#also I need to figure out what I want my master list format to be

[lividria]

Baseless Speculation & Things That'd Be Cool If They Happened In Metroid Prime 4

Was struggling to figure out how to title this, because "My Vision(s) for Metroid Prime 4" or "My Predictions for Metroid Prime 4" weren't quite... Accurate. One comes off incredibly pretentious, and the other assumes I have a basis for any of this, so then I settled on "What I'd Do If I Was Writing Metroid Prime 4" but then realized I would probably not because I'd have like all of the official lore at my disposal and know everything about Sylux and all that, so now we just have this. I probably could've gotten a snappier title.

I've mentioned a couple times that I wanted to make a post detailing a bunch of baseless speculation of what could happen in Metroid Prime 4 or what I think would be cool if it happened in Metroid Prime 4, this will be that, and it's probably going to be even longer than Everything You Need to Know for Metroid Prime 4, which I will be referencing multiple times because I meant it to be context for this specific post when I wrote it. And also the better purpose of getting people up to speed on all the info we have. Please read that first, because I will not be elaborating on things like why I like the idea that Prime 4 takes place after Super Metroid and built several other ideas off of that assumption, and also because making you read both gives me more Notes.

I'm just gonna go through ideas I've mentioned in previous posts and write them out in the order I have them written down in my notes I took for this, and see where we go from there. I will not be linking those posts, because... I made a LOT of them, and I'm lazy. You don't need to look for them, you aren't really missing anything, I'll make sure I don't skip over anything.

In Case It Isn't Obvious, If Weavel Isn't In MP4 I Will Cry

I probably won't, actually, I'm sure the game will be great even if Sylux is the only one returning. But... Please, Retro. Please. We have a Hunters rival who hates Samus teaming up with the Space Pirates, the faction containing another Hunters rival who also hates Samus. And is also awesome. Weavel even fits with the theme of Space Pirate bosses being mechanically augmented that the Prime games have, for some reason. Am I just going insane, or is that really a thing they kept doing? Meta Ridley, the Elite Pirates, the Omega Pirate, the fucking unused Meta Kraid, Weavel, I can't tell for Berserker Lords actually but they got Phazoned so I assume there was some machinery involved, Omega Ridley, even fucking Master Brain? I'm not pulling up the entire list to keep going. In case you can't tell, I can't help but ramble. Get used to this format. Wait, no, it'd be a writing style.

For some reason I haven't really... Thought about how Sylux will be executed, I think my subconscious doesn't want to get stuck with a headcanon characterization that is completely destroyed by Prime 4 but I'm so attached to the conceptualization that it ruins the entire thing, though I realize now that I am doing this right now with Weavel. Let me explain. (Also, basically anything I would write about Sylux would be just shamelessly lifted from posts I've reblogged instead of my original ideas, so...)

If they make Weavel & Sylux just... Two rival characters on the same team, it'd get stale, right? Even with different personalities, it's just two Space Pirate allies with names instead of one in Prime 4 that ultimately could probably be interchangeable in the plot. So, what if, instead, Weavel and Sylux are enemies?

I doubt the Space Pirates are particularly strict on their recruiting process, just sign a paper saying you hate the Galactic Federation and you're in, and Sylux is the biggest hater, he hates the way that they walk, the way that they talk and even stole Federation equipment, so he's obviously let in. But Weavel and Sylux were both trying to get the Ultimate Power in Hunters, so Weavel could have some grudge against him, and it could go even further, like if Sylux assumes some kind of unofficial high-up position somehow and gets the general Space Pirate crew to follow his words then that'd piss Weavel off, or if they remember how Dark Samus took over the entire operation in Prime 3 Weavel could see some resemblance between the two that troubles them greatly.

In the trailer, you can see a Space Pirate shooting at other Space Pirates. Imagine if there's two factions: Some that follow Sylux, and some that don't follow him, which is either led by Weavel or just represented by him. You would probably still fight Weavel a couple times, probably about as many fights as Sylux to get both sides even, but I'd think that in the end even though Weavel's entire backstory is almost being killed by Samus I think that Weavel could feasibly team up with Samus in the climax to kill Sylux and get the Space Pirate regime back in order and then resume the rivalry afterwards. Or they start dating, I don't know.

I have more to say on Weavel & Samus teaming up later, actually, but it wouldn't make sense yet, so just... Keep that in mind.

While We're Here, The Other Hunters (Besides Trace)

I have actually no idea how they could be relevant for the main story. Maybe each map sector corresponds to a Hunters rival? Like, a snowy area has Noxus, a rocky area has Spire, etc. and you only really fight them once. But, like, we don't really have enough to work with for me to figure out how they'd be relevant beyond just being there for fanservice.

Besides for the final boss encounter. Remember how in Hunters, the final showdown was Gorea stealing everyone's abilities when they were trying to team up on it? Imagine this time it's Samus and every other hunter teaming up on Sylux, who has gone completely over the line and angered everybody. Would that not be fucking awesome? They could even bring back the thing Gorea's first phase did in with it's theme having each hunter's battle motif in it. Maybe Samus has to actually recruit all of them to help her stop Sylux from bombing the GF headquarters or something. That'd be neat.

Also, Here's Why I Singled Out Trace Just A Second Ago

Complete side note, Trace has my least favorite of all Hunters rival battle themes. Which sucks, because he's my favorite of the six Hunters hunters.

Okay, so, I have no idea where this info is from and I'm too lazy to research it, but on the Metroid wiki I use it's mentioned that the Kriken Empire, the species Trace represents, is such a menace that the Galactic Federation and Space Pirates would hypothetically team up to eradicate them if the need arose. That... Is such a plot point. You can't fucking say that. You can't just fucking say that and not go anywhere with it ever.

That, and the entire thing with Kriken at a certain age being sent to claim a planet for the empire, and imagine that the actual plot beyond Sylux & the Space Pirates is that the Prime 4 planet has been claimed by Trace, who moved on after Hunters to look for something else, and you have to stop the Kriken from destroying everything, almost like the Ing, with the final boss (or at least final boss relevant to this story arc) being the Queen Kriken or something.

And imagine how PISSED Sylux would be to learn that the Space Pirates teamed up with the GF to exterminate the Kriken after he already joined the pirates. I assume it's not unfounded to claim he'd side with the Kriken, just out of spite. So I guess it'd be Samus & Weavel versus Sylux & Trace.

Wait, hold on, you see Noxus & Trace fighting in Hunters, so Noxus would probably join forces with Samus to stop the Kriken if they're a major plot point as a callback to that, so then... Uh... Kanden gives me literally nothing to go off of, even if they're the obvious choice for member 3 of the evil squad, but I think it'd be interesting if Spire is tricked into joining the bad guys who claim that the Chozo equivalent on this planet were actually the Diamonts and they've uncovered the truth about their fate and will tell Spire if he helps them or some shit like that.

I Don't Want Ridley To Be Immortal, But

I know that Prime 4 is like, the perfect opportunity for Ridley to make a comeback after the franchise's content drought, but like, also, it just being another Meta Ridley would be boring as fuck. So, here's some more interesting ideas they could do, that also work with the idea that he was killed off in Super Metroid.

First one. Remember how in Zero Mission, the final boss was Mecha Ridley? An UNFINISHED Mecha Ridley? If Ridley was dead for real, or they thought he was or something, then as some kind of tribute or replacement, I could see the Space Pirates trying to finish one. Maybe it'd be that one design from Omega Ridley concept art that is currently my most popular post.

But that's kind of boring. Imagine this. You remember how in Other M we saw Ridley's life cycle? It's such wasted potential to just leave that as an Other M thing. Imagine wandering through Space Pirate facilities on the Prime 4 planet only to find some kind of terrarium for animals. And there's one that has like 7 Little Birdies in them. Would that not be the most startling, horrible thing the series could ever do? Ever?

Of course, it wouldn't be an immediate jumpscare to a newcomer, or Samus who probably hasn't gone through Other M in this continuity (yet?), until a fucking Mystery Creature boss fight (Probably without the weird gimmick Other M's encounter had) where you see one pop out of the Little Birdie husk and immediately see that these are baby Ridleys. Samus would be going out of her way to blow this planet up after that, right? You can't just fucking leave those here.

The obvious thing to do from there would be to have a fully-grown Space Dragon as a late-game boss after more Little Birdies escaped, but I think it'd be more interesting if they just blew the place up and didn't do that. Make you feel like you really just averted a catastrophe.

We Can Bring Back The Other Guys, Though

I think it's become common knowledge that Meta Kraid was a planned thing for Prime 1, and I've seen at least one person say that if Kraid came back for no reason in Dread, he can come back in Prime 4. I'm not... Too sure about this, even if it would be cool, because I don't know if they'd want to have him show up two games in a row, and also, if Prime 4 takes place after Federation Force and not after Super, then why the fuck would he need to get the mecha stuff on him? He got a beating back in Zero Mission, yea, but the Prime games take place over the course of several years, FF specifically taking place years after Prime 3 which is the end of the trilogy that I assume doesn't happen over the course of a single month, and I also vaguely remember reading that Prime 1 takes place years after ZM. But, then again, it takes Ridley until Super Metroid's intro to drop his cybernetics, so I dunno.

Or Kraid just shows up completely normally, I don't fucking know. What I do want to see, if he does show up, is him being characterized as a complete buffoon. I want Ridley to be the smart one of the duo, while Kraid is the Space Pirate Patrick Star, and that's the reason he wasn't there for any of the Prime games up until this point, the higher-ups in the crew didn't want Kraid to fuck anything up.

But it'd be more interesting to bring back the other 2 guardian bosses from Super Metroid. Phantoon already came back in Other M as the final boss, but Other M is Other M, so they deserve better. To keep up the assumed theme of Meta bosses, maybe this is some kind of hologram of Phantoon instead of the real one? Since they're not physical? So it'd be Holotoon? Phantogram? It's probably hard to wrangle an extradimensional ghost thing to weld metal onto it, so this is the best I got. (Also, I just tried to find out if Phantoon had some kind of established origin story and there are 3 different official sources contradicting each other, so never fucking mind I guess.)

And, of course, one of my favorite ideas for all of this because of how funny it'd be. Imagine this: You're wandering through an abandoned Space Pirate facility. There are logs describing that new cybernetics have been built for one of "the bosses", as in leaders. You can see some of the blueprints for them. You wander around, and eventually a cutscene begins. You hear the first few notes of Ridley's theme kick in... It's META DRAYGON INSTEAD, BECAUSE DRAYGON AND RIDLEY SHARED BOSS THEMES IN SUPER.

And Also The Less Important Guys

One of the Prime 3 guys made concept art for a Crocomire redesign at some point, but specifically stated it was never intended for Prime 3. If you just... Have that laying around... Free boss.

And I was going to dedicate a paragraph to talking about Serris being a really cool idea for a returning boss, but then remembered I got that idea from a reblog of someone else's post (which was a reblog of my own post but), so, uh, whoops.

And here's another idea I had just because it was really funny. Imagine the final boss is set up to be Sylux, and there's this dramatic cutscene where him and Samus give each other one final stare-down before the final fight... Projectiles from off screen fly in out of nowhere, instantly headshotting Sylux and killing him. You look up, and it's ANOTHER GOREA, here to be an out-of-nowhere final boss again. In all seriousness, I do think there's a lot of potential for lore with Gorea if they were to have another appear, and if Sylux came back, then, you know... Mmmaybe. Probably not, though.

Mochtroids Are Cool

We saw Mochtroids in the trailer, but they're just weak Metroid clones, so they're almost definitely going to do something more with them than what we've seen in Maridia. I hope. But what exactly can you do with them? Obvious, what they did to make the Metroids more interesting in Metroid 2. Evolved Mochtroids.

Fusion, for a couple seconds, showed that there was a planet right next to SR388 that the Metroid wiki gave the original name of SR387. I imagine the Space Pirates would rather try and take over a planet where the main threat is the Feds and not the vampire jellyfish creatures, but this brings the added bonus that the conditions might be right to allow Metroids & Mochtroids to grow up like they do on SR388.

But, of course, Mochtroids are failed Metroid clones that look different from the actual Metroids, so if they did grow up, I imagine the difference would get bigger and bigger and more grotesque until the Queen Mochtroid is a total abomination. There's this one obscure Metroid, "Metroid=Mutant", from some weird non-canon Metroid book thing, that is absolutely hideous, and I love it, if they do evolved Mochtroids I want them to look like this, and I will not be satisfied any other way.

I feel like I'm staring Cthulhu or Nyarlathotep in the eye, here. It's horrific. And it's beautiful.

If they wanted to make the final boss not Sylux (I typed Ylud instead oops, I'm remembering this for if I ever need to name a Metroid OC) or a big Space Pirate, and don't introduce anything we haven't already seen in the trailer, I want that final boss to either be Sylux's Metroid from FF all grown up into a Queen Metroid, or whatever the final stage of Mochtroid evolution is. A Queen Mochtroid would perfectly fit the theme of Prime final bosses being affronts to god. Master Brain doesn't count.

Also, we've already seen that Metroids exposed to Phazon develop a completely different life cycle, so I wouldn't be surprised if Mochtroids, even without being exposed to living uranium, just completely go a separate direction from Metroids and become a giant, horrible abomination like Metroid=Mutant instead of a dinosaur or Metroid Prime. Or they go the wackiest direction possible and bring back the Humetroid from old Metroid Prime 2 concept art.

This bothers me so, so much, that this is a thing that almost existed. It can't have been early Dark Samus, right? Going off memory, it doesn't match up with the hand at the end of Prime 1, so... What the fuck is this? It came from an entirely different pitch for Prime 2, as well, that had nothing to do with Aether or Phazon, AND IT WAS MEANT TO BE A PLAYABLE CHARACTER. Sorry for the tangent, I just... I can't stop thinking about this. I need to tell somebody about this if I want any level of relief, like it's Smile Dog or something.

Oh, right, one more thing, I saw somebody say that it'd be cool if you had a double battle with Sylux and his Metroid from FF, grown up to a Zeta or Omega Metroid, and my first thought was that Samus brings in her own abomination for the double battle, and my second idea (The first was Weavel) was that Samus brings in an evolved Mochtroid that she tamed like with Metroid 2. She'd probably go in alone, though, and she'd win, but it'd be really cool if she, like, RODE IN on a Queen Mochtroid.

I Almost Forgot The Setting For A Moment

Okay, so, I already mentioned that it'd be cool if this planet was SR387, but I have a couple more notes about it. First one is the quickest one, imagine that trailer shot of the giant tree repeating later in the game but the giant tree is on fire after escaping from it or something. That'd be so cool, right?

Another thing I thought about is, with that time traveling gimmick (Please, Retro, it would be so cool), whatever Chozo equivalent this planet has, you could actually meet them if you go to the past. The Luminoth were special because they were on the verge of extinction and you got to actually interact with them and save them, these could be special because they WERE extinct and you STILL get to actually interact with them and somehow save them with time travel.

There could be an interesting story beat & character arc there where Samus recognizes that she just saved the day and an entire species with time travel, so if she really wanted to, if she could actually get her hands on the tech and bring it anywhere, could she save the Chozo? Could she save her family? Could she save Rundas, Ghor and Gandrayda? Could she save Zebes, and Adam (If Prime 4 is after Super it could hypothetically be after Other M, or OM gets retconned but Adam is still dead by now or he dies in this game's plotline), and everyone/everything else? But, of course, she can't rewrite all of history, which probably fucks with her a bit and she has to accept that what's happened has already happened and she still can't change that or whatever.

Another thing, you know the black hole logo for Prime 4, right? I found out recently that, apparently, in the prequel manga or something, the Space Pirates first invaded Zebes by breaking the forcefield around it with A MICRO BLACK HOLE. And, if you saw my Meet the Space Dragons post, you'll remember I was shocked to find out that Greed, Ridley's brother or whatever in a separate non-canon manga, tried to spawn in a black hole only for a ghost to disembowel him or something. We now have a complete lunatic working with the Space Pirates who has a massive grudge on the Federation, and the last game in the Prime series was the Pirates trying to mount a direct attack on the Feds. And Prime 3 was also a war between the GF and Space Pirates. Black hole generator. Launch it at Earth. Have it backfire on the Pirates & Sylux, or Samus goes back in time to prevent it, or there's some kind of time loop thing where each time it hits then Samus is sent back to the start of the loop, or the black hole is somehow how Samus time travels (She falls in and gets sent to the past?), shit like that.

But now for my favorite idea out of all of this: The reason there's a GF research facility here, and the reason the Space Pirates are sieging the planet, is because there's the remains of a Leviathan here, and the Pirates are desperate to get Phazon back. But, after the destruction of Phaaze, the Phazon's gone, so now it's just one giant carcass filled with dying animals that only survived because of Phazon and all sorts of carrion eaters, and there could even be a boss that's like a dying Metroid Prime struggling to sustain itself after all of this started, and it looks like it's going to have the second phase from Prime 1 but it just dissolves into like... A blob... Instead of the floating face, and it's basically just every slime boss ever from there.

Maybe you could even go on like a docked Space Pirate ship or something and find logs that show it was experimenting with Phazon like the Frigate Orpheon, and started freaking out when all of the Phazon disappeared after Phaaze's destruction, which is why they're desperately looking for more. Maybe they were on the verge of SOMETHING BIG. Maybe a Mochtroid Prime? A Little Birdie or Mystery Creature they were trying to manipulate with Phazon to become even stronger than Omega Ridley before they even grow up all the way? Whatever they were working on, you probably fight what's left, because of course you do, who wouldn't make it a boss?

Another, less interesting (to me) idea, I saw someone theorize the Prime 4 planet is Sylux's homeworld of Cylosis, and if the GF has a presence there it'd make sense Sylux would bring in the Space Pirates to try and reclaim it. Sure, you could go places with that, but... Dead Leviathan is so much cooler. You could do both ideas at once, actually, but you know what I mean.

Actually, it could be neat if modern Cylosis is that rocky, lifeless landscape you see in the intro of the trailer and the snowy wasteland seen in Sylux's Hunters intro, but the past Cylosis is the beautiful giant tree land- Wait, jesus christ, if there's a dead Leviathan on the planet with time travel, then you could go back in time to before Phazon was destroyed, oh jesus christ.

I Don't Have A Fun Name For The Federation Heading

If the Federation Force comes back, they could be interesting when fleshed out as actual characters, especially if Prime 4 leans into the GF having a shadier side. Would they side with the GF, even when it's revealed they're up to something fucked and the FF are forwarding that agenda? Would they go rogue, like Samus does in Fusion? Would you have to fight them at some point? What if one of them turns out to be another Deleter? What if they die trying to stop the Federation from doing something, and that's why they never came up afain?

Maybe the Space Pirates steal the black hole generator I talked about earlier from the GF research facility they're raiding in the trailer. I dunno, they might just be raiding it for the hell of it or to just generally attack the GF and claim the planet. Maybe Sylux chose this place because he knew this specific facility contains something that, if unveiled, will tarnish the Feds' reputation. Or it's the same place he took his gear from. Probably not, since he's had it since at least Hunters, but I'm just throwing that out there.

Conclusion

If Metroid Prime 4 disappoints me, I will instantly become one of the most prolific Metroid fanfiction writers of all time just from writing ideas for how Metroid Prime 4's story could've been better, or some different story that would've been better than what we got, all out of spite due to being let down by my most anticipated game of all time, and I am just as terrified of this happening as you are.

I'm sorry for rambling so much all the time, it probably makes these posts incredibly hard to follow, but I specifically made this post to ramble instead of make a point or explain things like my other posts do, so I think I get a pass on this one.

I don't know why I keep making Conclusion headings on these posts when I don't ever have an actual point to make at the end.

[pray4saint]

Hi ml! i hope you’re doing well!^^

i’m a new writer and i was wondering if you could recommend some tips? i don’t know how to work the links around here (like for example my master-list) and i was wondering if you could kinda help me a bit set up my profile?😅

i hope it’s not to much, i just can’t figure it out. Also i saw how you rather read marauders content then write and i could totally write some things for ya!^^

i hope it’s not to much trouble of me asking for help^^’

—🦥

omg hi love, first of all it's not no trouble at all! also, i feel honoured you're asking me!! and guess what, we're moots now 🫶🏽

my main issue is keeping all my important stuff in order, so i have a google doc and all that's on it are the tags i use, or plan to use in the future

also for your profile, you have to decide a colour scheme and a navigation style (i really suggest simple styles because they're easier to change) and if your eyes strain easily, i do not recommend the small text like how i format

keeping one draft on your tumblr that contains text you reuse a lot is soooo helpful, for example my copyright text and my symbol divider, that's all in one draft

^ alongside those, i have links to my cc/character masterlists so they're easily accessible

LOOK ON TUMBLR HELP BLOGS, and no i don't mean from staff, i mean blogs made by real people dedicated to teaching people how to do new things with their blog and posts (these can be found by simply searching your issue on google or safari)

for other help; you can dm me, you send in more asks, you can email me i really don't care, just talk to me, also my cousin is big into web design and helped me with mine, a classmate of theirs' blog and does carrd sites in their spare time, so i can reach out to them if you'd like just keep in mind they're 15, but they are a writer on tumblr

^ however, with myself and their classmate, we let them log into our accounts and just texted us asking what we wanted ||| you can check out an example carrd of theirs here and their pronouns.page here

^ also, they've talked about doing step by step through photos so that's also an option

lastly i think just having a pinterest board of pictures you use on your blog is super helpful because you can always look back on them and reuse them or keep track of pictures your thought you wanted to use even if you don't use them

on the marauders subject!! – ty ily i will be sending you my brainrot in your inbox and also i have prompts if you ever need them

[ostrichmonkey-games]

Design Thoughts 🤔

I have this in progress game thing (that will not be finished any time soon so) that tries to synthesize elements of Forged in the Dark, Belonging Outside Belonging/No Dice No Masters, and Apocalypse Keys into one thing.

So I love setting elements as a piece of tech from BoB stuff, but I always find it a little tricky to use them in play. In the sense that they're another level of layer to keep in mind while also keeping in mind everything else about the game! The upcoming game Brinkwood: Refuge handles this in a very cool way (but its also not out yet so I don't want to talk too much about it) and Wanderhome's Natures and Traits also are really good, and feel nice to use (so nice that they hugely inspired the world elements in Extracausal: Monolith). So Step One of this game-design-idea is how can I make something using setting elements that really clicks for me?

Forged in the Dark is one of my favorite "design engines" in general. I love position/effect, actions, rolling a bunch of d6s, consequences/resistance, factions, I could go on and on. There are a lot of very fun levers to pull once you dig into FitD design. I also wildly prefer the Action system compared to a Skill list system. It provides enough structure that players aren't floundering on what to do at a given moment, but not so restrictive or overwhelming that some skill list stuff can turn into. But one thing I always forget to do (both as a player and GM) is utilize Devil's Bargains to their full extent! So Step Two is working on a way to make Devil's Bargains more consistent.

Apocalypse Keys rules (full disclosure, I worked on system development and also contributed a mystery and in progress playbook). One of my favorite part (which is also present in the game Librete!) is how instead of stats, you have a shifting pool of tokens (similar to BoB styles) that you can spend to get bonuses to your 2d6 roll. There are specific triggers that naturally come up in play for each playbook that get you more tokens, and then you can't hoard them because if you get too many tokens at a time, there are Consequences. It creates a very satisfying loop for your characters! So Step Three is how can I emulate this token-loop?

What I've got so far;

To enact a Devil's Bargain you must play a Setting Element. Devil's Bargains are traditionally meant to inject complications into the scene, and often times, so can Setting Elements. Feels appropriate to link them here. This also gives a clear mechanical moment for when a setting element is brought into play (which for me, is really the tricky part in existing games).

You have no stats/attributes that numerically define how many dice you roll at a given time, instead you must spend tokens 1:1 to gain d6. By limiting how many dice you might have access to in a given moment, Devil's Bargains become even more appealing! Rolling dice is good, and so is injecting new complications.

Each playbook has a set of conditions that when met, net you more tokens. This is basically the same format as Apocalypse Keys.

What is still kind of nebulous;

What happens when you gain too many tokens?

Is the loop of "determine if tokens are gained -> spend tokens -> get dice -> roll dice" too clunky? Will probably need to do some actual playtesting to figure this bit out. On paper, its not too distant from the typical FitD "conversation" involving position/effect, but I also want to include position/effect on top of everything else.

Basically everything else about the game lmao.

We'll see how everything starts to shape up in the next few months. This is very much something I'm just poking at here and there, since I have some other projects that take precedence and I would like to get done first.

Anyways, thoughts? Recs for things you think I should look at? What's up?

[sequinsmile-x]

The Way Home - Chapter 20

A fresh start. That’s what she needed. Not the turn of a page, or a new chapter, but a brand new book.

She left everything behind, and just hoped that she had better things ahead.

A Hotchniss College AU

Words: 2.3k

Warnings: This chapter contains brief references to miscarriage

Full list of warnings and previous chapters can be found on the Series Master List

-x-

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who has read, interacted and enjoyed this fic. It’s been so much fun to write, but I’m never quite sure how an AU will land, so thank you, THANK YOU, for all your love and support for this version of them. 

A special thanks to @ssa-sparks, @hancydrewfan, and @prentissinred who have all let me just talk at them about this fic for MONTHS. You are all just the best and I couldn’t do it without you. 

And also thank you to @cloudlessly-light for helping me figure out what to do with Emily’s career in this!

I hope you all enjoy this last chapter! <3

(Sorry if tumblr is being weird on desktop with the formatting- it's fine on mobile <3)

Read over on Ao3, or below the cut

Summer 2006 - Arlington, VA 

Emily groans as she lifts a box onto the kitchen table, smiling at the photo on top. It was from her and Aaron’s first holiday season as a couple. The photo was taken Christmas Eve, the day they’d had Jack, the little boy squished between them and his smile wide. 

“Emily, I can’t find my tie.” 

She shakes her head. He certainly wasn’t little anymore. 

“It’s down here sweetie,” she replies, shouting up the stairs, “Where you left it last night.”

She hears the familiar footfall of her step-son as he runs down the stairs. She can’t help but smile when he comes into view, his nerves evident in the way he held himself, his shoulders tense. He smiles sheepishly at her as he grabs the tie off of the back of one of the chairs at the kitchen counter. 

“Thanks, Emily,” he says, looking at the box she has in front of her and noticing it’s full of his things, “Keen to get rid of me?” 

She narrows her eyes at him, her glare only making his smile wider. “Of course not,” she says, “But moving sucks and you have two houses with your stuff in, moving to college is hard enough as it is so I thought I’d get a head start.” 

“You’re very good at packing,” Jack comments as he roots through the box, “I forgot I’d need some of this.” 

She hums as she smiles at him, “Moving as much as I did when I was a kid has its benefits.”

He chuckles, and looks around the kitchen, “Where’s Dad?” 

“He had to go into the office, he’s just finished that big case so had some files to submit, but he’ll be back soon I promise. He wouldn’t miss today for the world.” She assures him, squeezing his arm. 

It was strange sometimes, to think that the little boy she met had grown into this young man next to her. He was taller than her now, the same height as his father. He towered over Haley, something that he took great joy in reminding her of frequently. 

“I’m glad he won,” Jack says, opening the fridge door, always on the hunt for food, “Because it was on TV it would have been embarrassing if he hadn’t.” 

Emily laughs at the typical teenage reaction, “And, you know, a serial killer has been sent to prison for the rest of his life.” 

Jack shrugs his shoulders, “That too.” 

After Emily graduated from college her and Aaron, alongside Haley and Jack, moved to DC, a return home for all of them that suited them well. 

Over the years, Aaron worked his way up to state prosecutor, a job that kept him busy but that he enjoyed. A goal he had set himself during the trial against Ian for his attempt on Emily’s life, wanting to help people the way that prosecutor had helped Emily. Finally getting her justice after she’d been so let down by the system previously. 

It was a big part of her decision to be in the system herself. Social work had never been something she would have considered before everything with Ian, but it was the only thing that felt right afterwards. Her natural empathy and her talent for picking up languages made her a popular choice, and she now worked for the state, creating and maintaining policies that would have protected her when she was younger. 

Their friends often joked that they were a power couple, and that no criminal in the DC area had a chance with them around. 

The sound of a door opening cuts off any further conversation, the thundering of tiny feet on the upstairs landing and then the stairs themselves making both Emily and Jack smile. 

“Here comes trouble,” Emily comments, winking at the teenager before turning to look at her daughter as she runs at her at full speed, catching the four-year-old and lifting her onto her hip before she could crash into her legs, “Morning Ellie.” 

“G’Morning Mama.” 

Eleanor Grace Hotchner was, according to Aaron, 100% Emily. He often joked that he wondered if he’d been involved in the process at all, or if Emily had somehow cloned herself. Their little girl her double in just about every way. 

“You sleep ok?” Emily asks, pressing a series of kisses to the little girl's cheek, laughing as Eleanor leans away from her slightly, a smile on her face as she nods. 

“Jack’s big day!” 

Emily looks over at Jack, who was halfway through eating a handful of dry cereal he’d clearly found in the pantry. 

“Yes sweetie, it’s Jack’s graduation today,” she says, kissing her daughter on her head before she passes her over to Jack, her eyebrow raised as she takes the cereal box from him, “Why don’t you two go sit down and watch TV, and I’ll get your dad to make us all breakfast when he gets here.” 

Jack holds Eleanor close, their bond something that had been instantaneous since he first held her, despite their 14-year age gap. He bounces her on his hip, making her laugh as he leaves the kitchen. 

“Come on Elly Elephant,” he says, making her giggle, “Let's go watch some cartoons.” 

Emily shakes her head as she watches her children go, sighing as she once again laments how quickly the years had gone by.

___

“Em, we have five minutes and then we have to go.” 

Emily rolls her eyes at her husband’s insistent tone, opening the door to their ensuite to find him standing just on the other side, his hands on his hips. She walks out to the bedroom to join him, finishing clipping on the earring she had been adjusting. 

“Honey, we’re fine. The school is 10 minutes away at most. The ceremony doesn’t start for another hour,” she turns so her back is facing him, and he wordlessly zips up her dress for her, his fingers sliding up her spine in a way she knew was unnecessary. She turns to look at him, smiling as she loops her arms around his neck, “We definitely don’t have time for that though.” 

Aaron smiles at her as he pulls her closer, his hands on her lower back. He leans down and kisses her, his lips gentle against hers. 

“Later?” He asks, and her smile widens before she leans in to kiss him again.

“Later,” she confirms, pulling back to look at him, her fingers idly playing with the hair at the nape of his neck as she cups his cheek with her other hand. “You ok?”

Aaron sighs, his lips in a tight smile as he nods. He wraps his hand around her wrist, his thumb rubbing at the thin scar she had there, a reminder of the surgery she’d had to fix it, of the metal that laid just beneath the surface. She often wondered if the way it would ache in the cold was a phantom memory, her brain remembering how it felt when he’d slammed it into the wall, his hand tight around her throat.

Sometimes she still woke up and could feel that too. Only brought back to the present by her husband, the way he would invade all of her senses. Make her forget that she’d ever been touched by someone else. 

She had a lot of scars from that time, the one on her wrist just happened to be the only visible one. 

“Yeah, I am. I just can’t believe he’s graduating high school,” he replies. It was strange to think that Jack was now only a couple of years younger than he and Haley had been when they had him. The years had passed by faster than he’d anticipated, and sometimes he missed the days when Jack was young and hung on his every word. “It feels like only yesterday he wanted to ask you to be his girlfriend.” 

Emily laughs, “I know honey,” she replies, her fingers trailing through his hair, “But Harvard isn’t that far away, and you know he’ll come back as often as he can,” she smirks at him, “He’ll miss Haley’s cooking too much.” 

He chuckles, “Speaking of which, don’t think I didn’t notice one of her lasagnes in the fridge.” 

“She offered,” she shrugs, “You know she can’t say no to Ellie.” 

Haley was without a doubt one of Eleanor’s favourite people, a connection that hadn’t surprised any of them. She was a fixture in their lives, and only lived a couple of streets away. After she’d saved Emily’s life, purely by being in the right place at the right time, they’d become friends, and she’d even come to their wedding.

It was odd, sometimes, for Aaron to remember that Haley was once someone he thought he would spend his life with. Even stranger again to think that, in some way, he had, just not as his partner as he would have once thought. 

“At least Ellie will still be here for a long time,” Aaron grumbles, the mere thought of his little girl being old enough to graduate high school when she was only just about to start kindergarten in the fall enough to make him frown, “And any others we might have.” 

Emily’s smile falters slightly, a common reaction when he brought up the prospect of other children. Eleanor hadn’t been their first pregnancy or even their second. The two losses they’d gone through before still made her sad when she thought about them, pre-emptive grief at the thought of going through it again enough to make her wonder if she even wanted to try. Until she had Eleanor she was convinced what had happened in Rome had caused long-term damage, and had cried herself to sleep in Aaron’s arms more than once. Begging for forgiveness he would not give her because she had nothing to be sorry for.

She loved Eleanor with every part of her, but pregnancy had been rough on Emily. Her sickness, which could only be remedied by some specific chewing gum that Haley had recommended, mixed with her constant anxiety that something would go wrong had meant it wasn’t enjoyable at all. 

She wanted another child and had dreams of a little boy that was the perfect mix of her and Aaron, but the fear choked her and made her freeze every time he mentioned it. 

“Aaron-”

He leans forward and kisses her cheek, his hold on her briefly tightening, “I know love,” he says, kissing her again, “At your pace, ok?” 

She nods against him, pulling back and offering him a shaky smile, “We should get going.” 

Aaron smiles at her and links his hand through hers, leading her out of their room and down the stairs. As they approach the living room, they hear the tv is on, the news clearly on the screen. 

“George Foyet was charged with 12 counts of murder, but state prosecutor Aaron Hotchner claims he may have killed up to 36-”

“Jack,” Aaron says, catching his son’s attention from his cell phone and tilting his head towards Eleanor who was playing with her toy dinosaurs, “Please turn that off.” 

Jack looks between his little sister and the tv, cursing under his breath as he grabs for the remote and turns it off. “Sorry, Dad.” 

“It’s ok,” Aaron says, checking his watch, “We really should get going.” 

Emily detaches herself from her husband and walks over to Eleanor, “Come on sweet girl,” she says, smiling at her, “Let's go.” 

Eleanor stands up, one of her dinosaurs still in one hand, and grabs her mother’s hand with the other. 

“Aunt Haley’s there?” She asks, her excitement clear. 

“Yes baby,” Aaron replies, opening the front door, sharing a smile with his wife, “Aunt Haley is there.” 

“Then let’s go!” Eleanor demands, pulling Emily towards the front door. 

Emily laughs, gladly following her daughter, “You heard the girl,” she looks at Jack, sees the nerves on his face that she had seen the first thing that morning again, and she reaches for his hand too, linked in between them both, “Come on sweetie, the sooner we go, the sooner we’ll be home.” 

It was a mantra she’d shared with him since he was small and she first found her footing in his life. It was something she’d said to him to get him through dentist appointments, or visits to the doctor. His first day at his new school when they moved to DC. Their home, and the one he had at Haley’s, his safe space. 

“Yeah,” Jack smiles, squeezing his stepmother’s hand, turning and smiling at his father as he places a hand on his shoulder, “We’ll be home soon.” 

___

Red Onion State Prison, VA

He was counting down the days, every day of his sentence seemingly longer than the last. It had been almost 13 years and he still had 7 left until he would even be considered for parole. 

Each day, he hated her a little more. He could feel it consume him, overtake the place he once felt love for his son who now called another man daddy, his conviction of attempted murder enough to make Chloe take him from him entirely. 

There’s rapping on the cell bars, and he looks up, smirking at the guard he hated almost as much as he hated her. 

“Doyle,” the guard sneers, stepping aside so a man in an orange jumpsuit can step into the cell, meet your new cellmate.” He steps back, pulling the bars back across and smiling at them from the other side. “Get to know each other, you’ll both be here a while.” 

Ian watches as he walks away before looking back at his new cellmate. The man was tall, skinny and had shaved his head, and he wonders what on earth this man could have done to end up in a high security prison, looking on the surface of it incapable of a crime that would have landed him here. 

Then his eyes meet his, and he sees it, the same fury he feels, anger that nowhere to go, and he smiles. 

“Doyle, is it?” The man says, offering him his hand. 

“Ian Doyle,” he replies, shaking his hand. “And you?” 

The man smiles, clearly amused by the fact he didn’t know his name. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Ian. I’m George Foyet.” 

-x-

The Way Home’s sequel, Home, is coming soon in January 2023

Tag list:

@ssa-sparks, @lukeclvez, @lyds102, @glockleveledatyourcrotch, @hotchnissenthusiast, @danadeservesadrink, @ssamorganhotchner, @emilyprentissisgod, @notagentprentiss, @freesiasandfics, @emilyshotchniss, @thecharmingart, @paulitalblond, @hancydrewfan, @camille093, @whitecrossgirl, @moonlight-2-6, @rawr-jess, @florenceremingtonthethird, @jareauswife, @ms-black-a, @sneetchestoo, @aubreyprc, @zipzapboingg, @psychopath-at-heart, @criminalmindsgonewrong, @fionaloover, @kinqslcys, @prentissinred, @ccmattis22, @denvivale317, @thrindis, @hotchsguccitie, @cmfouatslota77, @alexblakegf, @aliensaurusrex

Join my tag list here!

[empiricalparty]

overdue brain overflow

hello good sir, 

Writing you a letter has been on my list for simply too long so I must do it even though I can’t promise content of any real value. In any case, I hope you are doing well and that everything you are hoping for, happens. 

Big fan of the workshops zinedabaad has been doing along with the toilet sign instagram!! You are always an inspo and I would put you on my vision board if I had one. 

I’m at quite a new and interesting place in life right now, or that’s how it feels. I’m living a life I never could have imagined for myself and of course that is GR8 but now after the initial high of actually being paid to do non standard things for about a year or so and being my own main boss, I find myself asking a few questions. The first is just quite simply, how do I even attempt to present or quantify what I have been doing? How do I prove that I am someone who knows how to do things? I am trying to build a portfolio, but as with all things that centre around myself this is a big challenge. It’s also difficult because I have to go back to the other question of what am I even seeking now. Making a list of things I have done made me more sad than proud because seeing them written as just a little list doesn’t at all capture the time, energy, and love that went into most of them. Where do you put that? How do I show that, that is actually what I’m good at and have experience with? How do I highlight process and not results? How do I build on what I have done and do I even need to? Now that I have things I’m proud of, how do I make sure people see them (and me!) for what they are? Was also wondering what this was like for you while applying for Masters? It feels funny to me to do this without a template, format, or guide from any institution. This portfolio is my oyster and all that.

After asking 288264 questions after claiming it was just 1, we are on to the second question. If everything has been done before, what is there to be done? Does it matter if someone else has done something similar if you do your own version in your own space? I feel both disheartened and excited when I see other people doing work that’s similar to mine. I’m excited to see what they’ve done, how they approached it, and everything else, but it also makes me think well I may as well quit then right? It’s already out there. I really want to work with food and facebook groups. But everyone is working with food, everyone has stories about food. How do I find the ones that haven’t been told yet and should I even? Once side food project Gijs and I are working on from the Spring is eating seasonal vegetables in the Netherlands but cooking them by modifiying Indian recipes. Maybe that’s the only way to do something new, have it be inherently linked to me and my specific background and situation. We’ll see how it goes! Here’s another cool project that reminds me of all the mapping I have been doing across my projects and makes me ask the question of is there a point in me doing what I’m doing when it has already been done.

https://www.subjectiveeditions.org/atlases/p/subjective-atlas-of-amsterdam

I know these are both quite standard questions but for the first time i’m approaching them not in a state of panic and desperation and that’s making it almost harder to figure out what my next steps should be. The options are endless! So for the first time in a long time I really need to think in a biiit longer term way, what do I want to be doing? Maybe work as a cook in a cafe? Maybe go back to interactive tech and work at my own pace with it? Maybe learn some new skills? Maybe start a new big community project? Maybe apply for a grant for a research ish project? Maybe just make some money somehow?Who knows? 

I’m feeling optimistic, intimidated, but also confident that it’ll be something cool, just don’t know what it is yet. 

How have you been? How do you engage with these questions? What are you most looking forward to? 

Sending love to all!!

[wandaspetal]

y’all I swear I haven’t forgotten about this account, this new semester has just had me in a choke hold…so I’m writing a college AU to cope

[study-sleep-tea-repeat]

My Fall 2021 Notion Setup

This is currently the main pages that I have in my Notion at the moment, it will likely change as I continue to tweak things but this is what I have so far! I've been using Notion for quite a while now, maybe around 2 years at this point and so I think I've figured out a system that works well for me. I recently updated it though to give it more of a theme and so far I am absolutely in love with it. Let's jump into it!

The Meadow

First up is my homepage which I call The Meadow! I have pictures that I love as headers for all my most-used pages, such as this beautiful field that helps me feel at peace. My main task tracker is called my "master get-to-do list" and I've been using this system for a long time and it works well for me. Basically, I put in all my assignments and tasks for the quarter into this table at the beginning of the quarter when we get our syllabi and then schedule tasks for when I'll want to do them (adjusting the details and dates of them as the quarter goes by). Then, on my homepage I'll filter the tasks so only the ones set for that day show up, giving me an easy view of what I need to do that day. If y'all want more info about how I make it and how it works then definitely let me know and I can make a post about it!

The Library

Next up is The Library, which is my academic hub. I keep all my class pages in here as well as info for my extracurriculars. I also have some of my favorite study playlists embedded, plus a calendar view of my master get-to-do list mentioned previously. I like visualizing it in multiple ways, and this view is a bit better for planning things out longer-term in my opinion!

The Cottage

Then I have The Cottage, which is sort of a personal page that has all my mental and physical health pages within it. It's a bit random but it makes sense to me which is what matters!

The Art Shed

This page is where I keep all of my hobby information, such as tracking books I've read, keeping lists of recommendations, brainstorming social media post ideas, and keeping pages about whatever art projects I'm working on at the moment. I also have this book tracker that's linked to the one on my homepage to keep me reminded that I want to make an effort to read more frequently outside of school. I also track my books on GoodReads, so follow me on there if you're interested!

The Vault

As for the last page I'll be showing you today, this is where I keep all my important information, such as school admin info, expense tracker, etc. I also share a cleaning list with my roommates (similar format to my master get-to-do list previously mentioned) that I keep in here as well.

—

I'm a big fan of using Notion and I love how you can make systems and pages that work for you and your lifestyle. I highly recommend it (not sponsored haha) especially to students since you can sign up for free using a school email address. Let me know if you want me to go more in-depth about any of the pages mentioned today, I'd be happy to make follow-up posts!

—

Currently listening to: Honeybee by The Head And The Heart

Currently reading: Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hello, a bit of a different ask but I'm struggling with my organisation. I have lots of scenes/one-shot/prompt ideas hanging around everywhere (notebooks, phone, pc). Do you have any tips or organisation methods? I know people use Scrivener, but I can't pay for the subscription. I've tried Notion, but I heard it isn't private? It doesn't even have to be a digital program, honestly. I'm at a loss, any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Organizing Story Ideas

Here are my tips for how to organize ideas for different stories...

Choose Your Storage Method

There are lots of different ways you can store ideas, but it may take trying a few before you find one that really works for you. Ultimately, you're looking for something that will let you place the ideas into different categories and potentially sub-categories. Here are some suggestions:

Writing Programs/Apps - There are several beloved writing programs and apps that offer the ability to categorize ideas. Scrivener is certainly one of them, and for the record, it's not subscription-based. As of 8/21 it's a one-time fee of $49. Minor updates are free, but very occasionally there will be a major update that requires a small upgrade fee. Pros: It's easy to type ideas and move things around. Cons: You could lose your ideas if you don't back them up.

Computer File Folders - This is the main method I personally use. In my writing folder on my laptop, I have a folder labeled "plot bunnies" that contains sub-folders for different kinds of ideas. Here's what it looks like:

I don't have sub-folders for sub-categories, but you certainly could if you wanted to. I put each idea into its own notepad file, then save it into the appropriate folder. Pros: It's easy and super organized. I know exactly where to find a certain idea when I need it. Plus, it's easy to add new ideas when I have them. Also, when I'm struggling with an WIP, it's easy to look through other ideas to see if I can incorporate them into the WIP. Cons: You could lose all your ideas if something happens to your laptop, so it's a good idea to have them backed up and make sure you update back ups often.

Notebooks - This is the method I used to use, and TBH it would be a good back up for either of the above methods. I also keep a notebook by my bed for writing down dreams and middle-of-the-night ideas, and I try to transfer them into the appropriate plot bunnies folder every now and then. Look for a multi-subject notebook. If you need sub-categories, you can buy stick-on file tabs to sub-divide. With this method, it's best to let every idea have its own page or half-page. You might also look for one that has built-in pockets where you can quickly store ideas written on post-its, scrap paper, etc. Just make sure to transfer them to their own sections eventually! Pros: Notebooks are inexpensive, easy to store, and easy to grab when you're writing. Cons: If you lose it, you lose your ideas, so this method warrants a back-up method as well.

Three-Ring Binder - This is a variation on the notebook method but one that works especially well if you need a lot of categories and sub-categories. Not only can you use tabbed dividers to create sections, you can use stick-on tabs to create sub-categories as needed. You can also add folders and pockets, or anything else you need. Pros: Binders are relatively inexpensive and come in a variety of sizes. You can fill them with whatever kind of paper works best for noting your ideas. Cons: They're more expensive than notebooks, not as easy to store, and generally work best if you have a lot of empty space on a table or desk so you can work in them. Once again, a backup method is recommended.

Index Cards/Organizer - This method would be especially good if you have a ton of ideas, need a ton of categories, and need lots of sub-categories. Ideally, each idea would go on its own card. Pros: there are a variety of index card storage methods available. You can color code different categories. You can use tabbed index card dividers for categories or make your own using stick-on tabs. Cons: Ideas take longer to find in categories with lots of cards. You need to purchase cards and container. Also need a backup method.

Kanban Board/Binder - Kanban boards are dry erase boards (or bulletin boards) that are divided into sections, each one being its own category. Tasks (or in this case, ideas) are written down on an index card or post-it note, and stuck to (or tacked to) the board in its proper category. You can also use punched, laminated cardstock to create a Kanban Binder. Here's the one I use for writing tasks. I did mine using an old Happy Planner using old Happy Planner covers (since they're already laminated,) but you could also use a three-ring binder.

Looking at the image in the bottom right, each category consists of two laminated pages facing each other. So, this could be "novel ideas" and the columns (sub-categories) are genres like mystery, romance, fantasy, etc. Or, the category could be "fantasy" and the columns could be poems, short stories, novellas, and novels. Whatever works for you! You can Google Kanban boards to see what the board version looks like. Pros: Quick reference, easy to add ideas and remove them when they've been done. Also, it's a versatile/flexible method. Cons: You may need to buy a board or binder and post-it notes/index cards. Also needs a backup method.

Figure Out Your Categories/Sub-Categories

Once you have your method chosen and set up, you'll need to think about how you want to categorize everything and what categories/sub-categories you need. You may even want to do this before you settle on a method. Genres and sub-genres would be one method, writing formats (poetry, fan-fiction, short story, etc.) is another option. You might even choose to categorize by publishing method/intention or how much you like the ideas.

Gather, Sort, and Re-Home

Now it's time to grab your phone, notebooks, and laptop/desktop, gather up all those disparate ideas, sort them into their categories and sub-categories, and put them into their new home!

Choose a Backup Method

Whether you designate a thumb drive and back up your laptop plot bunny folder every week, buy a spiral notebook to jot down new ideas before they go into the primary storage, or take occasional photos of your Kanban board/binder, you definitely want to make sure you have your backup method chosen and use it often. That way, if something happens to the main method, you don't lose all those ideas.

Keep an eye on the comments in case there are more ideas!

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[superlinguo]

Linguistics Jobs: Interview with a Technical Writer

One thing I love about the Linguistics Jobs interview series is that each interview has relevant information about a specific job, but also lots of wonderful general advice about looking for work. Today, I really appreciate Alex Katz’s insight into the importance of building up a portfolio of work that you can share with potential future employers. Trying your hand at technical writing, or audio production or any other job you think you might be interested in, is a great way to see if it suits, and have something to show potential future employers. You can follow Alex on Twitter (@WizardOfDocs) and they’re also on Mastodon (WizardOfDocs@wandering.shop).

What did you study at university?

For my bachelor's I did a double linguistics and Chinese literature major, and an honors thesis about how characters in old Doctor Who stories address each other. Then I did a Master of Arts degree in linguistics, focusing on pragmatics, and my thesis took John Searle's speech act theory and Brown & Levinson's politeness theory and combined them into a new set of speech act categories. The idea for my master's thesis came from reading Searle's original paper in my discourse analysis class and thinking "I can do this better." So I wrote a paper about it for the class, and that turned into the first draft of my thesis. So don't prevent yourself from doing something if the only reason you want to do it is to do it better than someone else. It gets results.

What is your job?

I'm a contract technical writer for a shopping website. My day-to-day work is improving the documentation of how to use/add to the code that keeps the website running: I'm editing the existing documentation one page at a time, but I'm also taking edit requests and proposals for new pages, and even planning a major restructuring of my team's internal website to make sure our customers can learn what to do better.

How does your linguistics training help you in your job?

Studying linguistics, and especially pragmatics, has made me a better writer and a better editor. I can figure out why a particular phrasing or formatting decision is better or worse in context, and explain it to my teammates. That skill isn't just useful for the actual documentation--understanding pragmatics also helps me write emails and Slack messages to make sure members of my team are talking to each other and can give me the information I need.

Do you have any advice you wish someone had given to you about linguistics/careers/university?

If you want to get into technical writing, start building up your portfolio as soon as possible, especially in your chosen subject area. Ask your professors if they have syllabi or lab procedures that need updating. Start a blog. Document open-source projects. I didn't realize I wanted to be a technical writer until a couple of years after I graduated, and now all my best work is proprietary and I can't work on open source projects without jumping through lots of hoops. So I'm feeling kind of stuck. If I'd realized sooner that I could just (for example) send the developer of a Minecraft mod a pull request to improve their in-game tutorial book, my portfolio would look a lot better.

Also, expect to spend at least a few years as a contractor before any company decides you're worth hiring for real. That means a lot of short-term jobs, and probably some bad employers at the staffing agencies. But it's a good way to figure out what kind of company you really want to work for, and a great way to build up your resume--even if I don't get to go full-time at this job, I can now say I've worked at three different big tech companies.

Any other thoughts or comments?

It's not exaggerating to say studying linguistics has made me a better person. I was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder in college, just as I was starting to study linguistics, and those things together gave me a wonderful opportunity to study how people talk to each other and learn how to present myself as someone people want to spend time with.

Related interviews:

Interview with a Standards Engineer

Interview with a Product Manager

Interview with an Editor and Copywriter

Recent interview:

Interview with a Stay-at-home Mom and Twitch Streamer

Interview with a Peer Review Program Manager

Interview with an Associate at the Children’s Center for Communication, Beverly School for the Deaf

Interview with a Metadata Specialist and Genealogist

Interview with a Developer Advocate

Check out the full Linguist Jobs Interview List and the Linguist Jobs tag for even more interviews 

[niseamstories]

I took historical sword-fighting lessons to make the fights in my novel more realistic - here’s what I learned.

Edit: Whew, this blew up! Stoked so many of you find this useful. :) Leave me a follow if you like, I’ll try to make more research posts like this (next one will probably be about my meeting with a linguist for a fictional language).

To make the fighting scenes in my low fantasy novel more realistic, I went to see a trainer for historical sword-fighting last week, both to barrage her with questions and to develop realistic choreographies for the fight scenes in the novel. Since I figured some of what she told me might be useful for you too, I put together a small list for you. Big thanks to Gladiatores Munich and Jeanne for making time! (Here are some more pictures if you're interested.)

Caveat: I’m by no means a sword-fighting expert myself, so take these nuggets with a grain of salt – I might have misremembered or misinterpreted some of the things Jeanne told me. If I did, feel free to tell me.

1.) Weapon choices need to make sense

Let’s start with a truism: always ensure your character’s weapons make sense for a.) their profession, b.) their cultural background and c.) the environment they’re going to fight in. A farmer probably couldn’t afford a sword and might use a knife or threshing flail instead, and someone who doesn’t want to be noticed probably wouldn’t be milling about sporting a glaive or another large weapon. Also, soldiers native to a country with wide open plains would be more likely to carry long-range melee weapons such as spears or large swords, than those from a country consisting of mostly jungle or dense forests. The same applies to situations: if your character is going to be fighting in close quarters (even just a normal house), he’d get little value out of a spear or even a longsword, as there’d be no space to swing it effectively.

2.) Boldness often beats skill

In real swordfights, recklessness was often more important than technique. The fighter less afraid of getting injured would often push harder, allowing them to overpower even opponents with better technique.

3.) Even a skilled fighter rarely stands a chance when outnumbered

While a skilled (or lucky) fighter might win a two-versus-one, it’d be extremely unlikely for even a single master swordsman to win against superior numbers, even just three and if they’re below his skill level. The only way to plausibly pull this off would be to split the opponents up, perhaps by luring them into a confined space where you could take them on one by one. The moment you’re surrounded, you’re probably done for – because, unlike in Hollywood, they wouldn’t take turns attacking but come at you all at once.

4.) Dual-wielding was a thing

... at least in some cultures. I often heard people say that people using a weapon in each hand is an invention of fiction. And while my instructor confirmed that she knew of no European schools doing this—if they did, it’s not well-documented—she said it was a thing in other cultures. Example of this include the dual wakizashi in Japan or tomahawk and knife in North America. However, one of the biggest problems with the depiction of dual wielding in novels/movies/games are the “windmill”-type attacks where the fighter swings their weapons independently, hitting in succession rather than simultaneously. Normally you’d always try hitting with both weapons at once, as you’d otherwise lose your advantage.

5.) Longswords were amazing

Longswords might seem boring in comparison to other weapons, but they were incredibly effective, especially in combat situations outside the battlefield. The crossguard allowed for effective blocking of almost any kind of attack (well, maybe not an overhead strike of a Mordaxt, but still), the pommel was also used as a powerful “blunt” weapon of its own that could crack skulls. Though they were somewhat less effective against armored opponents, the long, two-handed hilt allowed for precise thrusts at uncovered body parts that made up for it.

6.)  “Zweihänder” were only used for very specific combat situations

Zweihänder—massive two-handed swords—were only used for specific purposes and usually not in one-on-one combat as is often seen in movies or games. One of these purposes was using their reach to break up enemy formations. In fact, one type of two-handed sword even owed its name to that purpose: Gassenhauer (German, Gasse = alley, Hauer = striker)—the fighters literally used it to strike “alleys” into an enemy formation with wide, powerful swings.

7.) It’s all about distance

While I was subconsciously aware of this, it might be helpful to remember that distance was an incredibly important element in fights. The moment your opponent got past your weapons ideal range, it was common to either switch to a different weapon or just drop your weapon and resort to punching/choking. A good example of this are spears or polearms—very powerful as long as you maintain a certain range between you and your opponent, but the moment they get too close, your weapon is practically useless. That’s also why combatants almost always brought a second weapon into battle to fall back one.

8.) Real fights rarely lasted over a minute

Another truism, but still useful to remember: real fights didn’t last long. Usually, they were over within less than a minute, sometimes only seconds – the moment your opponent landed a hit (or your weapon broke or you were disarmed), you were done for. This is especially true for combatants wearing no or only light armor.

9.) Stop the pirouettes

Unfortunately, the spinning around and pirouetting that makes many fight scenes so enjoyable to watch (or read) is completely asinine. Unless it's a showfight, fighters would never expose their backs to their opponent or even turn their weapon away from them.

10.)  It still looks amazing

If your concern is that making your fight scenes realistic will make them less aesthetic, don’t worry. Apart from the fact that the blocks, swings and thrusts still look impressive when executed correctly, I personally felt that my fights get a lot more gripping and visceral if I respect the rules. To a certain extent, unrealistic and flashy combat is plot armor. If your characters can spin and somersault to their heart’s content and no one ever shoves a spear into their backs as they would have in real life, who survives and who doesn’t noticeably becomes arbitrary. If, on the other hand, even one slip-up can result in a combatant’s death, the stakes become palpable.

That’s about it! I hope this post is as helpful to some of you as the lessons were to me. Again, if anything I wrote here is bollocks, it’s probably my fault and not Jeanne’s.  I'll try to post more stuff like this in the future.

Cheers,

Nicolas

[empower-bi-women]

Hi! In case you write for Tim Drake, I’d love if you could write a smut in which Tim and the reader have known each other for long and the sexual tension is obvious but none of them ever acted upon it until now. Thank you very much.

That pesky sexual tension 

Summery: Hi! In case you write for Tim Drake, I’d love if you could write a smut in which Tim and the reader have known each other for long and the sexual tension is obvious but none of them ever acted upon it until now. Thank you very much.

Warnings: SMUT so if you’re not 18 begone thot, spanking, teasing, dirty talk, cheesy writing? 

A/N: I tried to be a little more cute with this one so let me know what you think. And to the anon who requested this I’m sorry it took so long I hope you like it! Also this is my first ask!! So sorry if the format is a little strange I’m still trying to figure it out.

Word count: 3041 

“Timothy Drake, I swear to god give me back my book!” you chased him into the kitchen where he ran to the other side of the counter. 

“Why don't you come over here and make me.” He replied with a teasing smile on his face. You lunged forward across the cold counter top to reach for your book. He laughed at your struggle “Come on Y/N you know you never won a fight against me without someone helping you.” 

Shit he had a point you thought, everyone else was out at the store. You gave up, sitting on the counter with you back to him and pouted. Arms crossed looking towards the open door. Laughing he walked over to face you. 

“Aw come on I was just teasing.” he put his arms down on either side of you, trapping you in but you refused to look at him. “Come on look at me,” he leaned down to try and catch your gaze but you just moved your head. “Y/N?” he looked at you with wide eyes before they narrowed, “Y/N look at me.” His voice dropped into that commanding tone he used on patrol. You couldn’t help but look up to meet those blue eyes that bore into yours. The silence in the room was deafening. He leaned in closer and closer until your breath was his. Noses almost brushing. Lips almost touching. He glanced down at your lips. 

The kitchen door burst open causing the two of you to jump apart as the rest of the boys walked in carrying grocery bags, chatting loudly. Dick and Jason froze in the doorway causing Damian to bump into them from behind. 

“Now what do we have here?” Jason asked in a teasing voice. 

“Nothing. Did you get my coffee?” Tim said, his voice back to normal. 

“Did you put it on the list?” Dick asked, shooting you a strange look as you hopped off the counter, “what were you guys doing in here anyway?” 

“Tim took my book right out of my hands so I had to get it back.” You replied.

“Damn I thought you were finally resolving that pesky sexual tension.” Jason said through a mouth full of marshmallows. 

“Jason!” You, Tim, and Dick all yelled out.

“What! This has been going on for way too long. We were all thinking it” He tried to defend himself. 

“We most certainly were not Master Jason,” Alfred came to save the day, “and please refrain from eating all the food before it's even put away.”

He grumbled before putting the bag away. You snached your book away from Tim before walking into the living room to finish reading. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Come on please Y/N just look it up! It won’t even take five minutes.” Tim pleaded with you, hiding a smile on his face.

“I thought you were the computer wiz, do it yourself.” You replied, not looking at him. He grabbed the back of your chair and spun you to face him. Kneeling down he looked in your eyes. “Please?” his voice was barely above a whisper as he leaned in closer, “for me?” 

Your cheeks heated up. “I’m busy right now, go ask someone else.”

“Ok can you just check this one thing please?” 

“Out!” You spun your chair away from him but he still leaned down and pressed a kiss to your head before walking away.  You shook your head trying to clear the thoughts running through your head of the way his forearms flexed as he gripped the chair arms. The way his bright blue eyes looked like they wanted to devour you whole. Ugh this man is going to kill me you thought. 

--------------------------------------------------------

That night you were working comms with Barbara in the cave. Things were going smoothly until Tim called in.

 “Hey Oracle, hey angel, can you guys find out who that guy over there is and what he's doing please and thank you.” Your eyes went wide at the nickname he gave you. You could see Barbara looking at you out of the corner of your eye and heard Jason and Dick laughing though the comms. You ignored them as your fingers flew across the keyboard as facial rec worked its magic. 

“His name is Jimmy Figgis. He’s fresh out of bellrev, he was in for drug dealing and black mail.” You said into the comms.

“Well it would be a shame if he got caught red handed doing a deal. He would go back to jail.” Barbara chimed in. 

“Looks like we got a stake out boys.” Dick said.

“It's ok guys, I can stay for the drop.” Tim said, his voice low as he settled in for the night, “I'll have Y/N to keep me company, right angel?”  

“I mean it's not like I have a choice do I.” 

Not even half an hour later Tim started to get bored. And his target was you. Barbara had to leave to take care of some other stuff so you were alone. Tim decided it would be a good idea to switch frequencies and mess with you. 

“Hey Y/N, have you ever thought about us while touching yourself?” 

You spat out your coffee. “What the fuck Timothy!” You heard his laughter on the other side of the line. 

“Well I'm just asking because I know for a fact that Dick thinks of Babs and Jason thinks of Diana sometimes but he would never admit it. And I got curious. Who do you think of?” 

You could practically hear the smile in his voice. “Wouldn't you like to know. You really should focus on the stake out instead of my masturbation habits.” 

“Aw angel I can almost see you blushing from here. You look adorable.” 

“Shut up Tim.”

“Have I ever told you how much I love hearing you say my name? It sounds so sweet I can almost imagine what you would sound like screaming it underneath me.”

You froze. You and Tim had always had a flirtatious relationship but this was a new level entirely. This was dangerous territory. “Don't start things you can't finish Timothy.” Your voice was low. 

“Oh believe me angel I always finish. And I make sure my partner does too.” 

You threw your head back in frustration. “Focus on the stake out and we can continue this later.”

“Is that a promise?”

Before you could reply Bruce’s voice crackled through the comms “Red Robin we’re coming to you.” 

-------------------------------------------------------------

A few arrests and fight later the bats rolled into the cave. Alfred was on standby with the medical kit but there was no need. You shifted uncomfortably as Tim’s eyes raked over your body, pausing on your legs that were squeezed together, trying and failing to give you relief from the ache in your pussy. He smirked at the site of you waiting for him, all needy. 

“Good job tonight guys. Shower and get some sleep,” Bruce said, taking his cowl off, “I’m looking at you Tim.”

Tim just smiled. You both knew there would be no sleeping tonight. Tim walked over to you, his cowl was off and his dark hair was messy. Fuck he looked good you thought to yourself. The look on his face was calm but you could see something in his eyes. All the years you've known him, you had never seen this look in his eyes. It was dark and lit a fire inside you. 

“Do you still want to do this? Because once we start, I'm not stopping.” his blue eyes stared into yours.

“I believe I have a promise to fulfill.”

He gave you a wicked smile. “I want you upstairs in my room, ten minutes. And no touching yourself.” He tapped your thighs that were pressed together before walking away.

-------------------------------------------------------

Your head was a mess by the time you headed up to Tim’s room. You had bid goodnight to the rest of the boys when your phone chimed. Tim had sent you a picture from the shower. Towel low on his hips showing off his v line, water droplets glistening off his abs, and the way his hand gripped his phone showed off all the muscles and veins in his arms. The wetness between your legs grew with every step towards his room. You knocked on his door, the loud sound of your knuckles against the wood echoed throughout the hallway. 

“Come in.” His voice was muffled by the door. You walked in to find him sitting on a chair across from the bed in nothing but a pair of grey sweatpants. “Lock the door.” His voice was low and commanding, not unlike that day in the kitchen. That same electric energy that you felt then was in the room, now magnified by 100. 

“I'm going to ask you one more time, are you sure you want this?” 

“Yes Tim I’m sure.” 

“Good girl,” the praise sent shivers down your spine, “Take off your clothes and lay down on the bed.” Your heart was beating out of your chest as you slowly took your shirt off. “I don't recommend teasing me angel, it won't work out well for you.” You just smiled as you turned around, taking your pants off while wiggling your ass tauntingly. You didn’t even hear him move before you felt a sharp pain across your backside. You moaned at the contact. 

“Aw does my little angel like pain?” he questioned mockingly before coming down on you again, “I asked you a question Y/N, I expect and answer.” 

“Yes sir.” You heard him laugh behind you. He wrapped his hand in your hair and pulled you up against his warm chest. “Well isn't that a nice surprise. I always knew you had a thing for authority.” His voice was low in your ear. Your head went back to rest on his shoulder as he kissed his way down your neck, sucking and biting the skin there. His movements against your body are slow and calculating. Tim always seemed gentle and calm but the truth is that no one knows how he respresed his emotions, and his needs. But tonight he was going to take whatever he wanted. And you would let him. 

“What do you have to say for yourself?” His hands caressed your skin.

“I’m sorry sir.”

“Sorry for what?”

You took a shallow breath. He was really going to make you work tonight. “For teasing you.” 

He turned you around to face him. “Such a good girl for me, aren’t you?” He said softly, brushing your hair out of your face, before kissing your lips gently. Looking into his eyes you could never tell what he was thinking. His face was calm and passive. That is until he let go. And you would do whatever it takes to see him lose control. Even if that meant misbehaving. 

“Get on the bed for me angel.” he kissed your forehead before turning his back on you but you didn’t move. He grabbed a red tie from his desk and turned around, his eyes widening at the sight of you still standing there. “Did you not hear me?” He raised his eyebrows at you, “I said, get on the bed. Now.” 

You could see the annoyance in his eyes. He was starting to slip, you wouldn’t stop now. 

“Make me.” 

Those two words lit a fire in him. He picked you up easily and threw you onto the bed with such force that you bounced. “I told you not to tease me angel.” He growled as he crawled towards you on the bed. He grabbed your ankle and pulled you towards him so he was hovering over you, arm placed next to your head. His hot breath hit your face. “You were being so good angel, what happened? Why are you being a brat now.” 

You whimpered at his words. His hand slipped down to your panties and rubbed a finger up and down your slit ever so lightly. 

“Tim please.” You begged him. A sharp smack to your thigh brought you out of your daze. 

“I'm sorry, what was that?” his voice has a dangerous edge to it. His eyes were wild, “that not what you're calling me tonight, is it.” 

“Sir, please! Please touch me, I need it.” You pleaded with him. He rolled his hips into yours, putting pressure where you needed him most. 

“Will you listen to me now?” 

“Yes anything you say.” You replied, needing to feel him closer. 

He moved in to kiss you, stopping just before your lips touched. You moved up trying to close the distance but his hand was quick around your throat, forcing you back down. “I'm going to eat this pretty little pussy,” he murmured, “I want you to stay still and you must ask for permission before you cum. Understood?” 

You nodded, desperate for anything he would give you. He removed his hand from your neck and kissed his way down your body to your soaked panties. His rough hands spread your thighs open, leaving a wet kiss on both before pressing a kiss to your clothed clit. You shifted your hips up, trying desperately to get more stimulation. His arm trapped your hips down. 

“Now angel, what did I tell you about moving?” He moved away from where you needed him most. 

“I’m sorry sir, please I need you.” You looked at him with desperate eyes. 

“All these years I’ve known you, you've always been a tease to me. Whether you knew it or not. I've been waiting for so long for this, I’m going to take my sweet time,” he growled, “you can lay there and shut up, it's my turn to tease you now Y/N.” 

He dove back in and licked a long stripe over your panties. Heat washed over your body as you felt your pussy gush at his actions. He slowly pulled them off your body leaving kisses down your legs. Leaving hickeys on your inner thighs. He ran his tongue over the dark red marks he left behind. Throwing your panties somewhere in his room, he came back to your throbbing core. Running a finger through your wetness he cooed at you. “Oh angel you're just soaking wet for me aren't you? I can't wait to taste this sweet little cunt.” 

He licked up your slit, collecting your juices. He moaned at the taste. His tongue flicked against your clit ever so lightly, giving you some stimulation but not enough. One hand snaked up in between your thighs to play with your cunt. 

You threw your head back at the sensation of his tongue and fingers working their magic on your body. His lips wrapped around your clit and sucked. You gasped at the sensation, shivers running down your spine. His finger teased your entrance. 

“You’re fucking drenching me sweetheart. You taste so good when you're like this for me.”

“Please sir I need you.”

“Where do you need me angel?” his finger slid all the way in, “right here?” 

Your eyes rolled back as he finally gave you what you wanted. His finger rubbed against your g spot immediately, making soft moans escape your mouth. “Does that feel good?” 

“Yes” You whimpered. He smacked your thigh. “What was that?” He said roughly, looking up to meet your eyes. 

“I’m sorry, yes it feels good sir.” 

Satisfied with your answer he slowly pumped his finger in and out of you, rubbing your clit in tight circles with his thumb. Before long you were thrashing on the sheets, hands gripping the pillow above your head. Your stomach fluttering as you neared your climax. 

“Are you a good girl?” Tim questioned.

“Yes sir.” you cried out, “please let me cum, please sir.” Your voice was shaking as you tried to control yourself. Out of nowhere he pulled away, licking his fingers as he watched you kick your legs in frustration. 

“What the FUCK Timothy!” You shouted as he got off the bed and walked to his desk. Laughing to himself he reached into a drawer and pulled out a condom. 

“Gotta be safe right?” He said with a smirk on his face.

You sighed. “I thought you were just going to leave me there.”

“That's only if you’re a bad girl but you've been good for me so far, so good that I’ll give you what you want.” He said sliding into you. He leaned down and kissed your forehead as you both caught your breath. Once you adjusted to him you tapped his shoulder to move. 

“You feel so good wrapped around me angel.” Tim whispered softly in your ear, as he thrust his hips into yours. Finally getting what you needed. You wrapped your legs around him pulling him as close as you could. Your lips met in a heated kiss as the knot in your stomach grew impossibly tighter. His hips snapped into yours at a steady rhythm. Your legs trembled as your orgasm approached at a blinding speed.  

Your hips moved to meet his every thrust.  

“Tim I’m gonna cum.” You said breathlessly 

“Just wait angel one more minute.” The pleasure almost overwhelmed you but the need to be good for him won out. “I want you to cum with me in 3,” your nails clawed down his back, “2,” your eyes fluttered shut, “1.” He growled in your ear. 

Your stomach contracted as your body shook with pleasure. His hips stuttered to a stop but his hand kept rubbing you, prolonging your orgasm as long as he could. 

You finally pushed his hand away, the feeling getting to be too much. You both lay there next to each other, catching your breath. 

“So does this mean we’re together?” You asked, your voice small. 

He rolled over to look at you, a big smile on his face. “Definitely.” 

[captainkurosolaire]

~ Mass Update ~

Mainly going into future plans and intents alongside ideas below cut.

Ton's of things I've in store this will prove difficult to vent it all out. But here we go... First off rehashing and appropriately learning to tag and organize things better on my blog. Each category will have their own corresponding content, I seek to bring or share. [Tales of Goldbrand] -- I intend this to carry a Compendium of all my writes soon that'll have everything neatly in-order including a glossary, so it'll have highlights of stories that even matter or the best stuff. I've written here for a very, long time, there's been many shifts. I want to make it more accessible. While coloring what matters for people who want to learn Captain or his Crew with less chapters. While also giving choice to find it all easily. This is essentially a step-above master-lists. I'll be doing that after the Saga I have going on, right now is done. [Captain] -- Will provide you strictly with Captain screenshots, gifs, photo-sets. This is still his blog despite the Crew thing's will sort of make this a scuffed Multi-Muse blog. I've few more things to edit and tag fix to get all his stuff though. [The Wild Crew] -- Afterwards this story is done Immortal Age Saga, It's something that I mainly wrote as a passion project within three days to get my warm-up process fixed. It's to allow me to get a feel for all his Crewmates and casts, in combat, in-general, to feel their presences. While also giving a bit of their backstories. At any point, I can go back and polish or tweak things in. They're NPC's but... not entirely. All will have their own 'Dreams' and their own 'Disapproval's' they have their own missions even. These things will factor eventually, they might set seeds, to betray or disagree with something, but that's all angst and more stories to be created, but overall, they'll probably always be Crew, eventually. -- I plan on making character-profile sheets of them and putting them in this Tab, it'll have their screenshots, their likes/dislikes. Some RP partners or people can also be shipped with them, but they'll all be monogamous and originally start off probably Pan. This allows them to figure out what they like on their own stories. I've always been someone who likes organic-flow. Although this one story contain all 16 characters or more, the rest will probably be shortened to a Squad of 4 and dispersed when on adventuring missions. Until I do a War Arc, that's my main goal to build too. [Roster] -- Will contain this Crew in just screen-sets dedicated to them, I'll probably randomly produce those. I've PC players among this Crew too. I may not be done either adding more, but this Crew is mainly built around Quality. Most pirate crew's mainly, have hundreds, thousands. Even Fleets. This Crew has personalities, monsters, people who are living life's that exist with piracy. He's an particular leader that had PC players the same way, he's had split-personality serial killers aboard, tribal chieftains, succubus, all sorts of various people once on a Crew. It's often an outcast style, pirates default are chaotic in nature, so this really isn't any different, it's a Fantasy version of it. There's humanization characters aboard too though, so this cast is really decked, everything and person is vital, they matter because they remind or covet something that others can draw upon. If ever played (Three Houses or Mass Effect / Dragon Age Origins) A lot of things like that are relatable too this structure and format. Which, Is something I want to be able to give when RPing. I want a genuine feel of this new world someone else's muse will be the main-character too. Depending on what's interacting everything they'll be scale appropriately to follow the genre they're in and environment even. [Aesthetics] -- Already explainable what you'll find here. [Asks] -- Same thing. [Prompts] -- Trivial things I was tagged too, I plan on compiling later. [Writing] -- Another alternatively to randomly go-down and it works right now. [Logs] -- Will have more individualistic master-lists and posts there, my poems from Sheik Sphere the Bard, etc.

Things of that nature, I'll probably add still. It's where a lot of my creative writing is summed. [Gems of Hydaelyn] -- My main #tag for other characters and artists, creationist. Lot of amazing people easily to find their zones or follow them optionally if you like. Ton's I intend to support and bolster, be a lot less unspoken. I'm never the type who's been strictly inclusive. But I'll do that when I've time to even explore the dash, I'm always still planning ahead with things and projects. [CKS] My original character-sheet it's outdated on something's but not too terrible. I'll give him polishing someday, I swear? [21+F-List] -- Just purely degenerate stuff of Captain. I'm a pirate blog. I will represent that with openness and furthermore. I'm never projecting you some false-image. I started off a smut-writer by stripping that, I no-longer represent the same aura and identity. But those are strictly his stuff and kinks, I'm effective in executing them but they're not all relatable to me OOC. This blog will always be 18+ containing crude or dark material sometimes, romantic things, this Captain is blunt, will literally put his cock on the table in conversations. Swearing and being censored would be too uncommon and displace most of him, but there's more about him then all this. [Other] -- I pay homage to a lot of characters, I originally am a Concept Designer. Which mean's I make characters and ideas like my addiction. Bad characters / villains or other little things I like to share in designs, I'll put there. Some villains might get little photo-sets, even if they died. Just cause I like their design, or maybe I'll give them an AU, where they won. When I've wrapped up things. [Collabs + Ships] -- Is a new project idea. This isn't going to be something limited too romantic only ships. It'll contain, platonic, romantic, friendships, rivals, frenemies, family, PC Crew, all ships. I am desperately working on improving my gif, screenshot, posing game so I can supply 'Screen Stories' this is not only a way to RP that's accessible with even people who are upon time-crunches from work, It gives visual-representation. To impactful stories shared with others and establish bonds. That are all-valid and impactful matter. Lot of people take a lot of their characters attributes into them and are them dialed up, I work with that and bit more, differently. I'm disconnected from my characters and they'll get hurt and injured and killed by me, that's my duty as their Author to give them conflicts and struggles. I'm their major antagonist, but that doesn't mean at-all, it's always SET that way. The characters I like to make have their own life, they live in this setting and are abide by it, they're often nothing, nobodies, and by the interacting with others, they slowly gradually building, more... Through emotional impacts, they alter, these are REAL people by all their beliefs. Each person they come in-contact with are legitimate and treated like that too. They've always impacted or given them insights to grow, or represent more. Otherwise it'd be criminally disrespectful if I allowed any emotional I felt OOC be the grudge to something IC. Captain in-particular is set on defying me. I cannot have that. ...But I can't stop him. He's met and encountered so many people and lived so many scenarios based on the actions of others, he's giving a chance right now to actually do things a lot further than impossible. The more people he meets and encounters, experiences, the more I lose. These stories are emotionally interactive where everything is a factor and adds to the dice, where the other people are the one who get to roll the dice for him, not me. That's something I want to color in. People range in emotions, they have their down's, ups, their own wholesome-grounding people, spending time with your favorite people, there's nothing more cherishing than that, being in your own comfort-zone or 'safe-space' these are all treasures that we live under, today. Contrary if what people assume of me, I'm not another 'blogger' that's came

before, who's wanting to force a harem, then constantly is bewildered when that falls to pieces cause of selfishness or a lack of communication, or the skeletons they have in their closets and beliefs they hid behind and swindled fooled everyone. I'm not looking to be popular or anything really, I just create stories and want to share in those, and I want to also boost others included, upward with me, especially those who make me. There's no ego in anything I do, this is purely love. I've never cared about being replicated or duplicated, I've had stalkers, I've gone through more then anyone would imagine, I've been used OOC and abused, just for my writing and cold-harshly told, i'd never amount to anything other then that or vice-versa. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Passion. That's all I got and am anymore. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Passion is the hardest thing to keep. It's something that can be stolen, quite effortlessly. Few words of discouragement, a bad negative representation, a lack of confidence, or small amount of time, there's many thing's that can put that flame out. Once you lose it. The difficulty to reattain is hundred-times harder than climbing any mountain for real. I've watched the greatest creators crumble from under the pressure, from beaten down by others. I watched many of them do it to themselves because they put a grand vision of needing validation of another and once lost, felt uncompelling to press onward. But passion also can be given BACK and drawn. It can be shown and encourage others, with a soft-triggering, that pushes them. That motivates, that constantly sticks to it. There are many that fuel me. If I ever quit, I let them down, I spit in the faces of people who're better than me in every-way. Or people who've came and given me their precious Time. That have given their character's or dedication to the abundant stories and community-driven things I've done. There's ONLY things you can do, create, give and provide. It cannot ever come to life without YOU. This is a fact. ...I swear, If you let your creativity soar, you'll be amazed by the heights you get. Constantly polish and learn and hone the best you, challenge yourself day after painstaking day, to draw better improvement on something, no matter how trivial or unfamiliar you are. You'll find a confidence only you can give yourself. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Future Plans --------------------------------------------------------------------- For me, I've got so much more stories to give and also explore, I might be taking up soon some other artists and more skilled people from community and hire them for some of my future writes, to up my game or cause something thing's can't be done in-game cause no background carries it. I also got a lot of-set up things and more angst stuff I want to practice, plus I'm adamantly on that grind to produce screen-sets with the intent's to some sort of improving daily. Additionally more people I'll be reaching out too soon for these collab's ideas and things. I look forward to shaking your hands, giving some hugs, show you my respect and admiration, then creating some enchanting stories and giving plots light. Feel free to reach out to me, I get scattered-brain but I'm working on getting better about it. Eventually will get to you though, my goals, if uninterested just say so when I poke, no bites, unless you kinky. Anyways, cheers hearties.

[qedavathegrey]

Trances Explained

Some of you may have noticed that I recently posted a series of what I'm calling “Trances” -- meditations of sorts or written, experiential journeys. Those familiar with my practice undoubtedly recognized the name RAKALA, but perhaps not those that followed -- such as AAXASA, LUDIŽA (and HEHENA when I finally get around to finishing it). While at the time, I posted them without exposition, I want to use this opportunity to explain the intention behind them, their function and some things you might see from me moving forward.

Foremost, I want to answer the questions “what?” and “why?” What are these Trances? Why this format?

Many who have been following me for a while will be familiar with these figures/forces whom I call the Sisters. I have written about them before and at that time referred to them by title instead of name: the Red Queen (RAKALA), the Earth Mother (AAXASA), the Lady of the Depths (LUDIŽA) and the Queen of Heaven (HEHENA). These titles were given out of necessity and were meant to capture -- at the very least -- a sliver of their essence and character. Some of you will recall early posts regarding them which feature an exploration of their attributes/correspondences as well as a seal for conjuring them. Since then, both my practice and understanding of these figures has evolved away from a ceremonial understanding to a more shamanic one. As such, I have found that instead of relating characteristics in the form of lists, explanations or (unnecessary) symbols, these forces are better captured via an experiential account. This is what Trance means in this context: to relate an experience as best I can through written word or story as shown to me. Of course, there can be no replacement for true experience, but it comes closer than any format I've used thus far. And as one might guess from my numbering them, it is my intention to build upon what is already written in hopes of inspiring others to commune with these figures. To experience for themselves what cannot be written, no matter how masterful the author (and I am most certainly no “masterful” author).

So, what should one take from these Trances? Whatever they want and whatever they need. These Trances are not meant to be authoritative nor are they intended to be encapsulating of the Sisters’ every incarnation/characteristic/etc. These forces are as varied as the states they (distantly) represent and only through working with them can one come to know or understand them even in the most cursory capacity. Hence why you will never see me speaking magisterially on the subject: that is not what I am here to do, only to share my working experience.

It is my sincere hope that these Trances will intrigue and inspire. That they might call to those who desire to explore the unexplored. They are not meant to replace individual experience, but to show the Way to any interested in doing their own exploration.

And concerning that exploration, I hope soon to write something informal for those inexperienced with trancework to begin this journey should they choose. I also intend to complete the #1 series by posting HEHENA Trance #1. More Trances will undoubtedly follow, but -- in writing this -- I have realized that it might benefit those interested parties if I shared more of my own experience working with these forces "in the Universe" as it has been related to me. Not sure how I'll do this just yet, being that historically this has been something of little interest to most. I may create a side-blog or hide these types of posts under Read More's so as not to clutter everyone's feed. If anyone interested has other ideas, let me know! Always down to try something new!

Regardless, those interested can expect more soon!

And to those uninterested, carry on.

[ashekirk]

My story & script development process

Since I've been writing all these fan scripts lately I feel like I should share how I'm doing it this fast, other than sheer ADHD hyperfocus. I've also added an altered version of this to my fan fic home page.

This should fairly easily be adapted for any kind of narrative based story format - prose, comics, video games.

I actually have a Masters degree in Narrative Animation so hopefully my knowledge comes across here.

Obviously your mileage will vary - no two writers have the same process; creativity is nebulous and wonderful. But if you need some assistance in structuring a story, planning and outlining, and making sure things are cohesive, this could help.

Hit the jump to see - it's a pretty short read.

The Process

I don't know how other people write cohesive stories, but here's my process:

Concept Phase

First I have the seed of an idea, whether that be a "what if" concept, a character moment, or, in the case of my first few fan scripts, a convoluted way to fix some problems. This is my concept phase.

Brainstorming Phase

Next I brainstorm  ideas for elements to add to the concept to make for interesting moments and developments.

Bones Phase

Then I make a list of what the current status quo is, and a list of things that need to be the status quo by the end of the story. I then have to set to work linking the former to the latter through various means. I call it the "bones" phase because I'm creating a solid foundation to build around.

If you're writing some kind of series, you may want to also create and refer to a story bible (or series bible) - a document that contains all the rules of your story's world, character profiles, dos and don'ts. This is especially useful if there is more than one writer contributing. (They are also very useful for visual mediums like animation and comics - when you hear someone call an animated character "off-model" it often means they have diverged from the rules normally adhered to via a series bible.) Referring to your series bible during the bones phase and later is good practice to keep your current story in line with the stories that surround it in the series.

Outline Phase

The next phase is the Outline, which for me consists of a long bullet list of each story beat. This is where I really hash out the events of the story and the logical lines from point A to point B. This is where I set the act breaks and figure out the who, what, when where, why and how of each beat.

Scripting Phase

Then finally, the script stage, where I start to really envision how things are playing out like a video in my mind. As I conceptualise it, I write action and dialogue in sequence. By this point, there's very little changes I'll need to make to have a plot that makes sense to me, though when I finish the first pass, I go over it a few times, including having a text-to-speech read it to me, and also saying the lines out loud to make sure there aren't glaring problems, as well as spelling errors and things of that nature.

Hope this info assists others in developing stories! 

Now back to waiting for my AO3 invite....

[jokertrap-ran]

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) Event! 沐野拾趣: Charlie’s BDAY 2021 Event! Pickings in the Wilderness Translation (Chapter 4)

“If you could use more force this time, dear fiancée.”

*Light and Night Master-list | Charlie’s Personal Master-list *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Image used with permission from 蓝咕咕 ☆ *Join my Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *Event story tag will be #For Light and Memories

Following the recommended route as written in the leaflet, we walked out of the market and could already see the faint silhouette of the village in the distance.

Walking closer, we could now see it. There were a pair of small swings hanging side-by-side on the branches of the old tree, swaying gently in the wind amidst the clearing.

MC: So this is the “Century-Old Tree”!

MC: We’ve been walking around for so long. Now, we’ve finally found a great spot to take a little afternoon break!

I happily pointed to the swing, running up in front of Charlie.

MC: Want to go for a round on the swing, Charlie?

Charlie gave an enthusiastic nod. However, the corner of his mouth suddenly twitched downwards in disappointment.

Following his line of sight, I saw two young boys, about the age of three or four, who’d gone right up, hopping onto the swings before us.

Charlie: ……

MC: How about we wait for them? They shouldn’t take too long…

The words had only just left my mouth when the kids from the Farmhouse Tour Group all rushed over.

The small heads swarmed before the swings, fighting over who gets to go on it first and comparing with each other on who could swing the highest. Our turn at the swings suddenly seems much further away than we’d thought…

MC: Wanna play? We have plenty of time to spare!

Charlie: I…

???: What do you mean you want to play on the swing? You're already so old!

I froze in embarrassment, only to realize that it was just a mother speaking to her daughter as they passed by.

A Mother: Look, only three-year-olds play on the swing. Don't you feel embarrassed fighting over the swing with them?

A Mother: Be good. Hurry and go to the tearoom with mommy.

The expression on Charlie's face soured at the mother's words.

By the time the mother pulled her daughter away, Charlie had already been rooted to his spot, seemingly stunned beyond measure. It was almost as if he'd been dealt a big blow to his ego that he'd never experienced before in his entire life.

Charlie: Let's go. It's a kiddie thing. I'm not interested.

Charlie: I’m such a perfect and strong adult. Swings and I don’t gel.

MC: No can’t do!

I crossed my arms together in front of my chest in an “X-Formation”, expressing my express refusal to let things stand.

MC: Don’t let age get the better of you!

MC: You’ll only know the fun of a swing, or the lack of, when you go up and give it a try! It has nothing to do with your age!

He helplessly shook his head again, as if on instinct.

Charlie: I'm not letting age get the better of me. It's the opposite, actually. This is the conclusion I came to after looking at it from a scientific point of view.

Charlie: Swings were made to make up for the shortcomings of people’s lack of power and speed, and also to satisfy the dreams that people have about reaching the skies.

Charlie: Alas, I am not lacking in anything. Hence, there is no need to make up for anything. Therefore, swings are truly something unsuited for one such as I…

MC: Never thought that you'd manage to answer that smoothly.

Charlie: Because perfection is a trait of mine.

Charlie remained bored for a good long time after that as I accompanied him, squatting beneath a tree, until the sound of frolicking children gradually faded away into nothingness.

MC: Do you want to have a go at it now?

Charlie: No.

MC: The kids down there have all left!

MC: Don't worry, I'm going to be there so there's nothing for you to be ashamed about.

Charlie: Really?

He turned back, curiously shooting a glance in the direction of the swings.

The two empty swings swung gently in the wind as if the exuberant laughter from before still hung in the air.

Charlie: If you insist.

❖☆———————————★❖

Charlie sat down next to me on the swing beside me. I didn't wait for him, immediately kicking off from the ground and propelling myself up high in the air.

Without the ground to ground me, I felt like I was a free bird. The gentle freeze whistled past my ears, making me feel exceptionally good.

I looked down to the other swing at the side when I reached the peak height… only to see an aggrieved figure scuffing at the ground in utter boredom.

MC: Why aren't you swinging?

He craned his neck up to look at me, his eyes, hidden under the shadows of the overhanging tree, filled with dejection.

Charlie: My limbs are too long, it's impossible to lift myself off the ground.

I lowered my head to get a closer look, only to find that with no other place to put them, his legs were awkwardly folded beneath the swing.

An idea popped into my head. I secretly crept up behind him… Without any warning, I hurriedly grabbed onto the ropes of the swing and dragged him, swing and all, backwards.

Charlie: Ahh— What are you doing!?

MC: Careful. Hold on tight!

Once the swing reached a certain height, I vehemently pushed forwards, sending him swinging up into the sky.

A low grunt of surprise followed him as he flew up into the air.

Charlie: *sharp inhale*...

The swing swung by me once more, and I could hear a sharp intake of breath.

MC: Man, don't tell me he hasn't even played on a swing before…

Looking at the figure currently suspended in the air, I couldn't help but start wondering just what sort of childhood this oddly mysterious man had.

I came before him as the swing gradually came to a stop.

MC: Did that give you a scare?

I thought that I'd see him in utter disarray, but he was all smiles, his brows raised in sheer delight. He even raided a hand to comb back his windswept hair.

Charlie: Again.

Unfazed, he calmly adjusted his position on the swing, giving me a look that told me to get behind him.

Charlie: If you could use more force this time, dear fiancée.

MC: Did he suddenly find the joy of swinging on a swing?

Partially fuelled with curiosity, I pulled the swing back once more before launching him into the air with a much harder push.

This time, a fairly cheery voice sounded from above.

Just as the swing was approaching its peak height, Charlie suddenly extended his arms out towards the sky, almost as if he wanted to embrace it as he relished in the moment.

Charlie: Ahh… Now, this is what true rural life is like!

MC: ……

It was a long while before the swing came to a standstill once more. Charlie turned towards me, an expectant look written all over his face.

MC: Okay, one more.

Charlie: My dear fiancée, there's no one else in this world who knows me this well, but you.

MC: I don't think anyone will mistake such a straightforward "hint", though…

As his silhouette was highlighted against the bright and clear skies, I couldn’t help but picture a couple of wondrous, yet seemingly unrelated sights...

Like a cub, showing its belly to a stranger, a Rosella fruit being mistaken for a flower bud, and the moist, misty, eyes of Sea Turtles as they come ashore on a moonlit night…

MC: I don't think he's that hard to understand…

Granted, only if he was willing to be understood.

❖☆————— ⊹ For Light & Memories⊹ —————★❖

Previous Part: (Chapter 3) | Next Part: (Chapter 5)

[bansheeoftheforest]

Syndicate + gang leader au where Henry kills his brothers

Jacob x Henry because it’s healthier than Lanyon x Henry

-🦎

OK THIS ONE IM ACTUALLY GOING TO TRY TO STAY ON TOPIC TO AND JUST RAMBLE IDEAS AND HCS INSTEAD OF TRYING TO MAKE A GODDAMN MASTER LIST OF EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN THE AU JFC HOW DOES THAT KEEP HAPPENING SDJFHSJDF

Anyways <3

Gang leader / Syndicate crossover au:

Henry is the youngest of the three brothers, Raphael and Kent are nonidentical twins. Henry is two years younger than them and has always been the baby of the group. Raphael and Kent have always been protective of him and also love to mess with him.

Their parents were abusive, Raphael and Kent decided to take the opportunity to leave Glasgow the first moment they got and they took Henry with them. They moved to London and one of their uncles-- who owned and inherited quite a successful shipping company by the London docks-- gave Kent and Raphael jobs as Henry went to university. The uncle died before Henry graduated, and left the business to Raphael and Kent.

Henry did not talk a lot to his brothers while in University. He tried to reach out to them but suddenly Raphael and Kent were "incredibly busy", Henry assumed they were busy trying to keep the family business going well.

He went to visit them on their dock after he graduated and got his doctorate. He had learned a lot about the London "culture" and gangs from Robert (and Rachel) telling him everything there is about the London underground and the aristocracy. Much to his horror, he arrived at the docks to find his brothers dressed as Templars.

Henry was quickly forced into the Templar order against his will. His brothers gaslight and manipulated him into joining, other members threatened to hurt him or his friends if he didn't join, and it ended up being Henry's biggest regret.

Henry spent about 13 years in the Templar order working in secret for it. He was allowed to do as he pleased as long as he made poisons for them. In the meantime, Henry tried to make up for the guilt he had from the suffering he had caused by helping people on the street. Hungry, dirty, sick people who quickly becoming loyal to the doctor who always feeds them and gives them what they need to survive.

In this part of the au, Henry more directly creates the gang. He realizes that these people are willing to fight for him and they have placed him on a pedestal. He can't get himself down from it so he takes advantage of it. He makes sure that the Society is under constant protection and that the gang brings in money that can be spent on taking care of the members and keep the Society afloat. No Lodger cares enough for the finances to notice the sudden influx of money, and Henry merely tells Rachel and Robert that it’s “sponsors”.

It was only when the Frye Twins entered and began to liberate London that he decided that it was the perfect time to finally break free from the Templar order. He had long since lost any love he still had for his brothers and he would do anything to be free again. He ended up cornering and murdering his brothers in cold blood while his gang distracted the Blighters, and he blamed the murders on the Frye Twins afterwards, the very same Frye Twins that quickly would... Well... Realize that they did not kill these Templars and instead try to track down the murderer that blamed it on them.

In the end, they find their way to Dr. Henry Jekyll's office. Henry had done a good job and working behind the scenes and no one had really suspected him of working for the Templars, so the twins-- while hearing from Greenie that it was rumored that the Jekyll Brothers and Dr. Henry Jekyll were related-- did not know that Henry himself used to be a Templar.

Henry, however, assumed they had broken into his office to kill him. He had already resigned himself to his own death, he was not going to fight it. He had burnt every photograph and document he had that connected him to his brothers and he had merely been waiting for the twins to come and kill him. He was, honest to god, quite disappointed when the Twins seemed confused and instead asked him if he knew anything about the murder of the Jekyll brothers.

"...The murder of my brothers, the Templars? The murder committed by someone close and well trusted by them, the murder that went undetected, and that was later blamed on you? The murder that had slank past the eyes of public after a convenient gang fight right that moment?"

It does not take long for the twins to realize what he is hinting to. His voice his bitter and his body language is cold, yet it doesn't sound like he regrets it.

ahaha anyways i ended up accidentally just retelling the entire thing well time for some actual hcs about this au branch.

Henry gets extreme paranoia after having murdered his brothers. He swears he can still see their faces of terror or hear their screams of pain and agony when he closes his eyes and try to go to sleep. He constantly feels followed by them, but he is too used with Hyde, so he doesn't pay attention to "them". When he doesn’t sleep, they silently follow him with whatever other hallucinations he have at the moment, like Moreau.

He wanted to be the one to murder his brothers himself, he didn't find it dignified to have someone else do the murdering for him. He generally does not want his gang to murder people, only hurt those of necessity, and he still wanted to give his brothers the dignity of not having to be killed by a random gang member.

Something in him kinda... Died that day. His friends, the Lodgers, and his very on gang could all notice how Henry seemed... Colder, more tired, constantly exhausted. He refused to tell anyone why, though, and he still did everything he needed to do so no one could force an explanation out of him. It was not until the newspapers reported on the murder that people realized that he was acting weirdly because his brothers had been murdered. Henry debated snapping his own neck once the Lodgers began to flock to him with words of sympathy, unaware that he was the murderer.

He is extremely benevolent to his gang, something many feared he wouldn’t be at first. He has always been a kind person and that’s why people began to flock to him as it was, but some feared that he would... Ah, turn crueler after a while like most gang leaders. That never happened, though. He saw each and every one of his gang members as his family, and took care of them as such.

He and his gang began teaming up with Lucy many years before either met the twins. It was always fun when Rachel tried to introduce the two of them without telling Henry that Lucy is... Well, Queen Lucy, and it was always fun to act as if they had never met before and as if Henry hadn’t just been invited to dinner the night before. Henry is really good friends with Patrin and Elise.

Henry’s gang wear blue. The Blighters wear red and before the twins and the Rook started, Henry didn’t want his own gang associated or reminding him of Hyde. Blue it was, and it easily made his gang slip into crowds and disguise themselves to be the Scotland Yard.

Neither Brokenshire nor Abberline knew about Henry’s gang until Abberline started working with the twins and until after Henry was “recruited” by them. Depending on if Henry murdered his brothers before or after he joined the twins, Abberline and Brokenshire helped him cover up the murder. 

Ahaha wow Uhm. I keep forgetting how I format and classify these as rambles but anyways time for some Jekyll x Jacob <3 This is just going to be in general btw so <3<3

Henry was incredibly endeared by Jacob from the moment he heard about him. Something about a tall, strong ruffian bringing justice to the streets of London (and fighting Templars) was just incredibly... Ah, attractive in Henry’s eyes. He actually allowed himself to feel that because hell, he works for the Templars and Jacob is supposed to be the enemy, Henry hates the Templars, why not be incredibly gay for the assassin?

Jacob shamelessly flirted with Henry from the first moment the met. Breaking into his office to figure out who murdered his brothers and Jacob could certainly not read the room. Henry was far too gone that he merely huffed and flirted back... Well, until they came to the topic at hand. Even in other branches were Henry was recruited by them to make poisons, or where they met in a gang fight, and Jacob still shamelessly flirts with Henry.

Jacob tries so hard to be romantic. Henry is incredibly amused by it. He will be working in his office late at night and Jacob will pop by his open window to demand attention. He will come back to his office after having ran son errands and there will be bouquets of fresh lavenders, lilacs, and tulips. Jacob will constantly “force” him (or, well, bribe him to leave his work) to go on dates with him, dates that consists of wandering the rooftops of London and watch the stars at night or have a nice dinner together. He loves to spoil Henry rotten <3

Jacob loves cuddles. Henry was not very physically affectionate at first. He was afraid that Jacob would end up doing the same thing Robert did to him and while he couldn’t keep away from him, Jacob made sure to take it slow for him. Their favorite pastime is to cuddle on one of the couches in the train after exhausting missions, and Henry finds that he can’t keep away from Jacob’s touch for too long.

Rachel and Robert began to introduce Henry into the more... Ah, illegal luxuries of the London life. They take him to a fight club and are highly confused when Henry suddenly gets incredibly excited as he watches his boyfriend kick the shit out of people. He completely abandons them and practically fall into Jacob’s (sweaty and slightly bloody) arms the moment the fighting is done. Both he and Hyde love to check out Jacob fighting in fight clubs.

(Jacob post-fight is probably the hottest sight Henry has ever seen and Jacob knows that fully well. Jacob often uses the money he wins from the fights buying gifts for his lil boyfriend <3). 

Another ideal date in the eyes of Jacob is highjacking Henry’s carriage and abducting him. It’s all fun and games until he accidentally does that when Jasper, Rachel, or Robert are in the carriage too. That was not fun for Henry to explain.

After Jacob and Evie have liberated all child factories, Henry makes a spur-of-the-moment decision to adopt Clara (the child who wanted the twins to free the children in the factories). Clara ends up getting raised by two very protective and very lovely-dovely dads. She spends most of her time in the Society (while still helping the kids on the street) but Jacob visits her and Henry a lot.

Look I just want Henry and Jacob to raise a kid that won’t come back and try to murder them later on ok.

Anyways on to some other hcs. Jacob loves to make sexual jokes to Henry. Henry either acts dumb and as if he doesn’t understand them, or he will shot them right back until Jacob is the one blushing (or highly embarrassed).

Jacob loves to break into the Society and follow Henry around but make sure he doesn’t see him. He will be parkour over the ceiling beams and all the Lodgers will notice and get extremely paranoid, trying to get Henry to notice it too because clearly something is up, Henry will completely ignore him most of the time.

Jacob rarely sleeps because his work as an assassin rarely allows him to, but once he and Henry starts dating he always makes sure to visit Henry during the night (or have Henry come to the train) so that they can cuddle and sleep together, knowing Henry won’t sleep by himself.

Henry is always the tiny spoon. Always. Jacob loves to hold him. Henry is always cold and Jacob is always warm so for Henry it’s like being wrapped in a blanket and for Jacob it’s like having an ice cube chilling down his overheated body.

Henry gets overwhelmed quite easily, both in general and with their actual relationship. As dramatic and clingy Jacob can be at times, he always gives Henry the space he needs and especially in the beginning, when everything was so new and Henry had to take his time to process everything. Jacob is always patient with him.

Henry likes to create stuff for Jacob. It can be everything from new poisons to new gadgets, to something as simple as a painting or a hand-made sweater he did himself. When the gifts became more... Simple, so to speak, he worried that Jacob wouldn’t like them, but Jacob absolutely loves and treasures anything Henry does for him, although he routinely gives the sweaters and clothing back so Henry can wear them, and so Jacob can get them back and it smells like his boyfriend <3

(Evie always finds Jacob cuddled up with the sweater in the mornings when they can’t be together. She thinks that it’s stupidly adorable).

Jacob stays in London after Evie and Green get married and move to India. He would originally have thought of leaving London to return to the Assassin Order in Crawley, but ultimately decided to stay with his lover in London. After the end events of TGS, the two of them buy a horse ranch out in the countryside where they retire. Jacob occasionally returns to London as the leader of the Rooks, and soon they begin on working to expand the gang to other cities. Henry doesn’t normally return to London, but always eagerly awaits his husbands return. By the time they have retired and moved, Clara goes to University in London, but she always makes sure to visit her dads inbetween her semesters.

They get to die a peaceful death after having lived a long and fulfilling life. Henry died first, his body having gotten weaker after many years of HJ7, and Jacob died only a few days afterward. Clara made sure they got buried in the same grave, and their little farmhouse and their belongings (and their story) has been passed down from generations ever since. 

Lydia, Jacob’s canonical granddaughter that lives through ww1, is instead Greenie’s and Evie’s grandchild for this au/ship.