#the goal for this project is consistency and body anatomy

[54prowl]

hushed gasps compilation (2)

thank you once again to @strawberrystepmom, @crybaby-ink, @thus-spoke-lo, @kailthefailwhale, @bluebellhairpin, @shingekinomyfeelings, @heroesfan101, @unhingedselfships, and @sweetlikekou

want a set? slots are open. find the details here.

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twt | ig | ko-fi | past comms

[crabbytime]

Actually fuck it y'all get my tfa ocs too because I forgot to post them but I love them dearly (yes my ref style is inconsistent but I refuse to make it consistent)

Mini bios!

Deadweight- An Autobot defector and medic who hoards spare parts, junk, and whatever they've graverobbed. After having their conjux executed during the war for becoming a Decepticon spy and losing their entire team to a wayward alien parasite, they completely lost all joy or hope and switched sides. They don't express any sort of emotion and just let things happen, but they're as honest as they come (though it's mostly due to lacking the energy to lie). This can be detrimental if you're on the operating table, but otherwise it makes others know exactly where they stand with Deadweight. Due to their size, they tend to be used by other Decepticons as a weapon. The compartment on their back is akin to a mobility aid since it's mandatory for them to transform, and they occasionally use it for support when their leg injury acts up. The compartment also acts as a personal infinite pocket dimension, perfect for hoarding their collection! Their alt-mode is a hearse.

Diama- After the Allspark was shot out into space, the Autobot High Command wanted to find a way to create new Cybertronians without wasting too many resources. Thus, Perceptor started a new project that began and ended with Diama. Their goal was to create a completely artificial 'bot that wouldn't need too many resources to run on, and could even survive without energon. What they got was Diama. She was invented with the possibility of failure in mind, so she was made quite compact and with individual parts that combined to make her body in case they needed repair. Since they weren't sure if she'd be scrapped or not, they made her alt-mode something practical they could use were she to be shut down so their resources weren't wasted. A magnet. Her body emits a natural magnetism she has to keep low so she doesn't stick to the metal architecture of Cybertron. This also means she's fairly liable to fall apart at the slightest bit of force. Because she's completely artificial, she has no personality, the reason Ultra Magnus cancelled the project, as he deemed the sacrifice of personality too great a cost in exchange for progress. Though, because her personality is AI, her behavior is influenced by those around her, so her data keeps having to be fixed and reset by her handlers. The only reason she still "lives" is because they have her go around doing maintenance work for situations normal bots can't quite do. Perceptor likes to keep her around as his walking flashdrive.

Throwback- An unaligned amnesiac the Autobot High Command took in after finding his mangled body post-explosion. Nobody knows where he came from or what he is, considering his entire infrastructure was archaic by their standards, yet he had a spark. They had to completely recreate his outer shell while keeping his bare-bones intact, both to study and to not accidentally kill him. The damage he sustained gave him a large amount of damage on his processor and joints, but they couldn't be fixed due to his anatomy being incredibly outdated and unknown to the Autobots. Because of this, Throwback has an incredibly difficult time absorbing new information, which is incredibly frustrating for him and everyone else. He acts out as a result of that and his situation, pushing his already brash personality to its limits. He's incredibly loud and rude but turns tail at the first sign of conflict. His alt mode is a boomerang, but only his top half can turn into it, leaving his legs to their own devices. Because he keeps trying to escape his confinement, they've paired Diama with him so she can use her magnetism to pull him back when he runs.

Evolutia- Has earned the nickname "mommy issues" in my friend group and for good reason. She's as old as Alpha Trion and has both the experience and knowledge to back it up. Having lived through so many conflicts, she's gotten a distaste for it, and instead busied herself with off-planet work and exploration. Knowledge was always something she sought and she was willing to do anything to figure things out. However, an accident left her T-Cog destroyed and rendered her unable to transform. This didn't stop her, however, as she continued her research regardless. There she found that her body, though it could no longer transform, could instead shapeshift and meld to match the environments she was in. This ability was unnatural and made her fellow Cybertronians afraid of her, so she ran off before they could experiment on her. As this occurred during the Decepticon conflict, she ended up switching sides just to learn how they functioned and to study their anatomy. It was there that she took Shockwave under her wing, taking notice of his own shapeshifting abilities. She mentored him in this and various sciences in hopes that he'd use this for Cybertron's benefit, but became disgusted by him and ended up abandoning both him and the cause. She lived alone in space for countless millennia, stopping by other planets and stealing resources for her own purposes. She's even the basis for a variety of myths, legends, and rumors across countless planets as a result, thanks to her ever-changing appearance. There was always just one question she could never answer, the secret to life and existence, and she aimed to find out one way or another. So, she began building constructs to try and recreate Cybertronian anatomy using her vast knowledge of the subject. When this didn't work, she began harvesting honorable sparks from still-living bots from the shadows in order to pass their noble traits onto her new generation. She was the one to first create Throwback, not that he remembers, and she has countless other constructs wandering around the cosmos. She's incredibly patient and motherly, but once she's disappointed, you're essentially dead to her. She does not have nostalgia in the slightest and has no problem with switching her opinions around at the drop of a hat with no hesitation. Her highest priority is Cybertron's future and evolution, and she will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. Before her T-Cog was destroyed, she turned into a moon rover.

This turned into a massive infodump but I love them a lot. All of them have more info on my Toyhouse! I'm not sure how the algorithm works on this site so idk if I'm allowed to link it but my username is also Crabbytime!

[nurseeden]

Inside a Day in the Life: A Detailed Take A Look At a Typical Nursing School Schedule

**Title: Inside a Day in the Life: A Detailed Look at a ​Typical Nursing School​ Schedule**

**Introduction:** Embarking on the journey to become a nurse is ⁤both challenging and rewarding. Nursing school is a demanding yet fulfilling experience that requires dedication, hard work,‌ and a well-structured schedule. In this‍ article, we will take a detailed look at a ⁣typical nursing school schedule, providing valuable insights into the daily life of nursing students.

**A Typical Nursing School Schedule:**

***Morning*** 1. **7:00 AM – 8:00 AM:** Rise ​and ⁢Shine – Start the day ​early to prepare⁤ for classes, clinicals, or study sessions. -⁤ Have a nutritious⁤ breakfast to fuel your body and mind for the busy day ahead.

2. **8:00 ‍AM – 12:00 PM:** Classes and Lectures – Attend⁣ lectures‌ on various nursing subjects such as ‌anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and nursing fundamentals. – Participate in interactive discussions, group projects, and⁢ hands-on learning⁤ activities. – Take notes, ask questions, and‌ actively engage with professors and classmates.

***Afternoon*** 3. **12:00 PM – 1:00 PM:** Lunch Break – Take a well-deserved break to refuel and⁤ recharge. – Eat a balanced⁤ meal to keep your energy⁣ levels up for the rest of the day.

4. **1:00 PM – 4:00 PM:** Clinical Rotations – Head to‌ the hospital or clinical site for hands-on experience in real-life healthcare settings. – Work alongside nurses,⁣ doctors, and ​other healthcare‌ professionals to care for patients. – Practice essential skills⁢ such as patient assessment, medication administration, wound care, and bedside manner.

***Evening*** 5. **4:00 PM – ⁤6:00 PM:** Study and Review – Review‌ lecture notes, textbooks, and study guides. – Work on assignments, projects,‍ and prepare for upcoming exams. – Collaborate with study groups, seek help from tutors, and utilize online resources for additional support.

6. **6:00 PM – 8:00 PM:** Dinner and Relaxation – Enjoy a well-balanced meal to replenish your energy. – Take some time to relax and unwind before bedtime. – Engage in stress-relieving activities such as⁣ exercise, meditation, ⁢or spending time with loved ones.

**Benefits ‍and⁢ Practical Tips:** – Establish a routine and‍ stick to⁣ a consistent schedule‌ to stay organized⁢ and on track. – Prioritize self-care, including adequate sleep, healthy meals, and‍ exercise to maintain overall⁣ well-being. – Make use of time management⁣ techniques such as setting ‌goals, prioritizing tasks, and avoiding distractions. – Stay motivated by setting realistic expectations,‌ celebrating small victories, and‌ seeking support from ⁢peers, ⁤mentors, and faculty members.

**Conclusion:** A day in the life of a ⁤nursing student is filled with challenges, opportunities, and growth. By following a ‍structured schedule, managing time effectively, and prioritizing self-care, nursing students can ⁤navigate⁣ the demands of school successfully. Remember, perseverance, dedication, and passion for the nursing profession are key to thriving in the ​rigorous but ‍rewarding journey towards becoming a nurse.

https://nursingcertificationcourses.com/inside-a-day-in-the-life-a-detailed-take-a-look-at-a-typical-nursing-school-schedule/

[viveksr]

Best Medical Courses in Buxar

The medical course is a rigorous and comprehensive program designed to equip aspiring medical professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills to diagnose, treat, and prevent illnesses and injuries. This course typically spans several years and consists of both theoretical knowledge and practical hands-on training.

Foundation Years

The first years of the medical course focus on laying a strong foundation in basic medical sciences. Students learn about anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and pathology. These subjects provide a fundamental understanding of the human body's structure and function, as well as the processes involved in various diseases.

Preclinical Years

Moving into the preclinical years, students delve deeper into the medical sciences. They study pharmacology, microbiology, immunology, and pathology. These subjects help students grasp the intricacies of drugs, infectious agents, immune responses, and disease processes.

In addition to theoretical studies, preclinical years often include practical sessions in laboratories to reinforce learning and develop essential laboratory skills.

Clinical Years

After the preclinical years, students enter the clinical phase of the medical course. This is where they begin their rotations in different medical specialties and gain practical experience under the guidance of experienced physicians and healthcare professionals.

During the clinical years, students rotate through various departments, including internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, and others. Each rotation exposes students to different patient populations and medical conditions, broadening their understanding of healthcare and its challenges.

Clinical Skills Training

Throughout the medical course, students receive training in essential clinical skills, such as taking medical histories, conducting physical examinations, and practicing effective communication with patients and their families. These skills are critical for providing patient-centered care and building trust with patients.

Ethics and Professionalism

Medical ethics and professionalism are emphasized throughout the medical course. Students learn about the ethical principles that guide medical decision-making, patient confidentiality, and maintaining professional boundaries. Understanding these principles is essential in ensuring patient welfare and upholding the integrity of the medical profession.

Specializations

In the latter stages of the medical course, students have the opportunity to choose a specialization based on their interests and career goals. Some common specializations include cardiology, neurology, oncology, emergency medicine, and many more. Students undergo further training and gain in-depth knowledge and expertise in their chosen field.

Clinical Clerkships and Electives

During the medical course, students participate in clinical clerkships and electives, where they can gain experience in specialized areas of medicine and work with experts in the field. These experiences help students explore potential career paths and develop a deeper understanding of specific medical disciplines.

Research and Publications

Medical students are encouraged to engage in research projects during their course. Conducting research not only advances medical knowledge but also helps students develop critical thinking and analytical skills. Many medical schools offer opportunities for students to present their research at conferences and publish their findings in medical journals.

Internship and Residency

Upon completing the medical course, graduates typically enter a compulsory internship program, where they work as junior doctors in various departments. Following the internship, doctors may opt for further specialization through a residency program, which can take several years to complete, depending on the chosen specialty.

Examinations and Licensure

Throughout the medical course, students must pass various examinations to progress to the next level and ultimately graduate. Additionally, to practice medicine legally, graduates must obtain a medical license by passing the required medical board exams in their respective countries or states.

Challenges and Demands

The medical course is known for its demanding nature. Students must manage a vast amount of information, long study hours, and emotional stress as they deal with human lives. They must develop resilience and self-care strategies to maintain their physical and mental well-being.

Conclusion

The medical course is a transformative journey that prepares students to become skilled and compassionate healthcare professionals. By combining theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience, medical students gain a comprehensive understanding of medicine and the complexities of patient care. As they progress through the course, they develop a strong sense of responsibility and dedication to improving the health and well-being of their patients and communities.

Continuing Medical Education

The journey of medical education does not end with graduation. After completing the medical course, healthcare professionals must engage in continuing medical education (CME) to stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in medicine and enhance their skills.

CME opportunities include attending medical conferences, workshops, and seminars where experts share their knowledge and experiences. Many healthcare institutions and medical societies also offer online courses and webinars, making it easier for professionals to access educational resources conveniently.

Medical Technology and Innovation

In recent years, medical technology has advanced rapidly, revolutionizing the healthcare industry. As part of the medical course, students are introduced to cutting-edge technologies used in diagnostics, treatment, and patient care. However, with the continuous development of new technologies, healthcare professionals must stay current to leverage these advancements effectively.

Technologies like telemedicine, artificial intelligence, wearable health devices, and precision medicine have the potential to transform patient care and outcomes. As part of their continuing education, medical professionals learn how to integrate these technologies into their practice to improve efficiency and patient outcomes.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Medical education emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. Healthcare is a team effort that involves doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, social workers, and other healthcare professionals working together to provide comprehensive patient care.

During the medical course, students often participate in interprofessional education experiences to learn effective communication and teamwork skills. This prepares them to collaborate seamlessly with other healthcare professionals throughout their careers.

Global Health and Public Health

Medical education also addresses global health and public health issues. Students are exposed to healthcare disparities, infectious disease outbreaks, and the impact of social determinants of health on patient populations.

Understanding global health challenges and public health strategies equips medical professionals to work effectively in diverse communities and contribute to public health initiatives, disease prevention, and health promotion.

Patient-Centered Care and Empathy

Patient-centered care and empathy are core principles of medical education. Students are taught to see patients as individuals with unique needs and to prioritize their well-being and preferences.

Medical courses emphasize communication skills that foster empathy and compassion. Practicing active listening and effectively addressing patients' concerns create a strong patient-doctor relationship, which can positively influence treatment outcomes.

Medical Ethics in Practice

Medical ethics remains a critical aspect of healthcare practice. In their careers, medical professionals encounter complex ethical dilemmas that require thoughtful decision-making.

Continuing medical education often includes discussions and case studies on ethical issues to help healthcare professionals navigate challenging situations while upholding the highest ethical standards.

Medical Legalities and Health Policy

Medical professionals need to be aware of legal and regulatory aspects related to healthcare. They must understand medical malpractice, patient confidentiality laws, and healthcare policies that shape the healthcare system.

Courses on medical legalities and health policy empower healthcare professionals to make informed decisions while complying with the laws and regulations governing their practice.

Adapting to Future Challenges

The landscape of healthcare is ever-evolving, and medical education must continuously adapt to prepare professionals for the challenges of the future. This includes addressing emerging diseases, incorporating new treatment modalities, and responding to changes in healthcare policies and technologies.

In conclusion, the medical course is a transformative journey that instills the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for aspiring medical professionals to provide excellent patient care. By focusing on both theoretical knowledge and practical experience, medical education equips graduates with the expertise and compassion needed to make a positive impact on the health and well-being of individuals and communities. Continuous learning and adaptation to advancements in medicine are crucial to maintaining the highest standards of patient care and advancing the field of healthcare.

[neuro3-17]

Updates and Such

Hi!

So, the whole moving out and me and my friends getting a place together thing fell through hard and getting an apartment on my own and re-setting up most likely isn't going to happen for a good while, at least a few more months, while I get my finances sorted out and find a new place that's within my current budget and is actually taking new residents. I don't really want to wait that much longer to get back to drawing though, I've been missing it really badly and I've already been gone longer than I wanted to be, so I got a cheap laptop and I'm ready to get back on it right now.

I think making a list of goals and stuff will help me better keep myself on track here like it has in real life so here's what to expect to see coming and what I plan on working on in terms or art progress and projects.

1. Create a consistent posting schedule. Most likely my posting day for here and DeviantArt will be every other Wednesday because that's what day I'm off work. What I'll post and how much I'll post at a time will vary depending on a lot of things.

2. Work on getting better at anatomy, specifically human anatomy with a focus on head shape, variety and structure, hands, body types and structure, posing and foreshortening.

3. Work on creating a better balance between posing original art and fanart.

4. Work on sketch studies of various things, people, animals, places, ect.

5. Update all sites on what's going on and clean up there too.

6. Get set up on AO3 so I can begin working on my writing and get to posting those fanfic and story ideas I've been sitting on for a while. I'll be making two accounts to keep SFW content and not sperate as well as posting here. This one may take longer to get going because I'm not even slightly confident in my writing.

.Fix up and repost some of my old content, I won’t be doing this for every picture just a few, I already have 3 ready to post.

.General clean up.

I'll be posting a list of various projects I have set up soon. Thanks for reading and have a good day or night!

[3x3-flowers]

What do I want to achieve this year?

I know we often see blogs with the achievements they wanna do this year and it’s so cheesy, but I wanna preface by saying that I have always been so intimidated by these people because they always listed down the biggest tasks such as saving up a lot of money, losing a lot of weight, meanwhile normal people know that it is much easier to save up a lot of weight and lose a lot of money. 

So, I wanted to lay down some actual challenging yet also achievable goals. Some of these goals can be very specific but…this is also kind of my list in my own blog.

Start and finish a commonplace book/journal

I'm not a consistent person when it comes to making journals, however I have been trying to put myself into a state of mind where I start reading again. It’s a lot for me to even start reading again because I’ve just been so busy with life to the point, I find it pointless to even start a book because every few minutes I just stand up and do something else. 

I'm the type of person who binge reads and binge journals. I put all my time and all my effort in a specific time slot to get myself situated and ready to create/read something, but when you’re a core member/facilitator/big sister/daughter of a disabled mother/honour roll student, you don’t really get that luxury of being able to just sit down. I find it really hard to spend time on myself, in fact that’s why I’m even considering going back to blogging on a regular weekly basis. I wanna finish something and be proud of it.

Focus more on my studies

Has anyone ever heard of the saying “don’t let schooling get in the way of your education”? Because if you have, chances are…you already know what I’m going to say. From personal experience, I find that school is a great way of introducing me to a topic, however it is not a good way for me to learn. I learn a lot more by self study and by interactions with other people. I have focused a lot on my school life and it has gotten in the way of things that I really like pursuing such as learning about economics, practising art anatomy, and teaching myself how to become a leader. All of these things, I often study and actively try to teach myself but due to the large amount of academic and school works, it has become quite a bother on my own education.

In this year, I wanna focus on self growth, thus I’m making room for self-education. I'm going to lessen some work load on my hands, if a project no longer feels like it's a good idea, then I’ll simply leave it. This year, I want good results, if not better.

Table at a convention

Tabling at a convention with my products, my art, and all that jazz…it has been a dream of mine ever since I stepped foot inside a convention hall. My very first con, I told my friend that we should get a table and sell at a convention hall. I feel like I’ve grown much as an artist, and though I know I still have plenty to learn, I think it would be about time for me to get in there. 

Though I do a lot of illustrations and cute drawings, I also sell other stuff like earrings and bracelets! I have a few ideas on what to sell and I’ll even make a product list if anyone asks for it, but essentially��I just have a lot of stuff to sell aka I have a lot of things I need to get rid of. I would love to do a table this year, and I would be down to participate in anything like that.

Build myself a LookBook

I have always been a big fashion person and I have gone through a lot of phases with my style, however ever since I started going to the thrift market and referencing a ton of “clean girl” looks, I’ve realised a big part of my style revolves on that fact that I might be someone’s grandma. I wanna make myself a LookBook aka I have to face my fear of taking pictures in public and actually take photos of myself. I wanna really hammer it into myself that I’m going to have to start accepting that I look like what I look like. This is a big project for me to finally start practising my body neutrality and to find a lot of peace in how I'm perceived.

Get my average higher

So…technically speaking, my average is already high. In fact my average is 1.2 during my last two semesters, and in our grading system…the total 100 perfect is a Flat 1. So to be complete about it, my grades are not bad at all. However, due to a mistake in my last sem…I got a 1.35 average and to me this was an atrocity. I would not honestly let that slide, if not for the fact that I worked hard to fix that grade, I worked perfectly. Day and Night, I did so the fact that I didn’t get the grade I wanted, it made me see red.

So this year, to rectify my mistake, I’ve taken it upon myself to actually try. To study and to submit all of my work properly. I could not risk it again and I will certainly never do so again, so this is to hoping I get a really high grade soon

After all those resolutions, this year my main goal is to be a better version. I think almost everyone always wants that, to just be a better person. To get better, to do better, to be better. It’s so easy to say and to put into a mantra but being better just takes so much hard work that when you do try to be a better person, everyone seems to try to mess you up. 

But that is what life is about and I want to enjoy it while I’m in my prime. I’m only 19 and I’ll be 20 this year. I wanna show who I can be, I wanna show everyone what I can be. I know this year will be tough, but when was any year ever any easier?

[tenjokisamaaaaaaa]

One Kaito A Day (OKAD) project weekly update:

Thank you all so much for your support! I made a collage of everything I've done this week. Below are the notes on how that particular day went.

10/1: Posted this separately. I guess I like the concept but not the execution. I think it'd be cool to redraw this at the end of October to see what's different.

10/2: Had this idea. I liked it! Was saving this for the weekend to finish.

10/3: Busy day so just a screenshot redraw. I learned how to use vector layer and MY WORLD HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME. No more Sketchy Sketch from me! I stand a corrected man!

10/4: I did not stand a corrected man. Tried tracing by hand and it.. it's not as bad as I thought it'd be. Could do this for a quick manga strip and what not I guess...

10/5: Actually, doing line art itself was just.. painful. It felt so much more natural for me to just paint over my sketches. Does it take longer? Yeah. Do I know what I'm doing? Of course NOT. Does it make me happy? You bet it does.

10/6: Tried drawing Kaito's different expressions from memory. Went malding over this for a good hour because of how inconsistent everything looked. I guess I shouldn't expect myself to be able to draw consistently bc 1) I don't know anatomy; 2) I don't know my style. But still... damn....

10/7: The program was interrupted by Mizael. Who am I without dramatic lighting!

10/8: Tried turning the pose I was working on into Kaito. Still don't understand how his coat works so he's not gonna be wearing it for a while...

Sunday will be going over everything I've done and maybe produce some finished drawings. We will see.

My goal for this week has been to familiarize myself with the painting software and to establish a habit of drawing. I think so far I've been managing alright. Next week I will try to do more half/full bodied exercises. I will keep you posted!

[antiloreolympus]

7 Anti LO Asks

1. any time someone excuses bad LO art as "thats just her style!" it's clearly someone who isn't an artist. we know RS graduated art school and all but it's clear especially by now that's all been forgotten for the sake of monetary gain. What was unique in the beginning (strong use of color, lighting, composition, etc) has been forgone for out of place sketchup backgrounds, rushed coloring, anatomy failures, and lazy compositions. it just doesnt look good anymore and hasnt for a long time.

2. i feel like everything happening in lo would make more sense if it was spread over months/years instead of hourly. the fact it's nearly 200+ eps and it's only covered at most a month is absolutely ridiculous and makes the characters make no sense and like their change entire characterizations and goals within a few minutes. it also cuts down on any stakes when any supposed high tension moments are undercut by the fact theyre fixed as hour or so later in universe.

3. TBH i liked the idea of the limited color palette in the beginning but it's by now one of LO's worst ideas. when it was just a limited cast to the original hymn the limited colors were unique to each character, which is a good thing. but now there's 200+ other characters who repeat the same coloring (despite there being a whole color wheel to use) that even dedicated fans get confused who is who. rachel refusing to rein herself in isnt just bad for the story, it weakens the visuals as well.

4. tbh this is a modern media issue esp on the internet but its so obvious lo readers (and rachel literally designed "persephone" to be this way) project themselves onto persephone, which is why they get so defensive to defend her and justify all her awful actions/traits because they see it an personal insult to them as well. rachel does the same thing in making persephone both designed off herself and her bering her idealized self. its really not a healthy way to interact with fictional beings,

5. Why does Rachel always use poc/minority features when a character is considered bad or in a sexual manner?? Whenever Persephone is the victim or meek she suddenly has euro-centric features and no curves?? Sure. The racism is radiating. How the fuck are you going to play that off as an artistic choice?? Quirky not having the talent of being consistent ig.

From OP: I don’t think it’s racism, RS is just extremely inconsistent. I do hate how she plays her inconsistency off as being flexible and part of the charm. Like, it’s not a good thing in a comic for your characters to change body types in back to back episodes or even from panel to panel.

6. The dynamic between Hades and Persephone is literally based on a different lgbt couple. Just straight. Like how did the author even get away with it and even got all the big publishing deals but the other author didn't?? Like.... is it because Rachel is white or... 🤔 🤔

7. i dont think rachel gets this but having every single woman throw themselves at hades and talking about how much sex he has doesnt actually prove to us hes a desirable partner?? like he could be as unexperienced as persephone because it matters more that hes just like, a well written character who meshes well with persephone and they have chemistry together, not that rachel keeps insisting he has soooo much sex and every woman is in love with him. just?? have him be a character??? that's it??

[sakarrie-creates]

Heyo!!! I know I’m a bit far into the new year, but with this being my first year of digital art, I really wanted to make sure I got this so I can start my build up to compare future years to! This also includes a fair few pieces of art I haven’t posted so take that as reward for actually looking haha. You can find the blank template here!

A few end of year questions cause I love self-reflection way too much!

What was your biggest challenge this year?

Man it really depends on the project! In the beginning, it definitely was anatomy and perspective. I had so much stuff that I wanted to draw but just didn’t feel like I had the ability or knowledge to pull it off. That being said, after I found position references and 3D models, that was way less of a stress, and positioning the individual joints I feel taught me a lot on it’s own just about how different body positions look. After that, it moved into the steep learning curves of animation and lighting. I have an animatic project that I want to see come to life so bad, but I’ve had had to realise it’s going to take a lot of practice with other random animatics/animations to feel like I can full that off. I also have just had a consistent fear of backgrounds and lighting, neither of which I’ve done anymore than dip my toes in still. 

If I had to pick one single challenge for the year though, I’d say it was just the mere vastness of tools and styles at my fingers tips. I had so much I wanted to do and so many tools I wanted to use, but they all took (and are taking) a very long time to get used to. Just as I start to feel comfortable with my toolset, I realise there’s a better way of doing something and start back at the “beginner” stage. All being considered, though, that definitely isn’t too bad of a challenge to have haha.

What was something you were surprised by?

Other than the absolute bottomless pit that is CSP’s features? Okay, but for real. That thing is crAZY. Hmmmm I think maybe how much my style varied? I feel like even through I draw Player and Carmen all the time, they still look different in 80% of my pictures. Other than that... maybe how okay I am with my shading? Like, on basically all of these that I even attempted shading on, I thought it was absolutely terrible and obviously incorrect. Looking back through in putting this together, though. I was definitely surprised to find that I’m actually kinda proud of most of them. I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me in that department, but I don’t think I need to be as intimidated as I’ve felt. 

Where do you think you most improved? 

Definitely in my sketches. Once I had a basic comfort with anatomy, it really was freeing. They’re messy at best, but not having to look up what an arm looks like from a certain angle every time made it way more of a relaxed environment. 90% of my art this year is in quick sketches, and I find that I actually am okay with them even after the first time or two. The repetition has really given me a lot more confidence and I’m way faster. Now I just gotta work on getting PAST the sketch part lol.

What are you most proud of? 

Probably my Whumptober trap door animatic. It took me absolutely forever and it’s not consistent in style at all, but it spanned several minutes, included only one character that I’d drawn before, had some pretty dynamic scenes, and there was even a bit of background work! It’s certainly some of my cleanest lineart I’ve made and, considering how vivid the scene was in my head, it’s not actually crazy different. It proved to myself I could pull it off and  gives me a lot of hope for my other animatic aspirations. 

Speaking of which, 2022 Goals!!

As you know if you happened to have looked through my writing reflection, this is going to be a pretty heavy year in school so I’m trying to keep actual commitments low. That being said I have lots of things I want to try out more this year stylistically:

-Brushes: There’s so many and I’ve got no idea how or when or why to use them, but I want to try!

-Shading and Lighting: I left a lot of things uncolored because I was scared the shading would ruin them, but I’m not going to improve if I don’t let myself fail a bit first.

-More Dynamic Scenes and Positions: Same as above. They’re terrifying, but I want to be able to do them better

-Experiment With 3D Sets!!!: This last month I’ve discovered that in the same way I can use 3D models, I can use 3D sets as well! I’m once again at the very bottom of the learning curve, but I’m so excited for the potential this could bring to the ambitiousness of my scenes.

-Post More: I’m honestly kind of terrified of posting art for some reason, but I have tons to share. I don’t know if it’s cause tumblr is more intimidating, or cause art is stolen more often than fics, or cause it’s way easier for a small mistake to ruin an overall art piece, or cause it feels less common to be a mostly h/c artist than to be an h/c author. There’s tons of worries and insecurities that probably play into it, but I think it would be nice to feel more comfortable because those of you who do interact with my stuff are really nice and deserve the extra Player content.

Overall, how’d the year go?

Pretty good! I really explored a ton of stuff with my tablet and I’m just beginning to feel like I’m moving out of the experimentation stage and into the doing stage (for some things haha). There’s still so much to learn, but I’m getting to the point where I enjoy my art more often than not and in my opinion, appreciating your work where you’re at, despite the flaws, is a huge step towards becoming a better and more confident artist.

[thedreammweaver]

Gotham New Orleans Backstory Infodump: Ivy

Warnings: possible body horror, murder, lynching, racism, homophobia

She’s from Haiti and has an apparent accent. She was raised catholic but fell away from it after how it made her feel about her sexuality. She was raised with four younger sisters by a single mother. Her father died in the late 2000s during the tuberculosis outbreak and Ivy had to start helping with her sisters more. Her father’s death is what sparked her interest in science and things to do with biology.

She moved near Gotham in her twenties to become a scientist.

Her main goal became trying to find a way for humans’ relationship to plants to be more symbiotic, thinking plants would be better taken care of if it was easier for people to do it by just touching them. She eventually made a substance and tested it on herself where she could rejuvenate plants by just touching them and she planned to eventually distribute it once she got approval. This whole thing had been a secret project.

She had to pick up another job to keep herself afloat. It was a part-time teaching job in the more rural area she lived in at the time.

The parents there weren’t keen on her teaching their kids but they got livid when they ‘found out’ (from spying) that she’s a lesbian and from a country that ‘practices witchcraft.’

They came to the conclusion that she was a witch there to brainwash their children into satanism or being queer and they ended up stalking, kidnapping and burning her at the stake when the school board wouldn’t fire her. The chemicals that were woven into her DNA after being administered for many months started to react to the damage which caused the regenerative agents in them to work through the bones left behind and used the plants around the area Ivy was burned in.

The substance was self replenishing from having a living host at this point which Ivy didn’t know when she kept administering it to herself so there was more in her body than she did calculations for and the properties were very amplified. This meant the chemicals were able to ‘rebuild’ Ivy’s body from her bones and the plants, mimicking the blueprint of a human body but not exactly functioning like one anymore. After this Ivy decided to stop her research, coming to the conclusion that humans didn’t deserve the company of plants and she got revenge on those who wronged her by destroying their church with almost everyone in it, she feels a little guilty about that cause she orphaned a lot of the kids she’d taught.

Wanting to get away from civilization she moved into an old house in the swamp that is overrun with nature. She ended up rescuing an alligator from the lab she previously worked at where it was being experimented on. When she found him he was a baby and looked normal but as he started growing he turned white and grew more teeth than he should have and could withstand more damage than a normal alligator could. Currently he’s about 13-14 feet long, Ivy named him Princess.

The only human Ivy is consistently on good terms with is Harley, who she met sometime after her transformation and found to be much more enjoyable than other humans.

The rest of this is going to be explaining her anatomy more than backstory.

She may have accidentally made herself immortal in a way as the chemicals use their regenerative properties to regenerate themselves so that’s now a naturally occurring substance in her body like blood and she doesn’t need to make more.

She really only needs sunlight and water to survive, maybe a nap in some dirt here and there. She doesn’t need to eat to survive but does it sometimes, mostly socially if she has Harley over or is eating with other rogues.

Her body still thinks it needs things to take up the space of where the organs were. The only ‘organ’ she has that functions is her ‘stomach’ which is sort of like a pitcher plant though not carnivorous as Ivy doesn’t eat meat, there’s not any waste as like a pitcher plant it just eventually absorbs whatever is in there. The other ‘organs’ she has are just placeholders from her body and the plant matter sort of getting confused and putting whatever feels like the right shape in the right places. Some noteworthy examples are two enlarged kidney beans where the kidneys would be, gyromitra esculenta where her brain would be, usually there’s a pomegranate where her heart should be but she and Harley have a running joke of Ivy ‘giving her heart away’ to Harley, it grows back. There are vines where her intestines would be. She looks normal from the outside but once she’s been shot or cut green oozes out and one can see the vines and whatnot under the surface. There was one occasion where her lower arm got blown off and grew back after a few weeks.

She can blow pheromones from her mouth, they appear as a red cloud of dust that dissipates quickly, she has to have something that the person she’s using them on wants/is interested in for them to work.

[lethendralis-paints]

Artist Meme

Was tagged to answer this set of interesting questions by @kourvo​

(original post is here: https://kourvo.tumblr.com/post/621355098110640128/artist-meme

Thank you so much for that!

Let’s see....

1) What is the character you've drawn the most (Can be original or fanart)

This precious boy. I can never get enough of him. One of the most compelling characters I have ever come across. Love everything about Fenris and can relate to him on so many levels!

2. What colour do you often use? 

Gray and brown are my faves. And all other colours have the same chance of appearing in my artwork :D

3. Any colour you are bad at using?

I don’t think so...I love them all, even the pinks and yellows people usually find hard to incorporate into a colour palette. Tell me in the comments if I’m wrong :)

4. When drawing people, where do you start? 

Funnily enough - either with the front of the hairline or with the left eyebrow. Don’t ask me, why - I don’t know myself.

5. What is a character only your eraser will love?

Hmmmm...any sort of villainous character. I can’t draw evil people convincingly. I’m a huge softy at heart.

6. Which of your works took the longest time? 

Big scale commission I did for @pikapeppa​, featuring all the Inquisition companions, along with Fenris, Rynne and Carver Hawke. That one took almost 3 weeks, due to its sheer scope and my relative lack of experience in such large works. Pika was extremely patient with me though, for that I am eternally thankful!

7. What techniques do you use when you want to improve in drawing? 

Classical art studies. Varying my technique, themes I choose and software I use. I try to experiment and go outside my comfort zone often.

8. What do you think of the art of the person who gave you this ask meme? 

I adore Lillymon’s technical skill, refined style and limited colours! She is a huge inspiration for me!

9. What art tools/media are you good with? 

DrawPile, Photoshop, graphite pencils and liners. That’s about it :)

10. Art tools/media you are bad at? 

Traditional paints. I have no formal artistic education and my lack of knowledge comes to the forefront whenever I have to paint on a real canvas. It’s so much trial and error, you can’t even imagine....

11. What do you think about your own art? 

Lately it’s one of the last few things that were bringing me joy. I hope I won’t lose the passion for it. Because at this point I’m not sure I’ll be able to find some occupation I will be genuinely interested in and good at it. I don’t know if me gravitating towards moody fantasy art speaks about my fear of facing reality. If so, idk what to do with that. I do hope to develop my skills and being able to support myself financially as an artist.

12. Do you consult references for your drawings? 

Yes. A lot of them. Anatomical atlases, schemes for both academic and manga art, photographs found online and taken on my own, copying colour palettes from classical art - anything goes. I think it’s essential to develop your technical skill.

13. What do you like about your art? 

Lately - consistency, both in terms of produced results and in sticking to the timelines I set to myself. I hope this lasts. I would also like to branch out to other themes and not confine myself to quirky fantasy characters, so I’m working on developing my own story behind the scenes (spoilers) :P

14. What habits do you have while drawing?

Only the bad ones, lol. Hunching forward in front of the screen, forgetting to eat, drink and letting my eyes rest. Tilting my head to the side instead of rotating the canvas....I’m an idiot XD

15. Are you good at drawing faces facing right? 

I think that’s the thing I’m good at!

16. How frequently do you draw? 

For the last 1,5 years - almost every day without fail, for good or ill.

17. What do you do when you have artist's block? 

Change occupation and work myself into a depressed state. I changed work places in the last few years a lot, working as an interior designer, draftsman, textile designer, a cook, a bartender to name a few.

18. What must you have when you draw? 

No commotion around me and a cup of some hot beverage.

19. Do you have a lot of stray lines (messy lineart)? 

In the starting stage of my work process - yes, like you wouldn’t believe! If it’s a personal doodle, I sometimes just leave in as am under layer and draw clean lines on top of that mess. It looks cool in a way.

20. What is drawing to you?

An essential part of what helped me to retain my sanity in the last year and a half. Hopefully a lasting profession that will help me pay bills and survive on my own, if my life falls apart entirely later.

21. Your art goal from now on? 

Broaden the themes I depict, improve my technical skill, work on personal creative project and not only fan arts. And most of all - not giving up on it this time.

22. Artists you've had influence from? 

To name a few: @kallielef​ @kourvo​ @shayafury​ @fairsparrow​ who I met here on Tumblr, and many others who I follow and zealously study their works for clues on how to improve my own work.

23. Artists you like? 

I am following them all either here or on Instagram, I also do my best to share their works on my side blog!

24. Which is easier to draw, humans or animals? 

It was animals earlier. But now that I started to diligently study human anatomy, I would say it evened out! I’m quite confident drawing humans/humanoids now!

25. Show us an old drawing 

My first digital drawing from 2010 when I first bought my tablet!

26. What is the charm-point of your art?

I ummm....I don’t really get the question? Is that like the the strongest suit of me as an artist? Intense expressions maybe? Idk. Let me know in the comments :D

27. What is the first thing you would draw if we're talking about fantasy? 

Broody warriors, he-he

28. Please draw your most beloved character:

Here’s a sneak-peek of me drawing him right now! :D

29. When thinking of characters is it mostly female? male? or androgynous/no sex? 

I usually gravitate towards depicting strong-willed, caring, passionate, brave, honest men and women.

30. What did you draw yesterday? 

Started cleaning up that sketch from the last question, actually!

31. What is the funnest part to draw? 

A circle. Mostly because you’d die laughing seeing my struggle to draw a believable one XD

32. What part of other people's drawings do you notice first? 

colours, mood, eyes, hands.

33. Regarding backgrounds, what is your method of making it easier to draw? 

pick your favourite textured brush, find a good reference for mood and colour scheme, zoom out, squint your eyes and start slapping colours like mad. You’d be amazed at how much you’ll be able to achieve in 30 minutes with this approach. Bare white background is the enemy - destroy it! >:)

34. What colour coordinations do you like? 

Gray or brown as a main colour and then deep, earthy, saturated colours to complement the main one. Pink and orange is the combination I strangely enjoy using lately too.

35. What character did you last draw? Fenris and Eris :)

36. Does your style change easily? 

I don’t think so. More like it’s evolving slowly into something more serious and deliberate.

37. What part of drawing do you pay most attention to? 

Facial expression, body movement, mood and light effects. Not so much the composition and framing, he he.

38. How do you feel about drawing adult art? 

Tbh, I don’t consider straight up porn to be ‘adult’ exactly. To me adult art means aiming towards serious topics, exploring complex emotions and ideas, being honest with your viewer. I did doodle a few more steamy sketches of my OTP just to see if I could, but it was definitely a tongue-in-cheek kind of a artwork that I don’t take seriously.

39. Do you like criticism from others? 

If it’s friendly and in done in private - I welcome it always.

40. How many people do you normally draw per artwork? 

1 or 2. Rarely more. Crowded battle scenes are definitely not my thing :D

This was fun! Tagging forward to @shayafury​ @schoute​ @stella-minerva​ @nug-juggler​ @kallielef​ and anyone else wishing to go through such a long questionnaire!

[ddaengyoonmin]

Neptune

Pairing: Mermaid!Taehyung x Space explorer/Scientist!Reader

Genre: Smut, Angst, Fluff

A/N: I really have nothing to say other than I took this way too far lol I hope you all enjoy it! The ending might be confusing lol send asks if you want to know anything and id love to hear what you thought! 

Word count: 16k (yeah that happened)

Warnings: Oral male and female receiving, descriptions of fainting, drowning and death, guns, swearing, (I think thats it, let me know if i missed anything)

Tagging a few of you who seemed excited for this! :) @mischiefmakerliesmith5 @yeontanismypresident @oh-worm-yee-haw @kpopgirlbtssvt @zombiewerewolfqueen

Summary:

No one with legs lived on the surface of Neptune, walkers such as yourself lived on the moons.  The spacecrafts that you traveled in constantly moved to and from all of the different moons, but  no one ever went down to the surface.  That's where the swimmers lived.  You’d heard tales of the fishtailed people that swam in the great sea below the moons, some called them mermaids.  But no one had ever actually seen one before, well, until now.  You and the scientific research team that you had gathered together had built the first spaceship in your people’s history that could go into the waters below.�� You’d figured you’d snap a few pictures and return within the month, but things didn’t go as planned.  Your ship was captured by the swimmers and they seemed just as in awe at you and your team as you were with them.   They decided to let you go but only on the condition that you to bring their leading scientist back up to the moons with you, so you could learn from each other.  You learn quite a bit from Taehyung, in particular, your anatomy seemed to be his favorite subject…

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

Triton was a gloomy and desolate place, but the moons of Neptune were all your people had known.  There were a few large cities on each moon, each looking identical to the others, all of the buildings were tall and gray and matched the one sitting next to it.  Each neighborhood’s houses looked no different from the one on either side.  Original thought and creativity seemed to be scarce in your society. 

Even the clothes sold in stores seemed to fall into a range of plain styles and blacks and grays.  

Ships flew back and forth between the moon’s daily exchanging supplies.  Some citizens worked on other moons during the week and would return to their home moon for the weekends.  You were lucky to not have to travel far for your work, in fact, you lived right on the same plot of land in dorms with all the other scientists at your facility. 

You were the lead researcher and developer on a new type of shuttle that could fly through space, and also dive into water.  You didn’t know too much about the engineering of it all, your studies had all mostly leaned to biology and astronomy and you had dabbled in geology and physics.  But, your team had been from all different sciences and studies, so, together you had found many ways to overcome the struggles of its creation.

It was a particularly difficult task, considering Triton didn’t have many places for you to test out the ship you were developing.   There were no lakes or big bodies of water. 

Your life’s goal, from when you were a small child had always been the same.  You’d stare out your window at the giant blue planet that hung in the sky, and you’d dream of what life would be like down there.  

You’d heard stories, but everyone said they were nothing but fairy tales.  Your science driven brain couldn’t quite escape the idea that you wanted to prove that they were real, and figure out the mysteries of the swimmers from the stories yourself.  

You knew that it could possibly all be fake, maybe the planet wasn’t even made of water and just looked like it.  

Those were the types of unanswered questions that motivated you to wake up every morning and continue your work.

You had been working on the ship with your team for about 3 years, and the day had finally come to put together the finishing touches and head out on your exploration. 

You weren’t surprised that it had made the news, headlines read ‘Hopeful Scientist and Her Team will Attempt to Uncover the Mysteries Bellow.’ and unfortunately prompted some like

‘Chasing Fairy Tales?  The Scientist who believes in Mermaids’   that one you weren’t quite fond of.  The majority of people thought it was a ridiculous idea, but you never let it crush your spirits and excitement. 

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

It was going to take about 2 days to get down to Neptune, nothing compared to a lifetime of curiosity, work and waiting.  

A large crowd of excited citizens and media came to see you and your team off.  You smiled and waved out one of the windows before strapping yourself into your seat.  You had traveled by shuttle many times before, though the design of your shuttle was different than most of the other looked, you were used to this part of space travel. 

Yet, you still felt your stomach turning into knots. 

There were so many things that could go wrong once you got down to the surface of neptune.  One tiny leak could risk the safety of your whole group.  Or a mistake in the system that was supposed to balance the pressure within your ship when you’d dive down into the depths could cause you all to perish almost instantly.  

The team that was coming with you consisted of four others besides yourself. 

A photographer named Jungkook that you insisted must be included to capture all of your findings. 

The aerospace engineer that did most of the designing and tests on the shuttle, Namjoon, also joined your team.  Most of those who actually had worked with you up until now had been too terrified to see this through all the way, but Namjoon had been so excited to see for himself, what he considered his greatest creation, put into action.

The government who had funded your project through the grants that you had basically had to sell your soul for, insisted on your bringing a military general with your team for protection.  You had argued that you couldn’t imagine what kind of help he would be underwater in a small ship.  Yet Jin was forced onto your team.  You didn’t quite like him, or any of the vibes he gave off, but he had actually volunteered for this.  Part of you thinks there must’ve been some good pay in it for him.  

The final member was the pilot/mechanic named Hoseok, he would fly the ship and be tasked with quick fixes and repairs of the ship if anything were to go wrong. 

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

Everything had gone smoothly on the take off.  Next was just time to wait and prepare yourselves for what you may discover. 

You and Jin had gotten off to a rocky start when it came time for dinner the first day.

He’d mostly been silent and kept to himself but when you handed him his packaged space meal, he had scoffed and waved his hand away at it. 

“This is literally what you’ll be eating for the next month we are here, I’d get used to it if I were you.”  You snapped at him.

He grumbled something under his breath as he caved in and took it.

“I’m sorry what was that?” You raised your eyebrows.

“I said what idiot decided to go for the bland vitamin protein packs.  You know they had ones with actual food right?” 

You glared down at the black haired man.  He was wearing the same uniform as the rest of your team, silver sweatpants, and a black t-shirt with a silver jacket with a blue stripe up the side.  His nametag on his jacket read, General of Space Military Kim Seokjin. 

“Well Mr. Kim Seokjin.  I’m the one who purchased it.  It saved us money, we didn’t have a big budget for food here.  Probably so we could pay your enormous salary for your unnecessary presence here.” you growled back. 

Namjoon had stepped in as he saw Jin’s face growing red.  

“It’s only the first day guys, let's keep things civil okay?” he said putting his arms up between the two of you. 

You sighed and nodded.  “Sorry for being unprofessional.  I’m on edge today.”  

Jin sulked away to eat his meal in his room. 

You stayed in the small dining area with Namjoon. 

“I’m just so nervous this was all for nothing.  What if we get there and It's literally just empty water.” You frowned. 

Namjoon put a hand on your shoulder and gave you a comforting look. 

“I know, but we’ve come this far.  We should stay positive, I want this to go well too” 

You nodded and wrapped him into hug, “Thanks Joon” 

That was the other thing about Namjoon.  He was your best friend. You had met in college and realized that he shared your curiosity for the life that may be on Neptune.  He’s the one who encouraged you to go for it and offered his help in constructing the ship that would take you to your dream. 

You’d hooked up with him once or twice, he was actually the man you’d lose your virginity to.  But, it's always remained unromantic, purely a friends with benefits deal.  You never wanted a relationship to get in the way of your dream research project.  

The photographer Jungkook entered the room for a moment, noticing the two of you embraced.  

“Oh sorry-” he stuttered thinking he walked in on a personal moment. 

“No it’s fine,” you pulled away from Namjoon and smiled.  “How’s it going?” 

Jungkook settler down into a chair on the other side of the small chrome dining table. 

“I’m pretty excited” Jungkook spoke “Tired of black and white.  Ready for some blue” he chuckled. 

The reason that you had picked Jungkook’s portfolio out of the many submissions of photographers to join the expedition was for that exact reason. 

Everything on Triton and the other moons were so plain and colorless.  Everyone’s submissions contained basically the same types of photographs.  A grey building, the grey empty landscape of Triton or Neso.  Even the wildlife back on the moons were colorless.  Being adapted to blend into their environment, most every animal was some shade of pale gray.  One person even just had an entire portfolio of the same photographed rock.  They were well done, and artistic, but nothing stood out to you. 

Jungkook on the other hand, when you were presented with his portfolio, your eyes lit up, it was a series of beautiful shots of objects sitting in front of the big blue planet of neptune in the sky.  It was extremely creative, and you could tell his love for the blue glow of your destination planet. 

Hoseok slept in the pilot's seat with the shuttle on the autopilot course most of the next two days, only coming out of the room for meal times and to do a routine check of all of the parts of the ship he was in charge of maintaining. 

You passed the time double checking the inventory of equipment you’d brought, and playing cards with Namjoon and Jungkook. 

The blue planet now took up almost the entire view from the windows of your shuttle.  It was magnificent and you felt every part of your body tingling with excitement.  

You were set to land in a few hours, your dream was coming true. 

Everyone was rushing around getting prepared.  Namjoon had come up with a suggestion a few months ago to design an underwater suit, similar to what the astronauts used to be able to breathe in space, but for underwater.  Though none of you planned on leaving the ship, you all would wear them while the ship was first  underwater just encase something malfunctioned.  

You were getting changed and geared up in your room, when your door swung open on you still half naked. 

Namjoon walked in chuckling at the way you scurried to cover yourself up. 

“Just me” he spoke

“Fuck that scared me” you laughed. 

He walked over to you and rubbed your shoulder up and down. “You ready? I can’t believe it's finally happening. I feel like I’m going crazy with anticipation.”

“Same here.  We’ve waited for this moment for longer than I can even remember.”  

Hoseok’s voice rang out from over the speakers “Landing in 30 minutes.  Everyone gets in their seats and buckle up” 

Namjoon gave you a quick smile and a thumbs up and left you to finish getting ready. 

You shakily got the rest of your suit ready, lastly putting on the helmet and making sure it was secured to the oxygen source. 

As you walked out to the seats, you noticed Jin was now equipped with a gun on his hip. 

“And how the fuck do you plan on using that? I will literally kill you if you shoot any holes in my ship.” You hissed at him as you sat and started to buckle up. 

He rolled his eyes.  “Its for if we have to go outside of the ship obviously.  Its made for underwater use” 

“Well here’s to hoping nothing comes to that.” you sighed.  

None of you knew what you were entering into.  If there were any creatures living in the water, how large were they?  How dangerous were they? 

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

The ship shook and rattled as it entered Neptune’s atmosphere, the deep blue water below looked so close that you could just reach your hand out and touch it. 

You have to force yourself to keep your eyes open, not wanting to miss a moment of it.  

With a giant thud that jolted all of you hard into the back of your chairs, the shuttle hit the surface of the water.  

It was the smoothest landing that you could have hoped for, the ship was built for the impact.  

Your shuttle now floated on top of the surface of the waters.  You let out a sigh of relief, though the mission had only began, this was one of the moments you were most worried about.  It was over and had been a success.  

Your team cheered and clapped their hands for Hoseok and his successful piloting as you all un buckled and got out of your seats. 

Hoseok turned around and smiled bowing like a performer on a stage. 

Then looked to you, 

“Alright boss.  What now?”  He asked. 

You thought for a moment, you’d had a set schedule and plan, but you couldn’t help but want to take a moment to just let this sight set in. 

The blue water was making your ship sway to and fro in soothing movements.  

“Lets have Jungkook take some pictures” you decided.  That would give all of you some time to adjust and observe as well. 

Jungkook nodded excitedly and went to his trunk that stored his camera equipment, rifling through to find the best lense. 

Your group now took off their helmets, feeling comfortable that nothing was going to go wrong at this point, but keeping them close on your hips just in case.

You walked over to the giant glass window that took up almost the entirety of one of the room’s walls, staring out in awe. 

The sun made the water sparkle and glisten, it was the most beautiful thing you’d ever seen.  You heart was jumping for joy, you felt it might just jump all the way out of your chest and dive right into the water. 

Namjoon walked up and stood beside you.  He opened his mouth to speak but then shook his head and just looked out the window with you. 

You were speechless as well.  You were the first people to have ever observed this sight, it was an honor and was almost a spiritual experience.  

Jungkook now stood on the other side of you, snapping pictures with a giant grin on his face.  He paused and turned to you. 

“Oh my god, I never want to go back” He chuckled.  

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

After about a couple hours and all of you eating your lunch in front of the window, you decided it was time to begin your descent. 

Hoseok got back in the pilot's seat, you could see him growing slightly nervous, so you walked to his side with a curious expression on your face. 

“Everything okay?” 

He sighed and nodded, fidgeting with some of the controls, “Yeah, I’ve done this in the simulator so many times.  But, that was just a guess.  I’m about to be the first pilot to shuttle underwater...Just...taking it all in” 

“You’ll be famous for this” you smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. 

He grinned widely “Yeah, We all will be huh? Thanks y/n.” 

“Do we have to buckle up for this?” Jungkook asked 

You shake your head “No it should be smooth and slow as we dive.” 

“Awesome” he clapped his hands together “I’m gonna sit by the window and take a video of us diving then” 

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

Slowly your shuttle dove down until you were surrounded by water.  So far there were no signs of life anywhere, you were starting to get a little discouraged until you heard Jungkook squeal loudly. 

“Hoseok stall the descent!” you shouted. Hoseok listened and the ship stilled.  Your group ran over to the window where Jungkook sat with his face pressed against the window. 

A small creature no bigger than your hand was slowly moving along the window.  It was yellow and round, and had a large fin that wiggled back and forth as it moved. 

“Jungkook pictures!” you spoke quickly.  He scurried to capture the creature. 

It was so strange and new.  

“Hoseok how many meters down are we?” you asked

Hoseok checked a screen near his pilot’s seat. “About 30”  

“Hoseok I’m a scientist...can we not do ‘about’…” you chuckled

“29.8” he replied

You quickly jotted it down into your log of events that you’d been keeping. 

When you lifted your head up from your writing you let out a large gasp. 

A larger creature now swam past.  It seemed to be a meter long and was snake like, it was bright red with black stripes around it.  

Your team pouted slightly when the creatures disappeared from view.  But you were still completely giddy over the excitement of having discovered new life. 

“Let's go down further” you told Hoseok and he nodded and returned to his seat. 

For the next few hours you ventured further down into Neptunes depths.  Your team had discovered at least 30 unique creatures that Jungkook had been able to take pictures of.  You documented the depth and time at which you’d seen each of them with a quick summary of their behaviors.  

“I think we should go back to the surface for a while” Hoseok suggested.  “It’ll be getting dark soon and we should surface for the night” 

You were slightly disappointed about that “Are you sure? Can’t we just go a little deeper?”

“Honestly, pressure wise, this is as deep as we are going to be able to go.  The pressure room that the ship was tested in wasn’t capable of testing pressures any more than what we are currently at.  The ship might still handle it, but we don’t know for sure.  For our safety I’m going to advise against it…” 

“10 more meters?” You pleaded batting your eyelashes. 

“Y/n.  If he says it's not safe I’m not going to allow it.” Jin hissed. 

“Allow it?” you spun to face him with your jaw dropping.  “I’m sorry, I thought I was in charge not you?” 

“I’d think that the guy with the gun in really in charge” he smirked, putting his hand to his hip. 

So that's really why he wanted the gun on him.  It wasn’t just for safety from the creatures of the waters.  It was to make sure that he remained in a position of authority over the rest of the crew. 

You shake your head.  

“You wouldn’t do that in here. Hoseok. 10 more meters” you ordered sternly. 

Jin slowly stepped so that his body was almost touching your own, he stared down at you angrily. 

“I said no.  I’m not dying over this stupid mission” 

You gulped.  

“I think if we do 10 more meters I can ascend fast enough that it wouldn’t be a problem.  Any malfunctions would be solvable.” Hoseok spoke calmly, wanting to relieve some of the tension and calm down the man with the gun. 

Jin’s eyes narrowed “Fine.  But if anything happens. I’m calling this mission and we return immediately” 

“You don’t have that authority!” you yelled out. 

“Actually I do.” he pulled out a government note from his pocket and shoved it in front of your face.  

“You really think the government was going to just let something like this happen without being in control of it?” 

The sheet read that Jin was capable of overriding any decisions you’d make.  Shit.  

You groaned and hit the paper away from your face. 

“Fine.  But I don't think anything will go wrong” 

Almost like you had jinxed it, the ship lunged to the side, rolling onto an angle that caused everything not secured to slide to one side of the room and your whole team to fall over. 

“Fuck!” you heard Hoseok yell out as he tried to maintain balance while messing with the controls “I can’t do anything.  Our systems aren’t working” 

You felt your heart rate quicken, you tried to pull yourself back up as you stared wide eyed at Namjoon who had the same look of fear and surprise on his face. 

Almost as soon as your team had regained their footing, it happened a second time.  

This was not good…

“What the fuck is happening!” you screeched, pulling yourself over to the windows and looking around, not seeing anything but the darkening waters.  

Your ship seemed to be...moving?

“Y/n...we have a big problem here” Hoseok’s voice trembled “We’re descending...fast…” 

You felt yourself growing faint, had you just doomed every soul on this shuttle with your grand dreams and ideas?  

Your eyes were fluttering shut as you fell to the side, you could hear Jungkook crying.  And you swore you heard Namjoon throw up right before your consciousness slipped away from you.  

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

When your eyes started to open, you expected nothingness.  Maybe you were still dreaming, because everything was bright.  A warm yellow glow touched everything in the room.  The room was a mess, Jungkook’s camera equipment scattered across the floor along with all of the notebooks and papers you’d been writing in.  A coffee cup had spilled over and a giant puddle was surrounding the floor next to Hoseok who was lying unconscious. 

Jungkook who was lying flat on his back had also not yet come to.  Namjoon who was next to you seemed to be just waking up same as you.  And Jin was nowhere in sight. 

Your gaze followed the light up to the windows, it seemed you were still underwater, yet this looked like...a city? It was colorful and magnificent with sea life floating around everywhere.  Your ship appeared to be landed on the steps of a very tall and heavily decorated stone building that had large colorful shells all around it.

What the hell? 

You gasped and stood too quickly almost falling back over.  

Have you found them? 

You almost screamed out when a figure appeared in front of the window.  

It looked like an adult man, in your human years he’d probably be in his 20’s, he was shirtless so you could see how muscular he was.  He was the most beautiful thing you’d ever seen in your life.  His skin seemed to have an iridescent glow glossed over every inch of himself.  

Your eyes trailed down and you now noticed that his lower half, was definitely not human.  Just below his waist, his skin stopped, and a navy blue scaling that you’d seen on some of the sea creatures you’d observed was on him.  It bound his legs together into one long form, and where feet would usually be on a person was a translucent, large, tail that also had similarities to some of the smaller sea creatures you’d seen.  

He had long flowing blue hair that floated in the water as he moved along the glass, peering in at you. 

You really had found them, they were real. 

As terrified as you were, you couldn’t help but feel a little excited too. 

You’d been laughed at for wanting to install an underwater speaker system to your ship, but you now thanked yourself for that. 

You shakily made your way to the control panel and picked up the corded microphone, holding down the button and pausing a moment to debate on what your first words should be? 

‘We come in peace?’ ‘Hi?’  Shit.  You’d always thought about what you’d say to a mermaid if you’d ever met one, but all of that seemed to have been lost to the nervousness that you felt. 

The fish man saw that you had noticed him and was now floating right in your line of view, cocking his head to the side while he looked you over. 

You cleared your throat and spoke into the microphone

“We are friends.  Explorers”  You spoke slowly, pointing to the others on your ship.  Not even knowing if he’d understand you.  He mouthed something back, you realize that he must be speaking. Shit, you’d forgotten to turn the receiving microphone on. 

Your fingers fumbled over the control panel and you found the red button, pressing it so it now glowed ‘on’ 

“Sorry, what did you say?” you spoke into your mic, still not sure whether anything you were saying was getting across. 

“I spoke, we are no friends.  Your warrior injure one citizens.  We have now” 

You gasped.  He spoke your language!  Not perfectly but it was more than enough to have a conversation with him.  How that was possible was a discussion for another time.  As you realize now, that he was referring to the missing Jin.  He must’ve left the ship to investigate and shot at one of them. 

“I apologize for our…” you thought over if you should just use the word he used and decided that was best, “For our warrior.  I’m sure he was just scared.  Is your citizen going to be okay?” 

The merman pressed his forehead to the glass looking around the room you were in. 

“Will be okay.  Getting medical care now they are.  You have more weapon?”  The merman suddenly seemed to get spooked and quickly turned around and swam a few feet from the ship, still looking in at you but hovering further back. 

You realized Namjoon had just walked over to your side.  

“W-what…” Namjoon gasped out “They are real? Oh my god they are real!” he grinned. 

“They are real, and Jin shot one of them” you whispered in a hiss “They captured him.  And us.” 

Namjoon looked around the room realizing Jin was indeed missing. 

“That idiot” he shook his head. 

“Another friend” you spoke into the mic at the merman “No weapons.  Our warrior had the only weapon” 

The merman swam back over to the glass and looked unconvinced.  “Don’t trust…” he muttered. 

“Why here?” he spoke louder now

“We came to see you.  To learn.  Not to hurt.  I’m very sorry about that.  He isn’t a friend” you decided to just throw Jin under the bus with that, in hopes that the man would trust you better. 

“Not friend?” he thought a moment.  “Learn…” 

“Yes, we came from the moons” you pointed up “We came to learn about this planet” 

“We learn too” the man nodded “We like learn.  We want learn”  

“Awesome, well maybe we can learn some things from each other for a while before we leave” you threw in “We do need our warrior back, or we will be in trouble with our government” 

“You said not friend?” He looked confused.  

“Right, but we still can’t return without him” You told him. 

“You don’t return” the merman crossed his muscular tan arms over his chest.  “We don’t let return” he sternly spoke. 

“Woah” a voice came from behind you.  You realized Jungkook was now awake and approaching the glass with his camera in hand held up towards the merman

“Jungkook wait” you spoke to late. 

“Weapon!” the merman yelled and hissed, pulling himself back from the glass, his hair now stood straight up as he bared his teeth growling animalistically at Jungkook. You noticed he had pointed teeth, every one of them sharp. 

“Wait wait!” you waved your hands “It’s not a weapon, see” 

You stood in front of Jungkook’s camera.  “Take a picture of me Kook” you whispered.  

Jungkook was now shaky after the behavior of the merman, but he nodded and held up his camera.  

The merman got close to the glass again pressing his face against it with wide eyes as Jungkook took a picture of you.  

“Can I?” you held your hand out to Jungkook asking for the camera.  He shrugged and handed it over to you. 

You pulled up the picture that was taken and brought the camera to the glass to show the merman. 

“Picture” you told him “See.  That's what he was doing.”  you smiled, trying to show the merman you were being friendly. 

He nodded slowly and repeated “Picture..” 

Suddenly he was pulling himself away from the glass and swimming away quickly.  He was gone. 

Hoseok was now standing up and holding his head that had a slight bump on it.  

“What the hell is going on” he groaned.  

You filled him in on everything that had occurred. 

“For real?” he gasped out. “But, they won’t let us leave...What are we going to do? We will definitely run out of breathable air if we don't recharge at the surface in about a day and a half…” he said looking at some of the gauges on the control panel. 

You sighed. “Yeah, we need to figure out how to convince them to let us leave.  Is there any contact to Triton available right now?” you asked. 

Hoseok tried the radio then shook his head.  

A knocking noise against the glass made you jump.  You turned to see the merman was back, his mouth turned up in a smile.  

“Hello” he spoke 

“Welcome back” you chuckled, growing quite fond of his cute smile. 

“Make deal.”

“You want to make a deal? To let us leave?” 

“Yes.  Deal.” he nodded.   

“Okay…” you looked to Namjoon who shrugged “What’s the deal?” 

“We keep warrior. For learn” the merman spoke

You shake your head “You can’t keep him...He’ll die soon if you don’t let him come with us.  He can’t breathe down here, there isn’t enough air in his tank to last him.  You won't be able to learn much from him dead.”  You informed him. 

The merman looked upset.  “No deal?” he seemed to be pouting, which you shouldn’t be finding so cute considering it seemed this was the creature that held your fate in his hands currently. 

“I make new deal.  Must ask first.” he then turned and swam away like he did before. 

“I say just leave the asshole.” Namjoon laughed. 

“This isn’t funny!” Hoseok snapped.  “But, yeah, why didn’t we just leave him” 

“First of all, I don’t want that on my conscience for the rest of my life.  And secondly, do you really think we won’t be in huge trouble if we return without him.  He works for the governent” 

“True” Namjoon sighed, “But if it comes to all of us dying...don’t you think that…” 

The merman was now knocking at the glass again, snapping the attention of the four of you back to the window. 

“New deal” The merman looked even more excited.  “We give back.  You take”  

You didn’t quite understand what he was saying, he seemed to notice your confused expression. 

“You take” he repeated pointing to himself. 

“Take you with us?” you gasped.  He wanted to come back to Triton with you?  

“For learn.  Want learn.  You take.  Me learn, you learn.  Deal?” 

“Deal!” you exclaimed instantly, realizing you should probably discuss it with your teammates but the idea of being able to take this merman back to Triton with you, and being able to learn everything about him and his kind seemed even more like a dream come true than anything that had happened so far. 

“Right?” you turned to the rest of your crew

They all shrugged and nodded

“I don’t see why not” Namjoon spoke, but there was a hint of something uneasy in his voice. 

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

A few more mer-people swam over to your ship after the merman you’d been speaking with went and told them that the deal was on.  Two of them had Jin in their arms who seemed to be squirming around and resisting until he realized he was being brought back to his ship. 

There was a small metal room in the back of the ship meant for coming and going that drained the water once Jin was inside.  

Hoseok went to grab him and brought him to his room.  Yelling at him for being stupid the whole way there.  

The merman you’d spoken to was now in front of the glass again.  

“Gave back.  You take now?” he pointed to himself. 

“Yes.  But, how are you going to breathe?  We don’t have anything water here for you.” 

He thought for a moment, putting his hand to his chin. 

“One night.  I return” he swam away, and the other mer-people followed. 

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

 You spent the rest of the night discussing with the rest of your crew how you’d handle bringing the merman back with you to triton.

You’d all settled on keeping it a secret.

You knew Jin would have a hard time not telling his boss’s in the government so you’d brought him out to have a little talk.

He was still quite shaken up from the days events when hoseok dragged him from his room to the main room where you all had gathered.

“The merman is coming with us back home.  I want to learn from him, but I don’t think it’s best if the media knows he’s there.  everyone would want pictures and interviews and it’d all get in the way of our research.  Can you keep it a secret?” You asked Jin 

“And why would I protect any of them? Do you even know what they did to me in there?” He growled

“You did shoot one of their people…” Jungkook spoke hesitantly 

“Well she snuck up on me.  And what was I supposed to do?” Jin scowled down towards the floor.

“Please Jin.  I’m begging you.  You can report it to your supervisors only or whatever after we’ve taken him back here” you begged.  You knew that if it was found out your team had brought a real mermaid back with them the media would swarm.  You also were scared of what the government would ask to be done with him, they could easily take him from your team and give him to a different scientist for who knows what…

“I don’t want to lie about this…” Jin grumbled. 

“We could’ve just left you there with them man.  That was the original deal, and she turned it down.” Namjoon snapped at Jin, narrowing his eyes and clenching his fists at the man’s stubbornness to get on board with your plan. 

Jin sighed and rubbed his temples.  

“Fine.” he whispered “I won’t tell…” 

You hoped that he was telling the truth. 

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

The next morning you were awakened to a tapping on the window.  You had slept in the control room where you had seen the merman before so that you wouldn’t miss his return. 

You lifted your head sleepily and looked to the noise, smiling widely upon seeing that the merman had his face pressed to the glass looking in at you. 

You quickly stood and fumbled around to grab the microphone and turn on the receiving one for the outside. 

“Hey, welcome back!” you chimed excitedly. 

You noticed the merman seemed just as excited as yourself.  His long blue hair floating just as beautifully in the water as you had remembered it.  His skin was shimmering in the light, with that shiny iridescent glow covering his gorgeous caramel skin.  

Your breathing quickened at the sight of him, it was almost like looking at a statue of an ancient god.  You felt slightly unworthy in his presence, yet he looked more excited to see you than anyone ever had in your whole life. 

“I come back.  Go with you now.  Made way to travel with.” he spoke.  And as he said that, a group of four other merpeople swam up carrying a large glass tank that looked plenty big enough for the merman to comfortably fit into. 

“That's perfect!” you clapped your hands together.  “So what you’ll want to do is be in the tank when you get into the room.  The room will drain out the rest of the water, but the water in your tank will stay and we can carry you in” 

He nodded.  You saw an older couple, a merman and merwoman approach him and hugged him tightly.  

“Careful you” The woman said kissing him on the forehead. 

You assumed those must be his parents.  Their family dynamics seemed to be similar to your people.  Those were the types of things you couldn’t wait to learn about, you had so many questions. 

You pressed the button to open the door to the chamber Taehyung would enter from.  He swam into his tank and you watched the merpeople swim it over and place it inside.  

“All good?” you said over the microphone to the outside of the ship. 

“Good.  Ready”  A voice called back to you

You took a deep breath.  Nervously you pressed the button to close the doors and drain the water from the room.  

You then called over the announcement speaker system, realizing you should’ve probably done this first,

“Everyone, I’m gonna need your help carrying him in.  He’s here” 

You made your way to the room, Namjoon had joined up with you and you saw a sleepy Hoseok and Jungkook following close behind.  

“Jin’s not up?” you raised an eyebrow to Namjoon. 

He shrugged and you sighed.  Oh well, the four of you could probably do this on your own.  

You felt your skin tingling with the excitement of what lay behind the door you now stood in front of.  

Your childhood dreams and fantasies within your reach. 

You shakily placed your hand on the door and turned the handle to open it. 

When you entered the room the merman was sitting with his head, arms and shoulders all out of the tank.  His head resting cutely on his hands at the edge of his tank. 

“Hello” he spoke.  His voice sounded a bit different when not distorted by the water.  It was deep and soothing and made you just want to melt on the spot. 

“Hello” you returned. “This is Namjoon, Jungkook, and Hoseok. And I’m y/n” you pointed to them respectively. 

“Taehyung” he pointed to himself.  

“Nice to meet you Taehyung” you approached him holding your hand out to shake his hand.  He looked curiously at you and you realized that was probably not a gesture that he understood. 

“Oh.  Sorry.  It’s what humans do to greet each other.  We shake hands” 

“Shake hands to greet.” He nodded like he was making a mental note of it. 

“So we’re going to carry you out of here now, I’ve made space in my room to put your tank and secure it so it doesn’t slide around the ship when we take off.”  You did now notice that the tank didn’t have a lid, you hoped that the trip back to Triton wouldn’t make the water spill out, you’d have to come up with something for that…

The four of you picked up the tank, noticing that it had handles to carry it, you were extremely thankful for that convenience.  It was quite heavy, about four feet high, and six feet in length.  You wondered if he’d start to miss swimming in the open waters.  You’d have to build a bigger tank for him back at your lab. 

“We make last night” Taehyung proudly tapped the glass on his tank as you carried him. 

“You made this in a night? It’s nice, the handles helped”  You complimented him sweetly.  

So they have the means to make things like this.  And very quickly.  You were going to have to ask more about that. 

Once he was set down and secured in your room, you let out a small chuckle at the way he looked around wide eyed at all of your things. 

Hoseok and Jungkook had decided to go get something to eat.  

“Want me to stay?” Namjoon asked “For safety?” he whispered the last part in your ear.  Not being able to tear his eyes from the sharp teeth showing as Taehyung smiled. 

“He seems gentle, you can go eat.  I want to just take some notes and talk with him for a while” 

Namjoon nodded and left the two of you alone in the room. 

You sat down on your bed, which was only a few feet from where his tank sat.  

He rested his chin on his arms at the top of the glass, looking at you with a cute and curious stare. 

“I have so many questions I don’t even know where to start” you chuckled, feeling slightly shy now that you were alone with him.  

“I have question too.  Many” he laughed lightly, he didn’t seem to be nervous about this at all.  If he was he was doing a good job not showing it. 

Your mind raced through all of your questions, wondering what to ask first as you pulled out a pen and your research notebook.  Writing at the top

‘Taehyung, Mermaid Research Notes’ 

“So, did you know that we existed?” You asked him 

Taehyung thought for a moment.  “Little know.” he answered “See your ships move in sky?  Not know what look like.  Or why ships” 

You wrote down his answer in your notes.  So they could see your ships going from moon to moon.  

“So you go to the surface of the water, you can breath like we do it seems.  Like right now you’re out of the water and seem to be fine?” 

He nodded “Breath is both.  Tail need water or maybe die.  Have question? You say two, not fair, take turn” he winked at you in what almost seemed like a flirtatious gesture, your cheeks grew hot and you wanted to cover your face in embarrassment. 

“Sorry.  We’ll take turns” you smiled nervously at him. 

“Good.  I ask, You say warrior would die under water.  Not breath underwater?” He furrowed his brow as he asked. 

“No, we have to hold our breath if we go underwater, and that can only last for like a minute or two.” 

“Oh.  Interesting” Taehyung’s eyes widened as he nodded again. “I ask again?” he cocked his head to the side. 

You chuckled at his gesture “Yeah, I got two so you should get two” 

“We speak same. You know Why?”  

“Actually I was wondering that too!” You put a hand to your face as you thought “ I really have no idea though.  It seems you speak our language, just in a more…” you didn’t want to offend him so you tried to think of a way to phrase your thoughts. “With less words?” 

“Less words.  Yes. You speak extra words” 

Extra words, you found that an amusing way to put it. 

“Maybe at one point in life, a long time ago our people lived together somehow.” you guessed “I don’t know for sure, but we had heard of you.  It was all supposed to be just a story that you’d tell children, and no one really believed it.  But I actually had hoped it was true, and that’s the main reason that we came to your planet.  I wanted to find out if you were real” you told him. 

“Maybe.” he nodded as he agreed with your guess, yet something strange flickered over his dark eyes.  He suddenly dunked his head under the water and surfaced again.  It seemed random, you wondered if he was just missing the feeling.

“Don’t like dry hair.  Feeling weird” he told you, as if he knew what you were thinking. 

“Oh okay” you nodded.  “Um...so my turn?” you still were feeling shy and awkward around him.  His beauty was enough to make you nervous alone, let alone the fact that he was the embodiment of a life long dream achieved.  You wanted to make every second with him count. 

The door to your room swung open, causing Taehyung to jump slightly and splash a bit in the water. 

“Hey.  Just brought you some food and wanted to check in” Namjoon spoke, handing you one of the protein packs and looking Taehyung over skeptically.  

“Thanks Joon.  We’re doing well.  Just talking” you smiled at him

“Okay, just radio me if you need anything.” his eyes not leaving the merman in the room “Hoseok is going to start the ascent to the surface soon”  he let you know. 

You gave him a quick smile and a wave as he left the room.  You had expected him to be far more excited about all of this, it was his dream as well, yet something seemed to be bothering him. 

“Not like me” Taehyung said after Namjoon had shut the door.  He said it as if it was a fact and not a question. 

“I’m sure that's not true.  He’s wanted to meet your people too.  He might just be nervous” 

You were almost trying to convince yourself that was the case. 

You felt the ship jolt forward a little bit, a small creaking sound rang out as the ship complained from having been still for so long.  Taehyung's water shook slightly in his tank and he looked scared. 

“It’s just the ship moving up to the surface” You told him “Its safe” 

He smiled slightly “Okay. Safe” he nodded “Trust” 

The two of you exchanged questions back and forth the whole way to the surface.  You found out that he was also a scientist, that they seemed to have most of the same careers that your society had.  Doctors, teachers, store owners, construction.  Even one job that was basically a veterinarian, they liked to keep some types of fish and aquatic animals as pets. 

Once you reached the surface of the water and it was time to take back off into space, you had to say goodbye to Taehyung and go sit buckled into your seat.  You had made a makeshift lid, hoping it was enough to keep him safe and his water in the tank.

Right before you put it on, he could see your worried expression and he reached out his hand to you, taking your hand in his own.  He brushed his thumb along your palm, sending a shudder throughout your body. 

“Safe.  Trust” He spoke, his dark eyes sparkling as they met yours.  

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

When your shuttle arived back to Triton, your crew was met with cheers and camera crews everywhere.  The large crowd gathered at the station were excited that you had all returned safely, and you were sure they were dying to hear all about it.  

Your team went out to the steps where you could address the crowd.  You told them that your team would be releasing the pictures and notes that you’d taken on your trip within the week.  That seemed to satisfy their hunger for curiosity.  

Really all you could think about though, was getting Taehyung safely into your lab without him being seen. 

You had discussed with Hoseok plans to dock the ship in the back entrance after waving away the crowd, so now it was time to do just that. 

Jin had left to go update his higher ups on what had happened on the trip.  You nervously hoped he’d keep his word about what had really happened down on neptune. 

Hoseok, Namjoon and Jungkook helped you carry Taeyhung’s tank from where the ship was now discreetly docked in the lab.  

You were happy to see that he was already from the landing. 

“Nice see you again y/n” he purred out as he saw you.  Namjoon rolled his eyes and sighed, you still didn’t quite understand what had him so upset about this whole thing. 

Once Taehyung was brought to one of the rooms in the lab that only you and Namjoon had access to you thanked Hoseok and Jungkook and told them they could go. 

“That was a hell of a trip boss” Jungkook grinned at you “These pictures we took really are going to make me the top photographer on all of the moons.”

“Just remember not to publish any of the ones of Taehyung or the other merpeople.  Also the ones I selected to be exclusively for my research papers I will be posting” 

“Right” he nodded giving you a small wave as he left the room.

Hoseok then stepped forward towards you.

“Hey let me know when you need me for the return alright? You have my number” he put a hand on your shoulder.

“Will do, seriously thank you for everything. I couldn’t have done this without you”

“I know” he winked and gave you finger guns as he walked backwards out of the room.

Taehyung had been watching you say your goodbyes silently under water, tiny bubbles ascending to the surface of the tank.  He seemed to be anxious to get your attention back over to him again. 

You gave him a small smile and put your finger up to say ‘just wait one second’

You still had to say goodbye to Namjoon, who stood scowling at Taehyung. 

You realized you needed to have this conversation in private and motioned for Namjoon to join you right outside the door to Taehyung's room.

“So what’s going on with you? I thought you’d be excited that we finally found merpeople? This was our dream remember?” You narrowed your eyes at him, biting on your lower lip.

Namjoon crossed his arms across his broad chest.

“Yeah, this was our dream. Our, dream.  But you seem to want to do this all on your own.” He glared at you 

“On my own?  I’m sorry but you were right there with me? You came on this trip too, I didn’t leave you out of anything” you hissed in a whisper 

“Yeah. Okay.  Well have fun with your new best friend.  And your research papers.  Don’t bother putting my name on them.  If you even planned on it” he growled and stomped away from you.

“Namjoon wait!” You yelled after him. “What the hell” you mutter to yourself shaking your head angrily as you walked back into the room where Taehyung was waiting for you.

He had an expression of confusion laid on his features.

He was poking only the top of his head out of the water, just his eyes peeking above. 

“Sorry about that.  I really don’t know why he thinks-“ you stopped yourself, not wanting to rant about your problems to this man you’d just met. “Never mind” you sighed.

Taehyung cocked his head to the side.  “Okay?” he pointed to you. 

“Yeah I’m okay” you faked a smile. 

“Lie” he shook his head, “Alright, don’t tell.” he seemed to pout slightly. 

“It’s nothing really.  Namjoon is upset, but he’ll get over it” 

Taheyung pulled himself up to rest his arms on the top of the tank.  “Hope.” he nodded slowly “Don’t like you sad” he frowned and reached a hand out to you. 

You purse your lips, debating whether to step into his touch.  Deciding that it couldn’t hurt. 

You reached your hand out to him as you walked forward.  He took your hand gently in both of his and turned it over, brushing fingers lightly over your palm and staring at it inquisitively, his gaze flickering from your hand to your confused face every once in a while.   His hands were cold, and seemed to glitter in the light, they were so beautiful, wet and soft as they touched you.  You shuddered slightly.

After what felt like hours of him doing this he gave you your hand back.  

His eyes were locked on to yours and you awkwardly wiped your hand on your pants.  

“So I still have so much more I want to know about you” You spoke

“Same” he nodded “Many question” 

“I’ll start?” you chuckled as you pulled up a chrome metal chair to the side of his tank, taking out your notebook.  

“So,” you cleared your throat “What are relationships like there?” 

“Relationship?” Taehyung furrowed his brow. 

“Yeah, like do you get married?” 

“Not married” He spoke slowly pointing to himself “But, yes married happens.”

“Oh, okay so you aren’t, but that's a normal thing”

He nodded.  “You?”

You chuckled “No, I’m not, but we do here too” 

He seemed relieved at your answer. 

“Turn?” he pointed to himself.

“Yeah, go ahead”

“How do…” he smirked slightly, his tail flicking some water up in the air that fell right back down into the tank. “How do you, create new people”

You choked on air at his question.  As a scientist you shouldn’t feel uncomfortable talking about these things, but for some reason discussing sex with him seemed more intimate than it should.

“Oh, I-” you shook your head, trying to shake away the embarassement, “Sex is, um.  Men have an…” you wanted to try and say this like a mature professional as best you could “an appendage, their genitalia, and they enter the woman’s, entrance...that fits the man’s appendage inside and releases sperm that combines with an egg to create a baby” you coughed, still feeling uncomfortable and shy. 

He nodded understandingly.  “Us different.  Not enter.  Female release, then male release, combines outside in water to an egg where young grows”

“Oh!” you found that interesting and quickly jotted it down in your notes. 

You talked back and forth a bit more with him explaining further and asking more questions as well. 

“I did have one more question before I turn in for the night…”

Taehyung smiled at you, nodding for you to go ahead.

“You said that you can’t leave the water or you’ll dry up.  Has that happened before?”

Taheyung thought hard for a moment “Only told.  Only a story.  No dry to test theory.  Only water at home.  Wanted to create raft to test theory, no one willing.  Much risk.”  he seemed to be thinking hard on this thought.  “Always wondered…”

You wrote down a few more notes on your paper, then flipped your notebook shut. 

“I think that’ll be it for the night” You smiled at him “I’m going to look into getting you a bigger tank, will you be fine sleeping here for the night?” you asked

“Yes, fine.  Sleep good” he smiled, holding his hand out again to you.  You put your hand into his and he gave you a quick squeeze “Will miss…” he murmured almost inaudibly. 

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

The rest of the night you tossed and turned in the sheets.  Taehyung was on your mind the whole time.  

When you finally drifted off to sleep, the world you were sent to was familiar but not your own. 

You felt yourself falling down slowly through dark water, a small light in the distance was getting closer and closer as you sank.  

You didn’t feel like you were drowning, you felt serene and weightless.  The light was now almost to you, nothing else was visible in the pitch black water, and you were starting to make out the object giving off the warm yellow glow. 

It was a lamp, somehow still lit underwater, and a hand was holding tightly to it. 

Soon you recognized the face that owned that hand.  It was Taehyung.  His tanned skin glowing against 

You smiled and opened your mouth to greet him, when suddenly his face was mere inches from your own. 

His razor sharp teeth were bared and your blood froze.  You felt your entire body start to clench up with fear, a shock running down your spine at the monstrous sight of this man.   

His hand shot out and gripped you around your throat.  He screamed something but for some reason you couldn’t make out the words, maybe it was a different language?

Your eyes shot open and you were sitting straight up in bed, gasping and sweating.  What the hell was that dream about? 

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

After eating breakfast, showering and getting dressed for the day, you made your way over to your lab.  Excited to see Taehyung again despite the dream still slightly haunting your mind.  

As you opened the door, starting to step into his room, you called out for him in a singsong voice “I’m baaaack” 

Only to drop everything you are holding in your hands in shock.  Your heart seemed to sink all the way to your feet and fall to the floor with your notebook and coffee that now was spilling across the tile on the ground. 

He was...gone.  He just wasn’t there.

No, this isn’t possible! Who got to him? Did Jin lie? Did he tell his supervisors and they came and took him to a different lab so they could steal away your credit and research?

Catching you completely off guard and making you almost jump straight out of your skin, a hand touched your shoulder from behind. 

You almost turned around to punch the attached person in the face, when he spoke. 

“No! Sorry.  Accident scare” 

You knew that voice. 

You whipped yourself around to see that standing behind you was a completely naked Taehyung.  Standing.  Behind you.  On LEGS. 

Your eyes scanned over him, his tail gone and his lower half of his body now matching the humanness of his upper half.  You also took note of the fact that the iridescent glow that usually blanketed over every inch of his skin was also gone.  He looked completely human. 

“W-what…” you stammered out, your eyes flickering up and down his body. 

“Y/n.  Experiment, success!” He clapped his hands together and motioned to himself up and down, as if you weren’t already looking him over obsessively. 

“Tried out of water.  Thought you save if went wrong” he shrugged “Look! Like you now.  Strange.”  he grinned excitedly. 

“Taehyung.  I don’t understand...I thought you were sure you’d die out of the water” 

“Scientist?” he pointed to himself “Never sure without facts.  Want see for self. Much surprise” he chuckled.  You now noticed he was absentmindedly playing with the new body part he had discovered between his legs.  

Your breath caught in your throat and you quickly pulled your eyes away from what he was doing.  Your eyes had lingered a bit too long already.  Enough that you’d realized how impressive his cock was.

“I-I, need to get you some clothes” you muttered, now facing away from him. 

“Oh” he spoke quietly “Yes, you people clothes here” he laughed lightly. 

You hurried out of the room and grabbed a spare lab coat, then went to Namjoon’s locker in the breakroom to find that he thankfully had some spare basketball shorts left there. 

You brought them back to Taehyung and turned your back to him while he dressed. 

“Feel weird” Taehyung muttered.  “Don’t like dry” 

You spun back around to face him.  It wasn’t the most stylish attire but at least he was covered now and you could speak to him without feeling a warmth building between your legs at the mouth watering sight of his naked form. 

“I don’t understand how this happened” you whispered. 

“Same” he took a seat in one of the metal chairs in the room, lifting his legs up and down and kicking them around, rolling his ankles while he stared at his feet.

“Toes?” he asked cocking his head to the side as he wiggled his newfound appengages. 

“Yeah” you giggled “How’d you know what they were called?”

Taehyung stood up and walked over to the desk in the corner of the room where you now saw a bunch of opened books laying out.  One being an anatomy book. 

“Oh, woah you’ve had a long night huh?” 

Taehyung smiled and nodded. 

“I learned much” 

Suddenly he was walking over to you, you felt your breathing break it’s steady pace as he reached his hand out to rest on your shoulder. 

“Haven’t learned enough...explain? Something wrong happening” his expressed was shifting into one of confusion and worry. 

“I-I don’t quite understand what you mean?” you stammered out, hoping that he doesn’t realize how much his closeness was making you nervous.  The way his eyes trailed over you was sinful and you were trying to convince yourself that it wasn’t what you thought it was.  But, his eyes seemed to be hungrily taking you in, and now his hand was sliding down from your shoulder, fingers trailing lightly down your arm as he did.  It slightly tickled and made you shudder, which he definitely noticed.  Yet he still seemed concerned about something. 

Once his hand reached your own he took it and slowly guided you forward.  He placed your hand over his crotch, which you felt harden even more than it most likely already was under your touch.  It was his turn to shudder. 

“Why is this?” he muttered. 

“Um…” you tried to speak but your mind was taken over by the fact that he was holding your hand to his dick currently.  You didn’t want to feel as turned on as you did, you wanted to keep this professional.  But you felt yourself growing warm and wet between your legs. 

“It's what happens when men are turned on” you murmured 

“What turned on?” he was still confused. 

“It’s nothing bad.  It means…” you wanted to find the right words to communicate this.  He seemed to understand most things you said even if he didn’t know the words, why couldn’t he get this one, you groaned silently in your mind. 

“It means you want to mate?” you tried. 

“Mate?” He suddenly smiled, “Ah yes.  Understand now.  Yes want that.” he nodded, your heart skipping a beat as his lustful gaze was now admitted to be something real and not an idea you were creating just to flatter yourself.  

“Taehyung you know we shouldn’t right? We are just here to learn-” 

Taehyung cut you off with his other hand bringing a finger to your lips.  He brushed over your bottom lip delicately, his eyes staring into your own so intensely that you swore he was staring into your soul.  

“Want to learn human body, help?” his voice was innocent but his expression and body language was anything but.  He was still holding your hand to his clothed cock over Namjoon’s basketball shorts and he was starting to move your hand slightly up and down his shaft that you could feel so distinctly through the loose fabric. 

“Mmmm” he moaned out lowly, his deep voice so erotic and inticing. 

“For learning?” you whispered, hesitantly moving your face towards his. 

He broke into a boxy smile that made you want to melt. 

“Show me” he spoke softly, his hand now tugging at the button on your jeans.

He pressed his forehead against your own, biting down on his lower lip. 

 “Please” he breathed out. 

At this point you were too far gone to think clearly.  He was begging, and he was too tempting to deny.  

You nodded your head slightly, closing your eyes as you felt him now undoing your button and unzipping your jeans.  So slowly it was almost as if he was teasing you. 

He dropped to his knees as he pulled down your pants and panties all in one swift motion.  His tongue darted out and he wet his lips quickly as his eyes widened at the sight of your lower half naked in front of him. 

“Never...Never done...never seen” he muttered, his eyes flicked up to meet yours. 

“I’ll teach you” 

“Please” he groaned, bringing his attention back to your pussy that was eye level with him. 

His forefinger trailed across your outer folds ever so lightly.  You felt a chill of pleasure and want run over your skin, giving you goosebumps all over. 

“Show me” he repeated his request from earlier. 

You decided to step back from him to go lay on the desk, so you could spread your legs and give him a better view.  He pouted until he realized what you were doing.  Now he was walking towards you and dropping to his knees again, returning to face your dripping center at eye level. 

“Wow” he whispered, he was so close that you could feel his breath against you.  

“You...can touch me.  Explore around I guess” you chuckled nervously, not sure if you were excited or scared to be in this position with him.  You felt like if any of your crew found out what you were doing they’d be upset, especially Namjoon.  

You closed your eyes tightly, breathing quickly anticipating the likely touch that was soon to come. 

Taehyung stared into your center in awe, he didn’t quite know why he was so attracted to this part of you that he’d never seen on anyone before.  Mermaids didn’t actually have sex.  It wasn’t about pleasure or getting off, it was purely for creating children, you never even had to touch the other during the act.  It wasn’t intimate, it wasn’t this…

The urges that he was having were so foriegn to him, he knew it was coming from the new body part he’d found dangling between his legs that seemed to somehow be growing even harder as he stared at your nakedness laid out in front of him. 

You were becoming wet, Taehyung liked the wet, it was so inviting, he wanted to feel it on his fingers.  

You shuddered as he started to feel around, brushing against your clit every so often, never entering you.  

You realized he might not understand that he could.  One of your hands crept down to join his, he almost jumped back in surprise, he had been so entranced in touching you he’d almost forgotten anything else in the world existed.  When your hand reached down he snapped back to reality a bit.  You started to press a finger into your dripping hole. Moaning as you brought the finger in and out.  Taehyung felt his cock twitch at the sound of your pleasure, he realized he wanted to do whatever he could to be the one making you create those beautiful noises. He didn’t understand why, but the thought of pleasuring you made him more excited than he’d ever been in his life. 

“You can do this to me” you told him, “Try” 

Taehyung nodded and brought his finger to replace yours that had just retracted itself from your hole.  

Without even realizing why he did this, his other hand snapped up and grabbed your wrist before you could pull your hand away.  He brought his lips to the finger you’d had inside of you and pulled it into his mouth, carefully avoiding touching you to his sharp teeth, sucking and licking, growling in satisfaction at how unexpectedly pleasent the taste was.  

“Wow” he whispered as he released your hand from his grip. 

He then returned his focus to his other hand. 

“Another?” he asked as he started to tease your entrance with two fingers. 

“Yes.  I can probably only take two though” you moaned, 

Taehyung chuckled, and decided he was going to try a third after he played around with two fingers.  The scientist in him needed to test that theory that you could only take two.  

The louder your moans got, the more Taehyung felt this urge for you to be touching him back.  When your hand was on him over his clothes earlier it was all he could think about, and he needed you to touch him again.  

He started to push into you with a third finger.  

“Fuck, Taehyung,  Thats too” you gasped out in high pitched moans. 

Taehyung smirked as he continued, “Shh, Will be okay” he muttered.  You were so tight but adjusting to him.  He started to move his fingers around, and then remembered that you had shuddered and moaned every time that he had brushed against the nub that rested right above where his fingers were going in and out of you.  And the way you had tasted when he licked your wetness off of your fingers still lingered on his tongue, he needed another taste,  Maybe he should be giving some attention there too…

He brought his mouth to your clit and started to give small licks, you responded more than he’d anticipated, bucking your hips up into his mouth, it makes Taehyung swell with pride that he’d figured out how to make you feel even better.  

“Taehyung I’m g-gonna cum soon, I’m getting so close” you gasped out. 

Suddenly his head snapped away from you, you whimpered at the loss of him. 

“Cum?” he looked up at you in confusion. 

“Um yeah, like have an orgasm” You explained. 

“Hmmm” he hadn’t fully realized he was working towards a finish here, he had just been having fun.  But now that he knew there was an end purpose to his actions it only motivated him to work harder.  His tongue dove back into you, flicking and licking faster than before.  He had to hold your squirming hips down with his free hand so he could keep his pace.

“Fuck!” you screamed out loudly “Taehyung don't stop! I’m cumming” 

Taehyung smiled widely against you as he continued his surprisingly skilled tongue work, lapping up every bit of the wetness that you were giving to him as you came.  He felt the walls around his fingers pulsing and tightening around him as you rode out your high.  

He didn’t stop for a moment after you had came.  You were giggling as you tried to wiggle away from him.  

“Ah, Taehyung, Ahh, Stop.  It’s too sensitive now!” you squealed. 

He chuckled and continued for a few seconds more before pulling himself away from you.  Wiping your juices from the corner of his mouth. 

“That was the best orgasm I’ve ever had.” You put an arm over your forehead, your chest heaving up and down heavily.  “Are you sure you’ve never done that before?” 

Taehyung felt so proud of himself.  “No never...Really good?” 

“So good” you smiled at him, sitting up now.  “Want me to return the favor?” 

Taehyung nodded slowly, “Meaning...Touch me?” he asked, his hand now palming his hard and aching cock over his short. 

“Yes, I want to touch you” you smiled sliding yourself off the table and getting down on your knees in front of him.  He cocked an eyebrow up, curious at what you are doing now.  Your fingers hooked around the hem of the shorts and pulled them down to his ankles.  His cock sprung free now, so hard and needy, a small bead of precum already forming on his tip.  You licked your lips and brought a hand up to grip the base of his cock. 

“Oh” he whimpered as he threw his head back and shut his eyes tightly.  

You then brought your lips to wrap around him, not fully taking him in, but enough that he could now feel your tongue laying flat against the underside of his tip.  His hand reflexively snapped to the back of your head, wanting to push himself into you all the way, but not wanting to hurt you.  You started to bob your head as your lips moved up and down his shaft.  Taehyung's other hand now held the back of your head as well, gently moving with you as you moved on him. 

Your tongue flicked over him in a way that felt like heaven, and he, without meaning to jerked his hips forward, causing you to take him in all the way.  You quickly pulled away from him coughing and giggling. 

“Sorry” Taehyung gasped, “Hurt?” he felt awful for his unintentional action that seemed to have caused you discomfort.  Here you were making him feel so good and he was getting overly greedy. 

“No, you’re fine.  I get it” you chuckled “Let me adjust and you can do that more if you want” 

Taehyung’s eyes widened dramatically as you  now started to take him in fully, your lips now all the way at the base of his cock, your nose brushing against his abdomen. 

“Do your thing now,  I’ll tap your thigh hard three times if it’s too much for me okay? Then you have to stop, but unless I do that you can use my mouth however you want” you smirked up at him.  

Taehyung nodded, and for a brief second a thought floated through the front of his mind.  He was in love…

Taehyung’s hands returned to the back of your head, he started out slowly, moving his hips forward into your mouth as he gripped you tightly, pushing himself into your mouth all the way, and back out again.  A loud grunt that surprised even him escaped his lips as he sped up.  

Your eyes were watering as you choked a bit around him, but you didn’t want it to stop, you wanted him to cum.  This beautiful godlike man was using your mouth so perfectly. 

Taehyung felt himself tightening as the pleasure was building, was this his orgasm?  He was slightly nervous for the feeling, when you came it seemed to be quite an intense thing.  He didn’t quite know what to expect but if it felt anything like what he did right now he didn’t want to stop chasing it. 

Suddenly you hummed around him, a low moan that sent vibrations through his cock.  The feeling was overwhelmingly pleasurable.  It was happening.  

“Cumming” he whispered, his eyes rolling back as he shakily fucked himself into your mouth.  The sensation that flooded over him as he poured his hot cum into your mouth couldn’t even be compared to anything he’d ever felt in his  life.  His cock twitched wildy inside your mouth and you moaned around him a few more times, swallowing every drop that he gave you. 

He pulled away once it became too sensitive for him to continue. 

It was your turn to wipe the corners of your mouth.  

Taehyung cocked his head to the side as he stared down at you with a fucked outlook.  

“Good.” he whispered through deep breaths, extending out his hand and brushing a thumb over your cheek and then your lower lip.  You gently grabbed his wrist and kissed the palm of his hand. 

“Very good” 

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

The next few weeks you and Taehyung continued to learn from each other, in every way possible.  Learning about each other's societies and cultures.  And continuing extensive first hand anatomy lessons.  

Taehyung had been falling more and more in love with you.  

Now that he had legs you were able to take him out into the towns, showing him all of your favorite spots and places to go.  

Everytime you grabbed his hand and pulled him over to something that excites you, that warm feeling of love and joy filled him up to the point that he felt he might explode. 

Your happiness was irresistible, all of you was irresistible to him. 

You were feeling similar, yet that dream you had weeks ago hasn't stopped appearing.  Almost every night you dreamed of Taehyung’s hand around your throat as he dragged you down into the dark water, the dream had actually continued even longer than the first time.  In the most recent dream everything was the same, expect that you could feel the water filling your lungs, you could feel yourself drowning.  You woke up choking and grabbing at your throat.  You hated yourself for somehow having this subconscious fear of Taehyung due to these dreams.  Yet you’d still flinch away from in the morning’s where the dream had visited you during the night.  You’d shudder slightly when you caught a glimpse of his teeth.  

Namjoon had avoided you ever since your fight.  He had turned in a resignation notice and that was the last you’d heard of him.  It hurt that he felt like you were trying to steal all of the credit, you really weren’t.  You would’ve put his name right next to yours on every research paper.  You had cried when you saw Namjoon’s notice that he was leaving,  Taehyung held you and kissed you on the cheek, telling you everything would be okay.  You did feel some comfort in that, you’d lost your best friend...but gained a new one. 

Then many things happened.  All too fast and none of them good.  About a week ago your office was broken into and you found all of your research had been stolen.  You hated that you suspected Namjoon, but who else could it have been.  Who else had access? 

You suspected that he was going to publish the papers with just his name on them, same as he thought you were going to do to him.  

You had tried calling him only to find that your number had been blocked.  

--------

You and Taehyung were cuddling in your bed, enjoying a day off from work and just hanging around your house. 

Your head was on his chest and your arms wrapped tightly around him.  You felt him sigh heavily.  

“Hey what's wrong” you wondered.

He simply sighed again.  

“Tell me or I’ll tickle you” you chuckled. 

Taehyung avoided meeting your eyes as he spoke, a small frown on his lips.  “Miss home” 

“Oh” you frowned

“Love here with you.  But, Miss home.  Miss water.” he sighed again. 

You didn’t know what to say, and simply nuzzled your head against him.  He brought an arm around your shoulders pulling you in tightly and kissing you on the top of your head. 

Suddenly your phone was beeping wildey.  You groaned and rolled over to your nightstand table picking it up. 

Text from Jungkook: Call me. 

Text from Jungkook: Y/n????

Test from Jungkook: Y/N CALL NOW

You were completely confused at what might be so urgent.  You clicked the button to return his many calls that he’d also tried. 

“Y/n oh my god” Jungkook was frantically gasping.

“What the hell Kook are you okay?” 

“Have you seen the news?” 

Your body froze and you got extremely nervous.  What news? What could possibly have happened. 

“Y/n everyone been lying to us.  Jin lied to us, The government lied to us.  Taehyung has been lying to you” Jungkook was shakily gasping out. 

You spun around to Taehyung who was glaring at your phone, he seemed to have overheard that last part and his jaw was clenched tightly.  

“W-what do you mean?” You stammered.  

“Y/n, Off phone now.” Taehyung growled. “Please” 

Your eyes widened at how aggressive Taehyung seemed to be getting.  

“Jungkook just tell me what happened!” 

Taehyung lunged forward and grabbed your phone out of your hand, breaking it in half with ease and tossing it across the room. 

“No.” he spoke with a grim quietness. 

You scrambled out of bed running to the other side of the room away from Taehyung, your heart beating fast and your stomach filling with a sickening feeling. 

“Taehyung what the hell!” you yelled “What did Jungkook mean?” 

Taehyung was shaking his head and running his fingers through his hair. 

“Y/n.  Not what it seems.  Please.  Didn’t want wrong idea.  Please” he was starting to tear up.  “Hear from me not from him” his voice shook as he spoke. 

“Hear what from you!” you spoke through gritted teeth. 

“y/n…” he whispered, 

Suddenly there was a loud crash, and you heard the door to your house being opened and footsteps running towards your room.  The door flung open wide and a frantic Namjoon stood in the entrance now. 

“Y/n! Thank god you’re okay.  I thought maybe he’d already taken you to the ship.” he was gasping. 

“What the actual fuck is happening?” you screamed.  

Taehyung was now standing and walking towards Namjoon, his body shaking with rage. 

“Step back!” Namjoon screamed holding an arm out to Taehyung, your stomach dropped when you saw what was clutched in his hand.  A gun, just like the one that Jin had on the ship. 

Taehyung snarled and hissed animalistically at Namjoon, but backed up a few steps.  His eyes flicking over to you. 

“Y/n please.  Love you y/n.  Promise” Taehyung was whimpering.  “Trust.” 

“We have to go y/n” Namjoon spoke urgently pulling on your arm, still holding the gun out in warning at Taehyung.  

You didn’t want to leave him though, you wanted to hear Taehyung explain himself.  You wanted him to make this awful sinking feeling go away.  You needed the man you loved…

Yet Namjoon was pulling you away from him and out of the house, then into his car.  Speeding away from your house,  you could see Taehyung running out of your home, his gaze following the car as you drove away, your eyes meeting.  You could see him screaming something out at you.

The sight outside was shocking, you now realize why Jungkook was asking you if you’d seen the news. 

The sky was scattered with ships that looked so familiar...they all looked identical to your one of a kind shuttle you’d taken to Neptune! 

“Namjoon, what is happening?” 

Namjoon didn’t tear his eyes away from the road, but he answered you in a very serious tone. 

“Taehyung. This whole time he’s been playing you.  His people wanted the plans on how you’d built the ship they’d seen and that's why they sent him with us.  I’m assuming, once he’d tested out his theory that he could become just like us out of water he radioed that down to all of them too.  Now they are here.  And they aren’t being friendly.” 

Your jaw dropped, you didn’t understand.  Taehyung had been stealing your plans for the ship the whole time? And how did Namjoon know all of this? Was it Taehyung that had broken into your lab?

“And Taehyung isn’t the only one that’s been playing you.  Our own fucking government was.  They knew that they existed.  It was never a question.  They just hid it from the rest of society.  It turns out each of our ruling powers had a similar idea.  Neptune has been wanting to colonize on our moons, take them over.  And our government wanted you to go down there and scope it out because they were thinking the same thing.  Thats why Jin was there.  And that's probably why he left the ship right away when we had arrived at their city.  That's how my suspicions started, why would the government send a man with a gun like that unless they already had an idea.  And the way Taehyung was so willing to be handed over and didn’t even seem to be worried.  I just couldn’t get it off my mind that something was up.”  He shook his head. 

“B-but...Taehyung loves me” you stuttered

“Y/n I’m sorry, but he doesn’t love you.  Hes been faking everything just to steal your research. They are literally here to wipe us all out and we need to get the fuck off of this planet before that happens” His hands shook on the steering wheel. 

“I can’t...I don’t want to leave him.  He may not love me.  But...I love him” You started to sob uncontrollably. 

“You’ll get over it” Namjoon scoffed, pulling into the hanger where your ship that you had taken to Neptune still sat. 

“I got Hoseok and Jungkook here since they are familiar with this ship, and I made the government promise to get our families on the evacuation ships”

This was all happening so fast.  Did Triton really not stand a chance against Taehyung’s people?  Your mind flashed to the dream you’d been having and you felt that you might throw up.  Your mind had been trying to tell you something was off this whole time.  You were too infatuated with the hypnotizingly handsome merman you’d now fallen in love with to see the truth, you’d fed him enough information to destroy your entire civilization. 

You quickly boarded your ship.  Hoseok and Jungkook were already inside as Namjoon had mentioned.  

You sat in silence, still in shock over everything that was happening as the ship took off. 

“So where are we going” you muttered, turning to Namjoon. 

“I know this sounds bad, but we are actually going down to Neptune...It’s big enough that we can hide out in this ship for now until the president issues out a notice that our people have found another planet or place to live... all the ships going out are scattering.” He sighed

“I-I’m so sorry Namjoon.  Why didn’t you tell me sooner that you thought something was up.  I could’ve stopped telling him things.  Been more careful around him” you frowned “Not fallen in love with him” you spoke in a whisper. 

“I’m sorry y/n.  It wasn’t the right call.  I just felt like it was safer if I didn’t say anything.  But I was wrong” he shook his head.  

In a few days your ship was nearing Neptune,  the four of you had mostly slept the entire trip, trying to  not look out and back on your moons.  You’d caught a glimpse of what was happening and you couldn’t help but scream out as you saw the once gray surface of your home lit up red with explosions and flames.  You hoped and prayed that your family and everyone else who had lived there had been fast enough to the evacuation ships.

“Landing! Get buckled” Hoseok yelled out over the intercom.  You did as you were told shakily buckling yourself into your seat. 

Once you hit the water, you just stayed still for a while. You all did.  Probably sharing the same silent thought.  What now?

Your questions were answered when suddenly a door that led to a storage room creaked open. 

“Put your fucking hands in the air and don’t come any closer!” Namjoon shouted out.  His gun he had brought with him now raised for a second time. 

Your breath caught in your throat.  And you knew you shouldn’t feel any happiness at the sight of this stow away.  But you couldn’t help it.  

“Tae-Taehyung” you whimpered.  

Taehyung looked like he hadn’t slept in days, his blue hair messy and bags under his eyes.  

“Please.  Want explain” He choked out, stepping forward towards you. 

“I said don’t move!” Namjoon boomed narrowing in on Taehyung with his gun.

“No! Please!” you ran directly in front of the gun with your hands out. 

Namjoon let out a frustrated growl “Y/n…” 

“I want to hear what he has to say…” you cried. 

The room fell silent, and all eyes locked on to Taehyung.  Namjoon nodded reluctantly for Taehyung to explain himself, lowering his gun, but staying on alert. 

“Your people.  Government.  The date was set.  Destroy date.  I Hacked files and saw.  You came and took pictures.  The last pictures of my people.  Government wanted kill us all.  Date was set” he muttered looking down at the floor. “I wanted...save my people….I wanted also save you” he looked to you with sad eyes “Wouldn’t have let you hurt.  Would’ve got you away!” 

You wanted to believe him so badly.  You wanted to hug him and kiss him, and share more cuddles on your bed at home like you had gotten so used to.  But now you had no home, and it was because of him.  Yet, if what he said was true, his people were only returning the favor in advance for what was about to happen on their planet.  

“Y/n.  Something about four…” He pointed to you, then to Namjoon, Hoseok and Jungkook, “You dream of water all your life.  Want to see Neptune.  Want to explore.” Taehyung turned to Jungkook “Pictures of Neptune so beautiful. And You” he pointed to Hoseok, “Knew the water well, fly ship in water, no one has ever done yes?” 

Hoseok nodded, none of you understanding where he was going with this. Taehyung turned to Namjoon. 

“Why Neptune?  Why here now?  Whole galaxy.  Yet here.” he asked as if he already knew the answer.  Then Taehyung turned to you.  

“Trust?” he muttered, holding out his arms wide.  

You had no idea why, but you did trust him.  His dark eyes had done nothing but lie to you, yet all you wanted to do was keep believing in them. 

You nodded and ran to his arms.  He embraced you in a giant bear hug, twirling you around. 

You smiled as he kissed you on your head. 

“Go water now” He whispered in your ear. 

“You’re leaving?” 

“No.  Two” he pointed to you and then to him. 

“I can’t, remember, we can’t breath under water” 

“Theory.” he stated. 

“Fact?” you raised an eyebrow.  “Humans die  underwater if they don’t get enough air.” 

Taehyung groaned  “Trust,” he grumbled. 

Despite the rest of your crew pleading for you to stop, you followed Taehyung out a hatch that led to the roof of the ship.  You now stood on top, sunlight shining down on Taehyung’s glowing skin.  He grinned at you as the two of you looked over the vast un ending water laid out in front of you. 

“Jump?” Taehyung asked, holding out his hand to you. 

You sighed, feeling slightly uneasy about whatever this was.  But, still, you put your hand in his and let him hold on tight to you. 

“Trust…” you muttered under your breath, taking a deep breath in as the two of you did a running jump off of the top of your ship and into the water. 

Taehyung instantly changed back into his iridescent mermaid form, his tail flowing elegantly in the water.  You pointed for him to swim with you back up to the surface, you already felt yourself craving a breath. 

He smirked and shook his head.  You did not like where this was going. 

Instantly after you had a thought of swimming back to the surface even though he’d said no, he was holding you tightly, and dragging you down, down, down. 

Everything was so dark, and your lungs felt like they might explode.  Your dream came into your mind again.  Though this time his hands weren’t on your throat they were holding you around your waist, holding you under.  You beat him with your fists hoping to free yourself from him.  But you knew, even if you were to be released, he’d dragged you too far down for you to make it up in time. 

This was it.  

It was over.  

Your fight or flight instinct failing, as there was no way to save yourself anymore.  You gave up.  

Taehyung pulled back from you as you started to go dizzy and limp.  He spoke something you couldn’t hear...as if it were another language...Like in your dream.  

He planted a soft kiss on your lips.  Far too loving and delicate for someone that was murdering you.  

Yet somehow, you were glad.  

You had loved him so much.  

You were only sad that now you’d never see him again. 

As everything faded away and your eyes closed, you felt your body try to take in a breath.  Only to have your lungs fill with water.  

Then complete darkness, complete nothingness. 

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

Namjoon, Hoseok and Jungkook ran to the top of the ship.  Looking down into the water. 

“She hasn’t come back up yet...it’s been 10 minutes” Jungkook cried out. 

Namjoon shook his head, tears burning his eyes as he clenched his fists. 

“I shouldn’t have let her go with him.  I can’t believe I let him…” his voice cracked. 

Suddenly the water broke.  A wet mess of blue hair was popping up from the water. 

Taehyung….

As soon as he was within earshot Namjoon screamed out. 

“Where is she!?” 

“Come see” Taehyung grinned with a sing song voice. “Take you to her...Follow?” he said cutely. 

“Fuck.” Hoseok whispered.  “This is bad.  She's not with him.  He killed her” he growled. 

Jungkook shook his head “No, no NO! This can’t be happening. Y/n…” he cried. 

Namjoon glared down at the man who was at the edge of the ship now, smiling up at the three of them, his blue tail peaking out ever so slightly from the water. 

“Why shouldn’t I just shoot you right now” he  pulled the gun up and aimed it directly to the forehead of the blue haired merman who seemed unphased by the threat. 

“Want see her yes?” he asked cheerfully.  “Trust” he smiled mischievously, motioning for Namjoon to come into the water with him.  Namjoon was sure it was a lie, it was a trick.  But, he even if it was in death, he wanted to see y/n again. 

“I’m sorry guys.” Namjoon whispered, tossing the gun aside on the top of the ship and diving down into the water next to the grinning merman.  

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

Your eyes fluttered open, there was a weird feeling of weightlessness around you.  Everything surrounding you was colorful,  you definitely weren’t back on Triton.  Which means there's no way all of this had just been a dream.  

You were laying on a stone bed in an odd room, the walls were decorated with shimmering shells and glass. 

In your confusion you went to stand up and go investigate your surroundings.  Yet something stopped you. 

You couldn’t move your feet.  

Well, something moved.  But it wasn’t feet.  You looked down and screamed out loudly. 

Where legs used to be was now a glittering silver scaled tail, resembling the one that Taehyung had, only differing in color. 

At your screams Taehyung quickly swam into the room. 

“Y/n.  Awake!” his eyes widened. 

You jumped and backed away from him, closer to the wall. 

“Taehyung what the fuck is happening.  I-I thought…” you thought he had killed you.  It was the last thing that you can remember. 

“Never.” he shook his head. “Y/n.  Never hurt you” he held out his hand to you.  “Learn? Swim?” 

You nervously swam towards him, it wasn’t elegant and graceful like how he always swam, but you got to him. 

He pulled you into a loving embrace, petting the top of your head as he held you to his soft and warm chest. 

“y/n is awake?” A voice rang out.  

You broke yourself away from Taehyung's arms to find where that familiar voice was coming from.  

Namjoon swam over to you.  Like you, he was missing legs, and his were replaced by a long green tail.  

“This is crazy isn’t it?” his eyes widened.  “I still can’t quite believe it.  But I’m loving it” he swam up and did a backwards flip.  “It’s kinda like flying.  Hoseok And Jungkook are somewhere around here ” he looked around searching for your other companions.

Taehyung chuckled putting an arm around your shoulders. 

“What is going on here?” 

Namjoon swam to face you and Taehyung. 

“Y/n.  The reason Mermaids speak our language.  The reason both our people knew about each other” he paused collecting his excitement.  “They all just explained this to me, so Taehyung, let me know if I’m leaving anything out.  Everyone up on the moons was originally from here on Neptune.  A long long time ago, the mer people learned that they could walk on dry land, but there was no dry land, so they set out to see if there was any where that they could.  They had made it to the moons but a cruel leader at the time destroyed all of the ships and all records of how to get back home.  The knowledge of the merpeople was passed down through stories, until a journal was found not too long ago of a scientist that had built the ships that could go back and forth between the worlds. It was turned into the government and that’s when they started plotting to wipe them out, and figure out a way to colonize.   I had no idea but It was actually one of the books that were given to me by the government for research help while I was building the ship.  They were going to use us and our research to kill everyone here” he finally stopped for a moment after his long speech “did I get everything?” He turned to Taehyung, who nodded.

“Not all moon people can turn back.  But, More than realize though.  Can tell” he pointed to himself “always drawn to water.  Always need learn, explore, color, need more…” he informed you.

So he knew,  he knew the whole time what all of you were.  

“And we can stay here with you?” You whispered, it all still felt like a dream.

Taehyung smiles and kissed your cheek. 

“Yes” he whispered “please stay” 

[bellatrixobsessed1]

The Art Of Remembrance (Part 20)

Sokka and Dr. Yu-Kang stare at her for quite a long time. Long enough to make her feel somewhat jittery, as though she has said something wrong.

“May I see?”

“See what?”

“The stitchwork.”

Azula doesn’t know why this is important but she holds out her arms. Dr. Yu-Kang holds her arm up by the wrist and inspects the thin patchwork of scars. “Can I see the ones on your stomach?” Azula lifts her hikes her shirt up some and holds it there. Dr. Yu-Kang seems to purse her lips in concentration and makes a small sucking noise. “I am going to call for one of our medical doctors and see what he makes of this. I do believe that this is a trademark of The Vine Research Facility. You aren’t the first person to show up with these marks.”

Azula’s heart quickens. “You’ve seen this before?”

Dr. Yu-Kang nods. “Two others, yes.”

“Did they lose their memories too?” Sokka asks.

Yu-Kang presses her lips together and her face darkens. “We don’t know, they were found dead. We only know of them because they had been patients of ours and we were suspects in their deaths. We were quite thoroughly investigated.”

“Who were they?” Azula asks.

“The son of Admiral Chan and master Jeong Jeong.”

“Jeong Jeong is dead!?” Sokka asks. “Does Zuko know about this?”

“I don’t have a hand in those matters. That is a job for the Capital City guards. I believe that the chief guard has plans to fill the Fire Lord in at the meeting in a day’s time. I will send for them as well,” she looks to Azula, “your condition may be part of a rather complex scheme.”

Azula shudders almost involuntarily.

“If I may guess, they have taken you and Jeong Jeong because you have extraordinary firebending abilities. It’s appetizing to people like them.”

Azula doesn’t feel as though she possesses such, she thinks that if she had, she would have been able to keep herself from their clutches or, at the very least, from having succumbed to the cold.

“Entertain yourselves and have your meal, I am going to bring in Dr. Phang, he is one of our leading doctors in chi-point anatomy and rehabilitation. I’d like him to tend to your chi-points, they look rather damaged even from the outside.” She pauses. “What I mean to say is that you’re in good hands, Dr. Phang is a reputable man.”

Azula nods. She watches the woman exit the room.

She doesn’t stop Sokka when he reaches his hand out and takes hers. “At least we’re getting closer to solving this, right?”

She shrugs. “Perhaps. Or maybe it is a dead end.”

“I don’t think that it is.” He replies.

“I just can’t believe that anyone would lock you in a room like that…”

She bites back a snippy remark about how he and Zuko had been discussing doing just that only a few days ago. It is a small scrap of progress to have not lashed out at him while he is trying to soothe her. Instead she says, “apparently, I have a lot of enemies. Is it all that surprising?”

He rubs the back of his head. “I guess that it’s just hard for me to comprehend how someone could do that…” he motions to her arms and she absently finds herself rubbing them. “And not just to you, but to someone like Jeong Jeong.”

.oOo.

Though her body is tight and tense, she holds herself high. He knows that she is strong and determined--he always knew--and yet he still finds it incredible that she can carry herself with such composure even knowing that her chi has possibly been tampered with.

It might be rude but he can’t help staring at the scars lining her arms, at the hand he holds with its empty space. He squeezes it without thinking. She has already gone through so many insufferable pains and he is almost certain that there are more on the way, even if they aren’t physical harrows. Despite everything, he just wants her to feel safe and unburdened.

“Stop that.” She mutters.

“Stop what?” He asks.

“Staring.” She replies, slipping her hand into her pocket.

He flushes. “Sorry.”

“You will be if you do it again.” She grumbles.

Without thinking, he ruffles her hair as he does whenever he pesters Katara. The princess frowns and he offers her only a psuedo-innocent smile. “Can we just eat now?” She grumbles. He picks up a fork and holds it in front of her face. “I can feed myself, Sokka.” She crosses her arms and fixes him with that pout he is becoming so familiar with. It is almost endearing. Azula herself is rather enduring when she isn’t chasing him with a fist full of fire. His stomach does a little flop, he is beginning to wonder if he is getting too fond of her. She already finds him annoyingly affectionate. He gives his head a light shake; what is he saying? He is just trying to support a friend in need, it is that simple.

.oOo.

Azula lies on her stomach with her arms folded and crossed under her head. Several tea light candles cast the room in a warm ambiance. Dr. Phang carefully massages her chi points starting with the one at the base of her spine. She gives a small sigh as some of the stiffness in within fades away. They aren’t even a minute into the session and her body already feels so much less tense. She hadn’t even realized that her chi points were so clogged until the doctor got to clearing the pathways.

“You look relaxed.” Sokka notes.

She cracks an eye open. “I was until you kicked the door in.”

“Whoops.” He mutters. “What are we doing in here anyways?”

“Her chi points are very swollen and congested.” Dr. Phang notes. “I just had a waterbender in here, we’re working to heal and soothe. Frankly, it is a wonder that she has been able to bend at all.”

Sokka pulls up a chair. “You look like you’re enjoying yourself.”

“Yes.” Azula hums softly. “It feels nice.”

“It must be like a trip to the royal spa.” He remarks.

“Not quite that nice.” She replies. Not that she has had much of a chance to truly get acquainted with the palace’s spa. But she imagines that it has more to offer than the makeshift one that they have created in Dr. Yu-Kang’s office. “You said that you wanted to help me?”

“Yeah, I might have said something like that.” Sokka replies. “Why?”

“After Dr. Phang and I talk about what he thinks has happened to me, perhaps you can get some massage tips from him.” She finds herself unable to keep her voice from slipping into a languid drawl.

“I guess that I can, but I can’t promise that I’ll be any good at it.”

Azula rolls her eyes. “Don’t worry, Sokka. I’m just teasing you.”

“Oh…” his face reddens.

Dr. Phang holds out a towel and motions for Sokka to look away as she wraps around her body. “Done.” She announces.

Dr. Phang turns back to her. “Hold out your arm please.” When she does, he begins tentatively pressing upon her chi points. “Would you like me to share my theory now or would you like me to wait until after we our finished with our massage session.”

“Tell me now.” Azula replies, feeling a soft flutter in her tummy. She doesn’t think that she should be anxious to hear what he has to say. If anything she should be elated to have some mystery cleared.

“Dr. Yu-Kang has mentioned The Vine Research Facility, yes?”

Azula nods.

“I used to be a member of that institute.” He confesses. “And then I had a...disagreement with them over some of their proposed methods of study. I am inclined to believe that they have put those methods into action.” He pauses as he works on what she imagines is a particularly stubborn kink in her chi network.  

“When I was there, they had two goals in mind. One that studies the use of spirit vines to transfer bending types so that a person may wield two or even three elements. The other goal is to make use of the vines for feats such as mind control.” He says. “You have peculiar bending abilities and I believe that they were drawn to that.”

Azula flexes her free hand. “Why did they need to steal my memories for that?”

“Generally speaking, they aim to extract memories in order to make the mind susceptible to mind control. But with yourself the focus was on transferring bending. I suspect that they have tampered with your memories to keep you docile, being as you have a...stubborn temperament.” He explains. “I also suspect that they had a side project in mind for you, one that involved using the vines to alter your personality. If they can manipulate a mind as sharp as yours, then anyone else will be easy pickings.”

Once more, Azula’s stomach turns at the thought of them molding her mind to their liking and at the invasiveness of the procedures happening at all.

“If they have had any success with you then there might be an earthbender out there who can bend fire as well.”

“Are they trying to create another Avatar?” Sokka sputters.

“In some manner of speaking.” Dr. Phang confirms. “They have not yet gotten their hands on the actual Avatar so air isn’t an element they will have success with.” He sets her arm down and she holds out the other.

“These scars are consistent with those found on people who have come to me for surgery on damaged chi points. Such operations have since been put out of practice now that we have waterbending on our side--much less invasive.” He notes. “In other words, the people behind this are not from the poles though they have a hidden base there.”

Azula hears Dr. Yu-Kang scoff in the corner. “To think that we wasted so much time searching in the caverns beneath Lake Laogai.”

“If you were looking for them, then why wasn’t Zuko informed?” Sokka cuts in.

“Because they didn’t want to get in trouble for negligence and incompetence.” Azula answers for her. “It was easier for them to let him think that I ran away.”

“We wanted a chance to...get things under control before troubling the Fire Lord.” Dr. Yu-Kang justifies. Though Azula sees it as little more than an excuse. “Given what we know now, I understand that this was a mistake.”

Azula bites her tongue, deciding that she will save this admission for a time when it might suit her more to bring it up. Instead she waves her hand dismissively and inquires, “speaking of negligence; how is it that I ended up in their captivity?”

Dr. Phang sets her arm down and looks to Dr. Yu-Kang. “I suspect that someone here might have ties with The Vine Research Facility. The woman who had been in charge of your transfer from this institution to our sister location has since fled.”

“And who was in charge of that?”

.oOo.

Sokka can’t the shiver from running up and down his spine. She is speaking so matter-of-factly and so firmly. Now that both of her hands are free she holds them clasped in her lap. She sits rigidly and with one leg crossed atop the other. He can’t help but think of the apathetic princess she’d been before her flight into the Forgetful Valley.

“It was Yion, princess.” Dr. Yu-Kang replies.

Sokka notices the furrowing of Azula’s brows. “Yion?”

“She would have had no reason to flee if she weren’t involved.” Dr. Yu-Kang replied. “She was a nice girl, I wouldn’t have guessed…”

“Clearly.” Azula replies dryly.

Again Sokka finds himself unsettled. Directed at him or not, he doesn’t enjoy seeing this side of her. “You’re not going to arrest her, are you?” He nods at Dr. Yu-Kang.

She quirks one of her brows. “Do you think that I should?”

“What!? No! I just…nevermind.”

She holds her gaze and he knows that she will grip the subject just as tightly until he elaborates.

“I was worried that you would see her carelessness as an act of treason or something…” He stuffs his hands into his pockets. It sounds ridiculous out loud, but from what he has heard, she has arrested people for lesser crimes.

“Perhaps I’ll have Yion arrested for that.” Azula shrugs. “Incompetence isn’t exactly a crime. Though it ought to be.”

Sokka flinches.

“What?”

“What?” He returns the question.

“You’re making ridiculous faces and I don’t like them.”

He almost laughs at the sheer seriousness in her tone over something so mundane. “It’s just that…” he pauses. “Sometimes you do and say things that remind me of...of...you.” He twiddles his thumbs in his pockets as he clarifies, “the old you.”

Azula sighs. “We’re not discussing that right now, Sokka.”

“I know.” He mumbles.

“And for the record, I won’t be changing my tone to accomodate you.”

But whether she means to or not, she does. When she addresses Dr. Yu-Kang again, it has less of an edge. “How do you propose Yion managed?”

“She has been responsible for the safe escort of hundreds of patients over the past ten years. We had no reason to believe that she would form a connection to a more unethical institution. With her having been with us so long we have trusted her with our institution’s logistics.” Dr. Yu-Kang explains. “When she informed me that she had a ship ready for your transfer, I had no reason to suspect that it wouldn’t be enroute to anywhere but our sister facility.”

“Do you not verify these things?”

“We do. Yion isn’t a foolish woman.” Dr. Yu-Kang notes. “She introduced me to the ship captain. He had documentation and identification. I am now under the impression that these were fake.”

Azula nods.

“It was, as I see now, regrettably easy for her to pull this off. I understand how she managed to do it, I just struggle to figure out why--after so much time--Yion would dishonor us so greatly. It is truly embarrassing. I have been working with her for a very long time...”

“It is incredibly easy for people you are close to, to betray you.”

It isn’t directed at him, she doesn’t even give him a pointed glare. And yet he applies the remark to himself.

“In any case, The Fire Lake Institute is ready to go to great lengths to make this right. If there is anything we can do to accomodate you until your brother arrives, let me know. Since your admission here was planned, we have no reason to keep you confined to your room. You are free to enter and exit at your leisure. Explore the island if you will. We will send for you when your brother makes it.”

“The gesture is appreciated.” Azula says. “Of course, we will have to discuss new protocol for future transfers.”

“Naturally.” Dr. Yu-Kang agrees. “I will leave you and Dr. Phang to the rest of your session.” She makes her way to the door and pauses in the frame. “And if you find that you need to speak with someone about everything you have gone through, I am still your therapist and I am still prepared to do my job.”

“I will consider.” Azula replies.

“It could help with your nightmares, to talk about it.” Sokka suggests when the woman exits.

Azula shrugs as she lays back.

Dr. Phang hands her a bundle of clothing, her own, Sokka notes, not the asylum garments. “I’m going to need you to change back into these.”

Sokka turns away from her and waits for her to mention that she is fully clothed again before turning back around. He watches her lay back down again. Dr. Phang lifts her shirt  enough to examine her torso. “Much of the damage to your chi is central to your stomach chakra. Which isn’t surprising considering that, that is where the fire chakra resides.” He begins working to unblock the chi-points around it. “I might have to bring a waterbender in to work with that one.”

Azula’s posture seems to relax again and, consequently, he relaxes. Sokka decides that, overall, the discussion has made him feel better about her. She isn’t so ruthless and unforgiving. He takes her hand again.

.oOo.

“Did I bother you today?” Azula finally brings herself to ask.

“No!” Sokka responds too quickly.

She fixes him a deadpan stare and a raised brow.

“Okay, yeah, a little. But only for a moment.” He answers.

It relives her more than she had anticipated to hear that she doesn’t absolutely terrify him. She makes herself comfortable on the bed. It isn’t as comfortable as the one in the palace, but it is sleepable. “Good.”

“Good as in, I’m glad that you’re not afraid? Or good as in, I’m glad you were afraid?”

Azula laughs. “Both. I am, apparently, a very good firebender; you should have a healthy dose of fear of me. But I am glad that you aren’t off-put.”

He chuckles too. “You’re something else. I mean I already knew that, but now that I’m talking to you…”

“Lay down.” She pats the side of the bed next to her.

“Right there?”

“Right there.”

“That close?”

“Sokka, two people can lay just next to each other, yes?” She asks. “It helps me sleep better to have someone near.” She doesn’t mention that it is he specifically that keeps the nightmares at bay.

“Alright.” He mutters as he lays himself down next to her.

“I’ll see you in the morning?”

“Unless you leave, yes.”

“I’m not leaving.”

Azula smiles. “Good night, Sokka.”

[shrylia]

Your art is SUPER GORGEOUS and I really like your style a lot!!! How did you start out? because I'd love to develop a style but I don't really know what to start with (as in, realistic faces/bodies first? do I copy pictures I like and go from there? etc), do you maybe have any tips? 😊

Thank you! I’m still developing my style, but I would definitely recommend having a strong grasp of realism in order to stylize your art in a more appealing way. And yeah, as you said! This would generally consist of practicing a lot and making lots of photostudies by copying photos, and studying things like anatomy and colour theory. But it’s not a level-by-level thing, where you have to master realism before you can draw stylized art. Doing a mix of both studies and personal art at the same time lets you gradually apply what you’re learning to your own art, and IMO you can progress faster and more naturally that way! 

And don’t worry about finding a style as a kind of end goal! Unless you’re really focused on building a visdev project/marketing your art/etc, I think it’s more valuable + conducive to learning when you experiment by drawing whatever you feel like instead of limiting yourself to only drawing a certain way. You can more quickly discover what you like and don’t like to draw, and incorporate that into your art.

Other than that, I think what’s been really helpful for me is following a variety of artists and analyzing art I like! If you really like an artwork, ask yourself: What do you specifically like about that piece or that person’s style? How can you incorporate that into your own artwork?

[viveksr]

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The first years of the medical course focus on laying a strong foundation in basic medical sciences. Students learn about anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and pathology. These subjects provide a fundamental understanding of the human body's structure and function, as well as the processes involved in various diseases.

Preclinical Years

Moving into the preclinical years, students delve deeper into the medical sciences. They study pharmacology, microbiology, immunology, and pathology. These subjects help students grasp the intricacies of drugs, infectious agents, immune responses, and disease processes.

In addition to theoretical studies, preclinical years often include practical sessions in laboratories to reinforce learning and develop essential laboratory skills.

Clinical Years

After the preclinical years, students enter the clinical phase of the medical course. This is where they begin their rotations in different medical specialties and gain practical experience under the guidance of experienced physicians and healthcare professionals.

During the clinical years, students rotate through various departments, including internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, and others. Each rotation exposes students to different patient populations and medical conditions, broadening their understanding of healthcare and its challenges.

Clinical Skills Training

Throughout the medical course, students receive training in essential clinical skills, such as taking medical histories, conducting physical examinations, and practicing effective communication with patients and their families. These skills are critical for providing patient-centered care and building trust with patients.

Ethics and Professionalism

Medical ethics and professionalism are emphasized throughout the medical course. Students learn about the ethical principles that guide medical decision-making, patient confidentiality, and maintaining professional boundaries. Understanding these principles is essential in ensuring patient welfare and upholding the integrity of the medical profession.

Specializations

In the latter stages of the medical course, students have the opportunity to choose a specialization based on their interests and career goals. Some common specializations include cardiology, neurology, oncology, emergency medicine, and many more. Students undergo further training and gain in-depth knowledge and expertise in their chosen field.

Clinical Clerkships and Electives

During the medical course, students participate in clinical clerkships and electives, where they can gain experience in specialized areas of medicine and work with experts in the field. These experiences help students explore potential career paths and develop a deeper understanding of specific medical disciplines.

Research and Publications

Medical students are encouraged to engage in research projects during their course. Conducting research not only advances medical knowledge but also helps students develop critical thinking and analytical skills. Many medical schools offer opportunities for students to present their research at conferences and publish their findings in medical journals.

Internship and Residency

Upon completing the medical course, graduates typically enter a compulsory internship program, where they work as junior doctors in various departments. Following the internship, doctors may opt for further specialization through a residency program, which can take several years to complete, depending on the chosen specialty.

Examinations and Licensure

Throughout the medical course, students must pass various examinations to progress to the next level and ultimately graduate. Additionally, to practice medicine legally, graduates must obtain a medical license by passing the required medical board exams in their respective countries or states.

Challenges and Demands

The medical course is known for its demanding nature. Students must manage a vast amount of information, long study hours, and emotional stress as they deal with human lives. They must develop resilience and self-care strategies to maintain their physical and mental well-being.

Conclusion

The medical course is a transformative journey that prepares students to become skilled and compassionate healthcare professionals. By combining theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience, medical students gain a comprehensive understanding of medicine and the complexities of patient care. As they progress through the course, they develop a strong sense of responsibility and dedication to improving the health and well-being of their patients and communities.

Continuing Medical Education

The journey of medical education does not end with graduation. After completing the medical course, healthcare professionals must engage in continuing medical education (CME) to stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in medicine and enhance their skills.

CME opportunities include attending medical conferences, workshops, and seminars where experts share their knowledge and experiences. Many healthcare institutions and medical societies also offer online courses and webinars, making it easier for professionals to access educational resources conveniently.

Medical Technology and Innovation

In recent years, medical technology has advanced rapidly, revolutionizing the healthcare industry. As part of the medical course, students are introduced to cutting-edge technologies used in diagnostics, treatment, and patient care. However, with the continuous development of new technologies, healthcare professionals must stay current to leverage these advancements effectively.

Technologies like telemedicine, artificial intelligence, wearable health devices, and precision medicine have the potential to transform patient care and outcomes. As part of their continuing education, medical professionals learn how to integrate these technologies into their practice to improve efficiency and patient outcomes.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Medical education emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. Healthcare is a team effort that involves doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, social workers, and other healthcare professionals working together to provide comprehensive patient care.

During the medical course, students often participate in interprofessional education experiences to learn effective communication and teamwork skills. This prepares them to collaborate seamlessly with other healthcare professionals throughout their careers.

Global Health and Public Health

Medical education also addresses global health and public health issues. Students are exposed to healthcare disparities, infectious disease outbreaks, and the impact of social determinants of health on patient populations.

Understanding global health challenges and public health strategies equips medical professionals to work effectively in diverse communities and contribute to public health initiatives, disease prevention, and health promotion.

Patient-Centered Care and Empathy

Patient-centered care and empathy are core principles of medical education. Students are taught to see patients as individuals with unique needs and to prioritize their well-being and preferences.

Medical courses emphasize communication skills that foster empathy and compassion. Practicing active listening and effectively addressing patients' concerns create a strong patient-doctor relationship, which can positively influence treatment outcomes.

Medical Ethics in Practice

Medical ethics remains a critical aspect of healthcare practice. In their careers, medical professionals encounter complex ethical dilemmas that require thoughtful decision-making.

Continuing medical education often includes discussions and case studies on ethical issues to help healthcare professionals navigate challenging situations while upholding the highest ethical standards.

Medical Legalities and Health Policy

Medical professionals need to be aware of legal and regulatory aspects related to healthcare. They must understand medical malpractice, patient confidentiality laws, and healthcare policies that shape the healthcare system.

Courses on medical legalities and health policy empower healthcare professionals to make informed decisions while complying with the laws and regulations governing their practice.

Adapting to Future Challenges

The landscape of healthcare is ever-evolving, and medical education must continuously adapt to prepare professionals for the challenges of the future. This includes addressing emerging diseases, incorporating new treatment modalities, and responding to changes in healthcare policies and technologies.

In conclusion, the medical course is a transformative journey that instills the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for aspiring medical professionals to provide excellent patient care. By focusing on both theoretical knowledge and practical experience, medical education equips graduates with the expertise and compassion needed to make a positive impact on the health and well-being of individuals and communities. Continuous learning and adaptation to advancements in medicine are crucial to maintaining the highest standards of patient care and advancing the field of healthcare.

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5 Essential Ways to Evaluate Language Use in Media

 Each medium has its own ‘language’ or ‘grammar’ that works to convey meaning in a unique way. ‘Language’ in this sense means the technical and symbolic ingredients or codes and conventions that media and information professionals may select and use in an effort to communicate ideas, information and knowledge. While the medium may affect how messages are received, the users’/audiences’ own background/experience may also affect the interpretation of messages. An important first step in becoming media and information literate is to understand how information, ideas and meaning are communicated through and by various media and other information providers, such as libraries, archives, museums and the Internet. (UNAOC, 2020)

DEFINITION OF TERMS

GRAMMAR

��          The systematic study and description of language is called Grammar. A set of rules dealing with Syntax and word structure of language. In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics, and pragmatics.

REGISTER

           According to Nordquist (2018), a register is defined as the way a speaker uses language differently in different circumstances - determined by factors as social occasion, context, purpose, and audience - determine the vocabulary, structure, and some grammar in one’s writing and even in one’s oral discourse 

1.      Frozen - it refers to historic language or communication that is intended to remain unchanged, like a constitution or a prayer. Examples: The Holy Bible, The United States Constitution, The Bhagavad Gita, and Romeo and Juliet

2.      Formal - is used in professional, academic, or legal settings where communication is expected to be respectful, uninterrupted, and restrained. Slang is never used and contractions are rare. Examples: a TED talk, a business presentation, the Encyclopedia Brittanica, and Gray’s Anatomy by Henry Gray

3.      Consultative - is used in conversation when they are speaking with someone who has specialized knowledge or who is offering advice. Tone is often respectful (use of courtesy titles), but may be more casual if the relationship is longstanding or friendly. Examples: the local TV news broadcast, an annual physical examination, a service provider like a plumber

4.      Casual - is used when they are with friends, close acquaintances and co-workers, and family. Examples: a birthday party, a backyard BBQ

5.       Intimate - is reserved for special occasions, usually between only two people and often in private Examples: an inside joke between two college friends or a word whispered in a lover’s ear 

Language registers are classified as:

1. Formal Language Register - is more appropriate for professional writing and letters to a boss or a stranger - is impersonal, meaning, it is not written for a specific person and without emotion

2. Informal Language Register - is conversational and appropriate when writing to friends and people you know very well.

STYLISTICS

Stylistics is a branch of applied linguistics concerned with the study of style in texts, especially, but not exclusively, in literary works. Also called literary linguistics, stylistics focuses on the figures, tropes, and other rhetorical devices used to provide variety and a distinctness to someone's writing. It is linguistic analysis plus literary criticism.

PRAGMATICS

 Pragmatics is a branch of linguistics concerned with the use of language in social contexts and the ways people produce and comprehend meanings through language. The term pragmatics was coined in the 1930s by psychologist and philosopher Charles Morris. Pragmatics was developed as a subfield of linguistics in the 1970s.

SEMIOTICS

Defines as a general philosophical theory of signs and symbols that deals especially with their function in both artificially constructed and natural languages and comprises syntactics, semantics, and pragmatics

DISCUSSION

TYPES OF MEDIA

Print Media

According to the International Encyclopedia of Political Communication “Print media are traditional mass media published on paper. The concept not only includes the published products but also regards the organizational context shaping the journalistic routines and norms behind the printed products. It mainly comprises of newspapers and magazines. News magazines also serve an information function, whereas most other magazines are more committed to entertainment and leisure.

Here are ways to evaluate this type of media:

Registers

Newspaper, educational books and other magazines uses formal register, while leisure books and some magazines use casual to formal register.

Stylistics

Newspaper and educational books follow a certain standard upon publishing and they use formal writing.

Grammar

Kress abd van Leeuween stated that there is a trend in which, increasingly, the written text is no longer structured by linguistic means, through verbal connectors, and verbal cohesive devices, just a special arrangement of block of text. Writer writes their message to expressed not only linguistically, but also through a visual arrangement of marks on a page.

Semiotics

Print Media also contain images as well as text, and those images contains hidden meaning from its color to the lines. As signs, both sensory icons and textual symbols are mere meaningless marks unless and until they acquire meaning through the addition of semantic content, i.e., the relations between signs and the things they stand for. Semiotics helps us to understand deeply and somewhat fully the world of signs and symbols.

Pragmatics

Journalist and editors have been discovering and then using new ways of expression and addressing the public. It makes up a large proportion that people read and hear every day. How tabloid newspapers use language in a projection of their assumed readers' speech is how they construct their own images and their relationships to an unseen, unknown audience.

Visual Media

Visual Media is defined as the sources of data or information in the form of visual representation. It is commonly used in learning that uses pictures, videos, and infographics that is proven to be a creative and one of the best ways for a child learning.

Here are ways to evaluate this type of media:

Register

For movies and television, visual media uses almost all of the registers depending on the role of the actor they wanted to portray. News uses formal register while advertisement uses casual.

Stylistics

Media uses different effects that enables observer to analyse the structure of media messages without ignoring the interpretative processes of the audience.

Grammar

The actor/speaker of the video shows relevant function of speech acts. All of these functions are present hierarchically in every act if verbal communication, therefore determining the verbal structure of the messages is elaborated.

Semiotics

Producers embed meanings and signs that is for the audience to interpret and received, and most of the time, the meanings are hidden and is only visible for an observant eye. The kind of signs that are likely to cross our mind immediately are those which we routinely refer to as ‘signs’ in everyday life, like religious signs, road signs, and public utility signs.

Pragmatics

Visual media focuses on the viewers that they are able to see the subject’s body language, gestures, and hear their intonations is a big factor to understand the information easily.

Electronic Broadcasting Media

Electronic Broadcasting Media is the media that one can share on any electronic device for the audiences viewing, unlike static media (Printing) electronic media is broadcasted to the wider community. They may include television, radio, Internet, fax, CD-ROMs, DVD, and any other medium that requires electricity or digital encoding of information. There is a wide range of Electronic media that broadcast a variety of different things like advertisements and promotions.

Here are ways to evaluate this type of media:

Register

An example of the electronic broadcasting media is Commentaries on Live Events. Often constructed partly as a conversation between the commentator and summarizer, separated by the (often longer) passages of commentary. Register will be stylized, specialized, professional, colloquial. Thus, the register used in this type of Electronic Broadcasting Media is formal or consultative depending on the content.

Stylistics

A study of Bell (1991) looked at the style of language used in radio news broadcasts in New Zealand. “Single news-readers heard on two different stations showed a remarkable and consistent ability to make considerable style shifts to suit the audience … only the audience correlated with these shifts … In mass communication, a broadcaster’s individual style is routinely subordinated to a shared station style whose character can only be explained in term of its target audience” (Bell, 1991).

Grammar

Electronic Broadcasting Media requires the six C’s. Clear-- simple, understandable, express NOT impress. Concise-- get to the main point Conversational ―for the ear. Current-- timely copy in content and sound.  Correct --free of factual errors, spelling & grammar. A commentary will use the special lexis and jargon of the sport/event in question. Simple and undemanding vocabulary, typical of speech.

However, in news programs, the goal is to give the listeners a lot of information in a very short time. Therefore, the news has to be worded in a way that it is easy to understand and to follow. News language has to be absolutely concise and neutral. And since the aim is to convey a maximum of information in a minimum amount of time, there is no room for literary style in the news.

Semiotics

In TV and radio news, the neutral tone of anchormen is a sign that implies the myth of performer and news `organization that he represents. In the top headlines at first, the political news then economic news is read, thus the hierarchy of announcement of news implies connotation. TV function as a sign system is the result of the interaction between different sign systems. Television uses two mediums, visual (text, fixed and moving images) and audio media (speech, silence, music and environmental sounds). Thus, TV news codes are concluded of language codes (written and spoken), image codes (fixed and moving), code of silence, music codes and codes of environmental sounds (sound segment), paralanguage spoken and written codes, codes of aspect, gesture codes and codes of hand and facial gestures. Radio is an audio media, so in order to identify the end of a news and the beginning of the next; the news is read by two speakers, men and women, respectively, which implies the end of a news story and start the next. After the latest headlines, there is short music again. Also, the music of starting detailed news is a sign that calls the audience's attention and implies the importance of the program, and also implies the end of headlines and starting of detailed news.

Pragmatics

Commentaries also make extensive use of the names of the participants, especially in team games, usually by last name only (Dyer, Shearer, Van Meir, Philips) - the commentator may have given the full name at the start, but the audience is expected to know them well enough anyway.

Sometimes, historical facts are given, perhaps as a mark of respect and the use of the names also has relevance to pragmatics since the audience knows not only that, say, Philips is Kevin Philips but that in this match he is playing at his club ground (he was a Sunderland player in 1999) and also that he is a forward, so that mention of his name suggests where the action is happening on the pitch.

Outdoor Media

Any advertising that is done outdoors that publicizes a business’ products or services is considered to be outdoor advertising. Businesses utilize outdoor advertising for many reasons, the biggest being location. Not only does this method of advertising allow you to select exactly where your ads will be, it provides guaranteed access to the audience, sometimes as often as every day. 

Here are ways to evaluate this type of media:

Register

Marketing on social media sites tends to lean more towards an informal register, focusing on a younger demographic that prefers a more casual tone. There is even evidence to suggest that it is precisely this shift towards digital communication that has led to the increased use of informal language.

Stylistics

Copywriters deploy different sentence types to achieve different effects. For instance, periodic sentences are used to create suspense. Periodic sentences raise curiosity in the readers as they want to know exactly what the advertisement is taking about. Advertising copywriters also inject life into their messages by deploying figurative language. Figurative expressions tend to beautify language by making it appealing and evocative.

Grammar

One of the characteristics of human language is that it is rule-governed. Every language has a limited set of rules which its users apply recursively to produce an unlimited number of novel sentences. Whenever the rules are violated ungrammatical sentences are produced. Advertising copywriters pay greater attention to reaching their audience than to constructing grammatical sentences. To achieve their aim of communicating messages that can be read at a glance, they deliberately violate the grammatical rules of the language of the advertisement.

Semiotics

Given that advertising could function as an expression or reinforcement of ideology, semiotics’ analysis occupies a significant place within the framework of encoding and decoding adverts’ messages. Regarding encoding, it allows advertisers to deliver meaningful messages, associating the product with consumers’ lives and values. Considering the decoding process, semiotics provides the tools of study the hidden meanings of advertisements through analyzing verbal and non-verbal signs.

Pragmatics

certain word formations are peculiar to the language of advertising because the goal of the profession is to send advertising messages across in the shortest time and space available. Since time and space are of much importance in billboard advertising, it uses a lot of short and jerky sentences, positive, comparative and superlative degrees, figurative expressions; modifiers, appeals and deviant structures to create beauty and effectiveness around the advertised products or services. As a specialist area, advertising has its own specialized language. It tends to have unique word choice and syntactic structures which enable the copywriters to capture the attention of the audience within seconds.

Transit Media

Transit media refers to advertising placed in, on, or around modes of public transportation: buses, subways, and taxis. It is a great way to reach a really diverse audience: families traveling, professionals, etc.

Here are ways to evaluate this type of media:

Register

Transit media uses formal to casual register of language depending on the kind of advertisment is shown.

Stylistics

There has been a trend in recent years to which transit media switches from formal to informal, friendly mode of communication between businesses and consumers.

Grammar    

Subtle cultural nuances and social contexts need to be considered when localizing any text, particularly those destined for marketing use.

Semiotics

Transit media prefer to engage with shorter, easy to digest advertising. They don’t really use symbolism since people don’t have enough time to think through because it is on transportation.

Pragmatics

Transit media follows a level of formality is appropriate for their new target audience, and how will the marketing strategy be adapted to each new environment.

Digital Media

Digital media is any form of media that uses electronic devices for distribution. This form of media can be created, viewed, modified and distributed via electronic devices. Digital media is commonly used software, video games, videos, websites, social media, and online advertising. 

Here are ways to evaluate this type of media:

Register

Twitter is neither homogenously “conversation-like” nor “written like” in style. That is, twitter content can differ in formality depending on the community and underlying communication type. Thus, the language register used in the Digital Media is informal, more on consultative or casual registers.

Stylistics

 Users of the digital media make much greater use of twitter hashtags to label their posts.  This points to a more careful use of the posts and a curatorial intent, where hashtags serve to direct a tweet to the right audience when author and readers do not know each other. More instances of exclamations and questions, and more non-standard strings of exclamation and question marks. The abundance of exclamations suggests the messages are more likely to be strongly emotive. Emotions of one kind are also suggested by the number of messages or status posted on social media.

Grammar

Just as the digital media alters the usage of our language, so, too, does it introduce new usage of grammar and vocabulary. With the need for quick and succinct language and communications online, full verb phrases have become common acronyms that are now used in everyday settings and not just online. 

Semiotics

Digital Media contents create different meanings through signs, symbols, text, images, graphics, and color. For example, Kress and Van Leeuwen (1996)   states, visual communication can be expressed through different uses of color or different   compositional structures.  Hèléne states that, “Visuals are used not only to illustrate   news and feature genres but also in advertising and campaigns that attempt to persuade   their target audiences to change attitudes and behaviours”. Advertisements are   supposed to evoke emotions.  Hèléne also states that, “Visuals are thought to  send people   along  emotive pathways  where  textual/verbal  material leaves  them  in a  more  rational,   logical  and  linear pathway  of  thought” (2008).  Viewers  will interpret  the  advertisement   according to  their  own life  experiences.  Kress and  Van  Leeuwen (1996)  state,  “Visual   structures  realize  meanings as  linguistic  structures do  also,  and thereby  point  to different   interpretations  of experience  and  different forms  of  social interactions”

Pragmatics

 In the digital media, sending text messages or chats mirrors a great change in language, specially pragmatics. The advent of social network communication has changed the way people speak and write English drastically. These electronic networks have allowed the users to conduct electronic communication in different styles that is formal and informal and use many types of electronic communication such chats, posts, tweets, comments and discussions. Electronic networks acronyms are one of the most remarkable features, which save time, space and energy. So, successful communication requires awareness of the pragmatic functions of the acronyms used in social network conversations.

CONCLUSION

The importance of media is incomparable that it undoubtedly made our lives convenient and different. Many of us have already encountered and have used the different media mentioned above, but this paper is for the further exploration and explanation for the future generation who wanted to learn more about the media linguistically.  

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 AUTHORS:

DIASANTA, JIRAHMAE

MARAYA, MARIBETH

MARGATE, CAMILLE ROSE