#I'm sure Val is touched by the acknowledgement

[prince-liest]

since you acknowledged vox and valentino as a uh. less than healthy relationship (lol) several times (going feral over what vox was implying in that latest 666 fic), do you think there's ever the chance of alastor feeling... probably not protective haha but maybe possessive over vox the next time he's a little banged up? alternatively, how else do you think alastor would react if whatever they were getting up to is halted by vox nursing some kind of injury from one of his and val's fights? - ✨

I think it really depends on how Vox presents the situation, to be honest! They, uh, bang each other up a lot themselves, hahaha, and Alastor doesn't really register it as problematic. A lot of writing 666 is balancing the idea that these guys are living an existence where the a real life normal-meter really can't accurately be applied, and also maintaining that they still do have personal boundaries and lines that might be crossed.

A reminder of some (but not all) of the fucked up things that Vox and Alastor have done to each other over the course of 666:

One murder attempt that Vox didn't draw a line in the sand over

Vox got annoyed and slapped Alastor across the face hard enough to knock him down, with no warning or prelude, in a sexual context

Vox slammed Alastor's skull into the ground, out of anger, several times until he was dazed and bleeding

Alastor literally tried to eat a chunk of Vox's shoulder, most likely resulting in the reverse of the scenario you're describing: Vox having to take it easier with Val because he has a gaping shoulder wound courtesy of Alastor and can't lift his arm

About three dozen bucketfuls of severely under-negotiated and sometimes not-at-all negotiated edgeplay (as in, not safe-sane-consensual) kink from both ends, including but not limited to: choking (via hands and via dick), fearplay, deliberate boundary-crossing wrt touch, hypnosis, painplay, bloodplay, wounding, and gaslighting for the purpose of humiliation

Like, Vox asking "I want to make sure I didn't cross any boundaries!" in the second 666 fic does not in any way absolve him of having deliberately crossed about thirty of them immediately prior, and the fact that Alastor enjoyed it is mostly just because Alastor is also fucked up. Some people seemed quite surprised at Alastor crossing so many boundaries in the wireplay fic compared to all the shit Vox had pulled prior to that point, and I think it's because he, unlike Vox, didn't pay lip service to it, though they both do about the same amount of actual "keeping an eye on things".

Them caring about each other does not mean that their concept of "boundaries" or even "okay things to do to another person in an intimate setting or otherwise" aren't very, very colored by them being demonic overlords who live in hell and haven't so much as waved 'hello' to a single healthy intimate relationship in the past hundred years.

Vox having to take a breather because he has some kind of injury from Val is, unless he's actively making a 'this is fucked up and I'm opening up to be vulnerable and unhappy about it' kind of deal about it, is not really going to ping on Alastor's radar as a problem.

And Vox isn't going to make that kind of deal about it because that isn't how he sees his relationship with Valentino. Yes, Val often treats Vox in abusive ways in 666. That is also colored by both of them being demonic overlords who live in hell, and Vox treats certain aspects of it as frustrating and upsetting (and often takes that out on Valentino - hence the frequent off-again-on-again nature of their relationship), but he doesn't actually, like, see their relationship the way that we do.

He loves Val. Val loves him. To him, the rest is either normal overlord behavior or their own damage, and they've found a balance where the general response to a shitty happening is, "Eh, we've worked through worse."

TL;DR: Valentino, Vox, and Alastor all need to have "DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!" stapled across their foreheads. To paraphrase Bay: They're in hell. The insane acts of violence are basically a love language at this point.

[canirove]

In The Name of Love | Chapter 3

Author's note: A little clarification about the previous chapter since someone commented it on Wattpad. What happened between Val and Pedri when he visited her was all consensual. In all my stories I always try to make it clear, but sometimes I may not manage to write down what I have in my head or it gets lost in translation. Also, for future chapters. Teasing each other is like their love language, so when they do it, they aren't actually being mean. It's just their way of saying I love you 😁 Hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you to everyone who has been reading so far! 💜

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Masterlist

"That room over there is my brother's, and those are guest rooms for when my parents or my friends come to stay. But the best room is this one" Pedri smiles. "Not because it is mine, the woman who showed me the house said so."

"Sure" I chuckle.

"She did. Are you ready?"

"Ready."

"Welcome to my room, my lady" he says before opening the door. "I know it is a bit messy, but I didn't want it to make it look perfect because that isn't me, you know? And this weekend I want you to get to know me, not the football star."

"Since when are you a football star?" I ask with a teasing smile.

"Ha ha ha. You are so funny, Val" he says, rolling his eyes. 

"I know" I smile. "But I like it. I actually like the whole house. I've seen others this big and modern and they look so cold and empty with just a sofa and a tv in a corner and an untouched kitchen… But yours looks like a place where there are people living. And it's messy, yes. But it is an organized mess."

"I wouldn't have described it better" he laughs. "Do you want to check the view? That's the reason why this room is the best one."

"Please."

"Then after you, my lady" Pedri says, opening the balcony's door.

"Thank you" I giggle. My God, why did I giggle? He just opened a door for me! "Oh, wow" I gasp as I walk outside.

"It is the best, isn't it?"

"It's beautiful" I say as I lean on the railing and look around in awe, the sun setting in front of me. 

"It has never looked as beautiful as it does right now, tho."

"Pedri!" I laugh, turning around to look at him.

"It is what it is" he shrugs. He's leaning against the balcony's door frame, his arms crossed over his chest, a soft smile on his lips. He had never looked so… So...Ok , I'm gonna say it. So boyfriend. 

"It was cheesy" I giggle again, feeling my cheeks get warmer and warmer and my stomach do funny things while he just looks at me, making me feel as if I'm 15 again and my crush has finally acknowledged me. 

Dear lord, he is turning me into a teenager. 

"It was the truth" he says before walking towards me, my heart skipping a beat when I feel one of his hands cupping my face, the other on my low back, pulling me closer towards him before kissing me.

But it isn't a kiss like the ones we've shared before. It is soft, gentle, slow. And it is making me melt under his touch, making my body relax and forget about anything else. It's just him and I, his lips on mine, his hands on my body, the feeling of his heart beating against my chest. 

And it keeps being like that as he walks me back into the room, when he lays me down on the bed, when he takes off my clothes and leaves kisses all over my body, when I feel him inside me. There is no rush, no need to make it to the end like happened yesterday. It's just us moving at the same rhythm, enjoying every second, every touch, every kiss. And it's perfect.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

"Val, we are gonna be late. What are you doing?" 

"I can't find my phone. A moment ago I was texting Silvia and now it's gone."

"If it was under the bed don't you think you would have heard it fall?" Pedri chuckles.

"Maybe? I don't know. Can you call me to see if it's here somewhere?" I say, getting up.

"Val…"

"Wait, no. Don't call me, I have it on vibration. Though that makes noise, so if we are quiet…"

"Val…"

"Or maybe it is in the bathroom? I went there to check if I was leaving something behind and…"

"Valeria!"

"I know you don't want to be late, but there is no need to yell, Pedro."

"Have you checked your pockets?" 

"My pockets?"

"On your jeans. Have you checked them?"

"There is nothing there."

"Back pockets" he sighs.

"What… fuck" I say when I feel my phone on one of them. 

"It happens to the best of us" he laughs. "Now can we please go?"

"Yes, of course. We don't want Xavi to get mad at you, do we? He may not choose you for the starting eleven and… Do you want to cuddle?"

"What?" Pedri laughs again.

"Come, let's cuddle for a bit" I say, sitting on the bed and extending my arms towards him.

"Val, that's cheating."

"I don't know what you are talking about" I shrug.

"Of course not" he smirks. "Let's go."

"Wait, no… Pedri!" I complain when he picks me up and throws me over his shoulder.

"You wanted to cuddle, right? This is a new way of doing it" he says, slapping my butt while we leave the room.

"You better not fall down the stairs."

"I wouldn't dare" he replies, this time pinching me, laughing when I try to hit him and miss. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

"You know where to meet after the game, right?"

"I do, Pedri" I say while checking that I have everything I may need in my purse.

"If you get lost or something…"

"I'll call you, don't worry."

"You better. And are you sure you don't want me to drive you a bit closer to the stadium?"

"I'm sure. I don't want someone recognizing you, taking a photo of us together, and end up all over the internet."

"Neither do I, to be honest" he sighs. "Anyway, before you leave… Can I get a good luck kiss?" he pouts.

"What about one that says I hope you have a good game but that your team loses?" I smile.

"I don't like how that sounds."

"Leave it or take it" I shrug.

"Ok, fine" he sighs. "You merengones are so mean."

"Oh, shut up" I say, grabbing him by his t-shirt and pulling him towards me before kissing him. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

"I'm telling you that's her."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Let's go say hello."

"Ok. But try not to say anything stupid or he'll get mad."

"I won't, Gavi. Relax. Hello!" 

"Hi" I say to the two guys walking towards me.

"You are Pedri's friend, right? Valeria."

"Yep."

"I'm Ferran, and this is Gavi. Though you probably already know."

"I recognized Gavi, but you…"

"Bro" Gavi laughs.

"She's messing with you" Pedri says behind them.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. Yesterday I made you check everyone's name and photo so you would know who is who during the game."

"It didn't work" I shrug. 

"Then do you know who I am or not?" Ferran asks.

"I do, I was just teasing you" I smile. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to finally meet you too!"

"Finally?"

"Our boy here hasn't stopped talking about you since the day he met you" Ferran says, putting his arm around Pedri's shoulders. "I don't blame him, tho."

"He's completely smitten" Gavi chuckles.

"Shut up" Pedri says, getting free of Ferran's grip and moving to stand next to me, his cheeks a bright shade of pink. He's blushing. Cute. Wait, what?

"Oh, don't get mad, Pepi."

"Pepi? What kind of name is that?" I laugh.

"That's how his fans call him" Ferran smiles.

"Why would they call you that? Pedri didn't sound stupid enough?"

"Oh my God" Gavi gasps.

"You weren't joking when you said she's savage" Ferran laughs.

"Yeah, well, whatever. We should get going, Val. You have an early morning tomorrow" Pedri says, trying to end the conversation.

"I actually do, yes" I say, noticing how uncomfortable he is feeling.

"We have to meet another day, then. Maybe for lunch or dinner?" Ferran says.

"Yes, sure" I smile. "It was nice meeting you, guys."

"You too, Val" Ferran says, taking my hand and kissing it, making Pedri roll his eyes before getting inside the car. 

"Bye."

"Bye" he and Gavi say at the same time.

"They are nice" I say once I am inside the car.

"And annoying" Pedri mutters. 

"Congratulations on that goal, by the way" I say, trying to lighten up the mood. 

"Thank you" he replies, finally looking at me. "Did you see that I dedicated it to you?"

"You did?"

"Yep" he smiles. Finally. 

"I saw that you did like a peace sign or something."

"It wasn't a peace sign, Val! It was a V! I sent you a kiss and then did a V!"

"Oh…" I say, suddenly feeling my cheeks get warm, not sure if of embarrassment or because of how cute he was by dedicating me his goal. 

"I'm sure there are photos already, let me check."

"Won't they close the stadium with us inside or something? I can't sleep at the Camp Nou, I'm already feeling all itchy from the time I've been here."

"Stop complaining" Pedri laughs, his eyes fixed on his phone. "Here. Look. The kiss" he says, showing me a photo. "And the V. My first goal of the season is for you" he smiles.

"Thank you" I reply, blushing again. And this time it definitely is because of how cute he is. Because he is cute. Admit it, Valeria. "No one had ever dedicated me a goal before."

"Well, this will be the first of many."

"Just promise me one of those future goals won't be against Real Madrid."

"I'll try" he laughs. "And I think I'm gonna post these photos on Instagram. What do you think?"

"You are smiling, I like them."

"Do you like my smile?" he asks, arching one of those perfect eyebrows of his.

"It's ok" I shrug, my face now burning. Thank God he isn't able to notice because of how dark the parking is.

"Just ok, sure" Pedri chuckles while typing on his phone.

"Do you run it yourself? Your Instagram account, I mean."

"I do. I've been offered to have someone do it for me, but I like doing it myself."

"Because that way you can manage better your dms with the teenagers?" I tease him.

"Exactly that, yes" he laughs. "Though I don't do it anymore."

"Do what?"

"Dm girls. Or reply to their dms."

"Why?"

"Because now I'm only interested in sliding into the dms of a certain girl" he says with a cheeky smile.

"Poor thing" I reply, looking away and acting as if I didn't know who he is talking about.

"Yes, poor thing. And posted. Will you give it a like?"

"Are you mad? What if someone sees it and they don't allow me to set foot in the Bernabéu ever again?" 

"They'll understand" he laughs, starting the car.

"They won't. I'm literally sleeping with the enemy, Pedri. Just that could ban me forever."

"You are such a drama queen, Val" he laughs again. "But does that mean there is no chance I will be seeing you in my notifications?" 

"Well… You actually look really cute in those photos. They are like worth it." Cute. Cute, cute, cute. The word of the night.

"I'll take that as a yes, then" he smiles. 

"But I didn't say yes. Or maybe."

"You kind of did" Pedri smirks.

"I just… whatever" I say, looking out the window so he can't see the stupid smile on my face. 

And yes, I ended up giving him that like. Let's just hope Florentino doesn't see it.

[joons]

there is a certain type of elvis fan — or elvis author — who makes it a mark of personal pride that they will read anything and everything written about him. the assumption, i'm sure, is that in reading widely, from the perspectives of multiple people believed to have known or met him, that they will naturally sort out the truth between them all and come to a more accurate picture of who he was. this might take them toward obscure sources whose motives and factual bases are much harder to determine than those of the better-documented friends and family members who spent time with him. some of these obscure sources cannot be verified by anyone and can sometimes contradict absolutely sure facts about elvis' life, such as what city he was in on a certain day, or they are conveniently lacking in any evidentiary value.

despite the problems with these sources, there is a tendency among more indiscriminate readers to hold themselves above other fans who stick to a stricter "canon" of books that can be verified. there is some sense that because they are more adventurous in their sourcing that they are getting to the "true" story, that anyone who doubts some of these little-known accounts are clinging to a whitewash. when confronted with questions about these sources, they accuse other fans of being "naive" about elvis' drug use, infidelities, or spiritual beliefs, or whatever the source purports to reveal, and thus they can categorize any pushback as an attempt by the "naive" fan to preserve an idealized/idolized version of elvis that doesn't exist (never mind that this is rarely the case; "beloved" or "defended" are not synonyms for "idolized").

but whatever naivete they may ascribe to more discerning fans, surely it takes more naivete to ignore the fog of puerile, absurd narrative-making that has surrounded elvis since the start of his career (earlier, if we take school bullying into account). this is someone who was believed to be possessed by the devil, to have faked his own death, to have drug-fueled orgies and 20 unknown lovechildren and an incestuous relationship with his own mother. and yet, in spite of all these obviously false narratives that have taken hold, these fans and authors still seem to find it completely inconceivable that many, many people lie about elvis and their involvement in his life. it is absolutely "naive" to believe that anyone putting pen to paper is basically truthful, especially when it comes to someone who is arguably the most famous american figure in popular culture. these fans have no trouble believing books about secret affairs that conflict with elvis' known whereabouts (or, on the side of elvis critics: believing rumors of racism that were found decades ago to have been invented wholecloth) just because they are a touch less outlandish than claims of cloning or secret siblings. the standards are on the floor, and yet some fans keep picking them up and dusting them off like they're (cr)edible.

uncritically accepting every source obscures the man so much that "reading widely" hits a point of diminishing returns, distorting him in the way he most feared. and, for some reason, i see it rationalized as a needed counter to a perfect elvis strawman, as if some fans' love or credibility is stronger because they "acknowledge" invented faults.

even memoirs from people we know absolutely spent lots of time with elvis are frequently self-serving and outright misleading, and those are the best ones. other narrators seem willing to contradict themselves and leverage their access to speak with authority they don't have. that alone takes an enormous amount of care and study to ensure that elvis' story is being told accurately and respectfully. but beneath that, there are accounts from people never known to have spent any time with him that are given the same weight as elvis' closest friends. while this might "suit" tabloid journalism just fine, it has no place in published works or curated fan pages that value the truth.

at the heart of every fictionalized elvis account, positive or negative, bigger-than-life or oddly intimate, is the same impulse for the storyteller to weave themselves into his life, by claiming they were the only one who loved him, the only one who saw through him, the one he kept a secret, someone who found their identity and worth in believing they're his child or confidante or drug dealer. and there is nothing, nothing, grounding any of them in reality. if there is any truth there worth seeing, it is in how he affects people so much that they want to leave their mark on him, to leverage their fleeting glimpses of him into something bigger, something meaningful and worthy of notice. while that is an understandable impulse, it cannot come by clawing at someone else's life and filling in the spaces with whatever you hope to find.

and that's something we as fans have to avoid as well. it's just as true that today's historians, writers, and fans must avoid assuming that they know him best just because of their willingness to dive into material that continues to exploit him and create funhouse mirrors that reflect whatever we want to see in him. studying his life and career will always be subjective and interpretive, so it is all the more necessary to stick to credible accounts and verifiable facts, instead of relying on the One Neat Trick of believing the real elvis presley is buried at the bottom of all the sludge.

[biggs-regretti]

Harrow and Val thoughts

Harrow and Valentine are so... I need to flesh out more of their lore. Val's lore is more or less written out but I need to write out Harrow's story. and I for sure need to write out the impact Valentine had on Harrow and vise versa because it's so imperative to their growth Rambles below! (this is touching on lore I've very much already thought out pretty well but its not ALL of it)

Val being so love-core he comes off very open and loving & as much as that is true, he's also careful not to give away too much of himself. It's not to say he refuses love or that he's never bothered with love, 'cause Val is so painfully full of love. He just has a lot of guilt related to his past with love and that holds him back on truly allowing himself to be known. It makes how he acts seem like a façade and while I'll label it as such here, he very much means what he says and cares with his whole being. He just doesn't give that same compassion to himself- due to his past, he is willing to do whatever it takes to protect the people he cares for and while most see it as heroism and in a way it still is an act of bravery and heroism because he does a good job of it, he also feels he has to do it- because a life lost or hurt because of his inability to protect them is a loss for him, no matter how many people he saves. like for Valentine, If the only person wounded by the end of a fight is him and the opposing force then that is a win in his book. and this kind of mentality is where Harrow comes in-

Harrow on the other end of the spectrum entirely has never found any reason to think about love let alone deal with something like that as a marine. He comes off very cut throat and abrasive and mean and while he is a serious guy & takes his work seriously, he's pretty observant when it comes to others and dare I say rather empathetic even if he doesn't verbally acknowledge it a lot of the time. That being said, he isn't afraid to call someone out on it and it's never been difficult for him but with someone like Valentine. it's so baffling to him that someone who is so overwhelming loving and caring and compassionate wouldn't show themself the same kindness. and this fact seemingly isn't even noticed by the people closest to val. He can't stand to see someone with so much, risk EVERYTHING. because even in not knowing everything about Val, he's been pursuing Captain Valentine for a long time and he also knows that a truly good man like Val doesn't deserve to feel like an afterthought to others, even if its his own doing I think that infuriates him as much as it confuses him. I mean it's Val's kind gesture (the one that ended in Val getting a harpoon to the chest) that makes Harrow question his future as a Marine, not that he was ever Loyal %100 but he was good at what he did and it's all he knew- then comes in Valentine, slowly but surely.

Sort of a "two sides of the same coin" or maybe just a case of opposites attract? Val with his façade and Harrow's tough exterior needing some tlc. Both seeing right through the other so clearly and wanting so badly to help. that's really all it is in the beginning

Opposing forces having what the other needs so desperately + wanting to give it. Neither expecting anything in return let alone any feelings but more than willing to push the other in the right direction in the mean time. They're technically slow burn but.. gosh i love them..

ofc I can't get into the nitty gritty of their stories here but I hope u see a lil bit of what I'm cookin- they're very much in love and meant to be together. (this was pasted from twitter and I just ended up adding a bit more, maybe I'll write something more & a bit better/ more organized here or on ToyHouse or something later on)

[kmze]

HA! I had totally forgotten she had brown hair at the beginning! This is so weird and funny! To be honest,I always felt that flashback story was extremely unconvincing.I mean how come he held onto Katherine's picture for 145 years and went after Elena because of the resemblance but never even bothered to acknowledge Val even once!He met Lexi a year after,met Rebecca in the 1920s,met Caroline and told her about Lexi but somehow Val never popped up! Remember that 1864 Steferine scene where Stefan said something like I HAVE NEVER MET A WOMAN QUITE LIKE YOU. I touch you and my entire body ignites.I see you and I see an angel.I kiss you and I feel like I'm falling in love with you.Granted he didn't know that Katherine was a vampire at the time but he met her some 6 months after Val and completely forgot Val and then I'm supposed to believe 150 years later when Caroline asked him specifically about Val that's when he remembered and went all nostalgic?I remember Caroline even mentioned her name to Stefan when he went to rescue her in his house and he didn't even recognise her.A part of me wanted to believe maybe it was the memory of Val sleeping with him and leaving right after that caused him to turn Caroline down like that in the pilot episode (even though I'm pretty sure it wasn't.Stefan had made up his mind he was in love with Elena at the time.So he had the blinders on.Pilot Elena was the definition of Human Garbage btw), that Caro probably reminded him of Val but the writing never made that clear so yeah nevermind.

I loved 1864 human Stefan.He was a shy,hopeful,small town teenager.For some reason I couldn't connect with 1863 Stefan.I think my only takeaway from the whole thing was how clinically depressed he was six years after his mom's death that he would take his first sexual encounter to a cemetery which is exactly why,like you said,Lily's sudden death didn't make any sense because her entire narrative became about being a battered wife who died,dated a psycho vampire,died again.She was such a wasted potential.And the whole Julian revenge plot was probably the most dragged out dumb plot ever especially since they managed to kill him with a stupid chair under a cloaking spell which Val could have used anytime after 1863 and killed him instead of gladly travelling with him for 40 years.And I never understood why anyone was supposed to be scared of him when he was drinking away his manpain and racing cars.I mean Klaus,Katherine,Silas terrorised the entire town,went after Elena's friends,the heretics took Caroline and Elena's coffin but Julian was crying for Lily just like Damon and Alaric were crying for Elena and Jo.Stefan and Damon were in the stone for months.Wasn't that the perfect opportunity to do something terrible to the people they loved?I even remember Paul had said Julian would do something that would prove to be terrible even for TVD.What was it?

Dries sidelined Baroline too.Wasn't it her who wanted to cut the Baroline scene in the Halloween episode?It was my favourite scene of them.Baroline's lack of communication after Stefan got marked didn't make sense either.If Bonnie knew Stefan would die when Rayna did,she must have told her,right especially since they were exchanging baby pictures! Why wouldn't Caroline want to know where her boyfriend went instead go angry and refuse to read his letters?I mean I get her fury but so many things didn't add up.Also how come Caroline was okay with Bonnie taking pills while dating Enzo?Caroline would be the first person to object to all these! And then Dries was doing some BS interviews and everyone was losing their heads.I don't know how she even calls herself a writer!Such a disgrace!

Fandom and their motivated reasoning! Who cares? 7×21 was probably the only episode I actually enjoyed that season and I was so happy Stefan didn't respect Caroline's choice because when someone is going to hurt themselves in front of you,you don't stand there and watch.You do something about it.I HATED 3×22 and never understood why Stefan wouldn't save Elena especially since in s2 he told Elena that if he died it would still be okay since he had already lived whereas Elena had barely begun.Her death would be tragic not heroic.Caroline was 24-25 at the time(eternally 17).She had barely lived.Why would anyone in their right mind let her kill herself? It doesn't surprise me that the TVD fandom has a twisted idea of choices,freedom, and agency, since the show itself has presented twisted or nonexistent forms of all three for its entire run.Female agency was practically non-existent on this show, but a lack of agency had always been rampant, under the disguise of false agency.

I'm just finding it hilarious that discussing about s7 after so many years can feel so cathartic!I think as a fandom we had so much expectation going from s6 and then s7 crashed and burnt just like that!

Yeah I feel similar to the whole Valerie situation in how it felt like it was just trying to replicate the Katherine storyline but it really didn't work lol. Even in that podcast I watched Melinda was saying how Paul was groaning at playing a 16 year old in a flashback so that probably didn't help. I remember there was some overdramatic letter he sent to Damon that had me dying in the phoneix stone hell scenes that was like "the days grow darker but my heart grows darker still...." I think Neil wrote that too, he was the only one who really didn't GAF about SV or what Dries wanted. Yeah Stefan didn't think twice about Caroline in S1, he had already convinced himself he was in love with Elena before he met her. I don't think he really sees Caroline as anyone outside of Elena's friends until S2 and teaching her how to vampire. Yep I think Julie saved the Baroline scene and I also remember because I will forever be mad about this they cut a scene of Caroline and Stefan talking about everything with Valerie and the baby and Julian and Dries CUT IT! And Julie tried to do damage control on Twitter but that stung. I think Paul meant Julian killing the baby I don't think he realized what had aired so far, I also don't know why he'd say that when Damon killed a pregnant woman in 1994 and he covered it up.

Yeah I don't really get why Caroline wouldn't at least read one of the letters he sent or be more concerned for Bonnie. I love Caroline and most of the time I am on her side but with that I was like, IDK BB I think you're being a little harsh. I get she was mad and she had every right to be but she didn't even give him a chance to tell his side of the story knowing he was running from a huntress. I think Julie just did what she could to fix it (and this is why I think she was just doing damage control).

I don't hate the scene in 3x22 I am just shocked they actually did it! I mean he let the woman he loves, the person he was fighting to get back to that whole season die! To save Matt fucking Donovan! And I'm sorry but I cannot buy that he did it because he knew Elena would be so depressed if another one of her friends died because of her (RME) but I mean she'd still be alive. Stefan did that because he was so driven by his performance as "the good brother who lets Elena make her own choices" that he kept it up to the point that he let her die to respect her choice. That is just so insane. You can't even say it's because he respects that choice for the people he loves because when has he ever respected Damon's choice to die, it's literally the reason he's dead! I do think that moment was when he stops doing that though (he really struggles in S4 but I need my rewatch to really remember), and he never really does it with Caroline because he doesn't pretend with her like that. I mean Caroline definitely idolizes Stefan early on but the foundation of their bond as friends meant he didn't hide as much of the bad parts from her to take on that persona. I believe Caroline is the only person Stefan actually asked for help with his bloodlust, everyone else just tells him they're going to help him. Stefan also leans more into his meaness in the later seasons, like when he tried to kill Mary Louise so he could have sex with Caroline.

[ask-the-riders]

Yet To Meet Conquest

So,,, this blurb is like a year old. I haven't touched it in forever, and I originally wanted it to be longer, but I wasn't sure how to continue it, and then I eventually lost interest in it. I figured I'd post it though, because it has a hint of Nyx x Kali, and I'm living for the ship

The princess sighed, addressing her staff, "Alright. Because Conquest won't be able to come in for a while yet, we're going to start this meeting without her. I trust there are no objections to that." The room remained silent, the three people seated around a table exchanging confused glances. Able to sense their confusion, Nyx arched a brow bone, "I can feel your confusion. Does anyone care to explain to me what it is that's confusing?" Custodius glanced at the others before looking back up at her, "Highness, if I may. I believe it's because you've yet to introduce them to Conquest." Hearing his answer, Nyx made a sound in acknowledgment. She approached a cabinet and produced a key, unlocking it. Her staff watched her curiously as she reached inside, digging around for a moment before she withdrew a small bag of Cheetos. Once the cabinet was locked again, she put away the key and then approached the table where her staff sat. She offered the bag to Custodius and he eagerly snatched it from her hand, hardly noticing as she ruffled his hair. Kali watched the pair, her confusion growing stronger. Nyx couldn't help but smile slightly as she saw the look that her new guard was wearing, "The Cheetos are his reward for participating. Normally, he doesn't care to be social with anyone." Kali nodded, speaking slowly, "Ok?... What about Conquest, though? Why haven't you allowed us to meet her yet?"

With a knowing look, Nyx couldn't help it as her grin widened the smallest bit, "Well, there's not really any need for introductions, since you and Valence already know her." Kali furrowed her brow bones and Val made a face, "M'lady, please. Of everyone here, you should know that I'm not much of a people person. Nearly all the people I meet end up dead. I can't think of many that slipped away from me and lived." The princess made a sound in understanding, "I'm aware." Kali glanced between Nyx and Val, and feeling her uncertainty, Nyx reached out, lightly touching her face. Sending a soothing pulse of magic to her guard, the princess offered her a small smile, "You don't know who I'm talking about yet, but you will, soon enough. All I ask is that you refrain from trying to hurt her." Upon the initial contact, Kali flinched, her eyes widening for a fraction of a second. As she began to feel the princess's magic, however, she unconsciously leaned into the other's touch.

Kali gave a small nod, her voice soft, "Of course... As you wish, princess." Nyx tilted her head, her gaze softening as she lightly stroked Kali's cheek with her thumb and murmured back, "Thank you, Kali."

[avasilvugh]

Because I'm a greedy ass ho, can you do 7, 63, 47 for trimberly? Or you can just do one of them if three is too much. Thank you! ☺️

7. ‘This is so not the time or place for this.’

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“Kim.”

“Mhm.”

“Kim.”

“Hm.”

“Kimberly,” Trini hisses, squirming away from her girlfriend’s traveling hands and lips.  “This is so not the time or place for this.”

Trini has to fight back this high, keening noise she knows she’ll make when Kim sags against her, her thigh dropping away from between Trini’s legs and her hands pressed against the cool tile that Trini’s pressed up on.  It’s a weird feeling, her skin so flushed, warm to the touch, and the bathroom wall tiling still cold enough to send a shiver through Trini.

She blinks, focuses back when Kim lifts her head, her dark, dark eyes boring into Trini.

Okay.  Maybe the shivering isn’t from the cold tile.

“—got carried away,” Kim’s saying.  “I came downstairs and saw you looking like—like this and I just wanted to say fuck it, let’s skip prom and just stay in my bed for hours.”

Trini remembers that, if not the beginning of Kim’s apology.  Remembers that split second when Kim first saw her, how her eyes went wide, got darker.  How her nostrils flared minutely, how her jaw clenched.  How Trini preened a little under such obvious wanting.

The suit had been Zack’s idea.  Trini’d worn a dress to homecoming and it had been beautiful and she’d liked it well enough—it was long and flowing and hot pink, which, at the time, had been excused by the fact that Trini’s mother had bought it.  Sort of.  Not that she’d ever tell anyone that she’d gone shopping with her mother and picked the dress herself, watched how the fuchsia chiffon had slipped over her shoulders, skimmed her hips and tried desperately not to picture anything else.  Tried not to feel someone else’s hands smoothing over her stomach.

The dress had it’s intended result.  Kim honest-to-god stumbled when she saw Trini, made this choking noise from the back of her throat, and Trini kept catching her stealing glances out of the corner of her eye at her, kept catching Kim swallowing hard.

They ended up ditching homecoming and all the moving bodies associated with it early, ended up moving together to their own rhythm in the back of Kim’s car, parked out in the back lot of the school, far away from prying eyes.  Both dresses came out of it irreparably wrinkled, but it had been much more than worth it, Trini thinks.

That said—homecoming had nothing on prom.  

Zack had suggested it after Trini spent an hour telling him how frustrated she was with her mother constantly harassing her about finding a dress.  He did the research for it quietly before, picking up on Trini’s thoughts before she’d even really acknowledged them.  A properly fitted suit would be pricey, but a thrift store find and Billy’s wonderful, wonderful mother’s attention to detail made it work.

Jason found her a thin, pink tie too, nearly the same color as her homecoming dress had been; Kim’s mother, Maddy, caught her fumbling with it while she waited for her girlfriend and had stepped in, tying it quickly and far better than Trini ever could have.  

“Ted can’t do his own ties,” she’d murmured, eyes narrowed in concentration as she smoothed down Trini’s collar.  “So I usually tie them for him.”  Maddy looked up with a smile.  “Kimmy’s pretty good at them too,” she added with a wink.

Which—yeah.  Trini was sort of already blushing when Kim finally made her way downstairs.  And that blush only deepened when she saw Kim in her color, got worse when she saw how Kim was looking at her.  Which led to some close quarters dancing and maybe more than a little grinding when the lights were so low, Trini could only really be sure it was Kim by her well earned familiarity with her girlfriend’s body.  And that led to making out in the hallway which led to making out in the bathroom at the far end of the school which led to here and now, with Trini truly wondering what the fuck she’s doing, her hips lifting off the wall of their own accord when Kim steps away, her body lifting off of Trini’s and leaving her cold and wanting.

“Sorry baby,” Kim sighs, tucking back some of Trini’s hair that’s escaped her carefully pinned updo.  “I’m not great at keeping my hands to myself.”

Trini nods, dumbstruck.  The lighting in the bathroom is shitty, but Kim is radiant, as always.  Glowing from within.  There’s a bit of a blush, high on her cheekbones and her lipstick is gone, wrecked, shot to high hell.  Trini’s probably wearing half of it.

“I’m just as bad,” Trini smirks, reaching up to hook her finger over the edge of Kim’s bodice.  

“No one knows we’re here,” Kim tells her after one long moment, looking up through dark, lush lashes.  Her chest is heaving and Trini feels a little heady with the knowledge that she gets Kim just as worked up as Kim gets her.  “I locked the door, too,” the other girl adds; she’s wearing this look that screams trouble and it sends a shot of something hot through Trini’s veins.

“Unlock it.”

“What?”

“Well,” Trini purrs, finally sort of getting her wits about her now that Kim’s not pressed up against her.  “We could do quick and dirty here, where the guys might start looking for us or someone might catch us.  Or we can head to our hotel now and take our time.”

Kim visibly gulps, her face flushing.  Trini goes in for the kill.  It’s not very often she gets the upper hand between them.

Leaning in, she nips at Kim’s ear and whispers, “You’d be surprised at how little I’m wearing under this.”

Her girlfriend goes dangerously still, seems to stop breathing for one long moment.  “Trini,” she whines.

"Come on, princesa,” Trini hums, grinning when Kim shudders.  “We wouldn’t want people getting suspicious.”

/

47. ‘You’re sick.’

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“Kimberly Ann Hart,” Trini snaps.  “Get back in that bed, right now.”

“Jeez,” Kim sniffles.  “My full name?  Really?”

Narrowing her eyes, Trini manhandles an unsurprisingly pliant Kim back into bed.  “You’re sick,” she says, softening when her wife looks up with the most pitiful expression she thinks she’s ever seen on Kim’s face.  “I’m trying to take care of you, but you’re making it kind of hard.”

“Mh.”  Kim shakes her head weakly, sniffing again.  “You’re the best, baby.  But ‘m fine.  See?”

She manages a weak smile, manages to drag one arm out of the blanket cocoon Trini’s forced upon her until her fever breaks.  Trini thinks Kim’s trying for jazz hands, but honestly?  It just kind of looks like her hand’s spasming.

“Okay,” Trini says with a smile.  It started forced, but her wife is kind of adorable when she’s sick and needy, and so it quickly became a genuine one.  “If you’re fine, I can go to work then?”

Of course Trini has absolutely zero intentions of doing that.  But it still works, gets Kim’s attention back and garners a high whine and a sweaty hand reaching out for her.

“No!” Kim cries, tugging Trini towards their bed.  “I’m sick and I need you to cuddle me.”

“No way, princesa.  I’m not getting whatever this is too.”

“‘m not contagious.  You’re too far away.”

It’s not even that strong of an argument, but Trini capitulates easily anyway.  “You make a compelling point,” she sighs, already crawling onto the bed and curling around Kim.  “But I’m totally holding it against you if I get sick.”

(“Kiiiiiim,” she wails from beneath a mountain of blankets, a week later.  “Hold meeeeee.”

“Not happening, babe.  I’m not perpetuating the cycle.”

“You owe me.”

“Scoot over.”)

/

63. ‘It’s not what it looks like.’

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“Kim—.���

“It’s not what it looks like.”

Trini narrows her eyes, drops her bag by the door.  “It looks like,” she says evenly, “you’re spoiling her dinner.”

Kim and Val look at each other, twin expressions of oh, shit, we’re totally caught.  “Uh,” Kim stammers, tossing a kitchen towel over the carton of ice cream.  “She wasn’t feeling well?”

Immediately, Val throws herself across her mother’s lap, groaning dramatically.  “It’s the end for me, Mamí,” she cries, covering her eyes with her arm.  “Napoleon was my last request.”

Trini bites back a snort.  “Neapolitan,” she corrects gently.  Which—big mistake. 

Her wife and daughter sense the same moment of weakness, act in tandem with their matching wide eyed puppy dog looks and pouts.  “It’s your favorite,” Kim sings, holding out her spoon.

For everything Val picked up from Kim, at the very least she got her great taste in ice cream flavors from Trini.  So.  There’s that.

“Ugh,” she grumbles, knowing she’s sunk.  “Move over, nerds.”

Val pops up, grinning.  “I’ll get another spoon,” she says, scrambling off the couch and taking off for the kitchen.  Before she gets very far, though, she spins on her heel, barrels back towards Trini.  “Welcome home!” her daughter yells on impact, throwing her arms around Trini’s waist in a hug that would have totally knocked her over if she weren’t, you know, a superhero.

She disappears into the kitchen, some banging noises following after a moment.  “She’s fine, yeah?” Trini wonders aloud, dropping onto the couch and into her wife’s waiting arms.  “Not about to fall and crack her head open?”

“Nah,” Kim sighs.  “We had a very long conversation last night about climbing onto things that aren’t meant for climbing on.”

“What did she climb on yesterday morning?”

Kim laughs, surges forward to kiss her wife’s temple.  “You’ll freak out if I told you.”

Yeah, because that helps.  “Kimberly,” Trini warns.

“I’m glad you’re home,” Kim says instead of answering.  “We missed you.”

Trini smiles softly and leans into Kim’s embrace, tucking her face into the crook of her neck.  “I was gone for thirty six hours.”  She pauses, hums contentedly when Kim huffs an indignant sigh and ruffles the baby hairs at Trini’s hairline.  “I missed you guys too,” she adds.

She’s just about to get up and investigate what Val’s gotten up to that’s keeping her so quiet in the kitchen when, very close to their ears—“YOU GUYS ARE GROSS AND I FEEL LEFT OUT.”

Val launches herself over the back of the couch, divebombing between them and laughing maniacally.  She wiggles her way into a sitting position between her mothers before throwing herself across Trini’s lap and grinning up at her.  “I climbed onto the roof yesterday,” she brags, seven and wild and completely ignorant of the look of betrayal Kim shoots her.

“Of course you did, monster,” Trini grins.  “I’d expect nothing less.”