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shallowseeker · 1 year ago

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Dean’s grief on speedrun

How long was Cas dead, anyway?

I think they reunited around day 18-24 days ish. The scripts give us some clues. (Based on this post)

==Dean is grieving hard==

He’s not in denial, like Sam seems to be -> “Is he really dead?” “You know he is.”

And because Dean now knows Chuck & Amara, he’s not getting stuck in bargaining stage (his usual MO). There is no door of hope to leave ajar after the cosmic consequences are rendered. (Not even the symbolic going-through-the-motions kind that he never intends to open again.)

No, this time, Dean’s in the throes of an incredibly frightening, paralyzing despair (images).

This is partially due to the fact that he saw it coming, and he fought so hard. He resolved to avoid the looming, cosmic consequences, to “not let Cas walk away, not again (script).” Dean made up his mind to act to protect the, “everything he’s ever wanted (script).”

And still, everything went so wrong.

///

The grief, then, is different. It’s a despair born of crushed hopes and dreams. Not to mention, forgiveness and acceptance—as Dean got onboard to help Cas, regardless of his own misgivings, because Cas “had faith in the kid.” This time, he stood behind Cas when he asked, and it still went rotten.

After everyone dies, Dean pleads with God/Chuck. Chuck is the one who brought Cas back before and the only one who seems able to rebuild angels. He doesn’t answer.

Even though Dean had a special connection to Amara, the one who resurrected his burned-up, supposed-to-stay-dead mother, she doesn’t answer either.

This time, he knows they’re out there, perhaps even listening. And they’re not answering because Dean’s run out of free passes and miracles.

This time, that knowledge crushes him where he stands.

///

DAY 1-2 (Lost and Found)

13x01 starts in the twilight hours after the big Lucifer fight.

Dean takes a shot at Jack, and Jack flees.

Heaven and Hell hunt them relentlessly.

They retrieve Jack from North Cove police station.

An angel stabs Jack in the chest with an angel blade, and he seems astonished to be “fine.”

Sam and Dean take time to grieve and scatter ashes.

The funeral occurs that evening, and they quickly get on the road.

///

DAY 3 ish (The Rising Son)

In 13x02, they're still driving home from the funeral towards the bunker, "12 hours till we get home," and Sam convinces Dean to stop at a motel.

Addition: When they eat, Jack remarks that he's 3 days old. "3 days, 17 hours, and 42 minutes."

Over the course of this episode, per the script, 2 days pass.

They eat dinner, go to a tattoo parlor, meet up with Donatello, and stay overnight in the motel.

Heaven and Hell continue to hunt them relentlessly.

Sam, Dean, and Donatello debate nature vs nurture, with Dean and Donatello leaning towards nature.

Sam psycho-analyzes Dean and delivers euphemisms to Jack about Dean “wanting to protect everyone and getting his wires crossed,” but ultimately, he isn’t forthcoming to Jack about the reality of the situation. (That is, it was Lucifer that killed Cas, and Lucifer who pulled Mary into another world--that Dean's grieving!) These important details might've helped Jack to understand his situation with a lot more clarity and grace. This will cause Jack to cool towards Sam when Dean reveals the truth during an argument.

Demons find them the next morning.

In fact, Dean nearly dies against a common demon, getting cornered on a hotel bed, but he is saved at the last minute by Sam’s interference.

Jack, tricked by Asmodeus, nearly releases the Shadim.

They drive home.

Later, Jack freaks out about being impervious to stabbing. In his new bunker room, he laments, “What the hell am I? I can’t control… whatever this is. I will hurt someone.”

Dean tells him he will be Jack's executioner if Jack loses control.

At most, it's been only 5 days since everyone died.

///

DAY 5 ish (Patience)

13x03 picks up mere hours after they get home, and it covers 5 days total. So, that brings us to a decently solid total of 10-ish days when this episode finishes.

Dean can't bear to be in the bunker with mission-mode Sam and Jack, so he takes off on a hunt.

Clearly in no shape to hunt, Dean dies at the hands of a wraith (and so does Jody). They are both saved by Patience’s interference.

Dean tells Patience there’s no joy in this life. Only pain and death.

Sam and Dean have a huge fight about Jack, during which Dean accidentally gives Jack context to the situation (re: Cas’s death, Mary’s plight). This causes Jack, already exhausted by Sam’s well-meaning training regimen, to cool towards Sam the next morning.

Cas appears to awaken in The Empty on day 9 or 10.

///

DAY 10-11 ish (The Big Empty)

13x04 SEEMS like the very next morning, because Dean AND Jack are both still chilly towards Sam. The air is described as arctic, with Dean giving Sam a, "don't even try it, motherfucker," face. Jack accuses Sam of wanting to use him as an interdimensional can opener and "being just like Asmodeus," and Sam comes clean about the truth.

Sam pushes them all to go on a case together. Jack says he doesn’t want to go at first. Sam wants Jack to go with them for the express purpose of forcing Dean to be around him and warm up to him, which isn’t fair to Dean or Jack…not really.

This storyline covers the family therapy scene (great analysis), wherein an interesting attempt at therapy is made under dishonest constraints.

Dean, still clearly in no shape to hunt, is easily overtaken by the shifter and nearly dies. He is saved by Jack’s interference.

According to the script, 13x04 occurs over 4 days. Commentary//

That means that Dean thawed to Jack, after our total of a mere 14 days. By the end of this episode, they're on shaky terms, and by the beginning of 13x06, calling out to each other in a friendly manner, "How was the case?"

Jack "puts a dent in Dean's armor," per the script, even before he saves them with his powers. Dean is doing everything he can not to like Jack, and it’s clear from the script that he’s failing.

At the end of the episode, Dean tells Sam to absorb the weight of the hunting burden, because he’s got no hope left.

Cas appears to awaken in a field on day 14. Presumably, his ashes are in the middle of nowhere, and he starts walking.

///

DAY 14-20 ish? (Advanced Thanatology)

Here’s where it gets foggier.

I can't tell exactly when 13x05 picks up with respect to the previous episode, but it seems like only a little bit of time has passed.

I would say a week at most has passed, but possibly as little as a day or two, and the case itself, per the script, covers another 4 days.

However, if Cas awoke in The Empty on day 10, and woke in the field around day 14, I think I favor a shorter timeline here with some of the “days” being overlapping back story from the case itself.

Anyway, Jack has been making his way through Sam's DVDs, "Red Sonja, Beast Master, Beast Master II." Commentary//

Sam does not intuit why Dean is up late at night/early twilight hours, making a PB & J (analysis).

Sam tries to remedy Dean’s overwhelming grief by pushing breakfast beer and strip clubs toward him. Alcohol to numb the pain + sexy stuff as a distraction. Now more than ever, Dean seems to perform those only for Sam’s benefit. (It seems Sam did not pay attention to Mia Vallens's therapy, except as a means to validate his own motives for trying to save Mary. Ouch! Poor Sam!)

Sam is not great with empathy here, bless my neurodivergent man-child. He’s dealing with a loss of his own, of course, and he’s been shown to be an impatient, mission-motivated griever (analysis).

Anyway, he’s completely at sea with Dean’s powerful grief, and he seems tragically unaware of Dean's close calls/being off his game over the course of the last few hunts.

Sam, perhaps understandably, wants Dean to be there for him n’ Jack, as caretaker and comrade, but Dean is too mentally wounded to bear the weight of that expectation. (Btw, I don’t think Sam really “gets” the Cas thing till 15x09 The Trap: Sam’s future is symbolized by Eileen-as-hope (analysis) and Sam realizes Dean’s future is built around Cas-as-foundation.) Dean dies...again//

Dean attempts suicide.

He tells Billie he doesn’t matter.

After he revives, Dean tells Sam, “No. Sam, I’m not okay. I’m pretty far from okay… And I would take the hit… And now Mom and Cas… And I – I don’t know. I don’t know.”

This is an elegant parallel to season 7’s grieving Dean, about his not being able to “shake” what happened with Cas, and admitting, “he doesn’t know why.” (Cas is different. Cas has always been different.) In season 7, he also says, “I’ll do what I can,” in response to Sam telling him to get his head in the game and stay alive. Cas is a core wound in both scenarios.

///

==Death & resurrection==

So, that would bring our guesstimate to Cas reuniting with the boys around 20-24 days. So, at most a little over 3 weeks but possibly closer to 4, especially if the backstory timelines of actual “case days” overlap, like 13x05 potentially does.

I am reasonably certain Cas awakened in the field near day 14. I’d personally put the actual reunion at 18-20 ish days, and certainly not longer than a month. They reunite in early June, I think. Blackberries are a summer fruit, and there are wild blackberries in the field where Cas awakens.

Dean drives to Cas and meets up with him, "in the middle of nowhere," so it seems Cas's grave and subsequent walk to civilization was in quite a remote area.

///

Going back through this, I was pretty astounded how Dean kept dying or nearly dying in those days following Cas’s death. He was definitely in no state to be hunting.

(images from CSN, SPN wiki, fangirlism.com)

#shal meta #dean/cas #tfw + grieving #dean + grief #spn season 13 #jack kline #the don't talk about cas sam wont' touch the cas thing with a ten-foot pole and i love that about him so much #saaaaam you are so focused on things that are ACTIONABLE like saving mom

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choicesficwriterscreations · 9 months ago

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March MC of the Month: Evie Ayana

Please welcome March 2024's MC of the Month! Each month, we highlight one MC or OC on our Meet My MC / OC List. They are selected randomly on the Wheel of Names, and eligibility requirements can be found here. We accept MC / OC profiles on an ongoing basis. Please feel free to send yours in!

This month’s MC of the month is…

@cadybear420's Evie Ayana!

More below...

1..In your own words, tell us what you like most about Evie.

It’s hard to choose a specific thing… but most probably her drive to keep moving forward.

Before coming to Berry, Evie dealt with social anxiety a lot in her old schools. She didn’t have many close friends, she struggled to talk to people she liked, she had a little more insecurity about joining certain social/group activities, etc. And she’d lived in the same house all her life up until moving to Cedar Cove, so she wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about moving up north from the Bay Area and leaving behind what friends and memories and familiar places she did have.

She does start out as a little more impulsive and “holding herself back” when she first comes to the school– unsure how to respond to Brian at first, unthinkingly introducing herself as “Emma’s wingman” to Caleb, gives Hugh a startled look when they make eye contact at the school assembly. She didn’t have quite as much drive for change yet and wasn’t expecting much from the school, but she was definitely going to stick with the few friends she did make (such as Emma).

But one thing she did somewhat hope for was that Berry High was a new change of pace. And as Principal Hughs said on the first day assembly in canon, “That’s the great thing about a fresh start. You can be anybody you want to be”. This was perhaps the core motivator for Evie to start changing things. Soon enough, she comes to realize that Berry is sort of this “fresh start” for her, a chance to find herself in a brand new environment. She wants to be someone who is sure of herself, someone who can get shit done. And a school that strives to be welcoming to all is the perfect environment for that. That’s kind of what the OG HSS Trilogy always was to me. High school, but if it were, y’know, actually good.

So, Evie is partly motivated by the fact that the environment at Berry is much more welcoming, and partly motivated because of the opportunity of a fresh start in a new town. And so she starts to push herself out of her comfort zone a little and soon becomes a lot more outspoken, protective, proactive, and helpful towards others. Evie becomes a lot more confident through her journey at Berry High.

One major motivator for Evie is that her first friend and the one who takes her under her wing when she’s lost and nervous at the start of her first day, is Emma Hawkins, a socially awkward wallflower. So right away, she has some companionship with someone she can relate to a bit. And not only that, but seeing someone as socially awkward as Emma have no problem extending kindness to her, kind of motivates her to do the same with others.

Another major green flag for Evie is also probably in her involvement in sports. In Evie’s old high school, she had considered joining football, but was nervous about it due to the team being all guys and not co-ed. Evie is fairly secure in her enjoyment of certain sports and wanted to join the football team at her old school, but was nervous about not being allowed to join and seeming like an idiot for trying to do so. She had heard that some schools might make exceptions for girls who wanted to join, since there generally wasn’t a girls’ football team, but she was still very nervous about the possibility of “sticking out like a sore thumb”.

But since she was most familiar with Caleb of all the people she saw in the cafeteria and knew him to be a friendly guy, I had her sit with him and the other jocks at lunch that day to maybe get the chance to know more about the football team. Much to both of our surprises and delights, the sports teams at Berry are all co-ed and Caleb and Julian encouraged Evie to join football. And the best part? As she was on football, basketball, and baseball, she was treated like yet another part of the team. Rather than being pathologized, patronized, sensationalized, or tokenized for being a female football player/jock on a team of mostly guys… she was just treated as normal (Sonic Boom Knuckles would be proud, haha). As per canon, Brian did make a few comments to her during that one mini-race, but Caleb nonchalantly shot them down.

And lest we not forget her beloved Aiden Zhou. He’s passionate and dedicated to his creative craft; but also shy, reserved, socially awkward, and afraid of coming off as a screw-up or a failure in social interactions. A major reason why Evie is so drawn to him (along with her finding him incredibly attractive) is that she sees a lot of herself in him, and she can relate to him. She sees how passionate he is, and that inspires her to do better herself. It inspires her to keep doing better. And as she works to improve herself and move past her own struggles, she can sort of connect with Aiden and help him with his struggles as well, as she understands to some degree what that sort of social anxiety feels like.

2...Do you feel Evie is like you at all? How are you alike or different?

Evie is very based off of how I am, especially when it comes to the little details. She’s a cat lover, she’s a picky eater and especially hates spicy food, she’s fairly into sports and writing, she’s obsessed with scented products and cute stuff, she’s pretty horny-on-main, and a lot more. I had Evie be a jock in each of the three books because I myself was involved in sports when I was in high school (though I was more of a track-and-field/runner and I didn’t really have a lot of experience in football, basketball, or baseball; meanwhile, Evie gets experience in each of those). I can’t play an instrument to save my life, and cheerleading is absolutely not my thing, and so the same applies to Evie.

But in a more general sense… Evie is partly based off of who I am, and partly based off of the kind of person I aspire to be.

When I was in high school, I sort of dealt with social anxiety a lot, and even now I still struggle with it a fair bit. I did get along with a fair amount of people, but it was on a very superficial level with most of them and so I wouldn’t exactly have considered myself “well-known” back then. So I’ve imagined the same for Evie.

The difference, of course, is that Evie is much more outspoken, social, and heavily proactive in the school community than I was when I was in high school. I mean, I was a bit like that myself every now and then. But with Evie, she sort of gets more opportunities to be that kind of person, and she had somewhat more drive for it. And that’s what allows it to manifest. That doesn’t mean her anxieties go away by any means, she just becomes better at managing them.

Though, one thing I’ve liked about generally being more shy and reserved is that it did sometimes help me stay a little more aware of boundaries, if that makes sense. Evie is much the same, and although she becomes a more confident person throughout her story, that doesn’t mean she also can’t be aware of boundaries– and that especially shows with how I had her approach her crush on Aiden in the first book.

Evie took a slight interest in Aiden when she first met him; it started out as superficial, but it developed into an actual more deep attraction when he invited her in to listen to him play. She’d sort of push herself to talk to him and hang out with him, but for the most part, she knew not to explicitly flirt with him (not that he’d really have minded in the game but yeah). Occasionally she’d be a little bit forwards with him by accident (see: teaching him how to do “sexy moves” at Brian’s party), but wouldn’t express explicit attraction to him until when he asked her to homecoming and admitted he did like her.

And once she knew that he liked her back, she was much more comfortable with explicitly making romantic gestures/moves onto him. I’d never gotten that far with any of my high school crushes, but if I had, I certainly would have been the same. (It’s also worth noting that the more I replay the series, the more I feel like Aiden and I both share similar qualities as well, so naturally I envision Evie as someone who can relate to him).

A final MAJOR way in which Evie and I are very similar is how very GNC we are. I’d say Evie is a lot more openly masc/butch leaning than I am, especially appearance wise (as much as I wish I did, I do not have defined muscles like Evie does, lol). She prefers to keep her hair short; she loves masc clothing like pantsuits, tuxes, boxers, and swim trunks, and she takes pride in her more masc body figure. Similar to me as well, there are a few feminine-associated things (for lack of better wording), such as flowers, glittery/sparkly patterns, heart shapes, general cute stuff, etc., that you can pry from her cold, dead hands. But there are certainly a lot of feminine-associated things she has a distaste for indulging in, such as wearing short shorts or high heels or doing cheerleading– not because they’re “feminine,” but quite simply because they just aren’t her thing. We also both have major bottom dysphoria and would rather die than ever get pregnant.

3.. What is most important to Evie? What is their motivation in life?

Stability.

Not just being sure that she can end up in a good point in life and nothing changes from that, but also being sure that if things do change, she will be able to manage it. Even when things are at their worst point, she wants to do what she can to fix the problem and make the situation better.

For a lot of her life, Evie has been very unsure about what specific thing she’d want to be doing in the future, and while she agrees with the “it’s okay if it takes a little longer for you to decide” sentiment that people tell her, she does also know that she can’t spend her whole life indecisive, and the fact that she’s still figuring things out frustrates her sometimes. And as I’ve mentioned before, her and her dad’s move to Cedar Cove was initially very hard on her. Even as she gets settled in Berry and Cedar Cove, she worries about anything that could possibly disrupt it.

A big contributor to her drive for stability is her parents’ history. After her dad Scott and Emma’s mom Julia had gone their separate ways with university as per canon, he’d eventually meet a woman in his year but with a different major. Her name was Rani, and he’d fall in love with and marry her after they’d both got their graduate degrees. Rani eventually became pregnant, but it was only a few months into the pregnancy when she realized she was not interested in being a parent.

Scott, of course, had always wanted to be a dad, but he respected Rani’s decision. So, due to this contrast of life goals, the two divorced on amicable terms. Rani was okay with carrying the baby AKA Evie to term (though Scott was okay with it if she wanted to terminate the pregnancy), and after that she’d simply take on the title of being Evie’s Auntie Rani. And it was heartbreaking for both of them because they were otherwise a perfect match.

Evie knew the full story growing up, and while she did not resent Rani at all for leaving, knowing that story had amplified her own cautiousness– particularly when it came to her own romance. She’d crushed on Aiden, wanted to be official with him, and fell in love with him long before he did with her for each of those points, but she didn’t want to push anything too suddenly onto him. Often, she’d wait until moments, such as when Aiden confessed to liking her after asking her to homecoming or when he confessed he loved her at prom, before she’d start taking things further. She wouldn’t express romantic gestures and attraction to him until after he said he liked her. She wouldn’t confess her love to him until after he confessed to her.

That doesn’t mean she’d never initiate, though. She’s the one who took Aiden outside to talk about becoming official, even though he ended up being the one to ask her to be his girlfriend. After their moment on Hearst’s rooftop, she had started making plans to ask him to be her date to homecoming (but of course, Aiden beat her to it). And she was the one to (as per my headcanons) dip him in their first dance at homecoming and (as per canon) initiate their first kiss during that dance.

And make no mistake, all those moments– learning Aiden liked her, having a steady relationship with him that year, to the point of them becoming official in late February and him confessing he loved her at the end of prom, and seeing Aiden become a more confident and self-assured person throughout their relationship… she was incredibly happy about all of it. But in the back of her mind, she sometimes couldn’t help but think it to be too good to be true. Sometimes she feared that they’d end up the same way her dad and her Auntie Rani did: a seemingly perfect couple at first, all until one singular but major area of incompatibility.

Later on in their relationship, she would start to become fussy over making sure Aiden actually enjoyed what he was doing with her, telling him she didn’t want to force him to do anything he didn’t want to do. This would become a point of contention between them, as Aiden would be a little upset at Evie not being fully sure in his choices. But in the end, they’d be able to work it out together. To this day she still isn’t fully sure about what she’d do if she and Aiden ended up separating, but she would become better at being able to manage any difficulties or disagreements between them. She would do what she could to better the situation. The two would eventually get married (Evie being the one to propose), having talked about it prior and both being sure that they were happy with each other.

As for everything else in her life? She does slowly become more welcoming to change. As of now, I don’t imagine her going through a lot of sudden changes in her life, but she does become more comfortable with the idea. A year after they marry, Aiden and Evie move out of Evie’s old house and into a cozy apartment in the Bay Area, and then move back into Cedar Cove but in their own home when they decide they want to have kids. Events like these where Evie does have a bit more control over the situation, do help her get used to the idea of major change.

4.. What are Evie's biggest pet peeves/dislikes?

Evie loathes gender essentialism, gender complementarianism, TERFs, and the like (Then again, any person with common sense would loathe those things, haha). But especially as someone who is very openly and proudly GNC, she just absolutely loathes them. She hasn’t experienced a lot of direct bigotry from TERFs herself, but to put it briefly, she’s been paying attention to their behaviors, and she’s not having any of their bullshit. Especially not with their blatantly two-faced behaviors towards GNC cis people (especially cis female athletes with even the smallest bit of “masculine” features, AKA people like her3). All the more reason why she sings her praises to Berry for having co-ed sports.

For something on a lighter note… she can’t stand spicy food despite her South Asian heritage. A bit of mild spice is alright, but very spicy food is just… she doesn’t get the appeal at all. She’s generally a very picky eater, even being averse to most South Asian dishes. And overly spicy food is probably the bane of her picky eater existence.

I imagine she just also dislikes… bullies in general. In her old schools, she would get bullied quite a bit, but she never quite knew how to stand up to them. So at Berry, she does try to change that, starting with standing up for her friends (like Emma) who get bullied. She aspires to be a protective girlfriend to Aiden and an overall reliable friend. It’s not always easy– such as when Isa and the hall monitors screw over Aiden and band and cheer, when band and cheer turn on the basketball team, or when Max and Kara frame her for sabotage. But she doesn’t let it stop her. She always tries to get through it, one way or another.

5.. If Evie could change one thing - anything - what would it be?

I’m not fully sure, honestly. I imagine there are lots of things she’d want to change.

Although it’s a bit more general, Evie would change… a lot of her past. She has way too many moments of “I look back on this thing I did in the past, and I fucking cringe at it.” She knows she’s grown from all that and has become a much better person, but it’s just hard for her to not feel bad about herself over her past mistakes.

For something that’s a little more specific, her parental situation is something she’s sometimes wished she could change. To reiterate, she does not resent Rani for leaving and understands why she did. But there have been times when she’s wished that Rani and Scott never separated. From what Scott had told her, Rani sounded freaking awesome to her, and she imagined she’d have loved having her as a mom, along with Scott as her dad.

Rani would sometimes visit them, taking on more of a title of being Evie’s Auntie. But she wouldn’t visit often because it could be very awkward knowing the past, especially so when she and Scott hadn’t fully moved past their feelings for each other.

Evie and Scott have had a very healthy relationship, but the situation with Rani has created some confusion for both of them. With Scott, he’s often feeling guilt. He’d told Rani that he was okay if she didn’t want to carry the pregnancy to term– Evie knows this and understands, but he sometimes feels guilty for having felt that way about Evie, even though it was before she was born. But he also sometimes feels guilty about giving Rani a pregnancy she ended up not wanting and seeing her carry that pregnancy to term even after realizing that, even though she had agreed to it at first and agreed to carry it to term anyways.

I headcanon a big part of why he’s extra sweet to Evie, on top of her being his daughter, is the fact that he sort of considers himself lucky to have ended up with Evie. Rani chose to carry the pregnancy to term, even though both she and Scott were well aware that she was in every right not to. He’s always wanted to be a dad, and he got just that. So he tries his best to not take her decision for granted.

With Evie, she’s certainly fine with having just Scott, but she’s known the story of Scott and Rani’s separation ever since she was very young and it’s hard for her not to feel like she missed out on having Rani as a mother figure. But she also sometimes feels guilty for feeling that way, knowing Rani did not want to be a mother.

At one point or another though, she does come to terms with her parental situation. Rani would come to visit more often when she could as she and Scott were eventually able to move on from each other.

6.. What is Evie’s favorite quote or song?

I don’t think Evie can really pick just one song, haha. Though Evie can't play an instrument for shit, let alone compose a song and a lot of the musical terminology Aiden uses is mostly just pure jargon nonsense to her… she's quite the enthusiast for good songs and soundtracks.

She excitedly raves to Aiden about her favorite soundtracks from movies, video games, TV shows, etc. Often, she'll even recommend a show or movie to him partly on the basis of it having a bomb-ass soundtrack and almost 100% of the time, he will enjoy it, and they'll rave about the best parts of the soundtrack together.

So it’s a little hard for Evie to pick just one song (or one quote, for that matter). Probably something Aiden composed for her, but I’m not sure.

7.. Is there anything else you’d like to share about Evie?

I guess I’d like to ramble a bit about how fun it is to build the character of my OG HSS MC, both within the game and outside of it.

In Choices, I generally tend to prefer MCs with a more open-ended backstory and especially choices in what kind of personality they have and how they respond/behave/act. I know even the most choice-based story can’t account for every single granular detail about what we want for our MCs, but most of the time I just like being able to decide *who* my MC is whenever fitting. I like being able to make choices for the MC, and create my own backstory for them that sort of informs said choices, maybe even make two different versions of the MC that feel like completely different people from one another. (Truth be told, I’m a fan of any MC that’s allowed to have a spine and be proactive in the story, but the ones that are flexible in their character score extra major points with me).

OG HSS is definitely a series that allows for stuff like that, which is part of why both the trilogy and the MC are my favorites of all Choices. There’s a lot of variety in the kind of story experience you can have, and probably only two or three moments where default dialogue made me go “Evie would not say that”. Honestly, I don’t think the series would have had nearly as much of an impact if MC had only one activity they could do, or one singular specific backstory for Scott and their mom and their old school.

Although I haven’t really played as a MC other than “Evie Ayana” in any of my 7 playthroughs, I have tried a couple of different choices and routes for her. Once I’ve had her as a band kid instead of a jock, and I loved all the extra moments she could get with Aiden. Twice I’ve had her romance Michael, and as much as Evie would be attracted to him, they do not have all that much romantic chemistry (and so I’m making a new HSS MC for his route). One time I’ve even had Evie try and side against her own team at the basketball game in Book 2… and oh my God, it was so puke-inducingly out-of-character for Evie that I had to scrub it from my HSS screenshots history.

Once I’ve deliberately made mostly bad choices for her (outside of her activity), and it was quite interesting to see outcomes such as losing the baseball game, losing homecoming crown and guest-of-honor-– and most notably, how she can lose her tryouts spot to her respective Hearst rival if she’s been mostly awful to the Hearst kids, even if she’s otherwise good at the actual tryouts. Like hello? I can make my MC not be nice? And face consequences for it? I like. I’ve sometimes seen the HSS MC get flak for being “too perfect” or “too much of a fantasy” or “not having much personality”, and I’m just like, “Honey, with all due respect… they’re only perfect because you made them that way.”

I’ll admit, with the most recent playthrough I did to record Evie’s official storyline, I did make the choices that would lead to the “good” outcomes. But with most of it, I was just making whatever choices felt right for the kind of character I wanted for Evie and then let things take their course. I wanted her to be someone who was fairly good at her sports. I wanted her to become someone who tries to step up and be a leader, and someone who is outspoken about her opinions and stays true to them, but also knows her boundaries. But sometimes she can act without thinking and that does make her very self-conscious a lot of the time, even as she becomes more confident throughout her time at Berry. Some of it was more intentional– I did want her to be fairly competent at her activities. But other stuff like the homecoming/prom crowns felt more like bonus things for her.

Fun Fact: during my most recent playthrough, where I was recording the official choices and outcomes in the story for Evie, I kind of wanted a way to represent her lack of experience in baseball since I headcanon it’s Evie’s first time doing the sport. So what I did was I just took my glasses off and backed away from the phone screen a bit when the minigame choices were in session. And Evie did miss a few of the throws, but performed mostly successfully in the end, getting the tryouts spot and winning the baseball game.

I’ve actually gone through a couple of different “canons” for Evie, throughout each of my 7 playthroughs of the story. I’ve tried different routes and options for the sake of trying them out, but there are quite a few choices I’d imagined as “canon” for her that are now different. When I first played the trilogy, Evie was actually named “Cady Heron” after the main character of Mean Girls, my favorite HS-based movie (Scott calling her “Cady-bear” all the time is how I came up with my username). She had the blonde beachy waves hairstyle in the first book, and was a bit more openly flirtatious with the characters she liked (Aiden, Michael, and Maria), she told Koh’s secret to Isa out of panic and thinking that it would get Isa off of Koh’s back. I imagined her having figured out clear goals for herself by the end of the first day: take down Brian and Zoe, and get with Aiden+Michael+Maria.

But upon developing her character, I was sort of trying to make her a bit more like me. With that in consideration, Evie would have been someone who wouldn’t be so openly forward and would take secret-keeping pretty seriously. In my “Evie’s official choices” playthrough I did have her slip the secret to Isa, but it felt so wrong, and so I had to restart the chapter right after the choice in order to choose otherwise.

And I am planning to make a couple more OG HSS MCs too. One will be a male MC named Alan Parke, a cheerleader who is a total diva– he’ll romance either Maria or Emma, and he’ll be very flirty, preppy, and pompous. Book 3 would be a sort of a character arc for him where he may have to set his self-aggrandizing habits aside as he comes to sympathize with fellow male cheerleader Kieran, with whom he’s competing in tryouts. Another will be a female MC named Violet Jones, the one I’ll have to romance Michael. She’ll be a lot more suave and no-nonsense– she hates self-policing and is a lot more quick to call people out on their crap whenever she can, and will certainly have a lot more romantic chemistry with Michael than Evie did.

And I’m definitely gonna have one or two MCs that are utter screw-ups at everything in the game– crap at their activities, they don’t win the dance titles, they’re cold to the Hearst kids. And I also wanna do a couple of playthroughs that switch activities between books. Some that are more slow-burn in their romances. I’m even planning an “AU/alternate timeline” playthrough where Evie tries band (and is mostly crap at it). Agh, there are so many route combinations I wanna do in HSS!

Bottom line: it’s just really fun to give my MCs their personalities and make them feel like my own, and it especially applies with Evie. It brings me joy to build her character and share/discuss it with the fandom here (as well as seeing how others build their MCs too)!

#cfwc mc of the month #high school story #cadybear420 #meet my mc #choices fic writers creations #playchoices #choices stories you play #march mc of the month

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antiquatedplumbobs · 1 year ago

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Spring 1916

It was a cool spring evening and Will Sewell was rushing home. He'd come to town on important business: accepting Joe's job offer.

The older man has been ecstatic and insisted the two share a celebratory drink, the very reason Will was now running late. Taken with Joe's infectious excitement, Will found himself unable to stop smiling even as he made his way home. Of course, he’d have to wait a bit before starting: Joe still needed to find an investor, an endeavor that was proving difficult, with the war in Europe making everyone a bit skittish. That was good for Will, though — he had yet to tell his father the news and wouldn’t turn his nose up at a bit of extra time to do that.

He was nearing the train station, his mind still occupied with fantasies of the future awaiting him, when he noticed a young woman standing by the notice board. She was dressed somewhat shabbily, and had only a thin sweater and straw hat to protect against the chill off the bay. He would not normally stop, running late as he was, but something about her caught his attention and he found himself impulsively stopping to offer assistance .

She turned, looking up at him with a suspicious, unfriendly look. A look Will hadn't noticed, being too distracted by what he thought might have been the clearest blue eyes he had ever seen.

“I thank you, sir, but I am quite alright on my own,” she said stiffly, turning away. Will realized belatedly that an unsolicited offer of help from a strange man might unnerve a young, unaccompanied woman.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his eyes shifting to the ground. “It looked like you might be a bit lost, and — well, it’s going to be dark soon; I just thought you might need some help.” He turned to go, discomfited at the thought of having upset her.

Wait!” He turned at her call. She was biting her lip and looked deep in concentration. “I’m sorry, that was rude of me. I could use some directions.” She looked a bit like she’d just eaten an entire lemon; asking for help did not seem to be a comfortable experience for her. “Do you know the Cavalier Hotel?”

“Oh sure, that’s just up that-a-way,” he said pointing. “You’ll want to take Front Street, then when you see the cannery, take the lane to the north, and then it’s just up the Cove Road. It’s a bit of walk, but manageable.” She looked in the direction he had pointed, not looking all that comforted by what Will considered to be very good directions. He held a grin back and said, “I could show you the way, if you’d like.”

“That would probably be for the best.” She sighed. “I’m not good with directions.” They began making their way, and Will cast a surreptitious glance at her, intensely curious about this tight-lipped, brusque young lady.

"What brings you to Brindleton?“ He asked, trying to make conversation as they began to leave the town.

"I saw an advert saying the hotel was hiring chamber maids,” she replied, sounding almost defensive, as if expecting him to argue.

“The Cavalier’s a mighty busy spot — lots of wealthy tourists stay there. I’m sure they’d be lucky to have you,” Will said earnestly, and she looked up, perhaps surprised at the honesty behind the words.

“I hope so," she said with a small smile. There was something about that smile — perhaps the way her nose crinkled up, or the way her eyes seemed to shine brighter than a sun-soaked ocean — that entranced Will. It seemed all too soon the Cavalier Hotel was looming above them, the walk having flown by. As they reached the gate, she turned to look at Will.

“I do thank you for showing me the way, Mister —” Will realized he’d never introduced himself, and flushed as he answered the unspoken question.

"Sewell, Will Sewell."

“Pleasure to meet you Mr. Sewell, I’m Hattie Willager.” She gave him that lovely smile of hers, and then she turned away, heading up the drive towards the bright electric lights of the hotel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

next / previous / first

#ts4 #ts4 legacy #sims 4 #sims 4 legacy #decades challenge #ts4 decades challenge #sims 4 decades challenge #ts4 historical #sims 4 historical #ts4 storytelling #sims 4 storytelling #sewell legacy #sewell legacy 1910s #william sewell #sewell 1910s

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grits-galraisedinthesouth · 10 months ago

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Don't blame the staff. This was all about the candidate & his wife.

Insufferable Dishonest DeSantis can't even drop out with humility. In 2021 this man ran all over Florida (AFTER DJT left the White House) parroting Fauci to Floridians: "This continues to be a pandemic of the unvaccinated." "A shot today keeps the covid away." But as he BACKS DOWN, he DOUBLES DOWN on his lies about DJT. There were 7 governors who chose NOT to close their states:

Wyoming

Indiana

Nebraska

South Dakota

Utah

Arkansas

North Dakota

+South Carolina which re-opened after 2 weeks. Where you at Ron? Did Dr Fauci force you to close Florida? Stop blaming Trump for your failures.

Acccording to the guys who funded Ron's first FL campaign, he has a habit of re-writing history to only give credit to his version of "God." He likes to think that everyone else is simply a useful tool and the outcome for his life would have been the same with or without their help. Quote "he has a habit of rewriting history, there's Richard Petty, there's Tom Petty, and then there's Ron DeSantis petty. "In a blistering 2021 piece, Politico reported on the existence of a so-called “support group” of “scarred” former DeSantis aides who meet to exchange stories on what they described as a nightmare boss that treated anyone not in his inner most circle “like a disposable piece of garbage."

While I vehemently disagree with Hayes, these clips from the campaign trail represent more evidence of Ron's unlikable personality.

youtube

https://x.com/RonDeSantis/status/1749159384112845285?s=20

Police officers stationed around FL beaches to inforce social distancing. Did Fauci do that?

DeSantis hired David Kerner

DeSantis refused to allow multiple FL counties to graduate from phase 1 to phase 2

DeSantis empowered FL inspectors to threaten FL business licenses for owners who were cited for ignoring the covee rules. Florida collected thousands of dollars in fines from local businesses who "broke the rules."

DeSantis in 2021 (when Trump was out of office) traveled around FL calling the pandemic "a pandemic of the unvaccinated" So I guess he agreed with Fauci. Also: "Vaccines are saving lives...Floridians SHOULD GET a covid-19 vaccine" "so here's what i think, the most important thing with the DATA: if you are vaccinated---- fully vaccinated--- the chance of you getting seriously ill or dying from covid is effectively zero. If you look at the people who are being admitted to the hospitals over 95% of them are either not fully vaccinated or not vaccinated at all. These vaccines are saving lives. They are reducing mortality. "

DeSantis Tax Collector MANDATED that employees get the jab as a CONDITION of continued employment.

DeSantis even advised schools: "A needle today helps keep the covid away"

Daily Mail revealed DeSantis taking donations from bundler whose portfolio includes Moderna the maker of mRNA jab & AbbVie, maker of puberty blocker Lupron. Lupron is given to trans children in Florida to "pause" puberty.

Ron-you never should have taken Rupert Murdoch's $10 million to defeat Trump. You went along with the J6 plan to put Trump in prison. You also should have put the DOJ in their place when you were informed of their plans to raid Mar a Largo. You should have told the DOJ "NO" when they came to you with plans to set up offices in FL to harass unarmed, innocent Americans who unknowingly "trespassed" on Jan 6th.

Ron & Jill Casey- I sure hope the multiple millions of dollars in your bank accounts were worth the price of your souls.

#Dishonest DeSantis #Fauci #trump 2024 #Jill Casey Black #good riddance #florida #presidential primaries

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delucadarlingwriting · 10 months ago

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Beneath the Surface - Wayhaven Secret Santa 2023

Written for the lovely @lovelyfoolish as part of the Wayhaven Secret Santa! I was really excited to get to join in this year, and I was even MORE excited to see LF has a taste for M/N love triangles too ;3c Thanks to @wayhavensecretsanta for organizing this!

Lovelyfoolish, I really hope you like it!

Summary: Nate's happy for Mason and Mina. No, really.

Word Count: 6.9k

Pairing: Mason/Mina + Nate

Warnings: Drowning

***

Nate hears Mina coming well before he sees her. His senses are not so finely honed as Mason’s, hearing individual heartbeats from a distance requires some concentration on his part usually. Mina is, as ever, a special case though. He can practically pinpoint her location from anywhere in the warehouse. She’s not close yet, but the gentle thump thump, thump thump, thump thump of her heart and tap, tap, tap of her shoes is growing louder by the second. Nate listens, rubbing a soft cloth over the surface of his violin with care, and tries to pretend he isn’t expecting her when she finally comes in.

Mina’s eyes are bright, her pulse pounding faster once they lock gazes. He holds her eye for only as long as needed for politeness, before looking back to his task. There’s only a small speck of dust left, and he wipes it away as slowly as he can, allowing himself a few extra moments to find serenity before they speak. Once he has it, he sets the cloth aside and faces her with a smile.

“Hello, Mina,” Nate says.

“Nate,” she replies, her gaze on him like a chokehold. She relieves him some by looking at his distraction laid across the table. “You play?”

“Some, though not in quite a long time,” Nate says. Though the violin is easily transportable, it has always stressed him out to take it with him on missions. It’s spent quite a long time collecting dust in his quarters at the Facility, only brought out for routine care and maybe a play session or two every few years.

“I do too,” she says.

“I’d love to hear that,” Nate says.

“Maybe we can duet,” Mina suggests, stepping close to peer at his instrument. Very suddenly, Nate feels self-conscious.

“It’s quite old, and in desperate need of a luthier’s care,�� Nate says, his eyes finding each and every little flaw in the surface of his violin, the strings that haven’t been tuned yet, the varnish that needs replacing.

Mina nods. “It’s gorgeous. Have you had it long?”

“It, uh, comes from my human days,” Nate says, rubbing the back of his neck. “After…Well, I was lucky enough to be reunited with it after several decades apart.”

One of Mina’s dark eyebrows curves upward, curious. His heart gives a dull thump; if she asks about it, he’ll answer. So he doesn’t give her the chance to ask about it.

“Did you need something?” he asks, taking the violin and laying it with care in its case. She came in with far too much purpose to have only intended to chat.

She sweeps a dark lock of chin length hair behind her ear. “Yes, actually. We got a call from the Agency. There’s been several reports from the bay up North. It seems like it might be our sort of problem.”

Nodding, Nate gets to his feet, ready to face whatever trouble they’re heading for. Mina straightens as well, reminding him of his dearest friend.

“Then we best get going. I’m with you,” Nate says with a smile and a gesture for her to go ahead.. Mina flashes him one in return before turning to march ahead. For half a second Nate waits, watching her go, before he unsticks himself to follow.

***

“An Agency boat would have been a better choice,” Ava says with a frown, arms crossed and bulging as she sizes up the boat in front of them all.

Detective Reele’s home is on the outskirts of town, the view of the nearest neighbors obscured by the treeline. The dirt path that led them off the main road to the old, squat house continues on, curving past the trees, Mina having informed them that it would eventually lead to a private ramp, which leads into a cove, which leads to the ocean. As it turns out, the retired detective is quite an avid fisher.

Farah leaps up, landing on the narrow space at the top of the hull, balanced on just the toes of her high top shoes. Crouching there, she peers into the interior of the boat and says, “Yeah Mimi, it looks like it’s already gone a few rounds with a sea monster.”

“Let’s hope it’s not a monster,” Nate cuts in. Mason throws him a look, a small curve of a smile at the corner of his mouth; he would love it to be a monster. For all that Mason loves to be lazy, he seems to relish the chance for a fight just as much. Not unlike a housecat, though Nate doubts he’d appreciate the comparison. He fights back a burst of fondness as Mason gives a languid stretch before wandering back to lean against the side of the car and smoke.

“A pontoon isn’t ideal either,” Ava adds with disappointment. Nate doesn’t argue there. Given the spare empty beer bottles scattered on the deck of the boat, he assumes it was rarely used for anything beyond recreation.

Mina shrugs. “This is the best I could arrange on short notice. Detective Reele is the only person I know who has a spare boat she leaves around for weeks at a time.”

“Wait, did you ask if we could use it?” Farah asks, eyes shining with clear delight at the possibility that Mina did not ask permission. Mina’s cheeks go crimson and she doesn’t respond.

“Mina!” Nate exclaims, shocked. She waves a hand at him.

“I have permission to use it, that’s why I have the spare keys,” she explains, then gives a short wince. “Detective Reele is offshore right now though, no signal, so I didn’t exactly get to ask if I could use it for a mission. It would be best to not damage it.”

“We’ll do our best to return it to her in one piece,” Ava says. She gives a hole in the bimini a scrutinizing stare. “In as many pieces as it’s in currently, in any case.”

Mina laughs, the sound low and light and enchanting. He isn’t the only one to notice though. Hip leaning against the hull, looking out on the bay, Mason’s mouth is curved upward, shoulders looser than they were before. Nate makes himself take in this image of Mason, happy and at ease, and commits it to memory. He needs the reminder of why he holds back.

A cold wind comes blowing off the bay, sending shivers through them all except Mina. She sedately flips the collar on her jacket up and sets about helping Ava with the hitch.

It’s an hour north of driving to get to a secluded area where they can load the boat into the water. Mina fills them in on the area, apparently a popular vacation spot in the summer, and fairly safe. Lots of sandbars to break the rougher tides before they come closer to shore. Good for swimming, less good for boating.

“These reports started in July,” she says, flipping through the manilla folder in her lap. Nate tries not to notice how Mason’s hand is completely obscured by it, the angle of the rest of his arm suggesting he’s got it resting somewhere on Mina’s thigh.

“Right around the auction?” Farah asks. Mina nods, Mason’s jaw tightens. Nate understands entirely. That had been an unbearable time. As ever, Mina faced the troubles with her chin held high and shoulders back, while Nate wanted nothing more than to squirrel her safely away and fret until the problem was over.

“That must be why it wasn’t really pinging any radars for so long,” Mina says with a frown, brows drawn together. “Damn. Everyone was too busy worrying about…”

“No one was seriously injured,” Mason says, leaning into Mina’s space as he points to a part of the report. “See? That’s why it wasn’t a priority. Everyone was busy worrying about that rat bastard and his pet annunaki, who were hurting people.”

Even the word annunaki gives Nate an unpleasant chill down his spine. It isn’t the first time he’s felt helpless to save Mina. Murphy had given them a run for their money, particularly at the end. He’d almost lost her then. It hadn’t felt the same at the time though. Murphy was—is—a vampire. Like him. Like all of them.

An annunaki is so much more as to be untouchable. Not to Mina though. Her bravery in the face of danger puts a lump in his throat, both admiration and acidic fear coursing through him.

That’s over though. On to the next gaping maw.

***

“You holding up alright there, Natey?” Farah asks, bent over the side of the boat so far her nose could almost touch the surface of the water. Nate presses his lips together. The team knows exactly his feelings on being off solid ground, and while he does appreciate Farah’s concern, he wishes she’d do what he’s doing and ignore the problem entirely.

“Do you get seasick?” Mina asks as she drops off the dock and into the boat. Nate gives a strained smile.

“Something like it.”

Mina gives a sympathetic nod. “That must’ve made travel hard for you before planes were a more common mode of transportation.”

Mason barks out a short laugh. “Are you kidding? Planes are worse.”

“For you, that somehow doesn’t surprise me,” Mina replies, a sharp, clever glint of amusement in her eye. Mason just shakes his head with an eye roll that is more fond than annoyed. To Nate, Mina asks, “Is it the leg room?”

“You do know Nate hates cars because they go too fast, right?” Farah laughs. Nate groans and runs a hand down his face, heat flooding his cheeks and neck. He will never understand just why Farah is so doggedly persistent in her drive to embarrass him.

Mina makes a short, disbelieving noise. “Nate, you can run faster than—”

“I am aware.” He sighs deeply. “Just because I don’t like something doesn’t mean I’m incapable of bearing it. I don’t like boats. I will be fine on the boat. Can we change the subject?”

“I agree,” Ava says, her boots hitting the deck with a thump that doesn’t even half betray her size. She gives the dock a slow, smooth push, sending the boat and all on it floating away, toward the bay.

Nate’s stomach drops, but it’s better than it used to be, all the more because a boat is not a ship. And it’s fine, because Unit Bravo is with him.

“Nate,” Ava says as she stands at the helm. He steps up beside her, looking down at the electronic map mounted just to the side. It’s barely half a mile out. The water is calm, lapping at the hull as Ava pushes the throttle forward.

Salty sea air fills Nate’s lungs as he inhales, letting it expand his chest before letting it all out in a harsh huff. There are parts of this he misses. It’s not the sea itself that hurts, moreso the line it has slashed across his life now and his life then. How different things would be had he made another choice.

“You like boats, right Mina?” Farah asks over the dull roar of the engine and the wind whipping through the air. She’s sprawled herself out over the curved bench seat against the starboard side of the boat, while Mason and Mina are sharing a single seat across from her. Nate feels a hot stab of envy and puts his eyes right back on the navigation device. It’s been good to see them figure out their relationship. He’s happy for them. It just always takes him a moment to remember that.

“This headwind is holding us back,” he says. Ava makes a short noise of agreement.

“I hesitate to push this thing harder,” Ava says with a grimace. “It hasn’t been well maintained. We’ll get there either way.”

So Nate has no choice but to continue listening to the conversation behind him.

“Boats are fine,” Mina says. “It’s mostly about the water though. I’ve always had a fascination with the ocean.”

“Are you a good swimmer?” Farah asks.

“Pretty good,” Mina replies. Nate has learned “pretty good” means Mina is very good, but isn’t likely to brag about it. He fidgets, hoping she won’t need to demonstrate her prowess in the water regardless.

“Maybe you can go and charm the thing harassing people,” Mason says. Nate frowns, though he knows Mason isn’t serious.

“Maybe so,” Mina replies, a smile hidden in her tone. She’s so reserved, but something about her is so magnetic that if, heaven forbid, she came face to face with the creature causing trouble it wouldn’t surprise Nate one bit if she did charm it.

The sky darkens rapidly as they go, water slapping at the hull of the boat and spraying up, burning Nate’s nose and leaving a fine layer of salt on his skin. His heart thumps faster, though with the whirl of emotion in his stomach, he can’t be sure if it’s anxiety, excitement, or just the anticipation of a mission that hasn’t kicked off yet. If he pays attention, he can hear Ava’s heart running at nearly the same pace, though with decidedly less uncertainty dragging her down. His old friend may not admit as much, but he knows she lives for a hunt. Her shoulders and back are taut, aching for a chance to let loose.

A glance back allows him the chance to check on the rest of the team. Farah’s excited as well, though flightier, a touch more cautious without the advantage of experience on her side to give her the same level of confidence as the rest. Mason is calm, more so than usual. The addition of Mina has certainly helped Mason bristle against the grain of the world a little less. It makes Nate happy in a way. He’s always worried about Mason.

Then there’s Mina. As even and still as the surface of a mirror, a quiet depth hidden behind her dark eyes, she’s clearly in her element here. The jerking of the boat appears to barely move her. A smile tugs at her mouth, and Nate is lost for a moment, tracing the shape of her lips with his eyes and wondering what it would feel like with his tongue.

He bites down—hard—on his lower lip, the pain ripping those thoughts away as he turns and stares out at the glittering horizon. If things were different he wouldn’t mind those thoughts. It wouldn’t stick to his ribs.

“Nate,” Ava mutters, glancing up at him. Her jaw is set, eyebrows dropped in a way others might think stern. He sees the worry though. Of course she knows.

“It’s fine,” Nate replies. Ava frowns and says nothing more. There’s nothing else she would need to say to him. He knows.

“How much longer of this?” Farah asks, her tone going surly. Nate looks back to see her nose wrinkled, a hand brushing over her ringlets, once meticulously defined and now going frizzy. “This is going to be a major pain to deal with later.”

Nate looks down at the electronic map. “Based on the coordinates of the previous attacks, it should be another few m—”

His words are cut off as the boat pitches upward, like a giant fist has punched the bottom. For a stomach dropping moment, the boat hangs in the air, and he only just has enough time to grab for the folded up bimini before they go crashing back down to the water. The impact rattles his teeth, but he manages to keep his feet, though only by half ripping the bimini’s rods out. Wincing, he hopes Mina doesn’t get into too much trouble for it. When he looks around to the others, it seems no one else was able to stay upright.

Ava is levering herself up to her feet, while Farah is sprawled, groaning loudly (dramatically, so she’s fine) from the rough flooring. Mina’s sitting up on the ground, alert, while Mason is more or less on top of her, though holding himself up with his arms. He’s snarling, fangs out already.

“What the fuck was that?” Mason snaps. He looks at Nate. “The files said this thing was capsizing kayaks, not—”

Another burst of force from below, this time pushing the boat so the starboard side dips well into the water, while the port side hangs up with the moon. Yelps ring out as everyone scrambles for some sort of purchase.

“Don’t fall in!” Ava yells, still holding the wheel. She fumbles for the keys and kills the ignition

“Definitely not planning on it,” Farah replies, shoulders pressed to the floor, feet braced on the side of the couch she was lounging on just moments ago. Mason’s got a grip around the solid metal rod that serves as the base for the seat he’d been sharing with Mina, his free arm around her middle and holding her close. She is, alarmingly, staring into the depths with an expression of consideration, dark eyes glittering as she searches for something.

Nate has found a perch on the side of the helm. He leans forward enough to gain some momentum before throwing himself back against the deck. It gives against his shoulder, and he winces at the damage he knows he’s done. Still, it does the trick of sending the boat back down, slapping hard against the surface of the water.

“Everyone okay?” he asks, rubbing his head, dazed from the impact. Mina has already jumped up, hands gripping the railing to look overboard.

“There’s something down there,” she says, eyes bright and alert, her chest expanding like a hunting panther. “It’s glowing. I think—Oh! It’s gone again.”

“Big?” Mason asks, hauling himself upright and going to look as well.

“Can’t tell,” Mina says with a shake of her head. Her short bob is in disarray, her attempts to run her fingers through it only making it wilder. “It looks small, but it could just be in the depths.” Everyone gives a shiver at that.

“Step back a bit,” Nate calls out, his stomach swimming at the two of them being so close to the water. Even Farah has darted back to join him and Ava at the helm. Her amber eyes flit around as she falls into a half crouch, a grimace twisting her expression.

Mason hesitates, but puts a hand on Mina’s lower back and begins to head back for the rest of them. Mina though doesn’t budge, eyes sticking to the depths, looking for all the world like she wants to slip headfirst beneath the surface. Bile rises in the back of Nate’s throat at the very thought, and he’s halfway to grabbing her before realizing he’s even taken a step.

A growl escapes Mason’s throat, Nate thinking at first that it’s meant for him, until Mason barks out, “Something’s moving under us, fast. Sweetheart, move.”

Mina starts to back away, but doesn’t manage in time before another thudding impact tosses the boat again but toward portside. They crash down against the surface, water surging up and splashing over the deck. Before any of them can recover, they’re sent flying back toward starboard and then port and then back and forth, not giving them a moment to breathe.

It’s inevitable that Mina’s grip on the railing would give out. Nate dives across the deck to grab her, blood chilling in his veins. But just as he’s about to reach her, she’s snatched sideways and crushed against Mason’s side.

Leaving Nate sailing stupidly over the side, head first into the water.

***

Milton was always the stronger swimmer of the Sewell brothers. He was the stronger of them both in countless ways, despite which Nate couldn’t help counting anyway. Being the elder, he keenly felt the shift from Milton looking up to him when they were children, counting on Nate to watch out for him, to play with him, to be his champion, to Milton suddenly being the one to lead the way. Nate’s illness was always present, but it worsened sharply as he got older. One day Nate was 10 years old, cutting up Milton’s food for him at the dinner table, and the next he was 22, grasping at his younger brother’s shoulders as Milton helped him out of bed to get dressed on the bad days.

A distant part of Nate’s mind had always held some small shame at needing so much. His dignity had suffered at leaning so heavily on his brother’s help. Milton was a good lad though. He’d never once made Nate feel like any of it was out of the ordinary or shameful.

Nate had needed Milton’s help, but more than that, he’d needed Milton’s company. He’s never laughed so hard or felt so buoyant as the days they spent together as the best of friends. The day Milton had left for the Navy had been, at the time, the hardest thing Nate had ever faced. His burning pride for his brother had seen him through though.

His old heart squeezes tight in his chest; centuries later it still hurts to feel the old, good memories splashing up against the jagged cliffside of loss. Of all the things he’s ashamed of having done at sea, the things he would do again and again if given a chance, none of them are why he abhors stepping off solid ground. It’s knowing this is the burial site of his first true companion that strikes him through, cutting a wound that refuses to heal.

I don’t know how Ava has lasted this long, he thinks. She’s lived his life three times over, her wounds just as fresh, and somehow hasn’t gone mad from it yet.

An icy cold hand lays against his cheek, the images in his mind going to inky black for a long moment. A voice he doesn’t recognize speaks to him.

Focus, it says. His thoughts are prodded like a sheep being led along a path, though to pasture or slaughter he isn’t sure. Regardless, he trots along, back to that day he has tried hardest to forget, but cannot.

His mother had read the letter first. Her scream of agony had shaken the house to its foundation. The pain in his joints had barely become a blip in his thoughts as he’d hurried to find her downstairs, so blind with worry and dread he’d nearly slipped down the stairs to get to her side. Though she couldn’t find the words to tell them what was wrong, Nate had known that very moment that his life had just been turned on its head irrevocably.Never in his life had Nate seen his mother so wracked with pain—

Pain.

An explosion of pain bursts bright behind his eyes, filling his vision with sharp blue, shocking him into dragging in a gasp. A mistake that pours frigid salt water down his lungs. Choking on it, he blinks his stinging eyes and sees the present day. He finds himself in a dire situation, under water, drowning (though it won’t kill him)(this does not make it feel any better), and worse than the curved, glowing figure of a water sprite floating in front of him is the darker form of Mina.

She can’t be here. Nate pushes past the agony of his body to kick his feet, scooping the water back to propel himself forward toward her. She’s squinting through the water, focused on the sprite. He thinks at first Mina is swimming toward him, only to realize she’s putting herself between him and the sprite. Panicked, he kicks harder, choppier, unable to help it though he knows it only slows him down. It’s hard to remain calm while drowning and fearing the love of his life is doing something fatally foolish on his behalf.

The sprite just floats there, cautious. Staring. Nate reaches Mina, grabbing her by the upper arm, but his grip is hideously weak. There’s nothing he’ll be able to do to save her if the sprite comes over. It might not peer into her mind the way it did his, but they are capable of so much more than that.

Mina grabs him back, fingers digging in with bruising force. Before he can react she’s leveraged herself behind him, not as a shield, but to allow herself to slip her arms under his, wrapping around his chest. She kicks her legs to send them up, and he tries to do the same. Spots have started to blot out his vision but he looks between them to keep an eye on the sprite. It doesn’t move, but it wouldn’t take much for it to catch up to them.

It must have dragged him deep. Mina’s movements go more and more frantic, aching for the surface as they go. No doubt her lungs are bursting at this point. From the left something moves, and Nate jerks, lashing out with a hard kick instinctively. He connects with something solid, which tells him more than anything that it wasn’t the sprite coming for them again.

He can’t see, but he feels hands on him, pulling Mina away, then taking her place to pull Nate up. This body feels familiar. Strong, broad. Mason. Mina slips away from them both, heading for the surface with greater speed now that she’s unburdened. Nate’s body is so leaden it would take nothing at all to sink him now. Mason grabs him tightly though, and drags him up.

The calm frightfulness of being underwater is burst as they crash through the surface. As soon as they do, Mason adjusts his grip on Nate, his arm bracing against Nate’s stomach, before he squeezes with a force that gives Nate no choice but to give up everything in his lungs and stomach to the water.

“Not—” he wheezes once he can draw the breath to do so. “Not necessary.”

“Shut up and breathe ,” Mason grits out, then starts swimming them both to the boat. Once he gets a few delicious gulps of air, Nate gently pries Mason’s grip away and puts some space between them. Silver eyes flash along with fangs, but Mason doesn’t try grabbing for Nate.

“I’m alright,” Nate assures him, though he’d probably sound more convincing if his throat hadn’t been sandpapered with salt water. Even so, Mason gives a sharp nod, looking over to the boat where Farah is hauling Mina out of the water. Mason’s expression relaxes by a fraction of a fraction.

“Go ahead,” Mason says with a jerk of his chin. “I’ve got your back.”

From there, he only has to focus on swimming. He moves his limbs in a smooth, calm rhythm that takes him to the hull, where he grabs the railing and starts to pull himself up, only to find Ava and Mina on either side, helping to get him on board. Mason follows a moment later.

For a long stretch of time, Unit Bravo simply stands and stares at one another, the only sound being from the three dripping with water. Farah breaks first and jabs a finger at the helm.

“We should go, right? We should totally go.” She turns her pleading gaze on Ava, who resists with tight jawed resolve for all of ten seconds before giving in.

Groaning, Ava pinches the bridge of her nose and says, “It would be best to let Unit Victor take this one.”

“I could try talking to it,” Mina says, soaking wet and shivering, but determination ringing in her voice. It’s then that he notices she’s barefoot and without her jacket. “It couldn’t do anything to me when it tried…doing whatever it was doing to Nate.” She looks to him, but he turns away, hot with shame and hungover from the telepathy.

“Sweetheart, it could crush you if it really wanted to,” Mason says through chattering teeth before tossing Mina’s dry jacket to her.

There’s a short back and forth that ends in Ava restarting the engine and taking them back to shore while Mina gets in touch with Rebecca. Farah stands at Ava’s side, haltingly providing navigation with some gentle encouragement from the commanding agent.

Nate falls onto the couch heavily, head in his hands as he tries to bail out his waterlogged brain. It’s only a minute or so before the firm cushion dips beside him, a slender hand resting on the damp fabric of his jeans.

“Nate?” Mina asks, her voice quiet, almost shy. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m healed,” he says, as it’s more honest than saying ‘no’. Swallowing against his suddenly dry throat, he doesn’t resist the temptation to rest his hand on hers, stilling leaning his head against the other hand as he peers over at her. “I’m more concerned for you. You shouldn’t have jumped in after me.”

Mina shakes her head, water flinging from her soaked hair. A few stray strands stick to her skin, curling around her cheeks like a painted arrow pointing to her lips.

“I’m a good swimmer, and it never even touched me,” she replies, completely missing his point. The was her fingers tighten on his leg stops the argument on his tongue dead in its tracks. “What was that creature?”

“A water sprite,” Nate says, drawing on his knowledge as a crutch. “A subclass of fae, sentient and mischievous, if not outright murderous. They’re solitary, long lived, and widespread. It’s rare they leave a body of water once they’ve bonded with it on a molecular level, as this one has.”

“It must be a new one then,” Mina says thoughtfully. Across the boat Mason stops squeezing water out of his long, shaggy hair to roll his eyes at them.

“Can we get to shore before you two start getting…” He gestures vaguely at them. “You know.”

Nate’s cheeks burst with heat, only for him to realize Mason means he wants them to stop with the deductive chatter. At least, that’s what he thinks until Mason gives them a look Nate recognizes very well, and has not had aimed his way in almost a century. And it is them, both he and Mina. He blinks, straightening up.

Before he can consider that too closely, Mina looks back and makes a noise. Every vampiric head snaps to follow her gaze, finding a pale blue dot maybe twenty yards behind the boat, keeping pace. Mason’s frame goes rigid, eyes tracking the sprite as it follows. Nate thinks he ought to stand up and do something too, but his limbs are so heavy that all he can do is squeeze Mina’s hand. She squeezes back, warm and steady.

“Keep an eye on it,” Ava says, voice low. Mason gives a sharp nod without letting his gaze falter for a moment.

Several minutes pass as they go, wind whipping past them, chilling Nate through. The sprite doesn’t bother them though. It just follows, like it’s curious. Nate hopes it’s curious.

“It’s fading,” Mason says, just as they get close enough to shore to make out the vague shape of the dock jutting out into the water to meet them.

“I wonder if it wanted to talk,” Mina says, voice so quiet she might not have meant to be heard. Nate shudders; he has no desire to speak to the sprite, though he hopes nothing too dire has to happen to contain it. Then again, had the sprite done what it did to Nate to Mina or another human instead…He presses his lips together into a tight line. Dire may be necessary.

Agents are waiting for them as they approach the dock, but Nate doesn’t mind them much as he hauls himself out of the boat. With his feet on the wooden planks, he feels a bit steadier.

“May I?” he asks, holding a hand out to Mina. She looks up at him, a mysterious smile on her face as she accepts without a word. Her hand slips into his, and he’s dizzy once more. He helps her out of the boat, then stands back as she goes to speak to Rebecca. Mason slides past through the shadows, hovering close. It takes every ounce of willpower for Nate to resist the urge to flex his hand, restless from the touch.

Ava calls to him, and he starts to go to her, but she holds a hand up to stop him. Her eyes search his briefly, then she frowns.

“Nevermind, Farah and I can handle this,” Ava says, glancing back at the agents waiting to speak to the team. Their newest member is already regaling a few with tales of what happened. It may be a trick of the light, but Nate swears his friend has a hint of dimple around her mouth. Noticing him notice her, Ava scowls and says, “Go get yourself together.”

Nate huffs a laugh and slips his hands into his pockets. “I see.”

“Go,” Ava says more firmly. Nate goes.

He doesn’t go far though. Just up the path, away from the buzz of activity and engines, just far enough that he can’t hear the lap of water against the shore.

The road is mostly compact dirt, lined on either side with soaring trees that leave a slash of night sky visible over his head. With the coming of night a chill has entered the air, Nate’s breath clouding out in front of him. His clothes aren’t dripping anymore, but he’s a far cry from dry. It makes him ache for the familiar comfort of his copper tub, big and deep, filled to the brim with hot water.

It’s going to be a hard night. Nate doesn’t bury his memories, but he doesn’t linger on them if he can help it either, and never has he had to relive them in such a way before. It was so vivid. His heart gives a painful squeeze as he remembers just a few months ago when that carnival was in town. Had Mason’s vision of his past in the Hall of Mirrors been like that? Nate staggers as he goes, catching himself on the trunk of a tree, overwhelmed by the dear hope that that isn’t how it had worked. Even if Mason doesn’t remember what’s happened to him, how Nate had found him in that awful place—

A branch snaps behind him, jerking him out of his thoughts. He looks back to find Mina, her eyes widening when she spots him in the darkness.

“There you are,” she says, relief so thick in her voice it makes Nate’s pulse quicken. “I swear I looked away for a moment and when I looked back you were just gone.”

“Sorry,” Nate says, forcing a casual chuckle. “I needed a moment. I didn’t mean to make you worry.”

“Of course I worried,” Mina says, though she doesn’t meet his eye when she says it, her cheeks darkening minutely. Seeing her react like this when she’s normally so collected has Nate closing the distance between them until there’s only an arm’s length of space. She tilts her head back, an expression of determination fitting itself on her face. “What did that sprite do to you?”

“Pardon?” Nate asks, leaning back. Mina steps closer.

“It was touching you, and your eyes were glowing,” Mina says. She sets her jaw. “It tried grabbing me to do…something, but it got scared when it didn’t work.”

Nate’s throat goes very dry. “Thank goodness for your abilities.”

“Nate, please,” Mina says, waving his words away like smoke. “I don’t think it just said hello, did it?”

“No,” Nate admits. “It wanted to see…pain.” Hissing out a breath, Mina reaches for him, but he puts a hand up to stop her. “Not physical. Memories.”

“Still,” Mina says. She looks back over her shoulder. “Have you heard of anything like that?”

Melting out of the shadows, Mason puts himself at her side, a grimace on his face. “Yeah, actually.”

“It’s a common means of feeding for them,” Nate explains in a near whisper. His breaths come faster now. It’s bad enough to be alone with Mina, but it’s all the worse to have Mason here. He’s too raw, his edges jagged. If he doesn’t get them away, he’ll slip. They’ll see him.

“You didn’t mention that before. Are you okay?” Mina asks, her voice curling around him with all the enticing warmth of a lover’s embrace. Nate’s mouth wobbles, and Mason’s eyes widen.

“Yes,” he says, voice cracking.

“You don’t sound okay,” Mina presses, more persistent than Nate would have anticipated. He glances over his shoulder, knowing it exposes his discomfort but not being able to help himself.

“I promise I’m alright,” Nate says, face burning hot. That’s one way to beat the chill of the air, he supposes.

Mina’s dark brows draw together in frustration.

“Are you allergic to having others take care of you?” she snaps. Nate rears back.

Mina is a consummate professional. He’s always known her to be even keeled, not prone to outbursts. In the time they’ve known each other, she’s never once raised her voice at him. It steals his voice for a long moment as he grapples with what he could have done to make her so upset with him.

“No, not at all,” he sputters. Mason laughs, the sound low and growling, soothing rather than mocking. Nate looks at him, mystified. Mason is one of the most perceptive people he knows, and even if it took him far too long to learn his own feelings toward Mina, Nate can’t imagine he’s as blind to others being drawn to her.

“Then let her help, handsome,” Mason says. Nate’s thoughts come to a screeching halt at that.

Handsome? Since when does Mason…? He looks at Mina, but she either doesn't notice or doesn’t care. She is, instead, focused entirely on Nate. That regard pins him in place. He doesn’t so much as breath as she reaches out, slender fingers carding through his still drying hair, pushing it out of his face. His heart pounds so hard it hurts, and now his head is throbbing as well.

Nate covers her hand with his. “What are you doing?”

“Checking on you.” Mina frowns, pulling her hand away slowly. She tries to at least. Nate presses down on it before she can, meaning her palm slots against his cheek. His Adam's apple bobs as he swallows around the lump in his throat.

“But…” Nate looks again to Mason. His grey eyes are as unfathomable as what lays behind a misty morning fog. Mason just shrugs, a lazy smile on his face.

“Don’t overthink it,” he says.

That seems an impossible task. The events of the night dissolve entirely in the face of this development.

Mina’s hand slides down, fingers curling under his chin, pressing down with her thumb until he looks her in the eye. He’s expecting another scolding, but her eyes have softened. Not since he realized his own feelings for her has he held her gaze for this long. He couldn’t dare to, not without risking her seeing everything.

Perhaps she saw enough anyway. He leans forward, dizzy and brimming with hope, needing to feel her mouth on his more than anything.

But she doesn’t let him. Her smile is kind when she slides her hand over his mouth and says, “Not yet.”

Mason snorts. “Why not?”

“He’s just been through something,” Mina says, frowning at Mason. Mason shrugs.

“It’d make me feel better.” Mason gives a toothy grin. “Among other things.”

“I’m sure it would,” Mina says dryly. Nate can’t help laughing against her palm.

With a gentle touch, he wraps his fingers around her wrist, drawing it up to his mouth. He glances at her, waiting to see if she objects, but when she doesn’t he presses a soft kiss to the delicate joint. Her pulse jumps against his lips. A heady emotion fills him from his toes to his scalp, stoking warmth in his guts. There’s little he wouldn’t do to be able to draw more reactions from her.

“She’s right,” he says, much as he dearly wants to agree with Mason instead. There are too many questions in his mind though, and he’s still not steady on his feet. When Mason frowns, uncertain, Nate adds, “I’d like to talk first.”

“Of course you do,” Mason says with a gusty sigh. No doubt if he had his way there’d be very little talking happening, but quite a lot of noise.

Two points of light appear behind Mason and Mina, filling Nate’s vision with white before he can adjust to the brightness. The team’s car rumbles, the boat trailer clattering as it approaches slowly. Hanging out the passenger side window, Farah calls out, “Hey you three! Let’s go already. It’s seriously gotten boring now that no one’s drowning.”

Nate tries and fails not to roll his eyes.

“I’m taking tomorrow off,” Mina says, hand dropping down to her side. His skin tingles from her touch. “We can talk then.”

“That sounds perfect,” Nate says, heart skipping a beat. He looks at Mason. “If you’ll be there as well.”

“Of course I will,” Mason says with a frown. “I’m part of this.”

Though it’s not something Nate has ever considered before now, he finds no reason to object to it now.

HONK. HONK HONK. HONKHONKHONK.

“Fuck! Farah!” Mason shouts, hands clapped over his ears as he stomps toward the car. In the cab, Farah is leaned over into Ava’s space, grinning madly. He meets her eye and she winks.

Mina laughs, the sound sending a pleasant shiver along the back of his skull. “Alright, come on then. Tomorrow we’ll figure this all out.”

“Tomorrow,” he agrees, following as she leads the way. Mason, still surly, is waiting for them with the back door open.

#darling writing #twc #wayhaven #twc mason #twc nate sewell #the wayhaven chronicles #wayhavensecretsanta

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littlemissbigears · 4 months ago

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Chosen Characters as songs from my Chosen vibes playlist ✨part 4✨

Carry on Wayward Son covered by The Arcadian Wild

My Shot from Hamilton

Tread the Dawn by The Gray Havens

High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco

The Story of Tonight from Hamilton

History Has Its Eyes on You from Hamilton

Constellations by The Oh Hellos

Just Begun by WILD

Wild I Am by Vocal Few

Monsters of the North by The National Parks

Twinkling Lights by Annalise Emerick

Come Further Up by Sarah Sparks

The Graduate by The Arcadian Wild

May it be covered by Voces8

Eyes Open by Taylor Swift

Wellerman covered by The Wellermen

We Will Run by Hollow Coves

Coastline by Hollow Coves

The Woods by Hollow Coves

Can’t Go Back Now by The Weepies

Not Home Yet by The Gray Havens

The Nights by Avicii

Here We Go by WILD

Go by Vocal Few

Long Way Home by Steven Curtis Chapman

Revival Anthem by Rend Collective

SING IT FROM THE SHACKLES by Rend Collective

Beautiful Things by Benson Boone

Out Of The Woods by Taylor Swift

epiphany by Taylor Swift

Forever Winter by Taylor Swift

Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men

The Gardener by Sarah Sparks

Shasta’s Complaint by Sarah Sparks

The New Song of Trumpkin by Sarah Sparks

Hello My Old Heart by The Oh Hellos

Cold Is The Night by The Oh Hellos

The Great War by Taylor Swift

Slow And Steady by Of Monsters and Men

Carry by Branches

evermore (feat. Bon Iver) by Taylor Swift

Man in Room 39 by The Arcadian Wild

In My Blood by Shawn Mendes

#the chosen tv series #the chosen tv show #the chosen #the chosen season 4 #*watching Thomas in season 4* oh I know what songs are for you #*quietly adds Beautiful Things to the playlist*#John is the upbeat sunshine playlist because *gestures to him* how can he not have the sunshine upbeat songs #Spotify

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deepsea-writings · 5 months ago

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summer nights like this...

character: azul ashengrotto

tags: sfw, fluff, romantic

warnings: none i think

gn!reader

a/n: i wanna kickstart this account with a little scenario i thought up a while back, enjoy ♡

It was a cold summer evening when Azul Ashengrotto decided to go to the surface. He usually spent his time at the very bottom of the ocean riff, and when he wasn't, he made sure he was with either Jade or Floyd — though usually both. And yet, this time around, a tad frustrated by it all, he swam all on his own.

His long tentacles drifted through the water as he swam up to the surface. The dim rays of the setting sun hit his face. It was calm, not a boat in sight. And yet, that rather annoyed him. With a frustrated huff, he started swimming, towards no particular direction. He hoped he'd be able to remember the way home.

After what seemed like centuries, he finally saw another person, despite being far away from land. Their body stuck out like a sore thumb in the blue sea that was meeting with the lilac sky. The way the sun was setting made that person seem almost majestic, the way they admired the stars that were starting to appear.

Azul tended to stay away from others and yet, as if they were a siren, beckoning him closer. He drifted softly through the waters, making small ripples in the deep blue waters. Hearing his little advance, they turned their hair to look at him, making him freeze in his spot.

"Hello," they greeted, with a tiny expression of distrust. "May I help you?"

"Ah, well, uhm-" Azul mentally cursed himself for stuttering, but he couldn't help it. The way their eyes shone under the soft rays of the setting sun, making them stand out, brought such immense heat on his cheeks. Their hair was wet, and he could see the blurry vision of a tail as his eyes trailer downwards. "Good afternoon," he ended up saying, avoiding eye contact.

"Indeed," the person hummed thoughtfully, before he looked back at the stars. "It must be half past eight, no?"

Azul took a second to think, before he responded, "I suppose so?"

That person hummed softly before he turned to Azul. "I know a small cove. Care to come with?"

Azul took a moment to look at them. Surely, he should be getting home, his mother would be worried. However... He wasn't quite ready yet. He merely nodded before he started following them.

The sun had fallen completely when they reached the cove. It was calm, serene, away from the crowds. There didn't seem like there were humans for a good few kilometres. Taking his place on a rock, azul took some of his tentacles out of the sea, covering his torso, almost out of reflex.

"I'm Y/N," the other merperson said, laying their body on a rock across from Azul. "Are you from the Coral Reef?" When Azul nodded, they continued, "Your accent seemed so. I'm from warmer colder sea, further up north."

Azul nodded. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance." His words almost seemed professional, like he was talking to another person he wanted to sign a contract with. His mind wandered at what abilities this gorgeous person could possibly have. A part of him wanted to make a contract for their beauty, but he didn't let his mind wander to those thoughts. "I'm Azul, by the way," he said somewhat rushed.

That person nodded, looking back up at the starlit sky. "I wish I had legs," they said in a small murmur. "It's not easy for me to see the stars daily. Long trip, too tiring."

Azul nodded in understanding, his tentacles lowering themselves to touch the cold waters, his guard also lowering. "Legs aren't all you make them seem."

"You're a cephalopod, you're not used to bones," Y/N said softly, looking back at Azul.

Azul left a dry laugh, smiling at them. "I suppose. But I promise you, living with legs on the daily isn't the bed."

The person tilted their head. "What do you mean?"

"I attend NRC, and since it's a land school..."

Y/N nodded with understanding, smiling softly. "I'm jealous. I attend some school up North, near my hometown."

"Don't you ever feel cold?" Azul asked impulsively, before he mentally cursed himself. His shoulders untensed with relief as he heard Y/N laugh. And gods above, what a beautiful kind of laughter.

"No. In fact, right now it's just the right temperature— you're not too cold, are you?" They approached closer, a concerned streak to their gaze. Reaching towards him, they stretched their hand, before stopping themselves.

"I'm fine," he said with a smile, a genuine one. "Why did you invite me? Not that I'm complaining, however..." He expected a million answers, really. But no the one they were about to say:

"Oh, I, uh," they trailed off for a moment, looking back at the stars. "I thought you were cute."

For a few seconds, it was as if the air had been knocked out of Azul's lungs (?). And yet, he showed a genuine smile, before it evolved into a giggling fit, before a full-on laughter. His cheeks were burning completely, and yet, he was laughing. "Really?" He asked between shaky laughs.

"Hey, don't laugh!" They splashed him with water before they joined in on his laugh.

As their spirits seemed to die down, they smiled softly to one another. Y/N slowly intertwined their tail with one of Azul's tentacles, and their smile turned into a grin as they felt Azul squeeze back.

Meanwhile, Azul freaked out mentally, yet he wasn't going to leave this one opportunity slip away from his fingertips. Pushing away every sign of insecurity, he looked at them and smiled. "I'd love to see you again after tonight," he whispered, his voice charged with emotion.

They nodded softly. "I'd love to, Azul."

#achiwrites #azul ashengrotto #twst fluff #twst x reader #gn!reader #azul x reader #twst azul #twisted wonderland

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fuckyeahfightlock · 2 months ago

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I re-read "North Hope Cove" over the weekend and fell in love with Justin and Daniel all over again. ❤️

OMG I love that. I reread it last spring and I still loved it.

So they ended up buying that house they were renting, since after three years together they thought it was a safe bet. :-) Daniel still drives that Chevy pickup, really held together with rust and dreams at this point, but they traded Justin's orange egg car and his late husband's Suburban for an almost-new Tacoma and a fairly fancy travel trailer because Justin would only agree to go camping if it wasn't in a tent. So far they've camped in all the New England states, New York, Quebec, and New Brunswick, and they have an idea they may spend most of next summer on Prince Edward Island; Daniel's working on the details.

Tugboat and Maggie the Cat are in their dotage, mostly loafing around and living like the royalty they are. There's a couple in Six Rivers breeding some pretty nice Labradors; Justin's thinking of putting a deposit on a puppy but only after his girl Maggie is gone--he wouldn't want her to be jealous of a new girl.

Daniel's still working as the village caretaker, mowing the sports fields at the high school, painting all the trim on the public library's 67 windows and 9 doors. They had to limit themselves to one take-home pie a month from the Coffee Pot when they noticed their middles expanding in that way they do when couples are happy. They can still see the North Hope Light from their backyard.

#North Hope Cove #my writing #diva hustle #writing is easy #Daniel/Justin

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tricianorth · 3 months ago

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[female and she/her] Welcome to Aurora Bay, [TRICIA NORTH]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [ODESSA A'ZION]. You must be the [TWENTY SIX] year old [HIGH SCHOOL SPECIAL ED TEACHER]. Word is you’re [PATIENT] but can also be a bit [ANXIOUS] and your favorite song is [NO RAIN BY BLIND MELON]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [FISHER'S COVE]. I’m sure you’ll love it!

pinterest. ciara, 25, bst, she/her

Tricia North grew up in Fisher’s Cove, in the serene coastal town of Aurora Bay. The North family was known for their kindness and community spirit, always the first to lend a hand or offer a listening ear. Tricia's parents, Martha and Peter North, were hardworking and devoted, but their lives took a challenging turn when their second child, Ethan, was born with autism. Tricia, just three years older than Ethan, quickly became a pivotal figure in his life.

From a young age, Tricia displayed an extraordinary level of patience and gentleness. She had an innate ability to connect with Ethan, understanding his needs and emotions even when words failed him. As her parents juggled work and the demands of raising a child with special needs, Tricia often stepped in to care for her brother. She developed a keen sense of empathy and a deep understanding of her brother. This early responsibility shaped Tricia, making her mature beyond her years.

Tricia’s childhood was not only defined by her caregiving role but also by her love for the arts. Aurora Bay, with its vibrant arts community, provided a perfect backdrop for Tricia’s creative endeavors. She spent countless hours drawing, painting, and exploring various forms of artistic expression. Art became her sanctuary, a way to process her emotions and find solace amidst the challenges of her daily life. Her bedroom walls were adorned with her creations, each piece telling a story of resilience and hope.

Despite the challenges, Tricia thrived in her role. She found joy in the small victories, like helping Ethan learn to tie his shoes or successfully navigating a particularly difficult day. However, being a bit of a glass child left its mark. Tricia learned to hide her own anxieties and needs, focusing instead on supporting her family.

As Tricia grew older, her dedication to her brother and her passion for helping others with similar challenges became her calling. She pursued a degree in Special Education at a nearby university, where she excelled academically and earned the respect of her professors and peers. Her experiences with Ethan gave her a unique perspective, and she brought this insight into her studies and later into her teaching career.

At 26, Tricia is now a special education teacher at Aurora Bay High School. Her classroom is a sanctuary of patience and understanding, where every student feels valued and supported. Tricia's gentle demeanor and unwavering commitment to her students have made her a beloved figure at the school. She loves her job deeply, finding fulfillment in watching her students grow and succeed, no matter how small the steps.

However, the anxiety that Tricia learned to mask as a child still lingers. She struggles with accepting care and attention from others, feeling more comfortable in the role of caregiver. Tricia longs for someone to focus on her, to see her beyond her role as a teacher and sister, but she finds it difficult to let her guard down.

Tricia’s creative side remains an integral part of her life. She often incorporates art into her teaching, using it as a tool to engage and inspire her students. In her free time, she attends local art shows and participates in community art projects. Her home is filled with her artwork, a testament to her enduring passion for creativity.

Despite her love for her job and her artistic pursuits, Tricia experiences bouts of depression and anxiety. The weight of her responsibilities, both past and present, sometimes becomes overwhelming. On her darker days, she retreats into her art, finding a temporary escape in the colours and textures that flow from her imagination.

Living in Fisher’s Cove all her life, Tricia finds comfort in the familiar sights and sounds of Aurora Bay. The ocean’s rhythmic waves, the salty breeze, and the close-knit community provide a sense of stability and belonging. As she continues to navigate the challenges of her profession and personal life, she hopes to find a balance that allows her to care for herself as diligently as she cares for others.

@aurorabayaesthetic

Style.

social media template

#aurorabay.intro #pinned.

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lunarcovehq · 5 months ago

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Georgiana Ortiz is a Vampire that currently resides in Celestial Hills and has been a Lunar Cove resident for 169 years.

ITS THE END OF THE WORLD

GENDER/PRONOUNS: Cis Woman, She/Her

DATE OF BIRTH: July 22, 1826

OCCUPATION: Archeologist and Owner of The Caffine Crypt

FACECLAIM: Victoria Justice

AS WE KNOW IT, AND I FEEL FINE

SPECIES: Vampire

CLAN POSITION: Member

AGE AT TRANSFORMATION: 29

WELCOME TO LUNAR COVE, GEORGIANA ORTIZ

Trigger Warnings: Death, Child Death, Arranged Marriage, War, Childbirth

Georgiana Luisa Ortiz Davis de Taylor; born the year of her birth country’s half-century celebration on a July evening in 1826. The fifth child and first daughter of a coffee trader from Puerto Rico and his beloved wife, in the colony of Georgia’s first city; Savannah. It was picturesque and serene. The nation’s first planned city with wide streets, public squares, and parks. Also a port town, Savannah’s proximity to the sea made it possible for the Ortiz family’s trade ventures to thrive. Each son was given his own delegations and all the daughters married off. Which included Georgiana.

It wasn’t love at first sight but a deep appreciation for the heart of a good man who was always kind and generous. Edward Taylor, a friend of her older brother’s, a shipping merchant like her father, and a local to Savannah just like her. They shared eight children together over the course of a decade; only five survived into adulthood. It was the greatest ache Georgiana ever knew; the death of a child. There were no words that existed that she knew to describe such a loss. An insurmountable grief, deaths that she would mourn for all of time.

Eight children took their toll. After her youngest’s birth, Georgiana's human body grew weak. Dizzy spells and the occasional fainting weren’t uncommon. Her family, friends, and neighbors all expressed their concern. Their fears made reality the day Georgiana collapsed at the top of the stairs during a dinner party. Her body tumbled down the wooden steps til it smacked the bottom in front of all her guests. She was dead before her head hit the floor. Hours passed, her body cleaned and redressed, left on the parlor table for her burial the next day. In private, her husband and their children said their goodbyes. A small mercy Georgiana would be grateful for later when it came to giving them closure.

By morning, Georgiana was in a carriage, leaving Savannah; the only home she’d ever known. Headed North, to a town called Lunar Cove, with her maker for a new life as a Vampire.The one who saved her. A friend of a friend in attendance that night who had slipped his blood into her wine, only hoping to cure the lady of the house of what ailed her after hearing the whispers of concern from her friends. It came as much a shock to him as everyone else in attendance when Georgiana died, still he took the time to welcome her into an immortal life.

In the New England town, Georgiana learned how to be a vampire; to curb cravings, to compel, to live this new life she had been given. Though a better alternative than death, it was a life full of grief for her family. In the solace of a friend, Georgiana found a new family; a chosen one. Meena Raja, who at the time was second in command to the town’s vampire clan, quickly became Georgiana’s closest friend. Both women grew up in society, though a continent and a few decades apart. They shared a love for fashion, music and all the arts, as well as an affinity for gossip like any aristocrat. Georgiana recovered a piece of her humanity in her dear friend Meena. A gift she would not know again for some decades until she returned to Savannah for her son.

During the American Civil War Georgiana’s former husband and two of their sons died, leaving only her daughters and eldest boy alive. No measure of time passing made those losses easier, not during her tenure as a human or her eternity as a vampire. It was an eternal, forever kind of ache for each and every single one.

Two and a half decades came and went. Georgiana did not age but still changed with every rise and fall of the sun. Receiving an education, a real education, for the first time equipped her with the ability to guide her family from afar. To ensure their prosperity in business and their safety when it counted. She kept a careful eye on them throughout the years, especially her children. No longer babies but men and mothers, too. It was a different kind of ache; watching life go on without you.

When word arrived that her only son left alive had been thrown from his horse and was fast approaching death, she left her new home for her old one. Upon arrival, the hospital pronounced him dead, but Georgiana heard his heart beating, faintly, the moment she entered the morgue. Inaudible to human ears, yet it was the loudest, most profound sound she’d ever heard; since the day of his birth when Georgiana heard the first cries of her first child.

Peter thought his mother was an angel, returned to Savannah to take him home when she offered him life everlasting. Only part of which was true.

The years came easier with Peter at Georgiana’s side. They mourned together, their mortal family’s lives. First within the safety of a supernatural home but venturing abroad at the turn of the century in pursuit of education, experience, and travel.

Georgiana attended universities across the Euro-Asia continents until the start of the first world war. They did what they could to help the allies. It was a long four years. When peace returned to the world, Georgiana and her son went home. Lunar Cove was a soft place to land after the trials of war. She was grateful for the peace, finally able to return to her studies and reunite with her cherished, chosen family.

In honor of her parents, Georgiana opened a cafe. Her father was a shipping merchant who met her mother through a business associate in the Puerto Rican coffee trade. She named the shop sardonically for the creature she’d become. The Caffine Crypt became a second home away from her estate in Celestial Hills. She relished the days of working in its corners, appreciating the smell of fresh ground beans, as she put ink to paper. Cataloging her life, her work, her thoughts.

The second world war came and went. Georgiana found a place in her mind where the bloodshed lived. A survivor of three wars, now. The blessing and curse of her life; to watch as all the world moved by.

After many years of interest, Georgiana found herself in the dirt. An archeologist with her own team, searching for things they’d never find. At least, not publicly. Georgiana kept the best treasures for the town. More than just human tokens, too, but magical relics that amazed a woman who was born no more than human. Safely stored in Lunar Cove, awaiting use should the town ever need.

For more than a century and a half, Georgiana has maintained an estate in Celestial Hills. A home she often returns to, to spend the stretch of years between extensive bouts of intense research, to reunite with her family. Her son, Peter, and her dearest friend Meena; no longer second in command but leader of their clan and mayor of Lunar Cove. Feast Georgiana took to celebrating with the most elaborate of parties. An ode to their days of girlhood in the upper echelon.

Over the years, much has changed about the world and the safe haven she calls home, but Georgina fears not war or death. A survivor of both, too many times to count. No threat could keep her out of Lunar Cove.

#The Caffine Crypt owner #The Caffine Crypt #Georgiana Ortiz #gia ortiz #victoria justice #taken vampire #celestial hills #all

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gontic-solution · 2 years ago

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hehe finished the map for the reaper au so have that and some info on the reaper boys (Heads up this is gonna be kinda long!)

the key reads:

🗻-Caves ☀️- Sun's spots

🌳🌳- Dense Forest 🌙- Moon's spots

🌴🌳- Tree ✨- self-insert/ y/n spots

🌺- flower ��-

🌫️- river

🔵- lake

hills

I'm sorry my handwriting isnt the best but here's Sun's little home! He lives in an extensive cave system and his bed is made up of various animal pelt/furs, moss and other soft greenery, and flower petals!

And those glowing berries are gifts from Moon since Sun can't really see all that well in the dark.

And here's Moon! He's made his home in the branches of the extremely dense forests in his half of the biome. He's got a network of nests that string together on multiple trees with little pathways and such. All bound together with rope made from vines that are just everywhere.

His nest is very mush a bird's next but b i g, and on the inside it's made with various animal pelts/furs, feathers, and moss/leaves. He's also got lil pouches made from pelts to put stuff in

and here's y/n who makes their first permanent home at the very north of the biome affectionately named "coconut cove" since it's got a lot of coconut trees and such.

And now for some info on how the boys hunt so TW for a bird being eaten and teeth!

Those flowers in Sun's half of the biome are carnivorous! They can emit both a sweet scent or a rotten scent to attract prey! Sun mimics this flower, waiting patiently until the right moment to snatch up whatever's unlucky enough to get near his rays

And Sun can open his mouth in 4, appearing more flower like compared to Moon who can only open his mouth along the line going down his face

And here's Moon! He can mimic noises he hears around him, and very well! He use's this to lure in prey close to his hiding spot among all those glowing fruit that just cover the trees. He waits for the perfect moment before striking and getting his meal.

His lil sleeping cap also works as a feeler of sorts, helping him sense if prey is close without having to fully rely on his eyes. Though he does like snacking on the glowy fruits every once in a while.

Lmao hope you liked this info dump, I adore these guys and how they work in their biome

#mktalks #mkdoodles #mkart #my god this is long omg #really had a fun time trying to find all those emojis lmao #but there's just so much info that i wanna share #can yall tell i like going in depth with this au??#well i've still got more and some silly doodles of these guys that i'll post later on #and if you guys like this then i'll certainly ramble more about the boys and how they interact with each other and with y/n later on #reaper au #fnaf sun and moon au #fnaf sun #fnaf moon #fnaf y/n #fnaf self insert #tw teeth #tw animal death #just in case

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astra-galaxie · 6 months ago

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“This cove will be so clean, you’ll never think a party was held here! Eu prometo! … Just after I get some people to help me!” - André Santos

Biographical information

Full Name: André Santos

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Pansexual

Status: Alive

Age: 24 (season 4)

Birth: 1866

Race: Human

Nationality: Brazilian

Origin: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Residence: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Profession(s): Musician

Family:

Maria Sadik (granddaughter)

Aslan Sadik-Halvorsen (great-grandson)

Adalet Anders Sadik-Halvorsen (great-great-grandchild)

Ahmet Savage (great-great-great-grandson)

Profile

Height: 5’8” Age: 24 (season 4) Weight: 139lbs Eyes: brown Blood: O-

André, a travelling musician, is a tall young man with darkened skin, brown eyes, and short, curly black hair. He wears all-white clothes, including pants, a loose shirt, and a vest. The only colour he wears is his black shoes. He also has a white rose tucked behind his ear.

As per his suspect appearance in Ring In The New Death, it is known that André eats panettone, drinks champagne, and knows Auld Lang Syne.

Synopsis

Hailing from Brazil, André appears as a suspect in Ring In The New Death. He had travelled to Concordia as his first destination in the United States after having already visited several countries in South America. He plans to visit as many states as possible before heading to Canada. After seeing all he wants of the Americas, he'll return to Brazil.

While sailing to North America, André made plenty of new friends. Two of whom were Tomioka Takara and Romulus Fabbri. The former was a fellow performer and lover of music, and they became fast friends after learning about each other's occupations. The latter didn't form a friendship as quickly as Takara had, but Romulus got into André's good graces after fixing his tambourine.

Once the ship docked in Concordia, André found work to earn money to continue his travelling. Most of what he did was busking on the streets for coins, but sometimes, people would hire him for events if his music impressed them. That's how he got the job performing for a New Year's Eve party at the New Haven Cove. Romulus bragged about his skills to the people hosting and got André the gig, hoping to win the Brazilian over. But André wasn’t attracted to the inventor and assumed he was being a good friend and helping André find work.

A few days before the party, Romulus asked if André would return the favour for helping him get the gig. André agreed, but perhaps he should have asked for more information before saying yes… What Romulus was asking seemed innocent enough. He requested André and Takara do a street performance for the citizens of New Haven. The performers agreed and put on the show the night Romulus had told them to have it, but to their shock, the police suddenly interrupted their performance, claiming they were under arrest.

André and Takara fled, and Constable Ramirez caught the Brazilian a few blocks from the scene. Thankfully for André, Ramirez believed his story of not knowing that Romulus was planning to rob a shop while the performers were distracting people. He wasn’t arrested, but André found out Takara hadn't been so lucky after meeting Romulus the next day. André tried to convince the inventor to help him bail the woman out, but Romulus refused. So, André busked on the streets until he had collected enough money to bail Takara out of jail.

Following Takara’s release, New Year’s Eve was upon Concordia and André and Romulus attended the party at New Haven Cove. At some point during the party, Romulus disappeared, but André didn’t think much of it. It wasn't until detectives from the Flying Squad informed him of his friend’s death that he learned why Romulus hadn’t come back. André mourned his friend’s death, but he wasn’t heartbroken. Romulus had betrayed him and Takara when he left them to take the fall for his crimes. While André was willing to give Romulus a second chance, he revoked that offer when he found out Romulus had refused to clear Takara’s name and tried to kill her following the murder trial.

It made André sad to see Takara go back to prison, this time for a crime she committed. He knows how much she hates the palace, but sadly, he can’t bail her out this time. He wishes he could do something to change his friend’s fate, but there was nothing he could do to save her. But Takara always told him to follow his dreams, and that’s what André will do. He’ll miss performing with Takara, but he’ll never forget his friend as he continues his musical journey, nor will he after returning to Brazil.

Story Information

First appeared: Ring In The New Death

Trivia

He’s travelling across South and North America to learn about music from other cultures. Once he’s visited everywhere he wants to see, he’ll return to Brazil to settle down and start a family

He can play a wide variety of instruments, but his favourite ones are percussion, like the pandeiro, agogô, and repinique

Like his descendants, André’s personality can be a little chaotic. But given the time period he lives in, he's nowhere near as bad as others

André is the Portuguese version of Andrew. Likewise, Andres is the Norwegian version of Andrew. I'm not sure if this means Star is named after their ancestor or the other way around since Star technically came before André if we’re talking IRL time…

Disclaimer: Character design was created using Rinmarugames Mega Anime Avatar Creator! I have only made minor edits to the design! Background courtesy of CriminalArtist5

Links to my stories:

The Case of the Criminal (Ao3/Wattpad) Killer Bay (Ao3/Wattpad) Where in the World are the Killers? (Ao3/Wattpad) Murders of The Past (Ao3/Wattpad)

#criminal case #astra's ocs #my ocs #criminal case mysteries of the past

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cbairdash · 7 months ago

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Author’s note: Hoist the Colors may eventually inspire fiction. Most likely will and I’ll gladly write it. But right now, it’s a role-playing game setting with what I hope is an interesting take and look at an “Alternate History” of Earth. It isn’t really “steampunk”, though I can see how someone would get that impression. For me, it’s more a “gaslamp fantasy” set on Earth of 1722 in all it’s historical mess… that I’ve stirred up even more!

So, with that said, I thought I’d cover the playable species and cultures players will have to choose from. Here we have the Grimlings!

Grimlings

Profound and rooted as living stone, yet resolute as worked metal. They are the calm to the Otherworld storm of cultures and people…

Professor Isolde Trelawny, Historian at the Royal Institute of Otherworld Studies

Grimlings are another of the species that arrived on Earth after the Crossing’s Fall disaster. Short but stout, grimlings are a mix of familiar human mannerisms and a calm, all too logical view of life. A pragmatic approach that is often considered a soothing balm in a dramatic world after Crossing’s Fall.

To outsiders, grimlings are often considered a plain-spoken people. Ones that are not known to mince words on any topic. They often shoulder work with a mild good humor and face the task head on. Willing to do what’s needed to solve the problem, or craft what’s needed. They aren’t rash and never rush in without a plan. But they are the first to admit that actions speak louder than words, especially with a person’s character.

Their blunt nature and traditions has sparked many debates concerning grimlings and ancient human myths. Many believe that grimlings were the inspiration for many myths around the world. For some, grimlings have a strong resemblance to craft-minded dwarves, gnomes, or even Neanderthals. Elsewhere, some say grimlings are more like the myth of boggarts or even the koropokkur from the Ainu people in Japan.

Cautious Appearance

After the Crossing’s Fall event, grimlings were one of the last species to make themselves known to humans. Unlike the rest from Otherworld, they suspected what caused the disaster. A theory, if correct, shouldn’t ever be discussed in public.

So, prudent as ever, grimling leaders decided to wait until the time was right, and the world was more prepared. Stay quiet and hidden until the initial shock of Crossing’s Fall wore off. They understood the trauma humans were going through. Adding to it would only make things worse. Life, however, isn’t always that kind or clean.

One of the more conquest-minded morasu Tomias, or noble houses, broke the grimling silence for them.

Tomia Vargoth staged an attack on the fishing village of Ogden Cove near St. John’s, Newfoundland. The intent was to capture the town before moving north to St. John’s, wiping out or driving off any human along the way. What the morasu didn’t know was that a new grimling town was in their path of conquest.

The grimlings could have kept silent. Stayed hidden until the invasion passed over them. But they refused to leave the humans at the mercy of Tomia Vargoth’s soldiers. Without a second thought, Maudra Irongran led the grimling townsfolk into Ogden Cove with a warning about the coming invasion. Along with that, they brought food, strategy, and ample strong backs to help.

Once the dust settled, the damage was done on all sides. Tomia Vargoth’s dreams of conquest went up in smoke. Both the fishing village and nearby grimling town were in ruins. Worst of all, the grimling policy of secrecy had shattered like so much glass. The ‘forgefolk’ had been exposed to the world, despite the grimling people’s best efforts. But, to this day, most grimlings agree it was the right thing to do.

There is a lot more that covers their cultures, cultural names, and so much more! If you’re curious, see the link above or take the jump here! Grimlings in Hoist the Colors!

Taglist: @thelaughingstag

#writing #work in progress #writeblr #writers on tumblr #worldbuilding #roleplaying games #ttrpg community #forged in the dark #Hoist the Colors #rpg

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cadybear420 · 10 months ago

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Meet My MC: Evie Ayana (OG HSS)

Trivia and Extended Details under the cut!

Note: All details are subject to changes and additions.

Family and Background

🇮🇳 Evie is a mix of South Asian (Indian) and European (English/Scottish) descent. Her mom Rani is Indian, and her Dad Scott is a mix of South Asian and European. However, Scott suspects he may have some Turkish roots/ancestry somewhere along the line.

💔 After Scott and Julia (Emma's Mom) ended up going their separate ways in college, Scott would meet Rani. The two fell in love and eventually were married and pregnant, but divorced on amicable terms because Rani realized during the pregnancy that she was not up to being a parent. It was tough on the two of them because they were an otherwise perfect match.

🌉 Evie was born in San Francisco, California, and has lived there all her life up until her and Scott's move to Cedar Cove when he got a new job offer.

👶 Scott chose the name "Evelyn" partly because he liked the way it sounded and partly because some of its meanings include "desired", "desired child", and "wanted", as Scott had always wanted to be a father. But it was quickly shortened to "Evie" as he began using "Evie-bear" as a name of endearment for her.

👨‍👧 Rani would sometimes come to visit Scott and Evie, being more of an Auntie figure to her. They get along pretty well, but it could be a bit awkward since Rani and Scott still had some feelings for each other and neither of them had really had any new partners. Evie never resented Rani for leaving, but would often feel like she missed out on having a great mother figure.

☪️ Both Evie and her dad are cultural semi-practicing Muslims. Scott has Islamic ancestry, but grew up in a household that wasn't strictly religious. Most of his and Evie's practicing of the religion involves fasting on Ramadan, celebrating Eid-ul-fitr and Eid-al-adha, not eating pork or drinking alcohol, and the occasional prayer.

🐱 Scott and Evie adopted Daisy just after Evie graduated middle school. Scott had always wanted a cat as a kid, but his father was deathly allergic. This made Scott afraid to get a furry pet for years, even after he'd moved out. But with Evie loving cats just as much as he does, he eventually decided "enough" and adopted a month-old white-and-orange rescue kitten. Daisy is quiet and calm, but at the same time, her Orange Cat side shows through quite often and she also gets freaked out by large groups of people.

🐹 Scott and Evie adopted Cheese Nugget (sometimes called "Cheesy") in the Fall of Evie's first year at Berry because Scott loves hamsters just as much as he does cats. Don't worry, they make sure to keep Daisy and Cheesy far away from each other. Daisy doesn't know that Cheesy even exists and they intend to keep it that way.

Evie's HSS Story

🚚 Evie hates drastic changes, and hopes to live a life that is stable and secure. At the very least, she wants to be able to know how to mitigate drastic changes. Evie was not a fan of having to move up North. She was leaving behind the home she'd lived in since childhood and the few friends she had made. But she did also hope to end up in a better high school environment.

🫢 Evie started out as very cautious, nervous, and impulsive before coming to Berry. She was bullied fairly often in early elementary school and sometimes had trouble making a lot of friends. When she came to Berry, she was very unsure of it at first and did still have some difficulty, but she was eventually able to take the opportunity of a fresh start and begin pushing herself to be a more confident, outspoken, and actively helpful person. She's been able to make friends and stand up to bullies and assholes much more easily at Berry, though it could still be a bit difficult sometimes.

🤵‍♀️ Evie is a very GNC cis girl and has been for as far back as she can remember. She tends to prefer masc clothing and hair styles, she's very proud of her masc form and likes to work on maintaining her muscular build, she almost exclusively likes role-reversed romances and behaves accordingly with Aiden, and she struggles majorly with genital dysphoria. Seeing Evie being so open with her GNC appearance and behaviors eventually inspires him to step out of his comfort zone and start trying out some GNC styles himself, such as crop tops, short shorts, and dresses.

🏈 Evie has done basketball ever since she was 4, and football ever since late middle school. Berry High was her first time getting into baseball. Though even for basketball, she'd never been on an official team for any of those sports until Berry. But she also greatly enjoys running and has done track-and-field in her freshman year. She had wanted to join football back then, but was a lot more unsure about it. Even in Berry she was a bit unsure, but seeing how welcoming Julian and Caleb were and encouraging her to join made her feel more confident about it.

🫂 Of the people she's met during her time at Berry, she's closest to Emma Hawkins, Jade Ali, Caleb Michell, Michael Harrison, Maria Flores, Caleb Mitchell, Cher Lee (my HSS:CA f!MC) and Bear Lee (her twin), Sakura Watanabe, Julian Castillo, Cameron Levy, Kieran Hale, Frank Walter, Koh Sunya, Myra Khandaar, Ajay Bhandari, Skye Crandall, and Payton Saunders. And Aiden Zhou, of course, but that goes without saying.

🎹 Evie was drawn to Aiden right when she first saw him. She didn't crush on him just yet, but she was captivated by his distinguished appearance and she would try to get to know him better at Brian's party. It wasn't until after he invited her to listen to him play piano that she officially started crushing on him and began actively pursuing him.

👫 Evie was drawn to Aiden for a couple of reasons. There's the fact that he was kind and she found him attractive as all hell, of course. But the big one for her is that she could see a lot of herself in him. He was reserved, shy, insecure, and socially awkward, and she could relate to that. But he was also passionate and dedicated to his craft, and seeing that inspired her to do better at her own interests and passions.

😬 Knowing the story of her parents' backstory has made Evie a little bit cautious about her own relationships; she'd always want to make sure that her partner was 100% comfortable with her and that she wasn't forcing them into doing anything they didn't want to do. This especially shows as she gets into a relationship with Aiden, a normally reserved guy who starts to step out of his comfort zone more often while dating her. She always kept it mostly friendly with him, but would start to express more romantic gestures and feelings when she learned for sure that he liked her. Her insecurity would be a point of contention between them later on in their relationship, but eventually they'd be able to work it out together.

🏀 Evie was very infuriated by Band and Cheer siding against Basketball. Although she sympathized with them on how Isa was treating them unfairly, she despised that they were primarily going after the team over it. It pissed her off even more when Aiden seemed to defend it and even agreed with Mia that the team was "like a second Isa". For a while she'd contemplated whether or not to bring it up, but seeing how everyone did seem to acknowledge they were caught up in their stress, she figured it'd be okay to let it go. Though she and Aiden would eventually discuss it later.

🎤 Evie has mixed feelings on her singing skills. She's not amazing, but she can carry a tune well enough. Sometimes she sings karaoke with no one else and likes how it sounds, other times she isn't so confident about it. But she does seem to be a little less nervous about it when singing with a partner, as discovered by her karaoke with Aiden at Brian's party. Eventually her singing skills will improve as Evie-Aiden duets almost certainly become a regular thing.

👑 Evie ended up winning Homecoming Queen, Payton's Guest of Honor, and Prom Queen. Hoco and Prom titles were never something she really cared about, but she still felt honored to win them.

🎭 Evie has always loved imaginary play-pretend games as a kid and thus does take a little bit of interest in theatre, and would feel ready to try it out by the start of HSS:CA. She was cast as the princess for one part of auditions, but her role of preference was the Knight. However, Danielle's sabotage causing her to break her leg would leave her very distraught, as she was missing out on both football and on theatre that quarter.

Miscellaneous Personality Trivia

💜 Evie's favorite colors include purples, powder pinks, and mint greens.

🎵 Evie can't play an instrument to save her life. She'd taken a few lessons as a kid once, but it did not work out. Aiden does think she might have a secret talent for percussion, though.

💞 Besides Aiden, Evie has also felt attraction for Michael Harrison, Maria Flores, Julian Castillo, and Kieran Hale. None nearly as strongly as Aiden, though. But later on in life, Aiden and Evie may agree to an open marriage and occasionally swing with Michael and Maria.

🏳️‍🌈 Evie is bi with a huge preference for guys. She first realized she wasn't straight around the end of 7th grade and knew for sure she was bi in 9th grade. However there was a lot of confusion for her in figuring this out because of her heavy preference for men, and stigmas that bi women with a male preference "aren't queer enough" or "just looking for attention". In fact, she didn't even have her first actual girl-crush until she met Maria. But soon enough, she was able to come to terms with the fact that her preference for men doesn't make her any less bi.

📝 Evie loves creative writing and has done it since she was a kid. This is in part motivated by the fact that she dislikes most of the romance/erotic stories genre. While she has nothing against those who do like them, and there are some movies that she can still enjoy even with a normative main romance, she still has a bit of contempt for the genre because of how pretty much none of them cater to more role-reversed romance fantasies. So she’s always felt pretty alienated in the genre, and has considered a career as an author so she can publish stories with GNC romance.

✈️ Evie has a bit of an attachment to vehicles like trains and airplanes and gets a bit excited about going on them. A lot of the time, Scott would let her help him out with his model train displays.

⭐ Evie loves cute and pretty stuff. Heart shapes, star shapes, flowers and flower shapes, butterflies, smiley faces, cats, glittery/shiny/sparkly/shimmery things, squeaky things, etc. You can rip that stuff from her cold, dead hands.

🌸 Evie adores scented products and has a huge collection of lotions, gel bead freshners, soaps, and other bath/home/care products that have scents she loves. Her favorite scents include eucalyptus, lavender, mint, cherry, and powder.

🎶 Even though Evie can't play a musical instrument for shit and a lot of the musical terminology Aiden uses is utter nonsense to her, she's quite the enthusiast for good songs and soundtracks. The Incredibles, The Matrix, Super Mario Galaxy, James Bond, and many more. She excitedly raves to Aiden about her favorite soundtracks from movies, video games, TV shows, etc. Often she'll even recommend a show or movie to him partly on the basis of it having a bomb-ass soundtrack, and almost 100% of the time he will enjoy it and they'll rave about the best parts of the soundtrack together.

📸 Evie puts great value on having hard physical records of memories, much unlike her boyfriend who prefers to remember things through music. Sometimes she does like to maintain memories through associations, but out of the fear of the possibility that she could forget certain good or important memories, she always tries to keep photos, notes/journal entries, or any other form of direct record.

☕ Evie does not like coffee. It smells nice, but the taste is awful to her. She much prefers tea (especially Earl Grey and mint teas), hot cocoa, and warm apple cider.

🌶️ Evie loathes spicy food. Hot peppers, spicy-flavored chips, heck, even a lot of South Asian/Indian dishes. She hates the taste and doesn't understand the appeal at all.

Other Profile Pieces

Original Intro for OCtober 2023

Bubble Chart Profile

More in-depth on Evie's parental backstory

Aiden's favorite aspects about Evie

Bonus Meta Fun Facts:

In my first HSS playthrough, I named my MC "Cady Heron" after the character from "Mean Girls", which I personally consider to be one of my most favorite high school movies of all time. By my second playthrough, I changed it to "Evie Ayana" to make the character more personalized.

My username "cadybear420" comes from hearing Scott call my MC "Cady-bear" all the time in that first playthrough. Plus 420 added on because weed number funny.

Evie, "Cady" at the time, originally started out having the wavy blonde hairstyle. But when I got to Book 2, I changed it to the short brown hairstyle. But I do like to headcanon she did have long bleached hair at the start of her freshman year in high school.

Prior to making this profile, 3 out of my total of 7 playthroughs took Evie on some greatly alternative routes. Two where Evie romanced Michael; one where Evie did band and was good at it; and one where Evie sucked at raising school spirit, was a jerk to the Hearst kids, and led on Emma so she could ask Aiden to homecoming.

My headcanons for her story during the HSS:CA timeline are currently tentative. Not only because it's been a while since I last played the trilogy, but also because I might change up a lot of the canon for my headcanons. We'll see.

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