Aetober Day 9: I Wanted To Draw Melusine Aether

aetober day 9: i wanted to draw melusine aether🤗

How to Write a Ruthless Character

A ruthless character is all about the endgame. They don’t care how they get there, lying, cheating, using others, it’s all fair game as long as they win. When writing them, show how they can cut off any distractions or emotions, making decisions that others would hesitate over.

These characters don't let feelings get in the way. Compassion, guilt, regret? Nah, they don’t have time for that. Show how they can turn off their emotions and make choices purely based on logic. They’ll do things that seem heartless to everyone else, but for them, it’s just another part of the plan. It’s not that they don’t feel anything, they just choose not to.

Boundaries? What boundaries? A ruthless character doesn’t care about rules unless they can bend them to get ahead. They’ll do things no one else dares, crossing lines others are too scared to even approach. The more uncomfortable their actions make people, the more it emphasizes just how far they’re willing to go. For them, pushing limits is just another day.

They don’t act on impulse. Every move they make is planned, and every risk they take is calculated. They weigh the pros and cons before acting, and they’re always three steps ahead of everyone else. Writing a ruthless character means showing that they’ve already figured out how to win while everyone else is still trying to figure out the rules.

Betrayal is their go-to move when things get tough. Friends, allies, even people who trust them, no one is safe. They’ll turn on anyone if it benefits them. And the best part? They’ll sleep just fine afterward. Show how others react to their betrayals, shocked, hurt, furious, while your ruthless character shrugs it off like, “It had to be done.”

if you have any questions or feedback on writing materials, please send me an email at Luna-azzurra@outlook.com ✍🏻

12 Emotional Wounds in Fiction Storys

Betraying a Loved One. Your character made a choice, and it backfired, badly. They betrayed someone close to them, maybe on purpose, maybe by accident. Now, the guilt’s eating them alive. They might try to fix things, but can they even make up for what they did?

Guilt Over a Past Mistake. They made a mistake, one that cost someone else. Maybe it was reckless, maybe it was a dumb decision, but now it haunts them. They can’t stop thinking about it, and no matter how hard they try to make things right, the past keeps pulling them back.

Survivor’s Guilt. Imagine surviving something awful, an accident, a disaster, but someone else didn’t make it. Now your character is stuck asking, “Why me? Why am I still here?” They push people away, convinced they don’t deserve to be happy or even alive.

Feeling Powerless. Your character is trapped, maybe in an abusive home, a toxic relationship, or just in life itself. They feel stuck, with no control over their own future.

Being Wrongly Accused. They didn’t do it. But no one believes them. Your character has been falsely accused of something serious, maybe even a crime and now they’re fighting to clear their name. It’s not just about proving their innocence, though. They’re also battling the pain of being abandoned by people who were supposed to stand by them.

Public Humiliation. They’ve just been humiliated in front of everyone, maybe it’s a video gone viral, or they were betrayed by someone they trusted. Now, they can’t even look people in the eye.

Living in Someone’s Shadow. No matter what they do, it’s never enough. Someone else, a sibling, a friend, a partner, always shines brighter. They feel stuck in that person’s shadow, invisible and overlooked.

Abandoning a Dream. They had big dreams, but somewhere along the way, life got in the way, and now they’ve given up. Maybe it was because of fear or circumstances beyond their control, but the loss of that dream has left them feeling empty.

Childhood Trauma. Something happened to them when they were young, something painful that still affects them today. Whether it was abuse, neglect, or a significant loss, the trauma follows them into adulthood, shaping how they see themselves and the world.

Being an Outsider. They’ve never felt like they fit in, whether because of their background, their personality, or something else. They long for acceptance but fear they’ll never find it.

Struggling with Addiction. They’re caught in a destructive cycle, whether it’s with substances, behaviors, or even people. The shame and struggle to break free from addiction are real and raw.

Living with Chronic Illness. They’re living with a chronic illness or disability, and it’s not just the physical challenges that weigh them down, it’s the emotional toll, too. Maybe they feel isolated, or like they’re a burden to others.

9:35 pm

synopsis: after being severely injured during the natlan games, kinich is less than happy to be attending to your injuries

characters: kinich x gn!reader

wc: 891

warnings: angst to fluff, light arguments, insults, best friends to lovers, confessions, not proofread (also might of spelled ajaw’s full name wrong, i forgot to check sorry)

notes: i’m trying to write more i swear but college and work are beating my ass so bad right now i want to cry. working on something for capitano next and then i’m gonna hopefully (don’t get your hopes up) finally work on my requests lmao

“It was an accident, y’know?”

“Shut up,” Kinich rolls his eyes, every inch of his face embellished with annoyance and irritation. His gentle hands wipe the deep red blood dripping down your face, gloves long discarded. Your eyes bore onto his figure as he does, feeling helpless in his presence. You don’t understand what you’ve done wrong.

One moment, he’s cheering you on in the stands with Mualani and Kachina, and the next, he’s berating you as you fall into him. It wasn’t like you meant to throw yourself into the line of your opponent’s brutal final attack. How were you supposed to know they were practically aiming to kill you?

You suck in a deep breath and turn your head away, “It’s part of the competition, what’s so hard to understand about that?”

Kinich shakes his head, his hands gaining a little more force as he scrubs the blood away, “It was stupid, competition or not. You didn’t have to keep fighting him.”

You wince at the friction of the cloth on your face, feeling like he’s drawing more blood rather than wiping it away, “I know, but—“

Your best friend slams the now bloodstained rag down against the counter and stares you right in the eyes, his voice dripping with malice, “You don’t. You nearly got yourself killed because you were too prideful to stop. It was idiotic, even Kachina could see that”.

Ouch.

Silence fills the room uncomfortably as your shoulders slump and you stare at him with a look more defeated than your loss at the competition today. Your eyes flicker back and forth between his and you hold your breath once more, “I know, I-I’m sorry.”

You don’t know what else to say.

Everything in you wants to cry right about now, but you’re too afraid to let him see it. Still, it doesn’t stop the burning feeling growing behind your eyes and the little tremors in your bottom lip. You try to bite it to get the sensation to stop, but it only worsens.

Your dynamic with Kinich wasn’t normally like this. You bickered from time to time, sure, but it was never to this extent. You never argued with him unless it was over something stupid like whose tribe was better or which one of you was going to pay the bill when the four of you went out to eat. He’d never spoken like this to you in his life.

Absent as you’re stuck inside your head, you don’t catch the way he sighs or the tears that finally break the surface tension at the forefront of your eyes.

“I really thought you were going to die out there today,” Kinich interrupts, wiping one singular tear off your face with the backside of his hand. His voice is quiet and far more benign this time around, more like the Kinich you know.

Wordlessly, your head cocks to the side as your read eyes stare at him in confusion. The switch in his tone nearly gives you whiplash.

“The second you got knocked down and didn’t get back up for a few seconds, I…I knew something was wrong. And yet, you still got back up and kept fighting, getting knocked down over and over again. It’s not easy to watch.”

His eyes refuse to meet yours and suddenly it all clicks.

“Kinich…” you try to speak, unable to stop the wavering in your voice and the festering ache in your chest.

He places his hand on yours, tenderly interlocking your scraped up fingers with his while silently hoping you don’t pull away, “Don’t. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have raised my voice at you like that. It wasn’t right of me.” You nod. A silent gesture of your acceptance.

Kinich almost smiles when you squeeze his hand tighter and gently tug him closer to you until you’re able to wrap your arms around his torso. Weakly, you stand up from where you sat on the counter and rest your body weight against his, “If you were worried about me, you could’ve just said that.”

“I’m always worried about you,” Kinich playfully scoffs into the hug, “I don’t enjoy seeing you hurt.”

“I would hope not.”

“Are you two done already?! You might as well just suck each others’ faces off with the way you’re looking at each other! Do you know how disrespectful that is to the Great K’uhul Ajaw? It’s practically blasphemy!”

“Ajaw,” You giggle quietly as Kinich hurries to shove his little green sidekick away, eagerly apologizing as he does so. “Sorry about him,” he says, knowing full well you’re used to it after being friends with him for so many years.

“Well, maybe he isn’t so wrong,” you smile mischievously.

“About what? Blasphemy? Ajaw isn’t even close to being—“ Kinich doesn’t get to finish his sentence before you’re pressing your lips against his, pulling him into a quick kiss and effectively shutting him up. And as quick as it comes, you pull away and slide out of the embrace you were still in.

“About that,” you say as if it were obvious, grabbing your bag off the counter and offering him a smile as you weakly walk away, “I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah,” he mutters, dumbfounded by your actions before realizing you were gone, “hey, wait! I wasn’t done with your injuries!”

Ajaw: *making a annoyed face at kinich for the 100+ time*

Kinich: "Can you stop making that face?"

*Ajaw: *Looking even more annoyed* "What the hell are you talking about? The almighty k'uhul Ajaw always looks like this! You pes-"

Kinich: "Damn, must be tough..."

Ajaw: *Now bright red in anger* "Kinich...You take that back you spinach head!"

Kinich:"Says the one that looks like pixels."

Reader:" Guys it's seven in the morning.."

sleepy kitty for day 12 of aetober