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writeblrcafe · 1 year

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Digital interview with @thewritersplace

Our editor & barista Kendra (@thewritersplace) puts the kettle on and makes herself a cup of tea, then pulls a chair up behind the counter. She is currently writing a book and is still writing fanfiction. Her favourite genres include fiction, romance, fantasy, mystery, historical fiction, and paranormal/supernatural.

What got you into writing?

It's been a long time since I started writing, so I don't recollect the first instance very well, but the most likely thing that got me into writing would probably be Nanowrimo's Young Writers Program that my 6th grade homeroom teacher suggested I look into, since I wrote a lot of what she thought were interesting stories for the English class writing prompts she gave us at the beginning of every class.

What inspires you to write?

Beyond the pettiness of I see something and think "I could do this better"? Probably just the excitement of exploring various ideas from various pieces of media that I like, or age-old tropes and concepts that I've seen in favorite books/movies.

Which are recurring themes in your writing?

You know, honestly, I'm not sure. You're probably better off asking my best friend that, since she's read pretty much everything I've ever written. I don't necessarily focus on themes when I write. So, I'd probably have to read all my stuff over again with 'themes' in mind and get back to you with an updated answer.

How would you describe your writing style?

Not to repeat myself, but what I said to the previous question also applies here. I don't know what the writing style would be since I don't really know what types/options there are. I guess I'd say mine is hopefully elegant but straight-forward and clear. I've never been a fan of flowery writing, because while it's very pretty, it's a total pain to read through. I'd have to ask my best friend what she thinks the style is because like I said in my answer to the previous question, she's read all my stuff and could probably figure out what the style is.

How do you deal with writer's block?

I don't really get writer's block, so this might be more like tips on how I avoid getting it, rather than how do I deal with it. I usually listen to music related to my WIP(s), or work on another story or fanfic, or talk with my best friend about whatever ideas and stuff I have, and where I might be getting a bit stuck. She's probably the real reason I don't get writer's block, honestly.

Do you have a wip? Tell us about it:

I do! Technically, I have six, but the main one I'm trying to focus on right now is my Dracula-inspired one, called The Road To Eternity Is Paved With Blood. I'm more or less pulling from the novel, with some other stuff being pulled from the movie Dracula Untold, and some inspiration from the anime Hellsing. The latter was actually the biggest inspiration for my novel, and I've written fanfic for it, but my story obviously is different not just for reasons like copyright, but also for the fact that I've always wanted to do a Dracula/vampire story and put my own spin on it.

Have you already published your writing? Include a link to your published work so we can share it.

When I did the Nanowrimo Young Writers Program in middle school, they published the two novels I did for the event (one for each year I did it), but I've never been able to find either version online at this point. I have hard copies of the second book, though they are lost to the abyss that is my parents' house at this point. The other two things I've published are an academic paper that was my senior thesis, and a poem to a lit magazine. Unfortunately, the lit magazine's website is currently protected by a WordPress login, so I don't have the ability to get that link to the poem, but for those interested in viewing it, here is the tumblr link (this is my main blog). You can find the academic paper here.

You can tell us more interesting stuff about you here:

I don't really have much that I deem 'interesting', but a few facts about me are that I have been writing for over a decade, and while most of that has been fanfic, I've worked on a few original works here and there, including my six current ones. Outside of writing, I'm a graduate student in her last term, and work as a part-time studio manager for a small yoga studio. For those interested in her because of the mentions I made in some of my answers, here is my best friend's tumblr @bwaldorf

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thewritersplace · 6 months

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Writeblr Garden Advent Calendar

December 13: Winter

“Rosie, will you help me build a snowman?” Jacqueline asked, hurrying over to her older sister.

“Yes, of course.” Rose said, smiling at her younger sister.

“Louis, let's build a snow fort, eh?” Judas said, grinning mischievously at his younger brother.

“To attack Rose from?” Louis asked, knowing his older brother all too well.

“But of course.”

Louis thought for a moment, then shrugged. “Okay.”

“Excellent!”

While the boys began to gather snow to build the foundation of their fort, the girls worked to build the base of their snowman. Rose made the snowballs that would in turn be the body and head, then helped Jacqueline stack them.

“It’s so nice to see the children having fun.” Colette remarked, coming to sit on the bench next to her husband.

“Indeed.” Marius said, nodding his head in agreement. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Rose willingly participate in winter activities such as these.”

Colette smiled. “She’s been much happier since she married Vlad.”

“You flatter me, Lady Colette.” Vlad said, appearing behind the couple.

Rose’s parents turned around in surprise, as they had not heard him approach, and Vlad smiled politely.

“There we are, Jackie.” Rose said, placing the last of the rocks in the snow to finish off the snowman’s face.

“Yay!” Jacqueline cheered, then hugged her sister. “Thank you, Rosie!”

Rose smiled and placed a hand on her sister’s back. “Of course.”

“Let’s build a snow-woman next!” Jacqueline said, and knelt down to begin making the base of the next one.

“Alright.”

As Rose knelt down next to her sister, Judas threw a well-aimed snowball, and laughed loudly when it hit her square in the back. “Bullseye!”

“JUDAS!”

“That was très magnifique, no?” Judas said, looking down at Louis, who was hiding behind the wall of the fort.

“Sure, but was it worth it?”

A snowball hit Judas square in the chest as he opened his mouth to answer his brother, and he grinned almost devilishly. “Most definitely.”

Louis looked mildly concerned by his brother’s devil-may-care attitude, but handed him another snowball anyway.

“Fore!” Judas called, and launched the snowball at his sister with a strong swing of his arm.

“Judas, you shit!” Rose yelled, while Jacqueline laughed. “I just bought this coat!”

“Let’s hit them back, Rosie!” Jacqueline suggested, scooping up some snow.

“Yes, let’s.” Rose said, now grinning almost evilly.

“Uh-oh…” Louis murmured, then ducked back behind the wall. “You’ve really done it now, Jude.”

“Oh, mon petit frère, this is only the beginning.” Judas said, packing snow into a ball.

“Why do you do this?” Louis sighed, also making his own snowball.

“Do what?”

“Piss off our sister.”

Judas grinned. “Because it’s fun.”

“Fun for you, maybe.”

“Oh, come now, dear Louis. Don’t tell me you’re not having fun.”

“Not yet, I’m not.”

“Here.” Judas said, handing Louis the already-formed snowball. “Hit Jackie instead.”

“No way.”

“Fine.” Judas shrugged, and took the snowball back. “But don’t come crying to me when she pummels you.”

“She’s not going to pummel me.” Louis said, and Judas snorted. “She’s not!”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, little brother.”

Louis opened his mouth to retort, but found it full of snow instead. Across the way, Jacqueline was cheering, and Rose was laughing.

“Told you.” Judas said, and threw one back at his sisters. It hit Rose in the face, and she angrily wiped it away with a gloved hand. “Louis.”

“What?”

“Duck now.”

“What?”

A larger snowball than the others sailed through the air, and knocked Louis to the ground, while Judas merely sighed.

Rose, who had not thrown the snowball, turned to look behind her, and almost laughed when she saw her husband beginning to make another unusually large snowball. “Darling, what are you doing?”

“Making a snowball.”

“So it would seem.” Rose said, smiling in amusement. “But why the large size?”

“Well, I’m not going to be able to do any damage with those absurdly small ones.”

Rose opened her mouth to say that it wasn’t about causing damage, but Jacqueline spoke up before she could say anything.

“Hit Judas next!” Jacqueline said, and Vlad grinned.

“My dear child, it would be my pleasure.”

Judas, who had now noticed that his brother-in-law had joined the girls, immediately knelt down behind the fort. “We are in trouble.”

“Oh, you think?” Louis said sarcastically, wiping off his front.

“I don’t think. I know.”

“Well, you’re the one that got us into this mess, so how do you suggest we get out of it?”

Judas thought for a moment, then shrugged. “Run?”

“Really? That’s your solution?”

“Do you have a better one?”

“No, I was hoping you did!”

Judas snorted. “You think too highly of me, dear brother.”

“Clearly!”

Vlad’s snowball sailed through the air at that moment, and knocked down half the fort’s wall, which resulted in the two brothers getting covered in snow.

“We won, we won!” Jacqueline cheered, and Rose laughed.

“Who says it’s over?” Vlad said, now making a more normal-sized snowball.

“Are you going to wreck the rest of the fort?” Rose asked, grinning in amusement.

“I am indeed.”

“In that case, let me help.”

“I’ll make the ammunition!” Jacqueline declared, and pulled a pile of snow in to make multiple snowballs out of.

“I think you’re a bad influence on her.” Rose remarked, watching as Vlad threw another snowball at the fort.

“I hardly see how learning new vocabulary is a bad thing.”

Rose gave him a look. “ ‘Ammution’, darling?”

Vlad shrugged as his snowball hit Judas in the face. “It’ll be useful someday.”

Rose laughed dryly. “God, I hope not. My mother will lose her mind otherwise.”

“Okay, on the count of three, we’ll charge.” Judas said, and Louis looked at him as if he were crazy.

“You said ‘run’!”

“Yes, but I didn’t say which direction.”

“Judas!”

“Move it or lose it, little brother!” Judas said, leaping to his feet and taking off in the direction of his sisters.

“Shit!” Rose swore, and grabbed a snowball from Jacqueline. The snow did nothing to deter her brother, even when she threw several of the snowballs in succession, and soon he wasn’t more than a mere few feet away. “Judas, no!”

“Judas, yes.” Judas grinned, and tackled his sister to the ground, while Louis threw a snowball at Jacqueline, who laughed and threw one back.

“Get off me!” Rose exclaimed, but Judas merely shoved snow down the back of her coat. “JUDAS, YOU SHIT! THAT’S FUCKING COLD!”

Judas laughed loudly at his sister’s outrage, but quickly got to his feet when she moved to grab the back of his coat. “If you want revenge, you’ll have to catch me first!”

“OH, I’LL CATCH YOU!” Rose shouted, and scrambled to her feet almost as quickly as he did, but paused to dust off her outfit before starting after him.

“Wow, Rose sure can run.” Louis remarked, blinking at the sight of his older sister chasing their brother.

“Indeed.” Vlad said, and knelt down to straighten out Jacqueline’s hat, since it had become somewhat askew during the snowball fight.

Louis pursed his lips, then held his hand out to his sister. “I’m going inside for some hot chocolate, Jackie. Do you want to come with me?”

Jacqueline thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I want to watch Rosie chase Judas!”

Louis snorted, then withdrew his hand. “Suit yourself.” He turned to walk back towards the house, but stopped before he took a step forward. On second thought… “You know what? I think I will stay.”

Vlad smiled at the two children, who were now watching their elder siblings with interest. “Perhaps I shall make you two the hot chocolate, then, and bring it back out.”

“Yes, please!” Jacqueline said, taking a seat in the snow.

“If you don’t mind.” Louis said, also taking a seat on the ground.

“Not at all.” Vlad said, and then departed with a quick bow. As he walked back to the house, he observed the family with a somewhat affectionate and appreciative eye. Colette and Marius were seated on a nearby bench, their heads resting against each other, and their watchful eyes on their children. Rose and Judas were still running around, but he guessed one of them would soon catch the other. His money was on Rose, though he knew that he was incredibly biased due to the fact that she was his wife. “May the best sibling win.” Vlad mused in amusement, then shifted his gaze to the two younger siblings. They were sitting quietly together by Jacqueline’s snowman, and watching their older siblings run around as if they were the younger ones.

Vlad had not had a winter like this in a long time, and he could say with some certainty that he would likely not have one like it again, because nothing ever remained the same — not even clear constants like family and its dynamics. Still, it was nice to be able to witness such a serene moment in time — even if said serene moment contained a bit of chaos.

It was then that Judas caught Rose, and they fell into the snow with some bickering and a bit of laughter. Rose was clearly over her outrage, though she still gave him a shove as they got to their feet.

“Well done, my dear brother-in-law.” Vlad mused, smiling to himself.

“Children! Time to go inside!” Colette called, and all four of her children began to head towards the house. Louis and Jacqueline ran, while Rose and Judas walked, and somehow the gaits suited everyone perfectly.

“It is a good winter.” Vlad remarked, holding the door open for his mother-in-law.

Colette smiled. “It is indeed.”

“There won’t be another one like it.” Vlad remarked, a somewhat faraway look in his eye.

Despite her only having lived about forty-odd years, Colette seemed to know how he felt, and what he meant. Still, she placed a hand on his back, and offered him a small smile. “No, there won’t.”

#writeblrgarden #twgcalendar #wtwcommunity #wip: the road to eternity is paved with blood

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thewritersplace · 4 months

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WTW Relationships Week | Love Interest

Vlad Draculea | Former Voivode of Wallachia | Member of the House of Drăculești

🌹🌹🌹

She was twenty when she laid eyes on him. Her father’s family had thrown a ball in honor of her visit, and it was an open invitation. She met with nobles from England, France, Ireland, and Scotland, as her family had ties to all of them, but none impressed her. She’d resigned herself to simply observing the party when an exceedingly tall and distinctly foreign-looking man approached her. He was pale, with beautiful blue eyes and long black hair, wearing a black suit and red cravat, with a red overcoat. His voice was deep and smooth, and his accent was thick. When he spoke to her, his tone was soft and he was humble, as if he knew he was undeserving of her presence. He got down on one knee and bowed, then asked her if he might have the honor of a dance. She had smiled and told him to rise, then offered her hand, granting his request. He took it and brought it to his lips, before leading her to the center of the room. They danced for the rest of the night, talking between breaks in the music and song changes.

They married after a month of courting. Her family was delighted and relieved, though he was not who they imagined for a son-in-law. She was happy, happier than she had ever been, and it showed. He was devoted and worshipped her like she was a queen, or a goddess. They spent their newlywed years in his castle in Romania, but visited her family in Paris with frequency. They were exceedingly happy, and even though the castle was far too big for two people, it felt like home.

He told her the truth a month into their marriage. She had always suspected, always known something was different about him, but to hear it said aloud was something else entirely.

“So, you are a vampire.” she said, standing next to her boudoir, looking at him as he sat on the edge of their bed.

“Yes, I am.” Vlad affirmed, then bowed his head, avoiding her gaze. “I am sorry I did not tell you before, and that if it were not for the guilt, I would never have told you.” he admitted.

Rose tapped her fingers on the furniture’s surface, then shrugged. “So what?”

“I beg your pardon?” Vlad raised his head, looking at her in bewilderment.

“So what if you are a vampire? Why should that matter?”

“I… I feed on the blood of humans to survive. I am a creature of the night, an abomination of nature. A product of a deal with the Devil.”

Rose shrugged again, arms now folded. “So what?” she asked again, walking towards him. “So what if you drink the blood of humans? So what if you are a creature of the night? So what if you are an abomination of nature? So what if you are a product of a deal with the Devil?”

Vlad blinked at her. “You…. You do not care?”

“Of course I don't care.” Rose replied, now only a few inches away from him. She took his hands and offered a small smile. “You're my husband, and I love you.” she leaned down and kissed his cheek, thumbs stroking the tops of his hands. “Besides, do you really think I would've married you without even considering the possibility that you weren't quite normal?”

“You knew? All this time, you knew?”

“I had my suspicions. And there were… incidents, shall we say.”

Vlad winced. He knew what she was talking about. “I am sorry for those. I never meant for you to see.”

“Don’t be. The world's not going to end if I don't wear silver.” Rose assured. She studied his face for a moment, trying to see if there was something in his features, a telltale sign of vampirism, that she had missed all the others times she'd looked at him. “Vlad, let me see your eyes.”

“You are seeing them.”

Rose rolled her own at that remark. “Let me see your real eyes. I know they have not been naturally blue for a long time.” She took a seat sideways in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, waiting patiently to see if he would oblige.

Vlad closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, then squared his shoulders and exhaled slowly. When he opened his eyes, they were a startling shade of red. “There.”

Rose stared at the color in awe, a delighted grin on her lips. “How beautiful.” she murmured, her hands moving to cup his face. Thumbs brushed the top of his upper lip, and she laughed softly when his tongue flicked out and licked the digit.

“Beautiful?” Vlad repeated, withdrawing his tongue. “I stand before you, a monster, a creature of the night, and yet…”

“And yet I want to be like you.” Rose smiled, lowering her hands to his shoulders. “Will you change me?”

“Absolutely not.” Vlad straightened up, bristling at the mere thought.

“Aw, why not?” Rose pouted, looking a bit like a child who had been told they couldn't have the toy or treat they wanted.

“Because it's a curse, Rose.” Vlad sighed, rubbing her back.

Rose ran her fingers through his long hair, affection in her eyes as she gazed at him. “My love, you are worth any curse. You are worth any sin. You are worth a ‘deal with the Devil’. You are worth it all.” she smiled, pausing the movement of her hand. “You are my life, Vlad, and I will follow you anywhere.”

“Even into the deepest, darkest pits of Hell? To the end of the Earth? Into battle?” Vlad asked, his hand cupping her neck.

“Yes.” Rose answered, placing her hand over the one he had on her neck. “You can pose as many scenarios as you like, but my answer will always be the same.”

#wtwevent #wtwcommunity #writeblrgarden #wip: the road to eternity is paved with blood

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thewritersplace · 4 months

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WTW Relationships Week | Protagonist & Antagonist

Countess Rose Renée Rowan & Dr. Abraham Van Helsing

“Please, I’m begging you. Please leave him alone.” Rose cried, getting up and stumbling forward. “He won’t hurt anyone now. Please let him go.”

Van Helsing looked over at the young woman, whose face was streaked with tears, and studied her for a long moment. His eyes were cold, and his expression was hard, but he also seemed to be pondering something.

“The girl meant nothing to us. She was just a plaything. We would've left her alone eventually. We didn't want to kill her, or make her a vampire.” Rose explained, holding out her hands in surrender. “She asked us to change her. She wanted freedom from the shackles of society.”

“Rose… go.” Vlad spoke weakly, shifting his eyes over to her.

“Don't think I don't have a quarrel with you too, witch. You'll experience the same agony as your sire.” Van Helsing said, and smirked when he noticed dawn was approaching. “The sun is rising, Count. Your time will be up soon.”

Rose gave up on the more sympathetic demeanor and straightened up, her eyes now blazing. “Fine.” she stated calmly, and Abraham raised an eyebrow. “I played nice. I gave you a chance. I waited to see if you would be respectful to him, despite your prejudice.”

“Rose.” Vlad spoke again, this time in a slightly less weaker voice, but she shook her head.

“No. I'm done giving him chances.” Rose said, and pulled a sword from the belt around her waist. “He's mine now.”

Abraham began to chuckle, then outright laughed. “Your master is powerless, witch. You can't utilize his powers to help you.”

Now it was Rose’s turn to laugh. It was a cold, eerie, maniacal laugh, and any trace of humor left Van Helsing’s face. “Your lack of research and foolish assumptions will be your downfall, Van Helsing.”

Vlad managed to hoist himself up onto his knees, and placed one hand over the wound on his chest. “Yes. You've made a grave error, Doctor.”

“I am not a servant like poor little Mina, Dr. Van Helsing. I am his bride. I am the Queen of Vampires, just as he is King of Vampires. I am the Blood Countess, and the second most powerful vampire in the world. My powers may have originated from my husband, but they're my own now.” Rose decided to sheath her sword, as hand-to-hand combat was looking to be the better option. “So, little Catholic boy, self-proclaimed vampire hunter, supposed killer of Dracula, what say you now?”

#wtwevent #wtwcommunity #writeblrgarden #wip: the road to eternity is paved with blood

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thewritersplace · 6 months

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Writeblr Garden Advent Calendar

December 20: Relationships

Judas and Rose embody and fit every stereotype about twins (whether this intentional or not on their part is unknown to everyone except for them). They can finish each other's sentences, they have strikingly similar looks, they always seem to know what the other is thinking, they feel that their souls are linked together, and they would do anything for each other.

Judas is the first one to see that Vlad is the man Rose has been waiting for, and the first one to see that their love is one for the ages. He is the one to convince their parents (mostly their mother) to let the courtship happen, and not to interfere with the relationship. He is also the one to politely warn/threaten Vlad about treating Rose correctly, which amuses Vlad and also causes him to have a slightly higher opinion of Judas than he had previously.

Rose is deeply appreciative of her brother's constant support, and seeks him out for comfort and advice throughout her marriage (such as when she learns she can't have kids, and then later when she's frustrated with Vlad for being reluctant to turn her into a vampire). She also is the one to turn him into a vampire after he is mortally wounded trying to save her from Van Helsing — who in turn is trying to harm Vlad — solely because she cannot bear to lose him.

While Judas appreciated the choice she made, and was glad she made it, Vlad was not necessarily so keen on it. His relationship with Judas had always been largely cordial and occasionally familial (as in, they would sometimes act familiarly with each other and share moments of brotherly bonding), and of course he loved Rose with every fiber of his being, but he felt as if this decision was disrespectful due to Rose not giving Judas a choice in the matter. He does eventually come around, however, when Rose and Judas explain that they always planned to have the latter become a vampire, since neither twin could bear to think of a life without the other.

Vlad and Rose's relationship is like Judas and Rose's relationship in that it is intrinsic and full of deep love and loyalty. The relationships are unlike each other, however, in that Vlad and Rose's is infinitely more complicated. They view the world differently due to having spent their mortal and immortal lives in different eras, and because Vlad has a far more complicated and traumatizing past than Rose does. They also view vampirism very differently, and often argue about it (Judas has kept a tally of the arguments), but these arguments always end in each realizing the other won't ever truly understand their side (though not for a lack of trying). Perhaps the only thing they do agree on in that particular argument is that they will never agree (this is something Judas finds incredibly funny, as the repeat argument indicates that two clearly never truly learn this lesson).

The relationship between all three is interesting because they all balance each other out in some ways. Judas is able to give perspective on Rose to Vlad, and Vlad to Rose, and this in turn helps both understand the other better. Meanwhile, Vlad often plays the role of the mediator/peacemaker when the twins start arguing/bickering, and usually talks Rose down, or firmly warns/cautions Judas against further provoking her (lest Vlad have to physically separate them). Ironically, Vlad and Judas' relationship with each other is improved largely by Rose's presence and influence, as she is what ties them together. She is also the one who encouraged them to curate a proper relationship in the first place, and is in turn the one responsible for the creation of their bond. They have both often said that without her and her influence, they would probably be more of the traditional in-laws and consider each other to be more like acquaintances than friends (or even brothers).

#writeblrgarden #twgcalendar #wtwcommunity #wip: the road to eternity is paved with blood

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thewritersplace · 6 months

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Writeblr Garden Advent Calendar

December 17: WIP Playlist

#writeblrgarden #twgcalendar #wtwcommunity #wip: the road to eternity is paved with blood

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thewritersplace · 6 months

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Writeblr Garden Advent Calendar

December 15: Excerpt

December 21, 1882

In all her twenty years of life, Rose had never been so bored. The ball was meant to be fun, but every single man in attendance was exceedingly average. They were all cut from the same cloth, and they all thought the same way. She’d long since lost track of how many conversations she’d had about marriage and children — the latter of which didn’t interest her in the slightest — but she was certain that there had been at least ten in the first two hours. Rose had finally had to excuse herself from dancing and socializing, because she felt that if she had to speak to one more ‘suitable bachelor’ — even for five or ten minutes — the conversation would almost certainly end in murder.

Rose watched as the other guests glided across the ballroom floor, and mingled at the edges of the room. They were dull and superficial, just like the party itself. Rose sighed and leaned back against the wall. Even the music was becoming monotonous.

“Humans are rather mundane, aren’t they?”

Rose turned at the sound of a deep voice, and nearly got the air knocked out of her lungs. The man standing before her was absolutely beautiful. He was almost unnaturally pale, with long black hair and gorgeous blue eyes. “I…” Rose trailed off, still taken aback by the stranger’s beauty.

The man smiled politely as he got down on one knee. “Forgive me, my lady.” he said, and this time Rose noticed that he had an accent, but not one that she’d heard before. He bowed deeply, his hand over his heart, and Rose smiled. “It was wrong of me to speak of your peers that way.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, Monsieur…?” Rose said, hoping that he would provide her with a name.

“Vlad.”

“Monsieur Vlad, you spoke the truth about humans. They are, in fact, dull and mundane creatures.” Rose said, slowly rising to her feet. She extended her gloved hand to him, an inviting smile on her lips.

Vlad took her hand and brought it to his lips. He placed a light kiss to the top of it, and then returned it to her side. “If I may be so bold, my lady–”

“Yes, you may.” Rose knew what his question was before he even finished his sentence, and she was more than happy to oblige.

“Would you allow me a dance?” Vlad finished, though he was pleased with how eagerly she had responded. He bowed again, and kept his eyes on the ground as he waited for her answer. This was not a position he normally assumed, but she was deserving of every ounce of humility he had. She was special, and he hoped to eventually make her his.

“Yes.” Rose’s answer was almost immediate, though the mere seconds between the responses had felt like an eternity to Vlad. “You can have as many dances as you'd like.”

Vlad slowly rose and offered his hand, which she happily took. Her smile was beautiful, and as far as he could tell, it was only for him. She hadn't found anyone else worthy of it.

#writeblrgarden #twgcalendar #wtwcommunity #wip: the road to eternity is paved with blood

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thewritersplace · 6 months

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Writeblr Garden Advent Calendar

December 12: Holidays

“A little to the left.”

“Here?”

Judas sighed. “Your other left.”

“I don’t have an ‘other’ left.” Rose said, holding the tinsel garland up against the mantle.

“My left, not yours.”

“Judas, I’m facing the wall like you are. There’s no ‘other’ left.”

“May I?” Vlad asked, coming to stand next to his wife.

“Knock yourself out.” Rose said, handing the garland to her husband and stepping back from the mantle. “Maybe you can figure out what the hell my brother wants.”

“It’s not that hard to understand.” Judas said, loosely folding his arms.

“It is when you make no sense.”

“If you had more sense, you’d get it.”

“You–!”

“Children!” Colette Rowan’s voice cut through the bickering like a sharp knife, and the two young adults turned to look at her. “What did I say about fighting during the holidays?”

“To not do it.” Judas said, and Colette nodded.

“Good, you were listening.”

Rose snorted, then scoffed. “Why don’t you ask us for something equally unattainable, like grandchildren.”

Vlad snorted as he finished hanging the tinsel up, and came to stand next to his wife, who was looking very smug, while her mother had a more disapproving, severe expression on her face. “Now, dear, I don’t think your mother is so wrong to want a little harmony during the holidays.”

“Oh, please.” Rose scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Asking for us to be harmonious is like asking the Pope to convert to Protestantism.”

“Rose!” Colette’s scolding tone emerged once again at her daughter’s remark, while Vlad did nothing to hide his amused smile.

“Or Eastern Orthodoxy.” Judas added, and smiled innocently when his mother turned her scorching eye on him.

“Please, no swearing.” Vlad remarked dryly, and Rose laughed.

Colette looked at her children for another long moment, then sighed and walked out of the room.

“Rosie!”

Rose turned when her younger sister called her name, and looked down to see the young girl run up to her with an ornament in hand. “Yes, Jackie?”

“Will you help me hang this?” Jacqueline asked, holding the ornament out to her sister. “All the places I can reach are full of other ornaments, but I really want to put this one up.”

Rose smiled and accepted the ornament from her sister. “Of course.”

“Shall we hang it together?” Vlad suggested, and Jackie tilted her head in confusion. “You can sit on my shoulders and help your sister put it on the tree.”

“Oh!” Jackie exclaimed, her eyes widening. “Yes, please!”

Vlad smiled and picked her up with ease, then settled her comfortably on his broad shoulders. “Shall we, my lady?”

Jackie giggled at the formality, and then nodded. “Yes!”

“Perhaps this year you can put the star on top of the tree as well.” Rose said, placing her hand on Jackie’s back.

“Ooh, yes!”

The walk over to the tree was short, since the room they had been in previously had not been particularly far away, and soon Jackie was poised to put the ornament and the star on the tree. Louis, the younger of the two brothers, stood to the side by his father, Marius, while Judas watched his youngest sister with a cautious eye, since he didn’t doubt she might lean too far in one direction and possibly fall off his brother-in-law’s shoulders — though he doubted Vlad would ever let such a thing happen. Colette was off to the other side of the tree, and watching her daughters and son-in-law with a small, warm smile.

The holidays were chaotic, that was true, but there was also a serenity to them that was found in small moments like this — when everyone was together and the house was decorated or in the process of being decorated. There was a warmth that was not found during any other time of the year, and despite the bickering between family members, a sense of peace and, ironically, harmony.

“Happy Christmas, darling.” Rose said, leaning in to kiss Vlad.

Vlad smiled and leaned in to meet her. “Happy Christmas to you, too, dear.”

#writeblrgarden #twgcalendar #wtwcommunity #wip: the road to eternity is paved with blood

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thewritersplace · 6 months

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Writeblr Garden Advent Calendar

December 19: Religion

Rose and Judas grew up in a Catholic household, although their father's side of the family is a mix of Catholic and Protestant (due to their father being of English, Irish, and Scottish descent). Their relationship with their faith has fluctuated and shifted over the years, and by adulthood they would likely consider themselves lapsed. They do, however, make an effort to participate in the practices when with their mother, who is a strong French Catholic.

Rose's husband, Vlad, had been a member of both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church (though not necessarily at the same time) in his human life, but had abandoned his faith upon deciding to become a vampire (it was, in fact, the abandonment and renouncement of his faith that led him to be 'cursed' as a vampire to begin with — or so he says). Due to his supernatural nature, and complicated religious background, he had been worried that Rose and her family would not accept him, but luckily they did.

At some point in his immortal life, Judas became a priest. When questioned by Rose as to what had led to his decision — given his background as a lapsed Catholic — Judas had said that it was merely because he found the academic study of theology interesting, and because he enjoyed the irony and dichotomy of being both a vampire and a priest.

Rose also took a bit of a dichotomous approach to Catholicism upon becoming a vampire, but in a different way than her brother. She would scoff at the institution and dogma aspects of the Catholic Church, and happily use the religion to insult more devout believers (in the vein of those who consider vampires and vampirism blasphemous — like Van Helsing — rather than those who are devout in a more private way, like her mother), but will respect those who feel as if their faith is one of the few things that is helping them survive/get by in such a chaotic and ever-changing world.

Vlad in some ways finds Rose and Judas' dichotomy and relationship with Catholicism amusing, though he also respects their choices and does not unnecessarily burden or provoke them with his thoughts and critiques of the religion (and, by extension, all of Christianity). He is, of course, always happy to discuss these thoughts and critiques when asked for them, as he enjoys some scholarly debate now and then.

#writeblrgarden #twgcalendar #wtwcommunity #wip: the road to eternity is paved with blood

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thewritersplace · 4 months

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WTW Valentine's Week | Eros | Passionate Love

Rose Rowan & Vlad Draculea

🌹🌹🌹

Mere minutes after they had brought their things inside, and taken some of their items up to the bedroom, Rose had grabbed Vlad by his lapel and kissed him. After a three-day delay, she was absolutely desperate to have her wedding night, and wanted it to start as soon as possible. Vlad was just as desperate to have her in every way possible, but he was much better at hiding the desire, so she had no idea how much he had been yearning for her. At least, not until he grasped her by the arms and pressed her into one of the bedroom walls.

“I can't believe you made me wait until we were married.” Rose said, pulling back from what had been a searing kiss. “We could've done this ages ago, and spared ourselves the yearning.”

“I wanted the full experience of a wedding night. I haven't had one in a very long time.”

“Will you just take me to bed already?” Rose sighed in exasperation, and Vlad laughed.

“Anything for you, my queen.” Vlad said, lifting her up and walking over to his bed. “Whatever you desire, it's yours.”

“I want you. That's all I want. We can do something more drawn-out and ‘proper’ another night. Tonight, I just want you to ravish me and make love to me.”

Vlad nodded and set her down on the mattress, then began to take his clothes off. Everything was in a pile on the floor within a minute or two, and Rose’s discarded outfit landed next to his a minute after that, leaving them both completely bare. Vlad took another moment to admire her, and she did the same to him, her eyes practically burning with desire.

“What a fool I am to have waited so long.” Vlad remarked, and Rose grinned.

“I told you.”

“Yes, you did.”

Rose held her hands out for him and he took them, interlacing their fingers. “I'm all yours, darling. Do to me what you will.”

“Oh, I intend to.” Vlad grinned, climbing onto the bed. He knelt in front of her, his knees on either side of her hips, and leaned forward, pressing a long kiss to her lips.

#wtwevent #wtwcommunity #writeblrgarden #wip: the road to eternity is paved with blood

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thewritersplace · 4 months

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Last Line Tag

Thank you again to @veneritia for tagging me in this!

🌹🌹🌹

“A child, Judas?”

Rose had her eyebrow raised incredibly high as she stared at her brother, who merely shrugged. “I didn't know until I was told.”

“I can't believe you had a child.”

“These things happen, Rose.”

“Judas, you sleep with men.”

Judas shrugged again. “Sometimes I take up with women when it strikes my fancy.”

Rose placed a hand to her forehead and shook her head in disbelief. “I can't believe this.”

“I can.” Vlad said, emerging from the shadows. “Any man who sleeps around with any great frequency is bound to spill his seed somewhere.”

The twins grimaced in unison. He was right, of course, but–

“Did you have to say it that way?” Judas asked, and Vlad shrugged.

“Would you prefer the more colloquial version?”

“No. No, we wouldn't.” Rose answered, knowing how terrible it was when he tried to speak colloquially. “That was descriptive enough, thank you.”

🌹🌹🌹

Tagging: @sourrcandy, @veneritia, and anyone else who sees this that would like to do it!

#tag games #excerpts #wip: the road to eternity is paved with blood

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thewritersplace · 4 months

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Find The Word Tag

Thank you to @asablehart for tagging me in this!

My words are: shadow, wall, book, run

🌹🌹🌹

Shadow

Vlad went silent. She was right, of course. They'd spend the rest of their immortal lives talking about this if they didn't come to some sort of compromise. But such a compromise was going to be difficult, as they were both stubborn and insistent. Vlad pursed his lips, which were tinged red from her blood, and clasped his hands behind his back, considering possible solutions to their disagreement. “Vampires are undead, a category that includes zombies and other creatures that are more obscure. We feed on the blood of humans and sometimes animals, we reject holiness and innocence, we abhor the sun and any holy object. We are creatures of the night, creatures of the shadows, creatures that belong in the dark. Our strength, our senses, and our stamina are stronger than that of a human. We are monsters because we go against nature. Do you accept this as fact?”

🌹🌹🌹

Wall

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Book

Rose set her book back down and took his hands in her own, lacing their fingers. “Vlad, the sun can burn out, the stars can fade, the earth can stop spinning, the oceans can dry up, the land can turn to dust, and humanity can cease to exist, but the one thing that will never come to pass is my growing tired of you.”

🌹🌹🌹

Run

“I can give you so much more than this, darling. You haven't the slightest idea.” Rose purred, sitting back up and running a finger down his neck. “You're mine tonight, my love. All mine.”

🌹🌹🌹

Tagging: @sourrcandy, @writinglyra, @veneritia, and anyone else who sees this that would like to do it!

Your words are: blood, innocence, night, monsters

#tag games #excerpts #wip: the road to eternity is paved with blood

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thewritersplace · 1 year

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A Night Among the Dead (and Undead)

“This city is built on their bones.” – “Will you stop being ominous?” – “No, literally, watch where you step.” (prompt: mini marshmallows)

“See, that’s when you should be afraid. When it’s all quiet and peaceful like that.” (prompt: chocolate lentils)

———————————————————————

Rose did not often join her brother on his assignments, but on the occasion she did, they traveled to places she would not have gone otherwise. Her husband would sometimes join them, as he had nothing better to do, and did not particularly like being away from his wife for long periods of time if he could help it.

Judas, for his part, was a very entertaining tour guide. He often had little tidbits of information that even the most knowledgeable of tour guides didn't have, and delighted in sharing them with his sister and brother-in-law, and anyone else who asked.

Today, they were walking through an area very familiar to Rose — the streets of Paris and the city's famous catacombs. Their target was residing in said catacombs, looking for unsuspecting tourists who had signed up to, well, tour the place.

Judas had decided that he and Rose would lead a group, so that they could get closer to the target, and also prevent anyone from becoming victim to a wayward vampire. Rose was less than thrilled, but Judas was having the time of his life.

“...This city is built on their bones.” Judas was saying to the group, and his sister immediately rolled her eyes.

“Will you stop being ominous?” Rose said, giving her brother a disapproving look.

“No, literally. Watch where you step.” Judas said, his demeanor deadly serious.

“Judas, stop that. You're scaring them.” Rose scolded, giving her brother a reproachful look.

Judas shrugged. “How else should I have put it? The catacombs are right underneath us.”

Rose rolled her eyes again. “There are plenty of ways to say that without being so ominous.”

Judas grinned. “Being ominous is part of the fun.”

“Not to them, it’s not.” Rose said, and gestured to the tourists, who were looking a little unnerved.

Judas merely shrugged and turned to face the entrance of the catacombs. “Shall we continue, everyone?”

It was rhetorical, of course, and the group followed him through the entrance, and down into a dark tunnel. Rose and Vlad brought up the rear, and kept their senses attuned to their surroundings, as there was still a vampire on the loose — which not only posed a threat to the human tourists, but also made for a PR nightmare and subsequent media circus, as Judas had so aptly put it.

The tour went on for another fifty or so minutes, and Judas continued to talk the entire time, while Rose merely added a few comments here and there. She was far more focused on trying to figure out where their target was located.

As they approached the exit, an eerie silence overtook the atmosphere, and Judas grinned almost wickedly. “Hear that?”

“Hear what?” One of the tourists asked, and blinked when Judas pointed his index finger at them.

“Exactly.”

“Judas, for god’s sake, stop scaring them.” Rose sighed, folding her arms across her chest. “They’ve already spent an hour in this place. That’s enough to keep them on edge for the rest of the evening.”

“My dear Rosie, it’s part of my job to be as unnerving as possible. After all, who wants a light-hearted tour guide when exploring the catacombs?”

“The faint-hearted, and children.”

Judas snorted. “Neither of those should be on a tour like this to begin with.”

“And yet here they are.” Rose said, gesturing to the group with a thin, delicate arm.

“It’s so quiet.” A young child, no older than ten, remarked, and Judas grinned again.

“Yes, it is. I didn’t notice it before.” A woman, who appeared to be the child’s mother, agreed with the sentiment.

“See, that’s when you should be afraid. When it’s all quiet and peaceful like that.” Judas said, his expression now grim and haunting. Barely a minute later, he was back to the jovial, smiling tour guide that the group had come to know over the last hour, and Rose was almost certain all the humans would go back to their housing accommodations with severe emotional whiplash.

After the last tourist had departed, Rose gave her brother the severest look she could muster. Judas, for his part, continued to smile pleasantly. Vlad, who had been silently watching the two siblings the entire evening, finally spoke up. “Rose, don’t forget we have a job to do.”

“I remember.” Rose said shortly, still focused on her brother.

Vlad sighed. “Rose.”

Rose ignored him and jabbed a finger into Judas’ chest. “You could’ve gotten reported for that shit you pulled, dear brother.”

Judas shrugged. “So what? It’s not like I actually work here.”

Rose opened her mouth, but Vlad pulled her away before she could say anything. “Now is hardly the time for bickering.” he said, and Rose scowled. “I’m serious, Rose.”

“When are you not serious?” Rose spoke rhetorically, and Vlad pointedly ignored her.

A shot rang out from behind them, followed by a hiss, and Rose immediately spun around on her heels. A vampire stood clutching its arm, which was now smoking from the impact of a blessed bullet. A sigh came from behind her, and Judas appeared by her side, gun in hand. “Shame on you, Rosie.”

“Shame on me?”

“Yes.” Judas said, and reached for another weapon from his belt. “You didn’t notice it sneak up behind us.”

“I did too!” Rose protested, giving her brother an offended look. “I was just waiting for it to make the first move, so I could strike at the last minute.”

The target seemed just as offended that it was being ignored, and lunged forward, but was thrown back by another shot — this time from a new gun. With a loud snarl, it cradled its other arm against its chest, while Rose adjusted her weapon so that the barrel was now pointed at the creature’s heart. Judas did the same, and the vampire sneered at them. “What can the pair of you do to a creature like me?”

“Would you like us to tell you?” Judas asked, a calm, neutral, calculating expression on his face.

“Or just show you?” Rose asked, a wicked, unhinged, devilish expression on her face.

“I–”

“Too late.” Vlad spoke from somewhere behind the target, his smooth, low voice startling the creature. The moment the last syllable was spoken, two synchronous shots rang out, and two blessed bullets pierced through the vampire’s heart. Then, came the swing of a sword, and the swish of a rosary, and something similar to a howl echoed throughout the tunnel. A head rolled towards the wall, and Vlad grunted in displeasure as it touched his shoe. “Disgusting.”

“Oh, calm down, you big baby.” Judas said, pulling on black leather gloves and reaching down to pick up the severed head. “It’s not like you haven’t seen dismemberment and decapitation before.”

“That is not what disgusts me, as you well know.”

“No?” Judas smiled as he stuffed the head into a canvas sack.

“No.” Vlad said, and Rose sighed. She knew exactly what was coming.

“So what is it?”

“These are my good boots, and I do not wish to have them dirtied by filth such as this.”

Judas laughed heartily. “Ah, mon beau-frère, you are such an aristocrat.”

“Yes, I am. I was a prince, after all.”

Rose sunk a stake into the creature’s heart, and then ripped the weapon out with the heart still firmly impaled upon it. “Judas, this body isn’t going to clean itself up.”

“I know.”

“Well, if you know, then get over here and help me with it."

Judas sighed. “Yes, sister.”

#writeblrcafe #prompts #chs: the vampire twins #ch: rose rowan #ch: judas rowan #wip: the road to eternity is paved with blood

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