There's a new series that im going to be working on! This is my second in priority project, and will probably be a bit short (from where I am in the storyboard right now). Of course, I'll allow you a sneak peak of the characters' moodboards!!
waiting to get it proof read because all of my friends have been busyy.. im working on other chapters and a new project though!! stay tuned, chapters out soon <3
۶ৎ original story | oc story | wlw | angst | fluff | slice of life | friends to strangers | friends to lovers | long term project | fanfic
CHAPTER 1: Different This Time by Cornelia Murr
۶ৎ GENERAL WARNINGS: this chapter does not contain anything graphic.
۶ৎ 1,390 word count
۶ৎ status: posted on ao3 🤎
October 2nd.
Days passed peacefully, still offering that soft domestic tone Irene and Scarlette lived for. Conversations of honesty and truth revealed how both of them thought without each other, they’d be alone, unable to find somewhere safe in a way that was more than physical.
It was a Tuesday, meaning both of them would have to work. Most days, Scarlette’s job was quiet and smelled of baked goods. She worked at a bookstore with a small bakery that she always got breakfast at. She started early, but got to leave before the sun set. Irene, however, worked a very different job. Despite not being one to drink, she was a bartender at a local place, not to far from the apartment. She left late and got home early, except on Wednesdays since she didnt work that day.
Around 9 PM, Irene was getting ready for work. Scarlette’s eyes wandered over her as she put on her makeup. Irene loved it, how Scarlette watched her do things like this, and with those eyes as well. Her usual expression was soft, but when she looked at Irene it was softer, and those gentle colors that swirled in her eyes.. the blue in one, teal and green in the other..
Before Irene knew it, she was finished and had to leave. She offered Scarlette a soft hug and in return, she walked with her all the way to the front door. With that, Irene slipped into her work personality and went off. She rode in a taxi, texting the group she usually worked with that she was on the way. The arrival was always daunting, hours of the night ahead around people dancing, drunk, throwing up.. but it was fun, and something she was used to. She walked in and got to work.
The job wasn’t too hard, but it wasn’t exactly easy. After months of working to perfect her skills, it was practically second nature at this point. The hardest part of the job was weirdos. Asking her out wasn’t all that bad, she could decline nicely and move on. But when people started to persist with less than appropriate comments.. that’s when it got annoying. It took a lot of time to practice tuning them out. Their begging, uncomfortable fantasies, rude swears when they realized she couldn’t care less.. it was all just apart of work for her. Tonight was no different.. the loudness of the music, the friendly girls girls, the frat boys who really need a shower, the quiet, shy people who stick to the walls like it’s their lifeline.. and some guy. Some random, out of place guy.
“Hey, can I get an Old Fashioned?” The man sat down in front of her. He was strong looking, but his voice held a slight aura of mystery and sweetness. Irene nodded, “Of course, I’ll get that made for you,” she began to work softly, paying a bit more attention than normal to his words. “Your hair is beautiful, you know that? Most women dont have hair of that allure.”
Irene paused mentally, trying to decipher his words into intentions. He spoke.. unusually, and it was a bit hard to understand how having her hair in a ponytail did all that. She decided to humor him, just because he was being nice so far. “Thank you, that’s a bit of a new one.” Her voice kept a slight authority in it, for the sake of holding power in the conversation.
“Oh yeah?” The mans voice was smooth as she slipped the drink to him and he took sip. “I never got your name.” He was trying to be charming. It wasn’t working. Tonight’s shift was pretty boring.. maybe this would make it at least a little bit fun. “My name is Irene,” her voice lost some of its authority, trying to convince him she took his sweet words.
“Have you got a boyfriend, Irene? Because if not, I can make your life full of things you’ve never even dreamt of.” Irene chuckled at this, who was this guy? Who did he think he was.. and how was he doing this. With the promise of what Irene could only assume being riches, she was a bit intrigued. The man was dressed in a suit, which to anyone would’ve been extremely weird in the setting. “Why are you here?” Her voice held a bit of anger, but he didn’t know why. He didn’t know about her feelings for Scarlette, the fear of losing her, oe the hurt Irene was scared to experience dating somebody other than her.
He laughed a deep, hearty laugh.
“I come here after work with my colleagues, sometimes my clients. I’ve seen you, and I wanted to stop by and say hello.”
“In a suit?”
“I wanted to leave a good impression on a pretty lady, is that so wrong now?”
Irene couldn’t help but smile. Some rich guy practically scouted her out and was trying to romance her. “You’re a charmer, you know that?” She spoke as she mixed another drink for someone else.
“Only for you,” his eyes stared into her, but not with hard lust, closer to careful adoration.
She smiled. They continued their conversation for a few more minutes before Irene decided on a final conclusion. “Look, my shift doesnt end until 2 AM. I can take your number and when I get home, I’ll text.” The man shook his head. “I’d be crazy to leave someone as pretty as you all by her lonesome. Let me stay with you, I insist,” his voice had a slight begging tone, but it wasn’t quite annoying. Just.. it was hard to understand. Irene sighed, considering it as she continued to make drinks for various people of various backgrounds, experiencing their various lives. “Fine,” she said with slight defeat. “Only because you’ve been real sweet to talk to, considering other people who ask me out.” He smiled in response, with a grateful nod. “Maybe,” Irene thought, wanting to push the thought away for comfort. “Maybe I could try this.”
The two spoke for the rest of the time while she worked, and she gave him drink after drink each time he finished, and he never seemed to get drunk. Her shift seemed shorter as it ended and the two walked out. “You shouldn’t take me all the way to your house,” he said cautiously. “I dont see why I would,” she responded easily. “Just saying, I understand how some random man knowing where you live would be less than ideal.” Irene smiled softly.
“You might not be so random soon,”
Scarlette was knocked out in bed, snoring and cuddling her stuffed animal her love bought her. Only a few hours from having to work, she dreamt of thick pastries, cream filled and soft, as well as her darling Irene. The woman who made it all worthwhile.
Irene walked in the house, smiling softly and thinking about the nice conversations she had with the man. She smiled a bit more when she saw Scarlette, sleeping soundly in their bed. She quietly went to the bathroom, taking off the foundation and concealer she had, as well as trying her best to get all her mascara and eyeliner, flinching when it got in her eye. She slipped into the shower to wash the smell of alcohol off of her and she put on her favorite silk pajamas, the pair Scarlette gifted her last Christmas.
She slipped into bed, curling up around the woman she fell in love with years ago, the woman she thought she truly could never have. She slightly cursed the promise they made all those years ago in childhood. The promise to stay together, to live like family. It’s what made this so hard, living together like they were in love, without knowing if they really were. It was infuriating, especially on days when they’d flirt constantly, joking or not, it was always impossible to tell.
But one thing she knew as she fell asleep stayed with her. She didn’t want to keep living in this pain, in the feel in one-sided love, in fear. So she’d keep talking to the guy, Alexander, keep exploring the details of his life, even if it pulled her away from her true love, her darling Red.
Finished the second chapter of Fear and Forgiveness, ill post it some time tommorow! If this gets to 10 notes ill finish chapter three and post it tommorow aswell!!
۶ৎ original story | oc story | wlw | angst | fluff | slice of life | friends to strangers | friends to lovers | long term project | fanfic
PROLOGUE: Bed by Hana Stretton
۶ৎ GENERAL WARNINGS: this chapter does not contain anything graphic.
۶ৎ 1,620 word count
۶ৎ status: posted on ao3 🤎
September 23rd.
Comfortable sunlight trickled up and filled the windows, and the red curtains cast a dark, sensual glow over the room. It was safe, it always was. Irene sighed softly as she turned, moving closer to Scarlette. In the light of the sun, Scarlette stretched and slipped Irene back down onto her pillow. “I’ll make biscuits,” she murmured to her friend as she left the room. For about a year now, they’d lived together. Bad family situations and years of bonding formed the perfect circumstances. The friendship the two harbored was.. complex. Nothing was to much to share, and they were close enough to share a bed. The relationship was so warm.. so healing. It was heaven to live with a friend you loved this much.
Scarlette flinched at the smell of smoke, running from the living room back to the kitchen. She let out a harsh sigh as she opened the oven as well as the windows in their apartment. All that daydreaming didn’t do her any favors, especially considering their burnt breakfast. Irene peeked out from their bedroom. “What happened, Red?” Her voice was kind, with that relaxed tone she kept since childhood. Scarlette sighed softly, pulling the biscuits out of the oven and sat them on the stove to air out. “Got caught up in my head and..” her voice trailed off. Irene just nodded, going to rub her back. This wouldn’t be the first time she fell into her thoughts and lost track of time. After a moment, Irene’s eyes met Scarlette’s. “How about we go to that cafe? You said you wanted to try the honey donuts,” Irene was always like this, caring and trying to distract from the bad or atleast trying to do what they can in the moment. Scarlette nodded, her eyes giving away slight guilt as the two went to their bedroom to get ready.
They left the apartment with a blur of laughs. The walk there was nice, especially because the weather was just starting to cool off. They felt a few droplets of rain fall onto them occasionally, so they walked a little faster. They arrived not long after they left, and they waited quietly in line. Conversations were exchanged all around them, and the smell of coffee and tea and all things morning swirled around the small, pretty cafe. When they ordered, the lady was pretty nice, but the kind of nice that you know is just.. to nice. They sat down at a table by the window, watching as the sprinkle of water turned into rain.
“Y’know, Irie,” Scarlette started with a soft voice. “We never finished that show, I forgot the name.. I don’t know, the one you loved.” Irene paused to think for a moment. “The mystery one? With the murder?” Scarlette nodded quickly at that, and Irene smiled. “You’re right, we didn’t finish it. Maybe we can watch it later tonight.” Irene pulled at her long dress, adjusting it. Scarlette loved seeing her wear it, it was perfect. The dark purple, almost black color, the high cut neckline that still couldn’t stop Scarlette from staring, the way it hugged her curves, even if some days Irene was insecure about them..
“Red, you’re doing it again,”
“Huh? Shit, sorry-”
“Order for Irene!”
Irene stood softly, offering a soft smile as she went to grab their food and drinks. Scarlette couldn’t move. She was stuck. “I cant keep thinking like this… I cant.. well, she wouldn’t. Would she?” Her thoughts were pushed aside when her best friend, her roommate, sat down with her and split the food. They spoke between bites, about recipes, movies, essays, everything they knew to love.
The rain poured down and the taste of honey and syrup stuck to their lips. They stood outside the cafe under the hood, waiting for a taxi. After a moment, they called one over and got inside. The ride was mostly quiet, scrolling on their phones and sending each other videos. When they arrived at their building, they went up to their apartment. The smell of burnt biscuits was pretty much gone, but the presence of smoke was still evident. Irene helped Scarlette clean the mess left, and they went to relax in bed together.
This was routine for the two, every other Saturday, they’d spend time together, planning out the next two weeks, sharing things they learned, sometimes just sleeping all day. It was ideal, comfortable, with someone they cared for.
This particular Saturday, they were just going to relax until dinner. Not much happened on days like this, movies, mostly. Although, there wasnt a lot of watching movies on this particular day. Irene gazed into Scarlette’s eyes. She was distracted on her phone. “I live with you. That is so fucking crazy, how did I end up living with you. I used to want to kiss you, and now we just.. live together. As friends. As friends..” her moment of mental reflection was cut short as Scarlette glanced at her, looking a bit surprised. “You okay, Irie?” Irene only nodded.
The rest of the day, they practically took turns doing this. That was, until around 4 PM. Irene had forgotten to buy a few things they needed for tonight’s dinner, so she went out to get it. Scarlette was fine with it, I mean she’d be back in maybe half an hour. But as minutes passed, her recommended videos became suspiciously homosexual.
Scarlette’s heart started to clench, it felt like it was being ripped out of her chest. Her breath quickened and she cuddled into the sheets, wishing Irene was there. Wishing her love, the beautiful, caring, goddess of a woman would come back home.. from buying groceries. “This is ridiculous.” Scarlette sobbed, laughing a little, trying to rationalize this panic, this pain. But she couldn’t. It was an overreaction in her eyes, but she couldn’t help it. The feeling of being so far away, even if they’d see eachother again. The feeling that they’ll never be close enough. That they need to share blood, flesh, merge their souls until they collide and they are one. Scarlette cried, whimpered, curled into herself for that half hour. Over something that wasn’t even that bad. Over missing someone who’ll be back soon. But that was okay, because it only proved to her how much she loved her best friend.
It was a part of this love that she hated, but lived for. The painful kind, the one that killed you inside until the other came home to you, the kind that made you hide your true feelings out of fear. Fear of ruining what you already have. Fear of getting to close maybe, of messing up. Fear of losing someone you’re in love with.
The front door opened. Scarlette scrambled to wipe her eyes and get out of bed. She greeted Irene with a warm hello and a hug that was just a bit to long. The two unloaded the few groceries as they talked about what they were making. Just pasta and chicken, nothing to complicated. Usually, one of them would do the main part of the meal and the other would help with smaller things, but Irene wanted Scarlette to help a bit more. Irene knew her Red very well, and she knew something was wrong, even if it was small. Usually, time together helped them both.
Irene started on the chicken while Scarlette put water on the stove to boil and started on the sauce. Cooking was a release for both of them. Something domestic to do together, to make life more love filled. Cooking for someone to fuel them. Exchanging your energy for theirs. Is there anything more loving than that? To make sure your loved one is well fed, kept full and safe, knowing they’ll have meals, home-cooked some days and others not, but love filled nonetheless? The thought filled Irene’s mind. It was one of her favorite pastimes to cook for the girl she loved. The girl she wanted, the one she dreamt of, the one she was scared of losing.
Time passed, small talk was exchanged, and dinner was ready and plated, sitting on the coffee table in the living room. The two sat on the floor, watching the show they talked about earlier that day in the cafe. The food was good, filling, if not a tad bit over seasoned. It happened sometimes, and the world keeps spinning. The show was good, especially this episode. One of the side characters was being kidnapped and the group went to save her. Irene thought about how distraught she’d be if Scarlette was kidnapped or hurt. Either way, the night fell darker and more quiet, and the girls went to get ready for the evening.
Considering their closeness, they didnt care if one brushed their teeth while the other showered less than ten feet away, infact, it was pretty normal for them. Whoever was in the shower got music privileges—which was fine, they had both gotten used to the others’ music taste—while the other would brush their teeth, do skincare, etc…
Around 7 PM, the two were in bed, doing their respective activities. Scarlette was doing Sudoku in her little book, while Irene was reading the new series she bought recently. Soft music played, music that to anyone with eyes would make the two of them look romantic, a couple listening to sensual music, getting ready for bed.. but as they closed their eyes later that night, they were nothing more than friends. Friends that were scared. Scared of messing up, of losing each other..
And of the love they both bathed in each night in their dreams.
How to create a character for an online or tabletop RPG (also a good guide on creating characters in general)
Royalty/nobility TV Tropes page
Basic character profile
OC masterpost
Random character generators - (1), (2), (3), (4)
D&D Character Building Tool
Character Design Ideas:
How clothing affects a character’s personality
Character Design Inspiration blog
Concept art, fan art, cool art to be inspired by
Character design references and inspiration
Sources for POC character design ideas and models
Create your own character model using HeroForge
For horned characters
Body and hair types guide
Random outfit generator
Naming Help:
Amazing site with an endless amount of naming resources
General advice on avoiding naming appropriation
Hispanic Surnames
Gothic Victorian names
Huge master list for character things in general
Masterlist of names of all types - including but not limited to ancient/old world names, Celtic, African, Northern European, Southern and Central American Native names, Japanese, Chinese, Mongolian, Polynesian, and more
Another name masterlist
How to pick a character name guide
Yet another names masterlist
Creating Background/backstory:
Character Sheet/Development Sheet
Another character development list
In-depth character personality, motivations and traits sheet
320 talents and passions for characters
On writing likes and dislikes that aren’t frivolous
Why you should write non-human characters non-conforming to the gender binary
Stereotypes, tropes, and archetypes
Random backstory generator
Assassin and thief character tropes to avoid
Character Interactions and putting your character into your world/story:
Comparing character height/height references
Characters who are scientists and writing about them doing science
Describing what different voices sound like
Describing skin tones
Writing friendship interactions that are platonic
Why having one character knock their friend unconscious to prevent them from doing something is a bad idea
Advice on shipping OCs with canon characters and what to avoid doing
Sweet Polly Oliver and Sweet on Polly Oliver situations (think of Disney’s Mulan for an example)
How to write multiple viewpoints/juggling a main cast of more than 4 to 6 characters
How to make readers care about your morally gray hero/anti-hero
On platonic OC and canon character relationships
How to avoid Godmodding in RPs
When it’s cheap to kill off a character
Writing dialogue
Things you shouldn’t do to canon characters
Avoiding purple prose in writing and RPs
Slang resources
Dialogue tips
Websites to chart your story/plot/character relationships
Small fantasy worldbuilding elements you might want to think about:
A currency that isn’t gold-standard/having gold be as valuable as tin
A currency that runs entirely on a perishable resource, like cocoa beans
A clock that isn’t 24-hours
More or less than four seasons/seasons other than the ones we know
Fantastical weather patterns like irregular cloud formations, iridescent rain
Multiple moons/no moon
Planetary rings
A northern lights effect, but near the equator
Roads that aren’t brown or grey/black, like San Juan’s blue bricks
Jewelry beyond precious gems and metals
Marriage signifiers other than wedding bands
The husband taking the wife's name / newlyweds inventing a new surname upon marriage
No concept of virginity or bastardry
More than 2 genders/no concept of gender
Monotheism, but not creationism
Gods that don’t look like people
Domesticated pets that aren’t re-skinned dogs and cats
Some normalized supernatural element that has nothing to do with the plot
Magical communication that isn’t Fantasy Zoom
“Books” that aren’t bound or scrolls
A nonverbal means of communicating, like sign language
A race of people who are obligate carnivores/ vegetarians/ vegans/ pescatarians (not religious, biological imperative)
I’ve done about half of these myself in one WIP or another and a little detail here or there goes a long way in reminding the audience that this isn’t Kansas anymore.
I don’t know much about the omegaverse. Do you learn when you’re an alpha omega or beta during puberty. Are there kids who get horrible sex Ed and have a shitload of misconceptions about how all this stuff works . Are there omegas who never got the proper education and think they’re alphas for some reason for an embarrassingly long time until someone picks up their scent and is like “hey I can smell you” and they’re like fucking excuse me I thought I was just a guy who had the knot version of ED and you’re telling me I should have been bottoming this whole time??
I have so many questions about the logistics of what people do (outside the obvious) when they go into heat or rut. Do they just stay home from work? Do you have to call your boss all hot and heavy like “I cannot do my job as an accountant today. Too horny. Not possible.” And your boss has to sit there like yeah sure alright see you when you’re done. Do you think people have faked heats and ruts in order to get out of work. Do you think there’s some slacker out there who “goes into heat” three times in a month just so he can stay home and play legend of Zelda. He’s a beta. He doesn’t go into heat.
What do two alphas do if they fall in love. Like romantically, they really like each other, they want to spend their lives together, they can’t imagine being with anyone else. What do they do. Do they take turns. Can the alpha that’s on the bottom have their knot pop when it’s not inside anything and they just have a swollen dick for a little while ?
Do some peoples heat cycles sync up like periods. PLEASE tell me that there are groups of friends that all get ravenously horny at the same time and will call each other up like “GIRL… GUESS WHOS NESTING…” and they’ll all be like “OMG BITCH ME TOO!!”
Do you think some alphas make it a job out of fucking omegas that don’t have a partner. Like food delivery but for dick. Just put your address in the app and a stud will show up at your door like. Hey mamas let’s breed. Do you think that’s a viable career option in this world. Do you think you could tell your parents that’s the job that you have over dinner. Or is that not the kind of thing you would discuss in polite company. Or would it be disrespected and not looked super proudly upon because it’s like doordash .
Do you think a common fantasy a la chastity play and denial amongst omegas is being forced to take heat suppressants . Don’t get mad at me for asking the real questions here
Honestly the omegaverse sounds kind of like a utopian free love society where people are very upfront about sex and sexuality ngl.
First of all: omegas can top and alphas can bottom. Alphas can bottom for omegas too. Generally during heats omegas prefer to be penetrated and alphas to penetrate but they can just use toys. Alpha ≠ top. Omega ≠ bottom.
With that outta the way here we go.
In most concepts of omegaverse you “present” as your secondary sex during puberty, however some writers may decide to make secondary sex something people are aware of from birth/ very young. Usually the second one ties heavily in soulmate or destined mate* concepts, but the former can as well. You’ll find a lot of stories that show finding out you’re an alpha or omega (or beta) through a national blood/pheromone test at a certain age, or multiple times during life as test results can change slightly over time, in these stories being an alpha or omega doesnt do much until you fully “present” during puberty.
Depending on the level of education in an individual story yes there can be garbage sex ed that tells you almost nothing of what to expect and how to deal with it. These concepts usually relate to omegas that don’t bother to read their “test” results abt their gender and believe they’re an alpha until they suddenly go into heat, or their test results were inaccurate all along. They also relate to stories that portray omegas as “lower class” or simply sex objects. Bad sex ed stories usually include challenging stereotypes as a main focus.
Usually in omegaverse omegas are undesirable to hire due to heats being more frequent than alpha ruts, and thus more disruptive. so they lie about being an omega to get hired, and then either pump themselves full of heat suppressing medication, or call in sick every time. In stories where omegas are treated fairly they just call in normally lol. They keep track of their heats and they work with their job to get time off periodically for it, unless triggered by an alpha’s rut or pheromones, heats are pretty consistent unless they have some sort of condition that makes them irregular. Prostitution is a very common theme in omegaverse due to omega’s not being able to get hired at “normal” jobs and societal pressures.
I imagine workplaces will require a doctors note or something to prove irregular heats etc if someone was abusing the “call out for heat” option. But omegas will often call out a day or so before their heat just to prepare better.
Some betas do pretend to be alphas or omegas to get further in life or to fuck more people. Its seen as sleazy and manipulative.
Alpha/alpha relationships depend on how the author wants to write the concepts of their society or biological instincts. Usually alpha relationships include a lot of domination and sexual fighting with the winner of the fight being the one to top (if they dont already have a dynamic that suits them) switching is common with both alpha and omega same sex relationships. In omegaverse these dynamics are either seen as normal or are extremely frowned upon. Usually they are kept secret to avoid conflict.
Sometimes if an alpha gets extremely aroused they can pop a knot without being inside something, this is common during puberty the same way boners are in teens. Its usually super uncomfortable and sensitive and legit physically cannot go away for at least ten minutes.
Heat cycles do sync. So do rut cycles. Heat and ruts can sync too. Not all omegaverse omegas nest but yeah they do have gc with friends lol.
Yes alphas make it a Job to help with heats. They’re called “heat aids.” In some omegaverse friends help each other through heats too, be it by just being around or sexually. Its usually seen as like kind of embarrassing to hire a heat aid cus it means you have no one else close to you or a bf/gf to stay with you to get you thru it. But its considered “normal” to hire one.
I havent seen a forced to take suppressants as a kink story but some stories have omegas fantasising about being confined to houses or rooms and used only to make babies (they call them “pups” pretty often).
All in all omegaverse is an EXTREMELY varied story device and no one has clear ideas for it, but yeah basically everything op said is a thing.
* A destined mate is someone so compatible with you or your pheromones that you’re considered “soulmates.” Some concepts have this being a supernatural thing, while most keep it to being a pheromone/biological thing.
Originally typed this in tags and then decided it’d be better on the post itself, where I can add paragraph breaks:
#omegaverse reflects a lot of real world issues by magnifying them 100x #mostly for kink reasons but also for commentary
#omegas (women) being used as breeding stock; undesirable for/not allowed in the workforce; smaller and weaker and receptive #bad sex ed. heat suppressants/birth control. realizing at puberty that your place in society is not always a great one #it allows a framework in which you can place these struggles on male characters as well #or free female characters from them
#but it also caricaturizes maleness #alphas (men) as aggressive; dominant; socially prioritized; seen as either leaders or brutes with not much in between
#and you can play with all the gender fuckery all of that entails #it's like camp or drag; gender performance exaggerated to the point of absurdity that then asks you to engage with it anyway
#you can also turn a same gender (M/M of F/F) couple into one that occupies a ‘straight’ societal role (A/O) #which might be healing for some or grotesque for others (and strangely intriguing either way) #or make it queer by ABO standards too (A/A or O/O or throw a beta in there somewhere) and go wild with it
#heats/ruts give space for very free and intense desire with a lack of inhibitions #which is something we don't normally allow ourselves to feel without criticizing ourselves #so it's a space to see and experience that within the safety of fiction #it's a thing you see with dubcon/noncon fantasies too (emphasis: Fantasies.) #if you weren't in control of what happened then you can't be blamed for it and you don't have to feel guilt/shame about the pleasure you felt; you can just allow yourself to feel it #again: not talking about real life here
#so as a framework ABO magnifies our cultural hangups and amplifies them until they're impossible to ignore #and then says: now what?
#and the answer comes back every time: fuck nasty style about it
Baffled by the startled dinosaur reaction. Why wouldn't omegaverse authors have addressed these things. That's half the point of creating a new biological/social framework; to explore it. To use it as an abstraction for exploring real problems. To poke at the edges and see how the world works. What else would Omegaverse fic be about? The entire genre can't just be ALL disconnected sex scenes.
I don't really care for sex scenes so I don't seek out omegaverse stuff (since it does also tend to have a lot of sex), but the ones I've read have been excellent analyses of social inequality and how it ties into biology both in reality and in terms of cultural myth (that is, using gender essentialism/stereotypes of difference as an excuse for oppression). Is this not the entire point of the genre?
Sorry to get up in arms in this but I'm so tired of the assumption that Whatever The Silly Horny Women Like must automatically have no depth. The Beatles were an important band. Romance is a valid genre. Mobile games are real computer games. A/B/O analyses social issues and has deep worldbuilding. Why must we do this again every generation.
Not aimed at OP, who I'm sure was legitimately asking real questions, but some of the people acting surprised that these questions have answers are pissing me off. There's comments in the notes like "if the genre actually addressed these questions then I'd read it!" Well you didn't look very hard, did you? Because it does address these questions. Regularly. It's a significant focus of the genre and even I, largely an outsider, know that. You just assumed, clearly without looking at all, that the entire genre must be nonsense porn without plot and with no connective tissue. Why? Why did you assume that?
Every. Fucking. Generation. I don't even care about a/b/o. I don't even care about The Beatles or the romance genre or mobile games. But I thought we were over this. I'm so tired.
This post already tackle many thing, but i would also like to add that many people do not know there are actually different types of Omegaverse, and they developed thanks (for fault) of how different is the health insurance situation or the societal situation is by country to country.
If you have red omegaverse, you probably have seen three main branches, that we will name by the country developed them: USAmerican Omegaverse, Japanese Omegaverse, Chinese Omegaverse. Every country tend to have their differences, but these three, by merit of being the countries with more population or more tumblr famous media coming out of them, are the ones you will probably encounter in your fandom life.
USAmerican is the one everyone born before the 2000s started with. Alpha and Omegas must get together, and every other secondary gender couple may be seen as wrong. Heath can make you lose your mind. An Omega to be safe must be mated. Suppressants may often be illegal, or very expensive, and omegas will be ready to go in lenghty journeys just to get them. The parallels with private health insurance in the USA and the woman figure in that country are pretty evident. The country you live in have decided the medicine you need to regulate your cycle is now illegal because it may ruin your fertility. Is it true? Is it not? Depend by writer, but the everyday omega generally would care fuckoff about it and just want their pill. Is abortion possible? Well, the pup in the alpha propriety, so of course not. The normal (women having to suffer from very painful periods the doctor tell is absolutely normal, women having to merry to have some rights (like opening a bank account), women having to merry young if they want to actually have a life) got exagerated till they can no more think without their meds. And of course, for kink reason, for vengeance reason, for wanting to be outside the narrative reason, now there is a man instead of a woman in the story. Get your pariod pain you bastard.
In the past it was often time dystopian. Omegas were put in institution and sold to a rich alpha. Omegas got castrated. In the last years stories tended to become more slice of life, and heath more menagable. Still now, omegas have not their supressants covered by health insurance. It must be told that the change was more internal in the fandom, deciding the extreme kink of the first years was now too much and objectifind gay man. That must be told is an idea does not consider why they were written like that, but it would be a whole another post.
Japanese Omegaverse, instead, tend to have a complete different basis: No more Alpha/Omega like for the USA, the only good cristian WASP couple. In this country the anglicanism did not embed society like in the USA, and the system function more as a caste: Alphas stay with Alphas, Omegas with Omegas. Going outside of the status quo may shut you out, and it is not unheard of couples faking their secondary gender to stay in a relationship.
It is intersting in here how the health care mix with how the society is seen. While in the USA the anglicanism make the go get couple the most heteronormative possible to think of, but does leave space for societal movement, in japan the family and the group may be more important. Of course, it does not change the ending couple. Romance is the same in all the world. But in a world where suppressants are more easily available and everyone can hide their secondary gender (being a normal neutral office worker instead of the boasting american alpha use his secondary gender to escalate the company hierarchy), the secondary gender become something to be embarassed of whatever you are, to be hidden, and to be best shown only to other people are the same to you.
Of course we cannot forget how also japanese omegaverse had the warewolf trope, you probably saw sold in your comic book shop. And while this is their fully kink, with alpha warewolf getting their beautiful omega, we must remember how these also function: Omegas are not sold as wives. Omegas do not get the bite mark. While in the USAmerican omegaverse the bite mark is a necessity, because it make you an actual couple, in japanese warewolf omegaverse the wife, or more often the woman hired to give heirs to the house, will have a collar. It is unsightful to have a mark. It is not even necessary to calm down an omega, since they can get medicines, or to have a relationship, contracts are in there for that.
Chinese Omegaverse have a main difference by the other two, and it is its connection with the Xianxia genre. While both USAmerican and japanese are connected to the warewolf genre, in chinese it is all based on cultivation. I must preface by the fact also in China of course they have what we would call classical Omegaverse, near the USAmerican or the japanese slice of life type, but they have also this genre unheard of, by virtue of the genre it is based of being a classic Chinese genre, in all the other countries. This is by far the one i red less about, so please come and tell more in case you have more historical knowledge about it.
First of all, for everyone does not know, xianxia is a media genre based on the taoist concept a man can "cultivate" their qi (a type of life force existing in everything) to obtain immortality and particular powers. The Mo Dao Zu Shi novel, from whom The Untamed live action serie was adapted, is probably the most well know exemple.
Cultivation as a concept, existing since ages of old, already gave multiple notions could be used for fics, like the use of caulderons, people of lower cultivation from which someone can steal the qi to get more power, and the numerous theories about semen retention to keep your qi inside. If some hollywood star or musicians in the late 90's first 2000's talked about Tantric sex, it is the same source, with less knowledge about the real actual phylosophy than the worse teenager omegaverse fanfictioner.
In Cultivation there is the notion you can cultivate with someone else, your cultivation partner, to better cultivate each other energy by transferring it to one another. With Omegaverse, with the existence of heath and ruth, a cultivation partner become not only someone you could have to better cultivate, but a necessity to dissipate there problems and make them energy. Becoming this now a purely cultivation method, the romantic or sexual theme can disappear. Often a kunze and a ganyan will become cultivation partner, even arriving at a mating, but this will never be a marriage. In some versions even, if you fall in love with yout partner and want to marry, you will have to break the mating. This type of omegaverse give more fluidity, changing the fundamental of the USAmerican omegaverse, the bite you can never take back, and mix with the social, phylosophical and fantasy elements typical of the genre. It is now more rare to have a type of relationship frowned upon by the secondary gender element, but by how it is used. This also open new ways to change secondary gender. Being it connected to your qi, a corruption of your energy by external or internal forces can now change your secondary gender. Being used as a caulderon, deciding to use an unhortodox cultivation way, or living in a very bad energy polluted place, can all change your gender. The mating can be broken. And the clan is always extremely important.
As you can see, while all three clearly omegaverse, the themathic talked about can differ very much, and everyone can interact with them in multiple ways go beyond the knot fucking. And even the knot fucking change feeling depending on why it is happening. Are you an omega because you are tired of your sexual feelings and you want a way to act on them, without it being your choice and your fault, so making you innocent? Or are you considering fucking a know just a biological thing you have to do for your health, but consider it the same as eating a protein bar on an hike, and the real relationship is outside of it? How are you two connected? Are childrens possible or not and how does that influence your body?
Even if not liking the kink or the genre, it is not possible to deny the way it is often used to explore real situations the writers live in.
Here is a compilation of information (with references/links/citations) that I think the CoD fandom and fic writers in particular might find useful:
British Army:
Here is a list of ranks and abbreviations (with appropriate capitalization) (for anyone with the shinigami extension, sorry, it's the BBC)
Here is a list of the equivalent ranks of the British services and US Air Force (for some reason not the US Army or US Navy. Don’t ask me why lmao).
Here and here are some posts about the ranks in the 141 and general attitudes that they would hold for each other (and how others would see them)
Here is a detailed breakdown of the British Army organization (with average numbers and who is in charge of who).
Here is the wiki page for British Army uniforms (literally good luck, I’ve spent hours trying to figure out when soldiers wear what). As far as I can tell, the 141 would wear the No. 8 Combat Dress 90% of the time with the SAS beige beret. For formal events, they would wear the No. 2 Service Dress with berets instead of peaked forage caps. Interestingly, the Royal Regiment of Scotland can wear their No. 2 Service Dress with kilts (which I know Johnny would be livid about because he can’t). Super formal occasions are marked by the No. 1 Temperate Ceremonial, or “dress blues”.
Commissioned ranks are Second Lieutenant and above. These are members who hold positions of authority granted by formal documents of appointment signed by the monarch. In the US (which I am assuming is the same or similar in the UK), a commissioned officer has gone through officer training, which usually requires a university degree or a military equivalent.
Warrant Officers (WO) and Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) are included in the enlisted ranks. They are members of the enlisted ranks who hold positions of authority. WOs are granted authority through a warrant instead of a commission and must be promoted from an NCO rank. NCOs are Lance Corporals to Staff Sergeants.
The only enlisted rank is Private. These are members who have enlisted and have gone through basic training in order to be counted against the Army’s trained strength.
Sergeants (Gaz and Soap) are among the highest-ranked NCOs and therefore have a lot of practical experience (more, sometimes, than commissioned officers). They have climbed through the ranks from Private all the way to the top of the enlisted ladder. Commissioned officers, on the other hand, have the option to skip the enlisted ladder altogether and jump straight to Second Lieutenant (assuming that they are entering the army with a university degree). However, it is canon that both Ghost and Price were promoted from enlisted ranks. Nevertheless, the NCO/CO divide would be stark; Price and Ghost both have pieces of paper signed by the Royal Crown that give them authority while Gaz and Soap don’t. That being said, Gaz and Soap are incredibly high ranking enlisted while Ghost and Price are (relatively) low ranking officers. While they have less authority, they have similar levels of responsibility and leadership.
Comm discipline is incredibly important in the military. Communication must be clear, concise, and (most importantly) unambiguous. There are many, many commands that can be given over the radio and some of them aren't as self-explanatory as they may seem. Here are some of the basics, lingo, etiquette, and FAQs about military radio communications.
SAS:
The SAS is nicknamed "The Regiment", its motto is "Who Dares Wins", and its color is pompadour blue. Contrary to popular belief, the dagger on the badge is wreathed in flame, not wings.
"The SAS is the mirror in which other special forces reflect." The SAS is the most elite special forces regiment in the world and they all know it. They take their jobs incredibly seriously and are held to a ridiculously high standard, both by their superior officers and by themselves. The 141, as a specialized task force, would take both their training and their commitment to their job to the extreme. The SAS has a fierce reputation of being the blueprints upon which every other special forces regiment was founded, and every single one of them takes an incredible amount of pride in that. It's easy to characterize Soap as a rookie, especially because of his reputation as the Perpetual FNG, but he alone could run circles around every single non-special forces soldier in the world (and a hell of a lot of the special forces soldiers, too).
The SAS consists of one regular and two reserve units. The 22 SAS (regular) is based in Stirling Lines, Credenhill, Herefordshire and has five squadrons (A, B, D, G, and Reserve) and a training wing. The 21 and 23 SAS are the two reserve regiments.
The UK Special Forces do not recruit from the general public. All current members of the armed forces can apply for Special Forces selection, but most have historically come from the Royal Marines or Parachute Regiment. In 2018, recruitment policy changed to allow women to join the SAS for the first time and in 2021, two women passed pre-selection, making them the first women eligible for the full course.
The SAS Selection Process is held twice a year (once in summer and once in winter) and is a three-phase process that has an 8-10% pass rate. Between 2014 and 2022, there were more deaths in training and exercises than in combat against active threats.
Phase 1 is an endurance test, known as “the hills” stage, where candidates undergo a series of timed hikes between checkpoints with increasingly heavy packs. This phase takes a total of three weeks and culminates in a 40-mile hike carrying 55lbs that must be completed in 24 hours. By the end of this phase, candidates must be able to run 4 miles in 30 minutes and swim 2 miles in 90 minutes.
Officers undergoing SAS selection have a week-long phase which assesses their ability to plan operations while fatigued and stressed (sucks for Price and Ghost; Gaz and Soap would've skipped this step).
Phase 2 is Jungle Training, which takes place in Belize, Brunei, or Malaysia. Candidates are taught navigation, patrol formation and movement, and jungle survival skills; they are put into teams of four, where they simulate living for weeks behind enemy lines, living completely off of rations without a lifeline back to base.
Phase 3 is E&E (Escape and Evasion) and TQ (Tactical Questioning)/RTI (Resistance to Interrogation). This is the final phase. Candidates are given brief instructions on appropriate techniques (likely from former POWs or special forces soldiers) and then are let loose in the countryside, where they must navigate to a series of checkpoints without being captured. After 3-7 days, whether they have been captured or not, they then report for TQ, which tests the candidates’ ability to resist interrogation. During TQ, candidates are only allowed to answer with “the big 4” (name, rank, serial number, and birthday) and all other questions must be answered with “I’m sorry but I cannot answer that question” while being subjected to what is essentially no-touch torture (listening to white noise for hours, standing in stress positions, being verbally berated/humiliated, etc) for 36 hours.
After all of that, candidates are accepted into the SAS ranks, but still go through continuation training, during which many SAS soldiers are RTU’d (returned to unit).
The youngest person to ever (IRL) pass SAS selection was Lofty Wiseman in 1959 at the age of 18. In order for Johnny to have beaten that record, he must have been 18 or younger when he passed selection. Given that the minimum age for enlistment in the UK armed forces is 16, this is entirely plausible.
The names of regular SAS members who have died on duty were inscribed on the regimental clock tower at Stirling Lines, which was rebuilt at the Credenhill barracks. Those whose names are inscribed are said by surviving members to have "failed to beat the clock". The base of the clock is also inscribed with a verse from The Golden Journey to Samarkand by James Elroy Flecker.
Military Life:
During basic training, soldiers live in gender-segregated accommodations in a dorm-style room. Once out of basic training, however, many barracks are individual rooms with en-suite bathrooms (big win for our Sergeants). At most, trained soldiers would live in 4-person rooms separated by gender. The fastest and most reliable way to get off-base housing is to get married, but many commissioned officers get a housing stipend in order to move out of the barracks, meaning that Ghost and Price would likely (if they so chose) have houses near Credenhill, while Gaz and Soap would have individual rooms in the barracks. While deployed, all bets are off.
Many tattoos and piercings are permitted by the British Army. Here are the official guidelines. In terms of hair style/length, the rules are few and far between and incredibly vague to boot. As far as I can tell, Soap’s mohawk, Price’s sideburns, and Ghost's... everything are vastly out of regulations, so I wouldn’t be too concerned about any of the 141 following personal appearance guidelines (Gaz is likely the only 141 member within regs which is a little shocking considering most military regulations are unfairly biased against people of color, but that's neither here nor there). If you’re interested, here is the 2021 version of the guidelines, though many of them have been updated since.
As of 2002, unmarried service members are permitted to invite their partners to stay overnight in single-room barracks (again, big win for our Sergeants). However, these guests must report to the duty and sign in, which is a hassle, so sneaking someone on base is still a plausible course of action.
Unfortunately, I can’t find any information on the use of alcohol/drugs in barracks, but I assume that the regulations are similar to those of the US armed forces, where alcohol is permitted to any off-duty member (any member who is on authorized leave) above the legal drinking age.
Humor: military humor has a pretty infamous reputation for being dark as fuck. Soldiers joke about a lot of stuff because they deal with a lot of stuff, and humans naturally cope through humor. There aren’t a lot of resources for this, because soldiers don’t like that kind of stuff reaching civilian ears (for pretty obvious reasons). Active special forces soldiers like the 141 would have especially fucked up senses of humor because they deal with especially fucked up scenarios. Don’t push yourself for the sake of realism, though; if you aren’t comfortable writing jokes about active hostage/bomb/terrorist situations, don’t write those jokes. However, if you think of a fantastically dark joke and want to include it, know that it would be perfectly in character (especially for Ghost) and true to real life. They absolutely would casually joke with each other about racism, homophobia, xenophobia, war crimes, torture, etc. The important part is that they all know that it’s always a joke; shared humor is one of the most common ways that soldiers bond with each other, and being able to take the piss with each other is key to unit cohesion. If you don’t like that or if that makes you uncomfortable, don’t write it!
Fraternization: In general, fraternization is strictly prohibited. It’s grounds for a reassignment at best and a court martial at worst. One or both parties may be dishonorably discharged. Realistically, any relationship between anyone in the 141 (with the exception of Soap and Gaz, who are of equal rank and therefore their relationship does not affect the chain of command, big win for SoapGaz shippers) would be strictly prohibited and treated as a criminal offense. It is up to you whether your characterization of the 141 members warrants any action upon the discovery of fraternization or if it would be ignored in favor of keeping the team together. An argument could be made either way, so it’s a judgment call.
Call Signs:
The IRL SAS does not use call signs; they are almost universally used for pilots across all military divisions, which means that regular soldiers, even those in Special Forces, don't get call signs. However, as the CoD universe evidently uses call signs, here are some things you should know:
No one really knows how call signs originated. Some say that they started as nicknames given to pilots in the early days of flight. Others say that they originated as a way for ground control to quickly and easily refer to pilots over the radio. In any case, call signs have cemented themselves firmly in aviation culture
Call signs are not supposed to be cool. Ghost in an anomaly. The vast majority of people are not given call signs like Maverick or Iceman. A call sign is supposed to be (playfully) teasing and embarrassing; it's what the military calls "humility culture". They are often a derivative of a last name, based on physical features or personality, or related to a mistake the soldier made early in their career.
A call sign, once given, is rarely changed. Call signs follow soldiers for the entirety of their careers and beyond, and it is not unusual for fellow soldiers to only know each other by their rank, call sign, and last name (some can go their entire careers without knowing each others first names; a call sign basically replaces a soldiers first name).
Call signs are voted on and chosen by the soldier's squadron; they have very little (if any) say in the process. The squadron's commanding officer has the ability to veto a proposed call sign and often will if it crosses any lines (racist, sexist, etc) or if it isn't funny enough.
Here is a forum of US Naval call signs and their stories. I highly recommend giving it a read, especially if you need name ideas or a good laugh
General Writing Reference:
Resource for describing physical things (settings, weather, colors, textures, shapes)
Sickness Descriptors
Keeping Tenses (one of the most common writing mistakes in fic writing; this blog has a lot of very informative writing tip posts!)
WordHippo (One of the best dictionary/thesaurus/rhyming dictionary websites I've found and unfailingly keep open while writing/editing)
Tumblr account dedicated to writing characters of color
Tumblr thread with resources/references for international clothes and other items
Tumblr post with links to building/architectural terms and references
Tumblr post with links to helpful writing websites/resources (reverse dictionary, translator, body language, etc)
Misc Helpful Links (Will be Updated):
https://www.eliteukforces.info/special-air-service/ (detailed information about the SAS, selection, training, operations, weaponry, skills, and roles)
https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/british-army-ranks (British Army ranks in order with brief descriptions of roles/responsibilities)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_Army_installations (List of British Army bases and barracks, both in the UK and overseas)
https://www.quora.com/Does-the-British-Army-really-have-mixed-dorms-as-in-the-TV-show-Our-Girl (Quora forum detailing British military barrack living conditions)
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/military-pilots-call-signs/ (Blog post about aviator call signs and their use in military culture)
https://www.military.com/history/history-of-aviator-call-signs-and-how-pilots-get-their-new-name.html (Blog post about the history of aviator call signs in the military)
https://www.tumblr.com/sighmurderbot/735894836939472896/are-you-like-me-suddenly-obsessed-with-cod-and (Tumblr post - CoD mission generator)
https://www.army.mil/ranks/ (lots of very helpful information about US Army enlisted, warrant, and officer ranks as well as corps and division sizes/operations. Whoever designed this website needs a raise tbh)
If you found this useful, feel free to drop a like! I like knowing that my hard work is being used and appreciated!
You sighed as you closed Silco's office door. Jinx had already started walking to the kitchen. "Smells like eggs, Sevika's probably making food." Your face contorted. "Sevika?" Jinx only laughed, grabbing your hand and walking into the dining room. Sevika was in fact, making breakfast, and it smelled really good. You never thought Sevika could cook for whatever reason. Jinx sat you down at the dining table and went over to talk to Sevika. You didn't really listen to the conversation, but Sevika's voice seemed gruff as usual.
Jinx came back with two plates of food, setting yours down and going to sit next to you. You both stuffed your faces, Jinx being a bit messier than you with syrup all over her mouth. It was hot, freshly cooked, and tasted delicous. After the night you had, this was perfect.
Sevika had moved to the living room to watch some old TV show, but Jinx found the background noise to be annoying. "You still tired?" Her mouth was full as she spoke. You nodded, getting up and putting your plate in the sink. Jinx followed after you, cleaning up after you, washing her hands, and cleaning her plate. The two of you walked back to her workshop and collapsed onto the bed. "Okay, noooow we have time to cuddles." Jinx held out her arms as if reaching for you. You sighed, crawling closer to her and nuzzling into her chest. "There you go, trinket, I'll keep you warm.."
About an hour passed, and you two were just laying there, taking in each others warmth. Jinx mumbled something to herself, and you couldn't quite tell what. You weren't concerned until her arms let go of you and she began to turn and kick in her sleep. You hadn't even realized she wasn't awake. A few shakes woke her up and she was in a panic. Shaking, rambling, eyes darting from place to place. "Jinx, Jinx its okay.. it was a dream!" Your hand moved to rest on hers. Her eyes wandered over you, dilating just a little. "It was an accident.." her voice trailed off.
You hugged her, whispering quietly. "I know, forgive you. I always will." You know how it felt to have dreams like that, and reassurance always helped. Jinx hugged you, letting her head rest in the crook of your neck. "Mm."
You only smiled, laying down with her in your arms. "Let's rest for a little, and then we can take a nap if you want."
Jinx only whined, nuzzling closer.
You hoped this would keep happening. The comfort of Jinx's presence was something you lived for. And it would. In almost every universe.
I never knew who I wanted to be, or what I wanted to do. As a matter of fact, I knew nothing more than do well and be successful. My life didn’t seem to have direction until word about Jinx started to spread. The attacks were horrific and flashy, and even though it was horrible, I found inspiration in it. In her determination, and in her engineering. I’d visit places she’d been to look for old scraps of her bombs and other inventions, and I’d analyze them. It was the only thing that brought me real joy, it meant a lot to me.
However, studying didn’t mean a lot to me. When my parents pitched the idea of going to Piltover Academy, I was livid. That was until they told me the classes they offered. There was a good variety, but I wanted to take Science and Engineering. For a year I’d been infatuated with Jinx’s mechanisms, now I could finally learn to create my own. Needless to say I ran at the opportunity.
Walking into the Academy was strange, this huge building I’d seen my entire life growing up was going to be my home for the next few years. The architecture was inspiring. It took a day or two to settle and I was thankful for the extra time they offer for students to move in and prepare before the semester starts. My roommates weren’t note-worthy to me, nothing about them really stuck out. I didn’t care to learn much about them, I had more important things to do. t took a day or two to settle and I was thankful for the extra time they offer for students to move in and prepare before the semester starts. My roommates weren’t note-worthy to me, nothing about them really stuck out. I didn’t care to learn much about them, I had more important things to do.
Through the last night I sat awake at my desk, going over the last of the syllabus for my Science and Engineering class. I’d taken notes of the books I’d need to borrow and the test dates. Based on the spacing, I’d have enough time to work on my own creations. When I had no more to read, I laid in my bed, holding the stuffed animal I brought from home. It was the only item I had any sentimental attachment to, other than my blueprints and personal Jinx study journal.
The next morning, the sun poured in through the large windows. I woke before my peers to get ready for class. After brushing my teeth and doing my hair, I slipped on my uniform. I’d only ever worn it once before, and it was surprisingly comfortably considering the restrictions. The reddish-brown color went well together, and I was enjoying the visual appeal of the Academy already.
It took me a few minutes to find my class, but I arrived on time. Each and every student was different, having something that made them special visually. Still, nobody stood out to me. The lecture began soon after and I listened intently. An assignment to learn about each other had been decided on. A debate; each student would form a thesis on the limits of ethical science in the eyes of plain curiosity, simply put, what’s morally okay to do for fun. It was an easy project, and I already knew what I was going to write my thesis on.
The professor mentioned how he planned to pair us up based on votes after thesis’ had been finished, and he shared that the thesis must be finished by tomorrow. Some of the class exclaimed or groaned, but I just smiled. Fast paced work was my preference, anyway.
My other classes were boring and I didn’t care to much to commit anything to memory; however, I do remember going to the library after once the afternoon had settled in. I wanted to skim over some books on the topic of ethics and morals just to understand a little bit better. While I was searching the library for a book that met my requirements, my eyes fell upon someone. I didn’t know his name, but I knew he was in one of my classes. I racked my brain for the memory. I’d heard his voice, he asked a question. Viktor was his name, I thought.
I didn’t mean to look at him as long as I did, I only meant to observe how he was. His looks, his demeanor, but he caught my glare and I flinched as I turned away. I hadn’t expected him to notice me analyzing him. Worse things have happened and the world would keep turning, so I want on to keep searching for a book. Eventually I found one and sat down at one of the many desks in the library. I opened my small bag and set down my materials. A quick study session wouldn’t hurt.
I jotted down notes for about an hour, yawning and playing soft music in my headphones. I hadn’t noticed when Viktor walked past me, or when he silently leaned over my shoulder to see my notes. Not until he was walking away already. I wondered what exactly he wanted. Was he going to copy me? I hadn’t written my thesis yet. It’d be better to do it alone where people couldn’t try and steal my ideas.
It was almost evening, so I went up to my dorm to start my work and shower. The thesis was relatively easy and fun to make. In my opinion, explosives are generally ethical, especially since they’re used for celebrations and such. They’re in most cases, used as weapons, but who truly cares as long as they don’t hurt anybody, right?
I liked the way it was written and I didn’t mind the small imperfections that riddled through the page occasionally. Generally, a thesis for a project like this would end up an essay, and I wanted to get it done. I wasn’t sure how many pages or words would be required, so I just started writing since I could always add more or change things. I ignored the feeling of sleep pulling me from my work, and I didn’t realize how tempting it was until I woke up, drooling on my desk.
I grumbled, how had I fallen asleep? I didn’t even have the chance to shower. I sighed, groggily walking to the bathroom to get ready. I wore our second uniform, it was mostly the same, but it had a few differences. I noticed the corset laced back immediately because it took me forever to lace it back. It was a little annoying, but it looked good on me. I wondered if the male students had the corsets too, but I didn’t have time to let the thought linger.
The walk to class was nice, easy to navigate and fun to observe. The halls were long and well decorated, set with paintings and small futuristic elements. I sat in my seat, close to the front. I wanted to present as one of the first few, that way I could get a feel for a few people’s writing styles and morals. While I was waiting, setting up my materials, that guy came in. And sat next to me. Why?
He didn’t make small talk, or even say anything to me. All he did was grunt what was his excuse of a greeting. It bothered me that he sat so close. He was snooping around yesterday, and I wasn’t sure why he was doing it. I scooted a bit away from him and moved my arm over my notepad.
The lecture began and we started expressing our thesis’ to the class. I didn’t care much for long works about animal experiments or other things I really don’t remember.
However, one of my classmates, Jayce Talis? I think that’s his name. His thesis was a big drawn out and my classmates yawned. I was intrigued, listening intently. Magic. I knew it was forbidden, and his willingness to share so much about what he’d already learned was quite brave. It was fascinating to hear of his studies and theories. I moved to change my position when I caught a glimpse of Viktor. He looked most enchanted than I was. It wasn’t obvious, but you could tell in his eyes he found it interesting.
When it was my turn, I presented my opinion. Quick and simple, straight to the point. I took a look around the class every so often as I spoke to gauge people’s reactions. I knew bomb and explosives were a big deal considering recent events in Piltover. A few confused faces, a few surprised. Viktor’s stood out to me. He seemed to be deep in thought, and with each word I said, he seemed to ponder more. Hiding beneath is interest I could see disappointment. Maybe he didn’t like the thesis. Good. He wouldn’t have a reason to steal from me then.
I sat back down and listened to the rest of my peers. I was mostly bored, counting down the minutes before class would be over. And when it finally was, I went straight to my dorm to get a snack.
The next morning, our professor paired us up. Me and Viktor’s thesis’ were most popular, even though I really don’t remember what it was about. I didn’t want to work with him, but I wasn’t sure about his character yet. We had to work on our essays after class and write counterarguments for our partner.
“I already finished my essay, so when you finish yours we do the other arguments.” I didn’t really expect him to respond, considering his quiet demeanor. As soon as I heard his voice, I was captivated.
“I can finish it by tonight.”
Barely even a full sentence, and my head was spinning. I knew why, it was his accent. I had a knack for finding fictional characters to stick to and characters with accents made me weak. But this? I had to keep my cool, he wasn’t some TV show character, he was my work partner.
“Alright, do you want to meet in the library tomorrow to work on it? I can give you my number so we can plan a time.” I fidgeted with my sleeve, it was to work. Not to admire him.
“Sure, I dont think I’m doing anything tomorrow.” He handed over his phone and I punched my number in.
“See you tomorrow.” I said quietly. He grunted in acknowledgment.
I sightly waved goodbye as I went to my dorm. The whole walk there my brain filled with the sound of his voice. I cursed myself for being so attracted to it. “It’s only his voice.” I repeated the sentence into my pillow fifty times. “I can’t even trust him yet.” I sighed softly, grabbing my stuffed animal and looking at it. I smiled a little and got comfortable. The next few days should’ve been easy. I already finished my homework for my other classes since they were pretty easy, and this was the last thing I had left to do.
All I had left to do was go to the library tomorrow.
