#oh claudia my dear

[raayllum]

That's what dark magic is really all about.

[wolfofwinchester]

What comes INCLUDED with you?

" 'Not Included with Claudia P: full bank account' ... "

"You're right! And there's a reason for that, too: The bank is a sham that's going to slam its doors one of these days and keep everyone's belongings behind it, barred with some flimsy legal blanket to defend them just enough to get away with it, but not for the long-term future. You don't put your valuables and your pounds into someone else's mitts; you get clever, you put it away in a trunk, you hide it, you keep matters in your own hands and keep the game in your corner. If folk come sniffin' for what you got, it's entirely in your right to handle what comes next. Make it fun, make it festive, make it a scream."

[itssideria]

Genuine question, really not sure what to do/who to vote for- uh do you have any suggestions? Protesting yes, but what now- today's like endless bad news

hey, anon.

i'm assuming you're referring to my post on the 'vote blue no matter what' gang — i wrote that in a complete (and justified) fit of anger. i should start by saying i am not american, or palestinian — i am an arab who grew up in an arab country, though, and all of us have long since grown sickened and enraged with american imperialism.

my honest answer? i don't know. i'm not american. i'm not a politician. maybe i'm some horrifically idealistic piece of shit but i just think that brazenly funding a genocide, lying about it, and then bombing the only country that tries to prevent it should earn you the death penalty, but oh well.

@/fairuzfan has posted a lot about this — she's a palestinian in the states. not tagging her bc we aren't mutuals. she has stated that she won't vote in the presidential elections at all, but rather at local levels and congress. one person has stated that they are engaging in activism more than ever, forming communities, movements, working their way up. other people will be voting for a third party candidate they agree with, such as Cornel West or Claudia de la Cruz — you can read up on their stances for yourself, i'm not active in US politics. some will threaten to withhold their vote from Biden, whether they are serious of pretending, as that may scare him into changing his tactics.

none of these are foolproof. most of them prevent nothing. i am aware that for americans this shit feels like life and death — it's what all of you say, every four years.

however, and i cannot state this enough, i am so past the point of caring. my entire region has been fucking devastated by your nation. egypt can't threaten suez access because it'll get invaded. yemen and syria and iraq are dealing with past and current bombing. the entire fucking gulf sucks your country's dick to get oil money to build vanity projects and hire more slave labour. and palestine? palestinian blood will run thick with the weight of the crimes the us committed against them.

for once in their stable, unaffected fucking lives, i want americans to pretend—pretend!—the rest of the world exists. for ONCE, i want americans to say "fuck this, he committed genocide, i will never write his name on my ballot". for ONCE, i want americans to sacrifice something, ANYTHING—you barely live under a democracy as is. poc americans report no improvement under biden compared to trump. white queer people think they'll be protected and so shout at the need to throw the developing world under the bus.

there are no good options. but dear God, just don't put the name of the man funding a genocide on your fucking ballot. it didn't save anyone four years ago. it won't now.

[rebelliousstories]

Family

25 Days of Ficmas

Relationship: Louis Pointe du Lac x Reader, Lestat de Lioncourt x Reader

Fandom: Interview With The Vampire

Request: No

Warnings: Fluff, Light Angst

Word Count: 910

Masterlist: Here

Summary: Claudia has requested that everyone get along for one night. Hopefully, they can make her Christmas wish come true.

Every Christmas, Claudia was given any and every present she desired. New dresses, dolls, fabulous art; you name it she had it. And since being gifted a mother figure, she only had one wish for Christmas. Well, one main wish. She wanted everyone to play night and have a family night in for Christmas. Her two papas and mama bickered constantly. Louis tended to isolate himself from the other two, but she never went without love from them.

Oh, they would pretend in front of her, but she knew that they would argue when she retreated into her coffin for the evening. They would try to keep their voices down in the beginning but inevitably, they would start shouting at some point. One night, Claudia hit her breaking point. Her papas and mama had been arguing for hours. The sun had almost risen, and they still were not done. Crawling out of her bed, she held her doll tight as she made her way to the living room where the adults stood.

“All he is asking is that you don’t bring Claudia along with you to hunt all the time, Les. Please, she’s an impressionable young lady and it’s Christmas. Will you please calm down for an evening?” Her mama pleaded, grasping Lestat’s hands in hers. He tugged them away sharply.

“Well, I think she should be going out. Experiencing life as a creature of the night. Why shouldn’t we when it’s Christmas? It’s not like god has forsaken us or anything.” He lamented, as dramatic as ever. Louis remained silent, which gave the young girl the perfect time to slip in.

“Will you all stop fighting?” Claudia demanded, standing firm in her place.

“Claudia, what are you doing up?” Louis finally spoke after a moment, coming to scoop her up. She let her papa hold her to his chest, while she continued to speak.

“I couldn’t sleep because of the arguing. It’s not right for you all to be this unhappy at Christmas.” She cried, tucking her face into Louis’ shoulder.

“Oh dear,” her mama came near, “we’re not unhappy. Just sometimes adults sound that way when they are passionate about something.” Stroking her daughter’s head, Claudia’s eyes became wide and filled with tears as she looked around.

“Will you please get along for one night? No arguments or anything. Just one night, please?” Her tears flowed down her face, and even Lestat seemed moved by the display. No one said anything as they looked at each other.

“Let’s get you to bed, little one.” Mama and Louis walked with her still in his grasp to her coffin. They laid her down, and with a final goodnight kiss to her perfectly curled head, the lid was shut. Walking out of the room, the couple stopped for a moment and stood in silence as they took in the gravity of Claudia’s words.

“Have you finally decided to join me once more, or am I too much trouble for you?” Lestat growled as they re-entered the room. She made her way across the floor, skirts flowing behind her to hold the blonde vampire.

“Les, we only want what is best for Claudia. But you heard her tonight. All out arguing is doing her no favors. Let’s just try to be more understanding for the season?” He stopped, and just stood there with an indignant expression on his face. Looking over, Louis seemed to straighten up under his gaze, with hopeful green eyes. Lestat held out a hand to his other lover, and brought him into the mix. Everyone was holding each other and standing still in the moment.

“I suppose we can put the debate on the back burner for now. I’d like to spend the night surrounded by my people, if that’s alright.” His tone was teasing,but the other two vampires were content to being there with him. It was a tight fit, but they made all three of the sleeping in the same coffin together work.

They spent the evening together, loving the ability to get back to how they used to be as younger vampires. Kisses were shared, as well as words of love that seemed to envelope the vampires in the coffin. No one called attention to the fact that this was the most Louis had spoken to Lestat in months.

The next evening, after the sun had fallen and the moon had replaced it, everyone began to stir from their resting places. However, Claudia noticed she heard no voices. No one was talking, or arguing, or shouting. It was silent. Tentatively, she opened the lid of her coffin and went to check the others. Louis’ was empty, as was her mama’s. Maybe they had taken off to go do some shopping before the shops closed for the evening.

But her ears caught something, that her eyes found next. Lestat’s larger coffin was emitting noise and was slightly cracked open. Tip toeing over, Claudia peaked her eyes in and found a sweet scene. Her two papas were wrapped around her mama in a sleepy embrace. No one had quite made the effort to get up, but all of their eyes were still closed. She smiled as she beheld them, happy to see them get along for once. Closing the lid back to where it was cracked, Claudia went back to her own coffin and figured she could use some more rest on this cold winter’s night.

[shelfperson]

‘daddy i fell out of a tree’ SLINGSHOTTED ME back to 0203 like dear fucking god so much has changed Claudia will never be that little girl again but she’s still lugging around that doll body oh my god. oh my god. i think about her and louis catching fireflies in the bayou and then i look at them now and… it isn’t horrible because claudia’s changed. it’s horrible because she’s stayed the same.

[divortion]

decided to transcribe some of the last words from claudia's notebook

Young girl: "Please, Please don't, please stop!" Man in the last row at the Son of the Sheik Picture Show: "You said you had cigarettes" School teacher: "Guard your heart" GRUMPY waiter taking out trash: "What a creep you are. Don't" Kissing couple under the bridge - Man: "Get a load of this kid" / Woman: "This can't be real, but you're just a child. No please" Oyster shucker on Main Street: "Little lady miss - you devil!" YOUNG MAN AT TRAIN STATION: "WHAT ARE" Musicians at cellar restaruant - Cello: "Is this a joke? You can't Oh god it can't be!" Violin: "It's a devil holy lord." Swan in the lake: (Hard to read. Terrible something... terrible taste?) [Unseen names]: "Sweet lord almighty", "Please I beg you" "Get your hands off-" "Dear God how" Woman in powder room: "Stop what are you. Child stop this instant" French man: "Mademoiselle arrete", "Porquoi tu fais ça moi!" Mother and daughter in town (near Jackson unintelligible) - Girl: "Mama my ice cream no why", Mother: "Good heavens not my child please!" Man on ???: "Keep your distance girl I know what you are I've seen you at night" Fisherman at Algiers Point: "Oh god what in heavens!" FLOWER STAND SELLER: "Dear we're closed now. You CAN'T WAIT YOU CAN'T BE. NO!" Sickly woman in shawl: "God will seek revenge on the evils in this world you devil." (Annotation from Claudia: "I laughed!")

[m4rs-ex3]

so i finally finished the book 1 novelization. after owning it for 3 years. .............................................i've been busy. anyway, let the thoughts commence!

also i only started marking sections at like ep 5 don't ask why

even CLAUDIA could tell that rayla was a cinnamon roll

stop she's incredible

a) he's a dork b) i think they should kiss

"this freckle-faced goof [gren] was going to be the easiest prisoner he'd ever encountered." is he right? yes. am i still taking offense to this? yes

"'i didn't kill anyone,' Rayla said. it surprised her that she was so proud of this fact." YAS YOU GO GIRL

these additional details are incredibly necessary thank you so much Book

"Viren blinked twice, amazed at the folly of his own offspring." i know that it's incredibly sad but goddamn that is so funny

STOPPPPPPPP I CANT 😭 the use of the word "adored" no one fucking talk to me

them

"Rayla and Callum didn't know how easy they had it, what with their long legs and no heavy dragon egg on their backs."

the way that even back then ez was already thinking like a king, even when the subject was so "not of a king's concern," for lack of a better term (why am i rhyming)

what can i even say about this oh my god

"'no, not really, dummy.' sometimes, Rayla could barely believe the denseness she had to put up with."

god i love him god i love him i l obe him i love him i love hiom oi love hiojm and everybody clapped

sometimes these slight dialogue changes mean the world to me

his autistic ass 😭

"he turned and spoke only to her." i am dying

"i've always been different. it's hard for me to make friends with other kids. i just feel like i don't fit in." -> "i've always been different. i don't really 'get' other kids, and it's... so hard for me to fit in." this is AUTISTIC CODING he has AUTISM that is IT we have autistic claudia try and tell me that this child does have the tism and that they don't fucking know that

LMAO LITERALLY KICKING ROCKS HE'S SUCH A PISSBABY I LOVE IT

this is Everything to me. i. a moment of all time. behead me

i think they should kiss pt 2

STOP THEY CAN'T KEEP DOING THIS TO ME THE SIBLINGS OF ALL TIME ISTG

"Callum lingered" "for some reason, she wanted to share what she had seen with Callum, even is she didn't tell anyone else" i. think. they. should. kiss.

"Callum glared at his brother. there was a ginormous spider in their way. many things about this situation weren't right."

SHUT UP WHAT DO I EVEN SAY ABOUT THIS. OH YOURE TELLING ME THAT RAYLA IS IN A WHOLE NOTHER CLASS FROM ELLIS AND AVA?? THAT SHE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN A "FRIEND"??? BOTH IS THE SENSE THAT HE IS MADLY IN LOVE WITH HER AND THAT HE JUST GENERALLY MEANS MORE TO HIM????? IM THEOWING U _P (hey guys i think they should kiss)

shut the fuck up. buddy. i am gagged

oh Him

damn girl's always had a problem with Layla 💀

dear christ. the matter of fact "no, this is not your fault" (4x06 "Rayla. don't."), "he couldn't let Rayla carry that burden alone" (5x04, anybody?) also i am 100% reading way too far into this but it's still callum's pov so he is the one who described her "violet eyes" and i just would like to state this for the record

and oh yeah i think they should kiss

[oh-stars]

Eddie's Quest

Love is going out of your way to do something you know will make them happy.

a @steddielovemonth prompt | 916 words | CW: implied bad Harrington parents, rec drug use | Rating: T

--

There isn’t much from Steve’s childhood that Eddie knows about and what he does know, hasn’t always been good. Steve just doesn’t share a lot in general though. He’s content in living in the present, which isn’t something Eddie really knows how to do. So when Steve does share something positive, something that he holds dear from his childhood, Eddie latches on.

Their anniversary is coming up, only a few weeks away, and Steve mentioned he misses the way a babysitter made this specific kind of cake. Black something. Steve couldn’t remember the name of it so now Eddie’s on a mission to try and figure it out. 

Eddie finds himself at Claudia Henderson’s doorstep on a Tuesday morning with flowers in his hand. When she opens the door, Eddie doesn’t even let her say hello before he’s giving them to her with a, “I need your help finding this really obscure recipe to make Steve happy and I have a feeling it’s going to be a nightmare because I can’t bake for shit. Will you please help?” 

Claudia coos at him. “Oh you’re the sweetest, Eddie! Of course, I’ll help! Come in, come in.” 

They end up pouring over all her cookbooks, and then Claudia starts a phone tree with Karen, Sue, and Joyce for their recipes. All five of them converge at the library, their personal cookbooks in hand, to take over one of the study rooms the library offers. “If we don’t have it,” Claudia told him as they settled in, “then the library will.” 

Eddie can’t even argue as they get to work. 

“Did he say what it tasted like?” Karen asks as she starts flipping through a book. Joyce had the brilliant idea of marking where all the dessert sections started in each book, so each woman was currently flipping away while Eddie tried to remember every detail Steve had mentioned. 

“He mentioned cherries,” Eddie groans, scrubbing at his face. “And it’s a cake.” 

“Could be topped with cherries,” Sue hums as she sorts through her books. 

“Or a cherry filling,” Claudia points out. 

“Steve has a sweet tooth,” Joyce adds after a while. “He likes rich flavors, so it’s probably on the sweeter side than a refreshing dessert.” 

Eddie shrugs. “I guess?” 

“You know,” Karen says as she taps her fingers against her book. “I think I remember a few of Steve’s nannies over the years. They were always at the school for pick up. Do you know which one has the recipe?” 

“Does she still live here?” Sue asks. “It would save us some time to just ask.” 

“No, no,” Eddie says, shaking his head. “He said his parents didn’t let him keep in touch and she moved away. He doesn’t know where.” 

The women share a knowing, quiet look amongst them. Eddie’s not sure he’s fluent in their silent mom language, but he knows a judgy look when he sees one. 

Eddie jumps up and paces the room, retracing every line of thinking that particular conversation followed. The problem is, they were high as fuck when Steve brought it up, sharing tidbits between big bites of the ice cream they’d found in their freezer. 

“You would have loved her,” Steve had said with a mouthful. He was laying on Eddie, legs hanging off the arm of the couch and propped against Eddie’s side so they could share the pint. “She liked to read a lot, always had books for me.”

“What kind of books?” Eddie asked. 

“Think ones.” Steve shrugged, eyes glazed over. “Fairy Tales, but the real gross stuff. So my dad wouldn’t get mad,” he added quickly. 

Gross fairy tales, Eddie thinks. He knows what Steve’s talking about, the original dark shit that they used to scare children into behaving from the grim–

“German!” Eddie screeches as he slams his hands on the table. To their credit, none of the mothers jump except for Joyce. “She was German!” 

Karen looks up at the ceiling, eyes narrowed in concentration. Claudia taps her fingers against her temple. Sue hums as she checks a few of the spines on the other stacks. Joyce leans back, crossing her arms as she stares off into space. 

“That has to help,” Eddie tries, quieter, “right?” 

“Maybe,” Karen says as she blinks back at the cookbook. She trades it for another. “And you’re sure it had cherries?” 

“Oh!” Joyce jumps up, hands flailing as she grabs for a book off Claudia’s stack. “I know it!” 

They all crowd around the book, heads tucked together as Joyce flies through the sections and slaps a finger against a chocolate cake. “Black Forest Cake,” she says, panting a little. 

Eddie moves the book to read the description. “This is it!” 

Their cheering gets them kicked out, but none of them seem to mind as they tote their cookbook stacks back to their cars. Claudia and Sue are already talking about commandeering Karen’s kitchen to bake it in a few days, since her kitchen is bigger, and they can all help – make a day of it with wine and gossip. He doesn’t care how it gets made, just that he can take it to Steve, to show him he listens and cares and loves him so much. He can’t wait to share this cake with him, to make it for him every year just because. His quest will be complete and he’ll get to live happily ever after with a very happy, well-fed prince. Best quest yet.

--

Thank you @lady-lostmind for beta reading!

Ao3 Link

[ceces-obsessions]

Family

A jack hughes Imagine: 516 words

“How many times do have i say it… they love you already okay? plus i love you” jack says to you, Glancing at you from the drivers seat. “You don’t know that J” you say, staring out the window, your leg bouncing up and down. “…I do know that” jack mutter to himself. “…sorry okay…just really wanna make a good impression on them” you say. “I know baby, i know” jack says softly, his hand rubbing your thigh softly as he turns into the driveway. He parks the car and turns to you. “You ready?” Jack says softly. “No” you say quickly. “yeah too bad” he says with a grin, getting out of the car. You roll your eyes playfully but still smile at little. After running to your side and helping you out he kisses your cheek, before taking your hand and guiding you to the door. Jack doesn’t even bother to knock, he just opens the door and walks in. You hesitate before walking in behind him, squeezing his hand subconsciously. You see a woman Walk over to you and jack with a huge and welcoming smile, immediately recognising Ellen from the pictures you’ve seen. Subconsciously You smile watching Ellen and Jack hug, Seeing your boy so happy. Jack Pulls away with a gentle smile,“Mom, This is Y/n…my girlfriend” Jack says, bringing his arm around your waist to bring you closer to him and his mom. “Lovely to meet you Mrs Hughes” You say with a polite smile. “Oh please dear, call me Ellen” Ellen says as she pulls you into a welcoming hug, a motherly hug that only moms can give. You can’t help the smile that grows on your face, Ellen’s kindness putting your anxiety a little at ease. Ellen gently takes your hand and brings you inside, jack following behind. You enter the living room, With Quinn and Jim playing chess while look scrolls on his phone. “This is Claudia, Jack’s Girlfriend” Ellen says smiling, While you stand there a little awkwardly. Jim stands up, coming over and hugging you and giving you a handle smile. “Nice to meet the girl who Makes Jack so happy” Jim says, making a light blush appear on your cheeks. “Hey” luke says not looking up from his phone before ellen scolds him which makes luke get up and come over. “Nice to meet you” Luke says, offering you either a handshake or a dab up, hard to tell. You just extend your hand, Luke shaking it softly before quinn walks up. Quinn’s older brother sense can immediately feel your anxiety. “You know If you ever need bribing material on jack i’ve got you” quinn says making you smile. “Oo i’ve got some bad photos come see” luke says dragging you over to the couch to show you his phone. You smile as luke shows you the photos, laughing together with him. “…You picked a good one you know? seems her and luke get on well” Jim says quietly as jack watches you with nothing but love in his eyes. “…I know…trust me” Jack says.

[witchyautumns]

A selected playlist for this year's fall season ❤️

🇳🇴 Mari Boine - Vuoi Vuoi Mu 🇱🇹 Nine Lindens (Lithuanian Multipart Polyphonic Song) 🇳🇱 Heidevolk - Het bier zal weer vloeien 🇦🇹 Claudia Engelberger - Die Gedanken Sind Frei 🇫🇴 Eivør - Trøllabundin 🇷🇴 Sandra N – Spirit de dac 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Julie Fowlis - Òganaich Uir a Rinn M' Fhàgail 🇭🇺 TÖRÖK Tilla orchestra - Határtalanság 🇮🇸 Krummavísur 🇫🇷 Nolwenn Leroy - Tri Martolod 🇸🇰 Hrdza - Nie tvoja 🇸🇪 Garmarna - Herr Mannelig 🇺🇦 Folknery - Karchata 🇩🇰 Myrkur - I riden så 🇮🇪 Liam Ó Maonlaí - Eleanór a Rún 🇫🇮 Tuuletar - Ievan polkka 🇫🇷 Arany Zoltán -Tourdion (Renaissance classic) 🇮🇹 Corte di Lunas - Scjaraçule maraçule (medieval song from Friuli) 🇧🇾 Kupalinka (traditional) 🇫🇴 Eivør - Í Tokuni 🇩🇪 Corvus Corax - Palästinalied 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Madelgarde - The Stag & Sickle (Old English) 🇵🇱 Laboratorium Pieśni - Sztoj pa moru 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Kathleen MacInnes - Gaol ise Gaol i 🇱🇹 Rasa Serra - Žalioj girioj, lygioj lankoj 🇲🇩 Drumul Dracului 🇫🇷 La Rioule des Compagnons du Monde - Gloire aux Moutons 🇬🇷 Απάνω στην Τριανταφυλλιά (On the rosebush) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Plethyn - Didlan 🇦🇹 Amarok Avari - Bärentanz 🇪🇸 Arany Zoltán - Non é gran cousa (medieval song from Galicia) 🇷🇺 Отава Ё – Сумецкая 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Peter Bellamy - Oak, Ash and Thorn 🇸🇪 Jonna Jinton - Vargsången 🇭🇷 Svarica - Smrt u jeseni 🇮🇪 Liam Ó Maonlaí - Sadhbh Ni Bhruinneallaigh 🇳🇴 Rolandskvadet 🇮🇹 Gorö po popu (traditional zitera dance from Resia Valley) 🇩🇪 Faun - Diese kalte Nacht 🇸🇮 Zrejlo je žito (traditional) 🇱🇻 Tatjana Vucāne - 'Latvietes Mīts /Piedzimšana/Jaunība 🇸🇰 Hrdza - Stephen 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Ella Roberts - The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond 🇷🇺 Oh, my dear sisters, Oh, my dear godmothers 🇫🇮 Sanni Halla - Nuku nuku nurmilintu

image credit: Seniorita Verita (reblog here the original picture)

[raayllum]

Do you think Callum will do dark magic again?

Oh yeah, not a doubt in my mind. This is for 3 main reasons:

1) You don't have a character say "But beware, if you ever do dark magic again, the darkness will overwhelm and corrupt you" and escalate the stakes of usage unless you're going to go there. It's kind of like how I know Callum is going to be possessed Again at one point (s7 dark my beloved) precisely because he's worried about it and more than that, that he's brought another character (Rayla) into the fold with a decision to make. No reason to have setup and then no payoff

2) Unless Callum does dark magic again, Aaravos can't possess him again. And as previously mentioned, Callum has to get possessed unless they want to throw away multiple episodes (4x04, 4x05, 4x07, 5x04, 5x08, all S6 + orb shots, 6x03) out the window. Ergo, he has to do dark magic again. Setup like this (i.e. Rayla as Callum's light being hinted at in framing in s2 and then much more overtly in s4 before being brought mostly home in s6) always comes back around in some manner, just gotta look for it

3) Viren parallels. Viren and Callum have always had oppositional (arc 1) and then mirrored (switching) foil arcs throughout the show (think Callum with wings vs Viren falling to his death in 3x09, or Viren swearing dark magic off in 5x09 and Callum having opened that door back up again an episode prior, etc). Viren, as stated, had sworn off dark magic saying he would never ever do it again, nor did he want to do it in 6x08 for a multitude of reasons.

However, someone he loved (Soren) as well as the extenuating circumstances caused him to use dark magic as a full on sacrifice that likewise only sacrificed himself. A couple episodes we had Callum 'fix' the hole dark magic had made inside him, but if he's following Viren's path, there's two likely angles: the first is that he, like Viren, will use dark magic even after trying so hard to rid himself of it (the mirrored arc). The second, overlapping angle is that Callum will refuse to sacrifice his heart (switching) because his heart is Rayla.

'I will think of you under every full moon. Please don’t let this hurt too much. But, if it does—if you feel that soft aching—know that that piece of your heart isn’t missing. It’s not missing at all, Callum: I’m carrying it with me! Always.' —Dear Callum

Kinda like how Aaravos demanded that Viren should make the sacrifice in 5x09, and Viren refused vs Rayla demanding that Callum should make the sacrifice in 6x03 (and Finnegrin a bit honestly) and Callum inevitably refusing cause Rayla can't permanently die lmao.

Other:

There's also the unsavoury implication that "restores bodies to spirits" spell Callum did in 5x09 has unique associations with the dark ritual spell Claudia did in killing Sir Sparklepuff that was undeniably dark magic usage.

The coin has been seemingly wiped clean now that Runaan is out (though maybe there's the symbol still on the other side?) but it does make me wonder of a potential plotline where Callum knew ahead of time, or belatedly, that this spell would require something adjacent to dark magic and he's done it, but the corruption Kosmo spoke of is gradual, making him more irritated, paranoid, etc. like the King of a 1000 Eyes that Amaya talked about. I think that'd be really interesting

The indirectness / the fact we'd only know it'd Happened retroactively makes me lean that we'll outright see another blatant usage in S7 since that's more Dramatic (which I've always been in favour of Callum viewing "I get possessed again bc I make a 'bad' choice and hand myself over to Aaravos" as a sacrifice of himself into "i'm already dead so kill me" territory). And if he breaks his promise to Rayla that he won't pick her over the greater good, then she can break her promise to him that she'll kill him (this is exactly beat for beat what I've wanted since s4 dropped and even before tbh)

TLDR; Absolutely Yes. S7 being Book Seven: Dark only adds to this and the stakes / set up are all there. I'm pumped

[sillyteecup]

The Wrong Way

Roman Reigns x black!o.c,

Jey Uso x black!o.c

Chapter 1

Warnings:

18+

Taglist: @nbanenefrmdao @wrestlingprincess80 @lensilver

A.N: This is more of a Roman fic but because Lori has a number of interactions with Jey as a "couple" it felt right to add them as a pairing. Anyway, this is the first chapter of The Wrong Way, and I hope you like it. Please let me know if you wanna be a part of the taglist. Enjoy❤️

Power. One of the most sought after things in history. Countless of wars have been fought to obtain and maintain it, leaving pools of blood in their wake. Those on the outside have dreams of claiming it as their own, while those born into it cling to it for dear life.

Most of those born into it anyway. Loreal on the other hand loathed it. Loathed what it had done to her family and the hand it had in her upbringing. Her father's obsession with growing their family's power and influence had resulted in their household being a cold one, devoid of love and compassion, yet never teetering into hateful and abusive territory. Her family spoke to each other only out of necessity, and Lori preferred it that way.

Until of course, it was her that they needed to speak to.

That morning she had woken up to Minerva and Claudia standing at her bedside holding an extravagant looking black and silver silk gown, and a diamond headpiece, while Willow and Indiana waited by the windows, ready to open the curtains. Another marriage arrangement to likely, yet another deviant from across the seas was afoot. Unfortunately at the ripe age of 27, this was an expected and recurring event.

Maybe if I just died-

Usually before the meetings, Lori bathed and dressed in silence despite the ever looming company of her maidens. The chatter usually began after the other family had left, but this morning the young ladies assisting her were feeling particularly jovial much earlier than usual. Almost as if they were the ones being auctioned off to yet another power mongering clan. Another change was that they were actually putting more effort into her look than usual. A strange occurrence since they knew how much she hated these meetings and preferred the silence when they came around.

"I'm inclined to assume that this one is attractive or particularly wealthy," Lori said, piercing through the particularly light silence. Willow's grin spread even wider as she decorated her madam's hair with pearls.

"One hell of a looker, that's for sure," commented Claudia with a sly smirk while she applied Lori's makeup.

A curious frown painted Lori's face. A handsome suitor was nothing new in the last 3 years. In fact they were the more common breed, and yet her maidens had never expressed even the slightest positive reaction at them. Something must be different. This one must be famous.

"Tell me," she gently demanded. If there's one thing Lori knew, it's how her maidens loved a good gossip.

The young ladies began to giggle uncontrollably in excitement. Each of them sharing knowing looks before focusing back on Lori's expectant expression staring at them through the mirror of her vanity.

"Well ma'am, we aren't exactly sure who it is, but we are inclined to believe that he hails from the Bloodline," Minerva shared excitedly. At the revelation Lori flew into a state of contemplation.

A member of Bloodline? And they aren't sure which one?

Lori was pulled back from her thoughts by the speculative chatter happening around her. "My money is on Jimmy," Indiana guessed confidently. But Jimmy is already married...

"Wrong and loud is what you would be Indi because tribal prince Jimmy is already married to the lady-well, now princess Naomi," Minerva corrected, agreeing with Lori's silent reasoning.

Willow was next to bring forth her own guess. "Oh but what about tribal prince Solo? I believe him and ma'am would be perfect together, after all they are both quite standoffish," she said earning a playfully offended glare from Lori and boisterous laughs from the other ladies.

"I am not standoffish. I prefer strong and silent," said Lori, defending her character. Her maidens all chuckled at her reply, knowing all about her character.

"Okay, I know this might be far out but, what about The Tribal Chief himself?" Minerva guessed, earning weary looks from everyone in the room.

"Is he not married?" Willow asked. Not much was known about the Tribal Chief apart from whispers across the shores.

The only reason that Lori even shared the same curiosity as Willow is because her maidens were quite up to date with the latest gossip. As means of staying ahead of her father and his rather devious options for husbands, she encouraged the ladies to share the gossip with her. Something that had been working in her favour for 3 years now.

Minerva smirked mischievously before sharing what she had recenty heard. "Well, word across the shore is that The Tribal Chief and his wife are actually in the middle of a fallout of sorts. They're saying it might be a divorce," she said in a hushed tone, as somethings just couldn't be said out loud.

The rest of the maidens remained unconvinced however. Still keeping their speculations on the other members. Even Lori knew that her father's connections, although powerful, could never secure her a marriage with the Tribal Chief himself. And if she was being honest, she was grateful. The man had a reputation of ruling with an immovable iron fist, and dealing with insubordination in manners so ruthless that no one dared to speak of them in public.

He was also notoriously unapproachable and cold towards those outside of his family. Hell, no one even knew his real name. Perhaps that's why his marriage is falling apart...

"Perhaps it's-" Claudia's guess was interrupted by Lori's door opening abruptly. Lori turned to see who it was while her maidens bowed their heads in case it was a member of her family.

And they were right. Her mother stood in the doorway, wearing her own diamond headdress and dressed in a silk gown similar to Lori's, except hers was a deep violet. Her posture was straighter than a steel ruler as she waltzed into Lori's bedroom, likely to inspect her daughter's appearance and determine if she was presentable enough.

The maidens made way for Lady Azaelea to pass through while Lori stood up to face her mother. Her mother grinned, a sign that she was pleased at the work Lori's maidens had put in. "Magnificent indeed," was all Azalea said before holding her hand out for Lori to take.

The pair made their way out of Lori's bedroom, across the halls and downstairs to the foyer where 6 unfamiliar men stood with her father and some of the house staff. Lori observed the men discreetly, careful not to stare for too long.

The first to fall into her line of sight was an older and rather plump, tanned but white (likely Italian) man with a hairline that had receded far back to the nape of his neck. He wore a navy blue suit as opposed to the others who were adorned in black.

The second one was another white man, this one much paler. Are those girls sure that they heard right about this being the bloodline? The lower half his face was covered by a large, yet well groomed beard that matched the color of his slicked back red hair. He was taller than the first man and had a rather fearful yet excited gleam in his eye.

The next two were a set of twins. Both of their heads shaven on the sides to leave long curly hair out in the middle. One had half of silky curly hair dyed red, while the other one's hair was fully black. These men looked Samoan and confirmed the maiden's statement. They both stood tall with perfect posture, faces covered by salt and pepper beards. How old are they? Both of them with congruently shaped brown eyes, and identical facial structures. Literally the only difference she could spot at the time was their hair.

Next to them stood another Samoan man also with bone straight posture. This one was slightly bigger than the other too, both in height and in muscle. While he looked relatively different from the twins, Lori could see the resemblance in his eyes. There wasn't much time to look for more. His hair was shorter than that of the twins and blonde. His beard was plain black, meaning he was younger than the twins. He looked like he could crush a man's head with his bare hands without breaking a single sweat. They all looked scary but this one? This must be Tribal Prince Solo.

And then finally her eyes landed on the 6th man, the one standing at the forefront of the group with an Ula Fala around his neck. The Tribal Chief.  Suddenly the air had become thicker, so much so that Lori almost choked. The Tribal Chief was tall, for starters, with a broad chest and shoulders that filled his black suit to perfection. His facial features were set in a neutral expression. Cold brown eyes digging into her her curious ones, almost as if daring her to challenge him or his authority. Must be an automatic thing. His long jet black hair was tied into a bun at the nape of his neck, sides shaved like the twins. His beard, also salt and pepper colored.

They were all handsome (apart from the man in navy), but the Tribal Chief? His appearance was godly. Beautiful but ever intimidating.

And Lori was hardly ever intimidated

"Loreal," her father, Byron's voice called, cutting into her thoughts. She turned towards the older man, head briefly bowing in respect. "This is the Tribal Chief. He has come here with the Tribal Princes and his Wiseman with an exciting proposition," Byron said, stating everything Lori already knew.

She fought the urge to roll her eyes and prayed that they, like the rest, would do or say something to displease her mother and just end this meeting already. She didn't think she could spend another hour in the same room as the Tribal Chief.

"My Tribal Chief, this is my wife, Lady Azalea and my daughter Loreal, the one that Tribal Prince Rikishi has requested for his son," Byron said, introducing Lori and her mother to the stone faced man before them.

Tribal Prince Rikishi? They never mentioned him or his son?

Lori and her mother bowed their heads, unsure what to expect of the leader. Lori had never been so nervous for a marital discussion.

"A pleasure," the Tribal Chief said curtly, before turning to the man Lori assumed was his Wiseman.

"Lord Byron, it is our utmost pleasure to introduce you to your daughter's fiancé-" Wait, what do they mean fiancé? Has this already been finalized? Without me getting to at least know the man's name? "The Tribal Prince, Jey," the Wiseman concluded.

As Lori wondered which one was Jey, one of the twins, the one with the fully black hair stepped forward with his hand held out for Lori to take it. He bowed gracefully before her, leaning in to kiss the back of her knuckles. As their eyes locked, Lori was met with a sight she knew all too well. Arrogance.

"It's an honor to meet you, Princess Loreal," he said huskily, sending a shiver down Lori's spine. Unlike The Tribal Chief, who made Lori nervous, Tribal Prince Jey elicited a feeling of uncertainty. She was unnerved and to her, that was far worse than being afraid.

Yet still, Lori's head floated in a space of disbelief. There was no way that her father had sealed the deal for them to marry. Surely they were speaking out of turn and there was still some deliberation to be-

"Loreal, this is your fiancé. You are to be married in a month," her father stated proudly. His words made her ears ring and her vision blur. She grew light headed as the reality set in.

Loreal was getting married.

[cbrownjc]

On EP 2x03

So yeah, that wasn't my favorite episode of the season so far, but not bad. And I laughed my head off at the flashback at the beginning when Armand was telling Daniel about his "relationship" with Lestat. Really, I could not stop laughing during almost that whole thing. And yes, that very much does come from me having read the books and so knowing how that all really went down.

Seriously though, when Armand and Lestat started kissing in that balcony box -- with Nicki shooting them death glares as he played his violin! --I was doubled over in laughter! 🤣

Oh Armand, you so wish that was how it all happened. I'm not even mad he lied about almost all of that because his unrequited love/desire for Lestat does tend to make Armand act kind of pathetic.

But yeah, a nice story you told Daniel there, and clearly have told Louis at some point as well. I mean, it's not like there is anyone around to contradict you or call BS on any of it is there? 😏

Claudia, dear . . . when you heard that line about children can never be made vampires . . . are you now beginning to see the danger for yourself? After having missed the danger signs last week? Especially after they gave you that little baby dress. Although, maybe you think not being a child but a young teen excuses you, since they didn't kill you on sight. But there is for sure disillusionment settling in isn't there? Especially when they gave you that baby dress.

Louis . . . oh Louis. You pretty much are headed toward where your book counterpart ended up wrt Armand next episode, I suspect. (And yeah I knew he was actually killing a human when he started beating Dreamstat's head against that wall).

Daniel, Raglan James, and the Talamasca intrigued me the most wrt this episode Yes, I actually paused the screen and tried to read the names on the files James sent to him. Right now I most want to know if James is still in the Talamasca or if they've already kicked him out.

All in all, this episode was mostly set up for things coming in the next three episodes, leading into the final two. And I'm glad Assad had already let slip that Armand's full backstory would come in a later season during the press tour, or I might have gone into this episode with different expectations about the opening flashback. Because Armand's true, and full, backstory is much weightier than what we saw here, even with the glimpse at the Children of Darkness stuff. (And I'm so glad they called it the Children of Darkness -- its original name in the books -- in the show btw. I'm sorry, I think the Children of Satan name would have been a bit too camp.)

[redwinesupernoova]

Discourse about it is bigger on twt, but i never understood why it's such a big deal in loustat vs loumand wars to point out (As in, "present as a valid argument against Lestat" I'm NOT defending doing so) that Lestat's abuse was physical but Armand's abuse was "merely" mental. Not to mention a big elephant in the room (Claudia's death), it's still bizarre to me that mental abuse is somehow better. "Oh it's a vampire's nature to be abusive" well let me introduce you to my dear friend Louis who would like to disagree with you, Louis, who was gaslit for 70 years. Honestly Armand and Lestat are the two sides of the same shitty coin, but i am becoming Daniel in a way that i would defend Lestat simply because the alternative is brainwashing as a past time activity. Cause why would you defend Armand with the same statements that were clearly mocked in the show.

[lopposting]

So, I noticed that people tend to notice P is not human, not from the way he looks, but from the way he sounds.

I can hear your springs even if you try to hide them. We musicians have a keen ear, you know. (White lady)

I hear the sound of springs inside you... You're a puppet too! (The Survivor)

[btw I'm going to be paraphrasing quotes and details from memory so I can get this out rather rapidly, so my apologies if they're somewhat incorrect]

Claudia and Lucio give no indication that they know about P not being human. Up until mid-game, they only really treat him as another stalker to con. The black rabbit brotherhood seem to know, but mainly because they know we're specifically "Geppetto's puppet."

I think that Claudia and Lucio find out because they either hear the brotherhood during the fight or Simon tells them as much, because Lucio calls us a "goddamn talking rag-doll" before he attacks us if you choose to fight.

The Black Rabbit Brotherhood and their connection to Carlo

And speaking of which - the brotherhood seems to know immediately that we are "Geppetto's puppet". Which makes me wonder... they seem to have known Carlo or known of Carlo while he was alive, which is probably how they put two and two together and guessed the obvious conclusion of how we came to be, which is the case with Antonia:

Oh, I knew you were Geppetto's puppet the moment I saw you (Antonia)

Is that Tenma's boy? > It can't be Tenma's boy. Holy cow, Tenma must have lost his mind (From Astro Boy 2009)

They also have Carlo's painting and the gravesite which is guessed to perhaps contain Carlo's empty grave has the mark of the black rabbit brotherhood on it. Geppetto also says he had no idea the BRB had stolen the painting.

A child who was a blessing to their family lies here. May he rest in peace. (Malum grave)

[Also I'm wildin now but korean pronouns are usually non-gender specific, so maybe it wasn't a "he" originally? this throws a whole bunch of other things into question though which I actually really don't like]

So, I thought of ways that ALL of these things could be true: That this IS carlo's grave in the malum district (which is strange because why would an aristocratic son be buried in Malum), the grave is empty because Carlo's body is still in the suitcase, the brb mark on his grave makes sense, AND the BRB having the painting is more than just a coincidence.

I have the most bizarre headcanon now. The BRB are a bunch of awful thugs for issuing "protection fees", but still, what IF:

They seem very hostile to us, particularly because we are a puppet, but maybe also because of our resemblance to Carlo - not because they resented him, but because Carlo was dear to them somehow. And the empty grave in the district was set up by them privately to commemorate his death when they heard what happened, (and the "family" they are referring to are themselves!). It's also worth noting that in the original story, The rabbits are aligned with the blue fairy (which would be Sophia in this iteration). [They're also associated with coffins and graves.]

I had no idea the black rabbit brotherhood had stolen it. (Geppetto on the painting)

The black rabbit brotherhood! I hate these guys. <- Gemini immediately remembers them. [They also appear very early on in the game, I guess to show they were watching us?]

So maybe their resentment and disgust for P comes from the fact that they know Geppetto has made an artificial replica of someone they knew into something they hated (puppets!), which they would see as repulsive. Perhaps there's an actual reason why the BRB has the painting. What exactly went down at the monad charity house?

...

extra notes

[The BRB knowing about Carlo doesn't mean they personally knew Carlo (since Geppetto must've been famous), but it's something. The thing is, both Eugenie and Venigni don't seem to recognize who we're "supposed" to be at all, even Venigni who is said to have been a close colleague to Geppetto. Maybe Eugenie and Venigni are just super polite and don't want to mention Carlo at all to us, but I kinda get the feeling that the public never really knew Carlo existed, Geppetto did dump him off at a boarding school early on after all]

[also also!! the golden stargazer next to the grave for DLC, Carlo being associated with ships, and the DLC showing a nautical theme?]

[sanctaignorantia]

oh my dear louis...

+ claudia