Writing samples
Sample 1
Time had been slowly moving along for a long time for Orchid, it seemed like he had somehow landed himself in a limbo, at least a limbo away from the world he really belonged to. Instead he found himself having to make it among small town humans, sure some of them were interesting enough to mess with every once in a while but the challenge of it all had faded away after a certain point, it wasn’t fun when he knew just what to say to get the reaction he wanted. The half mortal had decided long ago that it was just unfair to mess with these humans when it was this easy, they clearly couldn’t see a demon with motives coming from a mile away.
Bright green eyes scanned the parking lot area from his car as the brunet let his hair down from the loose bun that it had been tied up in while he had been on campus, fixing it around his heart shaped face in a way that complimented it. By all means Orchid didn't exactly look like a threat, he wasn't even tall, coming in at only a five foot five inches tall when wearing even his combat boots that gave him at least an inch. Seeing the crowd outside the bar already so dense he really took his time, making sure his hoodie didn't have hints of cat hair on it and that his black jeans were tucked neatly into his combat boots before heading out of his car, locking the shiny new looking thing with a subtle beep.
Tonight though it seemed that Orchid was going to make an expectation to the rule, he was already pulling into the only area that this place could call a proper town after all. This place had few stores, places to buy groceries, more than enough restaurants and a bar, even if the place was practically a dive that served questionably aged people and even more questionable beer.
As Orchid pushed his way past the crowd of college kids standing by the door of the bar, he found himself staring with a bit of horror at what he had just done to himself… it was a game night. Alright so maybe the bar wasn’t the best place for him to try and pretend he actually liked being around these humans. His tongue clicked against his teeth as he nearly turned on his heel to make a hasty exit out the door in hopes of it being early enough that he could get out of here without anyone noticing him.
“Yooo! Twig!”
Oh great. It was okay, he didn’t mean it in a bad way. Orchid had to remind himself of that when dealing with some of the…less brain cell rich people that had tried to befriend him. Forcing a smile onto his face, Orchid turned to face the reaper and walked toward the voice that had called for him. The owner was already rushing toward him through the crowd anyway so it wasn’t like there was any route to escape.
“Hey Jensen, I didn’t think you would be here with that big exam you have coming” Orchid teased at the clearly drunk male that had stumbled his way over to him before clamping a hand on Orchid’s shoulder in a friendly manner.
“Heh, well the last time you looked over my work you said you were proud of my improvement so I thought it would be okay to go out” The demon had to stop from laughing at that one, yeah by improvement he meant that he had actually managed to put a full sentence together… not actually understand the subject material. Well it was his grade and it wasn’t like Orchid actually cared if he passed.
“Well don’t drink yourself out of you last brain cell” chuckling a bit more softly at him this time, Orchid’s smile warmed just a bit and the taller male seemed to respond well to the shift it attitude, grinning down at Orchid like a puppy that had just learned a new trick for its owner.
“So uh… you didn’t tell anyone about what we you know--” Orchid was quick to cut him off by raising a hand and patting the front of his chest “Don’t worry about it, why don’t you go back and hang out with your friends and girlfriend they look pretty lonely over there… I’m actually waiting for someone” No he wasn’t but hopefully it would give him time to leave before he got asked to join them.
“Oh is it that person over there? They have been staring pretty hard at us for a while” What? Orchid turned his gaze over his own shoulder to find that there was someone indeed staring at them, and they were walking over now that Orchid had laid eyes on them. Great.
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Sample 2
The Persephone was by no means a new looking ship, it was clearly an older make that had been converted to be something so far out of normal regulation that when most government vessels passed it they weren’t even certain what they were looking at was actually a ship. The hull itself seemed to breathe out into the space around it, releasing barely traceable emissions that were more akin to something a living being might expel after it exhaled from whatever sort of lungs they might have. Where there were once windows to look outside of the ship now seemed to barely contain the foliage behind them, pressing against steam soaked glass as if they were trying to reach out and escape their overfilled container.
Inside it was pretty much what anyone would expect if they had glimpsed the outside, halls taken over my plant life, damp air and the soft whirr of something unknown powering a ship that seemed to defy all Alliance logic. It may have not been a new ship but it was pretty large, four decks, spacious rooms and a bridge any captain would be jealous of, assuming they were okay with taking a seat in what looked to be giant leaves simply holding the shape of a chair. Beyond the lush deck was an even odder sight. Inside Enill’s office it lacked an actual desk, instead the walls and floors were covered in vines that moved various large leaves that held various items around the room where needed.
Right now the leader was seated cross legged on a particularly large set of leaves that held him delicately in the air despite his tall frame, though he was pretty frail looking so he couldn’t have been all that heavy. In front of him was a computer that seemed very out of place in the green room, Enill on the other hand nearly looked like he was part of the plant life he matched so well, the ends of his antenna flicking slightly as he looked through the report that had just been sent to him.
“Mysti could you let security know I am willing to meet the new recruit now… just uhhh” The ginger seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before rapidly typing something into the holographic keyboard in front of him “Just make sure they are decontaminated before coming in here, their initial readings on being transported aboard are reading too high in Alliance grade filth for my liking and I don’t want anything to wilt” that was the issue with those government regulation ships, they were so full of various chemicals and being away from them only just recently started to make Enill realize how much of his headaches came from being on those ships pretty much his entire life. Some of his crew might say he had taken the eco-friendly ship idea a bit too far by handing nearly most of its structure to the plants but he found it easier to think when surrounded by anything but the stars. The stars were all he had ever known, all his parents had ever known either and yet somehow immersing himself among nature, even on a ship felt much more like home.
Upon lifting his finger from the combadge Enill reclined back in his chair, the leaf supporting his back tilting with him as any sort of office chair might. Every month the number of new faces grew, a good thing but it could get overwhelming deciding who he could trust and who would actually be useful, it was always a shame when he had to turn someone away because they had very little to provide to the resistance. Hopefully this one would be different, they had mentioned being a scientist but not much else, he was sure that he could find a use for them. The moment a ping came on the other side of the door the ginger sat up in his chair, keeping his legs crossed but his face read that despite being comfortable he was still on alert.
“Come in, watch your step for the vines” his voice was soft but there almost seemed to be a soft buzzing behind each of his words making it slightly accented, that was normal for his kind though thanks to the second set of vocal cords that ran next to their main ones. Most people just assumed the flos had them because of mating rituals but others suspected their dialect may have needed them in years past before their planet had been destroyed.
“Dr. L’Aisa I presume? It is a pleasure to meet you, please sit” He didn’t smile at her but he did gesture to the chair that had sprouted up in front of him for them to take.
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Sample 3
The face Samus made stepping out of the back of his car that had pulled up outside of the club was twisted with disgust for just a moment at the scent of all the desperate people seeping from the walls of the building but it was quickly pushed down and a almost cold look fell over his features, his lips settling against each other as a hand reached up to apply a clear gloss over them, waiting for his car to be driven away so that he could start to make his way toward the entrance of the club. It was obvious that there were already some eyes on him, he probably wasn’t the type people were used to seeing as a patron there but more the kind they would have expected to be offering services; long black straight hair hanging over his shoulders, a short fluffy black fur coat over a loose mostly open silk black button up, leaving most of his chest bare for anyone to see. Of course it all had to be topped off with a pair of way too tight looking black latex pants and thigh high boots with heels sharp and high enough to take an eye out.
While he certainly gave off a feminine appearance it was clear he was not the kind that could be just walked all over, in fact some of the bouncers out front backed up just slightly as he made his way toward them. Their reaction drew the slightest reaction from the demon, the corners of his lips pulling into a slight smirk before they settled back into a flat line. Not a word was exchanged as Samus made his way past the large men at the front and into the main room of the club where a sweet looking girl offered to take his coat but he waved her off as he made his way further into the room, letting his eyes scan what was in front of him… it wasn’t promising. Just more of the same, most of them didn’t even look like they would taste good to even a starving vampire, not to mention he was pretty sure most of them would run away if he got too close to them anyway.
He had just been about to turn and leave this place already until a glint of bare skin working it’s way through the crowd caught his eye. He wasn’t dressed any differently than the others here but something about the way his skin caught the lights made him look extra soft, despite something about him screaming that he very much did not want to be here. At the very least he was worth taking a closer look at, so the tall male made his way through the crowd that seemed to nearly back away from him until he had nearly reached the other male. He would likely smell Samus before he saw him, a strong scent of cinnamon surrounding the air around him almost in an intoxicating way, it was after all meant to cloud someone’s judgment.
“You know if you move too fast you are only going to attract the predatory types” Samus's voice was low but soft enough that it could almost trick someone into thinking it sounded kind. Almost as soon as he was in reach the demon set a hand on his shoulder, long nails tapping lightly squeezing the escort’s bare skin with cold grip. As soon as it had been there though it was dropped back to his side while Samus’ stared the other down, it might have just been the lighting in the club but his eyes almost seemed to glow a light purple around the edges of an otherwise nearly black pupil and iris.
“I’m kidding of course, I’m sure you are perfectly safe working here…” his eyes lingered on the gold snake hanging off the chair around his neck with a raise of his brow before he went back to looking the other directly into his eyes, there was something dead in his expression despite the grin that lingered on his face but despite all that, he seemed nice enough at the moment.
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Sample 4
Feeling the arms slip around his waist the wolf had to hold his breath for a moment, it had been a long time since he had been near someone like himself, that alone would have been enough to make old instincts rise up in him but this time it was something even more than that. At the moment he just sort of assumed it was because this guy was the real deal, he hadn’t been around a real lycan until now. He was honestly shocked they were still around, the military had been hunting them down for a while, their blood was a key ingredient in making synthetic ones like Grayson after all. After a moment his body relaxed and he turned back in the smaller male’s grasp just enough to push the helmet he had in his hands over Braxton’s white hair, Gray had a tough skull anyway so on the off chance they did crash he would rather the other be wearing it.
“I’ll explain when we get back to my room, okay? For now just hold tight, It’s been a while since I’ve had anyone back there~” A sharp half smile pulled at the corners of his lips before the alpha decided to turn back around and start the engine up, quickly kicking the stand before pulling back and out onto the road. Once they were on their way he was careful not to drive quite as fast as he normally would but he certainly wasn’t following the speed limit, even if the drops of rain did sting on his face like ice cold needles. It had been a while since he had driven without his helmet, he had forgotten how exhilarating it felt to actually feel the wind whipping around him.
The alpha didn’t even notice that the band-aid on the back of his neck had started to slip off from getting wet and being exposed to the wind, revealing the barcode tattoo that had been hidden below it to the other wolf behind him… if he wasn’t hiding his face in fear from the terrifying speed Grayson had risen up to during their ride that is. After a while though they did start to slow down and he pulled into the parking lot of the cheap looking highway side motel. It was pretty normal for this area to have various run down motels since it was next to a highway frequently used by truckers, in fact most vehicles here were semi-trucks.
“Sorry about that, are you okay?” The taller male shook some of the water out of his hair before looking down at Braxton before getting off the motorcycle, holding his hand out to him to help him down if he wanted it. “Like I said, I’ve been riding solo for a while” Oh right his question. He supposed it would be okay to answer it as they made their way back to his room.
“My pack died a while back… I was the only one that made it” Clearing his throat, Grayson opened the door to his room with his key card, letting the white haired lycan head in before him. “If I tell you anymore I need you to promise you won’t breathe a soul of it to anyone, for not only my safety but yours. If they come for me they would not only come for you as well but your whole pack… okay?” His face had fallen from mostly just composed and a little stoic to deadly serious as he followed him inside, closing the door behind both of them, leaving them completely alone at the moment.
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Sample 5
Drops of rain splashed along the hastily lifted hood as the brunet made his way across the campus ground, he wasn’t running but his pace was quick. The first day of class and he was already late but it probably wouldn’t matter seeing as others were in the same rushed situation as him, he could see at least one full on sprinting with a cup of coffee in their hand. It looked like they were headed toward the art building though so they would probably be okay, art teachers always seemed to be more lenient. Unlucky for Orchid though he was heading to a psych class, so there was probably going to be trouble… assuming the teacher was immune to his sweet talking that was.
How had he even ended up here? Never did Orchid think he would be the type to land in college, let alone an expensive one. He wasn’t even here on a scholarship, instead he was here on the dime of some creature that had called himself his Godfather. He still didn’t fully believe that his mother had actually trusted this guy but he had come up with a fairly convincing story during a very convenient time when Orchid didn’t really have much choice but to live under his care. So what was he to do? Run away and live on the streets until he managed to get a job and a place of his own? No, for now this was much more preferable.
He could still remember the day he had met Killian, it had been raining much like it was today and he had shown up silently, the only other figure at his mother’s grave before she was lowered for her well deserved final rest. Orchid had known of his existence before he has shown up at the funeral because the life insurance policy had somehow been left in his name and not Orchid’s. Really the twenty-year old had been so numb that he was just ready to cremate her cheaply and run with the rest of the money to start a life for himself but instead all the money had gone to someone he had never met, someone that set up a beautiful grand burial for his mother on a private cemetery that was
apparently owned by his family.
When he had shown up the younger male was the only one there outside of the people that were there to lower her casket into the ground, wet and shivering in the rain, still not shedding a single tear; it couldn’t be real after all, right? A hand had firmly landed on his shoulder as the person behind him held an umbrella over the two of them, it nearly caused Orchid to jump out of his skin with how silently he had shown up. Instead of a monster behind him though it had been a warm smile on a face that looked like it belonged to an angel, handsome but soft and kind. Suddenly every single tear he had been holding back found its way out, the shoulder under Killian’s grasp shaking with each sob that he let out as they dropped the only person he had ever cared about into the ground, somehow the sight of this mysterious stranger had confirmed to him that this was all indeed real and he wasn’t going to wake up to her loudly singing to Nabeel at the top of her lungs at seven AM as she prepared a breakfast that was much too large for either of them to eat before she went to work. No more begging her to let him go to just one party or for her to pick him up drunk out of his mind where she would scream at the party hosts for letting him drink so much. It was all over, and now Orchid had to be the adult she had been trying to raise him to be.
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After all was said and done Killian had taken him back to his home, a trip up into the wilds of Alaska where things beyond his comprehension had been presented to him. It didn’t take him long though to accept the truth of how things were, creatures of supernatural legend were far more real than he had realized but that didn’t mean that he had to spend the rest of his life resenting the fact that he had been lied to by his mother over that. After all, it seemed that, according to Killian, she had only done it to protect him. She had worked for him for many years before she became pregnant with Orchid and allowed herself to retire. Honestly the younger male had assumed he meant that she had been his secretary but no, instead his mother, the sweet cherub-faced woman with the patience of a lit fuse, had spent her time hunting down creatures that had broken the natural laws of the universe… and here she had been working as a nurse while raising him. All while apparently protecting him from his birth father, it almost made him sick that there was no way he could go back and take care of her back the way she deserved to be instead of running her nerves into the ground.
Orchid was fast to bounce back though, reminding himself that it was his story now, not hers. If she had wanted to remain the main character she would have gotten rid of him instead of actually going through and raising him, right? Killian had frowned when he said that to him though, so maybe once again he was wrong about how this world worked.
Rushing into the class, all other thoughts were dropped from Orchid’s mind as he realized that he was late enough that pretty much any seat in the room had been taken. He was lucky that it was one of those huge lecture hall type classes and he likely wouldn’t be noticed all the way up in the back sneaking a seat. For a moment large green eyes scanned the room as he pulled his drenched hoodie off to find a place to sit, there was only one, right next to someone
that looked way too old to actually be here. His nose scrunched with annoyance as he made his way toward the seat, only noticing the cane as he got close enough to really get a good look at the older man.
He was handsome, that was for sure, older men did typically tend to be Orchid’s type but he had made a promise to Killian that he would stay away from anyone outside of his age group for now…something about him seemed… different though? He was just going to place that feeling on the guy apparently being blind as the cane would indicate. Silently the smaller male would slip into the seat next to him, the smell of his clove and sandalwood cologne filling the space next to the older male now. “If anyone asks if I was here earlier but I left to use the bathroom before the roll was called, okay?” his tone almost sounded like a threat but there was a smile in his voice as he said it “Did I miss anything important?” This was a 101 class so Orchid doubted it but still he wanted to know what they had been discussing in case they were called on.