#usually translations try not to go too far from the original

[writerslittlelibrary]

So, I'm not a prisoner?

masterlist part 1 part 2 part 3 extra

summary: you did not expect that your mission to take down the traitor, could end in such a difficult situation for you…

pairing: Natasha x Red Room teen reader

warnings: fighting, weapons, stabbing, blood, implied sexual abuse

genre: fluff, angst

words: 3073

a/n: I wanted to do a fic like this for so long!!!! anyway, I just kept scouting tumblr trying to find fics like this, so I figured I’d finally write one myself :)

You do not have my permission to repost, copy or translate my work

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A quick in and out. That was your mission. How on earth did you manage to screw it up so bad. In and out. Assassinate the traitor and come right back. 

Dreykov would’ve been so proud. 

But that didn’t happen. No. Every single aspect about that night failed to go according to plan. You snuck into the event Stark had hosted, was able to blend in with the other party goers, and you were able to hide when most of the people started to leave. 

Once it was just the Avengers left, you stayed in your hiding spot, observing them. You were here to kill Natasha Romanoff, and Natasha Romanoff only. 

You could not afford any casualties, so you had it all planned out. 

You’d wait until the Avengers would leave, and you’d take Natasha out before she could make it to her living quarters. You knew that once she made it to the living space of the Avengers tower, getting to her would be a lot harder. 

However, against all odds, Natasha excused herself from the group quite early, saying she wanted to get a good nights sleep. 

You internally cursed yourself, hating that this wasn’t something that you had planned for. 

Around the couches were still some Avengers sat. You recognised all of them. Clint Barton shouldn’t be too much trouble. He was only a guy who’s good with a bow. For Maria Hill could be said the same thing, except she’s very skilled with a gun.

No, you were worried about the other Avengers still seated. Tony Stark could call upon his armour in mere seconds. Thor had the power of thunder for god’s sake. Wanda Maximoff has exceptional powers, and therefor, if you were to attack with her still in the room, you’d be immobilised in an instant. 

You were fairly certain you didn’t need to worry much about Bruce Banner. Sure, he could turn into the Hulk, but he didn’t turn often, and lately, the Hulk hasn’t been spotted in the battlefield, meaning he probably had many trouble turning into him. 

Pietro Maximoff shouldn’t bring you a lot of trouble either. 

Your main concern were Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers. One Super Soldier you could handle, but two? While fighting the rest of the Avengers? That wasn’t going to work. 

Lucky for you, Wanda Maximoff had excused herself from the gathering a while ago. If you didn’t make to much noise, she wouldn’t be much of a problem. You could be outside before she’d even make it to the party deck. 

Your original plan was to just wait. Natasha Romanoff would have usually sat through a party until far into the evening. You’d know, you’ve been watching her for weeks. 

However, now that Romanoff has announced she was returning to her bedroom, a slight panic ran through your body. 

Dreykov gave your 5 weeks to finish this assignment. That’s longer than any assignment you’d ever been on. You could not disappoint him with this. You had to kill the traitor. 

You figured now was your only chance, and so, as Natasha Romanoff made her way towards the elevator, you followed her. 

However, not even to your surprise, she stopped in the middle of the hallway. 

“You know I’m an assassin, too? You’re good, but you’re not un noticeable,” she states, calmly turning around, being met with a gun to your face. The moment she stopped, you were wise enough to draw your gun, holding her at gunpoint for any sudden movements. 

You could see a slight surprise appear on her face, before her face returned to her poker face once again. 

“You’re just a child…” Natasha spoke slowly, seeming almost disappointed. 

“You’re a traitor,” you spoke, loading the gun, taking a step closer. Natasha simply shook her head. “I’m sorry,” she spoke, before leaping towards you. You shot your gun, but Natasha was too fast, avoiding your gunfire as she ran past you, back to the other Avengers. 

How on earth could you have missed that shot? She was right there.

Pathetic. 

You don’t hesitate to run after her, determined to finish this tonight. 

Very much not to your surprise, the moment you run back into the party hall, the Avengers are already standing up and ready. Ready to fight you.

You don’t hesitate to move forwards, and after fighting Clint Barton for mere seconds, you quickly realise they have no intention of hurting you. You could use that to your advantage, and you do.

You kick Barton hard, leaving him on the floor, heaving for air as you move forward, taking on Maria. 

However, the moment you get close to Maria, two strong arms wrap around your body, pulling you back. They’re holding you tightly, and it doesn’t feel like they’re planning to let go. 

You struggle in the hold, fighting against who ever is holding you as you try to break free. A small panic runs through your body. The fear of being captured by the Avengers taking place in your mind. You do not fear the Avengers, but the thought of being seen as a traitor by Dreykov hurts your heart more than words could describe. 

“Stop struggling. We can help you,” you hear a voice behind you speak, and you soon come to realise the person you’re fighting is Captain America himself. 

No wonder you couldn’t get loose. 

Knowing it’s a Super Soldier, you’re quick to outsmart him, making him think you’re getting tired, relaxing your body is his hold. Because of this, the Captain lightens his grip a bit, giving you enough room to wiggle your arm free, moving it backwards to hit him in the face with your elbow. 

Because of the surprise, he lets you go, allowing you to stand again. 

The moment your feet hit the ground, you dash forward, holding up your knife as you use everyone’s shock to your advantage. 

Everyone is surprised by your capability of escaping Steve’s grasp, not realising your already moving towards Natasha again. You reach her quickly, stabbing your knife into her stomach as far as it can go. 

Natasha gasps, and you pull the knife out, watching as all the blood starts to seep from her stomach. 

Slowly, Natasha sinks to the ground, Maria catching her, helping her down. 

You move towards Natasha again, determined to get the job finished, but are quickly stopped by another pair of arms wrapping around your waist. You immediately recognise the metal arm, knowing that the Winter Soldier holds you in his grasp. You can’t escape him. You never have. 

He pulls you backwards, pushing you to the ground as he tries to punch you. However, you regain yourself quickly, rolling away from under him and kicking him in the face. 

Suddenly, you’re moved across the room. You forgot the damn speedster…

You raise your knife quickly, stabbing him before he has a chance to make another move. 

“PIETRO!” you hear a voice yell, and you turn your head to the right. Shit. Wanda Maximoff must have heard the commotion and went down to take a look. You have to get out of there. You will never win a fight with her.

You move quickly, running towards the stairs. However, before you could reach them, you felt a stabbing pain in your left shoulder, the sound of a gun shot following soon after. You had been shot. Bucky Barnes had shot you in an attempt to slow you down. 

But you didn’t let it. 

Instead, you went towards the stairs a little quicker, dashing down the hundreds of flights of stairs to get to the main floor. 

Of course, all SHIELD agents on the main floor were already expecting you, and you were followed by Steve Rogers, but you were quicker than him. You knew that. 

You dashed past all the SHIELD agents, avoiding their gun fire as you made it towards an emergency exit. 

The moment you stepped outside, you started your escape route. You already planned it, knowing exactly which way to go, no matter which way you would exit. 

Steve followed you outside, but the moment he set foot outside the door, you were gone. You had disappeared into the night, leaving no trace. 

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

Back in the Avengers tower, the team was recovering from your attack. Natasha was in bad shape. Your strike had been an attempt to murder her, and you didn’t miss any organs as you pierced your blade through her abdomen. 

Pietro was much better. He was back on his feet quickly, seeing as though you stabbing him hadn’t been a murder attempt. You merely wanted to distract him. 

It didn’t take long for Natasha to get back on her feet either, even though she was advised to stay on bed rest after the surgery. 

Natasha was determined to find you, and she quickly got to work. 

Even though you had made it out of the Avengers tower quickly, you were still hurt, and some of you blood had fallen on the floor as you made your escape towards the stairs. Clint and Maria had collected that blood, running multiple tests, only to find out you were not registered anywhere. 

There was no record of your existence. Were you just another ghost story?

What they did find were traces of the Super Soldier serum. However, they were modified, almost as if they were genetically a part of your system. 

Did that mean you were just another Hydra experiment? Natasha did hear you calling her a traitor. That had to mean you knew Dreykov, right? Who else viewed her as a traitor. I would make sense. Sending a modified teenage assassin after her, knowing Natasha was above killing children. 

Even in the Red Room, she always hesitated when sparring against the younger students. 

Dreykov must have had a lot of faith in you to send you after her. Natasha can only hope you’re not a graduate yet…

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

After the incident in the Avengers tower, you had fled to Germany. You figured it was best to leave the United States completely. And why would they ever search for you in Germany? 

You had rented an apartment, loving the small town you had chosen. Dreykov had given you 5 weeks to finish the assignment, and now, you had only 1 week left. There is now way that you’re going to succeed in killing Natasha within the week. 

They know you are after her now, and they will be prepared for you to make a return. You screwed it up.

Sloppy. 

Right now, you were just heading back to your apartment. You had taken a walk, deciding to make the most out of the freedom you had in the moment. The week would be over soon, and the moment Dreykov would send for your return you are certain you will not be seeing daylight any time soon. 

After you arrived in the apartment building, you instantly felt watched. 

Had the Avengers found you?

You made your way up to your apartment, pushing the key into the lock and walking through the small hallway. Someone was in here, you could feel it. 

You walked into the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it with water, keeping your back towards the living room. 

“There are not a lot of places to hide in this apartment,” you spoke aloud into the emptiness of the apartment. Soon you heard a set of footsteps, and you felt another presence enter the room. 

“You’re very skilled for your age,” you heard a voice behind you say, and you immediately recognised it as Natasha’s. 

“And you are stronger than you look. I mean, even for you, I didn’t expect you to be on your feet so quickly,” you stated, turning around slowly. Natasha wasn’t holding a weapon in your face, something you were definitely expecting. 

You scanned her quickly, seeing the weapons she held on her belt. 

She didn’t come unarmed. Good. She’d be stupid to. 

“I don’t mean you any harm,” Natasha said, taking a small step forward as she held her hands in the air, showing you her every movement. 

You didn’t look impressed, instead just staring at her as she moved. 

“Then you are a fool,” you told her, and you spotted a small smirk flashing over Natasha’s face. “And you are very full of yourself,” she said, moving towards the kitchen island, leaning on it. 

“I can’t say I blame you. You took on a lot of the Avengers on your own. Even two Super Soldiers. That’s impressive,” she stated, giving you a small smile. You didn’t return it. 

“What? Jealous someone better took your place when you betrayed us,” you asked Natasha, determined to get on her nerves.

Natasha’s smile dropped quickly. 

“Quite the opposite, actually. I hoped no one would ever have to go through it again,” she told you, a hint of regret almost identifiable in her expression. Now it was your time to give her a small smile. 

“You think you’re so important that everything should’ve ended with you?” you asked her, moving towards the kitchen island as well, setting your glass down, still holding onto it. 

Natasha shook her head.

“What I am curious about, however, is the genetic Super Soldier serum that runs through your DNA,” Natasha paused, adjusting her stance before speaking again. “Tell me, was your dad a Super Soldier?” 

You let out a huff of amusement, surprising Natasha. 

“You think I believe you’re just here for a conversation? There are SHIELD agents placed on every corner of every street. Don’t think I didn’t notice it. The lovely young couple, drinking coffee at the restaurant downstairs? Amazing disguise, if you were trying to trick nine year olds,” you stated, finishing your glass of water. 

Natasha smiles, clearly impressed with your observations. 

“You’re right. I’m not here for just a conversation, although I do hope we can prevent violence,” Natasha started, but before she could continue you interrupted her. 

“You’re here to bring me in.” 

Natasha nodded, and the look on her face was almost apologetic. 

“No one needs to get hurt. If you just come with me, there’s a big chance you could avoid confinement,” Natasha explained, yet you just scoffed and shook your head. 

“Avoid confinement? Yeah right. There is no way, that after what I have done, your people won’t lock me away.” 

“I can be very persuasive,” Natasha simply replied. 

There was a small silence. Natasha knew you were debating your options. You didn’t seem like a brainwashed sheep. She knew that you knew better than trusting Dreykov’s lies. Sure, you still believed she was a traitor, but there is no way that you didn’t see that what Dreykov is doing is wrong. 

“You know going back after a failed mission will result in punishment,” Natasha started, trying to get through to you. Trying to give you that little push you needed to go with her. “If you go with me, you’ll never be punished like that ever again,” she finished. 

You looked up, deep in thought.

“How could you be so sure?” you asked her, and Natasha didn’t hesitate to respond. 

“We can keep you safe-”

“I found you. I nearly killed you. Who’s to say some other Widow won’t come after me as well?” you replied, and Natasha gave you another small smile. 

“I escaped the Red Room when I was 20,” Natasha started. “It took him 12 years to send someone after me. We will make sure we’ll take him down before he even has the chance to come after you.” 

“How many times, did you try to kill him, exactly? Because I believe you attempted his murder twice already, both of which you failed. You blew him up in Budapest, and then another time when you took the air facility down. Do you honestly think you’ll succeed now?”

Natasha shook her head, seemingly recollecting her thoughts. 

“I failed twice, and that was sloppy, but both times I didn’t have the Avengers on my side. You ran the moment you saw Wanda. You know what she is capable of. Taking down the Red Room for good shouldn’t be too difficult with the Avengers on our side,” Natasha explained, yet you just shook your head. 

“I’m not like you,” you told her, yet Natasha just looked at you in confusion. 

“I’m not some disposable widow like you were. I’m more important,” you explained, and Natasha gave you a sad smile.

“Everyone is just a disposable widow to him,” she started, but you interrupted her. 

“I’m not. You tested my blood. You know I carry the Super Soldier serum. I’m not just some girl he picked up from the streets,” you explained, and Natasha gave you a small nod, encouraging to keep going. 

“I can’t explain it, but he won’t just let me walk. He put too much time in my creation. He would never just let it go to waste,” you finished, looking down, avoiding Natasha’s gaze as you turned around, putting your glass by the sink. 

“We’ll help you. I know that we can,” Natasha tried. 

“Is it worth the risk? My life is not great, but it’s not terrible either. Dreykov values me, and I am not treated like a piece of meat, unlike you might suspect.” 

“So the punishment is worth it, then? Knowing that in three days time, Dreykov will have you be recollected, and once you return to the Red Room, you’ll be punished severely for a failed mission,” Natasha paused, allowing you to let her words sink in. 

“Or, in three days time, you could know you can go to bed without worrying about someone joining. You could know you can be safe, and sleep through the night without anyone disrupting you. Knowing that, is the choice really that hard?” Natasha finished, and you were almost at your breaking point. 

Was it worth it? Was going back the best decision? Dreykov would hurt you, you knew that, but you deserved it. Didn’t you? 

“Please, just come with me. We can help,” Natasha spoke, nearly begged. 

You sighed deeply. 

“Fine, but if you put me in a cell, I will go on a murder streak,” you told her, and Natasha let out a chuckle, before seeing your facial expression, and realising you were dead serious. 

“Duly noted,” Natasha said, before motioning you towards the door. 

What had you done…

Permanent tags: @marvelnatasha12346 @lesbionion @nova-kyle @darkstar225 @saraaahsstuff @marvelwomenarehot0 @screechcat @iheartjohansson @simp-erformarvelwomen @swaqcenix @karmasgxrl @marvel-lous3000 @mxximoffswifey

[whorety-k]

Hello! If you get the inspiration to do so, would you write something with Roboute Guilliman + Gát from Azahriah. I think the song would fit him.

Also on another note, I love Ebony Coasts💜💜 Looking forward to the next part!

Nothing shows my absolutely awful schedule like Ebony Coasts having finished before I even got to your ask my love

I am SO SORRY

I had never listened to anything in Hungarian before this point so this was actually really pleasant for me. This song got me in a mood to destroy that blueberry though, so please forgive me.

Pairing: Roboute Guilliman (40K) x gn!Reader

Song Inspiration: Gát - Azahriah [Youtube] [Spotify]

[Original Hungarian]

“Ezért nincsen bennem már szimpátia /

Elmegyek én bárhova, ha hívnak / Mert érezni akarom, amit régen /

Mert régen tönkrement valami bent / Valami bent, valaki bennem.”

[English Translation]

“That's why there's no sympathy in me /

I go anywhere if they call me / because I want to feel what I felt before /

Because in the past something broke inside / something inside, something in me.”

Warnings: Angst, Guilliman’s struggle to adapt to a new Imperium, relationship falling apart, heated argument, hurt / no comfort

Word Count: 2.5k (THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 1000 OOPS)

The office light was dim, drained of warmth. Roboute could barely keep his eyes focused on his papers anymore, with how each stack continued to mesh and meld together in his mind. A request for aid in the Yannsi system. Reports of ork activity along an Imperial supplyway. Another noble house asking for his audience for a vaguely stupid reason in their horse-and-pony show. With a sigh, he pushed the expensive looking envelope off of the table and into the waste bin. 

Guilliman grew tired of it all.

But, in the name of the Imperium, he pushed onwards. Sheet after sheet, datapad after datapad, vox after vox.

He nearly missed the knock that rapped against the frame of the office doorway, timid and gentle. How he hadn’t seen them enter was either a show of focus or a token to his weariness, usually laser-focused senses dulled as day after day of piling issues droned by. Guilliman picks his head up out of his hands, rolling loose circles into his temples with his index and middle fingers. “Come in,” he beckons.

Your quiet footsteps echo in the chamber built to the size of a primarch. The scents of exhaustion and old sweat permeate the air, for even a being handcrafted by the Emperor himself is subject to the soil of exertion. 

Guilliman’s eyes soften substantially from their stress-induced glower as you draw near, but it’s not enough to fully smooth the deep-set furrow in his brow, or the everlasting scowl on his face. “My love, has something happened that needs my attention?” he inquires, leaning forward to get a better look at you. You stand before him in your favorite robe: a simple yet practical garment that he had gifted you for a holiday celebration, ultramarine blue silks embroidered with golden laurels along the neckline. He would give you so much more if you didn’t feel so guilty at receiving his affections, always so concerned with any excess spending given the state of the Imperium. He was too— more than you ever could be— but you were supposed to be his space away from the mess. It frustrated him to no end to be reminded of his family’s failings when he was actively trying to find an escape from it, and especially because he shouldn’t have you. 

You should have been long dead. After the failed Siege of Terra and the end of the Heresy, Guilliman had found you, a noble agent, desperately working far beyond your capacities within the Imperial Palace to keep things running. A tense friendship blossomed into an awkward, complicated relationship with private moments stolen whenever fate would allow. Neither of you were able or willing to put a label to it, given your pre-existing devotion to fixing the weakened state of the Imperium. Your knowledge of the parties both behind and beyond the Imperial walls proved invaluable to helping the Ultramarines hold it together, and Guilliman could not have been more grateful for your help. Roboute planned to express his gratitude and formally request your hand after your return from a diplomatic mission to help secure support from some of the world less affected by the heresy.

He never got the opportunity to do so. On the return voyage to Terra, your ship had been ambushed and knocked loose of its path in the warp. Your anticipated arrival date had come and passed, and no one heard any word from your vessel. Within an instant, any hope of creating a better future with you had been indirectly or directly ripped from him by his traitorous brothers, just as it had been before.

Roboute thought he had all but moved on by the time he was struck down by Fulgrim, thought had finally shaken the silent longing when he finally awoke from his ten millenia stasis into the disaster the Imperium of Man had become. The hellscape he has been thrust into gave him no time to dwell on any of the things he had lost ten-thousand years ago. It did not matter how hollow or angry he felt when everyone galaxy-wide was demanding something of him, and who better than the Avenging Son to fill the role? 

The day the vox came in that a ship with a downright ancient signature had entered Terra’s orbit is one he would never forget. Guilliman was prepared to have it destroyed, certain that the vessel had been overrun with chaos, but the sound of your voice asking for him over the vox channels stopped him. His hearts seized in his chest when you recognized him.

Roboute, is that you?

It’s been years. We just found a way out.

Roboute, can you hear me?

“Roboute.”

His head snaps up from his daze, not noticing how he had begun to nod off, lost in his ruminations. He hadn’t made the mistake of not asking for your hand soon enough a second time. The stern tone of voice alerts him that he’s missed whatever you had said before, and he sits forward again to reengage.. “I’m sorry, love. I am listening,” Roboute says, letting out the breath he had been holding.

You shake your head, gaze falling to the floor for a brief instant before your eyes find his again. “I asked you to come to bed, Roboute. You haven’t left the office for days, and I know you’re tired.” You call attention to his lapse with a gesture of the hand.

Guilliman’s scowl deepens, looking down at the paper before him on his desk. As tempting as that offer was... “I cannot, love. I am sorry.”

“Will there be a day I don’t hear that?” you rebut, stepping closer to his desk. Your head only barely hovers above it as you come near, resting a hand on the varnished wood. “Or shall I keep hoping?”

The primarch scoffs, taken aback at the rhetoric. He didn’t dismiss you that often… did he? His blue eyes burn into yours, expression hardening. “My work is important. It isn’t something I can just stop and abscond from. You know this.”

You fold your arms in response, doubling down. “Are these the conditions in which you can do your best work? Barely able to keep your head up?” 

For once, Guilliman can’t argue. His shoulders are tight, his neck tired and sore from staring down at a desk for longer than a baseline human could even stay awake without death. His eyes stopped burning after a certain point, now nearly numb. He tries to blink the feeling away, only to struggle with opening his eyes again.

It doesn’t go unnoticed under your gaze. “Come to bed, Roboute,” you plead, resting your chin upon his desk. Sapphires of the softest cobalt land on you, and you reach a hand out toward him. Your drowsy voice continues, “I hardly ever see you outside of this dreaded space. I don’t remember the last time we shared a bed together.”

His massive hand dwarfs your own when he takes it, stroking the delicate skin of the back of your hand. “I would like to join you– truly, I would– but I cannot afford to step away from this,” Guilliman asserts, voice gentle yet firm in his decision.

Your expression falls, as it always does. Guilliman expects you to nod your head and concede as you normally did, letting go of your hand to pick up a pencil once more. He finds the starting line of the report and begins to peruse the document. The Lord Governor of the—

“When will it be enough?”

Guilliman tenses up, tearing his gaze away from the words he was reading. Your voice completely blindsides him, and he isn’t even sure if he’s certain he heard what you said. “I’m sorry?” he asks.

“When will you have done enough, Roboute?” you repeat, stepping away from the wooden desk. As your full body comes into view, he can see how your limbs tremble with emotion. “When will you have reached a point that you are truly satisfied with what you’ve done?” Your voice comes as a challenge, crossing your arms over your chest once again. Your knuckles blanch with the force you grip yourself with.

It’s the second time you manage to render Guilliman completely speechless. When is enough, enough? He gawks as he looks you over, eyes jumping between your upset form and the page before him. It’s a question he didn’t allow himself to dwell on, unable to find a satisfactory answer. It has been, is, and always will be his responsibility to convert the raw data of a problem into something with a detailed solution; it was his strongest skill as a leader. He can stop when there are solutions.

You interrupt his train of thought with another siren call, holding eye contact as you tempt him away once more with your sweet voice. “Your standards you hold yourself to are honorable, but even the great Roboute Guilliman, son of the Emperor of Mankind, requires his rest.” 

And by the throne, he does. He well and truly does. Guilliman could use another ten thousand years in stasis if it wouldn’t make his problems any worse. Instead, though, he’s content to finish one more paper and go to bed. Finally, he nods, pushing aside a stack of documents to start tomorrow. It seems that Roboute would be the one conceding today, muttering, “I will join you shortly.”

Unfortunately for him, you aren’t having any of it. “No, you will come now,” you demand, putting your foot down. You continue, stern tone softening, “Please, if not for you, take care of yourself for me.”

The words make Guilliman’s head throb, irritation threatens to flare within him as the words cause an uncomfortable roiling within his chest. He buries his head into his hands with a grunt– it’s all he can do to prevent an annoyed growl of, “everything I do is for you,” from leaving him. Instead, he takes a deep breath and tries to cool his temper. “This final document is just a report from another world. It won’t take me long,” he promises.

“Then it can wait until tomorrow,” you argue, fed up with the barrage of excuses to continue. “I am serious, Roboute. One world’s ‘report’ is not the end-all, be-all of the Imperium. I know that you are under a lot of strain to fix the mess we’re in–”

Guilliman abruptly sits up, chair flying back as he stands to full height. You can barely perceive the flash movement before the clash of the chair hitting the wall makes you jump. “And you could possibly hope to understand?” Guilliman spits, slamming his hands onto the table. The shout of the primarch instinctually drowns you in dread, and you’re unable to stop the reflexive trembling that kicks in as you stare up at him. Guilliman is furious, all of the signs of exhaustion he had exhibited so plainly before replaced with vitriol. He continues, voice laced with venom, “You could hope to understand what it is to be left with the bloated corpse of my father’s legacy, forced to pick up the pieces as nothing but a tool in his stead as everything he fought for has been so thoroughly perverted? When the mere thought of how things were before is now heresy, despite those fanatics worshiping a book written by a traitor?” His breathing labors, desk creaking precariously with the force he’s exerting upon it. At your lack of response, Guilliman scoffs again. “No,” he growls, turning away, “your mind couldn’t begin to fathom the depths of the pressure placed upon me.”

Your eyes burn with tears, cheeks warm and wet. The outburst leaves you completely shaken, clutching at your sides like a cornered animal. The sight alone fills Roboute with remorse, but you don’t give him the chance to apologize. “I was there,” you utter through shaky breaths. Roboute’s mouth clamps shut. “I lived the old Imperium, picked up the pieces of it beside you. Do you think this has been easy for me?” you press, unable to look the primarch in the eye. “I spent five years in the warp, unsure of whether or not I would ever leave it. Would I die there? Would I find a fate worse? What if one of your brothers was to find me?” Each word punches him in his chest, hearts heavy with the weight of instant regret. He can see how you tremble as you relive what you went through, all at the cost of his loud mouth. “I never gave up, even when so many others had, driven to insanity or the depths of depression. I continued to fight when even the Astartes had one-by-one resigned themselves to fate.” Hot tears roll down your cheeks, and you begin to find confidence in your words as your fear turns into rage, jabbing an accusatory finger in Guilliman’s direction. “I survived to find you again, and I have done nothing but stand by your side and help you try to make heads or tails of the absolute fucking mess we’re in. Does that mean nothing?”

Guilliman doesn’t look away from you as you verbally lash into him. Despite his pride, he knows you’re right. You haven’t truly been wrong once this evening, and in his stubbornness, he has only managed to make everything worse for the both of you. “I didn’t mean it like that—”

“Of course you didn’t, because you’ve only been thinking about yourself and what will become of you. Will your torment ever end?” you spit back, cutting him off. He bows his head, lips drawn tight. Tense silence fills the room as your words hang heavy in his mind. You shake your head, letting out a muffled sob. “I will be in the bedroom when you remember yourself, Roboute Guilliman.” 

With that, you turn on your heel and march out of the room, leaving Guilliman alone in the office with his thoughts. He can only stare at the doorway before the rush of the moment leeches out of him, causing him to slump down into his chair. Guilt claws in his chest, up his throat like an angry badger. His head spins as it fills with everything he should have said, should have done, instead of making a damned fool of himself. The rift between the two of you grew evermore.

Guilliman picks up his pencil from the floor, drawing the planetary report in front of him so he can focus again on the only thing he’s actually sure he’s worthy of anymore: fixing logistics.

[the-smut-analyst]

Making Characters That Make Sense

Walk-through character template & "how to" guide for writing complex, original protagonists.

If you google "character templates for writing", you'll get a lot of very basic examples that read like a grocery list: eye colour, hair colour, skin colour, positive traits, negative traits, etc.

And sure, filling out this kind of template isn't completely useless - but it's also not particularly useful, either. Choosing whether your protagonist has blue eyes or green eyes isn't going to determine whether readers connect with them or not.

Instead, I prefer to use the below template:

There's some fairly left-of-centre categories here, so in this blog post I'll be creating a character from scratch to demonstrate what each section means and how to use the template effectively.

Primary Goal & Raison D'Être

Fantasy Romance is having a bit of a tournament-to-the-death moment right now, with Hunger Games-inspired stories like Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, The Savior's Champion, and The Serpent and the Wings of Night in high demand - so that's what we're going to work with in today's blog post.

The story premise and primary goal of the protagonist are almost always interconnected. In this case, the story premise is a tournament to the death - and the character's main goal is to win that tournament, obviously.

But where there's room for some originality is in the raison d'être. This loosely translates to "reason for being" or "purpose". It's the why of it.

For example: what motivated this character to risk their life by entering such a tournament in the first place?

It is sometimes helpful to look at similar stories when thinking about this category. Not so you can copy their protagonist's motivations - but so you can do something different.

The whole selfless-self-sacrifice thing, for example - that's done. At least in relation to this particular sub-genre. We can do better for our hypothetical Maera Mystfang character.

Actually, let's really turn the trope on its head and make her raison d'être incredibly self-centred.

Already, this is character is shaping up to be something a little bit different within the niche of tournaments to the death. Which goes to show how putting a little bit of thought can go a long way, even with something as simple as identifying your character's initial purpose.

Primary Obstacle

Every protagonist needs a goal - and every goal needs an obstacle. This is what gives the story some tension and keeps readers turning the page.

An obvious choice of obstacle for this hypothetical character, since we're dealing with a fantasy romance, would be that Maera starts to develop feelings for one of her fellow competitors.

This concept has definitely been done, but that's okay. Not every section of this list has to break the mould. Tropes exist for a reason and it is totally okay to lean into them sometimes.

However, just for funsies, I'm going to try and put a slightly different spin on this one too.

Instead of the obvious "I love one of the people I'm meant to kill", let's make Maera's (previously dormant) conscience be the problem. Her reasons for entering the tournament may have been self-motivated, but as she gets to know her fellow competitors - admires some of them, even - she starts to second guess those reasons.

Core Traits

A lot of character templates will divide personality traits into positives and negatives - but I don't think this is particularly helpful. It is far too one dimensional - not to mention unrealistic. The key components of someone's personality aren't usually so black and white.

In fact, most core traits are both good and bad at the same time - it just depends on the context.

Instead of being wholly positive or negative, try to think of three core character traits that can serve as two sides of the same coin, with both positive and negative implications to each.

For Maera, I've given her these core traits:

Self-reliant;

Rebellious; and

Good-humoured.

Her self-reliance means that she is incredibly capable - but it's also the cause of her selfishness. She's always had to look after herself, so she expects others to do the same.

Her rebellious attitude means she isn't willing to accept the status quo. But at times she is also a rebel without a cause, causing trouble just for the fun of it.

Her good sense of humour means she is fun to be around, but she also tends to not take things as seriously as she should.

Thinking of core traits in this multi-faceted way not only adds realistic complexity, but it also sets you up well for showcasing character development and growth throughout the story.

Fatal Flaw & Character Arc / Growth

You've probably read negative reviews that throw around terms like "Mary Sue" or "Gary Stu". People tend to be over-zealous with these terms, especially for Mary Sue, but the gist of it is that the character in question is "too perfect".

They're the chosen one, they're good at everything, all the boys like them, etc.

Some characters can get away with this just fine. Look at Aragorn. He's the ultimate Gary Stu but I still swoon every time he opens those damn doors. You know the scene I'm talking about.

Ooft.

But for the most part, you want to incorporate a fatal flaw into your protagonists - because this is what gives them room to grow.

And, no. "I was born to be King but I don't wanna" does not count as a fatal flaw.

Instead, think bigger. Think worse. Think about where your character starts versus where you want them to end up. Think about how you want the events of the narrative to change their world view - or even their initial goal.

For Maera, her fatal flaw is pretty obvious, given her initial motivations for entering the tournament. Similarly, her growth/arc is linked to her primary obstacle, which is developing a conscious.

Her journey throughout this hypothetical story might be learning to appreciate how her past shaped her, while also acknowledging that there are things she can do to ensure others don't have to go through what she did. By being shown acts of kindness, she learns to appreciate their value.

First Impression

Now that we've covered all the "big picture" stuff, let's get into some of the smaller details that give your character some texture.

The first impression category is a hypothetical exercise where you image how your character might appear to a room full of strangers. In dual, multi, or omniscient POVs, you might even get the opportunity to include this impression somewhere in the story.

But even for first-person narratives, it is still worth thinking about, because it will help to inform how other characters interact and respond to your protagonist (at least at first).

For Maera, I've written this first impression as: a fun person to have a few drinks with - so long as you keep a close eye on your wallet.

From this description, we can guess that Maera probably likes to have a good time, but also comes across as untrustworthy. Whether that impression is deserved or not is up to you, as the author, to decide.

There's also a lot of deeper directions you can take this first impression category, too. Like if most people react to Maera this way, but one particular character doesn't, then your readers are going to sit up and pay extra attention during that interaction. Especially when that person reacting atypically is the future love interest.

Spirit Animal

Ah, this one is a fun one!

I always encourage my authors to assign a "spirit animal" to their characters - especially when they're doing multi-POV.

There are two main reasons for this:

It will allow you to assign some very distinct adjectives and verbs with that particular character; and

It is an opportunity to flesh out some additional character traits beyond the core traits.

For Maera, I've chosen "spider" because she is solitary by nature, opportunistic, and patient.

But, more than that, I also like the idea of Maera being the kind of person who knows how to watch and wait. While her first impression might be "here for the good times", her joking façade is actually a mask she wears while carefully observing others.

For example:

Her words were laced with venom. She crawled her way across the rooftop. At some point, weaving lies had become more of a past time that a necessity. Her thoughts were a tangled mess. She didn't bother to conceal her predatory gaze. Inch by cautious inch, she crept forward. Her sanity was already hanging by a thread. If there was one thing she knew how to do, it was spin a good story - truth be damned.

I've never outright compared Maera to a spider in these examples, nor have I made it blatantly obvious that that's what I'm doing. But by peppering these kinds or words throughout the story, I'll be able to subtly create a very distinct kind of impression for her character.

For comparison's sake, let's assign "cat" to the love interest. Examples of possible words to consider in this instance might be:

He clawed his way through the bushes. "What are you doing?" he hissed. The comment had some bite to it, that was for sure. He slunk away into the darkness. His still, unwavering focus was unnerving. He prowled towards her. In a few quick, agile steps, he'd made it across the parapet. He yawned and stretched out beside her.

Of course, not every single word you use in association with a character needs to be related to their spirit animal. But keeping a certain type of animal in mind - and finding opportunities to throw in some subtle messaging through language choice - can be beneficial on so many levels.

It helps to distinguish your characters from one another through the kind of language you use to describe them - but it's also just really, really fun way to add some bonus texture to your characters. Giving your readers some little easter eggs like this is never a bad thing.

Love Language

If you're unfamiliar with the concept of the five basic love languages, then here's a quick visual overview:

Love languages aren't a consideration that's specific to romance. They're important for friendships and familial relationships too.

Because thinking about what your protagonist values most in love is going to tell you a lot about who they are. Especially when you take the question deeper and think about why this is something they value.

For Maera, I've chosen "Acts of Service" because this ties in quite well to her character arc.

In terms of Maera's why, I could easily go with "because this was how she was shown love as a child" - and this is a good enough option most of the time. However, since her love language is very much tied into growing out of her fatal flaw, then I actually want to do the opposite.

Maera winds up valuing acts of service because this is something she craved - and wasn't given - as a child. She had to do things the hard way instead. Hence why she ends up appreciating the kindness of others so much. Such generosity is new to her - and precious.

Conflict Response

This is potentially one of the most overlooked character components. Conflict and tension is central to story telling, yet there is so little attention given to creating authentic, original responses to conflict.

The way I see it, there are three main considerations in regards to conflict response:

How your character reacts in the moment;

The unhealthy methods they use to deal with the aftermath; and

The healthy methods they use (or discover) to self-sooth.

When faced with conflict, Maera's immediate reaction is to antagonise. She doesn't like to back down and enjoys creating trouble.

However, in the aftermath, the conflict affects her more than she lets on. She stews on it - and her solution to that is to get drunk until she can forget about it completely.

But even though she sometimes forgets it, Maera has a more healthy coping mechanism at her disposal. When she is surrounded by nature - in the forest, by the sea, whatever - it calms her.

In addition to identifying your protagonist's various responses to conflict, it is also helpful to think about why. Again, this is a great opportunity to insert something unique into their character backstory.

With Maera, for example, let's think about why she finds nature so soothing. Perhaps, amidst a very bleak childhood, one of her fondest memories is of picking grapes in a vineyard.

Perhaps the elderly woman who owned the vineyard was very rude and abrupt - but also quite kind to Maera in her own way. Maybe she would sometimes stitch up Maera's clothes or feed Maera a hearty, meaty dinner - even though she didn't have to.

If you're struggling to think of a real, tangible, unique memory such as this - then it's always helpful to go back to the old classic of write what you know. Think of a real life moment or memory - something that's stuck with you, no matter how simple - then adapt it to your character.

To create this vineyard example, I simply drew on my experience of picking strawberries with my Nonna after school.

Mentor / Idol

I could write an entire thesis on mentors. Or, more specifically, the "death of the mentor" trope - both in its literal and metaphorical interpretations.

But, for the sake of brevity, let's save that sh*t for another time and focus on what's important for a basic (yet complex) character template. And that is:

The Formative Mentor (past); and

Transformative Mentor (present).

The formative mentor (or idol) is someone who influenced your character prior to the events of the novel. Sometimes they're a character the reader will meet, or other times, they're long gone before the novel even begins.

The transformative mentor is a much looser term. It doesn't necessarily have to be a traditional mentor character, but rather it is a character who heavily influences or changes your protagonist throughout the events of the novel.

For Maera, I want her earliest idol to be a random female sell-sword who she crossed paths with. Prior to meeting this sell-sword, Maera was living without hope for a future, surviving on scraps and petty crime.

But after seeing an independent and moderately wealthy sell-sword in her local tavern, Maera got a glimpse into the kind of life that might be possible if she learned to fight. With the right kind of skills, she might be able to earn some decent money for a change - and travel the world.

This is an example of how "mentors" don't always have to be a wise wizard who oversees your protagonist's training and education. Young minds are impressionable - and even distant figures can have a lasting impact.

Just look at all the women who cite Legally Blonde as the reason why they were drawn to law. Elle Woods wasn't even real - but for plenty of young girls, she made an impact.

Similarly, your protagonist's "present" mentor or idol doesn't necessarily have to be a wise wizard either. It can simply be someone who motivates them to change their world view or strive to be better.

In romance, it is more than acceptable to have the present mentor coincide with the love interest - especially in standalone enemies-to-lovers. I know this seems counter-intuitive, since the word "mentor" implies a power imbalance, but it makes more sense if you readjust your definition of mentor to be "inspires change".

However, for Maera, I kind of like the idea of pairing her up with a love interest who shares some of her flaws. I vibe with the idea of making him a bit self-interested too, although for different reasons.

So in her example, I've listed the present mentor as a selfless secondary character. The way I would envision this going is Maera and the love interest team up early on - but somewhere along the way a secondary character saves them both. They're both heavily influenced by this character before this character sacrifices themselves. The aftermath of this incident rattles both Maera and her love interest, and serves as the spark for growth.

I hope you found this template - and very long explanation - useful!

[recentadultburnout]

Info for writer in Thai series fandom: More language thingy

Swear words and metaphor

*Some words may have more meaning than what I mention.

ไอ้ Ai and อี ee = words to be added in front of other words (a name or swear word), showing contempt or closeness (in a rude way).

Ai is masculine and ee is feminine, but nobody actually cares at this point.

เหี้ย hia or เชี่ย shia = Varanus salvator

These two words are the same. Hia is an original, and shia is a word that is born from distorting the voice in order to reduce vulgarity. It's kind of like referring to an f-word with any other word starting with f. We also used many other words that mean "Varanus salvator" as a sensor version of the "hia" swear word. little crocodile or chicken eater, for example.

They can also be used to empathize by adding to the end one or two times, for example, "super cool" would be "cool hia hia".

Tbh, whenever I read in English and see the word "hia," I always think of this word before a word that means "older brother." And to make it worse, the placement of both of them in the sentence can be exactly the same. Sometimes it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize the writer intended it to be an older brother.

สารเลว saraleo = miscreant, bastard, swinish, vile, caitiff, rascally

If you are 2gether fan, this is the word Tine calls Sarawat.

There are many similar words, such as

rayam-ระยำ-wicked, disgusting, inauspicious

chanrai-จัญไร-vile, unfortunate, ruined, crush

chatchua-ชาติชั่ว-lowlife

เสือก sueak = to meddle in matters that are not their own; to meddle in other people's affairs

ห่า har = infectious disease (cholera), pestilential disease (plague), and the evil spirit responsible for disease epidemics. 

สัตว์ sus =animal

พ่อง pong=your father

แม่ง maeng =your mother

They are shorten from por(father)/mae(mother) mung(you)

ดอกทอง dok thong=whore

This word sounds like a golden flower, but it's just a coincidence as far as I know.

ส้นตีน son teen=heel=lowest point of your body

ควย kyua=cock

หี hee=vagina

สันดาน san dan=in-born traits

as in bad inborn traits. The "bad" is omitted on the assumption that everyone understands.

ตอแหล tor lear=liar, fake

-->sato (สตอ-Crudia chrysantha Schum)-->strawberry

เปรต pret=The hungry ghost, frequently described as a very tall monster with a needle-sized mouth. = tall(negative meaning) or a bad person

อ้อย oi=suger cane=อ่อย oi=attempt to entice something or someone to be caught (typically used by a woman seducing a man).

For example, a cane truck has overturned here.=Someone here is trying really hard to seduce someone.

งิ้ว ngiw=bombax anceps (thorn-covered tree)

In the story, when sinners go to hell, the adulterer must climb this tree naked.

Mark from Love Mechanics asks on Facebook how hurtful it would be to climb a ngiw tree after having sex with Vee, implying that he is at least interested in someone who is not single.

Gold fish=short memory

Tiger=flirtatious person who is good at getting who they want (typically a guy)

A tiger with faded stripes=old tiger=someone who used to be flirtatious but is no longer. 

Dog can be alot of things depent on the context but usually a bad things.

"Dog with a rotten head" means someone nobody wants to get close to or interact with.

If someone looks just like a dog, that means their current state is bad. Too drunk = like a dog. Crying too much = like a dog.

Giving someone dog food means making someone, usually your friends, a dog. Used when you complain about your love life to someone, ask them for advice and they tell you to leave your current partner since the partner is being awful to you, you say so! Then you turn around and reconcile with your partner. So now your friend is a bad guy whom your partner won't want you to associate with anymore because they incite you to be at odd witn your partner.

Temple's dog = low status, usually used for a low-status man who likes a high-status woman who would be called ดอกฟ้า(dokfha) which translates directly to "sky flower." Use something like, "You are a temple's dog yet want to pluck a sky flower, you should know your place!"

A dog that serves someone means someone who only cares about serving their boss (who is a bad person) and nothing else, like morals or other people. A lackey

Bird(quite a new slang) = Can't get what you want, typically means someone you want as a lover.

Phonix = immortal bird = repeatedly failing to get what you want *We do use phonix as a poetic expression too, not just for this meaning.

Buffalo = idiot/fool. 

You can say A is putting horns on B when A is cheating on B; this means A makes B an idiot for believing in A.

When you fail your exam, you might say that these days you eat grass instead of rice (like a buffalo).

There is a saying that goes like this: "One who remembers when they get hurt (and leaves or does something to not get hurt again) is a human; one who is willing to endure it is a buffalo." If you put up with something you shouldn't, you are a buffalo.

Pig

fat

weak/easy to win against

Fox

Cunning

Sedusing

catfish,termite=ugly

rhinoceros=Someone who tries to steal someone else's lover or just acts inappropriately in general according to the traditional feminine standard. Originally, it was only used to call women, but it is no longer the case.

barking deer=gay man

gibbon=woman

It was originally used by trans women to refer to cis women. can be seen as rude, but like many other words, many people don't actually take offense if it is used playfully. These two words, "barking deer" and "gibbon," are usually used together.

The reason why a character does not always know information stated in the subtitle

Gender of someone

The Thai language, for the most part, is gender-neutral. The she or he in the English subtitle usually has to be chosen by the translator.

Who/what the speaker is talking to/about

Many times, sentence structures in spoken language won't require a subject or object. I guess when that gets translated, it looks weird, so the translator has to pick something to add in. In a lot of situations where I am not sure how to address my interlocutor, I can simply avoid doing it, but when I'm writing in English like this, I have to pick something, right?

When

There are no tenses in Thai the way there are in English. We have words for determining whether something happened in the past, present, or future, but you can say something without using any of those and it will be just fine.

Rice

When someone asks if someone has eaten rice(ข้าว-khao) yet, the word rice usually means meal/food and not strictly rice. The word rice can mean food in general a lot of the time.

Polite words

There are a lot of words that mean the exact same thing but have a different degree of politeness. You may already have noticed it with the way there are so many words that mean you or I. You may also notice it when you watch alot of any Thai series. Like, how when a character says "eat" in the subtitle, there are some varied sounds, such as daek(แดก-rude), kin(กิน-common), than(ทาน-a bit more polite-shorten from rapprathan), rapprathan(รับประทาน-polite).

Meaning of polysyllabic words

Some polysyllabic words, when each syllable is separated, still have a meaning, but their meaning may not be consistent with the meaning of that polysyllabic word. So even when you recognize the meaning of each syllable, the meaning of the polysyllabic word you deduce from it may not be correct. I mean, if we look deeper, we should be able to make it make sense, but yeah.

For example, the word "witch" in Thai is mae mod(แม่มด). Mae means mother or something you can used to indicate that a word it is in refers to a woman and Mod means ant when it's a separate word, but when combined, they mean witch. Or for the word whose meaning is more similar to the words used to create it, the word khun nhu(คุณหนู), which means "young master/mistress." used for address the child of the boss, when sperate khun is a prefix to show politeness or respect, and nhu means mice or a word used for calling children. You can see that while some of the single-syllabic words are arguably related to the meaning of the polysyllabic word, some aint so much.

I hope this explanation doesn't make you more confused.😅 But if it is, do tell me. I will try to do better.

Thai alphabet

Our letters are named after words they used to spell. Like, both letters ญ and ย sound the same(yor), but the word woman (หญิง-ying) uses letter ญ and the word giant (ยักษ์-yak) uses letter ย, so letter ญ is named yor ying and letter ย is named yor yak.

Think of it like if A's full name is "A apple".

Index

[just-here-with-my-thoughts]

Day 19: "Please Don't" / Adrenaline Crash

@febuwhump prompt: "Please Don't" @badthingshappenbingo prompt: Adrenaline Crash

Fandom: The Bad Batch Characters: Hunter, Omega, Wrecker, Tech, Echo (Did you read Day 5: Rope Burns / Bound & Gagged and Day 12: Semi-Conscious / Over-the-Shoulder Carry? This is a continuation! Follow the links above to catch up on the story so far) Word Count: ~3005 Click here to read on AO3 Also available in Russian (with thanks to @tech-o-mania for the amazing translation!)

Synopsis: Hunter loses control as he hunts down the mercenaries who captured and injured Omega.

Art by the awesome @collophora of my gorgeous Feral Hunter! Thank you so much for this beautiful pic and letting me post it with my fic, everyone go view collophora's original post HERE and tell them how great they are! <3

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

Omega swings her legs as she sits on the edge of the table, watching as Tech methodically extracts embedded strands of hessian from the wound on her left wrist. Her right is already swathed in bandages, the bacta gel bringing a soothing numbness that dulls the pulsing pain to a background throb.

She draws her breath in as a hiss though her teeth at a particularly painful pull, and Tech glances at her to check she is okay. He doesn’t continue until she nods to give him permission to do so.

The com at the engineer’s wrist crackles to life. “Come in, Tech.” It is Wrecker’s voice, low and urgent.

Tech pauses his ministrations to answer the com. “What is it, Wrecker?”

“I need backup.”

The big clone’s voice over the com is deadly serious, none of his usual joviality.

“What is your status?” asks Tech, his voice taking on a more clipped edge.

“It’s Hunter.”

Tech quickly looks up at Echo, and Omega doesn’t miss the alarmed look that passes between them.

“Will you and Omega be alright by yourselves?” Tech asks, putting the tweezers back in the medkit and standing.

Echo nods, resting a hand on Omega’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about us. Go help Wrecker.”

“Help Wrecker with what?” asks Omega, getting to her feet and looking first at Tech, then Echo. “Are they in trouble?”

“You are still in need of treatment,” says Echo firmly, trying for a smile which comes out too tense to be reassuring. “I’m sure Tech will manage without us.” He gestures back to the table. “Sit back up, and I’ll finish your wrists.”

Tech is gathering his equipment, and Omega leans past Echo to see him set his pistol to stun.

“I want to go with Tech,” she protests softly. “I want to check that Hunter and Wrecker are okay.”

Echo and Tech exchange another look. Omega is getting pretty tired of the unspoken conversations they share with their eyes.

“Finish attending to Omega’s wounds,” says Tech eventually. “Then you may follow… carefully.”

*

Hunter’s pistol is in his left hand, balanced on his forearm which is crossed in front of his body, vibroknife held blade outwards. The hum of adrenaline is in his veins, pulse pounding, slowly building to a tense knot of pain at the base of his skull which will surely become a migraine later.

Two more mercenaries up ahead, just out of sight. He can hear them.

Hunter doesn’t have to think about softening his footfalls. The predator’s stealth comes naturally to him.

In moments he is around the corner and the two men are ten paces ahead, weapons out as they scout the corridor.

They don’t know that death shadows their movements.

In his ear, the com pings. Hunter shakes his head, shutting it off irritably. Not now. Whatever his brothers want, it can wait.

He rolls to his toes, picking up speed. Closes the gap in a sprint.

One shot with his pistol. The laser-burn eats through the first man’s skull. The second turns but Hunter is on him, and the vibroknife tears out his throat before he can cry for help.

Hunter pauses for a moment, surveys his work. That makes four of them he has eliminated now. Four of them who harmed his Omega. Four of them who will never threaten her again.

A high-pitched whine, like tinnitus, sets up in his head. He pulls his helmet off, rubbing his ears, trying to chase away the source of the sound.

His helmet is dropped to the floor, forgotten, as he sets off to find the rest of his quarries.

*

Tech tilts his datapad towards Wrecker. “I have picked up the bounty hunters’ com channel. They seem concerned that they cannot raise a number of their companions.”

Wrecker looks up from fitting binders to the two mercenaries he has captured. “Hunter won’t waste any time,” he says gruffly.

“He may have deactivated his com, but I can still track his locator beacon,” says Tech. “Leave these two here. We must catch up to Hunter as soon as we can.”

*

Hunter crouches on the narrow gangway, watching the knot of mercenaries in the hangar below. Five left. Their conversation drifts to him but it is just noise. He can’t make his head understand the words.

It doesn’t matter what they are saying. Hunter will be among them soon, and their words will give way to screams and then they will be dead. He plans to make sure of that.

The migraine closes its vice-like grip on his consciousness and Hunter pulls his bandana off, trying to ease the pressure at his temples. A faint aurora halos his vision, sparkling in the periphery. His back teeth ache.

He creeps along the perforated metal walkway, feeling it sway a little from the suspension cables that keep it aloft. He holsters the pistol, curling the fingers of that hand around the rail instead. His right hand continues to clutch the vibroknife like it is an extension of himself.

Almost directly above them. From here he can drop onto the group, break his fall with one of their bodies, before wreaking his vengeance.

Hunter climbs silently to the railing. Leans over the edge, gravity pulling at his body, braced now on the outside of the walkway.

Ready to drop.

*

Echo spots the pair of bodies before Omega does. He stops her with a hand on her shoulder and ventures forwards cautiously, already knowing what he will find.

He is surprised to see the half-skull of Hunter’s helmet staring up at him from between the fallen mercenaries. He scoops it up and checks the wiring. The com is undamaged. It has been deliberately disabled.

Behind him he hears Omega.

“Tech, come in. Did you find Wrecker and Hunter?”

She has her bandaged hands pressed to her com, trying to raise her brothers. Echo hurries back to her, Hunter’s helmet in hand. Omega’s eyes go wide as she sees it.

“Is Hunter okay?” she asks in a fearful whisper, reaching out to brush the side of the helmet. The fresh bandages across her palms come away stained red.

“Don’t worry,” mutters Echo, “it’s not his blood.”

There is a moment of confusion before the meaning of his words dawns on Omega. She leans past him to peer down the corridor. Two bounty hunters. Not unconscious. Dead.

“Oh,” she says in a small voice. Then, looking up at him with a determined frown, “We need to find Hunter.”

*

Wrecker and Tech press tightly to the door-frame, one on either side of the corridor that has brought them to this hangar. Tech’s datapad says this is where Hunter should be, but all they can see are the clustered mercenaries.

Wrecker is the first one to look up. His hands move in a quick signal sequence, drawing Tech’s attention to their brother in his ambush position.

“Hunter,” breathes Tech. And as though it is a command, Hunter drops.

The chaos is immediate. Hunter is amongst the mercenaries, pistol forgotten, knife indiscriminately biting through cloth and armour into flesh. Panicked cries answer his sudden appearance. Blaster fire greets him.

Tech and Wrecker recognise Hunter’s grunt of pain like it is their own. They take a single moment to share a nod, and then they too join the fray.

Wrecker charges in, shoulder down, crashing into a mercenary and knocking him away from Hunter. Tech skirts the edge of the hanger, diving into a roll to evade a stray blaster bolt. He comes up with his pistol ready, gaze flitting over the knot of combatants before choosing his target. He knows this is the quickest way to end this.

Omega’s voice comes over the com but doesn’t answer. He needs all his considerable wits about him if he wants to take down his younger brother.

He steadies his aim.

He fires at Hunter.

*

Somewhere beyond the roaring in his ears Hunter is dimly aware that he is injured. There is a lingering trace of heat as the laser-burn crawls against his skin, softened from deadly to merely painful by the layer of his armour. It slows him, but he doesn’t let it stop him.

He ducks a wild haymaker meant to knock him to the ground and comes up inside the man’s guard. The mercenary yells as Hunter’s forehead connects with his nose, blood gouting from the broken cartilage, and Hunter winces at the shout pierces his already tender headache.

The migraine is stabbing behind his eyes now, his vision winking in and out in bright flashes. He has to finish this fight soon, or he won’t be able to.

The sudden jolt of a stun blast catches him in the back. He feels the sensation ripple forwards across his chest, electric, followed by numbness. The blast threatens to short out his enhanced senses.

With difficulty he fights the blackness that follows the stun bolt, dragging his awareness back to the fight. Two others still standing. To his surprise, he realises Wrecker is one of them.

Then Hunter feels an attacker leap onto his back. He howls in panic and anger; instinct directs him to dip his body, rolling the assailant over his shoulder. He grabs them and slams them into the floor, a blow designed to stun.

Recognises the helmet. The goggles.

“Tech?” he slurs in confusion.

And, “TECH!” The shout is echoed by Wrecker, scooping up their fallen brother.

The final mercenary takes advantage of the distraction. Two blaster bolts hit into Wrecker’s back, staggering him, and he clutches Tech to his chest protectively. Hunter watches as the bounty hunter retreats, fleeing for the bikes they came in on.

His prey's footsteps are still reverberating at the edge of Hunter’s enhanced hearing when others approach from behind him. He whirls, sees Echo and Omega.

“What happened?” demands Echo, crossing to Hunter. With one hand he pushes Omega behind him, making sure she doesn’t step round and see the Sergeant. Doesn’t see the feral gleam in his eyes, the sharp and dangerous expression of his open-mouthed panting.

“I’ll find him.” Hunter’s voice is a subhuman growl. “I’ll end it.”

*

Omega paces anxiously, glancing towards the farthest exit to the hanger. Tech is conscious but dazed, propped up against a storage crate as Echo checks his pupils. She worries for Hunter, but she has been told to stay put.

Wrecker finishes restraining the still-living mercenaries and rolls his shoulders, easing out the stiffness of the injuries he sustained. His own blaster is loose in his hands, still set to stun.

The bodies have been hidden to one side, smeared trails of red marking the route they had been pulled. So much for out of sight, out of mind. Omega curls up over her injured hands, rubbing at her wrists through the bandages. The rope burns itch under the healing bacta gel.

“Tech will be fine,” reports Echo, “but one of us should stay with him. Omega?”

“I’m going after Hunter,” she announces, before she can be asked to play medic. She turns and looks at Echo with her mouth set in an unhappy line.

Echo calmly meets her gaze. “Hunter won’t want you to see him like this,” he says softly.

“Hunter needs me.” She is the embodiment of stubbornness. “I know it.”

Wrecker’s big hand touches her shoulder gently.

“I’ll keep her safe, Echo,” he says, voice strained with an ache of worry. He pushes his helmet back down onto his head, the snarling skull hiding the concern in his eyes.

“Let’s go, kid.”

*

Hunter is exhausted, muscles trembling as he forces them to continue. He has to do this. The image of Omega’s injuries is burned behind his retinas, the scent of her fear cloying. He failed to protect her once. He won’t do so again.

One more mercenary, and the job was done. There would be no-one left to threaten her. And if this group didn’t return, perhaps whoever was hunting them would think twice before sending more agents to kidnap her.

Protect Omega. Blood pounds in his head. Every footstep is a hammer-fall on the anvil of his overwrought senses.

Protect Omega.

A blaster shot hits his right hand. The vibroknife is flung free of his grasp, spinning into the air and embedding in the wall above his head. Hunter startles, the pain in his hand almost enough to stop him from evading the follow-up shot aimed for his heart. He twists at the last moment, the blaster bolt grazing his chest-plate.

Then his feral instincts are back, taking over, shutting down the thoughts that are distracting him and driving him forwards into the fight.

Hunter lunges, closing the distance to his would-be ambusher in a burst of speed that belies his injured state. He doesn’t remember that he has a pistol. Instead he barrels into the man, tackling him to the floor. The two of them roll, fighting for dominance, and Hunter comes out on top. Slugs the man. Pain explodes in his knuckles but he doesn’t stop. Again. And again.

Under the onslaught the mercenary’s face is transforming to a swollen, bloody pulp. He writhes and bucks under Hunter, throwing the sergeant off and scrambling for escape. Hunter leaps after him and they are back to brawling, only it isn’t a brawl. The man is sobbing, arms over his head, trying to shield himself from Hunter’s incoming blows. Pleas dribble with bubbled blood from broken lips. The man weeps for mercy.

Hunter’s onslaught continues. One more mercenary, and the job is done.

Protect Omega. Protect her at all costs.

*

Omega and Wrecker round the corner and Wrecker pulls them up short. Hunter is locked in combat with the final mercenary, the sickening sound of fist hitting flesh and the crepitus of broken bone reaching them across the otherwise empty room.

Omega recoils, watching the scene with fascinated horror. The brutality makes her sick to her stomach, but she can’t look away.

Hunter’s hair is loose, missing the bandana that usually tames it, and hangs lank and sweaty about his face. Blood streaks his fists and spatters his armour. The air is punctuated by his soft grunts and laboured breath, and the moans and whimpers emanating from the figure that is huddled beneath his fury.

Wrecker lays his hand on Omega’s shoulder, trying to coax her away. “Omega,” he says, and his voice quavers. He crouches in front of her, interposing himself between her and the brutal scene, and pushes his helmet back on his head to lock gazes with her.

“What is he doing?” Omega whispers in horror, brown eyes wide as she searches Wrecker’s face for answers.

Wrecker merely shakes his head. “You should get outta here, kid. Head back to the Marauder, wait for the others.”

He stands and turns away from her, dropping the blaster and moving towards Hunter with his hands held up defensively. It is like he is approaching a wild animal, wary of attack.

“Hunter, stop it. Please, vod. He’s down, he surrendered. This isn’t right.”

If Hunter hears him he gives no sign. His punches keep flying, sluggish but solid. His victim lets out a single broken sob.

Omega’s com chirps.

“Omega, are you alright?” It is Tech, his voice weak-sounding as he recovers from concussion.

“We found Hunter,” she whispers, riveted on Wrecker’s careful advance.

Wrecker nears Hunter and his victim, one hand extended. “It’s me, Hunt,” he says, softening the brash edge of his voice. “Time to stop. Okay, vod?”

Hunter doesn’t hear him. Or ignores him. It is hard to tell.

“Is Wrecker able to handle the situation?” asks Tech.

Omega shakes her head. “No,” she says, voice trembling with determination. “But if Wrecker can’t make Hunter stop, I will.”

“Be careful, Omega,” Tech warns her, and she steels herself for what is to come.

She steps past Wrecker, ducks to evade his grasp as he tries to stop her. On shaky legs she closes the distance. Hunter, her Hunter, is a creature she does not recognise. Ruthless, bloodstained, no glimpse of gentleness or mercy.

Hunter leans back, winding up for a huge hit. Omega darts in front of him, catching hold of his fist, levelling her intense brown-eyed stare into the wildfire of his fury.

Omega positions herself directly in front of the exhausted sergeant. Hunter is on his knees, tattooed face glazed in sweat and blood that almost certainly does not belong to him. His shoulders heave as he gulps in great lungfuls of air.

“Don’t,” she says. A plea. A command. “Please don’t.”

For a moment Hunter’s eyes turn glassy and unfocused, pupils trembling with rapid dilations before he eventually blinks and manages to fix his gaze on the girl before him.

“Omega?” he croaks weakly, and staggers to his feet. He sways a little, then replants his feet and braces a hand against her shoulder to steady himself. “You’re meant to be with Tech.”

Unexpectedly, he retches. Omega takes a startled step back as Hunter heaves bile, his whole body trembling. When he is done he wipes his mouth slickly on the back of his hand, glancing round in confusion.

Wrecker steps forwards, caution still written in his posture. “Hey, Hunter,” he says softly, a greeting to his brother as he returns to his senses.

Hunter sags against Omega, his arms going round her in relief, and she can feel the uncontrolled quaking of his body as adrenaline fatigue truly sets in.

Quickly Wrecker steps in to support him, taking some of his weight from Omega. But Omega wraps her arms tightly round Hunter’s waist, pressing her face against his chest, ignoring the scent of blood and blaster-fire as she feels his trembling hand run through her hair.

“I forgive you, Hunter,” she whispers, fingers digging into the cracks of his armour as they both cling to each other with equal ferocity. “I forgive you.”

[tia-222]

I want to share a technique for the void! I don't remember what it's called but it works wonders.

It's called the sslid method for lucid dreaming in case anyone wants to do more research on it!

Ahh tysm , I was tryna find the name for it ♡. Your a life saver :^).

Ok, guys so I researched the method soon as I saw this ask and came across this entire guide on it. I'll copy and paste it here, so everyone can see<3.

Link to the original post

SSILD (Senses Initiated Lucid Dream) lucid dream technique :

" SSILD is a modern lucid dreaming technique. It is easy to learn, highly effective, and produces consistent results over period. I developed this technique in 2011 in order to teach lucid dreaming to fellow dreamers on a Chinese forum. The first written version of the technique was published under the title “太玄功”, which literally translates to “A Very Mysterious Technique”. This is rather fitting because at the time no one had the faintest idea why it worked. Despite this lack of theory, the feedback on the technique was overwhelmingly positive. Within just a few months we gathered many hundreds of success stories"

The core component of SSILD is called a “Cycle”. Each cycle consists three steps:

Focus on Sight: Close your eyes and pay attention to the darkness behind your closed eyelids. Don’t strain your eye muscles though. Your eyeballs should be resting, totally relaxed. If you don’t see anything that’s only normal. Do not attempt to spot visuals by moving your eyes around.

Focus on Hearing: Further relax your eyes and shift your attention to your ears. If the room is quiet enough you might be able to hear some noise inside your head or the sound of your heartbeat. However, if you can’t hear anything it is okay to listen to external sounds too

Focus on Somesthetic Senses (Touch): Direct your attention to your body. Feel it and see if you spot any unusual sensations such as tingling, heaviness, lightness, spinning sensations, and so on. If nothing like these can be felt, you can also try to feel the weight of the blanket, your heartbeat, temperature of the air, etc.

The repeated stimulation on the senses enables SSILD to condition our mind and body into a subtle state that is optimized for lucid dream to occur naturally. We should keep this in mind so we don’t make the common mistake of “trying too hard” during the cycles. Beginners usually want to see things, hear things, and feel things. When nothing unusual happens they become discouraged or even desperate. Avoid this mistake at all cost! One should not expect to experience anything phenomenal during the Cycle. In fact, it is better to expect NOTHING at all will happen.

The Steps :

Go to bed early, preferably before 11pm. Set your alarm to wake up after 4 or 5 hours.

Get out of bed and stay awake for 5-10 minutes. I suggest you visit the bathroom, rinse your mouth, and walk around or stretch a little bit. Try not to become too awake though.

Return to bed and lie down in a comfortable position, preferably different from the one you usually use. This is to prevent you from falling into sleep prematurely. However, if you are the type of person who requires extra effort to fall asleep, you may want to use the usual position instead.

Perform the “Cycle” quickly, repeat 4-6 times. This serves as a warm-up exercise so each step should be very short, a few seconds should be sufficient.

Perform the “Cycle” slowly, repeat 3-4 times. This step is the most important one. You should take extra time during each step. Thanks to step 4, at this point you should have become sufficiently relaxed and you will find focusing on the senses become much easier. For example, your eyes will feel more relaxed, and you may get visuals such as lights, colors, or movements. You might also notice that the external sounds seem to be fading into the background. Do not get excited though. You should observe quietly and after a while move on to other senses. As far as timing goes we are flexible, but in general each step should take no fewer than 30 seconds.

[thatdeadaquarius]

Heyo, Idk if you still do sagau but I hope you do 🙏🙏 anyway, this is lowkey wholesome but imagine one of acolytes were trying to communicate with a child but then they realize the child is deaf but reader so happened to be nearby. So then, whatever the character is saying the reader translates into sign language and its just a wholesome sight to see. Btw srry if this isn't what you usually write 😓 add anything to this if you want

OH NO THIS IS EXACTLY ALL THAT I WRITE RN ANON DW MY LOVE 😍

(*update: im so stupid i thought ur sunglasses pfp was a anon and didnt look any closer💀i aint livin this one down)

(Spoiler: i do plan to do imagines for other fandoms bc i have such niche AUs or ideas for them, a lot like this whole language stuff for Genshin Sagau :D )

IVE WANTED TO LEARN ASL FOR SO LONG BUT I HAVENT GOTTEN THE CHANCEEE theres no classes for it where i live ;/

THAT IS TO SAY I LIVEEE FOR COMMUNICATION STUFFFFF

Also srry its kinda short i just could only think of this cute little scenario- 😗

Rest in peace bc i have a whole fat post i wanna make about neurodivergence + general accessibility issues in Teyvat and their countries

Like where r the ramps babe

Where r the non-narrow ass doors

Why r we just constantly made to hike up mountains when we dont have to

And dont come at me with that,

"Theyre in their medieval age! They cant make stuff like that!"

Yeah, u right, they cant.

If they dont be ✨️creative ✨️and they dont use their fucking ✨️magic ✨️

Liyue got floating rocks and they cant make a goddamn disability elevator?? Bitch tf?

THAT IS TO SAY IN A VERY RANTING COUGHPASSIVE AGGRESSIVE AT GENSHIN COMMUNITY FOR NOT REPPING DISABILITIES MORECOUGH

WAY OF SAYINGGGG

Literally almost no one gets sign language in Teyvat

(despite the fact that in my perfect teyvat, sign lang. is superior bc everyone could make it the universal lang. ESP if we go by the cool AU of diff countries have diff languages, like Germanish lang for Mondstadt, Frenchish for Fontaine, etc.)

Off topic again srry-

◇

But you took a class once!! Or even checked out the alphabet and casual convo on ur own time :D

So u just chillin with Kazuha, Thoma, Sara, Gorou, and Kokomi (they vistin the main island to see u!! :] )

Meanwhile a little girl is walking around nearby, and is kinda going in circles

Almost like shes scared to go too far one way or the other,

So being the caring soul he is, (rlly all these boys here rn would notice and help lol)

Thoma comes up to her and squats down trying to talk to her :)

...

Yeah, she didn't say anything, just kinda,,

Motioned with her hands??

She looks like shes doing some kind of code to them..

Oh!

Thoma finally recognized this, its that hand language!! lmao hes got the spirit

so he asks Kazuha to try and see if he knows it or can even figure it out-

Nope. Nada de nada.

Then Kokomi, Sara and Gorou (whos a sweatin nervous mess he doesnt know how to act around kids esp kids in distress he seems like the type lol)

They all fail, Kokomi looks concerned bc she thinks the kids lost, but there no frantic parents nearby, Sara is trying to slowly understand what motions mean what i.e. points to a rock = learn sign from child etc,

Kazuha is trying to get the wind to help locate upset guardians nearby, and Gorou...

... is just 🧍‍♂️

LMAOOO

◇

So after a minute of this (bc u had originally been away at a street food vender, hey those dango were rlly good dont judge urself)

U come back, and see this mild flavor of chaos-

And are just like

"Oh ffs- just shoo, i got it guys"

And just, slowly, go thru some signs with the little girl to get the keywords at least

She lights up and is like bouncing, she goes hella fast at first but slows down when she gets ur hearing

Either way, she looks a lot happier now

U explain for her to the others to confirm her parents got seperated from her

She got lost and where she last saw them

u finally help escort her to the street she last saw her parents on :] !!

◇

Meanwhile the whole allogene group, shopkeepers, and Inazumans around you:

😦😯🥰🥺💓💞💘💖

Kokomi is holding back a squeal, shes gotta keep up her image, ahem-

Sara is like,, minutely vibrating?? Lmao

Kazuha is watching u like a fireworks show, intensely and yet fascinated

GOROU'S TAIL IS KINDA WAGGINGGG AW LOL

And Thoma just looks like a puddle of affection, just absolutely melted (he loves kids + he secretly loves you = dead Thoma)

Other people look weirdly, proud? Like theyre like "yeah thats our god, fuck yeah, knowing diff languages, go off, Your Grace 💅 " LMAO SORRY COULDNT RESIST and also some fascination

♡

Anyway, 2 very stressed looking dads see yall and the girl and one of them run up to hold each other

She starts rapidly signing, explaining to her dads the adventure she had and the cool people she met <3

The dads look at u and r like 🤔😶😱 "YOUR MAJESTY??!!" (VIGOROUS HAND MOTIONS)

They sign like,

"We're terribly sorry about you seeing us like this, we usually are much more together than this, a crowd just swept her off, its very busy today. Thank you so much for helping our girl, my Lord!! 😭😭"

Theyre like almost crying, oh geez, u reassure them and sign back that it happens to any parent at some point and that is matters more that they tried to get her back :]

◇

Meanwhile the rest of the group and the citizens are just watching yall like its the most amazing Olympic level tennis match in the world LMAO

Heads all in sync, watchin yall like 👋👍🙏LMAO IM SORRY

AW IT SUCKS ABOUT WRITING BC I CANT RLLY DEPICT SIGN LANGUAGE AS COOL AS I CAN IN COMICS OR THRU ART

THE EMOJI HANDS NEED SIGN LANGUAGE DAMMIT-

♡

🎵 Hi, it's me. I'm the problem, it's me. 🎵

That is to say none of yalls asks r eaten up, at least im pretty sure? Dw abt it im chugging along having the time of my life hehe >:)

Yall are fEEDIN ME TONIGHT!!

Hope yall r having a good weekend and have no hw if ur in school, or i hope ur shift goes good tomorrow! :]

Love yall!!

Cheers,

🌒🌧🌊Aquarius♒️🌌🌘

♡the beloveds♡

@karmawonders / @0rah-s / @randomnatics / @glxssynarvi / @nexylaza / @genshin-impacts-me / @wholesomey-artist

[ririya-translates]

Soshiro Yonaga's Story

For his birthday on May 15th, I translated Sou's pre-release short story (original) written by Shin Towada (lead scenario writer) with concept art by the artist Lownine. No real spoilers as it takes place before the newcomers' performance as usual. I opted to keep some honorifics in this one between Sou and Kisa just because I couldn't find a good solution around that in the time I had for this. Hopefully it doesn't read too out of place.

That day we shared a dream together, and even now I'm still in it. --Where is this? His field of vision opens abruptly. Warm rays of sunlight fall gently at his feet. Unable to grasp the situation, he looks around at his surroundings. A single torii gate beckons him. Beyond the gate lies a sleepy shrine nodding off to sleep. Memories come to Soshiro Yonaga's mind at the sight of it. "Sou-chan!" As soon as he connects this place to his memories, he hears the voice of a child ring out. Yonaga's body jumps inside as it takes in the sound of that affectionate nickname again. Reliving it in his mind, he sees three kids racing towards him. The one running in the lead is a wide-eyed adorable girl. And right behind her is a boy a couple years older. A boy with a refined beauty who quite resembles the girl. Trailing behind them is the sort of typical boy you'd find anywhere, running with all his might. --That's me. Yonaga instinctively takes in a breath. And with that breath comes a deep understanding. This is a dream. He's watching a dream of the distant past. "Sou-chan! C'mon hurry up, let's play pretend!" The girl takes the young Yonaga's hand. --…chan Yonaga calls out the girl's name, but the voice does not come out. The kids pass him by, dashing through the gate towards the shrine. --Hey, wait…! Trying to chase after them, Yonaga also passes through the torii gate. The moment he does, the figures of the three kids go dim, as if being mocked by his own mind. Not just the kids, but the gate, the shrine, even Yonaga himself starts to disappear. "Okay, you play the lead today Sou-chan!" The only thing left is the children's playful voices. --Wait. "Please, wait!!" Yonaga shouts. He realizes he's in bed with his hand stretched up into the air like in the beginning of a story. "Ah…" Light shines through a crack in the curtain. Vrr, vrr--his morning phone alarm urges him out of bed. It's morning. "Ugh…" He rubs his eyes to avoid facing it, feeling a bit embarrassed about his hand stretched towards the empty air. He's at Univeil Drama School as one of the new first-years of the Quartz class. "I've gotta get out of bed." Another day begins.

He sluggishly finishes getting ready, shoves down some breakfast from the dorm cafeteria, and then heads off to school a little late. "Um…." At Univeil, the mornings consist of rigorous study of a wide variety of topics pertaining to theatre under the expert faculty. Students are permitted to choose their own courses, meaning that those in the same class wouldn't all study the same subjects. Knowing this, Yonaga scans the classroom thoroughly. (Ah…) There's a student of short stature with a delicate frame who demonstrates a strength of will like no one else. It's the same person from the dream, the childhood friend he used to play pretend with. And now they're assigned to the same class in the same grade. "Morn-" "Class is starting now" Unfortunately the teacher appears before he can hardly open his mouth. Despite his interest being on his friend, the class mercilessly continues. He rushes in to take his seat, stealing one last glimpse before focusing on the lesson. After the morning lessons crammed full of new things to learn, time moves into the afternoon. Quartz class rehearsals start from this point onwards. Students from all years gather in the rehearsal room. They're practicing for the newcomers' performance planned for the end of May. "Okay, okaaay, now let's run through everything again so far!" (Neji) As a place that recognizes independence, Univeil Drama School has come to revolve around its performances and students. Kokuto Neji is the class leader directing Quartz. He's a genius, handling everything from the scripts to the stage. "All you older students, watch the first-years carefully to help them out." Neji energetically gives out directions. "Okay then, all the Jeannes come over here," says Quartz's Al Jeanne, Sarafumi Takashina, as he steps forward. He always acts friendly towards everyone, but the overwhelmingly brilliant flowering aura he radiates makes Yonaga nervous just standing next to him. And Fumi isn't the only one like this. There's also Kai Mutsumi, the Jack Ace with a diligent expression who leads the Jacks, and Mitsuki Shirota, the tresor who gives out his opinions on songs without an ounce of intimidation from Neji. And then there's Neji who brings everyone together to propel them further and further forward. Just these people alone make quite the impression. Yonaga's anxiety reaches a point where he questions if it's even okay for someone like him to be standing here right now. And he seems far from the only new student feeling the pressure.

"…Okay everyooone, let's take a break!" The second after hearing Neji's order, the first-years collapse to sit down with worn-out expressions. Yonaga also takes in a big breath as if trying to quench a dry throat. But there's a few in the group acting differently. "Hey, Orimaki's dancing with someone." Suzu Orimaki. Yonaga instinctively searches the room for a certain person. The noisy pounding in his chest gives him a feeling of who it might be. (Ah…) The one facing Suzu as a dance partner is Yonaga's same childhood friend. Suzu likely asked her so they could try out what they had practiced in rehearsal. She-- That's right, she's a girl. His female childhood friend is here at Univeil, the school where boys play all the male and female roles. She enrolled at the all-boys school while hiding her gender. "All right, let's do it!" "Yeah!" She and Suzu exchange words then she takes his hand to begin the dance. The two of them have no stage experience so there's a lot of rough patches. Yet even so, there's something about them that captures people's attention. "Hmm, these two stand out." As their class lead, Neji watches the pair with great interest whilst muttering to himself. Fumi standing next to him agrees and says, "They sure do. I haven't had a chance to see Orimaki dance yet, but he really stands out in whatever he does. Doesn't he, Kai?" "…It's because the other one is so good at supporting him." Kai's eyes focus on the girl dancing with Suzu.

"That's typically a Jack's role," Shirota grumbles with an exasperated expression. Still, the third-years seem to have come to a consensus. "Well…the two of them do have good chemistry though." These words stab Yonaga deep in the chest. They're sharp at first before turning into a dull lasting ache. (I need some water.) Giving himself an excuse to leave the practice room, he starts chugging water like it's his job. But no matter how much he drinks, it's never enough to quench the thirst.

Practice continues as the sun quietly sets and the lights on the school grounds are lit. Neji finally declares that practice is over. The trio of Yonaga, Suzu, and the childhood friend all leave the practice room together. "Whew, I'm beat!" Despite his words, Suzu still seems full of energy. A single nod takes everything for Yonaga to muster, both his legs and his eyelids feeling heavy. "But the upperclassmen are amazing, aren't they?" Suzu says while thinking back on their practice. "The perfect way they sing, dance, and act…and them guiding us. When I see that sorta thing I think…." Suzu's face becomes suddenly determined. "I think there's no way we can lose!" Suzu's burning excitement chills Yonaga's body to the point of shivering. This guy just started here on the same day, at the same time, and should have the same amount of experience yet he seems to live in an entirely different world. Yonaga reflexively steals another glance at his childhood friend. She has a gentle expression as she listens intently to Suzu. He doesn't know what she's thinking but she's definitely in this other world too. He thinks back on the dream he had today. That distant memory where he once stood by her side in the story's lead role. The girl walking by his side now is still living within that dream. "…Sou-chan, what's wrong?" She asks after seeing Yonaga's expression fade and go silent. "Oh, you all right? Practice sure was tough today huh?" Suzu turns his head and looks at Yonaga with concern. "Oh uh, I-I'm okay! I'm just hungry, that's all." "Yeah I feel ya." Their conversation continues meandering along. It's more comfortable like this. As he listens to Suzu talk, Yonaga looks at his friend in a way that's become a habit. "….!" And as he does, their eyes meet. Perhaps she's still feeling concern for Yonaga. He manufactures a smile to try to hide it. Then questions if he's doing it right.

[twisted-wonderland-shenanigans]

Hello! I've been kinda stalling sending this for absolutely no reason, but I'm gonna do it today because it's going to rot in my brain if I don't. Actually, maybe you've done this ask before? Idk, my brain is all scrambled up rn but I'm gonna ask this anyway cause why not

What would happen if Yuu got their period in the Kaiju!AU? How would the Kaiju react?

I can imagine Grim and Crowley freaking out, trying to figure out what's wrong with Yuu. And all the while, Yuu's like, "What are you guys doing? Hey, stop bombarding me! Personal space! What- why are you guys sniffing me!?" And since Yuu doesn't understand what they're saying, they can't answer them on why they smell like blood. Or it the scenario could work with any other of the Kaiju's, too

Wait, how would Yuu even get menstrual products anyway? Do they get them from Sam?? How would they even get those type of products from Sam??? Maybe he get some of them from that wreck of a lab from the beginning somehow? Idk, but I thought it'd be a fun idea

Yeah, this is all I have rn since my brain is cranked all the way up on slow mode today. I hope you have a good day and goodbye! (Oh, and this can be a gender neutral thing with Yuu just being AFAB)

WARNING: Menstrual cycle discussion under read more! Will be using they/them pronouns since gender neutral/AFAB was requested.

Oh goodness, being in the Kaiju AU is going to be a little more difficult for Yuu whether they’re female or AFAB. 😂 Between staying in Crewel’s den or at Crowley’s nest, it’s tricky to get the supplies that they need or communicate to the Kaiju that this stuff they’ve piled up is necessary. Given that Grim does understand what Yuu is saying though, he is able to help at least get that point across…when it suits him anyway (if Yuu makes even more of a fuss than usual, he’ll translate for the others).

I’ll go ahead and explain that—at first—Yuu had to get a bit creative with their monthly cycle once it actually hit. I’d imagine that their body might temporarily shut down that function due to the stress of their new environment, being surrounded by giant monsters that could literally level mountains with a swipe, and the near constant sense of impending doom—even if they’re safe with the guardian trio. This is good for Yuu as it gives them time to finally venture out of the den with Grim to explore the other facilities as it would take a while before they can get back to the original lab.

Luckily for Yuu, the closest facility—although abandoned—was still in good condition and had most of the supplies that they’ll need. In fact, this is where they found the music player that Grim thought was a chew toy! So imagine the sheer excitement and relief Yuu would have the moment they found not one, not two, but a whole crate full of pads, tampons, period cups, and even extra unopened packages of underwear!

You might be wondering why there was so much. Well, because there are female researchers on the teams and the island is not exactly in the most convenient of places, which means that getting supply drops are far and few. Especially when you have creatures that aren’t the Kaiju who can and will attempt to attack any vehicle that comes near the island. I’ll get a bit more detail on the island’s setup and whatnot, but that’s a bit of context on how Yuu is essentially set when it comes to non-perishable items that could be used for a comfortable existence on the island of behemoths!

Sam may have found a few crates of other supplies that had been washed up, but it’s not like he knows what they’re used for unless he observed the humans using the tools out in the field. Even so, Sam will know when Yuu needs something and will make sure to have them available on his next visit. How else did he know to bring a bed when Yuu wanted something comfortable to sleep on?

Now, as for how the Kaiju would react when Yuu finally starts their cycle. If you were expecting Crowley to be freaking out over Yuu’s health like he did in the Twisted Monsterland AU, you’d be mistaken. He does get flustered, but more like a “my tiny human is too young to mate!!!” sort of way while Crewel just sighs at his theatrics. They would be concerned to notice if Yuu’s cycle causes them a lot of pain and discomfort, but luckily the facilities have plenty of painkillers and antibiotics that are available—all that’s required is MIRA to access the appropriate amount needed to get Yuu through their current cycle!

Surprisingly, Grim becomes more protective over Yuu whenever they’re around the other Kaiju. Whenever he notices that they’re uncomfortable (whether they just took painkillers or they’re exhausted or some other feeling they get during this time), he will pick them up or curl around them to purr up a storm and hiss at whoever comes near too fast.

He’s swatted at the first years more than once. 😆

The other Kaiju boys would be confused as to what’s happening. Sure, they know about cycles on an instinctive level (and they understand what it means), they’re just more confused as to the frequency. Do humans not have specific mating seasons? Eventually it does get to the point where they know to be less rowdy when it’s that time of the month, either bringing Yuu their favorite treats or snacks that they managed to get (and once it became clear that one particular fruit tasted exactly like chocolate pudding to Yuu, it became a staple) or taking naps with them. Yuu is going to be one very comfortable human once they figure out a good rhythm to manage things!

That's all I can think of off the top of my head, but there's more than one way to survive in the wild, and with MIRA at Yuu's side, their chances of survival were better than they were before! UvU Also fun fact, there really is a fruit that tastes like chocolate pudding! 0v0

[romancomicsnews]

My Adventures with Superman brings Hope back to the Man of Steel - REVIEW Ep 1 & 2

*Spoilers for the first two episodes, now streaming on Max!*

Growing up, Superman always came off to me as a very nothing character. White bread. Good for the sake of good. Not funny like Spider-Man, not dark and cool like Batman, and too powerful to be in any real danger.

He was just there as the original cape and tights. He was important because he did it first, but that didn't make him interesting.

As I got older, and I read and saw him in more media, I realized the fun of Superman comes from the kindness. The hope he brings to those around him and that stable positive force is essential to the world and the Justice League. While he is the most powerful person in the room, because of who Clark is and his values, he's the person you fear the least.

He's gonna save your cat, he's gonna stop that burning building, and he's gonna get the bad guy, as unharmed as possible.

This is where the DCEU lost me, and where I think most Superman content does. That hope, that kindness, the gentle giant that Clark is has somehow been lost in translation.

While Henry Cavill is a great actor and can play the hopeful side, setting the tone of the movies as so dark and serious drained Superman of his charm.

Superman and Lois has done a good job bringing Clark's hopefulness back in moments, but the Zack Snyder DCEU feel coupled with the CW drama still keeps Superman and Lois pretty dark and dire.

While Hoechlin is a fantastic Superman, the world he inhabits has kept me wanting a true representation of the character I love.

Which is why My Adventures with Superman is such a breath of fresh air.

Let's start with Jack Quaid. Using such a pure sounding soul like Quaid to embody Clark was a stroke of genius. While he is known for playing good-ish characters like Hughie in The Boys and Peter Parker/ The Lizard in Across the Spider-Verse, Quaid does not coast on his past charms for Clark.

This character equally feels fresh, different from Quaid's past characters, and like a kid who is transitioning into the Man of Steel.

Whether he is struggling to flirt, scold Lois for lying, or fight a robot, Clark feels genuine, kind, and strong.

As Superman, Clark does not change into a scary, super powered god. Instead, he is trying to help the bad guy, clean up the messes, and rescue kittens from trees. While we only get a glimpse of his true Superman form at the end of episode 2, it is enough for me to get so excited that I'm typing this all out. This is the Superman I've been waiting for!

Rounding out the cast are Alice Lee and Ishmel Sahid as Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen.

Lee has a quality not always perfectly emulated for Lois in my opinion, which is spunk. Moxie. She is so clearly the leader of the team for the Daily Planet. Couple that with her comedy timing and clear chemistry with Quaid, this may be the blueprint for Clark and Lois in the future.

While usually Lois is a made journalist by the time Clark shows up, starting them at equal footing is an interesting development. I'm hoping they use this to show just how quickly Lois Lane can rise the ranks against others.

While Sahid is utilized the least so far, conspiracy theorist comic relief Jimmy is equally charismatic and likable. He is a character I think the DCEU and CW didn't quite understand the value of, but this show clearly does. My hope is this character goes on to go on as wacky adventures as he does in the comics.

The chemistry between the three characters is very strong for the first couple of episodes. So much so I don't know if I'm more excited for more Lois and Clark romance, Clark and Jimmy bafoonery, or Lois and Jimmy investigating.

While the villains leave something to be desired in the first two episodes, the inclusion of overarching villains Deathstroke, Amanda Waller and General Lane lead me to believe they hope to build out this universe, at the very least into Batman.

If that is true, I am so in.

I can see a world where we have 3-4 different anime shows introducing key members of the Justice League, all leading up to an anime style movie where they fight Brainiac, with Jack Quaid's Superman at the center of it.

But perhaps I am getting way ahead of myself.

All in all, My Adventures with Superman has me excited for Fridays to come. It has heart, it has comedy, and it seems to understand the Last Son of Krypton better than most pieces of media.

This should be the blueprint for Superman Legacy.

A Superman who brings donuts for all his coworkers.

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[felinecryptid]

Wish what you desire, before its too late

pav tries to keep a secret

(translations at the end <3)

"Shayad aisa mauqaa mile na mile phir reh jaye adhuri khwaaish," Pav sang, heels of his feet periodically thumping on the walls of the high building they were sitting on. Hobie reclined nearby, guitar in hand, lazily strumming out tunes, trying to guess the music to the song Pav was singing. He never would get it right, they both knew, but half the fun was the music mishmash. Besides, Pav could sing the sappiest, most lovesick songs to Hobie's face and he would never know. "Hoo~ kya pata ho ye bhi sitaron ki humko milaane ki koi saazish,"

Hobie strummed out some quick ascending succession of notes, before falling back to a steady and lilting yet melancholic melody, strangely similar to the original score of the song. Maybe there was something about music that surpassed languages and spoke directly to the soul. Maybe it could convey feelings to Hobie that Pav couldn't think without combusting.

Pav's cheeks heated up at the smallest of reminders about the thing they were not talking about. But he couldn't go much longer without doing something about it. Maya Auntie always said he was terrible at keeping secrets, especially if it was about someone he knew.

And how could he? Hobie made him feel like he was whole. Not like he was his other half, but like he never had to hide anything from him because he was one of the only people who knew about him being Spiderman. He never had to play the superhero with him, never had to pretend, never had to put up a different personality around him, all they ever had to be were Pav and Hobie and PavandHobie. They just made sense together, in whatever way that was, team mates, friends... or something else. Hobie just got him, understood when he needed cheering up, when he needed some space and when he needed a break but was too stubborn to take one.

He didn't know everything that made Pav tick at first, but he learnt, and in the process, Pav couldn't help but admire him and his efforts. And if at some point the admiration took a turn to another feeling that had Pav blushing every time Hobie called him 'luv', 'darlin', or a 'fuckin' wanker', it wasn't his fault. It started with his dark eyes, with a deep weight that seemed to freeze Pav's breath in his lungs and the languid smile that was ornamented with silver piercings. Pav missed so many lectures in chemistry, daydreaming about a far away world where he could taste the chink of the ring against his teeth. Feel the 'sweetheart' whispered into his mouth.

"tu saath agar hai, kaagaz ki kashti tayr jaegi," Pav continued, the lyrics ringing truer and truer. Hobie hadn't looked up in a while and it made Pav's predicament a little bit easier. Because he usually fantasised about kissing Hobie when he was a hundred percent sure no one was paying attention to him. But here he was, sitting in front of the guy himself, thinking about it, where he was one touch away from finding out how flustered Pav was. Maybe he's watched way too much khatron ke khiladi with Nandan.

He tugged at his tie, loosening it for the next part, "tu nahi toh yeh kahani, taash ki paton si bikhar jaaegi," He pitched his voice higher, straining just a little bit to reach the high note, "bazm mein beeteen jo raatein, agle hi pal mein badal jaengi," Pav sang, eyes closed and into the song, never noticing the guitar fading out.

"Raat ke andheri sannaaton mein, chupke se kanon mein lori ki tarah," He dared a glance at Hobie. He did not expect him to be staring back, the sunset casting deep shadows across his face that didn't quite hide the intensity of the expression, a look that made Pav's throat go dry. He almost faltered, folding to Hobie, but he didn't. Something told him to keep going. "Teri haar kahani pe nayi ya purani pe, bharoon hain mein hain." The golden sunrays bathed them, and Pav felt effervescent. Hobie moved closer. Pav's eyes fell half-shut, the desire to watch him and the instinct to trust him warring, his mouth still forming the last lines of the song.

"Madhyam madhyam, utarta chanda- mphf!"

They were kissing, it occurred to Pav, just as Hobie pulled away and something just broke inside him.

"Sor-"

"Nahi, idhar aao," Pav reached for Hobie's face, pulling him back in. "I've waited way too long for this," He barely got the words out, pressing his lips to Hobie's.

It was everything he dreamed of. It was better. It was real. Pav could feel the cold press of the ring, a contrast against the warmth of Hobie's soft lips, against his own scarlet cheeks. Pav hands moved lower, clutching at his shoulders. Hobie grabbed at Pav's sides, not staying still, trying to hold all of him at once, warming him inside out.

They kissed, until they couldn't, because Pav was grinning so wide he thought he couldn't possibly keep it all on his face.

"'oly shit Pav, you've been 'oldin' out on me," Hobie whispered, their foreheads touching and voice hoarse. Pav liked it. Pav liked it so much.

"Shut up, you- tune mujhe kitna confuse kiya hai, you don't get to say anything." Pav huffed.

"I 'aven't the foggiest about what you're sayin', Pavi," Hobie complained.

"So, let's not talk at all." Pav laughed, wrapping his arms around Hobie and pulling him in again.

___

title (translated) from and the song pav's singing is saazish by bhuvan bam in dhindora (i highly rec you putting this on while reading this its so good)

translation:

Shayad aisa mauqaa mile na mile phir reh jaye adhuri khwaaish - you might not get another chance like this, your desires left unfulfilled (the singer's talking about wishing on a shooting star)

Hoo~ kya pata ho ye bhi sitaron ki humko milaane ki koi saazish - [vocals] what if this was a set up for us to meet, orchestrated by the stars

Tu saath agar hai, kaagaz ki kashti tayr jaegi - if you are with me, the paper boat would float on

Tu nahi toh yeh kahani, taash ki paton si bikhar jaaegi - and if you are not, our story would collapse like [something made of] playing cards

bazm mein beeteen jo raatein, agle hi pal mein badal jaengi - the nights spent in your arms, will change and fade away so fast

Raat ke andheri sannaaton mein, chupke se kanon mein lori ki tarah - in the night's dark silence, i whisper like a lullaby

Teri haar kahani pe nayi ya purani pe, bharoon hain mein hain - to your every story, i listen with utmost care and love (direct translation would be: "i listen and agree to everything" but that's not what this line actually means) (also this line is directly linked to the previous line)

Madhyam madhyam, utarta chanda- mphf! - slowly, the setting moon- mphf!

Nahi, idhar aao - no, come here

tune mujhe kitna confuse kiya hai - you got me feeling so confused

pop culture ref:

khatron ke khiladi - its a popular daredevil show, very entertaining if you like icky things like insects, animal abuse and borderline gore

[canonmisogynyvictimstournament]

PROPAGANDA

DRAGONA JOESTAR (JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE: THE JOJOLANDS) (CW: Transphobia)

1.) While JoJolands has only barely started, Dragona already is not being treated too well. In her first appearance, a police officer sexually assaults her, and in addition makes comments about how her being transgender makes the situation more exciting for him.

Her brother misgenders her, referring to her as “"big bro”“ despite knowing she takes ”“cosmetic injections”“ that caused her to grow breasts, but this could be just a nickname Dragona doesn’t mind, ignorance from her brother, or from lack of clarity due to all translations this far being unofficial. Otherwise, Dragona isn’t usually referred to with any gendered pronouns, which could be due to the source material being in Japanese, which doesn’t really use third person pronouns, substituting them with names.

While I hope Part 9 starts treating her better, the very beginning of the story has been rough on Dragona.

2.) The JoJolands went from 0 to sexual assault in 10 pages. Yes, Dragona is sexually assaulted by a police officer less than 10 pages into the manga. The pigs then get their asses kicked by her little brother Jodio, because so far in this story, Dragona has very little ability to stand up for herself. Then there’s the fact that she isn’t even explicitly a woman in the story. She was amab, and is described as wearing feminine clothing, and having injections so she has breasts. Still, Dragona is referred to as Jodio’s big brother, and primarily uses masculine pronouns in the fan translation despite some fluidity in that department from the original Japanese. It is unclear what the author’s intent is here, and I’m not one to try and guess what’s going on in that man’s mind. There’s a chance she gets a lot of development and ends up being a well-written character. I’m not terribly optimistic with what we’ve seen so far.

3.) After 35 years of misogyny and transmisogyny, the author decided to be bold and make one of the main characters of the new part a trans woman! … who gets SAed in the first chapter and who gets the "just a tr*p” label slapped on by the narrative despite her transition being fucking discussed. You can always count on Jojo for misogyny!

GWEN STACY (MARVEL COMICS)

1.) One of the most famous examples of fridging of all time. Marvel reintroduced physics for five seconds to kill her off, then forgot about them again.

2.) Got killed off because a (male) writer thought she was a boring love interest.

3.) Got fridged

[dialovers-translations]

DIABOLIK LOVERS VERSUS SONG Bloody Night Vol.Ⅳ Mini Drama “Reiji VS Kanato”

Original title: 録り下ろしミニドラマ「レイジＶＳカナト」

Source: Diabolik Lovers VERSUS SONG Bloody Night Vol. IV Mini Drama

Audio: Here

Seiyuu: Katsuyuki Konishi & Kaji Yuki

Translator’s note: Reiji and Kanato are a...fascinating combination to say for sure. They were paired for the very first VERSUS CDs as well though, so it isn’t exactly new either. I remember back then it revealed how Reiji could be much more intense than his initial calm demeanor leads to believe, but after HDB, they decided to kind of get rid of this ‘wild’ side of him for some reason. Although in this case, it might be for the best because Kanato already brings more than enough chaos to the table. 

*Rustle rustle*

Kanato: …Going to bed already?

You seem startled.

Kanato: Fufu~ What’s the matter? …I was so nice to come all the way to your room. So shouldn’t you be a little happier? ーー That being said, I feel as if your scent is stronger than usual. …Hey. Did somebody suck your blood?

You shake your head.

Kanato: Hmー I see…But I can’t trust your words. So how about we do this…?

*RIIIIIP*

Kanato: Come on, show me your arm.

You hesitate.

Kanato: Hurry up, please. Come on…!

*Rustle rustle*

Kanato: Fufufu…I’m going to tie you up nice and tight with the sheets like this. Aren’t you glad? Besides…

*Rustle*

Kanato: If I tie your other arm to mine, you won’t be able to leave my side anymore. I’ll get to hog your blood all to myself.

You wriggle around.

Kanato: No point in trying to run. You are far too weak to untie yourself. I made sure to make a tight knot. Well then, I suppose I shall indulge in your blood right away. Haah…I’m terribly parched, you see.

*Thud*

Kanato: You’re happy, aren’t you? You get to savor my fangs after all. I’ll mark you all over. …Now where to start? From the neck, per usual? Or perhaps I should go for the shoulder or your lower back instead? …But I suppose I’ll start off with the neck after all. Fufufu…Such beautiful, fair skin…Looks scrumptious.

*Rustle rustle*

Kanato: Don’t move, please. How am I supposed to suck your blood like this!? You truly are a natural at ruining my mood, aren’t you? Are you perhaps doing it on purpose?

You shake your head.

Kanato: If not, then why? Ah, I get it. You cannot help but react out of sheer job, can you? However, I can’t suck your blood very well like that. Fufu…Fufufu…I just had a genius idea! I can simply tie down your ankles as well!

*RIIIIIP*

Kanato: By fixing them to the bed like this…Heh. Now you can thrash about all you want and it won’t be an issue. …Hm? You’ve got tears pooling in the corners of your eyes? Have you grown scared of me, perhaps? Please rest assured. I won’t do anything else as long as you don’t attempt to run.

Of course, I won’t deny that it seems very fascinating to witness you scream in pain as your skin turns deep crimson.

You wriggle around.

*Rustle rustle*

Kanato: Fufu…Are you sure you should be doing this? If you keep at it, I might just do something truly horrible to you. Or do you enjoy the pain, perhaps?

You stop moving.

Kanato: Hm. Seems like you finally understood. I wonder how many times I need to repeat myself until it gets through to you?

Kanato bites you.

Kanato: Mmh…Nn…

*Sluuuuurp*

*Gulp*

Kanato: …Ah. Just as I thought, your blood is truly first-rate.

*Sluuuuurp*

Kanato: Hah…

*Sluuuuurp*

*Gulp gulp*

Kanato: Haah…I’ll suck you till you almost reach your limit, okay?

*Sluuuuurp*

*Gulp*

*Sluuuuurp*

Kanato: …Mm~ You can’t help but wriggle around from the pleasure? You truly are a hopeless girl, aren’t you? I’ll give you even more. Fufu…You must be so happy to get rewarded by me, huh?

*Sluuuuurp*

Kanato: Nn…

*Sluuuuurp*

*Gulp*

*Sluuuuurp*

Kanato: Mmh…

*Gulp*

Kanato: …Ah~ It’s so sweet, I can’t stop. Now where to suck from next? I’d like it to hurt as much as possible, but the blood also needs to be tasty. …In that case, I believe this spot might be ideal.

Your eyes widen in horror.

Kanato: Fufu…Fufufu…Look at how swollen and bright red your skin is over here, I’m sure there’s lots of blood gathered underneath. I mean, the fabric of the sheets has been rubbing across it with each and every one of your movements.

*Rustle*

Kanato: The way your heart is beating loudly sounds as if it’s begging me to hurry up and bite down…Aah~ I doubt I’ll be able to hold back. When I imagine the sweetness of your blood flowing underneath this skin, I can barely contain myself. Haah…

He bites you again.

*Sluuuuurp*

*Gulp gulp gulp*

Kanato: …Hah! It’s much richer than before…!

*Gulp gulp*

*Sluuuuurp*

*Gulp*

*Rustle rustle*

Kanato: …Hah. …Haah? Oh shut up, will you? All you need to do is continue to offer me your blood until I’m satisfied. I want much, much more! I haven’t had enough at all. Now then, more…

*Sluuuuurp*

*Gulp gulp*

*Sluuuuurp*

*Gulp*

Kanato: Hah…

*Sluuuuurp*

*TIMESKIP*

*Dingーdongー Dingー dongー*

Kanato: Zz…Zz…

Reiji: Kanato. Wake up.

You wake up.

*Rustle rustle*

Reiji: Oh dear. You woke up instead. Kanato is…

Kanato: Zz…

Reiji: …still sound asleep, it seems.

You ask Reiji what has brought him here.

Reiji: Why I came here, you ask? Because I was looking for Kanato. Apparently he broke some school equipment and did not inform anyone about it. I was asked by one of the teachers to give him a warning in their place.

Since I could not find him in his own room nor the living room, I thought that perhaps he had gone on one of his rare trips outside, but then I picked up on the scent of your blood coming from here.

…Kanato sucked your blood throughout the whole night, did he not? How do you explain that?

You shake your head.

Reiji: Denying it now? Fufu…Seems like you underestimate me quite a bit. No point in trying to make up excuses. Did you truly think I would not notice the scent of your blood filling this entire room?

*Rustle rustle*

Reiji: You are tied to the bed on top of that…Good grief. Kanato has some deplorable tastes. Keep still, understood?

You thank him.

Reiji: …Hah. I did not untie you to do you a favor. I have been feeling uncomfortable ever since I entered this room. To think that I have warned you so many times about not letting anyone but me suck your blood…

*Rustle*

Reiji: These various bite marks left behind on your neck…They were all left behind by Kanato, were they not? Good grief…What a mess. Nothing but filthy marks of someone who indulged in blood out of sheer gluttony.

It would seem that you need to be punished severely. For seducing Kanato for your own pleasure, getting him as far as to suck your blood. You should be taught a lesson…by my fangs.

*Rustle*

Reiji: However…Sucking from the same spot he did would go against my personal policy.

*Rustle*

Reiji: I shall give your back a taste of my punishment instead. This part of you has been left unmarked after all.

*Rustle*

Reiji: Please keep silent. I cannot guarantee the situation taking a turn for the worst if Kanato were to wake up.

Reiji bites you.

*Gulp*

Reiji: Mm…

*Gulp*

Reiji: …Hah…

*Gulp*

Reiji: Hah…Are you sure? The more you wriggle around, the higher the chances that Kanato will wake up. …Or are you doing this on purpose, because you want to show off to him? I will not criticize you for having such preferences, but I have to say, it is something unexpected.

You whimper.

Reiji: This was meant to be a punishment but…Good grief. You truly are hopeless. …However, I suppose it does not feel bad. I shall make sure you get a thorough feeling of my fangs.

*Gulp gulp*

Reiji: Nn…

*Gulp gulp*

Reiji: …I believe I told you to keep quiet? Will you not listen to me?

You protest.

Reiji: Then bite down on some fabric. …Come on, look this way.

*Rustle*

Reiji: Hmph. How laughable. However, I can properly punish you now. I am still nowhere near done. We shall keep going until you realize who exactly you belong to. …However, the sight of someone else’s marks carved into your skin is truly upsetting. I suppose I have no other choice. …Excuse me for a second.

*Rustle*

Reiji: I shall suck from your shoulder. I should be able to let you experience a sharp pain that way.

You tense up.

Reiji: Are you frightened? However, I have to do this, otherwise you will never truly understand who you belong to, no?

*Rustle*

Reiji: I am sure Kanato will be surprised as well. I doubt he could have ever imagined I would be here sucking your blood while he’s sleeping right next to us. Well then…I shall thrust my fangs…even deeper this time.

*Gulp gulp*

Reiji: Mm…

*Gulp gulp*

Reiji: …Hah. Accept the pain. And by doing so, fill your mind with nothing but thoughts of me. Hahn…Mm…

*Rustle*

Reiji: A fine reaction. Well then, lose yourself in me even more…

*Gulp gulp*

Reiji: Mm…Nn…

*Rustle*

Kanato: What on earth are you two doing…!?

Reiji: Oh dear, so you have awoken. I am sucking her blood, as you can tell.

Kanato: I can see…! What I’m asking why you’re here getting ahead of me when I was looking forward to indulging in her blood first thing in the morning…!?

Reiji: Hah. That is simply how you feel about it, no? It has absolutely nothing to do with me.

Kanato: Don’t be ridiculous!! I am the only one who gets to do with her as I please! You’re in the way!

*Rustle*

Kanato: Hey, you feel the same way, don’t you? You think my fangs are a million times better than his, don’t you? Ah…You can’t speak because you’ve got a cloth in your mouth, come you? Let me remove it for you then.

*Rustle*

Kanato: Come on, hurry up and tell him. That I’m number one…and that he’s getting in our way!

You remain quiet.

Kanato: Hm…What’s wrong? Hey, why can’t you say it?

Reiji: Kanato…That is because she does not wish to have her blood sucked by you, don’t you think? She feels satisfied after I bit her. In other words, you are unnecessary.

Kanato: Haah…? What are you saying? That makes zero sense! She felt better than ever before when I sucked her blood!

Reiji: That applies for when I fed off her. I had no other choice but to have her bite down on fabric just to keep her quiet after all.

*Rustle*

Reiji: Isn’t that right? You want me…to suck your blood. Just like this…

*Gulp*

Reiji: Mm…

*Gulp gulp*

Kanato: …!! Reiji…!! What are you doing!?

Reiji: See? Your body is heating up already. Just as I thought, you simply cannot escape my fangs. That’s what this means, no? Ignore the onlookers. All you need to do is be there for me.

Kanato: Kuh…You won’t get away with this…UNFORGIVABLE!!

*Rustle*

Kanato: I am the only one who gets to have their way with you!

Kanato bites you as well.

*Gulp*

*Rustle rustle*

Kanato: Fufu…Fufufu…Such a loud scream. Guess I am the best after all. I’ll give you more and more…! I’ll make an exception today and grant all of your desires! Under normal circumstances, I’d be pressuring you for letting Reiji do with you as he pleases. …Say, where has he not bit you yet? Show me. I’ll leave plenty of my marks on you…So, okay?

*Rustle*

Reiji: Good grief…I wish you would not get distracted by other things. What you should be focusing on instead…are my fangs.

*Rustle*

Reiji: Anyone can tame you with pain…Kanato can, as well as myself, and the others too. ーー However, I am the only one capable of making you experience pleasure at the same time. The way I suck your blood…will make you my captive…Nn…

*Gulp gulp*

Reiji: Yes…Lose yourself in my fangs…just like that. I shall give you them plenty more.

*Rustle*

Reiji: Well then, once more…

*Gulp gulp*

Reiji: Mmh…Nn…

*Gulp*

Kanato: K-Kuh…!! H-How could you…I won’t forgive you!! Both of you are making a fool out of me!! …I can suck her blood however I want…! …Hey! I’m the only one you need, right?

*Sluuuurp*

Kanato: Nn…

*Sluuuurp*

Reiji: Heh. Seems like she isn’t enjoying that very much. I believe that sucking one’s blood thinking only of your own pleasure won’t be well received by the other party.

…Now then, accept only my fangs. You are mine after all. Nnh…Mmh…

*Gulp gulp*

Reiji: Nn…

Kanato: …She belongs to me.

*Sluuuurp*

*Gulp gulp*

Kanato: Look, she’s twitching. I’ll suck you even harder, okay?

*Sluuuurp*

Kanato: Hahn…

*Sluuuurp*

Reiji: You truly are a slave to your own desires…reacting to both of us like that. I suppose it cannot be helped. I believe I shall have to teach you just how great my fangs are all over again.

*Gulp*

Kanato: …Hah. You say the strangest things. Just by looking at her, it should be obvious that I have won this show-off. However…It might be nice to see Reiji devastated by his defeat. Come on, show him how you lose yourself in me even more…Nn…

*Sluuuurp*

Kanato: Mmh…

*Sluuuurp*

*Gulp*

Reiji: I do not see why I would have to pay any mind to this nonsense, but I shall stay here with you until you fully understand. After all…I have plenty of time on my hands.

Well then, drop all the way down…to the dark depths of Hell. Hahn…

*Gulp*

Reiji: Mm…Nn…

*Gulp gulp*

*Rustle rustle*

Reiji: Nnh…

*Rustle rustle*

ーー THE END ー ー

[eggbagelsjr]

How To Plot Romance (in fanfic)

Today I realized I've been plotting my romance writing all wrong. Oops! Lucky for you, I think I figured out how to solve this problem. *Gestures to the camera* come along with me and let's figure out how to write romance plots together!

When I'm sketching out a story idea, I generally use some simplified version of Dan Harmon's story circle (ok so this link is not an endorsement of Dan Harmon as a person, but I have found this plotting device helpful), which is itself a simplified version of Joseph Campbell's The Hero's Journey. The double-simplified version looks something like this:

You (character in a zone of comfort)

Need (want something)

Go (venture outside the comfort zone)

Search/Adapt (adapt to the new situation)

Find (finally get what they wanted)

Take/Sacrifice (but sacrifice/pay a price)

Return (go back to the comfort zone)

Change (different than they were before)

The problem I keep running into is that I never know what goes where, especially as the number of characters and side plots increases. It's also a little hard for my brain to translate this tool that came out of adventure epics to what I need for a romance/rom-com plot. Usually I look at this list, get overwhelmed, and zoom way too far out, filling in these answers based on what I, the all-knowing author, think they should be. The end result looks a lot like (we're using Dramione as our example, but any characters will do):

You: Hermione Granger

Need: To find love.

Go: To a place where you can find love.

Search/Adapt: For/To love!

Find: LURVE

Take/Sacrifice: The love????? But sad now????

Return: With love!

Change: Loved 😍

And. Uh. That's not a plot?

Where I went wrong is that people in the story don't know they're in a story (unless they do, in which case you should probably sleep with one eye open because your characters know what you've done to them). Your characters are unreliable. They only see what's in front of them. By zooming all the way out to LURVE, I erased everything that's fun to read that gets us to our HEA (or, if you're devious, non-HEA).

So, it stands to reason you should fill out this story circle (story bulleted list?) from the perspective of your character, not you. (This is probably very basic science and congratulations if you got there way before me. You don't need this post. You should be writing this post.)

But even more important in a romance? That need, the thing your main character wants, is kind of a red herring. The character thinks this is their primary need/goal to get them out of whatever slump they start out in, but you, the author, know that what they actually need is to fall in love with the Love Interest.

Then, during the Search/Adapt phase, when your main character is looking for that thing they need or trying to achieve their primary goal or whatever, they start to learn more about the Love Interest. Their perspective shifts, and they realize they were wrong before. The Love Interest is what they actually need. This is probably where most of your story will happen. During this step, there's only one bed, the characters are fake dating, they get trapped in an elevator, etc.

Sadly, just when we think the main character has come to their senses, they are offered the exact thing they *thought* they needed the whole time. Bonus point if the thing they thought they wanted is in direct conflict with accepting the affections of the Love Interest.

During Take/Sacrifice, the main character has to choose. Are they going to pick love or the thing they thought they wanted at the beginning of the tale? In a multi-chap, you might let your character choose the original need/goal (or struggle for a while with the choice). In a one-shot, you might not have enough space for this and the character chooses love.

Next, in the Return, if it isn't the consequences of the character's own actions. A character who chose their need/goal over love during Take/Sacrifice needs to make amends to the Love Interest. The character who chose love has to deal with not getting the thing they needed at the beginning of the story. Depending on your fic's vibes, you might invent a magical solution for the character to get everything they want here. Alternately, maybe the character suffers and loses everything. This seems like a lot to cram into the end of your tale, and it is, so try not to drag it out too long. Your reader has gone on a long journey with your characters and they don't want to read fifteen chapters of sadness before the end (or maybe they do?). If they aren't already, the characters want to be together at this point, they might just need a little shove to get there.

In the final step, take a moment to show us how the character and their life have changed as a result of going on this journey. They are now in a new comfort zone / status quo and are ready for further adventures, should you so choose.

To clarify how these steps work for a romance plot, I changed the labels and made you a little graphic. Please ignore that I don't make graphics and a 12 year old on Canva could have done better.

The formula looks like this now:

You: Hermione Granger is in her comfort zone. Note: in fanfiction, you don't have to do as much character development with an established character who is behaving as expected. Use this time instead to highlight the limitations of their comfort zone. You can also use this space to set up their romantic foil, especially if that character is behaving in an unexpected way. For example, if Hermione is being very driven and high-achieving, the reader doesn't need a lot of context for her behavior; they already know this version of her from canon. But if her would-be paramour Draco Malfoy is acting kind and considerate, the reader is going to want more information since in canon his behavior is usually presented as rude/entitled/etc. Don't spoil the surprise of why he's different, just show us the ways he's not what we expect. (Reveal his secret in Step 4 - Learn).

Need: Hermione has The Wrong Goal (pass legislation, solve a mystery, avoid sleeping in the room with only one bed). This might be a very noble goal, but it's at odds with Hermione's true, secret, hidden goal of being in love with Draco Malfoy. Why? Because she doesn't know that being in love with Draco is where she's headed yet.

Go: To the place that Hermione's Wrong Goal requires. Pass legislation? Lobby all the Sacred 28s sitting on the Wizengamot! Solve a mystery? Go undercover to find out who did What in Which Room with What Object. Avoid sleeping in the hotel room with only one bed? Go to the concierge and ask for a new room. What's important is that wherever Hermione goes, she's forced to be near Draco Malfoy, the object of her true, secret, hidden, goal (to fall in LURVE).

Learn: This is where Hermione and Draco are forced to work together to solve the problem of the finding/achieving the Wrong Goal. Through this process, Hermione realizes Draco's exactly what she didn't know she was always looking for, etc. Unfortunately, her original goal is still at odds with being in LURVE with him. Cue tension. Example: They're at the concierge desk begging for a new room; he's offering all the money in his vaults, she's trying to appeal to the hotel staff's sense of human decency. She admires his tenacity. He realizes she's witty and a little bit underhanded. He likes this. She has a fleeting curiosity about how the tenacity would manifest in bed. Oh no.

Find: In this step, Hermione is confronted with an opportunity to obtain her original Wrong Goal. Example: Well what do you know? The bribe and the appeals worked. The concierge has found one other room in the hotel. Dramione are no longer forced to sleep in the room with only one bed.

Choose: Unfortunately, lurving Draco is still at odds with Hermione's original goal, so she must choose between him and what she originally thought she wanted. She might have a lot of introspection here, where she considers the merits of different choices. Maybe she even talks it out with him or someone else. If this is a one-shot with a happy ending, she has grown and developed sufficiently by now to make the right choice and choose Draco. She sacrifices the original goal for him. If this is a multi-chapter fic, she chooses the wrong original goal over him and loses him as a result. Example: They both go back to the room with only one bed. He's going to collect his things and go to the new room. They hesitate. Is it really necessary for him to move rooms? Draco has so many items, and some of her stuff is mixed in with his stuff. He looks at her with eyes full of newfound respect. "What do you think, Granger?" Hermione sacrifices her original goal, calls the concierge back, and lets them know that they won't be needing the new room after all, but "Please enjoy whatever ungodly massive tip Mr. Malfoy left you. I know I sure will."

Reap: Now it's time to reap the consequences of the choice Hermione made in Step 6. In a one-shot, maybe Hermione's all done. She heads back to her old comfort zone with her new relationship. Depending on the tone of this story, maybe there's some way that she gets to have her original goal and her relationship. However, in a multi-chapter fic, this is where Hermione has to do some work to make amends for choosing wrong (that is, for not choosing Draco). If it's a multi-chap with a happy ending, she succeeds, Draco forgives her, and they smooch. Example: They're back in the room. There it is - just the one bed. All those slightly naughty things they thought during Step 4? Oh yeah. They're going to try them all out. Fade to black, etc.

Change: Some final scene showing how things are different now that Hermione has what she really needed (the D). Example: They wake up the next morning way past check out and have to extend their stay. Bummer!

A fully worked example:

You: Hermione Granger is bored at her job at the Ministry of Magic. She unexpectedly bumps into her former archenemy, a now polite and reserved Potions Professor Draco Malfoy. She learns that Minerva McGonagall, the current Hogwarts Headmistress, is retiring.

Need: Hermione needs to prove to Minerva, Hermione's longtime mentor, that she's the right person to hire over the other candidate, who just happens to be polite and reserved Professor Malfoy, even though Hermione has never taught students a day in her life.

Go: To avoid her obvious bias, Minerva sets up a series of practical trials to determine which candidate will win the job. Hermione and Professor Malfoy enter the obstacle course.

Learn: When the practical trials start turning dangerous, Hermione and Professor Malfoy must work together to stay alive. Unfortunately, working side by side shows them they have more in common than they thought.

Find: Hermione is presented with an opportunity to sink Professor Malfoy's ship: she learns that he never finished his Potions Mastery. If she reveals this information to Minerva and betrays Draco in the process, the job of Head of Hogwarts will be hers, and the dangerous practical trials/threat to her life will be over. But what about the romantic "something" budding between Hermione and Draco? Well, that's just an acceptable loss. Hermione's career trajectory is on the line!

Choose: Is this a one-shot? Then Hermione chooses "right" at the last minute and decides to sacrifice the job for love and keeps the information to herself. Is this a multi-chapter fic? Then Hermione chooses "wrong" and decides to sacrifice love for the job. She tells Minerva. Draco is devastated.

Reap: If this is a one-shot, Hermione returns from the trials holding hands with her new boyfriend. While they were in the trials, Minerva figured out a way for them to both get the job somehow! If this is a multi-chapter fic, Hermione returns from the trials alone, with her brand new job and a hefty side of guilt. Realizing her error too late, she works to make amends to Draco.

Change: A year later, the Co-Heads of Hogwarts Hermione Granger-Malfoy and Draco Malfoy-Granger celebrate the one-year anniversary of the trials and their relationship by burning Minerva's horrible obstacle course to the ground.

I've written all this out in list format because, well, you saw the circle I made you, but the circle has the benefit of helping you visualize that where your character is in Step 8 (Change) becomes the new Step 1 (You, character in zone of comfort). If you are writing multiple scenes, you can apply this plot exercise to each scene, even if these little micro plots are very small (e.g., Hermione forgets her quill and has to ask Draco to borrow his). Hermione obviously won't have big revelations about how she doesn't really need a quill and is actually in love with Draco each and every scene, but you can still play around with your characters pursuing one goal only to realize their true aspirations mid-way through a scene using the story circle framework. Plotting this way will help you make sure everything you write leads to some sort of change in your character. And that's character development baybee!

When you're ready to level up your story circle skills, remember that in a romance you probably have at least one other main character whose needs you'll have to service. Your new job is make a story circle for the love interest! Note the ways that the two characters' needs/goals align and the ways that they are in opposition. When the characters' story circles are in opposition, you get tension, when they're in alignment, you get softness! Just make sure that whatever is keeping your blorbos apart is actually forcing them together. Meaning, if they have opposing Wrong Goals (Step 2 - Need), make sure that they still have to work together or be near each other somehow (Steps 3 & 4 - Go & Learn) to be able Find (Step 5) what they thought they were looking for. Also make sure that their true, secret, hidden goal is the same (at least for a happy ending fic): they want to end up in love with each other. The characters may come to this realization at different times, and that may guide whether they choose the Wrong Goal or Love during Choose (Step 6) and who has to make amends during Reap (Step 7).

Finally, if you're an alpha or beta reader, try making these circles/lists for the fics you're reading. It should clarify what's going on in each scene and help you identify what's missing from a story.

Happy writing!

[mydemonsdrivealimo]

whats the cause of his cute lil mental break 🥺 and why is it ethan ramsey lol jk

no bc it literally was ethan. + a bunch of other shit but ethan was his breaking point <3

also answering for these two :)

@aces-and-angels

so to go WAY back to the origin (beyond his usual mental health struggles) he got into his motorcycle accident a montg before he was supposed to leave on a docs without boarders type of trip. on top of the physical pain (fractured humerus, mild shattered knee cap, broken wrist, and a shard of metal to his chest that nearly took out his lung), he was really upset that he couldn't go

healing was a LONG process. it took him a few weeks to get home, and then it was a lot of recovery and pt appointments after the fact. not being able to work/do things bothered him more than the physical pain

he was alone at his place most of the day which was rough, but bryce was sure to come over most nights and his friends would stop by here and there

he's finally cleared to go back to work (w the help of a knee and wrist brace). tobias had taken over the team while he was gone and jensen was fine to let him keep it while he was still getting back to 100%

things were okay but it was rough adjusting, and the whole time he was emailing w the people who ran the trip he was supposed to take, and they had no other openings for like,, two years. so that just kinda crushed him

ab a month after he gets back he tells tobias he's ready to take the team back, to which he happily agrees but made sure to let jensen know that he could let him know if he ever needed a break

not too long later jensen is in a meeting w some of the board + ethan + bloom and other higher up hospital people. he gets a little mouthy about some of the policies they were developing while he was gone, and some of the types of patients they'd be impacting (that they did not consider when developing it)

ethan pulls him aside after and starts comparing him to tobias. mind you tobias did not attend meetings like that since he was a temporary fill in, but as far as communication went he was much more simple compared to jensen. ethan started criticizing how jensen Always has something to say w stuff like that and meetings were perfectly pleasant without him

jensens already sensitive to the fact that he's taking over the dt for a second time, so to have ethan tell him that he'd rather not have him there is tough. he rolls his eyes and moves along like normal but it sticks

over the next month or two it's just more of that from ethan. jensens stressed w the dt workload plus pt appointments plus check ups plus trying to sort out legal stuff from the accident

the board ends up pushing through a policy that particularly impacts non english speaking patients, which puts more work onto jensen as a registered translator. he's constantly being pulled in like 12 directions, and i imagine their nursing staff got a system makeover which means nobody knows how to sort out any complications in scheduling for a bit, and constantly puts them behind schedule

jensen wanted to bring it up to some of the board members ab how it was a bad policy And bad timing but ethan approaches him on why that's not a good idea to bring up

during this time jensen had really been isolating himself just bc he didn't have the energy for his friends or anything aside from work

their argument turns into quite the spectacle. ethan lays into him on causing unnecessary extra problems when the hospital is already struggling w new changes and jensens ab to fucking kill him. jensen is not one to argue back, usually just quietly sits there and takes it, but he fucking blows up on ethan. tells him that he has no idea what it's like actually struggling w shit, how much hes dealing w from recovery to incompetent higher ups to the world falling apart and their political system going up in flames. he is so stressed about everything and ethan thinks it's a good time to ask him to "be pleasant" bitch please.

the argument happens literally in the middle of one of the busiest halls next to one of the nurses stations and it gets them both put on a suspension

jensen does not handle the suspension well. he hadn't been to therapy since before the accident and couldn't get a refill on his meds so he stopped taking them a few weeks ago. he hasn't talked to his friends in a month, and saw bryce maybe twice but bryce was also worrying ab his stuff for his boards so jensen wasn't going to bother him w it anyway

all of this = jensen being completely alone and isolated in his apartment for a week w no mental support after being completely overworked and overwhelmed for months and still getting used to the knee and wrist braces and coming to terms w the longterm impacts of the accident. thus ensues the mental break

[bonefall]

I wanted to submit a few of the clanmew names that I enjoy and thought were really fun!! I took some liberties considering come translations either don't exist or aren't applicable to my ocs.

(Context: My Clans are stationed in Utah, and the specific clan featured in these names is in a desert/cliff esque landscape. Their Clan, JuniperClan, is named after the Utah Juniper, which looks significantly different from a normal juniper.)

Starting with one of my favorite ocs first; Skipperleap - Skepbyiao! I was super happy his prefix had a translation, especially since it's for the "Large Skipper" variety, as it's a little funny, considering Skipperleap is a larger than average cat. I decided on -yiao as the suffix (-spring, straight upward leap) because it sorta fits his personality as well? He is a good natured cat, with a positive attitude, and brings a "spring" to someones step.

Coottail - Ubobufr - A bit harder, but settled with Ubo because of his dark brown-black fur color. I also just really liked the sound of it. Originally I was going to go with -swash, as his name is pretty simple in general, but -bufr seemed more fun considering its a tail feather from a bird, which would connect to the fact his name is Coot-. Again, it just sounds neat :]!

Beechfang - Chokki - Since Beech- isn't in the lexicon, I decided upon "Chok-", or Trunk. It symbolizes Beechfang in the sense that he is solid and strong, a good cat to rely on in stressful situations. He doesn't faulter from conflict, and is reliable. -ki, meaning canine fangs, was another easy choice, since Beechfang is known for his prowess in hunting (and ocassionally fighting). Plus. Chokki just sounds EXTREMELY cute. One of my favorite names by far.

Another Favorite oc of mine, Orchidthroat - Palifuhpi. Since Orchid isn't really used, I settled on Palifuh (Purple) since Orchidthroat has a blue-gray coat, and in lighting it comes across as purple. Orchidthroat is a magnificent speaker, usually bringing conflict to an end and being direct with what he means. -pi was chosen because "Used to indicate someone saw or heard and reported directly" sounds pretty accurate to how Orchidthroat does things.

Finally, Thymeclaw - Hhasskachkubo. Thymeclaw is an elder, and a very respected one at that, as she used to be one of the Clan's most skilled fighters. Hhass was chosen primarily because it means sneaky, and I was trying to reference "creeping thyme", as it's the only thyme I can see native to the UK? There is a varient of Red creeping thyme that can be found in North America, but I'm not too sure on if it'd be present in the region I'm basing this in. -kachkubo specifically being used was to reference Thymeclaw's fierce power, in how she'd strike her enemies physically and emotionally during combat.

It's funny, you're on a totally different continent but all of these names could be 100% region-compliant, from Coots to Orchids! You just happened to perfectly hit a bunch of things I haven't yet translated LMAO how did you do that

BUT ANYWAY! Feel free to make your own translations for Utah species, or modify the words I'm about to give you! Great job btw!

Coot (Fulica atra) = Nio Black, red-eyed waterbirds similar to moorhens which look like ducks when swimming. Known for being devoted parents.

Beech (Fagus sylvatica) = Choo Trunk + Smooth. Known for its very smooth bark, absolutely perfect for carving glyphs on. Not so much a "satisfying" tree to get a scratch on, though! They also produce nuts that squirrels like to eat. These are actually planted purposefully in this area. At the Lake, only ThunderClan has access to them. RiverClan used to have a small orchard of them near the twolegplace, which was where Beechfur got his name from.

Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera) = Fefsue There's actually a ton of orchids in this part of England, but I picked my favorite. It's the self-pollinating bee orchid, which mimics a species of solitary bee that may have gone extinct. You probably know of it from the famous xkcd comic about it, but I WILL give you a little bit of hope! The bee orchid has a ton of morphs and in the warmer parts of its range, DOES actually have bees that still pollinate it. What's weirder is that this far north, they don't seem to have one? So... Bee Orchid, how did you Get here? Is YOUR bee gone? What happened to YOUR bee...

I am ALSO taken aback by the fact that thyme apparently doesn't grow here. Weird. But anyway I got your back; here's two roundabout translations for OTHER, non-Thyme plants that are common in the modeled region, but reference thyme.

Thyme-leaved Speedwell (Veronica serpyllifolia) = Kukon A delicate little flower beloved by pollinators, and can grow in thick mats across the land. Deceptively quick and hardy, it can become a weed if unmanaged, and hides seeds in the pelt of any cat that comes by it so it can spread further. Very fitting for your girl, I think!

Dotted Thyme-Moss (Rhizomnium punctatum) = Mwarfum Blooming + Moss. Has distinct little egg-shaped leaves and rising tendrils. Considered pretty, but not a particularly useful type of moss. For anyone seeking a more "herbal" vibe for thyme.