#not to be a writer on main but...

[brionysea]

i wonder why anytime someone argues mike can't be connected supernaturally, it's always about what they feel or think mike's character is meant to be (ordinary boy), but never actually addressing or countering the evidence lol. how do you argue against the void thing when the show literally brings it up again? max thought billy sensing el had to mean nothing just like it probably did for mike, but she was wrong. there was a reason. so that leaves to question, how did mike sense el then? and it was certainly a choice to even callback to someone sensing el, and that someone being mike of all people.

I think the show is just exceptionally well written in this area. they've done such a good job of separating the idea of mike wheeler's character out from everything else - specifically in season 3 by putting him squarely in the 'teen drama' box, separate from the 'supernatural mystery' box - and that continues into season 4 by giving mike more romantic drama and sending him to the opposite side of the country from where the supernatural plot is happening. there's LITERAL distance there, and they basically dedicated a whole subplot to talking about mike's feelings as if it matters (the interesting plot is about max's feelings and how they matter and have the power to kill her, by the way), but the audience is so conditioned to roll their eyes at him at this point that it's flying over everyone's heads

el initially thought something was wrong with mike when his characterisation started to change, and honestly if you pay attention to millie bobby brown's performance in season 4, she STILL thinks he 'seems wrong'. but max very quickly said that boyfriends are just like that (dismissing mike's individuality and everything we know about him as a character) and that it's nothing to worry about (by framing it as feminism vs. sexism, only assholes will want to side against max), and max is, like, the best character on the show, so people are inclined to believe her. cue everyone ignoring that max has an express history of Not Believing that supernatural stuff could be going on and coming up with rational, genre-resistant explanations like 'demogorgons aren't real, are you sure it wasn't just a bear?', even when it very evidently is supernatural in nature. like, lucas was a cynic in season 1 too, but once he knows it's real he KNOWS. he doesn't keep fighting reality like max does. max is so smart that she basically runs circles around herself to keep herself from the truth. that's, like, her whole thing at this point. she was so reluctant to admit that anything was wrong with billy, so desperate to avoid the fact that she WANTED him gone, and then she DIED once the truth became too much. it KILLED her. there are DEADLY NARRATIVE CONSEQUENCES to max's avoidant attitude, which has so clearly infected the perception of mike's character at this point. he is in danger. and that's not even touching on how similar max and mike are as people

everyone knows that the best twists are the ones that make you go 'OH MY GOD! HOW DIDN'T I SEE THAT COMING?!' but no one wants to consider that there might be a twist they won't see coming. because this one is set up in such a way that no one wants to investigate further, and while the pay off looks like it will be fantastic, if you pick up on it ahead of time no one will believe you. which is a very joyce byers experience to have. an element of it might be that people just don't like feeling stupid, or like they didn't see something coming, but I think that's more relevant to mike's queercoding and the dynamic between mike and will than to the weirdness surrounding mike's character. that's just next-level hidden as far as I'm concerned

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

If Your Character Doesn’t Want Anything, The Plot Can’t Start

so. here’s the thing. if your main character is just kinda floating through the story like a passive sad bean™️ with no real goal or drive, then the plot? is not plotting.

this isn’t a ✨you suck✨ thing. it’s a common first draft curse. but if you’re 30k words deep and your protagonist is still just reacting to stuff with vague concern and inner monologues about The Past™… we need to talk.

📍what even is a character “want”?

your character’s want is their external goal. the thing they’re trying to get, do, or change.

avenge someone

win a trial

run away from their cursed bloodline

steal the crown

get through one (1) normal semester without summoning a demon by accident

it’s tangible. it’s active. it’s visible. other characters should be able to argue with it, get in the way of it, or try to stop it.

💥without a want, your character is just:

wandering

reacting

monologuing about their feelings

getting dragged into scenes by external forces

waiting for the plot to happen to them

and honestly? same. but also: no.

readers need to feel like your character is making the story happen, not being passively pushed along by fate and side characters with better motivations.

⚠️ want vs need (aka: the emotional trauma part)

quick breakdown:

the want = the external goal (win the throne, survive the week, kiss the hot villain)

the need = the internal arc (heal the grief, learn to trust, accept their identity, realize kissing the hot villain is a bad idea)

your character should want something that will eventually lead them to what they need. but the want comes first. the want is the engine. the need is the crash landing.

plot starts with the want.

character arc ends with the need.

🎯 signs your character doesn’t want anything (yet):

you keep skipping scenes because “nothing is happening”

you’re relying on vibes or worldbuilding to carry the tension

side characters are doing all the heavy lifting

your protagonist spends more time reacting than deciding

your outline says “stuff happens” for 8 chapters

🛠️ how to fix it:

Make them want something that’s wrong. they don’t have to want the right thing. they just have to want something strongly. wrong goals lead to better tension. and failure. and chaos. (yay!)

Put something between them and that goal. wanting something isn’t enough. they need to pursue it, and get blocked. by enemies. allies. their own self-sabotage. this is where conflict comes from.

Tie the want to survival or obsession. if it’s not urgent, it’s background noise. raise the stakes. why now? why does this matter? why can’t they walk away?

Let them choose. at some point in Act 1, they need to make a conscious decision to pursue the goal. even if they get manipulated into it. even if it’s a bad idea. it needs to feel like a choice.

📦 examples:

✨bad✨: “she’s just trying to get by and see what happens”

✅better: “she’s trying to disappear, but someone recognizes her from the war and now she has to fake a new identity while hunting them down before they ruin her life”

see the difference? one is vibes. one is a whole plot engine.

the story doesn’t start until your character wants something badly enough to make a move, and risk breaking something.

give them a goal. a plan. a terrible idea. and then go ruin their life.

P.S. I made a free mini eBook about the 5 biggest mistakes writers make in the first 10 pages 👀 you can grab it here for FREE:

🕯️ download the pack & write something cursed:

[strangefa11]

my favourite part about making new people listen to tma is watching them go through the inevitable transition from “man this jon guy is kind of a dickhead I don’t like him very much” to “I would die for jonathan sims”

[starcurtain]

Aventurine Fans Eating Good

Finished the Fate/Star Rail collab last night and enjoyed it much more than I expected. I don't know much of anything about the Fate series, so I figured it would be a slog, but it was both funny and a nice breather after the main story of 3.4. Also--a surprising feast for Aventurine fans in terms of both lore and characterization. I am definitely the fan that was served.

Some of the stand out stuff:

Hope this event will finally put the nail in the coffin for those people who kept insisting that Aventurine secretly hates Jade or that she's abusing him somehow. Their first scene was very nice, giving us insight into their relationship within the IPC; we see them discussing the plan, and it's clear that although Aventurine is very smart and clued into exactly what Jade is thinking, she's also certainly got the upper-hand when it comes to strictly business sense. Watching Aventurine follow her thought process to the conclusion tells us a lot about how Jade has mentored him throughout his time with the Stonehearts.

Aventurine is also willing to discuss his personal concerns and vulnerabilities with her:

And, ridiculously important for lore and dropped completely casually into the conversation: Aventurine told Jade about his dalliance with Boothill. This pretty much confirms that Aventurine and Boothill's deal is to hunt down Oswaldo Schneider specificially, and Jade not only approves of it but is encouraging it. Oh they hate his ass, for real.

This also implies that Aventurine isn't keeping secrets from Jade; he trusts her enough to tell her even about his under-the-table dealings.

I think it's clear they have a much better relationship that most of the players were giving them credit for.

In terms of other treats from the event, look! Aventurine is comfortable sharing space with Boothill and (later) Archer:

I've written before about how the devs normally position Aventurine's character further away from others during conversations and cutscenes, but it seems that he's a little more in his comfort zone now than he was in his first visits to Penacony. It's not just anyone that Aventurine is willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with--it says a lot that he was willing to put aside the space bubble here!

(This is also funny because Boothill in particular is the opposite of Aventurine, in that he's almost always positioned RIGHT NEXT to the people he's talking to--the space bubble is kind of nonexistent--but it still looks hilariously out of place to see him standing so close to Aventurine because Aventurine doesn't normally stand with anyone lol.)

Also: Boothill making a reference to xenophobia while the two indigenous characters from colonized worlds are on the screen? Wow, one of the members of the writing team actually remembered and cared enough to make note.

In fact, I thought whoever handled the writing for this questline in general did a much better job than the HSR writers normally do with characters' pasts affecting their current behaviors. Aventurine's consistent discomfort with the Master-Servant dynamic was excellent to see.

"Dead class structures"--my goodness, the word "master" showed up and the Proletariat just jumped straight out of Aventurine. A very good note for those interested in his characterization.

And speaking of characterization, Archer and Aventurine's dynamic was a definite high-point for the collab questline. I don't even know anything about Archer but his chemistry with Aventurine was great--mostly because it was actually just Ratio/Aventurine with a stand-in because the devs are allergic to giving Dr. Ratio screentime nowadays lol.

Aventurine's type is clearly "strapping, competent, reliable men who will lightly bully me into becoming a better version of myself."

We even got the "Trust me and my plan so we can trick everyone and beat our enemy." The fact that Archer was able to catch on with just one sentence from Aventurine was great, and the fact that he was even worse than Ratio at acting was pretty funny ngl. (Well, at least he put less effort into it!)

Archer and Ratio even have the same complaints:

Ratiorine fandom, I am politely requesting 5956760 fanfics of Ratio's eye twitching at some random new man showing up and folding Aventurine's laundry without asking and then just "poof" disappearing lol. Thank youuu~~

And pointing out some other fun snippets:

Aventurine being a horror movie buff was not on my bingo card, but it's an interesting tidbit to add to his characterization. Understandably difficult to spook someone who has beaten people to death with his bare hands to survive the Hunger Games. You know he's the person who watches the gory slasher flicks and is just devouring the popcorn while everyone else is getting grossed out.

Also interesting to note that Aventurine, the "give me two of everything at the highest-end luxury shops in Penacony" guy also apparently still shops at "interstellar junk markets." You can take the community bazaar out of the nomad but you can't take the nomad out of the community bazaar, apparently.

I want to know what dev managed to get this past the censors!! 😂

And Aventurine's tininess... I know the devs writing this quest were Aventurine fans; I know it.

This moment in general:

When are we getting our Bonnie and Clyde/Aventurine-Boothill western shootout with Oswaldo Schneider, Hoyo, when?

And, despite the tone of Aventurine's text messages post-Penacony sounding very much "I want to be friends" with the Trailblazer, it seems that, canonically, Aventurine hasn't made much headway in actually becoming Trailblazer's friend. Trailblazer's reactions to Aventurine were pretty :T through the event, and Aventurine's first claim is that maybe Trailblazer wouldn't even want to come out to meet with him. This is why Jade sent you to the Penacony Daycare Holy Grail War to make better friends, Aventurine. You gotta work a little harder at it, my dude.

Finally, I really appreciated this event taking the time to acknowledge that Aventurine is actually extremely smart and adaptable, capable of keeping a cool head under pressure, figuring out the enemy's strategy, immediately developing a plan to solve the problem, and executing it flawlessly.

And even more so than just painting Aventurine as a smart cookie who can see through others' ploys, I love that the reason Aventurine was able to see the ploy wasn't because of his status as a movie buff... It was because of his interest in business.

Aventurine can be a fake idgafer about his work all he wants, but when it comes right down to it, he was so interested in Grady's marketing strategies and business acumen that he went through the entire archive of Grady's works and learned the full history and tactics of this completely no-name director from a totally foreign planet. He's being unironic when he calls himself a "fan" of Grady's--not of Grady's terrible films, but of Grady's ability to achieve success.

My boy isn't just smart, he's still building his portfolio of tricks to get ahead in life.

Repeatedly, Archer asks whether Aventurine doesn't want to be a "hero of justice" sometimes, to which Aventurine never really fully responds. Yet in the team's time of greatest need in this quest, Aventurine was the actual "hero" of the moment--not using noble tactics, but by being true to exactly who he is: the shrewd schemer whose knowledge of underhanded methods and the cutthroat world of commerce can be applied even to righteous causes.

Aventurine's character in this event was, in essence, a perfect microcosm of the IPC's role in the game's overall story. Their methods might be less than ideal, their perspectives on right and wrong might be skewed at a 90 degree angle--but when push comes to shove, you're really going to need someone who isn't worried about getting their hands a little dirty, someone with the know-how to scheme their way out of the pitfalls, so long as they--deep, deep down--(mostly) have their heart in the right place.

A++ Aventurine content, thank you Hoyo~

[bamsara]

There are ten billion personal Lamb interpretations and all of them are correct (and also the other characters but I suffer from lamb favoritism)

If you're looking for an excuse to ramble about your Lamb or AU (or any cotl character you have) take this post to do it NOW

[emerson-writes]

unique things you can give your characters to make them stand out that are not tattoos or scars:

multiple ear piercings (especially for male characters)

visible body piercings (nose piercing, etc.)

lots of jewelry (layered necklaces, rings on every finger, etc.)

or no jewelry at all (bonus: a character that doesn't wear any in a culture that is jewelry focused)

a signature color (ex. a character that always wears blue, or only wears gold rings)

extra descriptive hair or eye color (ex. curly, red hair down to the waist, amber eyes with flecks of green, cropped silver-blonde hair)

freckles (bonus: body freckles, not just face)

a nervous habit (ex. picking at their skin, biting their nails, checking a watch, fiddling with jewelry)

a limp or any other unusual gait (bonus: describe it! is it from a horseback riding accident, were they born that way, is it from aging, etc.?)

an accent or lisp (use cautiously and with respect)

unique teeth (tooth gaps, missing teeth, gold/silver teeth, crowded teeth, etc.)

a signature hairstyle (a braided coronet, a bun, etc.)

noticeable facial features: ruddy cheeks, a prominent nose, very thin/thick eyebrows, moles, birthmarks, etc.)

[tanaor]

Want quick tips to add instant chemistry to the relationships of your characters??

(🥳With examples🥳)

First of all, I want to say that you can also use most of them for platonic/ non-romantic relationships, so feel free to use this tips however you think they might work better in your story. So, without further adue, let's get to the tips!!!

Make your characters LISTEN to each other. Like, if A tells B they're not a morning person, B could make some coffee for A or lower the volume of their alarm.

This might sound quite obvious, but show that you characters care for each other. It might be as simple as one of them giving the other a glass of water when they feel a little dizzy, but it works wonders!

Make your characters physically close. When you are emotionally close to someone, you tend to be physically close too. But here is the thing. Make your characters react like it's second nature: "how would I not hug B when I haven't seen them in days?" or "Of course I'm gonna take A's hand when I feel afraid".

They don't have to be constantly thinking about each other, but when they do, MAKE IT MATTER!! For example, character A is out shopping, and they see B's favorite cookies. B didn't have a good day, and A knows that. But A also knows B is gonna fucking love the cookies, so they buy some.

Let them believe and trust each other. Also applies if one of them is a little distrustful: let your characters rely on one another, even if at the start they aren't as comfortable doing it. For a distrustful character, letting the other one help with chores might be a HUGE thing.

Other tips for writers: previous | next

[syn0vial]

still not over the fact that teenage boba fett tried to hide his identity on concord dawn by taking on the alias jaster mereel

this kid really did the mandalorian equivalent of showing up at the border like, "hello fellow americans, i am also an american, which you can tell by my very normal american name, john f. kennedy"

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

i vote that next year instead of reading Dracula we do a Jeeves & Wooster Book Club. those two never got the rabid tumblr shipping fandom they deserved (disqualified for the sheer technicality of being published a century too soon). we must correct this injustice

[succulentsiren]

Stop shrinking and do the things YOU actually enjoy. Have your favorite cup of coffee or wine. Eat the food you love. Listen to the music you love. Watch your favorite show. Wear makeup and dress up. Read interesting spiritual and occult books. Do your tarot readings. Collect your crystals. Get tattoos. Be the black sheep. Don't shrink your beliefs, lifestyle or presence just because someone else is uncomfortable with your self-expression.

[kittyfrisk9]

IdeaDpxDc—There are better ways to meet someone.

Note: Sorry, I don't know English, so please use a translator. I apologize if you don't get the idea.

Dead On Main. Soul mates.

---

"Exactly... what does this ring do?" The shining ring was still attached to his finger. This wouldn't worry him if it weren't for the fact that, with each passing minute, the ring emitted more light, and that can't be good.

The cult leader refused to speak. He wouldn't even look at him, seeming particularly attentive to the material the floor was made of. Very funny that now he was scared of him when, an hour ago, he was giving a very cliché speech about how humanity was doomed because it would summon the evil of evils.

It wasn't very smart of him to perform his summoning precisely in Gotham City, home of the Dark Knight.

Red Hood was getting impatient. He placed the hand without the ring on his weapon; if words didn't work, a real threat to his life would. And this didn't really break Bruce's 'no killing' rule because the gun was only loaded with rubber bullets. However, just as he was about to advance and shoot the guy, he saw Batman grab the leader's tunic collar and lift him up.

The man, of course, screamed in fear. "Speak, what does that ring do?" No jokes. Batman's voice was deeper than usual, showing that he was upset, no, rather angry.

Or worried, but Jason could never consider that possibility. For the moment, he was only surprised, although it didn't show through his helmet.

"I-I don't know," the leader replied. Poor guy, he seemed about to cry. Batman, not content, tightened his grip even more; he wasn't willing to tolerate a lie this time.

Red Robin raised an eyebrow. "You managed to gather a bunch of magical artifacts for your summoning and you don't know what they do?"

The man looked away. "No..." The rest of the cult members also looked away. Very brave and stupid of them to all agree to lie to the bats. Jason himself wanted to mock them, but the ring kept shining. He couldn't mock when the ring kept shining and he didn't know what it meant.

From the communications, Robin could be heard. "Tt, this wouldn't be happening if Hood hadn't put on the ring." Jason suppressed a growl.

"Kid, I didn't put on the ring. This thing stuck to me the moment I touched it." It was true. In the middle of the operation to stop the ritual, Jason had pulled the ring, which at that moment was a kind of necklace by the chain that ran through it, from a member who was wearing it. The ring in his hand began to glow and suddenly teleported to his ring finger, then stopped shining. It was when everything calmed down that the ring began to release a different, but constant light.

Approximately ten minutes have passed since then, he thought as he looked at the ring, ignoring all the magical stuff; it was actually a very simple ring. Suddenly, the ring began to blink.

Oh, no. That couldn't be good.

Batman, fed up with the leader's silence and his followers, threw the man meters ahead. "Oracle, call Zatanna now, we need more information about the ring," he ordered as he approached the man who was in pain from the fall. The guy, terrified by the violent aura of the Dark Knight, tried to retreat.

Finally, Nightwing stepped between the man and the brutal beating he would receive if he didn't speak.

"It's okay, B, calm down." With his hand on his father's shoulder, Dick tried to ease the atmosphere. "I understand your concern. We are all worried about what the ring might do to Hood. But we can't let fear and anger control us. Hood is important to all of us. He is our brother, your son. We can't lose our cool now. Let's call Wonder Woman. If no one wants to talk, she can help us with the lasso of truth."

Total silence. Jason didn't know what to say; he didn't think his family would react like this over a blinking ring. That is... he doesn't know. Suddenly, the ring's light began to blink faster.

Batman, after Nightwing's words and seeing the change in the ring, understood that he couldn't waste time with someone who wouldn't talk. "You're right, thank you Nightwing." Looking at the others, he said: "We need to act quickly, we don't know the effects the ring might have on Hood. We need to take him to the cave for a thorough analysis, no discussions." The last part he said looking at Jason. "Until then, don't try to take it off or use it."

Jason scoffed, as if he would.

"Oracle, you heard, call Diana. Red Robin and I will take care of the rest of the cult. Nightwing, take Red Hood to the cave." Batman began giving orders as he reached the leader and began dragging him towards the rest of his cult. The leader, in a failed attempt, tried to resist. "Agent A, please prepare a stretcher. Understood?"

Everyone nodded.

On the other hand, the touching speech and the strange family moment of the bats seemed to soften the heart of a girl from the cult, who in a whisper said: "The ring, nothing will happen to him." Although she spoke quietly, everyone present heard her.

The leader, panicking that the information would be revealed, exclaimed: "Catrina, shut up!" However, he was struck by Batman, who was already fed up with the guy.

"What do you have to say about the ring?" he asked.

The woman hesitated to speak. "We thought of using the ring to subdue the king of the dead and make him listen to our orders..." She paused, not knowing how to continue. "There is a real legend about the ring. A long time ago, a witch wanted to know who her soulmate was, so she created the ring. This allows one to be guided to their soulmate through the red thread. I think everyone already knows what the red thread is." Nervous, she looked around. Only Nightwing nodded, and that was enough for her to continue telling. "Well, the witch's red thread connected with a prince. Unfortunately for everyone, the prince was not happy that his soulmate was a witch. So he had her killed." The girl looked at her hands; that part of the story was sad. "The witch was angry, but still wanted her soulmate to accept her, so she rewrote the ring's original purpose. It was no longer something that united you with your soulmate, but now it was something that allowed you to subdue your soulmate... uh, this." She pointed to a book that was lying in a corner. "With another spell, in fact, it can be used to subdue anyone, even a king of the dead."

With the whole story already told, Red Robin asked: "So, what is the ring doing to Red Hood?"

"It's tracking his soulmate. I... didn't get to put the other spell on it. I could only activate the ring's primary function. Your brother will be fine."

That definitely changes things. Jason swore he could hear his heart beating. A soulmate, wow. He admits he's read many romance novels and maybe once dreamed of it, but for it to actually happen, wow.

Suddenly, the ring stopped blinking. Five seconds later, everyone saw a red thread shoot out from the ring's gem. It quickly moved in one direction, went through the wall, and kept going. The process was like a fishing rod when it catches a fish.

"Does this mean it already found its soulmate?" Red Robin asked. Astonished by the red thread, he tried to touch it but his hand went through it; apparently, the thread was intangible to anyone else.

"Yes," the cultist also seemed astonished.

Jason felt a look on him, turned, it was his brother. Oh no, not that look, he knew that smile; Dick would tease him so much in the coming days. For his part, Batman sighed in relief. Well, it wasn't such an extreme danger, but it was still dangerous. "Agent A, cancel the stretcher." He never imagined this would mean a soulmate case. "Oracle, don't cancel the call to Zatanna or Wonder Woman, we need to verify the information. We'll stay here until the police arrive."

How nice it would be if everything ended like that, right? With Dick joking with Jason, Tim analyzing the thread, Barbara laughing at the turn of events, Bruce relieved and Damian surprised. However, one must remember the story.

The witch changed the ring's original purpose. Unexpectedly, the thread began to retract, as if it had caught something. It did so so quickly that Jason grabbed his hand in pain. It was then that everyone had a bad feeling. The wall the thread had previously passed through suddenly exploded, the noise and dust alerting everyone, especially when once the chaos disappeared, something horrific could be seen.

An arm. A fucking arm. Apparently freshly torn from its owner. Oh, no. What did it do to his soulmate?

...

Somewhere else in the world, somewhere in the United States, Danny gasped in pain. What the hell? What was that? Ancients! Where is his arm?

---

Note: Sorry, I don't know English, so please use a translator. I apologize if you don't get the idea.

Edited on 06/21/2024 - Note two: Thanks to redflagshipwriter, who continued this idea below. And to Sakuravalelp who made me laugh with the complement.

[comradeboyhalo]

things badboyhalo did for the dsmp:

paid for the server

built majority of tftsmp maps and prizes

wrote a scifi-fantasy, character-driven plot with ant and sam after the badlands were sidelined during the war

gave every new smp member the option to be involved in egg lore

continued to play on the server as it was dying

pulled together the egg lore finale god bless

played an extremely tragic and complex character in an arc that utilized slow-burn environmental storytelling and IS still not considered a quote-un-quote main writer by the greater dsmp fandom

deserved a gun

[blanceyblance]

I have talked before about how frustrating i find thay the paladins and co. will act like Lance has rocks for brains one moment

And next moment listen to him in dangerous situations with no complains.

So my headcanon is that Lance has a "locked in" voice.

When you hear his normal voice you know its safe to play and joke around, the situation is not that dire, but the locked in voice is the kind of voice you hear telling you "you have ten seconds to stop this shit and you are already at seven" and your monkey brain tells you, you need to listen or else !!!

[tenowls]

teacher getou au...... wauh

[pianokantzart]

"He's afraid of everything. He's a little awkward, every so often he gets a little aggressive... he's very complicated."

Hearing Matthew Fogel describe Luigi like that, plus some of the expressions in the concept art, has me hoping that at some point (in a very reasonable set of situations) Luigi's going to snap Charlie Kelley style.

[nutmegtales]

Alive again - Extra Jason's POV from P5

Jason watched as the being stood with a grace he could hardly believe. It reminded him a little of Dick when the asshole was showing off. All subtle strength and flexibility. But where the move would have just annoyed him from Dick, seeing this creature move like that was just a little breathtaking.

He'd expected indignation from the king of ghosts, maybe outrage when they pulled out what was really their only bargaining chip. A threat. A desperate grab at control over the situation. Yeah, he'd definitely expected anger, he would have been angry, of course he always was.

No, Jason hadn't expected the laughter that rocked the man in the circle. It was a full body affair that had him clutching at his sides and quaking on the ground. It was certainly a sight to see, and he felt himself respond. Unbidden, unexpected, he felt the familiar buzzing in his chest smooth and a bubble of his own laughter rise up.

It was both alarming and relieving all at once.

Fuck what a ridiculous situation. They were all desperate and confused and tense beyond belief. And here he was feeling like laughing for the first time in... he didn't even know how long.

The good humor snapped and Jason's burning anger came flooding back suddenly like a punch to the sternum as he watched the man step from the circle.

The air seemed to glitter and tear as raw power washed from the now broken circle, filling the room and suffocating him. It hurt. As the man stepped out, it hurt. As he walked slow across the room, it hurt. As he went to move past Jason, it hurt. It was terrible, like waking up buried all over again, like swallowing molten metal, like feeling everyone he loved walk away from him. It hurt, and he couldn't stand there and let him walk away.

He shouldn't touch the man, Constantine had been pretty clear about how dangerous this was, even with the binding of the circle in place. He reached out anyway, with his heart lurching into his throat, and his hands trembling, and his gut churning he reached out to try and halt the Ghost king in his progress.

It was like. It was like drowning... A sudden all encompassing rush of cold that threatened to suffocate him. And then it was like being held, gentle arms wrapped around him, warming him, keeping his shattered parts held together... and then fading away. Leaving him bereft and alone. Fuck.

Suddenly the mans eyes were locked on his, boring into him, seeing through him. The ghost kings hand was pressed against his own chest now, cool and firm. And he felt another wave of loneliness consume him as the mans gaze slipped away.

Jason dropped all pretense of formality. Yes okay this is probably the most dangerous being currently on this planet. This was a man that carried the mantle of death and afterlife, and Jason could feel that power. Yes this is someone he should fear, does fear. But he was hurting. Jason could feel the sorrow and loss and mourning of this man. Could feel the hurt and desperation. Could feel how close he was to breaking. Could feel it all like it was his own, like his own feelings could be without the unrelenting anger that silenced all else.

Jason moved his hand from where it had bunched on the mans shirt and pressed it against his cool cheek. The cold of it seeping through even his thick gloves.

Jason didn't have the words, but he hoped the man understood. Jason was here to do anything he could to save his... The others. But Fuck if he wouldn't try to save this man too.

Part 5 | Start

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