Ask Summer Love

Vamptober 2020 - Day 10: Summer Love

So what does happen when a vampire turns a half-changeling unicorn such as @theamishpirate‘s Summer Love? Why, their illusion magic gets stronger, for one! Blood and emotion sustain in equal strengths too, but it’s a double-down on the “monster” perception. A slow descent into the abyss of loneliness and separation. Self-imposed or otherwise. 

For who could really learn to love a twofold monster?

Commission for @theamishpirate!

Half-changelings with jobs, rent, and covers to maintain do not have this luxury.

Beautiful hair

Oh my gosh! Lookit this smug bug! Bein’ all smug, and also a bug. He knows he’s fabulous. And he’s just classy enough not to rub it in your face.

I have to agree; you did an incredible job with his hair. I love the way it shifts to a deeper, more purple-y blue. Stylin’!

Winter’s a hard time for a half-Changeling in hiding. The summer months full of seaside romance are a distant memory, the love stockpiles are steadily dropping, and instinct drones on about the many values of hibernation. That, and forcing a pony out in these temperatures ought to be punishable as high treason.

But there’s a few bright spots, if you know where to look. Rare opportunities for a much-needed snack. Times where the hearts of ponies are set to dreaming, and they long to be whisked away to a fairy tale filled with love and magic. And Summer is all too happy to make a few wishes come true.

So if you want to share in a little holiday cheer - and help a hungry lovebug last the Winter - won’t you join him?

(Late? Him? What are you talking about? The most romantic time of the season is the few days sandwiched between Hearth’s Warming and New Years. It’s common knowledge. Shocking that you hadn’t heard before.)

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Got two versions of a mistletoe meme for you, depending on whether or not you’d like to donate a bit of love to this goober’s cause. Have fun, and Merry Christmas!

My Alicorn Lady Nebula, in her pegasus disguise, donating some love for a good cause!

She was just out flying through the crisp winter weather, gentle snowfall covering the world with a white blanket, it was the day before Hearth’s Warming, ponies were strolling about, some doing last minute shopping, some just enjoying the snow or their company.

A single pony stood beneath a big tree just outside the village, a small bouquet dangeling from a branch directly above, the intention was pretty clear! “Why not?” She thought and changed direction to land in front of the lonesome stallion.

As she got close though, she sensed it! This one wasn’t a pony, not entirely at least! She herself is no stranger when it comes to hiding their real form, she learned to see through a changelings disguise a long time ago!  Well, not at a distance, but up close they can’t hide from her!

As far as she could see, this one wasn’t planing on causing any real harm though. He set up a cheesy but still rather romantical opportunity to nibble on passer-bys emotions which was fine by her, so in the end she didn’t really mind providing a little food for this occasion!

She leaned in for the kiss and might even have missed the slight drain if she wouldn’ t have expected it coming! He really was a careful one! In return, she kept the kiss longer than he seemed to expect, she laughed and gave him a big knowing smile! 

Just before leaving she pointed up and said. “You know, next time you really should use Mistletoe instead of Holly!” With that she turned and flew away.

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Those that lingered, lingered for him. Those, he wouldn’t dare disappoint.

Quarter-step back, let her stop you, immediately quarter-step forward. Stay. Stay as long as she stays. Pull away when she pulls away. Knowing smile for knowing smile, but don’t say a word. Not yet. Let her see you, breathless and charmed. Don’t look ashamed when she points out your “error”, but laugh along with her. And then…

“Is that so? You’ll have to come back next year and check my work.~”

...leave the door open for an encore.

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So! Life got mad busy, and I kept forgetting to reblog this wonderful artwork and story, so I figured, what better day to catch up than on Valentine’s Day? Because I love this. I love this so much. I wasn’t expecting somebody to commission a mistletoe partner for Summer, nor was I expecting that same somebody to write a whole little story to go with it! The two of them look perfect together, and I especially love the way they’re both posed. And I’m sure Summer appreciated the snack. :P

“Come on! I wanna pick out some cute clothes!”

Heckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

Lookit the lovebug! Lookit him and Peach, gonna go shopping and get makeovers and gossip and eat some fancy snacks together. Poor Summer doesn’t have much in the way of close friends, and feels that he can’t, but a shopping/outing buddy? Boy howdy, that’d be so nice.

The chair stood empty.

The desk lay clean.

The feed played on, unwatched.

The lone resident, the solitary watcher, that shifter sifter of truth, had left his post. Temporarily. Taken up a winter residence. In a cocoon of blankets in the corner. A good working environment was…you see, vigilance wasn’t the only…and…there’s advantages to…

“What’s the use?” Summer groused into his steaming, fifth cup of coffee. “Nobody can hear me. Winter’s coming on fast. I’m not made of love. And I won’t get any more hanging around here. It’s unfair. You can’t expect gold from straw. Krrkkk, straw would be an improvement. A case without evidence? No better than a gut feeling. It’s a waste of my time. It’s a waste of my energy. And nobody cares.”

The feed’d been quiet. Bursts of activity here and there, but quieter than before. Even sharing their findings, the guests knew. In a day - maybe less - they’d come together for a decision. Maybe their last. Find the killer, or be trapped forever. He wondered, would there be a feed tomorrow? Swirling shadows, where once he’d seen a manor and a few frightened ponies?

Or would they leave nothing behind?

“Fine.” Summer stood on shivering legs and trudged to his chair, blankets wrapped tight around him. “But don’t expect miracles.”

(Investigator’s Note: “If you want to spare both of us the trouble: This wasn’t an exorcism or a charm spell. The house itself killed the Host. The book somehow broke the deal between the Host and the entity in this place. Though I don’t have any hard evidence, based on what suspects have said in the investigation, their character, and their relationships, I suspect Hex.)

“Cases, and masks.”

The chair swiveled slowly around, as Summer Love mused aloud.

“Both are made - and broken - on the details. Find what’s important. Discard the unnecessary. And you see things as they truly are. If your focus is off? If you let yourself get buried in every last bit of minutiae? You’re as good as blind.”

He paused. A great, hulking binder lay on the table before him, bulging at the seams with theories and evidence. With a hoof, he pushed it aside, as far as he could reach. Then he gave it a magical shove for good measure. Now that it had ceased to exist for all intents and purposes and would never ever be remembered by a living soul again, he placed a thin folder on the now-cleared table, and laid out a series of pictures of the crime scene.

“Guests, assembled audience, attending spirits, disquieting host…” Summer Love sighed deeply. “And anybody listening, really. I don’t know how communication works here. For all I know, I could be throwing my thoughts into the void, never to be heard by anyone. A lone investigator, who could do nothing but sit and watch.”

“But.”

*WHAM!*

He dropped a thick evidence binder on the table before him, and flipped it open.

“On the off chance there’s someone out there: Let’s run down the murder, shall we?”

(Investigator’s note: -a skillfully transcribed sigh- “Some of you might be too busy to read a full briefing, so tl;dr: Mayia lacks a clear motive, a means of crushing the victim, and the time to clean herself off after a messy murder. Ariace Wingate and Angel Cakes are the more likely suspects. The feathers were a blind, or from Angel. Between the two of them, I suspect Ariace.”)

Summer Love, In the Parlor, With the Accusation

A graduate of CRIME SCHOOL

IT IS TOO LATE MY FIRST CRIME HAS ALREADY BEEN COMMITTED!

HECK

brb calling the cops

So. There is Summer Love. Looking like a prince. With a gloriously poofy mane and tail. And magnificent eyes.

You know, I think he’d be fond of parrots. Brilliant colors, highly intelligent birds, and though they have a knack for imitating voices, they still retain their own personality.

For the most part, I think he goes the pony way and avoids clothing. He lives on the beach, after all, and the weather is such that one rarely needs clothing to stay comfortable. When it comes to style, he prefers a small, carefully-selected set of jewelry/ornamentation/decorations as opposed to a full clothing ensemble. Every good changeling knows how little details can make all the difference.

Winter is another story entirely.

Summer Love is famously bad at handling cold weather. His body tells him to sleep eighteen hours a day, but his wallet tells him he needs to work. He spends the winter months wrapped up in as many layers as he can get his grubby hooves on, and with a pot of coffee always within reach. He goes from an elegant, incognito prince to a shivering marshmallow and he just. Can’t bring himself to care. Too cold.