P. Open Window Rhapsody: Axolotl Merman (Bekkr) x F!Reader
Q. Runway Runaways: Male Chimera (Adrik) x F!Reader
R. Between Hunger & Pain: Male Vampire (Cethin) x F!Reader
S. The Rift: Male Fae: Male Fae (Idris) x F!Reader
____________________________________________
Side Character Stories: This section is under construction!!!
I've got quite a few background side characters that will be getting their own stories but these are character x character stories and most likely will be super short. I just want to give these guys their happily ever afters because they deserve it. These will include background stories for existing couples (like the uncles from The Long Road) or soon to be couples (hehehe you'll see). These will most likely be sfw fluffy feel good dorky stories because that's what I have planned. There might be a couple spicy ones but no idea which couple plans on taking that role.
_______________________________
1A. Proxima Fallen- Male Alien x Female Protagonist **tbp
_______________________________
Pr1. Midnight Oceans-- Male Tiefling (Arthok) x F!Reader pt.1 pt.2
Pr2. Alien HR-- Post
Pr3. There's a Villain in my apartment-- Post
_______________________________
*Based on Prompts- Pr1. -
*Stories 1-5 Take place in a fantasy setting
*Stories A-Z take place in a modern setting
*Story 1A - 1Z sci-fi stories
_________________________________
COMMISSIONS
Ko-fi- I'm grateful for any and all support ^^
RedBubble- Stickers!
Patreon- Early access to updates and previews on future stories
Summary Catalogue- A list cataloging summaries of all my stories that are out or I'm in the middle of working on.
Instagram
See what I'm reading- I enjoy reading as much as I do writing. Check out my other side blog if you like
**tbp- To be published
pt..?- uncertain if this will be a series or not, mostly with the prompt inspired stories
The Realms: Deep in the Dark, The Lesser of Two Evils, Roommates & Renovations, Greenhill Lane, Neon Palace, Hot Apple Pie, Part-Time, Strawberries & Roses, The Unwanted, The Librarian's Assistant*, Bound to Protect, Dreamers & Delusions, Open Window Rhapsody, Runway Runaways, From Veil to Vegas*, ....
Of Orders, Courts & Kingdoms: Masks, One Hundred Dreams, Unprophesied*, The Fairy Godfather Dilemma*, As luck wouldn't have it, To Dance with Fire, Bonds of Blood & Delight
Fates & Fallen: The Long Road, Just Business, 5 Wishes, A Silver a Night, Midnight Oceans, ....
A World Forgotten: Night Classes, Cream Tea, Redwood & Wisteria, Between Huger & Pain, ....
The first thing you saw when you woke up was an obnoxious bright light. Your eyes stung and your chest felt so heavy that you could hardly breathe without wheezing. The thoughts of pain didn't last long when you finally looked around and saw yourself hooked up to an IV and other machines and... magic devices?
Your mind was fuzzy but as things slowly start coming back to you, you nearly jolted out of bed over your last memory.
Tao had confessed his feelings for you and then you passed out. You were in and out but the last thing you remember see was Tao coughing up blood as Jes, her mate and his friends were hauling you away. You kind of remember the shouting or what was probably shouting as everything was dull and the world seemed to be like a smudged picture.
Jes stayed with you until recent when Arty came for her. A dour looking fae came in afterwards and asked several questions and somehow you were able to answer even though your throat and mouth were dry as hell.
The last thing that you can really remember is a dragonkin nurse coming in and checking your IV.
And now, you're stuck in a hospital bed for gods know how lo-
"Oh good, you're awake," the fae from a couple memories back entered the room. His bright pink eyes looked about the room with what looked like disdain mixed with annoyance. "Your lifeforce and mana were too low when I last came in here to question you about the state you and that mer were in. It seems that there's sufficient color back in your face as you don't look like a wraith anymore."
"Where's Tao?" you forced out though it took a lot of effort and you started coughing your lungs out afterwards.
The fae called for any nurse nearby to come tend to you as quickly as possible. Within minutes you had a nurse giving you water, another handing you a vial of some green substance that you quickly drank after the water, and another gently set a tray of food down in your lap.
And before you could even say thank you, all three of them turned into one, smiled and bowed out before you could wrap your head around what in the world just happened.
"A Succubus nurse, cliche yet highly effective at her job...," The fae commented and turned back to you, "Now then, before I answer your question, I have a few for you... For starters, what was the last thing the mer said to you and what was the context of it?"
"I don't see how any of that is your business," you snapped and coughed as your throat was still sore.
The fae pulled up a chair and leaned on it, making no move to sit. He didn't glare but the look in his eyes were firm, serious and with zero tolerance for long winded run around conversations.
"The mer is in a tank that was quickly rigged together on the way to the hospital last night. He lost blood, a good amount. Couldn't keep his legs for long and had to be air lifted. We've reached out to his rep who's being flown in to see what state his charge is in and if," he paused, his eyes even more severe than before.
"If it's bad enough that he needs to be sent back to his realm for medical attention he can't get here. There will be no guarantee that he'd return here after he recovers. He is the first of his kind to come over and it could cause a major set back for the program."
You gripped at the layers of blankets covering you up, keeping you warm or at least trying. Reality settled deep into your bones, nestling into you until it felt too suffocating.
Tao was hurt, had gotten hurt somehow after you had fainted and now... Now you might not get to see him again.
That thought was painful, not just to your heart but you felt it. It was like a punch to your heart and without warning you were bunching up, coughing violently and grabbing at anything to keep you held down.
You heard shouting, felt a cold hand on your forehead and you were out.
When you came to again, your hand was wet. Not wet, but in water. It took several attempts but when you opened your eyes, you were next to a large tank with your hand dipped in it. You quickly forced yourself up and looked around but stopped as soon as you saw Tao.
He was sleeping atop a large rock, halfway into the pool. His skin was peeled in several spot, his usual tan complexation is sickly and wrong.
Your chest tightened the more you looked, the more you noticed, but you refused to look away. You tried to get closer, tried to roll into the tank but were quickly stopped and gently pulled back.
"That would be ill advised given your current state," a gentle voice said.
Turning ever so slightly, you looked up and saw a tall lanky cat fae. His hair was black with white tips, as were the cat ears atop his head. A long black tail flicked behind him.
"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Ren. Tao's new rep," he gave a little bow and looked ahead.
"New?" you asked before letting out a ragged cough.
"Yes, his older rep had to quit due to conflict of interest," Ren stated and smiled at you.
"What wa-"
"He didn't care for the idea or humans and the peoples from our realm having romantic relations. Found it... distasteful, yes that's a more polite way to put it."
You had a million questions now but Ren kept going.
"He quit the instant Tao had texted him about your crush and how that made him feel and well, he left in a very unprofessional manner. Basically left Tao with no rep up until three days ago. I've been playing catch up since," He sighed and stepped closer to the tank.
His eyes trained onto Tao and his grinning face faded.
"I asked around, got everyone's story who might know something. This isn't something that can be fixed easily in either realm. This is a matter between you and him. You both have it and it will only get worse if neither of you mend it with the brutal honesty," Ren looked down to you and his tail twitched like he's some annoyed cat.
"Humans refer to this as love sickness, but it's not just a matter of the heart, not to the peoples of the other realm. This sickness causes pain, real pain that destroys one from the inside out. The both of you have it, but someone caused it and the one who's usually worse off is the perpetrator."
You rung your hands together and swallowed hard, "He said... He said..."
It was hard to get the words out, even remembering them stung.
"He said he wanted me as a-"
Ren gently held his hand over your mouth, "There, you don't need to say anymore dear. You've given us exactly what we needed."
"A lie like that can be fatal," a familiar voice said and you saw the obnoxious fae from earlier.
"Yes, explains their conditions," Ren's tail flicked furiously back and forth.
"Since it's that, then I'm not needed any longer. I will update the staff on the situation on my way out," he stated, his eyes glancing to you and Tao before he quickly disappeared in a cloud of pink smoke.
You heard Ren huff before he tapped his foot and turned back to you, "Well if you can put two and two together, he point blank lied to you. Lying can cause discomfort at most to those from the other realm and in cases of the heart or life and death of another, it can be extremely fatal. I'm honestly shocked that his lie effected you as well, the both of you must have a strong bond for that to have occurred."
His last statement struck harder than Tao's lie. Knowing that you had a strong bond with him that his own lie about how he feels about you...It was both painful and healing. Your feelings hadn't been one-sided but mutual and maybe, just maybe the both of you were just being idiots about it.
You chuckled which Ren mistook for crying before you straight up started laughing so hard you had to hold your sides because of the pain.
"Of course he'd try and fucking lie about something like that while we're both confessing things we're not allowed to run away from. That is so Tao of him," you wheezed and coughed as you came down from your moment of brief hysteria.
Before Ren could ask, you get him up to speed on everything that happened up to that point. How you two met, became friends, fake dated, moved in and then the lie.
"Wow," He rubs his neck as he stares wide eyed at the ground. "That's uh quite a story. I mean there's only ever been 2 other cases where the charge and his chosen were in a fake relationship situation so it's not unheard of just not common enough that we have protocols on this."
Ren started rambling then about the other cases, you're not sure if he was doing it to help or because he's nervous about having to deal with a case like this.
A loud and painful cough interrupted his strings on non-sense and you quickly feel your heart grow heavy.
It was Tao.
You scrambled to pull yourself up, pain shooting through your body as you grabbed onto Ren like a piece of furniture and hoisted yourself up. He tried to grab you but you were already making a mad dash to the tank. Ren's hand finally reached your shoulder but it was too late.
You plunged into the cold tank, your body in shock from the sudden temperature change but you ignored it...or at least tried to.
"Tao!" you screamed as water splashed into your mouth.
Ren has started calling for nurses and yelled for you to turn back around.
You shouted out Tao's name again as you swam closer but something felt off. The pain in your leg where you were injured...It felt hot and like it was being torn off. It was healed though, you saw it.
Panic rose in your chest and you're no longer in the tank but in the middle of the ocean. The sky is dark and you're cold and alone. You screamed for Tao one last time as water rushed into your mouth and lungs and then, everything went dark.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"How are they?" you heard Ren ask.
"They're stable, but..." a woman's voice answered, her tone severe.
"I don't suggest moving her. Tao's condition greatly improved once she was on closer proximity."
"What about her condition? She was fine then started drowning," He pushed.
"Her body must have succumbed to the temperature shock and tensed up. She must have panicked becau-"
"Shit, she mentioned this before and she still went in after him," Ren cursed. "She nearly died out there during that storm."
"It could have been both then, the shock and trauma hitting her at the same time. I'll see if we can get a therapist here for her, and maybe for him too," the woman said, her voice a bit softer.
"Therapy is all well and good, but she can't stay here exposed to the elements," Ren sighed. "The hospital will need to make quick adjustments to this tank or... or better yet, get them set back up at Tao's home."
"I-I don't think we can-"
"You can do it. No, the hospital will do it," a familiar yet annoying voice chimed in. It was that pink fae dude from earlier.
"Varen, excellent timing as always," Ren remarked.
"I stuck around in the event that things might become a bit more complicated than what you have clearance for," he admitted. "Ma'am, please take this to their doctor and have them know that they are to be moved immediately back to the mer's residency and that there will be at least two staff members available at all times there."
The woman takes whatever it was from Varen and runs off.
"Thanks," Ren muttered.
"Gross, don't do that again," Varen chuckled.
"Right, because thanking my older brother is disgusting," Ren laughed as you felt him walk closer.
"We'll get the both of you back home soon," he whispered as he kneeled down. "He saved you again by the way, forced himself into the water like you did..."
With that, Ren lifted himself back up and talked some more with Varen. Their voices a whisper now but you didn't care.
You had been curled up against Tao, numb, tired and cold. You knew he had saved you again, knew he risked himself once more for you. You felt him as he pulled you up against him, his lips on yours as he breathed air back into you.
When the water broke as the both of you reached the surface you felt the cold unfamiliar hands of nurses try and drag you away from him but he quickly swam away. He wasn't himself, he was growling and casting spells into the water to keep others away.
Ren was having everyone else back off save for the woman he was talking to earlier. Ren eventually was able to get close to Tao as you were starting to lose consciousness. You were in and out as Tao brought the both of you back to the edge of the tank, he cast a spell to keep you warm as he laid down next to you. He passed out again after Ren cast a spell to dry you off and the woman covered you in a blanket.
You had finally drifted off after curling up next to Tao, too tired to try and keep your eyes open after all that.
"I should have stayed away," you whimpered, sorrow had struck you hard as you remembered how much effort Tao put into saving you. You had panicked, your body refused to go any further in the water and your mind had teleported you to the last place you wanted to be. You were still afraid of the ocean and even tanks were now off limit.
A cold clawed finger wiped away the tears flowing down your cold cheek, "No more... no more running away."
Tao had gotten closer, his forehead gently pressed against yours, "I'm sorry...I never meant to hurt you."
"But you did...," you chocked out, as you held his clawed hand to your cheek. "You hurt me, lied to me and we nearly died!"
The far away whispers stilled and the sloshing tank water seemed to have frozen in that moment.
"You dragged me out to make sure I wouldn't run away and in the end you ran so far away from the truth, from us, from everything that mattered that we almost died!" you yelled, every emotion spilling out of you then. Your pain was translating into every tear, every shaking fist and labored movement as you tore away from him.
Spinning on aching feet you turn to your audience and glared daggers at the fae brothers, "Leave!"
Both are about to say something but instantly decided it was best to go, and fast. After they poofed away you turn back to Tao who had forced himself up into a sitting position. He looked horrible, gaunt and paler than he has any right to be. His sorry state tugged at you but you still had a lot to say and dammit you were going to say it.
"I thought I meant something to you, someone more... And I fooled myself into thinking I finally had someone in my life I could share anything with. I always felt I'd be just a friend to you and kept my feelings to myself because I was happy to have another friend, someone reliable and that... I might finally have a place that feels like home for once in my miserable life," you wiped the tears from your eyes as you trembled in the cold brisk wind.
"Being with you, even when it hurt was far less painful than anything I've ever felt and somehow it's also the most painful too... It doesn't make sense but from what I've heard-" you took a deep breath in and wiped your eyes once more, "Loving someone can be the most wonderful and painful experience in your life."
You finally confessed how you felt and with that weight off of your chest, your knees buckled and almost sunk to the ground. Tao had caught you mid transformation, pulling you into his shivering arms. He held you tight against his chest, firm yet you could feel him trembling.
He was chocking out one apology after another as he brought you both back slowly to the cold hard ground. "I never meant to hurt you," he repeated once more. "I just didn't... didn't know what else to do. I didn't want you to feel stuck, tied down to something because you had nowhere else to go. I had fallen for you and then you moved in and I...I didn't want to make things worse, didn't want to even say anything either, but I did and I ended up running away again. That's all I do, run far away thinking it's for someone else's sake but-"
You hug Tao as he tries to say more, but his voice is rough and he starts coughing again.
He was afraid, afraid of his family, afraid of this world, and was afraid of your possible rejection.
In your best effort to comfort Tao, you hug him back and gently kiss him on the cheek. There'd be time enough in the future for that post confession kiss you thought. He was hurting, you were hurting and to be honest, the both of you could probably benefit from therapy like that woman suggested.
Tao nuzzled against you before holding you in his arms and slowly rising to his feet.
"Wait, no no no, you cannot pick me up like this," you protested as he dragged his shaking legs towards the door.
"You'll get hypothermia if you're out here much longer, my magic is weak right now and the current heat spell that's on you has worn off. I will not allow my ma- I won't let you get sick again," He stuttered the last part and tried to ignore it.
Normally you'd poke at him but you just didn't feel like it. The exhaustion was hitting you in the face pretty hard and your eyes were fighting to stay open. Tao noticed your silence, noticed your lack of overly inquisitive conversation and how things have actually changed.
It wasn't the first change, that would be your new found phobia of saltwater. But you found yourself at a lack of words or maybe, you just felt like you didn't need as many as you used to.
You said everything that needed to be said, expressed everything with the words you had at your disposal and now, now you just wanted peace.
Tao had gotten the both of you inside, where the blessed warmth of the hospital hit you within moments. You were still deep in thought when a group of nurses saw you. Within seconds you were in a wheelchair and Tao was refusing any mobility devices.
Ren rounded the hallway with papers threatening to fly out of his hand as he snaked his way around the nurses and over to you and Tao. He explained that he'd made a call for someone to come pick the both of you up and take you back home.
"There will be nurses there to monitor you as well as a therapist that will be visiting every other day for now. I'll be checking in everyday of course to bring in food, allow or kick out visitors, and make sure that you both are recovering properly," Ren handed Tao the paperwork and gave you a thumbs up. "Best be off now, I have to update my report. See you both tomorrow."
And just like his brother, Ren exited in a poof of smoke, though his was black with flecks of yellow sparks.
The nurses and staff were busy after that. You and Tao had to go to different rooms for a little while to assess your recoveries. The nurse from earlier, the succubus one, shoved her way past several of her colleagues to hand you a warm bowl of soup and juice. You decided she was your new favorite after she chased everyone else away and left you in blissful peace.
You held the soup for a couple minutes, allowing the warmth to seep into your frozen palms. You were getting tired of this. One place to another with chaos and unnerving speed. You realized then and there that you just want peace and quiet and calm.
Life had already been unfair to you, didn't you deserve some sort of consolation for dealing with all the bullshit you had put up with already?
Taking small bites of soup you backtracked through your life thus so far. Every move you made to escape the hells you lived in, every sacrifice that your siblings made to make sure you were fed, and every friend you lost or made. Each back pedal through your life made it harder and harder for you to eat, realizing you never just sat down and considered each and every action. You never had time to just think, time to let every feeling sink in until you met Tao.
He would make you sit, make you stop and think and consider someone else. You've been moving through life like you were trying to escape it instead of living it. You came here to do just that but living at your grandmother's was like living with your mom, just the oldies remixed version.
You set the half eaten bowl of soup down and attempt to stand up. Your legs buckled and you're forced back down by pain and gravity.
"Not much longer," the nurse from earlier said as she rounds to your side and looks annoyed at the existing soup.
"I lost my appetite," you muttered.
You heard her sigh before checking your IV and temperature. She grabbed two thick blankets from a cart outside the room and draped them on you until you felt like you were as snug as a bug in a rug.
"I'll be back in a little bit, hopefully with discharge papers," she nodded as she exited the room.
Without knowing when that would be, you decided it wouldn't hurt to close your eyes. You dozed off almost instantly, feeling somewhat more relaxed now than you've ever felt.
Deep sleep had found you and not a single dream nor nightmare had visited your slumber. It was peaceful.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You're not sure where you were when you finally woke up, but you knew you were on your back and that you were very very comfortable. The IV was no longer sticking in your arm and the frigid sterile air wasn't assaulting your lungs.
Forcing a crusted eye open, you saw a familiar and welcoming sight. You were in nest room.
The pillows and blankets smelled clean and fresh and the room was warm and cozy. You didn't want to get up but you had to stretch.
You had rolled over before carefully sitting up and without a second to move your arms to stretch, you were being instantly dragged back down by a large clawed hand. Your body was pulled against a massive wall of warm muscles.
"Tao!?" shocked and dizzy from the sudden movement, you tried again to sit up to look at him.
"Shh, just a little longer...let me hold you just a little longer," he begged.
You would have before all this happened, but something in you still needed to space, still felt betrayed that this beautiful closeness felt suffocating.
"Tao," your voice was stern but neutral. His hold on you loosened and you squirmed away enough so you could look him in the eye. "I love you but I'm still mad at you. I might be upset for a while and I'm not sure if I could forgive you for what happened that night, at least not right now."
He gave a quiet nod and removed his hands from you. His face changed expressions so fast that you couldn't tell how he felt.
"I'm not without fault either," you started back up again. "I pushed you into a corner and made you talk about something that you were not ready to bring up. So I hold as much blame for the situation we put ourselves in."
It was something that had been on your mind while you were dozing off at the hospital. If you hadn't pushed Tao to talk about his feelings then maybe the both of you would still be ok, still pretend that you're just friends and want nothing more than that. But here you are, here he is and there's no taking back anything that was said.
"What do you need me to do then," Tao asked, a clawed finger wiping away a tear that had spilled down your cheek. His voice was soft and took the heaviness right out of your chest.
For a few brief moments you feared speaking your needs into existence but quickly reminded yourself that it was that very fear and anxiety that got the both of you here.
"Space, not a lot but enough to where I can breathe and feel upset and be allowed to be upset without someone asking if I'm ok every five minutes because if I'm upset I'm not ok," your voice was shaky as you laid out more of your needs, the boundaries you've been too afraid to ask for and yet not once did Tao interject, judge or jest.
You asked that for now that he limits any form of physical affection. It's not that you don't want it, it's just that it doesn't feel right.
"I understand, is there a specific number of times a day I may touch you like hold your hand or hug you or would you prefer if I wait until you ask for such things?" his inquiry was earnest but somehow tickled you because it seemed like such a silly thing to ask in a-
"Um... I just realized we have a bigger issue that we might need to address real quick," you looked away from Tao as you sat up and hummed. He slowly sat up and waited for you to speak.
"Well we both know how we feel about each other so what are we to each other now? Like what would I be to you in your culture?" you asked and Tao's eyes instantly widened.
You weren't the only one who hadn't thought that far ahead and it made you feel a bit better.
"Typically, after a confession of affection and devotion that pair would have a ceremony and they would become mates," Tao admitted. "But I understand there are more levels than that with human relations and I don't want to corner you into my culture's relationship rules if they make you uncomfortable!"
Tao had quickly started a lecture about his knowledge of relationships and the differences of his peoples and humans. He looked nervous as he refused to make any eye contact with you the entire time. It was so out of character for him that it not only made you feel much more relaxed but it caused you to laugh so hard that your sides hurt.
"Tao please-" you wheeze, "I get ok, just stop. You look so uncomfortable talking about this that you don't even know what you're saying anymore."
You had lost it when he got all scientific about the levels of human relationships and broke down each level with specified appropriate physical affection and time spent with one another. It was both cute and ridiculous.
His mouth twisted a bit before he smiled, "Glad my embarrassment can bring a smile back to your face."
"Right, because I have no idea what's appropriate to ask you so we can both get along and not send each other to the hospital again," you poked.
Tao's eyebrows shot up, "I thought you'd have a little more decency than to use recent trauma for jest."
For a moment you thought Tao was being serious but you saw that he was still smiling. He was egging you on so you could poke at him some more.
That sly bastard, you thought.
"Lucky for you I'm decent enough to only bring it up just this once. I'll let it simmer a little longer now right next to the drunk comment after I nearly drowned to death," you grinned.
He winced as he placed a hand over his heart before feigning death.
"Ok, now you're just being one hundred percent not yourself Tao," you poked at his leg with your foot. You knew he was trying to get you to smile more and that made you happy, but this wasn't the Tao you had come to know. This was just too silly.
"Believe it or not my heart I am a capable jester," Tao sat back up and his smile was both beautiful and very much foreign to you.
You glared at him not fully believing it but you decided to go ahead and ask something just to clear up your growing suspicion, "Is that like another weird cultural thing then? Hide your sillier side and be all serious business until after the confession?"
Tao nodded, his smile had faded, "I believe you humans have some strange saying for it but my people made it a priority in relationships. If you can't love us at our worst then you don't deserve us at our best."
The heaviness in your chest returned because you realized everything you knew about Tao up until now had been his worst. His closed off nature, his sternness, his accusations, and secrets. Through all of that you still managed to love him. Not only that, he managed to fall in love with you while you were at your worst.
He still saw something in worth loving when you felt like you were drowning on land. When you pushed him and felt like you were being too much, he still saw something in you worth loving and saw something in you wanting better.
Tears started rolling down your cheeks and before Tao could say anything you had asked for a hug. Without wasting a single second, he scooped you into his arms and held you tight as you cried against his chest. He didn't fret, didn't try and reason your crying away, he just let you be and that made you cry even more.
"You are safe here my heart, cry as much as you need to," Tao soothed a claw against your cheek before he repositioned you on his lap. He held you close and wrapped you in a blanket as a whispered the sweetest things to you. "We can discuss us after we both are a little better and perhaps as my representative has suggested, have seen a therapist."
He said a few more comforting things before you dozed off in his arms, feeling the safest you have in years.
Why is it so hard to find cake recipes sweetened with honey?!? Like I have two I'm holding on for dear life since they work and taste good but jeeeeeze it's rough
In other news, im like halfway done with the next update of Dreamers & Delusions. Introductions to new and old characters will pop up in this one but that's all I'm going to say about the update~
god okay in an attempt to be less of an asshole, here’s how child speech DOES work (or tend to work, at least)
kids tend to hypercorrect — this means that they tend to say things like “sleeped” instead of “slept,” “writed” instead of “wrote,” “goed” instead of “went,” etc
kids tend not to make errors such as omitting verbs (“i hungry”)
kids also tend not to make errors in the i/me, she/her department (“me am hungry”)
simplification of difficult sounds — consonant clusters especially, so things like st, sp, ps, etc., as well as f, v, th-sounds, ch-sounds, etc.
“babbling”-type utterances (“apwen” for “airplane,” using one babbly word for multiple objects, things like that) generally occur in children under the age of three and a half
say it with me: an eight-year-old child is not going to be saying “me hungwy”
do not confuse child speech with stereotypical learner english mistakes, that’s not only incorrect but also gross on the stereotypical learner english front (“me love you long time,” anybody?)
if you’re going to write kidfic please do some goddamn research
Totally. It can be helpful to remind yourself that young children tend to speak as though the English language actually made sense. Our brains are pattern-recognising machines: children are really, really good at puzzling out the implicit rules of the English language, but they don’t necessarily know all the silly exceptions and bizarre edge cases that break those rules yet - those can only be learned through experience and rote memorisation.
Basically, when children who speak English as a first language make mistakes, it typically reflects a tendency to treat English as more grammatically, syntactically, and/or orthographically consistent than it really is. In some cases, this can be compounded by the fact that some kids will get offended at how little sense “proper” English makes, and insist upon using the more consistent forms even though they know very well that they’re technically “wrong”.
As someone who spends a good majority of her time working with kids, it irks me to no end when I see children written as if they’re babies.
Past the age of about five or six years old, children can have deep, intellectual conversations about the most bizarre of things. I HAD A CONVERSATION LAST WEEK WITH FOUR THIRD GRADERS ABOUT THE GAS PRICES AND TAXES IN HAWAII.
Were they entirely correct in the facts they were giving? No, because it was all from what they had heard from parents or on the news. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that I was having a genuine conversation with four eight and nine year olds about taxes.
Just about the only speech problems most kids have, unless they have a speech impediment, is not being able to pronounce certain consonants (replacing ‘th’ with ‘fw,’ for example, and some letters are harder to form with your mouth than others) and doing exactly what the person above said: using the English language the way they know how, which isn’t always the way English works.
Kids aren’t stupid. Stop writing them like they are.
Like littles 3 and under might not be about to pronounce a certain sound, like mine replaced the S sound with a D sound.
Random letters might slip into a word causing cucumber to be cuncumber instead.
They might not remember a big word like "Excavate" so they might replace it with something similar like "Discovering dirt"
And some might just say things differently like instead of "hey how fast am I going" you might get "how many miles am I going"
Toddlers are at that cool age where their personalities are coming out into play and so is their vocabulary. They're sponges with access to a DJ's turntable. Words might get mixed up, things might get added in but they see, hear and understand the context of the words after hearing them over and over so many times.
Little ones can be ultra quick witted too with little jokes you least expect or will break the silence with something you wouldn't see coming
Awkward silence?
"WELL ANYWAYS" Yells the two year old because he's heard you say it in those sorts of situations.
You laugh and smile because what the heck that was so cute but to them that was positive affirmation on something they learned and applied.
They say it again and again until the novelty wears out but they haven't forgotten because when that situation comes up again they remember. They might say something else, do something else, but they knew what to do or what sort of thing was ok to say.
They'll test language, good words, bad words, words you can only say at home, sentences that are a bit jumbled, sentences that seem almost right, unhinged things a grown ass man would say, something silly they picked up, a very big word that makes you grin because that's a more than five letter oh wow, and sometimes they'll say the cutest thing that tugs on your heart.
A toddler's speech represents how they're experiencing the world through words. Their needs and wants. Their play and learning. Their likes and dislikes.
Speech to them is like a key and although it doesn't always open a good door, they learn over time which doors not to fuck with XD
Dumb question/ request but anyone on here that speaks Spanish, is from Mexico and knows a song about potatoes and the mom getting the cold potato because I cannot find this fucking song anywhere and it's been passed down and I've yet to learn it and I'm trying to but I cannot find this song.
Please help me out because it is eating me up not knowing what this is.
Mini garden harvest + salad my three year old made before he covered it in cheese (he's very proud of himself). I wasn't expecting the carrots to get this big to be honest since the weather has been all over the place.
