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ellenembee · 8 months

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Thinking about Detective Ophelia "1% people" Maven, who rarely smiles or shows much emotion (like mother, like daughter), gradually opening up to Adam once his initial sour attitude melts away. In the spaces that remain, she finds he is earnest and serious in the same ways she is, if not for the same reasons, and she finds comfort in it. Because he is like her. Because their pieces fit together.

Thinking about Ophelia gradually smiling more in his presence - only when it's the two of them, of course. It starts out small with a slight uptick at the corner of her mouth. Then a small smile that flashes then fades. Then, finally, a full smile, sincere and excited. (It's the car that does it (God, she loves classic cars.))

Thinking about her accidental slide into a love triangle, with Nate being the only one she liked when they first met, the one who ignited that unfortunate spark she tried so hard to deny. But Adam, once his brashness faded into safe mundanity, once he accepted her as a member of his team, became an anchor in the storm. A safe haven amid the chaos. He doesn't push her boundaries or say those uncomfortably emotional things that make her insides crawl.

Thinking about Nate hearing the rarest of sounds - Ophelia's laughter - faintly from a distance and following it to find Ophelia and Adam sitting on the living room couch together, each on opposite ends but their bodies turned toward each other, heads leaning inward, bright smiles on their faces as Ophelia tells a story from her youth - the same youth she'd told Nate she didn't want to talk about. It's not a raucous joy that lights their faces. It's quiet. Understated. But it cuts deep and to the quick. Because Nate has never made her smile like that, has never even seen her smile like that. And though he vows to earn that smile, the trickle of dread has reached levels deep enough to drown in. And he surely hates deep waters.

Thinking about Ophelia trying to walk away from both of them, only to keep being pulled into their orbits. Of wishing she could. Just. Stop. Feeling. At least she had never let her guard down, always sliding out of those tense moments before anything could happen. She'd never promised either of them anything - no kisses or dates and certainly no relationships. It would be better for everyone if it all just stopped.

And yet the smiles keep coming, as does the heartbreak.

#the wayhaven chronicles #adam du mortain #nate sewell #adam du mortain x female detective #Nate Sewell x female detective #sorry for the angst Nate stans #twc love triangle route #thoughts that turned into half essay half fic #twc thoughts #Ophelia doesn't want any of it anymore #and yet she wants so badly #fan fiction #I had this scene in my head and I needed to get it written down #Ophelia doesn't even realize she's smiling around Adam half the time #poor poor natey

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ellenembee · 3 years

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Safety

A stand-alone fic of a “skipped” moment in The Wayhaven Chronicles books.

Ophelia calls Adam for help when the supernaturals from the carnival attack her in her home. As they work together to move Bobby to the warehouse, the comfort she feels in Adam's presence leads Ophelia to some realizations... which she promptly buries as deep as she can.

Warmth infused her as his fingers curled around her hand and pulled. Normally, she had better reflexes, but weeks of poor sleep and the lateness of the hour made her clumsy. She stumbled forward. A thick arm curled around her waist to steady her, and she managed to catch herself with a palm against his chest. "Oh," she breathed. His muscles flexed under her fingers. Warmth filled her chest and flooded her cheeks. The heat intensified when she registered the pressure of his arm against her back and his hand still wrapped around hers. She flicked her gaze up to find him watching her with an intensity her mind didn't want to parse but her body understood all too well. Beside them, Bobby whimpered. Ophelia jerked out of Adam's grasp just as he took a wide step back.

#the wayhaven chronicles #twc #adam du mortain #female detective #adam du mortain x detective #adam x detective #angst #pining #mutual pining #denial of feelings #reluctant feelings #detective ophelia maven #romantic moment #technically the love triangle route but Adam centric #love triangle #a du mortain #ophelia maven #bury those feelings deep #in between series

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ellenembee · 3 years

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Fandom: The Wayhaven Chronicles Rating: G Relationship(s): Love Triangle - Female Detective/Adam du Mortain, Female Detective/Nate Sewell Summary: In the wake of her kidnapping and transformation, Detective Ophelia Maven does what she can to regain a sense of safety and normalcy in her life. Denial works wonders (for a while). Timing: Just before the beginning of Book 2

Ophelia tapped the edge of the report against the desk with a sharp click. The pages slid into order, and she aligned them against the inner crease of the neatly labeled folder before closing it. Standing, she trailed a hand along the edge of the desk as she moved toward the corner file cabinet, wood grain and then a flash of smooth tape gliding under her fingertips.

She'd turned off the overhead light hours ago to avoid drawing attention, but the pool of warm lamplight surrounding her desk only extended so far. So, she used her phone flashlight to find the correct drawer and scan the alphabetized files. She deposited the folder into the proper spot and gave the pristine files a pat for good measure. Even now, after weeks of organizing, she still discovered the occasional misfiled report or, in Douglas' case, stacks of paperwork he'd "forgotten" to file in order to prop up his phone while watching TikTok videos.

She sighed and shook her head at the small-town nepotism that forced her to deal with inept employees. If she had her way –

A rattle toward the back of the building caught her ear. She froze, holding her breath as her heart began to pound. Her muscles trembled with the sudden rush of adrenaline. Another rattle, and she crouched down, reaching for the Agency taser she kept on her at all times. She raised the weapon, grip tight to stave off the shaking in her hands.

A cheery tone greeted her ears a moment later and gave her just enough time to holster the taser and slump against the wall before Tina passed by the office on her way to greet the night desk volunteer. Ophelia pushed herself up and wiped her sweaty palms against her pants.

"Uh..."

Ophelia jerked her head up at the sound and found Tina leaning backward with just her head peeking into the office. Tina backed up until she stood upright in the doorway, hands gripping the door frame as she leaned in to look around. Ophelia stood straighter, and the movement caught Tina's eye.

"Ophelia? What are you doing here? It's past one in the morning!"

"I just had a few reports... to finish..."

It sounded ridiculous, even to her, but she raised her chin a notch anyway. Tina knew her well enough to understand the motion.

"There's no arguing with you on this, is there?"

Tina's words carried laughter but also a twinge of softness. Ophelia let her shoulders relax a half inch and flicked a strand of long dark hair out of her face.

"I would have organized this place when I first started as detective if it hadn't been for... everything that happened. You know I've been dying to do this for years now."

"Oh, I know. But it's not worth losing sleep over, is it?"

Ophelia maintained her neutral expression, but her heart leapt into her throat at the wording. She knew Tina just wanted to help, but she had no intention of telling her friend exactly why she spent so many late nights at the station. Instead, she gestured to the file cabinet.

"I just filed the last report for today, so I'll –"

She interrupted herself with a giant yawn, tears forming in the corners of her eyes with the strength of it. Tina tsked at her from the doorway.

"Come on, then. I'll drive you home. You're too knackered to be behind the wheel."

"Really, I'm fine."

"Look, I'm keeping my mouth shut about these continual late nights... for now. Give me this one."

Ophelia pressed her mouth into a thin line before looking away and offering a quick nod. She strode to her desk, pulled her bag from the desk drawer, and holstered her gun. She patted her belt, feeling for the DMB and pepper sprays. Satisfied she hadn't forgotten anything, she looked up to find Tina staring at her, head cocked to the side.

"I've been meaning to ask about your new toys." She gestured to Ophelia's belt. "Any of that gonna become standard issue? I feel like you're holding out on me, Lia."

Ophelia snorted at the nickname. She'd tried to discourage it at first, but Tina could be just as stubborn as Ophelia if she thought it was important. Somehow, the nickname had become a hill Tina was willing to die on, and since she was careful to only use it when they were alone, Ophelia had grudgingly let it be.

"It's Agency gear, so probably not... but I can ask."

"Ohhh, secret government stuff. Exciting! Speaking of –"

Ophelia barely held back the grimace this time.

"– how's it going with those stunning new coworkers of yours? I haven't seen them around lately."

Ophelia shrugged, taking a moment to double check her office while walking toward Tina. She tugged at her waistcoat, grabbed her jacket off the rack, and pulled it on. Through it all, Tina remained in the doorway. Ophelia let out the smallest of sighs, knowing Tina wouldn't move until she answered.

"I don't know."

Tina frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I haven't seen any of them, either. They've been... busy."

"For two months?"

"Agency business. I'm a low rung on the ladder compared to them."

"Still..." Tina trailed off, her head cocking to the side. "Is that why you've been so out of sorts lately?"

"I don't know what you mean." Ophelia straightened her spine. "I thought we were heading out?"

Tina twisted her lips to the side before letting out a long sigh. She pushed out from the door frame and into the main floor of the office.

"Have you heard from your mother, at least?"

"A couple of times."

Ophelia pressed a finger to her temple to rub at the beginnings of a headache. She couldn't fault Tina for being interested, but if Unit Bravo was sea level on the list of things she wanted to discuss, her mother was at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

Even now, she didn't blame Rebecca for keeping everything a secret – Ophelia had always understood that Rebecca's work came first – but that didn't mean she was keen on changing their status quo. They'd lived for thirty years on each other's periphery, never becoming enmeshed in one another's lives. Ophelia liked it that way.

Apparently, Rebecca had different ideas now that Ophelia had become a part of the Agency.

Thoughts of her mother reminded her of that strange non-conversation with Nate at the Facility concerning her relationship with Rebecca. Ophelia had been too overwhelmed to think much of it at the time. For the past two months, however, she'd had nothing to do but work and think – Tina would call it overthinking - and Nate's investment in her family life seemed over the top.

Although, she could appreciate that he just cared about everyone that way. He'd been kind and open from the beginning. The thought warmed her, and she remembered those early days when he'd been the only one she liked. Not for the first time, she wondered if she'd just imagined those couple of moments between them when it seemed like... like maybe he...

"Alright, I can take a hint," Tina said in a teasing voice. "I'll leave you to your precious silence. I suppose I should be glad I got that much out of you."

Grateful for an interruption to spiraling thoughts, Ophelia dismissed her foolish ideas about Nate as well as the image of icy green eyes that flashed in the back of her mind. Nothing good could come of thinking of anyone in Unit Bravo as anything but colleagues.

Instead, she watched Tina go about closing out her shift. Within a few minutes, her computer screen was full of sticky notes and taped on messages. Half-finished reports littered the top of her desk, which Tina made no effort to tidy up. Ophelia didn't realize she was frowning until Tina glanced over.

"Ohhhhh no. We've been through this. You don't get to frown at my desk. You can now force me to file things in one of your pristine file cabinets when I'm done, but I have my own system. I will not bend to your organization authoritarianism!"

"Say that five times fast," Ophelia murmured without much thought.

Tina raised a brow before her lips turned up, and she barked out a laugh. "Just when I'm losing hope for you..."

Ophelia allowed a small smile to break through her neutral expression. Tina grinned back before grabbing up her jacket and waving for Ophelia to follow.

"Let's get you home."

Thankfully, Tina left off on the questions during the short ride to Ophelia's apartment. Bubblegum pop played softly in the background, and by the time they reached the apartment complex, Ophelia had relaxed enough to give Tina another small smile as she gathered her bag and reached for the door handle.

"You know you can talk to me, right?"

Ophelia closed her eyes but kept her spine straight. The night closed in around her, and though she fought it, the thought came anyway.

No, I can't. I can't talk to anyone.

"Of course," she said instead, glancing over her shoulder at her friend. "Thanks, Tina."

She got out of the car, trudged up the stairs, and keyed into her apartment, waving at Tina to go home before closing and locking the door behind her without turning on the light. She hung her bag and jacket in their normal spots before removing her boots and placing them neatly on the shoe rack. Her socks sank into the plain beige carpet as she navigated the familiar layout, stopping in the kitchen for a glass of water and then heading to her room. A series of clicks followed – a click of the door shutting, a click of the lock on the knob, and a click of the slide lock above that.

A faint square of waning moonlight decorated the carpet in her room. She stared at it, her mind spinning back to the week Unit Bravo had invaded her apartment in the name of protecting her. They'd made themselves as unobtrusive as possible, all things considered, and when she came back from the Facility, her wounds still healing and her mind still consumed by the horror of what had been done to her, she'd found...

She'd found that she missed them.

Or... not them, but rather the security she felt when they'd been there – Adam standing watch by the living room window, Nate reading on the couch, Morgan skulking around outside, and Farah calling out nonsensical questions in the middle of a nice, quiet evening.

Ok, so that last one she didn't really miss, but even so, Farah had her own charm. Ophelia just wished the younger vampire would stop reading too much into Adam and Nate's behavior. She could admit the attraction on her side; all four vampires were unfairly beautiful.

With Nate, she could easily pinpoint the reasons he both attracted and scared her. He'd been charming from the start, a trait she'd never possessed. No one would accuse her of being pleasant or friendly... except maybe Verda, but she had a soft spot for him and him for her, so he didn't count. That stoicism – a gift from an absent mother and a revolving door of Agency nannies – had earned her few friends, but Nate had seemed to see beyond that. It made her uncomfortable at times, his easy manner and the way he just said things. The way he teased her, touched her.

But that was how he was. Nate was kind and friendly and tactile. It didn't mean anything.

Her attraction to Adam, on the other hand, was a mystery even to her. The man was infuriating beyond belief. She'd wanted to kick him out of her station on so many occasions. She had enough self awareness to admit that once those initial impressions were behind them, they had agreed on things more often than not, but that didn't make him any less of an ass about it. She had finally found someone more socially inept than herself.

Sometimes, though, he'd catch her with that weighty gaze, and she... something would short circuit in her brain. It wasn't logical, especially because Adam quite clearly viewed her as a co-worker at best, but logic didn't seem to apply in this case.

She shook her head and moved toward her bathroom to get ready for bed. She didn't want to think about them anymore. It was highly unlikely they were thinking about her as they settled into their new place on the edge of town.

As she crawled into bed a few minutes later, a shadow passed over the square of moonlight. She froze, half in and half out of the bed. Her eyes darted to the window, but she couldn't see anything from her angle. Picking up the Agency taser from her bedside table, she crept along the wall until she could peek outside.

The fire escape was empty. She looked up, expecting clouds. There were none. She swallowed, the taser trembling in her hands as she darted forward to throw the locks and shove the window open.

"Who's there?" she hissed. "Show yourself!"

No answer. Not that she was expecting one. Her heart beat double time as she eased her upper body out of the window, checking left and right, above and below.

Nothing.

In the distance, the old downtown clock tower clanged out the hour – two bells ringing low and deep into the stillness of the night – and Ophelia breathed out. Her alarm would go off in five hours. As she ducked back inside and closed and locked the window, she grimaced and wondered if she'd get any sleep at all.

At least a sleepless night would mean no nightmares.

Outside, in the shadows beyond Ophelia's vision, a vampire with pale skin and dark blond hair stood in silent vigil for a moment longer before disappearing into the night.

#the wayhaven chronicles #twc #nate sewell #adam du mortain #female detective #love triangle #detective ophelia maven #denial of feelings #angst #trauma #so this is sort of romance but mostly just ophelia denying anything is going on while having panick attacks at every little thing #she's got to bury that trauma deep #new fandom #no idea how long the muse will carry me but I'm riding the high while I can #in between series

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ellenembee · 3 years

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WIP Wednesday

Tagged by @lykegenia - tagging whoever wants to play!

Here's a snippet from my next Wayhaven one shot - a missing scene in B2 after Falk (and Bobby) invade the detective's apartment.

Ophelia zoned out as Adam murmured into his phone. His voice soothed the raw edges left by the break-in, and she found herself slumping forward as exhaustion set in. She buried her face in her hands and closed her eyes.

A moment later, she jerked upright at the brush of fingers over her wrist. Adam knelt in front of her again, his hand hovering in the air before falling to his side. She blinked at him. He was objectively handsome in any light, but the moonlight slanting through the window lent his pale skin and icy eyes an aspect of the ethereal. As she gazed at him, his features softened. The sharpness of his jaw melted into a whisper of a smile.

#wip wednesday #the wayhaven chronicles #work in progress #adam du mortain x detective #adam x detective #technically this is the LT route #but this one-shot is Adam oriented.#Detective Ophelia Maven #a du mortain #adam du mortain #twc detective

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ellenembee · 3 years

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Research

A stand-alone fic of a "skipped" moment in The Wayhaven Chronicles books.

Ophelia heads to the warehouse for a second day of research with Nate, and while there, she finally realizes maybe Nate isn't just being friendly. Panic ensues.

"I started writing things down as it got more complex. I have quite a few questions, but I'll have to read through my notes... to... find..." She trailed off as she noticed a strange look on his face. He was smiling, so she understood he must be happy, but his face seemed... different. Softer, maybe? She dropped her gaze to the notes and then glanced at him through her lashes. "What?" "Hmmm?" Nate blinked before his smile intensified. "Oh. Nothing. Well, not nothing. I was just thinking how glad I am that we... that I met you." She licked her lips as the jitters sparked out from her chest to dance over her skin. His eyes darted to her mouth, and her heart kicked into a faster rhythm.

#twc #the wayhaven chronicles #nathaniel sewell #adam du mortain #love triangle #n sewell x detective #a du mortain x detective #a du mortain #n sewell #ophelia maven #twc detective #emotionally stunted detective #she's having too many feelings for her poor brain and heart to process #oblivious mc #she's so bad at flirting #in between series

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ellenembee · 3 years

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Fic masterpost

Original Works

Short Stories

Scythe of Heaven in Press: An Original Anthology, Volume 2, pg. 69 Rating: Teen | CW: violence, mild gore & body horror, character death After an alien invasion, one broken man has the power to give the human race a fighting chance.

Drabbles/Flash Fic

"How Dare You" | Rating: Gen A drabble about two people who have very different ideas about love.

"Righteous Fire" | Rating: Gen A friends to enemies (to friends?) flash fic.

Prompt Fills

Hanahaki | Rating: Teen (CW: mild blood and gore)

Assassin Double Life | Rating: Gen

Creative Nonfiction/Poetry

Moon Milk | Rating: Gen

Fan Fiction

I’ve got some fan fics as well. Here's a complete list of everything sorted by fandom.

The Wayhaven Chronicles (In Between Series)

A series of stand-alone one-shots of moments not covered in the books featuring stoic, emotionally stunted detective Ophelia Maven.

Relationships: Female Detective/Nate Sewell, Female Detective/Adam du Mortain (love triangle)

Aftermath: Rating: General | Words: 2.3k | Status: Complete In the wake of her kidnapping and transformation, Detective Ophelia Maven does what she can to regain a sense of safety and normalcy in her life.

Safety: Rating: Teen | Words: 2.2k | Status: Complete Ophelia calls Adam for help when the supernaturals from the carnival attack her in her home.

Research: Rating: Teen | Words: 3.3k | Status: Complete Ophelia heads to the warehouse for a second day of research with Nate, and while there, she finally realizes maybe Nate isn't just being friendly. Panic ensues.

Choices: Rating: Teen | Words: 1.9k | Status: Complete After the battle to save Sanja, Ophelia can't rest until she makes sure Adam is truly healing. She returns to his room, and Nate is there to reassure her.

Bruises: Rating: Teen | Words: 4.3k | Status: Complete After being attacked by Trappers after the meeting with Falk, Ophelia tries to go about her day as usual. Luckily, she's got Tina (and Adam) to help her through the memories dredged up by the attempted kidnapping.

K.I.S.S.: Rating: General | Words: 6.6k | Status: Complete When Nate, Farah, and Ophelia volunteer to make Valentine cards at a local retirement home, Nate puts on the charm while Ophelia panics. Bonus Adam POV!

Mass Effect: Andromeda (Across Galaxies Series)

Relationships: Female Ryder / Harry Carlyle

From Here to Mars: Rating: Teen | Words: 4.5k | Status: Complete When Dr. Harry Carlyle shows up to her mom's party with his current girlfriend on his arm, Nivan knows it's time to let go of her long-time crush on her father's friend, but years of habits are hard to break.

Old Friends, New Beginnings: Rating: Explicit | Words: 19.4k | Status: In Progress After the tragedy of Habitat 7, Dr. Harry Carlyle offers Nivan Ryder a shoulder to lean on. A look at the quiet moments between Andromeda events and the strain of leaving and of being left behind.

Dragon Age

The Revelation of All Things Relationships: Female Lavellan (mage Inquisitor) / Cullen Rutherford (and a plethora of minor background relationships) Rating: Explicit | Words: 608.3k | Status: Complete (possible epilogues pending) Surrounded by new people, Evana Lavellan discovers a wider world than she'd ever imagined with her clan - a world in which she has the power to improve the lives of both elves AND mages. (AKA - a ridiculously long novelization of DA:I)

Truths Half Told Beget Lives Half Lived Relationships: Knight Captain Rylen / Female OC Rating: Explicit | Words: 218.3k | Status: In Progress Even after months bearing the Inquisition colors, Rylen feels out of place. When an unexpected woman arrives, children in tow, she throws everything Rylen ever believed into question... and she just might steal his heart, too. Art by @tanaleth

Give a Heart, Get a Throne Relationships: Alistair & Female Warden, Eventual Female Warden/Leliana Rating: General | Words: 10.7k | Status: Complete A collection of short drabbles to fill in my Warden Surana's backstory in the Revelations World State. No game content included.

Various and Sundry Revelations Relationships: Varies by chapter Rating: General | Words: 7.7k | Status: Complete A place to put all the bits and pieces that don't fit in with the larger stories within the Revelations world state. Head canons abound.

#mass effect: andromeda #mass effect #dragon age #dragon age inquisition #the wayhaven chronicles #twc #my fanfiction #My writing #troat #thtblhl #gahgat #ofnb #revelations #ryder x harry carlyle #cullavellan #cullen x lavellan #f!warden x leliana #rylen x oc #mine

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