#and i was like very enchanted by the idea of Writing a Report for the first time and it was a hard pill to swallow | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

heniareth · 2 years ago

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Anyways, I ran out of tags, so I’m gonna continue this here! :D

The measurements for Spellpower and mana inefficiency are so cool!!! So spellpower basically encompasses the strength and duration of the spell and mana inefficiency the amount of mana lost as light, sound or heat during the casting of a spell? I love it! It really reframes the way we’d approach spellcasting as having a physical component as well as an intellectual one. After all, those measurements look a lot like something you’d see in P.E. classes, less like something from math classes. I’m guessing there’s an intellectual component to it, and having a solid grasp on the theory of how magic and mana and spellcasting works probably makes the spellcasting itself easier, but it’s not the end of it. In DAI, there’s banter between Dorian and Solas were they talk about how they manipulate the Veil to create magical effects and it does sound very hands-on. So I love that the evaluation method reflects that. You could have your standard high school plot of the 2000s-2010s happening at Kinloch Hold. Nerd mage asks Jock mage if they can help them increase their spellcasting prowess and offer to help them with the theory in return! This is amazing and I’m glad the ask gave way to have you figure out these things.

Also Rhodri tutoring the younger kids. It’s nice that, as far away as she was from her family, she got a chance to still live a bit of family life with the younger apprentices (until Broken Circles. Fuck. The templars. And Uldred).

Also also: the Tevinter letterheads. Oooooooh it’s so cool. An all official-sounding paper and it’s a tercet from one spouse to the other. It wamrs my heart. Also, it says a lot that Rhodri would use this sort of paper. I can imagine Dorian using everything BUT paper with that letterhead except when he absolutely has to XD XD XD XD I also love that Owen gets his own letterhead. Every member of house Callistus is important and has their own stationary. Yes, the nine-year-old is included in this, he absolutely needs his own stationary as well. I love that

I’m cackling over here at Zevran not only organizing this whole bet to get his hands on the tercet (which, oh Rhodri XD XD XD XD Don’t tell this man you wrote a love poem only to then not want to show him XD XD XD XD Also RHODRI IS A POET??? RHODRI IS A POET!!! I remember what you said about Tevinter and the arts (namely that Tevinters don’t really do hobbies or arts & crafts since these are things they could very easily purchase) and the fact that Rhodri pens her thoughts down as a poem sometimes, and especially if those thoughts are about Zevran, surely does things to Zevran’s heart)

...

Where was I? Oh yes. Not only does Zevran organize this whole bet to get his hands on the tercet, but he hides grapes in his pockets. Evil, evil man!! I’m guessing Rhodri doesn’t like grapes (or is it a throwback to that time Zevran was bored on the road and started throwing grapes at Rhodri?) Anyways, what a poem. Unflinching devotion paired with a complicated religious life. That Rhodri decides the Maker doesn’t exist so she doesn’t discharge all of her rage and grief over her friends during Broken Circle at him does things to me. It’s heartbreaking (and practical, I guess, but idk. Maybe getting real angry and screaming at the sky would’ve been a bit cathartic?). I hope Leliana (or Wynne) didn’t do too much poking on the matter. But really, how do you deal with this kind of pain when it’s doen by the servants of “your” god who supposedly left the world to its devices because rational beings were too sinful for him? And, and, Rhodri, as the head of a house is in a similar position to the Maker (although on a much smaller scale); and the Maker fails by most of her standards. What kind of person leaves his place as the head of the house bc he just can’t deal with the people he’s leading?

That Zevran’s faith is something she considers admirable though? That. That gets me. Of course, Zevran knows better than to pressure her on the matter, bless him. But... what an example does he have to set, what an experience does he have to communiacte that Rhodri sees something good about worshipping the Maker. It speaks volume about Zevran’s influence on her, the way he lives his faith and the high regard in which Rhodri holds him. I love it. Simply love it. Zevran probably knows Rhodri’s conflict with the Maker, right? That poem must’ve either sent the biggest grin to his face or made him tearful. Maybe both.

Also: Sēvē and Zēvē XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD Marvellous! They should get matching shirts XD XD XD XD Or aprons. This whole family has a wicked sense of humor XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD

Also!!!!!! The gif lets me imagine Owen so well with the mop of ginger hair, quietly working on his plants (what ARE Rhodri’s favorite plants is the question). I hope he and Rhodri get to spend lots of time in the greenhouse once Rhodri gets back.

This was an amazing read!! I apologize for being late in my answer, but my crops have been watered, fertilized, de-weeded and blessed by these lovely codexes. I also haven’t forgotten about the ones you sent me; they’re in the works. Hoooooo boy, so many great things have come out of this XD XD XD XD XD XD Thank you heaps!!

Hello my wonderful and lovely friend!!! I come, as I am wont to do, with questions for splendidissima Rhodri from the OC Codex prompts:

2. a letter written by your OC’s family member

3. a report written by your OC’s teacher or mentor

4. a letter from your OC to their love interest

Now, I don't know if you will spend these days celebrating or not, but they seem to be busy days for anybody regardless. Please take as much time as you like and pick whichever tickle your fancy. And have some lovely, lovely days. Off I go!

OH HI HEY ! 8D 8D Good to see you and thank you for sending in the prompts!! I had such a great time with these, both of my braincells were working overtime and it was a joy!

Owing to spacing and the sheer volume of the answers I'm sticking all this under the cut. I'd apologise but we both know I don't mean it x) x) x)

so o o o 2. A letter written by your OC's family member Here's one from Rhod's younger brother, Owen. Heirs aren't allowed to have favourites, but suffice it to say she and Owen had easy and natural compatibility. He was nine-ish and Rhodri would've been twelve.

The paper is bleached, high-quality Tevinter vellum, bearing a template header in red ink, reading in Tevene rune script, EX SCRIBIO CALLISTANI SPIRI (“From the desk of Spiro Callistanus”). At the top right of the page, the date 13 Justinian, 9:22 Era Drakonis is added in the same wobbly runic script in the rest of the letter. The language of writing is Tevene.

I love you Sēvē,

My birthday was good but sad without you, and thank you for my greenhouse. Mazarin and Evander aren’t allowed inside because they break everything now. Bethann sits with me in there sometimes but not for long.

School is hard but Tata says it gets easier with time. When you come back we can go together. I think that would make it better. Mazarin and Evander are too loud and they don’t sit with me any more. Do you know any plant spells? Please write all of them down so I can learn them when my magic comes. And please tell me your favourite three plants. Mine are ivy, snake kiss, and butterleaf.

Please write lots more soon.

And I love you, from Owen your brother.

Author's notes:

Callistanus- ‘of’ House Callistus, the name given to non-heir family members. An heir is the house, the non-heirs are the members of said house. ‘Callistani is Callistanus in genitive (possessive- I know you know this; clarifying for other potential readers) case. Owen's Tevene name is Spiro, Spiri in genitive form.

The Callistanus/Amell kids did not cope well with Rhodri being taken to the Circle. Not least because they were an arm’s length away when the Kirkwall Templars were beating her to a pulp. Mazarin and Evander, who already tended to be loud and demanding, became destructive and disruptive, and both of them developed explosive tempers that proved hard to pacify. Bethann, the youngest and most sensitive sibling, suffered frequent meltdowns that required many years to identify causes for and address. Owen, the middle child, was always quiet and courteous. The adults in his life, amid attending to his louder, needier siblings, frequently ‘checked in’ on him, and they would have used all the resources they had to attend to any need he might have, but if he said he was doing fine (he always did), they left it at that and assumed he was content to keep to himself. Rhodri had always made a point of keeping him by her side and giving him plenty of one-on-one attention even if he was ‘fine,’ and he soaked that up like a sponge. After she was taken away, though, and the other siblings proved to be very squeaky wheels, there was nobody to fill the gap in those childhood to early teen years. Owen ended up rather neglected, and horribly lonely, and hid it, even lied about it, to everyone but Rhodri for years. Consequently, Owen tends to have a low opinion of himself, and is disinclined to seek out something, however badly he might want it. He does a lot better once Rhodri's back, and certainly once his folks found out (to their unrestricted horror) how neglected he had felt, they did their darnedest to make it up to him as well. But Rhod's return was really what cemented that improvement.

On to 3. a report written by your OC's teacher and mentor

I liked this question because I like the idea of there being a very specific, Chantry-determined format to a progress report, filled with formalities that ostensibly show some level of "civility" between the Templars and the mages. Plus, grading system? How do the mages measure success? So many questions!! Thank you for making me think of the answers!! -

The paper is bleached, blank vellum of middle to high quality, with the standard Circle progress report template already written in with black ink. Irving’s handwriting is a neat cursive that is no longer taught in the Circles. -

Date: 7 Eluviesta, 9:21 Dragon

Tutor name and rank: Irving, F.E.

Apprentice name; age; specialisation: Rhodri S. C. Amell// 10 y.o.// Arcane Magic

Progress report number, AYTD: 2

Presenting compliments to the Knight-Commander and having the honour to report:

Following the discovery of lyrium affliction in early Verimensis 9:22, Rhodri Amell has completed three months of compensatory meditation and distraction management training. Spellpower has improved significantly, as has spell duration (Max. 4; 10s per HS); mana inefficiency has also decreased (less est. 2.5, now 5.5). Continuation of the program recommended indefinitely.

Despite her progress, Rhodri’s temper outbursts are increasing in frequency during lessons proper. I reiterate to the Knight-Commander my suspicion that these arise from the elemental damage and consequent pain in her hands from unsafe proximity to trained mana, particularly as her affliction prevents her from wearing the requisite enchanted safety gloves. As per my last reports, I strongly recommend that my apprentice be permitted to use a sylvan branch staff to prevent more of the same; responding to outbursts with punishment has proved manifestly unhelpful and I continue to urge its cessation to the Knight-Commander with the greatest emphasis.

I note that Rhodri continues to tutor beginner students in her free time. E. Delilah has anecdotally mentioned better performance in this cohort in comparison to Delilah’s previous cohort, and has advised willingness to allow my apprentice to shadow her for some classes. With assistance in managing the change in schedule, I anticipate further progress for all concerned.

Reiterating assurances to the Knight-Commander of my highest consideration.

Irving, F.E.

Author's notes on abbreviations and measurements - AYTD: Academic year to date - Spellpower scale is from 0 (not casting) to 10 (Destruction of a single room - HS- healing spell (in this case spell duration measures how long the intended effects persist until the spell is cut off or wears off on its own) - Mana inefficiency scale measures how much unformed mana escapes when a spell is cast, from 0 (no mana lost) to 10 (all, or almost all mana escaped). .

And 4: A letter from your OC to their love interest!

The author's notes are long so I'd better just get to it:

The paper is bleached, high-quality Tevinter vellum, bearing a template header in red ink, reading in Tevene rune script, EX SCRIBIO CALLISTI SEVERIN (“From the desk of Severin Callistus”). At the top right of the page, the date 11 Pluitanis, 9:35 Era Drakonis is written in sharp, austere letters, as is the rest of the content. The language of writing is Common, with the exception of the tercet, which is in Tevene.

Dulcis,

I pen this letter to you with all my love and, in adherence to the conditions set by your challenge:

I admit that I stand corrected: pickpocketing is very difficult and is not “something I could do as easily as blinking.” (I will say, however, that hiding grapes in the pocket you were keeping the coins was entirely unnecessary. It feels like those bastard Void fruits are hiding everywhere, now.)

With great embarrassment, I enclose a reproduction of the tercetus I so foolishly admitted to writing and frankly, my love, I am starting to think you organised this whole bet so you could get your hands on it. . In vitae finite stabit Formator ton, et querisit "A Incredule, quemisi exultum mihim offerti?" Et respondit humilite, "Ton Zevran, Sanctus amade" .

I must say, my love, I’m enjoying writing to you even though you’re right beside me. I think I’d like to do this more often– though hopefully with fewer tercetae. Maybe I could hang short missives off your Friday flowers. What do you think?

Also, please let me know if you would like to go to the Sidereal Telescopium tomorrow. Quirina is giving a speech on the upcoming New Constellations Room, and I have many questions for them.

My whole heart to you,

Severin (Rhodri). -

Author’s notes:

Tercetus- a traditional Tevene-style three-line rhyming poem.

A rough translation: At the end of life I will stand before your Maker, and he will ask me "You, Unbeliever, tell me– what worship did you ever offer me?" And I will say, simply and earnestly, "Holy Immortal, I loved Your Zevran."

Rhod’s got a complicated religious life. She started okay; the family wasn’t especially pious but they did Chantry things at the frequency considered respectable. Once she landed in Kinloch Hold, though, her prevailing question, for which never received a satisfactory answer, was: “If the Maker can do anything, and He loves us, why does he let us suffer? I wouldn’t do that, and I’m a child, nto a god.” After Broken Circle, she refused to believe the Maker existed, as a consolation to herself, and to avoid the sort of vengeful blasphemy that gets you hung, drawn, and quartered. There’s something about Zevran’s patient faith, though, and his willingness to offer thanks that he has what he has, however miserable his life has been. It’s impressively staunch, and Rhodri admires that, and treasures the comfort it brings him, enough that she slowly comes around to her idea of a compromise. Said compromise is acknowledging that if the Maker exists, He is as capable at unleashing bitter cruelty as He is at creating boundless joy. Rhod’s not one to praise bad behaviour in anyone, let alone a god who should know better, but by golly He did everyone a good turn when He made Zevran. Maybe age will bring other wisdom, but for now, she lets her love for Zevran be her tentative worship, because it’s the only praise she can offer in earnest. Though idk, what better compliment is there for a creator than someone wholeheartedly adoring their creation? I like to think it’s enough for the time being. A religious journey isn’t always straightforward but I always found that complications bring their own insights.

I have no idea why Rhodri signs off her letters to Zevvo as ‘Severin (Rhodri).’ They agreed early on never to use the Tevene name to avoid the ridiculousness that comes with similar-sounding names (it gets especially bad when the siblings give him the Tevene-ised nickname Zēvē when they’re already calling Rhodri Sēvē. Agony!) Same deal with Owen signing off letters to her as “Owen your brother”. Must be hereditary.

Also I'm not sure about how ok it is to use Artbreeder generated images what with the art theft things going around now (I'm not sure where it stands on that sort of thing) so I'll leave out the artbreeder portrait I have of Owen. For a face claim, though, this feller here is pretty close (though I grant you Simon Wood is unlikely to be 9yo in this gif). Token ginger of the Amell-Callistus brood, what's up!

#oh. OH! a letter from her little brother while she was in the circle??? oooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!!!! T-T #oh that little fellow must've missed her!!! and the rest as well!! the fact that they saw the templars beating her can't have helped at all #oh no oh no oh no #''when you come back we can go to school together'' oh no. oh no oh no oh no. and it takes so long for rhodri to get back...#what was the idea? because there's no ''graduating'' the circle. were they waiting for her to pass her harrowing and then be able to return #*to tevinter? would that even have been possible? owen writes of ''when you come back'' not ''if'' so they were expecting her to come back #right? poor owen... he had to wait for so long to get her back...#damn those templars. tbh i'm not surprised all of the kids were deeply affected by rhodri being taken away like that. they grew up with the #*idea that rhodri would be the future head of house callistus right? i can only imagine what having that person be taken away in such a #*brutal manner would do to a child. beloved sister? gone. sense of security? gone. and only revka in krikwall to deal with the immediate #*aftermath. and then she disappears too!! holy cow those are two bombs to hit those kids!! O.O' and owen reminds me of a sibling of mine...#good on the callistus family doing their best to help the children process all of that though. can't have been easy. and i'm so glad rhodri #*got to go back. with zevvo in tow no less!!#the mentor report is fascinating!! as well as the fact that most mages don't have surnamens. it would've been cool if the templars were #*called by their surnames eg: knight-commander stannard instead of meredith bc more respect but more depersonalization in contrast with #*mages being called by their first name to indicate that they're not offered the same respect. idk just a tangent thought #oh but lil rhodri!! ten years old!! the lyrium affliction must've been rough especially when she's not allowed to use a sylvan branch staff #WHY i ask?? greagoir??? why??? irving has repeatedly asked you for that?? WHY are you not allowing rhodri to use a sylvan branch staff huh?#terrible that they even need permission of the templars for that!! and they punished her for meltdowns??? wtf??? wtf????#that's gotta be a part of rhodri that's very tender right there. she's proud already and if she's made to feel bad for reacting to pain...#*so much makes sense. holy shit. the worst part is that this is probably not malicious oversight by greagoir it's porbably just that he #*can't be assed to order a sylvan branch staff for one apprentice or call his templars back when one kid has a meltdown because her fucking #*hands hurt. it's pure neglect and indifference. it's disgusting #another aside: i love the ''reiterating assurances to the knight-commander of my highest consideration.'' i love the idea that paperwork #*would be formalized like this bc it just highlights the pretend respect there is. it just sounds so insecure. i reiterate my respect to #*you bc i totes respect you. no worries man. i respect you so much which is why i'm reiterating it to you #it's just so funny XD XD on the other hand woe if the reiteration of 100% genuine & homegrown respect is omitted. there'll be a suspected #*rebellion before you can say bother. because the first enchanter dared not to assure them of their respect. this beautifully captures the #*spirit of bureocracy XD XD XD if that's an actual spirit in the fade i'd avoid it at every cost

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wriheart · 4 months ago

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I’ll probably never write a full fanfic for Ever After High (or at least, it will in the far, far future), but since I’ve been seeing so many eah posts lately I thought I’d ✨grace✨ the internet with my rewrite ideas.

As a bit of context, if I ever were to rewrite eah, it would not be a hate rewrite. I love this series so much, so my rewrite is coming from a place where I want to see more, expand on concepts, and add my own twist to things. (A hate rewrite would be if I were to rewrite Miraculous because that show makes me want to go on a deep dive of everything wrong with it.)

Anyway welcome to part one of

🍎🐦‍⬛Wri’s Ever After High Rewrite🧺🌹

For my world of Ever After, I am taking a lot more inspiration from the original grim tales. This doesn’t mean the stories will be exactly like the originals (especially since there tend to be many variations with translations and whatnot), but I will be staying as loyal to them as I can. This means that many of the villains will not survive their story (we’ll come back to this later though ;)) and some characters will be cut, such as Farah Goodfairy (I’m sorry I know she’s so pretty but I like the original tale where Cinderella is helped by the animals). Additionally, I will be adding characters, since the original show doesn’t always give us all the characters from a story (like how they gave us multiple princesses but only two prince charmings) (I didn’t forget about Darling but from what I remember she was in the damsel in distress class so she doesn’t quite count since the school didn’t consider her getting the destiny of a prince). I’m also cutting most non-grim stories, such as Pinnochio and The Little Mermaid. (There’s a small chance I might use cut characters and just say they’re from other fairy tales. For example, I don’t want to cut Sparrow, so I’ll just say that instead of being the Son of Robin Hood he’s the son of a grimm fairytale character.) DON’T PANIC, I’M NOT CUTTING WONDERLAND. Wonderland is staying because I love the characters and world so much and I also have a great idea to make it make sense. Anyway, those are just some of my notes, let’s get into the world.

Welcome to the world of Ever After, a grand empire made up of a plethora of kingdoms whose rulers report to the highly-respected and loved Emperor Grim. Emperor Grim is said to be older than the stories themselves, and it was through his guidance that the kingdoms were founded, and their stories remembered.

There are many kingdoms in Ever After, including the Kingdom of ___, ruled by the descendants of Snow White; the Kingdom of ___, ruled by the descendants of Aurora Beauty, and the Kingdom of ___, ruled by the descendants of Cinderella. These kingdoms and their rulers report to Emperor Grim, so while they are allowed to make decisions regarding their kingdoms, these decisions must be made under Grim’s guidelines. This allows the Emperor to easily rule Ever After, as the kingdom rulers are loyal to him.

After all, they know what will happen if they stray from the path.

But more about that later.

Within each kingdom of Ever After, there is an enchanted forest. The trees in these forests are very special, as they are the birthplace of the stories. When a story is completed, a seed can be found on the last page of the storybook. A few years after all of the stories are completed, each seed is planted in its kingdom’s enchanted forest, and from the seed, a magical tree grows. The tree produces flowers that, once bloomed, reveal children within. The children are the future fairy tale generation, who will relive the stories of their kingdom.

The tree does not give birth to every character who plays a role in the story, instead, the tree only gives birth to children who are to be the main characters of their tale. For example, the trees within Snow White’s kingdom will only give birth to the next Snow White, Evil Queen and Prince Charming (and maybe the seven dwarves, I haven’t fully decided yet). The rest of the characters will be found. (More on this later.) Every story that is completed is planted within the kingdom, the children are born, and when they are old enough, they are sent off to Ever After High, where they will complete their education before signing The Storybook of Legends and fulfilling their story.

Many of the villain children do not have parents who can raise them, since upon the tale’s completion, the villain dies. These children are raised by noble families. The families were long ago granted titles by the Emperor, and have been raising the children for generations. Each kingdom has at least one or two noble families, such as the noble family who have raised The Evil Queen or the family who have raised The Big Bad Wolf.

Ever after high is a four-year school in which all of the fairy tale children are prepared to relive their stories of their predecessors. For the first three years, they go through many general classes, such as potion making for the villains and good kingdom management for the royals. Then, at the end of their third year, they sign the storybook of legends, and for their fourth year they take story-specific classes to make sure they are officially ready.

For the characters not born in the enchanted forest, Emperor Grim invites regular citizens to apply to attend Ever After High. These roles include The Huntsman and The Twelve Wise Fairies, for example. These characters must go through many tryouts to prove they are worthy of being a part of this great tradition.

When a story isn’t completed, the kingdom vanishes. A few kingdoms have vanished in the past, such as the Kingdom of the Seven Ravens (the kingdom of the seven ravens is subject to change). While on the outside these kingdoms look like they are gone, with a dark forest in their place, in reality, they are still there. Grim traps the kingdoms under a bubble that stops people from entering or leaving the kingdom, and stops those on the outside from seeing the kingdom.

This threat looks over the villain kids at Ever After High. Even though most have no interest in completing their story, there is a very real threat that they, along with their kingdoms will cease to exist if they do not comply. It isn’t until Raven Queen starts digging that she realizes that the kingdoms might not truly be gone.

————

All EAH AU Posts

#wri's post #my post #ever after high #ever after high rewrite #eah #ever after high au #eah au

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kris-mage-fics · 3 months ago

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Thanks for the tag @phenanthreneblue!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? Eight 2. What's your total AO3 word count? 7,656. So far I've only published short little one-shots. 3. What fandoms do you write for? Shepherds of Haven, Scarlet Hollow, and Ebon Light. 4. Top five fics by kudos 1. Had it Been Anyone Else (Ebon Light, it's Haron angst hours lol, spoilers for the end of the game on Ernol's route) 2. A New Room (Ebon Light, Haron fluff, spoilers for the end of the game) 3. Fog (Scarlet Hollow, Tabitha angst, no real spoilers) 4. An Unlikely Engagement (Shepherds of Haven, Kyrahlise/Blade, very, very minor spoiler for Chapter 8) 5. The Best Proof of Love is Trust (Shepherds of Haven, spoilers for Chapter 3 which is in the public demo) It doesn't escape me that they are almost in publication order 5. Do you respond to comments? Always! Though sometimes it takes me a while to do so. I rarely get them so it isn't that hard to respond to them. 6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Absolutely Had it Been Anyone Else! It's literally pure angst. Though when I write for Tabitha it always ends up angsty too, so Fog and The Secret of the Greenhouse aren't exactly sunshine and roses. 7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Some may disagree, but I think The Best Proof of Love is Trust has a very happy ending! 8. Do you get hate on fics? Not so far.

9. Do you write smut? No? Yes? I've written some, but haven't published any. Smut is hard for me to write because I visualize everything, and there's a lot to visualize in a smut scene compared to a scene without much action. So it's exhausting to write. Also I suspect it's harder to keep sustained enough interest to write a full scene because I'm on the asexual spectrum. It's not something I'm opposed to, it's just harder than other writing for me. That said, there is a sex scene I really want to write, but it probably won't be very sexy, lol! 10. Craziest crossover? Haven't written any. 11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not as far as I know. 12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope. 13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? No, but it would be foolish to say it'll never happen. ;) 14. All time favourite ship? I could make a tier list, but I don't have a favorite anymore than I have a favorite food or tea or board game, lol! 15. What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I started a fic that's a newspaper article on Kyrahlise. It's written as a hit piece on the Hero of Haven, trying to imply she's actually a bad person. The reporter interviewed people in Ashtown who know her, but reading between the lines you figure out they didn't dig up anything and are just overly skeptical of a Diminished woman who quickly gained some fame and power. I planned to end it with a little segment from the perspective of someone Kyrah used to know, where they figure out she's now the Hero everyone won't shut up about. I still like the idea, I just doubt I'll ever finish it.

Also I started one where it's written like the reports from one of the people sent to spy on Blade. Thing is the spy knows Blade, so they see him falling for Kyrahlise and are like, "wtf?!? is she enchanting him? is he actually in love? omg he's so bad at this! wow, it looks like she actually likes him too!" Also they think Kyrah is super sus because a lot of the things she does don't make sense and aren't explained. (Full disclosure: this idea was heavily inspired by a conversation other people had on the ShoH patreon.) 16. What are your writing strengths? Dialogue and banter, always knowing where my characters are in a scene and what they are doing (the upside of the visualization thing), sweet/cute moments, and angst when I'm in the right mood. 17. What are your writing weaknesses? Finishing, lol! Editing, it's hard for me to let go of trying to be 'perfect'. I'll get really stuck on a sentence or paragraph and obsessively revise it even though it's fine, just because I think it can be better. I know it's not healthy or sustainable, and I'm working on it. (I can point to a particular sentence in a fic that I literally spent hours on!) Action! It's the same visualization problem I have with writing smut, it's a lot to keep in my head and it quickly wears me out. Getting the right voice for a lot of characters. My writing tends to be introspective and verbose, which doesn't work for everyone. So it's a struggle to find a balance between the character's voice and my natural writing style. 18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language? I think it's great, for other people to write! I'm pretty terrible at languages, and don't trust myself to get it right without consulting someone who knows that language. Given a lot of what I write for is fantasy with made up languages, that's not going to happen. 19. First fandom you wrote in? Ebon Light, in fact it's the reason I even tried writing in the first place! 20. Favorite fic you've written? I think it's a three way tie between: The Secret of the Greenhouse -- I think I did a good job getting some creepy vibes in such a short piece. It doesn't align with canon at all, but in my opinion it's my best Scarlet Hollow fic. The Best Proof of Love is Trust -- I feel like I succeeded at my goal of showing just how much thought Kyrahlise put into a big choice in Chapter 3, as well as some of her character and past. Had it Been Anyone Else -- I had the sudden need to break Haron's heart. I seem to have accomplished the mission since 100% of the comments mention it being either sad or heartbreaking.

Ngl, I don't know who to tag on this one. Because besides Phen, and one other person, I think most people I know only have one work on ao3, or none. So open tagging it is! If you see this and want to join in, consider yourself tagged, whether you are a mutual or not!

#yet again I don't know how to answer questions succinctly lol #I get lots of ideas for weird fics and I always struggle with finishing them because I assume no one wants to read them #yeah I write what I want but I know all the stories in my head already #I don't have a lot of energy so I focus on things other people will like too #so that's why I don't think the stories I mentioned above will ever get finished because they are more unconventional #but idk maybe I'm wrong and y'all want to read my weirder ideas? in which case please let me know if you do want to read them #seriously even if just two or three people like it then it's worth it to me to finish #tag game #fan fic writer questions #thank you husband for telling me how to spell succinctly I was at an absolute loss on that one lol

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astorythatwritesitself · 7 months ago

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If you're taking the fluff asks, how about D, T, M, I, and E for shrios?

Devoted - how do they show they're serious?

By choosing life.

Things definitely like. Develop & they're into each other during the mission, it's only post-Omega 4 that either Shepard or Thane starts really like... truly acknowledging the weight of things. In the AU I'm working, it's Thane who takes the first step - the way I plan on playing things, I'm saving LotSB and Arrival for after the 'main' game, and LotSB sees Thane get hurt enough that he finally makes the call to stop for a while and get some help and see if he can't unfuck a decade of pointedly refusing more than symptom management (he'd actually spoken to both Miranda and Mordin privately before this to know if there were even options to consider, too, lol).

Adrian's end is a little trickier to notice tbh - but it's in when she's willing to discuss ideas about even like, a year into the future. Places she'd like to go. The fact she'd even talk about retiring from the Alliance, when before, she'd seen herself staying part of it until it killed her. Probably the strongest sign though, was her working to ensure some of her assets would go to Kolyat, in the event of her death - big move, from someone who never factored kids into their life, yknow?

Enchanted - what first caught their eye?

Honestly, the eyes play a strong part for both of them 😂

Adrian's end tbh was like - it's hard for her to recognize if she's experienced romantic feelings, but she absolutely knows if she's Into Someone or not - and her reaction to Thane was enough to warrant a note on her medical file because Mordin believes in keeping good track of any outlier readings 😂 Thane was gorgeous and the way he moved was almost mesmerizing - and Adrian was well and truly Gone the second she met his eyes lol. She's absolutely 'no arguing with people with eyes so dark they're almost black, whatever you say beautiful'.

Thane, meanwhile, knew Shepard by reputation and scattered reports - but seeing a dead hero in the flesh would make anyone pause, particularly when that first glimpse also has her smack-dab in the glory of Illium's sunrise. But it was her patience that registered most, the way she pulled her squad back and allowed Thane his prayers.

(And when Thane later thinks back on the experience, he realizes he was trying very, very hard not to read too much into things. Because there he was, on a mission he fully expected to end in his death, only to be intercepted by someone who /held/ his target's attention so he could finish the job, by someone whose eyes were lit gold in the sunrise.

The gods can be... /clever/ like that, sometimes.)

Intimate - what kind of dates do they like?

So you have a galaxy renowned assassin, and Commander-Goddamn-Shepard, what's their date night like?

Boring as goddamn fuck 😂 At least in some eyes.

They enjoy going to museums and botanical gardens, Adrian absolutely makes an aquarium one happen.

Buuuut also some folks swear up and down, hand to god, cross their heart(s) and hope to die, the two can occasionally be found dancing at small-scale clubs or venues when the music's right. (Absolutely ridiculous - everyone knows Shepard can't dance!)

(not that that stops her)

Memory - what's their favorite memory together?

Hard to say, but in terms of a shared one...

Possibly what is retroactively recognized as their first date - a trip to the Citadel, where Thane paid a visit to the temple, and would Shepard like to come along?

(Vague? Yes - only because I plan on writing it one day 😂)

Thoughtful - what small things do they do for each other?

They've got each other's favorite preparations of tea (& for Thane, coffee) down pat and often have it ready for the other. Adrian also takes a fair bit of pride in learning how to cook, and often uses her sleepless early mornings to put together something nice. Thane, meanwhile - he's not the photographer Adrian is, but he does start taking some, to better preserve and share things with her. (He also, during the events of ME3, has the fishtank VI sent to the Normandy.)

#aceghosts #ask #shrios #mass effect #no you totally never see Commander Shepard and her boyfriend at goth nights at the club that's just a coincidence

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writingquestionsanswered · 2 years ago

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Hello and happy holidays! A mutual of mine recommended me this blog and so far I'm enjoying it!

Anyway, to the question/advice.

I've been struggling with writing for a long time now due to procrastination, stress and other factors. But when I write, the inspiration is there, but the motivation is lacking. So, I ended up writing with little motivation I have.

Like this:

Life at Auradon

Chapter one draft

Anxelin waited anxiously for the bell to go off, so that she can leave this godforsaken class called Grammar.

“Who on earth named this class Grammar?” the Goth girl thought.

Anxelin carefully took out her phone from her khaki pants pocket, and turned on the phone to check the time, under the desk of course.

The time reads: 10:55 A.M.

Anxelin groaned softly. “Just 5 minutes left to leave this class. Why can’t it be now?”

The school year just started and the Goth princess already hates it. She wished she had the power to disappear from this class and appear either in her dorm room or at the Enchanted Lake where she can be more at peace.

Anxellin took a look at her work that was laid on the desk in front of her; an essay of how this year’s summer went for everyone. In addition, the teacher said that the essay should be grammatically correct.

Bollocks.

To say Anxelin’s summer was bad would be an understatement. Over this past summer, Anxelin had to go back to summer school because she failed her physics exam in late May. Anxelin tried her best to explain herself to her parents that she studied and didn’t waste any time whatsoever. Also she never wanted to go summer school anyway but Rapunzel and Eugene insisted that she must go or else repeat her previous grade, to which Anxelin didn’t want but went anyways. She honestly had no idea how she failed and she studied hard for two weeks with her friends just to get a D on her exam result. Just perfect.

Anxelin quietly slid her phone back into her pants pocket before any nosy kid sees her with it because God forbid if someone saw Anxelin using her phone in class, they would report her and she would be sent to the Headmaster Godmother’s office. And Anxelin couldn’t bother to hear a long lecture about how you’re not supposed to use your phone during class, blah, blah, blah.

Geez, she only took out the phone because she wanted to check the time, as she forgot about her watch this morning due to rush. Give her a break.

In addition, I feel like my writing isn't good enough.

What do you think of my little writing and do you have any advice for a struggling writer like me?

Writing is hard.

But, the fact that you're inspired to write is a step in the right direction! And your writing isn't bad for a beginner. You slip from past-tense into present-tense a few times, but your prose is at a reasonable place for someone who is at the beginning of their writing journey.

It's very likely the procrastination and stress you're feeling in relation to writing is being caused by confidence issues, which are very demotivating. This is normal and it's normal to feel like your writing isn't good enough. Most writers experience these feelings, especially when they're starting out.

Unfortunately, the only way to improve your writing and your confidence is to push through those feelings and write. You become a good writer through practice, and you practice through writing.

Watch this video:

youtube

So, push past your fears and write. Create a large volume of work. You'll get better and better with each and every story you write and complete.

Best of luck to you, and please let me know if you have more questions! ♥

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silverloreley · 2 years ago

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Would you be interested in a story that involves the Auradon kids and their lives at Auradon prep? I might you as there will be disturbing themes like drugs, cyber bullying, attempted suicide etc...

Here's a draft:

Life at Auradon

Chapter one draft

Anxelin waited anxiously for the bell to go off, so that she can leave this godforsaken class called Grammar.

“Who on earth named this class Grammar?” the Goth girl thought.

Anxelin carefully took out her phone from her khaki pants pocket, and turned on the phone to check the time, under the desk of course.

The time reads: 10:55 A.M.

Anxelin groaned softly. “Just 5 minutes left to leave this class. Why can’t it be now?”

Bollocks.

Geez, she only took out the phone because she wanted to check the time, as she forgot about her watch this morning due to rush. Give her a break.

Am I interested in what? Writing it? If I'll ever manage, I have in the works a full rewriting of the whole franchise which would respect the original movies that were crammed into Descendants in a rather incomprehensible way, their characters and how they’d realistically raise kids, but I have to finish a ton of other things first so I don’t know.

In reading it? Perhaps if I happened to be in the right headspace when I open one, but I'm very uncomfortable with themes like drugs and suicide when related to teens because of some events in my own teenage years, so I really don't like to relive such things or worse even in fiction, not to mention I usually find that a story on fairytale characters doesn’t really work well with such themes, not for me at least. Fairytales are already full of other issues and there’s more than enough material to work with.

Aside from that, which is my personal opinion, I encourage you to write whatever you want! You shouldn’t let your drive to write depend on the first arrived, you do you.

If you want my opinion on this bit you sent me, though, let me know. Mind you, I’m not soft when it comes to give writing advice and/or corrections (meaning I don’t sugarcoat it, which can come off as harsh), so if you don’t want criticism... well, not don’t ask me. Your pick.

#question answered #honestly I'm already itchy when I read of the VKs being involved in sex and drugs and murder #but the AKs too? sheltered babies AKs of fairytale world where drugs probably don't even exist?#the AKs already have tons of issues without drugs added on top of it #they are walking identity crisises just like the VKs are!#victims of conformism! sheltered to the point of ignorance! can't tell right from wrong! nd so on!

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ukulele-mixtape · 4 months ago

Text

Maple Scraps: The Siren's Call Chapter uhh i don't remember actually omg

context: the obligatory beach episode. the gang go to the beach and tune (oc) gets knocked upside her head w a volleyball.

oh yeah and some more exposition or something idk i wanted to write a beach episode in April whatever

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

“Right over there should be fine, Tune.”

Tune nodded, setting down wooden storage containers full of equipment atop the mountain stack of other large boxes of supplies. Amy was right behind her, setting down the last few boxes of the medical supplies next to Tune’s, wiping her sweaty forehead and resting her body against the stack.

A whole month. It’d been a whole month since Tune had arrived. She was very short of the rings she’d need to get a train to New Mobotropolis from Emeraldville. No amount of busking out in the open could help her plight, especially not in this economy and especially because her choice of music didn’t really vibe well with the people of Emeraldville, or its surrounding cities. She had understood that the grungy rock music she was accustomed to playing wasn’t vibing well with the general public, mainly due to its…not so favorable about life attitude surrounding her lyrics.

To top it all off, she refused to ever entertain the idea of asking for funds from anyone, given how expensive the ticket was and especially because she didn’t want anything being tracked back to her on the day she left. What if I just went to another city? Tune would ponder. The closest I’d get is Station Square again, and from there it’d be Westopolis, and that’s an even more expensive drive, plus there’s like a million watch dogs from GUN. She considered actually taking the plunge to make enough money to book it out of the country, but remembered she didn’t have a passport, and it would cost a good sum just to get one. She wondered how she survived this long without any semblance of proper identification.

Tune was getting increasingly antsy. The voices she’d stolen swarmed around her vocal chords madly, like if they were begging to be released. And soon enough, as the weeks went by, she was seeing more and more wanted posters of her likeness, or what anyone was able to garner from the little they’d remember of her performances, littered across each wall of any town she’d occasionally get the chance to visit. They were all the same level of vague:

WANTED: VOICE STEALER CODENAME: THE SIREN PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES UNIDENTIFIED MEDIUM RANGED VOCAL REGISTER USUALLY INVOLVED IN PERFORMANCES IN UNDERGROUND VENUES AUTHORITIES WARN TO PROTECT ANY AND ALL CAMERAS OR ELECTRONICS IN VICINITY ANY INFORMATION REGARDING APPEARANCE OR WHEREABOUTS SHOULD BE REPORTED TO AUTHORITIES IMMEDIATELY.

She didn’t know whether or not to be thankful that the police barely had anything on her, but Tune was still put off nonetheless, especially by her uncannily spot on nickname “The Siren”. She’d heard about folklore describing sirens, mythical creatures who lived in rocky islands and lured sailors to their deaths with their enchanting voices. And while she wasn’t outwardly killing anyone, she had no reason to, there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that she portrayed that title almost too well, and it ached in her heart immensely. She may not have been mythical, but she was a monster nonetheless. A thief to the freedoms of people she had no claim over.

Tune contemplated time and time again whether or not the whole ordeal was even worth it. That maybe, just maybe, she could spend the rest of her life here at the Restoration. The stability was keeping her sane, her mind and power in check. Alto’s frequency had completely escaped her, and hadn’t arisen for the whole time since she took Sonic’s voice. She was a bit more happier as days went on. She was eating more at Silver’s request (who soon got everyone else on board to ensure it), she was working harder for a cause that she couldn’t really understand, but kept her busy. It was all she needed for now. Just something quiet to keep her steady. But she knew deep down this was hollow. She couldn’t stay much longer, but couldn’t find a sustainable way to leave without drawing suspicion.

And it didn’t help that, unbeknownst to her, Tune was getting quite attached to her newfound companions.

“Thanks for the help,” Amy sighed. “I know I must have caught you at a bad time. The supply depot just needed an extra pair of hands because someone called in sick for the day.”

“Nah, I’m not doing much these days.” Tune replied flatly, following suit and sliding her body down the neatly stacked wooden piles with a big stretch of her arms. “Besides, gotta make myself useful somehow. Put me to work whenever.”

Amy gave a slightly strained hum, quiet enough for Tune to not bat an eye at it, as she shuffled towards the raccoon girl’s side and tilted her head, allowing her quills to fall and hang off her face.

“We’ve been over this, Tune. This is a–” she began.

“Volunteer effort, I know.” Tune groaned out, her arm resting on her knee and hand going for a casual grab at her cheek. She didn’t look at Amy, only choosing to look forward as she watched the people around her, scattered across, still continuing their business checking off tasks with their clipboards and riding forklifts and pushing hand trucks. “You don’t have to keep reminding me. I’m doing the job y’all want me to do willingly, isn’t that good?”

Amy pouted her lips, placing the tips of her fingers on the surface of the stacks of boxes behind her. “But do you even want this?”

“Doesn’t matter what I want right now.” Tune said matter-of-factly. “What matters is that I can help so I can repay my debts I've already taken on.”

“I thought we told you we aren’t asking for anything.” Amy let out another sigh. “If you don’t want to help, it’s fine.”

“Rosy–” Amy shook her head in defiance, walking right up to Tune, taking her clawed hands and pulling her up to force her to stand. Tune stumbled a bit, but managed to find her footing.

“Tune, it’s not about just working all day, everyday.” Amy softly lectured. “We want you to do this because we want you to want it. It should make you feel fulfilled, like if you’re accomplishing something good.”

Amy’s brow creased. “If this makes you satisfied, if it makes you happy, we’re glad to have you here.” She pleaded. “But, if you’re not happy, if there’s something wrong...”

“There’s nothing wrong, Rosy. I promise I’m fine. Believe it or not I’m happy to be here, honest.” Tune would steal a hand away to place it atop Amy’s shoulder in an attempt at reassurance, squeezing it a bit, a small smile straining on her face that anyone could tell didn’t match her eyes. Amy still looked unconvinced, her pout still lingering, her eyes still scanning everything Tune had to offer.

“Then, if there’s nothing wrong, I want you to do something for me.” Amy said, holding on to Tune’s hand on her shoulder.

“Yeah, Jewel Bug’s office needs re-organizing, I know.” Tune said openly.

Amy shook her head, a little giggle escaping her lips at Tune’s nickname for Jewel. “No, none of that today, silly. In fact, it’s actually about that thing I’ve been mentioning.”

Tune frowned, turning her head away to not catch Amy’s overwhelming gaze.

“You mean about the beach?” She muttered out, her bushy tail wrapping around her waist. Amy nodded, her tail wagging in response.

“Yeah!” she giddily exclaimed, her grip on Tune’s hand tightening ever so slightly. “I think it’d be a nice way for us to get some air and spend time with each other. Y’know, to get away from the stuffiness that can sometimes creep up from HQ.”

…It did sound quite enticing. She’d never admit it, but Tune was quite homesick. Having sand between her toes and the smell of seawater flooding her nose again as she gazed upon a vast ocean of beauty sounded wonderful after who knows how long she’d been away. But even still, Tune shook her head.

“...Pass.” she said instinctively.

“Whaaat?” Another pout from Amy, a whine sounding off from her mouth. “Oh come on, Tune. The beaches around here are absolutely beautiful. The one near Green Hill especially this time of year.”

“I just don’t think I’m ready for the whole ‘family gathering’ thing right now.” Tune shifted her weight on one leg, kicking the other behind her.

“We’re not inviting the whole Restoration here, sweetheart.” Amy joked playfully. “Just a little get together with some friends, maybe a nice barbecue. You get in the water, maybe build a sandcastle or even just chill out by the coast.”

“Rosy…” Tune whined.

“And,” Amy’s voice turned mischievous. “You can watch Sonic, Silver, Tangle and Whisper absolutely obliterate each other in volleyball.”

“Those two against Tangle and Whisper? I feel like their marriage would end on the spot with how competitive they are.”

“Hey, if any of them were married I’d be the first to know, for your information.”

Without realizing it, Tune snorted, a thin sheepish smile spreading across her face, only serving to encourage Amy, the pink hedgehog shaking her hips in anticipation. Before the girls could get another word out, suddenly, something from above fell down and landed just next to them. Red and white sneakers, a blue exterior and piercing green irises attached to a very, very cocky aura was all that was needed to announce the surprise guest on scene.

“Oh, Sonic!” Amy released her grip on Tune to clasp her hands together, warm energy radiating from her face. “We were just talking about you, if you’d believe.”

Sonic scratched under his nose confidently with a hand on his hips, his foot tapping away at nothing. His mouth opened as he quickly signed off on something with enthusiasm, but realized what he was doing and rolled his eyes, ready to pull out his phone.

“She wants to have a barbecue.” Tune didn’t realize what she had done before Sonic’s eyes widened in shock. Still unsure, she spoke. “...What?”

“Hey, you never told us you knew sign language, Tune.” Amy chirped in.

Tune’s entire body went beet red, her tail clenching and prickling up from the embarrassment. “I-I don’t!! I just…I-I picked up on a few things, that’s all!”

“He rarely ever signs at us, though?” Amy pressed on, despite the raccoon girl's protest. “Did you…look into this recently or something?”

“Amy, are we doing this beach thing or not?!” Sonic snickered mutedly, rewarding himself with a glare in his direction by his victim. “C-cut it out! I didn’t learn for your sake, you jerk. I’ve been known. You ain’t special.”

Sonic crossed his arms and leaned in a bit while nodding her head in false agreement, mouthing a teasing “Oh I’m sure.”

“Sorry, I don’t speak ‘shithead’.” Tune retorted unamused, causing Sonic to blow a raspberry in her direction.

“Alright you two, that’s enough.” Amy called out, her hands raised at the both of them. “Sonic, are you interested?” The speedster nodded, kicking off and wrapping an arm around Tune’s neck casually, Tune jolting at his touch trying to get him off by flicking his face, Sonic’s face contorting into what ended up being a silent sneeze. Amy rolled her eyes.

“Then, it’s settled!” she cheered, clapping her hands together. “Let’s go to the beach!”

–

“I look to a starry sky, Knowing on the Other Side of Night The coming light is beaming bright as never before.”

Of course this would be Tangle’s choice in the playlist. The car ride over to the beach was quite energetic. It wasn’t a long drive by any means, about fifteen minutes at most. But in that time, jams would be blasted through the speakers of Amy’s sports car unapologetically loud, Tangle and Amy snapping their fingers and pumping their fists in the air to the beat of the mood thumping rhythm, Whisper politely tapping her palms against her knees, quietly humming along. Tune sat in the front passenger seat gazing out the window, unable to control the way her foot lightly tapped to the infectious energy pouring through, her head bopping rhythmically.

“Every fear I had has gone away, Promises of joy are here to stay,” Tangle belted out with her whole chest from her side of the rear seat next to Whisper. “Another day when we can do this over again, All over again!”

She gave an energetic fist pump in the air, cheering a loud “Wooh!” to the skies above and anyone else lucky enough to witness. Amy giggled as she drove off, turning the wheel slightly as the road curved, revealing more and more of the ocean beyond.

“This is so exciting!” Amy exclaimed. “It’s been a while since I’ve been to this area with you guys. We really need to do this more often.”

“Sure thing, Ames!” said Tangle gleefully. “We don’t get a lot of time together outside fighting off Eggman’s goons, it’s good that we’re hanging out again. Helps that we’ve got a new musically inclined member to the group this time around.” With that, Tangle used her tail to stretch out towards Tune’s head, ruffling her hair playfully. Tune made a surprised, sharp noise from her mouth, like she was coughing up something, her hands instinctively going to swipe away at Tangle’s wagging tail.

“Hey, knock it off!” Tune whined irritably, the girls giggling in response.

“Say, I have an idea: why don’t you pick out the next track, Tune?” Tangle suggested, pulling out her phone and using her tail once more to plop it safely onto her lap.

“That’s a great idea, Tangle!” said Amy. “Anything you want, let’s hear what you’ve got.”

“I’m cool with anything really, why don’t you do it, Top Gun?” Tune bashfully muttered, already hating the attention, turning her head and trying to hand the phone to the lone wolf quietly sitting in the back. Whisper shook her head and held up her hand in denial, beckoning her to continue.

“Come on, what’s the musical genius’ favorite jam?” Tangle excitedly bounced in place, poking at the edges of Tune’s seat.

“I’m just a hobbyist, not some prodigy. And I like everything I can listen to, even the crappy stuff.” Tune corrected nonchalantly. She could see Tangle’s exceedingly disappointed face through the rear-view mirror, an over exaggerated cartoon-like glisten in her eyes. Tune sighed in defeat, tapping away at the phone presented to her. “But I mean, I guess I can go by the vibe today. Let’s see here…”

Tune scrolled until she found the song she was looking for, a high energy, funky, feel good anthem, presented with a picture of a model spaceship with a strikingly plain orange background. She tapped the play button, and the music began in earnest.

“You say that bolder doesn't always mean better But sometimes you gotta think outside of the box You limit every little step that you're taking And always take a second glance at the clock”

The three smiled excitedly, the road trip getting just a bit more energetic. Amy was careful to eye the road, but given no other people trying to tail behind or around her, she gave into the groove a bit more than she would normally, rocking her shoulders to the beat and absolutely beaming, her foot going a bit stronger on the gas. Tangle rose her arms out with reckless abandon, yelping out quick cheers into the wind. Whisper rocked her head back and forth, reaching her hand out to tap it against the outer part of the car door lightly.

“Don't you wanna look a little bit further, To see what's there for you to find? There is more for you than what's on your mind!”

A woosh from the distance caught everybody by surprise, Sonic and Silver greeting the four from right next to each other, Silver flying with a large backpack strapped to his back, giving an excited wave of his hand, and Sonic giving a playful wink and a flick of his two fingers in salute as he ran across the road on…foot?!

“Dude, did you run all the way here?!” Tune exclaimed wide eyed, peeling off her sunglasses in a frenzy. Surely, he couldn’t be this fast. There was no way.

“This is pretty on brand of him, actually.” Amy said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Tune whipped her head back towards her, and then back at the hedgehog duo beside them.

“That can’t be normal…I mean, I knew he was fast but still.”

“Well, how else is he gonna get a race in?” Tangle challenged, eyeing Sonic directly mischievously, her hands gripping the window sheild’s base. “He knows Amy would wipe the floor with him if he was driving his silly little patty wagon, so he needs a handicap.”

“Tangle, don’t encourage him. I’m driving on a public road with a speed limit attached.” Amy warned.

“I don’t see anybody nearby, do you?” Tangle shrugged playfully.

Sonic’s competitive spirit kicked into overdrive, signaling a countdown towards Amy. He held up his hand, fingers counting down from five, Silver giving the audible cue.

“Sonic, no!” Amy scolded, though Tune could see the way her foot tapped on that gas pedal, her knee pumping up and down and both hands going for the steering wheel, gripping tight. Oh no…

“You maybe wanna not do this today, Needlemouse?” Tune’s voice cracked, eliciting a giggle from Whisper.

“Four, three,” Silver counted as Sonic’s fingers lowered.

“Y’all better quit it right now!” Tune was getting desperate, already tightening her seatbelt to the furthest it could go, hands gripping to her seat like her life depended on it.

“Two, one…”

“Step on it, Amy!” Tangle screamed out with a pointed finger forward.

“GO!”

If the competition was to find out who could release the most blood curdling scream, Tune would win by a landslide, her voice comically echoing into the atmosphere. The adrenaline rush was nerve wracking as it was intoxicating, watching as Amy pressed hard on the gas and the girl's body keeling backwards from the sudden momentum. Sonic took off in a flash, Silver following right behind him, his legs barely visible from the overwhelming pace he was setting. Everyone could see the ocean just beyond the horizon, getting closer and closer with each passing second.

“Amy, I swear to every deity in the sky if you don’t win this…!” Tune blurted out, hearing Tangle whooping from the back of her seat. “Seriously, what the hell is the end goal here?!”

Amy could only laugh with the confidence of a madwoman, allowing her car to skid across the road once they reached another curve. She would just barely graze past Sonic’s form, Silver slowing down a bit to take in as a makeshift referee.

“First one to the beach’s parking lot wins, and I'll be watching!” Silver called out, causing Sonic to up the ante and move his legs so quick Tune could see them spiraling into what looked to be an infinity symbol from Amy’s side mirror.

He took off quickly, the gust of wind so massive Amy’s sunhat almost went with it, Whisper just barely catching it from behind her seat, keeping it to herself as the car sped off right behind him. Eventually, the gang reached a small hill on the road, but as much as Tune was silently begging her not to with a pleading eye and a pathetic whimper, Amy took one look at Sonic, who turned his head to face Amy and pulled his lower eyelid down, tongue sticking out teasingly, and it was game over from there on.

Amy hit the pedal even harder, the speed limit of the universe seemingly having been breached, the speedometer encased in the glass panel on the driver’s seat going so far down there was a chance it’d break off its hinges. The car reached the hill and reached into the air, everyone on board screaming joyfully, Tune for dear life. All the while, the music Tune had been instructed to play just moments earlier was still blasting from Amy’s speakers, the chorus conveniently kicking in.

“Everything you wish for is just another dream away, So just pluck up the courage! Can't you feel your heart it is beating underneath your skin, For you to begin?”

The car bounced back onto the ground hard, the girl’s bodies following the rhythm of its flow, Amy not letting up in the slightest, just barely managing to snake by Sonic and find herself not too far from the parking lot. She hit the breaks quickly and swerved, the car making a screeching noise as it skidded against the pavement. Sonic was right on top, skidding his shoes down the floor, sparks and gravel harshly breaking from the force. Tangle was cheering uncontrollably, Amy gasping for air with a sweaty brow, Whisper’s tail wagging with vigor…and Tune melting into putty in her seat.

“That was awesome!! Let’s do it again!” Tangle gestured to Silver wildly, ripping off her seatbelt and basically springing out from the car, Whisper choosing to take the normal way out and open the door. Amy followed suit, grabbing her hat back from Whisper’s careful hands when she and her met, and Tune just kind of stood in place in her seat with the belt still attached to her body, her eyes still trying to adjust to her new environment.

“Who won, who won?” Sonic signed off energetically at Silver, causing his partner to laugh heartily.

“I dunno, it came preeetty close, darling.” Silver teased, adjusting his bag and floating downward, his feet lightly tapping against the pavement.

“Oh, it was obviously Amy.” Tangle refuted with a tail wrapping around Amy and pulling her forward, causing Amy to giggle. “She wiped the floor with you in that powerhouse!”

“Girl, it better have been Rosy.” Tune exasperatedly called out, finally managing to exit her seat and wobbling to the group. “I almost lost my life today.”

Sonic signed off yet again, slower so Tune could read properly.

“We can always go again to make absolutely sure.” He teased with a wink in her direction.

“Yeah, y’all do that while I go and do the thing we actually came here for.” Tune clapped back, fixing up her frizzy hair. Everyone around her had a hearty group laugh, a small smile gracing Tune’s features as she hummed softly.

“Hey, yeah, there we go,” Silver beamed. “That’s the look we wanna see!”

A blush settled in, Tune adjusting her glasses with the tips of her two fingers, wrapping her tail around her waist.

“Yeah, well don’t get used to it, Floats.” she passively said, but her tone didn’t quite match the smile growing further, not bothering to give him the satisfaction of her getting to see his pleased expression.

“Don’t tempt us, we might just have to try harder to keep it there.” Sonic signed off to her with another wink.

She huffed out a breath through her nose, gesturing with her head to Amy to open the trunk of her car. The group took a few items each from the trunk they had accumulated for the trip: a few beach chairs, umbrellas, some towels, a small backpack that Tune had snagged at a thrift shop with a portable speaker built inside (which itself contained some essentials like sunscreen, portable batteries and first aid equipment), a basket owned by Amy containing a carefully curated selection of snacks and other goodies for them to eat, a cooler filled with ice and beverages, another one for the barbecue ingredients, and of course, volleyball and sand castle equipment.

Tune took her backpack out, wrapping the bands around her shoulders before trying to go for a chair and one of the coolers, but Silver’s aura snaked its way to carefully take the cooler away from her hands. When she looked at him in confusion, he simply uttered “I’ll be taking that.” with a warm smile, before heading off to meet the others who were already making their way towards the sandy beach, the cooler floating close behind.

Tune watched as they walked as a group, staying just a bit further away, enamored by the community just beyond her. Tangle had her tail laced around Whisper’s shoulder, Amy giddily talking to Sonic as he and Silver held each other’s hands. All the while smiles were on each and every one of their faces, like if they were all just a big happy family. Another genuine smile, albeit unsure, formed across Tune’s face, this time a bit wider as she saw Sonic turn his head around, scooping up air in a gesture for her to hurry up.

This is okay. For now, I can try to enjoy this.

Tune kicked off phantom dirt from her sneakers, and trotted off to meet the rest of the gang, the familiar scent of seawater gracing her nostrils.

–

As Amy had promised, the beach right beside Green Hill was beautiful, almost wistfully so. It stretched a good long way, was surprisingly not crowded and most importantly, it was quiet. The water was a clear blue, reflecting the completely cloudless sky, and the sand while burning hot was still cleaned and free of any man made debris. A few beach chairs and umbrellas surrounded the area, while some people had blankets on the ground already soaking in the summer sun. The wind blew lightly against the group's skins, the salty water perfectly settling in on the comfortably warm atmosphere.

The gang each took a respective task once they found a comfortable space to lay their things. Towels were placed on the warm sand, beach chairs were unpacked and unfolded and umbrellas were neatly perched atop the chairs. The cooler was opened revealing an assortment of sodas, juices and water bottles for them to enjoy, courtesy of Amy and Whisper. Amy had set aside her basket full of snacks and sandwiches to enjoy, as well as things to cook for the barbecue they had sat around to use. Tangle and Sonic wasted no time searching for the nearest spot to set up a volleyball game, while Whisper and Silver finished gathering up the paper plates Amy kept in her basket. Tune set her bag down, fiddling with the speakers and grabbing at her phone kept snug in one of the side pockets.

“Y’all got any requests?” she’d ask the group setting up beside her, watching from a distance as Tangle and Sonic ran around the open sand setting up their makeshift court.

“You’re the musician here, surely you should have some sort of playlist for an occasion like this.” teased Silver, adding the final adjustments to one of the last beach umbrellas. Tune boredly stuck her tongue out in a playful response, pulling up a premade playlist titled “SUMMER VIBEZ” from a list of already crafted tracklists she’d made in her spare time.

“Guess I’m doing everythin’ here, huh?” She rolled her eyes. “You’re lucky I just so happen to do this for fun, but I don’t guarantee you’d like any of the stuff I listen to.”

“So as long as we can have fun, that’s all that really matters.” Amy brightly said.

Tune reciprocated the look the pink hedgehog gave in kind, pressing play on her screen and allowing the music to float into the air.

“The game has begun, gals and pals!” Tangle called out with a wave of her hand, using her tail to spring up into the air to gain more attention from her friends. Amy giggled watching as Whisper and Silver ran up to meet the others, Whisper’s tail wagging as she greeted Tangle with a hug and Sonic and Silver giving each other the most boyish of high fives Tune had ever seen, it was almost like they weren’t dating with how goofily friendly they’d behave in comparison to the girls. Amy followed suit, glancing up at Tune who had situated herself atop a beach chair underneath an umbrella.

“You’re not tagging along?” Amy asked. Tune shook her head.

“Naw, I’ll probably just watch from here.” She said, waving her hand up and down. “It’s comfy. Got a nice view. Besides, I get tired easily. Those guys look like they’d go on forever if you let ‘em.”

Amy hummed, smiling once more at the racoon girl with a nod. “Well, if you ever wanna get in on this, you let us know.”

“Bet.”

Tune watched as Amy walked away to meet with her friends, her preppy sundress bouncing against her figure as she did, holding onto her sunhat and sandals clapping against her feet with each step. She saw as Amy stood in the middle, holding up her hands and shouted some things Tune couldn’t quite make out, as the game began and Tangle gave the first serve of the day. It was mesmerizing watching them play, Tangle and Whisper working together in complete sync as they tackled the ball.

Even with Sonic’s inability to speak, Silver and him still were managing just fine, at some point Silver would hoist Sonic’s whole body up with his interlaced hands, allowing him to catch and spike the ball to the other side with a kick of his foot, Tangle easily thwacking it back with a swipe of her tail. Silver would catch it, bouncing it back to Whisper’s side, a bit too far for her, forcing her to have to body the floor to pass it to Tangle, who managed to get a good spike before Sonic was able to properly react and grab the point.

They went on like that for a good while, and Tune made a note that the way these people played felt as if they were training in the octagon for some big tournament, Amy enthusiastically reffing the whole way through. Tune grimaced, thanking her lucky stars that she made the right call to not be involved. She helped herself to a water in the nearby cooler, choosing the cheaper option from the selection and setting down a few rings in its place from her bag as payment.

Tune sipped quietly as she just took in the vibes of her playlist, sitting a bit further into the beach chair. She’d eye back and forth between the ocean before her and the basket full of food Amy had left behind, deciding it’d be best for her to eat now before Silver got mad. She sifted through the basket for a bit before taking out what looked to be a strawberry cream filled cornet from a fancy bakery, placing a few more rings in its place and unwrapping it with care. She closed her eyes and with a small “Thanks for the food”, she went to take a bite…

And that’s when something hard landed square at her, smashing the cornet right into her face.

“Sonic!” Amy groaned out, rushing towards the raccoon who was still trying to find out why the world was spinning, the cream of her pastry plastered all over her face, bits of the breading already leaking into her chest fur. “This is why I always say don’t kick-spike!”

Sonic’s face was wide eyed, sheepishly scratching at the back of his neck as he followed the others alongside Amy.

“Gwuh…?” Tune’s dizzy voice rang out, watching as at least eight repeats of the same Rosy she knew grabbed napkins to wipe the cream off, spouting something she couldn’t quite comprehend. “Run that by me again, Rosy?”

“I asked if you were okay,” Amy worriedly said, glaring at Sonic with a thin lipped pout, who’d reached into the cooler in search of a bottle of water for Amy to use to clean Tune up a bit more. “These guys can be so reckless sometimes, I swear.”

“Sonic…?” Tune questioned, still not quite coherent. He came by to her side swiftly, inaudibly mouthed off something to Amy before she backed off and allowed Sonic to take the reins, carefully swiping off any of the pastry left on Tune’s lap, eyeing her face in concern.

“Wow Sonic, are you trying to give her a concussion or something?” Tangle called out teasingly.

“Yeah because it’s totally not like you didn’t use your tail a majority of that match.” Silver interjected.

“I’m not the one who spiked the ball at the new girl’s face, though.” Tangle clapped back with a giggle.

“It was a bit reckless on all our parts.” Whisper muttered out.

Tune, finally able to process the scene unfurling, gazed back at him, eyes traveling to the group worriedly staring down at her, and then back to her body still covered with crumbs and cream sticking to her swim top and a bit of her jean shorts.

“Sorry about that, you good?” he mouthed to Tune, clearly embarrassed. It was a refreshing look in comparison to his usual shiteating demeanor, a face that she was completely unfamiliar with. Sonic was waiting with baited breath, like if he was expecting an angry, mouthful of a reaction. But what he got instead, what everyone witnessed alongside him, was something much more unexpected.

She snorted, her face contorted, her teeth were bared and then…

She laughed.

She blurted out uncontrollably, hugging her stomach. She laughed hard for the first time in years, for the first time in front of anyone in so long. It was genuine, it was unfiltered. She had an ugly, goofy cackling laugh, tears were forming in her eyes from the pressure. She could barely keep herself together, having to hold on to Sonic’s shoulder unknowingly to keep steady, unable to stop herself from making a scene. She was so loud even the neighboring beach-goers around the group could hear. All the same, it was cathartic, it was exactly what the group had been working towards this whole time.

“I completely ate dirt, oh my gosh!” Tune was turning red, crumbs still falling on her face. She looked crazy, trying to wipe them off but falling into another laughing fit once they’d unceremoniously be scattered onto Sonic’s nearby shoes. She fell to her side on the chair as she cried out, “I guess this is payback for last time, ain’t it Needlemouse–pfft–hahaha!”

“I think she actually might have a concussion…” Whisper uttered for Tangle’s ears only, Tangle nodding in agreement nervously as Tune’s laughter became too much, eliciting giggles and chuckles from the rest of the gang. Tune’s cackling died out slowly, small giggles still bubbling from her in bursts, finally able to retain her composure. She caught Sonic’s now slightly flushed expression, patting his head in assurance, finally smiling toothily at him for the first time since they’d met, warm and inviting.

“Don’t worry, now we’re even.” She jested. “But you do owe me some food.”

Sonic’s composure relaxed with her words, nodding excitedly before getting up and snagging Amy’s basket, fiddling through it until he managed to find another one of the cornets. It wasn't strawberry, just a basic chocolate, but Tune took it nonetheless. She grabbed at her bag and pulled out her ring purse, grabbing a few more and placing it into the basket. Sonic stood there confused, Silver quick to call her out.

“Hey, Tune, are you trying to pay for it?” Silver groaned out, walking to the basket, Tune trying to quickly put the ring purse away knowing what was coming. Unfortunately for her, she was head to head with a man with psychic abilities and a speedster faster than sound, Silver going after her ring purse and Sonic grabbing the rings from the basket, plus the extra she left for the other cornet, giving them to Silver to put back in the purse despite the musicians’ protests.

“Oh please, it was just for this one cornet, it’s fine.” Tune refuted, her voice once again cracking, trying to reach for her purse.

“We did bring these for all of us to share, you know.” Amy scolded. “It’s not something we’re expecting you to pay for.”

“Guys? There’s some more in the drink cooler.” Tangle called out, reaching for a soda and pulling out the extra rings Tune had left.

“Tune!” Amy whined out with puffed out cheeks. Silver snagged the other rings with his power unamused, placing them gently into the purse before reaching for Tune’s bag and securing the purse inside.

“None of that today.” he simply stated, smiling. “Remember, you’re here to have fun!”

“But Floats–” Tune tried for it once more.

“Nope, today’s a day for you to be unapologetically selfish.”

“But I can’t just–” Before she could finish, Sonic was the first to act, stealing her cornet from her hands and taking a bite from the pointed tip, Tune’s eyes going wide, completely dumbfounded when he handed it back to her. He signed to her with a shrug, his shit eating grin back.

“Today’s a day for us to be selfish, so you snooze, you lose!”

“Don’t make me change my mind about that ‘getting even’ thing, blue.” Tune rolled her eyes and pulled apart the area where Sonic bit, handing over to him and reluctantly took a bite of the other side, talking with her mouth full as she watched as Sonic snickered mutedly. “Don’t you have a volleyball game to lose?”

“Eh, we could all use a break. Call it a draw for now.” Tangle’s voice rang, lifting the cooler with the barbecue ingredients inside. “Besides, I think it’s high time we got grilling right?”

–

After feasting off piles of snacks, barbecue chili dogs and tasty grilled veggie skewers, the match would continue, with Sonic and Silver just barely managing to scrape by with a two point lead at the very end. The rest of the day was spent building sandcastles and playing in the water after such a long, strenuous game. Tune sat by the coast, watching as Tangle, Whisper and Amy would splash salt water at each other, their giggles creating an intoxicatingly happy atmosphere.

Tune didn’t participate much and she made the deliberate choice to stay a bit farther away from the group, but she was outside, she was taking in the air. For her, for now, it was enough. Tune felt the water drift along her now bare feet, choosing to leave her sneakers by their spot on the beach. She was far enough that it wouldn’t soak her shorts, but close enough that she could feel the soothing, familiar way the waves would push and pull against the current. If she squinted hard enough, she could probably see her homeland from the horizon line, just out of reach.

She watched as Amy would get her face dunked into the water by Tangle, Whisper in response pulling lightly at her tail and causing Tangle to dramatically (and purposefully) fall, the three giggling the whole time. Like they had no cares in the world. Tune felt herself being swept away in the moment, content, being fully immersed for the first time in a while. She’d be used to the feeling when it came to producing or engaging in music, but it always came at the expense of her associating it with her mission. Something that, despite the circumstances that lead her here, despite associating with one of her victims, she hadn’t really paid any mind to for a while, regardless of some hiccups here and there. But here with the Restoration, with them? It felt natural, real. It felt like she could really see herself staying with these people for a while.

And even despite their insistence that today could be a day where she could be a bit more selfish, Tune couldn’t help but feel the shame of her happiness, knowing her people wouldn’t be able to bask in that same feeling with her.

“I can’t keep doing this…” she thought, hugging her knees as she continued to gaze out. “I told myself from the start I’d break every part of myself and everyone around me to free them. If I truly am the only one that made it out, all I’m doing is abandoning what I set out here to do by choosing to stay. Alto is getting stronger by the day, and I’m wasting time partying and helping these..strangers. I’m the only one who can protect these people from falling victim to Alto’s hold, but it’s like I’m giving up on saving them by wasting my time here…” Her clawed hands gripped at her knees tighter, the sand turning to wet mud and the water losing its purity in her eyes. It was no longer the breathtaking scenery from just moments prior, it was morphed into just their most basic components: a vast ocean of water, and the decomposed rocks that formed the sandy shores they stood on.

“...I’m failing them.” she unconsciously uttered, so low no one could possibly hear.

“Failing who?”

Tune’s eyes widened as she sharply rose and jerked her head to the side, Sonic and Silver hand in hand above her. They sat down on opposite sides of Tune, Sonic taking her left and Silver her right. She adjusted her glasses once more, trying to conceal her flushed cheeks as they inched closer to get themselves comfy. From the distance, she could see the girls who were once in the water going far beyond her peripheral vision, Tangle’s voice echoing something about an “ice cream stand near the boardwalk”.

“N-no one!” she tried to retort. “You don’t think it’s a little rude to eavesdrop on a person like that, Floats?”

Silver wasn’t buying her attempt to change the subject in the slightest, his neutral, unreadable expression being perfectly lit by the daylight, the sun ever so slowly descending down as the late afternoon began. Sonic was the first to initiate, placing a hand on Tune’s shoulder. She didn’t bother looking at any of them, choosing to stay glued to the water.

“You know, this is the second time we’ve caught you brooding like this.” Silver jested passively. “I just wish sometimes you’d tell us what’s on your mind.”

“I’m sorry…” Tune said instinctively. “I must be ruining the vibe right now. I can be better, I just need a minute.”

Sonic shook his head, tapping at her forearm in an attempt to get her to look as he signed for her.

“You’re not ruining anything, we just want to check in. Make sure you’re good.”

“I’m noticing how often y’all feel the need to do that.” She wanted it to be mean, but Tune couldn’t help the huff from her nose from coming out, endearment laced in her tone.

“It’s because we care about you. And we want to help whatever’s going on.” signed Sonic earnestly. “Can’t really do that if we don’t know what the problem is.” His words brought her back to the day she and Sonic met, not that he’d remember. The day he had her pinned down, the day she took his voice away, he’d said something similar. It only served to nag at her psyche ever since.

“But this isn’t fair to you guys. You aren’t some therapists that are getting paid to listen to my problems.” Another hand, Silver’s, was gently placed on to her other shoulder. The waves crashed softly against the current.

“Is it so hard to believe that we’re doing this because we just…want to?” Silver asked. “I really don’t mean any disrespect, but I just wonder why you feel the need to push people away so hard.” He hesitated with his last words, fiddling with his open palm tree shirt. “Do you…not like being here?”

Tune sunk further into herself, her heart aching at Silver’s words. The disappointment radiating from him was unbearable. “Of course not! I…I think the problem is I like it here too much.” She said openly, sighing. “You guys…I really like hanging out with you. But it doesn’t help either of us by getting attached.”

“What do you mean?” she finally gave in and looked at Silver’s pleading gaze. Without having to speak, he was basically begging her to spill anything she had to offer. It tore her from the inside. It ate into her stomach until there was nothing left.

“I just…” Tune hesitated, she felt the way her heart started to pound, trying to contemplate what she would say. What could she say? If she said anything of value, she’d be deemed their enemy on the spot. It made no sense for her to relay anything about herself. It was dumb, it was shallow, pointless, reckless…and yet she continued, as vaguely as she could. “I… have a history of being let down by people in the past. I hurt people, and I get hurt by others. It’s just part of my brand, I guess.”

“Is that what you’re afraid of? Hurting us?” Sonic signed curiously.

“I just don’t want you guys to feel like I’m owed your time, that you need to try and make me feel better or something because of your Hero code or whatever. What happened to me in my past to make me this way shouldn’t concern you.”

“So you’d rather just…stay alone? When you obviously want to be here? What sense do you think that makes?”

“Sense enough that I don’t get hurt. And I don’t hurt you.” She said almost immediately, like she was sure the conversation would die there.

“But you are hurting.” Silver said with a somber confidence. “And it hurts us to know that you’re…not okay right now. When there’s a chance we can help.”

The pit grew once more in Tune’s stomach. “...You shouldn’t want to help me.”

“But we do. And we’re not going to stop caring just because you want us to.” Sonic nimbly signed. A moment passed, Tune soaking in his words.

“Can I share something with you?” Silver titled his head to meet her gaze once more. She nodded wordlessly, prompting him to continue. “The future I come from was always a mess. Everyone was so angry and sad, devoid of any hope. It was hard for me to even get it together half of the time. But once I got here, I started noticing how beautiful the world truly was. And how I wanted nothing more than to protect it.”

“What are you getting at?” Tune pondered curiously.

“I’m saying I have experience with this level of despair.” He continued, his grip on Tune’s shoulder tightening slightly as if to emphasize his point. “I won’t say I know the full extent of what you’re going through, but I do know what damage such a state of mind can land you in. Having people to guide you through it can help, but it’s only if you let yourself be open to the idea.”

“Can you let us in, Tune?” Sonic signed out to her gently with a warm expression. Tune could only look down, unsure of what to say, millions of emotions circling across her features.

Silver got in position to stand up suddenly, lifting his body upwards and then reaching down for Tune’s hand with a soft smile. He wiggled his fingers in anticipation. She stared him down, unsure of what to make of his gesture, lifting her hand slightly, but hesitant to take that next step. Reluctantly, she grazed her fingers against his own, and he excitedly hoisted her up, pulling her in for a hug.

Tune froze against his sudden embrace with a tiny yelp, overloaded with sensation all at once. She wasn’t sure where she should put her hands, her arms glued down below as Silver placed his chin atop her shoulder, his arms lacing against her back. Tune would catch Sonic’s warm glow, using his arms to motion inwardly. Reluctantly, timidly and completely unprepared, Tune shakily wrapped her arms around Silver’s shoulders, her small stature making her look more like a consoled child. Her mind was going a million miles a minute as Silver tightened his grip on her, dragging soothing circles across her upper back.

“How long has it been since you’ve even gotten to do this with someone?” Silver gently asked, not expecting an answer. “The way you talk, the way you act…It’s like you’re depriving yourself of something so inherently common.”

“...It’s been a long time…” Tune could barely get the words out, her body slowly relaxing into his touch. “I don’t have many people in my life to do this with anymore.”

“Then we’ve got a lot of these to catch you up on.” She closed her eyes with a shuddering breath, pulling Silver in further and hid her face in his fur, like she was holding on for dear life.

“Sure…” was all she could mutter.

When they finally pulled away, there was a physical disappointment Tune felt, and despite the warm air, she felt cold, alone. She timidly peered back at Sonic watching the whole scene take place, his warm, genuine smile bounced off her unsure eyes. Without thinking, without breathing, without any sense at all, she would slowly walk up to Sonic, grasping at his arms a bit too roughly and pulling him in. He was taken a bit aback, but didn’t waste any time, wrapping his arms around Tune’s frame softly.

“I’m really sorry…” she mumbled humbly. “I can’t ever make up for the bad shit I’ve done in the past…but I want to try and be better so I can maybe move forward. I don’t know how to stop hurting. I don’t know how to start to heal. But I want to try.”

Pulling away for a moment to sign to her, Sonic smiled, his hands speaking for him. “You can start small. You can start by letting us in a little more. This is good for now, if that’s all you can muster.”

“And if that’s all I can do for a while?” Tune pleaded, for the first time wishing she could remember what his voice sounded like beyond what it was in her choir.

Sonic’s determined look spelled it all out.“Then that’s all you can do for a while. The hardest part is taking that first step.”

Tune hummed in response, pulling away fully from Sonic. She paused momentarily, then awkwardly extended her hands towards Sonic and Silver. The hedgehogs tenderly placed their hands atop hers, almost as if in vow to each other.

“I can’t promise to spill my secrets right away. Frankly, I’m still of the mindset that y’all would hate me forever once I did. But I want to get better. It’ll be slow, but I’m willing to put in the work.” Tune rattled off, pausing for a moment before continuing, her flushed and pleading gaze extended to both of them. “...Can you guys be patient with me a little longer while I work my way towards that?” She didn’t even have to ask, Sonic and Silver nodded, pulling her in once more briefly.

“Thanks, guys…” Tune quietly uttered.

The waves crashed onwards, Tune could see the beauty in the way they morphed the sand, the slowly lowering sun now against the clear waters, glistening in its splendor. Tangle's voice echoed from behind, and when the trio pulled away, they could see the girls with multiple ice creams wrapped in plastic, Tangle taking it upon herself to be a menace and grabbing as many as her hands and tail could carry. When she inevitably dropped a few, Whisper was there to quickly grab them before they had a chance to reach the floor, Amy stealing a few from Tangle’s grasp exhaustively. Silver laughed at the sight, the girls finally meeting up with the trio and distributing colorful ice creams, multiple at a time.

“So, what’d we miss?” Amy’s knowing expression towards Tune said it all, their absence was planned.

“We could be asking you that same question,” Tune jested. “Flexy, did you buy the cart out of stock or something?”

“That is totally not relevant to anything ever.” Tangle said defensively with a pointed finger. “But enough talking, these things’ll melt if we don’t eat ‘em fast!”

“Oh I should get my ring purse to pay for my share–-” Tune began, ready to walk before abruptly stopping in her tracks. She paused for a moment, catching herself, and then took one of the three popsicles Tangle had given her, unwrapped the one with the goofy sponge character and gumball eyes, and bit down quickly with an audible hum of contentment, to the boy’s visible comfort, but much to the horror of Amy.

“You bite your ice cream?!” she exclaimed.

“Is that not how you’re supposed to do it? Don’t you bite food?” She asked, mouth full. Amy looked completely flabbergasted at Tune’s popsicle, littered with her large sharp teeth marks as the raccoon girl chewed thoroughly.

“Not if it’s ice cold!”

“Well then how do you eat before it melts?” Tune took another bite, completely nonchalant.

“Like a normal person!!” Amy all but screamed.

“Well then ‘normal person’, get cracking because I think I see some drippings on your dress already.”

“What?!” Amy exclaimed, seeing purple stains already littering her dress just as Tune described, her hand full of an already melting popsicle. “Oh, Gaia above, why do I even bother?”

Tune would approach Amy and pat her on the back, watching her frantically try to wipe any stains off to no avail. “Let’s get you some napkins, we can throw that in the wash when we get back home. I for one will get sick if I eat this much ice cream in one sitting, so I’m unfortunately gonna have to throw these in the cooler.” With that, she left Amy to her devices, finishing off her ice cream in just three bites.

The gang once more got in some good chuckles. They walked off, Sonic and Silver taking a good glance and Tune from behind her, grasping at each other's hands unconsciously. They both looked at each other in surprise, warm smiles etched on their faces. Sonic would bump his shoulder against Silver’s, Silver mirroring his actions in kind.

“She’ll be okay.” Silver simply stated.

Sonic nodded in agreement, the ringing in his ear getting just a bit softer.

#maple talking shit #sonic the hedgehog #maple's writing adventures #maple scraps #this is the final chapter i wanna post bc the other ones are pretty MEH and just serve to advance the plot #although in one there is a really funny tails scene that i probably wanna share but that'll probs be a screnshot #bc the rest is kind of bleh #honestly i'm really only posting this one for that race scene bc it was super fun to write #also was this a bad time to mention silver and sonic are in an established relationship in this fic?#uhh whoops well they are yipee i remember thigns real good i'm so good at this #fun fact i wanted tune's dumb nickname for whisper to be hollaback like the gwen stephani song #but i chickened out bc i thought it might have been rude instead of playful #but to this day i can't think of anything better so i settled for top gun bc she's a smart shot with that wispon #she does those little nicknames like how hapi fe3h does it for her friends literally that's how i got the idea i am not original at all LOL #sonic oc #edit: thinking about it now i literally could have just used chatterbox like hapi does #why am i so bad at everything ever

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warren-therealg-harding · 1 year ago

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Balder and Dash

The Baltimore Sun | H.L. Mencken | March 1921

On the question of the logical content of Dr. Harding’s harangue of last Friday, I do not presume to have views. The matter has been debated at great length by the editorial writers of the republic, all of them experts in logic; moreover, I confess to being prejudiced. When a man arises publicly to argue that the United States entered the war because of a “concern for preserved civilization,” I can only snicker in a superior way and wonder why he isn’t holding down the chair of history in some American university.

When he says that the United States has “never sought territorial aggrandizement through force,” the snicker arises to the virulence of a chuckle, and I turn to the first volume of Gen. Grant’s memoirs. And when, gaining momentum, he gravely informs the boobery that “ours is a constitutional freedom where the popular will is supreme, and minorities are sacredly protected,” then I abandon myself to a mirth that transcends, perhaps, the seemly.

But when it comes to the style of a great man’s discourse, I can speak with a great deal less prejudice, and maybe with somewhat more competence, for I have earned most of my livelihood for twenty years past by translating the bad English of a multitude of authors into measurably better English. Thus qualified professionally, I rise to pay my small tribute to Dr. Harding. Setting aside a college professor or two and half a dozen dipsomaniacal newspaper reporters, he takes the first place in my Valhalla of literati. That is to say, he writes the worst English I have ever encountered. It reminds me of a string of wet sponges; it reminds me of tattered washing on the line; it reminds me of stale bean soup, of college yells, of dogs barking idiotically through endless nights. It is so bad that a sort of grandeur creeps into it. It drags itself out of the dark abysm (I was about to write abscess!) of pish, and crawls insanely up the topmost pinnacle of posh. It is rumble and bumble. It is flap and doodle. It is balder and dash.

But I grow lyrical. More scientifically, what is the matter with it? Why does it seem so flabby, so banal, so confused and childish, so stupidly at war with sense? If you had first read the inaugural address and then heard it intoned, as I did (at least in part), then you will perhaps arrive at an answer. That answer is very simple. When Dr. Harding prepares a speech he does not think of it in terms of an educated reader locked up in jail, but in terms of a great horde of stoneheads gathered around a stand. That is to say, the thing is always a stump speech; it is conceived as a stump speech and written as a stump speech. More, it is a stump speech addressed to the sort of audience that the speaker has been used to all of his life, to wit, an audience of small-town yokels, of low political serfs, or morons scarcely able to understand a word of more than two syllables, and wholly unable to pursue a logical idea for more than two centimeters.

Such imbeciles do not want ideas—that is, new ideas, ideas that are unfamiliar, ideas that challenge their attention. What they want is simply a gaudy series of platitudes, of sonorous nonsense driven home with gestures. As I say, they can’t understand many words of more than two syllables, but that is not saying that they do not esteem such words. On the contrary, they like them and demand them. The roll of incomprehensible polysyllables enchants them. They like phrases which thunder like salvos of artillery. Let that thunder sound, and they take all the rest on trust. If a sentence begins furiously and then peters out into fatuity, they are still satisfied. If a phrase has a punch in it, they do not ask that it also have a meaning. If a word slips off the tongue like a ship going down the ways, they are content and applaud it and wait for the next.

Harding carries his stump manner into everything he writes. He is, perhaps, too old to learn a better way. He is, more likely, too discreet to experiment. The stump speech, put into cold type, maketh the judicious to grieve. But roared from an actual stump, with arms flying and eyes flashing and the old flag overhead, it is certainly and brilliantly effective. Read the inaugural address, and it will gag you. But hear it recited through a sound magnifier, with grand gestures to ram home its periods, and you will begin to understand it.

Let us turn to a specific example. I exhume a sentence from the latter half of the eminent orator’s discourse: “I would like government to do all it can to mitigate, then, in understanding, in mutuality of interest, in concern for the common good, our tasks will be solved.” I assume that you have read it. I also assume that you set it down as idiotic—a series of words without sense. You are quite right; it is. But now imagine it intoned as it were designed to be intoned. Imagine the slow tempo of a public speech. Imagine the stately unrolling of the first clause, the delicate pause upon the word then—and then the loud discharge of the phrase in understanding, in mutuality of interest, in concern for the common good, each with its attendant glare and roll of the eyes, each with a sublime heave, each with its gesture of a blacksmith bringing down his sledge upon an egg—imagine all this, and then ask yourself where you have got. You have got, in brief, to a point where you don’t know what it is all about. You hear and applaud the phrases, but their connection has already escaped you. And so, when in violation of all sequence and logic, the final phrase, our tasks will be solved, assaults you, you do not notice its disharmony—all you notice is that, if this or that, already forgotten, is done, “our tasks will be solved.” Whereupon, glad of the assurance and thrilled by the vast gestures that drive it home, you give a cheer.

That is, if you are the sort of man who goes to political meetings, which is to say, if you are the sort of man that Dr. Harding is used to talking to, which is to say, if you are a jackass.

The whole inaugural address reeked with just such nonsense. The thing started off with an error in English in its very first sentence—the confusion of pronouns in the one-he combination, so beloved of bad newspaper reporters. It bristled with words misused: civic for civil, luring for alluring, womanhood for women, referendum for reference, even task for problem. “The task is to be solved”—what could be worse? Yet I find it twice. “The expressed views of world opinion”—what irritating tautology! “The expressed conscience of progress”—what on earth does it mean? “This is not selfishness, it is sanctity”—what intelligible idea do you get out of that? “I know that Congress and the administration will favor every wise government policy to aid the resumption and encourage continued progress”—the resumption of what? “Service is the supreme commitment of life”—ach, du heiliger!

But is such bosh out of place in stump speech? Obviously not. It is precisely and thoroughly in place of stump speech. A tight fabric of ideas would weary and exasperate the audience; what it wants is a simple loud burble of words, a procession of phrases that roar, a series of whoops. This is what it got in the inaugural address of the Hon. Warren Gamaliel Harding. And this is what it will get for four long years—unless God sends a miracle and the corruptible puts on incorruption…Almost I long for the sweeter song, the rubber stamps of more familiar design, the gentler and more seemly bosh of the late Woodrow.

#warren g harding #politics #us politics

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purrincess-chat · 4 years ago

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More Ladrien tropes no one asked for

Ladybug makes Adrien her yoyo screen background when they're dating and Chat absolutely teases her about it.

Ladybug accidentally admitting in an interview that she is a fan of Adrien's and he goes home to his dad like hi, yes, I need you to schedule 8 more photoshoots, I must please my lady.

Next time Ladybug has to save Adrien, he just keeps posing and smouldering.

Adrien going to Marinette for assistance baking a loaf of fresh bread because he wants to impress a girl he likes, and she is all disappointed but okay, and then later he gives it to Ladybug, and she is like oh. Oh.

Marinette has been super suspicious lately, sneaking off more than usual, coming up with lame excuses, staring off dreamily into the distance, and Nino reports that Adrien has been the same, so Alya confronts her finally like "I know your secret." "What??" "You and Adrien are dating in secret." "Oh, okay that's, uhhh" "I'm so happy for you girl, and I totally get it. My lips are sealed." "*internal screaming because shes not wrong but also not entirely right*"

Neither of them have any chill. Once they're dating they just go 0-100. "What do you think the color scheme should be for our wedding?" "We should go to Greece for our 30th anniversary." "How do you feel about the name Hugo for our third child?" "I'm for it."

Both of them are also super shy beans at first like scared to hold each others hands even.

Adrien poses his island getaway plan to her, and she is like that's really cute, but I'm a superhero, I need to be close to the city. "Just use the horse miraculous." "...fair enough lets do it."

Adrien being the cat boy he is loves when Ladybug plays with his hair. She comes over, and he just flops into her lap for pets.

Writing each other love poems and being so extra about it.

Roleplaying fairytale scenarios where Adrien is an enchanted prince who absolutely needs to be rescued with a kiss from his beautiful lady knight.

Adrien convinces his dad to invite Ladybug to be part of their security detail for an event they're having, and Gabriel being the snake bitch he is, is like yes, we should absolutely invite Ladybug with her magical earrings to our event, what a great idea, my son, but jokes on Gabriel, Adrien spends the whole night by her side just in absolute awe of her.

Adrien playing popular love songs for her on piano, and one day she starts singing along just unconsciously, and Adrien is like I have been blessed by God himself wow.

Ladybug talking passionately about helping people and saving the city, and Adrien just looking at her with absolute heart eyes before blurting out, "I love you." And Ladybug just absolutely breaks. None of her thoughts are coherent. She can die happy now.

Ladybug stealing him away from his window to take him to see the city when his dad is being a douche and keeping him home.

The sheer middle finger energy of post-Hawkmoth defeat Adrien just looking his dad in the eyes as Ladybug carries him away. They send their wedding announcement to him in prison.

Adrien not knowing when her birthday is and not wanting to pry by asking so he just one day makes her a gift for her birthday whenever it may be, and Ladybug is so touched wow.

Adrien is very generous with his kisses. Sometimes he just kisses her unconsciously on the hands, cheek, temples, hair, lips, shoulders. She's just so beautiful and amazing, he can't help it.

Likewise Ladybug is super cuddly. Sometimes after a long day, she just comes over and curls up in his arms.

Ladybug napping on Adrien's chest because she is tired, and he just holds her and let's her sleep because he knows how hard she works.

#ladrien wednesday #tropes

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wishuhadstayed · 3 years ago

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It Takes a Village

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x reader

Word Count: about 3000

Summary: when the Hotchner fam is in need, it’s a good thing to have many helping hands. Part 9 to Begin Again.

Warnings: mentions of blood and pregnancy complications

Author’s Note: I really am sorry for that cliffhanger y’all. 😬 I’m just glad you still love me after being gone for like, a literal year. Shoutout to @agent-laufeyson you’re the best 💜 (PS, please ignore Haley in the below gif, also please picture Hotch in the hospital in casual clothes.) 😌

Previous Chapter

Masterlist

For a moment, Aaron’s whole world stopped turning. A cold, familiar sense of dread settled into his chest at the words, “You all may want to sit down for this.”

“Not again,” he thought. “I can’t do this again, we can’t do this again.”

“God please,” he begged internally, slumping into a chair, “if you’re listening, please don’t take her. We need her.”

Suddenly, the voice of a surgeon cut through the silent room like a knife.

“Sir, your wife lost a significant amount of blood. We had no choice but to perform an emergency c-section. Although your daughter is slightly pre-term, she seems to be in good health. However, we would like to keep her a while for monitoring.”

“And my wife?” He inquires, voice trembling with fear.

“It was touch and go there for a while, but we were able to locate the source of bleeding and get it under control. Your wife is out of surgery. She’s stable, but she is very weak and currently asleep. She will also be hospitalized for recovery. At least a week most likely, maybe longer.”

“Mama’s gonna be okay?” Jack pipes up.

“Yes, she is buddy,” Aaron replies, ruffling his hair. “Thanks to that doctor.”

“Thanks for making my mama feel better.”

“You’re most welcome,” the surgeon replied. “You and your dad can go visit her now. The rest of you will have to wait. She needs her rest. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you doctor,” Aaron says, shaking his hand with a sigh of relief.

“You go Aaron,” Rossi encourages, clapping him on the shoulders before he even had a chance to turn around. “Go see your wife and baby. We’ll wait.”

——————————————————————————

Entering your hospital room, Aaron thought your sleeping face was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Sitting on the side of your hospital bed, he grabbed hand as you stirred awake.

“Hello Angel,” he murmurs as you take everything in. “You gave us quite a scare,” he mentions, softly caressing your face.

“The baby,” you whisper, touching his hand.

“Ssssshhhh,” he soothes. “The baby is fine. She’s in the nursery. You just rest okay?”

Instant relief washes over your face. “Jack?”

“I’m right here mama!” he exclaims, scrambling into Aaron’s lap.

“I want to see the baby,” you tell Aaron.

“I know darling, but you really need your rest.”

“I NEED to see her, Aaron.” You plead.

Taking the hint, he begins to rise. “Jack why don’t you stay with mama, while I go talk to the nurse, okay?”

“Okay Daddy,” he agrees, climbing in the bed next to you.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better mama,” Jack says, looking up at you with the sweetest face.

“Me too, baby,” you reply. “Are you ready to meet your sister?”

“Yeah!” he exclaims with a look of excitement. “Can I hold her?”

“Of course you can buddy, as long as you’re careful,” Aaron replies as he re-enters the room. “The nurses are bringing her down.”

A few minutes later a nurse arrives holding a tiny pink blanket. “Who wants to hold her first?” She inquires.

“You should hold her first, Aaron,” you suggest.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he insists. “You’ve been the strongest, bravest mom I know already. You should hold her first.”

As the nurse places the tiny, squirming bundle with her father’s dark hair in your arms, all the stress and chaos of the day seems to just melt away.

As you free a tiny hand from the swaddle so she can grasp your finger, her eyes flutter open.

“She’s perfect, isn’t she?” you wonder aloud.

“Absolutely lovely,” Aaron muses, draping his arm around your shoulders. “Just like her mother.”

——————————————————————————

Meanwhile, cooped up in the waiting area, the BAU team began to grow restless.

“Maybe we should get out of the hospital and go shopping while we wait,” Garcia suggests. “I think Y/N deserves all the gifts and pretty things today.”

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” JJ questions.

“TARGET RUN!” all three women exclaim in unison.

They all wandered the aisles like kids in a candy store.

“I’m getting her balloons,” Penelope says. “Like so many pink balloons. Nobody can feel bad with that many balloons.”

“Flowers,” Rossi chimes in. “We should get her plenty of flowers to make the room cheerful.”

“We’ll have to get those from hospital gift shop,” JJ comments.

“I’d want chocolate,” Emily suggests. “Chocolate helps everything.”

“Look,” Morgan says, showing a pink stuffed bunny to Garcia. “It’s cute right? For the baby?”

“It’s perfect, Derek,” she assures, grabbing his hand. “Very cute.”

“Oh, a memory book,” Reid mentions. “So they can write down details every day.”

“Leave it to the genius to pick out a book,” Morgan jokes with a playful shove.

“Settle down, boys.” JJ cuts in. “As much as I’m sure she’ll appreciate the pretty gifts, she did just have a baby,” she reminds the group. “She needs some practical things too, trust me.” As she picks out a blanket and a pacifier, Henry begins to grow restless. As she picked up a snack for him, another idea crossed her mind.

“We should get something for Jack, too,” she thought aloud. “LEGOs. He loves LEGOs. And some gummy bears.”

A sudden ringing startles everyone.

“Ssssshhhhhhh,” Garcia commands as she puts the phone on speaker. “It’s Y/N! Quiet!”

“Hello my angel dear,” she lilts, “How are you feeling?”

“I’m very tired, but otherwise happy and healthy,” you report. “Is everyone with you?”

“We’re all here,” JJ chimes in.

“Hi everyone!” You reply. “In that case, I have news. The nurses have said that we’re allowed to have visitors first thing in the morning, if you’d like to see our newest addition.”

“Oh, wild horses could not keep us away, ma’am.” Penelope assures. “We’ll see you all bright and early.”

“Not too early, Penny,” you remind her. “You gotta give me a chance to wake up first.”

“Right, sooooo 10am then?”

“It’s a date.”

——————————————————————————

That evening, you soaked up as much family time as possible before the wave of visitors began. Aaron was a natural, as you’d known he would be from seeing him with Jack.

Watching him with the baby was quickly becoming your favorite pastime. The look of sheer enchantment on his face as he held her close and rocked her made you fall a little more in love with him every moment.

“Daddy loves you so much,” he coos to the tiny bundle in his arms.

“What?” he questions as he catches you watching.

“Oh nothing,” you reply, ruffling Jack’s hair as he slept by your side. “Just wondering how I got so lucky.”

“I think it’s me who got lucky. I thought I’d never love again. I was so closed off. I was prepared to spend the rest of my life as a single dad, doing everything on my own. Now,” he chokes out, “now I’d fall apart without you.”

“Good thing you’ve got two of us now to keep you boys in line then,” you return with a wicked grin. “She’s got you wrapped around her finger already.”

——————————————————————————

When you awoke the next morning, you were greeted by the most beautiful sight. Aaron still asleep in the recliner next your bed, his arm cradling the sleeping baby on his chest. While you hated to disturb the peaceful scene, you knew the team would be arriving as soon as the clock struck 10.

“Aaron,” you whisper. “Aaron, wake up,” slightly louder this time. He stirs awake, moving slowly so as not to wake the sleeping child.

“What is it babe?”

“The team will be here soon,” you inform him.

“Ah. I should go get ready,” he replies.

“Mama, can I hold her while dad gets ready?” Jack asks, startling the both of you.

“Oh buddy, I didn’t realize you were awake,” you say to him. “Of course you can hold her if you want.”

Jack scrambled into your lap as Aaron rounded the bed.

“Just be really careful with her bud,” Aaron reminds him as he settles the baby on his lap.

“I will dad,” he replies.

As Aaron walked away, the baby’s eyes fluttered open and she let out a small cry.

“Here, why don’t you give her a pacifier?” you suggest.

“Sssshhhh, don’t cry,” he says, giving her the pacifier, and then softly stroking her head.

“What do you think about your baby sister, Jack?”

“She’s pretty, Mama, just like you.”

“Thank you baby,” you reply. “That’s very sweet. I love you.”

“I love you too, mama.”

“And I love you all,” Aaron adds.

——————————————————————————

A short while later, a knock at the door alerts you that your visitors have arrived.

“You ready for this?” Aaron asks as he walks to the door.

“I’ve never been more ready. I just know they’re gonna be so in love with her.”

Aaron opens the door and the team flows in with their myriad of gifts.

Penelope hands off her bouquet of balloons to Derek and rushes over to hug you.

“Oh Y/N,” she gushes, cupping your face. “You look beautiful. It’s so good to see you, we were all worried sick.”

“Thank you Penny,” you reply, eyeing the room. “I’m assuming the shopping spree was your idea.”

“Oh shush woman,” she scolds. “You deserve it. We wanted your room to cozy and pretty because we heard you’re going to be here for a while. Sue us.”

“Thank you all for the gifts, you really didn’t have to do any of that,” you reply, tearing up as you address the whole room. “Just being there for us when we needed you the most was all we could ask for and you’ve gone above and beyond.”

“This is the least we could do, really,” JJ assures, softly rubbing your hand.

“Oh fine, be modest if you insist,” you reply with an eye roll. “I’d open all the gifts now, but I imagine you’re all much more interested in our slightly earlier than anticipated arrival.”

Seemingly for the first time since they came in, everyone notices Aaron’s presence and the little pink bundle in his arms.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” you continue, “the announcement you’ve all been waiting for. Introducing Miss Savannah Rose.”

“What a lovely name,” Emily chimes in.

“Thank you,” Aaron cuts in. “We would have told you all sooner but we actually just decided on it while we were here,” he says beaming down at his perfectly content infant daughter. “You can all hold her if you like.”

“I’m sure we’d all love to,” JJ replies, “but i think we should leave that you for now. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to spoil her rotten just as soon as she gets home.”

“Right! We just wanted to check on everyone and make sure you have everything you need,” Garcia adds.

“Well thanks to you guys, I think our hospital room is pretty well stocked. I just wish I could say the same for the nursery,” you say with a shrug.

“What’s wrong with the nursery?” Rossi inquires.

“I’m afraid that’s my fault,” Aaron admits. “Between me traveling so much for work and Y/N being pregnant and taking care of Jack, it got pushed to the wayside. I thought we had a bit more time.”

“Aaron, how many times do I have to tell you it’s not your fault?” you soothe, reaching for his hand. “We’ll figure it out together.”

“I know, I just wanted everything to be perfect for you.”

“It already is dear,” you assure him with a smile. “Why don’t you go get some coffee, you look exhausted.”

“Good idea babe,” he says, settling the baby into your arms.

“I could use a cup myself,” Morgan adds.

——————————————————————————

“Derek, I need your help,” Aaron pleads, once out of earshot of the room.

“Of course man, anything you need.”

“We’re going to be in the hospital for about a week while Y/N recovers and I’m desperate to have a nice nursery for her when we get home, but I obviously can’t leave her alone. I know it’s a lot to ask, but is there anything you could do to help?”

“Sure thing man, don’t worry about it. That’s the best gift I could hope to give you.”

“You’re the best,” Aaron replies, slapping him on the shoulder. “Just don’t let Y/N find out, okay? I want it to be a surprise.”

“My lips are sealed,” Derek promises.

——————————————————————————

That afternoon Derek had the whole team assembled in the nursery to get started.

“Alright everyone,” he begins, “We’ve got one week to make this the best surprise gift possible. Let’s make it happen.”

“What color should we paint it?” Penelope inquires.

“Got that covered already,” Derek replies while opening a paint can. “Purple. Hotch said it’s Y/N’s favorite color.”

“Oh Derek, it’s perfect!” she squealed, squeezing him tight. “She’s gonna adore it.”

“While the two of us are painting,” Penny addresses the group, “why don’t the rest of you do some some shopping?”

“Great idea, baby girl.” Morgan chimes in. “I think they’ve got the basics from the baby shower and I saw a crib and changing table in the garage, but I’m sure you guys can find things they’re missing.”

“Oh I think we’ve got this,” JJ states confidently. “Let’s get this show on the road,” she commands, herding Emily, Rossi, and Reid out the door.

When the group arrived back at the Hotchner house several hours later, the nursery walls were covered in a soft shade of lavender; as were Morgan and Garcia.

“I don’t know how you two managed to get any paint on the walls,” JJ said with a grin.

“Smile for the camera, you two,” Emily cuts in, snapping a picture on her phone as the couple hug and smile in their paint splattered clothes.

——————————————————————————

The next day conversation flowed as team was busily assembling furniture. Rossi, Reid, and Morgan worked on the crib while Penny, Emily, and JJ tackled the changing table.

“Let me know if you ladies need any help,” Morgan mentions casually.

“Oh right,” Emily grumbles, “because OBVIOUSLY the women need a big, strong man’s help, right?”

“I didn’t say that,” Derek counters. “I was just offering.”

“Oh not only will we get ours done without your help, we’ll get it done faster,” Emily challenges.

“Oh yeah?”

“YEAH!” all three women reply in unison.

“You’re on,” Morgan accepts.

“Oh you’re so going down,” Penny taunts, throwing pieces of plastic wrapping at Derek.

“Losers buy sushi for lunch?” Rossi suggests.

“Oh that could be pretty expensive for you Dave,” JJ comments. “You sure you’re up for that?”

“Ha ha, very funny,” Rossi says, rolling his eyes. “We’ll see about that.”

Two hours later, as JJ and Emily were finishing up the crib, the men came dragging in, arms full of takeout bags.

“Say cheese!” Penelope squeals as she takes their picture. “For the bragging rights.”

——————————————————————————

The next days were spent putting the finishing touches on the room.

A purple gradient butterfly mobile above the crib from JJ.

A bookshelf with a fully stocked library, specially selected by Reid. Emily places her floral covered photo album on top.

Lavender curtains with a shimmery overlay, Penelope’s contribution.

Derek’s stuffed bunny, carefully laid in a white gliding chair with purple cushions, which was generously paid for by Dave.

Derek lays a soft shag rug over the hardwood floor and drapes a plush floral blanket over the edge of the crib.

“I think that about does it, guys,” he says with a look of pride.

“You know, I bought them that photo album,” Emily comments, “it would be a shame if we didn’t put a few in there as a gift.”

“Yeah, but how do we get a picture of the whole group?” JJ wonders out loud.

“We could set a timer,” Penelope suggests.

“Yeah, but who sets the timer?” Reid asks, as he turns to see the whole group looking at him.

“Seriously guys?”

Between the camera falling over, closed eyes, and Spence not making it back before the timer, it took a few tries before there was a good group shot.

“And now a funny one,” Penny insists.

Once the photos, including the bloopers, have been printed and arranged in the album, JJ makes sure to write descriptions for each in the margins before setting it back on the shelf.

“Good job team,” Derek announces. “Our work here is done.”

——————————————————————————

After all the chaos surrounding the birth and a full week in the hospital, nothing felt better than standing at the door of your house with the love of your life and your two beautiful children.

“You ready to finally get some rest, baby?” Aaron asks as he ushers you inside the house, one solid arm arm around the small of your back and Savannah in her carrier on the other.

“Yeah,” you sigh, dropping your purse on the coffee table and slipping off your shoes. “I just wish we didn’t still have to worry about the nursery,” you groan, plopping down onto the sofa.

“About that,” Aaron says with a mischievous grin, offering you his free hand.

“What are you up to, Aaron Hotchner?” You muse as he leads you down the hallway.

“Just trust me,” he assures, coming to a halt in front of the nursery door. “Close your eyes,” he requests.

“What is going on here?” you inquire again.

“Just close your eyes please, darling,” he asks. “For me.”

“Alright, alright,” you comply, “this better be good.”

“Don’t open them until I say so, okay?”

“Yes sir.”

With eyes closed and Jack close by your side, you hear the door open and the rustling of paper inside the room.

“Alright,” he whispers, sliding his arm around your shoulders. “Open your eyes.”

—————————————————————————

Taglist: @ange-must-die @agent-laufeyson @poetsacademia @hotchners-slut @arganfics @ladyreapermc @rousethemouse @less-intelligent-spencerreid @tgibstan @themanip @word-scribbless @quillvine @glizzieborden @miss-united-ace @samayoshito @hotchnerundercover @pedropascalian @thenewnormalforensicator @crowdedimagines @sagittarianwolf @kleff03

#aaron hotchner imagine #1 800 aaron hotchner #aaron hotchner x reader #hotch x reader #hotch x you #criminal minds imagine #criminal minds fluff #criminal minds fanfiction #thomas gibson imagine #thomas gibson x reader #thomas gibson #aaron hotchner #hotch

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arvinsescape · 3 years ago

Text

Free

A/N: I finally got my new laptop and was able to write again so I wrote an idea that’s been in my head for a while, it’s loosely inspired by Luther, a series that I’ve re watched recently, I hope you all enjoy.

Summary: Tom just knows you had something to do with your husbands murder. His problem? He can’t prove it.

Warnings: Swearing. Smut, unprotected sex (wrap it up, condoms are a barrier from many things), oral (Fem receiving), mentions of murder, talks of an abusive relationship. (Minors do not engage). I think that’s all.

This is purely a work of fiction. I accept constructive criticism.

W/C: 3.6K

You were driving Tom insane, he knew, in his gut, he was so sure that you had something to do with your husband’s disappearance. The case had landed itself on his desk when missing persons had deemed it a murder case, even without a body. Could he find the hard evidence that linked you to the murder? No. Was he sure it was you? A thousand per cent. Your case had been dropped months ago but he couldn’t get it or you out of his head.

“Tell me what happened?” Tom asked as he sat opposite you for the first time.

“I’ve already answered all of these questions.” You replied, Tom could tell you were nervous, you had a hard expression, but he saw straight through it.

“I don’t believe some of the answers that you gave.” He said as interlocked his hands on the desk, leaning slightly closer to you.

“I’m not really bothered what you believe, it’s what happened.” You fired back.

“People don’t just disappear.”

“Sure, they do. That’s what missing person’s is for, right?” You said as you cocked an eyebrow at him and he almost smiled, slightly enamored by the way you were handling his questioning. He’d gained a reputation for getting people to crack, but you? You seemed unfazed by his line of questioning.

Ultimately Tom had had to let you go because he couldn’t find the evidence, he needed to convict you. It drove him mad, it had him stumped for months just trying to figure out how you’d done it. How you’d evaded his thorough analysis of your property and workplace. You were smart, that was glaringly obvious to him, every time he thought he’d found something, he came up short.

A week ago, he’d found himself with a similar case on his desk, only this time the body was found. Again, there wasn’t much evidence but there were so many similarities between your case and this one. He found himself up for hours cross referencing your case file and this one, although the woman they suspected this time wasn’t as intelligent as you were, she’d lied about her alibi. Unlike you she’d said she was with a friend who denied it. You on the other hand had said you were at home all day and he couldn’t confirm that as truth and so this evidence became inadmissible in court.

He’d found himself on your doorstep, almost wanting to beg for your help, it was strange, he’d never felt like he needed anyone else’s help before yet here he was outside your door.

“Detective Holland. A man I thought I’d never seen again.” You said once you opened your door. He couldn’t help but note how beautiful you looked, he shook the thought away as he showed his badge and entered your home.

“Mrs. Leigh, I need your help.” He said in a matter-of-fact manner, he noted the small smile that had appeared on your lips and fought his own back, yours was so contagious.

“It’s Miss L/N now.” You politely corrected him.

“My apologies.”

“What could you possibly need my help with?”

“A case I’m trying to solve.”

“Forgive me but I’m not sure how I could be of help to you.” You said with furrowed brows.

“I think you could.”

He talked you through the case and his theories, all the holes in stories and suspicious behavior and you just drank it all in, nodding in certain places but ultimately you kept quiet. It wasn’t until e was done that you spoke.

“I mean, and this is all hypothetical, you’d hide the weapon in plain sight.” You answered as you made your way over to your fridge.

“That would be stupid though.” Tom said confidently, there was no way he’d missed something that was in plain sight. He watched as you pulled the bottle of wine from the fridge with a sigh. What had urged you to help him was beyond you, but a part of you knew that your case still haunted him, and you somehow felt guilty for it.

“People like you will always overlook stupid.” You said with a confidence he couldn’t quite place.

“So, you’re saying if someone wanted to hide evidence, they’d do it in plain sight because we’d overlook it?” Tom was bewildered, there was no way that this could be true, he’d spent hours going over the case files, there’s no way he missed such major evidence such as the murder weapon. He watched as you nodded mindlessly before digging through the drawer for a bottle opener.

“The autopsy report indicates a stab wound to the neck.” He continued. “They bled out. I’ve searched that house and I couldn’t find a single knife small enough to fit that wound.” He spoke. He knew the evidence for this case was in the house, the timing of everything would not have given the perpetrator any time to hide evidence away from the house.

He watched as you took the cork out of the bottle, once you’d removed the cork you placed the bottle opener on the counter, the tiny blade used for taking the paper lining off the bottle top was shining at him, almost mocking him.

“I could think of a few.” You hummed as you filled a wine glass. Tom was filled with excitement as he realized you were right, the small knife was easily concealed within the opener, he had overlooked it, not thought for a second that such a small knife was in the most basic household item.

“All I need to do is tie the murder weapon to her and case closed.” He beamed and you smiled, genuinely smiled for the first time since Tom had met you and he couldn’t help but return it, he really was enamored with you.

“Case closed.” You smiled as you sipped from your wine glass.

You had started to infect the young detective’s thoughts in a different way. He used to obsess over how you’d done it and now he was more obsessed as to why. He couldn’t understand how a woman like you, who was so quiet, kind and charismatic could have harmed another person. He started to wonder if he was wrong, if you’d had anything to do with it at all but his gut told him you did.

All the evidence for his current case came together and the victim’s wife had gone to prison for his murder, pleading guilty. She’d killed him because she wanted his money. He thought back to your case, your husband had had a lot of money, but he couldn’t see that being your motive, he couldn’t think of anything that would motivate you to murder someone. Over the time it took him to gather the evidence, he’d sought out your help more than once and he’d become enchanted by you, he found you intriguing, he wanted to get to know you better.

He wondered if that was what had brought him to your doorstep yet again. He should have been out celebrating the win, but he found himself outside your door. He knocked and wondered if you’d answer, it was late, he noted but he found himself hoping you’d open your door for him. When he heard the lock click his heart raced with excitement, he hoped you’d have that lovely smile on your face that you always had.

“Detective.” You smiled and he laughed.

“Tom.” He corrected and you smiled wider at him.

“What brings you to my doorstep Tom?”

“I wanted to thank you.”

“Thank me?”

“I’m not sure I’d have found that evidence had it not been for our chat, so thank you.”

“Well, you’re welcome. Did you want to come in? I’ve just opened a bottle of red.” You asked with that oh so contagious smile.

“How could I refuse?” He said as he made his way passed you and into the living room that he’d become so familiar with.

A bottle of red wine shared between the two later had them both feeling slightly tipsy. Tom knew he should probably make a move, but he didn’t want to, not unless you wanted him to. He found he very much enjoyed your company and wanted to stay in it as long as possible.

“Thank you for helping me finish the wine.” You smiled.

“Favor returned?” He smirked and you laughed.

“Sure. I suppose I won’t see you now.” You thought aloud.

“I suppose not.” He said, you’d moved closer to each other now, faces inches apart. “Unless you want to help me solve more cases.” He continued.

“I don’t think you’ll need my help again.” You said quietly, eyes flicking from each other’s eyes to each other’s lips.

“You never know.” He answered as quietly as you had. Tom licked his lips in anticipation, he probably shouldn’t be entertaining the idea of kissing you, but he couldn’t help it. You hummed in response as your noses brushed one an other’s. He couldn’t stop himself as he closed the small distance between you.

Your lips met in a desperate kiss, his hands finding your hair as you fisted his shirt in a desperate attempt to pull him closer to you. His mind felt blank as he became completely consumed by thoughts of you and what he wanted to do to you. He’d found you attractive the second he’d brought you in for questioning all those months ago but the more he’d gotten to know you the more he found you attractive. The rational part of his brain that was telling him this might be dangerous shut off as bit your bottom lip and you moaned slightly.

Your lips disconnected as you both needed air, both as breathless as each other. You looked at him and the look in your eyes drove him wild, your beautiful eyes were looking back at him completely list blown. He reconnected your lips as you straddled him, his hands finding your waist, lifting your shirt slightly to feel your skin.

“Bedroom?” He asked through a breath as your lips briefly disconnected.

“Upstairs, third door on the right.” You said quickly before reconnecting your lips, the kiss was hot and heavy as Tom stood, carrying you effortlessly to your bedroom, not breaking the kiss for a second. As soon as he found himself in your room, you both fell onto the bed, Tom’s back hitting the mattress. He almost moaned as you rocked your hips into his, the friction causing him to stiffen even more than he thought possible.

“You’re so fucking hot.” He said as he sat up, his lips connecting with your neck. You rolled your head back to give him more access and he took the opportunity to trail kisses down your throat, listening to the small gasps you were exhaling. He was more aroused than he’d ever been in his life, he felt completely drunk off you.

“Tom, I really want you to fuck me.” You spoke and Tom groaned at the filthy words that left your mouth, he wasn’t expecting it.

“Wanna taste you first.” He spoke as he flipped you both over, your back easily hitting the mattress as your lips reconnected. He trailed kisses down your neck as his hands went to the hem of your shirt, pulling it from you effortlessly. He unclipped your bra and threw both your shirt and bra onto the floor. Kissing down your chest as he took a nipple into his mouth, slightly grazing it with his teeth before licking and sucking at it.

Your moans grew louder, and Tom found himself entranced by the sounds you were making, he doesn’t recall ever being with anyone who sounded as pretty as you did. He continued his attention on your nipples, switching from one to the other.

“Tom, please.” You begged and he smirked against your skin.

“What?” He asked as he made eye contact with you, his fingers moving to roll your nipple.

“I need you to move lower.” You moaned.

“Whatever you want baby.” He spoke as he placed a final kiss to your breast before moving down your body.

He quickly removed your shorts and groaned when he realized you didn’t have underwear on. He looked at your glistening heat and almost moaned at how wet you were for him.

“So wet, look at this.” He said as he ran a finger through your folds. “I’ve barely touched you and your soaked.” He smirked as you rolled your head back into the pillow.

“Please.” You begged as he let out a breath over your heat, watched as you jolted slightly from the sensation. “Tom.” You moaned as he ran his tongue through your heat.

“You taste fucking amazing.” He said before practically diving in, sucking your clit as he listened to your moans. He continued to lick and suck at your clit as he heard your moans grow louder, you must have been close he thought to himself as he sucked your clit and listened to the high-pitched moan you released.

He felt as your hand moved to his hair, almost keeping him still as he continued to lick and suck at your clit, your hips bucking up to meet his movements and e found it so incredibly hot, the way you’d started to use his face to almost get yourself off was driving him wild.

You let out a moan of his name as your orgasm crashed through you, Tom felt your legs shake and helped you through your intense orgasm, feeling proud of himself for not disappointing you. Once you’d come down from your high, he pulled away, moving back up your body, your legs continuing to shake through your aftershocks.

“So perfect.” He mumbled as he gave you a quick kiss, taking in the blissful expression on your face. “Did so well for me. Fucking hot.” He said again as you removed his shirt, placing a kiss onto his chest. You continued pressing kisses to his chest as he fumbled with his belt, almost getting frustrated as it got caught.

“Here.” you said as your hands took over, taking his belt into your own hands, undoing it almost like it was second nature to you. He found it all the more of a turn on. You made short work of his pants; they found their place with the rest of the clothes on the floor of your bedroom.

“You sure you’re okay with this?” He asked.

“Yes. I want you to fuck me Tom.”

It was all the confirmation he needed as he slipped into you, both of you moaning at the contact. Fuck, you felt good, almost perfect for him. You were both a moaning mess as he thrusted into you over and over again. His hand gripping your thigh to hoist it higher around his waist. You almost screamed as he found your g spot from his new angle, your nails clawing at his back which only made him thrust into you harder.

“Fuck, that feels good, you feel so fucking amazing.” He said as he felt you clench around him. He shifted your leg higher to get an even better angle on your g spot as he continuously pounded into you, listening to your moans of his name. he felt his own orgasm approach as you tightened around him, he knew you were close, and he watched in awe as you reached your own hand to your clit and started to rub it.

“That’s it baby.” He said and after a few more thrusts he felt you come around him which brought on his own orgasm, he removed himself from your tight heat and released his load all over your stomach with a moan of your name.

It took you both a good few minutes to recover, he was collapsed on top of you as you ran your fingers through his hair. He kissed your shoulder every few minutes and found himself more happy and content than he’d been in a long time. He removed himself from the top of you and went into the bathroom to find a warm cloth to wash the two of you off.

Once you were both cleaned up he laid in your bed with your head on hi chest as you slept soundly, and he ran his hands through your hair. He was deep in thought as he thought about your case and what had happened and now he was dying to know what had driven you to commit such an act. He was so sure in his gut you’d done it but having you here in the state you were he wondered how you could harm an insect, let alone another person.

“I wish you’d tell me what happened. Just be honest, everything’s different now. I’d want you to confide in me as your partner not see me as a detective who’s looking to lock you away. Fuck Princess, I think I’d move the Earth if you asked me to.” He whispered and he meant it, he didn’t want this time with you to end, he was so infatuated with you by this point. He fell asleep after a while, thoughts of you completely on his mind.

“I need to know how you did it.” He spoke after a while of you both being awake, you were spooning now as his hand rubbed your bare skin, he pressed a kiss to your bare shoulder.

“You’ve read the file.” You spoke.

“That says you didn’t do it, but I know you did Princess.”

“My case is closed, why don’t you leave it at that?”

“I can’t. I’m obsessing over it.”

“I’ve already told you.” You said after a while and Tom furrowed his brows as he turned you onto your back so he could look at you.

“No. You haven’t.” He spoke carefully, maybe he’d missed something, a confession maybe.

“For a Detective Inspector, you can be pretty stupid.” You laughed and he thought on your words for a second. Thought about how much help you’d been and what you’d said, of course you knew how this woman had done it, it was how you’d done it. The only difference was that you’d managed to dispose of the body.

“So, you did do it?” He said quietly, a small part of him was proud he was right, his gut was never wrong, but the bigger part of him wondered why.

“You just need to prove it.” You said as a tear made its way down your cheek. Of all the things Tom expected, this wasn’t one of them, he wasn’t expecting you to cry.

“Hey,” he said as he swiped the tear away with his thumb. “Tell me what happened.” He urged in the most comforting manner he could, he needed you to know you could trust him with this.

“Have you ever felt trapped? That’s how he made me feel, like I had no way out. I tried to leave him so many times, but he wouldn’t let me, he had me by the throat and it felt like he was squeezing the life out of me.” You said through your tears and Tom’s heart dropped, this wasn’t a usual case where the wife murders the husband for a payout. “He wasn’t the nice rich guy everyone thought he was, he hit me, took all his anger out on me but I could never prove it, if I had bruises I wasn’t allowed to leave the house until they weren’t visible, which wasn’t often. I snapped.” You spoke and he pulled you into a hug.

“Y/N…” He said and you interrupted him.

“But it never matters to people like you. You don’t give leeway for the small amount of people who had no other choice. That’s why I never came clean, never admitted to what I’d done, I didn’t want him to trap me any more than he had, I didn’t want to go to prison because of him.” You said as you finally let the tears out that you’d kept in for so many months.

You hadn’t intended to kill him; it was an accident. You cried for ten minutes as Tom held you, placing comforting kisses to your temple. Something about finally telling the truth was freeing, you knew he could and would probably arrest you for this, but it felt good to finally tell someone the truth that was eating away at you.

“I’m not going to do anything.” Tom spoke after a while.

“What?” You asked through sniffles as your tears ceased.

“I understand now. You’ve been punished enough. Your secret is safe with me.” He said sincerely and you believed him, but you didn’t want to drag him down with you.

“You could lose your job, go to prison if anyone found out.” You said and he kissed your cheek.

“They won’t, your case has become a cold one. There’s still no body, I doubt they’ll reopen the case.” He said through a small smile. He didn’t want to ask what you’d done with the body, he assumed you were clever enough to make sure it was never found and if it was he would make sure none of the evidence led to you, he would make sure that all the evidence ran dry, he felt like he would do anything for you.

“So, I’m free?” You spoke, hope lacing every word.

“You’re free baby.”

#tom holland one shot #tom holland imagine #tom holland au #tom holland x reader #tom holland x y/n #tom holland smut

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lovely-ateez · 3 years ago

Text

Vampire Shift~

ꕥPosted: 5/23/21

ꕥGenre: Fluff, Smut, Angst, College!au, Horror!au

ꕥPairing: Fem!Reader x Vampire!Jongho (feat Wooyoung and Minho from skz)

ꕥWord Count: ~5.9k (whoops)

ꕥWarnings: Horror themes, Language, Thigh riding, Unprotected sex, Mentions of blood and blood sucking (please lmk if I missed anything)

ꕥTag List: @cappujinho @bobateastay

ꕥA/N: I hope you all don’t a more spooky concept! Halloween is my favorite holiday and even though its May, it’s always spooky season to me lolol. Also! Feel free to listen to Vampire Shift by All Time Low while reading this (it’s only on YouTube I cry) since this is inspired by the song :)

It was a terrible idea, really, to work the night shift at a gas station alone. Even more so when you’re a young woman whose only defense is the pepper spray on her key chain and 911 on speed dial. Alas, college bills don’t pay themselves and every spare opportunity to get cash was one I had to take.

The digital clock sitting on the counter next to me briefly flashed, indicating another hour had gone by. It was currently four a.m. and it was safe to say I was losing my mind. I’d worked for five hours now, and not a customer had come in. That was the only advantage, really. So long as no one was around my boss let me finish any assignments I had, which came in handy on more than one occasion.

I was only six paragraphs into a five page report and had been staring at my laptop screen for over an hour, feeling beyond brain dead. I was assigned the topic of financial statements and country trade deficits, and wanted to cry every minute I thought about it. I was half convinced to pay someone to write the report for me.

The ringing of a bell indicated a customer opening the door and I closed my laptop to peer around the counter, ready to greet whoever entered. The first man to catch my attention was wearing sunglasses which fazed me, but I tried not to stare. The man that followed had black hair with blond underneath, a combination that I strangely liked. Both men were donned in all back, their faces stoic. They were attractive, I had to admit, but neither were my type.

And then, the last man entered. He looked over to me as he walked through the door, giving me a nod and a slight smile. His slicked back black hair matched his black ripped jeans and highlighted his red leather jacket. He was so handsome he looked like he jumped out of a magazine and I had to suppress a ‘wow’. A string of butterflies fluttered in my stomach and I did my best to ignore them, not even knowing his name.

The three of them wandered through the aisles until I could no longer see them, and I scolded myself for being so thrown off that I forgot say any form of a greeting. I sighed and turned my attention back to my laptop, opening it and blankly staring at the screen. My ears perked when I heard the men’s hushed voices.

“Y’oughta get that girl’s number. I saw the way you looked at her.”

“Yeah, Jongho. She’s pretty cute. If you don’t get her number you know I will.”

“Shut up.” One of the men, Jongho apparently, responded with a laugh, “Let’s just get some snacks, okay? It’s gonna be a long night. Also I’m buying tonight so get whatever.”

A smile crept on my face and I looked down, fiddling with my thumbs.

They think I’m cute. Maybe Jongho’s the one in red?

I heard the bell ring once more and a girl entered who I vaguely remembered from high school. She was popular but for good reason, probably being one of the nicest people I’d ever met. Our circle of friends overlapped slightly so I’d spent a fair amount of time with her. She was smart as a whip and gorgeous all the same, which seemed to stay with her. She looked bright, long red hair falling around her face, freckles still prominent as ever.

We met eyes and she smiled, “Hey y/n!”

I smiled and waved, “Hey Annabelle. How’ve you been? I haven’t seen you in awhile.”

“Good! I got into my dream college and it’s been great, although I’ve had to take some pretty hard classes.” She giggled, walking towards me. It’s honestly not too far from here. You go to Westgate University, right?”

I nodded and I put my laptop aside. She spoke again, genuinely excited for me, “That’s awesome! Congrats!”

“Thanks,” I smiled, “I’m taking it you got into Orholt?”

“I did! I was really-”

One of the men that entered earlier—the one still wearing sunglasses—shouted the redhead’s name and caught her attention, “Hey Anna do you want a Redbull or a Five Hour Energy?”

“Redbull! I’m not a monster.” She laughed.

The man nodded and walked toward us with several drinks and snacks in his hands.

“Oh! I want to introduce you to my boyfriend!” Annabelle turned to the man still wearing sunglasses and reached for his arm, “This is Minho. I met him at Orholt.”

Minho gave me a slight nod as I introduced myself and he placed the food and drinks on the counter. I began to scan the items, the mindless routine that I was used to by now. The loud sound of laughter made me look up, seeing the two other men approach us and place their snacks down as well. I watched them long enough to notice the way two-tone—my new affectionate name for the man with blond and black hair, I decided—shamelessly checked me out, a cocky smile on his face when I caught him. I just let out a small laugh before resuming my task, watching his confused reaction in my peripheral vision.

“Oh my god I totally forgot to introduce you to my friends.” Annabelle giggled and pointed to two-tone, “This is Wooyoung.”

“Hiya, Wooyoung.” I said with a confident smile, enjoying the way he still had a slightly confused look on his face.

“And this,” Annabelle nodded towards the man in red, “This is Jongho. Both him and Wooyoung go to Orholt, too.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Jongho. I’m y/n.”

“Very nice to meet you.” The man smiled before he sent me a wink.

I had never been a particularly shy person, but as he did so my eyes darted down as I felt my face flush. I didn’t notice the gears turning in Annabelle’s head as she put the pieces together.

I placed the final items in the bag, raising my head as Annabelle addressed me, “You know I’m having a bonfire tomorrow night at my place and you should totally come!”

I stopped to think, first trying to remember if I worked the next day, then wondering if I was willing to go the bonfire when I realized I didn’t have to.

She sensed my hesitancy and her face fell, “Aw do you work tomorrow night? It’s a Saturday!”

“Oh no, I don’t. I...” I stopped to think for a minute. Although I likely didn’t know anyone else who would be there, I was familiar with Annabelle’s house, which brought me a bit of comfort, “Are all of you going?”

Annabelle gave a knowing smile, “Yes. All of us will be here.”

I nodded, accepting the credit card Jongho gave me, quickly after handing them the bags, and returning his card, “I’ll go.”

“Yay! We’ve gotta head out but I’ll send you the details. You’ve still got the same number, right?”

“Yeah I do.”

“Alrighty! I’ll see you tomorrow then!”

Annabelle left with a wave, her boyfriend on her arm and Wooyoung behind her. To my surprise, Jongho didn’t leave with them, the cocky look on his face all but telling me why he stayed.

I looked at him with wide eyes, playing innocent. “Can I help you?”

He placed an arm on the counter, his dark eyes seeming to put me under a spell. The confidence he was radiating was almost palpable and I felt myself being pulled to him. It was intimidating, to be honest.

“You’re really cute and I want your number.”

I let out a surprised laugh, “You really don’t beat around the bush, do you?”

“No, not really,” He propped his other arm on the counter, leaning towards me and raising an eyebrow, “So what do you say, doll?”

A smile crept on my face as I mirrored his actions and leaned towards him, “You gonna memorize my number? Or do you have a phone I can put my number into?”

Jongho’s smile got brighter as he reached to grab his phone, handing it to me. “You’re a firecracker, aren’t you?”

I shrugged, “I’d like to think so.”

When I handed his phone back, our fingers brushed and I could’ve sworn I felt sparks shoot through me at the simple interaction.

“Well I need to head out before the rest of them get too annoyed,” He nodded towards the exit where Annabelle, Minho, and Wooyoung left, “But it was enchanting to meet you, y/n.” He bowed, drawing a laugh from me.

“Ah yes. You as well, absolutely delightful.”

He gave me a smile, “I’ll text you later.”

"Sounds good. I’ll hold you to your word.”

“I’d expect nothing less.” And with that, he was out the door, leaving my heart a fluttering mess.

Me [8:37pm] So is there a dress code for tonight?

Annabelle [8:42pm] Nope! Wear whatever you’re comfortable with. I’m wearing this if it helps at all!

Annabelle [8:43pm] 1 Image Attached*

Me [8:45pm] So leather jackets and crop tops?

Annabelle [8:48pm] Haha sure! We can match!

Me [8:51pm] Lol bet. See you at eleven :)

Annabelle [8:51pm] See you then!

I started the process of slipping on a white cropped top followed by my light washed ripped jeans. I knew I was getting ready far earlier than I could have, but something about new events made me anxious and I had to make sure I looked nice. I giggled at the black leather jacket I was throwing over my shoulders, not having worn it since high school. In the middle of debating whether or not I should add another layer of mascara to my lashes, my phone dinged.

New Number [8:59pm] Y/n this better be you. This is Jongho and I’m texting you for a really important reason and I need you to reply quick

Me [9:00pm] Yeah it’s me. What’s going on are you okay??

New Number [9:02pm] I’m gonna go grab some food before I head to Anna’s. You wanna come with?

Me [9:02pm] Oh my god don’t do that to me, you buffoon. You scared me so bad rip

[New Number name changed to A Cute Buffoon]

Me [9:03pm] But sure I’m down lol. Here’s my address btw

Me [9:03pm] 1 Location Shared*

It occurred to me perhaps a bit too late that I was sharing my address with someone that I’d met only once and in a gas station.

I mean, he’s friends with Annabelle so he’s gotta be good right? God I hope so. I thought to myself.

A Cute Buffoon [9:04] Then it’s a date :) I live pretty close so I’ll be over in 10. That work for you?

Me [9:06pm] Fine with me!

A Cute Buffoon [9:06pm] Sounds good. I’ll see you soon ;)

I set down my phone and thanked myself for already doing my makeup. I checked myself out in the mirror, satisfied with my appearance and proud of how well my makeup turned out. I grabbed my bottle of perfume and spritzed the liquid in the air, letting it gradually fall on me so it wouldn’t be too overpowering.

You look beautiful, babe.

The waiting game was harder than I thought, not knowing what to do except awkwardly sit around and play an assortment of phone games. When exactly ten minutes had passed I heard my doorbell ring and I lifted myself from my couch, grinning at his punctuality.

I opened the door to see Jongho holding a bouquet of flowers, a smug look on his face. “Lovely to meet you here, stranger.”

I wanted to make a joke back but I couldn’t seem to think of anything, too surprised by the flowers in his hands. It wasn’t anything extravagant, the small bouquet of violets, but I felt my heart swell.

It’s perfect. He’s perfect.

My voice was small when I spoke, “No one’s ever given me flowers before.”

His eyebrows furrowed as a confused look painted his face, “Really?”

I nodded, taking the flowers from his outreached hands and smelling their sweet fragrance, “They’re beautiful.”

My eyes flickered to his, the tender look on his face making me feel as if I was melting on the spot, “You’re beautiful.”

I squealed, my face undoubtedly turning pink while my mind short circuited. I’d never become so shy around someone before and the only thing I could think of to say in response was another ‘thank you’ followed by ‘I’ll go get a vase for these.’

I opened my door further, rummaging through my cabinets for a vase when I noticed Jongho was still standing by the door, “You can come in, you know? That’s why I opened the door.”

He laughed nervously, “Sorry about that. Force of habit, I guess.”

I raised my eyebrows in a teasing manner, “What? Are you a vampire? Can you only come in if someone invites you?”

I thought I saw a flicker of shock on his face for a moment, but it was gone before I could register it and I shrugged it off, my eyes finding the perfect vase for the flowers.

“It’s just how I was raised.”

“I get that.” I placed the flowers in the vase, giving them a bit of water before walking up to Jongho and gently patting his cheek, “Your good manners are appreciated.”

He laughed in surprise, full gummy smile on display as he playfully swatted my hand away from his face, “Alright, alright. Let’s head out already.”

I made a sound of agreement before noticing a slight pink on his ears. I was temped to tease him, but ultimately decided to save it for later. If I could fluster him once I knew I could do it again.

The diner we went to was one I’d never heard of before, let alone been to, and I was beyond frustrated that I didn’t even know about it’s existence. It was an adorable fifties style diner and even the attire the waiters were wearing fit the theme.

“This is the cutest place to ever exist, I’m convinced.” I said as we sat down on the same side of a bright red booth.

“I really hoped you would like it. This is my favorite restaurant ever and they have fantastic milkshakes. If you’d like to share one for desert, I’m all for it.” A wink.

I bit my lip and hid my face in the menu that was placed in front of us, thankful for any method of escape.

“You’re so cute.”

“Ahh no don’t say things like that.” I giggled from behind the menu.

His hand grabbed the top of the menu, pulling it down so he could see me, “Why’s that?”

“Because you make me nervous. Like a good nervous!” I tried to explain, which only resulted in becoming even more embarrassed, “I-I mean I’m excited to be around you but I’m also nervous. I hope that doesn’t sound weird.” I cringed at myself. Never in my life did I think I’d be blushing and stuttering over some man, but my god did he prove me wrong.

“Not at all,” he reached over to take my hand in his, “because I feel it, too.”

Before I could properly react our waitress came over, taking our order and effectively saving me from becoming a human tomato.

We handed our menus back to her after ordering and she looked at us with a soft smile, “You two make a cute couple.”

While I was a bit too stunned to say anything, Jongho didn’t seem to have the same problem and went along with it, “Thank you, ma’am. That’s kind of you to say.”

When she left, Jongho leaned closer to me, “I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable by saying that we we’re a couple. I thought that-”

“No, I didn’t mind it!” I bit my tongue after likely saying that way too fast with far too much enthusiasm, but I meant it, “I didn’t mind it,” I said again, softer this time.

The tips of his ears once again turned a faint shade of pink, “Good to know.”

The food was as wonderful as it possibly could’ve been, their fries alone being one of the best things I’d ever consumed. Just as Jongho suggested, we shared a milkshake, which led to shy eye contact and laughter and my crush becoming stronger by the minute.

Just as Jongho paid and we were about to leave, a certain song began to play and he looked at me with an air of mischief, holding out his hand to me, “Dance with me.”

I took his hand, trying to hide my smile but failing. He led me away from the table and next to the jukebox. The area surrounding it was more open, probably with the intention for people to dance near it. He grabbed my waist, holding the hand of mine that wasn’t placed on his chest and looking at me in a way that could make any woman fall in love on the spot. We swayed to the music and I couldn’t help but feel full. Like I’d found all that I’d ever need.

Put your head on my shoulder~

“Do you know this song?” He asked with a smile.

I scoffed, “Of course I do! It’s one of my favorites.”

“It’s one of mine, too.”

Hold me in your arms, baby~

I mouthed along to the words as I felt the need to prove it to him. As if to one up me, Jongho began to sing along, his gorgeous voice amazing me.

Squeeze me oh so tight, show me~

That you love me, too~

I blushed as he looked at me while singing along, becoming a bit flustered himself when the lyrics clicked with him.

Put your lips next to mine dear~

Won’t you kiss me once, baby~

As if we were in sync our eyes darted to the other’s lips at the same time. I could feel Jongho’s breathing becoming heavier before he said in a hushed tone, “Can I kiss you?”

“Please.” Was all I could respond before I pressed my lips to his, fireworks igniting inside me when he kissed me back. His lips were so soft and warm and as crazy as it sounded, he felt like home. I felt him smile against my lips as the music continued to play.

Maybe you and I will fall in love~

The fire was loud, crackling and lighting up the faces of all those crowded those around it. It was essentially the only source of light in the dark of the night, except for the distant lights still on in Annabelle’s house. My hands were interlocked with Jongho’s as we sat around it’s warmth, both of us finding it hard to separate from one another.

Conversation was flowing all around us, and I was relieved to find that everyone I had talked to was kind and welcoming. I was more nervous than I realized, but having Jongho next to my side alone calmed me. Someone around the fire mentioned an old story involving Annabelle and I began to wonder where she was, having not seen her since Jongho and I first arrived. I mentioned I was going to look for her and he nodded, at first wanting to join me but then getting pulled into conversation with one of his former classmates. I told him I’d head off on my own and he nodded again.

I looked around what seemed to be the entire property and still there was no sight of her. At that moment I heard yelling coming from her house, startling me. I felt my blood run cold when I recognized one of the voices as Annabelle’s. The yelling didn’t sound like it was out of fear, but instead more aggressive, out of pure anger. Without thinking I ran inside, hoping to calm the situation but instead found what seemed to be out of a work of fiction.

An unfamiliar man was on the ground, obviously trying to get away from a hidden figure before him that seemed to be cloaked in darkness. He let out a sound that I’d never heard a human make, one that I couldn’t even compare to something I’d heard before, and a shiver ran down my back. As the figure took a step forward I recognized it as Annabelle, or what seemed to be some version of her. Her normally grey eyes were now bright red, sharp fangs on display as she snarled at the man. A group of people were surrounding them, alarmed looks on their faces but hardly trying to intervene.

“What the hell?” I whispered, my eyes wide as I tried to back away without anyone noticing. But of course, I just had to step on an empty soda can, all eyes pointing my way. As I looked at the people around me, their expressions seemed to mirror mine and I swallowed, suddenly feeling immensely claustrophobic.

I met eyes with Annabelle and she seemed to change in a flash, her eyes returning to their former color and fangs disappearing. She looked more panicked than I had ever seen her which only scared me more. She was always able to keep her stressors under control, but as she stared back at me, I saw a version of her I never had before.

I was barely able to form a sentence, adrenaline coursing through me at a rampant rate, “Um...”

Annabelle slowly walked towards me, “Oh—hey! Sorry I disappeared for a while but how’s the party going? Are you having fun?” Panic was still evident in her voice but I knew she was trying to keep a hold of the situation.

“I...I don’t-”

A stern voice came from left, and I nervously turned to meet Jongho, an unreadable expression crossing his face, “Y/n.”

“Yeah?” My voice squeaked as I began to regret agreeing to come along in the first place, still hyper aware of all the eyes on me.

“Come with me.”

His eyes softened at my panicked state and he held out a hand, “Please?”

I was hesitant, but being anywhere away from the crowd and whatever Annabelle turned into seemed to be a good idea. I took his hand and watched as he exchanged a look with Annabelle that seemed to calm her. Turning on his heels he led me back to the bonfire, sitting in a chair and motioning for me to do the same. Seeing no one around us gave me a feeling of both anxiety and comfort, and I wasn’t quite sure which feeling was winning at the moment.

“Well I’m sure you have plenty of questions.” He started, “I won’t lie to you and try to convince you what you saw wasn’t real, because it was, but I need you to know that no one is going to harm you. That guy is Anna’s roommate and they get into an argument at least once a week. Sometimes it can be nasty, but they never get physical and neither would ever hurt anyone unprovoked. No one here would.”

I was silent for a few minutes, trying to process what I saw on top of the time bomb of information he dropped on me. “Is she...is everyone....are you a vampire?” I whispered the last words, almost too stunned and afraid to say out loud.

He smiled slightly, his kind eyes making me feel safe. “Yes. We’re what you’d call vampires.”

I took a breath, almost afraid to hear the answer to my question, “Am I in any danger by being here?”

“No, everyone here is good. They don’t pose any threat. There are plenty of dangerous vampires but we stay away from them. Besides,” He placed an arm around my waist, playfulness in his eyes, “If there were, I’d protect you from them.”

“Oh? And how don’t I know you’re not dangerous?”

He leaned closer to me, clearly enjoying this, “You don’t, I suppose. Doesn’t that make it fun?”

“That’s very much debatable,” I smiled for a moment before a frown took over, “Everyone just seemed really...I don’t know, startled I guess?”

Jongho let out a loud sigh, looking down at the ground for a few seconds before looking back up at me, “Humans aren’t normally invited to these parties. It’s assumed that everyone here is a vampire. The perfume that you’re wearing, whatever the hell it is, is masking your scent. If I didn’t meet you before today I wouldn’t have known you were human. I guess Anna didn’t tell everyone, either.” He placed a hand on my knee and looked at me with kind eyes, “How are you feeling?”

“Surprisingly calm considering that I just learned vampires exist.”

Jongho laughed, “Yeah I’d say you’re taking it pretty well. Like I said earlier though, I’m sure you’ve got plenty of questions, so fire away.”

“Yeah I have a few.” I hesitated, hoping he wouldn’t be offended by my question, “Exactly how old are you?”

“Oh are you gonna age shame me?”

“No but it’s probably an important thing to know...since we kissed and all.”

He laughed again and leaned back in his chair, placing his arms behind his head, “How old do you think I am?”

I used his question as an excuse for my eyes to wander over his body. He was beyond attractive, very clearly fit and he knew it, which equal parts pissed me off and turned me on. As hard as I tried, I kept finding myself being pulled to his thighs. Even through his jeans I could tell he had strong thighs and I had to press my fingernails into my palm to keep from drooling. “From your appearance? Early twenties. From what age fiction usually tells us vampires are? I’d guess you’re a hundred and three.”

Jongho nodded with a smile, “I’m not quite that old but that’s a fair guess. You had it right the first time. I’m a pure born and we actually age, but we don’t age as quickly as humans. I’m twenty.”

“Pure born?”

“It means both of my parents are vampires.”

I nodded as another question came to mind, a smile on my lips. “Do you sparkle in the daylight?”

“Oh my god,” He covered his face with his hands, a mixture of a groan and a laugh escaping his mouth, “No, we do not sparkle in daylight, “His hands came to rest on his knees, “But it sucks that we really shouldn’t be in direct sunlight for over two hours a day. That’s normally the rule to go by. It’ll burn us if we’re in it for much longer than that.”

“So do werewolves and witches and everything like that exist, too?”

“Yeah pretty much. We don’t all get along, but we have to coexist. It’s something we’ve struggled with for a while, unfortunately. Basically everything you’d believe to be supernatural exists.”

I was silent for a while, not really knowing what else to say.

“Y/n? Are you doing okay? If you’re not comfortable being here I can drive you home right now or if you’d rather be alone I can call an Uber or—”

My heart skipped a beat at his kindness. “No, I’m okay. I guess I’m just surprised I’m learning about this just now.”

“We do a good job of hiding it. Also it was probably a given, but keep this as a secret if you can. Having a lot of people know about our existence can be risky.”

I gave him a silent nod, unintentionally leaning closer to him. The sound of approaching footsteps made me jump into Jongho’s arms. I didn’t know why I found comfort in him, knowing that he could be dangerous as well, but he’d been nothing but sweet to me. I had no reason to fear him.

Annabelle approached us but stopped, taking a few steps back when she saw how I was buried in Jongho’s arms.

“Hey y/n.” She rubbed her arm, looking down as if she’d done something wrong.

“I guess Jongho probably told you everything at this point. I’m really sorry if I scared you and I understand if you don’t want to be friends anymore.” Even in the dark I could see tears beginning to stream down her cheeks and I felt a pain in my chest.

I got up from Jongho’s hold and wrapped my arms around her, feeling her stiffen, “I trust you, Annabelle.”

Those four words seemed to relax her and she returned my hug, still sniffling, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. We aren’t supposed to tell anyone and I thought you might hate me—”

I pulled back, “Why the hell would I hate you? You’re still you.”

She laughed through tears, gripping me tighter, thanking me over and over for not pushing her away.

We’re gonna be okay. It’s all gonna be okay.

Not too long after, Jongho drove me home. The ride was more silent than when we were headed to Annabelle’s house, but the air wasn’t heavy or uncomfortable. Feeling tired, I laid my head on Jongho’s shoulder, faintly hearing ‘sleep well, baby’ before drifting asleep.

When I woke, I was in my bed. I reached for my phone on the bedside table and found a little note placed next to it that read:

I hope you don’t mind that I carried you inside. I tried to wake you for like five minutes but you were out cold. Anyways, I had a really good time with you yesterday and I hope you had fun too :) Text me when you wake so I know you’re okay. -J

I looked at my clock and saw that it was still early, but I texted Jongho anyway.

Me [3:00am] Not sure if you’re still up, but I really enjoyed yesterday, too. I’m exhausted so I’m gonna go back to sleep but I just wanted to say I’m okay and everything is good :))

A Cute Buffoon [3:00am] Sleep well, darling. We can talk in the morning

It had been roughly a month since Jongho and I started dating, and while I felt like I knew him pretty well, we had only known each other a little over a month, on top of the fact that he was a vampire which was essentially an entire separate culture. I’d asked him most questions I had early throughout our relationship, but one in particular kept replaying in my mind.

We were currently sitting on the couch in my apartment, cuddling each other. The TV was on but neither of us were really watching it. I was far more interested in the warm body in front of me, and based off of how Jongho was looking at me, the feeling was mutual.

I bit my lip, anxiously mulling over the question I’d wanted to ask him for weeks. I didn’t know how he would take it, let alone how I would bring it up, but I needed to ask at some point. Knowing he could probably sense my nerves, I gave in. “Jongho, can a human turn into a vampire?”

He hummed, turning to face me. “Why do you ask?”

“I just...I didn’t know if it could happen or not.”

Jongho chuckled, “Yeah it’s possible. It’s a long ass process to go through though, and there’s a lot that can go wrong, so it rarely happens.”

I shifted in my seat, trying not to appear overly interested. “Why is that? What can go wrong?

He smiled and raised a brow, his cocky persona resurfacing, “You sound so eager to know, dear. Do you want to become a vampire?” His eyes briefly flickered towards my lips before he tilted his head, dragging his soft lips across my neck. I let out a gasp when I felt the tips of his teeth lightly scraping the skin, “Or maybe you’re just looking for an excuse for me to put my mouth on you?”

Like with anything that exuded him, I felt myself becoming quickly overwhelmed, my mind now hazy and distant. I shut my eyes in an attempt to gain some semblance of control over myself.

“Your thoughts are swirling, doll.” Jongho began leaving gentle kisses along the side of my jaw, “Don’t think too much. Just let me take care of you. Okay?”

“Okay.” I said through a short breath, knowing we’d just have to have the conversation another time.

We’d had sex before, so it wasn’t like this was new territory for us, but every time felt like the first, leaving me just as out of breath each time.

He lifted me and placed me on his thigh, dragging me across his flexed muscles. I felt my eyes roll back at the simple motion, my need growing at an embarrassing rate. I grabbed his shoulders as I began to drag myself against him, whines and whimpers spilling from my lips.

“God you’re hot,” Jongho said through hot breaths, beginning to kiss my neck, no doubt leaving marks.

“Thanks I try.” I managed to say, pleased when Jongho laughed.

“You don’t even have to, and it’s completely unfair.” His hands moved under my shirt and danced along my skin, “It’s like you’re an angel come to life.”

I let out a loud moan, feeling tears well in my eyes from his praise, “You always make me feel so beautiful when I’m with you.”

Jongho responded with a smile, carrying me to my bedroom and laying me down on the bed while hurriedly discarding both of our clothes.

“You’re always so eager, babe.”

He nuzzled my neck as he climbed on top of me, his hands finding my own and holding them, “As if you’re not.”

“I never said I wasn’t.”

He then moved in between my thighs, teasing me with his fingers as he ran them along my wet slit, occasionally rubbing my clit, drawing small whines from me.

“Jongho please just fuck me already.”

“Sweetheart, do you even think you’re wet enough for me?” He cooed.

Feeling frustrated, I pushed my fingers inside myself with ease, pulling them out and spreading them so he could see my essence dripping down my fingers, “I don’t know you tell me.” I said with far more sass than I intended.

Jongho’s eyes widened at the sight and wasted no time positioning his cock at my entrance, pushing in and letting out the most beautiful groans.

Neither of us ever bothered to use protection because, to put it simply, vampires couldn’t get humans pregnant. It was only possible when both partners were vampires, and we took full advantage of that.

“Fuck—baby you feel amazing. You’re so warm and tight ohmygod.” Jongho moaned as he began to move, thrusting in and out of me at a steady pace.

I clenched around him, loving when he was vocal. His sounds helped get me off just as much as his actions, at times it seemed.

“You feel...really good...too.” I said through heavy breaths. And as much as I wanted to last longer in bed, with Jongho, I never could.

“I don’t know if it’s because you’re a vampire and you’ve got like magic powers or something or maybe you’re just a sex god—but holy shit...I’m close.”

He threw back his head and had the audacity to laugh, something I really couldn’t stay mad at with how good he was making me feel. “Babe it’s been like six minutes.”

“Don’t be an asshole.” I joked, my laugh turning into a moan. It only spurred Jongho on, making him angle one of my legs up higher, hitting deeper inside of me.

“I know you’re close, baby. I can feel it. Cum for me, baby girl. Let go for me.”

He reached down to tease my sensitive nub, drawing quick circles until I was seeing stars, chanting his name like a prayer.

After Jongho came down from his high, he disappeared into the bathroom as he always did, coming back with a warm towel. As he pressed the towel to my thighs I tried to ask again.

“So...about the human to vampire thing?”

“Well,” Jongho sighed, “I didn’t think I’d be able to distract you forever.” He smiled, “It’s mostly done because couples want to stay together. The thing is though, the vampire obviously gets a taste of the human’s blood and it can be hard to stop once you’ve marked them, especially since smell is such a big allure for us.”

He took a long breath, “Then the human will almost always pass out, and needs to be taken care of for the next couple days because they’ll be so weak. Another problem is that the scent of their blood will be amplified during those days and it’ll be harder for the vampire to not, you know...” He looked away, not able to say the words. I knew what he meant, we both did. In some cases, vampires would kill their human partners for of their blood. Sometimes it was beyond their control. Just a primal need that would betray them. “Then their scent is more easily detected by other vampires and the whole thing is just kinda a mess. I think I’ve only heard of five attempts and only one of them was successful.”

I nodded, not really knowing what to say.

“And then on top of it all, it can be harder for the human to adjust and it can put a lot of pressure on the relationship. Human and vampire relationships are dangerous.”

His face was serious as he ran a hand through my hair. I looked up at him and leaned into his touch.

He cleared his throat and averted his eyes, a shy behavior I hadn’t seen from him before, “I guess it’s important for you to decide then.” His eyes met mine again, “Is this still something you want to continue?”

“Our relationship?”

“Yeah.”

“Of course, are you crazy? You mean the world to me.” I swallowed, realizing he hadn’t voiced his own thoughts, “What about you? Do you want this?”

“I think you have a pretty good idea of what I want.” He smiled and pressed a quick kiss to my forehead, his eyes sparkling.

“Hey Jongho?”

He hummed, looking at me.

“I want to spend forever with you.”

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