#i've always wanted to do something with klaroline and the good place!!

[itsmeimcathy]

{ klarolineauseason } - week 6: crossovers/fusions

The Good Place AU. Caroline opens her eyes and finds herself alone in a non-descript waiting room with no memory of how she got there. A soft elevator music masks the awkward silence, and in front of her, on an otherwise empty wall, there's a green writing: Welcome! Everything is fine.

It doesn't look that fine to her.

A man named Silas welcomes her inside a boring beige and brown office that could belong anywhere: there are potted plants and pretty paintings and it just feels as if someone has decored it to calm and reassure its guests. The man keeps smiling and making off-kilter jokes, and in the end Caroline remembers her life and understands that 1) she's dead, 2) this is the afterlife, and 3) according to her previous moral conduct when she was alive, she has apparently scored the best part of it, that is - the Good Place.

Except, how did she end up there? She's pretty sure there must be a mistake - an identity swap - since all of the informations Silas has about her are wrong. But she's not about to turn down this gift and risk ending up in hell, right?

Silas walks her through the neighborhood where she will spend the rest of her eternity, shows her her house - a small monstrosity filled with clown paintings, a clear evidence of that fact that someone else was supposed to be there - and introduces her to her assigned soulmate, Enzo, and the couple living in the mansion nearby, Klaus and Katherine.

And as time passes and life in the supposedly peaceful afterlife becomes progressively worse, Caroline is even more certain that it's because of her - plus, she can't help but being drawn by not-her-soulmate Klaus, and this can't be happening, right?

Hopefully, if they work together and help each other she can avoid an eternity in the Bad Place...

*****

"Welcome to the Good Place. Sponsored by: otters holding hands while they sleep. You know the way you feel when you see a picture of two otters holding hands? That's how you're gonna feel every day."

[The Good Place, season 1, episode 1]

*****

"I'm not supposed to be here."

Klaus rolls his eyes, decadently sipping the bland whisky they have been served. "Of course not, sweetheart. It's such a lovely party and yet you dragged me to a broom closet..."

"No, you don't understand," Caroline hisses, raising on her toes to whisper against his ear - he tries to ignore the shudder that follows. "I don't belong here - in the Good Place. That's why everything is messed up and Silas is stressed out and I made shrimps rain! And I can't even do anything because Bonnie is always nearby-"

"Did you call?"

They both jump, turning to the mysterious entity - not a human, not a robot - whose only purpose seems to be accomodating their needs and/or potentialy spying on them. Her sudden apparition has made the closet all the more cramped, squishing them together.

"No, Bonnie, thank you. You may go," Caroline tells her wearily.

The - Bonnie - continues to smile brightly. "Okay." And she's gone.

Caroline puts some space between them as she glares at him, in a see-what-did-i-tell-you kind of way.

But Klaus is frowning, evidently thinking back to what she has just told him. "What do you mean, you don't belong here?" He keeps a low tone of voice, for which she's grateful. "And why are you telling me this, instead of - your soulmate, for example? Aren't you afraid I might go to Silas?"

He then blinks, perplexed, when Caroline puts her hand inside her dress - rummaging around her décolleté - until she fishes a folded note and hands it to him, nervous. "This is why."

Klaus abandons his glass on a shelf near the door and carefully opens the note, fingers smoothing the paper with her pretty handwriting on it.

Caroline - find Klaus.

She twists her fingers as she waits for his reaction, hoping that her past self had made the right choice in pushing her towards this man - a man who wasn't even her own soulmate, according to what Silas claimed. Not that Enzo wasn't great, but there was something in the back of her mind that kept nagging at her and made her question everything.

Caroline just wishes that he has the answer she's looking for, because otherwise she might just resign herself to the fact that she's going crazy in her life after death.

She speaks again before he has the chance to. "I think - something may have happened here, and I lost my memories, but before that I left myself that message. And honestly I feel that it's the only thing that makes sense, for me to trust you, so I'm with my gut feeling on this. And, and... I'm scared, okay, I don't want to end in the Bad Place, and I don't know what to do, and it seems like you have your life - or, well, death - together. So, that's why I'm here."

They remain in silence for a few agonizing seconds, looking at each other, Klaus holding the note close as if it were something precious instead of a random scrap of paper. A muscle twitches in his jaw and suddenly his hands grab her shoulders, delicately, drawing her near.

"Caroline, love, take a deep breath," he instructs, speaking softly. "Now, listen carefully - there is no need to be scared. I'm on your side, alright? We're friends. And I think you're right - something is definitely wrong here, because I can remember my life perfectly well and I assure you that I am not supposed to spend eternity in paradise."

Caroline widens her eyes, caught off guard. "What - you too? How is that possible? And how, how..." She stutters, on the verge of a panic attack. "Are they going to punish us when they find out?"

His thumbs are drawing small circles on her skin in a soothing way. "None of us will end up in the Bad Place if I can prevent it, sweetheart. Look - we should probably go back to the party, in case our soulmates or Silas are wondering where we are, and then we'll meet up later to discuss it, okay?"

She nods, biting her lips. "Yeah, sure, that's a good idea. I mean, it's not as if the neighborhood is falling apart, right? Mistakes happen all the time, why would heaven be any different?"

Klaus tries to smother a smirk. "Yes, exactly. Are you feeling a bit better?"

"I mean, I'm already dead, what's worse?" Then she closes her eyes, wincing. "Wait, don't answer that."

He smiles a bit, fondly, then takes a step back and slips her note in the inside pocket of his jacket. "Let's go now. Meet me afterwards at the lake behind our houses?"

Caroline nods again, then grabs his sleeve before he can open the door. "Klaus - thank you."

His answering smile keeps playing in the back of her mind for the rest of the evening, quieting her inner turmoil and making her feel hopeful for the first time since she has woken up in this place.

Too bad he wasn't her soulmate - right?

[morningstargirl666]

what are your top ten favorite klaroline fics?

Ooooo let me think... in no particular order:

The Lost Prince & The Eternal Queen by @3tinkgemini /3tingemini

Oh this is a beloved favourite. Caroline's a werewolf alpha and Klaus, fresh from breaking his curse, searches her pack out to turn them into hybrids. Instead of forces them to turn, Caroline makes a deal with him, teaching him what it means to be who they are, offering him a place in her pack and if by a certain amount of time her pack want to become hybrids, he may turn as many as he wishes. It's got some great lore and delves nicely into Klaus' werewolf side. I adore it.

The Stubborn Grace of Being Loved Regardless by @helpless-in-sleep / perfectpro

Also an all-time favourite, this fic is beautiful. Caroline isn't turned into a vampire and when Klaus rolls into town, she's still human. That doesn't deter his affections. AND DID I MENTION YOU GET TO SEE HIM IN WOLF FORM? NO? WELL YOU DO AND I AM STILL NOT OVER IT 😭😭😭

Wisteria by @little-miss-sunny-daisy / sunnydaisy

Caroline meets Klaus before he comes to Mystic Falls, without realising he is in fact, The Klaus, The Original Hybrid. A beautiful love story unfolds that leaves you all soft and gooey inside.

The Howling by @bellemorte180 / BelleMorte180

I LOVE the idea of this two-shot. It's a werewolf mate au - wherein both Klaus and Caroline are werewolves. There's also ✨Damon murder✨ Need I say more?

From The Eastern Mountains by @cupcakemolotov / Cupcakemolotov

Read this not too long ago actually and kicked myself for not finding it sooner. In between grieving her mother, travelling and finding her own place in the world, Caroline keeps bumping into Klaus. The scene at the market haS changed me on a fundamental level, i even don't know why that scene's the most vivid for me but it is. There's just something so mundane about it. AND HELL YES WE GET KLAUS IN WOLF FORM!!! Go forth and read.

Their Nightly Ritual by bellamywinchester

A fic from my ffnet days, this has got to be a contender for my favourite kc fic of all time. Again, there's just something so mundane about it, even with all the supernatural shenanigans - I guess I have a type? I NEED THE DOMESTICITY OKAY? Caroline and Klaus exchange phone calls while she's in college, diverging from season 5 canon.

Blood and A Quick Murder (and isn't that how it always is?) by @ks-caster / KS_Caster

A beautiful character study on how Caroline will always come first in Klaus' books. It explores a really unique idea I've never seen before, and if you like this one-shot you should definitely check out ks-caster's Red Queen series too, which diverges from canon at season 4.

Till I Tasted You by @kirythestitchwitch / KiryTheStitchWitch

GOD this fic is a favourite because never have I ever been ruined so severely by one line of dialogue: “As if I could be jealous of a boy who has no concept of what it is like to touch the sun and then spend a millennium looking for daylight in every strangers’ face.” YOU SEE??? HOW WILL I FIND LOVE NOW THIS IS MY STANDARD???

[muffled screaming]

Wicked Schemes by willowaus

This one is probably on every klaroline rec list, but eh, I don't care. It's a good classic. I love that its set in New Orleans and Caroline gets her own powers. It also has Klaus in wolf form and any fic that has that instantly earns my seal of approval, as you should know by now.

the fate makes for a lousy poet by @stars-and-darkness / for_darkness_shows_the_stars

I binged this in a morning and after I finished it I was left shell shocked, in that high state after a fic has completely changed you on a spiritual level where you don't know how to move on with your life. I just remember lying atop my bed and staring at the ceiling like??? What do I do now??? What was I doing before I read this??? Fuck if I know. It's an amazing fic, canon divergent from season 3, a tattoo soulmate au with brilliant appearances from Kol, Elijah and Rebekah as well. And hey, in my shell shock after reading it I left an essay-length comment on the fic and now I'm best mates with the author. Our tastes literally align so perfectly it's like we share the same brain cell, so I could probably make a top ten klaroline fic list out of Ella's fics alone - every fic of hers takes all my hopes and dreams and weaves them into art. So check her stuff out, and not just the popular ones either (she's also got an amnesia au in the works which has me FERAL so come help me pester her to finish it)

[galvanizedfriend]

2023 WIP List

I saw a writer I really love doing this here and decided to respectfully borrow the idea.

I'm feeling really bummed about writing lately, can't seem to find the least bit of motivation and have jumped from story to story without adding anything of substance over the last month or so. Nothing seems to spark joy. And yet I have thousands of words in half-written stories I'm not sure what to do with. Ideally, I'd like to finish them, but at this point, who knows 🤷‍ So this is a way for me to take stock, do some soul-searching, try to find where my heart is writing-wise at the moment and see if I can manifest some inspo.✨

These are not even all my WIPs, just the ones I have opened at least once in the last year.

▪ Speed Dating 3/3 Klaroline, friends/roommates-to-lovers

Started in June 2022

The final part to my Speed Dating sequel, which is much longer than the original story because I have no self-respect. Klaus and Caroline are roommates and idiots. The OG one-shot had them going on a round of speed dating and failing to connect the dots and realizing that what they really should be doing is sucking face with each other. The sequel is kind of an expanded universe situation, where I wanted to show a little more of their roommie chemistry and push them into situations where they are finally confronted with the reality of their feelings. But that only happens once they start seeing other people because of course.

I have maybe 60% of the final part written but for some reason, after word-vomiting non-stop for a while, I got stuck on a kind of major point in the story. I've tried to start it soooo many times and it just won't go. 🙃 I think I'm looking at a good 6 to 8k words more before it's finished.

▪ Random Fic (not the real title) Klaroline (duh), sorta exes-to-enemies-to-lovers I guess

Started in May 2020

The start of my romantic comedy phase. This predates even my coffee shop AU. It's Caroline and Klaus having a fling that ends very, very badly, but then having to come together again a year later to marry their common friend (and Caroline's ex), Tyler. I wanted it to be quick, witty and light-hearted and then at some point it got some very emotional bits in the middle and turned into something else completely. I guess it's still mostly light-hearted, but it has some ~~substance, whatever that means. I think it's an okay fic, and it's 55k words, which is not too bad, but then does anyone still read 55k all at once these days? lol

The fic is finished. I think I wrapped it up in April last year, so a year ago. But I haven't been able to go back and read it again. I've tried, and I've started it so many times, but then I always stop and never pick it back up. But like. 55k words of finished fic here. 🤷‍

▪ Pendulum Klaroline, soulmates!AU but make it sad

Originally in January 2019, started rewriting in July 2020 (lol)

I have issues with this story. It's the saddest damn thing I've ever written, but it's also my favorite storyline I've ever come up with. It got some hate at the time, I don't know why, but also some of the most heartfelt comments/responses I've ever received on any story (and I still keep them all!), so I think this is one where you either love it or hate it. But because I feel so protective of it, I have problems (of the personal brand) leaving it out in the open, and I don't want to repost it until I'm absolutely sure it's ok. As you can see, it was one of my first ever fics, so the writing wasn't the best. But I still love it, I don't care. I keep wanting to make the writing match how much I love the idea, and I don't know if that's possible. 🙃

It's the rare AU I write entirely from Klaus' POV, which is something else. I'm not sure I'm that good with Klaus. It's also an AH, but it has a little magic twist. Every time Klaus dies, his life just restarts from the exact same point. He's born on the same year, at the same place, to the same parents. Except he remembers his previous lives, and so he accumulates the knowledge of hundreds and hundreds of previously lived years each time he's reborn. And then shit happens.

First time I posted this, it was 57k words long. I have successfully finished rewriting the first of three parts, which is around 14k words, but as you can see, I have been in this process since 2020 (!!!), so I need to go back and tinker with that as well. May God have mercy on my soul.

▪ Mystic Tours (not the real title) Klaroline, friends-to-lovers but also fake dating

Started in January 2023

This was inspired by Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison, except it's not a Christmas story, and it doesn't actually have any farms. It has Klaroline fake dating to try and win a contest that can potentially save Caroline's failing business, and also loads of side-characters Sound of Settling style (including a horde of Mikaelsons and Bonnie and Enzo as Caroline's co-workers). I really like writing stories where I can fit a bunch of side characters and make the whole thing sorta absurd. But I also wanted to try to make something quicker, more dialogue-oriented and with shorter scenes. AND YET. I just can't seem to make it work, the writing kinda sucks.

I have some 6k words of this, but can't tell you how much of that is actually usable. And it's maybe 10% of the story. 🙃

▪ Friends that Ruin Your Life (may or may not be the title, undecided) Klaroline, Klefan (!!), affairs, fucked up people, angst

Started in March 2023

The five minutes during which I decided I wanted to go back to my origins and write something angsty and filled with complicated situations, a bit like Gasoline. It features Klaus and Stefan as a couple, and Caroline getting sucked into their messy marriage. So yes, Klaus is having an affair. In his defense, so is Stefan. Caroline's moral compass gets all out of sorts and she realizes the world is a lot less black-and-white than she'd previously assumed and sometimes you do get judged by your one-offs, even if your heart is in the right place.

I got super excited about this one and churned out the entire plan for the whole story, with all the scenes and most of the dialogues and the document alone is like 60k words long. I wrote that in like three days. 🥲 I don't think I could make it a one-shot, and I think that left me bummed because I didn't want it to be a multi-chapter. And then I'm not sure the writing was coming along fine enough, it wasn't flowing, and I started to question whether it was actually good or if I was totally tripping when I had this idea and this was actually insanely shitty. lol Leaning more towards the second right now.

▪ King Arthur AU (not the actual title) Klaroline, magic, fantasy, King Arthur

Started in March 2021

This is very high fantasy, and very intricate. It would be a multi-chapter, but I have no idea how long. I think I was leaning towards 10 chapters. I have four written. And the writing is fairly decent, if I may say so myself. But as it usually happens with me, I get to a point where I start wondering why am I even writing this, and then I stop. 🥲🥲 I also think I was having some doubts about how to wrap it up. It had maybe more plots than I wanted to work with. King Arthur was actually Elijah, and Klaus was Mordred, and Caroline was Guinevere-ish, a witch undercover in "Orleans" (I'm so creative!!).

Only reason this is even on the list is because I recently read the four chapters I have and thought they were pretty decent, but I haven't written anything in almost two years, so maybe I've swiped up on this one already.

▪ The Wolf III and IV 🤡

Started in October 2020 (!! when I tell you guys I've had this written for years lol)

I have technically written The Wolf 3. It's in my "headcanons" format, which is honestly a joke, because clearly I don't know how to write headcanons. 🤡 But as you can see by the starting date, it's very, very old, and it requires full rewriting and lots of editing. Chapters are 15 to 20k words long (some are longer). TW4 is a different story. I never actually wrote it down, all I have is a full, detailed plan of all the scenes and shit. My idea was to not split the two stories into two different fics, but rather continue on with TW4 in the same AO3 "document" (???) as TW3 and make it 34 chapters long instead of 21. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but also I don't have it in me to start another separate story.

But here we are, stuck on S03E17. 🤡 Gonna be honest with you, my dudes, it's been rough to find the motivation to open that document. I think I have half of 17, maybe, but I haven't touched that in over a month. Laely, I have been often sent into thinky thoughts that you really shouldn't have when you're writing fic just for the hell of it, you know. Like, this is in no way meant to be a great piece of writing, I shouldn't be worried about that. It's the fan service of the fan service. But I start to think about the real quality of it and whether it even makes sense to be writing it, I realize I wrote one fic that was good, a second one which I personally think was even better, and then I made the classic mistake of having one too many sequels. This is Jurassic Park III. It's not as crappy as Jurassic World, you have Sam Neill, but should it exist? I just want Klaus and Caroline to be together for a change, and I love adding random final scenes in every chapter where it's just the two of them being married, but - should this be written? Or rather, should this have been posted in the first place? Do we really wanna see them being domestic? Doesn't that kind of kill the vibe? I don't know, man. I don't know. Chapter one was a blast, people seemed so into it and I wrote five chapters at once and got maybe a little over-excited, and then which each update I feel like there's less and less readers and it really gets me thinking. These thoughts are sabotaging my will to write. I need to get back on my fuck it horse.

It will come to me at some point, though. I'm sure it will.

Anyway, these are all my current WIPs! Comments, ideas and positive energies are all welcome! ✨ Let's return to this in december and weep at how little progress I've made 🥲

[notalittlebutalottie]

Oh!!!! Caroline and Klaus are both attorneys on opposite sides of a case. They are litigating which party can go to which social venue on which days (I've actually dealt with this shit) and both of them are fed up with their clients for being ridiculous.

Hey, I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to fulfil something small for you and this was sitting in my drafts just begging to be finished!

♡ KLAROLINE DRABBLE #56: The Coffee Shop on Third ♡

It had taken Caroline some convincing but as Katherine was utterly incapable of playing nice, she agreed to represent her in the divorce. She liked Stefan and she couldn’t say she approved of Katherine’s actions but the choice opposing council was already introducing some bias. If his best man was representing him, then her maid of honour would help balance things out.

Klaus had sent her a message prior to their first proceeding not long after she agreed to it.

I look forward to a good and clean fight, sweetheart.

Naturally, she spent the following ten minutes debating on the level of flirtation she could get away with. Ever since the wedding, they had cultivated a fine friendship of equal parts provocative and rivalrous. Their views on the law and general courtroom etiquette differed—he was Law and Order while she was more Legally Blonde—but their obvious physical attraction was undeniable. At group events, they engaged in lengthy debates, always itching to just say to hell with it and let the alcohol take charge. Yet they had done all but crossing that line.

Afraid to get your hands dirty?

She had chewed on her nails after sending it. She didn’t usually take such a bold route but the wine she had been drinking that night was mighty encouraging.

If you’re willing, game on.

So far, the proceedings had gone smoothly. Stefan got their apartment, their dog (Katherine was never really a pet owner) and their television. Simple. That was until it came to social venues. She laid her pen over the papers and stated, “My client believes it’s only fair she gets the coffee shop on Third as she was the one who introduced your client to it.” She watched Klaus carefully, trying to evade any and all ogling of him in that well-tailored suit. Though they talked law, they had never seen each other in action and now that she had? She was interested in another type of action.

Stefan interjected before either council could reply or add, “Well, if your client believed in fairness, she wouldn’t have slept with my brother.” He was leaning far into the table, shooting daggers at Katherine, who was coolly inspecting her nails.

Klaus sighed and began to place a hand out on the table. “Stefan, mate.” Caroline pressed her lips tightly at the sight of his Adam’s apple bobbing. It was really the last thing she should have been thinking about during the deterioration of their friends’ marriage but it was so easy to get caught up in the idea.

Katherine hummed, “Maybe I wouldn’t have slept with your brother if you hadn’t been flirting with my cousin.” She finally gave him eye contact and grinned.

“Elena and I were just friends!” Stefan argued, gesturing wildly. Caroline couldn’t help the small smile on her lips (Stefan had always had a soft spot for Elena) and when she found Klaus staring right at her with the same expression, she bit down.

“Yeah?” Katherine, as grandiose as ever, rose from her seat, the six-inch heels she had insisted on wearing only adding to the drama. She rested her fingertips on the table and leaned forward to whisper, “How was your date last night?”

“That happened after you slept with Damon,” he retorted, his whole face scrunching at the words. She exchanged a blank look with Klaus. They all knew that wasn’t strictly the truth. Emotional cheating was just as detrimental to relationships. It just so happened Katherine was the one inclined to the physical. Stefan eventually huffed and flitted his hand out. “Fine. You can have the coffee shop. I get the bistro.”

“Now, that’s unfair!” It was Katherine’s turn to raise her voice. Caroline tugged her by the wrist, encouraging her to sit down. Katherine obliged, thankfully, but there was no chance of such obedience occurring in any other context. “You know that bistro is the only place I’ll eat burgers from!”

Stefan offered a short smirk, folding his arms tightly. “Then I want the coffee shop on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That’s when you can have the bistro.”

Katherine’s eyes widened and she not so politely, pointed out in offence, “I’m a vegetarian on Tuesdays, you asshole!”

Klaus shot a dull look Caroline’s way and she nodded. She took Katherine by the arm and leaned away from the table to whisper, “Can’t you be a vegetarian on Wednesdays?”

“Absolutely not!” Katherine whispered back with a sharp tone. She then gestured loosely to her body, eyebrows raised. “My modelling agency has me on a strict meal plan.”

Caroline’s brows knitted closely. “Then why the hell do you want the bistro so badly?”

“I don’t really,” Katherine murmured, a small laugh choking out under her breath, “I just want to piss him off.”

Caroline’s lips parted as she watched her friend shrug. “Jesus, Kat...” she groaned, rubbing her temples. She loved the girl but she could stand to be a little less...everything.

“Miss Forbes?” Klaus called softly across the table. His voice was pure heaven to her ears, the kind that she could fall asleep and wake up to.

She fluttered her eyelashes and threw a glance his way. “My apologies,” she replied abruptly, sitting up straight. “My client will accept those terms under the condition that only she may use the Mystic Nightclub on Fridays.”

“Nice,” she heard Katherine mutter beside her, undoubtedly smirking. Yes, that was more her preference than Katherine’s, but their divorce impacted her social life just as much as theirs.

Stefan was swift to whine, “But Friday is their double shot night!” It was in moments like this it was easy to remember he was the youngest in his family. The straining notes of displeasure were so obvious.

“Miss Forbes, my client has been rather generous considering the circumstances,” Klaus attempted to point out, tilting his head towards Katherine. If this were settled in a bar, she was sure his language would consist entirely of insults. Katherine had landed on her feet and in the bed of Klaus’ older, better dressed (her words) brother not long after the divorce was filed. That only added insult to Stefan’s injuries, including, but not limited to, estrangement from his own brother. And seeing as Elijah was staying with Klaus for the time being, it was complicated.

She tossed her blonde locks behind her and remained firm in her reply, “Your client can have any other day of the week.”

Klaus studied her for a moment, eyes narrowing. She had no time to consider how attractive it was; they were negotiating on their friends’ lives, after all. With the clearing of his throat and a small adjustment of his tie, he asked, “Don’t you think such an agreement might have an impact on third parties?” His brows twitched upward and his eyes searched hers.

Caroline knew exactly the reason for his question. Mystic Nightclub had been the location of one heated dance between them not too long ago. It was also where she had come to realise he was the magnet for many other pretty ladies. It wasn’t a game she would play unless she was sure to win. She traced an invisible line across the page, her pen hovering, and mused, “That depends on one of the third parties’ intentions, Mr. Mikaelson.” She offered him her blue eyes, raising an eyebrow.

“They are most pure, I assure you,” he replied calmly and the corners of his lips curled just a tad. It was a familiar expression. He had used at the club one night. One more drop of alcohol and she would have bit the bullet. Oh, she was so screwed.

“God, get a room,” Katherine finally groaned, slumping back against her chair.

Stefan squared his shoulders and nodded. “That I can agree on.”

“Fuck off, Stefan.”

                                                REVIEW HERE

[maevelin]

Hey Maevelin I've read a lot of your KC metas being KC fan and I think youre spot on with your authentic criticism. I like youre neutrality too and I wanted to ask you do think that KC was sort of random or in the beginning was it properly executed? Thank you

Hey back! 

You got me in a KC mood so this may end up long as per usual with me. Sorry in advance for my ramblings but here we go.

There is a difference between something coming out as random due to lack of quality writing when it comes to nuances and introductions and more so when it comes to handling the secondary characters and plot stories with care or lack of it and another thing all together of something coming out as random because it was unplanned.

One things that I am known for is my good memory. Back in S3 of TVD everyone thought that Klaroline was unplanned and later on the writers and especially JP tried to make it seem so especially when we were nearing the spin-off and afterwards when the KC fandom and the writers went in direct confrontation. As if either way that was meant to matter and the fans were meant to be grateful for and not criticize anything because the writers had done to the fandom a favor we didn’t deserve when it was the other way around. The spin-off’s creation owed a big part of its creation to Klaroline and the KC fandom the writers got advantage of over and over again while treating it with disrespect; a story that kept repeating itself for as long as TO lasted and even for the new show that was created out of it based on the media attention that KC kept providing and still provides occasionally with all the bait and switch JP is known for.

Getting back on KC though. One of the things JP hated was that she didn’t create it. She let it in Caroline Dries’ hands because she didn’t care and honestly she didn’t care much for the Originals either way. At least not in the way the fans did. This was why when the time came to create the spin-off you had only but a few Originals in. Kol was killed for no reason because somehow he was deemed too dark for the dark mature show. And to add insult to injury in the episode of his death they also had him referencing NOLA when they never meant to make him part of that show because what a crime for the fans to support something the writers don’t approve or want when everything are things THEY created in the first place (the nonsense and immaturity of it all makes my head spin). Rebekah was barely in the backdoor pilot and that as an afterthought. Finn, Esther, Mikael all dead. Stories retconned. The writers that got hired for that show did not belong to the genre (check gossip girl etc) and worse of it some of them that had no experience in writing shows hated Klaus’ character with a passion (and were hired for Klaus’ show). And all of the sudden a show about the Originals that was gained and built on the fans’ love for Klaus (born from Klaus, Joseph Morgan, the TVD Originals AND YES Klaroline too as JP had admitted in one of her interviews “KC gained Klaus his show”) became a show about a hated and rejected character like Hayley was and diapers that demanded the mythology and lore to be demolished and everything to become OOC.

Let us backtrack it a bit and connect all the pieces for anyone that is not too bored doing it and reading me speaking about it. Back in S3 of TVD Joseph Morgan who played Klaus loved Klaus and also let us face it loved having a job. He knew his character was gaining traction and he also knew the show and the writers in question and most of all the network he was working in. To exist in CW you need to be part of a popular ship. We can pretend as much as we like but we are talking about light entertainment and trash shows that thrive on media attention born from shipping. The most successful shows in the CW are those that have successful flagships. The characters that survive are those that are part of successful ships. Ships like Delena, Olicity and so on secure a show’s longevity and success.

Joseph Morgan back then knew that they would kill his character in the end. There was only one way for him to stay afloat in the universe and keep his job and the character standing. A ship. So he kept nagging and insisting for one. JP had humorously said so too back then. And granted I am a cynic but I will also give it to the guy that he also wanted, and for good reason, to give more layers to his character and expand his acting and make it more challenging and a love story could add more layers to his story, his characterization, etc. Nothing wrong with that. 

And then one day JP gets all excited (so to get him off her back? lol) and tells him YAY! We have a GREAT idea you won’t believe but you are going to love! We will give you the love interest you have been begging us (and annoying us) for. And there you go enter Klaroline. Which they added -admittedly- a bit bluntly/awkwardly but on the other hand there was the barest of hints in 3x09 with the camera zooming up and down Caroline as Klaus called her Tyler’s “Pretty little girlfriend”. Directing when it comes to intentions is always important in the CW shows. Of course for an audience like the one in TVD that expects everything to be spelled out even in the foreshadowing and given the exposition the TVD writers were known for anything unexpected comes out as WTF moment and given how much hated a character or a ship is or how much another character and another ship may be this results in rejection or adoration and certainly in ship wars.

So we got 3x11 and Klaroline. And it really was no surprise given the situation that the first thing Morgan did was get in twitter and start promoting KC as much as he could. Just moments after 3x11 aired.

Did KC start a bit randomly? Maybe. It is not as if I’d expect anything better or a more intricate writing from these characters.

Did it happen fast as a story? I don’t think so. Not in TVD given the fact that as a show it was built on Stefan and Elena that they start their epic love story in the pilot, share their first kiss in the very second episode of the show, declare their love in the speed of light and have their first sex scene in the tenth episode of the show.

How about Klaroline being unplanned though? Of course it was not planned in the way Stelena and Delena ever were. Let us get that out of the way. But what of Caroline’s ships?

Let me remember that after 3x11 aired just a few days later the promotional pictures for 3x14 came out. Which meant that by the time 3x11 had aired and before people got interested in Klaroline 3x14 was being filmed or was already filmed but for sure the scripts were already written for it. Scripts that had Klaus saying to Caroline that he fancied her and there was flirting and building up a ship. So you tell me how the writers didn’t plan Klaroline from the start. When 3x14 was meant to be the original pitch for the spin-off in the network. There was a certain hype in the internal promotion of that episode in the network. That was the first taste they gave the network and basically said watch this is what we can do. 3x14 is still considered one of the most important episodes of TVD (to which there had been a lot of preparation for) and one of the most successful and popular that was basically the untitled backdoor pilot for what the Originals were meant to be (as a collective for building a show on them) and what TVD was all about. From the way the Originals reunited, to their infamous shot in the stairs, to the intrigue, the warfare. Right down to the romance (Klaroline, Rebekah and Matt (which no one spoke of how unexpected that was btw) etc), the magic, Esther as the villain, Finn as the antagonist, the blood tree with the Viking names, with how the TVD triangle was presented, the dance, right down to the hints they had given for Damon and Kol but later took back. For such an important episode nothing is left to chance trust me. And episode they were planning before 3x11. Klaroline was a big part of that episode that was set in motion before 3x11 aired. So let us get the fake pretenses out of the way because I am tired of them. (Also let me point out here that for an episode that was meant to be one of the signature episodes of TVD we saw exactly what JP was all about…her racism was showing big time…Bonnie was suddenly missing in an episode where a witch like her should be in her gown in the front and center but you see the trademark episode of TVD was whitewashed down to the last moment of it. Shocking right?…said no one ever…)

Anyway do I believe that Klaroline as it ended up being was planned? No. I think they meant it as a fluke. Something to fill air time for when Trevino due to his contract would be gone. Since Forwood had being doing relatively well back then. You know KC was meant to serve as an obstacle no one would particularly bother with aside from it being a fleeting thing. And a way to give more attention to Klaus and the spotlight to the Originals too. I think it was meant to do its short circle and if the network would not be interested in the Originals for Klaus to die by the end of S3. Something that Joseph Morgan and Claire Holt were fighting against as they were the ones that fought for getting a show for the Originals. They fought for the spin off and we all saw what happened with it and especially with Claire. And who ended up signing first even before Joseph. Goes to show how much JP had the Originals’ best interest in mind (Yes, that is sarcasm.)

But plans and what not Klaroline took them by storm. They hadn’t expected such popularity. Something to rival even Delena. Something from secondary characters that did not want to bother that much with and something that JP didn’t create. If KC was her baby I assure you her treatment of it and of the fans would have been much better. Especially since later on she tried to copy paste it and replicate it but couldn’t make anything work.

So if I think Klaroline was well executed. Tricky question LOL...I am always defending Klaroline. Subjectively and objectively to a degree but that does not change that Klaroline was still part of a certain work that lacked certain things.

In the midst of chaos that TVD was I’d say yeah for the most part but that doesn’t say much.

Let me be honest here. Klaroline never reached the potential it could have had. i used to be bitter about it. And I felt that I was cheated out of something awesome but later on I realized it was just as awesome exactly because it was left unfinished in the way it did. Given the alternatives as we saw them later on. 

I think one of the reasons that Klaroline was saved -somewhat- quality wise (relatively) was because Klaus in TVD was straightforwardly the villain (no sugarcoating and bullshit to suddenly justify his crap in the expense of the plot and the other characters and even his own character) and both Klaus and Caroline were secondary characters. The focus thankfully was not on them. That meant that the usual crap Julie threw to the characters (especially female ones) and the ships she works with were not thrown in to Klaroline. There was not much screen time for JP to mess the ship up and most of the control for it was left in Caroline Dries’ hands. Of course the chemistry Joseph and Candice had was spectacular and that always helps but it was like catching lightning in a bottles. KC was more or less a ship that served its purpose as a characterization piece for both Klaus and Caroline when it came to them as a ship and their individual characters. Klaroline did not affect the plot that much -if at all- but did wonders for the character development of Klaus and Caroline. We saw more layers, depths, nuances and things that belonged to the particular vampire genre that were missing from the show in certain ways. Everything just clicked. And there were also controversial scenes given to them that they would never dare give to anyone else that added to the complicated web of everything that Klaroline was. It was raw and demanded a more intellectual approach to fill in the blanks. What I loved about Klaroline was that it was not brimming with exposition. Not everything had to be spelled out. Which is always good. More is less in many cases. Some may feel that less is undeveloped. And I’d agree up to a point that Klaroline’s development was cut in half because of reasons that had nothing to do with Klaroline and the writing to pander to those reasons lack consistence, respect and logic. Otherwise up to the point Klaroline was worked with I’d say that things were generally executed decently. Of course even back then JP kept KC for the sweeps and the promotion so the pace was jarring many times with KC being absent even for up to six months until the KC fandom was needed for the ratings and the media circulation. But I am also a believer that good things come to those that wait and quantity does not necessarily mean quality. Klaroline in the end had substance, something that TVD was known for lacking but I am also honest enough to admit that a lot of that when it came to Klaroline was created by the potential it had as a ship. What could have been and would have been ended up being the pillars that kept the KC fandom going and was better that what was in the end which is something that applied to everything TVD ever did. And by everything I mean...everything. Not a single thing excluded. 

So overall if I take a step back I think that Klaroline was the ship of dreams in the way that dreams made it float. Klaroline was all for the potential. Of what it was promised to be. Of what it could be, what it could have been. The kind of ship that in the hands of capable writers would have left history but in when it came to the TVD writers we unfortunately were left with wasted potential but even so it still held on to shreds of quality that many things from TVD were missing. Because in comparison I believe that despite the wasted potential Klaroline as it was was still far better than most of the things TVD ever worked with. And that speaks volumes. (I am not even including TO in because that’s just a joke at this point.)

Klaroline was built on interesting tropes and subverted certain tropes too. While Delena for example was based on the bad boy/antihero - good girl trope Klaroline was based on the enemies to lovers trope with one part of it being the villain and the other part being the kind of female character that didn’t regress but found agency in the ship something that was denied from every other female character TVD had. The fact that Klaroline also belonged to the golden writing age of TVD before the quality went to shit was a blessing in disguise as was the fact that they dropped the ship when they did.

I honestly believe that we dodged a bullet. As weird as it may sound. Given the mess TO proved to be, given what JP did with TVD once Kevin was completely out. I’d say that even though they cut Klaroline in mid development given what followed then we were particularly lucky. Better wounded and saved than completely and utterly destroyed in the core.

[gooddame]

Jenn! Things are kinda tough in your hometown right now so thought you might want or need a bit of a distraction. I'm actually trading that awesome prompt you gave me! Seeing as your Meghan is marrying my Harry (well, I wish he was mine) I've been in a royal drabble mood. So here goes. Prompt: You’re a royal guard and I’m always pestering you because you’re hella cute and getting you to smile makes my day.

This is for the awesome, the lovely, the ever friendly andwonderful and insanely kind and amazing writer @misssophiachase who is my friendand confidant in all things fluff and klaroline. We traded prompts and as usualshe came through for me but I am a slacker to the extreme. I just turned on mylaptop and this fell out of me. I hope this was something along the lines ofwhat you wanted because my whole purpose here was to please you and bring yousome kind of joy today!

Please enjoy!

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It started with a bit of red that matched the uniform hewore, the bright hue drawing his eyes from the boredom of the job that morning.It was London, foggy, polluted with people and their eager faces as he felt thechill of the morning air at his neck. But there was that long flowing patch ofred that surprised Klaus, a scarf he realized as the wind brushed his face andhis eyes locked on the figure whom wore the scarf that had him at attention.

Words escaped him, his breath an exhale when her green eyes collidedwith his own briefly, barely a second and the world all but shifted as shedisappeared from view. His brow furrowed as his mind lingered over the blonde green-eyedbeauty he had just witnessed. Klaus flexed his hand, his glove tight as he feltthe divine urge to recreate the moment and store it forever.

In a breath Klaus composed himself as he decided to simply stareblankly ahead the next hour or so until he was next relieved of his station. Thesmell of caffeine was overpowering on his right end, something told him an Americanhad brought over a coffee to see the Queen. His nose twitched in revulsion asKlaus’ eyes sought out the offending person with the best of his ability at themoment.

Without meaning to, his head turned and his mouth parted insurprise, something he would be hearing about later he was certain. Somethinghe would care about if he could do anything at all but stare at the woman withthe coffee in her hand and the red scarf draped over her lovely ivory neck. Hergreen eyes blazed as she let out a laugh, the sound like a melody in his ears.

“I thought you weren’t supposed to move,” she alleged as heplaced himself back into position, “Was that just some poppycock for the visitor’sguide?”

Klaus heard her footsteps, a soft strut in his direction, “Strongsilent type, huh,” she tried again in a soft southern accent that had his bonesaching as he inhaled her scent.

“Figures,” she sighed and stalked away leaving him withnothing more than the stench of her coffee, the light scent of pomegranate andthe throbbing need to know her.

He didn’t see her again that day, but that night he didn’tbother with rest, instead Klaus painted like he hadn’t been uninspired fornearly six months. He painted the soft shadows of her face, the soft circles ofher eyes, the delicate freckles and those pink lips. He mixed the reds to matchhis uniform, the soft navy of her coat and the deep cornfield yellow of herwispy hair atop the messy bun.

The lines blended and he wished for her in the early hoursof the morning when he dragged himself to sleep a mere two hours before workbegan once more. A single binary thought that he might see her again is whathelped him to dream before his sister stormed into his bedroom like a wellscheduled rotary clock. He groaned into his pillow as she pulled the curtainsback even when the sun was hidden by the glum gray sky that insisted he shouldgo back to bed.

Work was as mundane as the day before even with the addedanxiety that they might once more cross paths that day and Klaus wasn’t certainthat he wouldn’t chase her if she did show. The fourth hour of his shiftbarreled down on him as he waited, the rolled up note in his gloved hand washis only lifeline as another family took a demented photo in front of him.

“Lady Grey today, no sugar though,” her voice danced in hisears and caused a grin to form over his curved lips.

“Ah, caught you again,” Klaus pursed his lips rolling thepaper in his fingers.

He watched her out ofthe corner of his eye, noted the red scarf once more as she observed him, “Silence,again,” she sighed as she sipped her tea as she supposed about him out loud.

“Maybe you’re a good listener,” She said as she came tostand just in front of him in a space that was border-line inappropriate andsettled her eyes onto his.

“I think I can make you blush,” she uttered, her tone a dare,his eyes narrowed in reply as he felt his stiff collar grow warmer.

“I had a dream aboutyou last night,” she admitted in a soft breath as her teeth bit the plastic ofher throwaway cup.

His face heated in response, his eyes squeezed shut as heexhaled a breath and somehow felt her closer as he blinked, “That was inappropriate,”she back-peddled, “You probably have a girlfriend or a wife?”

Klaus could tell she was fishing for information but had noother way to reply other than to use his eyes, to direct her to the paper inhis hand. Her smile was bright as the sun when she realized what he had meantto imply making sure to look on both sides before she subtly reached for hisnote in his hand. He watched as she bit her lip, his throat going dry at theidea of tasting it.

Her fingers unrolled the slip of paper, “Klaus,” she spokehis name, “Phone number too, so you are single and interested,” she commentedwatching him pink.

“You got a little red paint on here,” she continued lookingfrom the paper to his blushing face as her finger nail scratched at the paint.

There’s a sudden glee in her eyes that makes Klaus worry asshe takes just a half a step closer than she should, “I’ll text you,” she murmuredas she leaned in to kiss his cheek.

“I’m Caroline, by the way,” were her parting words in agentle flirt that had Klaus’ eye twitching as he watched her saunter away fromhim.

“Caroline,” he whispered under his breath releasing her namefrom his mouth with a light lick of his upper lip.

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Also on fanfic.net

[galvanizedfriend]

hi, yokan <3

I read that in Brazil there's a week-break because of carnival, therefore I hope you're finally having a bit of rest!

I was wondering if you could post an outtake with the klaroeve scene? from you comment I understood that there was more than that little scene in the latest chapter, and I would LOVE to read it!

sorry if I sound rude or pressuring, it's not my intention at all :(( I'm just Eve's third parent, I need more scenes with my babygirl being adorable 😭😭

I totally get why you don't put more of her in the main story. I ALWAYS say that babyplots are terrible due to a lot of factors, one of them being the constant present of a baby who basically does nothing (rightfully, since, yk, it went out of the whomb last year) and that adds nothing to the plot but just terrible fan service.

I think most people would agree with this, maybe even you!

HOWEVER, my little wolf/fish/mermaid is THE exception and I would love to see more of her, and, since u have a series dedicated to those fluffy moments that don't exactly fits with the plot, I really wish you will post something there 😭😭

sorry for bothering you, I hope you'll have a good day!

P.S.

totally off-topic but I also read some of your comments in Portuguese (AT LEAST I think it's Portuguese 😭) and I understood like 80% of it, privileges of being Italian ‼‼ so lol now you really can't escape me >:)

Yes, it's Carnaval right now! It's a nearly weak-long holiday, but it sadly ends on Wednesday. 😢 And I was technically on call yesterday, so 😂 But I am very much enjoying not doing anything 🤷‍♀️

About the baby thing, yes. 😂 I've been so lucky to get some passionate readers almost from the start with this fic and to have people who are still reading it a ton of years later, but I've also had to read some very mean things over the years that have stuck with me. It has made me extremely self-conscious about this story. I sometimes find myself almost apologizing for writing it, like I'm commiting some kind of crime against fandom or like I should be banned for inflicting this upon people for as long as I have. I wish I could be the kind of person who just doesn't care and remains blissfully unbothered, but I'm not. I'm not a naturally confident person in any way, and that kind of thing does get to me.

It's gotten better, of course. I care a lot less now than I used to, and the fic is not as popular as it was a few years ago either, so there's that But some of that stuff has just ingrained itself into my brain. Objectively I know this is stupid and I don't owe anybody anything, I don't have to apologize for writing a fanfiction for god's sake. There's room for everyone in fandom. I can have a corner to rewrite the show and have a magical Klaroline baby, fuck it. Who cares, you know? But it's almost stronger than me sometimes, I don't realize I'm doing it. I get this feeling that I need to be more critical otherwise people are going to think it's ridiculous and OOC and nobody's gonna want to read it anymore and etc etc. It's exhausting. And it's obviously nobody's fault, it's just me in my own head, but that's how it goes.

The scene you're talking about in particular. I had it written years ago. Literal years, maybe 2021 or early 2022. Some of my friends had even already read it a loooong time before the chapter was finished. And I was convinced that it was so cute and totally fine. Then as I wrapping up the chapter, I started getting this itch that it was actually ridiculous and the folks who had read it didn't say anything because they were being nice, they didn't want to hurt my feelings, and I had to get delete it. So I did. In all truth, I think the chapter is more polished like this. But then I removed a family scene and ended up writing smut that also had no place in the chapter, so. 🤷‍♀️

Anyway, I'm sorry for the rambly response. 🥲 I'll tell you this: I will read the deleted scene again and if I feel it's not dumpster-fire bad, I will post it here. But I need to check it first, because there is chance that it's not just my paranoid head telling me to get rid of the baby scenes and it really is just that bad. 😂

And as for the last part, yes, it's Portuguese. It's my native language. And it's so funny how Italian, Spanish and Portuguese can be so similar. I understand Spanish much better than Italian, but I do get some of it as well. Latin languages 🤜🤛 (except French, I don't understand French at all 😂)