curious about this chapter? weird title huh? well i couldn't exactly call it:
"how your OC should be around canon characters and all the incorrect tropes writers often make because of it"

for the purpose of this chapter going a lot more smoothly, let me set up a legend for you guys

"OC" as we all know stands for 'Original Character' in other words, a character created by the fanfic writer

in this chapter i'll be using this acronym too:

"CC" which will stand for
'Canon Character'
in other words, a character that was already part of the show(s)

this isn't like the use of 'OC' or 'AU' where a lot of us know what it means and it's been coined and used for like years
if someone tells me 'hey by the way tons of people already use it' then cool beans; but if no one else has heard of it then that's fine too, there's no need to immediately start using it because im doing it

im only doing it because it's shorter than writing 'canon character' and I'll definitely be using that a lot throughout this chapter

so this is a chapter that got requested, and by the way, requests are open unless i legit post something that says otherwise

so you know those fanfics where the Klaus' or Kol's twin sister comes to town or gets the dagger pulled out and in like a week falls for a Salvatore and becomes best friends with Caroline and it's driving you insane because you know a real Mikaelson wouldn't pull this bullshit in their lifetime?

or maybe it's a Salvatore sister that had a past romance with a Mikaelson, then when said Mikaelson shows up, they just start jumping back and forth between her brothers and her boyfriend, becomes best friends with Rebekah immediately if they didn't know each other before, or become best friends with Klaus, and meanwhile stays best friends with Caroline, hates Elena, etc.

or how about a Gilbert sister that loves her sister but is also jealous of how even though she's fallen for one of the Salvatores, they both pick Elena, and sooner or later the Mikaelsons show up and now she loves Klaus, or Kol, or Elijah, or Rebekah (even if no one writes those), but she stills loves Jeremy right? and Caroline and Bonnie too, maybe Matt and Tyler as well, but she loves going shopping with Rebekah too, and so there is no such thing as loyalty anymore and just goes back and forth between every. single. character.

anyone? anyone?

im going to be starting off with OC's that are related to CC's first as those should be easier to see how your OC should be reacting

take the example i gave you (which by the way means no ill intent on a fanfic that may have a similar recipe setting as i've read plenty that have all those tropes, i just smashed them together for the purpose of an exercise)

one of the examples i gave you was of a Mikaelson-OC right? specifically one that was born at the same time as the Originals not Marcel or Hope, we're dealing strictly with the Original siblings right now

How Your OC should act if they were a Mikaelson:

(OK fine, make another Mikaelson sibling story but just keep them as an Original Vampire please?? no hybrids and definitely no tribrids dammit!!)

If your OC is a Mikaelson, specifically a sibling to the Originals, they would definitely act as though they were royalty. Originals are already considered vampire royalty and with their higher power they tend to have a big ego. But don't write them as prissy prep obnoxious hobknockers, they literally grew up in a tiny village before indoor plumbing was invented, they aren't afraid to get their hands dirty. Every sibling is different and has had different coping mechanisms or ways to hold onto their humanity for when they turned into vampires.

Finn hated what they became and longed for human life again, though it got better after meeting and falling in love with Sage.

Elijah is moral and loyal, he sticks to his family and his vows with a force that can never be broken. His family and his loyalty were what he clung to as he became a vampire, and promised to always stand by Klaus' side after going against him when Esther bound his werewolf side dormant.

Klaus as the outsider with a dormant werewolf gene and only half related to them, is distrustful and often paranoid. He wants to be a ruler, a king, with an army of hybrids so big that no one could dare challenge him. That way, he believes he can never be abandoned and is finally not the only one of his kind.

Kol had one of the biggest changes as becoming a vampire took away his ability to practice magic, and he felt very lost. He often had temper tantrums that could level villages and left thousands in bloody massacres. In his spare time he spends it with witches and learned of different techniques as well as taught the ones he learned to other witches.

Rebekah also longs for a human life and love is the closest thing to her humanity. Like Elijah, she is incredibly loyal to the family but strives to have her own life and love. All she ever wanted was to be loved.

Look at your OC, decide what their personality was as a human and then turn it up to a 100 because all of that gets magnified when they transform. But you do not have to write them with huge guilt trips or a strict moral 'no killing' rule. They are a Mikaelson. They are going to be just as ruthless and vindictive and cunning as their siblings. Even Rebekah, the sweetest and most compassionate out of all of them has been known to take revenge and is not afraid to kill. Reminder that this OC is a thousand year old Original Vampire, they are experienced, patient, intelligent, vengeful, entitled, powerful, and most of all: damaged. Remember to write them with exquisite vocabulary, they aren't going to say things like 'dude' or start a sentence with 'like', or 'gonna' 'wanna'. Even their insults are fancy. They're very poetic people and often love a poetic death for the enemies that have hit them the deepest. They've been educated by the highest standards and have been studying various methods and techniques for a thousand years, they know a lot of stuff. They're extremely co-dependent to the point where it's unhealthy but they know that and it's branded into their DNA at this point that it's impossible to stop it. But the most important thing to remember? Family above all. A Mikaelson would not side with the enemy, with someone who isn't family, they aren't going to abandon their siblings because of some Salvatore dick, if someone comes for one Mikaelson, they face the wrath of all of them. That was the whole point of The Originals TV show, that no matter what, for better or worse, all we're left with is family. (and no, im not talking about you personally and you're family, im talking about the Originals and their tragically co-dependent asses)

if you want to read about an Original sibling written correctly and accurately, I suggest you go read Black Magic or Blue or Heartlines by Kaci

they feature the character Henrik Mikaelson and it's just perfectly written when it comes to him as a Mikaelson and having them as siblings and how they all interact, their habits and opinions, it both feels accurate and realistic because she actually puts more work into it than Julie Plague ever did

How Your OC would act if they were around Mikaelson's:

Reminder that this doesn't necessarily have to be about your OC dating a CC, it could be helpful advice as to how they would act around CC's like the Mikaelson's who have been commonly known as the villains or antiheroes of the show.

if you're:

- a Gilbert (really? A Gilbert OC? really?) They would NOT TRUST THE MIKAELSONS WHATSOEVER THEY BARELY TRUST ELIJAH AND THAT'S IT. Look at how Elena and Jeremy see the Mikaelsons, one has a hold on Elena's life and also MURDERED AUNT JENNA IN A RITUALISTIC SACRIFICE, one tries to rip Jeremy's arms off, one continuously tries to kill Elena (though Elena literally stabbed her in the back so it's honestly payback, can't blame Bex). So don't make your Gilbert OC paired with a Mikaelson and don't make a Gilbert friends with one either, make them afraid, make them angry, make them worried for their safety or their loved ones safety when around these guys.

- a Salvatore (is this one of those stories where they start at the end of S2 or the start at S3 where Stefan and his twin or older sister are both in debt to Klaus so they're all traveling cross country for werewolves? wow, i'm so looking forward to reading that for the 830th time) the Salvatores also hate the Mikaelsons. But it's a weird relationship, on one hand, they want each other dead, but it'd be real inconvenient and would result in more deaths, on the other hand, they're good in bed and often have hate sex in the case of Rebekah and Damon, Rebekah and Stefan, Stefan and Klaus (shh don't tell anyone). They're also sometimes reluctant allies when it comes to a common goal, that's their best relationship. But ultimately, one will double cross the other because of personal gain. It's the way it's always worked and nothing will change that and I really hope you're not about to write yet another Salvatore Sister x Mikaelson brother. Like wow, what a way to be original.

- a Bennett (oof this would be hella interesting) a Bennett who happens to be a witch would be very against the Originals. Witches aren't fans of vampires, let alone the first ones ever. Plus, a Bennett would mean they grew up around the gang and want to protect their friends as well as Bonnie. A Bennett would be highly aware and wary around an Original, they would not be comfortable around them and the fact that these guys have been causing their friends major trouble and grief would definitely categorize the Mikaelsons in the 'evil, do not help, do not approach' box. The only reason they'd help them would be if someone they love were threatened.

- a Forbes (do y'all seriously think that just because Caroline had a small thing for Klaus that your OC will automatically be like her and struggle with her attraction to Elijah or Kol or Rebekah?) I mean sure if you don't want to give your OC an actual plot and just steal half of Caroline's, why not? A Forbes would be against the Mikaelsons, I'm pretty sure we've established that. But since Caroline is being wooed by one, that's another issue. How would they react? Would they be judgmental? Horrified? Offended? Truly depends on your OC but ultimately they would not trust an Original.

- a Lockwood (this is way more interesting because it's more personal) a Lockwood sibling who might just be an untriggered werewolf or a werewolf or a hybrid, would look at the Mikaelsons and despise them. Because of Klaus, their brother is basically a slave now (or they're both sired in the case of the sibling being a hybrid). A Lockwood would hate Klaus as much as Tyler does and always will, they wouldn't get along with the rest of them because as we all, they look out for each other and if you don't like one Mikaelson, you don't like any. A Lockwood would not be friends nor anything else with a Mikaelson, they would be hateful, angry, especially in S4 when Klaus kills Carol.

- a Donovan (I really do hope you keep them human because that's just real impressive and different) a Donovan doesn't trust any vampires really, other than Caroline and that's it. Donovan's do not like being brought in the supernatural world but will do so because it's their friends and out of loyalty they will help. Kol tried to kill Matt and managed to hurt him, while Rebekah is trying to get Matt to like her. Those are the only two big Mikaelson impressions we see. I think a Donovan would be very wary of them, they already don't like the Salvatores, I doubt they'll like the Mikaelsons, especially after everything Klaus has done to them and the town, at this point they just want the Originals out of town. Plus Matt killed Finn, so I highly doubt a Mikaelson would go out or be friends with him or any Donovan. If anything, a Mikaelson would take that Donovan sibling and kill them as revenge.

- a human in town (the real question is if this human is someone known, another founding family like the Fell's or the Young's [yes I know that April Young isn't from a founding family but the Fell's were the only ones left so we're adding the Young's] or just another human) it also depends on whether or not this human is part of Elena's friend group and knows about the supernatural (like Matt) or maybe they know about the supernatural but would rather stay out of it. Or perhaps they're like Alaric in which they hunt and kill supernatural creatures or greatly despise them. It all depends on the type of human they are and how you write them. Bring in their morals and their experiences, just remember that 83% of the time, the Mikaelson's use humans as collateral and don't care about them or befriend them. (the only exception is Rebekah since she literally had a crush on Matt and made friends with April, but that's her, just her, don't repeat it, and no I'm not mentioning Cami because right now it's TVD not TO). Because overall, an Original is a thousand years old and they have better things to do or wouldn't spend their time on hanging out with humans in a small town.

- a witch (i said it before and i'll say it again, the majority of witches don't like vampires, so a witch won't like the Mikaelson's and vice versa) plus im sure from each Originals experience with witches that they won't exactly get along. A witch is a servant of nature and the Original Vampires (and Hybrid) are the abominations of nature. Rebekah doesn't trust them, Elijah would rather avoid them if they aren't friendly or employable, Kol only likes the ones that are open to vampires, and in Klaus's own words this is how he feels about them: "Young, old, dead, or alive, witches are a pain in the ass." The only reason a Mikaelson would want a witch around would be if they needed a witch for something, casting spell or breaking a spell, and it's either payment or a threat that motivates the witch to work with them. Unless you make an OC that has a common goal as the Mikaelsons and they end up working alongside each other more and more until a friendship or more is blossomed, high chances are they don't like each other. Plus the mistreatment of Bonnie Bennett would come into play as more reason the witch hates the Originals as witches have this unsaid rule of loyalty towards other witches.

- a werewolf (one that isn't a Lockwood because I already established that) if we're talking about another werewolf that happens to be in town or comes in passing through (like Hayley) unless they were educated about vampires and vampire history I don't think they'd have a big opinion about vampires. Most werewolves dislike vampires (that is such a tired trope, but it is revealed why the rivalry started: when werewolves killed Henrik when the Mikaelsons were human and when Klaus was revealed as a hybrid, Mikael slaughter most of the wolves and their alpha). The Mikaelson's in turn don't like werewolves because of bad experiences with them as human and see them as animals, even if Klaus is half werewolf, it only adds to their ego that werewolves are below them.

- a vampire (depends on their age first)

+ old like Caroline to the Salvatores (recent or baby vampire to one thats 200+) they have more attitude and are more arrogant as even though they've been vampires for a while, they think they've seen it all and believe they can beat it. They haven't completely experienced the threat or the fear that comes from being around a Mikaelson. Even Elijah himself has said 'Young vampires, so arrogant. I'm an Original, show a little respect.' They still even believe they can manage to kill them (though they did kill two, so props to them). Still, that hope that they have is rooted because the Mikaelson's haven't unleashed their darkest habits, if they had just slaughtered the Mystic Falls Gang, the survivors would live in fear for the rest of their lives.

+ old like Lexi to Katherine or Rose(300+ to 500+) Here we go. These vampires are more experienced and smarter. They fear the Originals and with good reason too. Rose herself started crying after Elijah attacked the coffee shop she and Damon were in. Katherine Pierce herself was frightened when Elijah showed up, and she doesn't scare easily. This is because they have seen and felt the pain and terror the Originals are capable of. Katherine's entire family was slaughtered and she'd been running for 500 years. Not to mention that half the time, the Originals let them go so they will run. Because sure, they could kill them instantly but their revenge will be over in a minute, true revenge is them running for a lifetime, paranoid and scared for centuries. (this is literally what Klaus said about letting Tyler run in S4)

+ old like Sage (900+) these are another story because they're basically the same attitude as baby vampires with their arrogance, only they actually have the power to challenge an Original. Sage herself insults Rebekah to her face. Vampires who are this old or older were probably around the Originals when they were still figuring out how their powers worked and before any of them really took charge of an army or made a name for themselves as the terrifying villains they are. They were probably turned by one of them or were turned when they were still around, so they probably met them as well (because not many vampires were turned in that time) They're more comfortable with how they feel about them and probably aren't as scared, but if they've been alive this long it means they're definitely smart enough to survive them. They also are just as experienced as the Mikaelson's and probably have a similar lifestyle as them, so it's not like they're going to be struggling for money or sleeping in motels.

How Your OC would act if they were from Mystic Falls (in other words, on the side of the Mystic Falls Gang)

- a Gilbert OC (can I take a moment to beg you, yeah you, the person who for some reason thinks their Gilbert sibling story is gonna be so different from the rest when we both know you could've doubled your reads if you hadn't gone with a Gilbert OC that's probably female because half of the audience that read that name Blank Gilbert in the description exited your story and went to find something more original or different)

- if you're a Salvatore, (im seriously considering not writing for this one because I'm working on a Salvatore siblings chapter right now) I'm gonna go quick and say it's a Salvatore that's been a vampire since 1864 and is not in the tomb, and has just as difficult relationship with their brothers as Stefan and Damon do with each other. A Salvatore shows their emotions in actions, they're determined little bitches and sometimes they think they know everything after spending 150+ years on the planet with no big supernatural threat or indifference 'till they got to Mystic Falls. They would die for their brothers and vice versa, no matter how many times they try to kill each other. They can be competitive with each other. But that's all I got since it truly depends on your OC. Do they think their brothers should leave town and leave the innocent human alone because who cares if she looks like Katherine? Leave her alone! Or are they distrustful of Elena because of Katherine? Do they find Caroline annoying or do they feel sad for her? Do they avoid Bonnie because of witches or do they find it hot she's super powerful? Do they think Jeremy has to mind his own business? Do they fear Tyler as a werewolf or do they make doggy jokes about him? Are they as vengeful as their brothers? Do they want to eat Matt? Do they also have a good friendship with Alaric? Do they take after Stefan with huge guilt or do they bury it deep down and hide it with jokes like Damon? Truly depends on your character.

- if you're a Bennett (then congrats! whoohoo you're related to the best character of the show) a Bennett probably grew up with the rest of the Gang in the town, they're protective of Bonnie and probably spend a lot of time together (especially if they're also a witch) and they probably have slight mommy and abandonment issues because of Abby Bennett leaving them when Bonnie was like three or four. A Bennett witch is a servant of nature, they protect humans and they dislike vampires (except for Caroline and then Tyler). A Bennett would probably have the same friends as Bonnie and will probably want to help protect their friends, that includes Elena too, you can start opposing Bonnie helping them once you can tell it's for a bigger cause, like getting rid of all the vampires of the world vs saving Elena. But it's not about not liking Elena, you can have the character like her, just be willing to sacrifice her. You need to remember that majority of the time, witches (and especially Bonnie) are looked to to have the answers and a way out so that's a good way to flesh out a new character that would probably start getting fed up with it. On the other hand, when writing a Bennett or any witch, you're going to have to do a lot of research and follow specific rules of the limits of magic that Bonnie has. Don't use TO or LGS as other sources for magic since they're more advanced. Unless your OC is older and has been studying more than Bonnie, keep it to the same level of magic knowledge as her.

- a Forbes (probably stays human since it's kinda copying Caroline becoming a vampire, or hey, maybe they're killed with vampire blood in their system) don't make a Forbes a werewolf or a witch or a banshee, please don't.) A Forbes would have a difficult relationship with the family, they could be like Caroline who holds their dad on a pedestal and dislikes their mom and so Caroline and them get along, or the complete opposite, they dislike how their dad barely visits them anymore and is sad that Caroline doesn't see how much their mom works for them. Maybe that has to do with their difficult relationship with Caroline too. A Forbes isn't afraid of being in the spotlight, they're eager to prove they can accomplish something and dislike being told they can't. (I mean the town's sheriff is a woman, their mom, i'm sure when she got the job a bunch of them weren't completely okay with it or thought she couldn't get the job done). So, there's definitely a sense of pride in there, but also the Forbes tend to be kind of judgmental as with their mom for the vampire stuff, the dad for the same stuff, Caroline herself is very judgmental too so I wouldn't be surprised if the OC was as well. A Forbes would want to protect their friends, includes Elena, yeah guys, would probably judge Caroline for her weird thing with Klaus, and probably dislikes Damon a lot. Katherine too since she's responsible for their sister becoming a vampire.

- a Lockwood (has a daddy issues because Richard Lockwood was an abusive dick) comes from a rich family and is probably entitled because both of their parents were the mayor at one point. They have anger issues and hate the werewolf curse, especially if they've triggered it. Because of their werewolf side, triggered or not, there is a loyalty to their friends and family that is very strong, this applies to Tyler, Carol, Caroline (since she's Tyler's girlfriend), Matt (because he's a good friend). They wouldn't be as comfortable around the Salvatores since they're both vampires and unknown to them. Whereas with Caroline they grew up with them. A Lockwood is probably also competitive and could be quick to start or finish a fight, most likely start one. And because of the small town community, they've grown up around Elena, Bonnie, Matt, Vicki, Jeremy, etc. so they all know each other and tend to stick together. But when push comes to shove, a Salvatore will sacrifice a Lockwood to protect Elena, so make your OC aware of that and don't form such close relations to the two vampires.

- a Donovan (just follow Matt, seriously) i'm serious, follow what Matt does half the time, because Matt isn't exactly included in a lot supernatural stuff, he was properly involved by the start of S3, so imagine that. Maybe you're OC is like him and only trust their friends, not the new guys in town.

- a Saltzman, well in that particular case, you're OC is also a newbie in town, and though you're a human, there's a reason Alaric made friends with the Salvatores and stuck around them more, they're the newbies in town too (even if they were there when it was built) Saltzman are active, they're investigative, they take initiative and they know when to take lead or when to take orders, as they are aware that they don't know everything but they want to help protect the town and help Alaric whether they're his kid (which is weird bc that means he had a kid as a teenager like Isobel) or sibling or step-sibling or just related

- a human in town, (depends on their age and what they're doing in town)
are they a teenager like most of the Gang? are they a young adult or mid-young adult like Jenna or Mason? Are they employed in town and also grew up there like Meredith Fell? In the case of how they would act, they're pretty regular if it's a human that grew up in town, they'd probably take interest in the Salvatores because they're someone new in town or maybe that's why they're suspicious and why they avoid them.

- another witch in town would immediately be under the radar, they'd look after Bonnie, dislike the Salvatores, take care of the humans, etc.

- a werewolf visiting or living in town that knows about their werewolf background I don't expect them to be very social, they would definitely feel close to Tyler and would understand him and he the OC. They wouldn't like the Salvatores or Caroline probably, and i expect the same of witches, so i can see them not be around Bonnie a lot

- a vampire that's new in town (and knows the Salvatores) would probably hang around them the most or hang around other adults, not every young looking vampire wants to go back to high school, so you don't have to follow Stefan's storyline or his actions (plus since I've graduated high school i can definitely say this with certainty: if i were a vampire for even only ten years i still wouldnt want to be around hormonal judgmental immature angsty fifteen year olds, Stefan just hates himself so much that he puts himself through it)

- for a vampire that's been turned recently (like Caroline) they would probably also spend time with the Salvatores because they're the only vampires in town, and they'd still go to school because their mindset is still the same. I can see a good friendship starting with Stefan, some hardships around humans because of cravings and bloodlust and if they were friends with Bonnie, a similar thing that happened with Caroline where they were close but then distanced after she turned until Bonnie saw as were still the same person and accepted her. Elena, Jeremy, Matt, and other humans would be constant temptation and they probably wouldn't be around them as such. Be sure to add in some fear of The Council or the exact opposite because baby vampires tend to be arrogant and have a big ego.

all in all, remember that when you start a TVD fanfic, there's a sense of community in a small town so everyone knows everyone

that's why i'm mentioning the Salvatore's at the end and why Caroline is the exception to the anti-vampire rule, because everyone grew up with her before and know her, plus it's Care, she has great control and is a great vampire (and when Tyler turns into a hybrid and breaks the sire bond, he's still considered a close friend both because of the past and dating Caroline)

meanwhile, the Salvatore's are new in town, they've got everyone's eyes on them, both the high schoolers with Stefan and the adults with Damon, so they're more unknown to them and vice versa, that's why Damon is so ok with the majority of them dying, and Stefan gets over it quickly as well, he doesn't like it but get's over it. They're the oldest ones there, they're used to it.

the other situation is Alaric, who's also new in town but he's a human. he knows about the supernatural, he helps protect the town and almost helps keeping Damon in line by giving Damon a friend to get through all this with. So, Alaric also has eyes on him, which is probably what made him hang out more with the other newbies in town, not to mention that those newbies are the source for the supernatural. so he's more comfortable with them rather than hanging out with people that have known each other all their lives

Just remember it's all about your OC and how you write them and what they experience, what they witness, what they're told, but don't let your own opinions of these characters influence how your OC feels about them. You could like Stefan Salvatore but your OC might be a witch and is distrustful of all vampires. You could like the Mikaelsons but your OC could be a werewolf and they hate or dislike any and all vampires. Your OC could be a vampire that hates the Original Family and that's why you sided with the Salvatores (in other words: Katherine Pierce but tbh a lot of vampires hate the Mikaelsons) and just because you like the Mikaelsons doesn't necessarily mean your OC will go from hate to like as well in the story, you can keep it consistent with them not liking the Originals after all the grief they've caused the town, that's understandable and realistic. You don't think that after everything Elena or Stefan or any one of them would kill Klaus or Rebekah or even Elijah if they had the chance? They would. They've just finally accepted defeat until they eventually left.

this has over 5K, let me know if i missed any characters, if you still feel like you're missing something, maybe this makes sense or not, i dont know anymore guys