#like nobody had any problem killing the vampire who did this but the human

[bunnyyamor]

[ OCTOBER 11TH ] NIPPLE PLAY - ALUCARD TEPES X fem! reader

synopsis; the great vampire, the son of dracula sees that you have wandered into his tower. he can't help but smell your delicious, sweet blood, he might need a taste. wk; 3k

warnings; mdni, smut 18+, heavy smut, nipple play, blood play, biting, choking, unprotected sex, kinda dub-con, f!top & m!bottom, nicknames, wlw, vaginal sex, knife play, beta read!

note; so i was very much inspired by thomas doherty's vampire show? movie? idk i want to see it but havent. and i was rlly inspired by interview with the vampire. i love a vampire theme so much! and i hope you like this babes. remember to reblog, like and comment i would rlly appreciate it.

-nav : kinktober m.list : kinktober taglist

step by step you trudged up the muddy hills, snuggling closer to your coat and hugging it to your body. breaking through and cutting between the howling of winds. 

you were on a journey with a destination. 

the destination? dracula’s castle. 

the meaning for this trip was plain and simple. for a story. you were a journalist, wanting a taste of literature mixed with meaning. maybe this dracula was misunderstood. it was known that the commoners did kill his wife, that was his reason.

you nodded to yourself, remembering those facts. that could cause anyone to kill. a broken heart can make a man mad, so why should dracula be treated any differently.

in the distance was his castle. it was hard to track it down, you had kept tabs and studied its movements for months. 

as you saw the high, victorian building, your heart started racing. this was the change of a lifetime. yes, it was your chance to get his story out and for him to finally have a voice. 

you mediated for a moment on this decision. yes it was dangerous. you possibly could die but wasn’t that the thrill? the excitement of it all. the impossible. 

it was decided. 

knock.

you knocked on the monstrous door, heavy the feel, 5 times. each knock louder than the last. 

but nobody answered. 

“hmm, that’s odd. maybe there’s an opening in the back-” you pushed lightly on the door and it opened. it was, unlocked? but…that seemed too easy.

you entered the residence and closed the door behind you. the inside was warm but not inviting. the energy was something of evil. something to be feared. 

a lump was in your throat, your hands held into fists. 

you were on alert. 

there was muffled music and talking. there was more than one voice. 

“i thought i heard the door,” a man with a loud scottish accent said. “i wonder who it is.”

your eyes widened. should you hide?

“mmmm,” a woman hummed. her voice deep, dripping with sex appeal. “i can smell a human.”

in a flash, a group of vampires stood before you. the man with long red hair and a beard, and a woman with white, straight hair. chest puffed up, proud. 

that feeling before adventure and risk, yeah, that flew out the window. what you saw in the eyes of these creatures was pure lust…for blood.

“please, i want no problems.” you surrendered, turning around and trying to leave but you realized you couldn’t. you were locked in, perhaps by a spell. “i am sorry for intruding.”

the white haired female vampire inched closer to you. her white hands reaching to caress your arms, causing goosebumps to litter your skin. “c’mon kitten, why don’t you play with us.” she smirked, “we don’t bite.” 

you closed your eyes, waiting for the vampire bite as the vampire opened her mouth wide. ready to drink your blood. 

“wait!” another vampire, supposedly, came down the stairs. his hair was long and golden like streams of sunshine. it laid elegantly over his shoulders. “what is the meaning of this?”

the female vampire chuckled darkly, “we have a meal right here. and she smells amazing. so sweet and delicious, it makes me want to be ravenous. i have never smelled anyone sweeter.”

the blonde vampire pushed her back and gave you a look of concern. “do not be afraid. stay. enjoy the party.” his voice was deep but carried a prince-like accent. 

you made another decision. to run. you quickly dashed for the door again and tried prying it open. “help me! please someone help!”

again it didn’t work but not because of a spell it was because the blonde vampire shut it close as he pinned you against the door. you had tears falling down your face as you kept your eyes shut, fearful. you winced as the vampire laid himself on you, having you pressed against his chest. you turned your face in disgust as his lips ghosted over your neck, knowing the pulse there was the area to bite. it was the sweetest spot. the vampire smirked as his big hands gently touched your chin. he inhaled all your scent and shook his head, “no, no my dearest you mustn't leave.” he left a simple kiss upon your cheek. again he kissed there, loving how soft your skin felt under his rough lips. “shhhh.”

“i-i’m sorry,” you shook, lip quivering. 

the vampire lifted your face and his eyes met yours. your e/c eyes looked up at him with pure innocence and curiosity but also fear. you looked into his orbs for answers, pleading. 

the vampire couldn’t contain himself. his mouth opened slightly as he couldn't’ break away from your angelic eyes. how beautiful they were. he caught himself falling for you in that second. and then he breathed you in. your smell was causing him to see stars and wish he could have his way with you, just once would be a blessing. 

he had to separate himself. he quickly stumbled back, having your scent stay in his nose, haunting him. 

the other vampires looked at him with a raised brow. “is everything alright, alucard?”

alucard quickly composed himself, fixing his hair and his black corset. “get her prepared. this evening, she is yours, then the night…she is mine.”

the female vampire smirked, “alright love, let’s get you dressed up.”

‘i want her more than anyone.’ alucard thought, staring at you up and down as you went with camila. 

“i can read your mind, you know,” camila crossed her arms. “maybe i want her, too.”

“there, all better.” camila winked at you as she put the finishing touches to your dress. 

you accepted this. at least it was something you could write and you weren’t dead. “may i ask, what even is this? what is this party for?”

“it is just a vampire ball.”

you held your breath. a lump in your throat you couldn't swallow, “you mean to tell me, there are more vampires out there and i’m the only human.”

camila laughed, “unfortunately yes. and i am not to fond of sharing you but that fuckin alucard.”

“that vampire out front? the one i met?”

camila nodded, “ he said that no one is allowed to touch you or feast on you. you are his.”

your hands were shaking as you picked on your cuticles. afraid of the unknown. “i was wondering if maybe i could meet dracula.”

“he isn’t here at the moment,” camila put her hand on her hip, “but alucard is his son.”

“dracula’s son?” you were bewildered. 

“the one and only. now, no time to waste. i will drop you off at alucard’s room. he is waiting.”

she did just that. you waited at his door, knocking lightly. 

“excuse me, mr. alucard.”

the door opened quickly and on the other side, alucard leaned against the doorway, “just alucard, beautiful.” his voice was husky. his gloved hand, caressed your face. but that was when he took you all in. your eyeshadow was an ashy gray, like bones and your lips were painted a deep, dark red, like blood. you wore all black. a lacy corset that had your boobs spilled and you had an enormous slit in your skirt that he almost saw your cunt. you wore flower laced, fingerless gloves that reached all the way to your elbows. your boots were stilettos and were leather black. “what do you think?” you looked at yourself, unsure. 

alucard thought to himself, ‘nothing in my past or future, i wanted to keep hidden. i wanted her to strip me, straddle me, laying me bare and plunder every part of me for anything she wanted. i wanted her to own me.’

you titled your head, wondering why he was silent. 

alucard bit his lip, you were making him uncontrollable. “you look exceptionally beautiful. as beautiful as those stars and the moon. nothing will ever exceed you.”

you were flustered. trying to search for words, “you look handsome as well, vampire.”

alucard smiled, almost blushing. “you make me want to ravage you.”

“in this dress?” you almost choked from his words. 

“it’s fine. i’ll just buy you a new one.” he gave a toothy grin. his fangs on display. 

you knew what he meant. that sneaky bastard. he was going to rip your dress before he fucked you. was he going to fuck you?

you went hand in hand to the ball. he was your date. the moment he led you down the whimsical staircase, all beady, killer eyes were on you two, especially you. 

“why are they looking at me?” 

alucard towered over you. your back to his chest, “it is because they want you. but do not worry my dove, i will protect you at all cost.”

somehow you and alucard managed to match in outfits. it looked as if you two were always together, like the missing puzzle piece. you both fit. 

you held his hand for most of the time. treating him as if he were your knight. you were so afraid but for some reason you trusted alucard. he was the only one that was truly nice to you and seemed genuine. 

“do you mind if i go get some cake?” you asked him after a dance. 

alucard stood, about to go with you but you persisted you go alone. “it is alright, alucard. i will be fine.”

alucard’s brows were raised, worried. “it is no bother my love. let me go-”

“i promise i will not leave.” alucard sat in front of you, his height now equal to yours standing. you smiled as your lips slowly landed upon his in a quick kiss. but it was perfect to him. your satin lips fell against his like silk, like pure butter. so soft and delectable. he wanted more of you. 

like that, he let you go and saw you make your way to the dessert table.

you didn’t know why you kissed him, it just felt right. for some reason you were enjoying yourself and enjoying his company. when you caught him staring at you it brought butterflies to your stomach . your throat got dry. it was as if love at first sight. but maybe lust at first sight. everything was foggy to you. confusing. if felt like a dream. 

“well, it seems the angel likes the devil,” camila giggled darkly, “i knew she would fall for you. irresistible charms.”

alucard's eyes dug into your form. he wanted ownership of you, he wanted you with him day in and day out. “look at her. i would die for her. i would kill for her.”

finally the night was ending. the party goers said their envious goodbyes as they glared at you. wishing they were alucard. 

you sat there. waiting for alucard, he wanted you to wait till everyone left the castle. when all were gone, alucard bent down, on his knees and leaned his head against your knees. “there is something about you, my dove, that i can’t shake away. that i can’t seem to break away from you. i know i only just met you but i feel there is more about you. i want to know more about you and what makes you smile.”

you chuckled, bashful, “well, i am a writer. i like to write stories and share people's thoughts. it has always been my passion but as a woman, there is only so much i can do.”

alucard tilted against your leg, “what a passionate woman. i can sense hard work.” he quickly sat up and looked guilty. 

“what’s wrong?”

his hand captured yours and covered every inch. “i am letting you go. i never held you against your will,” he laughed, “but i will not lie to you and tell you i don’t want you here.”

your lips parted as you looked into his inhuman eyes. 

“i want to have you here tomorrow and the next day and the next. but i won’t keep you here without your consent. so if you would like to leave, i would understand. just know that…i will miss you.”

you stared outside through the windows and noticed the leaves falling from the trees and turning a burnt orange. it was windy and seemed uncomfortable. you were by a fire, nestled in layers of fur and in front of you was the most romantic and handsome man you have ever met. and he wanted you. he desired you. truth be told, you didn’t want to leave. after this day you knew you wanted to explore alucard. 

alucard stood up and opened the door. standing in front of freedom, you huddled and shook in your jacket. “no, alucard. i choose to stay.”

alucard’s eyes widened and he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, “if that is what you choose then i will worship the ground you walk upon, my dear.” he kneeled and kissed your hand, his eyelashes tickling your skin. 

alucard guided you upstairs to his bedroom. it was wide and had a fire going. it was warm and comfortable. there was a feeling in the air. a feeling that you and the vampire we're not going to keep your hands away. 

you wanted to kiss him, touch him, make love to him with the embers burning the whole night away till the sun comes up. 

alucard eyes stared deep within you. you both breathed heavily as you looked at one another. 

he did the first move. he removed his corset and cloak. having his hair brush against his undergarments with each sway of his movements. each rip of cloth was slow and sensual. his fingers dancing against each button or string. 

finally, he stood there naked. his skin plump and rosy, soft and white like the moon. he looked like a painting. his gaze was on you. waiting for your move. you could tell that a part of him was nervous too. maybe nervous because of his power in bed against you or perhaps because he wanted to make you feel good and make you happy. 

all you could look at was his cock. it hung so long and thick. his tip was a blushy pink and because he was as white as snow the veins on his shaft were so evident. 

with each noticed burning stare at his long cock, the more it turned him on. how interested you were in it. how much you wanted it. it made him get more turned on, it rose higher and higher. 

“all this for you, my love.” he ushered low. 

‘my god, that is huge!’ you thought. ‘i can’t imagine that fitting.’

alucard smirked. “sweetheart, vampires can read minds. and don’t worry. i will make sure you are really wet so that it slides right in and i’ll go really slow.” he winked. 

you coughed. could he do that this whole time? how embarrassing. 

you turned around and had alucard unclip and unzip your corset. his fingers ghosted against your skin. he was as cold as ice and you were so warm. his hand laid flat against your back, embracing your warmth and basking in it. “you are so warm, my love.” he whispered in your ears. he kissed your cheek, then down your neck, then all down your back till he got to your skirt. he removed all the clothing so gentlemanly. it was passionate. 

you twirled and faced him. alucard’s eyes darkened seeing you nude. your nipples hardened at his look. the air nipping the puckered skin. 

“fuck,” he groaned. “you are absolutely beautiful.” he crawled on his knees to you. inching closer and closer. when he paused at you his hands dragged against your legs. massaging the inside of your thigh, “like warm milk.” he dragged his tongue against your hot skin. when he got to the fat of your thigh he bit into your skin lightly, some blood appearing and seeping out. his tongue traced his bite mark and he finally tasted your blood. his eyes rolled in the back of his head at your taste. “this is like gold.” 

alucard picked you up and wrapped your legs around his waist. you both moaned as your already wet pussy was touched by his sensitive dick. 

“you can be on top,” he giggled as he entered into his matte black coffin. 

“can i be honest?” you spoke up as he placed you on his lap.

he laid against his arms behind his head, chest open to you. “of course, my dove.”

you dipped and bit his lip, “i’ve never fucked a vampire before.” 

alucard moaned. now he was seeing your bad side. alucard grabbed your face with more force and bit your lip too, causing blood to spill from your split lip. alucard stuck his long tongue out and tasted the iron liquid. he sucked and drank from your lips. this erotic move made your pussy pulse. “please give yourself to me.” he growled in your ear. 

you dragged your fingers against his abbs, softly circling his nipples. seeing them perk up you began flicking the skin. enjoying seeing alucard’s head dipping back as he bit his lip, subconsciously moving his hips against yours. 

“right there, my doll. the things you do to me.” 

the tip of his penis tapped against your cunt. you began to rock against him as well, loving his sounds he made. all the winces and cries. 

alucard sat up, holding you close against him so your breasts pressed against his chest. “let me, darling.” his kisses dipped down to your breasts. kissing your nipples. 

you hummed at the feeling. “don’t stop, alucard.”

“never, my dear.” and he had no intention of stopping. his lips wrapped around your bud, tongue swirling around it causing a delicious sensation, dripping down to your cunt. it heated you up. you moved your hips with his, harder this time. 

“you taste so delicious my dear,” alucard said in a husky manner. he put attention to both nipples. his tongue dripping out, tickling the skin, rolling the bud. his fingers played with the one unattended. alucard picked up your tit and jiggled it, playing with it and loving the feeling of it like jello in his palms. 

“these are majestic. i will dream of these every night.” he chuckled as he looked up into your eyes as he bit your nipple. his teeth grazed against them and cut the skin. 

“alucard!” your eyes widened. he collected more blood this time. it constantly dripping. alucard held your neck between his hands as he put pressure choking you. 

this caused you to puff up your chest, making our breasts closer to his mouth. 

“this blood. your blood,” he moaned as he kept feasting. “i will never get over this.”

it was insane to you. you enjoyed this feeling. the euphoric feeling. it made you so turned on and made your cunt so wet it was practically dripping. 

“don’t stop, please don’t stop.” you begged as he kept drinking. 

alucard became so enamored and turned on more than ever that you levitated in the air. both your bodies started to ascend, meshed together. alucard still had his hand around your throat but now he moved you to be in front of him and he was behind. 

“take it, my love,” alucard pushed his cock inside your seeping wet cunt. it was dripping and quivering with something, his dick, to be inside you. 

as his cock inched closer and closer inside you, you began to shiver and see stars.

“you’re so big, alucard.”

“vampire dick is always the best dick,” alucard kissed your cheek and he rolled in and out of you. each drag of his cock caused a squelching sound from your pussy. your cunt needed him. 

you both were floating around the room as his hips dived in and out. his seed and your juice dripping down his legs and splatting on the floor. 

“take it my dear. i know you can.” he rolled his hips. each time getting closer and closer. 

“alucard i think i’m going to-” before you could finish alucard pressed his fangs into the side of your neck. his legs and your toes tensed up. 

you have never felt this feeling before. 

you stood still as you shook from the sex. alucard was diving into your cunt while feasting on your neck. 

was he making you into a vampire?

“right there,” he growled. pounding inside you as your blood dripped from his lips. coating his chest and your back in your blood. “this blood!” he screamed as he finally cummed inside you. 

you were quiet as he emptied inside you. you felt your spirit left you. it was like an out of body experience. his cock made you see stars. you finally cried as you shook and came on his cock. holding onto him for support as he grasped your neck and still feasted on your blood. 

“you will change.” he whispered. 

you fell against his chest. tired and almost blacked out. 

when you came to you woke up, cuddling with him in his coffin. as you stood up you noticed your skin. it looked like you were dead! your senses! you noticed a particular smell. and heard every single noise. 

you sniffed the air and realized the delicious smell was coming from alucard. you licked your lips with a hunger and lust you have never felt in your life. 

you grabbed a cup and a knife. his body lay there naked, all elegance. you cut his arm with the knife and his eyes shot open. 

“do it. feast on me y/n.” his eyes darkened. 

you drained his blood in a cup and standing naked in front of him, eyes never leaving him you downed the whole gallon of blood. it splashed onto your face and crashed down on your chest. 

“how did that feel y/n?” alucard inched closer, his hands smearing the blood on your nipples. 

“amazing. i feel different.”

alucard chuckled, “you should, my dove. for you are now a vampire.”

taglist: @sailewhoremoon, @tonaken, @neonlavander, @moonbabysstuff, @smellsliketequila, @auds-dal19, @khione-silver

#cry baby *🧸* #alucard tepes smut #castlevania smut #alucard tepes x reader #alucard smut #castlevania x reader #alucard x you #alucard tepes x you #alucard #castlevania #castlevania netflix #alucard tepes #alucard castlevania #alucard x reader #castlevania x you #alucard x y/n #alucard tepes x y/n

[rpstartersinc]

* 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐒: 𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐒.

feel free to change pronouns / wording!

“ more enemies are landing, we won't be safe for long. ”

“ i'll hold him off, buy you some time. ”

“ this is my fight. ”

“ you have such a beautiful world. ”

“ i ain't your butler. ”

“ no names over the airwaves. ”

“ no real names, they're listening. ”

“ ain't no secret government agencies worried about us. ”

“ don't forget to laugh at all their jokes, white people love that shit. ”

“ you fighting this alone or we fighting it together? ”

“ stop touching everything. ”

“ when you gonna let me put your skills to work and get you some real money? ”

“ it's my own personal way to protest the vampiric nature of modern-day capitalism. ”

“ i figured if i stopped to call, that would make me later. ”

“ don't be a problem, don't go looking for a problem, or else we're gonna have a problem. ”

“ i just really need a break. ”

“ you don't know anything about me. ”

“ superman went on a bunch of interviews before he got his job on the daily planet. ”

“ life ain't a comic book. ”

“ no one's coming to save us, we're alone in this. ”

“ you gotta relax, man, your energy is really affecting my chi. ”

“ i was nervous my first time too. ”

“ i get it, you don't like to chit chat back and forth. ”

“ you got a robbing mixtape? ”

“ just act like you own the place. ”

“ try not to look suspicious. ”

“ what're you doing, making friends? ”

“ this won't hurt a bit. ”

“ i ain't no thief. ”

“ are you having an existential crisis now? ”

“ you're just on an adrenaline high. ”

“ don't draw any attention to yourself. ”

“ that was fun, man, you're fun, dude. ”

“ this is probably a lot for you, huh? ”

“ i thought after the car chase we were boys. ”

“ tough guy, i like that, i like it a lot. ”

“ give me a little tap, there you go, now we're friends. ”

“ i'm nobody, i ain't even seen nothing, i'm not even seeing anything right now. ”

“ i mean, you looking pretty rough yourself. ”

“ what we need is a quiet way in. ”

“ we make a great team. ”

“ what about for friendship? ”

“ wow! that was corny when i said it out loud. ”

“ i do not want you going to that drive-in theatre anymore. ”

“ man, it's about time you showed up. ”

“ i enjoy that look of confusion, when an inferior being meets a higher power. ”

“ i'm not following you, i'm just escaping in the same direction! ”

“ oh cool, you're still alive! ”

“ this is my fault, it should've been me. ”

“ i can't sleep. ”

“ i know you're a robot. ”

“ yo! you scratched my paint! ”

“ man, they didn't treat e.t like this. ”

“ you need someone to watch your back. ”

“ way to be incognito. ”

“ if you keep your eyes and your ears open, life will show you everything you need to know. ”

“ guess it's a night mission then. ”

“ that's some indiana jones-type shit. ”

“ you had a gun this whole time? ”

“ did someone call for back-up? ”

“ i won't ask a second time. ”

“ that doesn't look so good. ”

“ there is more to them than meets the eye. ”

“ didn't i kill you already? ”

“ you fought for yours, as i fought for mine, when we should've been fighting the darkness together. ”

“ i ain't done fighting yet. ”

“ it sound like we're all going to die. ”

“ if we are to die, then we will die fighting, all as one. ”

“ he was mine. ”

“ you think you're nobody, but you're the strongest guy i know. ”

“ let them know who you are. ”

“ you think you can take me on alone? ”

“ i'm getting really tired of you humans. ”

“ i have come here to kick ass. ”

“ who are you, like the cia or fbi or? ”

“ strictly off the books. ”

“ no idea what you're talking about. ”

“ we could really use someone like you. ”

#( sentence. ) #sentence starters #sentence meme #rp meme #rp starters #movies #transformers #tf rotb #action #sci fi #2 in one day? WILD

[catsvrsdogscatswin]

Binged Nocturne yesterday, so here are my spoilery thoughts on the matter, in no particular order:

Watching this season was certainly an experience. Neither I nor my sibling have any knowledge of the Castlevania games beyond "there's a guy named Alucard who kills his dad multiple(?) times and also Belmonts are the player characters probably," so it's not like we were expecting anything, but there were a lot of "oh wouldn't it be funny if" or "I bet they'll do X" moments BUT THEN THEY ACTUALLY DID. "Why don't we continue this conversation somewhere more comfortable?" (Oh lol he's gonna fuck that priest.) *smashcut to Orlox and Mizrak naked in a bed together* (OH WAIT WHAT?!!?!)

"There's an underground secret passage to the abbey." (Uh yeah and how do YOU know that? 'I bet she fucked that old man.' Pfff I bet she did. 'I bet he's Maria's dad.' Ehhhh I mean maybe? Bit far-fetched.) "But then we wouldn't have had Maria!" (*unified unholy gibbon screeching*)

(I'm not saying this series is bad, I'm just going to be a little disappointed if absolutely nobody from the original series gets even mentioned.) *Alucard shows up at the very last second* (Oh we are winning this season! 'We are WINNING!')

Orlox served astronomical levels of cunt and I hope he continues to hang around being a nebulous problem for everybody else for the rest of the series. And then go be evil and gay somewhere else at the end, like Striga and Morana.

While I respect the power move of Drolta's heel-less platforms and the environmental storytelling of "ooh wow look how vampires can balance effortlessly on floating heels like it's nothing" personally speaking it did look a bit. weird. Like just give her stilettos, man.

Drolta was otherwise an absolute delight to watch for every moment of her time onscreen and her character design was absolute peak. Every outfit and hairstyle was immaculate.

Maybe this is just me having read up on her a lot, but having Erzebet Bathory be mixed with the Egyptian goddess Sekmet was... jarring. She was a Hungarian noble and had absolutely fuck-all to do with anything further south than the European frontier of the Ottoman Empire, so even the "drank a goddess's blood and got possessed a little bit" still feels cobbled-together and forced.

Personally speaking, I think it would've served the writer's "dread vampire Messiah come to swallow the sun and usher in a new age of blood and doom" purpose if they had EITHER the vampire Erzebet Bathory who committed all of her (mostly mythical/exaggerated) serial killing crimes and then some, OR an ancient vampiress infected by drinking a goddess's blood. You either pull the cachet of an infamous vampire-tangential historical figure or make up a story about a vampire being consumed by and becoming a channel for something more powerful than even them out of whole cloth, but please don't do both. Especially when both versions originally had nothing to do with each other.

We all none of us deserve Eduoard. I hope he gets to transform into something more human-looking by the end of the series (so he doesn't get mobbed) and then go home to his nameless boyfriend and live happily ever after. Maybe after kicking the Abbot's teeth in, since he deserves it.

Speaking of which, this was Annette's season. Richter may have had his name on the tin but this season was for her and she killed it. Absolutely stole the show, man.

I love the way her summoning was animated and find her realistic for both her age and her time period in terms of enthusiasm for revolution and a tendency to act with emotion rather than thought, but Maria was just kinda... also here. Presumably she'll have more to do next season.

#Castlevania Nocturne #Castlevania Nocturne spoilers #Castlevania spoilers #spoilers

[misslavenderlady]

The Boys Who Wouldn’t Grow Up - Chapter 17

Summary: Lucy and Max give their dinner date another shot at the Johnson house. However, will things go smoothly with Marko being there with his vampire hunter friends as well?

WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER: There's a dog-related attack in this, but nobody is hurt (including the dogs)

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Daylight passed by quickly, and each of the men in the Johnson family had their own unique way of using that time. 

  After taking the time to freshen up, Max put his energy into tidying up and preparing some ingredients for Lucy’s arrival for dinner. He had a variety of vegetables and some chicken in the fridge, along with some noodles and rice in the pantry. He wasn’t the most flashy cook in the world, but he figured he’d whip up something delicious and unique for his guest. Not to mention it would be an excellent chance to spend time with his boys after everything that had happened.    Due to his new, vampiric nature, David spent the entire day asleep in his bed. There wasn’t an ounce of energy in his body with the sunlight sucking the life out of him. He just kept a pillow over his eyes and focused on getting his strength back up for when nighttime returned. If he was going to see Maria again, he needed to be at his very best.    Marko had poured hours and hours into studying with Paul and Dwayne, going over every little detail about the problem they had to fix with his brother. They went through numerous cups of coffee while reading all the books the two had collected, talking about the weaknesses his brother could have, how to prepare for an attack and, most importantly, how they could cure him. By the time sunset was approaching, Marko was certain he knew enough to teach an entire class on vampires with the information he had now.

  Still, it wasn’t quite enough to take on this problem. As much as Marko hated the idea of hurting his only brother, Dwayne and Paul made it abundantly clear that he needed proper self-defense training in case he needed to protect himself. Even if David never did end up attacking him, there was still the chance that the one who changed him in the first place would cause trouble.   “We pretty much have every kind of weapon you could possibly use for killing a bloodsucker,” Paul explained, stuffing a duffle bag on top of a shop table. “Wooden stakes, iron rods, garlic blossoms, vials of holy water and some crosses”   “They can be wounded by other stuff like bullets and knives, but they have healing powers that would quickly seal up the wounds,” Dwayne explained. “If you want real damage done, then you’re gonna have to learn how to handle this stuff properly. If you’re off on your mark with a stake to the heart, then you’ll just end up with a pissed-off vampire that wants to kill you even more”   It was all still a lot of information to take in, but at least now Marko felt better prepared for handling it. He was ready for the next step in his training, and considering how it would be dark soon, he’d definitely need it.    “There’s no way we can practice in this shop. There’s not enough room to move,” Marko commented, gesturing to the various tables and bookshelves that lined the area. Even if it had more space, he didn’t want to risk damaging any of his friends’ stuff. “Why don’t you guys teach me some stuff at my house? We have a big yard we can use for a practice area”   Paul and Dwayne exchanged a knowing look with one another, clearly feeling a bit cautious about the idea. David was still living in that house, and they needed more time to prepare Marko in case things went sour.   “My dad will be there, just like you asked me to make sure of before. David is still holding on to his humanity. He hasn’t hurt anyone, I promise. He’ll even go out of his way to stay away from us if the urge strikes. Please, just help me out here,” Marko begged the two. He hated the idea of being away from home for too long, and he wanted to be close to his family if they needed him. It was the most important thing to him right now.   Thankfully, the brothers seemed understanding and sympathetic, feeling genuinely touched by their friend’s devotion to his family. They gave each other a nod before standing up from their chairs.    “Alright. But you better be on your guard, Marko. We’re gonna do what we have to in order to keep you safe,” Dwayne said.    “Yeah. And you better be ready to get all hot and sweaty with all the working out that’s involved~” Paul added, a playful glint in his eye.    Marko tried his best to hide how red his face was getting. If all the stress about his brother wouldn’t be the end of him, then the flirting certainly would be. Still, it was best to keep his focus. If he was going to fix this whole mess, he’d need to keep his head straight. 

The sun had gone down for the day, yet Max was fully bursting with energy. He was completely focused on his cooking, letting the chicken roast in one pan and a colorful array of veggies cook in another. On top of one of the back burners was a pot of white rice to go as a side. It was all coming together nicely, and he was feeling quite proud of himself.    He only hoped Lucy would really enjoy all of this as well.    “Oh Max, it’s so nice seeing you so giddy about a girl! It’s been far too long since you had a special gal in your life,” Grandma said, passing through the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. She had been quite busy with a new piece she’d recently purchased for her collection, meaning she would be spending the night locked away in her office. She’d only come out for a hot drink and to say hi to Max’s lady friend.   “I’ll say! After the fiasco with David, I’d love to have everyone feel a bit more at ease,” Max explained, tasting a piece of the chicken. It was perfectly juicy, just the right temperature for serving.  Speaking of which, David was getting some preparations done as well, only they had nothing to do with dinner plans. Once the sun had left the sky, he felt like himself again. All the grogginess and physical pain he was in cleared away, and his energy boosted. He didn’t want to waste a single second of the limited time the night granted him, so he dressed in his usual dark clothing and boots, ready to sneak out yet again.   He wouldn’t leave a note this time. He’d be back in a few hours' time. No doubt his father would be occupied in the meantime.    Before he could begin his climb out the window, David spotted a car pulling into the driveway. It was a massive station wagon, complete with wood paneling and plenty of space for passengers in the back. When it came to a halt, a redhead woman dressed in a flowy, silver dress stepped out of the driver’s seat. She looked far too glamorous for a simple dinner at home.

  So that was the Lucy he had heard about. 

  He couldn’t help but wonder why a woman who was apparently single and childless had a car built for a huge family. The more he studied her, the more curious he got about what was going on with her and his father.   A dog hopped out of the car next, standing right by her side as she grabbed her purse. He looked quite focused, no doubt due to his protective nature as a service dog. Lucy scratched his ear as she gazed over the area, taking in the surroundings of Grandma’s house.    Despite the considerable distance between his bedroom window and the driveway, David couldn’t help but notice a rather dissatisfied look on Lucy’s face. As if she didn’t like what she was seeing. Between that and her outfit, he wondered if she was a bit of a snob and was judging his family’s home for its appearance.    If she was going to be a stuck up guest, he wasn’t going to stick around to meet her. He chose to stay hidden until she and the dog started walking along the stone path to the entrance by the kitchen. Once he was certain she wouldn’t spot him, he climbed out the window and down the side of the house to where his bike was parked earlier.    The sooner he got out and found Maria again, the better.  

    Back inside the kitchen, Max was finishing up the last few touches with dinner, ready to plate everything. He was about to grab a few dinner dishes when he was interrupted by a knock at the kitchen door. His heart started beating a bit faster inside his chest from his excitement at seeing Lucy again. Quickly, he switched off the stove burners before throwing the door open.   “Good evening!” Lucy greeted him, a warm smile on her face. Max could have melted into a puddle just from how pretty she looked. “May I come in?”   “By all means! My home is your home,” Max said, gesturing for her and Nanook to enter. She seemed quite happy to be welcomed inside. “I hope you enjoy Chinese style dishes, because I made Chop Suey. Please make yourself comfortable! I’m just going to finish setting the table in the dining room!”   Lucy nodded, happy to let him finish his work. It was so nice getting to spend time with Max again, and in his own home, no less. She admired the delicious-looking spread of food on the stove, eager to try his cooking.    “Sorry, Max! I forgot my reading glasses, I’ll just quickly pass thro-”   Lucy turned to face the source of the new voice that greeted her ears. Max’s mother was face to face with the redheaded woman, but the look on her face quickly shifted from content to confused. She wasn’t sure what to anticipate from the woman her son was having dinner with, but something had caught her off guard.    “Oh hello! You must be Mrs. Johnson! It’s lovely to meet you!” Lucy smiled, sticking out a hand to shake as a proper greeting. The older woman didn’t accept it.

  “Do I know you?” she questioned, her eyes narrowing as she crossed her arms. She carefully examined Lucy’s features, studying each part from head to toe. “You look very familiar…”

  A nervous chuckle came from Lucy’s mouth. This certainly wasn’t what she expected from the possibility of meeting Max’s family. She lowered her hand, choosing to place it on top of her dog’s head instead.    “Oh! Maybe we knew each other in another life!” she said with a playful giggle. There was still a gravely serious expression on Grandma Johnson’s face.    Thankfully, Max slipped back into the kitchen in order to save this moment from getting any more awkward. He grinned at the two, completely oblivious to the tension that had developed since he had left. His mother turned to leave again. She would be in her study, but her mind was just focused on what was going on with Lucy that made her feel so off.    “I hope everything’s alright,” Max said, hoping the two had gotten along. Lucy decided not to worry so much about his mother. All that mattered was a pleasant night with Max. She reached out a hand to cup his cheek before leaning in to give him a quick peck. It was adorable how red his face was getting just from that small act of affection.   “Oh, everything’s perfectly fine!” she said. “Why don’t we go ahead and eat? Everything smells absolutely terrific!” “Well, I’d love to, but maybe I should check on the boys. I don’t want them to feel left out on dinner. I’m still a little worr-”   Max found his words slipping away when Lucy leaned forward to press a finger to his lips. Her smile was still present, albeit a bit more amorous in nature now.    “I’m sure they’ll be fine. I’d love to spend some time just with you, Max”   Something about this woman never failed to leave him absolutely spellbound. He wasn’t used to being desired so much by such a special woman. Lucy was a total catch, and she was going after a goof like him. It was nearly impossible to not follow her wishes.   “Well…I supposed it couldn’t hurt to save them some leftovers. I just hope everything goes right this time around,” he said, feeling a bit more flustered now.   “As long as I’m with you, this night will be perfect, Max. There’s nothing to worry about,” Lucy assured him. How could he possibly have any doubts about tonight when she made things so wonderful?

To both his relief and concern, Marko and his friends spotted David sneaking off with his motorcycle just moments before they got back to the house. Dwayne and Paul each had motorcycles of their own, albeit ones that were smaller and more beat up than David’s ride. Still, Marko was able to ride on the back of Dwayne’s just fine.    It was good that David wouldn’t pose as a threat to the Murray brothers for now, but there was still the worry that he would be tempted in some way to give into his urge to feed while he was out. While he got off the bike and ushered his friends up the driveway, he sent some encouraging thoughts to David.

  Good luck, man. I hope you know what you’re doing.

  The three boys quickly made their way to the backyard of the Johnson house. Just as Marko had promised, there was plenty of room to work and practice with. There was a faint breeze in the warm summer air. Thorn was laying in the grass, watching over Marko while lazily chewing a bone.    “Let’s start with the classic stake first,” Dwayne said, shrugging off his jacket. He grabbed one of the wooden weapons from the bag before tossing it back to his brother. “You wanna keep both hands on it if you can. You can’t risk losing your grip and getting it knocked out of your hand”   Dwayne stood behind the curly-haired boy, wrapping his arms around to help him match the proper hold technique on the weapon. It was a bit of a challenge to focus clearly with Dwayne so close to him, but Marko would do his best to push back any feelings he was currently experiencing.   Paul removed his own jacket as well. Before they all had left, he had packed a piece of chest armor as part of their training tools. He had on a white tank top over the armor, and Marko soon figured out why that was. From his pocket, Paul pulled out a red marker and used it to add small marks on the front of his shirt. He was mapping out the best spots for Marko as a reference.   “You really gotta know all the weak spots. I’ve got a protective layer on so you won’t actually stake me, bud!” he said, getting up close to Marko as well. “Vampire anatomy is the exact same as a human’s anatomy, so this is your best guide. Just follow Dwayne’s lead so he can show you where to hit”   “Wouldn’t using a practice dummy be more practical for this?” Marko asked, feeling a little snarky.   The two brothers each shook their heads. Paul, in particular, was acting a bit more bouncy now, shifting his weight on his feet and shaking his arms out to loosen up a bit.   “A practice dummy doesn’t move. A vampire does. If you’re gonna get this right, you need a moving target. No bloodsucker is gonna stay still while you try to stab it”   Marko couldn’t deny that was a fair point. He just hoped he wouldn’t screw up his very first practice session and accidentally hurt someone. He peaked over his shoulder to get a good look at Dwayne. The brunet seemed so serious. So laser-focused on getting this right for Marko’s sake. 

  “Okay. I trust you guys. Let’s do this”

Lucy was nothing short of charming as a dinner guest in his home. Hearing her talk was absolutely lovely, whether it was about life in Santa Carla or the lounge she worked so hard for. Of course, she was also quite a good listener too. For the first time in quite a while, Max felt a bit more outgoing and excited to talk about himself. He shared his dreams, goals and greatest joys with her, all while being completely lost in her beautiful blue eyes.   He felt so drawn to her, like a sailor to a siren song. So enraptured by her charms.   “So tell me something, Lucy,“ Max began in between bites of food. “You seem to really like children. After helping out with that little boy outside your lounge and letting me talk about my kids, that was the idea I had. Do you have any of your own?”   “Oh, I do love children! They’re so sweet and adorable. I was always the kind of lady who wanted a great, big family,” Lucy said, a dreamy smile on her face. “But…as for my own…it’s kind of complicated…”    Max’s expression changed to something more serious, reflecting his worry that he had said something wrong and unintentionally upset her. She was quick to shake her hands, trying to ward off any negative thoughts Max was having.   “Oh, don’t worry! I’m doing alright and there are plenty of other ways to make your own family. I came to terms with that quite a long time ago,” she assured him. “Besides, Nanook helps me whenever I’m feeling blue”   As if he was given a cue, Nanook raised his head from Lucy’s lap and gave her hand a small lick. She pet his soft fur, silently praising him for being a good dog.   “Well, whatever I can do to help you feel a little less lonely, please let me know,” Max offered. The way her happy shifted into something more flirtatious when he said that only made his lovestruck feelings even stronger. 

  “I’m sure there’s something you can do~”   Max knew what she meant, but he still had to remind himself to take some action. Kiss her, you idiot.

He was so very close to doing just that when the sound of the paws on the kitchen floor interrupted his actions. Thorn had decided to come in from the doggy door and join them out in the dining room. He seemed to be in a fairly happy mood.

  That was until he locked eyes with Nanook. 

  A flip was switched within the pooch and he rapidly shifted into a far more aggressive stance. His ears folded back, his fur stood up on his back, tail was lowered and his fangs revealed. A low growl came from his throat, directing a threat right at the other dog.    “Thorn! What’s gotten int-”   Max didn’t even get the chance to finish his question before the dog lashed out, barking and snarling at Nanook. All hell broke loose as pounced at the Malamute, initiating a chase around the table. Lucy sprung up from her seat, horrified by what was going on. Max desperately had to stop this before one or both of their dogs got hurt.   “STOP IT, THORN! DOWN!” he shouted, trying his best but failing to grab hold of his collar. It didn’t help that in the chaos, Nanook had grabbed onto part of the tablecloth with his teeth, and pulled it down to act as an obstacle for Thorn.    Of course, the entire dinner spread on the table came down with it, food, drinks and dishes crashing loudly onto the floor. Lucy screeched as a reflex, only adding to the loudness of the scene.   Marko had been in the middle of training with Paul and Dwayne when he heard Lucy screaming. He looked at both of them, trading a knowing look of horror. There could be an attack going on inside, and they had to act fast.    The three boys burst through the door of the kitchen, quickly sprinting to the dining room to see what was going on. To their shock, they saw a great mess on the floor, a very panicked Max, a terrified Lucy cowering in the corner and two dogs growling and barking at one another, ready to fight.

  This had to stop immediately. 

  “BAD DOG! HEEL!” Marko snapped at his German Shepherd, grabbing at his collar to hold him back. Paul and Dwayne went for the other dog, cornering Nanook off to the side and getting down on his level to help soothe him a bit. They didn’t really know the best way to help a service dog in distress, but at the very least, they could help keep him safe while Marko pulled Thorn away.    “Marko, put him in the living room and close the door so he doesn’t get out!” Max instructed his son. It was easier said than done, as Thorn was still fighting back to snap at Nanook. Marko pushed himself as hard as he could to get Thorn out of the room as quickly as possible. The two brothers helped guide Nanook over to Lucy so that the two of them could comfort each other. If she needed the help of her service dog, now was certainly the time for it.   It took a bit of time for everything to calm down. Thorn was hidden away and Max was doing his best to comfort Lucy while the boys tried to help clean up the mess that was made.    “Lucy, I cannot apologize enough for all this,” Max said, deeply humiliated by the predicament he had gotten himself into. Marko didn’t like seeing his father like this, especially since it wasn’t his fault Thorn had freaked out like this. After the first instance with David, he couldn’t help but wonder if he had done a bad job at training his dog.   “It’s all my fault, Lucy! I'm really sorry about Thorn!” Marko spoke up. He wouldn’t let Max take the blame for this. Not after all he’d been through recently.    To their surprise, Lucy seemed to be quite understanding about the whole matter. She gave them a soft smile as she pet Nanook, letting him stay by her side until her nerves calmed down.   “Oh, you boys are sweet,” she said in a soft voice. “It’s alright. I probably shouldn’t have brought him to begin with. There are several situations I should have him better prepared for, anyway. Consider this all an important lesson learned”   She stood up from her spot and turned to the two brothers who had paused their cleaning. It was only then that they realized they hadn’t even introduced themselves before everything happened with the dogs. 

  “And you two…”   “Dwayne” “Paul!”

“Yes, Dwayne and Paul. I appreciate you both helping keep Nanook safe. You seem like very resourceful boys,” she complimented them. They each gave her a nod, not entirely certain what else to say in this rather awkward moment. 

  Lucy turned her attention back to Max and Marko. She felt a lot better now, but there was no way to continue with the plans this evening now that their dinner was currently on the floor among silverware and shards of dishes.    “Max, thank you for letting me come over. Why don’t we give this another try tomorrow night? I’ll make arrangements for Star to cover the lounge and we can have dinner over at my house instead. Would that be alright?”   “I would love nothing more than to try that,” Max said. She really was a wonderful woman to have put up with this and still want to spend time with him.   With a quick kiss on Max’s cheek, Lucy turned her attention to his son, smiling at him while holding Nanook’s leash in hand.   “Marko, would you please walk me to my car?”   The youngest Johnson boy gave his father an apologetic look before leading Lucy to the back door. Max would get right back into cleaning up the mess with the help of his son’s friends. He only hoped tomorrow would finally go their way.   Marko wasn’t entirely sure what to say as he led Lucy out the door and to her car. What should one say to their father’s sort-of-girlfriend after a disastrous dinner date? Thankfully, she was the one to speak first.

“You know, I can certainly see that Max has raised quite the little gentleman,” Lucy said to him. She opened the side door in the back for Nanook to hop inside.    “Uh…thanks…” he said. Marko didn’t think being seventeen years old qualified as being considered “little”.    Now that it was just the two of them, he could get a better idea of what Lucy was thinking. She was still smiling, but there was something a bit off. It was like she was holding back a secret. A deep, dark secret that she felt pretty confident about keeping to herself. It was rather strange, especially when she kept going.   “Though, I think it’s about time this place had a bit of a motherly change to it,” she said. Lucy reached a hand out to give Marko’s cheek a gentle squeeze. It didn’t hurt, but he couldn’t help but flinch from the sudden gesture. He really wasn’t comfortable with this.   “Don’t worry, sweetie. I’m not going to steal your father away. I just want you to have a happy family. I’ll make absolutely certain of that,” she promised. Only when she finally let go of him was Marko able to feel like himself. Goosebumps popped up on his arms as he watched her get into her car and head down the driveway.

  Even if he felt bad about what happened, there was something still very off with Lucy. Helping his brother was still the top priority right now, but Marko had a feeling he was going to have to look out for his father now too. 

#the lost boys #tlb #ao3 fic #my fic #david the lost boys #max the lost boys #marko the lost boys #paul the lost boys #dwayne the lost boys #lucy emerson #swap fic #swap au

[random-thought-depository]

I've finished Echopraxia. Validating to see Peter Watts noticed the same fridge logic issues with Blindsight vampires that I did:

"Pretty good hack right?" Admiration mingled with fear in Sengupta's voice. "Can you imagine what those fuckers could do if they actually could stand to be in the same room together?"

He shook his head, amazed, trying to take it in. "That's why we made sure they couldn't."

"Made? I thought they were just you know. Really territorial."

"Nobody's that territorial. Someone must've amped their responses to keep them from ganging up on us." Bruks shrugged. "Like the Crucifix Glitch, only - deliberate."

"How do you know that I haven't seen that anywhere."

"Like you said, Rak: it's the only model that fits. How do you think the line could even breed if their default response was to eviscerate each other on sight? Call it the, the Divide and Conquer Glitch." He smiled bitterly. "Oh, we were good." - Echopraxia.

Yeah, not just how they'd even breed if they were like that, but as I kind of touched on previously, "how did any vampires survive their childhoods?" is a huge fridge logic issue with the "vampires kill each other on sight" thing. It makes no sense for a highly intelligent hominid species to kill each other on sight because humans are possibly the most intensely K-strategist animals on the planet and we're like that because we're smart; human babies are extremely vulnerable and dependent because of the big infant head problem and human children need a long period of learning and lots of attention for that extended phenotype of culture to be passed on. Vampires would need a huge exception to the "totally selfish and super-aggressive toward each other" rule just to explain how any vampire survived their childhood, let alone to explain how they managed to develop and maintain any culture (like that click language they supposedly had), and having culture is one of the primary advantages of being smart. And if vampire children were at all like human children I can't even really see it working with just a mother-child bond, for the first years at least there's probably going to need to be at least one other "parent" (father, grandmother, aunt, whatever) to hunt while the mother is stuck with the extremely dependent young child, so that implies that cooperative relationships between adult vampires were possible and common.

Really, the implication is right there even in Blindsight itself, in the part where it speculates that ancient vampires had a language and specifically a language designed to imitate natural sounds so they could talk to each other while sneaking up on prey and you can hear traces of this in modern vampire vocal tics. That implies ancient vampires hunted cooperatively, talked to each other substantially, and had their own culture!

The book suggests this was a genetic tweak (the index mentions alterations to facial recognition mechanisms), but I think it would make a lot of sense if a lot has to do with differences in upbringing. This is the way Echopraxia describes the social environment modern vampires are kept in:

Every vampire ever brought back from the junkyard: scrupulously isolated from their own kind, every aspect of their environment regulated and monitored. Hemmed in by crosses and right angles, mortally dependent on precisely rationed drugs to keep them from seizing at the sight of a windowpane. Creatures that, for all their terrifying strength and intelligence, couldn't even open their eyes on a city street without keeling over.

...

He shook his head. "They'd never have met. Vampires are hardly ever allowed in the same wing of a building at the same time, let alone the same room. And if they did meet they'd be more likely to tear out each other's throats than draw up escape plans."

So, modern vampires have been raised entirely by people with a radically different neurotype (humans) who have no idea what parenting styles a vampire child would respond well to, in total isolation from any members of their own species. This sounds to me like a recipe for profound social and psychological maladjustment.

Imagine you're a member of a species with low-trust social intuitions and you've been raised by weak, slow, stupid, timid people you intuitively recognize as prey and who are very obviously afraid of you, and then you meet a member of your own kind; a stranger as fast and strong and smart and fierce as you who can credibly look at you and think "I can take them." I bet you'd feel really threatened!

So, yeah, I think plausibly the primary reason ancient vampires weren't so psychotically aggressive toward each other is they had their entire childhoods to get acclimatized to dealing with people with about the same capabilities and mindset as themselves and develop emotional and psychological resources for that.

I like the idea that, like, ancient vampires were profoundly not nice people (for one thing they literally ate people, for another thing given Siri's emotional reaction to Jukka's mannerisms I really doubt most of the ancient vampire DNA in humans got there consensually), but modern vampires are like a Flanderized parody of them with a lot of their worst traits amped up to eleven, because they're kind of like feral children. Like, if an ancient vampire met Jukka or Valerie they'd be like "oh my God, you poor messed-up feral child, what happened to you?"

#Blindsight #Echopraxia #vampires

[redratt]

[II] 6, [III] 4, [IV] 1, 3, and 7, for Molly!

What were their ambitions in life? How has this changed?

It's bold to assume Molly had any particular ambitions. I mean, she did, but ambition isn't something that a Bratovich often has, and her ambitiousness often was limited to being able to be useful in a good hunt, something like that. In a way, she never expected... this. She spent her life working around the territory, doing hard physical labor, farming, and hunting. and also, you know, cutting apart bodies or whatever unsavory shit she had to do, but that's par for the course. Now that she's a vampire, though, Molly certainly does have ambitions, but they're oddly like... docile and peaceful, considering what she is. See, Molly's taken to being an Abbot really well, and she likes the work it entails. She takes pride in providing for her pack. It feels good to be able to ensure nobody goes hungry. So she's got this domesticity to her that's probably actually very hard to pick up on, but the fact that she knows everyone's personal blood tastes... she knows her stuff. So I suppose it's a matter of no ambition to the ambition of "being the best Abbot she can be and being a sabbat kind of homemaker." Do they have a coterie?

Molly has a pack! She's the second newest member of the pack, with the newest addition being a hunter who tried to kill her (the Garden Snakes have a sense of humor, and they really enjoy targeting hunters who fail their job). Among the pack, Molly is still finding her footing. She's the abbot, but there's a sense that that happened almost by accident/expectation; Beatrix certainly would have just assumed the Bratovich knew how to keep a good house, given that the Bratoviches are Tzimisce revenants. ... even if the house is unconventional. ... and has a lot of strange things in it that are bloody. And bear traps laying around. and- So Molly really looks up to all the senior members of her pack. There's no question that she's slept with Beatrix, given the Cathari's generally promiscuous nature and also I mean, Beatrix would have 100 percent have railed some uppity Tzimisce's revenant even before Molly got turned. Eden is probably super intimidating and Molly has like, these weird feelings mostly caused by the usual repression of someone from her area. But she respects them both. Dawson and Molly probably got into more than a few arguments, solely because they're ... i mean, dude's a Knight. But Molly gets along with him now and appreciates his steady presence. it helps that he's probably the least picky eater in the entire group, next to Beatrix. Molly doesn't have to stress much about providing in that regard.

Lavinia scares her but fascinates her. She's seen Lavinia rip out someone's spine. so it's like. "hey, you scare me, but your whole dedication is cool too." meanwhile she and Elodie literally tried to kill one another and now they cant look one another in the eye because they're bonded very closely. it's literally like a mid 2000s yuri anime up in here with the amount of [looks eachother in the eye] [gets flustered] [looks away/someone storms out] that goes on. it's unhinged. it's next level. Molly rips someone's neck out and Elodie looks at her and the scene slows down and its like YOURE THE MEANING IN MY LIFE YOU'RE THE INSPIRAAAATIONNNN. they may as well be in a girl's love catholic school anime with the amount of unresolved tension between them. Thoughts on the Camarilla? Molly thinks they're dumb as hell because they don't use revenants. but also because they're literally creating their own problems! why are they killing their neonates? and this is when i tell you that Molly knows literally nothing about the Camarilla that isn't tainted in some way by the point of view of her sire, Gulo, or of her family, or of her pack. Molly literally thinks that all camarilla princes kill new vampires because they can. she thinks that the camarilla wants to domesticate humans into like, house pets. and also uhhh you know there's the whole "the camarilla is out here gargling the antediluvian's balls" so yknow. that's not great either. she's not a fan but the funny thing is she actually doesn't know dick about the real camarilla, and everything she does know is ... skewed and slightly to the left, turned 90 degrees. Thoughts on the Sabbat? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS7mk-UtdjQ THEY ARE NUMBER ONE! Thoughts on Garou? SO THIS IS GOING TO BE INTERESTING. LOL. So-- for those of you who only know werewolf, i need to explain something about the revenant family that Molly comes from. The Bratoviches are ... hunters. Like, jason voorhees, texas chainsaw massacre horror movie slasher killers. ... the Tzimisce like to use them to hunt garou. It's a lethal thing, and a lot of them do die. But the thing is, they're good. At it. A Bratovich worth their salt knows how to contribute to the hunt. And Molly got turned because she was the one who killed a Garou on their land. Sure, it was just a Black Spiral Dancer off their shit, but Molly is the one who landed the killing shot with that silver bullet, and that's why Gulo turned her. So molly... she thinks of the Garou as threats, but the thing is, it's not the same raw horror that other Cainites feel. Molly? Molly knows a werewolf's weaknesses. she knows about their rages, and she knows about silver, and she knows that if you can catch one alone and you think smart... you can take them down. Garou are terrifying to other people, and Molly doesn't disrespect them, mind. But she thinks of Garou as dangerous animals, as apex predators that she is capable of hunting. She feels a thrill when she's laying a trap for a Garou. She's never going to face one head on without ample preparation, mind. She's not a fucking idiot. But at the same time, a Garou who postures at her will find that Molly is a lot smarter than she looks, and she always carries silver bullets. One of her firearms is always ready for a Garou. so it's this thing where molly isn't going to start a needless fight, but Molly is also keenly aware of their dangers... and is still aware that she can kill them. She just has to be careful. You're not going to catch her picking a fight with a pack -- but you might be able to find the aftermath of Molly having found a little way to worm herself into the armor of a Garou's defense and lay a devastating trap. She knows what makes them angry. so... i guess it's respect, fear, and anticipation all at once.

#vampire the masquerade #sabbat #vtm #red asks #red writes #molly bratovich #tzimisce #clan tzimisce

[cosmicjoke]

Okay, I have no idea if the ghost of Roger is real or if he’s just a manifestation of Lestat’s conscience (and nobody tell me either), but this is amazing, and there’s just some quotes from their conversation I want to highlight, because of how much I think they say about who Lestat really is.  Seeing this juxtaposed with the oddly brutal killing and seemingly psychopathic dismembering of Roger after Lestat kills him makes it all the more impactful.  Because more than anything, it feels like Lestat is disassociating while disposing of Roger’s body, because underneath it all he’s ridden with guilt and disdain for what he’s done and for himself.  Lestat in truth has such a deep conscience, and once again we see the struggle in him between him human nature and his vampiric nature.  He isn’t and never has been some cold hearted, merciless killer who feels nothing for his victims.  On the contrary, I think Lestat, in many ways, has more compassion and genuine human feeling for the lives of the people he kills than any other vampire.  I think a large part of the reason he makes his stalking and killing of his victims so personal is precisely BECAUSE he has genuine respect for them and their lives, because he values life.  He can’t really disconnect himself from them, or view them as objects, or prey.  They’re always human beings to him, which is why I think Lestat’s guilt is so deep and so consuming.  Because he isn’t a psychopath or a sociopath.  He’s a killer, an apex predator, because he’s a vampire, but he isn’t at all without sympathy or empathy.  Like how he tries to disconnect with Roger, tries to view him as “the Victim” but once he’s killed him, he starts thinking of him by his actual name again.  He can’t think of him as anything less than a person, which indicates to me that Lestat is once again trying to assume this role of evil monster, to lean into this image he has of himself as this unfeeling, uncaring demon who stalks his prey and sees them as nothing but food.  But of course he isn’t ever able to maintain that belief, because it isn’t true.  Eventually, it cracks and we see his humanity come out.

“Only problem was that Roger’s stench clung to me.  Roger.  He’d been “the Victim” until when?  Now I was calling him Roger.  Was that emblematic of love?”

This part too

“The head I deposited in a similar manner much farther away.  Back door dumpster.  Wet garbage of a restaurant.  Stench.  I took no last look at the head.  It embarrassed me.  It was no trophy.  I would never save a man’s head as a trophy.  The idea seemed deplorable.  I didn’t like the hard feel of it through the plastic.”

Lestat has always run away from the bodies of those he’s killed, without disposing of them, because he can’t bear or tolerate the reality of their deaths.  He wants to be away from it usually, because it’s an appalling thing to him.  He doesn’t revel in death.  And he even thinks here of how he’s finally being a “good vampire” by getting rid of this body (which he’s doing for Dora’s sake, which also in its own, bizarre way, speaks to his humanity).  The other vampires scold him for never doing this, but we see in the unsettling reality of it just WHY Lestat never does it.  It shows a certain kind of disconnect, a certain kind of dehumanization to dispose of ones victims.  It’s regular practice for other vampires, but Lestat feels put off by the whole thing.  At the same time, he’s feeling so self-loathing here that he thinks he deserves to have to deal with this ugliness for enjoying killing Roger the way he did

“On and on I walked.  I kicked at the sludge and I hated myself.  I could smell him and hated this too.  But in a way, the feast had been so divine that it was just to require this aftermath, this cleaning up.”

And this quote from ghost Roger is quite telling too, when Lestat claims that he doesn’t care at all about how many years he’s cut Roger’s life short by

“You’ve got quite a swagger, don’t you?” he said acidly.  “But you’re nothing as shallow as you pretend to be.”

And again this

“Depth, I’ve been murdered by a being with depth, how fortunate, someone who actually keenly appreciated my death, no?”

And then there’s just the whole nature of Lestat’s conversation with Roger here, with Roger imploring Lestat to listen to him, to listen to his story, to help his daughter, and Lestat insisting he doesn’t want to hear it, and that he can’t help Dora, but of course, eventually, just giving in and agreeing to do as Roger asks.  Lestat seems incredibly tortured during this whole scene,  like with this exchange

“You have to guard her.”

“I can’t do such a thing.  I won’t.”

“Lestat, will you listen to me?”

“I don’t want to listen.  I want you to go.”

“I know you do.”

“Look, I never meant to kill you, I’m sorry, it was all a mistake, I should have picked someone...” My hands were shaking.  Oh, how fascinating all this would sound later, and right now I begged God, of all people, please make this stop, all of it, stop.”

The crazy thing about Lestat is that I think, as Roger says to him, he has a keen appreciation for death, because he understands so well how horrifying and scary it is.  He doesn’t take it lightly.  He doesn’t take the taking of life lightly.  He’s horrified by death, by the concept of ceasing to exist, by the unknown of it.  He questions Roger about where he’s going to go after they’re finished talking, wanting to know if he believes in God.

When Roger asks Lestat what his own thoughts are on death, and what happens when we die, he answers

“It terrifies me either way or any way.”

And Roger answers

“Terrifies you?  Well, it’s not happening to you.  You make it happen to others...”

And I think this is part of why Lestat is so tortured as a character.  Because he’s this creature that causes death, that subsists on it, even, but he doesn’t glorify it, he doesn’t worship at death’s alter.  He’s instead painfully aware of just how terrible and frightening it is.

And then there’s this last part, which speaks even louder to all of this I think, when Roger once again implores Lestat to listen to him and acknowledge him.    He tells Lestat his name, and Lestat replies with

“I know your name,” I said.  “I know everything about you, Roger.  Roger, the Ghost.  And you never let Old Captain touch you; you just let him adore you, and educate you, and take you places, and buy you beautiful things, and you never even had the decency to go to bed with him.”

I said those things, about the images I’d drunk with his blood, but without malice.  I was just talking in wonder how how bad we all are, the lies we tell.

He said nothing for the moment.

I was overwhelmed.  It was grief veritably blinding me, and bitterness and a deep ugly horror for what I had done to him, and to others and that I had ever harmed any living creature.  Horror.”

Lestat is so guilt ridden, and it’s just painful and heartbreaking to watch him struggle so terribly between these two, duelling parts of his nature.  And finally he gives in to hearing Roger tell his story, finally he acknowledges to himself that he loves this person he’s killed

“Yes, I did love him.  I did want to look at him.  I did want him to tell me everything, every last little detail!”

Really, it kind of says it all with this exchange between them

“You do love me,” he whispered.  He looked serene and intrigued.  Way beyond flattery.  Way beyond me.

“Passion,” I whispered.  “It was your passion.”

“Yes, I know.  I’m flattered.  I wasn’t run down by a truck in the street, or shot by a hit man.  You killed me!  You, and you must be one of the best of them.”

“Best of what?”

“Whatever you call yourself.  You’re not human.  Yet you are...”

Lestat isn’t human, and yet he is.   He has a human heart and soul.

#Lestat De Lioncourt #memnoch the devil

[percontaion-points]

Crave chapters 48-50

Click to see the rest of the snark & image descriptions

Chapter 48

“You—” My voice breaks, and I clear my throat. Try again. “The earthquakes. They’re you?” 

He nods, looks wary. 

“Even the big ones?” I ask, and I can feel my eyes going wide. “All of them?” 

“I’m so sorry.”

How boring and predictable. 

“Come on.” He takes my hand in his and tugs me toward his bedroom. 

IT’S STILL BEEN FIVE GODDAMNED DAYS. SLOW THE FUCK DOWN. 

“Because it reminds me of how I got it, and I don’t want you anywhere near that world. And I sure as hell don’t want that world anywhere near you.”

Chapter 48 summary: First, Jaxon bites Grace, which is something akin to having an orgasm. And then they start making out. They take a brief pause to establish that it’s Jaxon who is causing the earthquakes… and then resume sucking face. Except that it’s the exact opposite of sexy. I’m 15 all over again, going to English class, and forced to walk past the “it couple” of the week making out in the middle of the hall. 

They finally go into his bedroom, where I’m somewhat relieved that no hanky panky happens. Instead, she sits down and starts spewing out bad joke after bad joke. She pushes his hair back, and he tells her that thinking about his scar only reminds him of how he got it, and how he wants to keep her far away from that reason. 

Chapter 49

“I can’t imagine you hurting your brother on purpose.”

 He turns on me then, eyes showing that yawning, empty blackness I’m coming to hate so much. “Then your imagination isn’t good enough.”

They’re vampires. It’s already been off-handedly mentioned that they have an intense political system. I can think of a few reasons. 

“So am I right in guessing that Hudson was not exactly responsible with his power?” 

“A lot of young vampires aren’t.” 

“That’s not an answer.” I raise a brow, wait for him to look at me. It takes longer than it should. “And you strike me as very responsible.”

He almost killed you because he popped a boner. That’s not being responsible. 

“Add in the fact that a lot of people got an up-close-and-personal look at my power and no one’s happy. And can you blame them? How do they know I won’t turn like my brother did?”

To be fair, the fact that he can think about his brother’s plan and go “wow, that’s completely and utterly fucked up” says that he’s already doing much better than Hudson. 

I tangle my hands in his hair, pull his mouth down to mine. And give him the only thing he’ll accept from me.

Chapter 49 summary: They make out for a little bit more before he slowly begins to tell her what happened. First, he kind of hems and haws and refuses to give her any actual details. But he eventually starts to spill his guts. 

He tells her that Hudson was slated to be the next king of the vampires. And that vampires inherit powers from their parents, and each new generation is more powerful than the last. So his generation is crazy strong. 

But Hudson was out of control. He had this plan in mind to make vampires into the number one species. And in order to do that, he had to genocide… not only only the werewolves, but the dragons, the witches… the humans. Obviously once the genocide word is thrown around, Jaxon started to have doubts about his brother’s mental health. He tried to go to their parents, but literally nobody would listen. So Jaxon did what he had to do. He murdered a bunch of Hudson’s followers, and then Hudson. 

He pointedly tells Grace to stop looking at him like he’s a victim. He made his choices, and he’d make the same choices again in a heartbeat. He has no regrets whatsoever. 

Chapter 50

“That’s impossible—he wasn’t even on the branch with me.” 

Jaxon narrows his eyes in an are you kidding me kind of way. “He wasn’t underneath the chandelier with you, either.” 

“So what? He got one of the shifters to half break the branch before the snowball fight, knowing it was going to be windy?” 

“More like he got one of his dragon friends to start the wind that caused all the problems. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, Grace. The dragons can’t be trusted, and Flint absolutely can’t.”

Let’s pretend for two seconds that what Jaxon is saying is true. That Flint is the cause of the branch breaking and the chandelier falling. 

Exactly what purpose would killing this random human WHO DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THAT DRAGONS ACTUALLY EXISTED serve?

While I admit that Jaxon is bringing up some good points, his idea of Flint trying to murder Grace has more holes than Swiss cheese. 

“If you’re well enough to be up here, you’re probably well enough to be in class, don’t you think?”

Touche. 

It’s honestly kind of refreshing to see an adult in a YA novel who calls the protagonist out on her BS and is an actual parental figure. 

“First period should be about half done right now…”

Despite this conversation with Jaxon having taken up like 2000 chapters, less than 30 minutes have passed…?

“Give me one reason not to ship your ass to Prague, Vega. And make sure it’s a good one.”

Chapter 50 summary: They make out some more (ugh. Is every chapter from here on out going to start like this?) before Jaxon stops and says that he wants to talk about her safety. He then spins this tale about how Flint is the one who is actually trying to kill her. That he used his powers to chuck Flint under Grace when she fell out of the tree; Flint hadn’t dived to save her. 

And it’s not as though Jaxon isn’t raising good points. But as I said: the math about why the werewolves and dragons want Grace dead isn’t adding up. 

Finn then shows up and pointedly tells Grace that if she’s well enough to make out with her boyfriend, then she’s well enough to go to class. She agrees, which seems to surprise her uncle, and leaves. 

#Crave series #Crave (Crave 1) #chapter 48 #chapter 49 #Chapter 50 #Grace (Crave) #jaxon vega #predictable plot is predictable #yawn #bad timeline #I would ask where the editor was but I think we all know there was none #Hudson (Crave) #Flint (Crave) #Finn (Crave)

[raksha-the-demon]

@anonykarp

I would LOVE to hear more about your punny werewolf that I am now invested in against my will (curse your writing prowess *shakes fist*) Especially whatever you mean by "normal" werewolf. But no one caught the joke??? Did no one ever READ as a child???

In fairness to the group, I have avoided calling her “Julie of the Werewolves” out loud, as I intended it more as a stealth joke. I’m sure It’ll hit them in the face at some point.

As for Julie being the only “normal” werewolf, she finds out pretty quickly after meeting them all that the Bacchus Bunch is not a regular werewolf pack. For starters, their pack totem is , as their name implies, Bacchus. Yes, that Bacchus. Normal werewolf packs have totems like Stag, Bear, Raven…see a pattern? See how the Roman god of debauchery does not fit that pattern? Yeah. Makes them great at throwing parties, though.

But more importantly, this werewolf pack is only 50% werewolf. The other half consists of Chuck, an incredibly handsome  human mage whose love of costumes is only outdone by his love of yo-yo tricks, and Robyn, who looks like the little gray aliens from Stargate. Because she was grown in a Company lab using the DNA of a big gray alien from Titan.

As for the two werewolves, well they don’t exactly fit the mold either. Fennyl, the pack alpha, can do photosynthesis and may, in fact, be part plant. Meanwhile Jenny, another product of The Company’s R&D division run amok, is actually three separate werewolves sharing a human-suit. Oh, and she’s a reformed man-eater.

They all live in a mansion that used to belong to the vampire Lady Giovanni (whom they killed). The mansion boasts several amenities, including a ghost butler, a library filled with rare texts on spirit magic, an industrial-sized kitchen, an entire servant’s wing, and an unclosable gateway to the underworld. 

Julie learns all of these things while visiting on behalf of the Sept of the Green, which is essentially the local werewolf government. The pack of cubs (that is, newly-changed werewolves) had been put into their custody, and Julie was sent to make sure the cubs are getting the training they need. Or at least, that’s the official story. Unofficially Julie is pretty sure her mentor got her this assignment because the Bacchus Bunch doesn’t have a Philodox, and Julie is a Philodox without a pack, and surely Julie is ready to join another pack by now. 

Well, Auntie was half right: the pack has asked if Julie wants to join. But she’s not ready for that yet, and even if she was, this pack is clearly a train-wreck-in-progress. She’s just going to do her job, check that the cubs are learning everything they need to know to fight the Wyrm, and be on her way. 

But then she gets talking to Jenny about this old book they’re trying to get translated. They got the book from the ghost of Henry Ford in exchange for a police car, Jenny explains, and they know it’s got to be full of useful information. Trouble is, it’s written in a dead language that no one can translate. They do have one lead, though: a mouse spirit that knows the way to a mokole. The mokole are ancient were-crocodile/dinosaur creatures that were blessed by Gaia with ancestral memories, so translating a dead language should be no problem for them.

The only problem is that, like most werebeasts, the were-croco-dino probably despises werewolves. And with good reason, considering ancient werewolves were xenophobic maniacs who tried to eradicate any shapeshifter that wasn’t one of their own. So the animosity is fair. But it does mean that trying to ask one for help is incredibly dangerous. And, as Julie has figured out after spending just a few hours with them, nobody in this pack is particularly good at diffusing situations. They definitely don’t have Julie’s ability to calm a raging werebeast, which is exactly what they’re likely to be dealing with. 

Still, Julie is perfectly content to file all of that under “not her problem”. She’s got her own shit to deal with, thank you very much. But then Jenny starts trying to reassure Julie, saying that if she did tag along to help negotiate with the mokole and things went south anyway, Jenny would protect her. Just like Jenny protects everyone else in the pack. And then it’s not Jenny standing there, but Salieu, and there’s something horrible coming for them both and Salieu is pushing Julie out of the way and--

Julie shoves the memory aside.

Damn it, fine. She’ll help them, if only to reduce the odds that someone else will need to sacrifice themselves like an idiot. But just for this one mission. After that, she’s done with these people. 

#julie of the werewolves #trying to write this without including an oppressive amount of Lore was a challenge #hopefully it works? #anyway next up will be 'julie and fennyl's excellent adventure' and yes that is the session title in my notes

[metalheadsforblacklivesmatter]

Someone said about my post that the whole vampires and werewolves thing, mainly from Twilight, is a feature of Mormon culture and YES THE FUCK IT IS, AND LET ME EXPLAIN TO YOU WHY TWILIGHT IS FUCKING DISGUSTING:

1. The Mormon religion believes that dark/brown-skinned people are a curse, and that white people are pure, and a blessing. This is called the Curse of Cain, and this is exactly why Stephenie Meyer goes on and on and on about white skin being beautiful and literally “god-like” and “pure”.

And in her Wikipedia explaining the transformation of vampires, even the blackest human being can turn white. Meanwhile, the wolves, who are brown-skinned indigenous people, are portrayed as these curses upon the land who cannot control their anger, and who abuse their wives, and who are also able to imprint on children, because why not take that racism up a notch?

Bella Swan literally had a nightmare after meeting Jacob Black in the books. And also, of course the brown characters are animals who also happen to have problems with their anger, while the pretty white pristine and clean vampires are “in control” and “civil”, and basically perfect Greek statues, as the author stated.

And let me just mention the fact that actual wolves in real life aren’t aggressive or abusive, and they actually care about their families, and will nurture them to health when they’re injured, and do everything to protect them and keep them safe. The only wolves who have anger issues are the ones who are held in captivity, and are mistreated on top of that.

The whole idea that “wolves are all angry beasts who can’t control themselves” was debunked MULTIPLE TIMES… which makes this portrayal of brown people even more disrespectful.

2. Let’s talk about how they had no problem having Jacob Black become a pedophile (on top of being someone who s*xually assaulted Bella, because he can’t take no for an answer and be respectful.) that grooms Bella’s daughter to one day become his lover and wife.

3. Let’s also talk about how Jasper Hale was a confederate soldier, and nobody ever talks about that, nor do they care to mention it. One white girl in a comment section talked about how Jasper is “underrated” and “the best character ever”, and when somebody pointed out his racist past, she replied: “…You hear something?”

As if we shouldn’t give a fuck that people love a character who refuses to even acknowledge that he was part of a racist army.

4. Let’s talk about how Taylor Lautner is literally a spicy white man (quoting from the youtuber Kennie JD) with only “distant native” ancestry, and that Stephenie Meyer specifically wanted Jacob Black to be played by someone who was basically white.

5. Let’s talk about how the “pro-life” narrative was so deep that Bella was willing to die (AND DID DIE) for a demon spawn who was eating her from the inside out… Not exactly the right message you want to be sending to young girls. (This one actually has nothing to do with the vampires and werewolves thing, I just mentioned this because it is a perfect example of the Mormon religion.)

6. Let’s talk about how the only black man in the movie suddenly became a villain who wanted to kill Bella, and was therefore killed by the werewolves, and all because a bunch of white fans were so pissed from the movie having a black person tainting their lily-white fantasy, that the author decided to have him killed off.

7. Let me also mention that Mormonism was founded by a racist white man.

8. Let me also mention that Stephenie Meyer appropriate indigenous culture, and not only portrayed them as bad guys who abuse their wives, but she also refused to give them any credit for being represented at all.

~ Pinkie.

[americancowgirl19]

Nobody to Somebody

Summary: You started in Riley’s newborn army and now you’re moving up to Volterra, Italy.

Warnings: violence, hints of possessiveness, fluff, 

Reader: Female Reader

Pairings: Felix, Demetri, Jane, Alec Volturi x Female Reader

Word Count: 3,114

A/n: Might make more parts to this, idk. Also, I know that Alec and Jane are supposed to be really young but I imagine them as older teenagers. Also, Alec and Jane are not mates. The guard are not mated together they just share you, the reader, as a mate. So, no incest.

Masterlist

You were a nobody. Honestly, you had nothing to do with the drama of the supernatural world yet you were still pulled into it. You were innocently driving through Seattle to Mount Vermont when you were killed. 

Riley had dragged you out of the motel parking lot and bit you in the neck. The pain is indescribable. You screamed so loud yet nobody came to your aid. When the torment stopped a different pain started. A hunger that could only be satisfied with the blood of humans.

You turned into a completely different person within a span of a couple hours. You were stronger, faster, and deadlier. You were put into a group of others like you. It was a constant battle for survival. Everyone fought for their food. Everyone fought to be higher on the pecking order. Everyone fought you.

You were at the top, just below Riley. You weren’t in charge of anything but you certainly were the strongest. Those with the balls to go up against you found themselves dismembered before they could touch a hair on your head.

You were one of the few that were gifted. You had the ability to control people. You couldn’t control their thoughts. No, you controlled their bodies. You could force anybody to do anything and they couldn’t fight against it. At least you haven’t found someone who could fight against it. 

You could make them rip off their own arms, bite off their own tongue, set themselves on fire and burn to death. You could force two or more of them to fight themselves if you so pleased. Your ability to control made you valuable. Riley did everything in his power to keep you. 

You loved the power you had over everybody. You loved the pampering Riley gave you. You were arrogant but not quite ambitious yet. You were satisfied with the way things were, for the moment. You didn’t think about the future, you didn’t think about expanding your power. You just lived in the moment.

You were also the only one who met Victoria. She had a special plan for you. She whispered promises of grandeur that you couldn’t deny.

No longer were you the family girl that was content with a normal life. No longer were you the girl who was satisfied with being in the background. No longer were you the girl who wouldn’t harm a fly.

No, now you were the girl who killed anybody who got in the way of what you wanted. You were the girl with power and riches. As far as you were concerned, you were on top of the world. You could take anything you wanted and as the months passed, your ambition grew. You were beginning to want more.

However, you felt obligated to help your creators with their Cullen problem. You vowed to help them. Once they were taken care of you would move on to grander things.

When the time to attack the Cullens came, Victoria kept you by her side. You knew she had a vendetta against someone specifically and you were chomping at the bits to tear someone apart.

“They’re not here,” Victoria growls loudly. You growl as well wanting to join the fight but loyally stayed by her side.

“Where could they be?” You ask her. Victoria huffs racing through the woods. You pursed your lips but quickly followed after her. Riley joined up with the two of your as you made your way into the mountains.

Riley steps into view of the Cullen and human first. You observe them from the cover of the trees. The Cullen stood protectively in front of the human. She shared the same scent that had lead the other newborns into the clearing. Had all of this fighting been over this human?

“Riley... Listen to me. Victoria is just using you to distract me. She knows I’ll kill you. In fact, she’ll be glad she didn’t have to deal with you anymore.”

“Don’t listen, Riley,” Victoria pleads standing on a rock to the side of Riley. You slowly make an appearce behind your creator. The Cullen’s eye moves to you as does the humans. “I told you about their mind tricks.” 

“I can read her mind. So, I know what she thinks of you.” He tells Riley.

“He’s lying.” Victoria insists.

“She only created you and this army to avenger her true mate, James.” Your eyes go to Victoria. “That’s the only thing she cares about. Not you.”

“There’s only you. You know that.” Victoria vows him but you can tell that she’s lying. You smirk enjoying the show unraveling before you.

“Think about it. You’re from Forks, you know the area. That’s the only reason she chose you. She doesn’t love you.”

“Riley, don’t let him do this to us. You know I love you.” Victoria promises. You watch Riley curiously. You could sense the doubt in him but then he goes to attack. You flinch and move away when a wolf comes and chomps on Riley. Your eyes scan the area for more wolves not wanting to fall victim to one of them.

“You won’t get a chance like this again!” Your head turns back to the Cullen and Victoria. He continues to taunt her while you turn your focus to the human. You take a few slow steps toward her until her eyes catch yours. Your gaze hardens as you try to control her. Your intrigued when you find her just standing there when she should be choking herself.

You step back into the tree when the human moves with her vampire. You wanted a good fight but you also wanted to observe. Everything made sense now. Victoria wanted revenge for the death of her mate while the vampire tries to protect his. I guess even as a deadly vampire you’re still a romantic. You weren’t quite sure who you wanted to win.

Riley came back into view, you briefly wonder about the wolf. He and Victoria gain the upper hand until the human cuts herself with a rock. Your eyes instantly go black and all you can think about is the blood. Before you know it you’re running for her but her mate grabs you and throws you into the woods.

By the time you return you gain control of yourself. You had been working hard on control when you found out you were stronger and more dangerous with a clear head instead of being controlled by animal instincts.

“Victoria!! Victoria!” Riley screams, breaking your concentration. You felt bad for Riley and took a few steps toward him before you stopped yourself. 

Riley and Victoria knew you wanted to branch out on your own but that didn’t mean they would let you go without a fight. You knew how valuable you were to them. Nobody gives up their strongest player. 

You didn’t want to be the one to kill him, you still felt the slightest connection to him for turning you. However, while the connection makes you not want to kill him it doesn’t necessarily compel you to save him.

You smirk, stepping back from the scene. You would let the wolf take care of your problem. You hoped that the other vampire would take care of Victoria as well. Then, you’d be free and could do whatever you wanted.

You look away from Riley and back toward Victoria. You were pleased to see her losing the fight. Only when you stopped hearing Riley’s screams and saw Victoria’s head on the ground did you turn to leave the scene.

“Wait!” The Cullen calls after you. You turn your head ever so slightly.

“I have nothing against you and your family. I won’t cause any trouble.” You promise him.

“I know,” He nods, stepping closer but keeping his body between you and his mate. You smirk slightly knowing he could stop you from getting to her if you truly wanted too. “I can help you.”

“You help me?” You tilt your head. “Oh? How so?”

“You want power, you want to be at the top. Have you heard of the Volturi?” He asks.

“No.” You answer, your eyes narrowing.

“They’re vampire royalty. They’ll be at the clearing to assess the damage. You can leave with them, join their coven.” He tells you. You stare at him.

“And what do you get out of this?” You wonder.

“Time.” He says, turning his head toward his human mate.

“I’ll stick around, doesn’t mean I’ll go with them.” You say before leaving them on the mountain. You find the clearing and unsurprisingly see all the newborns dead.

“Wait! Don’t hurt her!” A woman with short hair shouts when you walk out of the forest. You eye the wolves and the Cullens cautiously. “The Volturi will be here shortly.” You slowly nod. Eventually The two from the mountain join you. You watch as a stray newborn almost kills a wolf before the drama seems to end.

The Cullen clan stand together. You notice Bree standing behind them. She had been in the army. She was one of the lower vampires, a vampire that didn’t do much. You’re slightly surprised that she survived.

You don’t have much time to dwell on Bree when something catches your attention. Four distinct yet mouthwatering scents. Scents that tempt you more than any amount of fresh blood. You can just feel your eyes darkening even more.

Four figures in cloaks enter the clearing. The two in the middle wear midnight black ones while the outside two sport charcoal grey robes. They lower their hoods and their ruby red eyes fall on you at the same time.

Your instinct is to move to stand by them, your body even shifts toward them but you’re hesitant. You don’t know how to act. You don’t know what to do. Logic tells you that your scent appeals to them as theirs does to you but you hesitate nonetheless.

Seeing the conflict in your eyes, the furthest from you, the shorter of the two in the grey cloaks, holds his hand out in your direction. There’s a sly yet inviting smirk on his face. Your body reacts before your mind. You rush in front of him, your hand instinctively falling into his gloved one. He yanks you into his chest, his arm snaking around your waist.

Both of your heads fall into each others neck. You both breathe in each others scent but he’s the only one brave enough to place a gentle kiss on your marble skin.

“Impressive,” A melodic voice reaches your ears. You pull from his neck to look at her. He refuse to release you forcing you to shuffle around in his arms. 

When you’re settled, his grip tightens forcing you impossibly close. With your back pressed against his chest, you watch the exchange between the Cullens the the cloaked vampires you assume to be the Volturi. Any anxiety that may have been present disappears the longer you’re in his arms.

“I’ve never seen a coven escape an assault of this magnitude intact.”

“We were lucky.”

“I doubt that.”

“It appears we missed an entertaining fight.” Your eyes shift from the blond girl to the one beside her. You wanted to be closer to them but you didn’t want to leave his arms. You didn’t understand and the unknown was frustrating you.

“Shh,” He whispers in your ear as he senses your growing distress. “Just a little longer.” He promises bumping his nose against the side of her head.

“It’s not often we’re rendered unnecessary,” She mentions.

“Had you arrived a half an hour ago you would have fulfilled your purpose.” You glared at him as he spoke to her rudely. Before another work could be exchanged you broke his arm without lifting a finger. He tries to hold in his groan but everyone picks up on it. Naturally, everyone looks to the blond on your side of the field but you just stand there with a satisfied smirk.

“You missed one,” The attention turns to Bree.

“We offered her asylum in exchange for her surrender.”

“That wasn’t yours to offer,” She tells him. “Why did you come?” She asks but Bree doesn’t answer. Your eyebrows instantly raise when the newborn falls to the ground screaming. You look to the blond beside you and realize why the all mistook the vampires pain to be her doing instead of you. “Who created you?”

“You don’t need to do that, she’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

“I know,”

“I-I don’t know,” Bree whimpers. “Riley wouldn’t tell us. He said that our thoughts weren’t safe.”

“Her name was Victoria, perhaps you knew her.”

“Edward, had the Volturi had knowledge of Viktoria they would have stopped her. Isn’t that right Jane?”

Jane. A name so simple yet so perfect for the beautiful blond. You found yourself desperate to know more about her. To know more about all of them.

“Of course,” Jane assures them.

“Whatever Bree doesn’t know, Y/n will. She was in the thick of it with Victoria and Riley,” Edward tells them. The cloaks look at you but you keep your hard stare on Edward.

“You wouldn’t be suggesting something about our mate, would you?” The man equipping the midnight black cloak questions Edward, his voice edgier than before. As he spoke, the man holding you tightens his grip even more.

Mate. Of course the logical part of you knew but to say it out loud and to accept that it’s real is something else. You wanted to feel relief that they acknowledge that you’re their mate but you can’t help but to feel tense. They’re weren’t reacting to Bree very well and you had done more damage than she ever has. How would they treat you?

“No, of course not.” The leader of the coven promises before sending Edward a look.

“Felix,” Jane says, turning her head slightly toward the tallest. 

“She didn’t know what she was doing!” Jane stops Felix. “We’ll take responsibility for her.”

“Give her a chance”

“The Volturi don’t give second chances,” Jane states causing your body to go tense. The man holding your nuzzles shamelessly into the crook of your neck. You can hear him purring quietly. It helps calm you down but the anxiety in your chest lingers. “Keep that in mind, Caius will be interested to see that she’s still human”

“The date is set.”

“Take care of that Felix. I’d like to take our mate home.” Jane says. Felix glances at her then to you before moving to take care of Bree. You flinch when Bree’s screams abruptly stop.

“It’s alright,” The man holding you whispers. “Come on.” He grabs ahold of your hand and leads you out of the clearing. You follow them, leaving the Cullen’s behind without a second thought. They don’t stop until you reach an airfield where a private jet is waiting for you.

You take a moment to stare at it. You’ve never been on a plane before. You wonder where they’re taking you but you keep your questions to yourself. You figured you could count your lucky stars you didn’t end up like Bree, now isn’t the time to push your luck.

You knew that if you needed too you could destroy all of them but the thought of putting them through any sort of pain is displeasing to you. In fact, you hated the thought of them in pain. You knew you would destroy anybody who harms them. Though, this meant you wouldn’t be able to defend yourself against them should they decide to tear you apart. You’d much rather choose death.

“You’re thinking very hard,” You turn to look at Jane. You hadn’t even realized that the five of you had boarded the plane. “You must have questions for us.”

“Umm... Names would be a nice start,” You say, surprised by how quiet your voice is. The last few months you’ve had to be authoritative and demanding yet now you’re quiet and walking on egg shells.

“Of course,” Jane says giving you a gentle smile, a complete contrast to the girl you had seen in the clearing. She still seems reserved but she’s also more relaxed. “I’m Jane and this is my twin, Alec. That is Demetri and Felix.”

“Y/n,” You introduce yourself.

“You’re still tense,” Demetri notices. He sits beside you and rests his hand on your leg. “What worries you?” You look at him for a moment debating if you should keep your worries to yourself.

“No harm will come to you,” Alec promises. Your eyes turn to him. He notices the subtle relief in your posture. “We would never allow anything to happen to you. You’re safe with us.” Demetri leans over and kisses the side of your head as Felix sits besde you, the twins occupying the seats across from you.

“I thought you didn’t give second chances?” 

“You’re special,” Jane tells you. “You’re our mate. Our masters will be forgiving toward you.”

“Masters?”

“How much do you know?” Demetri questions.

“Up until yesterday I thought we burned in the sun,” You tell him. “I don’t know much of anything and I’m sure whatever I do know is most likely wrong.”

“When were you turned?” Felix asks. “We’ve been watching the army for a few months but we never smelt you.”

“Victoria and Riley liked to keep me separate from the others. I’ve only been a vampire maybe 5 months? I was only allowed with the others if they were getting too rowdy and needed to be knocked down a peg or two,” You tell them with your naturally cocky smirk.

“Oh? And what did you do?” Demetri questions.

“I can control people. I can make you do whatever I want,” You tell him.

“So, you could make someone shut up when they talk too much?” Felix smirks sending a look at Demetri.

“Well, yes but I normally just make them bite off their own tongue,” You state. Their eyes return to you and you suddenly get the feeling you spoke out of turn.

“Beautiful and deadly,” Demetri hums rubbing his head against yours as if to scent you. “Perfect,” He growls.

“Completely perfect.” Jane agrees. Your eyes turn to her. “You’ll fit right in, my love.”

“And where are we going?” You ask her.

“Volterra, Italy.” She tells you. “It’s where the Volturi reside and where you will live with us.”

“Sounds fun,” You smirk, holding her gaze feeling completely unintimidated by her despite knowing what she can do.

Volterra, Italy. Sounds like the perfect place to satisfy your ambitions with your mates by your side. 

#Volturi #Twilight #Alec x reader #Jane x reader #Felix x reader #Demetri x reader #Vampire!reader #x reader #x y/n #x female!reader #female!reader #Cullens #Eclipse #Riley Biers #Victoria #Mate #Soulmate #Poly

[goodnightmemes]

DEXTER SEASON TWO SENTENCE STARTERS (PART TWO)

Lines taken from 2x07-2x12 of the show Dexter. Feel free to change pronouns or edit in any way to better fit your needs. Here is part one.

❛ I thrive on chaos. But this is good, too. ❜

❛ I had to do a little creative problem-solving at someone else's expense. ❜

❛ Pardon my tits. ❜

❛ Are you trying to fuck her or set her on fire? ❜

❛ Sometimes the truth speaks from a peaceful place. It's taken me a long time to find that place, but I think I have, and it's telling me you're not the right one for me. I'm so sorry. ❜

❛ Is that what I am? Clean? 'cause I don't feel that way at all. ❜

❛ No, I won't do that. I won't let you turn me into you. ❜

❛ Hope you don't expect me to comment on that so you can record it on your hidden tape recorder. I wasn't born yesterday. ❜

❛ Your past is a bigger mystery than fucking Jimmy Hoffa. ❜

❛ No matter what you try, no matter when, no matter how hard you work, I'll always be a step ahead of you for one simple reason. I own you. ❜

❛ When I'm alone and it's quiet, I get scared shitless, like I start hearing what's really going on inside. ❜

❛ 'Cause when you're around, I kind of feel like I can deal with anything, you know? ❜

❛ I've always worked best in the shadows, and that's where I have to stay. ❜

❛ You can't go back. You know that. ❜

❛ You are not allowed to talk about anyone I date as long as you're seeing little Miss "pardon my tits." ❜

❛ She is obviously a vampire. A gross english-titty vampire. ❜

❛ Can't change who I am. I'm crass and dirty, and...I have a very filthy mind. ❜

❛ Jesus Christ. They sell anyone a gun in Florida, won't they? ❜

❛ That man. He wasn't trying to rob you. He was trying to kill you. ❜

❛ Nothing you could do,___, would scare me. ❜

❛ Whatever comes, we'll get through this together. I'm not leaving your side. ❜

❛ I need to embrace who I am, who I've always been. ❜

❛ It's like I've been living underwater, holding my breath, and now I can finally breathe. ❜

❛ ___ almost had me believing it was possible to change, to become something else, as if that ever really happens. I've always known what I am. ❜

❛ I'm finding it's best to accept things you can't change, you know? ❜

❛ Is this the monster that you keep telling me about? ❜

❛ Trust me, when you meet the monster, you'll know. ❜

❛ Nice. My subconscious isn't even bothering with symbolism. ❜

❛ I feel...such regret, which is rare for me. But not that I don't mess up. I do...just never so stupendously. ❜

❛ If they're looking for proof, they won't find it. Not here at least. ❜

❛ Then maybe you should come with us, because who knows what secrets will come ❜ pouring out of me once the drinks start flowing. ❜

❛ I'm done with it and you. Did I not make that clear last night? ❜

❛ Those friends of yours, they didn't even know you. They just see the mask, but I see it all. ❜

❛ Can't live with her. Can't kill her. ❜

❛ Fuck! I'm talking about my feelings. What the fuck is your problem? ❜

❛ I've always sensed there was something... off about him. Like he's hiding in plain sight. ❜

❛ If you got in the middle of this and you got hurt… ❜

❛ The only way I can help you is if you turn yourself in. ❜

❛ Don't you disappear on me. ❜

❛ I want you to know that you meant a lot to me, more than you know, and... I just want to thank you for that. ❜

❛ If I never see her again, it'll be too soon. ❜

❛ Sleep would be nice, but there's too much to do. ❜

❛ Okay, I may be sleeping with him, but it doesn't mean he tells me shit or listens to me about anything, so stop asking! ❜

❛ That's right, motherfucker! It's over. ❜

❛ I knew there was something with you. But this shit? ❜

❛ What can I say? You were right about me. I never held it against you. I don't now. ❜

❛ It's a graze wound. Minor tissue abrasion. No hemorrhage along the bullet track. Sorry. I think I'm gonna live. ❜

❛ If you're not gonna let me go, then kill me now. Just get it over with. ❜

❛ You're a killer. I catch killers. ❜

❛ So it's okay to take a life as long as you get a paycheck for it? ❜

❛ Either kill me or set me free. ❜

❛ Taking a life is one thing, but the care and feeding of it is another. ❜

❛ I'm generally confused most of the time. ❜

❛ You ever care about anyone? Then you shouldn't have to ask. 'Cause when you care about someone, you do what you have to do. ❜

❛ I remember when life was easy, when the only question I worried about was "who's next?" Now it's: "How can I dodge my protective detail? "What should I do with my hostage?" These are not easy questions. ❜

❛ It's not about what I think. It's all about the evidence. ❜

❛ Hair-pulling may not be manly, but it's very effective. ❜

❛ If he wanted me dead, I'd be dead by now. ❜

❛ You are the only one I can count on, jackass. ❜

❛ It puts a pit in my stomach that I can only interpret as... sadness. ❜

❛ You working on an exit strategy? I'm afraid that's not gonna happen. ❜

❛ How come there's never a circus when you need one? ❜

❛ What was that shit last night? Some kind of fucking scare tactic? ❜

❛ Don't test me. I could have killed you. I didn't. ❜

❛ You're actually angry. I've never seen you angry. This is good. ❜

❛ I should warn you. You can't play on my feelings. I don't have any. ❜

❛ It's a tough job. It can wear on even the best of us. ❜

❛ I yell a lot...and bitch and complain, and I keep expecting people to guess what I want, but I never really say it. ❜

❛ And that was exciting, you know? The not knowing. What might happen, what could be. It was all possibility. ❜

❛ Your life is going to rest in the hands of the criminal justice system you put all your faith in. I wish you the best of luck. ❜

❛ You need help. Let me help you. ❜

❛ You don't have to do this! You don't have to kill this man! ❜

❛ Sorry it had to go down like this. But there really was no other way. ❜

❛ Stay away. Just stay away from me. ❜

❛ Did you happen to be stuffing a human leg into a garbage bag at that point? ❜

❛ There's that anger again. You got to let that out. ❜

❛ You're spinning. Let me help you. It's only a matter of time before you'll hurt someone else. ❜

❛ Take responsibility for who you are. ❜

❛ Why can't you just let me go? ❜

❛ If I got to choose a person... A real person... to be like, out of anyone, it'd be you. ❜

❛ Who joined who in the shower this morning? ❜

❛ For such a neat monster, I'm making an awfully big mess. ❜

❛ Maybe this is how evil works. Destroying everything it touches. ❜

❛ I've been held prisoner in a cabin for two fucking days. Fucking hellhole. ❜

❛ After everything we've been through lately, I just want... to be together with you guys. ❜

❛ You told me to take responsibility for what I am. You were right. ❜

❛ I can't live in this house of cards anymore, waiting for it all to fall down. I need to do something, you know? ❜

❛ If I do this, I need a day to get my affairs in order. ❜

❛ Mention that when they interview you for the story of my life. ❜

❛ Don't leave me in this cage, anything could happen. ❜

❛ I lie to everyone I know... except my victims right before I kill them. It's hard to establish much of a rapport there. ❜

❛ Sorry about the cage. ❜

❛ I've always been curious to try. Do you have any weed? ❜

❛ Love's a battlefield. Or in your case, a restraining order. ❜

❛ When a pretty girl smiles and bats her eyelashes, we're powerless to resist. ❜

❛ I met with a lawyer yesterday. He helped me prepare a living trust that gives you control of all my assets in the event of my death or... certain other situations. ❜

❛ God. Go away. This is creepy. ❜

❛ I'm free tonight, you wanna stop by? We'll have beer, a couple of steaks? I wanna talk to you about something. ❜

❛ I just need you to know that... you and the kids are very important to me. No matter what happens, I want you to always know that. ❜

❛ I know I've been taking things slow with us, but it's not because I don't have feelings for you. It's more like I have too many feelings, and I just wanna make sure to get it right. ❜

❛ I want you gone. Tonight. ❜

❛ I've spent a lifetime keeping up my guard, watching my back, wearing my mask. Relief was never in sight until now. ❜

❛ Lately, I was starting to feel like I had my head pretty far up my ass. ❜

❛ You decide who you are, who you want to be...and you hold onto that and ride it out. ❜

❛ I need some help! Just open the door! I'm being held captive. ❜

❛ Damn, it's good to see another face. I never thought I would. ❜

❛ When something beyond reason happens, it turns skeptics into believers. ❜

❛ If you believe that God makes miracles, you have to wonder if Satan has a few up his sleeve. ❜

❛ I can't exactly feel their pain, but I can appreciate it. ❜

❛ I kinda forgot who I was. I got it straight now. ❜

❛ The term is homicidal maniac. Not that I'm judging. ❜

❛ A public place. You thought I was gonna...That I would slip my needle into your neck? ❜

❛ You're afraid of me now, aren't you? ❜

❛ You're emotionally color-blind. You use the right words, you pantomime the right behavior, but feelings never come to pass. ❜

❛ You know the dictionary definition of emotions: longing, joy, sorrow...You have no idea of what any of those things actually feel like. ❜

❛ I created a monster of my own. ❜

❛ What did you do to make her so pathetically crazy for you? Does your dick dance? ❜

❛ What're we doing home in the middle of the day? She asked, hoping for sex. ❜

❛ Why? Why do I have to make up my mind? ❜

❛ I've never put much weight onto the idea of a higher power. But if I didn't know better, I'd have to believe that some force out there wants me to keep doing what I'm doing. ❜

❛ As it turns out, nobody mourns the wicked. ❜

❛ Am I evil? Am I good? I'm done asking those questions. I don't have the answers. ❜

#sentence starters #sentence meme #rp meme #inbox meme #ask meme #rp memes #*tv #*dexter #*mine

[therealvinelle]

Hello! Why do you think Carlisle likes Aro? (Love your meta btw!)

This blog lasted 25 days before becoming an Aro/Carlisle blog. The sanity was nice while it lasted, I suppose.

Oh well, I embrace my trash ship.

(Anon is referring to this post)

(This one is also relevant)

So, while on Aro’s end it was a case of “did the gods just give me my very own Enkidu?”, for Carlisle we must look at the circumstances. The Carlisle Cullen who walked into Volterra is not the Carlisle Cullen who works at Forks General.

Carlisle was a demon-hunting priest who brought his religion into his new life. Having no idea what he’d just become, apart from the obvious things like “I desperately want to kill people for their blood” and “I sparkle?!”, many of the things that are obvious to us would not be at all obvious to him. His only experience with other demons was the slum-dweller that killed him. It was brutal, and three other people from his parish were murdered as well. He’d been able to track the vampire down, something I can only take that to mean that the vampire used his parish for hunting grounds. He’s so horrified by what he’s become that he tries to destroy himself. This fails, and instead he finds a way out that lets him live without having to kill, and with that comes to the realization that vampires retain their souls (which is for another post).

My point being, Carlisle wakes up as a demon, and has no way of knowing how any of this works, nor of how to explain the fact that he is able to retain his soul. It’s telling that even after centuries of being a vampire he still thought something might be fundamentally different about him, as he chose to turn Edward by simulating his own transformation, even though it meant more pain for Edward. In other words, Carlisle was not guaranteed that his experience was universal. By the time we meet him in canon he’s wonderfully friendly to everybody regardless of what they eat, but I strongly doubt he got from point “Demons are monsters and I’ll rally a mob to lynch them!” to “Vampires are people who sadly eat other people.” right away.

So, you have freshly immortal Carlisle Cullen wandering around Europe with no way of knowing that other vampires are as (for lack of a better word) human as he is. How can they be, when they choose to eat people? (My personal headcanon is that he went by a Persephone theory, and figured that by resisting human blood he’d remained a man.)

It was this Carlisle who met Aro and the other Volturi. According to Edward (I unfortunately don’t have Twilight with me so I can’t quote his exact words), they were the ones who showed him that vampires can in fact be sophisticated.

Sophisticated. Not just as in Aro, Marcus, and Caius eat their virgins with some fava beans and a nice chianti, but as in they’re civilized and intelligent beings. Carlisle was no longer a one lone freak who somehow retained his soul while everyone else went full Buffy vampire, or any other such theory. I can’t even imagine the impact that must have had on a young Carlisle who would have been even lonelier than the Carlisle who found Edward in Chicago. That Carlisle at least had friends, this younger version had absolutely nobody.

Aro changed that.

More than being sophisticated, Aro turned out to be a kindred spirit, an absolutely brilliant mind and a generous host. Carlisle chose to live with him for decades, leaving only because of their dietary differences. And even if people disagree with me with all of the above, I don’t think anyone can argue that this one isn’t huge.

Of all the people Carlisle knows in canon, Aro is the only one he stayed with just for Aro’s own sake. Carlisle loves the Cullens dearly, but the cornerstone holding them together is their shared diet, and the fact that Carlisle turned four of them, the other two joined. He did not happen upon them and then like them so much that he decided to move in. As for his other friends, he cares for them all, but he didn’t share decades of his life with them.

Regardless of how we’re interpreting their relationship (as in, platonic, UST, or raging homosexual affair), I don’t think anyone can dispute that Carlisle and Aro are each other’s best friends.

But beyond proving that vampires aren’t all sewer-dwelling, priest-eating rascals, what exactly made Aro so special?

I’ll just list his qualities in no particular order.

Sophistication This guy is a lover of the arts and of knowledge. His gallery and library must have been the most extensive and diverse in the world, and it probably still is. I can’t even begin to imagine the wealth of knowledge and treasures that Aro must have collected over the years. If the Holy Grail exists within the world of Twilight, Aro has it. Where I’m headed with this, is that not only would Aro’s collection be the coolest thing ever to Carlisle, but also that this was a time when the number of books and an art collection was a sign of high class, of intellectualism, of all things fine and noble that was considered virtuous. Aro acts very much like wealthy European nobility, he even lives in Italy, the cultural epicenter of the Western world of old. He physically could not have been more impressive to Carlisle.

Kind of a continuation of the previous point: Aro is from Ancient Greece (well, he’s Myceanaean, but same difference to a “You predate Homer?!” starstruck Carlisle). Ancient Greece was the ultimate, perfect, civilization to Europe, and Carlisle got to Volterra just ahead of the Enlightenment. This alone would have made him so unbelievably cool to Carlisle.

Nerd I think this one speaks for itself. Carlisle is an unbelievable nerd, an inquisitive mind who’ll study anything and everything, and in Aro he found someone who also has an inquisitive mind and will study anything and everything. They’re both very intelligent. Carlisle went from being that sad whale that sings on a frequency no other whales can hear, to having someone who just got it.

His gift So you’re all gonna have to stay with me on this one. Aro’s gift is one most people would find very invasive, which as I touched upon in one of the posts linked above must be very isolating. And yet we know from canon that Carlisle has no problem at all with Edward reading his mind all the time, and more, if Aro reading his mind was a problem then Aro and Marcus would both have known, and I doubt their friendship would have worked out. So, I think that Carlisle not only didn’t mind having his every thought read, but that this was an actively good thing. Because what is less lonely than the company of one who knows you as intimately as you know yourself? To be friends with Aro is to be truly understood, known more deeply than anyone else can ever know you. And to someone who seeks companionship as much as Carlisle does, I imagine this is an extremely attractive feature.

Offer of friendship Carlisle would have been hopelessly lonely when he met Aro. And as no one else is mentioned as being close to him, Jane hadn’t even met him which I find pretty telling of how he interacted (or didn’t interact) with the Guard, and he wouldn’t yet have any of his other friends that he later made, he only had Aro.

He enforcers a law that keeps the known world from descending into chaos Human civilization wouldn’t last a day without the Volturi. There would be nothing stopping vampires from taking out entire villages in one go, immortal children would be everywhere, and the newborn armies would spread like wildfire. In the world of Twilight, the Volturi are a necessary evil. And Aro is their leader. The fact that he not only keeps the world together, an ungrateful task with no end in sight, but had the idea to create a law in the first place would make him all the more amazing to Carlisle.

And I’m sure there’s more that is currently slipping my mind.

Just, Aro is on every level the most impressive, awe-inspiring, and dare I say dazzling, that anyone can be to Carlisle. And he came into Carlisle’s life at the best possible moment. If he’d agreed to do the animal diet, Carlisle would have stayed. If he wanted to seduce Carlisle, I think he’d succeed. I also think that their time together was far more formative for the person Carlisle became than anyone gives Aro credit for.

(And if Carlisle had never found anyone who’d share the diet, he would eventually have returned. I imagine Aro thought the same, but that’s for another post.)

Oh, and last bit - in Breaking Dawn we get this beautiful moment where Carlisle learns that Aro robbed the British royal family, and he just goes, “yup, that’s my guy”. Even after Eclipse, he remains fond of Aro. I mean, there’s also the fact that he’s been lugging around this giant painting for centuries, even at a time when he didn’t have a house and I can only speculate as to where he was keeping it.

Of course, over the course of Eclipse and Breaking Dawn everything goes to hell, but that’s for another post.

TL;DR, Carlisle went from a priest’s son to living with an evil vampire overlord for decades because he’s just that great, in the present he keeps a giant painting of him in his office. I feel it’s safe to assume he likes the man.

(Edited on the 13th of April to fix some phrasing and add a link)

#this is... not my most eloquent production #OH WELL #the last time i thought as much was the bella is doomed post and that one took off so maybe that's a good thing #carlisle cullen #aro #aro/carlisle #twilight #twilight renaissance #twilight meta #my glorious ship #i just don't know what to make of people who want to insist it's one-sided and carlisle ran away screaming from that evil aro #you guys have to bend canon far more than i do to arrive at that conclusion #is it because he's a threat to carlisle/esme? #Anonymous #ask #long post

[elia-de-silentio]

Recap on the Order of the Clocktower, suppositions on the real plan, and predictions on the future of the arc

Well! After months of fights that led to very little and an almost nonstop series of cliffhangers, it seems like finally we're entering the final stage of this arc. And in the last two numbers I noticed ... something doesn't quite add up.

Let's make a brief recap on the Decay of Angels and the newly revealed last part of their plan. So, unlike what initially thought, the last part of their plan wasn't 'mostly terrorist activity', it was a goddamn vampire apocalypse that brought several nations to their knees in a handful of days.

This led the world leaders to decide that Fukuchi's speech of several chapters ago was right on the money, the only thing that can face such a catastrophe is an international army of which he will be given complete control. Moreover, to drive the point home ...

They deem fit to give him this. Another extra powerful weapon in the hands of exactly one person? Who can multiply the strenght of every weapon he's given? With no countermeasure if he gets out of control? What is these people's problem?!

By the way, take a moment to appreciate how Fukuchi got something that allows him to destroy the individual soldier's free will and control all of their actions, something he felt already happened to him and the trauma of which gives him motivation. He doesn't spare a thought on the fact that they will suffer just as much as he did, he can only think of his own pain.

So, Ranpo makes an observation that really shouldn't need a superior intelligence to be made: that with this trick, the Decay of Angels will have its goal served on a silver platter. World domination. Again, take a moment to appreciate how Fukuchi, who expressed anarchist beliefs and just the chapter before gave a neat speech on how politicians who order others around without any risk to themselves suck, coughed up a solution that was even more authocratic. Maybe all the 'you're the hero everyone depends on' talk got a little to his head.

But ... for what I've understood ... this is not the Decay of Angels's plan, this is Fukuchi's plan. If the inconsistences for him can be attributed to hypocrisy, for all the other four people in his group it makes even less sense.

Let's take a look at his four comrades, from the one less likely to subscribe to such a plan to the most likely:

• Bram Stoker: he's literally being threatened with death if he doesn't comply. One of the first things he says is protesting that he swore not to add any more people to his kin, but Fukuchi forces him. Once he complies, he express little interest for whatever is going on around him, everything he wants is a radio to pass the time in his coffin. World domination? Seems like an hard pass for him.

• Sigma. While fanon commonly portrays him as the 'good and cute not-really-a-villain', because he has a sympathetic backstory and shows kindness to the clients and staff of the casino, I'd like to point out that he's actually fairly amoral. He's in there because the Decay offered him a home; it makes sense that he's like that after being abused and aware of his being different from the rest of the world for all of his short life, but he still took part in a terrorist plan. Moreover, he was the one to send the casino's clients against the Hunting Dogs to hinder them - regular civilians against the very best of the army. It was actually Teruko who took upon herself and Tachihara not to harm civilians no matter what; what guarantee did Sigma have that she would have done that? What if she had listened to Tachi instead, who wanted to retaliate? Caring to clients and staff, but only up to a certain point. Even when he gave Atsushi that information, it was because of the latter's kindness towards him, not for some moral reason. Sigma is ultimately out only for himself. But this also means that he isn't really involved in the Decay's grand plan: he wants a home and that's it, tutto il resto fottesega.

• Gogol. Now we're getting a little closer. But not without incurring in another contradiction: Gogol hates restraints and orders, anything that gives a boundary to a human's actions. He detests even internal restraints, given by morality and his own sense of guilt. Why would someone like that partecipate in a plan that strips human beings of their own free will, and traps the world under the control of a lone person? Well, it's just speculation because we haven't seen him in ages, but I think it's part of his tendency to destroy himself in the name of freedom. He kills people to defy his own sense of guilt; he wants to kill Fyodor to destroy his desire to be understood and accepted; he collaborates in Fukuchi's plan to destroy his own beliefs in freedom, the thing that more than anything keeps him chained to a certain course of action. In his debut, he described the Decay of Angels's plan as pure evil and thus worth supporting; it's possible that he wasn't saying that under the common definition of evil, but in his own book, the anathema to Gogol's beliefs.

• Fyodor. Who has already stated a personal, very different goal: to acquire the reality-altering Book and make a world devoid of Ability users. All he needs for thar is wiping out the Ability-based organizations in Yokohama so he'll have a free pass, which is not exactly a small thing, but he doesn't need world domination for what he wants. So, why was he involved in such a plan? Well, this is a point I'll expand more on below.

I've already made another post on how the Decay of Angels are an extremely unlikely group and it's almost surprising they managed to work along enough to make this much damage. It's becoming even more evident now: Fukuchi is the only one really interested in the organization's goal.

The other one who gets closest is Fyodor, who, as we have seen, doesn't really care for that; but he gained what he wanted as an accessory. He wanted to get rid of Ability-users organizations in the city, and now the ADA members can't show themselves without getting attacked by the police, the Port Mafia has most of his top members turned into mindless vampires, and the Special Ability Department is about to be overruled by Fukuchi. Moreover, a Fukuchi with absolute power would be able to hand him the Book. Mission accomplished!

But there is this little detail: the Order of the Clocktower, those with the authority to hand Fukuchi the 'One Order'. There is very little known about them (I'm going from the wikia here): appearently, their purpose is to protect the British royal family, their members are Ability users of a terrific level, and they were responsible for chasing Mimic out of Europe after they gave the order for the attack who labelled them as war criminals in the first place.

Come se questo non li rendesse già infinitamente più cani di quelli che danno il titolo all'opera, in Dead Apple they contact Ango to inform him that, to prevent the spread of Shibusawa's fog, they sent an incineration-Ability user to destroy Yokohama (quickly, native readers of British/European literature! Any suggestion for who this person could be! I could come up with Cecco Angiolieri, Aldo Palazzeschi and Gabriele D'Annunzio, but I really doubt it could be any of them, nobody ever cares about Italian literature besides Dante. Your loss).

So, this can mean two things: either they are in contact with the Japanese government and acted with their agreement, or they have enough power to overrule it. Personally, I think the former is more probable.

Anyways, they aren't irrationally genocidal. Once Atsushi &Co. fix the situation, the attack is called off, even if their leader, Agatha Christie, complains about not having the scent of a burning nation to go with her tea. So, their leader: it's not the first time she shows up in the story.

She appeared all the way back in chapter 12, the same that also introduced Fitzgerald and Fyodor, in a meeting to discuss the failure of the bounty on Atsushi. Which tells us two very important things: first, as the other two were out for the Book, it's highly probable that she's after it as well; secondly, that she works with Fyodor, the very same person who orchestrated the plan that should get the One Order, a weapon under the control of Agatha's organization, in the hands of Fukuchi.

Now, Fukuchi is an interesting one under this point of view, because he wasn't even implied in the Chapter 12 Conference. We have seen that Fyodor likes to keep his fingers in multiple pies when it comes to razing the poor Yokohama to the ground: first he hacked the Moby Dick to make sure it fell; then he helped Shibusawa with the aforementioned fog incident; then he acted with his own organization with the Cannibalism plot; lastly for now, the Decay of Angels. As long as he gets to eliminate the Ability users, he doesn't care who he's working with.

Insomma, è 'na zoccola di nome e di fatto.

But we have also seen that Fyodor isn't above backstabbing his 'colleagues': he ignored the fate of Fitzgerald after he fell and took the opportunity to take the Guild's assets for himself, and he directly killed Shibusawa to turn him in the Singularity and send him to get killed by Atsushi. Note how Shibu got off even worse than Fitz: he wasn't in the Chapter 12 Conference, and it's likely he didn't know about the plan to incinerate Yokohama while Fyodor did, being acquainted with Agatha. It's even possible that was the whole point of his involvement in the operation: give her an excuse to attack, while he got an opportunity to cause the deaths of Ability users on the side.

My point is: you know how Fukuchi was not in the Chapter 12 Conference? And he just put himself in a position where if he is found out, things will have consequences on an international level, now that the Order got involved? And do you also remember how Fyodor mused to himself that he didn't make the perfect plan required by the Decay of Angels, because that would have been boring?

Le mie previsioni per quest'arco sono: Fukuchi è una tigre di cartapesta, e si ritroverà la sua super spada ficcata di prepotenza su per il culo.

A very faithful translation of the above: it is very possible that Fukuchi was set up to fail from the very beginning; or at the very least, Fyodor was keeping his plans with Agatha as backup in the case the Decay of Angels didn't work out .

When the ADA will defeat Fukuchi (because no one of his colleagues will lift a finger to help), they will once again play straight into their enemies's hands. Maybe they will 'officially' remain as dangerous terrorists, and then the Order of the Clocktower will have to intervene against them. Or they will actually rehabilitate themselves, and they will be once again celebrated as heroes while the Hunting Dogs will fall in disgrace - what with their leader being secretly a terrorist leaders, suddenly these very powerful people will become unreliable - and the goverment will make an horrible figure, what with persecuting innocent people while being played like fiddles by the real criminals; surely, this situation will call for someone more reliable to establish order in Japan, such as, perhaps, an intervention from an highly esteemed European Ability organization.

How things will proceed from then on, it's anyone's guess. It is possible that Agatha will use her power to have Dazai and Fedka the Convict released from jail, though why would she do that is up in air. Maybe it would be more convenient for her to leave such an unreliable ally where she can see him, and she has never met Dazai as far as we know, so she probably isn't much interested in him. This is as far as my prediction abilities come.

Thanks to anyone who bothered to read my ramblings!

#bsd #bungo stray dogs #bungou stray dogs #bsd analysis #bsd meta #bsd theories #bsd doa #bsd fukuchi #bsd fyodor #bsd agatha #bsd gogol #bsd stoker #bsd sigma #elia's recaps

[incorrect-ikevamp-quotes]

i saw your post about Charles and what his personality past and part in the story line so i was wondering if u could do the same for vlad? :)

Ah, well, I can at least let you know what I’ve seen so far? I haven’t delved too far into Vlad, and some of his general impressions can be confusing, so I’ll do my best to make it sensible and unbiased! Here you go lovely <33333

Fair warning, there will be mentions of a lot of JPN app content since Vlad and his boys aren’t around much in the ENG app yet.

My general sense of Vlad is basically discount vampire Sasuke Uchiha.

What I mean by this is to say–according to what I’ve read so far–his clan/family were murdered by vampire hunters in cold blood when he was just a young boy. Presumably as a result of that traumatic event, he harbors a sizable enmity towards humanity and kind of lashes out on them in weirdly specific moments of violence. Another aspect of his motivation is something that’s mentioned within Comte’s route; which is that Vlad went through the timespace door on his own one day and allegedly saw a devastated future, where nothing remains of life on earth more or less.

I guess the reason I find him to be so perplexing is that he speaks about his actions in terms of efficiency, while most of the things he does just feel like unhappy outbursts (v often a product of unresolved trauma symptoms, I’d wager.) I also say this because he appears to have no larger pattern to his fury beyond the original event of his loss. Most of the human beings he attacks aren’t much of a threat to him and hurting them really doesn’t bring him any dividends beyond revenge.

For instance, he insists his disdain for humanity and insistence on controlling them is for the sake of ensuring they do not destroy the future–the horrifying wasteland he witnessed when he traveled through the timespace door. However, I’m not really sure how his current movements really speak to that goal? I mean sure, maybe he’s relying on Faust to create an immortal human so that humans will be forced to care because it will be their future too, but he doesn’t allow Faust to draw his pureblood blood for experimenting. (One can most certainly argue this was more about a lack of trust, and perhaps for plenty reason: Faust is vindictive enough to try to turn the tables and exert control over Vlad, or act on his own whims with his findings.) But if that’s the solution he’s waiting on, turning the rivals of the men in the mansion doesn’t really bring him any closer to that vision either? I mean, what good does it do to bring back Gilles de Rais–a prominent French serial killer? How would unleashing him on the populace help humanity “realize the error of it’s short-sighted and wasteful ways” and move to a brighter future?

Can’t help it, I ask these questions as I read.

In Comte’s main story, Comte hammers home that Vlad is not somebody to be taken lightly. One day when MC goes out to buy flowers, Vlad poses as a human florist to sell them to her–which is how Comte finds out he’s in France, and that he’s made contact with MC. When prompted, Comte describes him in a very particular way; and I think people really overlook this when they talk about their relationship. He says that Vlad is frighteningly pure in terms of the way he thinks and acts. The way I understood his description (given what I’ve seen of Vlad) is that Comte really does mean it point blank: Vlad is very simple in terms of why and how he does things. The issue with this is that nuance and context are lost on Vlad as well–and that’s where the problems start to flood in. Vlad is angry at humanity for what they’ve done to him. Baseline? That’s fair, they killed his damn family. However, Vlad thinks that by extension he has the right to decimate the general public and attack people completely uninvolved in his hurt.

And that isn’t right either–it’s ignoring so many factors here. He’s ignoring how much vampires use and toy with humans as pawns, it’s ignoring the massive power imbalance between him and his victims (this really isn’t a case of self-defense most of the time, nobody but Comte/Leo is a sizable threat to him), and he’s ignoring whether or not a person even did anything to deserve his retributive violence. While murder is never okay, it is perhaps more understandable when we see Jeanne’s frenzied and violent belligerence in response to a man who murders a boy’s mother for the sake of his own amusement/convenience. Vlad literally sees almost every single one of the rivals he created begin to heal/improve and murders them in cold blood because they are no longer of any use to him. That’s uh……..that’s a little messed, not gonna lie to you chief.

While part of me understands the efficiency here–he doesn’t want to leave any traces of his involvement, he doesn’t want any loose ends–it’s also just kind of foolish and cruel ultimately. From my understanding of the narrative, all the people he turned had some visible sign that indicated their origin to Comte. So even if he claims it was for the sake of concealment, it was more likely about his personal convenience. Which…..also yikes.

[Comte clearly does not trust Vlad to be reasonable, and I think there’s plenty of good reason enumerated above, but I actually don’t sense quite so much hatred? I think he’s just given up on the idea of Vlad growing up, even if he doesn’t like giving up on people. And considering Vlad’s behavior, I think it’s overkill to say that Comte just abandons him because he doesn’t care lmao. Even when Comte expresses real anger at the end of his own route, it was more because Vlad was fine with endangering MC’s life just to get back at him. I think Comte’s unhappiness with Vlad has more to do with Vlad’s treatment of human life as meaningless and worthless. It’s fascinating but also kind of sad? Vlad’s traumatic experience results in behavior that is a direct exacerbation of Comte’s trauma, and as such--no matter their potentially fond history--they can’t stomach each other.]

In Comte’s route, Vlad also has Shakespeare abduct MC and take her to the cathedral. Later on in the castle, we see an immediate display of Vlad’s shocking powers: he has the ability to manipulate people’s desires/thoughts. I’m not exactly sure how this works, but he is able to give MC visions of the mansion and Comte coming on to her–which shocks her into realizing it’s all just a dream. It’s not reality; it’s all manufactured by Vlad.

After that...weird introductory note...Vlad gives MC the rundown on his life together with Comte, which as always is subject to a question of bias. My assumption is that he did not lie, only because he was trying to convince MC that he was “right.” Furthermore, he does not omit the most damning evidence of his erroneous judgement, which suggests a continued inability for him to see where he went wrong.

We get a series of three flashbacks. The first is them as young kids. I don’t know if Vlad had already experienced the horrors of his family being destroyed, but this particular flashback focuses on Comte. His parents, in an effort to teach him that vampires and humans have no ability to co-exist, send away all of his teachers/mentors/nannies/the servants--pretty much everyone and anyone he was closely bonded to. Think about it this way: we can see that Comte is very sociable and affectionate by nature. He was living in a house full of people, all of whom cared about him and looked after him in their own way. Now the house is entirely empty. Naturally Comte is very very upset, and Vlad appears to try to cheer him up with little success. 

[When I look back on this scene I don’t think I initially registered the sheer dissonance of Vlad’s reaction, versus Comte’s catatonic misery. There was a very solemn feeling to that memory, and the correct choice in terms of extending comfort is to hold his hand believe it or not. There is a sense that he feels very alone. When young boy Vlad enters one can argue that it was the proper thing to do; he was trying to cheer up his playmate and friend. But at the same time, I think I need to double check. Because I’m beginning to wonder if I was wrong. What if Vlad was happy to see someone as alone as him, and that joy is accordingly dissonant for that reason? He can’t see what Comte needs or how he’s hurting because he’s so glad he isn’t alone anymore in a way.]

The second flashback is the war nurse scene that I have spoken at length about. The important thing to focus on here is Vlad’s surprise that Comte would opt out of turning her out of respect for her wishes. The way Vlad frames the situation is starkly different from Comte’s. Comte sees himself as an outsider, somebody who invaded her life as a result of the timespace door and therefore has no right to suddenly change the course of her fate. He had no idea if she even wanted to live (considering the horrors she’d have to cope with and remember) or leave that time period at all, for that matter (considering the only thing keeping her going was helping the wounded/victims). Comte really was listening to everything she had to say, and he was taking her concerns and motivations seriously. 

Vlad simply says: if you want her, take her. It’s as simple as that for him. And in one way that’s not entirely wrong--assuming Comte would have every intention of looking after her and actually cares a lot about her. But what’s being ignored here is her agency and the fact that they really don’t know each other that well? Something like that could begin and be rocky, if it doesn’t end in complete disaster. Worse, I get the feeling Vlad is perfectly fine with the notion of turning her and if things don’t work out, just kill her or get rid of her. Again, the simplistic thinking comes into play here: it ultimately comes down to Vlad being self-centered. He’s thinking only in terms of satisfying his needs, he doesn’t seem to have any concept of a larger pair or group feeling. There’s an inability to bend/be flexible for the sake of maintaining a greater harmonious feeling. 

[For the record, I don’t think this makes him irredeemable? Only that it makes it very hard to live with him or love him, probably. There’s an inability to live at a joint pace? It’s always answering to what he wants without room for anything else most of the time, which to me is not living and it’s not love ;;;;]

Following their escape back to their own time, Vlad explains how he wants to use the door to turn geniuses and control humanity. He eventually wants to create a surveillance state, which would mean everyone is forced to move with his explicit approval, more or less. (He almost reminds me of Louis XIV, can’t tell if that’s what they were going for.) I have my doubts that his abilities could extend that far, but human history shows us that we are plenty susceptible to fascist and totalitarian rhetoric. In a shocking display of anger, Comte draws the line at controlling humanity and forcing them into a regime in which, and this is Vlad’s description not mine, “we (purebloods) would be like kings.” There’s definitely a concept of evolutionary superiority at play here, which echoes what I mentioned earlier; vampires seem to have this awareness that they’re apex predators in a sense, and enjoy the power that comes with that. Unfortunately, that probably makes for a fairly toxic/uncomfortable larger species culture, which is exactly what Comte and Leo hate lmao.

Vlad does not seem to find any issue with this sort of outlook, and asks MC to decide which of them--Vlad or Comte--is right. Who is more realistic, who best understands the future? As expected the MC replies that it's Comte, and Vlad goes from beseeching to big mad at record speed. He's p much that gif of the teddy bear that smacks its head down on the tables and then has the angry eyebrows.

This is where Comte intervenes, firing a warning shot that grazes Vlad's cheek and demanding he let MC go. In response, Vlad shoves MC into the turbulent timespace door--p much guaranteeing MC's death. (Essentially timespace is a void of sorts, a human being could never survive in that environment for long. Vlad fully knew this, and yeeted her anyway.)

So uh, yeah. Disagreement? Death. Moving on? Death. Nuanced approach to reality? Death. Beginning to think he doesn't really have a lot of patience or open-mindedness or any other kind of problem-solving approach. 

He raises flowers and gardens like a fiend, and he openly plucks any single flower with a blemished leaf. Even if a single petal is slightly damaged, it will be removed and destroyed. So one could argue his extremism reflects a kind of perfectionism as well. No room for errors or troublesome dissent. No ugliness of any kind. I mean in all of his interactions with Faust and Charles this is the overt undertone. Don't ask more of me than I'm willing to give. Behave like good children, mommy's busy. Is that insubordination? boss music begins

One thing I actually don't understand very well is his decision making in Dazai's route. Dazai finds out about what Vlad's doing in a nanosecond when he senses MC is in danger, and yet Vlad makes absolutely no move to eliminate Dazai? He just watches from the shadows. Even when Dazai grills Charles about his loyalty to Vlad, no retribution.

My best guess for this specific situation is that Vlad does derive some level of satisfaction thwarting the future of human beings/former humans. Dazai--being somebody with no great desire to live, no rivals to speak of as far as we can tell, and no larger aspirations--is a life that is easily extinguished. There's no satisfaction in it. When Vlad's clan was murdered and he saw the future decimated, it could be that he felt humans had invaded and eradicated every potentiality that was important to him. Where he might have lived happily with his family, that future was ripped from his grasp. Where he might enjoy his flowers and the creation of an immortal for the rest of conceivable time, that too was ripped from his grasp with a desolate future. 

So much about who Vlad is is about control, so it's very possible his lashing out is an extension of that. Dazai does not awaken any of the disdain he feels, and he does not succeed in overthrowing Vlad's control over Charles, so Vlad simply lurks in silence.

And last but not least, I've seen the preview to Vlad's newest birthday event story. The contents are incredibly revealing, in that MC wishing him a happy birthday and offering him a gift has him saying that it was "the best birthday ever." Granted idk if that’s sweet or just...beyond sad, but here we are. It’s only compounding my curiosity about the wound on his chest--I really do wonder if he was attacked and locked away by vampire hunters or hostile human beings or something. I say that only because that line speaks to a lot of isolation, and given how little he seems to care about turning people/subjecting them to his whims it feels odd. Why the isolation or lack of people who care about him? Is it a perceived lack where his actions alienated all the people who wanted to be close to him, or is it a more involuntary lack?

When she says let’s celebrate again next year, he seems a pleasantly shocked by the notion, and remarks “Ah yes, it’s a promise c:”. The preview was also mega horny: “You make me feel so loved, I don’t think I can be gentle with you tonight. If you enjoy it so much, then I won’t stop. I want to see you completely lost for me. I’ll teach your body what it means to be loved by a pureblood.” Aaaaaand pretty sure the CG was alluding to him licking the good stuff from her basement, though not entirely sure given it was only the preview. 

The brief POV they give us is also very revealing:

“You always keep your promises, and I think I underestimate all the time how much you saved me. You are good, only you are good in this world.”

“Will we continue to make promises to each other in the future? Well in that case--you will always, always be mine, my vampire.”

Tbh he’s...v sweet? In his own way? Honestly he feels like a crabapple that is just so sick of the world and wants softe wife to take comfort in. While granted that’s not really my thing, I know a fanbase appeal exists for these types--so if that’s your thing, have at it!

So now that we have reached the end of my ridiculously long analysis (when am I ever brief, I’m so sorry. If you made it all the way here you deserve a cookie at the very least, if not the right to chase me with a bat) perhaps it’s more clear why I said discount vampire Sasuke Uchiha? “My clan is gone, every other second I’m going to be in retraumatization insanity, when I’m not I’ll be seeking power/hobbies, planning the demise of people who wanted the best for me, building a team to my advantage and unquestioned control, and eventually settling for a lifelong love who sees the best in me despite my more difficult moments and perceived hollowing loneliness. Not the most ideal comparison, but I will say if Vlad was not already named the historical figure, would have pointed and yelled Uchiha.

That’s all from me folks, hopefully this was a fun way to get introduced to him? And again, hope I didn’t alienate--I fully respect what people do and don’t enjoy o7

#asks #ikevamp #ikemen vampire #ikevamp meta #ikevamp vlad #ikevamp comte #ikevamp saint germain #ikevamp leonardo #ikevamp faust #ikevamp charles #ikevamp dazai #i hope this was helpful! #i had too much fun writing it jkahlgkjhgdf i love meta #but thank you for submitting <33333 #oh discount vampire sasuke uchiha we really in it now #rambles #not incorrect quotes

[kamilah-the-bloodqueen]

Remember Me (4/???)

I AM SO FUCKING SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG TO FINISH. Honestly I lost a lot of motivation to write after Bloodbound because PB has greatly decreased in the quality of their books. I am still trying to find the time and motivation to write and am forcing myself to finish my series at the very least but if I am being completely honest I feel like the Kamilah fandom has died, PB’s books mostly suck and I don’t even really play choices anymore. Who knows, I’m trying to learn to write the code for episode so maybe I’ll start posting my own stories and choices on that platform with better plot, smut and less diamond focus since it would be a hobby. This chapter is ASS and mostly just moves the plot along - so if you want action I would wait for a different series or later chapter - okay bye!

Pairing: Adrian x MC x Kamilah (Amy)

Tags: I paused the tag list since it’s been so fucking long but if you want a tag please let me know because I’m pretty sure most people think this series died with me :)

Words: ~1500 (Short because I needed to finish a chapter to motivate me to finish the next)

Kamilah took a deep breath as she knelt on the floor beside Adrian, carefully wrapping her arms around her brother, her heart sinking with every sob that left his lips. She didn’t speak, she knew her words would come off too harshly and she couldn’t blame Adrian for feeling that way, after all she knew how much he loved Amy. 

“Adrian, I’m sorry. I...I truly don’t know what to say.” As their eyes met Kamilah saw exactly how devastated he was, and even in her two thousand years of life, she had never been in his situation. 

“Kamilah, do you think she’ll...well she says we’re just friends but do you think she’ll fall in love with me again?” His lips trembled, his hands shaking and his eyes glistened with tears. 

“I don’t know. As much as I believe love is a silly mortal affair, and a simple chemical reaction, it can’t be forced but I’m sure if you just be yourself and do your best to be her friend that any romantic feelings will follow.” Kamilah moved away as Adrian calmed himself, both of them passing a nod of agreement as he wiped his face clean with tissues. 

“Your wisdom has always guided me well Kamilah.” 

“I suppose that is two thousand sixty three years of experience speaking.” 

“Heh, I guess my two hundred years don’t nearly compare...” 

“You’re still a simple child in my eyes, I just took a liking to you.”

“Well, thank you Kamilah. It seems I owe you quite a bit.”

They both stood from the floor and took seats on Adrian’s office couch, Kamilah folding her legs and crossing her arms and Adrian crossing his ankles and folding his arms. 

“We’re practically siblings - you don’t owe me anything. Just try to take care of yourself and well...don’t expect anything from Amy. I’m sure this is difficult for her, difficult is an understatement. I can’t imagine what she’s experiencing.”

“Maybe I’ve been too selfish Kamilah...I’ve been thinking more about what I want from her instead of focusing on if she’s okay or what she wants.” 

“Sometimes it’s alright to be selfish, and I can understand why you felt that way but you are correct, we need to focus on what Amy wants now, not what she wanted before the accident.”

“You’re absolutely right. I can only hope for the best...I just really...I really wanted...I believed she was the one.” 

“I know you did. I wanted her to be the one for you as well, I still hope she comes back to you Adrian.”

“Me too.” 

Adrian’s phone buzzed at the same time Kamilah’s did, Lily having texted both of them to rendezvous with her and Jax at Amy’s old apartment to talk about the recent events. 

“We should go, but do you feel okay?” Kamilah patted Adrian’s shoulder as they both stood from the couch.

“Yes I think so.” They hurried to the elevator and got into Adrian’s black Mercedes as they navigated towards Lily’s apartment. Once they arrived Lily greeted them before guiding them up to the apartment where Jax waited on the couch with a beer in hand.

“Hey guys...how ya doin?” His words were slurred and he was obviously under the influence to a decent extent. 

“Tell me you have something other than beer Lily.” Kamilah grimaced as Jax took another swig of the beer. She had no problem with beer but she hated that brand and would rather remain sober than allow herself to drink that brand. 

“Yeah, vodka or wine?”

“Vodka.” Kamilah spoke without hesitation while Adrian grabbed a beer from the fridge and took a seat next to Jax on the couch. Lily began to pour Kamilah a shot, and once the glass was full Kamilah took the bottle from her and took two large gulps before sitting on the leather chair and holding the bottle with one hand. 

“So we’re here to get drunk? I thought we were supposed to talk about Amy?” Kamilah’s voice broke the deathly silence that filled the room. Adrian leaned in the door before removing his tie, unbuttoning his shirt and, grabbing three bottles of the cheap beer and sinking into the recliner opposite of Lily and Jax. 

“I didn’t want to drink...well grieve...alone. I mean I can’t do this with Amy anymore...well I could but it wouldn’t be the same... and I have my friend back but it’s really just...it’s not the same. I don’t know I just didn’t...you can leave if you want but I didn’t want to grieve alone…” Lily began to sob, her tears falling into her glass of wine as Jax and Adrian frowned. Kamilah held her stoic expression, but even the alcohol could not erase the ache she felt in her chest.

“I see, well I guess we all process grief differently…” Kamilah spoke calmly, but deep down she felt her own sense of grief. As she gazed around she realized how messy Jax’s hair and clothes were, and how exhausted and drained Lily was. “You guys look a mess…”

“Thanks Kamilah.” Jax drunkenly snickered and Lily sniffled. Adrian remained quiet, taking a long drink from the bottle in his hand before switching to the other glass and downing it just as quickly. 

“Does this not fucking hurt you?” Lily drunkenly scolded as Kamilah flinched ever so slightly. None of them had ever heard Lily so fragile, so devastated. She had every reason to be - she had lost her best friend - even though Amy had survived the accident, the memories were all gone and everything they had once shared was gone. 

“It...does...I was just remarking on-”

“I don’t care about your remarks, at least not now. Don’t you fucking get it? I lost my fucking best friend and I have to watch her find everything again! Do you know how that fucking feels Kamilah? I’m sure you do from all your time as a vampire, but please, for the love of god and for the sake of our friendship just shut the fuck up. I can’t handle this.” Lily’s hand gripped on her bottle as it shattered against her palm, the beer pouring onto the tile floor and seeping into the edges of the carpet. 

“I...apologize Lily…”

“It’s fine! It’s fine! Everything is fine I guess. I don’t know I just...I’m not coping well...and I feel guilty for saying that because Amy has it the hardest of us all and yet here I am getting wasted to be in her position - to forget everything while also being the person who put her in this position in the first fucking place. I don’t think it’ll ever be the same as it was before…”

“Maybe that’s for the best…” Adrian finally joined the conversation. Kamilah, Lily and Jax turned to face him as he swirled the bottle around in his hand - his brown eyes shiny from the tears that had built up. “...we all lost someone...Amy was a different person to each of us...but maybe we have to lose that person for some reason…”

“Adrian, do not try to give me that ‘it’s for the best’ bullshit.” Lily took a deep breath as Adrian shrugged. 

“I’m not. I guess it’s just the alcohol talking, but I was going to propose to Amy that night and maybe it was a sign I shouldn’t have, or maybe the world is punishing me for my sins...but fuck all of that...it’s...it’s a forgotten memory and we need to forget just like Amy...”  

---------------- Amy’s POV ------------------

It was a weird feeling that I couldn’t describe. Having people who seemed like strangers tell me all about the things we’ve done together gave me such comfort and anxiety at the same time. I wanted to believe and trust each of them but at the same time, it would be so easy to lie about it. Maybe I’m just being paranoid about the situation - nobody would really benefit from creating an elaborate story just to mess with my mind. 

God this IV really stings...and now that I’m thinking about it, my ribs really hurt too. I should call the doctor or nurse but it’s nearly midnight. I mean it’s their job but they’re humans and I don’t want to be that super needy patient…

At least that Lily girl seems genuine, I can see why I was her best friend. I appreciate her sincerity more than I can verbalize to her. I’m still wary of Jax though - that man looks like he could kill in an instant and I don’t want to get on his bad side. I’m glad they’re friends with each other though - they seem to get along really well and...Adrian. Poor bastard. I broke his heart. I broke his heart and I can’t even help it. How am I supposed to even really process that whole fucking mess. He’s so sweet and gentle and genuine and I can’t even reciprocate it back to him...but maybe with time I could…? But Kamilah...she makes my heart skip a beat too...but she’s so unlike anyone I’ve even taken interest in - callous and stoic most of the time with very few soft spots. It wouldn’t be any type of understatement to claim my heart is as confused as my head. 

#kamilah x mc #kamilah sayeed #kamilah the bloodqueen post