#alice as aro's prisoner

[goldeneyedgirl]

ailesswhumper day 3: isolation

wait. (day 3: isolation).

twilight, alice/jasper, pg, canon au. no warnings.

I rewrote this one three times because I just could not get it right. Another one written for the Vibes.

Drip.

Drip.

She sits and waits. That is all that she has ever been able to do, for decades.

She can hear water dripping, as it always does. Perhaps it is raining. She’s too far underground to truly know.

The others have fallen silent lately. No wailing or yelling or screaming. Even the curious ones with the heartbeats. Everything is so still. They don’t even have guards much anymore. Why bother? There’s no fight left in any of them.

She sits and she waits, and she thinks about the stars.

—

Her whole world is this cell, this darkness.

Sometimes they bring them humans, throw them in. They think it’s entertaining to watch the restrained ones try to make their kill, when movement is agonising and their limbs are trapped. There’s always mess; a hot, fresh layer over blood over the mould and stone, joining decades of dried blood layering the walls. Her cell holds an inch of two of reeking water, seeping up and tricking down, and the blood never settles in it.

It does rot though. The smell is an ugly one, but one she is used to.

She doesn’t hunt like the others. Her desperation turned to rage, turned to acceptance and then grief. Her visions show her the truth - this is where she will remain. There is no hope for anything better. So she waits til their guards get bored, til the other meals are dead. She looks towards the human, stricken with terror and shaking, who might beg and plead with her, they might pray. And then, when they are hopeful, optimistic in her mercy, she moves swiftly. A swift end is merciful, and she can offer them that.

Other times, the meals have been dead for a while when they are offered, and the blood is rancid. But she is no fool, she eats what is offered when the others yell and holler and wail. Better to humble herself and hope that endears her enough for a privilege. Perhaps to free her arms. Or to be moved out of the permanent damp of her cell.

Sometimes the meals are just rats and squirrels, barely a mouthful to sustain them. Sometimes the meals don’t come at all and she is quite certain that they’ve been forgotten.

—

1920-ish she was reborn. A blank slate, a girl with no past, scarlet eyed and full of dreams. Mostly of a boy with golden hair, a crooked smile, and the name he would bestow upon her on his lips.

Jasper.

Alice.

He was perfect. He was all that she would ever want, but she had to wait for him. And if she did and could, then she would have him forever. They would have a family, one that treasured them. It was going to be beautiful and she was going to be so happy. So loved. She wasn’t going to be alone anymore.

And then she fucked up. She fucked up and made a mess and when the Volturi came for her, she had to go with them. Underneath Aro’s kind words and promises was a threat: either she joined them in Volterra, a prisoner for her crimes, or she could be destroyed for her failure to uphold the laws. He wanted her for her gift, of course, for that ability to see all that was to come.

She still had hope back then. That maybe everything could be fixed. That maybe something could still be beautiful.

If she could go back now, she would beg for death. Swift and finite.

That was her dream now. The quiet finality of everything.

Maybe one day.

—

The days and weeks and months and years run together. She moves to eat, but not much else. Her arms ache from being forced into the unnatural position; she didn’t know that vampires’ arms could ache.

Aro doesn’t visit anymore; she has nothing left to show him, and nothing he did to her would make that change. Dimitri doesn’t either; she doubts that she is very desirable anymore. She is no longer good sport for the twins. Some days she wonders if she is truly forgotten down here.

Drip.

Drip.

Sometimes she wonders if Aro regrets anything that he’s done. That if he could go back, things would be different. But then, he sees things very differently. He’s made it very, very clear that if cannot have something, no one gets to have it.

She just wants a little. A little sunshine, dry feet, and ability to stretch her arms out again.

He just wants to devour everything whole.

—

The castle shakes.

It’s enough to jolt all of them out of the fugue. She makes the mistake of looking up, her bones cracking with pain at the motion, and she might whimper. The noise sounds odd to her ears.

Some of the others yell, for help and for fear. The ones with the funny heartbeats, they are crying again. That doesn’t happen much anymore - she surprised all three are still alive. The castle rumbles again, and she wonders if they will be buried underneath it all.

She stays seated. Hopefully the castle will burn and take all of them with it. She has no intention of leaving her cell, and even less to fight to protect the hallowed halls of the Volturi.

They cannot hear anything, of course. They do not know what is happening. Some of the ones that are still strong have patchy, slow conversations about it. Some of them holler and wail. It has been a while between meals. But most of them are silent, waiting.

The rumbles continue, dust and rock falling upon them like snow. Something falls, one of the great towers of Volterra with an almighty bang that even they hear.

It sounds like an ending, like something very, very final.

She doesn’t bother to hope it will matter.

—

It is a long time before they see anyone again. They are starving. The ones that holler growl and whine as the footsteps come closer.

The dripping has stopped. The water around her is still, stagnant and reeking. There is still pain, she is still imprisoned. She’s not sure she even remembers how to stand.

And then there is yelling. New yelling. It is not any of the old guards, no one that she knows. They smell different, move different.

She doesn’t care. It’s been decades, new recruits are rare but unheard of.

“They’re alive!” Yells one man, a new man. “Get the Major and Edward down here, now!”

The others beg for blood, beg for sustenance.

She doesn’t even go closer to the cell door.

She misses the dripping water.

—

It is chaos for hours. There are so many people in their chamber, bagged blood that is quickly offered. She can hear the cell doors pulled down, limbs cracked back into alignment, cries and growls and shrieks. The others beg for freedom, beg to be the next one that is pulled out of their dark little pits and brought up the stairs.

These new people are kind, she can hear it in their voices as they piece the others together. They smell… clean. It’s a nice smell. She has questions, why they are here but also, it doesn’t matter.

There is a small amount of terror nestled in her heart, about what comes next. What could be worse. But of course, there is nothing else she can do. She cannot run, she cannot hide, she cannot do anything but sit here and wait.

So that’s what she does. The dripping might have stopped, but the sound of voices… that works just as well.

—

“There’s one left, in the end cell.”

She makes herself smaller as she hears the cell door straining and pulling free. She does not look over, does not acknowledge whomever walks through, stepping straight down into the sludgy water.

“Hello?”

The voice. It’s like everything suddenly comes into focus. She wonders if she’s finally gone insane. She cannot move. It is not fair. Either her mind has finally broken into sharp little pieces, or fate has decided to remind her of all those beautiful things she nearly had.

“Hello?” He moves closer, the water churning.

It takes everything she has to look up. To bend the way she needs to with her arms in such a position.

And when she looks up, she sees him.

Him.

Jasper.

And he’s perfect and golden and all she dreamt of. He is the light looming over her, staring down at her with curious but hard eyes.

Her voice crackles, hoarse from lack of use. She can only stare up at him, her neck at such an awkward angle. He is not a warm man, he just stares back.

“You made me wait so goddamn long, Jasper Whitlock.”

—

[iobsessoverfictionalmen]

Midnight Roses (1)

AN: This fic contains canon-typical violence and behaviours, manipulation, mentions of death, murder, orphans, pain, blood, blood drinking, torture, memory manipulation, prison, and criminals.

Chapter 1

“Some things will never change,” Rosalie thought with a mental shake of her head after Edward and Bella had left the Cullen’s house.  The family’s return to Forks had been anything but peaceful especially since Edward, Bella and Alice had just returned from Volterra.

Rosalie was mature enough to admit to herself that she was partially responsible for sending Edward to Volterra to face the Volturi.  However, she was also calm enough to realise that Alice and Edward were the main ones to blame for that situation.  Had Alice contacted Edward directly (and Rosalie knew that she could because the two had been in contact during their time away from Forks), this entire situation may have been avoided.

Rosalie knew that some of her family didn’t believe her apology to Bella and Edward was genuine.  That annoyed her.   Rosalie wasn’t one to behave thoughtlessly or recklessly, especially when it came to her family.

All she had been trying to do was remind Edward of the Volturi and their rules when it came to vampires and humans yet it seemed that her adoptive brother had been all too willing to ignore those rules.  Now not only were the Volturi aware of Bella’s existence, but they had also ordered that she be changed into a vampire or face death.

The blonde vampire wasn’t naïve enough to think that if Edward ignored the Volturi’s ruling that Bella’s death would be the only one that the Volturi would seek.  The Volturi would destroy the majority of her family, leaving only the repentant ones.

In this instance, repentant was code for vampires that had a gift that Aro wanted.  While Rosalie knew she was beautiful by human standards and even by vampire standards, she didn’t have a gift that Aro would want to possess which meant that she would be one of the vampires that was killed because of Edward’s disregard of the Volturi’s rules.

Physically shaking her head this time, she walked out of the front door.  The air outside was warm but Rosalie paid it no mind.  She came to a stop twenty metres away from the Cullen house and as she leant against a lush, ancient tree, she closed her eyes.

“I tried to show Bella that being a vampire isn’t a goal she should fight to attain but she chose not to listen to me.  Please, somebody out there, show her that being ‘in love’ with Edward isn’t a good enough reason for her to become a vampire and throw her life away.  Help me.”

Rosalie smelt the change in the air before she felt it.  her eyes snapped open just in time to see a green orb appear in front of her.  She blinked in order to confirm what she was seeing and the orb exploded outwards before she even had a chance to think or yell.

Caught in the grip of the orb, Rosalie was dragged through the air at speeds she didn’t think were possible.  When the orb let her go, Rosalie felt dread curdle in her stomach.

She and her adopted siblings along with Bella were standing in the middle of the throne room in Volterra and the Kings of the Volturi along with the guard were staring at them.  Rosalie’s feeling of dread grew stronger as she noticed the two wives, Athenodora and Sulpicia, were also gazing at the Cullens.

Rosalie had a very bad feeling that the Volturi had been discussing the course of action that they were going to take after Edward’s dramatic actions in Forks and Volterra.

“We did not expect to see you again so soon.”  Marcus intoned gravely, “I am certain however that your arrival has to do with the unexpected appearance of this book.”  Marcus held up a book with a black background and two pale hands cupping a red apple.  Rosalie could easily make out the title of the book from where she was standing.  She had no idea why a section of the day was the book title but that wasn’t her most burning question.

“Great King Marcus,” Rosalie began.  “When did that book appear?”

Aro inclined his head at her polite address of his brother, “It is splendid to see that my old friend Carlisle has taught one of his children how to behave.  To answer your question, this book arrived mere milliseconds after Bella, Edward and Alice left.  It is such a fascinating book.”

Movement caught Rosalie’s eye and she noticed Jasper’s posture change.  “Why do you believe that King Aro?” Jasper asked formally.

Aro smiled, “Because this book is about our dear young friend Isabella Swan of course!”

“You mean that book contains my thoughts and feelings and you intend to read them out loud?!”  Bella gasped.

Rosalie was grateful she didn’t shriek with outrage.  If Bella had, it could have ended very poorly considering where they currently were.

“Oh no, Bella,” Caius stated with a mocking note in his voice.  “You misunderstand.  All of us have already read the book and we have more than a few questions about the content of it.  You have been brought here to answer those questions.”

Emmett moved to stand next to her and she looked into his eyes, which was easy to do because of the heels she was wearing.  Due to their history and the amount of time they spent together, they were easily able to read each other’s body language.  Emmett was curious about this turn of events and Rosalie could tell that he was also curious about the orb that had brought them to Volterra.  Admittedly, Rosalie was curious about that too.  It must have taken a tremendous amount of power and intent to control energy like that.

There was a faint clang that disrupted the silent conversation between Rosalie and Emmett.  Her enhanced senses registered another heartbeat and the soft thudding of footsteps.  Rosalie knew that the Volturi would have been able to detect these new sounds as well yet they didn’t seem bothered by them.

Rosalie saw Bella turn towards the doorway as the unknown individual moved closer.  A young man appeared in the doorway.  Rosalie estimated his age to be around twenty-four at the most.  He was tall although Rosalie observed that he was noticeably shorter than Marcus.  The stranger had calculating green eyes and brown hair that had been neatly styled.

“Alabaster!”  Aro cried joyfully, “Welcome home!  I trust your journey was an eventful one?”

Alabaster had a small smile on his face, “I am glad to be home.”  He commented as he moved toward the dais.  He greeted each member of the Volturi guard individually and Rosalie saw a soft look sweep across his face as he gazed at Felix.

“The Cullens, I assume?” He asked once he had reached the dais.  The brunet stood with his back to the Volturi as he gazed at the guests standing in the throne room.  “I’ve heard quite a bit about you.”  He remarked, clasping his hands behind his back, and fixing the family with a shrewd gaze.

Something warned Rosalie that there was more to this young man than met the eye and she chose to hold her tongue.

“Alabaster, you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting young Bella Swan yet, have you?” Aro questioned.  “She is a new addition to the Cullen family.”

Rosalie tensed. 

Alabaster nodded in understanding, “It’s not the first time I’ve heard of a human thinking they’ve fallen in love with a vampire.”

“I am in love with him!” Bella replied heatedly.

“I do love her!” Edward retorted immediately.

Alabaster focused on them.  Edward glared back at him in response.

The staring contest ended a few moments later when Alabaster shook his head dismissively.

“Do you bring news Alabaster?” Marcus demanded.

Alabaster turned to face the King.  “My apologies.  I was distracted. Your mate is tying up a few loose ends and then she will return to Volterra.”

The effect that Alabaster’s words had on the occupants of the room was instantaneous.  The guard stood up straighter and Marcus shifted in his seat.  Rosalie noticed that even the two wives had content expressions on their faces.  The mood in the room changed from a tense one to a relieved, happy one.

“Who are you talking about?” Edward demanded, “Marcus doesn’t have a mate.”

The mood soured again and Jane bared her teeth at the vampire as she stepped forwards, “Be grateful you have been granted awareness of this information.  Few are privy to it.”

“Jane,” Alabaster sighed.  “My father taught me that there is nothing to be gained by arguing with someone ignorant.”

Jane clenched her jaw but stepped back to stand next to her brother.

“Is she…?” Bella asked tentatively.

Alabaster raised an eyebrow, “Ask the question on your mind or remain silent and wonder for the rest of your days.”

“Human.  Is she human like you?”  Bella finished her previous thought and red coloured her cheeks.

“Not that it’s any of your business but she and I are not simply human.”

“You have a heartbeat!”  Alice protested.

“And a heartbeat is an indicator that an individual must be a human?”  Alabaster challenged. 

“As amusing as this interaction is, perhaps we should return to the matter at hand?” Caius prompted.

Alabaster inclined his head and sat down on the steps of the dais.  He grinned up at a beautiful brunette vampire who glided forwards and came to a stop at the foot of the dais.

“Unfortunately Bella the last time you were here we were not introduced.  I am Sulpicia.  Are you aware that you are not Edward’s mate but his Singer?”  Sulpicia questioned.  Her voice was melodious.  Rosalie had never met a vampire who didn’t have a melodious voice and she guessed that was a way to lure their intended prey.  There was something else in her voice though, something old.

Bella looked at the Cullens, mainly focusing on Alice and Edward before she looked at Sulpicia.

“No.  I didn’t know that.”  Bella replied, “What is the difference?”

To Rosalie’s surprise, none of the Volturi snarled in response to her question. 

“Maybe they understand that it’s a genuine question and their anger lies with Edward.” Rosalie thought.

Sulpicia tapped her hand against her thigh.  “It’s a very important difference.  A vampire can never harm their mate because the idea is too repulsive.  However, a Singer has enough power to constantly cause the vampire to crave their blood.  The vampire is at risk of losing all self-control whenever they encounter their Singer.”

“Can a vampire grow to love their Singer?” Bella asked.

“There are instances where that has happened in the past,” Sulpicia admitted.  “Many Singers have been transformed into vampires because the vampire convinced themselves that they loved the human.  Believe me when I say the relationships fizzled out after a short period of time following the Singer’s transformation.”  Sulpicia’s voice held a note of sadness as she finished her sentence.

Bella’s leg twitched like she wanted to step away from Edward.

“My turn.”  Demetri announced.  “What do you like about Edward, Bella?”

“His hair, his eyes, the way he smiles.  My favourite smile of his is the crooked one that he has.”  Bella answered instantly, looking up at Edward.

“Let me rephrase that,” Demetri scowled.  Clearly he was dissatisfied with Bella’s answer.  “What personality traits do you like about Edward?  I know you’re not that shallow that you simply focus on an individual’s appearance.”

The throne room was quiet as Bella tried to find an answer for the tracker.  “He’s a good listener.”  She answered eventually, “He remembers things that I’ve told him.”

“I disagree.”  Felix stated.  “We read that you told him you didn’t want to go to prom long before the two of you encountered James, Victoria, and Laurent.  Following James’ attack and your release from hospital, Edward ignored your wishes and took you to prom.”

“Yes but…”

“But what Bella?”  Alabaster prompted.  His voice was slightly muffled due to the fact that his chin was now resting in his hand. 

“He didn’t want me to miss out on any human experiences because I was dating him.”

“But you told him that you didn’t want to go to prom.”  Alec retorted harshly.  “Weren’t you angry with him for ignoring your wishes?”

“What do you want me to say?” Bella erupted.  “Yes, I was angry with him after he ignored what I said!  My leg was broken in two places and in a cast because of a vampire that attacked me!  I nearly died in that attack!  Maybe that’s why I didn’t protest like I normally would when I realised that Edward had ignored me!”

Edward looked at Bella as if she’d grown a second head.

“They’re not trying to be mean or aggravate you.  Sulpicia, Demetri, Alabaster and Alec are trying to make you understand that your relationship with Edward is not a good one.”

At the same time, Rosalie and Bella spun around to see the new person that had spoken.  Rosalie had that feeling about there being more to the person again when she gazed at the new arrival.

Demetri sped to the newcomer’s side and the two of them had a rapid conversation in Greek. 

Rosalie pivoted around and she saw Alabaster lift his chin out of his hand and smirk at the new arrival.  Marcus’ face looked gentler and kinder as he gazed at the new arrival.

[flowerslut]

no.24 Fight, Flight, or Freeze Blood Covered Hands | “I don’t want to do this anymore.” | Catatonic

Rating: T for language and canon-typical violence Words: 4731 Summary: The Volturi eventually come for them. There is no winning for the Cullens, no escape. But they can survive their captivity. Or at least... they're welcome to try.

A/N: In no way did Breaking Dawn set up a happy ending. Ain't no way the Cullens will live in peace with a 'happy little forever'. Not a chance in hell. I have a giant project in production that covers that topic more in depth, but until that's complete here's a far shorter, far sadder, alternative take. (Also you guys are getting this prompt several days early due to the busy weekend I have up ahead! Enjoy I guess lmfao) Major character death and lots of canon-typical violence ahead.

WHEN THE MOMENT ENDS

There is agitation rolling low in his stomach, festering at a simmer that never cools. It is a vital necessity that he can not afford to lose; not that he’d be able to rid himself of it even if he tried. He stares ahead as he stalks down the dark, damp hallways, and he dares anyone to stop him, to speak to him now that he finally knows where he’s going.

Two days. Two entire days she has been back.

He pushes the agitation back beneath the surface before it can bubble up into something overtly visible; into something more. He is in a near-constant state of upset. But he still can’t afford to get angry right now. He needs to keep his wits about him. He needs to keep paying attention.

It’s helped himself stay alive for this long. (And his long-worn habit of compartmentalizing had never been so useful than in the aftermath of that April morning years ago.)

She has been back for two days and no one has told him.

Bodies had barely begun to be carted away when Jasper finally spotted him across the room. He hadn’t noticed Demetri’s arrival, and the faux-innocent expression he had brandished (and his knowing, awful eyes as he smiled with his mangled, pitted cheek) had forced Jasper’s annoyance to crescendo, just for a moment.

The only thing that prevented him from picking a fight right then and there—because it is well-known within these walls that Jasper is most impulsive, irritable, and irrational right after feeding—was the knowledge that Alice was back, and that he needed to see her.

(It is also well known that without unfair interference, he is dangerous. A finely tuned weapon. If not for his pathokinesis Aro wonders if ’survival’ wasn’t a liable gift. He doesn’t offer anything the guard doesn’t already possess, but taking Jasper on in a one-on-one fight is something that you do not do in Volterra.)

She isn’t in her quarters, or hiding away in the day room on the upper level (the one place that offers a glimpse of daylight in their awful prison-home) and Jasper has half a mind to go find Aro and demand to know where the hell she is before he realizes, with an acute sense of dread, that he knows where she is.

It’s been four years since she last used this hiding spot.

He can feel her from three floors away, and with each and every step he takes his agitation pulses much like the beating of the heart he just put a stop to ten minutes ago. No matter the years that pass he hates it when the blood clings beneath his fingernails and the terror-agony-desperation clings to his awareness.

His gift is as much of a burden to him now than it was back in Mexico, but his mind remains in a far, far worse state here in Italy. (Even Aro doesn’t like taking his hand anymore, with Jasper’s misery eating away at everything he touches.)

But he is still alive because he is strong. Because this is not his first trip to hell. And the burn that erodes his mind but soothes his throat just so happens to be one of the things that keeps him upright.

There are two threads that keep him tethered to this life. To any life anymore. (His last life feels so long ago. Memories of fields and cities and cars and rain. Memories of laughter and warmth and family. It’s only been a handful of decades but it sometimes feels like this is the old humanity that he tries to cling to in small ways.)

Blood and Alice have always been the only two things that mattered to Jasper.

And now they’re all he has left.

Continue reading on AO3

[scp-10000]

Bakugan in Universe RPF

In their universe, the Brawlers are celebrities, though I’m not sure if they’re Markiplire level or John Cena level.  Either way, in universe there is a chance they will have seen what their in universe fandom is up to, so I’ve decided to toss out some thoughts on how they might react to it.

Dan: He only has a twitter to retweet fanart.  The only time he tweeted on it was months after he disappeared to tell EVERYONE he left to give others a chance to climb to the top cause he felt he hogged it for too long.

Shun: There is a phenomenon in MCYTer fandom where whenever a creator mentions something from fandom culture, everyone yells “Scatter” and run away.  This phenomenon also happens in the Bakugan universe.  Shun is well aware of his phenomenon and keeps himself off the internet cause he does not want to scare the fans with his presence.  

Marucho: Despite being the most aro/ace out of a group of people I headcanon as being some flavor of aro/ace Marucho reads E rated fanfics on AO3.  He also plays a game of “How Bad is the State of Sed ED?”.  

Julie and Runo: With their powers combined, they try to use their fan following to do some good in the world.  Those two do regular tree planting/litter cleaning about once a season.  The only stated reason they don’t invite Shun(despite him liking to use his ninja training to clean up litter and plant saplings) is cause they do not want to over people their friendly forest cryptid friend.

Alice: She uses fandom playlists to discover new music.  The fact that at minimum 25% of all the songs on all the playlists are the same few songs does not discourage her.  She also could not predict that Hydranoid would love sea shanties.

She’s also earned the nickname of Battle Baba Yaga in Russia when she and Hydra do go out to wet their fangs with blood.

Baron: Similar to Dan in that he only has Vestle social media to show off cool fan art.  He is different in the fact he goes on Tolkien length gush sprees.

Jake: See Baron.  They also regularly meet to not only battle but show each other cool fanart and gush for hours.  I just want the himbos to be happy and have fun together.

Ace: One time he entered an Ace cosplay contest dressed as he normally would and earned second place.

Mira: There is another phenomenon of I believe parody RPF of political figures.  Mira observed a large amount of those fics after the ousting of the royal family, notably a lot of ones involving her domming the prince.  Those fics also had the odd “degenerate” comment for royal loyalists.

Spectra: After learning about the fics his sister’s in, Spectra decided to see Earth E rated fics.  He learned two things.  1. Humans are far hornier and kinkier a Vestal can even conceive of, and they all have the power to stop the hearts of royal loyalists with their toys.  2. By fanfic standards, he is a disappointing alien, and he needed Heloise and Gus to comfort him for a week.

Fabia: Nethians compose long, Shakespearean poems to express horny desires that take weeks to write.  Fabia has been subjected to too many about her.  Then she sees how humans do it and respects how refreshing it is to not have to pull out a massive dictionary to remember what 1000 old and obscure words mean.  She can just read and then go from there instead of having to stave off brain fuzz after 14 stanzas.

Ren: One time a solderer nervously asked him to sign his helmet cause he heard that’s a thing humans do, and he thought it’d be cool.  Ren signed it, and now that helmet, and now it’s a family heirloom.

Page and Rafe: With their powers combined, they are going to study all 4 branches of the fandom.  Nothing will keep them sane, especially if they decide to write a paper or a book about it.

Guntz: He feels bad about is flesh prison being used for evil, so he patrols the fandom making sure everyone’s safe and having fun.

[panlight]

In the script from Eclipse with the deleted scene of Alice and Edward basically replacing Caius and Marcus, do you think that is an accurate way to portray Aro's designs on Alice and Edward? Do you think that, if he could use Chelsea to twist them, he'd have them as co-rulers? Or do you think that Aro would just use them as high-ranking soldiers? Or, as some fanfictions portray, he'd just make them prisoners ala the wives and use their powers without regard to their happiness?

I can't imagine he'd actually make them co-rulers. They have too much outside loyalty and baggage, no matter how much he might use Chelsea and Corin to manipulate them.

I mean he specifically chose Sulpicia as a mate because he wanted to turn a human himself so there were no other loyalties at play. These two have years of being shaped by Carlisle and his philosophy, they're not just going to forget all that even if Chelsea can force them to stay.

I think they'd more likely be like Jane and Alec, sort of pampered, favorites of the court, trying to win them over with affection and praise (in addition to Chelsea and Corin) and they'd stay on either side of Aro's throne (with Marcus and Caius in their own thrones) so Aro can touch their hands so he could read minds from a distance via Edward and see the future via Alice at the same time. They'd be tools in the Volturi arsenal, not leaders.

I personally think the most likely way they'd end up with the Volturi in canon is by Aro making a deal to spare someone else if they agree to serve. "Dear Bella can go back to her father in Forks if you agree to stay here with me!" or whatever. It's maddening that nothing like this went down in New Moon, but of course it couldn't because she already had the Forever/Breaking Dawn ending planned so even though Aro had two powerful gifts he wanted basically in his house, he had to let them go so FD/BD could happen.

[therealvinelle]

I apologize if you've been asked this before, but what are you most looking forward to in the future Renesmee book (if at all) and what would you like to see? Personally, I hate that were getting a Jacob x Renesmee book, but I'm really curious to know more about the Wolf Pack, Aro's plans, the Cullen family, and so forth. I also know we're getting a Leah P.O.V, and Freaky Fred is coming back which is really interesting... Anyway, sorry if this question is super random lol

For the record I don’t think the book should be written, because while I love me a problematic ship (see: the endless entertainment I get out of Edward/Bella), Jacob/Renesmée is a step too far even for me. I don’t want to see it.

Then there’s the fact that so far as I’m concerned, Twilight is a pit of despair.

Over the course of canon, terrible things happens to the full cast of Twilight, or they’re set up to happen like a sword of Damocles hanging over the characters’ heads. I agree with Meyer in that the end of Breaking Dawn is the calm before the storm, but unfortunately she and I fundamentally disagree on what a happy ending would entail. Her happy ending will be my nuclear wasteland.

Now, I’m all for bleakness, I wouldn’t enjoy Twilight so much in the first place if I wasn’t. The place Twilight is headed after Breaking Dawn is too bleak, though even for me.

Take Aro, for instance. As of Breaking Dawn he’s playing the prisoner’s dilemma with the Cullens. The Cullens are sitting around hoping Aro doesn’t attack them, and Aro is sitting around hoping the Cullens don’t rally another army. Not to mention that for as long as the Cullens are around, Volturi authority is not absolute.

A lot is at stake here.

To Caius it won’t even be a question, they have to take out the Cullens sooner rather than later.

So, after all his efforts to the contrary, Aro will have to pour gasoline over his once-friendship with Carlisle once and for all, and pick off Carlisle’s friends and family one by one. Or plan to, anyway. Meyer is a maverick, but in this I can predict her - Aro won’t win. And the only way the Cullens will be safe (according to Alice and Edward anyway) is if Aro and Caius are both dead.

Aro will die a bleak, meaningless death that was entirely preventable.

When it comes to the Cullens, I have a lot of unwritten meta on that subject but suffice to say I think they’re ill suited for each other and in dysfunctional relationships. Their coven is doomed, and will break up sooner rather than later.

As for Leah’s POV, I think that Leah has all the ingredients for a great protagonist. Love story gone wrong that continues to torment her, she’s the first ever female shapeshifter, and she’s got this idiot sunshine brother to protect. She’s prime protagonist material. However, hers would be a very different kind of story, and it would have had to start in New Moon. I’m just not very interested in what happens to Leah post-Breaking Dawn. Meyer might surprise me, but I’m not optimistic. 

What I’d want for Leah is for her to go to college far away and never be involved with the supernatural ever again, and that won’t happen if she’s a POV character in a Twilight novel.

As for Freaky Fred, he brings nothing to the table. My interest is nonexistent.

So, between Renesmée marrying her babysitter, Bella’s power sending a thousand-year-long empire crumbling, and the Cullens totally not breaking up, I suspect I’ll end up saying “Ah, yes, this book is fanfiction Bella wrote after her life fell apart as a coping mechanism. Of course,” and then my voice breaks at the end as I start crying.

[throwawayfiction]

Lights Chapter 4

The next Chapter is UPPPPP Aro paced his quarters. Replaying over and over again the day's events in his court room. Marcus was dismal over the whole situation. He wanted to give up and let the girl be free. He associates love with the demise of his first wife Didyme. If he brings y/n here, she will die. He also viewed this immortal life as a prison. He's spent hundreds of years wishing to end his life. Caius was angry. The bond between y/n and Caius was rather rocky and unknown. The pull was enough to want to protect y/n and bring her where she could be watched and cared for by Caius, not left in the hands of some mortal men and human communities. He doesn't take lightly to those who take what is his. Aro rubbed his temples. It's been days since he's slept and now it will be days more before he can sleep. He needs to settle this problem with this human girl before others start noticing and thinking that he has become soft or weakened. He needed to find a way to make the girl come to Volterra… again. He needed to see her again. Aro looked out the bay window of his quarters. The girl Alice had special abilities, Edward had special abilities. All they had to do was talk to each other, they could figure out his next moves. Nothing made his skin crawl more than someone seeing through him, that was his job. In court Aro typically has a shield when Edward is present, especially after finding out the gravity of his abilities. But sometimes a shield can only go so far. What if Edward caught glimpses of Aro's plans, what if he heard his brothers' thoughts as well. The day they met replayed in his mind again, the way she looked up at him with fear stroked his ego but made where his beating heart should be hurt with great pressure. Her rosey cheeks, her skin lightly tanned from the summer sun. The way she smelled after walking around town, the sweet aroma clung to her skin, her sweat sweet smelling and fragrant like a summer garden. Her heart pumping blood beating faster when she looked at him. The pain was too much, the resolution should be in his own hands. He needed to find the girl, he couldn't rely on those Cullen members to bring him the girl; they thought he was a monster and unfair and cruel. But what was truly cruel, was living with this sort of pain.

The past few days returning home with Edward were awkward to say the least. Bella had to explain to Edward what had happened when he was gone. She told y/n about the secret, that he was immortal. It wasn't totally Bella's fault she found out. The girl wandered in on a conversation between her and Jacob. For a while Bella resented y/n for entering the relationship like that between her and Jacob. But it turned out to be a good thing, until now. Now it feels like she signed y/n's death certificate. The Volturi were for sure going to kill her or force her to become immortal. Did y/n want to become immortal? Was she interested in that sort of life? Y/n seemed preoccupied with her normal life. She was slightly older than Bella who was only about to graduate highschool, y/n was in her first years of college and taking online classes. She worked a part time job and lived with roommates and had a close friend who had to commute to school so they never got to see each other. Y/n would never see her friends again, especially with Aro dictating her life. Edward explained the whole situation to Carlisle. "We are going to have to come up with a plan to meet Aro in the middle. It's been a few weeks since you and Edward have returned to the States. Aro will not drop this, from what Alice has described to me." Carlisle spoke. Rosalie had enough, she huffed and stormed off knowing about what was about to happen. Either way, this girl y/n was going to have to accept an immortal life or be killed. "There is no way Aro can be reasoned with, he was furious about this girl. I don't understand what he wanted with the girl anyway." Edward spoke this time.

"We don't know, but we have to comply or Aro will unleash all sorts of trouble upon us" "How are we going to tell y/n, oh by the way, a dangerous and powerful vampire wants to keep you as a pet" "We don't know the whole story, so all we can do is negotiate, Edward. Everything will turn out fine. Aro is reasonable when you know how to negotiate with him, I would know. I spent a few hundred years with him." "Y/N is never going to trust Aro," Bella whispered looking out the large windows of the Cullen's house.

It had been a few weeks since Bella Returned from Volterra to find Edward. There was a sickening feeling in her gut the whole time she was gone. It was so ironic that Volterra was where she was when she met a strange man, now she found out that vampires were real beings and they lived among us. Y/n felt so small in this world, there was so much that she didn't know about. She couldn't stop thinking about Volterra and where Bella had gone. For all she knew, Volterra was just a small community rich with history and festivals. Why would Edward want to go to a town dedicated to destroying vampires. Alice had mentioned that night that he thought that Bella had taken her life, so he was going to do the same. I wonder if vampire hunters still existed…

Sort of a shorter chapter, I'm already working on the next. No worries! As I mentioned before I wanted to add some things that aren't necessarily part of the SM version of a vampire. I like to think they have to sleep but not as much as a human. For example, vampires can go days without sleeping, they can go weeks. If the go too long then they start to deteriorate. We can explain Marcus's condition with this theory. He doesn't sleep much because he is depressed about the loss of his wife. Also I would hate to spend eternity not being able to take a fucking nap. I would be so pissed. Please feel free to leave comments and messages. I'm happy to hear from you, and gosh this story has gotten some views. I didn't expect this many views on this sort of topic/characters.

[lunastwilightblog]

What’s the main difference between Vladimir and Aro? How do you perceive them as rulers and individuals?

Oh I could go on forever about this question! Thank you! This is going to be long 😅

I’ll discuss rulers first and individuals second, but there’s a bit of overlap

The main difference is that one is a warmonger and the other is more of a pacifist, at least on the surface.

So as rulers they’re very different. Vladimir is remembered for his brutality. Even Amun and his coven were afraid of the Romanians’ expansion. We know that the Volturi spread rumours about the Romanians which came to become modern Romanian vampire legends, but other vampires wouldn’t have believed and spread them if they didn’t have at least a substantial amount of truth behind them. The Romanian Coven’s expansion across Central Eastern Europe worried Egypt; if the Volturi hadn’t destroyed both empires, the Romanians may have ended up annexing Egypt (or they would have liked to, it is doubtful they could have) or at least destroyed them. There were many more leaders of the Romanian coven than the Volturi, and also their mates. There was a lot of infighting and there was no Chelsea to control it all. Therefore Vladimir must have had to be very harsh with his own coven at times, as well as dealing with the countless human rebellions, because being Mr Nice Guy would land a coup on his plate instantly. He had no choice but to be strict, but he also enjoyed it. You can see his and Stefan’s natures in their comments about gouging out the Volturi’s eyes and their not-caring for whatever crime Carlisle committed. They want violence. They enjoy the violence. It is part of the euphoria and power that comes from ruling, and knowing that vampires are addicted to power (like how Laurent followed James and also Vladimir because of the power they emitted), it was something they eagerly participated in and still would, if they wouldn’t get executed.

I imagine that Vladimir mustn’t have been a very nice person as a ruler. I mean, he even tried to kill Caius before Caius joined the Volturi. Caius barely escaped with his life, and that was the reason he joined Aro - Aro could protect him from Vladimir and he could get revenge for Vladimir’s attempted murder of him. Honestly, it could have been the event in Caius’s life that turned him into a nasty piece of work.

Then we have the humans rebelling against the Romanians. Imagine how desperate, starving, and just done the humans must have been to gather an army to march on Sarmizegetusa (the capital city citadel). They knew they’d die and the Romanians would have a feast, so they must have been living in absolutely horrific conditions to decide to commit suicide by vampire, all at once. Likely long working days in the fields with barely any rest, lots of violence and competition for food, the majority of food going to the humans who were “lucky” enough to live in the citadel.

On the other hand, due to the whole secrecy thing, we see Aro acting very differently as a ruler. However if he were in the same situation as Vladimir, he still would not be a murder-and-starve-everyone kind of ruler.

Aro let Caius join the Volturi because he didn’t like doing the executions himself. I think therefore we can assume that Aro possesses some form of ability to feel guilt. He wants to be in power and rule, and he knows it means he has to execute people (I mean, you tried putting vampires in prison? Or them learning a lesson when they’re set in their ways?) but he doesn’t have the stomach for it himself. He has also, of course, let Bella live every time he’s seen her, which he should not have. In New Moon, Edward, Bella & Alice should have been executed, but Aro gave them clemency! He does not like executions at all, but sees them as a necessary evil, the complete opposite to Vladimir.

Really, Bella should like Aro. He has let her live every time he thought she and Edward might have committed a crime, and heard them out about Renesmee when he was not originally prepared to. This is incredibly kind for a vampire ruler. If Vladimir had done that, he would have appeared weak. But Aro has Chelsea - as long as people see that his coven approves of his decision and there’s no in-fighting in the Volturi, there is a smaller chance of a rebellion as he can be trusted to turn up to a fight with a unified and well prepared army. He can do what he likes in his leadership style because his coven is not fractured or internally weak and volatile as the Romanian coven was.

He is also a much better strategist. With having implemented his law, it’s so so easy to find people who’ve broken it without playing a finger pointing game and turning people against each other. Humans discovering the existence of vampires reaches the media, then that reaches Aro, and all he needs to do is send guards to the area to investigate and from human activities and chatter, they easily find the culprit without Aro’s gift. Much easier than the torture Vladimir must have had to use to get people to confess or submit.

ON THE OTHER HAND

On a personal level, no matter their individual views on ruling and execution, I see them as quite similar.

Vladimir’s personality is seen in Breaking Dawn and in his ruling style. He and Stefan would talk about people right in front of them, knowingly in earshot. They just don’t care how people see them as long as they get what they want.

Whereas Aro is more of a narcissist, but not from having an ego. He just knows how to portray himself in order to make his rule more stable, not that he actually is a narcissist - he makes himself think that way because it is to his benefit.

We have to remember that despite all the good things that came with Aro gaining power (like peace, far fewer mass slaughterings of humans, virtually no wars between covens (hence why they nowadays gain so much attention), the growing of the human population which lead to more hunting being done and a larger number of potential victims per vampire than before, and of course all the benefits humans have received in not being constantly killed and oppressed by vampires) he himself is a bad person.

This is a man whose rule is merciful, not just pretend like when he spared Heidi but actually merciful when he spared Bella in New Moon, but he killed his own little sister and helped her husband look for her killer. Until Marcus tried to kill himself, when after that Aro just turned Chelsea and Corin and enslaved Marcus’s and Caius’s minds. Vladimir never did that; this action of Aro’s is pure evil. Never mind that he did feel remorseful and guilty that he killed Didyme, he still did it.

He hides it well, but he is just as much of a snake as Vladimir. He covertly assassinates people himself, he is able to sit beside his brother in law every day and read his thoughts, knowing he’s the reason behind his depression.

So while Vladimir is responsible for a lot more death, Aro is just as rotten at the core, perhaps even more than Vladimir is.

Vladimir nailed this exactly in Breaking Dawn when he said, “we never put on white hats and called ourselves saints”.

Vladimir showed the world what he is without restraint but Aro conceals it behind a wall of good-doing. In effect, the only thing stopping Aro acting exactly like Vladimir is the fact they had different laws. That’s it. Aro would likely have been a similar ruler to Vladimir if in his shoes (minus only the slaughter of other vampires), he only isn’t because he managed to implement the law he wanted.

But as he is willing to do anything, hurt even his own family, and straight up lie to everyone he knows, to get and retain power, the two are more similar in personality than even Edward realises.

[mytwilightimagines13]

You will be fine, darling (Part Five) (Demetri Volturi)

Masterlist

Word count:818

First part Previous part Next part Total parts: 9

Then, abruptly, Aro shook his head. "A first," he said to himself  "I wonder if she is immune to our other talents? Jane, dear?" "No!" Edward snarled the word. Alice grabbed his arm with a restraining hand. He shook her off. Little Jane smiled up happily at Aro. "Yes, Master?" Edward was truly snarling now, the sound ripping and tearing from him, glaring at Aro with baleful eyes. The room had gone still, everyone watching him with amazed disbelief, as if he were committing some embarrassing social faux pas. That seemed to be a last straw for Demetri, as he moved towards the side quickly, holding you even closer, shielding you from the scene. His sweet scent indulged you completely, and your mind was clouded and shielded of every fearful thought.  You soon heard Aro’s voice echo through the room, though it seemed distant.   "I was wondering, my dear one, if Bella is immune to you." You could barely hear Aro over Edward's furious growls. You watched the scene through a small slit between Demetri’s arm and his torso. You saw Edward letting go of Bella to hide her from the view. Caius ghosted in their direction, with his entourage, to watch. Jane turned toward them with a beatific smile. "Don't!" Alice cried as Edward launched himself at the little girl. Before anyone could react, before anyone could jump between them, before Aro's bodyguards could tense, Edward was on the ground. No one had touched him, but he was on the stone floor writhing in obvious agony, while you stared in horror. Jane was smiling only at him now, and it all clicked together. What Alice had said about formidable gifts , why everyone treated Jane with such deference, and why Edward had thrown himself in her path before she could do that to Bella. You quickly took a tight hold on Demetri’s shirt, fear spreading through your mind, and you started trembling slightly. Demetri pulled you closer and kissed your forehead, starting to purr softly in your ear again. It once again worked it’s magic, yet you still felt anxious. "Stop!" Bella shrieked, her voice echoing in the silence, jumping forward to put herself between them. But Alice threw her arms around Bella in an unbreakable grasp and ignored her struggles. No sound escaped Edward's lips as he cringed against the stones. "Jane," Aro recalled her in a tranquil voice. She looked up quickly, still smiling with pleasure, her eyes questioning. As soon as Jane looked away, Edward was still. Aro inclined his head toward Bella. Jane turned her smile in her direction. Bella didn't even meet her gaze. She watched Edward from the prison of Alice's arms, still struggling pointlessly. You looked at her, and waited for Bella to be writhing in pain, just like Edward had down a few moments ago, yet nothing happened. You released your grip on Demetri’s shirt slightly and watched in awe and fear. Surely, the Volturi wouldn’t take this lightly. "He's fine," Alice whispered in a tight voice. As she spoke, he sat up, and then sprang lightly to his feet. His eyes met Bella’s, and they were horror-struck. You thought it might have still been the horror from the torture he had just endured. But then he looked quickly at Jane, and back to Bella and his face relaxed into relief. I looked at Jane, too, and she no longer smiled. She glared at Bella, her jaw clenched with the intensity of her focus. Bella shrank back, clearly waiting for the pain yet nothing happened. You shrank back a little as well, fearing the feral and irritated little vampire. Edward was by Bella’s side again. He touched Alice's arm, and she surrendered her to him. Aro started to laugh. "Ha, ha. ha," he chuckled. "This is wonderful!" Jane hissed in frustration, leaning forward like she was preparing to spring. You crawled even closer into Demetri, like that was possible. You wanted to indulge yourself into his sweet scent and the coolness of his skin. That was a happy place, not the dangerous throneroom you were in right now. You felt Demetri smile against your hair and gently stroke your hair. “Everything is alright, mia cara. Nothing will happen to you. I promise.” He muttered with a soft purr lingering through his words. "Don't be put out, dear one," Aro said in a comforting tone, placing a powder-light hand on her shoulder. His voice brought you and Demetri back to the situation and the room.  "She confounds us all." Jane's upper lip curled back ever her teeth as she continued to glare at Bella. "Ha, ha, ha," Aro chortled again. "You're very brave, Edward, to endure in silence. I asked Jane to do that to me once, just out of curiosity." He shook his head in admiration. Edward glared, disgusted. "So what do we do with you now?" Aro sighed.

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[goldeneyedgirl]

Hello, I was wondering if you would ever write more about your Space au?? I am borderline obsessed and I read your snippet with the truth-telling dust and I've been thinking about it for two days. I have SO many thoughts. What happened to Maria in that verse? Would the Olympus ever encounter the Monteray and be forced to at least speak with Maria?? And what about that Sinth who killed Jasper's father and promised to come back for him? Does she ever? Is that a thing he's still worried about? Sorry but I've recently gotten into both space aus and twilight again and I'm very invested

Hi!

Yes, there are more Space-verse fics planned! I did have a one-shot for the 12 kisses meme I was attempting started but I decided it's boring and I hate it, so we're back to the drawing board for the next part.

I have a one-shot for Rose outlined because I went and made Rose more miserable in this universe but also this absolute badass? I've done a little work on Alice's origin story and why her kind are so hated. Obviously Bella's waiting in the wings for her moment to appear. And we can't have a high-stakes AU without Aro making trouble.

In Space-verse, Maria was essentially a terrorist; she has a similar history to Jasper with Synths and basically turned to extreme violence and propaganda to recruit her crew. More of this will come up in future installments but the Monterrey was caught, the crew charged, and Maria and Jasper were sentenced to prison for a time. Jasper got out on parole with hefty fines and heavily restricted options, but Maria's always plotting.

Maria will definitely run into the Olympia crew. The Monterrey is currently inaccessible to Maria, and it would be a real shame if only one member of her old crew had the unlock codes...

I'm genuinely on the fence about the Synth that murdered Jasper's father. I'm still working on the wider timeline for this 'verse, and whether her return fits into it. Jasper definitely still has nightmares about that night, but he's now a 6ft+ grown man with military training and access to some pretty intense weapons. And his not-girlfriend is professionally trained in murder, so I honestly pity anyone who thinks they can harm Jasper at this point.

I think the next installment is going to be returning to Edward's family home, and seeing the Denali crew. This is the plan right at this moment, at least.

I have nothing satisfying from that universe to share; most of it is in dot points or paragraph snippets, I'm sorry! But we persevere with Space-verse, just slowly!

[iobsessoverfictionalmen]

Midnight Roses (4)

This fic contains canon-typical violence and behaviours, manipulation, mentions of death, murder, orphans, pain, blood, blood drinking, torture, memory manipulation, prison, and criminals.

Chapter 4

“I am curious to hear your assessment regarding Bella Swan.”  Athenadora uttered that same afternoon.

You opened your mouth only to close it with a smirk decorating your lips, “I could tell you now and our eavesdropper would only listen to the conversation or we could include our visitor in the conversation so we have plenty of perspective.”

Athenadora grinned wolfishly, “Come out eavesdropper.  There’s no point in hiding anymore!”

A blond, curly-haired, lanky vampire stepped into view.  It took you some time to remember who he was.  Then it clicked.  This vampire was Jasper Hale, the youngest of the clan and the one that Aro told you about who struggled the most with the Cullens’ animal diet.  Aro had gone on to explain that it wasn’t due to lack of self-control but Jasper’s struggle with the diet was due to the fact that his gift was sensing and manipulating emotions.  Since emotions were affected by hormones that travelled in the bloodstream, it made sense that Jasper would have more difficulty controlling his desire for human blood than the other vampires in Forks.

“I did not intend to eavesdrop,” Jasper stated solemnly with his hands clasped behind his back.  His posture was stiff and he spoke in a formal tone.

“Sit.”  Athenadora ordered.

At the same time, you and Jasper sat down in the comfy chairs that furnished the room.

“Your assessment?” Athenadora prodded as she too sat.

“Bella has demonstrated that she is willing to learn and to be taught,” you stated, massaging the palm of one hand with the thumb on the opposite hand.  Your eyes darted over to Jasper who maintained his stiff posture while seated. 

“However, centuries of bias and prejudice will be difficult to overcome even if the participants are willing.  If the participant isn’t open to change, there is a high probability that their lack of willingness will negatively affect those around them.  It may result in Bella’s progress becoming stunted and she could even regress to her previous manner of thinking.”

Athenadora pursed her lips.  Both she and Jasper understood that you were referring to Edward and Alice when you said ‘participant’, “I was thinking along the same lines.  It’s not just Edward that we are concerned about but your mate, Alice, as well.”  She directed her second sentence to Jasper.

“My mate cares deeply for Bella.  That is both her strength and her weakness.  She can be easily convinced to choose a certain path when Bella is at the centre.  Once someone has decided on a course of action, Alice will then have visions of that outcome.”

“Which is how she convinced Aro to let them leave when they visited Volterra the first time.”  Athenadora observed.

“In the past, Alice has found that technique to be effective.”  Jasper revealed before examining you, “I can imagine that while Bella listened to your explanations, there were times when she reacted negatively due to the amount and content of information she was receiving.”

“I had my doubts about how Bella would respond to the information that I revealed.  She definitely had some strong opinions about a few of the topics but I don’t think that Rosalie’s presence during the conversation helped the situation.”

Jasper frowned, “The two do not get along.  We were all changed out of necessity and Rosalie believes that Bella is squandering her chances at a human life to be with Edward.  When we left Forks, I heard whispers that Bella wants to become a vampire and then Alice told me of the vision that she showed Great King Aro in the throne room.  Edward is reluctant to change her.”

“That’s an understatement if I’ve ever heard one.”  Athenadora grimaced, “It also explains the control he has over her.”

“If your family had a vote, what course of action would you take?  Would you change Bella into a vampire?”

“There was a vote before we were brought here.  The majority of our family voted to change her into a vampire.  Two of our family did not.  We didn’t know the extent of Edward’s manipulative behaviour then.”

“And now that you do?  Would you change your answer?”

“I voted yes because Bella being a vampire would be a nice change and I wouldn’t feel the need to attack her.”  He deadpanned.

You weren’t sure whether Jasper was joking or not. 

“That reason is quite shallow and selfish of you.”  Athenadora chastised.

Jasper remained focused on Athenadora.  You could see the micro expressions chasing each other across his face before it became stony.

“And what of you Major?  Do you support Jasper’s decision to change Bella?”

When Jasper spoke, his voice once again held that undertone.  “Jasper overruled me in his decision.”  The Major bit out.  “Bella’s wish to become a vampire is rooted in her desire to remain with Edward.  Following our unexpected journey to Volterra and the reveal of information along with Bella being exposed to different perspectives, I am not aware if that longing has subsided or grown.  Prior to becoming involved with Edward, she had no understanding of the dangers of our world.  Her infatuation with Edward has opened her eyes to the dangers yet I believe that she wants to become a vampire in order to handle situations on our level.”

A familiar form appeared in a flash of green and the Major’s posture shifted once again.  Somehow, without fully understanding how you knew it, you knew that Jasper was in control again.

“The three of you need to get to the throne room now!”  Claymore urged, “The Kings are preparing to kill Edward Cullen.”

[king-mera]

Alice from American mcgre

favorite thing about them

I know this is a bit shallow, but as an artist, I just love her character design! It’s what drew me into the series in the first place. She’s got a blue dress like her Disney counterpart, the physical appearance of her historical namesake, and plenty of unique elements like her omega necklace and strappy boots. All in all, a perfect blend of visuals that make her instantly recognizable as Alice, while still being an original version of the character!

least favorite thing about them

Her inconsistent characterization. Doctor Wilson describes her as having a “hero complex” fuelled by her survivor’s guilt, yet she seems preoccupied with saving herself more than saving others. She straight up abandoned the March Hare and Dormouse without even trying to help them, and is generally rude and snippy with the orphans in the second game. I understand she has good reason to be angry with people, given her shitty situation, but I do wish she had been written to be a little more compassionate as the series progressed.

favorite line

“You and my dentist’s assistant have much in common.”

brOTP

Cheshalice are ride or die best friends. I don’t care that she’s distrustful of him in AMR, since that was likely due to Dr. Bumby’s meddling. (and I’d like to think she apologized to him about it later.) Cheshire literally sacrificed himself for Alice’s sanity in the past, and he’d do so again. I truly believe Alice realizes this and cares about him a great deal.

OTP

I personally headcanon Alice as aro/ace, but if you forced me to choose a romantic pairing at gunpoint, I’d ship her with the prison guard. He admires her spunk and is one of the few people in London who actually has sympathy for her condition. From what we can gather from the beta, he was originally going to have a bigger role in the story and help Alice. Plus, we never did learn his real name… Maybe he is Reginald Hargreaves?

nOTP

Look, we’ve all been through this song and dance before. AlicexBumby is a terrible idea. The only reason Sigmund Freud’s ugly twin was shoehorned into this series was to add drama and send Alice on a wild goose chase for revenge. There’s just no chemistry there.

random headcanon

After the events of AMR, Alice helps the remaining orphans find homes, but there are two who prefer to stay with her. Their names are Charlie and Silvia.

unpopular opinion

I don’t know if this is unpopular, but I prefer Rage Mode over Hysteria Mode. Hysteria is an interesting mechanic, but I find invincibility to be a crutch, and the design makes Alice look like a generic ghost lady. Rage Mode was more fun because of how batshit insane it was. In what other game can I play as a beloved character from a classic children’s book, and turn them into a nightmare demon to rip enemies apart?

song i associate with them

Little Bit of Red by Serena Ryder

favorite picture of them

That one where she’s making the Dreamworks face:

[chitaprrrrrrrr]

LGBT+ Fiction Rec

Carol // movie, book, nsfw, wlw

Therese Beliveit sees Carol at a department store and is instantly drawn to her. The two women become close but are faced with the challenges of Carol’s rocky divorce and the struggles of being gay in the 1950s. 

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue // book, mlm, ace

Follows the story of Henry Montague, the son of a lord in eighteenth-century England, his sister, and his childhood best friend as their trip to Europe turns into a manhunt when he accidentally steals something more valuable than he could have imagined. Lots of great representation including a main interracial couple. There’s also a sequel called The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy, which focuses on his aro/ace sister.

Maurice // book, movie, nsfw, mlm

It’s the early twentieth century England, there are some rumors about a war that may be coming up, and Maurice Hall has realized that how he feels about his very attractive male friend is not just friendship. I’m talking vintage gays, repression, commentary on class struggles, and more vintage gays. When I say that this book/movie was ahead of its time, I mean it.

Spies Are Forever // musical, mlm

After Agent Curt Mega’s partner Owen dies while trying to escape a Russian facility, he takes a break from the spy life. But when he becomes a spy again, he finds out that his past is harder to escape from than he thought. Spies, gays, the Cold War, and a killer soundtrack. What more do you need? Uploaded by the creator on Youtube for free.

The Handmaiden // movie, nsfw, wlw

Sook-Hee’s a Korean pickpocket posing as a handmaiden to steal a Japanese heiress of her fortune. The plan gets complicated when Sook-Hee starts getting close to the heiress.

Good Omens // tv show, book, mlm, trans

If you were on Tumblr in June 2019, you probably already know what’s up. If not, an angel and a demon fall in love with humanity (and maybe a little with each other) and decide to stop the end of the world together. The creators have confirmed that seeing the main characters as trans (or basically every other LGBT identity) is valid.

I Love You, Philip Morris // movie, nsfw, mlm

Be Gay. Do Crime. And watch Jim Carrey and Ewan Mcgregor fall in love in prison. A very good romantic comedy that’s also based on a true story.

The Adventure Zone // podcast, book, mlm, wlw, trans

A roleplaying podcast done by the McElroys. The first campaign, Balance, is a fantasy story with things like elves and dwarves. The second campaign, Amnesty, is a modern-day story in West Virginia with things like Bigfoot and the Mothman. Both of them are very good and very gay. The Balance arc also has a graphic novel adaptation.

God’s Own Country // movie, nsfw, mlm

Think British Brokeback Mountain but instead of the main conflict being homophobia, it’s commitment issues. Has some more graphic sheep farming veterinary scenes. Overall, it’s very good.

Check, Please! // webcomic, mlm

Eric “Bitty” Bittle, former figure skater, decides to join the hockey team at Samwell University. The main problem being that the whole concept of checking (physical contact on the ice) terrifies him. That, and the team captain is as hot as he is intimidating. 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show // movie, mlm

Straight-laced Brad and his fiance Janet’s car breaks down during a storm. Luckily for them, they stumble upon the mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a drag queen scientist, where they meet several other interesting characters, including Frank-N-Furter’s new creation, a man named Rocky, and lose their innocence. Think 1950s sci-fi meets 1970s sexual revolution or if Frankenstein was a musical.

Firebringer // musical, wlw

You probably know about this musical through the whole “I don’t want to do the work today” vine. What that vine leaves out is that the show is about prehistoric bisexuals and their discovery of fire. Uploaded by the creator on Youtube for free.

Call me By Your Name // book, movie, nsfw, mlm

Elio Perlman was expecting to have a normal summer in Italy where he would work on his music, read books, and spend time with his girlfriend. What he was not expecting was getting close to the handsome intern working for his father. 

Carry On // book, mlm

Enemies-to-lovers slow burn about a vampire and the Chosen One. Takes typical YA tropes and spins them on their heads. The sequel Wayward Son has just come out and the final book in the series, Any Way the Wind Blows, was just announced.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert // movie, mlm, trans

Two Australian drag queens and a trans woman go on a road trip through the Australian desert together. Some racist/transphobic scenes that have not aged well since the 90s but besides those it’s a pretty heartwarming story.

Welcome to Night Vale // podcast, book, mlm, wlw, trans

A sci-fi horror podcast about a strange Western town called Night Vale and what goes on in it. Features a main gay character and lots of the side characters are also LGBT. There are several books that focus on different parts of the universe that you can also read.

Brooklyn 99 // tv show, mlm, wlw

Weirdly, I haven’t seen this show put on any LGBT media recs before. The show follows the 99th precinct of the New York police department. While the main character is not gay himself (although he is either bi or EXTREMELY comfortable in his sexuality), his boss, the police captain, is an openly gay black man married to another man and one of the supporting characters later comes out as bisexual and has relationships with women. Overall, a very funny show that also offers a good commentary on issues that we deal with in society today.

Rock and Riot // webcomic, wlw, mlm, trans, ace

Follows two rival gangs from the 1950s and their struggles with understanding their sexual orientation and gender identity. A little bit of period typical homophobia and racism but not so much that its a bummer.

Professor Marston and the Wonder Woman // movie, nsfw, wlw

Contrary to what the title may lead you to believe, this is not a DC Universe movie. It’s actually about the creator of Wonder Woman and the lie detector and his polyamorous relationship with the two women who inspired Wonder Woman.

Shameless // tv show, nsfw, mlm, wlw, trans

Focusing on the Gallager family, a low-income family from Chicago and their struggle to survive. One of the main characters, Ian, is openly gay and has had many relationships throughout the series, most notably his on-again-off-again relationship with Mickey Milkovich. Disclaimer: there are some scenes with some pretty brutal homophobia that can be very hard to watch. Also let’s just say that when Ian was a minor, not all of his relationships were with other minors.

Alice Isn’t Dead // podcast, book, wlw

Keisha becomes a truck driver to find her missing wife who had been presumed dead (Alice). Because as it turns out, Alice isn’t dead. A very good horror mystery that captures American road trip gothic better than most pieces of media. Also has a book adaptation.

The Favourite // movie, wlw

Abigail has lost everything. She has no money, no title, and no status. Lucky for her, she has a cousin, Sarah, who is very powerful and close to the Queen. She then begins to work at the palace and the two cousins compete for the favor of the queen, but their motivations to be close to the Queen are very different.

Shaderunners // webcomic, mlm, wlw, trans

A 1920s style webcomic except homophobia doesn’t exist and neither does color, at least not for the proletariat. A group of people join together to change that (the color thing, not the homophobia thing). A very good representation of a variety of identities.

Kill Your Darlings // movie, mlm

About the famous American poet Allen Ginsberg, his relationship with Lucien Carr, the beginning of the Beat generation of poetry, and the murder of David Krammer. Again with the period typical homophobia but nothing too extreme or disturbing.

[like-rain-or-confetti]

Fire (Alec Volturi x Reader)

You didn't know how long it had been since the fire started but your whole house was no engulfed in flames as you sat cross legged on your kitchen floor in complete shock. You didn't call anyone but weren't too surprised to see Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, the Romanians, Benjamin and the Denali's through the hole where your door once was. "(Y/N)! Get out of there!" Emmett yelled. You looked up from the surrounding flames. "I didn't meant to..." You said. "(Y/N)! Get out of there now!" Jasper yelled. "They warned me about this..." You sobbed. "Alec was worried I'd do something." "(Y/N)! Listen to me!" Carlisle tried a different approach. "It's not safe for you to be in there!" "That's the thing Carlisle...fire doesn't hurt me." You put your hand in the closest roaring flame next to you. "I know! I know, but the house is going to collapse! It isn't stable in there, you have to move!" 

In that moment, as though to prove a point, a chunk of the ceiling collapsed in front of you that made you jump. You suddenly understood and had snapped out of your daze. You scrambled to your feet as more of the ceiling above crashed down and blocked your exit. You heard glass shatter around you before locking eyes with Kate from the outside as she lunged and drove her first through the window, shattering it immediately. You were out of time and knew what you had to do. You took a running start and threw yourself out of the opening Kate had created. You landed on the grass, barely aware of the mild scratches you had from the jagged glass shards remaining of the window. None were deep enough to really draw blood, you were lucky. It was then that you heard sirens. "(Y/N), we need to get you out of here!" You heard Jasper call out but didn't catch who had picked you up.

Carlisle put you down as he locked eyes with Esme who stared wide eyed from inside the Cullen home. She hurried away from the window in a flash as Carlisle pulled you to the house. "Come and I'll see to these wounds." The others lingered outside but soon dispersed. "This was very lucky, you barely got a scratch." Carlisle dabbed at the long scratch down your arm. The cotton was mildly tainted with red but as he said, no drops of blood. "Why are the others here?" "Visiting Renesmee."

You were surprised by the response considering the Romanians were also there. You could hear the news in downstairs which you had no doubt was reporting the fire. Once you were cleaned up, you found you were correct. Emmett and Jasper were watching the news intently as it reported a house fire and ultimate collapse of the house. Your home was completely destroyed but they were happy to report there was no one in the house when it caught ablaze. However the cause of the fire was still unknown. "We could smell it." Tanya said to you as Emmett and Jasper acknowledged you with a nod on the sofa. "I don't even know what happened..." You trailed off. "Esme is calling Volterra as we speak. She's going to leave a message to let Alec know what happened." Rosalie said, her hands clasped in front of her with a gentle voice. "More than that, Alec's calling back right now." Alice declared and as such in as the sentence left her mouth, a ringing came from the other room. You heard Esme's heels head down the hall before the ringing stopped.

Later, Carlisle entered the room with Esme. "How are you feeling?" "Is it bad? Did anyone get hurt?" "No. We have planted a source of the fire." Esme took a seat beside you. "(Y/N), you need to tell us what happened." Carlisle joined you both, keeping his voice mellow. "I don't remember, I was day dreaming. One minute I was staring at a candle that was left in the kitchen, the next, everything was up in flames." You seemed helpless, just as eager for answers as they were. "Well, you should know that Alec has been in touch. The Volturi would like you to stay with them." Esme put a gentle hand on your shoulder to reassure you. "He's very worried." You nodded slowly. "I'll go."

Heidi locked eyes with you and beckoned you over with a smile. You were surprised to see her outside when the sun was beaming down but then again, she was completely shaded and the layout of the tour line didn't make it seem unnatural. "It's so good to see you, darling. If you wait in the reception, you'll be seen to once the tour is finished." You knew what that meant. That meant, you'd be seen to once they'd all ate, reducing the chances of someone taking a bite. You nodded, with a forced smile, uncomfortable to see the long line of oblivious humans gawking and pointing at their surroundings. You opened the door and stepped inside. It was cold, a complete contrast to outside, as well as darker but that wasn't too surprising considering the castles occupants.

You sat on a bench, looking around and no more than five minutes later, Heidi, followed by many humans walked by. "This way, please. Stay together!" She called back cheerily. When passing, she shot her smile at you. You tried not to think too hard about where they were going and that they wouldn't be coming back. You rubbed your eyes and you heard more footsteps. Felix and Demetri, turned the corner and it was only when Demetri looked back that the two noticed you. "Oh hello, (Y/N). I didn't expect you'd be here so soon. How was your flight?" Demetri asked as the two towered over you. "Long." You smiled weakly. "I hate planes." The two seemed to find that amusing. "Well, we won't keep you long. You know how it is." You nodded again. "Yeah, I understand." "Speaking of which, we better go or we won't get to feed." Demetri nodded to you before the two continued to the elevator. "See you soon, (Y/N)!" Felix called back with a slight wave on his hand.

It was a long wait, yet it wasn't long enough. Your mind was turning over the many humans who were dying in that moment and you gave nothing of a warning. The receptionist didn't say a word, the only sound being her typing on the keyboard with light taps. You didn't even realize when she had gotten up and was bent over you slightly, holding out a plastic cup of water. "Thank you." You took the cup gratefully and she nodded at you with a smile before turning to her desk. The water helped a little. After thirty minutes, you were stunned to see Heidi lightly jog up to you but you caught her discreetly wiping the corners of her mouth. "Our sincerest apologies, we'll be taking a little longer but we are aware that you must be feeling tired. If you come down this hall, we can take you to a more suitable area to rest." 

Heidi led you down a hall and into small room. It was well decorated, modern, and had a few soft sofas. However, the Volturi had no need for this so you wondered if this was more of a pointless room that needed to be filled. You sat on the furthest couch as Heidi encouraged you to rest, setting a nearby folded blanket beside you with the final assurance that they'd try to be as quick as they could. You couldn't stay awake when you buried yourself under the blanket and left alone in silence. You told yourself this was no time for sleeping but you continued to fall into a dreamless sleep.

You heard hushed voices. "Yes, Jane. I'm going in now...very well." You were driven out of your sleep when the door shut even though you weren't awake enough to have heard it open. You cracked your eyes open to see Alec steadily moving towards you. He pulled a grimace. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was hoping not to wake you." "Alec?" "Who else, sleepy?" Alec sat in the space by your stomach, just in front of your curled up legs and smoothed your hair. "How long have I...?" You trailed off. "The safe estimate is about two hours. We hadn't fed for a while prior which made quite a mess." Alec absent-mindedly tucked a lock of your hair behind your ear. "You don't need to worry about that. It's all clean now and my attention is on you. Which brings us to the point, are you alright? No burns? No physical injuries?" He looked you up and down. You lifted your sleeve and sections of your top to show him your scratches. "No burns, fire can't hurt me but a few cuts from the glass." You said nervously. "Glass?" Alec's brow furrowed. "I threw myself out of a window to get out. The building was going to collapse." You immediately jumped at his alarmed look. "Don't worry though. These make it look a lot worse than it is." You had meant for it to comfort Alec...but it didn't seem like it did much comforting. "What's going to happen to me?" You asked Alec, your voice quiet. "Aro will inspect you and you'll be changed. Your in a better environment with people that could help you. All we ask is little trust." He explained looping your arm on his before leading you to the throne room.

Aro was determined that changing you would be the best course of action and working from there. However, once changed, you completely lost control. It was like trying to use your talents in a body that wasn't your own. It was out of sync and awkward. The biggest flames occurred when you were in a trance like state, forcing yourself to day dream.

Caius then wanted you under supervision at all times-after you nearly set one of the rooms ablaze-which meant you were there when trials went ahead. This guy, whoever he was, really made you uncomfortable. Something just didn't sit right about him. The prisoner lunged at you. Somehow you felt more than prepared for him. In fact, you loved that he had chosen to pick a fight with you. Just as he grabbed you by the upper arms you had locked your own grip on his arms. A sizzling was heard and the prisoner screeched trying to wretch himself away from you but to no avail. You were a newborn and so much stronger than he anticipated. Your stare was locked onto him as he suddenly was engulfed with flames. He screamed as you let go. He flailed around in agony as you watched stoically, seemingly in a trance.

The Volturi watched the scene in slight alarm, their gazes racing back and forth from the burning vampire to you until finally he vampire collapsed to the ground. Alec stepped in front of you, pressing his cold hands to your face. "(Y/N)?" His hands and the sound of his voice slowly broke your trance. You blinked a few times, trying to remember what had just happened. "Is he gone? Is-" You gasped in horror to see the charred remains of a vampire behind Alec. You staggered back but was quickly halted by Alec who had taken hold of your upper arms. "What did I do!? What have I done!?" Alec shushed you calmly. "Look at me." You couldn't tear your eyes from the charred remains. "Sweet face, look at me." Alec quietly pleaded. "Calm down. Everything is alright. Focus on me." "I'm sorry! I didn't meant to!" "I think we've found a use for (Y/N)." Caius said darkly with a sickening grin. "(Y/N), stay focused on me. It's alright, everything is alright." Alec pressed his hands to your face making sure you looked no where but him. "I'm going to take you somewhere else okay?" Alec began walking you out the room, releasing your face and wrapping his arms around around you.

The next day was rather peaceful until Felix burst into your room. "Alright kid, ready to work some magic?" "This is a terrible idea." You shook your head at the candle in front of you. "I've been setting fires as tall as doors since I got here. What makes you think I'll ever be able to light a candle?" "because you've done it before." Demetri walked around you and bent down to your level of the chair you sat on. "You’ve been distracted since you got here. The more distractions, the less focus, the larger the flame to anything. Those curtains last week can testify to that. You didn't get a new body, (Y/N). Your body got better. This isn't about expanding you power. It's the opposite, it's limiting it, bending it to your will." "I've never lit a candle with my eyes though. I always did this." You lifted the candle out of it's holder and sure enough with your palm at the bottom a very large flame grew upon the candle." "So don't use your hands and use it with your eyes." Demetri didn't budge and so you sighed, putting it back. You didn't know where to even begin. How was anyone certain that you wouldn't just be embarking on a staring contest with a candle? One that you could now never win nor lose. You huffed but focused on the candle as best you could, using the silence to your advantage. 

"(Y/N), that's your left arm." Demetri said. "What?" You looked down and sure enough a large flame was dancing up your arm. You huffed and batted at the flame, extinguishing it. "Try again, don't think about us. Forget we're even here." He might have been on to something, they were on your left and you were very aware of their presence. You focused again. Your brow furrowed before slowly relaxing something felt familiar and gradually a small flame sat on the wick of the candle. You gasped. "I did it! Aww.." your celebration was over quickly for it went out immediately. Demetri chuckled. "Again." You didn't see Demetri mouth something to Felix who smiled and left. You flapped your hands, preparing yourself. "Right screw the candle. I need something a little bit bigger to work with." You moved onto your knees and held out your hands, staring down at them. "What are you doing?" "Shhh!" You hushed him brashly, not taking your eyes from your hands. Slowly, a flame as wide as your palm grew. "Are you using your hands?" Demetri asked. "No. It doesn't feel the same. I feel it in my head. If I was using my hands, I'd feel it in my hands." You became aware of another presence to see both Felix and Alec in the door way. You gave them a small smile before looking down. Alec saw how the fire danced in your eyes. The flame in your hand was oddly calming, flickering ever so slightly.  Your progress picked up quickly after that. The more you understood of your new body, the easier it had become to use your gift.

50 years later...

Caius turned to you with a nod. Both Alec and Jane on either side of you. You stared at the vampire that lay in pieces and within a second. A fire reflected in your eyes and immediately after, a fire grew on the body parts and continued to do so. The fires light reflected in your gold Volturi crest which lay just an inch below the ribbon of your black as night cloak, which you had most certainly earned.

[therealvinelle]

Hi! What are your thoughts on Chelsea and her power? Do you see it the way SM presents it? It's just that to me, being able to dissolve all bonds except romantic & veggie ones doesn't make sense. And imo it's not very interesting if all the Volturi are essentially mind controlled prisoners. I choose to interpret it as she can forge feelings between ppl & strengthen/weaken loyalty etc. (her function being similar to Jasper) but not just pull & cut people's strings like puppets. What do you think?

Ooh, Chelsea, good question. I think that Chelsea is first and foremost what keeps a coven of 30+ vampires living together peacefully.

Vampires are not made for communal living. Us humans rely on others for survival, but vampires are self-sustaining. We see in canon that three or four is the size of the average coven, while Carlisle’s coven of seven people is considered extreme, second in size only to the Volturi.

I think without a Chelsea to not only keep the guard loyal to Aro, but harmonious, the guard would quickly have collapsed in in-fighting and petty power struggles. Which in turn would have made it impossible for Aro to have a large coven in the first place, it would probably just have been him, Sulpicia, Jane, Alec, and Renata. Maybe Corin. And probably Carlisle as well, because all hands would be needed on deck here.

Now, I don’t think she’s mind-whammied them. The need for Corin is proof enough of that, because if Chelsea made people into zombies then there would be no need for someone keeping people content with their lives. More, the people we are told she mind-whammies in canon all had very good, non-Chelsea reasons to join Aro. We’re doing this in bullet points, because I think that’s good for legibility:

Marcus was suicidal, and he still is. What Chelsea did, I think, is make Marcus’ loyalty and love for his wife’s brother and best friend overpower his desire to die.

Jane and Alec were rescued by Aro and have him to thank for everything. They would be with him anyway, but considering their young age and power I think it is only prudent to have Chelsea reinforce that loyalty so that Aro can truly rely on them.

Renata’s back story is horrifying, by the sounds of it Lucas is not so much a wholesome family-loving vampire looking out for the descendants so much as he has gone full demon. The family wants a vampire patron, well, every century they must sacrifice a daughter to be his bride. I have tried and failed to think of a non-nightmarish way to interpret Renata’s backstory and I’ve just failed. And Aro’s the one who got Renata out of that horrible situation. They’re each other’s protectors. So again, I don’t think Chelsea needed to do much beyond loosen whatever remaining emotional ties Renata had to her family.

A big deal is made out of how Demetri was frolicking happily in the deserts of Egypt with Amun until that evil Chelsea ruined everything. Well, what we see of Amun is a petty, bitchy, cowardly has-been, who by the sounds of his backstory was a bitch even in Ancient Egypt (he turns a slave to be his submissive sex provider wife, and abandons his coven to die when the Volturi come knocking), frankly he’s an insufferable man. Benjamin and Tia would have left him if he didn’t have them convinced Benjamin needs his protection. Living with Amun sounds beyond lame, so when Aro came offering Demetri a high-ranking spot in his guard where he could travel all the world and have actual purpose, I can’t imagine anyone in their right mind would say no. I think Amun just latched on to the idea that it was all Aro’s mind control vampire’s fault, because otherwise the problem is Amun, and that just won’t do.

Heidi, like many others, had the choice between certain death or the Volturi. Chelsea’s just there to make sure these new recruits are actually loyal to the Volturi, and not just saving their own skin.

So, in other words I don’t think that Chelsea is as omnipotent as people would have her be. 

I think that she first and foremost strengthens and weakens relationships. Like the tuning of a volume button, making the things person A likes about person B wonderful, or making the things person A dislikes about C impossible to overcome. Or the other way around, she can cool things by making A not mind the things he dislikes about C quite so much, or the stuff about B that’s pretty cool is now just alright. 

So for instance I think she could have made Edward overlook Rosalie’s vanity and respect how she always puts family first, bringing them closer, but she could not make them joined at the hip BFFs. She could make Bella unable to tolerate Alice wanting to play Bella Barbie, but she could not make Bella plot Alice’s murder.

Chelsea makes it so that you see the best in the people you like, and you appreciate it more than you otherwise would, or the opposite. I think her effect serves to give this ineffable sense of belonging, or to remove it, as a relationship is strengthened or weakened.

[chvrliespring]

LGBT+ book recs

because why not!!

anything by david levithan, but most notably:

two boys kissing. follows several gay teens as surrounded by the event of two boys trying to break the world record for the longest kiss. told from the perspective of gay men who died from aids. mlm characters & relationships, trans character.

every day. character who wakes up in a different body everyday. pan character, non-binary (?) character, trans male character, bg mlm relationship

& boy meets boy. title is pretty self explanatory. mlm characters and relationships.

sidekick squad series by c.b. lee. futuristic world where super-heroes and super-villains exist and are a normal thing. super comic book-ish. literally not a single main character is straight. 2 wlw couples (one is background, the other is a main couple). <- bi girl & undefined. trans male character, implied to be bi or pan. (slight spoiler: female character questioning, possibly aro/ace or gray-ace)

i was born for this by alice oseman. follows a boy band & one of its fans. it’s pretty much the best exploration of both growing up surrounded by fame and fandom i’ve ever read. trans gay male character, bi male character, bi female character, implied questioning female character.

magnus chase and the gods of asgard by rick riordan. follows dead teens navigating through norse mythology. pan male character and genderfluid character in a relationship.

six of crows duology by leigh bardugo. criminal teenagers trying to break genius with the potential to change the world for worse out of prison. mlm relationship, gay and bi male characters, bi female character.

all for the game series by nora skavic. mafia involved sports teams. 2 mlm relationships (one is bg, the other main), implied demisexual character.

leah on the offbeat by becky albertalli. the less well-known sequel to simon vs the homo sapiens agenda*. wlw relationship, both bi girls. background mlm relationship.

the way you make me feel by maurene goo. i haven’t personally read this one but i’ve heard it’s good! wlw relationship.

* which i also recommend but given that it’s siginificantly more well known due to love, simon, i thought it’d be best to give a specific place to leah.

the fact that books with wlw rep are harder to find/less popular is super upsetting but whatever.

EDIT: apparently i was lied to and the way you make me feel only has a side-character who’s gay!! the book is good but it’s not really strong on the lgbt rep side