#tortured darius

[radioprinz]

Tortured Darius

[geode-crystal]

for the torture ask game:

2. Which of them do you most imagine injured in other ways?

3. Who do you put through the most emotional turmoil?

4. Which oc has been tortured? Through what means?

Thank you for the asks! So many questions let's goooo

(Current OC's I'm talking about are my boys Darius and Mianu, and all answers will probably include stuff from the original work they're from that has yet to see the light of day lol)

2. Which of them do you most imagine injured in other ways?

Mianu is the one who gets put through the wringer the most. Darius' injuries are minor compared to the stuff Mianu went through. Which, honestly, just makes it more fun to make Darius the whumpee sometimes >:)

But in all seriousness, Darius is the least likely of the two to do something reckless and stupid leading to injuries. He's far more likely to get himself hurt while trying to defend someone else.

3. Who do you put through the most emotional turmoil?

This one... is close lol. Poor Mianu has been through a lot. But the Emotional Turmoil Award probably goes to Darius.

In their original story, Mianu was presumed dead after he disappeared during a terrible attack. Darius held onto the belief that his friend (coughBOYFRIENDcough) was alive despite all evidence to the contrary for two years... only to discover in the worst possible way that Mianu had turned traitor and was now leading a faction of the enemy's magical army. Every single battle after that hurt Darius much more emotionally than physically.

Both of them are very glad that little mess has been cleared up and Mianu's a good guy again lol.

4. Which oc has been tortured? Through what means?

Poor, poor Mianu, the sad little wet kitten of a prince. He has...

Been kept in the dark about his royal past for most of his life

Which led to having a magical power that he didn't understand and couldn't control for years and years

(The type of power that eats away at you if you're not careful)

Gotten "training" for that power under the Evil Army

Said "training" including being forced to do magic far beyond his limits, getting wailed on for "combat training," and whatever "discipline" his "mentor" decided to dish out.

And all that led to his magic being completely corrupted, so using it hurt him more.

It's no wonder he decided to go on a Redemption Quest after all was said and done...

[iambecomeyourvillain]

there needs to be a support group for people who've been reading the zodiac academy

[geminihurt]

Whumptober 2022 | Day 10

Poor unfortunate souls | Waterboarding

"[You think this is funny?] Just ironic... to hear you use the word 'humanity'"

Salvation 1x04 | Darius Tanz - Santiago Cabrera

[noxianwilled]

"just because we did... certain things... doesn't mean everyone around needs to know."

- @noxfortid

"I wasn't telling everyone - and if they were listening that's their problem." Sure, she hadn't been exactly avoiding to let people hear, but she had kept her voice moderately low. Besides, she was far less interested in who may have heard anything than in the fact he reacted so delightfully to her provocations.

"So embarrassed about people potentially hearing my suggestions," she adds, still very much amused and just as intent to tease. "You're never that shy when I am actually between your legs."

[aenslem]

finished Salvation and liked it, it had some flaws, but overall, I enjoyed it, but of course it was cancelled, and we will never know what it was all about

[themynock]

on the subject of characters' pasts though, I am always thinking about dak's little hatchet-by-gary-paulsen adventure before he found the sasquatches

[staledirt87]

Ayo does anyone know where to watch the 2nd season of Salvation for free? Pluto only has the first season.

[radioprinz]

Darius is clearly not well. Grace is clearly worried and taking care of him 🥹

[waywardsunlight]

drops an AU Welcome to my fun torture games The Snake House AU- An AU where the Hexsquad and Hagsquad are switched with some other shennigans. Chart under the cut.

*Hunter is still the grimwalker of Caleb, but he's older and Belos had to make sure it didn't get suspicious so he hired Darius to be the Golden Guard. *Luz isn't cursed, she's just a powerless witch who uses glyphs.

[ailendolin]

Thoughts on Ben after watching Jurassic World Chaos Theory:

I love that he's the one who gets the camp fam back together. I don't know if this was intentional or not but given that he found his way back to them on Nublar after his fall, it only seems right that he's the one who sets out on a journey to warn them and keep them safe

it makes me wonder thought if they're all he has. We know he talks about a girlfriend in Europe (the fandom's consensus seems to be that she doesn't exist but tbh to me it sounded more like him possibly interpreting too much into an online friendship out of a need to feel close to someone) but he doesn't really mention any family or friends. He seems to be living out of his van, has taken a break from his studies ... I don't know, it all screams lonely to me

speaking of which: after they came back home, four of his friends were in relationships and Kenji was apparently living with Darius for a while so it wouldn't surprise me if Ben felt a little left out at the time, maybe even jealous that they all had someone in some way and he didn't

I also need to talk about Ben's trauma. He goes through a lot in the series, and I'm not even talking about the dinosaur encounters. He's lost Brooklynn. He's in a place where he's convinced something is wrong and no one believes him (at first). He almost drowns and loses his van - his home. He can only watch helplessly when Bumpy gets tortured. He thinks Bumpy is dying. He gets electrocuted and hurts himself further during the Atrociraptor attack. It's a lot, and no one seems to care.

which brings me to my final observation: Ben, in a way, has become the caretaker of the group. He's the one who reunites them, the one who is appalled when he thinks Sammy wants to break up with Yaz, the one who (maybe intentionally) forces Darius and Kenji to talk and make up. This whole time, it's never about him - it's about them. He even lets Kenji hold Bumpy's egg because he knows Kenji needs that in that moment. He's always there for them but the others are so lost in their own heads and problems that they don't have the capacity to be there for him in return. I don't blame them for that but Ben's trauma from the island and everything that came after never gets properly addressed - on the contrary, Yaz even makes a joke about pterosaurs - and I feel like that's long overdue (hence why I wrote a fic about him and Kenji meeting Billy Brennan because if there's someone who knows about trauma of the flying extinct reptile kind it's Billy). Tldr; my boy needs a break and a hug.

[aphroditelovesu]

The Lost Queen - XIV

— summary: You woke up near a military camp without remembering how and why you got there, you didn’t understand why they were dressed like ancient Greeks, all you knew was that you weren’t safe and you needed to get out of that place as soon as possible. Too bad for you that you found yourself attracting unwanted attention from the Macedonian King and he won’t let you go so easily.

— genre: yandere, dark!au.

— warnings: time travel, obsessive and possessive behavior, murder, mention of torture, kidnapping, angst, fluffy (very rarely), dub-con, possibly smut.

— pairing: yandere!alexander the great x female!reader, yandere!generals x female!reader.

— word count: 3,040.

— tag list: @devils-blackrose, @faerykingdom, @hadesnewpersephone, @mariaelizabeth21-blog1 , @kadu-5607, @zoleea-exultant, @borntoexplore11-blog, @silmawensgarden, @elvinapandra.

— the lost queen series masterlist.

Chapter 14

It had suddenly started raining. A good omen, you thought, but when you heard the screams outside your tent you realized that it wasn't for the Persians.

As the raindrops fell from the sky, you moved restlessly inside your tent in the Persian war camp. Your anxiety and stress levels were high and you were afraid that this could affect your pregnancy.

The conversation with Darius and Bessus — you shuddered just remembering the last man, — hadn't been productive and you feared what that might mean. By now Alexander had probably already been notified of your disappearance and was going crazy.

Nothing good would come of Alexander's anger. You placed your hand on your stomach, on your not-yet-growing belly, and took a deep breath. You needed to calm down, all this stress wouldn't do you any good, it would only make you more anxious.

"Excuse me." You were startled when you heard a low voice with a strong Persian accent next to you. You looked at the owner of the voice and relaxed when you saw that it was Bagoas, the eunuch. His footsteps — was that him? You weren't sure — were really silent.

Darius had assigned this eunuch to you as your servant, in this case, personal slave, during your time here. Bagoas would be perfect to satisfy your wishes, the King had said. You felt like slapping him. You didn't need a slave and you didn't want one. Even in Alexander's camp you refused to keep slaves but rather free servants to serve you.

You nodded, waiting for him to continue talking. Bagoas kept his gaze down, not daring to look at your face. He was a slave, you remembered. And like all slaves he was trained to be submissive, not to look free people in the eye.

Your heart ached remembering this, remembering that slavery was common and accepted. That what they did to Bagoas and many others was natural.

Bagoas spoke softly, "Do you need anything?" His voice had a very strong Persian accent but you understood him perfectly.

You shook your head, "No thanks, Bagoas. I'm fine."

Bagoas nodded and silently moved to leave, until you called out to him.

"Bagoas?" You called his name, "I'd like to ask you a few questions, if that's okay with you."

Not that he had a choice, you mentally cursed yourself.

Bagoas nodded slowly and stood in front of you. You pointed to a chair next to you, silently telling him to sit down. Bagoas did as he was told.

''You...'' You started to say, but realized you didn’t know what you really wanted to say. Realizing this, you shifted uncomfortably in your seat. Bagoas, in turn, remained quiet.

You cleared your throat and tried again, ''Would you like some wine or water?''

Bagoas blinked slowly at your request, clearly surprised. He nodded slowly after a few minutes of being completely still. You smiled and took the pitcher of wine and poured it into a cup for him, who hesitantly accepted the cup.

"It's not poisoned." You joked softly, trying to lighten the mood.

Bagoas glanced at you lightly and you could see something amusing sparkle in the eunuch's dark eyes. He raised the cup to his lips and took a sip of wine, his eyes fixed on his feet. You smiled lightly and drank some water.

"Would you like something to eat, Bagoas?" You asked, pointing to a silver tray that held cheese, bread, and a piece of honey cake. Bagoas looked at the tray and shook his head.

You frowned. Bagoas was thin, very thin.

"Are you sure? The honey cake is delicious." You tried again but the eunuch just denied it.

"I thank you but no, your Majesty." Bagoas said, his eyes never meeting yours.

"I understood." You sighed and decided there was no reason to say anything, "You're dismissed then."

Bagoas placed the cup on the small table and bowed gracefully to you and silent as he had entered, he left.

You leaned back in your chair, rubbing your sore neck. You closed your eyes but opened them quickly when the tent flap was lifted and you locked eyes with the intruder.

Perdiccas.

"What do you want?" You practically growled, not bothering to try to be polite.

Perdiccas frowned and sat down next to you, "I have news, my love."

You tried not to make a disgusted expression when he called you “my love”.

"And what would that news be?" You asked uninterested. Perdiccas grabbed your hand and squeezed it gently. You frowned at his boldness.

Perdiccas rubbed your fingers, "We are going to Babylon."

You choked on the water you were drinking and the cup was placed sloppily on the table.

"What?!" You questioned him, standing up quickly. Perdiccas didn't seem bothered by your outburst, however.

"We are going to Babylon." He repeated as if you were a child with a learning disability, "I talked to Darius and he agreed that it's safer for you than staying here."

"I am not going." You growled, not even bothering to try and contain your anger. You were tired of men trying to tell you what to do. It could be the custom, the normal thing at that time, but you weren't from that time and you didn't care anymore.

Perdiccas raised an eyebrow, "That's not your choice."

"You don't give me orders." You said confidently. Perdiccas seemed to be getting angry.

Good. That would make two of you.

Perdiccas grabbed your face with one hand and forced you to look into his eyes, "We're going to Babylon and that's final."

Before you could say anything, Perdiccas pressed his lips against yours violently, practically swallowing you. You gasped and tried to pull away but his touch kept you in place.

It was wrong and disgusting on so many levels to feel him kiss you again. At that time, you were desperate and wanted comfort and that's why you kissed him but now it felt wrong, not only because he was forcing you, but also because you didn't want him anymore. You didn't even notice when the attraction you felt for Perdiccas started to wane, you just knew it disappeared.

Now all that was left was a spark of what had once been your friendship. But did this friendship really exist?

When Perdiccas finally released you from the kiss, you noticed that his lips were slightly swollen and you shivered in disgust as you watched him lick them. Before you could think or say anything, you raised your hand and slapped Perdiccas across the face, the sound echoing through the tent.

Perdiccas' face turned to the side from the impact and you knew it hurt when he placed his hand where he had just hit and hissed in pain.

Good.

Perdiccas looked at you in disbelief. He looked at you as if he had seen a ghost and not the woman he knew.

"W-What happened to you?" He asked, still holding his hand over the area where he was hit.

You stared at him with contempt shining in your eyes.

"I happened." You said, your eyes narrowing as the words were spoken, "And don't you ever touch me again without my permission, understand?" Your words were harsh and one could feel the anger reflected in them. Perdiccas swallowed hard as if he had just had a divine revelation.

He finally noticed, you realized it. Perdiccas finally realized that you are no longer the desperate and terrified woman he had met a few months ago.

You were a Queen and you were starting to act like it.

Alexander's tent was eerily silent on that restless night. One might think that the great King was resting, but the flickering light of the flames danced across the walls of the tent, betraying the agitation that consumed him. Alexander found no peace, not while his beloved wife was missing.

The entire Macedonian camp shared his anguish. News of the Queen's kidnapping had spread like wildfire, plunging soldiers and officers into a mixture of fury and despair. No one dared to blame Alexander for his insomnia, as everyone knew that the emptiness next to him in bed was an open wound in his heart. He spent hours pacing back and forth, his troubled thoughts reflected in the flickering shadows the flames cast.

Inside the tent, the atmosphere was filled with tension. Maps and parchments were spread out on the table, fingerprints and wax stains bearing witness to long nights of planning and worrying. The heavy curtains that bounded the space swayed gently in the night breeze, but they failed to carry away the feeling of helplessness that permeated the air.

Every sound outside the tent, whether the distant noise of the watchmen or the low murmur of the soldiers on watch, seemed to amplify Alexander's inner silence. His eyes, fixed on the flames, burned with the determination of a man who would not allow his wife to remain a captive any longer. The King of the Macedonians was prepared to move heaven and earth to bring her back, and everyone who knew him knew that nothing would stand in her way.

The entire Macedonian camp reacted with deep consternation to the news of the Queen's kidnapping. The atmosphere, already tense due to the nature of the military campaigns, became even more charged with discontent and suspicion, especially among Perdiccas' men. These soldiers, in particular, were disgusted by their general's actions. How could Perdiccas betray everyone's trust by kidnapping the Queen? By committing such an act, he not only condemned himself, but also cast a shadow of distrust on his subordinates.

The growing distrust between Perdiccas' men and the other soldiers in the camp was palpable. Loyalty, a fundamental pillar of the Macedonian army, was seriously shaken. Alexander had established that any fight between soldiers would be punished by death, a drastic measure to maintain order and discipline. However, the ban seemed to be ignored. Physical conflicts broke out with alarming frequency, and punishments were equally frequent, but they failed to stem the tide of violence and resentment.

The situation reached a critical point when even two of the most prominent generals came into conflict. Hephaestion and Craterus, known for their skills and loyalty to the King, became involved in a fight that shocked the camp. The details of the incident were hazy, but the essence of the conflict seemed clear: Craterus blamed Alexander for the Queen's kidnapping, a serious accusation that infuriated Hephaestion. He, in an effort to defend the honor of his friend and King, confronted Craterus, but the fight only served to increase anxiety and chaos among the troops.

The tension in the camp was almost palpable. Each soldier knew that the unit was crucial to the survival and success of their campaigns, but the shadow of Perdiccas' kidnapping and betrayal put everything at risk. Uncertainty about the Queen's future and safety hung over everyone, exacerbating the tension and making each day more difficult to bear.

The other generals were also overcome with fury at the betrayal. Cleitus, who had now recovered well although he was still too weak to fight, personally wanted to ride a horse with a group of soldiers and scouts to search for the Queen. However, Alexander did not allow it, which resulted in a heated argument that had to be ended by Ptolemy.

Hephaestion spent most of his time at Alexander's side, desperately trying to calm his friend. He was rarely seen outside the King's tent these days, his loyalty and concern evident in his every gesture. Ptolemy, on the other hand, stood out for his calm and rationality. Although he was also deeply upset by the Queen's kidnapping and Perdiccas betrayal, he tried to keep a cool head, aware that one more angry mind would not help anything.

Cassander was equally furious, but he controlled his words carefully so as not to say something that could get him killed. The tension made him clench his fists and grind his teeth, but he knew he needed to maintain his composure. Parmenion and Philotas, in turn, maintained a facade of indifference. They didn't show much concern or emotion in public, but everyone knew that deep down, they cared deeply. The Queen had won their sympathy and respect, and the apparent coldness was just a mask to hide genuine concern.

The camp was on the verge of emotional collapse. Every decision, every word, carried weight. The generals knew they needed to remain united and focused, but the shadow of the kidnapping hung over everyone, making any semblance of normality difficult.

Something needed to be done, and Alexander knew it. He had plans, detailed and strategic plans, and he was determined to carry them out above all else. His mind worked incessantly, tracing every movement, every step necessary to rescue his Queen and punish the traitor.

Inside his tent, Alexander prepared himself. His eyes, burning with a mixture of pain and fury, reflected the intensity of his determination. He knew that once he got his hands on Perdiccas, nothing would stop him. Perdiccas would pay dearly for his betrayal.

Alexander was willing to do anything to get his Queen back, to get you back. The thought of you being in danger tormented him, and he would not rest until you were safe by his side again. He summoned his generals, outlined his strategies and prepared his troops, ensuring that each soldier knew the importance of the mission.

With each passing moment, Alexander's resolve solidified. His leadership, fierce and relentless, galvanized the Macedonian army. The search for the Queen was not just a military operation; it was a rescue mission that touched every soldier's heart. Everyone knew that under Alexander's leadership they would be relentless in their pursuit and punishment of Perdiccas.

As the camp buzzed with preparation, Alexander remained focused. Nothing would divert him from his goal. He would do anything, face any obstacle, to bring his beloved Queen back. And when he finally rescued you, justice would be done, and Perdiccas's betrayal would be avenged with all the fury of a betrayed king.

The night was cold and silent, very silent. The rain from earlier had made the air colder and not even the heavy fur clothes seemed to contain the cold outside.

But you thought it was because most people had already gone to sleep, only you were awake and getting ready to leave the Persian camp.

You sighed and looked around, noticing some guards and servants tidying up everything. You sat down on a rock and tried to contain the excitement that was growing inside you. A part of you was furious with the events, especially with what had happened between you and Perdiccas earlier, but the other part was excited at the prospect of seeing a historic place in person, of seeing Babylon at its height.

You just didn't expect it to be like this. You were a hostage and you knew a lot could go wrong. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath.

"A kiss for your thoughts." You opened your eyes when you heard a voice. You sighed as you realized it was Aslan— or whatever he really called himself — talking to you.

"What do you want?" You asked, adjusting your robes.

Aslan frowned and said sarcastically, "In a bad mood, cara mia?"

"Just tired." That wasn't a lie, not completely. You were exhausted and couldn't sleep well at night with everything that was going on.

"Hmm..." Aslan murmured and sat down next to you, looking at the night sky, "I heard about what happened in your tent with Perdiccas today."

You gave him a sideways glance, ''Leave it alone.''

Aslan shook his head and you could swear there was barely contained anger on his face, "No, I won't let it alone. That wasn't right... Him forcing himself on you like that." The way his words seemed sincere took you by surprise.

You raised an eyebrow and glared at him, ''And do you care?''

"I'm not the bad guy here, (Y/N)." Aslan said and you scoffed, "Despite what you may think, I genuinely care about you."

"Care about me?" You laughed darkly, "If you care about me, then why the hell did you bring me here? What's the point of all this?!"

Aslan sighed, "You'll understand eventually. Now is not the time for you to know the truth, but..." He took your cold hand and rubbed it, trying to warm you up, "I promise I'll take care of you."

You couldn't help how your body shivered at his words. You found yourself watching him closely, his attractive features. Aslan was a handsome man, you finally realized, and although you didn't trust him, there was something about him that attracted you.

He seemed familiar to you somehow.

Aslan brought his face closer to yours and you felt your heart beat faster. He brought his lips to your ear and whispered, "I promise I'll make him pay for laying his hands on you."

You closed your eyes, feeling strangely warm inside at his words, at the promise in them. Aslan's words brought you comfort, something you hadn't felt in a while.

He smiled and kissed your cheek lovingly, "I need to go. I have things to do but I'll take care of you." Aslan let go of your hand and stood in front of you, he placed his hand on your face and lifted your chin, making you look into his dark eyes.

You couldn’t look away and you didn’t want to. Aslan rubbed your chin and brought his face closer to yours, his lips brushing yours, he said, "I promise I will always take care of you."

The frigid night air didn't seem so cold anymore as Aslan's words were heard by you over and over again. You were standing still, not knowing how to react, just watching him walk away from the camp.

There was a lot to be discovered, you realized. Maybe Babylon had the answers you needed.

— lady l: a calmer chapter but that's because chapter 15, which I'm already writing, will be more chaotic. Aslan is a complex character but does he care about Reader? That leaves the doubt... 👀

I hope you liked it, forgive me for any mistakes and this week I'll release the next chapter! Unti thenl!! ❤️

[welcometogrouchland]

I feel like for the first few years of guardianship Darius and Hunter really struggle to figure out how to refer to each other.

Like it's easier for Hunter, he pretty quickly settles on "guardian" for explaining their relationship to other people and just referring to Darius by name when talking to the man himself. Overtime the phrasing gradually warms, becoming "foster parent" and eventually, once Hunter's already an adult old enough to move out, "Dad".

(Sidenote: he doesn't move out til he's in his mid to late twenties, bc he's under no obligation too, Darius low-key doesn't want him too, and the two of them want to make up for lost time in a sense, since Hunter only had 2 years of legal dependency on Darius before aging out of the system. Darius adopts Hunter retroactively as an adult)

Darius on the other hand has a real conundrum on his hands for those first few years. He has a lot of options! But "ward" is too formal and makes it sound like Darius picked him up off the street like after his parents were murdered, "apprentice/student" isn't really accurate considering the focus of Darius and Hunter's relationship has less to do with Hunter learning magic and more to do with Hunter being housed and fed. "Kid" and "foster son" are there...but...

Look, Darius isn't going to refer to Hunter more familiarly than Hunter refers to him! He's not gonna make it WEIRD. He's not a dad, because Hunter doesn't want/need him to be (and also parenthood is scary <3). Darius doesn't know the first thing about being a dad, despite how his friend group teases him.

Eda and Eberwolf are the two who are worst about it. They torture him with how 'fatherly' he's allegedly being (allegations Darius will DENY til his GRAVE!!!) And Eda specifically compares his journey to hers, saying it always starts off with you referring to them as your apprentice (again, Darius doesn't plan on doing that), as your roommate (...kinda weird in Darius' opinion? But okay Eda), or even your pet (????HELLO???). But eventually, they always become your dumb kid when you least expect it.

She's had a couple cups of appleblood by this point, but Darius knows on some level she's right and he's steadfastly ignoring that fact, even as Eber continues to refer to Hunter as his "cub" (kinda cute but Darius doesn't know how Hunter would feel being compared to an animal). The only people who are even remotely reasonable about all this (besides Lilith who's a bit disinterested in kid talk) is Raine and Alador, who both sort of neutrally, a bit awkwardly refer to Hunter as Darius' Boy.

Darius referring to Hunter as "my boy" is funnily enough what sticks the longest before it evolves to son boy. Hunter's crushing it at a derby match? Darius is whooping and cheering, yelling "THAT'S MY BOY!!!" At the other parents in the stands. Hunter is doing something dangerous or inadvisable where others can see him? "Darius, your boy-" "AHH! MY BOY". Hunter, a year into his stay with Darius finally comes clean about everything to do with him being a grimwalker, and is afraid that he's going to go back to seeing him as just an inferior replacement for Darius' beloved mentor? Darius (who has just had to process some of the most bonkers, emotionally heavy information in his life) gently, hesitantly puts a hand on his shoulder (the 'good' one Hunter doesn't mind people touching), and says that Hunter's much more than that. He's Darius' Boy and he's not going to kick him out or get angry or love him any less for things out of his control. It's good. They're good.

Like I said, it evolves over time and 'boy' becomes somewhat obsolete as the two get caught up in the joy of finally feeling able to explicitly refer to each other as family. But unlike "guardian" or "ward" the word never gets fully retired. Even when Hunter is 30 and is arguing that he's more of a man than a boy now, he is still getting referred to by Darius as "his boy", the way some parents never really stop calling their adult kids baby or kiddo (Camila and Eda respectively btw).

Hunter makes one of those corny matching shirt sets at some point for a father's Day gift when he's 17/18, where the two shirts say "if lost, return Boy to me" (Darius) and "I'm Boy" (Hunter). Hunter mostly did it so he could own a funny shirt that says "I'm boy". Darius openly weeps upon seeing them. Like Oh my Titan he's boy. He's my boy. Oh wow

[charzea]

Movie night. I tortured you guys a bit with the darius meets hunter again comic, so heres something nice :)

[writers-potion]

I have a fantasy character who has a history of being abused before the story begins, which comes up later in the story as the abusers are trying to find them, but the main point of the story is not about their past life. I don’t know how to tell the audience what happened to them before the abusers re-enter the story as they are very cagey about their past and I don’t want to use flashbacks which I think are not as relevant earlier in the story. Do you have any thoughts?

Including Character Backstory Without Flashbacks

Hi! Thanks for the ask :)

Distill The Backstory

First, I suggest that you pick out 1-3 main memories from the past you want to reveal. Character backstories can be long and complicated but if it's not relevant to the current story, it can sit at the back.

What colors/voices/words/smell/patterns do your character remember the most? What are the few things that keep coming back to them? Make it bite-size, like: the smell of fresh paint mixed with mud.

Start dropping small hints: when the character encounters a certain smell, just show how they tremble before walking on. Do this enough times, and the readers will soon catch on that there's something.

Rule of 3 (omne trium perfectum)

The rule of three is a writing principle that suggests that events or characters introduced in threes are more humorous, satisfying, or effective in execution of the story and engaging the reader.

Pick 3 details and build them into the present conflict:

-the character encounters a situation that resembles their past

-the abused character is traumatized at present due to what happened to them in the past (if you show them avoiding cinemas like hell, the readers will know that they've been abused in a cinema in the past, for example)

Drop 3 hints about how the past in BUILT INTO their present life. Given them habits that originate from their past memories. That way, the backstory lives in the present.

Mini Flashbacks

When the character recalls something or sees something that triggers their memory, mention the past briefly, in just 2-3 lines.

For example, just writing: "It was like having her arms maimed with a knife again, crying alone with the only light coming through a tiny bathroom window. No mother or father or uncle had saved her from King Darius's men then, and certainly not now." > This is enough for the reader to know the gist of what happened, and the narrative can move on describing stuff in the present.

Dialogue

If the people from their past are coming for them, you can have a scene where they mention how they enjoyed torturing your abused character, while the POV character overhears them.

Or you can have another character ask about the abused character's past. Don't make the dialogue too long, but this should give enough room to explain the jist of the backstory.

You can have the character's past abusers mentioning the past directly: "Oh, we had such fun with ropes, didn't we?"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* . ───

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[crimeronan]

Thinking about "Amity and Hunter being deranged and causing immense bodily harm to one another" Just how aware is Luz of the extent of the harm because they're obviously both keeping it from her for obvious reasons.

I can see Hunter straight up being "Well I can't let Luz know Amity did this because if she were to get mad at Amity or concerned for my safety and worried she might do it again... and that would seriously bum her out given the whole 'weirdly massive crush she can't articulate' thing going on." (and also general 'Can't let Luz worry about my injuries/nearly dying' based thoughts )

Amity is just convinced that if Luz knew about 'the time she sent half of Hunter's ribcage into his lungs she would be out of the castle or worse and knows that people posing a threat to Hunter's life have a habit of peacefully having heart attacks in their sleep. And in truth if she were anyone else that might not be a silly fear.

(I love the genuinely terrified with good reason of, to seeing you're safe with them to lover pipeline)

For a while she doesn't get that she isn't 'anyone else' and that a) Hunter genuinely likes her company, and b) Luz both likes her and respects Hunter's autonomy to not throw out his murder bestie even if she didn't... (even if she'd prefer he not be nearly dying all the time)

So for a while she is convinced Hunter is holding onto it as perfect blackmail material for whenever. I do think it's funny if they just... never tell her just how brutal their fights could be, or only tell her when they're all in their fourties or smthn

luz ABSOLUTELY does not know about the Matchstick Bones incident. and neither hunter nor amity are willing to tell her. i do like the idea of amity worrying about blackmail.... but i'm ALSO really fond of the thought that, like. the possibility of luz-related blackmail evaporates Really Fucking Fast. because hunter is so aggressively and edgily insistent that amity not mention this to luz.

so like. it seems like HE might be in trouble with her if he tells. mutually assured destruction!

amity Does have a vested interest in lilith not finding out, though. darius is not a snitch so no worries there, but hunter is a bitch. ultimately i don't think he Actually would tell her, because he doesn't actually expect lilith to give a fuck. but amity clearly believes lilith would give a fuck. hunter can use this

^worst boy In The World.

as for amity fearing luz finding out... i don't think she'd be Super afraid of luz exiling her or killing her for it. unless it's maybe in those first very fraught days after belos dies. she'd be way more scared if hunter had ended up with permanent injuries, but he's fine, so no harm no foul, right??

she IS worried luz will think less of her. and worried luz won't trust her / will think she's dangerous.

the thing about hunter and amity's fights -- both the physical and verbal ones -- are that they're mutually, equally vicious. both of them are really Going For It. amity accidentally hurt hunter but he could Just As Easily have snapped her spine or cracked her skull by accident.

it's less "luz is gonna think i'm torturing hunter" and more "luz is gonna think we're irresponsible and stupid." which. THEY ARE.

meanwhile on hunter's end, as usual he doesn't want to stress luz out. and more importantly, he doesn't want her to tell him to stop, and she Absolutely Fucking Would if she knew how dangerous things were getting. luz being like "can't you guys spar with some ground rules and cushions????" and hunter like "actually we're both so filled with formless aimless rage that if we don't do this we're probably gonna go on some kind of serial killing spree instead. i don't expect you to understand tho 💕" and luz like "You Are Right. I Do Not."

anyway. they've pulled the worst of their punches since darius yelled at them, at least. if luz ever finds out it'll 100% be when they're in their forties and amity or hunter references it as a fond adolescent memory, forgetting luz was out of the loop.

and luz is like. h. Hello. Excuse Me??