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Part 2 of a quiet place to build a nest in
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Published:
2025-09-29
Completed:
2025-10-02
Words:
2,865
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2/2
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a ghoul after my own heart

Summary:

Scott can hear someone entering his home, a threat to him and his coven’s safety. But when it’s Shelby walking his halls, maybe keeping her around isn’t the worst idea. Especially not when she is accepting of his true nature, and wants to help

AKA shelby said in canon AFTER scott turned her, she’d have been okay with him being a vampire. he just should have told her. HERE, ladies and gents, he does, plus a little more >:)

(read ‘a quiet place to build a nest in’ first for some added context !!)

Notes:

reminders of vampire terms used here (plus new ones) !!

childe = fledgeling = (someone's) vampire kid

childer = fledgelings = (someone's) vampire kids

embrace = turned (into a vampire)

brood = coven = group of vampires

vitae = vampire's "blood" = vampire's life-force

covemate = member of the same coven (usually used between fledglings)

domain = a vampire’s territory/home

Chapter 1

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Scott knew suspicion would come. Missing for days, avoiding town, keeping away from people, there wasn’t much that could support avoiding suspicion.

So when Shelby’s voice echoed through the hallways of his manor, his domain, he reacted in such. Holing his very flighty childer away, and confronting her.

“Shelby.”

“SCOTT!”

With very little self-preservation skills, Shelby launched herself at the vampire. Wrapping arms around him, she looked up and rambled away.

“Everyone’s been worried, but not really Avid, he thinks your a vampire or dead, or that you killed and/or ate Pyro and Owen. Do you know where they are by the way, because EVEN MORE people are worried. Abolish’s looking for Pyro every night, and Doctor Legs’ worried about Owen a lot. Renhardt tried to put together a search party, but no one wanted to go to the castle-”

“Shelby.” the redhead paused to look up at Scott, “They’re fine, the both of them. They both just needed a bit to readjust, but they’re fine.”

“Oh that good,” the words seemed to catch up with her, “wait, readjust to what?”

And that’s when he lunged. At the one human who was kind to him, Scott launched himself at her, and pinned Shelby against the cold crumbling stone of his crypt.

“I’m really sorry, Shelby. You, of them all, were the only one I liked. In over 600 years of the living undead, you were the first.”

His fangs dropped and began their way to her neck.

“I’d turn you, but two childer is already more than enough–“

“Wait, you’ve been a vampire this whole time?”

As if she was entirely unphased by being pushed against the wall and having her life threatened, Shelby asked a question. And before the response could come, she gained a really heartbroken tone.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Huh?”

Scott couldn’t do much but stare in shock, at Shelby’s upset tone of voice.

“Shelby, are you serious–“

“WE’RE ROOMMATES! You’re supposed to tell me these things.”

“Shelby I’m not joking.”

“And neither am I! I’m not Avid, Scott, I’m not going to try to kill you or poison you with garlic.”

Reluctantly and somehow countering every instinct in his body, Scott carefully and slowly lowered Shelby off the way and let her go.

A beat passes.

“Sooo, what do we do about this now?”

Scott couldn’t fight the hysterical and stressed-induced laugh that began to bubble in his chest. There was some irony in all of this that was getting to him. Shelby didn’t look scared, though.

“Usually? I’d kill you, and use your blood to feed my childer, my fledgelings. But just, Shelby you are truly an enigma. You know that, right?”

“I mean, in the fanfiction vampires aren’t always mean and evil, I just always assumed they’d be like that in real life too.”

Scott leveled her a look.

“You, just now, judged me based on um, hmm, fanfiction? What even is that?”

Shelby gasped, “It’s like made up stories about fake people! Scott you’ve never read–“

“I’ve been around for over 600 years and have never, I just, Shelby you are truly…You need to be more careful in dangerous situations.”

The redhead human looked at Scott seriously for the first time that morning.

“Are you dangerous right now, Scott?”

The elder vampire, resigned, shook his head.

“To you? No, I would say I’m not. But the others? That’s a different story, they aren’t my roommate.”

She smiled at that, but freezes for a moment as if processing something Scott’d said earlier.

“Wait, you said ‘fledgeling vampires’ and that Pyro and Owen ‘needed time to readjust’…did you turn them?”

At the mention of his childer, Scott felt some instinct in his begin to tense protectively at the thought a human knew that his nest was nearby. But it was Shelby, so with counter-instinctual reluctance, Scott nodded.

“One was my fault a bit, but Owen was not my doing. He is mine now, but no, I only turned Pyro.”

“Oh…”

Shelby sounded upset? somehow? As if Scott had told her he’d eaten the last piece of cake, that friendship-betrayal tone.

“Shelby?”

“I just, I wish you’d told me before, ya know? You’re my friend and just, yeah the others in town are nice too, I know it’s not the same. We have a bond.”

She laughed a bit at the end of there, but still, there was an almost sadness to her tone. Scott had never been in a situation like this before, a human he A) cared for (as reluctant as he was to say it and would NEVER voice out loud) and B) wanted in his brood.

His sire had had one once, a human he didn’t fully turn, but changed, allowed himself to connect with…

“…a ghoul.”

“Hm?” Shelby looked up at Scott confused, “Like the demon flesh-eating ones?”

Scott couldn’t express himself any other way but letting out a sigh or air he never needed. To anyone else, this prospect wouldn’t even be considered, but not with Shelby.

“No, but rather, the vampire definition of a ghoul. Someone who’s still human for the most part, but tied to a vampire. You’d feel the bond with me and my childer–fledglings, and you’d be protected that way. I wouldn’t turn you, just make you a bit stronger, faster, durable, and maybe ask for your help?”

Shelby seemed to know her answer in a heartbeat.

“Oh absolutely. As long as I can go back to being human that’s fine.”

“You can’t just jump into this. It’ll weigh on you once you stop, Shelby. I don’t know how long you want to do this—I’ll live forever—but once you stop drinking, you’ll age, to the age you are naturally.”

A beat passed.

With a genuinely worried look, Shelby seemed to be weighing her options.

“If…If years down the line, I decide that I would want to turn, could you?”

“Yes, I could and all you’d have to do it ask.”

The response from Scott was immediate, without a second of hesitation. This idea, this prospect, was vulnerability. Not the same he had with his childer, but getting close to it with Shelby lumping her in with the livestock, the humans, was an insult.

“I’ll do it. You’re my friend, Scott, my roommate, and I trust you. I’d want to help. Plus, you had every chance to kill me before, and even JUST NOW, you didn’t.”

He didn’t mention how he stopped out of shock from Shelby’s reaction to his true nature.

“So, how do we do this?”

A creak on wooden floorboards drew Scott’s attention away from that question, though it seemed a faint enough sound Shelby didn’t notice.

“Well, first we’ll head to my nest,” the next part echoed through the crypt’s remains, “where my fledglings who knew I was still here and handling a possible threat, remain. Right?”

Owen stepped out a bit closer to where Scott and Shelby were, Pyro behind him.

“Hello, Shelby.”

Ever the stoic protector, Owen had himself almost fully blocking the younger, if it wasn’t for Pyro looking around his arms.

“Hi Owen, Hi Pyro! Are you both, um, okay?”

Scott answered instead.

“They’re both fine and exhausted from a little escapade a few nights ago. One, in which may I remind you both,” he leveled them both a stern look, “rules were made about staying in the nest.”

“As we’re rules about communicating that you’re alright.”

Pyro—with some confidence gained behind Owen—pipped up, but all Scott could do was groan.

“This seems to be a heavily discussed issue?”

Shelby looked as if she was holding back a laugh with that question.

“No, you don’t get to laugh at that. I will feed you to them, I swear!”

But the words held no bite, no real promise in them. Shelby knew that just as much as Scott did.

“Yeah yeah, sure. Just, you two,” Shelby pointed to Owen and Pyro, “go easy on him. His old man spirit can only take so much.“

That got a laugh from the youngest vampire and a stifle of one from the elder of the two. Scott was truly reconsidering his request in that moment.

“So, we doing this or no?”

Shelby turned to Scott, expression serious again, and with genuine respect.

“Yes, we are. Lead the way.”

- - - - - -

Owen knew about ghouls, knew what they could entail, and knew that of all the new arrivals in Oakhurst, Shelby would be the one Scott would lean more towards ghoul-ing.

With Pyro leading the way and Shelby following behind him, Owen allowed himself to fall back to walk in step with Scott. Sire was a word that rattled around him in his mind, but somewhere else, the word seemed like it was meant for another. For Lewis.

“So, two childer and a ghoul. Someone’s busy.”

Scott groaned again, letting his face fall into his hands.

“I don’t know how this keeps happening. First Pyro, then you with your wet-cat-ism, and now Shelby, my sire never picked up this many strays.”

“The original Goldsmith?”

The eldest hummed, keeping pace with younger ahead of them. Owen bit back the question on his mind, but it seemed Scott had already picked up on it.

“You can ask whatever it is you want, Owen. I’ll say it again, I am not someone you’ll ever have to fear. So ask what’s on your mind.”

A beat passes as they walk, Scott ever so patiently waiting.

“Do you miss him, your maker?”

Owen doesn’t meet Scott’s eyes as he does, keeping his attention in Pyro and Shelby ahead.

“I do, always. He was around before I was locked into that slumber. Him, and a whole big coven—the Goldsmith Brood we called ours—of our kind. Some were my own, my embraced childer…”

Owen didn’t need to ask why ‘were’ was said. He knew the stories, knew what happened. He probably knew more than Scott, but why confirm a mourning man’s conclusions? Why make him hurt anymore than he was?

“I’ll kill her if she betrays us.”

Owen looked at Scott, bloodthirst in his eyes. Something protective lit in his stomach.

“And I, my childe, would help you. But that one?” He motioned to a very animatedly talking Shelby before them, with Pyro engrossed in her conversation. “That one I don’t worry about. She asked for this, showed no hesitation when given the risks. We are allowed to trust again, to grow again.”

Scott let his hand reach to Owen’s face and cup his cheek, silently brushing away the blood collecting near his childe’s eyes. Neither said a word, sitting in the sharedness of their feelings, as they kept walking.

Notes:

RAHHH the original end-notes here are lost to time (lost to formatting :(((( )

BUT PRETTY MUCH, i was thinking "hmm ghoul shelby would be cool, shake up the last turned" AND THEN SESSION THREE HAPPENED??? HELLO GUYS HUH????

anywho this was sm fun to write tbh, shout out white wolf publishing for giving me another creature thats not a vampire that can drink vampire blood !! saving my fic rn !!

Chapter 2

Summary:

GHOUL SHELBY GHOUL SHELBY GHOUL SHELBY !!!!!! also also leaning into that "family" dynamic just a bit tehehe

Notes:

reminders of vampire terms used in this au !!

childe = fledgeling = (someone's) vampire kid

childer = fledgelings = (someone's) vampire kids

embrace = turned (into a vampire)

brood = coven = group of vampires

vitae = vampire's "blood" = vampire's life-force

covemate = member of the same coven (usually used between fledglings)

domain = a vampire’s territory/home

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Shelby didn’t know what a “nest” entailed outside of what she’d read in books, a group of vampire’s safe space. Regardless, she wasn’t expecting this.

Pyro lead her to a very plush looking room behind a hidden door (OOOH!!), which smelled heavily of dust and age. Inside was, well, a nest, like a bird’s would be, only in the center of the room and made from pillows and blankets. The vampire had walked in, laying himself amongst the very comfortable looking things, and looked up at her.

It took an extra moment to realize he was actually looking past her, at Scott and Owen over her shoulder, who has entered the room after her and resealed the entrance. Owen went to sit down next to Pyro, nestling himself alongside the other vampire, but Scott stood beside her.

“Last chance, Shelby, are you sure about this?”

“Kinda redundant to ask now. I mean, I’m already here.” She motions to the room around her, “I would have ran before, Scott. I’m ready.”

With a grace gained only years of being undead, Scott took Shelby’s hand and lead her into the nest, setting himself between her and the other vampires. At her look of slight confusion, Scott elaborated.

“I worry a little about them and having a source of vitae-blood nearby…” His gaze followed along to Pyro, “Especially the young ones. But you’ll be alright.”

Shelby wanted to laugh, say Scott was being dramatic, but the slightly worried lines when he faced her said to take it seriously.

Settling more into the nest, she leaned against the plushness of pillows and wool blankets. Some, she recognized, were from her and Scott’s shared place. Made sense why his blankets were missing now, along with a few more around town.

Scott then reached out to place a hand on her’s, threading their fingers.

“It’ll only take a few seconds, but I want to explain exactly what’s going to happen. I will to cut my wrist and put it to your lips, and you have to drink until I stop. I’ll pull away, but it’ll be different. You’ll feel light, like the world is falling away from you, and everything I say will sound like the only suggestion of what to do. I’m going to walk away after this, Shelby, give you a moment to adjust. Owen will be the one to help and guide, because I don’t want to have this complete control over you.”

He looked serious, and with a notion in Owen’s direction, the other vampire nodded. She could see slight worry in his facial expression, but there was also a deeper feeling, trust maybe, in Scott and what he would do.

“I mean it. I know I keep asking, Shelby, but are you-”

“Scott, if you ask me again, I’m going to lose it. Just go.”

With a huff, the elder vampire took a sharpened claw and sliced a clean cut across his wrist. Shelby noticed how Pyro’s eyes dilated and zeroed in the spot, but Owen’s grip on his hands kept him in place.

Pressing his wrist to Shelby’s lips, the redheaded human opened her mouth and let the thicker liquid sit on her tongue. At first, the normal metallic taste of blood hit her throat, thick and difficult to keep down. With each labored swallow, that sensation began to fade, replaced by a euphoria blooming from her tastebuds, spreading throughout her body. With almost a tingling sensation, Shelby drank deeper, wanting to get more and more of the taste into her mouth. It felt as if life itself was rejuvenating itself within her, and she had Scott to thank for it all. Scott, the person, the vampire, who gave her this feeling.

And as quickly as she began, the wrist was removed, and Shelby followed after it’s retreat, head fuzzy and throat raw. With a keen of sorts, she tried to get the source, Scott, back to give her more.

“That’s all Shelby. There’s no more.”

Owen was speaking to her, but he felt so far away. Like Scott’s wrist, like his blood. An unhuman whine escaped her throat at the loss of Scott anywhere nearby.

“But it tasted so good.”

“It does,” Pyro spoke now, but his attention drifted every few seconds to what she felt was drying blood on her face, “but there’s no more for today. You have to come back to yourself a bit, Shelby.”

“Hmm, but it feels so good.”

Shelby felt like she was on cloud nine, like a high she’d never experienced before (she’d read about it in fanfiction with vampires, her brain supplied, the high vampire blood gave).

Somewhere in the cognitive dissonance, she knew that this was the vampire blood that was making her feel this way, but equally, she felt Scott alone that made her feel like this.

“Is Scott magic?”

Owen laughed, scooting closer to her and moving the newly-fed ghoul between him and Pyro. He let her nestle against the nest and his side as one would do to get snuggly with their sibling or family.

“No, but you feel like that right now. It’ll fade. Until it does, you stay here with us and ask anything you want to know about vampires. Fair trade, huh?”

Shelby lit up a bit more, even in her out-of-it state. Pyro laughed at the eagerness, before he paused.

“Wait can I ask things too?”

Shelby could have sworn the other (maybe older? Owen had to be older, Scott had said he didn’t turn Owen. She wondered how old he was) vampire rolled his eyes in what looked to be endearment. With no filter in that moment, she voiced that thought exactly.

“You’re like brothers…”

Pyro looked at her quizzically, but Owen just sighed. Nudging his shoulder against her, he smiled. It felt so sacred, like something he did rarely minus at times when he felt most comfortable. Even in this state, Shelby could read those feelings in Pyro’s expression that felt like confirmation of that.

“I would hope so. This,” he motioned to them, or maybe the whole room, she couldn’t tell, “is kind of the only family we have now.”

From somewhere away from the nest—still in the room—there was a possessive sounding hum of approval, but Shelby barely registered it. If Owen’s smile got warmer at the sound, she didn’t register it either, too busy asking question to her new family.

Notes:

a wee bit shorter then normal chapters, but sadly, life is life-ing as of late (damn ao3 author curse i guess :/ )

but yes !!! ghoul shelby—i fear—is me PEAK cooking, gonna need a sec to digest the other turned in canon and find ways to make then vampries i feel apo MAY be someone i turn but you didn't see that here shhhh

speaking of that, next fic'll probs be the first of "putting this coven dynamic into canon events" so it won't be canon to this au (it'll be specified in the series ) !!! i've had an idea bouncing around in my head since session two, i fear i'll let the voiced cook in a bit !!

feeling so insane over the fact ppl are enjoying this, so here's my shameless plug, look into 'vampire: the masquerade' if you like rp and vampire !!! recommended highly by your local vamp smp author !!!

okay bye bye, take care and i'll be back maybe in a bit longer amount of time (midterm season *sigh*) !!!! <3

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