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overheardatthecontinental · 4 years

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Kinktober Day 19: Vampire

If Helen was being truthful, which she often tried to be, her new neighbor was… odd.

For starters, she had never seen him move in. One night, she went to bed and she swore the house was empty but when she woke up and opened her curtains, she could see furniture inside.

He was a night owl in the truest sense of the word. She couldn't remember ever seeing him before the moon rose but he was nowhere to be seen in the morning before work. Even on the weekends, there was no evidence that anyone was in the house save his parked car in the driveway.

After two days, the house was under construction. Every single window was replaced with tinted windows and soon she cannot see into his house. Not that she was spying. Not at all. She was just curious.

Another thing was that damn car. She looked it up and it cost as much as her little house.

That, factored in with the cost of installing tinted windows, he had to have money. Plenty of it. So why was he living in a small cottage in the suburbs?

It takes a week before she actually catches sight of him.

He is tall and dark and handsome and familiar. She knows him, vaguely.

Often, she sees him at the bar she tends in the evening. He’s a bourbon drinker and a fantastic tipper. Quiet though. Most people who drink at the bar come to have someone to talk to. They crave the ear of anyone who will listen, otherwise they’d drink at home.

Not John, though.

He didn’t even talk to order his drink anymore. She’d see him and pour him the bourbon and he’d murmur a quiet thanks. Often, she didn’t even see him leave. He stayed till just before closing and then he’d disappear into the night.

A few times, she’s seen him standing out near the alley. Always alone.

She waves from her porch and John walks over.

"Helen." He greets, "how are you?"

"Im well, John. I guess we’re neighbors now."

He lips quirked up in a smile, "Couldn't stand living in the city any longer.”

But knowing who her neighbor was did not make him any less strange.

Yes, John was always polite but it didn’t take away from the strange feeling she always got when she was near. Even at the bar, she got the feeling that she should be wary around the handsome man. The hairs on her neck would stand on end almost in warning.

But it seemed so silly to be nervous.

She blamed it on the attraction.

John was a gorgeous guy and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt another’s lips on hers, let alone anywhere else.

Soon, she started seeing him out and around in the neighborhood. It wasn’t all that strange. Of course he would habit the same grocery stores and pharmacies that she did. But she noticed that the grocery cart was nearly always empty. He’d buy a pack of beer or paper plates and the like, but never once did she see him buying food.

He had to eat, she told herself. No man with a physique like that got away without eating.

She saw him at the park, as she walked home from the subway. Again, standing by a tree, not doing anything. He didn’t even have his phone out. He would just stand there, staring into the darkness.

Weird, but not wrong. Certainly not illegal.

He offered her a ride home, one night when it was raining. The subway wasn’t terribly far but the walk from the station to her house was long enough to get her soaked. She accepted, ignoring the hair on her neck and the feeling in her stomach and every other warning her body gave her.

"How long have you worked here?" John asks as they climb into the car.

"Eight years or so? I teach second grade during the day but teaching pays shit and I needed extra money to pay for supplies for my class. And I found I enjoyed tending bar." She buckles and looks over at him, "it's a bit of a hole in the wall. How did you find it?"

His lips twitch, "I used to spend some time there back in the day."

It's Helen's turn to smirk, "you make it sound like you're so old."

"I'm older than I look."

She looks him over, not that she hasn't a hundred times before, whenever he is looking away. He's fucking gorgeous. If she had to guess, she'd place him in his late thirties. Maybe early forties, but only because he had the look in his eyes of someone who had been through a lot.

In truth, she knows nothing about him but his address and his favored drink.

“You know,” she says as they pull out of the parking lot, “I don't think I have ever asked, what do you do for a living?”

“Not sure I'd call it a living.” John says and that smirk just grows, “I’m a bit… nomadic. I tend not to stay in one place for too long so I do a lot of independent contracting. A lot of investing.”

It doesn’t feel like a real answer, Helen notes. He’s said a bit but he hasn’t really told her anything and that throws her for a loop. What is he hiding?

But that isn’t the right question to ask aloud so she settles on, “Where else have you lived?”

“I was born in Belarus.”

And again, she is thrown.

He has no distinguishing accent. Nothing that indicates he is from anywhere but the United States. It’s not that uncommon in New York to find people from all over but still…

“I’ve lived in Italy. Mexico. China. Spain. Russia. Canada. France. Most recently, I was in Reykjavik but I always end up coming back to New York.”

Again, her mind is blown. Utterly and completely. And he’s tossing out this information like it’s nothing and it’s completely overwhelming.

She glances out her window, watching the streets go by. She watches a raindrop race down the window as she tries to process all that. She sees herself in the reflection and is utterly underwhelmed.

She’s boring. A school teacher by day, a bartender by night.

She isn’t unattractive but she’s a dime a dozen.

She’s never left the country, not even to go up to Canada.

And she’s sitting next to this quiet man who has seen the fucking world.

She looks past herself in the reflection and her heart skips a beat. She looks for John but cannot see him. She can see herself. In the back, she can see the reflection of the steering wheel, seemingly turning of its own accord. She can see the street behind them but she cannot see John.

She looks over, sharply, and sure enough, he is there. Driving.

Helen settles back into her seat, wondering anew if he can hear her heart racing.

Or if she’s being crazy.

Because she can see the other window. She can see the reflection of herself and of the lights passing by but she sees herself almost as if John isn’t there.

She looks at him and he glances over, almost to unassuming.

Helen swallows and sits back in her seat. “It must be hard.” She says, “Moving to countries where you don’t speak the language.”

“I speak them,” John says.

“Which?”

“All of them. I make it a point to learn the language of everywhere I’ve ever lived.”

“So you speak Russian and Chinese and French and Spanish?”

“Among others.” His words sound like a taunt. They feel like a taunt, although they’re not belittling. Like he’s challenging her.

Helen can barely breathe.

No.

She was being crazy. She’d had far too little sleep.

John had a reflection, she just couldn’t see it because she was exhausted.

And there was a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why his house and car had tinted windows and why she had never once seen him during the day.

She had to be exhausted to even be considering…

They pull into John’s driveway and Helen quickly thanks him for the ride before she rushes, nearly running, to her house. She closes the door behind her. And locks it. And the windows. Even the ones she normally leaves open on the second floor, she locks.

And maybe she’s being paranoid but she can’t help it when she sits at her computer and types “vampire” into Google.

She’s being paranoid.

At least, that’s what she keeps telling herself.

She stays up half the night researching a mythological creature.

And when she passes out at her computer, she dreams of John in old-fashioned garb. In old cities with cobblestones lining each street.

She dreams of John kissing her, intimately, in an empty hall. His head is buried under layers of fabric, between her thighs driving her utterly wild before she quakes around him. Only then does he move, and only inches, to where his teeth sink into her thigh.

She wakes up in her bed, alone, and gasping for air.

It felt so real, she checks her thigh for marks and finds none.

In the fresh light of day, she shakes it off. She acknowledges that she was being ridiculous to even consider the possibility that John was a vampire.

Its utterly ridiculous.

But he's not coming out of his house.

She tells herself she's making the cookies as a thank you and not to try to get John out of his house during the daylight. In reality, its both.

They're chocolate chip, because who doesn't like chocolate chip?

She waits for them to cool before stacking them neatly on a plate and covering it with wrap.

He’s home. His car is in the driveway. It’s parked where he let her out last night so she’s fairly certain he hasn’t left since they arrived.

This is ridiculous she thinks again. She’s analyzing his every fucking move and John, for all his weirdness, has never been anything but kind to her. And here she is, acting like he has something to hide just because he’s eccentric.

Another part of her argues that this is just a thank you for said kindness. For saving her getting soaked on her commute. For that unending kindness.

She knocks on the door and waits.

Nothing.

She knocks again and listens intently. It doesn’t sound like anyone is coming.

Because the sun is out.

Or because he’s sleeping.

She tries one last time before she gives up and leaves the cookies on the porch, walking away feeling a bit defeated.

If he had come to the door, she could have assured herself she was being crazy.

But he hadn’t, so now she was feeling paranoid.

She took out a legal pad in her kitchen and sat down.

Side by side she wrote the most ridiculous list she’s ever even considered in her life.

Proof John’s a Vampire:

He’s from fucking Belarus

He spoke way too many languages for any person who lived a human lifespan to pick up. (Or he’s just wicked smart… Or lying?)

Hot as fuck

He doesn’t live in one place for too long (cuz people will notice he doesn’t age!!!!)

He says he’s older than he looks

Says he used to hang out at the bar but I’ve never seen the owner or any of the other bartenders talk to him

I’ve never seen him during the day

TINTED FUCKING WINDOWS. No normal person needs fucking tinted windows

Wealthy but won’t say what he does for a job?

Never seen him eat

Helen banged her head into the table.

Fucking ridiculous.

She was definitely losing her mind. And figuring out whether or not her neighbor was a vampire was not how she wanted to spend her day off, so she left the pad in the kitchen and went to read on the couch.

Helen relaxed, reveling in the freedom of actually having a day to herself. She did her best to enjoy the time and not think about her attractive, weirdo neighbor.

She made dinner for herself and ate watching the news. When she was finished, she poured a glass of wine and relaxed back to some rerun of a cooking show she hadn’t seen before.

And then there was a knock on the door.

She checks her watch. It’s nearly eight and she certainly doesn’t have friends who would come over this late without sending a text.

Helen climbs to her feet, heart already racing because, of course, it’s after sunset.

Maybe he’s just doing this to fuck with her.

Maybe he’s just been lying and teasing and trying to get into her head like some sort of psycho. That had to be more realistic than the truth, she thinks as she goes over to the door.

She peers out of the look-see and sure enough, John is on her porch.

Does he just wake up and throw on a three-piece? She wonders, opening the door. Granted, he’s technically missing his suit jacket but who wears a dress shirt and a suit vest on a Sunday night?

“John.”

“I wanted to say thank you for the cookies.”

“You’re very welcome. I hope you enjoyed them.”

The corner of his mouth twists, “Absolutely delicious.” John pauses, “May I come in?”

She feels her eyes widen and hopes that he doesn’t notice but he just fucking asked permission to come inside? That was a thing, right? That vampires need permission to enter houses?

He blinks innocently but it doesn’t feel at all innocent.

“Is everything alright?” John asks, “You look a little… flushed.”

She’s being ridiculous.

Helen shakes her head because John is not a vampire but she might be losing her mind. Maybe she needs to check herself in somewhere... “Of course. Come in.”

John steps through the door and the paranoid part of her wonders if she’s just made a terrible mistake.

John looks around and Helen wonders how she never realized how big John is. He’s tall and, without the jacket, she can see proof muscles on his arms that she had never noticed before.

“You have a lovely home.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I truly appreciate the cookies and you thinking of me. You’re very kind.”

“No, thank you. I’ve made that walk in the rain before and it sucks.”

“I was happy to do it. In fact, I’m at the bar most nights. I’m more than happy to stay and give you a ride home on a regular basis.”

“I couldn’t impose.” And you kind of scare the hell out of me, “Can I offer you a drink? I have water, juice, and wine?”

“Wine, if you don’t mind. And it’s no imposition. Like I said, I’m there anyway. And we are neighbors, after all.”

Helen offers a small smile as she turns towards the kitchen.

His words seem nearly laced with honey and it both excites her and kind of disturbs her.

Everything about John, vampire aside, screams dangerous.

And she’s invited him into her home and he’s almost a bit too kind. She doesn’t know what to do with that and it feels like her brain is fighting itself about John.

The logical part of her is telling her to calm the fuck down because John has been nothing but kind. The paranoid part of her is screaming VAMPIRE VAMPIRE VAMPIRE. The primal part of her seems torn between telling her to run as far and as fast as she can because John is dangerous and tearing that stupid suit off of him and jumping him then and there.

Instead, she manages to ask, “What kind of wine do you like?”

“I prefer red.” And it’s such a simple statement but his words tumble out like a taunt that just sets her on edge even more.

Helen goes to the cabinet and pulls down a glass of wine, hands shaking ever so slightly.

She has an open bottle of pinot noir in the fridge and she pours the wine as carefully as she can. It sloshes a bit over the edge and she wipes it with a dishtowel, feeling her cheeks burn even more at the small spillage.

She turns to hand John the glass and nearly drops it at the full-on smirk that graces his stupidly attractive face. She left out the list and John is reading it.

“Hot as fuck, huh?”

And it seems impossible, but her face feels worse than when she has a fever. She’s certain she must be red all over and she has absolutely nothing to stay to it because what can she say?

I know it’s ridiculous but I thought you were a vampire?

John steps closer, leaving the legal pad behind and he takes the glass from her hand and sets it on the counter behind her. With his other hand, he reaches for her chin and tilts her head up just a bit, forcing her to look into his eyes.

He whispers, “You really are fucking clever.”

Her eyes widen at the implication because no. No. She was definitely wrong and John was definitely messing with her but he smiles. He really smiles, not just a smirk. He bares his teeth and Helen swallows at the sight of long incisors.

Fuck.

“You should have trusted your instincts.”

He steps closer and Helen, as a result, steps back and finds herself completely enclosed. She is pressed against the counter, completely enclosed in one of his arms while the other trails down her neck.

She can’t run. She sure as hell doesn’t stand a chance if she tries to fight him.

“Are you going to kill me?”

John tilts her head upward, “And why,” He bends his own head down, brushing his lips against hers but not kissing her, “would I even think to destroy such a jewel?”

His arm around her tightens and she is hoisted off the ground and into the air. Instinctively, she throws her arms around her neck to keep balanced and John smirks at her, almost victoriously.

Before she can say anything, he is moving impossibly fast. She closes her eyes at the rush of dizziness that fills her at the speed and opens them only as she feels herself falling. Her back hits the bed and she bounces, sucking in a gasp as she does.

And John is on top of her before she can even acknowledge what is happening, the quick turn in events that had her from scared to terrified to, fuck, John is sucking on her neck and she is horny.

A vampire is sucking on her neck.

She hears a wanton moan and, Christ, that must have come from her.

She presses her thighs together as an ache spreads down her body, warming her tummy and sending the blood rushing south.

John’s hands tear the fabric of her cotton shirt into pieces as he rips it clean of her body before doing the same to her bra. She doesn’t even complain as John lowers his head and sucks a nipple into his mouth. He rolls it with his tongue and teases it with his teeth. The fang toys with it, dragging down her breast and the sharpness makes her whine with a sick mix of pain and pleasure.

And then it sinks into one of her veins and his teasing is suddenly a thing of the past as he sucks and swallows around her tender flesh.

Her hand jumps to his hair and Helen realizes, idly, that she’s encouraging this. Forcing his face against her, not letting him move even as her head feels dizzy.

A large hand slides down her body and into her sunday sweatpants. A finger swipes up her slit, teasing her clit and checking her arousal.

John releases her and quickly slides down her body, ripping her sweats and underwear off with the same vigor that he had done to her shirt. She’s certain they’re destroyed but she doesn’t give a flying fuck.

Not when John is plunging two fingers inside her and curling them just right so that she thrashes and writhes on the bed. John holds down her leg with his spare hand and continues his minstruations as he sinks his teeth into her thigh.

Helen shrieks, but not with pain, as John sucks on her thigh while his fingers dance inside of her. Helen isn’t sure which is more pleasurable, his mouth at her thigh or his fingers inside of her but she knows she has never felt like this. Lightheaded and pleasured and desperate and needy all at once.

He sucks and swallows while his thumb rubs at her clit and Helen wonders if she’s actually crying because there are tears spilling down her cheeks at the wanton desperation of it all.

Nothing has ever felt so good. So raw.

He could drain her of all her blood right now and she would probably say thank you so long as he didn’t stop toying with her clit or moving his fingers around inside her. She could definitely die like this and be happy.

All of the sudden, he pushes up slightly off her thigh. Just as quickly, he descends upon her other, sinking his teeth into the femoral artery. John sucks at her flesh and Helen feels her head spinning all the more.

Why does dizzy feel so good?

His thumb speeds up along her clit and his fingers roll against the spot inside her that makes her mind melt like cotton candy. Helen comes, crying out in surprise at how quickly John had been able to completely undo her.

She feels him swallowing against her thigh as she writhes beneath him.

He’s brought her pleasure to new heights and he hasn’t even begun undressing.

Helen reaches down and grabs his hair, tugging up.

It’s laughable, really, her attempt at strength in the midst of an orgasm but John acquiesces and releases her thigh from his mouth. Blood dribbles down his chin and she has the sick urge to lick it.

John climbs back up her body. He unfastens his belt, his pants as quickly as he can before pulling himself out.

Helen finds herself licking her lips at the sight of him but it’s quickly taken from her vision as John lays down on top of her body, angling the head of his cock towards her core. With a single roll of hips, he impales her onto his length and Helen finds herself arching her back, keening at the contact.

John bends his head down to her neck and she feels his tongue tease her pulse point before she feels the quick sharp of fangs digging into her throat.

His hips move against her, driving him in and out of her slick heat while he frantically swallows against her neck again and again.

She sees stars and she still isn’t certain what it’s from.

She’s lightheaded and it shows when she tries to lift her leg to wrap around John and she finds she can’t lift it. It barely registers, however, because his hand is between them again. He keeps thrusting, keeps sucking, but now his fingers are teasing and rubbing her clit and a scream escapes her. He feels so fucking good, everywhere, and his expert fingers are bringing her back to that height of pleasure.

John drives into her as deep as he can and Helen, again, feels herself falling further and further, through the stars and into the dark.

She can’t open her eyes but she really can’t bring herself to care.

She can still feel John, pistoning in and out of her and a small rip that sounds like something tearing open. Her head is tilted up and something forces her mouth open and places something against it.

“Good girl,” she can idly hear John whisper to her, “Swallow it down.”

And as he says it, she feels something pouring into her mouth. Salty and rich and warm. It fills her mouth and again, John urges her to swallow.

She does and she hears John’s quiet praises. “Good girl. Keep going. You’re going to be mine forever.”

Helen feels consciousness slip away.

And everything is black.

#kinktober #john wick kinktober #kinktober 2020 #overheard at the continental #incorrect john wick #john wick #john x helen wick #helen wick #helen x john wick #vampire! john wick #vampire keanu reeves #vampire #vampire au

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carelessgraces · 3 years

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GENERAL STATISTICS

FULL NAME Astoria Ileana Grim. NICKNAMES Stori. ALIASES Elena Hawke, Elizabeth Vane.

DATE OF BIRTH 22 August 1993. PLACE OF BIRTH Venice, Italy. ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS Leo sun, Libra moon, Leo rising. GENDER Cisgender woman. PRONOUNS She/her/hers. SEXUALITY Bisexual. HEIGHT 5'3". HAIR COLOR Red. EYE COLOR Brown. TATTOOS Several (found here). SCARS Several (found here).

ETHNICITY Italian, Swedish, Irish. RELIGION Stregoneria / stregheria. (notes here)

POSITIVE TRAITS Adaptable, ambitious, clever, perceptive. NEGATIVE TRAITS Capricious, hedonistic, manipulative, selfish.

PHOBIAS None. MENTAL HEALTH Healthy (situational, trauma-related symptoms).

SKILLS & ABILITIES

EDUCATION Hargrove Academy (1997-2008), St. Colman Catholic Academy (2008-2011), Harvard University (2011-2015), University of California at Berkeley (2015-2016). CAREER Collector, co-owner of Belladonna Apothecary. SPOKEN LANGUAGES Fluent in Italian, Veneto, and English, reading fluency in Latin and Irish, conversational skill in Irish, Spanish, Swedish.

MAGICAL SKILL Thaumaturgy, elemental magic ( esp. water ), household magic, divination. PHYSICAL SKILL Self-defense ( krav maga ). Lock-picking, pick-pocketing.

TIMELINE

22 AUGUST 1993 Astoria is born in Venice, Italy, to Seraphina Greengrass and Kasper Grim.

30 JUNE 2008 Astoria is formally removed from Hargrove Academy and moves in with Evander and Elyssa Vetri, who begin to teach her death magic, specifically expression.

1 MAY 2009 Evander and Elyssa bring Astoria with them to Paris, where they attempt to steal a heavily guarded grimoire. In the process, both Evander and Elyssa are killed, and Astoria is found, frightened and injured but otherwise safe, two days later.

1 SEPTEMBER 2009 Astoria moves in with her mother’s sister in Boston, MA, where she enrolls in St. Colman’s Catholic Academy to complete her education.

17 JUNE 2011 Graduation from St. Colman’s. She is valedictorian, cheer captain, and a member of the school’s girl’s soccer team. She is, also, a very active member of a community of local witches who meet in Salem.

6 SEPTEMBER 2011 The start of Astoria’s education at Harvard University, where she completes a double major in history ( focused in early modern Europe ) and folklore and mythology ( focused in witchcraft, magic, and demonology ).

20 MAY 2015 Graduation from Harvard University.

19 AUGUST 2015 Astoria begins an intensive course of study at Berkley for a master’s degree in folklore.

18 DECEMBER 2016 Graduation from University of California, Berkeley.

22 DECEMBER 2016 Astoria relocates to Dublin, Ireland, where she buys a building and opens a shop, Belladonna Apothecary, with her brother Damon. She splits her time moving forward between Dublin and Boston, when she isn’t traveling for work.

HISTORY (tw: abuse, torture, death, murder via poison, suicide attempt)

** Please note – this history is developed through extensive plotting with potterstillstinks, who writes Seraphina, Daphne, and Damon Greengrass.

This verse will be adapted as necessary to fit various other timelines and fandoms. You can see a breakdown of how I approach magic here. This is how I’ll write Astoria’s magic in this verse; any different approaches to be magic will be for verses based in specific fandoms.

The Greengrasses became titans: a family line of barons, the title bought in the sixteenth century and often more expense than it was worth, struck gold in the early days of Victoria’s reign. Generations of work as merchants and a bone-deep ambition left them well suited to fulfill the growing spiritualist interest in seances, divination, and summonings. They sold books written by folklorists and anthropoligists alongside tarot decks, candles alongside herbs, bezoars and adder stones alongside broomsticks and wands. For the more discerning clientele, they sold hands of glory, notes and diaries belonging to court sorcerers and alchemists, grimoires from medieval witches, cloaks and caps of invisibility.

It didn’t matter much whether or not the Greengrasses believed; elevated from a barony to a dukedom, they cared more for the development of their earthly power than anything of other worlds. Their wealth and influence grew, and while the majority of the Greengrasses were skeptics, some were more open to the evidence presented to them. Among them was Seraphina Greengrass, heir to the Greengrass fortune, and when she went looking for a highly-desired grimoire she found witches, real witches, practicing their craft in Venice. With them she found Kasper Grim.

When she suggested marriage he said yes; when she asked him to take her name he said yes; he adored her ambition and her power and wanted nothing more than to support her in it. Together they had four children: Camilla, five years after their marriage; Daphne and Damon, twins, three years later; and finally, two years after the twins, Astoria. All four of the children inherited Kasper’s gift and Seraphina’s drive. The family split their time between Venice, visiting Kasper’s parents, and Dublin, where they lived normal lives, cut off from their magic except in theory.

As Astoria grew, she began to recognize apparently ever-increasing depths of power. She had an instinct for creating spells, often producing magic far beyond her years, and a particular knack for manipulating water. Kasper’s cousins, the Vetri siblings — also Astoria’s godparents — offered to help teach her better control, so as to keep her from causing unnecessary damage, and, trusting their family to look after their youngest, Kasper and Seraphina agreed to allow Evander and Elyssa to educate her.

At first, it was everything Astoria had dreamed — at fourteen she left the mundane academy in Dublin to travel and study throughout Europe instead, crawling through ruins, poring over old books, copying out spells and practicing creating her own. The farther she got into her education, the stranger things became: her guardians were vehemently opposed to allowing her to study anything besides what they found useful, and often emphasized the kinds of magic that made her skin crawl. It wasn’t enough to manipulate water; they taught her instead to locate water in the body to heal, to harm. It wasn’t enough to invent spells; they taught her to push her boundaries, to create spells that had no business existing.

The magic made her more powerful, but more volatile as well, producing frequent and excruciating headaches, often uncontrollable shaking, dehydration, and nosebleeds. As her physical health deteriorated, her attention to detail grew sharper: she realized that Evander and Elyssa would push her far beyond her limits so that they could direct her magic without her interference when she was in pain, and that without her, they were significantly less powerful than she’d imagined. They needed her, but she wasn’t sure why; when she began to ask questions, or refused to follow their orders, they began to punish her, often violently.

Knowing that she couldn’t destroy them using only magic, she turned to logic, using Evander’s wrath and Elyssa’s pride against them. The weaker-willed they imagined her, the more they let their guard down. She first realized that they intended to use her as a human shield when she was fifteen: the Vetris brought her with them to hunt down a grimoire said to possess the means of prolonging human life, with far greater success than anything else they had encountered. The book was heavily guarded, and Astoria took the worst of the protective spells’ effects; she woke days later with no memory of the venture’s end, and only her godparents’ word that it had been a success. It became clear then that if Astoria was going to survive, her godparents could not.

She picked a fight, knowing how it would end. The following night, her injuries treated only enough to keep her from something worse, she begged forgiveness, and she watched in silence as her tormentors choked on their own bile, the cups of coffee she’d brought them as a peace offering crashing to the floor. It had been easy enough. Just a little bit of poison. Something mundane, something they never saw coming. She used her magic to dispose of the bodies, to speed up the decomposition until they were nothing but dust. And she waited alone in that house for days until she called the police, sobbing, saying that she didn’t know where her godparents were, begging for help.

The police who contacted her parents that night explained that the Vetris were missing. Their daughter was in shock. The x-rays taken at the local hospital showed several healed fractures indicative of abuse. What she needed most was to go home.

Astoria wouldn’t speak until they were back in Dublin; her first day back she tried, and failed, to kill herself, and the day after she called her aunt overseas and told her that she couldn’t, wouldn’t stay in Europe. It took some convincing before her parents agreed that she would move to Boston, where she lived with her aunt as she completed her secondary education. She pursued a bachelor’s degree in history and folklore, spending her graduate education focused on history — specifically, the Italian Renaissance. After completing a doctoral degree, she and her siblings gathered together to take up the family business. Astoria, Camilla, and Damon came together, opening small occult shops in various cities; expanding, they said in magazine interviews and on the shop’s website, building off the foundation of our aunt’s store in Boston.

They served upscale clientele, providing them with high quality magical goods and everything from spells to exorcisms to potions, and while Camilla and Damon took on major roles in sales, Astoria followed in her mother’s footsteps, and began to collect ( sometimes illegally ) artifacts for more discerning collectors. ( Occasionally, she was asked to take more than just a few artifacts — and, more and more, Astoria found herself in the business of selling secrets. )

IN A WORLD WITHOUT MAGIC

NAME Grim, Astoria Ileana ( born Greengrass ). DATE OF BIRTH 22 August 1993. CURRENT LOCATION Boston, MA. OCCUPATION Sale and authentication of antiques ( 10th - 16th century ).

CHILDHOOD Born 22 AUG 1993 to Kasper Grim and Seraphina Greengrass in Venice, Italy. Educated in Dublin, Ireland until 2007. Withdrawn from Hargrove Academy before beginning of Fall 2008 semester. Missing, unreported, from 30 JUNE 2008 until 11 MAY 2009; presumed living with godparents, Elyssa and Evander Vetri, in London, UK. Filed missing persons report, stating that ten days prior, her godparents left her home to run errands and did not return. Medical examination showed evidence of several healed fractures ( ribs, clavicle, nose ) and active injuries ( fracture in left wrist, poorly treated compound fracture in arm recent dislocation of left shoulder ), as well as severe trauma likely due to abuse and neglect. After several interviews, and only with parents and paternal grandfather ( Aleksi Grim, also acting as her legal representation ) present, admitted that she had been abused during the eleven months she was missing. No bodies were discovered, and no evidence of foul play was found. Relocated to Boston, MA to live with maternal aunt ( Astoria M. Townsend ); changed name to Grim to avoid confusion with her aunt.

EDUCATION Completed high school education at St. Coleman’s Catholic Academy, graduated with honors ( Spring 2011 ). Attended Harvard University to double major in history and folklore & mythology ( Fall 2011 - Spring 2015 ), before attending University of California at Berkley for an intensive master’s degree in folklore ( Fall 2015 - Summer 2016 ) and Columbia University to earn a PhD in history with a focus in the Italian Renaissance ( Fall 2016 - Spring 2021 ).

CRIMINAL HISTORY Any criminal activity is suspected, not confirmed. While Grim’s godparents were heavily involved with several criminal syndicates across Europe, Grim herself seems to have escaped relative unscathed, and without much attachment in Europe. In the United States, however, Grim is linked primarily to corporate and political espionage of questionable legality, usually in the employ of Senator Adam Vega ( D-NY ). Suspected in the theft and illegal sale of several medieval artifacts, but could not be definitively tied to any.

KNOWN ALIASES None. KNOWN ASSOCIATES Elyssa Vetri ( paternal first cousin once removed, godmother. Deceased. ); Evander Vetri ( paternal first cousin once removed, godfather. Deceased. ); Senator Adam Vega, D-NY ( business associate ).

SUSPECTED ALIASES Elena Hawke, Elizabeth Vane. SUSPECTED ASSOCIATES Raymond Reddington, unconfirmed.

NOTES Criminal record consists solely of two parking tickets and two speeding tickets. Despite her godparents’ connections, Grim does not appear to pose any physical threat. Noted as charming and persuasive, but believed to be acting within the bounds of legality.

Several deaths, seemingly unconnected, all without any evidence of foul play. All victims seen with a woman, blonde hair, late twenties to early thirties, in the 48 hours prior to their deaths. No evidence found that this is the same woman.

SOCIAL CONNECTIONS Involved with Iain Blackwood from Spring 2010 - Fall 2016; engaged from Fall 2014 - Fall 2016. A handful of alleged romantic connections, none of which have been publicly acknowledged, though she was linked to Vega from Summer 2017 to Winter 2018. Have remained close friends since apparent breakup. Tends to frequent theaters; especially fond of opera, little interest in most art. Not taken particularly seriously outside of her work due to reports of a hedonistic lifestyle, though this does work to her advantage when it comes to making new social connections.

PROFESSIONAL CONNECTIONS Travels often for work. Works closely with several universities, despite preferring to sell to individual collectors ( themselves often academics associated with these universities ). Well known for her skill in negotiations and her patience, as well as her willingness to lose customers if she finds them personally unpleasant.

Her staff is varied but she travels regularly with a handful of personal guards, led by Lorenzo Vescovi, also considered a close friend. Has been trained in self-defense, but prefers not to engage physically. Some have joked that even if she did need to get violent with anyone, it’s unlikely she’d ever have to do it herself. Will only pick up a gun herself if she feels the need to make a point.

Loyal to her allies, though she has yet to be linked to any criminal activity, even when those allies are arrested. Could suggest a willingness to step back and extricate herself from any danger? If she has done so, she’s done it effectively. No one seems to have a grudge against her.

Relationship with Vega seeming to cool, though there have been no indications of a falling-out.

#( mobile info )#tw: death #tw: poisoning #tw: abuse #tw: suicide #tw: murder

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emikochan · 4 years

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I love the s/o wanting to learn their language. Can I have that with the 1p axis + 1p spain

Of course you can, love~🌸

~~~~~~~

Germany:

"Warte mal, was? So are you taking classes or what did you have in mind?"

Ludwig doesn't know how to feel. Unlike Gilbert he doesn't take much pride in his language and wouldn't understand in the slightest why out you'd want to learn German, when there are so many other beautiful languages out there.

In the end he concluded, that you'd learn it to feel more connected to him, which honestly just makes him super happy.

Unsurprisingly Ludwig is one of those teachers, that are competent in what they're doing but still intimidate the living daylights out of you. Ludwig as your boyfriend is an incredibly nice person but damn, he's a strict teacher.

You sometimes get the feeling, that he's asking a bit too much of you, while on other days he makes you feel like you've done an outstanding job, which is just super confusing.

His methods are still somehow really effective and though your brain denies every grammar rule in his book, you are able to understand more than you could have imagined within a few weeks. Similar to Matthew and Arthur his lessons also contain road trips in his country and dropping some German small talk once in a while

~~~~~~

Japan:

He is overjoyed, a nervous wreck and scared that you'll be angry with him for his complicated language.

All of these emotions at once, while keeping that pokerface, only letting a gentle smile form on his face and casually responding with a "That's wonderful news, dear."

He doesn't know where to begin so he sends you to a professional tutor, that teaches you Japanese. He's unsure on how far he should go in order to support you. Is small talk ok? Is asking for your favourite colour too much or are you able to read already? Kiku would buy you all sorts of books, prepare Japanese Indie Rock playlists and switch the settings to the Japanese dub on all your favourite animes and shows in order to help you during your process. You are a quick learner, so he was amazed when you held your first conversation with him. He's more relaxed about it afterwards and gently corrects you when you make mistakes.

~~~~~~

Italy:

"Ah? Sembra divertente!", he smiled.

Feliciano doesn't come up with the idea to assign a teacher to you or to teach you himself. He calls his boss and signs himself off from work for a few months, only being available through E-Mail and calls; and drives far up to his second house in a cute little town with you. He chose to build his second house here, because the people here are mainly spared from touristic influence and their peaceful life reminds Feli of the simple and happy days of his childhood.

He considers learning Italian as more than just learning a language. It contains the food, the gestures, the people, the vibe and just la dolce vita in general.

You basically engulf in that lifestyle every day, get to enjoy the Italian cuisine daily and the friendly towns folk try their best to teach you their language, which often results in lots of laughter and fun on both sides.

~~~~~

Spain:

Oh my, you got that poor man choking on his coffee. "¿En serio? Nena, that's awesome news! Let's go on a vacation right away!".

Toni always spoke a lot of Spanish around you, so you already knew a few words. He basically does the same thing as Feliciano with the exception, that he gives you some basic Spanish lessons before you go and doesn't take you to a small town, no, that madman basically yeets you into the masses of people in esas cuidades grandes like Barcelona, Málaga, Valencia and Madrid. Why big cities you might ask? Simple, it's because those places have hundreds of activities for you to enjoy every day. Every day is filled with new vocabulary, new experiences and so much fun, that it's almost draining. In addition to that many people are able to speak English so you won't feel feel bad when you lack some Spanish. Toni speaks more Spanish with you in public and in private too, but he totally understands, when you want to watch a movie in your native tongue once in a while. Everyone needs a breather after all.

#aph germany #aph italy #aph spain #aph japan #ludwig beilschmidt #kiku honda #feliciano vargas #antonio fernandez carriedo #language

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newstfionline · 4 years

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Monday, October 19, 2020

As the Coronavirus Surges, a New Culprit Emerges: Pandemic Fatigue (NYT) When the coronavirus began sweeping around the globe this spring, people from Seattle to Rome to London canceled weddings and vacations, cut off visits with grandparents and hunkered down in their homes for what they thought would be a brief but essential period of isolation. But summer did not extinguish the virus. And with fall has come another dangerous, uncontrolled surge of infections that in parts of the world is the worst of the pandemic so far. The virus has taken different paths as leaders have tried to tamp down the spread with a range of restrictions. Shared, though, is a public weariness and a growing tendency to risk the dangers of the coronavirus, out of desire or necessity: With no end in sight, many people are flocking to bars, family parties, bowling alleys and sporting events much as they did before the virus hit, and others must return to school or work as communities seek to resuscitate economies. And in sharp contrast to the spring, the rituals of hope and unity that helped people endure the first surge of the virus have given way to exhaustion and frustration. Researchers from the World Health Organization estimate that about half of the population is experiencing “pandemic fatigue.” One New Yorker summed it up: “I am so tired of everything. Is it going to be over? I want it to be over.”

Biden and Trump Say They’re Fighting for America’s ‘Soul.’ (NYT) It is a phrase that has been constantly invoked by Democratic and Republican leaders. It has become the clearest symbol of the mood of the country, and what people feel is at stake in November. Everyone, it seems, is fighting for it. “This campaign isn’t just about winning votes. It’s about winning the heart and, yes, the soul of America,” Joseph R. Biden Jr. said in August at the Democratic National Convention, not long after the phrase “battle for the soul of America” appeared at the top of his campaign website, right next to his name. Picking up on this, a recent Trump campaign ad spliced videos of Democrats invoking “the soul” of America, followed by images of clashes between protesters and the police and the words “Save America’s Soul,” with a request to text “SOUL” to make a campaign contribution. That the election has become a referendum on the soul of the nation, suggests that in an increasingly secular country, voting has become a reflection of one’s individual morality—and that the outcome hinges in part on spiritual and philosophical questions that transcend politics: What, exactly, is the soul of the nation? What is the state of it? And what would it mean to save it?

Spanish demonstrators call for prosecution of former king (Reuters) Waving red, purple and yellow republican flags, demonstrators in 24 Spanish cities on Sunday called for the prosecution of the former king Juan Carlos who left Spain embroiled in controversy. The 82-year-old former monarch has been living in the United Arab Emirates since leaving Spain in August to avoid further embarrassing his son, King Felipe VI. While not formally under investigation, Juan Carlos could become a target in two inquiries in Spain and Switzerland into alleged corruption associated with a 6.7-billion-euro (£6.1 billion), high-speed Saudi train contract won by Spanish firms.

Covid-19’s first wave largely missed southern Italy. The second wave is hitting it hard. (Washington Post) When northern Italy became the epicenter of the pandemic in the spring, one urgent concern was that the country’s coronavirus outbreak would quickly spread to the less-prosperous south and overwhelm under-resourced regional health systems. That fear wasn’t realized. A strict nationwide lockdown largely contained the virus in the north and brought the outbreak under control. But now the virus is raging again, through Europe and through Italy, with a spike that is again hitting the north but this time also the south. In Campania, which includes Naples, the daily number of detected new cases is five times larger than March’s peak. Compared with six months ago, there is more space to accommodate critical patients in southern Italy. There are more ventilators. Still, many hospitals in the south remain understaffed and have fewer beds per capita than those in the north. They could reach a breaking point if the number of critical patients soars.

Tens of thousands march in Belarus despite firearms threat (Reuters) Tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of the Belarusian capital Minsk on Sunday to demand the resignation of veteran president Alexander Lukashenko, despite a threat by officials to use firearms against protesters. Belarus, a former Soviet republic closely allied with Russia, has been rocked by strikes and weekly street protests since authorities announced that Lukashenko, who has ruled in authoritarian fashion since 1994, had secured re-election on Aug. 9 with 80% of votes. The Interfax news agency put the number of protesters at over 30,000. It said about 50 had been detained by the police, and that the mobile broadband signal had been disrupted in parts of the city. It also said loud noises that sounded like stun grenades had been heard close to the march. A senior police official said last week that officers would reserve the right to use firearms against demonstrators.

Russia shuns tough restrictions even as infections soar (AP) It’s Friday night in Moscow, and popular bars and restaurants in the city center are packed. No one except the staff is wearing a mask or bothers to keep their distance. There is little indication at all that Russia is being swept by a resurgence of coronavirus infections. “I believe that everyone will have the disease eventually,” says Dr. Alexandra Yerofeyeva, an internal medicine specialist at an insurance company, while sipping a cocktail at The Bix bar in Moscow. She adds cheerfully: “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” The outbreak in Russia this month is breaking the records set in the spring, when a lockdown to slow the spread of the virus was put in place. But, as governments across Europe move to reimpose restrictions to counter rising cases, authorities in Russia are resisting shutting down businesses again. The spring lockdown hurt the country’s already weakened economy and compounded Russians’ frustration with plummeting incomes and worsening living conditions, driving Putin’s approval rating to a historic low of 59% in April, according to the Levada Center, Russia’s top independent pollster. Analysts say his government doesn’t want to return to those darks days. “They know that people have just come to the end of their tolerance of the lockdown measures that would be hugely unpopular if they got imposed again,” said Judy Twigg, a professor of political science at Virginia Commonwealth University, specializing in global health.

China Warns U.S. It May Detain Americans in Response to Prosecutions of Chinese Scholars (WSJ) Chinese government officials are warning their American counterparts they may detain U.S. nationals in China in response to the Justice Department’s prosecution of Chinese military-affiliated scholars, according to people familiar with the matter. The Chinese officials have issued the warnings to U.S. government representatives repeatedly and through multiple channels, the people said, including through the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. The Chinese message, the people said, has been blunt: The U.S. should drop prosecutions of the Chinese scholars in American courts, or Americans in China might find themselves in violation of Chinese law. China started issuing the warning this summer after the U.S. began arresting a series of Chinese scientists, who were visiting American universities to conduct research, and charged them with concealing from U.S. immigration authorities their active duty statuses with the People’s Liberation Army, the people said. Chinese authorities have on occasion detained foreign nationals in moves seen by their governments as baseless, or in some instances as diplomatic retaliation, a tactic that many in Washington policy circles have referred to as “hostage diplomacy.”

Thailand’s king faces trouble on two continents (Los Angeles Times) The scion of one of the world’s most privileged families, he wrapped himself in the trappings of royalty, wealth and a comfortable hideaway thousands of miles from his subjects. For Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn, the cocoon has come undone with remarkable speed. Last week in Berlin, the German government faced questions in Parliament over the king’s legal status in Bavaria, where he resides. Then, visiting Thailand this week to mark the fourth anniversary of his father’s death, the king’s family came face-to-face with pro-democracy protesters agitating for limits on his power. The reverence long demanded of Thailand’s monarchy is breaking down in ways big and small. Thais are refusing to stand for the royal anthem in movie theaters, lampooning the king in Facebook groups and openly questioning his immense wealth and spending. The scrutiny he is now facing in Germany is an added nuisance for a 68-year-old king who has long treated his adopted home as a playground. As the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned for 70 years, Vajiralongkorn was destined to inherit the throne. But since about 2007 he has spent most of his time in Germany, where the tabloid press has followed his exploits with relish. He was pictured wearing a tight-fitting crop top over an otherwise bare torso while getting on a ski lift, and covered in temporary tattoos during an excursion to a Munich mall.

New Zealand’s Ardern credits virus response for election win (AP) A day after winning a second term in a landside victory, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Sunday she sees the election result as an endorsement of her government’s efforts to stamp out the coronavirus and reboot the economy. In the election, Ardern’s liberal Labour Party got 49% of the vote, crushing the conservative National Party, which got 27%. Ardern said the margin of the victory exceeded their expectations. Asked what she would say to those Americans who may draw inspiration from her win ahead of the U.S. elections, Ardern said she hoped people globally could move past the partisan divisions that elections often accentuate. “That can be damaging for democracy, regardless of the side of the House that you sit on,” she said.

As lockdown eases, Israelis again gather against Netanyahu (AP) Thousands of Israelis demonstrated outside the official residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night, resuming the weekly protest against the Israeli leader after emergency restrictions imposed as part of a coronavirus lockdown were lifted. The protesters gathered in central Jerusalem and marched to Netanyahu’s official residence, holding banners calling on him to go and shouting “Revolution!” Many blew horns and pounded on drums, while others hoisted Israeli flags. Scores of smaller demonstrations were held across the country, and organizers claimed some 260,000 people participated nationwide. The protesters say Netanyahu must resign, calling him unfit to lead the country while he is on trial for corruption charges. They also say he has mishandled the virus crisis, which has sent unemployment soaring. Netanyahu is on trial for fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes for his role in a series of scandals. He has denied the charges and said he is the victim of a conspiracy by overzealous police and prosecutors and a liberal media.

Uganda’s ‘taxi divas’ rise from COVID-19’s economic gloom (AP) Uganda’s new all-female ride-hailing service is called Diva Taxi. The taxi service, dreamed up by a local woman who lost her logistics job at the start of the coronavirus outbreak, was launched in June and has recruited over 70 drivers. They range from college students to mothers hoping to make good use of their secondhand Toyotas. “It started off as a joke, supported by close friends and family, but eventually the idea picked up,” said company spokeswoman Rebecca Makyeli. “They said, ‘Why not? As ladies, you know we can no longer slay on Instagram on the outside, so why don’t we slay as divas with a cause.’ So we called it Diva Taxi.” It’s uncommon to find women taxi drivers in Uganda, a socially conservative East African country where most women labor on farms or pursue work in the informal sector. Diva Taxi believes countless women are looking for job opportunities at a time of severe economic distress. The Diva Taxi app has been downloaded at least 500 times, and each of the company’s 72 drivers makes an average of 30 rides each week. The company expects to have 2,000 active users by the end of this year, a modest target in a city of over 3 million people where taxis and passenger motorcycles are the main means of transport for the working class. “We love what we are doing and it’s really fun,” said founder Kobusingye, an occasional driver herself. “I can’t wait to partner with every woman out there that’s willing to be part of Diva Taxi.”

Nigerian army plans nationwide exercise as protests rock country (Reuters) The Nigerian army will begin a two-month national exercise, it said on Saturday, while denying the move was part of any security response to recent widespread demonstrations against alleged police brutality. Operation Crocodile Smile would run across the country from Oct. 20 to Dec. 31, the first time the annual exercise, typically concentrated in the Delta region, will be nationwide, army spokesman Sagir Musa said. The move comes just days after the army said it was ready to step in and restore order, but Musa said in a statement that the exercise “has no relationship with any lawful protest under any guise whatsoever”. Nigerians demanding an end to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) police unit and pressing for reforms and accountability have been rallying across the country. The army had on Wednesday issued a statement warning what it termed “subversive elements and trouble makers” that it was “ready to fully support the civil authority in whatever capacity to maintain law and order and deal with any situation decisively”.

#headlines #news

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brynandchristopher · 4 years

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The (temporary) end of an era

Well, it’s certainly been a while since we last wrote. We apologize for the delay, we’ve been busy transitioning from New Zealand life to Australia in the last month or so, and then from Australia back to our homes in the last few days, and just haven’t gotten around to writing. But now we’re back! First and foremost, Chris and I are safe, happy, and healthy. It is a crazy time that we are living in right now, but so far we have remained physically unaffected by coronavirus and are keeping our fingers crossed that it remains that way. We are in good health and taking all of the necessary precautions to stay safe in this time of chaos and uncertainty.

In our last post, we had just bid Madeline farewell and were beginning the process of selling our van, Sweetie, in Christchurch. We gave ourselves ~2 weeks before departing to sell the van in hopes that would give us enough time to meet with prospective buyers and try to make some of our money back before taking off for Australia. In New Zealand, there is a bit of a boom and bust cycle in regards to van prices due to the major influx of backpackers at the beginning of the summer and mass exodus at the end of summer. Additionally, most backpackers take a similar route to the one we took - flying into Auckland, exploring the north island, heading down south, flying out of Christchurch - resulting in a huge supply of backpacker vans in Christchurch and not very much demand. We were aware of this cycle going into our trip and knew we wouldn’t get a full return on what we spent, but we were hopeful we could get at least half of our money back to put towards our next van in Australia. Our first few van showings were slightly disheartening. We received significant interest via buy/sell facebook pages and other websites where we posted ads, but when we met in person for test drives and viewings everyone seemed very nit-picky about small things that hadn’t mattered much to us. We soon realized that backpackers looking at vans at the end of the summer could afford to be selective because of how many vans were available to them at a low cost. We didn’t let them get us down though, and after 4 or 5 days of showings we met an Israeli couple around our age that was interested in buying Sweetie. Chris negotiated with them (definitely not my forté, Chris is the master haggler between the two of us) and we were able to get a little more than half of what we had spent. We spent a day driving around with them for a test drive, mechanical inspection, and eventually a transfer of ownership, and by that evening it was time for us to part with our beloved Sweetie. She was a real trooper and everything we could have asked for for our very first car, we felt lucky to have had no car problems for the whole 3 months (which cannot be said for many secondhand backpacker campervans). We were sad to see her go but happy to be leaving her in good hands for her next adventure :)

It was a relief to sell the van in the first few days of our arrival to Christchurch, but we soon realized we had a lot of time on our hands for the next 10 days without a vehicle to go anywhere beyond the city. We stayed in a hostel in central Christchurch for 3 nights and spent a few days exploring the sights of the city. We walked through the botanical gardens, visited the local museum, explored the shops, and hung out around the hostel. One day we went to a climbing gym and spent a few hours bouldering, a hobby that both Chris and I had missed since our travels began. Once our time in the hostel was up, Chris’ dad, John, helped us out with some points so we could stay at the Double Tree Inn for 2 nights. After living in a minivan for 3 months and then staying in a crowded hostel for a few nights, the Double Tree felt luxurious and plush. We were very grateful to be staying in a nice place for a few days and have a bit of a break from the backpacker lifestyle - thanks Wan :)

For the remainder of our time in Christchurch, we booked a cheap AirBnb on the outskirts of the city. We were beginning to get a bit restless - while Christchurch is nice enough, New Zealand isn’t exactly famous for it’s beautiful cities and we felt like we had explored most of what it had to offer. I spent most of our days there starting to look online for vans and jobs in Australia, and Chris played a lot of Pokémon ;) I had applied to a few live-in nanny jobs in Queensland, where we were hoping to post up for a few months to save up some money, and I heard back from the one Chris and I were most excited about. The family of 5 lived on 7 acres in a sleepy beach town called Kinka Beach about 7 hours north of Brisbane, and it seemed like we would be a good fit for what they were looking for. After a few emails back and forth, the mother, Olivia, and I spoke on the phone for a while to sort out the details and get to know each other a bit. Originally Olivia and her husband, Darren, weren’t looking to have a couple, but when we told them of Chris’ handyman/DIY construction experience, they figured they could use his help on some projects around their property in addition to my help with their 3 kids. We agreed on an arrival date in early April and planned to stay in touch until then. Before we knew it, our last night in New Zealand was upon us and we decided to celebrate by going out to dinner at a Chinese vegetarian restaurant a few blocks away from our AirBnb. We ordered a few different dishes, which were fantastic, and recounted all of the unforgettable memories we made in the beautiful country of New Zealand. It was a sad goodbye but we were looking forward to our next adventure in Australia.

At this point, the Coronavirus panic was beginning to ramp up. We were only experiencing it secondhand, as it hadn’t become a problem at all in New Zealand yet, so it didn't really feel real until we got to the airport. There were increased screening and security measures when we arrived to Australia, questions about where we’d travelled recently and separate lines for people who had been to China, Italy, Iran, or Dubai. This, of course, was only the tip of the iceberg and our nervousness about the situation began to increase. My parents were supposed to be visiting about a week after we arrived to Sydney and we weren’t sure what would happen in that time. Fortunately, we had a safe and isolated place to stay in Sydney for the week - my Dad’s childhood friend, Rob, lives in a beautiful downtown apartment in the heart of Sydney and was gracious enough to host us. For the first few days we got to know Rob over dinners and wine and he gave us advice for places to check out around the city. We walked through the beautiful botanic gardens, along the harbor to see the Sydney Opera House, and spent a day soaking up the sun at Bondi Beach. We were primarily in Sydney to start our hunt for a new van, so we met up with a few different sellers that we’d been in contact with to test drive and scope out our options. Because we would be living in this van for a longer period of time, we were hoping to upgrade on a few things that Sweetie didn’t have - a bit more space in the back, a high roof, and an indoor kitchen. We liked 1 or 2 of the ones we viewed in the first few days, but nothing was really checking all of the boxes that we were hoping for.

Three or four days into our time in Sydney, it became very apparent how seriously the world was reacting to Coronavirus. Everyone was being sent home from work, businesses were closing, and fewer and fewer people were out on the street each day. Before we knew it, travel restrictions and bans were being put in place by many countries, Australia being one of them. With very heavy hearts, my parents had to cancel their trip to come and visit us for 2+ weeks. We were all pretty heartbroken about the situation, all of us had been looking forward to the trip for months. I was craving a taste of comfort and home that I knew would come from spending time with my parents, and I knew how excited they were to take a much deserved break from work and go on a big adventure across the world. I soon found out that my sister, Maggie, was also going to surprise me and come along with them (I had suspicions all along (; ), which only made it harder. It was a major disappointment on both ends, but it was out of our hands.

Feeling a bit deflated and sad, we continued our search for the right van. When we came across a van that was everything we were looking for but a little bit out of our price range, we figured we might as well take a look at it and see if we could negotiate our way down. We met with the owner of the van, a Spanish guy named Edgar, who was trying to get out of the country as soon as possible because his visa was about to expire. The van was perfect, we fell in love with it immediately. It had a solar panel on top that powered a refrigerator, water pump for running water, power outlets, and cabin lights, had a whole indoor kitchen set up, and had a semi-high roof. It was in great mechanical condition and had very low kilometers compared to the majority of the vans we had looked at. We spent a day or two going back and forth with Edgar about the price and eventually we came to an agreement- we were now the proud owners of a 1999 fully outfitted Toyota Hiace Campervan! We named him Rollo, a viking name that we felt was well-suited for our van.

A day or two later, Chris and I went through a few hours of panic about coronavirus and whether or not we needed to make the difficult decision to end our trip and go home. It was poor timing to go through this decision making process, as we had just invested the majority of our money into a new home on wheels, but it was an option we knew we had to seriously consider before carrying on with our travel plans. We went through many different hypothetical scenarios, weighed all of the pros and cons, talked it out with friends and family, and eventually came to the decision that we would wait it out in Australia for now. The situation worldwide was changing every day and the uncertainty was scary - our first instinct is to be around our family in a time like this - but we knew we had a safe place to hunker down for a few months with our nannying family in Kinka Beach. With new border closures and travel restrictions being put into place, we decided we would leave Sydney and head straight for Kinka Beach without making many stops in between. Before we left, Rob recommended a hike close by in Royal National Park to the beautiful Figure Eight Pools. These series of pools were formed along a rock shelf of the coastline from centuries of pounding waves and receding tides. When the tide is low enough, you can walk out on the shelf and take a dip in the crystal clear waters of the Figure Eight Pools - take a look at our pictures and you’ll understand the name. We had never seen anything like them before, it was a really cool adventure. After swimming in the pools we spent a few hours on the beach before making our way back to Sydney. We had our last dinner with Rob and he was nice enough to send us off with a basket full of van-life essentials - we were beyond grateful for his hospitality and generosity over the course of the week and hoped to visit if we’re back in Sydney again :)

Chris and I hit the road and began our 3-day drive up the east coast of Australia. On our first day, we stopped in to visit with my great-Aunt, Nancy, who lives in Newcastle a few hours north of Sydney. I had never met Nancy, only heard about her secondhand from my Grandad and the rest of my Dad’s family, so I was very excited to finally get to meet her. Chris and I spent an hour or so with Nancy, chatting over tea and walking through her magnificent backyard garden. It was wonderful to meet her and exchange stories of our travels, I hope to stay in touch in the future. After saying our goodbyes, we continued our drive north. We felt a bit melancholy as we passed exit after exit for all of the places we were supposed to be staying at with my parents, but we were doing our best to stay positive. We knew how lucky we were to have found a beautiful new van and to have a safe place to go to in a time of crisis. We stayed overnight in free rest-stop campsites along the way and made it to Kinka Beach after 3 long days in the van.

Olivia and Darren, the parents, greeted us and we spent an hour or so getting to know each other and taking a look around their property. They own a coral selling business where they harvest small amounts of coral from the Great Barrier Reef and then propagate it in tanks on land to sell to aquarium owners, pet stores, etc. Their property had an old aquarium on it that they were going to convert into a coral-growing space because it already had the tanks and requirements needed for their business. The aquarium was accompanied by a giant concrete whale that you could go inside - it was as big as a house and definitely a trademark of the Kinka Beach area. It was a funky property but we liked it, and we got along well with Olivia and Darren. Because we had been in Sydney and traveling around, they asked us to keep our distance and self-isolate in our van on their property for the first week that we were there, which we of course were fine with. We spent the week going to the beach, stocking up on food essentials, and relaxing in the van. As much as we tried to keep our distance, the older two of the children were very curious about the two new van-dwellers on their property. They would sneak away from their parents to come and say hello, and took a liking to us right away. Our new names were ‘Nanny Chris’ and ‘Nanny Bryn’, it was very cute :) The week of isolation passed and Chris and I moved in to the family’s house. The family also had a separate unit on their property on the second floor of the aquarium that Chris and I were planning on moving into but it had some damage from a cyclone a few years back. Fixing up the separate unit was going to be Chris’ project for the few months that we were there, and he dove right in once we got settled. For the first few days I was with Olivia and the three kids - Henderson or ‘Hendo’ (4), Israel (2), and Kingsley (12 weeks) - playing in their blow up pool, jumping on the trampoline, reading books, and watching movies. The kids were adorable and (mostly) well-behaved, and Olivia and I got along great. I spent my birthday with the kids, and Chris and I snuck away during their nap to have a pizza beach picnic where he gave me a guitar!! I had expressed the desire to start learning throughout our travels and he remembered, it was a very sweet and thoughtful gift <3 The family surprised me with birthday cake and songs later that night and made my birthday feel special, even if it was under somewhat different circumstances than usual.

A day or two into the job, the same anxieties that Chris and I were having in Sydney began to creep back up on us. Coronavirus continued to ramp up, and our fears of being far from home grew with it. We worried about being stuck in Australia if they cancelled all outgoing flights and not being able to return to the US if family or friends got sick, or what would happen if we needed to be hospitalized abroad. Mostly we just felt scared, anxious, and homesick being in an unfamiliar place during a time of such panic and crisis, and it was seriously impacting our ability to enjoy our time there. The family had also asked that Chris didn’t get a job in the community, as they had young children and a baby, and wanted to limit potential exposure to the virus. This would mean we wouldn’t be making very much money, and we knew we needed to resupply our funds if we wanted to continue to travel. At the same time, we were scared by the prospect of traveling if we did decide to go home, which would mean exposing ourselves to airplanes and airports. It was risky and we didn’t want to bring the sickness home to anyone or put others at risk. After a few wrenching days of going back and forth about it and talking it through with Olivia and Darren, Chris and I made the difficult decision to sell the van and go home. It was a heartbreaking goodbye - the kids had begun to get attached to us, and us to them - but after lots of hugs we bid farewell and headed south towards Brisbane to sell Rollo. We stayed at a campground and arranged a few meetings with interested buyers, and after a day we made a quick sale to a Dutch backpacker couple. The next morning we were on a flight to Sydney, where we spent the night, and then carried on to San Francisco the following day. After the 13+ hour flight to California, Chris and I parted ways - I flew home to Boston and Chris to Salt Lake City. It feels strange and sad to be apart after spending literally every hour of the day together for 5+ months straight, but fortunately (and unfortunately, I suppose) we have quite a bit of experience with long-distance. We know it’s not forever and we are staying positive and looking forward to spending time with our families after being away for so long. Both of us are currently self-quarantining in our homes - I’m up in the creative room in my house for the next two weeks and Chris is confined to the basement at his house. We’re both feeling very lucky that our houses are set up in a way that allows us to be physically separate from our families while still being able to visit from across the yard or between rooms. We know not everyone being affected by coronavirus is afforded that same luxury, so we are counting our blessings and keeping ourselves busy for the next 14 days.

Unfortunately this will likely be our last blog post for a while. But don’t worry!! Our travels will continue once we’ve saved up a little more money, and we will be sure to post here when that time comes :) We are relieved and happy to be home and are looking forward to better and brighter days. Thank you to all of our friends and family who have kept up with our travels in the past 5 months, it has been filled with more joy, wonder, and adventure than we could have ever imagined. We feel so lucky to have people in our lives that we can share those experiences with, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Stay home, stay safe, and stay healthy!!

With love,

Bryn and Christopher

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bryonysimcox · 4 years

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Quenching my thirst for Urbanity: Week 7, Spain

Wow. It’s been one of those weeks that have been crammed full of stuff - from arriving into València to now feeling settled in the city, from connecting with new people and clients to rekindling my love for urban exploring. It’s been a week full of sunshine and surprises.

My first thought is that in light of the current Covid-19 crisis, this blog feels truly ridiculous and self-indulgent. What started as a handful of people showing flu-like symptoms has escalated into a pretty scary global health threat, and I must admit I’ve gone from passing it off as ‘something that will blow over’ to really taking it seriously. I’m not into scaremongering, but I now see the potential impact of a virus like this on each and every one of us and on the liberties we are so used to.

All that considered, it still feels important to document our travels and to celebrate the good stuff that’s still happening. Life here in Spain feels fairly unaffected by the Corona virus at this stage (apart from a conference I attended today being about 75% empty), but we’re also following developments across the global stage where life really is being affected. I would at least say that it’s encouraging to see the way in which countries are rallying together and catalysing action to tackle this crisis (if only we could do the same for the climate crisis). Our own plans have been affected as we were headed to Italy next, but for now I’m going to focus on the last seven days that have passed here on the Spanish coast and which have marked our seventh week on the road. In reflecting on this I hope to send out a little ray of sunshine!

(image) The sun sets from our parking spot in Valencia and we’re thinking of friends and family around the globe.

This week started with our final day on the road coming into València. We were treated to a chilly ocean swim, a daytime wander around Castellón, and an adventurous evening drive up to an incredible panoramic camping spot.

On that first day of the week we woke up in an eerily deserted coastal spot, and then drove a little further south to ‘Playa Miami’ to have an ocean swim and a wash under the outdoor beach showers. Locals wrapped in layers walking past thought we were nuts, but were all pretty friendly and made us feel very much welcome - which is such a nice feeling when you’re in residential neighbourhoods and you’re concerned about being perceived as unwanted van-dwellers...

I was pretty chuffed to find a cheap refill for our gas bottle in Playa Miami too, half the price that we’d paid in France a month earlier. Spain is definitely a fair bit cheaper than France, not only in terms of fuel but also food shopping (which makes sense given that more fruit and vegetables are grown here). Restocked with supplies and setting off again, we continued southbound towards València, making our next stop at Castellón de la Plana for a lunch break.

I didn’t know much about Castellón, but George and I were enamoured by its character and spent a few chilled-out hours there.

(images, left to right) People-friendly streets with integrated bike lanes in Castellón, gorgeous orange blossom on our walk into the city, and one of a few murals I spotted and really enjoyed there.

The first thing we observed was how cool the city’s public transport was. The tree-lined boulevard we had parked on was a key spine providing access into the city, and while we opted to walk along its generous pavement, the road also offered a bus route and city bikes. The buses weren’t just any old buses though. They were electrified buses with movable electrical conductors which flipped up and down depending on if there were overhead powerlines. The bus effectively acted as a tram, moving in a dedicated lane and with raised stops with digitised signs.

Closer into the city, the buses merged with normal traffic lanes and (presumably) ran off batteries which store power from being charged by the overhead lines. The bikes were also pretty innovative - being the most basic design out of all the city bike schemes we’ve seen but clearly being well-kept and effective. Seeing places like Castellón, which isn’t even one of the major cities in Spain, simply offer inventive and effective urban mobility solutions as part of everyday life gets me even more frustrated about the state of transport in the UK and Australia. We could learn a thing or to from mainland Europe!

Walking from the edge of Castellón into the city centre and old town, our journey was a delightful multi-sensory experience. Orange trees blossomed, letting off a sweet aromatic smell, and electric buses left the streets peacefully quiet. The town itself boasted attractive historic buildings like the Cathedral and Theatre, with pedestrian-only lanes animated by the mid-afternoon lunch break (which sees shops shut down and cafes come to life between 2ish and 5pm or so). After a coffee and cake in a charming plaza, we hopped back into Suzi and continued on our way towards València.

Up a steep and sketchy road, our parking spot for that first night offered one of the most incredible views down towards València and across the ocean.

(images) Tackling the ascent to our camping spot to the north of Valencia. Not sure if George is loving the 4WDriving or fearing for his life!

In order to feel safe and secure we decided to park a fair way out of the city, and were not disappointed by the camping spot we chose on Park4Night. Suzi handled the rocky ascent really well (even when she was still in 2WD) and we finally reached the parking spot on El Picaio in the Parc Natural de la Serra Calderona, next to the Santuari de la Santisima Verge de la Medalla Miraculosa, a small catholic chapel atop the mount.

With a celebratory beer in hand, we watched the sun set over the ocean and looked into the distance at the city of València, beyond the rocky hill and the green expanses. I felt overjoyed to be in such a stunning spot and really cherish these moments which are free and yet bring us so much value.

(images, left to right) Walking to a vantage spot from our parking, a couple of celebratory beers at the top, and the chapel we parked next to.

On Wednesday, George and I drove into València. I visited once before back in 2012, but had very few memories of the place and didn’t really know what to expect this time. The main reason that this city was on our itinerary was cause of a guy I met through Twitter, four years back. Ramon is a Spanish economist and urbanist, who was undertaking some research in Australia back in 2016. He discovered me online and we were brought together by a shared interest in placemaking, eventually meeting for a drink along with one of his colleagues at the Bank Hotel in Newtown, Sydney. We have since stayed in touch, and I followed the impressive progress he was making as Chief Strategy Officer at the emerging ‘Marina de València’. The more I learnt about the waterfront project, the more it seemed that La Marina was an intriguing subject matter for a documentary, and as such it was arranged that we would come and stay in València to film.

Reconnecting with a like-minded individual like Ramon after meeting four years ago has been a wonderful affirmation of the power of networking, the internet, and sharing with others.

Not only will Ramon feature in this upcoming documentary about La Marina, a transformative project on the Mediterranean coast, but he has been the most welcoming host we could have asked for. He has hooked us up with a safe and well-appointed place to park up, which is a key consideration when staying in a city, and he’s been a friend and tour guide too, introducing us to so many passionate individuals and revealing this city’s incredible places and the stories behind them. If George and I decide to stay in València forever, it’s Ramon’s fault!

(images, left to right) Creamy skies over La Marina, our friend and urban strategist Ramon, and some of the new branding for the La Marina, which I’m really fond of.

Against the backdrop of this picturesque city, the week that has ensued has been a mix of really getting to know La Marina, the usual film editing and vanlife admin, working on some exciting commercial videography projects and exploring this new Spanish city.

We coincidentally picked the craziest time of year to come, when the city’s annual festival, ‘Las Fallas’, marks the start of spring.

We’ve signed up for the city’s bike hire scheme, which although a little heavy, are a really easy way to get around the city. It also really helps that there is an extensive network of bike lanes, well signed, separated from traffic and all joined up to one another. On Thursday we used the bikes to explore València by day, pairing a ride around iconic large-scale landmarks like the Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencias with a meander around more human-scaled, everyday places like the twisting streets near the Mercado Central and the old town. Other days have seen us cycle into the city at night, when the continuous cacophony of people setting off fireworks and festivities spilling out of community centres (‘las casales falleros’) marks the start of Las Fallas.

(images, left to right) One of the remaining city gates retained from Valencia’s historic city walls, wandering the streets during Fallas celebrations, and the Centre del Carme brought to life for a night-time concert.

Las Fallas is pretty nuts, a pagan festival which was reappropriated as a Catholic celebration and is now a mash-up of satire, religion and anything related to fires and fireworks. It’s just hard to believe the Valencianos sustain this level of partying and putting up with perpetual fireworks for more than two weeks...

On Saturday afternoon, we filmed a free concert at La Marina, one of many socially-oriented initiatives which make what could be an otherwise exclusive yacht-owners’ paradise a place for the citizens of València to come, hang out, and connect to the waterfront (of course, there are yachts here too, but the place just has a really open and inclusive vibe). After the concert, we took another bike ride into the city centre (about 30 mins from the Marina where Suzi is parked up), this time for a jam-packed evening which started with a free concert at the Centre del Carme contemporary art space and ended with tapas and a midnight tour around the city’s landmarks with Ramon. After a cycle back ‘home’ at 2:30am, with full bellies and hearts, I was reminded why I love the eclecticism and vitality of cities so much.

Visiting València has strengthened my passion for urbanism and that renewal has certainly been a highlight of the week.

Stepping away from my ‘career’ as a placemaker last year was a big decision for me, and a lot of my focus over the last twelve months has just been to get the van built and make this trip happen. I haven’t spent much time in a city since we were living in Sydney, where we had access to many of the assets and activities that urban life can offer. So spending a considerable amount of time here in a major city, and especially making a documentary about La Marina, a strategic urban development with placemaking it its heart, has got me super inspired again.

(images, left to right) George attracted to a camera shop (like a moth to the light...), delightful laneways and street art, cycling around the City of the Arts & Sciences.

There was one really special moment this week, when George and I stopped mid-afternoon in a small plaza. We had been wandering through the old part of town, just south of the magnificent ‘Turia park’, a green corridor that runs through the heart of the city, and we found a spot to stop for a beer in the street. This plaza wasn’t necessarily anything special, and it certainly didn’t feature any dramatic design or grand gesture, but there was something about it that George and I both picked up on that made it a really great urban space: a place.

Perched on a wall with a cheap lager in hand, we analysed the square, full of the dynamism and complexity that just can’t be created overnight or by one master stroke. There was a restaurant with seats that spilled over onto the pavement, walls layered with peeling paint and posters advertising raves and protests, a bunch of homeless people sat nearby a lone tourist who was eating churros, bought from a temporary van selling the sweet treats for the festival period. On all sides, apartment buildings of different shapes and sizes, though mostly 4 to 5 stories, punctuated by balconies hosting flags and flowerpots and the occasional ‘to let’ sign. And of course, there were plenty of people sitting, standing, chatting, reading, busking, eating, looking and just being. And (surprise surprise) there wasn’t a chain store in sight.

A city which is layered, complex and contradictory, shaped by many hands, worn, colourful, intriguing to the eye, fun, full of confusing juxtapositions which harmonise and clash all at the same time - that is a good city.

I’m excited to see what this coming week has in store for us here in València. Wherever you are, remember to stay safe in light of the virus that dominates our headlines, but don’t forget to enjoy the layered spaces and places around you too. *Footnote*:

After finishing writing this post, I was informed that Las Fallas has now been postponed, yet another devastating impact as Covid-19 shuts down our cities. I'm gutted not to experience Las Fallas, and more importantly for all the companies, organisers and attendees affected. Pretty scary times ahead. We need collaboration, resilience, clearmindedness and positivity more than ever.

#traveldiaries #SuziTheVan #toyotahiace #digitalnomads #overlandadventures #BryonyandGeorge #vanlife #hiacevan #lifethroughalens #vanliving #consciouscommunity

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dwindledglow · 4 years

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001. MEET GREYSON

FULL NAME: greyson dominic northwood. PREFERRED NAME: greyson. NICKNAME/S: grey, g and north. DATE OF BIRTH: august 29th, 1992. GENDER & PRONOUNS: cis male & he/his. ORIENTATION: hetero. RELIGION: agnostic. RELATIONSHIP STATUS: married to leticia northwood. OCCUPATION: recording artist, music producer, model and entrepreneur. RESIDENCE: in between soho, new york city and quogue, suffolk county.

002. CHECK GREYSON’S BACKGROUND

HOMETOWN: harlem, new york city, united states of america. NATIONALITY: american. ETHNIC BACKGROUND: afro-barbadian. LINGUISTICS: english which is his native language and spanish and french in a fluent level. EDUCATION: he has graduated from high-school. CRIMINAL RECORD: clean. BIRTH ORDER: second. FATHER: vince josiah northwood, born on march 3rd, 1966 in atlanta, georgia, currently residing in tribeca, new york city. he owns a couple bars in the different boroughs and neighborhoods and, still, works as a bartender on his first-bought bar in harlem. MOTHER: narissa gabrielle knowles, born on november 22nd, 1967 in houston, texas, currently residing in tribeca, new york city. she’s the owner of a cosmetology and skincare clinic, and does occasional work as a beautician. SISTER/S: naomi lenora nortwhood, born on october 6th, 1989 in harlem, new york, currently residing in los angeles, california and working as a neurosurgeon at UCLA medical center. gianna makayla northwood, born on june 18th, 1994 in harlem, new york, currently residing in rome, italy and working as a marketing and communications specialist for fendi. neah gabrielle northwood, born on february 26th, 1998 in harlem, new york, currently residing in los angeles, california where she attends UCLA school of theatre, film and television and studies to become an actress. BROTHER/S: jason malik northwood, born on may 22nd, 2004 in tribeca, new york where he still resides and studies. SIGNIFICANT OTHER: leticia northwood, née evans. CHILDREN: koda brooklyn northwood, born on january 1st, 2019 in southampton, new york and romi noor northwood, born on january 1st, 2019 in southampton, new york. OTHER RELEVANT FAMILY: trai smith, naomi’s husband thus brother-in-law. anikah lenora smith, naomi and trai’s daughter, niece. aaliyah ranee smith, naomi and trai’s daughter, niece. EX/ES: rita sisay and olivia laurent. PETS: coco maki, a chow chow, snoop and peaches, two bunnies.

003. GET UP CLOSE & PERSONAL

HEIGHT: 6′3″ or 193 cm. WEIGHT: between 178 lbs or 81 kg and 188 lbs or 85 kg. BODY BUILD: he’s slender, with an average weight for his height. despite not being too strict when it comes to diets or workout routines, greyson doesn’t have many issues keeping his average weight. he’s not lanky or overly slim, but he’s not out of shape either – he has a toned stomach and legs, and he has muscular arms. EYE COLOR: dark brown, depending on the lighting and weather their shade seems to vary from an earthy, coppery brown to black. EYESIGHT: his eyesight is impeccable, he has no vision-related issues so far HAIR COLOR & STYLE: if greyson was to leave his hair be and didn’t style it, he’d have a huge curly mess to deal with. on a daily basis, he keeps his hair braided into sections, tying the majority of the braids into a ponytail while leaving some of them loose. if he’s in the mood to change it up, he goes for two cornrows and if he really can’t be bothered with his hair, he’ll just braid it and leave it at that. that is, when his hair is as lengthy as it is now. when he cuts his hair and has it a little bit shorter than he has now, he either goes for center-parted cornrows or he just gets someone to braid his hair and ties it in a small ponytail. DOMINANT HAND: right. NOTABLE PHYSICAL TRAITS: his million-dollar smile has swiftly become his trademark, as well as his braided hair, and often those are the two thing people immediately notice. in an alike manner, some seem to notice his pristine skin, others tend to be distracted by his towering frame. amongst many other, those are perhaps his most notable traits. SCARS AND MARKS: here's a noticeable scar on his left cheek and a couple more scattered throughout his body as a result of every day's life. other than those, there's a birthmark on the inside of his left wrist and the occasional mole here and there. TATTOOS: he does have some ; he has ALT tattooed behind his ear which is the name of his first EP, the one that catapulted his career, and he has the word YLOHNU ( unholy backwards ) tattooed on the outer side of his left wrist. on the inside of his left arm, positioned where it’d be considered the inside of the elbow, he has LONDON and NEW YORK in uppercase, forming an upper arch, and forming a lower arch, he has TOKYO and LOS ANGELES also in uppercase - the four main cities that helped with him get where he is today. along his right hipbone, he has off the maps no hidden grids, i’m fleeing which was taken out of one of his songs from his latest album and is one of his favorite lyrics he ever wrote/sung. he has a blacklight tattoo saying i solemnly swear that i’m up to no good along with some footsteps on the inside of his right wrist. in white ink, and below his left pectoral, he has neah’s heartbeat and on his left ankle he has a small compass tattoo pointing north. on the side of his index finger from his right hand, he has a small rose ( his mother’s favorite flower ) and on the inside of his left wrist, he has VENI. VIDI. VICI. tattooed in uppercase. on his ring finger, he has the coordinates to where he and leticia got married tattooed in bold font. on very small scale/font, he has the quote i can be changed by what happens to me but i refuse to be reduced by it split in three parts on the right side of his ribcage. more recently, he has gotten XIII VIII MCMXVC - leticia’s birth date - tattooed alongside his left collarbone. besides that, there’s a KBN and a RNN - koda’s and romi’s initials respectively - micro-tattooed on his pressure point, just below his ear. PIERCINGS: he has a piercing on his left regular lobe. VOICECLAIM: asap rocky. ACCENT & INTENSITY: despite all the traveling around the world and residing in various locations over the past few years, greyson was born and raised in new york and his accent has remained intact all throughout. that being said, he has a really intense new york accent. ALLERGIES: apples, dust mite and he’s lactose intolerant. PHOBIAS & FEARS: losing himself. MENTAL & PHYSICAL ILLNESSES: none so far. ALCOHOL USE: socially, usually not to a point where he’s hammered. SMOKING: yes, mainly in situations of extreme stress. NARCOTICS USE: in the beginning of his career, greyson used to do lsd and lean but he has quit it a good while ago. these days, and mainly when he’s going through the creative process or looking to unwind, he does smoke weed. INDULGENT FOOD: on the rare. SPLURGE SPENDING: yes, occasionally. GAMBLING: no, never.

004. DIG DEEPER

CAN THEY DRIVE? yes, he can drive. CAN THEY COOK & BAKE? yes and not much. he can bake simple things but he can’t do any intricate dessert or cake or anything. CAN THEY CHANGE A FLAT TIRE? yes. CAN THEY TIE A TIE? yes. CAN THEY SWIM? yes. CAN THEY RIDE A BICYCLE? yes. CAN THEY JUMP START A CAR? yes. CAN THEY BRAID HAIR? no. CAN THEY PICK A LOCK? yes. EXTROVERTED OR INTROVERTED? extroverted. DISORGANIZED OR ORGANIZED? organized. CLOSE OR OPEN MINDED? open minded. CALM OR ANXIOUS? calm. PATIENT OR IMPATIENT? in between. OUTSPOKEN OR RESERVED? outspoken. LEADER OR FOLLOWER? leader. OPTIMISTIC OR PESSIMISTIC? optimistic. TRADITIONAL OR MODERN? modern. HARD-WORKING OR LAZY? hard-working. CULTURED OR UNCULTURED? cultured. LOYAL OR DISLOYAL? loyal. FAITHFUL OR UNFAITHFUL? faithful. NIGHT OWL OR EARLY BIRD? night owl. HEAVY OR LIGHT SLEEPER? light sleeper. COFFEE OR TEA? coffee. DAY OR NIGHT? night. TAKING BATHS OR SHOWERS? showers. COCA COLA OR PEPSI? coca-cola. CATS OR DOGS? dogs. NETFLIX OR CINEMA? cinema. SHOWS OR MOVIES? movies. LAPTOP OR GAMING CONSOLE? both. HEALTHY OR JUNK FOOD? healthy food. ICE CREAM OR FROZEN YOGURT? ice cream. PIZZA OR HAMBURGER? pizza. LOLLIPOPS OR GUMMY WORMS? gummy worms. BEACH OR POOL? beach. SNOWBALLS FIGHTING OR ICESKATING? snowballs fighting. LITERATURE OR SCIENCE? literature. HISTORY OR ART? art. CHOCOLATE BARS OR COTTON CANDY? cotton candy. XBOX OR PLAYSTATION? playstation. FACE-TO-FACE OR PHONE INTERACTIONS? face-to-face interactions. DRAMA OR SCI-FI? sci-fi. HORROR OR COMEDY? both.

005. GREYSON’S FAVORITES

FAVORITE ACTIVITY: song-writing, singing, recording... the whole process about making a song. FAVORITE ANIMAL: jaguar. FAVORITE BOOK: so far, greyson has no favorite book FAVORITE COLOR/S: grey. FAVORITE CUISINE: chinese, japanese, indian and thai. FAVORITE DISH/ES: chow mein, thai fried rice, phat khing, sashimi, panipura and kung pao chicken. FAVORITE DRINK/S: mint and ginger lemonade and vodka tonic. FAVORITE FLOWER/S: magnolia and cherry blossom FAVORITE GEM: aquamarine. FAVORITE MOVIE: hidden figures by theodore melfi. FAVORITE SONG: DNA. by kendrick lamar. FAVORITE SCENT/S: the scent of the rain, coconut, popcorn and melted chocolate. FAVORITE SHOW/S: he doesn’t have much time to keep up with television shows so he doesn’t have a favorite one. FAVORITE SPORT/S & TEAM THEY SUPPORT: basketball, he supports houston rockets and brooklyn nets, baseball, he supports new york yankees, and american football, he supports new york giants. FAVORITE SEASON OF THE YEAR: spring. VACATION DESTINATION: bagan, myanmar, hokkaido, japan and panjin, china.

#── ✰. ┊ greyson : — HEADCANON. ❜

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whatmakesmebleed · 5 years

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tagged by the lovely @coffeexwhiskey thanks. This was fun.

1. Zodiac Sign: Virgo through and through. I used to deny it but no yeah I’m a total Virgo and proud of it.

2. Last thing I googled: well I google everything. To the point other people know I will and ask me to google stuff. Apparently it’s a Virgo thing too but the last thing I remember for sure. I was writing a board for work about Illnesses you can’t work with and was making sure I spelled Jaundice right.

3. Song stuck in my head: that damn Lizzo one. I just walk around telling people they could have had a bad bitch.

4. Favorite musicians: I kind of prefer songs over musicians but I do miss living in SoCal and going to see my fav singer songwriters all the time. I’ve seen Tyler Hilton and Tyrone Wells like 16 times each. Sometimes twice in one day. They aren’t as easy to see living in Central Oregon but I do what I can. I also love musicals. 90’s rap and 2000’s pop. Emo and rock were my 20’s faze. I will just listen to anything and everything.

5. Do you get asks: I used to back in my first round of tumblr posting about 6 or 7 years ago. Not so much now but I’m open to them.

6. Amount of 💤: if I’m being good and go to bed at 7:30 a good 8 hours but that never happens. I work at 4:30 in the morning 5 days a week so usually a good 5 to 6 will keep me sane.

7. Lucky number: 12. Don’t know why just have always liked it.

8. What are you wearing: a Star Wars Princess Leia sweatshirt and some black and grey star patterned leggings filled with holes from my dogs jumping on me. Also currently have a dog on my lap since I just got home from work and he’s excited.

9. Dream trip: I got to experience part of it last year finally going to Ireland. I very much want to live there. Next up I want to go to Scotland. France. Spain. Switzerland. And back to Ireland and Italy. Cities I really want to explore. London. Bristol(thank you Skins for this one) Paris. Venice. I get my bachelors next spring and I’m hopefully planning a trip for September.

10. Instruments you play: none. I mean I can play some stuff on the piano self taught and I can sing and dance. I had an awful music teacher as a child and it kind of scarred me from instruments but I still would love to learn the drums one day.

11. Languages you speak: English. I have leaned both Spanish and Italian but I understand it better than I can speak it. I need to hear more cause I’d love to be better at speaking it as I am both. Would also love to learn French one day.

12. Favorite song: oh man. I know it’s cheesy but Hallelujah any and every version. I also have a soft spot for Hometown Glory by Adele and Call your Girlfriend by Robyn.

13. Random fact: I own my house. Bought it on my own with stock from working at Starbucks for 17 years. Ironically my dream has always been to living in an apartment in a big city. There’s still time.

14. Cats or dogs: I’m an equal opportunist. I have 3 cats. Loki. Vader. Calypso. And two dogs. Rogue and Zeppelin. I guess it I had to pick I’m a cat person but my pups are my babes. I just like animals.

15. Aesthetic: I’m a bit of a mixed bag. I suffer from anxiety and depression so I can get super dark. But I love sunsets and sunrises and dancing like a fool. I lean to introvert but I love hanging out with friends and make them easily. I just suck at keeping up with them. I love love and yet have no desire to seek it. I’m all over the place but it’s me.

16. 🎶playlist on shuffle: gonna go ahead and shuffle my most played playlist on Spotify.

Chandelier- Sia. My goal is to one day work up the courage to do this one for karaoke. I love Sia though. When I lived in Long Beach my boss made me take a long break to listen to the radio and tell her who sang the song. It was Sia.

Hello-Adele. I refused to listen to this song when it came out. I just wasn’t in that head space for sad Adele. I heard it for the first time driving to work at 4 in the morning. Clearly I liked it.

Powerful-Major Lazer, Ellie Goulding. I’m a big fan of male/female singers collaborating. “There’s an energy when you hold me”. I just dig the lyrics.

Work It- Missy Elliot. I will literally stop what I’m doing and dance to this song when it comes on. If I’m at a club and we were talking I would be gone mid-sentence to the dance floor. This is my song!

Girls Chase Boys-Ingrid Michealson. It’s just catchy and fun to sing. I like it.

Home- Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics. If I was in a band this is the vibe I would want. Singing with a male vocalist and just vibing. I do hate the talking part though.

Butterfly-Crazytown. Ok this song is terrible but in that horribly good way. It reminds me of high school. Yeah. I’m a little old. But it’s so silly and I know all the words and I love just singing it loudly.

Stolen Dance- Milky Chance. I honestly haven’t listened to this in a long time. It was fun when it came out but then it was everywhere.

2 Heads-Coleman Hell. This song actually kind of makes me sad. It reminds me of my old roommates and inside jokes. We don’t really talk anymore. But that’s the joy of music. It can take you to happy and sad times. And though I get sad the times were happy.

When I was your Man- Bruno Mars. I never listen to this song and I have no idea how it got on my favorites yet I keep it there and skip over it.

So a bonus number 11.

Hometown Glory-Adele. I first heard this on Skins when Cassie runs through NYC. RIP Chris Miles. I loved it and even had it as a ringtone on my chocolat phone. People were like who is that. And look at Adele now.

tagging @qwillow @gendryadempsie @thereluctantbadger @valsore and pretty much anyone who wants go do it. Sorry if you’ve already been tagged.

#get to know me

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brylcighs · 5 years

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✧·ﾟ( demeter + maia mitchell + cis female ) 𝒎𝒂𝒎𝒎𝒂 𝒎𝒊𝒂 !! have you seen ( bryleigh fox ) around ? ( she ) has been in kaos for ( two months ). the ( twenty-four year old ) is a ( baker ) from ( boulder, colorado ). people say they can be ( stoic ) but maybe that’s not too bad ‘cause they can also be ( ebullient ). whenever i think of them, i can’t help but think of ( warm blueberry muffins, black and white movies, and sunny, cloud-free mornings ). ·ﾟ✧ ( penned by shiloh, 21+, est, she/her ).

trigger warnings: mental illness, ptsd, anxiety, depression, a car accident, health problems related to fertility, scars/burns, low self-esteem, drinking. ( i think that’s it, but if you run across something else triggering, pls let me know and i’ll add it to the list. )

THE MUN.

‘lo ! i’m shiloh, but you can call me shy. i’m 28, i live in the est and my preferred pronouns are she/her.

i’m a school-based therapist and work in an elementary school. with it being summer, i don’t really have a lot going on ! so you’ll see me around quite a bit.

i have two small puppos, minerva and newt, who are my pride and joy. p.s.: if you couldn’t tell from their names, i’m a huge harry potter fan. i also love young adult literature, i’m a true crime buff and could eat pepperoni hot pockets every day for the rest of my life.

if you’d like to talk, you can im me on this account, on my rph @shilohrph or ask me for my discord and we can chat there !

and without further ado, allow me to introduce lil miss bryleigh.

BASIC INFORMATION.

name: bryleigh olivia fox.

age: twenty-four.

gender/pronouns: cis femae & she/her.

orientation: panromantic pansexual.

olympian: demeter.

occupation: head baker at physis taverna.

faceclaim: maia mitchell.

BACKGROUND.

bryleigh olivia fox was born may 8th, 1995 at 10:12am in kaos, greece to colonel william matthew fox and emma alison stewart-fox.

she has one older brother, lucas daniel fox, who is 28 and an architectural engineer. he’s married to sofia maite valdez-fox, twenty-four. they have a one-year-old daughter, luciana irene fox.

bryleigh also has one younger sister, peyton emelia fox, who is 20 and a college student studying communications. she’s engaged to micah cole butler, twenty-two. they two-year-old twins addison hayley butler and aiden bryant butter. peyton is also currently 10 weeks pregnant.

because of her father’s occupation, the family has lived in different cities all over the world. besides kaos, the fox’s lived in bangkok, thailand, comayagua, honduras, misawa, japan, burkina faso, west africa, vicenza, italy and pampanga, philippines. i made a handy dandy timeline which you can view here to better break it down.

bryleigh attended and graduated from the auguste escoffier school of culinary arts in boulder, colorado and lived there for about four years.

while living in boulder, her roommate and best friend, sofia, started dating and subsequently married her brother, lucas.

because her aesthetic is running when things get tough/complicated, bryleigh left boulder a few months after ber brother and best friend were married and moved back to kaos, greece.

she lived in kaos for a year, living above the tavarna where she was head baker. she loved it and kinda looks back on it as the best time of her life. but a rough patch in a relationship caused her to - again - flee, returning to boulder.

about a month after moving back to boulder, she was in a serious car accident. her vehicle slid on black ice and flipped. she almost died, but managed to pull through.

on top a concussion, many broken bones, several severe burns, some internal bleeding and innumerable cuts, scrapes, and bruises, bryleigh’s pelvis was fractured and her fallopian tubes were crushed. she also later developed asherman’s syndrome from the surgeries/scar tissue forming. this has basically rendered her infertile.

after the accident, bryleigh had to move in with her brother and sister-in-law/former best friend. not only did they smother bry trying to take care of her, but sofia was pregnant at the time. this served as a constant reminder of all she’d lost.

so, as soon as she was cleared to be on her own, she told lucas and sofia that she was going to visit kaos for her birthday.

except that she was actually moving back there and didn’t want to have to deal with their worry and concern and attempts to talk her out of it. queen of running from her problems.

bryleigh has been back in kaos for about two months, and it’s not the carefree, serene place she remembered.

actually, that’s not true. it’s still the place she remembered. she’s just not the same person she once was. no matter how much she tries to pretend she is.

you can read more about her here if you feel so inclined.

PERSONALITY.

bryleigh is a bit of a complicated lil nugget. she’s like an onion, ya know ? she has layers. one one hand, she’s this bubbly, happy-go-lucky, upbeat ball of sunshine. but on the other hand, she’s really struggling with ptsd from the crash, as well as a good heaping of anxiety and depression. so she has times where she’s really distant and reticent.

as the ‘mom friend’, she’s always been the person that people turn to. she’s the shoulder to lean on. she’s the one who gives amazing advice. she’s the one who seems wise beyond her years. she’s the one who tells you to stop leaning back in your chair because you’re going to fall over or sets water and tylenol beside your bed after a night of partying. she cares a whole lot. like, an insane about. which is a blessing and a curse.

what she’s struggling with post-accident is opening up about how she’s doing and how she’s really feeling, beyond the facade that she puts on for everyone. it’s like she’s physically incapable of letting people see that she’s struggling. bry doesn’t want to put that burden on anyone, ya know ? so, she’s kind of suffering in silence and bottling everything up. which is super healthy, i know.

sarcasm and dry humor are two of her favorite coping skills. she’s also really great at self-deprecating humor !

the accident left her with quite a lot of scars and several skin grafts from having third-degree burns treated, and she’s incredibly self-conscious about them. she covers her low self-esteem up with jokes and humor, but she really is quite sensitive about her appearance.

as i mentioned, she tends to run from her problems rather than addressing them. and if she can’t run, she makes a joke out of them and doesn’t take them seriously. or she bottles up all the emotions from the problem and pretends it’s not a big deal. i know. her coping skills are so healthy.

the only thing that bryleigh has ever wanted is to be a mom. she’s basically had baby fever since she was old enough to understand the birds and the bees. she always imagined being a stay-at-home mom, taking care of a shew of children and her husband/wife. but since the accident, she’s not sure if that’s what she still wants of her life. she no longer has no direction, and really feels like she’s floundering.

part of her is worried about having kids ( through adoption or surrogacy or on the off-chance that she can naturally conceive ) because the hate in her heart after the accident is so dark and consuming and terrifying. she feels like maybe the car accident did more than break her bones. maybe it broke her as a person. and maybe she’s not capable of loving someone now. or if she is, she’s worried that what she loves will get taken from her. and she doesn’t know if she can stand to lose anything else.

EXTRA.

she starts every morning with a cup of black coffee and a banana nut muffin and ends every evening with a cup of peppermint tea and two homemade jaffa cakes.

bryleigh has a chocolate labrador retriever named yolo. he’s ancient. she’s not really sure how old he is, but the shelter she adopted him from said that he’d been there for several years. so, she absolutely had to take him home with her. yolo’s very loving and sweet and a lil lazy and he loves pitless olives. she has huge birthday parties for him on his gotcha day, august 12th.

her walls are covered with abstract art from a bunch of different countries. they remind her of her childhood and everywhere she’s traveled.

favorite thing in the world to do is have a bunch of her friends over, make a slew of homemade pizzas and desserts, pop open several bottles of rosé wine, throw pillows and blankets all over the floor and watch movies of various genres until everyone falls asleep.

she loves 80′s music and prefers to listen to records rather than stream music or what have you. it sounds more authentic that way. at least, in her opinion.

her apartment looks like a forest. she has plants everywhere. e v e r y w h e r e. she’s also a really good plant mom and has named all of her children. she talks to them and knows their favorite songs. maybe she’s a tad bit psychotic. who isn’t, though ?

since the accident, she’s developed a huge fear of driving. she won’t drive. ever. she either walks, rides her bike or takes an uber. if she can get away with not having to ride in a car, though, she much prefers that option. i mean, can you blame her ?

she loves astrology and tarrot readings and ghost hunts and talking about aliens and going on hunts for cryptids. she’s always thought there has to be more to life than what we can see, so she’s open to at least considering most everything, ya know ?

her closest friends call her foxy. everyone else calls her bry. some people call her bryleigh ? but i can’t imagine why. it’s a mouthful.

send her memes and you’ll have her heart. she has a huge folder of them saved on her phone. there might or might not be more memes on her phone than actual pictures. hint: there totally is.

bryleigh can speak english, spanish, filipino, greek, italian, thai, japanese, swahili, hausa and a little bit of a berber dialect to varying degrees of success. she’s most comfortable with english, spanish and greek, and least comfortable with the african languages. she can also write in a variety of writing systems, though not nearly as well as she can speak the languages. she’s forgotten a lot of the rules and method that go along with many of them.

PLOT IDEAS.

you can read about all my connection ideas right here !

NOTE: i’m open to pretty much anything, so if you have an idea, run it by me ! more than likely, i’ll approve and start rambling off ideas and headcanons and half-formed thoughts until you politely tell me to shut the fuck up. sounds fun, right ?

THE END.

thanks so much for reading this monster post ! i don’t know how to be concise. i’ve tried. i tried here. obviously, i failed. but i love you all. i can’t wait to write and interact with you all and your lovely, wonderful characters ! hasta la vista, baby.

#kaos:intro #╰ . * chasing all your demons — ooc .#╰ . * so let's sleep on it tonight — other .

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igagliano · 5 years

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“but most miserable is the desire that's glorious: blest be those, how mean soe’er, that have their honest wills, which seasons comfort.”

-- IMOGEN cymbaline: act i, scene 6

basic information.

FULL NAME: Isabella Elena Gagliano PRONUNCIATION: ‎iz-ah-BEHL-ah eh-LAY-nah gAHg-lee-ah-no MEANING:

ISABELLA (circa. Spain) -- pledged to God; God is bountiful

“Qué linda, qué hermosa--nuestro amor. Gracias a Dio.” These are some of the earliest phrases that she can remember coming from Candela and Emilio Gagliano throughout her childhood. Affectionately nicknamed Bella from an early age, the Gagliano child has never been a stranger to beloved adoration. Every morning, her parents would shower the beautiful babe with kisses; every night, they would get on their knees and pray at the side of the crib, thanking God for the gift He deigned to give them.

ELENA (circa. Greece) -- shining light; the bright one

Candela Gagliano knew what she was doing when she looked down at her darling baby and decided to gift her with a middle name full of light and brightness. That is what Isabella was to the Gagliano family: a bundle of light that, when cultivated as sweetly as she’d been, would one day righteously burn anyone who dared to try to snuff her out.

GAGLIANO (circa. Italy/Germany) -- joyous; brave

There’s bravery in looking the hurricane in the eye and now cowering, but winking. There’s bravery in relying on words and ink rather than guns and bullets--this ideology has been absorbed by the little canary who prefers to sing her truths rather than fight battles that she knows she’s ill-equipped for. She takes immense joy in dealing justice--a rarity, especially in a place such as Verona.

NICKNAME(S): Isa, Izzy, Bella, Bells, Bell, Imogen PREFERRED NAME(S): Isa, Izzy, Isabella BIRTH DATE: October 11, 1994 AGE: 24 ZODIAC: Libra GENDER: Female PRONOUNS: She / her(s) / they / them / theirs ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: Panromantic SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Pansexual CURRENT LOCATION: Verona, Italy LIVING CONDITIONS: Comfortable and modest. La justicia is far from rich, though they are not poor. TITLE(S): the justice, la justicia, il giornalista, editor

background.

BIRTH PLACE: Salamanca, Spain SOCIAL CLASS: Upper-middle class EDUCATION LEVEL: BA in Literature and Journalism FATHER: Emilio Gagliano -- It’s no surprise that Emilio Gagliano’s works have earned him the gilded favor of those in positions of power. He was a man that stood for justice and refused to crack under pressure; he was a man who called for morality and improvements far louder than those vying for its death and decay. MOTHER: Candela (neé Russo) Gagliano -- Conversely, Candela was the champion of the underdogs, the one that was beloved by the outcasts of society. She wrote for the downtrodden, those who were left to bear the weight thrust upon them by those far more fortunate. SIBLING(S): n/a BIRTH ORDER: n/a CHILDREN: n/a PET(S): One -- A female Dalmatian named Themis. (x) OTHER IMPORTANT RELATIVES: n/a PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS: There’s a handful of carefully-restitched hearts left in their wake--that Isabella Gagliano who could never find anything or anyone worth enough to keep them in one place. ARRESTS/PRISON TIME?: n/a

occupation & income.

PRIMARY SOURCE OF INCOME: il Giornale di Verona. Isa works for Verona’s main newspaper outlet, and has since climbed the ranks with vigor (and, in climbing ranks, has increased their own salary). SECONDARY SOURCE OF INCOME: Freelance writing. You’d be remiss to think that la justicia works for Verona and Verona alone--after all, she is a Gagliano. Anything published through this means, however, are claimed by an IMOGEN. TERTIARY SOURCE(S) OF INCOME: [REDACTED] CONTENT WITH THEIR JOB (OR LACK THERE OF)?: Isabella Gagliano is incredibly pleased with her occupation, especially since il giornale tends to turn a blind eye to her methods of getting information that was once closed off to the common Veronan--and those hungry for the truth know better than to look a gift horse in its mouth. PAST JOB(S): Waitress (multiple times in multiple places) SPENDING HABITS: Unlikely to splurge unless it’s something that really moves them, or it’s for someone they love. Other than that, Isabella has moderate spending habits; sure, there are some superfluous purchases (yet another dog toy for Themis, another set of multi-colored ink pens for themselves, etc.) but they make sure necessities are taken care of, first. MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION: A golden heart-shaped locket (x) given to her by Celeste Duval. Inside, there is a faded-but-well-preserved picture of the two of them together--unabashedly happy and unapologetically in love.

skills & abilities.

LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN: Spanish, Italian, conversational Russian, English DRIVE?: Yes JUMP-STAR A CAR?: Yes. CHANGE A FLAT TIRE?: No. RIDE A BICYCLE?: Yes. SWIM?: Yes. PLAY AN INSTRUMENT?: No. PLAY CHESS?: No. BRAID HAIR?: Yes. TIE A TIE?: Yes. PICK A LOCK?: Yes.

physical appearance & characteristics.

FACE CLAIM: Brittany O’Grady (x, x, x) EYE COLOR: Brown HAIR COLOR: Deepest brunette - the darkest brown, which can be a very dark chestnut; sometimes appears to be off black at a distance. HAIR TYPE/STYLE: 3A/B - or curly with well-defined and springy coils that have a loopy, “S” shaped pattern. GLASSES/CONTACTS?: Reading glasses, used sparingly at night (and usually worn at home) when going through soon-to-be-published works with a fine-toothed come. DOMINANT HAND: Right TATTOOS: One - a scripted-font ‘C’ behind her left ear for Celeste PIERCINGS: Three - lobe piercings and a tragus piercing on her right ear. MARKS/SCARS: NOTABLE FEATURES: Well-defined and thick eyebrows. USUAL EXPRESSION: Inquisitive, guarded. ALLERGIES: Seasonal allergies.

psychology.

JUNG TYPE: ENTP (”The Debater”) - The Debater personality type is the ultimate devil’s advocate, thriving on the process of shredding arguments and beliefs and letting the ribbons drift in the wind for all to see. This tactic shouldn’t be confused with the sort of mutual understanding Diplomat personalities seek – Debaters, like all Analyst personality types, are on a constant quest for knowledge, and what better way to gain it than to attack and defend an idea, from every angle, from every side? (x) MORAL ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Good - A chaotic good character acts as their conscience directs them with little regard for what others expect of them. They make their own way, but are kind and benevolent. They hate it when people try to intimidate others and tell them what to do. They follow their own moral compass, which, although (subjectively) good, may not agree with that of society. (x) TEMPERAMENT: Choleric-Melancholic - The Choleric-Melancholy combination is driven by two needs. Their primary need is to get results. The secondary need is to do things right. Either need may dominate their behavior depending on the requirements of the situation. When the Choleric and the Melancholy tendencies are combined, it produces a result-oriented, detailed person, who plans and pushes their way through life. (x) ELEMENT: Fire. PRIMARY INTELLIGENCE TYPE: Linguistic - People who develop linguistic intelligence tend to demonstrate a greater ability to express themselves well both verbally and in writing. This type of person has very strong awareness and an ability to easily understand the viewpoint of others. Associated with the left side of the brain. (x) SOCIABILITY: Depends on who you ask. They’re sociable and enjoyable to be around, so long as you aren’t under their scrutiny. COMPULSION(S): Checking the locks in their home before going to bed. PHOBIA(S): Claustrophobia. DRUG USE: No. ALCOHOL USE: Occasionally. PRONE TO VIOLENCE?: Only in self-defense.

mannerisms.

NERVOUS TICKS: Taking note of all possible exits around, the fear settling heavily in their stomach, the tightening of jaws, the miniscule-flaring of nostrils, the shifting of weight from one side to the other. DRIVES/MOTIVATIONS: To bring the elite of the bloodied city to their knees and have them answer for their crimes, to write as their mother taught them, to remain as unyielding as her father, to fulfill the promise made between her and her benefactor. Additionally, love. FEARS: Losing Celeste, losing the ability to write, defamation of their character POSITIVE TRAITS: Headstrong, resourceful, creative NEGATIVE TRAITS: Argumentative, insensitive, impractical DO THEY CURSE OFTEN?: Not unless spurred by unchecked emotions.

attitudes.

GREATEST DREAM: To be the catalyst in what dismantles Verona’s hideous war; to write enough that, maybe someday, someone will be able to do more than she GREATEST FEAR: Receiving punishment for the means in which she gets information for il Giornale MOST AT EASE WHEN: Home, with Celeste Duval. Home, curled on her couch with Themis by her side and her computer on her lap--writing, of course. LEAST AT EASE WHEN: At unexpected gatherings called for and/or sponsored by the Capulets or Montagues. WORST POSSIBLE THING THAT COULD HAPPEN: Being accused of being in la mafia. BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT: Becoming an editor at il Giornale di Verona. BIGGEST REGRET: Waiting too long and missing the chance to ask Celeste to marry her. Not coming to Verona sooner. BIGGEST SECRET: [REDACTED] TOP PRIORITIES: Exposing the mobs, keeping loved ones safe and helping them, staying alive

#the whimper of an abandoned child | character analysis #/ if you're asking if i did this at work #/ you're right

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cupcakemolotov · 6 years

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Happy Birthday @thetourguidebarbie! I know, this is like super late but hopefully the smut makes up for it. Thank you for being so awesome! Also, a HUGE shout out to @goldcaught for putting this beautiful graphic together. Edit: I like a complete moron forgot to say thank you to @garglyswoof for giving a VERY early version of this a read through and to goldcaught for listening to me complain through my many, many re-writes of this.

warning: smutty, fluffy, some blood sharing, did i mention smutty?

Caroline wondered if it should be weird, being so comfortable in Klaus' space. Particularly when he wasn't there. She'd breezed in only an hour or so earlier to find him dressed in a lovely suit and wearing an annoyed expression. Studying the pink of her pedicure, she sank a little deeper into the heat of the bath at the memory of the heat in his gaze as she'd taken her things into his room. She hadn't seen the point or even wanted to consider pretending that she'd planned on spending any time in bed alone. She'd known that Klaus wouldn't have any objections, but the lick of nerves had been there anyway. The curling, private smile as he'd assisted her carry her things had left her skin prickling.

Not for the first time did Caroline find herself admitting that she was in deep.

It was why she'd agreed to meet him here in a pretty chalet in the Swiss Alps for just the two of them. A romantic getaway without the usual lure of an adventure or even a carefully orchestrated meet-up. Knowingly and with forethought, she'd come to spend time with him.

Just him.

Caroline hadn't expected the house to be so quiet once he'd left and certainly hadn't thought to find herself alone with the tangle of her emotions so soon after seeing him again. Usually by now she'd have been naked for an hour or two and thinking wouldn't have been a concern. Her toes curled at the thought of how they usually greeted each other, and arousal sat low and heavy in her belly.

Blowing out a breath, she reached for the wine glass she'd left next to the tub. She'd scrounge around and found one of Klaus' expensive bottles of wine and dug out her e-reader, determined to enjoy the absolutely perfect bathtub in the master ensuite as a suitable distraction from her lack of orgasms. But while the wine was perfect she hadn't bothered to look at her collection of books.

Instead, she found herself contemplating the relationship that hadn't exactly snuck up on her, but one she hadn't really been expecting to want, just yet. Six decades had come and gone since they'd run into each other in Italy. It was a memory she was inordinately fond of and she chose to believe they'd been equally surprised to see each other. He'd recovered faster, gaze brightening with a familiar warmth, but his eyes had narrowed as he'd realized she was on a date.

They'd been at an art auction. Caroline had gone mostly just to see what kind of money really got thrown around at such events, but Klaus had clearly taken her date as a personal affront. It'd been a strain not to roll her eyes every time he'd very deliberately outbid her companion. She'd been sorely tempted to goad him into bidding on a few truly terrible works of art just to see how committed Klaus was to being petty, but she'd refrained.

Barely.

Later that night he'd shown up at her hotel room with her favorite piece from the day. A gift, he'd murmured, eyes full of glittering amusement. She should've been annoyed. Instead she'd been intrigued. He'd had been dimpled, rumpled, and utterly focused on her. Her memory of him in a full tux had clearly faded just enough that the sight of him had left her mouth bone dry. It wasn't that Caroline had forgotten how ruthless he could be or discounted the violence he offered as easily as he charmed, but it'd been a long time since she'd let other people make choices for her.

Instead of pushing him away she'd sighed and let him buy her a drink. A century under her belt had given her some understanding of the worlds he'd once told her but she'd worked hard to never lose herself. Klaus had seemed to delight in it, in her, and when he left it had been with a kiss on her cheek and a promise to see her again soon.

She'd kept the painting.

Months later, and she'd found herself allowing him to coax her into meeting him in Vienna at a little art gallery he'd thought she'd love. Next, he'd bumped into her in Piedmont, Italy and Caroline had learned more about Barlo wine than any one person needed to know. Later that night, she'd re-learned all the ways she could drive Klaus crazy with her mouth. He'd returned the favor, and while Barlo would never be her favorite, she had a soft spot for the vineyards. The following year they'd spent a weekend in New York exploring each other and the city, and then a week in Mexico City where he'd teased her with Spanish and while his fingers had skimmed beneath her skirt. Rio was a blur of sex and beaches and a bar fight that had left her sucking blood from his tongue. He'd shown her bits and pieces of being in his world, inside and outside the hotel rooms they'd shared, and she'd let him.

After a while, Caroline had stopped marking their time together so closely, had taken to inviting him along on her trips instead of waiting for him to sshow up. His smile had dug into her skin and something had shifted around in her chest the first time she'd asked him if he was busy. When they met up, sometimes Klaus had to leave early to deal with a errant witch problem one of siblings created, but usually it was Caroline who walked away first.

But lately, she'd lingered.

Her first real century as a vampire had been spent with her human connections breaking one by one, and while Caroline had treasured those memories and was glad she'd made them, she'd enjoyed stretching her legs and exploring the world. Bonnie was her only true connection to her childhood, and when they'd talked last week she and Enzo were back in Thailand. Her best friend had spent a century shacked up with a vampire, so while she still pretty much hated Klaus, Bonnie had told her to do what made her happy. It was similar to the conversation they'd had all those centuries ago when they'd broken Elena's curse.

Be happy.

Caroline had left and found parts of herself she hadn't known she'd needed, and learned that couldn't live for other people anymore. But living for yourself was daunting and freeing and terrifying. Klaus had seemed to understand that without her having to say a word, and while he pushed, he never pressured. He'd clearly never been satisfied but he was also unwilling to force.

It had always left her a little wary at how much she'd needed that. After Tyler, after Stefan. The one defining factor in her life had always been watching the people in her life walk away from her. Except for Klaus.

It'd steadied her in ways she couldn't define. Caroline refused to let him define her and she'd refused to let him be a crutch. But to grow into herself and to find him just as fascinated, just as willing as when she'd been eighteen?

It had been more than a little bit addicting.

Their last adventure in Cambodia had lasted nearly a month. Klaus had started a small war with some witches and she'd found herself dragged into it. Unwillingly and with a multitude of complaints, Klaus had promised to make it up to her as he'd carefully plucked spiderwebs from her hair. Those promises had been explicit in their details and he'd kept every one of them. She had felt it only fair as they had spent close to four days hunting through the jungle. In the end, Caroline had had zero qualms about the murdering that had followed. She'd even growled a suggestion or two.

There had been one or two episodes of Monster Inside Me as a teenager and she'd never be comfortable in that much nature, vampire or not.

The week they'd spent in a hotel had definitely made up for the grit and grime.

But that had been nearly six months ago, and she'd done some serious thinking during those months. Cambodia had been a jungle hell but it'd also been weirdly fun. Because she'd been with Klaus. Short on blood and her temper scraped raw, the monster had been free to play. And when it was over, when she'd tucked herself back into the mirage of the girl, he'd never stopped looking at her as if she was magnificent. Monster, girl, everything in between, and he took what she gave and held open greedy hands for more.

And now she was in Switzerland.

Caroline had admitted that this trip was different. She wanted it to be different. If she could only finally figure out how to actually admit that she was ready to start moving in more of a couple-y direction. She refused to call it dating, even though they'd sort of being doing that, however loosely she'd defined it in her head. Labeling what they had always seemed daunting, a land of no return, but she'd realized she wanted it. No more biting the tip of her tongue when other women touched him. Caroline didn't want to spend spend weeks adjusting to the cold side of her bed once she'd left. She was finally willing to admit she missed him and that she wanted him, monsters and all. She just hadn't figured out how to say it.

Head tipping back, she pushed a frizzy curl away from her face impatiently. Klaus, she was certain, had never doubted the existence of her feelings for him for all that he'd let her set the pace. Arrogant, aggravating man.

Huffing out a breath, Caroline took another long sip of her wine. It was silly to be nervous when she knew Klaus wasn't going to reject her, that she'd only ever had to reach out to find his hand waiting on hers, but that had never stopped the nervous worrying. She'd fretted and debated and soul searched.

She knew that letting Klaus in would be wonderful and terrible and everything in between. It would be everything she wanted and nothing she could imagine and she could never fully walk away once she took that step. Klaus wouldn't let her and her monster that was as greedy and violent and hungry as his wouldn't want to either. The darker parts of her had always wanted him. But it had taken the girl, the human parts of her that were as important as the monster, a long time to be okay with him. With them. With what they could be and what they were.

But Caroline thought she was finally ready to go after what he'd promised her. Last love. Eternity. All of it.

If only should get the words off the tip of her tongue.

She froze when she heard a door open downstairs, followed by clipped, bitten-off words as Klaus argued with someone on the phone. Caroline tried to parse through the French but while her grasp of the language was getting better, his words were too quick. His tone, however, was very familiar, and she wondered what had gone wrong. The sound of him coming up the stairs at a quick pace as he hung up had both of her brows arching, particularly when she caught the faintest hint of blood.

"Klaus?" The smell of blood immediately become stronger, and she blinked when he appeared in the doorway. His tie and jacket were missing, blood splattered across his once pristine shirt, and the veins beneath his eyes were still prominent.

It was a look that worked for her. Her pulse quickened as Klaus slowly took her in, his gaze drifting over her messy hair and exposed, heat-flushed skin. She tried to remember if he'd given her more than a cursory explanation of his meeting as he headed, but she'd distracted by the way he'd pressed his mouth to hers in a toe curling goodbye. She supposed it didn't matter. It clearly hadn't lasted long.

Setting aside her wine, Caroline settled a little deeper into the hot water of her bath. "I take it your lunch wasn't a polite meeting of minds after all?"

His mouth tightened, head tipping back for a moment as he exhaled sharply. Caroline bit her lip as she took in the streak of blood along the line of his throat. For a brief moment she debated if it was worth climbing out of the tub to taste. They'd barely had time for a proper hello kiss earlier and with Klaus wearing his hybrid features, she was tempted to bite. She hadn't had a good, non-battery powered orgasm in exactly six months and Klaus fresh from a fight left her skin aching.

"No," he finally replied, chin lowering as his gaze returned to hers. It was a struggle not to shiver at the yellow lingering in his gaze. The slow curl of his mouth told her that she hadn't managed it as well as she hoped, not that she really minded. "A bit unfortunate, but it should expedite the issue. I'm certain they'll be much happier to deal with Elijah in the future."

Caroline briefly pressed her lips together to cover the start of a laugh. It wasn't often that Klaus looked disgruntled by murder, and it was unexpectedly hilarious. Clearing her throat, she reached for her glass of wine, and tried to school her face into something neutral. "I'm sure Elijah will be delighted to hear that."

"He'll manage," Klaus said with a careless wave of his hand. His gaze slipped along the room, lingering on the space she'd clearly marked as hers on the sink, her neat pile of discarded clothes and the robe she'd shamelessly stolen from his closet. "You, however, seem to have settled in nicely."

She lifted a shoulder. "You said to make myself comfortable."

"Hmm," he rumbled as he prowled forward and crouching next to the bathtub. Her fingers tightened on the glass she still held, breath catching in her throat as he smoothed a wispy curl away from her temple. His lips curled and he tugged her wine out of her hand and took a slow sip.

"So I did."

The movement as he swallowed was distracting. More importantly, he was home. She touched the corner of his jaw with wet fingers, eyes soft with invitation. The large, sunken tub was more than large enough for both of them.

"Care to join me?"

His eyes darkened, at the softness of her tone or her fingertips on his skin she didn't know. But when tip of his tongue traced across his lip Caroline decided it didn't matter. Six months was far too long to go without him. She curled her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck and leaned forward just high enough out to slid her tongue up the splatter of drying blood on his throat with a little hum of pleasure. The only way it would have tasted better would have been if it'd been his blood on her tongue. She scraped her teeth below his ear. "The only blood I want on your sheets is ours."

The wine glass hit the floor loud enough that she wasn't certain if he'd broken it or not, but then his head dipped, lips catching hers as he chased the blood and wine on her tongue. She decided he could clean up the glass later, and her mouth widened against his as her fingers tightened in his hair. Caroline shuddered as his hand cupped one slick breast, his thumb circling her nipple, and she decided he was to far away.

Fisting her hands into his ruined shirt, she pulled him into the water and on top of her. Water sloshed onto the floor and he grunted as his knee banged against the side. Caroline sucked on his tongue in apology, shifting to press her breasts flat against his chest as her knees bracketed his waist.

Klaus was far from passive, hand braced against the tub as he tangled his fingers in her now wet hair and angled her head in the direction he wanted. She moaned as his tongue licked across hers, the feel of his soaked dress pants against her thighs a delicate abrasion that left her clit throbbing.

When he pulled back his eyes were yellow and devouring, lips bruised and wet.

"Miss me, Caroline?" The words were rasped against her lips and she sighed into his mouth, her wet hands ruining his curls further. Her teeth scrapped lightly against his lower lip before she pulled back to answer, eyes holding his.

"What if I did?"

He tugged her neck further back and dragged the tip of his fangs down the arch of her neck. Her hips jerked against his and she whined as her clit dragged against his clothing. Klaus made a pleased little noise and licked across her collarbones.

"I've certainly missed you," he said without hesitation, head angling so his eyes could catch hers. His hand slipped lower, skimming down the line of her abdomen to trace the crease of her hip and thigh as he spoke. "Your scent on my sheets. The taste of you on my tongue. I even find myself missing the way you monopolize the bedding before you attempt to lay siege to my side of the mattress."

Her lips parted on an offended inhale that turned into a gasp as his fingers found her clit. The water was still pleasantly warm but his skin was always fever warm. The soaked fabric of his shirt ripped under her frantic grip and she arched closer, nails cutting into bare skin.

"Klaus."

He pressed closer, fingertips too light to satisfy. "Did you miss me, love?"

She bit his bottom lip bloody, both annoyed and greedy for his taste. He met her kiss with fangs and she didn't know whose blood lingered on her lips as she pulled back, breath harsh in her throat. "Yes."

His lips curled into something that sent her pulse skittering. His tongue swiped across her lower lip and he hummed. "Good."

His hand shifted to her ass and Caroline squeaked when she suddenly found their positions switched. Klaus had settled behind her, the dark fabric of his pants a stark contrast to the pale length of her legs as his knees settled between hers.

"Comfortable?"

It wasn't the word she'd have used, spread open on his lap, the hard points of her nipples barely beneath the water. Klaus was a solid, perfect line behind her and the hard ridge of his cock pressed against her ass through his clothing. "I was halfway to an orgasm. I'd be a lot more comfortable if you'd gotten me off."

His scruff brushed lightly against her cheek and he stroked his hand down her sternum, lingering just beneath her belly button for a few, breathless seconds before he lifted his hand and repeated the motion. "Only halfway? We'll have to do something about that. Though I do believe you've argued more than once about the benefits of relaxing, have you not? There is something to be said for nice and slow."

Her head landed on his shoulder with a faint thud. His name was nearly a whine as her toes pressed into his ankle. "Klaus…"

His lips brushed her temple. "Hands behind my neck."

Caroline knew she could probably talk him into letting her slid her hand between her thighs if she wanted it badly enough. Klaus enjoyed watching as much as she did, but she wasn't interested in her fingers. She wanted his hands on her skin and she wanted his cock inside her. Teeth biting into her lower lip hard enough draw blood, she linked her hands as he'd directed, the sounds of water splashing into the tub loud in the bathroom.

"Good girl," he murmured, skimming the flat of his palm up the trembling skin of her abdomen to cup her breast. His legs shifted and her ass slid against his cock as his knees spread her wider, and the rough noise he made was deeply satisfying. "Tell me Caroline, did you bring any of your toys with you?"

She shuddered, nails digging into his skin at the memory of the last time they'd played with her ever growing collection. "Yes, but I didn't want to use them."

He pinched her nipple and she moaned. "No? You've never minded me walking in on you before."

Her inhale was shaky, his words reminding her of just how much fun it was to tease him. To tease them both. It was hard to think when he was pulling on her nipples just hard enough to curl her toes, and the ache between her thighs turned into a throb. Sucking in a deep breath in an attempt to steady her voice, Caroline released his neck with one hand and twisted just far enough to see him out of her peripheral, nerves fluttering.

"Tonight I wanted you," her words were softer than she intended. "Your hands and your skin on mine, and your cock inside me."

Klaus' muscles tensed beneath her, hand dropping to flex against her ribs as his harsh exhale brushed along her temple. Caroline breathed in his silence for a dozen heartbeats before twisting around so that she could straddle him. She ignored the way her knees knocked against the side of the tub, intent on reading the cues in his expression.

"Caroline," he started, voice low and touched with gravel and she cut him off with the press of her mouth. Sliding her fingers into the tumble of his curls, she kept her mouth soft against his. She knew he wouldn't be satisfied by the shortness of her answer, and neither was she, but for a moment she luxuriated in the taste and feel of him, the pounding of her pulse in her ears.

Pulling back when even her lungs started to ache, Caroline dug her nails in lightly against his scalp just watch his lashes flutter. When his eyes met hers, they were dark and greedy. "No more teasing, Klaus."

His laugh was soft against her skin, darkly amused and throaty with his arousal. She shivered, and his hand slipped to grip her ass as he straightened his spine. When his spoke his words were scalding puffs of breath against her lips. "But you beg so pretty."

"You can't be serious."

His teeth caught her bottom lip for a moment, tongue sliding against the minor sting before he pulled back. The small, curling smile that tugged at his dimples was triumphant. "But I can. How much did you miss me, Caroline? It's been six months, love. Have you let someone else touch you in that time?"

She narrowed her eyes in aggravation. Why had she thought facing him for this conversation would be a good idea? When she tried to away, his fingers tangled in her hair, holding her close. His nose nudged hers, eyes glimmering.

"Caroline."

Lowering her chin, Caroline met the simmering challenge in his gaze. Baring the edge of her teeth, she hissed out a breath. "No, I didn't let anyone else touch me. It wasn't the same, I…"

Her words died on a whine as he caught her aching clit firmly between two fingers. Her hands scrabbled for purchase on his shoulders. His lips dragged softly down her throat, his little noise of pleasure as her nails dug into his skin a rumble against her neck. She gasped his name as his hand slid lower, two fingers slipping inside her to curl against fluttering walls.

"That wasn't so difficult, was it?"

Her nails tore through his shirt to leave gouges in his skin at his words, and his palm pressed roughly against her clit in response. He kissed her just as roughly, tongue hot against hers. His fingers curled inside her, and Caroline reared back with a short scream as her orgasm broke, body clapping down around Klaus hand as she trembled through it.

He pulled his hand free from the clamp of her thighs and brought his fingers to his mouth with a satisfied little noise of pleasure. Her thighs switched, arousal fresh and demanding, and she glanced down at the slacks that still invaded his legs.

"You should have taken off your pants."

Klaus dragged his nails lightly down her belly, his tone indulgent. "Someone didn't give me much of a chance."

Caroline swallowed a moan and scrabbled at his belt, her shaky fingers struggling. Klaus pinched her nipples and the button snapped under her grasping fingers. She ripped away the cloth to free him, not even bother to yank what was left down his thighs. She'd just gotten off but it wasn't enough. She wanted to come again and she wanted Klaus inside her when she did it.

He helped steady before letting her sink down the first inch of his cock. One hand gripped her hip and the other slipped beneath her thigh to grip her butt as he held her still. She groaned her complaint, body clenching around what she could.

"Klaus," she panted, nails digging into his neck. "I want you inside me. Right now."

His tongue snaked across his lips, fingers digging into the curve of her ass. "Such impatience. Have I not already told you that I missed you? The flush of along your cheeks and breasts, the feel of you sinking so slowly onto my cock, and I wish to savor them."

She shook her head, wisps of curls dancing across her cheeks. "Later, savor me later."

His smile turned wicked. "No."

Klaus' shirt tore apart under her hands, and the muscles along his jaw draw tight as he slowly lowered her along the lengths of him. She was panting, head tipped back as he filled her, body hot and slick. The water was cool against her fever hot skin, and she squeeze him tightly once she'd settled. He groaned, breath a rasp in his throat, and his fingers dug tightly into her flesh.

"Eyes on me, Caroline."

She shuddered at his tone, forced her eyes open as her head lowered. His grip shifted and he rocked into her and she met the motion with a roll of her hips and a soft sigh, her clit a steady throb for attention.

"I'll draw you just like this," he rasped,voice slow and deliberate. "You're eyes dark and hazy, the way your lips part just so as I fill you with my cock. Later, I'll paint it. Perhaps you'll even agree to pose for me; well fucked and pretty in my studio so that I can perfect on canvas the shade of your nipples after they've been in my mouth, hmm?"

A pang of arousal had her trembling against him and he splayed his hand wide on her ass. Shuddering put his name, her lashes fluttered as he adjust his hips.

"Move."

"Not yet."

His fingers snaked between them, careful against her sensitive clit, and it was a struggle to maintain eye contact as he touched her. Desperate, she brought one hand up to cup her breast, to tug sharply at her nipple as the sensations built. His eyes never left her face, even when she leaned close, and her fangs were clumsy against his mouth as she drew blood.

The taste of his blood pushed her over and Klaus' groan mingled with her cries. Her forehead pressed against his as she planted against his mouth. His mouth shifted to meet hers as her breathing slowed, his kiss slow and almost languid even though his cock was still hot and hard inside her.

"I believe that's two orgasms now, sweetheart."

Linking her arms around his neck, she leaned forward to kiss the dimple peeking out from his cheek. "Hmm, much better than being only halfway."

His smile deepend against her lips, shoulders shaking with a silent laugh but when he pulled back his eyes were serious. Tongue running across his mouth, he traced the curve of her mouth with his thumb. "I grow tired of this bath. I cannot smell you properly."

Her eyes widened as he adjusted his grip before standing in a smooth motion. She curled her legs around his waist, shuddering as the shift of her weight and the change of angle pushed him deeper inside her. Gripping his neck, she breathed against his mouth as water dripped back into the tub. Klaus kicked away the tangled remains of his pants, and Caroline's eyes slid tightly shut at the way he moved inside her.

"Do not drop me."

He gripped her ass and hauled her higher, teeth sharp against her ear. "I would never."

Any thought of falling or of the mess in still in the bath disappeared as Klaus strode towards the double sink. One hand lifted to fist in her hair and his kiss was voracious, tongue and fangs playing against her mouth until they were both breathing heavy. "Unwind your legs, love. I want to fuck you in front of the mirrors so we can both watch."

She moaned at his words, and couldn't help the little noise of complaint as she did as he asked. Klaus angled her head with the hand fisted in her hair to run his teeth along the length of her neck before he spun her around. Her hair band was a quick casualty, and her wet curls tumbled around her shoulders as he urged her hands onto the counter top. For a moment, Caroline could only stare at the picture they made in the mirror. Disheveled, dripping bathwater, with blood smeared across both their faces and she shivered at how good they looked. Biting her lip, she shivered as he pressed close, his eyes glittering hybrid gold.

She shivered as his fingers slid back into her hair, the heat of his chest scalding down the line of his spine. His lips brushed her ear as he positioned himself at his entrance, knee nudging her legs wider before he pressed against her entrance. "Okay?"

She nodded, lashes fluttering at the feet of his cock brushing against her clit. "Yes, god, Klaus. More."

The first snap of his hips had her fingernails bending against the granite of the sink. His hand on her belly titled her hips and her vision wavered on the next thrust, the feel of him hitting everything inside her so perfectly. She couldn't quite watch his cock fill her, but the bounce of her breasts, the picture of his red mouth on her shoulder as he moved inside ramped her arousal higher. She could hear just how wet she was but she couldn't care. Not when he was inside her and finally moving exactly how she needed it.

"Come for me," Caroline demanded, barely recognizing the roughness of her voice. "I want to feel it."

His teeth bit sharply into her shoulder, and the pain only heightened her pleasure as he tugged at her hair. Blood spilled down her skin and her monster loved the color of it, the way it stained his mouth and chin as he titled his head in the mirror. Her stomach pulled taut, thighs trembling with her building release.

"Such demands, sweetheart." His hand up her stomach to skim through the blood dripping down her shoulder before he covered her breast with his bloody fingers. "When you are so lovely just like this and at my mercy."

"How can you not want to get off?" Caroline question in-between pants. Her eyes squeezed shut at a particularly perfect thrust, knees wobbling. He held her steady, but the uneven rise and falls of his chest and the shake of his fingers against her nipple told her he was riding the same edge. "Tie me up later if you must, but I want to come again. Now. With you."

There was a potent silence as her words faded between them. For ament she thought Klaus was going to ignore her words and continue to tease her with his ridiculous self control. But then his fingers were nearly painful on her breast as his grip tightened and the snap of his hips pushed a short cry from her lips.

"Watch," he rasped harshly.

Her eyes opened obediently and it didn't take long before she was rocking back into him, her eyes glued to the lines of his throat. His palm dragged back down her body, smearing a trail of blood down her pale skin, and a quick pinch of her clit was all she needed to pitch over the edge for a third time. This time Klaus chased his release, hips snapping against hers before he spilled curses against her skin.

Caroline leaned heavily against the sink as he breathed heavily against her. She spoke after several long moments of trying to get her heartbeat under control. "Pretty sure I need another shower."

Klaus pressed a soft kiss the curve of her neck. "Later. I believe you offered to let me tie you to the bed, and I plan to spill across her skin at least once before I let you come."

Her thighs clenched together at the promise in his voice. He'd do exactly as he promised and tie her to the bed, The he'd pet her into a flushed, aroused mess before kneeling between her thighs and stroking himself. He'd let her watch, his fingers curled tight around his shaft while he murmured all the wicked things he loved about her mouth. He'd linger, because it worked her up and they both enjoyed the tease.

It took a moment to find her voice. "I didn't bring any ties."

His eyes gleamed as they met hers in mirror. "I did. A set of spelled silk scarves. I've been wanting to see the color of them against your skin for some time. How close they match the post-orgasm blue of your eyes."

There was only one good answer to that.

"Take me to bed."

Caroline shifted beneath the blanket Klaus had rescued from the floor, sated and drowsy. The silk scarves had been a lot of fun. Caroline wondered if she could manage to talk him into letting her use them on him. A few hours testing Klaus' patience with her would absolutely be worth whatever he bargained for in return.

He'd taken her words about wanting only their blood on the sheets seriously and she wasn't sure much besides the blanket and pillows had survived unscathed. Not that she really minded. Klaus had never flinched from her appetites, sexual or otherwise. Instead he seemed to delight in meeting them, and the monster she'd struggled to understand as a teenager was never happier than with his blood on her fangs.

His teeth in her throat.

Parting her lashes, Caroline's lips curved as she took Klaus in. It was unlikely that he was truly sleeping as he needed far less rest than her, even after the afternoon they'd just shared, but it was still a sight watching him drowse. Face down, his hair as wild as her own, he looked as relaxed and content as she'd ever seen him. The abrasions along his back and shoulders from her nails had healed, only the lingering flecks of dried blood remaining. She'd probably find similar stains beneath her nails and arousal stirred at the thought.

She could clear the distance between them in a single move and press her lips to the muscle of his biceps. Taste the texture of his skin on her tongue and drag her teeth down the hard ridge she'd find. Caroline knew he'd meet her intentions instantly but she found herself content to just be.

It struck her that they rarely spent time together like this. Neither of them tended to sit still long enough to have these kind of simple, intimately quiet moments. Most of their time together was usually spent cramming as much physicality into a single moment as possible.

It wasn't enough anymore.

She wanted this too. Lazy post-coital cuddling without any kind of plan. Just her and Klaus beneath the sheets or a lazy morning over breakfast in their kitchen. She wondered if he kept comfortable furniture i his studios so she could relax and read while he painted or if he'd make room for her if he hadn't already. She had a million questions and wanted the answers so badly she found herself tongue tied.

"Now who's being creepy," Klaus murmured into the silence between them as if he sensed her thoughts, his lips curving as he banded back her usual complaint of waking to find him watching her. His expression was boyish, his tease full of gruff affection, and Caroline poked his calf with her toes.

"Only seems fair. You rarely sit still long enough to that I get to ogle you. Girl's gotta take an opportunity when she can."

He made a roughly amused sound low in his throat before rolling to his side and studying her. His gaze was contemplative and she bore his scrutiny with as much patience she could manage. "You didn't seem to enjoy a similar argument when I made it."

Caroline narrowed her eyes. "I don't creepily sketch people while they are sleeping."

"Yet, you didn't seem to mind my earlier suggestion of either the drawing or the painting," Klaus pointed out, lips lowering to trace the curve of her mouth.

She sputtered out a laugh. "Your proposition in the middle of sex? Should have I have taken that seriously?"

His brow arched. "Do you think I do not mean what I say to you, Caroline?"

She rolled her eyes at the note in his voice and shifted closer, tossing her leg over his calves to hold him in place. "Klaus, you were inside me for the first time in months. I wasn't giving much thought to the realities of you painting me post-sex."

His chin dipped, breath ghosting across her chin. "I have a studio in all my homes, love."

Heat flushed across her cheeks at his words and she swallowed at the way his smile turned a touch lascivious. Sitting on his cock he'd felt every flutter and every twitch of her muscles, so there was little point in denying she'd enjoyed the idea of what he'd described. But it was one thing to fantasize about his words and something else to let him put her on canvas. Naked and flushed and probably dripping.

Caroline was pretty sure she'd be into it as much as she enjoyed watching and enjoying being watched. But not immediately. "Maybe another time."

"And when will the next time be, Caroline?" Klaus questioned, eyes narrowing. "How long will I continue to have you with me for mere weeks at a time before you grow bored and walk away for months, years?"

Caroline shook her head violently, stung by his words. "It's not like that."

"No?" He questioned, skin drawn tight over his cheekbones. "Perhaps. I grow tired of watching you leave, Caroline. To have your affection and then to have you take it away?"

Her eyes softened. "Klaus… I…"

His mouth compressed into a thin line as she struggled for words and he sat up with a flex of muscle. His expression cooled, temper darkening his eyes. "I made reservation for dinner. We should head out soon if you wish to make them."

Caroline lunged across the mattress and curled her fingers tightly around his wrist to stop his exit from the bed. His gaze shifted back to her, eyes glittering, but he didn't try to break her grip. Her words were rushed, and only the fitness of her grip kept her fingers from trembling.

"I want more of this, Klaus. Not less."

"And here is thought you'd enjoy a night out. Shall we miss our reservations then?" His head tipped to the side, eyes dropping to her bare breasts. "I don't mind of course, but you rarely enjoy evenings in while in a new city."

Caroline dug her nails into his skin, uncaring as she smelled fresh blood. "Yeah, let's not act like we didn't both enjoy this afternoon. But I'm not just talking about sex, you ass. Let me talk before you get all bent out of shape, okay? I don't want to fight."

His eyes flared, the ring of yellow around his pupils attesting to his temper. "Then what are you attempting to say, Caroline?"

She bared the edge of her teeth. "Us, Klaus. I want more of us."

The muscles underneath her fingers turned to stone. Caroline absorbed the stunned expression on his face, the surprise he couldn't hide. She was certain such an expression would be rare, and it was one she didn't want to forget.

Tugging lightly on his wrist, she took a deep breath. "I told you I'd missed you and I meant it. When I leave here, I want you to come with me or for me to go with you. I don't want to do this alone anymore, I want to try. As insane as I might be for it, you're not the only one who is tired of me leaving."

Her words hitched in her throat at the look behind his eyes, the way he devoured every twitch of her expression, the shape of the words on her lips. It was impossible to feel anything but breathless, but her fingers still twitched with lingering nerves.

Klaus' eyes narrowed at the small shift of her weight, and he twisted his hand, catching her wrist in turn and he pulled her across the bed. She fell into him with a noise of surprise, and he caught her jaw with a firm hand.

"Be sure, Caroline." His voice was soft and firm, the wolf clear in his eyes. "Because once you commit to this, to me, I don't intend to let you walk away. I plan on being very persuasive."

Her lips trembled even as she smiled and she threaded her fingers through the curls at his nape. "Good. I like it when you get creative."

Instead of responding to her tease, he fitted his mouth to hers. The kiss was hot and wet and very persuasive. She shuddered out a breath when he pulled back, and his tongue snaked across his lips as if to savor her taste. She shivered, breasts pressing against his chest and between them, his cock stirred to life. She bit down on her lower lip to keep parting her thighs wider from rubbing against him as arousal flushed through her veins.

"I thought we had reservations?"

Klaus smiled, slow and wicked. "We have time for a long shower."

Caroline couldn't help her burbling laughter as he scooped her up and headed for the bathroom. For once, she refused to let lingering mess of wine and Klaus clothes scattered in the tub bother her. They'd deal with it later. Right then, the glitter in his eyes, the brightness of the happiness she could read clearly on his face was far more important.

They had eternity before them.

#my fic #klaroline #klaroline drabble #klaroline smut #klaroline fanfic #HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANGIE #BELATED AND ALL

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crispyimagines17 · 6 years

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A ROAD TRIP WITH TOM HIDDLESTON WOULD INCLUDE...

Written by: Crispy Imagines.

Soundtrack: [including 4DX experience, which means ambient sounds] main theme / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21 / 22

Notes: This headcanon is set in summer (in case you’re reading this in other season). If you’d like one set in autumn, let me know by sending a message or an ask. Also, the road trip takes place around European countries like Italy, France and Spain (cause if I look further this would take forever). I swear I could’ve posted my goddamn 6hrs full playlist. No kiddin. <3

Warnings: I don’t truly believe this is a headcanon, it’s more like a story without prose haha. So, it’s a little bit long. That’s the only ‘warning’. Listen with headphones, preferably.

It’s a sunny sunday morning in London. Tom and you are leaning on your bed, holding hands and with all the time in the world to enjoy yourselves. Cause it’s summer; he’s not working, you’re not working. [1]

“Our official first day of vacations”

Both walk down the stairs right to the kitchen and prepare some breakfast; coffee, cranberries’ pancakes, eggs with tomato and a slice of toasted bread. [2]

“Now what?”, Tom repeats Finding Nemo’s dialogue provoking you to laugh.

“Summer vacations, maybe?”

“At home?”

Tom has that playful smile of him, standing up and driving you to the leaving room in excitement. Suddenly, he jumps into the couch with a bright smile and yells;

“Get your luggage ready, honey! We’re leaving to Anywhere!” [3]

Laughing, jumping and running all over the house.

In the closet, Tom takes out a couple of suitcases and leaves you there to run down to the garage.

“Where are we going?”

“Just grab what’s neccessary, not too much things, darling”, his voice screaming and therefore, echoing.

Luggage ready and a bag with secret stuff Tom didn’t wanted you to see.

Driving “to the airport!”

A sense of adventure peeking ahead.

VIP flight tickets.

Holding your hand and that playful smile again. Because this will be the time together both needed after all the hard work.

Airplane take-off. [4]

Adventure mode on.

Wine, laughs, soft kisses and a good movie during the flight. [5]

Landing on Rome. [6]

Rent a car and driving under the city lights towards a hotel.

Leaving your luggage in the suite room and out to walk.

“An evening in Roma”

Dining in a little restaurant/bistro; authentic pizza, italian pasta and a glass of wine.

Italian food = a God’s blessing.

Soft kisses before falling asleep in La Città Eterna.

"Wake up, sunshine”

Italian breakfast down a meson. [7]

“Wait. Aren’t we going to stay?”

That playful smile appearing again over his face.

Changing the car to a Jeep Renegade.

Sunglasses on.

“Ready?”

“For what?”

Tom sits in the driver place and you take the co-driver’s.

Driving towards the highway.

Buying at a convenience store (like 7-eleven) some water, a soda, chocolates, candies, and chips. Just some human energy for a 3 maybe 5-hours road trip.

Opening the M&M’s and placing some on your hand to give them to Tom in his mouth.

Singing old songs and weird songs out loud, gestures and hands dancing included. [8]

“Cause I’m Mr. Brightside!” [9]

Watching the first advertisement announcing the city Tom is driving you to.

“La Toscana! Florencia”

Tom chuckles at your reaction.

Not going right forward to Florencia, but instead visiting a town first.

Finding a beautiful inn owned by a typical italian woman, loving and kind.

Down in the little town, people don’t recognize Tom, which leads you to spend an authetic and beautiful afternoon.

Surprisingly, there’s a wedding being celebrated and both are invited by the landlady.

Being the leading dancing couple when ‘Sway’ is played. [10]

Going to sleep after 3 a.m. because of the party.

“Wake up, love”

Driving to Florencia.

Fancy italian breakfast in a fancy restaurant. [11]

Because Florence is fancy, and beauty. Art, art, art everywhere.

Visiting the daydream art museum ‘Galleria degli Uffizi’, where’s found a collection of priceless works from the Italian Renaissance.

Next stop; Venecia! (Venice)

Towards the highways.

More singing and weird talks about childhood.

Watching the sunset while driving and listening to a beautiful calm song. [12]

Decide to camp in a wonderful meadow that diverted from the highway.

That mysterious bag Tom brought has camping stuff and everything needed.

An improvised picnic at night with food bought in little stores on your way.

Wild kisses. Soft kisses. Midnight talks. [13]

More convenience stores.

Arriving to Venice.

Trying Gelato.

Gelato = a God’s gift to human race.

Enjoying the city through those boats, its magical landscapes, colors, scence and food. [14]

A short escape to Verona.

“I am truly, madly, deeply, foolishly, completely in love with you”

“O Thomas, Thomas, wherefore art thou Thomas?”

Love, Shakespeare and Italy. You never have enough.

Holding hands while walking as a love promise in the ‘City of Lovers’

More driving, but under the night sky with music surrounding you. [15]

Taking shifts to drive. Sometimes he does, sometimes you do.

Tom extending his shift if he feels you’re tired to take yours.

And it doesn’t matter, cause it’s your adventure together.

Again, more convenience stores.

Driving all the way to France without first stopping in Milan to go shopping.

Before leaving, diverting your way for a trip to Bergamo.

Camping near the mountains and waterfalls, into the woods. [main theme]

“Oh, to see without my eyes; the first time that you kissed me.”

Making love under the clear starry sky.

“Wake up, darling”

Bye, Italy. We love you.

“Sicilia! We’re coming back to Italy just to visit Sicilia, that’s for sure.”

“Of couse, darling. It’s Vito Corleone’s land.”

On the road, on the road, the road of your lives. [16]

“Turn right to take the highway to...”

“Now?”

“Yes! Now!”

*Fast & Furious kind of scene*

Sunlight burning you inside because it’s summer.

“Viva la France!” [17]

Arriving to a little town before going to the big french cities.

Showing your french skills.

“Oui”

Trying authentic french macarons.

Staying the night at a beautiful little inn.

Dancing La Valse d’Amelie slowly in your room. [18]

“Bonjour, mon amour.” (Good morning, my love)

French breakfast.

Talking with the landlady about daily life.

Back to the road.

“Are we driving to Paris?”

“Paris in the 20s?”

“Sure! Cause I’m right here in a car with F. Scott Fitzgerald himself!”

Driving through all those daydream valleys and meadows. [19]

Miraculously, you arrive to The City of Love when it’s raining.

Walking along the Seine... Paris in the rain.

Stops raining.

Visiting La Tour Eiffel.

Fancy shopping.

“Au revoir, France!”

Next stop...

“Olé, España!” [20]

Excursion to the Basilica of Montserrat from Barcelona.

Also to La Sagrada Familia.

Acting as locals in a park at Zaragoza.

“Sí, sí, gracias”

Renting a little beach house at Playa de Andrín, Asturias.

Picnic at the beach.

Tom and you playing with water like kids.

Swimming until your body wrinkles by water.

Reading and talking while his head lays on your legs.

Sunset and toast with spanish wine.

Trying paella and falling in love with its delicious mixture of flavors. [21]

Learning to dance Flamenco.

Failing plenty times until you get the rythm.

Conveniences stores (7-eleven) being the best place in the world because of the homemade candies.

“Muchas gracias por todo, España” (Thank you for everything, Spain)

Your last night driving. And it’s towards Madrid, where you’ll later pick up a flight back home.

“Hey, we got to come back!”

Driving at night in the rain. [22]

“Thank you for this, darling”

“I love you, Thomas”

Landing in London.

Of course, along your road trip, both bought several souvenirs and took photographs of every place and landscape.

Also, pictures of you two together, or eating, or sleeping, or doing whatever thing.

Back home.

“Uff”, throwing the luggage and yourselves over the couch.

If you’ve read all of this and still not eager to get out and have all those memories, then you didn’t listen to the whole 22 tracks. If you did, you’ve been a victim of my mental breakdown writing this and I don’t regret it haha

#* sobs*#Headcanon #tom hiddleston #road trip #roadtrip #road trip with tom hiddleston would include #summer with tom hiddleston #roadtrip with tom hiddleston would include #tom hiddleston x reader #imagine tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston x you #tom hiddleston headcanon #tom hiddleston imagine

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