This chapter is really a hit in the gut for me, like I can just FEEL Newt's anxiety and terror. The way he looks suspiciously at any food/drinks offered to him by the others makes me think that they most likely drugged him a lot during reorientation, probably to make him more docile and obedient. And that part when he reacted to Tina by thinking, "Shouldn't answer back. Shouldn't argue. Shouldn't lie," seriously hurt, because those kinds of thoughts are absolutely the byproduct of some seriously abusive conditioning. The way he was constantly on the verge of a panic attack after the first one and digging his fingernails into his palms when Queenie wanted to offer him a hug really got me, too. Basically all of Newt's reactions make me wanna cry for him.
And poor Queenie! With her abilities, she's just naturally highly empathetic and for her to be experiencing Newt's terror, even in a second-hand capacity, must be awful and horrifying. You did a great job conveying how much of a struggle it is for her to cope with catching Newt's trauma-induced thoughts/reactions. And kudos on her for not spilling it all to the others when Newt was out of it and simply leaving that explanation at "he was hurt real bad". For all that she can't help picking up people's thoughts, she has a good sense of others' privacy expectations and tries not to overstep. I really like that the chapter ended with that little hopeful note of a blooming friendship between Newt and Jacob, since Newt needs all the friends he can get in this universe, and Queenie seems to really want to be a friend to him, too, when's he's ready to give her a chance.
I'm still waiting for Tina to fully come around. I don't know if it's what you're aiming for, but it seems to me that she's struggling between trying to be softer towards an obviously abused omega and her anger at his abuser. Like, it seems like she's not trying to be harsh towards Newt anymore, but whenever she sees signs of his trauma, she feels angry at his abuser and it shows but Newt can't differentiate between someone being angry at him and angry at whoever is responsible for him being the way he is, if that makes sense? Anyway, I can't wait for the next chapter! Keep 'em coming!
Re: Fill: A Gilded Cage is Still A Cage (4/?)
And poor Queenie! With her abilities, she's just naturally highly empathetic and for her to be experiencing Newt's terror, even in a second-hand capacity, must be awful and horrifying. You did a great job conveying how much of a struggle it is for her to cope with catching Newt's trauma-induced thoughts/reactions. And kudos on her for not spilling it all to the others when Newt was out of it and simply leaving that explanation at "he was hurt real bad". For all that she can't help picking up people's thoughts, she has a good sense of others' privacy expectations and tries not to overstep. I really like that the chapter ended with that little hopeful note of a blooming friendship between Newt and Jacob, since Newt needs all the friends he can get in this universe, and Queenie seems to really want to be a friend to him, too, when's he's ready to give her a chance.
I'm still waiting for Tina to fully come around. I don't know if it's what you're aiming for, but it seems to me that she's struggling between trying to be softer towards an obviously abused omega and her anger at his abuser. Like, it seems like she's not trying to be harsh towards Newt anymore, but whenever she sees signs of his trauma, she feels angry at his abuser and it shows but Newt can't differentiate between someone being angry at him and angry at whoever is responsible for him being the way he is, if that makes sense? Anyway, I can't wait for the next chapter! Keep 'em coming!