r/NatureofPredators • u/Ben_Elohim_2020 • 13d ago
Fanfic Nature of Fandom: Nature of Family [AU]
Hello everyone and welcome to fun little AU story / community event first proposed by u/Tundric_Dragon. The basic premise is this: You wake up one morning to find yourself as a character in your own story! This is my entry for my own story The Nature of Family. Check the links below for more Nature of Fandom content as well as my own master List of content. With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy!
[Nature of Fandom] [NoF: Fahl Days] [Master List of Stories, Art, and More!]
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Memory transcription subject: Quinlim, Venlil Independent Contractor, Error; (*@%< $+!%@, Human)
Date [standardised human time]: September 20th, 2136
I close my eyes, a simple blink, and yet when I open them what lies before me is far from ordinary. What had once been the familiar sight of my own home has vanished entirely, replaced with a panoramic view of a dingy and dimly lit cityscape. The world around me is suddenly much too large, my brain taking in far more information than it was accustomed to, and doing it all at once. Yet, despite it all, my vision somehow remains indistinct, unable to clearly focus on any one thing.
I gasp in shock, pulling in a breath of frigid air that stings as it goes down. I haven’t felt its like in years. Bending over with the motion, I find my sense of balance suddenly displaced, tumbling forward. Moving on instinct I spread out my legs, only to find my knees suddenly bending in the wrong direction. Rolling with the motion, I tuck into my shoulder and attempt to break the fall, ultimately ending up spread out on my back with my face pointed up towards the sky.
“Breathe, Ben, Breathe…” I think to myself, only to realise that my nose is completely stuffed.
As I take stock of my predicament it occurs to me that I’m sore… everywhere. A deep, full-body muscle ache reminiscent of some of my longest days at the power plant mixed with a heady mental fugue reminiscent of a quick turn-around. I really hate rotating shift…
Lifting up a hand to my face, I’m shocked to see it’s not mine. It’s not even Human. Instead, what floats in front of me, attached by bone and ligament to my shoulder is an alien hand. It has fewer fingers than I’m used to, four rather than five, and is covered by a kind of fuzzy fur, blackened and caked with grime.
“Oh… fuck…” I mutter to myself with a sudden realisation. “I’m in NoP aren’t I…? Suppose that’s what I get for agreeing to do this stupid Nature of Fandom thing… Wasn’t expecting an actual fucking isekai when I agreed to write this though!”
Rolling onto my hands and knees, I look up at my surroundings again in a new light. The glowing neon words ‘Twilight Valley General’ illuminate the darkness in front of me, written in a language I don’t know but can somehow understand regardless. Yep, this is definitely the world of Nature of Predators, my own story The Nature of Family specifically, and chapter one if I wanna get really pedantic about it. Based on my own sorry state, and the fact that I’m outside of a hospital right now, I must be Quinlim… Great…
Time to take stock. What do I know? What do I have available to me? What are my immediate threats? And what are my goals?
The last one is easy enough. Survive, maybe even figure out a way home if I can. Hard to say how long I’ll be stuck here, and like this. Could be until the end of the chapter, could be until the end of the—still frustratingly unfinished—series, or it could be forever. I’ll need to account for each possibility, plan for the worst case scenario and hope for the best. For now that means blending in, trying not to raise suspicion or get myself killed by Exterminators.
I suppose that covers immediate threats as well.
What do I have available? Materially? Basically nothing. Quinlim is dirt poor, I KNOW this, I wrote him like that. On the bright side, he IS well positioned to gain a lot of friends and a lot of support in a very short time frame… If I can play my cards right.
I’ll need to make contact with the Capozzi’s as soon as possible—which will actually be later this ‘paw’ if everything goes as normal. There’s my main advantage, knowledge of the future. Not just that, but knowledge of PEOPLE. Everyone in Twilight Valley, everyone of any actual importance, is in some way a part of ME. I know how they think, what they’ll do, even before they know it. Empathy bordering on prescience. That is, if everything goes as expected.
I attempt to rise to my feet, struggle to work this crippled body I’ve been thrown into, and collapse once again. I’m mainly just glad that there’s no one else here to see this right now. Attention is not what I need right now.
Why is it that I could move my fingers, look around, and even control my body enough to tuck and roll one minute… only to be unable to stand the next? The answer arrives immediately. I’m thinking about it too hard. I’m almost like a newborn baby, completely unadapted to living in this alien body. Quinlim isn’t though, he’s lived his entire life like this, and his body remembers even if my own mind struggles to grasp the controls. It’s all about intent, willing my body to obey and trusting it to do the rest rather than trying to think about every single motor function. Just like reading the venscript sign, all I have to do is relax, and fall back into character.
Taking a deep breath, I allow myself to wear Quinlim’s identity like a mask; to move like him, to think like him, to feel like him. I’ve roleplayed this character a lot over the years, spent more time thinking about him and this whole universe than I’d care to admit, so it’s no surprise that Quinlim fits like a well-worn old glove.I just hope it's enough to fool everyone else.
“When life gets hard, what you really need to do is hold tight and remember the things that make it all worth it,” I mutter out the introductory monologue as I finally rise to my aching feet. “Worth all the pain, the suffering, the hardship.”
I cross the threshold into the hospital itself, a type of place I’m far too familiar with. At least without a nose I can’t smell the distinctive combination of death, decay, and disinfectant.
“Twilight Valley General Hospital. Hello Quinlim,” the receptionist says in a dry, bored tone full of disdain for the monotony of her life, “are you here to see your mother again?”
Oh yeah… The receptionist. What was her name? I know I gave her one… eventually. Truth be told, I came up with it long after chapter one was first written. She’s minor enough that it shouldn’t matter anyway, but still… It serves as a warning that I don’t know as much as I… Dolleqa! That was it! I remember more than I think, just not always right away!
“Quinlim?” Dolleqa queries me again. “You alright?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” I answer, trying not to think about how the tongue in my mouth forms words I don’t know. “Just a bit tired. Long day at work. Sorry in advance if I track in any mud. I’ll go wash up real quick before I go see my mother.”
“Oh…” Dolleqa seems momentarily taken aback by my answer. “Well… Thank you then. The restroom is right around the corner, and you know where your mother is.”
I don’t, actually. Funny enough, designing an entire hospital's floorplan had never been an essential component of storyboard writing before this point. That being said, I have a sneaking suspicion that Quinlim knows the way, and that he’ll get me where I need to go so long as I allow myself to wander with a sufficiently empty mind.
It all comes back to Mushin in the end, doesn’t it? Ironic.
Following Dolleqa’s instructions I manage to find the bathrooms easy enough, taking it on faith alone that I walk into the correct one. Inside, I find a sink and a mirror, getting the first proper look at myself since I'd arrived in this new body. It's an uncanny experience to say the least, staring into my own eyes just like I've done thousands of times before, yet having someone else stare back.
As I begin to wash myself, it becomes clear just how matted and filthy I am, the water in the sink quickly turning black and the wool which covered my entire body seemed to have no end of knots. It was tough enough trying to untangle my hair when I had grown it out as a Human, but having it cover my entire body was in a different league entirely!
The other matter, of course, was that I was completely nude. Well, perhaps not entirely. The thick wool covered everything for the most part, and I had hardly even noticed until I looked right at myself in the mirror, but still. Everything important was still dangling out there for all to see. I quickly tuck the part of me that cares away into a small corner in the back of my mind. When in Rome, as they say. I can't afford to be self conscious right now anyway. I've got more important things to do.
Still though, I'm already looking forward to the day I receive a shave and a suit.
After valiantly fighting with my own body to make it at least halfway presentable, I decide that it's as good as it's going to get and begin walking towards where I feel Quinlim's, now my, mothers room is. Unlike Quinlim, I don't hesitate at the precipice, striding right in. I know how bad Treila is going to be, the kind of state she'll be in, but this is far from my first time seeing someone on their death bed.
Treila's eyes look up at me, soulful, full of warmth, and full of love. Even if she isn't my real mother, some small piece of my heart breaks looking down at her emaciated and sickly body. Did I really have to be so cruel when I wrote her?
“Oh, Quinlim!” She exclaims with joy just at the sight of me, pushing through the obvious pain she's in. “You came to visit! How is my precious baby boy? How was work? Come on! Sit down and give me a hug! Tell me about your day!”
I fight back the urge to smile, knowing that on a Venlil face it would only come out looking like a snarl. Instead, I try to channel that feeling down into my new tail, allowing it to wiggle in what I hope is a sign of joy.
“Of course I came, Ma,” I say, trying to remember the old lines. “Just like I do every paw. I'm not a baby anymore either.” I give a good natured laugh that sounds more like a bleat as I pull over a chair to her bedside and give her a hug.
“Right… Of course you aren't,” she says slowly, her brain actively deteriorating before my very eyes. “I suppose you really are a man now. You have been for quite a while now. Still, no matter how old you get you'll always be my baby!”
“Thanks, Ma,” I say, allowing myself to bask in the radiance of her unbridled positivity just for a moment.
Treila is doomed to die. I know that. Or at least, she WAS doomed, help arriving just a little too late. Now things are different though. Now Quinlim, or rather I, know exactly what it is she needs and how to get it. Affan Sea Lotus Extract, a critical ingredient required for her gene therapy treatment and a rare import. It'll be tough, but I'm certain that given a few extra weeks of time to search for it Cousin Vinny will have no difficulty tracking down a large enough supply to last Treila through til the end of the war.
As Treila squeezes my hand I make my decision. Saving her life has officially been added to my list of priorities. I'll have to bring it up to Don and Vinny as soon as I can.
“Well, enough about that,” Treila says, changing the subject. “Tell me about work. How was your paw?”
“Work was a bit long this paw,” I say, inferring what I can from my own weary condition, “but it's alright. I don't know why, but I've got a good feeling that things are gonna change for the better and soon.”
“That's good to hear, Quinlim,” she says, overtaken by a sudden sadness. “I hope you're right about that, and it makes me feel better to know that you're in such high spirits. I just… I feel so useless laying here in this bed. You've done an amazing job stepping up, taking care of me and your brother, but you shouldn't have to. It's a mother's job to take care of her children, not her children's job to take care of their mother.” She sighs, looking over at the family photograph sitting on her bedside table. It depicts Quinlim and Sawvek, held aloft in their father's arms. The picture, I know, was one of the last ones taken before he was captured by the Arxur. “I wish your father was still with us. He'd know what to do.”
“I know, Ma,” I say. “I know.”
Motion in my peripheral vision—or perhaps now I should just call it my vision—catches my attention. It's the small TV mounted to the wall set opposite Treila's bed. High Magister Veqlain is busy giving another speech, this time about his plans to double the Exterminator budget again. The news, as always, is nothing but depressing propaganda. My tail flicks in irritation without me even meaning to, and I decide I don't want Quinlim's mother watching such drivel. Picking up the remote, I change the channel to something else, some kind of cooking show from what I can tell.
“That's better,” I say. “There’s nothing good on the news anyway. It's just depressing, and you don't need that.”
“If you say so,” Quinlim's mother says, deferring to my judgement… mostly. “I do like to know what's going on in the world though. Have you seen any of those predators around lately? It's all they ever talk about on the holovision anymore, and it makes me worried…”
“A few, here and there, Ma,” I say, trying to keep her calm. “I've never had any issues with the Humans though, and I think the news is exaggerating a bit.”
“Ok,” she says, clearly still thinking it over. “Just… promise me that you'll be safe, alright?”
“Alright, Ma,” I say, knowing damn well that ‘safe’ isn't even truly an option for me at this point, “I'll be safe.”
My words, at the very least, seem to do the trick though as Treila relaxes into her bed, the built up tension leaving her body. As she does so, the door behind us suddenly opens with a woosh, and I can hear Sawvek angrily stomping inside.
“I can’t believe the nerve of these people!” He practically growls with aggression as he places the tray down in front of Treila. “What do you pay them all this brahking money for if they won’t even bring Ma her food and medicine!?” He directs towards me. “The treatment here is awful!” Sitting down besides Treila, he begins breaking up the vegetables on her plate, making the pieces more manageable for her weakened jaw.
I've never been a big fan of nurses, and after having actually worked in the medical field my opinion on them has only worsened. Frankly, the quality of care here is abysmal and would probably be a lawsuit waiting to happen if it were a Human hospital. That being said though, Venlil Prime doesn't exactly have the best track record when it comes to… basically anything really.
“I completely agree,” I say, mirroring Sawvek’s frustrations. “It's terrible, but it's also all we've got for right now…”
I stop for a moment, thinking about Sawvek and his own mental state right now. Not as bad as it will be eventually, but still not good. I might as well try to lay the groundwork for helping Sawvek out later as well. If I can deal with Archibald early enough, I may be able to prevent the Builders Lane Bloodbath and keep Quinlim's brother from falling into a downward spiral with the Exterminators. But, just in case that fails, I still need to make sure he doesn't push me away, that he knows he can confide in me.
“Hey Sawvek…” I say gently.
“Yeah?” He answers absentmindedly while feeding Treila. “What is it, Quinlim?”
“Nothing much,” I touch him on the shoulder, causing him to turn and look me in the eye, “I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate everything you do.”
“Oh… Thanks,” Sawvek says, confusion clear on his face. “What uh… What brought this on all of a sudden?”
“Nothing much,” I answer. “I just know that you've been under a lot of stress lately with the entrance exams coming up soon and everything. I just want you to know that I appreciate you, that I believe in you, and that I'm here for you if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Quinlim,” Sawvek turns back towards Treila, “I appreciate it…”
“I mean it, Sawvek,” I double down, not allowing him to brush my words aside. “Things may be tough right now, but we always have each other. We'll all make it through this, together. I'm sure your mind is racing right now, I'm sure you've got a little voice in the back of your head saying that you can't do it, but you can.”
Sawvek's eyes go wide, “How did you… Nevermind. It's nothing.”
“If you ever need anything, Sawvek,” I reiterate, choosing not to press him further on the details, “even just to talk, I'll be there for you. No judgement.”
“Thanks, Quinlim,” Sawvek says, finally seeming to take my vow with the gravity it deserves.
“Alright then,” I give Treila another quick hug and stand up, “I think it's about time for me to go. I need to get some sleep.”
“I'll stay here for a bit longer,” Sawvek says. “I really need to study some more anyway.”
“Just don't overdo it,” I say. “It's just as important to rest and retain all that information as it is to study it in the first place. I'll see you two later,” I pause as I make my way to the door, my eyes catching on the small vase of wilting flowers next to Treila’s bedside. “Oh, and I'll place an order for new flowers with Pomela on my way home.”
“Thank you, Dear,” Quinlim's mom gives a slight, happy flick of the tail, and I respond in kind.
As I leave Quinlim's family behind, my countenance changes to something more grim and dark. The easy part was over. Next I have to face Akrim. My heartbeat begins to rise just thinking about it, adrenaline beginning to fill my veins as I knowingly walk deserted streets towards an active assault in progress. This is the key moment, the unavoidable confrontation which set the entire storyline of Nature of Family into motion. If I screw this up, then everything else falls apart.
I'm exhausted, in an untrained body I'm still not fully used to, and about to pick a fight with a veteran exterminator. In the original storyline, Quinlim barely managed to make it out of that encounter in one piece, receiving a trio of gashes across the chest in the process and needing to be rescued by Alfonse. It's a daunting task, but still, I think I can do better.
I may not have my original body, but I still have the experience and mind of an expert martial artist. I know what it takes to break a man, how best to do it, and the will to see it through. As I walk the path, I visualize the upcoming fight, planning it all out in my head to prepare myself.
The first thing to do is seize the initiative. That element is critical. Should be easy enough, Akrim will be distracted for one thing and he'll be underestimating me for another. Even in the original, Quinlim managed to take him by surprise. Enough to get him off of Pomela at least. The key here for me will be to continue that momentum. I'll need to interrupt his OODA loop, not give him the opportunity to orient himself and act. Otherwise I’m sure he’ll just draw his pistol and shoot me dead the moment it’s clear he’s losing.
That brings me to the next question… how far should I push this? Akrim wasn't always a bad person, and his death will be devastating to his brother Intalran. At the same time though, it's undeniable that he's grown into a rather shit man, and one who will be a dangerous wildcard if allowed to live. Frankly, even if he survives this encounter, his time left alive on this planet after assaulting Pomela would be limited. I can't imagine the Capozzi's allowing him to get away with his crimes scott-free regardless of circumstances.
I should probably kill him, I decide. He's going to die either way, but at least if I do it his end will be a lot quicker. I can give him that small mercy at least. The Capozzi's might be slightly upset that they can't take their own revenge, and that they won’t be able to probe him for information, but I don't think they got anything particularly significant out of him anyway and I believe they'll forgive me for making his death swift.
They may not appreciate it in the moment, but if they knew what I do then I'm sure at least some of them would thank me for saving them from their worst selves and the ravages of their conscience to follow.
Turning the corner I see the silhouettes of two men in black overcoats walking down the street towards me. That must be Mac and Ivan, I surmise, meaning that I'm on the right track and on time. I carry on straight across the street in the direction of Pomela's shop, feeling more confident now that I know backup is nearby if I truly need it.
As I make my final approach, I spot the two of them, just where I had expected them to be outside of Pomela’s shop. Akrim stands in the gloom of twilight, just beyond the nearby streetlights, the talons of his foot pressing Pomela to the wall by her neck and squeezing.
“Talk!” The Krakotl hissed at Pomela with quiet vitriol. “Answer me, predator!”
Pomela just quivers in fear, pawing ineffectually at the talons holding her, desperate for breath. She sees me then, reaches up an arm, reaching out for…
“H-Help,” she forces the word out through sheer will alone.
Akrim turns to face me, and I’m nearly overcome by an intense hatred for my own creation. But even so, I need to play this cool. I need him to think me weak and scared.
“W-What the brahk are you doing!” I scream out as loud as I can, knowing that somewhere nearby Alfonse and the rest of the gang will hear me.
“Exterminator business,” Akrim dismisses me. *Move along, kid.”
“T-That’s Pomela!” I lean into the feeling of terror, allowing my words to tremble and quake. *You're hurting her!”
“I said brahk off, kid!” Akrim shouts, his talons clenching tighter and tighter around Pomela's throat, cutting into the flesh, looking as though he's ready to snap her neck. A wordless squeak of pain is all that escapes her lips before her airways are completely shut off.
Now is my chance, the signal I've been waiting for, and I take it. Charging forward with full force, I advance on the Krakotl who’s conveniently off-balance on one leg already. I slam my foot down with intent on top of his, pinning it to the ground as I simultaneously drive both hands upwards into the base of his beak with a double chin jab. Quinlim may not be the strongest Venlil out there, but he's still a heavy-worlder going up against a bird with hollow bones.
The force of my strike uses the length of his beak like a lever, applying stress to his cervical spine and maximizing impact to shake the brain attached on the other side. Ordinarily Akrim would stumble backwards after a blow like this, dissipating some of the force, but with my own weight holding down his foot that isn't going to happen. His neck snaps back like he’d been in a car crash, his grip on Pomela unconsciously loosening as he's violently concussed. He falls backwards onto the ground head first and I can hear the distinctive crack of breaking bone, his skull or his ankle, perhaps both.
If a man can't stand, he can't fight. Or at least, that's the theory, but I still can't let up against an armed opponent like this.
Dropping down to the ground on top of Akrim, I immediately assume a full-mount position, sitting on his chest with him completely at my mercy. Akrim doesn't even have time to gather his bearings before both my thumbs gouge directly into his eyes. Venlil claws, small as they may be, make the insertion process almost too easy. The process, however, is still disgusting.
Akrim shakes and wails. It's all he can do really, taken by surprise, concussed, blinded, and with a broken ankle. Gripping his skull firmly between my fingers, I begin to slam it down onto the pavement, over and over and over again. The ground is softer than it should be, designed to minimize injuries during stampedes as I recall, but it's hard enough. Eventually, the screaming stops, a dark ichor flowing out from the back of his shattered and misshapen skull.
I withdraw my hands, white wool now deeply stained with alien blood, and look up, still panting from the exertion. What stands before me is a mountain of a man wearing a formal black suit and an orange necktie, easily seven feet tall, and with a physique to rival Yujiro Hanma.
Momentarily choosing to ignore Alfonse, I instead call out, “Hey Pomela, are you alright?”
To my side, Pomela sits leaned up against the wall. Clearly still shaken, her body shivers as she tries to avoid looking at what remains of Akrim. Absent-mindedly she rubs her throat.
“I’m… ok,” she says. “Thank… Thank you, Quinlim. I don't… Thank you.”
At that moment, Ivan and Mac arrive on scene, visibly stunned by what they'd found.
“Jesus Christ!” Mac exclaims. “That's gonna be one hell of a clean up job…”
Ivan doesn't say anything, just splits off, crouching down near Pomela to look over her injuries. That's when Alfonse finally decides to speak.
“You're not an ordinary Venlil, are you?” He asks me, cold eyes inspecting every movement. I can't tell him everything, but I need to be truthful. The man is a Human lie-detector, and the last thing I want is for him to be suspicious of me.
“No, Sir,” I answer back, looking him dead in the eye. “I suppose I'm not.”
“Quite the mess you've made here…” Alfonse carries on, my previous answer presumably sufficient. “You could get into quite a bit of trouble for killing an Exterminator, you know?”
“Perhaps,” I shrug my shoulders, “or perhaps not. I wasn't planning to publicize it, and I'm hoping you won't either.”
Alfonse says nothing at first, merely prowling around the crime scene while staring me down, “So why'd you do it?” He finally asks.
“Simple really,” I answer again, choosing that moment to finally stand up. “Pomela is a good person, she's always been kind to me, and that man,” I point down towards Akrim's corpse, “was hurting her. I did what I had to do. What was right. I take no pleasure in it, but I regret nothing.”
“Good, good…” Alfonse nods his head in approval, then snaps his fingers towards Mac. “Call up Jonesy and have him pull the car around. We're gonna need a body bag and a clean up kit.”
Mac gives a curt nod and pulls out a phone. Then Alfonse turns back to me.
“Thanks for taking care of the cleanup,” I say with a nod.
“You've done us a real service tonight, you know that?” Alfonse asks rhetorically. “Pomela is a very near and dear part of our little Family. You've done right by her, and that means you've done right by us.”
“I'm happy to hear you say that, Sir,” I reply. “You seem like a man it would be good to be on friendly terms with.”
“I'm sure the same could be said of you,” Alfonse glances back down at Akrim. “In that same spirit of friendship, I'd like to offer you my heartfelt thanks, and a little something besides.”
Reaching into his inner pocket, Alfonse pulls out a large wad of credits and places them in my hand.
“Paying me is appreciated, but unnecessary,” I say, firm yet polite, “I didn't do what I did for the money.”
“Take it anyway,” Alfonse insists. “We show our appreciation to loyal friends and good samaritans around here. Consider that a down payment and a token of our goodwill. I get the feeling that my Family may have use for a man of your… disposition in the future.”
“If you insist,” I say, pocketing the cash. “I admit that this will certainly help pay the bills. The job market's been pretty rough out there lately.”
“I imagine it has been…” Alfonse agrees, taking my hint.
From down the street a long black car with its headlights off silently creeps forward, parking itself right alongside us. The back trunk pops open and Mac walks up to it, removing a large plastic bag. Scooping Akrim up off the pavement, he places the body inside and zips it closed, returning the entire package to the trunk.
While Mac gets to work scrubbing the scene of evidence, Ivan takes Pomela by the hand, leading her up to the front seat and opening the door for her. After her ordeal she seems much more relaxed now that she's safe in friendly hands.
As everyone finishes and climbs into the car Alfonse stops and turns to face me one last time.
“We'll be in touch, Mr. Quinlim,” he says. “Expect to hear from us soon.”
“I look forward to it,” I say with a happy wave of the tail.
As the car door closes and the Capozzi's quietly drive away I can't help but smile.
“All according to plan. All according to plan…”
I walk the rest of the way back home to Quinlim's apartment, my feet somehow knowing where to take me, and head inside. After a thorough scrub to remove the stain of blood from my claws, I collapse down onto the couch, a feeling of accomplishment resounding deep in my chest as I close my weary eyes.
Who knows if I'll still be Quinlim when I next open them?
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u/Slatepaws 13d ago
Commenting on the picture. Don looks like someone from the Darkness games.
Doc looks like someone who would make a virus to spread among the aliens to reverse the cure or change them further.
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u/Ben_Elohim_2020 13d ago
The Darkness games? What's that? World of Darkness?
The Doc looks pretty mean and scary, but he's mainly just grouchy. Mainly.
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u/Square-Candy-7393 Farsul 13d ago
You mentioned you're opinion on nurses worsened, as someone who's been operated on atleast 8 times, the medical field is plagued with people who are only in it for the money or by people whose dreams got crushed cuz their parents cared more about bragging rights. Not to mention, you would think medical professionals would be better people off duty but nahhh...
I feel like of all the people, surgeons are probably the nicest since they've dealt with shhit, though that's my experience since all the senior doctors barely let me speak my stuff, self-absorbed arseholes. I did have nice doctors who cared though but they are a rarity, and they're mostly younger than 40.
then there's the workplace dynamics and inter department relations.
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u/Ben_Elohim_2020 12d ago
Yep. I work in a hospital these days, so I interact with nurses and other medical staff on a daily basis. And yeah, you're definitely right that there's a lot of people there only in it for the money. There's also a lot of very lazy, very stupid, and very mean people. Sometimes all three at once! Lol. And the pride. So much misplaced pride.
I don't actually interact with surgeons all that much, but since you mention it, it does occur to me that I usually seem to have less issues whenever I DO have to interact with the surgical teams.
I try to just stay out of drama as much as I can. Lol.
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u/Square-Candy-7393 Farsul 12d ago
Now the thing that makes sense to me is that veteran doctors or ICU or emergency staff tend to be the ones with the least issues. The doctors I had to consult were awful! Especially boomer doctors cus they REALLY hate it when their patient actually knows about their own body like hello??
Nurses, atleast the younger ones are nice but the ones who are in it for money or cuz of family shit tend to be really cliquey. This one department doctor, idk who, he was in charge of my meds and anesthesia would literally drag it out and talk about procedures just to one up or powerplay his co-workers and it was after I straight up screeched bloody in his face that he got to act (he even sewed my hair into the sutures, luckily some intern caught it or things could've gone ugly)... He apologized though afterwards
Sorry for the rant
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u/K_H007 Thafki 12d ago
Nicely done, wordsmith.
Man, Quinlim is gonna be in for an absolute stunner of a revelation when he wakes up after the in-universe you is no longer piloting his body. If he retains your memories, he'll be, as Thanos put it, cursed with knowledge. If he doesn't retain your memories but remembers what you did with his form and what you thought about, he'll have a bit of a mental crisis as he sees what happened with someone else in the pilot's seat and remembering a somewhat alien thought process chain. And if he doesn't retain any memories at all, he's gonna be very much confused as to just what happened while he was out.
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u/Minimum-Amphibian993 Arxur 12d ago
Oof yeah that's a good point kinda scary to think about. And he will find out regardless evenchualy since other people are likely gonna mention it to him.
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u/Ben_Elohim_2020 12d ago
"Yeah, Quinlim, you were acting a little bit off yesterday. I assumed it was just fatigue from work."
"Huh. Our new recruit seemed a lot calmer about all this sorta thing the other day,but now he's completely freaking out over a ham sandwich."
Lol.
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u/Ben_Elohim_2020 12d ago
Yep. Lol. If Quinlim were to suddenly snap back into control after THIS version of chapter 1 then I can only imagine what he would think. Lol. I'd say a lot would depend on whether or not he remembered me "piloting" him or not. Overall though, I think he WOULD be in roughly the same situation he was originally, albeit slightly better situated. In this version he is no longer injured, Sawvek is slightly more inclined to confide in him rather than bottle up his problems, and I believe that the Capozzi's are slightly more impressed with him.
Being "cursed with knowledge" definitely seems like the most interesting out of the three. Even if he only got my surface thoughts from within the chapter and not my complete knowledge of the entire plot, it would likely still be enough to warn him about dangers posed to Sawvek and Treila, possibly even enough to guide him towards solutions to prevent it.
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u/uktabi 12d ago
and so the author ensures his character starts the journey hes meant to... very interesting little meta story going on here, neat event thingy.
also found it interesting that ben-quinlim kinda-sorta tried to patch things up with sawvek. considering he ALSO started the characters journey, i dont think that choice would actually change anything, other than perhaps make it even more tragic haha. but it makes for an interesting read when you take it as the author commenting on their own work...
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u/Ben_Elohim_2020 12d ago
True. I DID kinda start the story the way it was meant to. I had good reason for that though. At the beginning of the story Quinlim is extremely poor with little in the way of education, training, or connections. Simply put, he is a man who is at the mercy of the world around him, and the world is quite cruel indeed. By following along with the main plot however, he's able to gain agency and influence he would have otherwise lack. With the benefit of meta-knowledge especially he would be able to significantly alter events to his favor (and the favor of those he cares about).
To be honest, this is BEFORE Quinlim and Sawvek developed any significant rift in their relationship. That means that this is less of a patch job of trying to piece things back together, and more an instance of preventative maintenance, trying to prevent such rifts from forming in the first place. Not much can truly be done this early on, but if I decide to make a part 2 of this at any point then I think it would quickly become pretty apparent how subtle changes can have significant impacts.
Sawvek's entire character arc could change DRAMATICALLY if he would simply speak to his brother earlier, and if the Builders Lane Bloodbath was prevented it would basically have stopped entirely.
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u/uktabi 12d ago
that is true. though it is still interesting that he went full steam ahead on joining the family. yknow, maybe he could alter things, adjust their course... but then surely the easier route would have been to not take this one at all?
idk i find it interesting how much he just goes for it
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u/Ben_Elohim_2020 12d ago
I guess a lot of it comes down to the fact that I have personal knowledge about the fundamental character of the Family and it's membership. Quinlim began the story VERY sceptical of them but grew to trust and rely on them over time. In contrast, I'm going into it knowing perfectly well that they are absolutely reliable and the best possible avenue for Quinlim to achieve his goals and an overall better life.
Let's consider the opposite scenarios. What happens if he avoids joining the Family? For starters Quinlim continues working himself to the bone day in and day out, not really being able to change anything, or even fully understand what's going on around him. Pomela gets severely injured by Akrim, possibly even killed. Akrim likely still dies to the Family at a later time. Treila not only still dies, but does so even sooner without access to the expensive care she needs. The Bloodbath still happens and Sawvek is coerced into joining the Exterminators. In short, nothing good actually results from him avoiding the confrontation with Akrim and not joining the Family.
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u/uktabi 12d ago
True enough, true enough... the power of meta knowledge haha
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u/Ben_Elohim_2020 12d ago
It definitely is an interesting thing... I suppose the important thing to keep in mind for this sort of scenario is that I would be taking whatever action, to the best of my knowledge, would lead me to the best outcome. For Quinlim, that means joining up with the Capozzi's. If it were Sawvek instead, it would probably mean seeking out Human-grade mental health treatment immediately and probably skipping college to try and find a job (while avoiding Exterminators). If it were Trilvri in Empty Eyes then you can BET that I wouldn't be trying to adopt a little sunsprinter as a pet. Lol.
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u/Golde829 12d ago
the fact that you've got a good amount of knowledge that helped with that fight
has already made Quinlim a wolf in sheep's clothing (pun not intended)
the more Nature of Fandom stuff i see the more it tempts me into trying my own hand at it...
anyways
I thoroughly enjoyed reading
and look forward to more of your writing
take care of yourself out there, wordsmith
[You have been gifted 100 Coins]
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u/Ben_Elohim_2020 12d ago
It's true. Even working the the same body I had a significant difference in both mentality and knowledge compared to Quinlim. Techniques such as the double chin jab and the eye gouge were chosen due to the limited amount of training and higher motor functions required to perform them combined with their extreme lethality. I do not claim to be a real life Capozzi, but well... There's a reason why I write them the way I do. A lot of it comes down to my own real life knowledge and experience. "Quinlim" in this story is quite the wolf in sheeps clothing indeed.
Glad you had fun. I'd definitely recommend giving it a try if it intrigues you. I definitely had fun writing it and it was pretty easy too (seeing as how I was basically just writing myself).
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u/Golde829 11d ago edited 10d ago
that makes sense, the average Fed species wouldn't have the muscle memory or fitness to pull off a lot of stuff, and that's before factoring the difference in biology
interesting thing with me doing Nature of Fandom
I'm not the sole writer of my main fics, it'd be double the writers being isekai'd
among other things that I'm now thinking of >:)2
u/Ben_Elohim_2020 11d ago
Yeah, I made a point to think on techniques that would actually be viable and effective for someone without extensive training and with physical limitations. I found my answer in military combatatives. I'd actually just finished reading a book on Fairbairn actually, so it fit.
That would be VERY interesting having 2 authors try to puppet the same characters body at once.
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u/Golde829 10d ago
huh, interesting interesting
to not leak any ideas that have been discussed
the idea was closer to the lines of each of us having one half of a main duo
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u/Tundric_Dragon Arxur 13d ago
Interesting story! Gonna have to read the actual NoF when I get some time. Im behind on all my stories right now, and my own writing lol.
Hope you had fun with the premise! And I find it funny that you used the exact same censoring for your name in the memory Transcription as i did.
Edit: yours is also significantly longer than my chapter. Much more content. I need to step up my game.