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[itsren-again]

The guys <3

I love each of them so much.

Spent some time doodling the guys today ☘️👾🧵

[itsren-again]

[itsren-again]

Images that are very important to me:

[itsren-again]

Had the dumbest idea for a fic where Kerry is comparing Nate to a plastic plate, whereas he is fine china, and you can imagine how well that goes.

[itsren-again]

It was more than 3 years of nearly each weekend meeting with three very talented guys to play music together. Our band is called 'Vėsu', a Lithuanian word which is used to describe mildly cold weather.

We create original songs in English mostly, I am leaving a link of one of them in which I sing I play keys (though I am not the only vocalist in a band :) ). Have a look if you'd like. I'm very thankful for anyone who'll give it a listen, likes and reblogs would be very appreciated too! ❤

[itsren-again]

There is a very specific genre of content I go feral for and that is cars & crime. It gets me every time.

[itsren-again]

what song fits your story best?

[itsren-again]

Overview

Here's a list of all the wonderful fics that have been written for this exchange 💖 Thank you all for being a part of this!

My spirit's alive, I want you to know. by @hypnostanatos for @evilbunnyking

mysterious fathoms below by @ava-du-mortain for @wayhavenots

Resilience by @deepinotomehell for @stolenoc

devotion's shadow by @rosejellyy for @deepinotomehell

Movie Night by @sanguineverefae for @apenapaperandadoofus

This is more than enough by @lalizah for @grapecaseschoices

Imprints by @stolenoc for @thee-morrigan

by allegoric bards by @agentnatesewellfor @lalizah

Beside this fountain's brink & Covalent by @wifebeast-s for @agentnatesewell

thank you for being a friend by @grapecaseschoices for @rosejellyy

Areen's Beacon by @sunshineandviolets for @ava-du-mortain

Hold on tight by @slushrottweiler for @doulyeah

midnight, the stars, and you by @thee-morrigan for @slushrottweiler

I Can Kerry a Tune by @wayhavenots for @itsren-again

Hypersenses & Stolen Glances by @doulyeah for @sanguineverefae

Movie Night by @sanguineverefae for @apenapaperandadoofus

strawberry menthos by @ejunkiet for @sunshineandviolets

Come Night, Come Morning by @lykegenia for @ejunkiet

Campfire woes by @sustainably-du-mortain for @hypnostanatos

Familiar by @itsren-again for @sustainably-du-mortain

Shearing the Rams by @evilbunnyking for @wifebeast-s

Under the Rain by @apenapaperandadoofus for @lykegenia

[itsren-again]

[itsren-again]

I want to start by, again, apologizing for how little I gave you to work with for Kerry, but you honestly nailed him! I went back and counted and I provided 19 words about Kerry on my form and I'm so sorry!!!! I did not understand the assignment.

His behavior and attitude that you've written could have been plucked right out of my head and I'm wildly impressed by that!

I have been an absolute giggling mess over this since I first read it yesterday! I cannot overstate how incredibly happy this has made me lol.

THIS whole little back and forth:

Still, still, the sweet vampire breaks out into a kind applause, playing along. "Bravo. I can’t say that I’m familiar with that piece.” He gives a little bow. "That was a little Kerry Saint original I like to call…I Don't Actually Play Piano." "Perhaps not the most conventional of compositions, but I admire your creativity." "Careful, now. I may have to serenade you again." He wiggles his fingers threateningly.

Gave me face cramps from smiling so much. It's perfect and I love how you captured how fun and flirty and comfortable and fun and fun they are with each other.

And then the dash of drama!!!

(And you could too, if…, he doesn’t say. Kerry hears it all the same, underneath the music that seems to swirl around them.)

I LOVE it. It hits so hard after all that fluff and really punctuates that underlying tension that exists; such a contrast to how they are most of the time. It's the raincloud in their sunny sky and I love to see it.

But then we're back! And this is one of my favorite lines:

“Then I must sincerely congratulate you for winning private music lessons with your favorite rockstar,” says Nate with a chuckle.

He is so damn charming and such a delight. Thank you so much for writing this and taking the time to send me asks to fill in all my blanks. I'm really stunned with how well you brought him to life with the crumbs I gave you. It's perfect and I'm going to read it 100 more times now.

Gift: I Can Kerry a Tune

A gift exchange fic for @itsren-again !! :) I loved learning about Kerry (thank you so much for answering all my anonymous questions!!!!) and I hope I did him justice!

Just hopped on to hit post but soon I'll gift it on AO3 too! :) I hope you enjoy it!!

(And thanks so much @wayhavenficexchange for organizing this, this was so fun!!!!!!)

Rating: G

Word Count: 832

A light, springy piano tune is dancing across the Warehouse when Kerry returns from work. He follows the sound to a room he hadn't yet discovered, one which houses black cases of different sizes as well as a grand piano. Nate is seated on the piano bench, fingers gliding across the keys with skill; and although he doesn't look up from the instrument, Kerry catches the knowing hint of a smirk on his face as he enters the room. No sneaking up on a vampire, after all.

So he leans against the wall, soaking in the bright melody as it reaches its conclusion. He can feel the joy in the quick trills, in the way Nate moves with the music, in the smile he shoots back over his shoulder when the song is finished. 

Not that he can tell where the music begins and ends when Nate adds, in a deep voice bordering on sultry, “Welcome back, ya rouhi.” 

“And what a warm welcome this is.” Like a reflex, Kerry slides onto the bench beside his talented partner and angles his face ever so slightly upwards to peck him on the lips. "I didn’t know you played piano. You wouldn't be trying to impress me, would you, Agent Sewell?"

"But what better reason to be moved to music, than to be inspired by the love of your life?" says Nate, the proclamation delivered so lightly and casually in complete contrast to the way it nearly knocks Kerry over. That, too, is music. "Do you play?"

"Sure, I dabble a little." He wiggles his fingers dramatically before placing them on the keys. He counts off a slow beat…

…before pressing down lightly with his whole hand, the resulting sound so unpleasant his hands are scrambling off the keys instantly, and Nate gives a slight wince.

Still, still, the sweet vampire breaks out into a kind applause, playing along. "Bravo. I can’t say that I’m familiar with that piece.”

He gives a little bow. "That was a little Kerry Saint original I like to call…I Don't Actually Play Piano."

"Perhaps not the most conventional of compositions, but I admire your creativity."

"Careful, now. I may have to serenade you again." He wiggles his fingers threateningly.

Nate chuckles, catching his hands in his and pressing a kiss to each of his fingers, neutralizing the weapons before they can cause more destruction. "I look forward to it, ya rouhi."

There's something magical about his kisses, about the adoring look that he's shooting his way, that almost makes Kerry think Nate could have heard something beautiful in the dissonance. That almost makes him think he could hear it too if he tried again. "If you're willing to teach me, babe, I'll serenade you as much as you want."

"With an offer such as that, I'd be happy to teach you anything you wish,” says Nate, lowering his hands but not letting go, twining their fingers together. “Piano, violin, harp, guitar, sitar…”

“Oh, is that all?” says Kerry with a shamelessly impressed breath. 

Nate smiles. "I've had the benefit of time to learn." 

(And you could too, if…, he doesn’t say. Kerry hears it all the same, underneath the music that seems to swirl around them.)

“I always thought I’d be a rockstar, if I weren’t a detective,” says Kerry, in part to distract himself from that thought. The prospect of immortality as a vampire, even if it means forever with Nate, still strikes a sour note for him. “I just never got around to learning how to do the actual music part.” He cocks a half-grin, thinking of Nate’s charming spin from earlier. “You know, in a conventional way.”

“Is that a dream you still have?”

“Just one of many.” And not the most important, considering the other dreams he’s been haunted by recently, although he keeps that particular thought to himself. “But, given my current skill level… Maybe you could be the rockstar, and I’ll be your number one fan.”

“Then I must sincerely congratulate you for winning private music lessons with your favorite rockstar,” says Nate with a chuckle. “If you’d still like me to teach you, of course.”

Being able to serenade his sweet vampire boyfriend is sounding like an important skill to have. Without a word, he lets go of his hands and settles them back on the keys, and he can already tell from the smile teasing at the corner of Nate’s lips that he’s done it wrong.

“Go ahead,” says Kerry, nodding.

His heart skips a beat at the warmth of Nate's hands over his, gently correcting his position. For the next twenty minutes, they crawl through a few basics that way, more Nate playing Kerry’s hands than Kerry playing the music. He’s not sure that he could play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star again without Nate’s hands over his, but he’s not sure he would want to, not sure it would sound nearly as sweet as the music they make together.

[itsren-again]

Gift: I Can Kerry a Tune

A gift exchange fic for @itsren-again !! :) I loved learning about Kerry (thank you so much for answering all my anonymous questions!!!!) and I hope I did him justice!

Just hopped on to hit post but soon I'll gift it on AO3 too! :) I hope you enjoy it!!

(And thanks so much @wayhavenficexchange for organizing this, this was so fun!!!!!!)

Rating: G

Word Count: 832

A light, springy piano tune is dancing across the Warehouse when Kerry returns from work. He follows the sound to a room he hadn't yet discovered, one which houses black cases of different sizes as well as a grand piano. Nate is seated on the piano bench, fingers gliding across the keys with skill; and although he doesn't look up from the instrument, Kerry catches the knowing hint of a smirk on his face as he enters the room. No sneaking up on a vampire, after all.

So he leans against the wall, soaking in the bright melody as it reaches its conclusion. He can feel the joy in the quick trills, in the way Nate moves with the music, in the smile he shoots back over his shoulder when the song is finished. 

Not that he can tell where the music begins and ends when Nate adds, in a deep voice bordering on sultry, “Welcome back, ya rouhi.” 

“And what a warm welcome this is.” Like a reflex, Kerry slides onto the bench beside his talented partner and angles his face ever so slightly upwards to peck him on the lips. "I didn’t know you played piano. You wouldn't be trying to impress me, would you, Agent Sewell?"

"But what better reason to be moved to music, than to be inspired by the love of your life?" says Nate, the proclamation delivered so lightly and casually in complete contrast to the way it nearly knocks Kerry over. That, too, is music. "Do you play?"

"Sure, I dabble a little." He wiggles his fingers dramatically before placing them on the keys. He counts off a slow beat…

…before pressing down lightly with his whole hand, the resulting sound so unpleasant his hands are scrambling off the keys instantly, and Nate gives a slight wince.

Still, still, the sweet vampire breaks out into a kind applause, playing along. "Bravo. I can’t say that I’m familiar with that piece.”

He gives a little bow. "That was a little Kerry Saint original I like to call…I Don't Actually Play Piano."

"Perhaps not the most conventional of compositions, but I admire your creativity."

"Careful, now. I may have to serenade you again." He wiggles his fingers threateningly.

Nate chuckles, catching his hands in his and pressing a kiss to each of his fingers, neutralizing the weapons before they can cause more destruction. "I look forward to it, ya rouhi."

There's something magical about his kisses, about the adoring look that he's shooting his way, that almost makes Kerry think Nate could have heard something beautiful in the dissonance. That almost makes him think he could hear it too if he tried again. "If you're willing to teach me, babe, I'll serenade you as much as you want."

"With an offer such as that, I'd be happy to teach you anything you wish,” says Nate, lowering his hands but not letting go, twining their fingers together. “Piano, violin, harp, guitar, sitar…”

“Oh, is that all?” says Kerry with a shamelessly impressed breath. 

Nate smiles. "I've had the benefit of time to learn." 

(And you could too, if…, he doesn’t say. Kerry hears it all the same, underneath the music that seems to swirl around them.)

“I always thought I’d be a rockstar, if I weren’t a detective,” says Kerry, in part to distract himself from that thought. The prospect of immortality as a vampire, even if it means forever with Nate, still strikes a sour note for him. “I just never got around to learning how to do the actual music part.” He cocks a half-grin, thinking of Nate’s charming spin from earlier. “You know, in a conventional way.”

“Is that a dream you still have?”

“Just one of many.” And not the most important, considering the other dreams he’s been haunted by recently, although he keeps that particular thought to himself. “But, given my current skill level… Maybe you could be the rockstar, and I’ll be your number one fan.”

“Then I must sincerely congratulate you for winning private music lessons with your favorite rockstar,” says Nate with a chuckle. “If you’d still like me to teach you, of course.”

Being able to serenade his sweet vampire boyfriend is sounding like an important skill to have. Without a word, he lets go of his hands and settles them back on the keys, and he can already tell from the smile teasing at the corner of Nate’s lips that he’s done it wrong.

“Go ahead,” says Kerry, nodding.

His heart skips a beat at the warmth of Nate's hands over his, gently correcting his position. For the next twenty minutes, they crawl through a few basics that way, more Nate playing Kerry’s hands than Kerry playing the music. He’s not sure that he could play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star again without Nate’s hands over his, but he’s not sure he would want to, not sure it would sound nearly as sweet as the music they make together.

[itsren-again]

Familiar

Rating: E for everyone | Word Count: 1718 | Pairing: Adam x Jonah (@sustainably-du-mortain OC Detective) x Nate | Notes: I feel so lucky to have gotten Jonah in this draw. He has been an absolute delight to get to know and work with. Thank you, @sustainably-du-mortain for providing so much detail and information about him. This is actually my first TWC fic in general and I hope I did him and the others justice.

And thank you @wayhavenficexchange for hosting this event and giving me a reason to reach out of my comfort zone.

***

It’s quiet here in Wayhaven, not in the eerie sense, but in the sense that you can still hear footsteps over the gentle bustle of the streets. The few cars that pass by and the nearby cafe chatter won’t drown out the steady tread of shoes against brick sidewalks, even for non-vampires. Vampires, of which there are several in town now, hear even more. 

For some, it’s a relief, a welcome distraction from the sensory overload that comes along with being an agent within the supernatural community’s Agency for peace. Peace and tranquility is what a town like Wayhaven promises, a small community where everyone knows everyone and the days pass by a little slower.

Peace is not what Commanding Agent du Mortain has found on the streets of Wayhaven this morning. A dense fog is blanketing the square, it has been since their arrival late last night. That the townspeople don’t seem to take special note of it tells him it’s typical for the area. How dreary.

But it’s not the low visibility or foreign territory that has dug itself under Adam’s skin and made itself at home. It’s one of those sounds that is so easily isolated in such a quiet town. This one is more prominent than the others. It is to him, at least. He furrows his brow and follows the trail without realizing he’d deviated away from the other members of his team.

The hunt doesn’t take him far; nothing in Wayhaven could be considered far. An apartment building. It mercifully blocks out what sun has dared to escape through the thick fog, casting Adam’s face in heavy shadows that feel cool and welcoming on his skin. It’s an interesting contrast to the warm feeling spreading through his chest. He might prefer the chill.

It’s easy to pinpoint the exact window; it would be, even if it weren’t one of the few ones propped open at this hour. Musical notes blossom from the open space and coast easily to where Adam stood in watch. They turn the westerly wind into their own personal stave, organizing their melody on the gentle breeze.

It’s familiar.

Not that he had heard it before, but that maybe he had felt those same emotions before. It was his mother’s lullaby; it was also the rich scent of rosemary from atop her coffin. It was the song he learned to waltz to. It was every melody Nate played in the background while he read late into the night.

Conjured by the very thought, Nate appeared in his peripheral view. Chances are he’d been there the whole time, and he knew the others were likely not far. They would, after all, follow wherever he led. 

If he wasn’t imagining, he knew Nate would feel the same way, and turned to him. His eyes were fixed on the same window. Maybe the music drew him here instead of his sense of loyalty. He isn’t wholly here either. Their eyes meet on the crescendo and Adam wonders where the notes are taking Nate and if he could join him there. 

Fumbling chords and rampant curses take the place of the entrancing melody. The spell is broken and Adam is left staring at the shameless grin on Nate’s lips. It’s not quite enough to shake the haunted feeling from his shoulders. The weight of his memories doesn’t feel as light as it had a moment ago. The good reasons he had for following the siren’s song are somewhere scattered on the asphalt around his feet.

For the first time in a long time, Adam thinks about prayer.

***

Nate stood with his usual graceful poise, the violin nestled beneath his chin as if it were an extension of his very being. His fingers, long and deft, poised lightly upon the strings, radiating a sense of familiarity and intimacy with the delicate wooden frame. The violin itself seemed to respond to his touch, the wood resonating with a knowing vibrancy.

As the bow made contact with the strings, a hushed magic filled the air. The initial stroke was soft, a tender caress that awakened the strings’ dormant melodies. The notes emerged with a sigh, a whisper that invited any listener to lean in, to partake in the secret world he was about to unveil. 

With each sweep of the bow, Nate’s body swayed ever so slightly, as if he were a conduit for the music itself. His eyes, closed in concentration, felt every nuance, every emotion encapsulated in the composition. The bow danced with precision, weaving a tapestry of sound that carried both sorrow and joy, melancholy and exuberance.

His expression was a reflection of the music he conjured–a myriad of emotions painted across his face. A furrowed brow during a crescendo of tension, a soft smile as the melody took a hopeful turn, and the subtle lift of an eyebrow during an unexpected flourish–every detail communicated a profound connection to the composition.

And as the music reached its zenith, his body seemed to become one with the melody. The final notes quivered in the air, hanging for a breathless moment before fading away. Nate lowered the bow, his chest rising and falling with the rhythm of the piece they had just re-birthed.

For a few suspended moments, the world remained wrapped in the echoes of the performance. Nate’s world had been marinating in this melody ever since it found him outside that apartment building. He played it over and over in his head in a desperate attempt to cling to its every note, to carve it into his subconscious and never let it go.

He hadn’t felt like flesh and blood like this in too long. The melody was every word he couldn’t think of to describe his home, his life. It felt more like him than he did on some days. 

Familiar. 

In that, maybe he remembered a part of himself that he had laid down once before and never bothered to go back and pick up. Maybe the artist from the window had found it instead.

Nate turned towards the new presence standing in the doorway. Adam changed the atmosphere like a storm; he didn’t need to see him to know he was there. He wanted to ask him what the song felt like to him. The weight of it had filled the space between them since that morning, comfortably connecting all the ends they couldn’t make meet before. Had he remembered it correctly? Did he do it justice? Was it theirs now?

He didn’t need to ask any of these things out loud. They have known each other too long for that.

***

In the heart of Wayhaven, a subtle shift began to stir the very air that had once held a sense of cozy familiarity. It was as if the town itself had taken a collective breath, and with that breath, an unseen transformation began to unfold.

The sun, once casting its golden glow with a gentle warmth, now seemed to hang lower in the sky, casting elongated shadows that stretched across the streets. The daylight held a slightly different hue, carrying a touch of melancholy as it filtered through the leaves of trees.

The townspeople, often seen bustling about with carefree smiles, now moved with a different cadence. Their footsteps seemed softer, more contemplative, as if attuned to an underlying shift that had settled over their surroundings. Conversations held a hint of hushed anticipation, as though they were sharing secrets with the town itself.

Buildings that had stood for generations seemed to hold their breath, their aging facades taking on new character in the changing light. Shadows crept along the brickwork, adding depth and mystery to familiar landmarks. 

The air itself carried a distinct crispness, a harbinger of the impending transition. 

Amidst this shift, there was a sense of introspection that seemed to settle over the town like a soft mist, especially for Jonah. He gazed upon familiar vistas with fresh eyes, finding beauty in the nuances he might have overlooked just two days ago. 

The atmosphere, once characterized by its lively rhythms, now held a more contemplative melody. It was a shift that acknowledged the passing of time, the cyclical nature of seasons, and the collective spirit of the ebb and flow of life. 

It wouldn’t leave Jonah alone. 

This new melody emerged from the ashes of every song he had ever written, ever listened to, and branded itself on his skin alongside every dragon keeping him company. He played it over and over, trying to capture the peculiar and haunting change that was happening around him, maybe just inside him. Something had changed. 

He pulls his father’s jacket tighter around his shoulders and wonders when he had made the decision to walk to work. It wasn’t the type of day he would typically do this. Wind whips the hair around his face and into his field of vision. But something in the air needed savoring. The end of the song was on the wind.

The station was on the horizon. The rising sun peaking over the tall trees highlighted its familiar lines. Something was going to happen there. Nervous and excited energy filled his stomach and fluttered through his chest with each step closer to the front door. Vehicles with out-of-state license plates filled parking spots that were usually left empty. 

The melody became louder in his head as he pushed through the front door. It spilled out through the low hum vibrating in his throat. He thinks it’s getting louder, but he’s hardly the one controlling it. Everyone in the front office goes unacknowledged for fear of losing the next note and the one after that. 

He’s still humming it, overjoyed at every second it doesn’t get lost in the ever shifting composition in his mind, when he pushes through the door to his office. Visitors he hadn’t been expecting stared back at him. The melody dies on his lips, but he sees it in the eyes of one and then another. An impossible understanding passes through the three of them and it’s gone in the next moment. 

The new sun and moon who have pulled the atmosphere of Wayhaven into this new reality are standing in Jonah’s office. The previous celestial bodies never stood a chance, surrendering the natural cadence of the town instantaneously. Jonah knew with absolute certainty that things were never going to go back to the way they were.

[itsren-again]

bottling some more assorted things for patreon last month

[itsren-again]

“Oh, I love that sound.” She speaks against my lips a new gospel that will save my soul. I bury it in my chest for safekeeping.

what's your favorite line from your story?

[itsren-again]

Tip: You can replace therapy with fifteen hour of unrealistic romantic fantasies daily. But watch out.

[itsren-again]

My brother is the best. The story I have been writing centers on a pair of musicians, one of which is a guitarist. My brother is also a really skilled guitarist so I asked him if he would be willing to write out some really detailed language around soloing/technique and boy did he deliver.

I have a wealth of beautiful guitar playing language and resources to use now and I'm really excited to display some in upcoming chapters!