#the news from collinsport

[tortoisesshells]

446.

[notanotherstory]

Mistle-toeing

Warnings: fluff, a really annoying "i-don't-know-limits" man.

Word count: 4.5k

Disclaimer: this was the first lil thing I wrote about Angie. I do hope you enjoy it <3

Morning came and you groaned as your alarm rang and pulled you out of dreamland. You pulled your arm from under the covers and slapped it off, proceeding to stretch and swing your legs to the side of the bed, putting one foot in front of the other before opening the curtains and getting hit by the morning light. 

You rubbed your eyes and blinked repeatedly as they adjusted to the light, getting ready for a much needed shower that’d finally wake you up. It was going to be a long, long, day, you thought, before stepping under the stream of warm water and letting your dreams wash away with it.

As you walked through the streets of Collinsport, you pulled on the brown, thick coat you wore, trying - and failing - to hide your nose from the cold so it wouldn’t turn rudolph red. 

Quickly, you entered the building and shuddered at the change of temperature, ruffling your hair to get rid of the snow that had collected in it, and running your hands along your coat to clean it up from the little white particles that had stuck to it. Rubbing your hands together to warm them up a little bit, your eyes scanned the place.The sight was not the usual; and the energy felt different. A good kind of different.

The office was decorated all around, giving the usually white, clean, serious and cold surrounding, a cozier feeling. An elegantly decorated tree sat next to the coffee machine, which now had an addition of delicious ginger cookies on the counter, along with garlands up on the walls and some wreaths hanging in between them, finished with lights adorning the cubicles, everything strategically placed so it was a harmonious look. Funnily enough, everyone seemed just as surprised as you were. In the few months you’d been around, you had never heard of the office celebrating any kind of festivity, but, well… Here you were, with decorations along the office boxes, Christmas music playing in the background (you recognized Sinatra’s Let it Snow) and Nancy, Angie’s secretary (and your confidante) wearing a Santa hat. You guessed this was her making, and you couldn’t fathom how she had convinced Angie Bouchard to let this happen. 

As you walked by Nancy, you waved shyly at her, mouthing a “Good morning, Nance” and receiving a big smile in return, followed by a wink - you didn’t get the reason for the last gesture, but you knew she always knew things you didn’t. To be honest… you were quite oblivious.

Absentmindedly walking towards your desk, the decorations distracted you from the pair of cobalt eyes following your every move, like a predator stalking its prey, silently, meticulously, and waiting until you had reached your designed space, still staring and assessing your reaction to the changes.

You dropped your leather bag on the desk unceremoniously and hung your coat on the chair, starting your computer to check for the new mails - but something felt off. A glimpse of red showed up on the corner of your eye, and you rapidly turned your head towards the salient colour. There was a gift sitting on your desk. You stared suspiciously at the neatly wrapped box that sported a ruby red colour, finished with a golden bow. No one in the office was too close to you, so this was quite the surprise. Carefully lifting the box while looking for the tag, you instead found a neat card that had your name elegantly written on it, alongside a small message;

“Y/N,

A little birdie told me you had been staring at these for quite some time.

I do hope you enjoy them thoroughly.

P.S., I see you’ve got good taste. Very nice choices.”

You turned the card around to find any kind of initial or name, but ended up with nothing. Saving the little card safely on your bag, you pulled on the ends of the ribbon and watched it fall lightly on the desk. The tips of your fingers grazed the red wrapping paper, feeling its soft texture and travelled down the softness of it until it met one of the seams; your nails picked on the scotch tape and lifted it, being meticulous enough so it wouldn’t tear. 

After you pulled the box out, you kept trying to figure out what it could be. And when it opened, you had to bite your lower lip to keep the grin from taking over your whole face, yet still jumped up and down in your spot excitedly. Inside it there were two of the vinyls you had been looking at the store for the past two weeks, but always decided to not buy them just yet: Herbie Hancock’s Crossings, and Santana’s Caravanserai. 

You were a huge music geek, and these were recently out. You looked around hoping to recognize something in someone’s eyes or expression, any tell-tale sign, but only found Nancy’s warm eyes; “Oh!” you exclaimed. 

In one of your many conversations with Angie’s secretary, you had gushed about one of these two albums and how much you absolutely loved Christmas, considering it was big back at home. You set the vinyls back on the box and walked towards Nancy, but before you could open your mouth, she spoke without even drifting her eyesight from the computer screen. 

“That was not me, dear.” You cocked an eyebrow up and a quizzical look took over your features. “Well - if it wasn’t you, then…” Nancy looked up at you and shrugged innocently. “I have no idea, darling. But they do seem to be paying attention to you.” With that, you decided to drop the topic and go back to work; god knows the secretary would not spill any more information. Jesus, this woman could get caught by the CIA and keep everyone’s secret’s safe, acting like she knew absolutely nada. And even when you tried to avoid your workload, you had a lot to catch up on. Yet, you found yourself looking back at the little card and reading it repeatedly during the day, smiling at the neat handwritten message.

The day passed by fairly quickly, and you were drained. Meetings, mails, getting ready for the end of the year at Angel’s Bay meant absolute mayhem, you learned. The thought of a warm cup of hot chocolate and a good Christmas movie under the warm covers of your bed, in the safety of your little flat made you yearn for the end of the shift, when you could finally relax. With that in mind, you finished typing the document you were working on and stood up from your chair, quickly making your way towards the coffee counter, eyes focused on the warm cups of chocolate that Nancy had just put down, turning towards you to gift you a soft, caring smile. You loved that woman to bits, and she knew you had been having a hard time lately. Christmas was not a day you were used to spending alone, so the thought of it had been taking a toll on you the past week. Of course, Nancy was constantly checking on you and doing small things to cheer you up - asking about your day and if you ate, to which you would roll your eyes playfully and answer while chuckling “Yes, mom”, or leaving candy canes on your desk, and now preparing your favourite thing ever; hot chocolate. She left the tray and kept walking forward towards her desk, which was right next to Angie’s office.

You grabbed the warm, white cup and the sweet smell of chocolate invaded your senses, bringing you the comfort you were looking for. There were small marshmallows on top as well, and you had to contain your excitement to avoid squealing like a little kid from the happiness it brought you. 

While you were immersed in your hot chocolate cup, you didn’t realize who was walking towards you, until your personal space seemed to be awfully invaded by a strong cologne that reeked of musk - not the good kind. You don’t know what you despised the most; the smell or the person who came along with it. 

Freaking Jack from the sales department. Another of the smug assholes who never took “no” for an answer, because his fragile ego could not take it. He’d been trying to get your attention since the first day you started working at Angel’s Bay, taking advantage of any situation he had to brag about himself - god, he was so full of himself. Today was not the exception. The rest of the girls in the office swooned over him; it was sort of like a Belle and Gastón kinda situation. Terrible, to say the least. 

You heard him clear his throat and rolled your eyes before plastering the most fake smile you could manage, turning back to look at him.

“Jack.”

“Y/N, what a coincidence” Not. 

“Yeah, well, considering we work on the same floor, I'd call it a very probable event.” You said, matter-of-factly. You knew he had spent the last 5 minutes looking around for you, and you actively avoided him. It’s not that you disliked him… No, no, it was that you disliked him. A lot.

He laughed forcibly at your statement, flashing you what should be considered a perfect grin, but instead came off as straight up weird. “Oh, aren’t you a funny one” 

Realizing how close he was, you took a few steps back, and he followed suit, playing aloof while talking about his day, not bothering to ask you about yours, until you were standing in front of the tree, and very much cornered. You hugged the mug to your chest and felt it warm your skin up, looking around nervously, meeting Nancy’s eyes and praying she saw the apprehension in yours and came in to save you from this idiot, who wouldn’t stop talking.

Speaking of the devil, you saw a sharp, mischievous smile form on his lips, and you knew he had come up with some sort of plan to make you even more uncomfortable. He had his eyes glued to the ceiling, and for a moment you thought he had just… rebooted himself. Who knows.

Following Jack’s eyes, your own gaze sat on the pointy green leaves that accompanied the white, round fruit, delicately placed with a red bow over your heads. Of course you had to be standing under the one mistletoe that was up. You mentally facepalmed as soon as your mind registered the little plant, and you regreted every single decision that had taken you to this situation.

“Well, well, well… Seems like we have found ourselves under the mistletoe, my dearest y/n”. His voice lowered in an attempt to sound seductive, and it only made you want to smack the satisfaction off of his face. He grabbed the mug from your hands and left it back on the counter, not giving you a chance to speak before talking once again. “You know what it means. And it’s tradition, lovely y/n.” 

You were at a loss for words as you felt his rough hands grab you by the waist and pull you against him, as your hands landed on his chest and you attempted to keep him away. 

“Jack - this is not funny. Back off, please.”

The rest of the office had started speaking in whispers and hushed laughs, presencing Jack’s shenanigan as if it were nothing but a simple joke. They watched amused, except for two pairs of eyes. One belonging to Nancy, of course, and the other cobalt blue pair throwing daggers with her eyes, ready to strike.

“As I said, it’s tradition, y/n. Come on, don’t be such a buzzkill. I promise you’ll like it.” He said smugly, while leaning in.

You were so lost in thinking about what to do and how to kick the man and get away from his grubby hands, you didn’t even listen to the faint clicking of heels that had sent the whole office scrambling back to their desks and work, as well as the cold silence that had taken over. You could only hear your own blood pumping in your ears, until the clicking of the heels stopped. And Jack’s face looked like he had seen a ghost.

“Such a pretty face stuck on the body of a useless man. If I were you, I would leave this instant. That is, if you wish to keep your hands.” Her words seethed with venom, eyes shining brightly and sporting a menacing look, alongside an emotion you couldn’t quite put your finger on dancing on her deep blue orbs. Was it hatred? Jealousy? No, it couldn’t be. She stared at his hands grabbing your waist, which were quickly dropped and followed by an amount of excuses Angie was clearly not interested in listening to. 

“Listen up, boy. You better gather your things immediately and leave the building within the next 10 minutes, or you’ll suffer a much, much terrible destiny. Your reputation is already ruined as it is.” She spoke without paying mind to the man, now a stuttering mess, who left the moment she had gone silent.

You dreaded the thought of being on his spot… Until you realized you were next. “Shit.” You said quietly, breathing deeply and getting as ready as you could to confront the upcoming interaction.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A fucking mistletoe. A single piece of dangly fruit that hung over your head, reminding you of the promise it brought, mocking you with its gentle swaying. You swore that if it could talk, it’d laugh at you. One little mistletoe that had gotten you in this mess.

“Fuck - fuck fuck fuck” you thought, as your eyes tried to set on anything but the alluring woman in front of you, her red, full, pouty lips, the defined jawline and high cheekbones, the softness of her porcelain-like skin, the intensity of her cobalt eyes that added to that ethereal, almost unrealistic look - no, nope. Stop. Stop thinking about it.

You didn’t even need to look at her. Instead, your eyes were glued to the floor, which suddenly became extremely interesting. Your gaze set on anything and everything it could. You probably never payed this much attention to the rugs before, but you had decided the best idea was to count every single damn thread in it, if it meant you could avoid the situation. Still, the air seemed to thicken, and you could feel the wicked smile setting on her ruby red lips as she looked at what hung over your heads, completely understanding what it meant. Suddenly, you felt hot under that piercing stare that turned your cheeks bright red and made the shirt you were wearing feel a tad bit too tight. 

The way your name left her lips made you feel like your knees had turned to liquid, and you swore they buckled slightly. Her voice was all that was tempting in this world - sultry, velvety tone, honey-dripping. Christ, even the foulest of words would feel like a damn poem coming out of her mouth. You could only imagine what it would be like in a more intimate setting, your name leaving her lips with passion and lust. And god, you wanted to hear that prayer repeatedly. You only thought of worshipping her.

Your thoughts didn’t matter anymore - there was simply no way you’d get more flustered. She repeated your name, two, three times, before grabbing your chin in between her thumb and index finger, softly raising it, forcing you to redirect your eyes back up. You peered up at her through your eyelashes, as she dropped her hand and pushed a strand of hair away from your face, tucking it behind your ear. Your lips parted at the glimpse of her features, the same features that had flooded your dreams countless times. An almost inaudible sight left your mouth, and you wanted to convince yourself she had not noticed; but you knew she did, she always did. Her right eyebrow lifted ever so slightly, and there was the ghost of a pleased smile on her lips, before she spoke again and broke the obvious ogling you had going on. 

Your throat felt dry and you cleared your throat to avoid the crack of your voice, because the last thing you needed was to falter in front of the one and only Angie Bouchard.

“I’m beginning to think the floor is much more interesting than listening to me, y/n. I did not know I could be so uninteresting.” She said in a scolding manner, yet there was a tint of playfulness that bathed the statement.

That was the last drop you needed, and like a dam breaking, your words spilled out quickly, without a single thought behind them. You just needed to say something.

“I - I’m sorry, boss. I didn’t know there was a mistletoe and I don’t really know who put it up here but I just wanted a cup of hot chocolate and, well, you know, Jack arrived too and - I am very aware of the rules but it… it wasn’t like that I promise, I - why is there a mistletoe there? I swore it wasn’t when I got here!” your nervousness expressed itself on rambling, speaking without even taking a breath, while Angie watched clearly amused at your nervousness. She tilted her head to the left and her soft blonde hair followed the motion, falling over her shoulder until it set properly. She let out a soft chuckle that echoed in the floor, as everyone watched the exchange with curious eyes. The realization of the scene made you shut your eyes with shame and sigh defeatedly.

You didn’t know if she was about to have your head on a platter and fire you in front of everyone, scold you as if you were a five year old brat, or just leave without saying another word.

And you didn’t know what option was worse. But in between the plethora of scenes and options you ruminated, the upcoming one was definitely not in the books.

“So, tell me, did you like your gift?” She said, redirecting the conversation. You paused and narrowed your eyes at her. “Gift? What gift - wait. That was you?” Your voice had shown more shock than you would’ve liked to, but to be fair, it was pretty damn shocking. 

Angie smiled, pleased with herself and your reaction, nodding once. “I had a little help, but someone told me this festivity is quite the big deal for you…” You shook your head and recovered the words you’d been missing. “I loved it. You didn’t have to, boss.”

She rolled her eyes and softened her gaze. “Drop the formalities, darling, you can call me Angie. And I’m glad you liked it. Nancy worked hard on the decorations of the floor.”

Of course the secretary was in all of this. You giggled and hid your face in your hands, shaking your head side to side. “A little birdie, huh? So it was Nancy.”

“Well, she told me about one of the albums, and the hot chocolate. Technically, there were two little birdies. The owner of the shop told me how much time you spent there looking at Santana’s vinyl. I didn’t need to do much, one stare and the information was there, willing and able.” She shrugged unapologetically before speaking up once more. This time, the timing of her words was slower, more thought out, and felt very private. She lowered her voice and inched closer to you, the mistletoe still dancing over your heads. And you were far too aware of it, your eyes travelling up quickly, before locking back with Angie’s.

“As for the Christmas decorations… You do get loud when you speak about something you like, don’t you know that? Whether it's music, festivities, or… people.” The last word made your blood run cold and the smile dissipate from your lips - her voice dropped and seemed to be impossibly attractive, but all you could think about was the fact that Angie found out about your crush. Detail, big fat detail: your crush on her.

Considering how many times you had spoken to Nancy about your admiration for Angie, and how every single one of those times she’d tease you -“Wipe the drool from off your face, y/n” she’d lean in and whisper- either for how you couldn’t stop smiling when speaking about the blonde enchantress, how your eyes lit up when she passed by (and how you’d get flustered every single time) or for every time you looked at her a little too long, you mentally scolded yourself for doing it in front of her office. Not the smartest of moves if you’re trying to keep it a secret.

“I - Oh.”  She nodded softly and repeated your words “Yes, oh.”

The silence fell heavy between you, and the energy shifted into a tense, addicting feeling. You were sure you could feel electricity surging between both of you, and you definitely didn’t miss Angie’s eyes looking up at the mistletoe. “Ah, the infamous mistletoe. Shouldn’t we honour the tradition, then?” Her voice seemed impossibly seductive, and you were sure this is how mermaids had to speak - it was far too enticing, far too consuming.

She inched closer and snaked her arm behind your waist, pulling you in, hips snug against each other. You felt the rhythmic rising and falling of her chest, synchronizing your own breathing to hers. The proximity made you extremely nervous, and you kept breathing in her perfume, that intoxicating scent that made your brain go into overdrive and your heart beat faster. Your eyes followed the outline of her lips and marvelled at the way the light and shadow mixed and hit them, making them look even better. The lights of the tree twinkled softly and reflected on her eyes, which transformed them into the most beautiful starry sky; a universe in its own. You had gotten lost in the thought of them countless times, and here you were, staring right at them, feeling completely vulnerable and transparent, like she could read your mind. 

Her right hand travelled up to your neck, thumb, index and middle finger pressing softly on each side of it as it looked for your pulse points, not leaving the spot once they had found it. You were inches apart, and as if the teasing was already not enough, she gently pressed the first kiss on the corner of your mouth, moving to the other side, doing the same thing before putting some distance between both. “Is this okay?” She said softly. You could barely nod, absolutely immersed in the situation.

After your confirmation, she brushed your lips against hers before pressing them softly. You wanted to remember every sensation, the plump feeling of your lips against her, the softness of her mouth, the intoxicating scent, her electric touch. You felt her hands grab your waist and press down, her nails digging in your skin with just the right amount of pressure, and you relaxed against the kiss. 

Angie lightly slid her tongue across your bottom lip as if asking for permission, which you dutifully granted. You drew a deep, staggered breath at the surge of sensations and the heat you felt coursing your whole body. The kiss grew intense as she sucked on your lips and a shallow hum escaped her, completely pleased at the feeling she evoked on you and how you felt.

She tasted like a sweet, addicting nectar. And right then and there, you knew there was nothing you’d crave more in your life. Nothing that felt more right than this. Her body responded to yours and they moulded perfectly together, your primal needs clawing its way to the surface, and begging, begging you to not let her go. And so, your hands locked behind her slender neck, pulling her impossibly closer. They moved towards her face and caressed her cheek softly.

You swore you could feel your heart push through your chest as Angie’s left hand left your waist, which immediately missed the pressure and warmth of her touch, travelling through your upper body to set roots on top of your fastly beating heart. You felt so alive - and she felt it too, smiling through the kiss at the amount of power she held over your fragile heart, knowing, deeply knowing, you were hers. Her nails raked over your heart as she bit down on your lower lip and growled, “mine”. And there was simply no way you could ever contradict that statement, for the woman had been the owner of your heart since the moment you set eyes on her. 

The tidal wave of lust that had washed over both of you slowly started to set once you parted from the kiss to allow air into your burning lungs. Still dazed from the experience, you were sure you’d wake up from the dream at any given second. Angie’s thumb still ran across your lips reassuringly, her pupils blown wide, black against cobalt blue with shimmering lights reflecting from the tree. All danger, adventures and strong desire, a reckless sea, a new odyssey - and with all the trouble it might come, you knew it was absolutely worth it. 

Exhaling and taking a step back from you - which made you miss her warmth immediately - the blonde woman intertwined your fingers with hers, squeezing your hand before looking back at the rest of the office, which had seen the exchange and were staring slack-jawed.

“I do not like it when people touch things that belong to me. Good thing I put up that mistletoe and everyone knows who you belong to, now.” She winked at you, and before you could open your mouth to protest, shut you up by pressing one last soft kiss to your lips.  Angie hummed in approval while assessing the messy red tint on your mouth; her work made her chest fill with pride, before wiping the red stains from your mouth as best as she could, although she liked the view, the mark she’d left on you. Somehow hers didn’t seem messy at all.

Before you realized, Angie was walking towards your desk, pulling you along with her, ignoring the staring and whispers. Confused, you followed like a lost puppy. Honestly, you’d go anywhere she took to you, without thinking about it.

“Grab your things, darling. We’re not done yet.” She purred. 

You were completely entranced, and stumbled over your desk to grab your things, as she stared amused at your clumsiness. Once you had your coat, bag and gift, you looked at the muse in front of you and waited for instructions. She went into her office and gathered her purse and car keys, before saying goodbye to Nancy. You did the same thing, earning a sly smile from the old lady behind the computer. 

“Take the rest of the day, Nancy. Go enjoy it with your family.” Angie said, sauntering towards the door with a hand possessively set on your waist. You were sure you’d faint if she kept this going.

“Well, dear. What is it that we’re going to do to enjoy our first Christmas together?” She spoke while turning the car on. You held onto those words like a promise, like an oath, and giggled at the thought of what a little plant could do.

[widowshill]

scientific ranking of all of vicki's boyfriends and girlfriends

1. roger collins canon status: 6/10 they are the moment. collinsport's own jane eyre reenactment in a 1960's feudal sardine empire, complete with lovely arsonist wife. they're soulmates. he might be her uncle (?). it's true love. it's workplace harassment. they're fated to be together. they're doomed. they're entwined but never joined. they're marrying other people. they're mimicking each other's dialogue. they went on two dates and they both sucked. she's the adoptive mother to his (?) child. he tried to fire her 2 million times. they never even kissed once. they got stuck in a cabin together in the middle of a storm. he gives her away at her wedding. he can't stand to see her married. she is one of the few people in this world that he finds worth caring about.

2. burke devlin (mitch ryan) canon status: 10/10 he's dangerous he's mysterious he's tall dark and handsome and he did not hit that guy with his car. he's an oil baron. he's an ex convict. he's a millionaire. he's roger collins' ex-boyfriend. he's going to set out to destroy everything but oh god not her he would never let anyone touch her. one of the few people who actually takes her bodily safety seriously and moves heaven and earth to rescue her (repeatedly). two poor kids from the wrong side of the tracks arrive in the same train car from new york to collinsport. one of them already knows the underside of the collins' heel and the other one is about to and he can't convince her to get out. he wants to wreck the collins name she wants it as her own but they're both too-well wrapped up in the myth to leave it.

3. carolyn stoddard canon status: 2/10 girlfriends. that's all i can say. i just think they are very much adorable and they do score points on the canon scale, remotely, for such subtle lines from Carolyn as: "Just what the doctor ordered to keep the wind from ruffling your dark and gorgeous hair," and "Here, alone with you, I can't pretend." never mind their sleepovers in vic's bed hanging out in their nightdresses. carolyn would sooner own up to having a crush on her uncle than having a crush on a woman because this is upper crust maine in the 1960's but listen ... for a character who enjoys flirting for fun but gets extremely anxious about settling down and marrying a man, who prefers the most distant, unobtainable men that she has no reasonable chance of actually ending up with (roger case in point), who gets jealous every time vicki is with someone no matter who it is ... maybe she does like men too, but let's investigate mama let's research. with the governess, preferably. (who could maybe be her half sister? see no. 1)

4. maggie evans (blonde wig) canon status: 0/10 i'll be honest with you all this one is purely vibes but the other boyfriends suck so she still gets to place ahead of them. don't tell me maggie's not looking at her in exactly the same way she looks at joe when she's eyeing him up as her next man. she got straighter when we lost the blonde wig but this entire counter scene in e1 is one long flirtation session and for however many episodes she keeps the wig i believe very strongly there's a devastatingly homoerotic female friendship developing. i'm not immune to the short hair blonde long hair brunette wlw aesthetic i'll admit. as i said vibes only but just trust me. y'all fw cartinelli? ok. well.

5. frank garner canon status: 10/10 i'm glad you were very helpful during the laura arc frank but i'll be honest you bore me to tears why are you even here. he's got the personality of wonder bread and he's in the wrong genre he should be arguing cases on bachelor father or solving hardy boys mysteries or something i truly do not know. these two together just means bouncing all our lawful good off each other and it self perpetuates into nothing interesting at all. they're not even maybe related! maybe if we continued further with the betty hanscombe story and he found some damning revelation about vicki's parentage he'd have something fun to contribute to the plot but as things stand he's just a duller ivy league version of joe and if we're gonna have an all-american boyfriend i'd rather she just date mr haskell.

6. burke devlin (anthony george) canon status: 10/10 you may think that he cannot have possibly fallen from 2nd to 6th with a recast ... surely not ... but you would be wrong. i give vic props for domesticating him but he's lost all his panache in his full-time role as romantic interest, and now he doesn't even look like handsome squidward anymore :( like frank, this version of burke is much too obviously a safe choice, where the original allure of burke is the fact that she wants him despite the enmity between him and the collins family, his destructive tendencies, his jawline ... I do give him props for going to extreme lengths to make her happy, not only in their personal relationship, but her overall circumstances, and the other things that matter to her. you're not last but i wasn't sad when the plane crashed either :/

7. barnabas collins canon status: 8.5/10 is this a real relationship ... i don't really know. i'm not sure the participants know. barnabas thinks it is and i guess they were technically engaged to be married at some point but that's only towards the goal of using her to vividly hallucinate his dead girlfriend so does that count. I will say in their favor it was extremely funny that she had to drive the getaway car for her own kidnapping/elopement/vamp enthrallment because he can't drive. honestly that was the only part of this whole situation i enjoyed. also when she married jeff and he sighed and put his head in his hands he was real for that. they're actually pretty compatible and would be amazing friends ... or like, they could host a podcast together, or something. not this.

8. jeffpeter clarkbradford canon status: 10/10 such a shitty boyfriend that roger collins opened his third eye to warn her that marrying him is the greatest mistake of her life. his only job in the entire world is to make sure that vicki does not hang for witchcraft and he fails multiple times. possibly the most annoying man on the planet. what if we gave a ken doll the personality of a republican congressional aide and he's played by an actor that is reviled by his castmates. comes to the future on the power of wanting to fuck vicki i guess and to spite me, specifically, who's very tired of seeing him, and makes her have a car accident where she could have died. kisses reincarnated french serial killers in the yard days before their big wedding. leaves her at the altar to go play in the dirt in the graveyard. later marries her in a shotgun ceremony at 3 in the morning and then vanishes back into The Past. after literally driving her to suicide, takes her to be with him in The Past where she hangs, again, and then dies off the cliff. TOMATO TOMATO TOMATO TOMATO.

[escapetodreamworld]

carnival and love

(Working on a better title)

Words 6,057

Warnings: none, just fluff, flirting and mischief

Summary: the collinsport carnival is bigger then ever, a competition between business and a day with your family and girlfriend, Angie

A/n this was a birthday gift for beeb @arewecoolio i wrote it and sent it to her at the beginning of July, now everyone is allowed to read it, hope everyone enjoys it!

Tagging @sythaerin cause i know you wanted to read it

On June 1st a town meeting was called, all business owners were to attend. You go with Elizabeth and Barnabas, for two reasons, one, you're next in line to run the family business, two, you always go to town meetings to support your girlfriend.

You stand in the back of the room with Angie, talking before the meeting starts. "Do you know why we're here?" You ask, eyes scanning over the sea of people all crowding in trying to find seats. "I do." Angie says, a secretive smirk on her face.

You pout at your girlfriend, "really, you aren't going to tell me?" You give her your best puppy eyes, trying to coax her into spilling the secret. "You'll learn soon, my love." Angie says before being motioned over by the council, she nods at them, kisses your cheek goodbye before walking away.

You take your seat beside Elizabeth, moving her purse from the seat and setting it on the floor between you. The meeting goes on forever, just boring stuff like every meeting. Angie occasionally looks up from her notes and makes eye contact with you, offering you a smile that you always return.

Finally the head of the council calls on Angelique Bouchard, you perk up, Angie stands, moving to the microphone. "Good evening, I'm sure you all are wondering why you were called here today, it's because I have talked it over with the board and we have decided that this 4th of July weekend Collinsport will be hosting its first ever carnival" the room erupts in whispers and conversations. Angie looks at you before continuing. "As a way of bringing in money for the town, we have decided every business will work a game booth, we will be providing them along with prizes. The booth with the most tickets wins a bonus of five hundred dollars. If my booth wins, I will be donating the money to the town."

Angie continues on to talk about the rides and food trucks that will be, the entire room went crazy at the news as well, the mayor had to silence everyone so Angie could finish, she talked about how this year's firework display will be much bigger than last years. The crowd is buzzing with excitement about all this news, after Angie finishes her topic the head of the council tells everyone the rest of the meeting will continue as normal, more than half the people in the room file out, Barnabas and Elizabeth's included. "Are you coming?" Elizabeth asks, waiting by the row you are sitting in. 

"No, I'm going to stay, Angie will take me home." You tell her, Elizabeth glances at Angie, then looks back to you, she sighs.

"Do you have your keys?"

"Yes." You say. "Okay, don't stay out too late." Elizabeth says, adjusting her purse strap on her shoulder. "I won't." You promise. Elizabeth says bye and walking away to meet Barnabas by the door, you turn back to focus on the meeting, locking eyes with Angie, now that almost everyone has left she's more relaxed, eyeing you up and down, you raise an eyebrow at her, she responds with a wink and grin before turn her attention back to the mayor's rant about hippy kids and drug use. You don't pay attention, all you can think about is what that look Angie gave you meant, you definitely would be getting home late.

It's 4th of July, the last day of the carnival, and the only day you're required to work a booth. Every day before Elizabeth was paying her workers double to work it for them, Angie doing the same for her booth, so you could all spend time together and do all your family traditions. But the winner is revealed today and Elizabeth wants to be there, her and Barnabas still have a rivalry with Angie, and Angie enjoys the competition so you let them bicker and one up the other.

The car ride to the grounds the carnival is long, the car is packed, with Willy driving, Barnabas in the front, Elizabeth, Vicky and Juila in the second row and you, Carolyn and David in the back, Vicky, Julia and Barnabas all have blankets thrown over them to protect them from the sun. David chats excitedly about all the prizes he wants to win, on the way there. 

When we arrive Willy and Elizabeth get out first, opening umbrellas for the vampires, when you finally get out of the car you start helping get folding chairs and blankets out of the car, for the fireworks today. After everyone is out Elizabeth leads the way to the tent with the game the company is doing, balloon darts. You all file into the tent, Barnabas Juila and Vicky setting up their chairs out of the way from the game, because they'll be sitting in the tent until sundown.

Elizabeth opens the front of the tent, getting ready for opening in 10 minutes, you start putting everyone's things under the table holding all the small prizes, so it's out of the way. David is itching to go play games and eat as much candy as possible.

"Okay, listen up." You say, getting everyone's attention. "Rules for the carnival, Carolyn don't get in trouble, David don't just eat sugar today, Barnabas no killing anyone, the last thing we or this town need is a tourist to be found murdered." You say, everyone nodding, Carolyn and David definitely didn't listen. "Why was I singled out?" Barnabas asks, offended.

Angie walks into the tent. "Because you're the only vampire that is having a hard time controlling them self." Angie says with her usual snarky tone reversed for Barnabas. Angie walks over to hug you, you return her hug. Looking over her shoulder to see Barnabas rolling his eyes at Angie's comment, Julia and Vicky high five each other for having control.

Angie pulls back from the hug, keeping her hands on your waist. "Are you ready for today?" Angie asks you, you nod, "Ready for tonight! Less so for manning the game." You tell her.

Angie pouts sympathetically. "It'll be worth it, my love." Angie says, rubbing her hand on your side in a comforting way. You give her a small kiss on the lips as a 'thank you for easing my stress' you have to pull away before Angie can deepen the kisses, you know your family's eyes are on you. Angie smiles before turning towards Elizabeth.

"Ready to lose Lizzy?" Angie baits Liz with the nickname. Liz sends Angie her famous glare, but there's no hate behind it. "You wish Angelique, we're going to destroy you." Elizabeth fires back.

“You have your work cut out for you, Elizabeth. I promise not to gloat if you bow out.” Angie says with false sweetness, smiling a bit too sharp. 

“The Collins family has no intention of bowing out, but I do thank you for the opportunity,” Liz laughs, “I’m afraid I won’t be as kind before crushing you in the competition.” 

Barnabas, who had been waiting for an opening in the conversation, jumped in eagerly, “There will be no mercy at your loss when we lay you beneath stone slabs and crush you under immeasurable weight until your black soul returns to the pit of hell it crawled from.” 

Angie, You and Elizabeth blink, before the latter pinches the bridge of her nose. "Carolyn, please help Barnabas with his trash talk later." Liz says, Carolyn nods and looks at Barnabas ashamed.

Angie turns back to you, "I have to go, my love, but I'll be right across from your booth." Angie says, kissing your cheek before striding out of the tent, you unashamedly check her out as she goes, her shorts make her legs and butt look amazing.

You're not the only one that noticed Angie, Julia, noticed and in true Julia fashion she says something about it. "God she's got a nice ass." You whip around to glare at her, Julia grins at you, then glances over to Elizabeth, and you realize she said it to rile Liz up, and it worked cause Liz's face turns red with jealousy as she stares at the ground. You roll your eyes.

True to Angie's word her booth is right across from yours, as the day goes by and you take tickets, hand out darts and say your 'better luck next time's' you both will meet eyes and smile before getting busy again. When you sit down for what feels like the hundredth time to blow more balloons up, you catch Angie motioning a red faced David over, he's been running around with his friends in the sun for hours now, she tells him something then hands him money, David runs off again and Angie goes right back to working.

A few minutes later, after you've reset the board with balloons David comes running into the tent, hold a few cold water bottles. "Angie asked me to get you both some water." He says quickly, placing two on the table before sprinting out with the other two, you watch him swerve through all the people to get across to Angie's tent, where he hands the other two bottles to Angie, but before he can run off to rejoin his friends Angie stops him, he walks into her tent, where he reluctantly gets sunscreen rubbed into his face by Angie.

Finally David gets to go play again, and Angie looks over to you, winks and uncaps her water, taking a swig while keeping eye contact with you, your staring contest is broken when a kid runs up to your booth, this kid has tried six times to win the big green dinosaur stuffed animal, she hands you the tickets, and you give her 5 darts, "what color balloons are you aiming for this time?" You ask the girl. "Blue." She says with all the confidence in the world. You step aside and watch the balloon board, hoping she finally wins.

To your surprise the first three land their targets, the girl is getting excited, and you're getting nervous, you clutch your unopened water bottle as her fourth dart pops another blue, one more and she wins, Vicky, Julia and Barnabas are watching anxiously.

"Just one more sweetie." Her mother behind her says to her daughter, her mother is as amazed she's gotten this far as you. The girl concentrates very hard, her brow furrows, she throws her dart. 

POP

The dart pops another blue balloon, Julia, Vicky, and Barnabas start cheering, they've been acting as the cheerleaders of the booth every time someone wins, the girl is jumping up and down screaming with excitement, her mother is overjoyed her daughter won, you unhook the big dinosaurs, handing it to the girl. 

"Congratulations!" You say to the girl as she wraps her little arms around the plushie that's bigger than her, the girl runs off, her mother following behind as the girl races off to show her father. You smile, happy the girl got her prize. You take a drink of your water finally, gulping down more than half of it before recapping it.

A few games later and Vicky tells you that we're out of blue and red balloons, meaning you have to blow up more, you blow two up when a thought occurs. "Julia," you look around, the booth has no one around it at the moment. "Can you breathe?" You ask, she looks confused.

"What do you mean?" Julia asks.

"I mean can you three in your condition, breathe." You whisper.

"It's not needed, but yes." She confirms what you had wondered.

"Oh good," you say before tossing a bag of blue and a bag of red balloons and the three of them. "I've been getting lightheaded blowing those up for no reason while you three sat there." You say annoyed, you turn away from them, taking some free take to breathe air, and of course stare at your girlfriend.

You smell the hot summer air and all the fried foods as you watch Angie work at her booth, Angie's assistant clocks you, leaning in to whisper something to Angie, who immediately smiles and looks over at you, she stares at you like you're the only person here, her smile genuine and beautiful.

Sadly this time it's Angie forced to look away when the mayor comes to speak with her, Angie nods to something he says and excuses herself from the tent, walking away with him. You're disappointed, Angie's assistant gives you an empathetic look, your sadness must have been clear on your face.

A few minutes go by and a voice on the big intercom comes on. "Just a reminder that the game booths will be closing early today, one hour remains, hurry and win some prizes." You sigh in relief that it's almost over.

Angie comes back to her tent shortly after, but with one man down in the booth a line has formed around the game, so she's too busy to look back at you. After a few more people have played your game you notice something truly amazing, the shadows forming, you poke your head out of the tent to see the sun has moved to where it's now more to the back of your tent, meaning.

"The sun is no longer an issue for you three, you can move around the tent safely and help Liz." You tell the three vampires, grabbing your purse and water. You tell Liz you're gonna go, kissing her cheek in goodbye, before slipping out the side of the tent so as to not let any light shine into the tent.

You finish your water before throwing the bottle in the trash, your first stop, Angie. You make your way through the crowd, sliding into her tent. You smile at Angie's assistant, then creep up behind Angie, kissing her cheek. Angie turns with a surprised look on her face, then realizes it's you. "Hello, my love." Angie says before grabbing you by the waist to pull you into a real kiss. When you part just a few inches you smile up at her. 

"Hi." You stare into her eyes, beautifully blue and filled with joy. You could stay like this forever, in her arms, staring at her. "Can you sneak away from the booth and spend the rest of the day with me?" You ask, pleading with her with your best puppy eyes. Angie smiles, cupping your cheek, her smile turns sad and apologetic. "I can't baby, not for another half hour." Angie tells you, you nod, understanding.

"Okay, well, i'll help you here until then," you tell her, "then maybe we can go enjoy the carnival together." You say, hopeful. Angie kisses you and agrees. You ask what you can do, Angie grins, with her hands still gripping your waist she starts backing you up, the back of your legs hit a stack of heavy wooden crates, Angie's hand move to your legs, lifting you up onto them, giving you a passionate kiss before whispering against your lips, "you can sit right here, and continue to look absolutely delicious for me." You smile, give her a small nod, bumping your noses together in the process.

Angie backs up, looking you up and down. "Perfect." She says, her eyes telling you exactly what she's thinking. you blush under her intense stare, Angie finally pries her eyes from you, focusing on the customers.

You spend the half hour on that crate, in the time you pulled your legs up underneath you, which cut off blood flow so now you're legs hurts, you've finished Angie's half empty water bottle, you've distracted Angie twice and had a lovely conversation with her assistant, and you've had three men ask if you were a prize, each time Angie looked ready to curse a whole new family tree.

Finally that half hour is over and two of Angie's workers come in to take over for her and her assistant, Angie thanks them, explains what they'll need to do, then finally, she offers you her hand, you accept it, intertwining your fingers, Angie's pulls you off the crates, you, stumble into her but Angie's catches you, once your steady you and Angie leave the booth.

You both walk hand and hand through the path, crowds parting for Angie. Everyone slowing down to see the two of you 'love birds' as the town calls you, walking together. "So, i thought we'd check out a few games, we only have thirty minutes for that, then food, because I've watched you all day and you haven't eaten anything yet," Angie says, replacing her hand in yours with an arm around your waist as she guides you over to a rigged ring toss game. "Or do you want to go on some rides before we eat?" Angie asks, moving to standing infront on you, pulling you close with her arm around you.

You think about it for a moment. "Eat then rides, its not a carnival if you haven't at least almost vomited," you say, making Angie chuckle and shake her head. "But Angie, why are we at a rigged ring toss game? there must be better games here." You ask, turning to look at the game, watching kids fail over and over.

Angie stands behind you, arms wrapped around you as she explains. "Because i looked at every single game here, and i can say with all the confidence in the world, that this game has the stuffed animal you will want." She says, her breath hot against your neck as she rubs her nose against you pulse. You turn in her arms a bit, giving her the best arched brow you could.

"With all the confidence in the world?" You question jokingly, making fun of her. Angie scoffs in fake annoyance before grabbing your hips and turning you back around. She points at the stuffed animal. "It's adorable." You tell her. "Told you." Angie smugly replies.

You roll your eyes, and get an idea. "Want to make it interesting?" You ask, leaning back against her. "What do you have in mind?" Angie replies. "Play the game, but if you lose, you have to take me to the shelter and let me play with the puppies for as long as i want." You say, smirking, cause Angie doesn't let you go there anymore after the hundredth time you were there and begged her for a puppy. 

Angie hums, thinking it over, before agreeing. "But if i win, you come with me on my next business trip." She says, you groan. "Angie," you whine. "That's a five night trip, investors and businessmen talking to me about buying shares and telling me how to run my family's company, it's so boring." You complain.

"Those are my terms. And you don't have to go into the meetings this time, you can spend the days however you'd like, I just can't stand the thought of being away from you for six days." Angie assured you, trying to make this trip sound fun.

"Oh so I'm only there for your pleasure at night," You tease, turning your head enough to kiss her shoulder. "Alright, fine. You have a deal." You finally agree, Angie hugs you from behind, before stepping away to buy the rings for the game. You watch, smiling, so sure you're going to win this, but soon you remember you forgot to add a very important rule to the bet, 'no magic' you curse yourself for it, knowing Angie doesn't honor your forgetfulness when it comes to bets.

You watch, as every single ring slides right onto the bottles, you sigh, a thought of what you'll pack runs through your mind as Angie retrieves the stuffed animal, Angie walks over to you, presenting you sniffed animals to you. You take it, smiling at its adorable face, then signing. "Any chance you'll let me out of it because I forgot about your powers?" You ask, making yourself looking all pouty to plead.

Angie smiles, carefully caressing your cheek before pulling you in for a kiss, stopping just short of connecting your lips, "pack that lace set i bought you." Angie says against your lips before kissing you, answering your question.

You accept your fate. Six days of boring meetings and annoying men, but at least their will be amazing sex every night. You meet Angie's lips, kissing Angie, sealing the deal. You pull away when the intercom says 15 minutes till game booths close.

"So are we done or do you want a stuffed animal?" You tease, Angie while amused, shakes her head no. You nod, but continue to tease her. "Are you sure? because that one would look great in your bedroom." Angie has to pull you away from the games.

Angie manages to get you off the subject of stuffed animals and onto the subject of food pretty easily, mostly because you're hungry, you both decide corn dogs and fries would be the easiest thing to eat. While you're both waiting in line to order, you see David running around, a large cotton candy in his hands. 

"His blue tongue doesn't match that pink half eaten cotton candy." You state, pointing David out to Angie, she looks at him, witnessing his sugar high with you. "Oh lord." Angie says, watching him fade from view. The person in front of you finishes ordering, while Angie is distracted you order. Two corn dogs and a large fries. 

After you both have finished eating, Angie suggests going into the funhouse, you agree, thinking it could be cool. However from the moment you enter the attraction Angie lips are all over you, by the second room you give up and just lean against a wall, kissing her.

"Wait." You mumble against Angie's lips, she pulls back, ready to ask what's wrong. You hold up your stuffed animal, making a show of covering its eyes. "He's too young to be seeing this." You say, goofing off. Angie's laughs, smiling at you all happy and amused. Angie leans back in, capturing your lips again.

You're not sure how long you've been there, but your lungs are begging for proper oxygen instead of the short intakes you've been taking between kisses. When Angie and you hear coughing you stop kissing, but Angie doesn't release you from her grip, just turns her head to see who interrupted her.

You clear your throat before speaking. "Hello Mrs Williams, enjoying the carnival?" You attempt to make small talk.

She smiles, "Oh yes, it's been wonderful so far, it was lovely to see you both, come find me later." Mrs Williams says, glancing between you and Angie before giving you both a polite smile before walking away.

"We can mark funhouses off the list of places we can make out." You say, giggling at the awkwardness of being caught. Angie laughs too, resting her head on your shoulder.

You both soon find your way out of the funhouse, the sun having completely set during the time you were in there. Angie asks what you want to do now, you smile, you grab her arm, wrapping it around you, you lean into her side as the two of you walk around, no destination in mind, just enjoy the moment.

The moment doesn't last, soon David, Carolyn and Vicky come running up to you. "Y/n! Angie! Come with us! We're going to take Barnabas on the UFO ride, see if he throws up!" David says, bouncing up and down.

You look at Angie, silently questioning if she's up for it. "Why not! It'll be interesting whether he does or not." Angie says after thinking about it for a moment.

The five of you find Barnabas, dragging him to the ufo, while you wait in line Barnabas begins talking about the strange things he's seen. "And they've been cooking everything in oil, tubs of hot oil, and people are eating it." Barnabas tells Vicky, who nods along, already knowing this. Finally the line moves, and you all get on the UFO.

"What is this place?" Barnabas asks the operator. Carolyn and Vicky have to drag him over to the padded walls, you and Angie lean against the walls, a few spaces away from the others, not wanting to be near Barnabas.

The ride starts moving, slowly at first, but starts to pick up speed, Barnabas starts letting out a slew of curses, everyone im the ride looking at him, you and Angie just laugh as he starts trying to pull himself from the wall, he'd be strong enough to do it, but Angie is keeping him glued to the wall. Barnabas continues to shout and insist he should be freed from this hell. The operator ignores him.

When the ride finally slows to a stop Barnabas drops to his knees in the ride. He doesn't move, it takes Vicky, Carolyn and you to pry him off the floor, Angie's too amused to do anything but watch. Dragging him out of the ride isn't easy, especially because he refuses to walk, he just drags his feet while you and Vicky hold him up, all he does is complain about the world spinning as you struggle.

You sit him down on a bench, Barnabas dramatically slumps forward. "That thing was constructed by Satan himself!" Barnabas shouts. you roll your eyes. Vicky pats and rubs his back, David sits beside him, both of them concerned about Barnabas. Carolyn and you are growing tired of all this, Angie seems sick from the display of affection. Carolyn walks off, with a grumble about Barnabas not vomiting and being a baby.

"Right well, we're going." Angie says, not wanting to stay and see Vicky and Barnabas any longer, grabbing your free hand. "Okay um, Vicky, it's getting late so watch David," you say, then turn to David. "David, stay with Vicky, please." You beg, Angie already pulling you away with her, you turn, you turn around, falling in sync with Angie's steps. "Are you alright?" You ask, trying to read Angie's face.

"I'm fine, my dear, I can only take Barnabas in small doses." Angie explains, you understand that. he pisses you off just about everyday. "Lucky for you we're going on a trip next week!" You say, acting more excited then you are. Angie stops mid-walk, pulling you back as you attempt to keep walking, and like a poorly executed dance move you spin, stumble and end up in her arms, face to face, your arm and stuffed animal squished between your bodies.

"I know you aren't excited, but it means a lot to me that you're going, and I promise we'll have fun." Angie says, there's an emotion in her eyes, one you can't fully read, sadness? joy? Maybe both, she is vulnerable at this moment, something that's very rare for her.

"Being anywhere with you sounds wonderful, I'm looking forward to the week away, not having the Collins clan or the town breathing down our necks, watching our every move." You reassure Angie, squeezing her hand before bringing your joined hands to your lips, kiss Angie's hand tenderly.

Angie closes her eyes, breathing in when your lips touch her hand. "I love you." Angie breathes out, opening her eyes again to stare into your soul with her icy blue eyes, she watches your face, looking for any signs of disgust or any lies when you speak. "I love you too, Angie." You say, offering a warm loving smile, easing Angie worries with a kiss, just like you've done so many times before, and will continue to do for as long as you live.

Angie's shifts back to her confident playful self, getting more possessive and flirtatious with her touches. She's looking at you like you're prey, you have to gently remind her that you're in the middle of a carnival, with children all around and people watching your every move. Angie lets out a low growl noise when you mention being watched.

Angie composes herself, before suggesting you both head towards the fireworks that are about to start. You agree, following her as you try to relax and ignore the aching Angie's stare and growl caused.

Angie takes you in a different route then the rest of the crowd is heading, then you realize you're heading right for the ferris wheel, it's not the most original thing she's done, but you're still excited for it, what does surprise you is when the ride operator sees Angie he waves you both through the line, then hands Angie a picnic basket and blanket. 

You try to catch Angie's eyes, to silently ask what she's planning, doesn't look your way, so you settle for giving the ride operator a confused look, he shrugs and smiles sheepishly, you sigh.

When the ride clears and you're let on, Angie gets in the cart first, you settle in next to her, the man running the ride sets the bar down and locks it in place, soon you're moving backwards and up in the air. Angie carefully places the blanket over your legs, it has cooled down a bit since the sun set.

As you suspected, the ride stops just as you reach the top, you glance behind you, seeing no one in the cart directly behind you or in front of you for that matter. Angie slides closer to you, setting the basket on her other side.

"Okay, we're alone, what are you up to?" You ask eagerly, no longer able to hold your confusion in. Angie turns towards you, taking your hands in hers, giving you a bright smile, and right before she opens her mouth you're sure you have it figured out. "Oh my god," you say, shocked and confused.

"You're proposing?" you ask, nervously. Angie opens her mouth to speak but you stop her. "I mean, I knew we were heading there," "y/n" Angie says, but you keep talking. "but we talked about waiting until i graduate college next year." "Y/n!" Angie says louder, finally stopping you, you look at her wait.

"I'm not proposing yet, cause you're right, we agreed after college, and also, on a stopped ferris wheel during fireworks, give me a little more credit then that." Angie says starting serious, but laughs at the end.

You sigh in relief, then smile at her amazing laugh. "Then what was all this about?" You ask, still smiling at her.

Angie stops laughing but doesn't stop grinning. "I was going to romance you then ask you to go on my business trip with me, but you're love for bets and forgetfulness on rules was a better way of getting you to go." Angie explains, you facepalm and groan. "Of course." You say embarrassed, it now makes sense, Angie would have a way to get you to do something she knows you find boring.

Angie just laughs, teasing you. You find your beet red face behind the stuffed animal. Angie pulls it away from your face. "You are adorable when you're embarrassed." Angie states, watching you closely. Angie slides her hand under the blanket, resting her hand on your bare skin just above your knee.

You glance down at her hand, not visible under the blanket but you can see the shape her hand makes. You glance up at her, Angie's looking at you with that same look she was giving you before you both left to go see the fireworks.

You clear your throat. "So what was your master plan to get me to go? besides getting me up here to watch fireworks." You question, glancing at the basket. Angie removes her hand from your leg and retrieves the basket.

Angie places the basket on both your legs and opens it. "I know carnival food isn't healthy in the slightest, so I brought some healthy things." Angie says, letting you root through the basket. You find grapes and sliced apples, then you pick up two half full water bottles with a carbonated slightly yellow liquid. You look at her confused.

"They refused to let me bring a glass bottle and cups up here." Angie shrugs, you open one and smell it, champagne. You hand a bottle to Angie. "Here's to getting me to go on that trip." You say, and cheers a smug Angie.

You both sit there, eating fruit and sipping champagne as the mayor starts his speech on the stage the town built. "And finally, before we start the fireworks, the winner of the town business contest." He says, and you lean forward in anticipation. Angie leans forward too, the cart tipping forward slightly.

"Collins cannery!" The mayor announces. You let out a "ha!" Teasing Angie. "Elizabeth won't let you forget this" you tell her, knowing Elizabeth will brag about it.

"It's okay, I'll just remind her that you and I are intimate, that always silences her." Angie replies, grinning at the idea.

"Angie, that makes it so hard to look at her." You whine, knowing no matter what you say won't stop her.

"It's hilarious to see her turn red though." Angie says, while putting everything in the basket and back in the corner. The fireworks are about to start. "you're evil." You say as you curl up into her. Angie turns her head and bites your earlobe before saying right against your ear. "Yes I am." You can feel her grin against your ear.

The sky starts lighting up with color, loud popping sounds following closely after the flashes of light. And you aren't paying attention, way more focused on Angie's hand making it way back onto your leg, higher up this time, you do the same, placing your hand on her thigh.

Angie lightly digs her nails into your leg, her mouth biting all over your neck, causing you to moan, no fear of anyone but Angie hearing you with all the noise around you, however you don't think you would be ashamed if someone did hear you both up here, making out and groping each other like teenagers.

You hadn't watched any of the firework show, only pulling away from each other when the ferris wheel started moving again. You gather up the blanket, handing it back to Angie, you both got off the ride, making your way to the exit. The Collins agreed this morning to meet at the car after the fireworks.

You and Angie walk hand in hand out of the carnival and into the parking lot, where Liz is arguing with Carolyn about a ton of giant stuffed animals in the car, clearly not David's or yours, all though David is holding a dinosaur stuffed animal bigger than him, Carolyn must of given that one to him, and Julia already in the car.

As you approach the car Liz notices you and Angie, and grins, Carolyn takes the moment to climb in the car to get away from her mother.

"Angelique, it's a shame you didn't win, maybe next year." Liz says, gloating over her win.

"Elizabeth, I just thought you should know what y/n and I were doing on top of the ferris wheel during the fireworks." Angie says, not taking it any further because you're completely red in the face, clear to see in the floodlights of the parking lot is all Elizabeth needs to guess what Angie implied.

Elizabeth's face turns from smug to angry and embarrassed immediately, she walks away, getting in the passenger seat. You turn to glare at Angie, who's just barely holding on laughter. "For that, you're taking me to see the puppies at the shelter." Angie nods, telling you it was totally worth it.

You sigh, shaking your head. You see Barnabas and Vicky nearing, Willy stumbling behind them. you give Angie a kiss goodbye, before climbing in the car, to be suffocated by all the stuffed animals, you hold yours close and watch Angie walk to her car, putting a basket and blanket in the back, get in and speeding off. Your car starts and leaves right after hers, and all you can think about the whole ride home is how amazing tonight was and how excited you are for your trip.

[cosmicjellies]

no one cares but here is another long and disorganised dark shadows update from my serializd:

finished the werewolf + quentin's ghost storylines! what a nice round number to finish on for now.

keep being tricked into watching more- i remember when i first started this show it was primarily for Vampire Research so i wasn't sure i'd watch beyond that, then i continued with adam, then i thought "oh ill keep going until 700 maybe ill finally know who quentin is". except it turns out i do not actually know who quentin is and have not even heard him speak yet. so i HAVE to continue ig. was looking thru the storylines again thinking ok i think ill slowly keep going until i finish the leviathans, i'm not that interested in the parallel universes. but who knows maybe by the time i get there i'll be compelled to continue.

anyway back to these storylines: it took me forever to realise they were doing "the turn of the screw" with david and amy so i might be stupid. i love that book and i love the idea of it here too, but was not that into the execution. for one there was just too much going on at the same time so i couldn't concentrate, and it didn't spend enough time on it to patiently develop it like i think it needed to. also, so much of the story so obviously reflects child (sexual) abuse and they were obviously not actually interested in exploring that, so i found that kind of jarring. i liked when david tried to kill roger, pretty iconic.

werewolf story also did not always work for me, mostly bc i don't really care about chris. introducing new characters has worked well for them in the past, it obviously worked extremely well with barnabas, but there comes a point where i wish they would stop bringing in new people and focus on the ones we already have. after carolyn was attacked/scratched i did think for a second she would be a werewolf (too unfeminine for the 60s?), and i did wish she or someone else in the family was- i already care about them! i don't care about chris! (i also remember she was a werewolf in the bad tim burton movie but we won't speak about that). suddenly including that chris and sabrina flashback in one of the most recent episodes was very weird to me- have we ever had a flashback like that before? have we ever left collinsport? it feels like they are breaking their own rules and in a bad way.

for both stories i do not understand how we are kind of done with them. i get that barnabas is searching the past for answers connected to both stories but i still feel like we are very abruptly switching gears, when both of those stories needed more time to develop. how are we going to spend 200 episodes in the past, then come back and deal with the leviathans, and somehow resolve those things along the way?? i am guessing we will not.

miscellaneous thoughts not really connected to any of this:

-found it kind of hilarious how elizabeth KEPT "dying"- it happened like three times. she also had explained exactly how it was going to happen and yet each time everyone was surprised. this storyline was not always comedic to me- at times i emphasised with her- but like come on. and this is not new but julia is such a terrible doctor; she examines elizabeth after she has been buried for a few weeks and is like no she is definitely dead case closed- no mention of the fact she has not decayed at all in all that time? love this about her tho i think it is cool that women can be terrible doctors too <3.

-at one point there was a scene in which barnabas and maggie were very casually interacting and i suddenly remembered all of the kidnapping and torture- god!! maggie!! barnabas did all of that to her and remembers all of it and just carries on with his life!! and she does not remember any of it!! going insane.

-i only just realised tony peterson's last ever episode was 578 and i will never see him again :(( hot communist lawyer accusing the collinses (correctly) of all being incestuous i miss you.

-every time it is revealed they own yet another piece of property or have yet another wing of the house they don't use i scream how big is it how many houses do they own!! they all deserve to be this haunted.

anyway i am EITHER watching episodes 1-209 next or watching the 90s remake, i will do both before 700+ but i haven't decided the order. thoughts?

[emcads]

new verse time.

to a strange and dark place, to the edge of the sea. (d.ark s.hadows 1966 / immortality) In 1967, Collinsport, Maine, the seabed is dragged looking for the body of a kidnapper who jumped from the cliffs at Widow’s Hill and who – it is presumed – washed out to sea (ordinarily, they’d take it as a given that the man died of the fall, but it was the Collins heiress who was taken, after all, and that family can move the police force with a crook of their little finger). The man is not found, but in the cloudless night, almost eerily preserved, an old shipwreck with its skeletal captain trapped within, a gold medallion still around their neck. The local historical society is delighted … as is the antiques dealer. Come sunrise, the skeleton and its treasure are missing, and for the most part everyone shrugs their shoulders: thieves and graverobbers are nothing new. But only a few days later a strange woman arrives in the Blue Whale, elegantly dressed and moving in a way that suggests she may not have touched land in decades. She introduces herself as Esmeralda de Sevilla, lately from Mexico, and there is plenty of modern English slang she does not know. For lodgings, she purchases an old houseboat and employs some of the local fishermen to help her fix it up, and she seems to be the only one in Collinsport that prefers the dark clouds of a Northeastern storm than a clear, moonlit stroll.

as hard to cut as a rough diamond. (b.ridgerton / regency) Don Rafael once held a mildly influential seat at the Spanish court overseeing the supply of the navy, with vast family wealth from a silver mine in Mexico. On one of his routine trips across the Atlantic, his bachelor, warrior son came back with a bride –– an indigenous woman, Quiauhxochitl –– and a child, a young, wide brown-eyed thing called Esmeralda, symbolic of the green riches of the New World. Don Rafael embraced his new granddaughter and daughter in law as none of his peers did, and Esmeralda was made her father’s legal heir. But Napoleon’s occupation would change their hard-won familial bliss when she was only a child. Both of Esmeralda’s parents died in an uprising, and the de Sevilla home was razed: supposedly by commoners, but her grandfather saw the faces of the wealthy afrancesados that had done it, men he had once trusted, boys that had grown up alongside his son. For refuge, he fled with his granddaughter to England, and she was raised as a proper lady in the English style, though much of what would have been her dowry was long gone. Nonetheless, Don Rafael found a decent position with the Navy Board using his name and knowledge; and eventually, he was able to secure a small commission of his own, and the prize money significantly improved their prospects (and bettered Esmeralda for her debut into society). Though she was fonder of the docks than she was ballrooms, Esmeralda showed great promise as a young lady: pretty, and accomplished at dancing, and a honeyed tongue that was as dangerous as it was flattering.

[dean-isms]

“Hi, I’m Agent Gabriel.”

Reference: Could Be - Dark Shadows (Gabriel Collins) - OR- Genesis (Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins)

Episode: 11x05 “Thin Lizzie”

Writer: Nancy Won

Spoken To: Local Authorities

Media Type: Television (DS), Music - Band (G)

Timeframe: 1966-1971 (DS), 1967-2022 (G)

Description: (DS) The rich Collins family of Collinsport, Maine is tormented by strange occurrences. Gabriel Collins is played by Christopher Pennock in the original, and is omitted from the 2012 Tim Burton remake.

(G) An English rock band. The band's longest-existing and most commercially successful line-up consisted of keyboardist Tony Banks, bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford and drummer/singer Phil Collins. In the 1970s, during which the band also included singer Peter Gabriel and guitarist Steve Hackett, Genesis were among the pioneers of progressive rock.

NOTE: Sam’s alias in the episode is “Agent Collins.” I believe Genesis is probably what the reference is toward, but Dark Shadows I think works as well given the context and vibes of the episode (investigating Lizzie Borden’s house in New England), so take your pick!

[jacobblack3751009]

Moonlit Reunion

The night was calm and serene as the reader, a powerful vampire, strolled through the quiet streets of Collinsport. His mind was filled with thoughts of his beloved Angelique Bouchard, their passionate encounters, and the eternal love they shared. Little did he know that danger lurked in the shadows, awaiting its opportunity to strike.

Suddenly, the peaceful ambiance shattered as a feral growl echoed through the night. The reader's instincts sharpened, and in a split second, a werewolf lunged at him, its claws slashing through the air. The attack caught him off guard, leaving him vulnerable to the beast's assault.

News of the attack reached Angelique's ears like an omen of dread. Without hesitation, she hastened to her lover's side, driven by a desperate need to protect him. Her mind raced, contemplating a solution to save him from the brink of death.

As Angelique arrived at the grand Collins Manor, her eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for answers. A mixture of panic and determination filled her heart as she discovered her lover's weakened form lying motionless. She fell to her knees beside him, gently cradling his head in her arms.

"Please, my love, hold on," she whispered, her voice laced with both fear and hope. "We'll find a way to save you."

Angelique's eyes met his, filled with a profound sadness, as she pleaded for an explanation. She desperately needed to understand how to bring him back from the precipice of darkness.

But just as despair threatened to consume her, a mysterious stranger materialized before her. His piercing gaze bore into her soul, exuding an otherworldly aura. In his hand, he held a small vial containing his own blood.

"Take this," he spoke, his voice commanding yet compassionate. "It is the only way to save him."

With a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes, Angelique accepted the vial. Without wasting a moment, she poured the stranger's blood into her lover's mouth, the crimson liquid mingling with the werewolf's venom.

As the concoction infused within the reader's veins, a powerful transformation began. His body convulsed, a fusion of wolf and vampire energies merging together in a spectacular display of supernatural power. When the chaos subsided, he emerged as a werewolf-vampire hybrid, reborn with newfound abilities.

Angelique's eyes widened, tears streaming down her face, but they were tears of joy. She gazed upon her lover, now whole and thriving. The overwhelming relief and elation flooded her heart, and she threw her arms around him, holding him tightly as their destinies intertwined once more.

"Thank the heavens you're safe," she murmured, her voice quivering with emotion. "I thought I had lost you."

The moon cast its gentle glow upon the reunited couple, a testament to their enduring love. Together, they embarked on a new chapter, embracing the duality of their supernatural existence. United by an unbreakable bond, they faced the mysteries and challenges that awaited them, bound by their shared immortal love.

In the moonlit night, Angelique and her werewolf-vampire hybrid lover embarked on a journey, their souls forever entwined in the dance of darkness and desire.

[siiinfully]

starter for @kingdom-of-vanity’s peter q. from angelique verse: canon divergent

Collinsport no longer held the charm it once had. 

With her fish canning business wildly successful and the Collins family near ruins, she felt it was time to move back to her home country. She had longed to see Liverpool again, but it wasn’t until she had made specific arrangements for the scant remnants of her former lover’s family that she believed she was ready to turn her back on that long chapter of her life. She’d found a charming manor in Bly that was a far cry from the monstrosity that was Collinswood. The real estate agent was more than ecstatic to find a buyer for the property, and it was easy to see it was because the house had a long, ‘colorful’ history. 

Whatever that history was didn’t matter to the immortal witch as she bought it, and the movers had arrived at the property before she did. They had already started bringing in the things she had purchased when she arrived, her bright red convertible contrasting with the dark façade. Some of the movers already had stories to tell, from the frequent sightings and the unexplained happenings, all of which she brushed off. Angelique could already see them, all leering and some without faces. 

If they had any plans to hurt her, they ended up doing nothing when she flicked a couple of them away from the foyer, away from where a couple of movers were installing a new chandelier. It was a silent show of power, one that told them that they may have been there first, but that she could easily get rid of them if she wanted. 

While the movers were busy with the rest of the house, she wandered around, trying to discover some of its other secrets, noting a trunk of old clothes in one of the bedrooms that oozed with darkness, and what looked like a piece of eyeglass lenses hidden under a dusty carpet in one of the hallways. She could sense at least one of them watching her, maybe even following her, but it wasn’t until she found herself out on the balcony that she addressed whoever it was. “I wouldn’t try and think of throwing me over,” she murmured, the cool air ruffling her pale blonde hair. “Not unless you want to walk around trapped in a literal hell.”

[terrorpenned]

some collins siblings academia things:

as a boy, Roger was sent to boarding school at Phillips Exter Academy in New Hampshire. He was admitted to Yale, but was stopped from going with the onset of WWII (naturally, he had no intention of serving and managed to get out of the draft on account of his physical insufficiency and occasional homosexual tendencies). Instead, he returned home for a short while, and played reluctant assistant to his father and older sister while the US government's commandeered many of the Collins fishing trawlers for coastal service in the mosquito fleet.

At Yale, he belonged to Branford College "the oldest and most beautiful" of the residential colleges, where he studied business (as opposed to the liberal arts, which he would have preferred). In most respects, he embodied the Branford mien: "Chauncey Tinker commented that Saybrook was like an anthill, but Branford was like an oyster bed. In records of the time, the main thing that stands out about Branford is the lack of activity among its students, and lack of encouragement of activity on the part of Master Mendell, who commented that oyster beds produce pearls."

While at Yale, Roger dabbled in intramural fencing and polo, and as an upperclassman was tapped into Wolf's Head. he tended to frequent the docks as well as the armory, sailing recreationally with friends on many a weekend out to an island in the St. Lawrence river. his longtime Best Friend swam for the college; but the boy drowned, with his society pin still in his mouth. The incident put Roger off swimming permanently, though he would continue to have a fondness for the water - sailing, and fishing, and walks along the shore - the rest of his life.

Elizabeth, in contrast, was kept at home as a girl, but enjoyed the luxury of private tutors and governesses so that she was adequately prepared when she went off to Vassar, where she majored in economics (under Mabel Newcomer, who included sociology and anthropology within the curriculum) with a minor in architecture. her academics were stellar, and she was admitted into Phi Beta Kappa as a senior; she gives money regularly to her alma mater and to the society well into old age, though financial stress on the family has prohibited a donation large enough to see “Collins” written anywhere on campus.

Elizabeth was a member of her class archery team during most of her course of study, and was known to both swim and skate in Vassar lake depending on the season. while not a member herself, she tended to hang around the rowing team practices and enjoy the scenery. she frequented parties and hosted many, and was known as one of the best dancers in her year. she was a regular patron of arts, dramatic, and literary societies on campus: her contributions included a position as secretary to a literary magazine, and exhibition curation for both the department and student arts organizations.

unlike many of her pacifist classmates, Liz supported the US entering WWII. though she was never particularly outspoken politically, she helped ensure that the Collins enterprises, and Collinsport, were put to full use to the cause when she left school. (Which proved to be mutually beneficial: the money from the navy lined the Collins family purse, and vitalized the town economy)

[tortoisesshells]

new pinned post, probably.

[widowshill]

Thinking about the things that do and don’t give Collinsport a sense of time and place. modern fashions, modern hair, modern cars. the telephone as integral plot device. a fishing operation that uses plane spotting, which is, if not revolutionary, keeping pace with modernization. a dive bar jukebox that very occasionally plays contemporary tunes but usually resorts to the same Bob Cobert themes. Megan referencing the space race in 1969, Maggie finally getting us a record and showing us the family has a record player in 1970PT. David’s photography and transistor radio. the prominent television set in Buffie’s room — though never ever in Liz Stoddard’s drawing room, what does that say about the viewers kneeled beneath their tv sets? the antique cabinet radio from c. 1930 that is never used to add music to the house, and remains in its place in the 1897. it’s on the whole an immemorial story — well, many stories — and its evidence is in in the fact that we do so frequently change out our centuries. and it is of its time in some ways, many! … but I do feel like the show is playing tug of war with the past in the same way the characters seem to. for all the instances of modern music devices, none of them have quite as much force in them as Josette’s 18th century music box, or Quentin’s 19th century phonograph. when we add new art to the walls, it’s so frequently something rediscovered: in the attic, in the antique store. Which is to say, it is a story about hauntings; so of course even the artistic voices of the past exercise authority; walls and their decorations may change but ghosts still tread the same route through them. you can give Rochester a Shelby Mustang to wreck instead of a horse, or Dantès an oil drill ––

[eddysocs]

Dark Shadows OC Masterlist

Name: Beatrix Kent

Face Claim: Merve Bolugur

Love Interest: Angelique Bouchard

Fic Title: Love Eternal

Plot Summary: As English nobility, Beatrix may have lived a life of luxury, but it was absent of love. That is, until she met Angelique Bouchard. Though their affair was doomed from its very beginning. Torn away from each other, Beatrix was sent to a madhouse to live the rest of her days in tortured agony. But she found her way out, by means of a man held there for delusions of vampirism. But he wasn’t delusional at all and he turned her. Now, she is free to search the world for her lost love and she’ll never stop her search until they’re reunited.

Name: Imogen Wood

Face Claim: Emilia Clarke

Love Interests: Elizabeth Collins, Julia Hoffman

Fic Title: Mind Over Manor

Plot Summary: Imogen Wood turns up in Collinsport with no memories. Quickly becoming front page news, she’s soon taken in by psychiatrist Julia Hoffman and the Collins family while she recovers. What dark secrets could she be hiding, and will they put herself, Julia and the Collins’ in danger?

[willie-loomis-deserves-love]

The Lighthouse

Landmarks of Collinsport

The rocky ledge runs far into the sea,  And on its outer point, some miles away, The Lighthouse lifts its massive masonry,  A pillar of fire by night, of cloud by day. Even at this distance I can see the tides,  Upheaving, break unheard along its base, A speechless wrath, that rises and subsides  In the white lip and tremor of the face. And as the evening darkens, lo! how bright,  Through the deep purple of the twilight air, Beams forth the sudden radiance of its light  With strange, unearthly splendor in the glare! Not one alone; from each projecting cape  And perilous reef along the ocean's verge, Starts into life a dim, gigantic shape,  Holding its lantern o'er the restless surge. Like the great giant Christopher it stands  Upon the brink of the tempestuous wave, Wading far out among the rocks and sands,  The night-o'ertaken mariner to save. And the great ships sail outward and return,  Bending and bowing o'er the billowy swells, And ever joyful, as they see it burn,  They wave their silent welcomes and farewells. They come forth from the darkness, and their sails  Gleam for a moment only in the blaze, And eager faces, as the light unveils,  Gaze at the tower, and vanish while they gaze. The mariner remembers when a child,  On his first voyage, he saw it fade and sink; And when, returning from adventures wild,  He saw it rise again o'er ocean's brink. Steadfast, serene, immovable, the same  Year after year, through all the silent night Burns on forevermore that quenchless flame,  Shines on that inextinguishable light! It sees the ocean to its bosom clasp  The rocks and sea-sand with the kiss of peace; It sees the wild winds lift it in their grasp,  And hold it up, and shake it like a fleece. The startled waves leap over it; the storm  Smites it with all the scourges of the rain, And steadily against its solid form  Press the great shoulders of the hurricane. The sea-bird wheeling round it, with the din  Of wings and winds and solitary cries, Blinded and maddened by the light within,  Dashes himself against the glare, and dies. A new Prometheus, chained upon the rock,  Still grasping in his hand the fire of Jove, It does not hear the cry, nor heed the shock,  But hails the mariner with words of love. "Sail on!" it says, "sail on, ye stately ships!  And with your floating bridge the ocean span; Be mine to guard this light from all eclipse,  Be yours to bring man nearer unto man!"

“The Lighthouse” ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

[of-vamps-wolves-witches-ghosts]

Yours for Eternity {Barnabas Collins x OC} Ch.1

GIFs not mine. Credit go to owners.

blood is thicker than water

Tagging: (let me know if you want to be added to the tag list)

Liverpool, 1760

It is said that blood is thicker than water. It is what defines us. Binds us. Curses us.

A young Barnabas Collins followed his mother and father onto a boat "Come, my love. Come, Barnabas" Joshua Collins beckoned his wife and son.

For some, blood means a life of wealth and privilege. For others, a life of servitude.

Barnabas stared at a young girl as he walked past her. The girl stared back at him. A hooded woman grabbed the girl's arm. "Angelique, how many times do I have to tell you not to stare at him?" The woman chastised.

When I was but a boy... my father took us to the New World to expand the Collins family empire. We brought English industry to the wilds of Maine... and built a fishing business... the likes of which America had never seen.

One year later, Collinsport was a booming business. Joshua walked with his son along the dock. "A man should take pride in what he builds. But remember, Barnabas, family is the only real wealth. Hm?"

As our business grew, the town of Collinsport grew with it... and we decided to put down permanent roots. We spent the next 15 years building our beloved home: Collinwood. But not everyone shared in our family's success.

Fifteen years later, Barnabas and Angelique had found privacy in a dark room, the only light coming the the peaks in the curtain. They were passionately kissing.

Angelique pulled away. "Je t'aime. Let me hear you say "I love you, Angelique. I want you."

Barnabas stared at her. Angelique stepped away from him. “Angelique...I am sorry, my dear...but you would be hearing a lie"

Angelique did not take the rejection well. You see, the woman was a witch. She was alone in her room, reciting a spell. "Make the high and mighty low. Arrogant creatures, down you go"

Joshua and Naomi Collins were taking a stroll one stormy night. The mood was perfectly set for the doom they would meet that night. They would meet their deaths when a statue had fallen on them.

Convinced my parents' death was no accident... I became obsessed with dark magic and ancient curses.

Barnabas read from a book. "Lo! Above the gates of hell...he found a single letter. A letter proclaiming Satan's true name. Mephistopheles" He ran his fingers over the gold M that was on the page.

But even then, in the depths of my grief, not all was darkness. For I had found my one true love.

"Promise we'll be together forever" Ophelia DuPres asked of Barnabas. The two of them were lovers, despite the fact the Ophelia was betrothed to another.

"God as my witness, Ophelia... I swear it" Barnabas promised. He sealed that promise to her with a passionate kiss.

Of all the servants I could have spurned... all the hearts I could have broken... I got the one with the secret. I got the witch.

Angelique watched with no emotion as the two of them kissed. But Angelique wasn't the only one who caught them. Ophelia's fiance, Jonathan Hargreaves. He watched with burning anger as his wife to be kissed another man. Ophelia belonged to him. Not Barnabas. Angelique had managed to spot Jonathan in her peripheral vision. She grinned evilly to herself. She could use his own spurned emotions to her advantage.

That night, Angelique had lured Jonathan into her room that night. She placed him under a spell. "If she doth chooses another, then you must make her pay. By all means necessary" Her sultry whisper spoke in his ear. "Kill her in front of the man she betrayed you with"

Caught in Angelique's spell, Jonathan had taken my beloved Ophelia towards Widow's Hill... where many a despondent soul had leapt to their death.

Barnabas rushed to save his Ophelia from her fate. "Ophelia!" He called her name as he ran. He came to the hill where he saw Ophelia being held by Jonathan. He held a knife to her throat. "Please, let her go!"

"Help me" Ophelia pleaded desperately.

"If I can't have her, then no one can!" Jonathan declared. He dragged the blade across her throat. The stainless steel was stained by the crimson liquid. Ophelia's body went limp. Her body was thrown off the cliff by Jonathan. Barnabas looked over the cliff and watched as her lifeless body hit the rocks below.

Since the deed was done, Jonathan had becom broken from his spell. He looked at the knife in his hand. When he saw it was stained with blood, he dropped it. "What have I done!?" He cried when he realized. "I've killed the love of my life!" With that, he ran.

Barnabas did the only thing he could do now. He wasn't going to live without Ophelia. He took a leap off the cliff. "Ophelia!" He shouted her name as he fell. He hit the rocks but he didn't die. He was still moving and breathing. He looked at Ophelia's body. The water had washed away the blood that was on her neck.

No, Barnabas Collins wasn't dead, but rather he was undead. He looked up at the cliff where Angelique stood. "What have you done?!" He screamed at her. Barnabas watched in horror as he nails grew sharper and his skin turned paler.

Angelique had cursed me to be a vampire... so that my suffering would never end. As for Jonathan... he never faced any punishments for what he do to Ophelia... nor did he live with the guilt. Angelique took care of that... Ophelia's sister, Josette, was too taken with grief, that she jumped off the same cliff where her sister died, so they could be together again.

One day, when Barnabas had opened the door, he was greeted to angry townsfolk carry torches and pitchforks. "There's the monster!" Angelique, who was in front, pointed at him. "He killed the DuPres girl and threw her body off the cliff!" The townspeople grabbed Barnabas. They all followed Angelique as she lead them into the forest.

Resolved that I would never belong to her... Angelique turned the townspeople against me... and condemned me to suffer my anguish alone in the dark

The townspeople had but Barnabas in a chained up coffin. They lowered it into the hole they had dug in the ground. All the while with Barnabas pleading, banging against the coffin. "Let me out! Let me out, I say!"

...for all time.

Angelique watched with a pleased smirk as the coffin was buried.

[gaslightgallows]

September prompts: "It is a serious thing to be alive on this fresh morning in the broken world" Dark Shadows, Quentin & Barnabas

33. It is a serious thing to be alive on this fresh morning in the broken world. (Dark Shadows, Quentin & Barnabas)

The Old House gardens had been sorely neglected over the years, in spite of Barnabas's best efforts to put the plots and beds to rights whenever he was able, but there was still one marble bench in a tolerable state of solidity, just large enough for two people and decently situated to watch the sun rise over the sea and the estate. There was a clean, soft, new scent in the air, Quentin thought, as he strolled through the damp, branch-strewn woods towards that spot. The storm that had rolled through Collinsport the night before had very thoroughly washed away the intolerable summer heat and, for a little while, some of the heaviness that always lingered in the atmosphere over the town, and especially over the old family home.

Quentin hoped it would last. They could all use a little lightness in their lives, for a change. A little freshness. A new beginning, even if only for a single morning.

It was why he was hoping to catch his cousin and his friend sitting on that bench together this morning. Barnabas finally had a chance at that new beginning, and Quentin wanted to see him at the cusp of a new day, sitting in the warm light of the rising sun with Julia at his side. He had lived in darkness for so long, and with the curse broken, at least for the moment, Quentin wanted to share in that joyfulness and hope.

After all they'd suffered together, he didn't begrudge Barnabas a single ounce of that joy, and if he couldn't experience it himself, then seeing it in Barnabas would be the next best thing.

He found Barnabas sitting quietly on the marble bench, hands folded over his silver cane as Quentin had anticipated. But to his surprise, his cousin was alone. His face, no longer embalmed with the eternal pallor of the living dead, was warm and flushed in the glow of the early sunlight, but his eyes were closed tightly, as though in fear, as though he was terrified that if he opened them and looked at the sun, it would prove to be nothing but a cruel dream.

Not wanting to disturb him, but needing to reassure him, Quentin sat down beside his cousin, and gently touched the back of Barnabas's hand. "It's real," he said, "I promise."

Barnabas's eyes blinked open. He looked at Quentin for a startled moment or two, then glanced away almost shyly. "Was it really that obvious?"

"It was to me. I know how you feel--well. I think I know how I'd feel, in your position."

"The last time I was granted this mercy, it was at such great cost... and then it was snatched away as quickly as it had come." He flexed his fingers around his cane in agitation. "I want to believe that this time, this time, it will stay. That I will be free of the vampire, and human for... for the rest of my life." A bitter smile twisted Barnabas's mouth for a moment. "I want to believe it. But I can't. And yet, I must take what moments I can."

"That's the only way to live," Quentin agreed, clasping his cousin's shoulder firmly. "But in that case, why are you sitting out here by yourself? Where's Julia? I'd have thought you'd want to spend every possible moment with her... now that you're free to."

"I didn't wish to wake her. We were celebrating last night and... well..."

Quentin's grin was slow and knowing. "Say no more," he murmured, courteously averting his eyes from Barnabas's very obvious blush. "Well, at least I know I'm not intruding on your privacy on this finest of mornings. That is, I hope I'm not?"

"No, Quentin. I'm glad you're here." Barnabas reached for his hand and clasped it firmly. "Very glad. There are... very few people I should wish to share in a morning such as this, and even fewer who know... what a precious thing this morning is to me. Who know what it is for me to once again be alive, and free."

"Yes," said Quentin softly. "Yes, I know."