziri

[paragon-of-anxiety]

Red Queen Headcanon 3:

In winter the Farley-Barrow-Calore children and one grown adult cling to Cal like koalas and he just goes around being his glorious 6'2" self while three children and one adult(read: Mare) are hanging from him.

[imjulia-andilikecats]

Hey Lovey! This is a question but I thought it would be beneficial to get your thoughts on this. Would Kilorn be the kind of uncle to tell his niece/nephew that if they shake their soda can before opening it the drink will taste better and then preceded to watch the chaos unfold? Thats all, Love you!

Hello! Thank you for your lovely ask! There is no dull moment when you have Uncle Kilorn around!

Dude, you and I know that the moment the Barrow-Calore children were born. Kilorn immediately took on the position of the "Fun and also Responsible Uncle."

When Mare and Cal are in a mission, and Ruth Barrow is too busy taking care of her other grandkids.

Kilorn would take good care of Coriane and Shade. He would changed their diapers, bathe and feed them. Read them bedtime stories or the stupid antics he and their mother would often get into (of course, he will tweak it a little bit, to make him look cool infront of his niece and nephew.)

He would send them toys that they would love but are very noisy to play with (Which Mare and Cal absolutely loved *insert sarcastic voice*).

And YES! He would definitely play pranks on the Barrow-Calore family. However, I don't think he would play a prank on his niece and nephew. HE WOULD TEACH IT TO THEM!

After Uncle Kilorn told them about the soda trick. He would hand a can of soda to baby Shade and point at the garage.

"Now, go give this to your dad. He must be thirsty!"

Shade, beams at his uncle, holding the cold can of soda between his small chubby hands. "Dada, thirsty." His little toddler feet marching towards the garage.

"Shade!" Kilorn called after his nephew.

Shade slowed his steps and looked back at his uncle.

"Don't forget what I taught you." He winked.

Shade grinned, showing his baby teeth and shaked the can aggressively. Excited to hand his father a tastier can of soda.

Note: Cal being very thirsty was indeed very thrilled to see his son waddle in his workspace to hand him a cold can of soda. Though he was not pleased that the soda shot through his nostrils.

Uncle Kilorn was banned from the Barrow-Calore household for a week.

[lilyharvord]

that maven corianne interaction u posted was truly insane and i have not stopped thinking about it and how much i love there dynamic

I have brainrot about young Coriane and her strangely Loner™️ uncle who is staying with her family, and her parents struggle to be in the same room as the guy, and she is not allowed to talk to him or be near him, but she is and always will be Mare Barrow's kid and that makes her a Problem™️. So she decides to invite him to play games with her when they are not home. First, she asks him to play hide and seek. He looks over the faded edge of the book he is scowling at and says, "fine, go hide." She giggles and runs away as he "counts". She uses her best hiding place, the one her dad can't find her in, and she waits and waits and waits (she hides for a good two hours) and then she comes out to see him still sitting in the exact same place and says, "You're bad at this game." And he just turns the page and says, "I found you didn't I?" He looks up from the book with a bored raised eyebrow and says, "So clearly you are bad at it." And she is fucking GOBSMACKED, her little mouth falls open in horror and she stares at him for a solid few seconds. He expects her to argue, to stomp her foot and be mad, but instead she just crosses her arms and glares at him in a very "Mare Barrow" fashion and it kinda unsettles him. He pulled an Uno Reverse (not that that exists in this universe but whatever) on her and she is like: I will not be fooled into losing my favorite game again. So she keeps finding all these games to rope him into: cards, a board game she realizes her parents have just been letting her win at after he wins four times in a row, a different card game that she makes up (she cheats and keeps changing the rules to try and beat him but he finds a way to out-craft her every time), and then finally one day she brings him an old faded wooden box and sets it on the kitchen table where he is reading in the sunlight and then climbs on the chair across from him and sitting on her knees takes the top off and flips it around to show him a chess board and the pieces in the box. He tenses and she very awkwardly starts setting the pieces up incorrectly (she's only seen Cal set it up once or twice when Julian comes over) but with absolute confidence that she is correct. She crosses her arms, stares him down, and says, "we are going to play." and he just stares at the board between them before closing his book with a snap and rising. "No." he says and walks away. He's never said no before and she is furious. She chases after him, begging him to come play with her, grabbing his hand and pleading until she is almost crying. Eventually she lets go of his hand in the hallway and just sits down and starts crying. He is frozen and that is when Cal pokes his head out and is like: what happened? And she runs to him crying and Cal just takes her in his office and closes the door. And then like 30 minutes later, Cal finds Maven and is holding a sniffling and puffy eyed Coriane who clings to his neck and hides her face there when Cal stands there in silence for a few seconds. Maven watches him struggle for a bit before raising a brow and saying, "yes?" Cal inhales deeply and then says, "get the board set up, we're going to teach her how to play." And then just goes into the kitchen where the board is still waiting. Maven hesitates, then slowly follows and eyeing them like a cornered animal as Cal gives Coriane a glass of water and calms her down a little more. He brings her over at the time as Maven readjusts the pieces and sits down with her in his lap and begins explaining the pieces, what they can do, etc. And Maven watches her purse her little lips, and laughs internally because she is literally 5 years old why the heck would she be able to play chess? And then they start playing and she is getting it (kinda sorta, she's getting it for a 5 year old), guarantee she has Cal helping her and it is mostly him playing, but she is asking all the questions and understanding his answers and she has more than glimmer (more like a shine) of a strategic brain. And then when they win she is so excited and Maven smiles at them, and then Cal smiles at him.

[lucy-the-cat]

🌷

“Pain is good for the soul, Cori.  If that’s even your name.”  In his other hand, he held a blade.  “If I didn’t know better, I'd think you were my daughter, because you certainly aren't his.  He would never raise someone this duplicitous.  Then again.”  His lip curled.  “He always was fond of betraying me.”

[nymphenberger]

Maven Calore is dead- that much is very sure. The rest is less sure, and more of an endless ride inside an endless train. This may or may not be the afterlife. Because everyone else on the train is dead. And some of them have their own penance and punishment to deal with.

This five parter with different POVs is my farewell gift. Originally it was a one shot, but as someone easily influenced, you get four dead characters on a train in the afterlife.

I hope you'll enjoy it. It was a very lovely time. I was kind of trapped in the fandom, by writing projects that require too much time. I spent three years of my life writing the Viper series. And even though I never got that much feedback and I will never reach any sort of popularity due to the nature of my writing and old me being not very social, it was fun.

My special thanks and heart goes out to all my readers but especially @lucy-the-cat and @imjulia-andilikecats . Thank you for being my friends. (They're also amazing content creators and writers. Check them if you don't already know them!)

Signing off for real this time. Take a ride on the train with me.

[ball-of-butter]

actually bonkers i’ve never posted a red queen fic before