#no icons for the moment but when I'm moved over they'll be back I promise!

[jafndaegur]

Things Said and Unsaid

Jumin Han x MC

Mystic Messenger

a/n: now that the zine is long past, here is my story from the Garden of Eden Zine:) Enjoy!

Jumin twisted the flower stem between his fingers as he reclined further against the chair. Waxy pink petals mocked him in a way that he did not appreciate and the bright bloom weighed heavily, leaning forward in his careless grasp. He rested his chin on the back of his free hand, temple twitching at the not-quite perfect amount of wine for a buzz but enough for a headache. 

MC's voice still floated in the air as if she'd just called about her final report for the RFA event.

"All of the flower arrangements are ready for the party," her voice was stilted over the phone even as she tried to be chipper.

Jumin wondered if she felt uncomfortable around him with everything said and done. "They'll look beautiful I'm sure." He reassured. 

The pause and silence between them felt unnatural and constricting.

"What did you pick? For the bouquets." He finally peeped out, his voice rocking with concern. Had they always struggled with communicating? The memory of being able to freely converse with her, speaking of any little trivial thing that came to mind an easy and amusing way for him to pass the time. Surely he hadn’t ruined things so thoroughly during the time she had spent at the penthouse.

MC’s airy and pitched laugh reached his ears in a painful display of her discomfort. "That'd ruin the surprise."

And what a surprise it'd been.

Jumin had been eager, and even anxious, in awaiting her arrival to the party. Afterall they all owed its renewed existence to her. And he himself owed so much to her too. When they had parted the night before, V rightfully helping her return to the apartment, it had been with a tender apology. She'd embraced him—held him close and promised things would work out the way they should.

He wasn’t sure if it had been a lie or her convincing herself. Perhaps some odd adherration of both to her conviction.

The day of the party came, but MC did not.

It was obvious that Seven had hesitated his journey before finally making the reluctant trek to Jumin with a piece of paper in one hand and a tied bouquet of flowers in the other.

The pink camellia had seemed so bright and vibrant in the light of the ballroom. And even now in Jumin's hand, standing stark and vibrant, the bloom dazzled against the rest of his muted parlor decor. It smiled and flourished, and yet here he sat more dejected and more confused than ever.

Somehow, he managed his way back to the kitchen, where the rest of his  bouquet lay abandoned on his dining room table—scattered petals and bulbs strewn across the wood top due to his careless toss of the bunch. He had been angry and frustrated at the time, but now he felt guilt tugging at the span of his ribs when he thought of the disregard he gave to her last gift to him. The note lay innocently next to it, as if trying to appease him with the gentle slope of MC's handwriting.

I've meant everything Jumin. Said and unsaid. I don't regret anything and I hope you won't either. But we both need this to move forward, I think this is what's right...I hope you'll see that. I've left you the best.

-MC

Among the flowers, pink carnations were the easiest to pick out. The petals crimped and wavy, and the blossoms themselves the most commonplace and plain. And yet MC had made sure the flowers had stayed nestled close amongst bushels of goldenrod. Another odd pick for a formal party. His eye for detail made things easy to recognize that beautiful hardworking and problem-solving touch MC made with every  deliberate and precise choice. He knew that much. From the sorrel that warmly held everything together, to the pink camellias blushing prettily at the center wrapped in forget-me-nots.

In times such as these Jumin realized he had one consultant he could count on, a source where information passed easily from itself to him. Where he could learn unhindered and without bias about the best that MC left behind for him. Because surely, she did not simply mean the best flowers from the bunch. She was too clever for that.

He found himself at a library, in the area with the farmer's almanacs and horticulture how-tos. It was an aisle he frequented when seeking answers to inquiries about his vineyard. 

Heavy and cumbersome, he found an encyclopedic tome titled Whispers from the Flowers. It was an odd name but upon opening it he found satisfaction knowing that his assumption on its topic had been correct. The flower language. Something not in a million years he imagined himself researching. But for MC, he would do anything. And his beloved left behind one very, very important clue. "Things said and unsaid." And he hoped it was more than a mere sentimental way of saying she left him behind regardless of whether or not she was able to relay all she wished to. 

Jumin found the index at the back of the book, searching for sorrel first. MC had meticulously ensured that the green and stringy plant entwined itself around the main bouquet like a cradle. It was hardly a flower and yet the vibrancy of it added life and color outside of the thematic pink hues of the other blooms. Affection. Sorrel is the gateway to confessions and the key to unlocking the heart—it lays bare the raw and pure emotion of those who offer it. His fingers danced over the words, tracing the letters with the faintest of smiles. MC's disappearance seemed like a rather large lack of said-affection, but he knew there had to be further explanation. And all answers resided within the little puzzle she had set aside just for him.

Because she knew and understood he had every capability to solve it. He hoped.

Encouragement. Good fortune. Goldenrod offers the same blade with two edges. One of well wishes and the other of outstretched hands. It is an easy flower to convey both farewells and prosperity. 

Jumin’s breath curled within his chest and his fingers hovered. “Farewells.” It was a mutter, something that he dare not speak more than a whisper.  MC left behind hide nor hair of her existence. The memory of her laugh and gilded eyes were the only proof he could offer. Yet somewhere amongst the agonizing pull in his chest as he read the summary over and over again, he feared that she had truly meant her goodbye hidden within these flowers. 

He knew his own faults had greatly weighed upon her decision to leave with Jihyun that day. But had he really ruined things so much that she chose never to see any of them again to escape him? Were all affections between them nullified because of his shortcomings.

Breath hitched and his fists clenched the book. Memories of true love. Forget-me-nots are the staple flower of sweet love. Anyone gifting their sweetheart with these iconic blooms know every moment spent with their true love will be cherished and treasured. Jumin’s brow furrowed. Contradictory. This was all so illogical and contradictory. If he had not just recently gone through a week-long anxiety attack and now the loss of the woman he had planned to propose to, he’d chalk these meanings up to happenstance and throw the book into the closest recycling bin. But everything said had been meant. And everything unsaid had been meant. He needed for his own sanity and for his own comprehension to know if these flowers truly enveloped MC’s feelings for him. Or if he was just a fool trying to pry into a love that was never his to keep.

“I’ll never forget you.” 

A shudder. The words flowed past his lips as he read the phrase mechanically. “I’ll never forget you.” Each utterance a tremor to his heart as the walls constricted and shook.

I’ll never forget you. Pink carnations are easily the most misused and the most misunderstood. Believed to be a simpleton’s flower, the meaning behind this bloom is often lost due to being handed out of context. It’s beautiful and pastel color can often be misleading. It is a mournful flower, often handed at the cusp of goodbye. A beautiful tendril to remember a fleeting yet vibrant romance. 

The search through the index for the last flower was a trembling one.  Jumin’s fingers skimmed the crisp paper gentle against his skin as he tried to account his increasing pulse to apprehension or suspense. He was approaching the last piece of MC’s riddle and good or bad—real or not—he had been able to come to some conclusion about their parting. About their romance. About them. 

His vision blurred and he felt the world spin.

A note had been tucked away close to the spine where the pages parted. It was a small envelope, no bigger than an index card. “Jumin” had been scripted neatly on the front, and on the back, there was a little flower drawn over the edge of the opening flap. He recognized MC’s handwriting anywhere. Impulse struck a chord with his nerves and he plucked the note quickly before forcing himself to slow down. He wanted to finish this mission. 

Pink camellias. Longing for you.

No more waiting. Jumin dropped the book and tore the envelope open. His heart pitter-pattered and he double took the gentle slope of that oh-so familiar handwriting. The gentle sweep and slant of her penmanship was obvious the moment he gazed upon the ink. There before him, tiny and hopeful, was a phone number. He'd arrived at the end of her puzzle with a growing smile, shaking his head with a fond chuckle. His finger brushed the new note.

"You can be greedy, you know," he whispered reverently. "Around me don't worry. Whatever fears or struggles we may have to face, we'll figure them out together. You don't have to hold back for my sake or for yours."

He pulled two business cards from his wallet, placing one in the forget-me-knots section and the other in the section about pink camellias. Satisfied, he closed the book and walked to the front desk where the head librarian sat typing away on the computer. Noticing his approach, they gave him a warm smile. Holding out their hand, the librarian inclined their head.

"Got everything you need?"

Jumin nodded and handed the book over. "I will soon enough. In the meantime, could you place this on hold? A friend is going to pick it up."

"Of course," the librarian nodded. "Name and number."

"Han MC," Jumin decided with a touch of humor, a welcomed break to his multi-day anxiety high, before reciting the number from the note.

The person assured him that MC would be notified and that the book would be on hold for the next twenty-four hours. He bowed his head slightly and graciously thanked them before heading to the car where Driver Kim awaited. There was so little time to get ready but he wanted to make the most of this anticipation that clung to his lungs with baited breath.

[stargazer-sims]

14 - Nookstone

The Nookstone Reproduction Clinic is located in an area of town that the locals euphemistically call ‘beautiful downtown Oasis Springs’. It might actually be beautiful, Davian thinks, but the giant dinosaur statue kind of kills the aesthetic vibe. Félix, unsurprisingly, wants to take a picture of himself with the dinosaur in the background, not because he necessarily likes the gigantic reptile statue, but because it’s an iconic Oasis Springs landmark, and he wants to show everyone that they were here. Davian has promised him that he'll take a photo of him with it after their appointment.

Their appointment.

Davian isn't the least bit hesitant to admit to himself he's anxious. Despite what he'd told Félix the night before, that he was only really concerned for Félix's well being, he's actually nervous about the whole process and its effect on both of them. He's a little worried about meeting aliens as well. Sixamish people, he corrects himself. He's probably encountered Sixamish people before, but with their apparent ability to camouflage themselves to look indistinguishable from Earth people, who could know for sure? But today, he'll be meeting them for certain, camouflaged or not.

He glances at Félix who, with the complete illusion of calm, is adjusting his sun hat. They'd managed to find a parking space not too far from the clinic. Davian can see it, only a couple hundred meters away. But, they are in the desert, and despite the fact that they'll only be walking outside for two or three minutes, Félix is going to be Félix and insist on some sort of protection from the sun. Plus, the hat goes nicely with his dress, and Davian knows proper accessorizing is as important to him as shielding himself from harmful UV rays.

Davian smiles at the sight of Félix in his long white floral-patterned dress. Sophie wasn't wrong. He does look delicate in it, as impossible as that seems for someone of Félix's size and body structure. He's not a particularly large man, but he's definitely not frail or tiny either. That any article of clothing even exists which can make him appear so soft and sweet never ceases to astound Davian, and yet Félix manages it on a regular basis. On almost any other guy, Félix's outfits would look ridiculous, but he wears his dresses and skirts and ruffled tops so naturally and effortlessly and with such confidence that, on an ordinary day, most people don't even give him a second look.

Evidently satisfied that his hat is on correctly, Félix reaches for Davian's hand. He smiles. "Ready for our date with destiny?"

"Let's do this," he says, and gives his husband's fingers a little squeeze. "Let's get this baby-making process started."

Félix laughs. "I'd be worried if I didn't know you're actually taking this seriously."

"Sorry. You know I sound like an idiot when I'm nervous."

"It's okay. I think I'd be concerned if you weren't nervous. This is a big moment, after all."

"Possibly the biggest moment so far," Davian says. "I still kind of have to stop and remind myself we're actually doing this, you know. Like, all the way here, I was wavering back and forth between totally panicking over it and literally forgetting that we weren't just on a regular road trip."

"Honestly, I was as well," Félix admits. "I'm not certain if it means anything."

"My guess is, it means we really are taking it seriously. We're thinking about it way more than we usually think about stuff. Or I know I am, anyway."

"So am I. I've barely thought about anything else since we decided."

Davian pulls in a huge lungful of air and lets it out slowly. "Okay, time to stop thinking for a minute and start moving. Let's make this happen, yeah? If we hang out here by the truck too long, we'll be late."

"Right," Félix says. "Don't let go of my hand, please."

"Not a chance of me letting go," Davian promises. "I need you to hold mine, too."

Félix nods and gives him a little smile. "All right. Let's go."

They cross the road and make their way the short distance down the sidewalk to the clinic. It's a neat little building with a light-coloured brick facade and a gently sloping blue metal roof. Davian knows from the information in the 'history' section of the website that the clinic is actually bigger than it looks, and that a significant portion of it is underground. The clinic here in Oasis Springs is the original one, and is built on the site where Earth people encountered Sixamish people for the first time. Davian can only assume that is a polite way of saying this is where the first Earth person was abducted from, but for public image reasons, they're not going to put that on the site. He's glad Earth-Sixam relations have improved since then.

The foyer of the clinic is bright and inviting, and the air conditioning is a relief from the hot air outdoors. Félix, who doesn't like the cold, shivers a little at the sudden change in temperature. He's been loving the shimmering heat of the desert, and Davian suspects this is one of the things that attracts him to places like Al-Simhara and Selvadorada as well.

They approach the reception desk, and Davian comes face to face with his first alien. He's startled at the sight of her and catches himself blinking and looking again. It's hard to tell her age, but he thinks she's probably young, maybe around his own age. Her skin is a luminous light blue, and she is utterly devoid of hair, except for her long bluish-white eyelashes that frame her uncanny dark grey eyes.

She smiles warmly at them as they stop in front of the desk, revealing a set of pointed canine teeth. Raising a hand in a cheery greeting, she says, "Welcome to the Nookstone Clinic! Do you have an appointment?"

"Uh..." says Davian.

"Yes, we have an appointment at one o'clock," Félix says. "I'm Félix Blanchet and this is my husband, Davian St-Jean. We've come from Canada, and—”

"Oh!" says the receptionist in happy recognition. "Dr. Blanchet, I remember speaking on the phone with you a couple weeks ago." She blushes slightly and says. "You're the first Canadian I've ever talked to, and the first doctor I've met who's not... a doctor."

"Well, I trust I'm not disappointing to you, being your first Canadian, and your first Ph.D."

"On the contrary," she says. "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Rho, by the way, and if you have any questions or concerns while you're waiting, please don't hesitate to ask me."

"Thank you," Félix says.

"You may have a seat in the waiting room," says Rho. "The doctor is on a conference call right now, but she'll see you soon."

"Thanks," Félix says again. "Dav, shall we sit down?"

"Um... yeah," Davian says, feeling a little stunned at how unfazed Félix seems to be by his interactions with Rho.

They turn away from the desk, and he trails Félix to the waiting area, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that his husband is handling this whole alien thing like such a pro. He wants to ask if Félix has met Sixamish people before, but decides it's probably not a great idea to bring that up in a place where people with potentially superhuman hearing might catch him talking about them. That would be beyond awkward, and he's already feeling weird enough about the short exchange with Rho.

There are three other patients in the waiting room. Two women who appear to be in their mid-thirties and who are clearly a couple, are sitting close together on one of the sofas, and look every bit as anxious as Davian feels. The third patient is a lone man. He is very pregnant, and Davian guesses he's either carrying twins or he's at his due date literally right this minute. He keeps shifting restlessly in his seat and looks really uncomfortable and unhappy. Davian can see a thin crescent of pale skin where the hem of the man's t-shirt doesn't come down far enough to entirely cover his huge belly. He tries his best not to stare.

Félix has obviously noticed him, too. He doesn't say anything, but he clutches Davian's hand so tightly that it's painful. Davian wants to tell him it's okay, that he's not going to end up looking anything like this unkempt, puffy-faced man in unlaced sneakers and ugly grey cut-off sweatpants. But, he can't give voice to this thought any more than he could ask Félix about his possible previous alien encounters, even though it's probably a safe bet that they're the only ones in the room who're speaking French. He settles for coaxing Félix to let go of his hand so he can put an arm around him instead.

Félix cuddles into him and whispers, "Sorry."

"It's okay," Davian says. "Close your eyes and try to relax."

Félix nods against his shoulder. "I'm glad you're with me."

"Always, mon amoureux."

They don't speak for a while after that.

A middle-aged man who looks like an Earth person, but who is probably an alien, emerges from a doorway and calls the names of the two women. They get up and follow him.

A few minutes later, a Sixamish woman in pink scrubs steps out of the elevator with a wheelchair. She comes over to the male patient and helps him up from his seat. Just shuffling the three or four steps from his chair to the wheelchair seems like it's an enormous effort for him. He more or less falls into the wheelchair, and the Sixamish woman asks him if he's all right. Davian can't understand his mumbled reply, but he assumes it's in the negative, judging by the man's expression and the way he's cradling his belly.

Without really meaning to, Davian tightens his arm around Félix, Félix hums softly, and it occurs to Davian that he isn't watching and doesn't realize why he's being held closer. Davian is grateful for that.

Several more minutes tick by, during which Davian stares at the floor and tries not to freak out. Finally, a Sixamish woman in a white coat, who looks remarkably like the receptionist, appears in a doorway.

She calls out, "Félix Blanchet and Davian St-Jean?"

"Ready?" Davian says quietly.

"Ready," Félix says. They stand up together. Félix takes Davian's arm, and they allow the Sixamish woman to lead them back to the consultation room she'd come out of.

Davian doesn't know why he's surprised to discover that the office doesn't look all that different than any other doctor's office he's ever been in. The woman invites them to sit down in a pair of very comfortable chairs, and she takes her seat behind her desk. She introduces herself as Dr. Xara. It sounds like Sarah, but with a little lisp at the beginning, so it comes out more like 'Sharah'.

Like Rho the receptionist, Xara has pale blue skin, eyes with dark grey sclera, and pointed ears. She has the same pattern of markings on her face as the receptionist too, but where Rho's markings are only a shade or two darker than the rest of her skin, the doctor's are a deep blue-violet and stand out in brilliant contrast.

Davian wonders if the colour of her markings means anything, like maybe she's a different race than the receptionist, or maybe the markings darken with age, or maybe she's just using some kind of makeup to enhance them. He gets distracted by this, and isn't even paying attention when the doctor pulls a file folder across the desk toward herself, opens it and begins talking.

She's saying something about Félix's GP in Willow Creek, and something about low risk factors. She goes on about iron and cholesterol and blood glucose and a bunch of other stuff Davian tries to focus on but ultimately fails at.

Félix seems to be hanging onto her every word, which is why Davian is caught off guard when the doctor stops talking about hormone levels or whatever and says, "Dr. Blanchet, is there something wrong?"

"Pardon?" Félix says.

"You're staring. Does my appearance bother you?"

"I'm sorry. No," he says. "No, it doesn't bother me at all. It's quite the opposite, actually. I rarely see Sixamish people uncamouflaged, and I apologize if it's inappropriate to say so, but you're exceptionally beautiful."

"Oh," Xara says. She looks momentarily flustered, but recovers quickly. "Thank you. We typically don't camouflage here. People in Oasis Springs are used to our natural appearance. In fact, we've found that our camouflage can be quite upsetting to some patients, as they can't tell which of us are Sixamish and which are Earth people when we're camouflaged. Anyone you see here who looks like an Earth person is one. Of course," she adds, "If you'd be more comfortable seeing someone who looks like you, I can camouflage."

"No, it's fine," Félix says. "I apologize for staring. I'm comfortable with you in your natural form."

"Mr. St-Jean?" Xara inquires.

"It's cool," Davian says. It's not, really. He finds the alien’s appearance disconcerting, but for the moment he's willing to go with whatever Félix wants.

"Very well," says Xara. She glances down at the documents in front of her again. "As I was saying, Dr. Blanchet, your report from your family doctor looks very good. You're in excellent health, and from a purely medical standpoint, you're an ideal candidate for the procedure. We will want to conduct genetic testing on both of you, to ensure that both of your genetic material is suitable, though."

"You want to test me, too?" Davian asks.

"You do wish to be a biological contributor, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"It's a simple test," Xara says. "We will swab the inside of your mouth to collect test samples of DNA, and we will take a very small amount of blood for the same purpose. We can do it today, and we will forward the results to the clinic nearest to where you live. I strongly recommend that you attend a clinic in your own country for the remainder of the process."

"That's what we expected," Félix says. "There's a clinic in the next town over from where we live."

"Excellent," says Xara. "Before you leave today, stop at the registration desk and ask Rho to set up a referral for you. She'll process your insurance information, and she'll forward that to your home clinic as well."

"About the genetic testing," Félix says. "How are we going to get the results?"

"Someone from the clinic near you will call you with the results," Xara says. It takes approximately a week. If your genetic material is suitable, you'll be able to continue the process.”

"We'd like to ask some stuff about the process," Davian says. "A lot of stuff, actually."

"By all means," Xara says. "I can explain the basics, and then you may ask me whatever you'd like to know."

[bluephoenixdruidicprincess]

Legacies 1x14, Let's Just Finish the Dance -- Review

Coming at you all with another Lega-Trash review. This week is 1x14, Let's Just Finish the Dance...and my sentiments exactly. This episode was so boring, I too wanted the dance known as this episode to just end. Please, let's just hurry up and finish this season.

You all know the drill, hopefully. Do I really need a disclaimer anymore? Lega-Trash is a trash show, I'm super critical of it. If you love Legacies, this is not the review for you, move along. There will be spoilers.

So welcome to the obligatory Miss Mystic Falls episode of Legacies. And in typical Lega-Trash fashion, they managed to make one of the most iconic events within the TVD show super bland and super dull. What happens in this episode? Well, the Salvatore School has to host this year's Miss Mystic Falls pageant and to no one's surprise, Hope wins. Also, Josie and Lizzie have a falling out which I've been waiting for all season, Hope and Landon have a falling out, Penelope spelled a bunch of pens to tell her everyone's secrets, Medusa makes an appearence and at the end of episode, Landon gets kidnapped by the evil government organization.

Yeah, this episode was just a sequence of events. It was super boring but as it turns out, there were a few scenes I didn't completely mind. Namely, all the Lizzie and Hope scenes. This might be the first relationship on this entire show that I legitimately believe. Seeing Lizzie and Hope bond together over their anger fueled magical tendencies was really nice to see. And the friendship is legitimately believable. And then it ends in these two making a pinky promise that they'll help each other get Josie and Landon back whom they've recently had falling outs with. Although, if Lizzie wants to help get Landon back with Hope, she's first going to have to rescue him from the evil government organization that kidnapped him.

Speaking of which, what a huge coincidence that apparently MG's mother also works for this shady government organization.

And can I just say that everyone in this school are idiots. So apparently around Christmas time, Penelope, I guess, gifted pens to everyone but really the pens were spelled so anything they wrote ended up in her own notebook so she knows all of the Salvatore inhabitants' secrets. Penelope, at best is The Mean Girl, and at worst, she's a psychopath. No one at all thought it was strange that Penelope of all people was giving away pens and they never once considered it was for nefarious purposes? Also, it's super convenient that apparently not a single person lost one of these pens and just used a regular pen to write down their secrets in their diary. I mean, I have like a dozen pens in my apartment at any given time because I'm ALWAYS losing them. It's also super convenient that everyone in this school has a diary. Of all the unbelievable and convenient things that have happened in this show so far, this is the worst. So Penelope knows all sorts of juicy details like that Hope is keeping secrets from Landon and that there's something called a merge that Alaric has been writing about. Penelope is actually leaving the school now but she gives the notebook to Josie and warns Josie about the merge. Caroline and Alaric really should have told the twins about the Gemini merge before. And this whole falling out Lizzie and Josie are currently in isn't going to help.

What is this falling out? Well, Josie has finally realized that Lizzie is very self-centered and rarely thinks about anyone but herself. This all started when Lizzie drops out of the pageant because Dana, the mean girl who died in I think the 3rd episode of this season, well her mother is one of the judges and Dana was notorious for her dislike of Lizzie so Lizzie realizes there's no way she could possibly win with Dana's mother on the judge's table. And can I just say real quick how incredibly weird it is that Dana's mother can talk so nonchalantly about her own daughter's death? I don't get the feeling that a whole lot of time has passed. At best, maybe six months and that's pushing it. You don't talk about your daughter's death as if your daughter is off traveling abroad or something. Like I said, it was weird. But then again, this show is really weird with death, in general. Even in this episode, Hope just kind of casually talks about her parents' deaths which really wasn't that long ago and in the previous episode, MG makes a speech to the school and makes this off-handed remark nonchalantly talking about the majority of the students who have nowhere to go for the spring holidays on account of their families being dead and it's really insensitive. These are adolescents and you're just nonchalantly bringing up their trauma in passing? But anyway, Lizzie decides that if she can't compete and she's so sure she was going to win, she's determined to make sure someone from the Salvatore school wins. She chooses Hope since Hope's an orphan and will have the sympathy vote. This understandably hurts Josie and it just kind of festers on from there. But I don't particularly understand Lizzie's logic in Hope being the winner because she's an orphan, though. Caroline went against an orphan as well and she won. But I suppose Lizzie is thinking her mother was amazing so that accounted for her victory. Which I would agree with Lizzie on that. Caroline was pretty amazing and she worked her ass off to get that crown. I suppose in a room of people who weren't necessarily training their entire lives for this moment, an orphan would be the best bet. But by the end of the episode, Josie realizes she wanted that crown and is angry at Lizzie for giving that opportunity to Hope instead, for giving Hope the dress that Klaus gave Caroline without any regard to Hope's feelings on the matter. But in Lizzie's defense, up until this point, Josie had never been vocal about the things she wanted (I'm not excusing Lizzie's behavior, just simply saying it's not as if Josie was ever being bullied into doing these things for Lizzie, she did do those things because she wanted to) and Lizzie didn't know the dress had come from Klaus and it's kind of understandable why she didn't. I think it would be pretty awkward for Caroline to tell her daughters that Hope's father was once obsessed with her but with that said, I have no idea why Josie knows and not Lizzie but whatever. It's probably just a plot contrivance to show why Lizzie is awful. But once Lizzie realizes the implications of that dress and Hope wearing a reminder of her father, she instantly feels terrible about it. And Hope conveniently finds out in the middle of the dance where the dress came from because her ex-vampire boyfriend can hear Josie and Lizzie's conversation, I also don't understand why Hope can't hear them though, she is a hybrid, I thought werewolves had that ability as well. But her ex tells her about the dress, she starts to freak out about it and as she's announced the winner, her magic is about to go on the fritz again so Lizzie, noticing the signs, immediately walks up to Hope and hugs her and tells her to cry it out because that's what she needs. A great moment for Lizzie and Hope by the way and I think this was the first time this show illicited genuine emotion from me that wasn't despair over how bad this show is.

Speaking of the dress, let's play Who Wore It Better. Let me know what you think. I think it looks better on Candice. I feel like her blond hair contrasted better with the blue and brought the blue in the dress out more. But Danielle also looks gorgeous in it, too, her hair just doesn't quite bring out the colors as well as Candice's did. Or maybe they used a slightly different color palette on Danielle's dress.

But anyway, ultimately, this episode was more of the same. Just very boring, no real structure to it. Once again, this show is hanging on the coattails of TVD success and it cannot stand on it's own. There were some nice scenes in it, thoughand we are at last getting some character progression. However, I'm not a huge fan that it's taken 14 episodes to get some character development. This episode gets a C+ from me.