#i say heres some writing advice like im some kind of expert

[prettyboykatsuki]

Do you have any advice for someone who wants to write fanfiction but they’ve never written a story before? Like ever. I’m a complete beginner and don’t know where to start it’s overwhelming :/

i thought about this ask a lot trying to give you good advice and kept coming up empty handed kjdssjkj because it feels out of my area of expertise

there is not really a right way to write a story. story writing is like any creative medium where there are rules and regulations but those conventions don't really dictate anything so i don't want to just generically give u that advice.

ALSO IM NOT AN EXPERT!!! JUST A GUY!!!! i have no formal experience in writing... just an insane hobbyist.

im going to try to explain each step in like an approachable way so i dont sound like im giving u an english lesson but just walking u through the thought process of my fic writing.

i think ultimately there r few elements to writing a story that you should think about before starting. and that will help you as try your hand at writing one seriously.

main event, perspective, events leading up and tone.

a lot of people will talk about the 3-act structure for fiction and while it's a good thing to use if you're in need of guidance, not all stories follow that structure. it's a framework limited 2 western media!! eastern media like anime follows a different framework that tends be broken into 4 acts!! and on a personal level i don't really follow any structure when i write sdjkhdskj

the first thing i'd suggest to identify is whats happening. what thing do you want to write about and set as the main event of the story. is it a first kiss? is it a date? is it an argument? what is the Scene you want to write about. there is always a Thing you have in mind. as you get better at writing that Thing can be more vague and conceptual. but for now you will want to pick a concrete Event as the main event of your story.

right now im writing a story about razor and reader. the Event of the story is them having sex from the first time. when you have that event, you want to know what eyes you're seeing that Event from. in my case, i'm writing it from readers point of view. knowing the perspective the story is being told in lets you establish a clearer timeline and the relationship between other characters.

characterization comes in here. it's best to choose a character u feel comfortable writing. if that means writing yourself as reader then do that!! lets say your event isn't sex but a first kiss. you're writing from readers perspective.

this is where u establish exposition. what has led your character to the place we start the story. they want to have their first kiss, but why? is it their first relationship? are they frustrated or embarrassed by the fact they haven't? have they ever gotten close to having it? have their friends brought it up? how do they deal with their feelings and how do they approach this first kiss? all of that makes up like. ur exposition. it leads ur readers into the story u want to tell.

you've written the exposition and now we know the characters perspective. we know what they're thinking, how they're feeling, what has happened to them so far. now we want to know what is going to lead to that kiss. this is the events leading up the Main Event.

again where characterization comes in. is your character the meek type? or are they someone who would be bold? maybe theyre the kind of person to scheme their way into a kiss.

if your character is the meek type, then the events following up to that kiss might require you to write some kind of divine intervention. this is where suspension of disbelief becomes your friend. maybe your character and their partner get locked in a closet together and the tension leads to them kissing. maybe they end up playing a game of spin the bottle with friends and it lands on their partner. maybe they end up under the mistletoe or for some reason one character starts working at a kiss booth. the point is that to get to the kiss, you will have to write some lead-up and that lead up will change based on your characterization.

if your character is the bold type - then maybe they'd just go up to their lover and ask. you could of course stop the story there, but that kind of thing can also be a good place to include conflict. lets say your character asks to kiss and their partner says no. you can write about that mystery. maybe they have to get to the bottom of why they said now and u can write the lead up about that.

or if your character is the kind of person to scheme - how do they try to scheme their way into a kiss? maybe they're the ones who set up the mistle toe, or the kiss booth trying to get their partner to kiss them.

during this process and as you establish these events - you'll also want to make sure your writing is tonally consistent. first kisses are a naturally light-hearted trope. you can make the tone sweet and fluffy by describing the warm butterflies they get with each other. it can also be comedic. you can lean into dramatic irony or humor to make the fic something you can giggle at.

but it doesn't have to be either of these things. you can subvert the trope completely by writing it as angst. maybe your character feels deeply insecure about the lack of intimacy and they have their first kiss in the midst of a terrible argument. you'll want to establish a sort of somber and melancholy mood for the story to be tonally consistent etc.

i know this is A Lot. like a wall of a text. and i know it seems like a lot of things to keep up with - but the most important thing is truly not to overthink it. i gave you a break down of my writing process just to give you somewhere to begin, but writing is a subjective artform and there is no correct way to do it. these things i mentioned can be overwhelming at the start, but they will come naturally to you as you continue to just try at it. the best thing you can do for yourself is just give it a good college try and see what happens

sorry there is so much text but i hope this helps you write your story!!!!

[the-grand-av3]

hey! any advice for someone who wanted to go into the fashion/beauty industry? who specialised in photography and things like that <33

*the op knows nothing about fashion or photography or beauty*

*this is not professional advice*

yeah, im an expert. so all you have to do is...

*i have literally no idea what to write*

and then after making your base on the mannequin start...

*i watched one video of a person making a dress.. when I was like 12*

and once you've gotten your measurements down, bust, waist, hip, all that stuff, start picking out colours that make your skin glow...

*ok well i know at least that much*

personally i think bold, bright colours on dark skin are absolutely stunning, darling, and dark colours on pale skin are just as mind-blowing. look at alastor here.

Help.

i chucked some gold on his skin and darkened a few of his curls and look at the difference that made for him

This lip plumper burns.

beauty is pain, mama boy. of course, you can always try silver, you never go wrong with silver. but gold makes you stand out more

I think you stabbed my eye with the eye-liner. And this foundation you put on feels cakey. Kind of like your own.

....

What did you say.

Uh.. Nothing..

No. No. Say it again. Kind of like whose?

...

thats what i thought. hope this tutorial helped, anon.

*I AM SO SORRY I KNOW JACK SHIT ABOUT MAKEUP AND BEAUTY AND ALL THAT JAZZ SORRY*

[chaiandsage]

Heyo!

I just wanna say i finally finshed your trust life fic after, admittedly, a long time (I struggle with long fics and typically hate reading them) it was really great I actually had a lot of fun reading it! Im really glad your fic could be the first lobg fic ive read in a really long time and encouraging me to step outta my confort zone for that kinda stuff :} anyways I did actually have a question belive it or not, I was wondering if you had any tips on writting in character for them (them being the traffic games characters) and for writting longer fics?

Hi! Thank you!!

I’m not surprised it took you a while. When I went back to read it all myself, it took me literal weeks to finish, lol. But thank you for giving this one a try anyway. It’s great to know that you still enjoyed it even though it was out of the norm for you

For your question, I think a small, but effective way to achieve that would be to make sure a character’s dialogue includes phrases or words that they usually use often. Same goes for their tone too. So like, I know that people like Joel and Bdubs are usually loud talkers whereas Etho and Lizzie are more on the quiet end. So maybe just try to reflect that and keep things consistent unless the situation calls for something else? I’ll also just try to read things over in that character’s voice and if it feels wrong coming out of their mouth, then I change it according to what feels more accurate

Aside from dialogue tho, you could also try seeing how others seem to write them most often and work off of that? Sorry for the vagueness. I’m not sure I’m the best person to give advice on that subject 😅

Longer fics however… If you’re asking how to stretch a fic out, I think one way to kind of cheat at that would be to have the story take place from more than one perspective. That way there’s twice or more the amount of potential thoughts, problems, backstory, and development to cover (learned this the hard way)

—But if you’re asking how to write a GOOD long fic… I mean, I’d say it’s very important to have the gist of what you expect to happen be already established front and center in an outline. That way you’re not unprepared for anything and have already gotten one of the most difficult parts of writing it done (imo). That’s not to say that straying from your outline is a bad thing. If anything, depending on your story, it could kind of function as a safety net for that sort of thing. So no matter how much you decide to change, you at least know what direction you’re meant to be going in (I really hope I’m making sense here…)

ALSO—keep around a journal, or a notepad, or a log on your phone, or whatever so you can jot down any random ideas that you think would be cool to put in your story that might come to you whenever. Don’t trust yourself to remember to add them in once you start writing, because you won’t/lhj

If your fic has a lot of characters in it, then also make sure to write down and keep track of their relationship or current standing with other characters. For example, it wouldn’t make sense for two people who had beef three chapters ago to suddenly be cool or indifferent around each other the next time they meet up without there having been some kind of resolution (internal or otherwise) in the middle of all that. If someone gets into an argument with another person and then doesn’t see them again for a few chapters, their immediate thought upon seeing them for the first time again, in my opinion, shouldn’t be a cheery or neutral one. Maybe they cooled down a little between those chapters, but I don’t think the problem should have just fixed itself with time alone. That goes for a lot of other situations too

So, yeah, that’s pretty much what came to mind for me. I don’t consider myself an expert on any of this so please feel free to take it with a grain of salt. Regardless, I do hope you’re able to write out what you had in mind :)

[mangoisms]

hi so i remembered that you’re also a psych major and i was wondering if i could perhaps maybe get your opinion on a project?? if not that’s completely okay! i just would like a second opinion on the connection since the assignment is to connect psychology concepts to media, and i wanted to connect one to batman lol

so my connection was basically that batman is kind of a representation of the humanistic psychological approach because of his no killing rule? i felt that i could connect it because (this is only as far as i know, the thing is im not SUPER well versed in the comics lol) since he refuses to kill, he just sends them to arkham. and if i remember correctly he believes in rehabilitation for his rogues, and some of them have actually been able to change their ways, so it’s him cleaning up the streets with his belief that there is potential for good that is innate to all humans, which fits humanism really well if that makes sense lol idk 😭😭

but yeah if you don’t mind i’d really appreciate a second opinion but if not that’s totally okay!

omg of course!!! i’m honored to help… tho i do have to admit i had to look up what humanistic psychology is HAHA. wiki says a relation to maslow? who i am familiar with… and the field is in response to behaviorism and psychoanalytic theory, two fields i am also very familiar with, so i thinkkkkk i know what’s going on here but this might inform my response so just a heads up <3 and i mean of course definitely take Anything i say with a grain of salt LOLLL (and under the cut just so this isn’t too long on the dash)

i definitely think you can make something of it!!! i am also admittedly not that much of an expert with him, mostly by proxy, but i do think it is fair to say a true version of batman is supposed to believe in rehabilitation/in second chances. i also—totally unsolicited advice you don’t have to take but i was thinking about this while i was writing— have a couple other thoughts….

i think you could bring in maslow here as well with his hierarchy of needs and apply to gotham as well? without getting too sociological, it can be pretty safely said, discounting people like the joker who do Bad Things just because it’s fun and he’s an asshole, that crime runs rampant because needs aren’t being met? gotham is corrupt, the government doesn’t do its job, people get desperate, they turn to crime, bruce wayne does what he can to alleviate this with his wealth and status and batman can bridge the gap between the people in need and bruce wayne -> tie that back to batman’s innate belief in the goodness of people and giving them second chances, which i also think you can back up with canon evidence because i am 90% it is canon he saw joe chill and forgave him for what he did

but yes!!! i think it sounds super cool and i think there are a couple different ways to connect psych with batman, which is neat because i’ve never really thought about it like that! well i did once with my stress class and bruce and the amount of stress his body is under and how he hasn’t had a heart attack by now but ANYWAY yeah ^_^ good luck with it!! i hope i could help out a little bit? and if you need any more help/clarification, feel free to pop back in and talk to me! <333

[astraystayyh]

hi love! how are you doing? i hope everything is okay<3

i wanted to ask if you could maybe share any tips on how to write longer fics? i'm planning on writing something longer for my blog but i'm kind of struggling with putting everything together and i thought maybe you could give me a helping hand<3

ofc you don't have to answer it if you don't feel like it !!

anyway, have a nice day/night lovely<3

hiii baby!!!! ill tell you how i usually write longer fics and i hope it'll help :')

first, i have an idea (shocking i know ajshs) and then i try to make a draft of the fic's summary with the main parts i want, let's take invisible thread as an example : i had in mind the main trope which is rivals to lovers and the fact that mc has a bad rp with her mom, then i thought of the ending scene and how i wanted them to confess, then i started thinking of main scenes/settings i wanted to include, such as them celebrating her coming top of her class & the scene where mc found minho under the rain.

then i start writing the start of the fic, i usually tend to kind of set the mood with it. in invisible thread i started with yn's past and her relationship with her mom, which would explain why she took academic rivalry to heart. in volcano it was the first time someone called mc sensitive and how that would tie to the entire story, etc.. just something to set the premise and start building your character with.

right, talking of characters!! i always try to give my characters particular traits that would shape how they act, and then throughout the fic throw in reminders/clues as to why they acted a certain way. just traits that would make them seem more human and relatable to the reader. u can either reveal the reason behind their behavior at first or just reveal it in the end to keep the suspense & make the climax more intense.

don't feel pressured to write the story in a chronological order!! most of the time i start with the introduction of the fic, the ending, then the main scenes in the middle. then i sit down and im like.. mmm how do i connect all of this.. and i add all the scenes that tie everything together. just to tell you that u don't have to be inspired right away.

also if u have an idea for a dialogue, u can build around it! that's usually what i do, if i have a line in mind i set it down first then i try to think of the circumstances that might lead character A or B to say said line.

mmmm what else, something i love about longer fics is that it leaves you the opportunity to draw parallels!! you can hint at smtg in the beginning and then make it unfold in the end. you can show the growth in the rp by writing different reactions to the same situation (for example, opening up more easily when they used to bury their feelings, no longer running away from physical touch, etc etc)

also my advice would be to just write!!! had some scenes in mind for echoes of love but ended up not writing them because i was inspired differently while writing, also the first draft of my fics is 99% of the time BAD and rushed, but that's the point of a draft, you can write and rewrite until you are satisfied.

also something that just came to my mind is show not tell. instead of writing that A is sad, show us that A is sad because they're behaving differently, or by describing their demeanor or eyes or the way their voice shook. just go that extra step to make the writing more captivating!!

i hope this helped bb,, im not an expert AT ALL in writing longer fics but i hope u'll get smtg out of my experience :') writing is really just a trials and errors process you can't get it right from the go, don't be discouraged and keep writing! if u have any more specific questions im here<333

[buoyantsaturn]

the last time i saw my grandma she handed me a jar of pickles and said “you can’t eat those until after christmas” so anyway here’s some writing advice based on that

let’s say there’s three kind of pickles: a slow pickle, a quick pickle, and a store-bought pickle.

a store bought pickle is going to be your fic that maybe takes you as long to write as it would for you to get dressed, go to the store, and buy yourself a jar of pickles to snack on. this isn’t going to take a lot of planning, a lot of forethought, you just need the idea to go buy a jar of pickles, and the execution of going out and buying your pickles. 

a quick pickle takes some planning. you need to set aside enough time to put everything together, let it marinate for a bit, but you’ll have your pickles within a few days at the most. 

a slow pickle takes months, and if you’re going through the process of slow pickling one jar of cucumbers, then you might as well pickle the whole bushel, right? so you take the time to gather your ingredients, divide everything up exactly the way you want it (maybe you followed a recipe, or maybe you’re listening to your heart) and once you’ve filled your jars, you leave them somewhere to sit. for months. if you open a jar too soon, sure, you’ll still get a pickle, but the flavors won’t be as developed as they would have been if you would’ve just let the jar sit a little while longer.

the great news about a slow pickle is that you have SO much time to run to the store for a jar of pickles while you’re waiting, or you can brush up on your pickle making skills by making some quick pickles. and it doesn’t hurt to check back on your slow pickles every so often - maybe remind yourself of what you put in this jar, and how maybe next time you’ll try switching the ingredients up a little bit. the best part is, if you still have leftover cucumbers, you can keep making slow pickles all you want

just don’t open the jars before they’re ready

[time-is-restored]

Psych, Shawn Spencer Meta

and now, to complete the dump of my psych thoughts, i thought i'd collate some various discord thoughts and put them all side by side into a post. that way, i can see all my analyses along side one another and easily see how they changed throughout the show's seasons. that being said, here are my thoughts on shawn spencer's psychology, as of season 6 episode 6, 'Shawn Interrupted':

quick disclaimer: the type of analysis I'm doing here is very rudimentary (ie: 'hmm i bet having an absent mother and a controlling father would have An Impact™ on a child', and, 'hey maybe this character who has issues with concentration could have adhd'), and i want to stress that i am very much not an expert, or even really anything more than a lay-man on issues of psychology, trauma, and abuse. truly, i am just chilling, attempting to connect some dots. that being said, here are The Thoughts:

and now, a brief interlude to talk about how i think shawn feels about gus, as of the finale of season 6:

since i don't go much into any evidence in this screenshot - the person im talking to hasn't seen the show, so i didn't want to get bogged down in details that would ultimately mean nothing to them - here's a brief elaboration on what i mean:

the core tenant of the shawn + gus relationship is that they like each other. and yes, that's a very obvious thing to say, but its kind of necessary to establish - especially considering the habit of sitcoms + serial shows like this to accidentally write main characters that seemingly despise each other, and only seem to stick around each other bc of the demands of the genre.

so, shawn and gus like each other. they find each other funny, they enjoy each others company, they are very invested in each others success + happiness, etc. they spend a lot of time 'fighting' (ie: 'i hate you, shawn' + shawn calling gus some variant of lame), but the more of the show you watch the more obvious it becomes that this is very superficial bit that they do, and doesn't reflect their actual, big picture feelings abt the other party. even when they are actually for real fighting, the show makes a point to establish that the relationship itself is never in any real jeopardy (ie: that time shawn stormed out, only to come back in and ask gus for fashion advice. also, that time gus said to shawn's Face that it was highly unlikely that shawn could ever do something to fully, 100% drive him away).

now we're not going into hero worship territory here - the facts of the matter are that shawn and gus are both, genuinely, quite lame. they are nerds. dorks. idiots. etc. they fully recognise this in each other (if usually not themselves), and still think of each other as their favourite person!

so, yes, the scene in the polarising express where shawn imagines gus as a helpless slave to a woman who seemingly only loves his money, is more than a little bit of a joke at gus' expense. but shawn's reaction to the scene is very genuine - he is upset, first and foremost, that gus isn't being appreciated. because gus deserves appreciation! he really is just the 'specialest' boy in shawn's eyes, and shawn believes that he thus deserves an appropriate amount of recognition (ie: literally everything about the high school reunion episode, omg).

tl;dr: best friends who roast each other together, but still 100% believe that the other party deserves the world, stay together :)

[ashintheairlikesnow]

I’ve been really busy and haven’t had a chance to coherently read through your WW1 story from start to finish yet but from what I can tell one of the characters is trans in a historical setting? Im really into trans characters in historical fiction, and I’m planning a story about a non binary character set during the 50s (although they aren’t really able to explain their identity for a while and tend to be perceived as a guy by other characters in the story). I was just wondering if you had any good resources or advice for writing that, anything you personally found useful along the way. And I’m sorry if I’ve misunderstood and this question is way off the mark, in which case feel free to disregard it (also yes I realise I could message you privately too but I wanted to start a conversation okay) -S

Yeah, Auri is nonbinary/trans! They are actually based on an individual famous in history as Thomas(ine) Hall, who lived in the early 1600s.

Thomas(ine) is often known as one of the first known individuals to operate outside of the gender binary within colonial American communities. (I phrase it that way because the concept of operating outside the male/female binary had long existed in indigenous America, so this was a bit like saying Amerigo Vespucci discovered continents already teeming with people on them).

The individual, who went by both Thomas and Thomasine, depending on the date and what was planned for the day, was involved in a wildly famous court case, as Thomas(ine) was caught having a bit of a liaison with a maid, while wearing female clothing. However, as Thomas Hall, the individual had joined up with the entirely male military service and spent much of their life dressing in masculine clothing. They were also known sometimes to wear feminine clothing to seek out sexual intimacy with men, and masculine clothing when they were seeking out time with women.

When subjected to a physical examination, it was discovered that Thomas(ine) was intersex. Eventually, after it wound its way through the courts, it was declared that Thomas(ine) Hall was male and female simultaneously and must dress as such.

There are aspects of Thomas(ine)'s personality - irreverence and disdain for the concept of having to act as specifically male or female - that I borrowed for Auri, as well as their approximate date of birth and age, although Auri was born in a part of Germany (then Saxony).

Auri is also intersex, and what gender they perform - and for Auri, it is ALWAYS a performance - depends mightily on what they are intending to do that day. We haven't seen them dress in femme clothing yet mostly just because they've been at war. But it'll come up, I promise.

I love them.

Sorry, I rambled.

As far as research, I have done some reading on historical individuals who were outside the binary, so to speak. Thomas(ine) is a good example of a specific kind of person who rejected the concept of having to be entirely one thing or another, but here are some more:

The Public Universal Friend (1752 - 1819)

We'wha, a Zuni Lhamana and notable fiber artist (1849 - 1896)

Jennie June, born in the late 19th century, who published one of the first autobiographies written about being transgender, although that term didn't yet exist.

Claude Cahun, born in 1894, who described her gender as 'neuter' on multiple occasions but used she/her

Thomas Baty, born in 1864, who spent much of their life working for the Imperial Japanese government, was an expert in international law, and famously published a novel that was an early example of sci-fi taking on gender (it involved a postgender society).

Albert Cashier, who served in the Union Army during the Civil War

[wingsofkpop]

Hiraeth - I.VIII: These Paths We Walk

pairing(s): Hybrid!Im Jaebeom x Reader, Witch!Mark Tuan x Reader, Werewolf!Jackson Wang x Reader, Vampire!Park Jinyoung x Reader, Supernatural!Got7 x Reader

genre: Supernatural!AU, Dark Magic!AU, heavy Angst, light Fluff, eventual Smut

warnings: Mature language, mentions of death and murder, violence, gore and blood, some satanic themes, etc. 

word count: 7,1k

synopsis: How far are you willing to go to find out the truth about Moon Dye Bay?…

chapter directory

Necromancy is a form of spiritual divination in which the executioner acts in the summoning of and communication with the lost souls of the dead. Its origins date back to the ancient Greeks, as the word necromancy is composed of Greek terms νεκρός (nekrós), "dead," and μαντεία (manteía), "divination." During the European Middle Ages, necromancy grew to be associated with black magic by traditional witches. As a result, its practice became strictly forbidden due to its disruption in the balance of nature. History recalls only one powerful witch ever held the ability to raise the dead at will—

“Still doing research for that special project?” Your mind snaps back to reality at the sudden inquiry. Tearing your gaze from the textbook, you look up to find none other than your favorite student in front of your desk. Hyunjin offers his usual crooked smile at your newfound attention and raises a questioning eyebrow. 

You can’t help but roll your eyes before answering, “You know the point of a study period is to—I don’t know—study? Preferably by yourself?”

He snickers. “I have a question that requires your extensive mastery in the literary arts, Ms. (L/N).”

“I’m sure you do.” You release a heavy sigh, not bothering to voice your annoyance at the use of your surname. Instead, you deliver Hyunjin a shake of your head before gesturing his continuance with a wave of your hand.

“I’m a little confused by the ending of The Grapes of Wrath,” Hyunjin pauses, “okay—a lot confused. I mean, why would Rose of Sharon breastfeed a stranger she literally just met? It’s weird…” 

You chuckle at his scrunched expression. “You’re right. It is pretty weird.” 

“So why’d she do it?” 

“Well, Rose of Sharon knew the stranger was starving to death,” You begin, leaning back in your chair to better hold Hyunjin’s gaze, “so you could say she wanted to give him a second chance.” 

“But why? She doesn’t even know him.” 

“Maybe not, but if you had the ability to save another person’s life—be it a stranger—wouldn’t you?” 

“But even after all her and her family went through, I don’t understand how she was able to find it in herself to do that. Especially after the loss of her baby.” 

“Humanity is a complicated, yet beautiful force, Hyunjin.” You hum gently, “Even among all the cruelty, hatred and hopelessness, it still manages to find a way to prevail—that ending is proof that against all odds, humanity will always win.”  

“I never thought about it like that…” Hyunjin shakes his head in disbelief, “Thanks, (Y/N)...” 

“It’s what I do, kiddo.” 

While the student grows silent to scribble down his realizations, you take the time to skim over your own notes—or lack-there-of, that is. 

After Youngjae agreed, albeit rather reluctantly, to assist you in your mission to return Jackson Wang to the land of the living, you spent the past few days cornering the bookstore and mausoleum’s supply of resources about raising the dead. But just your luck, every text thus far has proven to be less than helpful. According to the siphoner, necromancy is one of the more rare magical arts that is only practiced by specialized, powerful witches, which, unfortunately, also means there is limited access to such information. Neither you nor Youngjae have been able to find a spell or ritual that can guarantee Jackson’s resurrection without some kind of dire consequence. 

Who knew magic could be so complicated? 

“You know, you’ve been out for the past week…” You lift your head to meet Hyunjin’s gaze once again. “Is… Is everything okay? I don’t mean to pry, but it’s just so unlike you to miss any classes…” 

The typical university student probably wouldn’t give a damn about a missing professor, much less an absent TA. Hyunjin’s visual apparent concern spreads warmth throughout your chest—you are powerless to hold back the small smile that stretches across your lips. 

“A couple of my roommate’s friends disappeared out of the blue last week, so I just needed a few days to help her out.” You raise a playful eyebrow, “Don’t tell me you missed me?” 

“What? No way.” Hyunjin scoffs, “Though I did have to use Sparknotes for the past few reading assignments and barely passed Wednesday's quiz—” You burst into laughter, reeling your companion into the same fit only seconds later. After a brief moment, Hyunjin manages to collect his composure and finish, “—I am glad everything is okay… and that you’re back.” 

You nod with a smile. “I appreciate that.”

Aside from the daily meetings with Youngjae and nightly cry-piles with Sana, the past few days have proven to be quite uneventful. Jackson has not appeared in your bedroom since that first night, and true to your word, you haven’t told Mark about your quest for his revival. God knows what kind of Hell would break loose if that were to happen. You also haven’t visited the Prime residence since the day you caught Jaebeom with his drop dead—mind the pun—gorgeous vampire conquest. You’ve been meaning to call Jinyoung, but between your hours pilfering through useless research texts, comforting your distraught roommate and attempting to track down your M.I.A. best friend, you haven’t quite found the time. 

And though you’d never admit it to anyone, you needed some time alone—to think.

A rather obnoxious bout of laughter tears you from your thoughts, which is quickly followed by a scold from Professor Park. In an attempt to find the source, you peer past Hyunjin’s form and the sea of other students to the very back of the classroom where a group of young girls are utilizing the period as social hour. Amongst the familiar faces sits a pretty female student you don’t quite recognize, having never encountered her around campus before.

And although you can barely see her, something about her demeanor seems… off. 

“Hyunjin? Who’s that girl back there?” 

Hyunjin turns to examine the subject of interest before returning with a shrug, “According to my sister, she’s some exchange student from Taiwan. I haven’t met her, but I think Yeji said her name is Tzuyu.”

“And she transferred here this week?” 

He shakes his head. “Actually, today is the first day anyone has seen her.”

You go to inquire further, but the booming call of Professor Park announcing the end of class beats you to it. Hyunjin bids you one final thank you and a goodbye before sprinting off to meet his friends at the classroom exit. It is not until him, Professor Park and the remainder of the students are long out the door do you return to your research. However, the moment you manage to relocate your place, a sugary-sweet voice commands your attention once again:

“If I could bother you for a moment, Ms. (L/N), I need your help…” 

“Of course.” You mask your annoyance with as genuine a smile as you can muster and turn your gaze to the student. “What can I do for…” Your smile immediately falters at the sight of the young woman from earlier in front of your desk—only in this instance, you can definitely recognize her… 

It’s none other than Miss Aphrodisiac herself from the Project Estate. 

She offers a radiant smile, but the feature seems less than friendly. 

“Hello again, (Y/N). I don’t believe we properly met during our last meeting… I’m Tzuyu.” 

“Yeah, um, I-I wasn’t expecting to see you in my class…” You chuckle nervously, cautiously sliding your notes inside your book before closing the cover. “What… What are you doing here exactly?” 

“With how much the student body rants and raves about their newest teaching assistant, how could I pass up the opportunity to see you in action?” Tzuyu elegantly takes a seat on the edge of your desk before running her fingers through her flawless, auburn locks. Something about the dexterity of her fingers sends goosebumps budding across your skin. “Plus, it’s not everyday I meet one of Jaebeom’s… human companions.” 

“It’s not like that.” You insist, “Jaebeom and I barely know each other—”

“Ah. Right.” She giggles, “You’re close with the other brother. My mistake.” 

You bite your tongue, holding back the snide comment that would likely lead to the dismembering of your head from your body. Instead, you swallow what little remains of your pride, rise from your seat and ask stiffly, “You said you needed help with something?...” 

“You’ve read Macbeth, haven’t you?” Filled with both anxiety and confusion, you watch as Tzuyu takes a pencil from the container of writing tools perched on the surface of your desk. She twirls the utensil between delicate fingertips, gazing at it as if it is the most interesting object on the planet. You don’t need your gut to remind you something is most definitely off with her behavior.

“There’s this one piece of advice that Lady Macbeth tells her husband before he goes off to commit murder: ‘Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under ‘t’... ” She pauses, “Tell me, Ms. (L/N)... What exactly could that mean?” 

Your blood runs cold when she fixes her dark gaze on you. No longer interested in the pencil. 

You bite the inside of your cheek, attempting to ground the frantic beating of your heart before it literally leaps from your chest and into the palms of your company. Out of instinct, you chance a quick glance at the door—you may not have a mug, but a nine-hundred page, hardcover book to the face might make a pretty good distraction. 

“Hm, I suppose you’re more of an expert with prose.” Tzuyu says, lowering the pencil into her lap before hopping to her own feet. “Let’s try a bit of Frankenstein then…” 

She begins to stalk toward you, her eyes still locked onto yours like a vice. Your body immediately shuffles backward, attempting to keep as much distance between yours forms as possible. You only get so far—your back meeting the surface of the wall behind you as Tzuyu centers herself a few mere inches away. You can feel her crisp breath on your face as she murmurs:  

“‘I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, then I will indulge the other’...” 

“What are you—” 

Before you can finish your thought, a searing pain paints your vision white. The agony spreads through your veins like wildfire, stealing every ounce of oxygen from your lungs and rendering your knees weak. With a trembling hand, you’re able to save your form from buckling completely to the floor—but not before catching a glimpse of the same pencil impaled in the side of your waist. 

“Poetry is much more tasteful, in my opinion.” Tzuyu sighs, licking the blood from her nails as she backs away. You want to say something—scream and call her a plethora of less than appropriate names—but your mind is literal mush between the shock and the excruciating pain. You collapse to the floor with a breathy gasp, cupping your bleeding side with your opposite hand.

The vampire saunters toward the exit. Just as she makes it to the doorway, she whirls around to throw one final innocent smile in your direction: “Do us both a favor and stay away from Jaebeom… I wouldn’t want to scar that pretty face.” 

With that, she’s completely gone. If it weren’t for the pencil in your midriff and the blood seeping through your clothes, you would have thought you’d dreamt up the entire encounter. 

“Shit…” You gasp, attempting to dislodge the wood from your flesh. It doesn’t budge, deeply embedded between what you assume to be your ribcage. A pained wheeze spills from your throat as you reach for your bag, paying little mind to the bloodied prints your fingers leave in the fabric. After numerous attempts and anguished movements, you manage to fish your cell phone from its pocket. Crimson smears across the screen as you pull up the first contact you can think of. 

You really should have taken the rest of the week off.

 ☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾

From his perch behind a tree, Jinyoung silently stalks the movement of a burly stag as it parades across the forest floor. The creature, unknowing of the predator that hunts from a far, approaches a wild berry bush and begins to feast off its bearings—unknowing that its end is fast approaching. 

Jinyoung usually does not like to draw out these moments and would have killed the deer by now. Whether it is due to the absence of his physical strength or the tornado of thoughts tearing through his mind, he simply cannot bring himself to end the animal’s life just yet. There’s something so pure about watching the stag go about its existence, he realizes—he must allow its innocence to prevail a little while longer.

It’s been days since his recovery from the huntress’s attack, but he can still sense the weakness lingering in his bones. While Jaebeom’s blood chased away the fever of the wolf venom, it was not enough to regenerate his body to its full power. If he were to do so, he would need human blood… but that can never happen again. Not in this lifetime.

Animal blood keeps him mobile, and that is more than enough.  

A loud snap of breaking branches returns Jinyoung to reality in time to watch the stag tear off into the trees. He makes no move to chase after it, not desiring to waste his strength. After one final glance to his escaped meal, Jinyoung turns and greets the approaching figure with a tight frown:

“I already told you, hyung. I have no interest in accompanying you on a hunt into town.” 

“You know, it would be a hell of a lot easier than tracking down food out here…” Jaebeom snickers, “Not to mention, one human equals a dozen squirrels.” 

“And as I said, I much prefer the squirrels.” Jinyoung meets Jaebeom’s gaze with a heavy sigh, “I am perfectly fine, hyung.” 

“You’re a shitty liar.” Jaebeom shakes his head. “You need human blood.” 

“What I need is to find a new fare.” Jinyoung pushes off of his perch to traipse deeper into the forest, but the appearance of a hand on his shoulders halts his pace. He allows Jaebeom to maneuver his form back against the trunk of a tree, welcoming the slight relief the support brings to his muscles. He makes sure to keep his expression blank to mask his instability. But like always, Jaebeom sees straight through him. 

“You’re weak, Jinyoung…” 

“Nothing a nice rabbit can’t fix.”

Jaebeom purses his lips. “You can’t deny it forever. At least try a blood bag—”

“Why did you give me your blood?” Jinyoung interrupts his companion’s lecture, peering at Jaebeom with unwavering, unblinking eyes. “I thought you wished to punish me?”

“I was going to—I mean, I wanted to…” Jinyoung watches Jaebeom very carefully, noting the frivolous nature of his typically cocky features and hidden message behind his gaze. If he knew any better, Jinyoung would actually believe there to be some shred of humanity left behind those dark irises. 

“But you couldn’t.” He finishes.

“Don’t think it means you’re off the hook for working with Tuan.” Jaebeom huffs while taking a few paces backward. Jinyoung opens his mouth to respond, but the hybrid’s hushed murmur emerges instead, “(Y/N) came by last week… to see you.” 

Jinyoung holds back a smile. “Did she now?... I suppose you told her about your change of heart then.” 

Jaebeom remains silent. 

“Jaebeom-hyung…” Jinyoung’s eyes flutter shut as an audible exhale blows past his lips, “You need to tell her.” 

“It won’t change anything.” Jaebeom says with a frown, “She made it very clear that she already hates me.” 

“(Y/N) is much different than others, hyung—” 

“What do I care anyway?” The hybrid tsks, his sullen expression transitioning into one of indifference. “She can hate me as much as she wants. I don’t give a shit.” 

“Hyung, please—”   

The shrill ring of a cell phone introduces a bout of silence. Jinyoung has never been so annoyed by modern technology since now, grabbing his phone with a less than pleased sigh. He eyes Jaebeom while lifting the device to his ear, wordlessly communicating that the conversation is far from over.

“Hello?”

“Jinyoung?... H-Hey, it’s me.” 

“(Y/N)?” Jinyoung’s annoyance completely dissipates at the sound of your quivering voice. He notices how Jaebeom also reacts to your audible presence through the stiffening of his broad shoulders. He shakes it off as unease from your previous encounter and focuses back onto you, “Are… you alright? You seem a bit stressed.” 

“Yeah, you can c-call it that…” Your inhale picks up over the line, and Jinyoung cannot help but grow concerned by its unusual heaviness. “You are not going to believe the shitty day I’ve had.” 

“What happened?” 

“Well, the barista at my campus cafe accidentally made my usual decaf, my boss is seeking revenge for my time off through hundreds of ungraded essays… and I was stabbed… with a pencil.” 

Jinyoung’s eyebrows furrow. “I apologize, but I don’t think I understand…” 

“Long story short, Jaebeom’s scary, yet incredibly sexy girlfriend paid me a visit and literally stabbed me with a fucking pencil—” Your explanation cuts out into a yelp, which is followed by an array of stuttered curses, “And it—shit—hurts like hell.” 

“I’m on my way right now” Jinyoung, heart racing and head spinning, forces himself to his feet and hurries back toward the manor—Jaebeom hightailing close behind, having picked up the entire conversation. 

Before Jinyoung can inquire more about your condition, Jaebeom snatches the phone from his grasp and lifts it to his own, “Where did she stab you?” 

“Jaebeom?... My-My side… The pencil is wedged between my ribs, I can’t get it out…” 

“Don’t worry about removing it. Just try to control the bleeding as best you can.” Jaebeom explains, “Jinyoung and I will be there soon.” 

“Wait! Why are you—” Your voice cuts out as Jaebeom ends the call. Jinyoung notices the whiteness of the hybrid’s knuckles as he silently returns his phone. If it were any other situation, Jinyoung would have brought up their chat from earlier, but your wellbeing is on the line.  He delivers his companion a dark glare. To his surprise though, Jaebeom’s expression mirrors that of pure, unadulterated anger. 

Jinyoung pinches the bridge of his nose before releasing a sigh, “Do I even wish to know why your mistress attacked (Y/N)?” 

“I’d like to know too,” Jaebeom scoffs, running a hand through his jet black locks, “considering I told her that (Y/N) was off limits.” 

“You find out then.” Jinyoung hisses, “Or I will deal with her myself, and I won’t be as kind.” 

“Oh, trust me.” Jinyoung can practically sense the murderous lust spilling from Jaebeom’s pitch black irises—far from the light of humanity. “Kindness is the last thing on my list right now, Jinyoungie.”  

 ☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾

“—and then she just acts all innocent! As if she did absolutely nothing wrong! I mean, what kind of self-serving, sadistic bitch does she think she is—Mark? Are you there?” 

“Huh?” Mark flutters his eyes open at the sound of his name. He blinks at his surroundings in confusion, still dazed from his abrupt wake-up call, before remembering his phone and the person currently speaking on the line: 

“Mark? Don’t tell me I put you to sleep?” 

“Nope, nope. I’m here.” Mark replies hurriedly, wiping the remnants of his nap from his eyes. “Luna’s a complete and total bitch, I got you.” 

Lia sighs, “Yuna, Mark. Not Luna.” 

With a silent yawn, he lifts his arms over his head and expels the kinks from his shoulders. Once his muscles are taunt and stretched, Mark releases a heavy exhale and murmurs, “I’m sorry, Lia. It’s just… been a long week.” 

“I get it, Mark.” She hums softly, “But I wish you wouldn’t stress so much about this. Minho made his choice, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” 

“I don’t believe that.” Mark rises from his chair before pacing across the room to the mausoleum’s lone window. He pulls the curtain aside, peering out at the vacant hills of the graveyard. “If he would just talk to me, then I’m sure we could figure something out.” 

Hundreds of phone calls later, and he still hasn’t spoken with Minho since the night he claimed to be leaving the coven. No one has. Not even Jisung. And Mark can’t figure out what’s bothering him more: the fact that Minho won’t pick up his phone, or that you have been purposely avoiding him for the last week. 

He’s trying to give both you and the young witch time—truly—but Mark can’t help but feel as if something is off. 

“Minho needs to figure out what he wants himself.” He forces himself away from the window, receding across the room to lean against the lectern as Lia goes on, “You can’t be there to hold his hand every time he goes through one of his moods. It’s not good for him or for you.” 

“What am I supposed to do then?” 

“Nothing, Mark. You do nothing.” 

Mark shakes his head, “You know I can’t do that.” 

“Just give Minho some more time to get it together.” Lia says, “He’ll come around eventually.” 

“I hope so.” Mark goes to grab his coffee mug from a nearby table, but accidentally knocks his elbow against the corner of the lectern. A mass of papers and books slide from its surface, crashing to the floor in a rather vocal descent. He releases a quiet curse, tucking his phone against his shoulder before lowering to the floor to begin tidying the mess. 

…How long does he have to wait until you come around?  

Lia continues to speak as he gathers the escaped pages, “Have you talked to Yugyeom lately? I heard that one of their wolves just up and disappeared.” 

“Yeah. That kid, Changbin.” He says, “Gyeom thinks he probably took off after our fight with the huntress. Remind you of someone?” 

“In this town? A lot of someones.” 

Mark goes to respond, but the title of a particular document clears the thoughts from his mind. Pushing aside a couple other pages, he grabs the flimsy packet before raising it into better view. At first, Mark is confused, unsure why this type of reference would be out and about. But as he surveys the other fallen objects, his confusion gradually shifts to realization… 

Then rage. 

He doesn’t bother to look up as the door opens, nor does he spare the puzzled newcomer a glance. Still clutching the document, Mark rises to his feet and takes the phone from his shoulder with his free hand. He pays his companion no mind as he quietly murmurs: 

“Do you mind if I call you later?” 

“Not at all. Just try to think about what I said.” 

Mark bids a final farewell to Lia before disconnecting the line. He takes a moment to drag a hand down his face before turning to a wide-eyed Youngjae. As soon as Mark raises the document into view, his expression immediately shifts to a panic. 

“So…” Mark tilts his head with a tight frown, “You want to explain why the hell you’re looking up resurrection spells?...” 

Youngjae shakes his head, “Hyung—”

“Explanation, Youngjae.” Mark watches the siphoner’s face shift through a rainbow of emotions. From terror, to anxiety, to dread, before finally settling on guilt. Keeping his gaze to the floor, Youngjae eventually delivers a shrug and whispers: 

“...To try to bring Jackson back.” 

Mark’s heart practically splits open. 

He stares at the younger witch with incredulous eyes. “Are you fucking stupid, Youngjae!?”  

“It looks bad, I know—” Youngjae hurries forward to stand in front of Mark and lifts his hand in good faith, “—but I’ve been doing a lot of research and experimenting with a couple spells and I really think that we can—”

“You aren’t thinking shit.” Mark spits, rounding toward the siphoner until their noses are a mere inch apart. “We don’t screw around with necromancy, Youngjae… It’s dark magic.” 

“We just have to find the right spell! (Y/N) and I are searching—” 

“(Y/N)? What does (Y/N) have to do with this?” 

Youngjae immediately closes his mouth, his eyes growing glassy in the evening light. 

It takes a second for the puzzle pieces to fit together—your inquiries about Jackson, Youngjae’s daily trips to the bookstore, your evasion—but once the realization hits, Mark feels his entire body go numb. 

Youngjae rushes forward to grab Mark’s arm, “Hyung, I’m so, so sorry! (Y/N) thought it would be better not to tell you, so I just—” 

Mark shrugs his hand away, refusing to meet Youngjae’s pleading gaze. “Get out.” 

“Just let me explain—”

“Get the fuck out!” A loud crash echoes throughout the mausoleum as Mark flings his mug across the room, causing the object to meet the opposite wall before shattering to a million tiny pieces. Youngjae doesn’t persist, grabbing his bag and beelining straight out the door. Mark pushes the sounds of the younger’s sobs from his mind as he goes, unable to see past the anger boiling inside his body. But even against all the rage, a sense of sadness remains at the forefront of his mind. 

His best friend betrayed him—again.

 ☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾

“You find and take care of (Y/N).” Jaebeom commands, slamming his car door shut with a little more force than necessary. Then again, he can’t seem to bring himself to care above the red-hot fury coursing through his veins like venom. He ignores the curious stares of a nearby group of female students and proceeds to move around the car, “I’ll catch up with you later.” 

“And where exactly are you going?” Jaebeom bites back a glare as Jinyoung halts his movements. His entire body thrums, as if physically yearning for vengeance, but he masks his temper with a sharp inhale and a promise to release his frustrations out later. 

He nods at his companion, “I’m going to do what I should have done before.” 

Jinyoung merely stares at him for a moment, and Jaebeom can only hope he can’t see past the bloodlust in his gaze. Fortunately, Jinyoung doesn’t question him further. He releases Jaebeom’s shoulder and delivers one final nod before turning in the direction of what both can only assume is your classroom. Jaebeom allows himself a moment to watch Jinyoung—his noble brother—sprint off to save the day—to save you. Again. 

Jaebeom swallows the bitterness accumulating in his chest and heads in his own direction. It won’t be hard to track her. He can already smell her Chanel perfume—she’s close by, he realizes. 

She wants him to find her. 

Sure enough, Jaebeom recognizes her silken auburn hair and Louis Vuitton coat beside a towering oak tree, staring down at her phone. He doesn’t bother to check if those students are still watching him and speeds over to his target’s perch. Even when he’s a mere few inches away, she continues to mindlessly scroll through her phone. Jaebeom’s anger grows when he notices the amused smirk etched across her pink lips. 

“It’s about time you showed up.” Tzuyu says, “You know how much I hate to wait.” 

“Give me one good reason not to rip your fucking head off right now.”

“Not even a ‘hello’?” 

Jaebeom growls, “You think this is a game?”

“Perhaps.” She raises her calm gaze to his own before offering a sultry smile. “Beautiful evening, isn’t it?” 

Her flirtations only add fuel to the outrage raging through his body. He speeds forward again, snatches her wrists and slams her smaller figure against the trunk of the tree behind them. Tzuyu winces at his aggressive movements, but Jaebeom feels no sympathy. Your trembling voice and pained breathing echoes in his ears like a siren, tempting him closer to the point of no return. 

It would be so easy to plunge his hand into her chest, to squeeze her heart until it's nothing but bloody ash. Or maybe he should tear her limbs off one by one, make her suffer until she’s begging him to end her—

“You really do care about her, don’t you?” Jaebeom awakens from his imaginary rampage at the question. Her usual smirk is no longer along her face, but instead replaced with a thoughtful frown. 

He growls, pressing her wrists further into the bark of the tree. “I told you to stay away from her. You said you wouldn’t touch her.” 

“I never thought I’d see the day the big, bad hybrid, Im Jaebeom falls for a human.” 

“Shut the fuck up.” His tone is quiet—murderous. “I’ll kill you.” 

“No. You won’t.” 

“Yes. I will.” 

“No, Jaebeom.” She shakes her head with a sigh, “If you kill me, (Y/N) will never forgive you.” 

As if she had taken a red hot iron and plunged it through his heart, Jaebeom lets go of the vampire and stumbles backward. He barely catches himself before he collapses to the ground, and even then, his legs feel like they’ll give out at any moment. 

Tzuyu, still leaning against the tree, tilts her head with a hum, “She’s a good one, Beom. I feel it… that aura that carries around her.” 

“Stop it—” 

“And it’s because she’s good that she’ll never belong to you.” She murmurs, “But you already know that… don’t you?” 

“You’re fucking sick.” Jaebeom hisses. 

To his surprise, Tzuyu’s expression softens. “I’m sorry, Jaebeom.” 

There’s too many emotions swirling through his mind. He can’t think—can’t breathe. His chest feels like it’s caving in on itself, and his hands won’t stop shaking. He can’t get your face out of his head—your beautiful eyes looking at him with such betrayal and hatred. It hurts. It hurts so much. Why won’t his hands stop fucking shaking? It’s too much. It’s all too much—

He can’t help it… He has to turn it off. 

A switch flips inside of his soul, immediately locking out every ounce of pain. His lungs inhale each new breath smoothly, and his limbs remain as still as a cat. With a clear head, Jaebeom returns his eyes to Tzuyu, who is still gazing at him with such tenderness and understanding. For a moment, the warmth of her gaze reminds him of you. 

Tzuyu cautiously takes a step forward, “Jaebeom…?” 

“You’re right.” He nods, “I’m not gonna kill you.”

“What are you—ah!” Her inquiry elevates into a scream as Jaebeom whirls forward and sinks his teeth into her shoulder. His fangs plunge through the fabric of her expensive coat before piercing deep into her flesh. She attempts to struggle, but he is stronger… and the damage has already been done.   

He pulls away, licking the blood from his lips as Tzuyu collapses to the ground. She clutches her wounded shoulder, staring up at him with eyes of betrayal, confusion and fright. 

“You… You bit me.” 

Jaebeom smirks, “I suggest you spend the next day or so wisely… it’s going to be your last.” 

Tzuyu’s expression turns rabid. She scrambles to her feet before sneering at the hybrid, “The sooner you learn to accept your fate, Jaebeom, the sooner you’ll find peace—” 

“Meh. Fate’s overrated.” 

“Just remember this—” The vampire growls, “—after you turned me, you murdered the love of my life… at least I had the kindness to keep yours alive.” 

He snickers, turning to leave. However, just before he takes a step, Jaebeom throws one final comment over his shoulder, “Thanks for all the sex.” 

With that, Jaebeom smirks to himself and saunters off into the glow of the setting sun. 

☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾

Jinyoung rushes down the hallway, careful not to speed for fear of running into a professor or student working after hours. The fragrance of your blood builds with each step, and he can’t help but grow more concerned with that knowledge. At the very least, he can still hear the faint beating of your heart. 

He follows the scent past a couple corners and down another long corridor to a massive, dim lecture room. Fearing the worst, Jinyoung quickly steps through the doorway before immediately spotting your incapacitated form through the darkness propped up against the opposite wall. He doesn’t hesitate to speed across the room and kneel in front of you. You’re unconscious, he realizes, but breathing—that’s enough to lift the heavy weight from his chest. 

“(Y/N)?” He calls gently, lifting his hands to cradle your face in his palms. “Come back to me, my dear… Please.” 

“Jinyoung?...” He’s never been more grateful to hear the sound of his name until now. Your eyes flutter open and dart around the area before drowsily settling on Jinyoung. The vampire in question breathes a sigh of relief, caressing the apple of your cheek with his thumb. 

“There you are.” He murmurs, “How do you feel?” 

“Like I was stabbed…” You raise an eyebrow before peering down at the pencil protruding from your abdomen, “Well, would you look at that.” 

Jinyoung holds back a smile at your sarcasm, appreciating that even wounded, you still manage to bear your usual fiery charm. His own eyes turn down to the object jabbed within your waist. He carefully analyzes the damage, determining the best possible solution to its extraction. As you said on the call, the pencil itself is trapped inside your ribcage. Jinyoung will have to be careful not to accidentally fracture your bones. 

He bites the inside of his cheek before returning his attention back to you. “I need to remove it, but it’s going to be painful. Very painful.” 

You roll your eyes, “It will also hurt a lot less when it’s out. I can handle it.” 

“I know you can.” 

Jinyoung keeps his gaze connected to yours as he wraps his fingers around the wood of the pencil, taking extra care not to brush against the swollen skin of the lesion. Your expression remains fatigued, yet indifferent during his preparation. He waits for your nod before he continues. 

In order to prevent as much further damage and to make it as painless as possible, Jinyoung removes the pencil as quickly as he can. Your furrowed brow and teary eyes slice at his soul, but he doesn’t stop until the object is completely taken out. Once it's free, Jinyoung tosses the pencil into a nearby trash can, pulls the sweater from his body and utilizes the garment to cover your slightly bleeding wound. He ignores the crimson of your blood staining his fingers, instead lifting his clean arm to his mouth before biting down. 

“What… are you doing?” 

“My blood will heal you.” Jinyoung answers, offering forth his bloody wrist. “It’s how I saved you after your assault in the alleyway.” 

“If I die with your blood in my system, won’t I become a vampire?” 

“You aren’t going to die.” 

You shake your head, pushing away his wrist. “Thanks for the offer, but I’d rather not risk anything.” 

“At least allow me to bring you to the hospital then.” He insists, “You’ve lost quite enough blood for one day.” 

Jinyoung curses at the mischievous smirk that spreads along your lips. “You have got to stop saving my life.” 

“Stop putting yourself in danger, and there would be no need for me to.” 

“Last I checked, I had no idea Vampire Victoria Secret was gonna show up and stab me with a fucking writing utensil.” You snort, gesturing over to your desk, “Grab my stuff before we go, please.” 

Just as you requested, Jinyoung goes about gathering your laptop and assorted belongings before sliding them into your bag. One book, however, catches his attention. For a moment, he pauses to stare at the title, then flips open the cover. His mouth runs dry when he discovers numerous pages of notes in your handwriting. 

Jinyoung closes the book before turning back to you, who is struggling to climb to your feet. He moves to help you, stabilizing your body against the wall while asking, “Why are you researching necromancy?” 

“It’s a long story.” You inhale deeply, “But to keep it short… Youngjae and I are going to try to resurrect Jackson Wang.”

At the mention of the alpha werewolf, Jinyoung’s muscles grow stiff. He stares at your face, attempting to read the stars in your dreary irises. After what seems like a long moment of silence, he eventually speaks, albeit quietly, “You understand resurrecting someone from the dead is no simple task… Why would you even attempt such a thing?” 

Your expression softens. “Because Jackson didn’t deserve to die, Jinyoung. The pack lost their leader—Mark lost his best friend.” 

“Resurrection is a dangerous craft, (Y/N).”

“Not if we find the right spell.” You argue, throwing your bag over your shoulder with a sharp inhale. “I know it sounds bat-shit crazy, but I have to try, Jinyoung. For Jackson and for Mark.”

Jinyoung inhales a heavy gust, before releasing an even heavier breath. He curses himself at being so affected by the hope in your eyes. Your determination is too alluring—you are too alluring. 

“I have a collection of grimoires kept by a coven of Dutch witches who specialized in necromancy back in the 15th century.” He finally says, “I will gift them to you as long as you grant me one request.”

Your eyes immediately brighten. “Of course. What do you need me to do?” 

Jinyoung grabs your hands. “I want you to forgive my brother.” 

“Jinyoung—“

“After you left, Jaebeom fed me his blood.” He explains, “He cured the werewolf venom, so I wouldn’t have to suffer.”

Your face first contorts to confusion, then to Jinyoung’s surprise, guilt. “He didn’t tell me…” 

“As I told you, Jaebeom has a good heart.” His lips upturn into a sad smile, “He just… has difficulty revealing that side of himself to others.” 

With that, Jinyoung carefully gathers your body into his arms. He manages to cover your soiled clothes with your jacket before heading for the door. 

“It is your choice. I will give you the grimoires no matter what you decide.” 

Jinyoung’s heart leaps when your head collapses against his chest, right over where his heart proceeds to race. Judging by your silence, he expects your mind to have descended into unconsciousness once more, but is pleasantly surprised when your slurred voice reaches his ears, “Hey, Jinyoung?” 

“Yes?” 

“Thanks for saving me. Again.” 

Jinyoung smiles, “It was my pleasure, (Y/N).”

☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾

“Such a fucking idiot!...” Youngjae hisses, stomping his way past gravestones and monuments through the light of the setting sun. Usually, he would stop to appreciate such a beautiful moment in nature, but his mind is too preoccupied with thoughts of remorse and anger. 

Youngjae knew better than to keep something like this from Mark. His heart immediately drops when he thinks back to the older witch’s furious outburst—Youngjae hasn’t seen him that angry in a long time. Not since Jackson was alive.

He shakes the thought from mind. He should have never agreed to your idea in the first place. Jackson Wang is dead. And he can’t be brought back. End of story. 

A faint murmur of voices awakens Youngjae from his self-loathing. He hadn’t realized how deep he has traveled into the forest until now, so deep that he’s very close to the shore of the bay. His curiosity expands when he notices a strange light emitting from behind a group of closely placed trees. Against his better judgement, Youngjae decides to investigate. 

The nearer he approaches the site, the louder the voices grow. With a closer view, Youngjae can barely make out two figures conversing in front of a large bonfire. Due to the shadows of tree cover, he can’t recognize their faces, but something about their voices seems familiar to him… 

“You’re sure this is going to work?” 

“I’ve been planning this for years. There’s no way it won’t.” 

“Doesn’t this spell need a crazy amount of power?” 

“There will be a blood moon tomorrow night.” Youngjae watches as one of the figures retreats to the opposite side of the fire. If he is a bit closer, he might be able to catch a glimpse of his face. “I will have more than enough power to complete the transformation.” 

“And it won’t kill me? The transformation?” 

“You sound like you’re having second thoughts…” 

“I’m not!” The second figure insists, “The Primes deserve to pay for what they’ve done.” 

“And pay they will.” Youngjae’s blood runs cold as he finally gains sight of one of the figures. “The Primes and Mark Tuan.” 

“Holy shit—” Youngjae moves to make a mad dash back through the forest, but just as he takes a step backwards, his foot catches a large divot in the earth. He crashes to the ground with a faint yelp, cursing the new ache in his ankle. Panic skyrockets through his veins at the sound of approaching footsteps. Even against the slight pain, Youngjae manages to force himself to his feet, ready to make a break for it, but a broad chest halts his movements. 

Youngjae’s heart stops when he meets the gaze of Changbin, the temperamental omega from the werewolf pack. 

He smirks, “Your mother ever tell you it’s rude to eavesdrop?” 

Youngjae hisses, “Screw you.” 

Changbin remains unbothered. “What should we do with him?” 

“Well… we can’t have him warning anyone of our plans.” Minho comes into view, wearing a similar smirk to that of the werewolf. “And besides, he might turn out to be pretty useful to us.” 

“Why are you doing this!?” Youngjae demands as Changbin shoves him back to the ground. “Are you that desperate for revenge that you’d actually kill Mark-hyung!?” 

Minho shakes his head, “I’m not gonna kill him. That special gift is reserved for the Primes.” He chuckles, before lifting his shoulders in a shrug. “I’m just gonna take back what I rightfully deserve…” 

Youngjae sneers at the witch, “You’re a fucking traitor! A sick, selfish—” 

The siphoner immediately grows silent when Changbin lands a harsh hit against his cheek. At the heavy impact, Youngjae goes flying to the earth and doesn’t rise again. 

Changbin glances at Minho, “You sure about all this?” 

Minho only smirks. 

“I’m dead sure.”

[scriptlgbt]

hey i saw that youre not taking mods under 18 but i think i could do a good job. im 17 in one month and i am really ok w seeing asks abt sex, considering that this is a writing advice blog i dont think there will be anything bad. i feel like 17 year old ppl and exactly 18 yr old ppl dont have that much separating them, and the ability to handle Sex Stuff really doesnt have much to do w age. u could make a sideblog for sex questions too. anyway can i still apply

In the kindest possible way, we are not going to budge on this. We are not making a sideblog for this purpose either (aside from it being not part of the ScriptFamily protocol to do something like that, it would not be enough, as this transcends even separating minors from sex questions). 

It matters that you understand why this matters to us.

When I posted the application, explaining that the issue is about sex questions was a convenient summary that didn’t require TWs. The fact of the matter is that nearly every time we have made a statement that should be universal and obvious (like: necrophilia and pedophilia are bad), we get asks in retaliation that we ethically cannot post. That aren’t warned for and can be traumatizing, and are triggering sometimes for some of us.

A minor does not have the same level of support that people above 18 do. Even though I was paying my own rent and supporting myself in full at 17, I still wasn’t legally allowed to do most things without my parent signing off on it. Even with things that I legally had a right to access, they were still frequently barred from me because most people didn’t understand that. And I didn’t have the kind of power or sway in the world I would have needed if I’d had to deal with getting some of the asks that we get here.

This has also been discussed with the mod team and was a unanimous thing. Because this is a new rule, we had mods in the past who were under 18 when they started on the blog, who have since retired (for an array of reasons), who agree that we shouldn’t accept minors as moderators. While being 17 and 18 don’t feel very different for you, it matters for a lot more reasons than just psychologically. If it were just about psychology, I might even suggest raising the number higher.

Along with this, one of the qualifiers for people to be able to join a ScriptBlog is that we would be confident in our ability to answer questions on the topic as an expert witness in a court of law. (Think like, a scientist being asked to take the stand to explain the nuances of certain drug interactions, studies on the subject.) And being able to be cross-examined and have your research and expertise be questioned. Being able to answer questions with the quality of an expert in the field.

In this case, the field is LGBT+ topics and studies. Including our histories, medical issues, sociological determinants of health, subcultures, intra-community issues and dynamics, legal issues, prominent figures, how colonial forces impact gender, how to research LGBT+ historical figures (and what kind of coded language to look for and sometimes why that language was used), etc.

Being LGBT+ alone qualifies you with a lot of expertise, but we often get asked the kinds of questions that most researchers at the front of these topics haven’t even looked into yet. Sometimes, I have to use translators to access textbooks from 1920s Germany (bless the Hirschfeld Institute for having repatriated books online) just to answer a given question. It’s finding firsthand documentation, it’s reading textbooks and understanding what those textbooks say, and being able to develop your own independent idea of something because you’ve taken enough references (including your own firsthand experience) into account. It’s feeling qualified to write textbooks, even if just in theory.

Not that one person can know everything, but just as an example, I can list a bunch of names of Two-Spirit activists who I have learned certain things from, so I can refer people asking on certain topics where to go. I know that binarism is a colonial force of asserting a white colonial gender binary. That knowledge isn’t something that comes up on the first page of Google. (*cough* This was in the application and most people who answered it, got it wrong! But if you know this was you, you can totally go back to the link and edit your answer.) I know these things because I’ve done relentless research, over the course of years. I’ve been interviewed by Xtra (a gay paper, the gayper if u will). I’ve had a Medium article on my trans body experience selected by the editorial team at Medium as an article they wanted to hire someone to do a voiceover of.

These are just accolades. We don’t ask about accolades in the application, we ask what you know. We’re not asking what awards you’ve won for activism, we’re asking what you can advise on.

While I understand that young prodigies exist, that’s just not the norm. The majority of us are not experts in any field at 17. Or 18.

But we have to draw a line somewhere, and 18 is a minimum that falls in line with a lot of other important things. So it is the line we draw.

- mod nat

[comfortmarvelimagines]

do you have any advice or anything about safely stimming? i always seem to have bruises on my wrist and fingers, and my head always hurts from smacking it. i don’t really have any stim toys so i need alternatives or or ways to help stop self hurting stimming

okay, full disclaimer here: i rely on stim toys a lot. my first stim toy (tangle therapy) was bought with the intention of being used as a redirect from one of my dominant stims that was harmful- it was the only thing up until that point that was truly successful redirecting that stim, and without it, i struggle, even with alternative stim toys. that said, i do have enough lived experience as an autistic person, both pre- and post- dx, trying to reduce harmful stims/ learning how to safely stim. i’m still learning. but, i’ll give you what i’ve tried in the hopes that maybe something will work for you. 

the first thing that kind of helps is figuring out what stims feel good and why. when i say this, i mean the self-injurious kind as well. e.g. one of my stims is hitting the heel of my hand on a hard surface, like the corner of a desk or a doorframe. when i thought about what i physically felt when i did it, how i felt in my brain and when i did it, i realised it was often when i was studying and deliberately not allowing myself to stim; i was sitting still, writing, typing, turning pages etc. i’m super super tactile and i love input through my hands (idk how to word that not-weirdly) and so i ended up compensating by having a really intense tactile input (force against a hard surface). in kind of making these connections, i make sure that i’m giving myself enough input to regulate so that i don’t get to the point of needing to redirect a harmful stim, because i don’t get to that point of needing that feeling so bad i hurt myself, if that makes sense?

i guess what i’m trying to say is, understanding how i stim has been one of the most important things i’ve learned. if the bruises on your wrists and fingers come from a need to tactile stim, like mine, figure out what kind of tactile works. there are a surprising number of things you can probably find around your house that can work in lieu of dedicated stim toys: i always wear a belt with a chain that i stim with, i use keyrings, at work i stim on the lanyard i have to wear, i carry pens that i can pop the lids on and off. there are also some fabrics that i like to run my hands over, like a really soft blanket or reversible sequins, that help with that input. 

other than that, for hands in particular, i’d experiment with ways of stimming free-hand (again, idk how to word this stuff). but, do it when you’re not urgently trying to redirect harmful stims. i’ll flick my fingers against each other really fast, and i’ll tap a lot with my left hand (i’m a violinist, so i’ll mark out entire concertos. my instrument is actually a massive stim, in a sense. which makes it funny that i’m lowkey doing a degree in... The Best Stim???). but a lot of it will be trial and error. 

for the head thing, what helped me a lot there was more whole-body stuff? i like spinning in circles, and throwing myself onto a bed/ couch, and swings (i’m frankly furious that there are no big swings near my house, especially since i didnt appreciate how much swinging helped me regulate as a kid). i dont know why but it seems that when i go to hit my head (usually against a wall, and pretty rarely- only when im near a meltdown) i need Big Stim. that also includes weight on me. seeing as i dont have a weighted blanket, i’ve ended up stacking some pretty weird things on my body for that deep pressure, as well as training my dog to do dpt (he’s no assistance dog, he has all of 2 brain cells, but he’s big and comforting and i love him. took about a month to task train that but worth it). but yeah, that’s a lot of trial and error again. what works for me quite likely won’t work for you, and that’s okay

the next thing from there would be picking up on when you’re harmful stimming, and trying to redirect. i guess you could theoretically write it down or record it in some way, but that feels a bit too aba-ish for me personally. it’s gonna be trial and error. it’s gonna be hard, because you’re trying to figure out alternatives to tools that can be really useful in this process. i’m in no way an expert in this process, trust me. i’m so so so so so so relieved that i have a reliable alternative (tangle) to a specific stim that was hurting me and being a daily issue (like i said, i’m a violinist, so having my hands constantly bruised and aching and in pain was pretty distressing). but i still kick my ankles when i walk and bruise them and i still chew on my hands and lips and i still scratch myself up pretty bad and i still have some really messy, shitty, painful ways that i stim. and i don’t like it, and i dont like that i can’t... i dont wanna say control, but have more healthy ways of regulating. and believe me when i say i wish i could help you more, because safe stimming is super fucken rad. nts are missing out on that shit. 

anyways, i wish you all of the best of luck. even though some stims arent great, stimming overall is wonderful. amazing. give yourself the time, and the patience to try things out. i really hoped this helped even a tiny lil bit, and i’m always here to talk about stimming n what little i know about safe stimming and frankly just anything. you got this dude. i Love You !!!!

[heartsflocked]

Can you teach me how to roleplay like you do?

So, I got this ask over two weeks ago at a time when I was kind of busy and couldn’t spare a moment to answer, and I’m always very shy about answering asks late/afraid that whoever asked might not still be around, so i’m sorry it took so long and i hope you’re still around, anon! I’ve [answered an anon like this before on a previous blog] (i’m honestly!! still just as flattered when people ask me these things, i’m glad i give off the impression that i know what I’m doing) and some of that advice holds and some of it I would probably give differently? It has some useful links, though.

I don’t want to seem high and mighty like I think I’m some expert, because I really don’t!! I don’t think I know much better than anyone else and I mostly just try and follow the flow of others and follow my own instincts, but I know people being patient and trying to help me as best they could back when I started around 7 years ago is how I made it here today so I’ll try my best to help out under the cut!!

Please come off anon and message or IM me if you have a question that I didn’t cover, because I’m not all-knowing and I want to help but it might be easier to help if I know what specifically you mean by “how to RP like you do”!

Couple notes, I’ve only RPed from desktop and not from mobile, so most of my advice will be based on that, and a lot of it will be my personal preference not Solid Rules That Must Be Followed.

For starters, basic terms:

“OOC” - stands for ‘Out Of Character’; anything ooc is something the person running the blog is saying, not something said by the character.

“IC” - stands for ‘In Character’, anything tagged as IC is something said by the character. If a specific person is not referenced in the tags, a post being tagged as IC may mean it’s open to being replied to! If your url is in the tags, it means you can reply to it (either by reblogging or the reply feature).

“Indie”/”Independent” - independent roleplay blogs mean that they aren’t affiliated with anyone else and aren’t part of a closed rp group. This means that they can RP with anyone! Since they RP with anyone, they will RP with multiple versions of the same characters, but the interactions are generally treated like they take place in different universes.*

“Open”/”Open RP” - open roleplay posts are open for anyone** to reply to! If you see someone make an open roleplay and they follow you, you can reblog it with a reply!

“Starter Call” - if someone makes a starter call, it’s a post that anyone** can like, and the person who made the post will write the beginning or starter for a roleplay thread with each of the people who liked the post.

*“Mains” & “Exclusives” - if someone has mains and exclusives, that means that they have a default rp partner for certain characters. Mains are rp partners who are the most common or most referenced version of a certain canon muse and are always considered the ‘canon’ version of a character’s ‘main’ universe. Exclusives are rp partners who are the Only version of that muse someone will play with. So if I had an Exclusive Momo for my Jiro, I would only roleplay with that Momo, but if I had a Main Kaminari for my Jiro, I would still rp with other Kaminaris, just not as often as my Main.

**“Private”/”Mutuals Only” - mutuals are people who you follow that also follow you. you have to be mutually following each other to be considered mutuals! if a blog is private or mutuals only, that means they won’t write with people who they do not follow. So, even if they post an open roleplay, someone who they don’t follow is not supposed to reply, or like their starter calls.

Now, onto the actual RP itself. You probably realize this easy enough from seeing other people RP or from any experience you have with it yourself, but RP is a lot like writing a fic with another person! It’s best to stick to third person POV though a lot of people do good things with second person POV, and an important note is that the point of RP is working together! So, you want to try and give your partner something to reply to or work with in every reply you give them!

Basic example: If someone makes you a starter that’s like “What are you doing?” and you reply with “Homework, I need to focus so leave me alone.” then you aren’t giving them anything to reply to! Then their only choice is to let your character focus and end the interaction. Instead, you could reply with “Homework, can you help?” Similarly, you’re supposed to build off of each other; add something new to each reply, not get stuck in an endless loop of just reacting to what they said without giving them something to react to.And if someone asks you for a roleplay starter, make sure whatever you write for them is something that will be easy to continue for a long time! If you write a starter that’s just “Get out of my way.”, that doesn’t give them a lot to reply to, you know?

On desktop, it’s important to trim posts. That means deleting your last reply, so that the thread doesn’t take too long for other people to scroll past or scroll through. If you have the new xkit extension, then you can make the post editable there, and cut out your last reply. If not, or if you’re on mobile, you can delete all replies, and either copy and paste their last reply in or just leave it out.

You only control your character, so stick to writing your character! Don’t try to control your partner’s character; never write into your thread what the other person’s character is doing, unless it’s something THEY said they were doing already. Also, try not to force their character into something they didn’t agree with. “Character A punches Character B, knocking Character B off of their feet.” is rude to write into your reply, because it takes control away from the person who writes Character B, and doesn’t give them the option to dodge or decide how they take the punch!

Try and set up a rules page; a lot of people won’t follow if you don’t have a rules page. It’s important so you can make it clear what you are and aren’t comfortable writing, and what you are and aren’t comfortable with seeing from your partners.

If you write a canon character, you may not need an about page although it can be helpful, but if you write your own original character you definitely need to have some basics so people know what your character is like and how their character might meet them and what to expect from your character!

Using icons: People use images in their thread to show what their character is feeling! They don’t just use random images of their character, they use icons! This means that the images are supposed to always be the same shape and size. The default size is 100px by 100px, but some people go smaller or use a different shape. My icons are always 80px x 80px. I have a friend whose icons are always 66px x 66px. It’s easy to edit, trim, and resize images down with sites like online-image-editor.com, pixlr.com/editor, and photopea.com, and pixlr even has an express editor app that makes it VERY easy to edit, crop, and resize icons from mobile if you don’t RP from desktop! The key is consistency, your images don’t have to be the same size and shape as everyone else’s, but each of your own images SHOULD match each other!

If you play a canon character, don’t get shy because someone else plays that character! We call two people who play the same muse “duplicates”, and duplicates aren’t in competition! If someone RPs with one of your duplicates, that doesn’t mean they won’t be just as happy to write with you! The only exception is if they say they’re exclusives with that duplicate.

Formatting: lots of people use formatting in their posts! What constitutes formatting is small text, subscript text, superscript text, italics, bold text, and indents. Indents are just done by hitting space multiple times at the beginning of a paragraph. Small text can be done on desktop by hitting “ctrl + shift + -”, and subscript and superscript can be done by hitting “ctrl + ,” and “ctrl + .”.  You can achieve these effects on mobile if you’re willing to go to the extra effort by putting it in html tags (you can google html tags for each of those things easily!). People mess with all this stuff just to make replies look to their own personal taste.

This got really longwinded and complicated and I lost track of where I was going with it in places but I tried to cover most of the basics of things that I think about whenever I RP! I hope it wasn’t too hard to follow!

[seyaryminamoto]

I've started the process of writing my own love story. Its not a fanfic, but an original novel that I plan on completing someday. However, even though I already have the main story planned out, Im having a hard time with dialogue and coming up with ways for my characters to interact with each other(if that makes sense) I was just wondering if u have any tips 4 me. I know this doesn't have anything to do with gladiator, but im a huge fan of your writing style and would love to hear your advice.

Hmmm… well, dialogue is a little tricky. From what I’ve been taught in school, there are three different kinds of texts that can comprise a narrative text: action (the actual narration), description and dialogue. Action moves things forward, description somewhat stops time, and dialogue can achieve either thing, depending on how it’s used.

But dialogue also helps a lot when it comes to characterization. Dialogue is meant to convey information between characters, and characters, like real people, have different points of view, disagreements, points in common, and so forth. Each of your characters has had different experiences, and often dialogues are the best way to bring up those experiences (having a character talk about something that happened to them is often more dynamic than simply explaining it in descriptive or narrative text).

So, with that in mind, how to write dialogue? First things first: imagine yourself in the shoes of a character. Dialogue is the best empathy exercise I’ve ever done, because it really forces you to forget yourself and to picture yourself in someone else’s shoes for a moment (kind of like what an actor does). Two characters are unlikely to respond in the exact same way to the same events. Say that there are two characters in a sports game and one team scores: one of the characters cheers and the other grumbles in frustration.  You can know, just through dialogue, that one character supports the winning team and the other supports the losing one.

Dialogue can be difficult, but it’s a really good tool for characterization, too often better than description or narration. Yes, actions speak very loudly, but a character can be incredibly elegant in actions and appearance, only to swear like a sailor once their dialogue begins (then you’d get a pretty funny contradiction between appearance and behavior that makes for an amusing character). In short, dialogue is how a character interacts with the world around them, with their friends and enemies, with their family and strangers (characters also interact differently with each kind of relationship I mentioned here, the same way real people do). So when you write dialogue you give your character a voice, and as in real life, everyone has different voices.

You’ve said you’re writing a love story… dialogue, to me, is essential for romance. I don’t know what kind of story it is for sure, but whether your characters are instantly attracted to each other or absolutely can’t stand each other at first…? You need to bring up situations for dialogue to produce genuine bonding. Physical attraction alone isn’t enough to establish actual love, most fiction these days makes a deliberate effort to go beyond that, so dialogue is a must in your line of work. Dialogue is how you show chemistry between your characters, how you prove to your readers that these two characters have plenty to offer each other and can have a very special bond.

My advice is… generate situations where dialogue can happen between them. Push the plot so that they have no choice but to interact. Their first dialogues may not go too far in establishing meaningful bonding, but that’s where you’ll have to produce situations where they get to bond. Using Gladiator as an example, in chapter 9, when I brought Sokka to the Barge’s deck and he found Azula training there, they end up training together for the first time in the story. Azula’s warrior training shows, but she’s no expert with the sword. Because of this, the subject of why she never trained with Piandao came up, and this is the first time Sokka hears about her conflicts with her mother. Azula finds herself telling him about this, while obviously holding back a lot of information he didn’t need to know, but she’s still sharing something with him that she hasn’t shared with most people (namely… because nobody else has asked her about any of this before :’D).

That exchange is what I consider the first real bonding scene between them in the story, where they first truly respected one another and their many differences, while finding a little common ground, too. Knowing Azula wasn’t allowed to learn how to use swords gave Sokka the chance to offer to teach her, many chapters later. Teaching her becomes not only another perfect excuse for them to spend time together, but it strengthens their relationship because he’s somehow fulfilling one of her dreams.

And it all started with that dialogue!

So, allow your characters to have important things in their lives aside from their relationship (as it is here with Sokka, Azula, training, bending, swords and such). If they have common interests it becomes easier to weave in a romantic storyline. If they have diametrically different interests, you can weave in the romance anyways because of how they try to conciliate those differences. Give them more substance aside from their relationship (which is realistic, as people in real life tend to have much more going on in life aside from just romance), and soon enough you’ll have two characters who can interact at leisure. From casual talk, like what I explained above with Gladiator as an example, you can get a conversation that will move dynamically and organically through many topics. If it’s a meaningful conversation, it can come back sometime later, once one of the character brings it up like “hey, remember when you told me about *insert topic here*…?”, as it was with Sokka and Azula’s interest in swordsmanship, or when Sokka remembered later that Azula’s relationship with her mother wasn’t that good, knowledge he acquired thanks to this particular exchange.

In any case, this is what I recommend. But for other important things to note with dialogue:

Small talk is a thing: while some people will tell you that you should NEVER have empty, pointless dialogue in a story (because a story should be concise), people in real life can have some really pointless conversations. Yes, your dialogue, ideally, should always convey new information, but don’t be unforgiving with yourself if it doesn’t. Sometimes you need a few lines of empty small talk before you can get to the real meat of the exchange. The main thing to avoid, though, is turning a serious conversation into meaningless small talk, but I’ll expand on that in point 3.

People have different vocabulary: this is something that can cause trouble in some ways. It’s been a little complicated for me in recent times, I used to be better at it. But part of characterization is knowing what kind of words your character would use, and what kind they wouldn’t. You can have characters who are very eloquent with their dialogue (I try to do this with Ozai, because really, it takes some real weirdo to say things like “the universe delivers you to me as an act of providence”, canonically), others who are less so, and some who would just have absolutely no fancy words in their vocabulary altogether.Important thing to note: your characters, unless they’re meant to be you, or are educated exactly like you, probably won’t talk exactly as you do. One particular problem I’ve seen in some writers is that they can’t seem to change the speech pattern of characters, either they aren’t sure how or just don’t know how to do it, and it gives the feeling of mechanical dialogue, because it’s like you’re just reading the narrator’s voice rather than the character’s. Whether you’re making fanfiction or original fiction, your characters should have different speech patterns from yours/the narrator’s, unless there’s a very good reason for them not to have them (example, you can have a character who loves using literary quotes when talking, and you can also have a character who’s never read any high literature: by logic, the second character shouldn’t be able to use any of the quotes the first one uses in common dialogue).

Make dialogue meaningful when it has to be: I am a fan of small talk, of simple conversations between characters that can be pretty easy-going, casual, what have you. I don’t need every exchange between characters to be filled with “I AM YOUR FATHER!”-like revelations. But I recently watched at TV show that had just featured a “character death”, and it provided a perfect opportunity for the character’s best friends to talk about what happened (and to properly talk about how one of them was going to fill the “dead character’s” shoes from there on), and… the dialogue that should have been important was absolutely, entirely, meaningless. It didn’t change anything. It didn’t move either character in any direction. You barely even felt like they were affected by their friend’s “death”, that’s probably the worst part of it all (they shoehorned one of the characters getting tears in her eyes at random, despite the conversation’s emotional charge was equal to zero).In conclusion: when something big has happened, your characters will show emotion, will react emotionally, and if they don’t, there’s a chance they’re just bottling things up (and you should imply the bottling up through dialogue, which can be done). When caught up in awful circumstances, characters cannot simply indulge in small talk, or pointless conversations that lead nowhere. It’s in these cases where strong dialogue is needed. Anticlimactic dialogue is a very unpleasant thing to have in your story, as it can break all suspension of disbelief from your readers.

Don’t be afraid of having multiple characters in one conversation: I’m not a fan of big conversations in real life, but multiple voices in fiction have been ridiculously fun for me to write. Yes, you need to be versatile and switch positions with every new character you write, but for instance, I really enjoyed writing the Gaang talking at the cafeteria table in IHTBY. When you bring together characters from different backgrounds, different experiences, and have them interact with each other, you find yourself with all sorts of different chemistry between all of them: you can have characters who get along well, characters who like to bicker with each other, characters who have entirely different views in life, characters who have crushes on each other… you can have virtually anything. And that provides the opportunity for dynamic dialogue scenes that, for reasons beyond my understanding, a lot of writers seem to avoid like the plague. Granted I’m not saying you should make every single dialogue a multi-character dialogue, but I do recommend that you don’t run away from this, because I’ve seen people who do that and it only seems to hinder their stories in the end.

Your character will behave differently depending on whom they’re talking to: this is something I mentioned earlier, but I’ll mention it again: Azula doesn’t talk with Sokka with the same cautious respect she usually has to muster when talking to her father. When she threw that caution into the wind (as she did in a recent Gladiator chapter), not only was she terrified while doing it, but she took Ozai and everyone else around them by surprise. Likewise, she wouldn’t talk to any strangers the same way she talks to Sokka or her father.Characters will respond differently to other characters, depending on how guarded or how free they feel around the other person. Depending, too, on what sort of relationship they have with the opposite person: Sokka is Azula’s partner and lover, he has seen Azula for who she is, entirely, which means she’s at her most open when she’s with him. Toph, Ty Lee, Mai and others are Azula’s friends, they know she has a her softer side but they haven’t seen it nearly as often as Sokka has, so Azula is more reserved around them than around Sokka. Ozai is her father, due to her relationship with him she endeavors to NEVER show him her soft/weak side, so she’s VERY guarded when talking to him. Likewise, she didn’t show her soft/weak side to Zuko, her brother, until a little while before they parted ways, because she couldn’t let him see she wasn’t absolutely perfect, so she was very reserved with him, too, even if she would lower her guard just enough to torment him whenever she felt like it.An important example, with which I seem to break this rule (despite I kind of don’t…) is Sokka: he’s constantly horrifying people everywhere because of how he talks boldly to Ozai, apparently not holding back at all (truthfully, he holds back a lot more than most my characters seem to realize x’D). He doesn’t get a pass for this: everyone thinks he’s crazy for showing so little respect to the Fire Lord. Ozai thinks it’s amusing, sure, but most other people are horrified. If you have a character who talks to everyone the same way, regardless of authority or different positions in the world, other characters need to respond to it, especially if it’s as far out of place as it is when Sokka does it in Gladiator.

Let the character guide you: once you’ve established your character, dialogue can become a matter of impulse (as it happens to me most times). Only a couple of hours ago I had to backtrack on an exchange between two characters where one of them responded negatively to what the other character said. I couldn’t really write it differently, because the one character could only be offended by the other character’s words. I had to modify the full dialogue so that the response to the first line of dialogue wouldn’t turn a playful conversation into an argument.In short, you can’t force a character to behave or respond to situations in ways they don’t want to. If your character leads you in one direction, you can’t double down on them and make them act differently than they would. Once you feel characters moving by themselves in one direction or another you know for sure that you’ve been able to understand them… but that is a full compromise, so to speak. If you understand them, it means you understand why they respond to things the way they do, and you also understand why they wouldn’t respond any differently than how they do. So, if you’re faced with a problem like the one I described in the previous paragraph... change the situation, or the previous dialogues that can be altered (if changing the previous character’s dialogue disrupts their characterization too, you’ll have to rewrite from further back). Just, don’t force a puzzle piece where it doesn’t fit. That only harms your story further in the end. It takes away the life in your characters, because they feel less consistent and therefore, less believable.

I’m not sure if I can come up with anything else… but if you have any other specific questions about dialogue-writing that I didn’t answer here, just let me know and I’ll give you a hand if I can do so! :D

[theworststudent]

As some of you may know I’m currently writing my master’s thesis, and also working on a novel (or two). I’ve always loved writing, and reading. So here are some of my tips for academic writing, that apply to creative writing too :) 

Disclaimer: I am not an expert obviously (but I do usually get A’s on written assignments whelp)

1. T h i n k and outline This may seem super obvious, but sometimes I want to make a deadline so badly that I forget to think about what I’m trying to say. Then I get frustrated because nothing’s coming out of my hands and I’m stuck (/defeated). So think! Close your eyes if that helps you. If you’re not writing in your first language, it may help you to think about things in your native language first, and then translate them (no matter how fluent you think you are!!). 

Then I usually create an outline. It may be obvious and kind of boring, but I think teachers want you to do this for a reason. Think about each paragraph you’re going to write, maybe give it a one-sentence-summary. Make it as concise or as detailed as you want! I’ll include an example of my introduction outline here. 

2. Parts of a whole So, what I mean by this is, sometimes we can see a task or project as a whole. It’s enormous and terrifying, and we don’t know where to start. What helps me is to break it down. Forget about the whole, and focus on the parts.  If you’re currently working on the introduction, then focus on that. In fact, introduction is still kind of a whole, so focus on that one paragraph you’re currently writing. Then on a specific part of the paragraph, then on a sentence, a word, etcetera.  Think like Neil Armstrong: a small step in your thesis writing process (like making a bridge sentence to connect two articles) can be a giant step for your whole.

3. Let your creativity flow That being said, I believe that creativity is a process, and that all writing - including academic - is creative. So if you suddenly get inspiration for your discussion, or your abstract, then just go work on that! This can also increase your confidence. If you show yourself that you can write something, it can get you out of that ‘oh my god, I suck and can’t do anything’ vibe (which we all get from time to time, believe you me!) Be mindful, however, and catch yourself procrastinating. If instead of writing, you’re meticulously editing your references (guilty), gently bring your attention back to the task at hand. It may also be a sign that you need a break. Move around & eat something & the usual tips. 

4. Inspiration can come at the weirdest times Like when you’re on the toilet (gross, maybe, but very true!!), or when it’s two am and you’re kinda tipsy. So my advice is to carry a notebook wherever you go. Okay, maybe not to the toilet, but you get the idea.  Wait a sec, I’m actually being super old-fashioned, because you’ll probably have your phone on you!! Use it to make notes! Sometimes I just get a word in my head, and I think “ooh I want to use that word”, so I jot it down somewhere. Or I suddenly have a brilliant comment about a certain author’s thoughts. Et cetera..

5. Allow for change & don’t cramp up As I’ve tried to make clear, writing is a process. Don’t be afraid to change things. Don’t think of things as final, at least not for a while. Heck, I think I’ve changed every sentence of the prologue of my novel a couple of times, and I’ve been working on it for a week.  Give yourself time. Write something, write something else on a different topic (I usually work on something new, and then review something I’ve already written), and come back to it the next day. Think of your thesis as an ugly, pink, wrinkly baby panda that’s slowly morphing into a cute black-and-white cub, and then into a majestic grown beast.

6. Steps, not leaps Again with the Neil Armstrong vibe, what!!  I think it’s better to write too much, and give it a good edit after a couple of days, then to write too simplistically and be unclear. Feedback is super helpful for this (see next point), because often something is obvious in your head but not to the reader. Take the reader by hand, and tell your tale step by step. I take a lot of inspiration from Haruki Murakami on this. He’s the king of writing three sentences on the same subject. Try that! If you paraphrase an author, try writing that sentence in your own words. And then in slightly different words. And again. Maybe work those three into one or two new sentences. Again, your draft doesn’t have to be perfect, and it will always need editing. 

7. Ask for help I always let my boyfriend read my stuff, because he is kind, but picky, and I can immediately give comments on his comments. So find a friend/relative/classmate/person and ask them to read your thing and point out things that are unclear to them (it helps if they are outsiders). If they say ‘I don’t get what you’re trying to say here and here’, your reaction will probably be ‘what I’m trying to say is ....’, and that’s what we want!! That right there is super valuable. Write that down and use it.

TOP TIP: Freewriting is da best My first ever university teacher taught me this. If you kind of have a vague idea about what to write, but are not sure, then freewrite. Take pen and paper, and don’t look directly at the page, but at the table/wall/your non-writing-hand/whatever. Close your eyes if you can. Or type on your laptop or pc, with the brightness waaay down low, so that you can’t see what you’re typing. And then just write away! This is daunting and kind of scary, but as Nike said, just do it. Don’t worry about capital letters or punctuation. In fact, don’t worry about making sense. I’ll give you an example. 

okay i just half closed my laptop and now im freetying which is always kind of weird at first but you have to get into it and ust let your fingers go whetever aaargh im making so many typos. so anyway if you dont know what to type about you literally type that, and then wait until you get a thought doesnt have to be on topic or whatever can be about that song thats been in your head for days

Kind of like this ;) It’s nice to do this when you know you have to write about something, but you don’t know exactly what to say. I do this when I have to write a bridge between two paragraphs, when making connections, when I have doubts about an author’s statements.

Sorry this turned out freaking long, but I hope it helps some of you!

If you want more horribly lengthy advice, hmu :)

[ashintheairlikesnow]

hi ash! i know you said before that you're not autistic you just did a lot of research to depict chris realistically- do you have any advice for finding resources on writing disabled characters that isn't like... horribly abelist? im writing someone with an intellectual disability from head trauma and who is nonverbal, and i want to get it right but everything online seems very autism-speaks-y. im autistic and semiverbal but i dont have an id and i want to be realistic and respectful.

I cannot speak with any expertise or sense of speaking from enough experience to be taken as an expert here, and defer as always to those with lived experience with intellectual disability!

But I will give a few more general tips for what to do when looking to write a character with a neurological makeup that doesn’t match your own, as far as what has worked for me with Chris:

1. The story should never be ABOUT their lived experience if you do not also have it. Chris’s story is not about autism, or being autistic. I would never presume to try and write a story like that because, whatever my intentions, I don’t have that knowledge that comes from living it. I would at BEST be taking the experiences of others, their voices. At worst, I would be someone standing with a megaphone shouting over those who deserve to be heard.

Making the disability what the plot revolves around is... generally just not going to be a good idea, in any sense. It’s moments like this where I feel like it’s best to defer to the writers who have lived it, instead. 

This is not to say “never write someone different than yourself”, because... I don’t think that’s at all good advice. I think that way lies stunted writers who never push themselves. But it does mean “do not center the story on this thing if you have not experienced it and don’t have that knowledge and understanding”.

2. At the same time, don’t try to be coy or dance around or hide the disability behind purple prose or refuse to acknowledge its reality. Trying to make a disability sound cute, or talk around it instead of speaking it out loud, can be minimizing or shaming in ways that I think it’s easy to miss, if you don’t live with that disability yourself! To me, this touches on one of my hugest pet peeves - characters who are written as having a particular neurodivergence in media, or shown on tv, but they never expressly admit to it or name it. 

I know I hesitated with Chris, more because I didn’t feel comfortable giving him a diagnosis until I understood autism better myself, and I do regret how long it took me to embrace that reality about him. I just thought it better to err on the side of researching before I embraced. But I do feel some guilt about waiting so long when I had readers who were identifying so heavily with him, and I kind of knew, but just didn’t feel comfortable owning it yet.

3. On a related note - disabilities in a story that become melodramatic tragedy or turn the disabled character into a ‘redemption story’ for an abled character. This is so, so prevalent in common media and pop culture and once you recognize it for what it is, it’s so hard to not see it in so many places. Think of how many movies, novels, etc contain a disabled character who exists to teach abled people some virtuous lesson about living life to the fullest or ‘what it really means to be human’ blah blah blah blah blah. Don’t do that. Please. (I mean, I kind of feel like you definitely won’t, but I’m just speaking very generally here). If you find the story going in a direction in which abled people learn something from the disabled person, please think very carefully and critically as to why the story is heading in that direction.

Language alone can also be a problem here - think about the difference between openly describing a character moving around their life with a wheelchair vs. calling them “wheelchair-bound” or “reliant on a cane”, when the cane or wheelchair may actually represent freedom to that person - an aid they need, yes, but one that allows them to live with far more agency than they might have had otherwise. 

To describe them, especially from their own POV, as “wheelchair-bound”, may ring false to disabled people who understand that the wheelchair isn’t a cage, but a tool that allows that individual person to feel less caged by being able to more freely leave home.  

(This varies person to person, just providing an example)

4. Educate. Research. And don’t just do so by asking people with disabilities to tell you their stories. I often express gratitude to the autistic readers, those with ADHD, etc who spoke up about Chris, talked about their own experiences, identified with him, found him very resonating for aspects of their own lives. 

These stories, this information, this sharing of their lives was given freely to me, and I’m fucking amazed and grateful for how welcomed Chris was, and how willing readers were to share about themselves when talking about him.

Their willingness to speak about these things is something I treasure. But I absolutely would never believe that a single person owed me the story of their life to make sure I got Chris right. That was my responsibility, you know? I try to keep in mind the concept of ‘emotional labor’. Asking a disabled person to be your resource is asking them to give, and give, and give of themself. They may want to give you that kind of labor, they may not. But I definitely wouldn’t ask it of anyone without understanding it was something they were happy or felt comfortable giving.

Research, on the other hand, is essential. You mentioned things being “autism speaks-y” when trying to research on your own, and oh god, do I feel you. It sucks that autism speaks is the first thing to pop up when trying to research the lives of autistic people - and in my research, I was lucky to already know AS sucks and write them off and anyone who heavily referenced them as not helpful. I can see how someone might not know that, though, and stumble on them and believe they were a helpful resource for writing autism when they... well. Nope. 

Try to think about the express disability you are writing for this person, and why, and then go research! I looked up “books on autism recommended by autistic people”, and found some invaluable books, yes, but also papers published online, websites, etc! Each of them vetted and looked over and recommended by autistic people, so I knew I was getting information that came from people with those experiences and that understanding. A good example - I picked up a book on the history of diagnosis and treatment of autism in the United States, mentioned it here, and @redwingedwhump recommended a book called Neurotribes... which turned out to be immensely more helpful, spot-on, and provided some really excellent foundational information I wouldn’t have found in the first book at all.

There’s a lot of information out there on Traumatic Brain Injuries and their lasting effects on individuals who receive them, so I would start there. What you’re describing sounds like a TBI with lasting effects! So I would start your research there, and also look up being nonverbal separately, as well as combining the two. Make sure you’re not just looking at the top links - often paid ads or problematic organizations that are able to pay more for better exposure - but also scanning for blogs, nonprofits, lived-experiences stories, too.

I found a lot of information on the second or even third page of results i would never have seen if I only stuck to the first. Remember the algorithm on search engines is usually showing you what other people are clicking on, not necessarily the best source.

5. This is one you the asker already know, but I want to include it for general reasons: do not ‘dumb down’ the thought processes of a nonverbal or semi-verbal person. I see this in fiction surprisingly often, and I think it’s this sense we have as abled people (’we’ just meaning I’m including myself) that being verbal is required to have a highly complex thought process, and it’s... it’s just fucking not. Speech and though are related but not completely wound around each other, and the ability to verbalize is not the same as the ability to think. 

Like I said, I know you know this, asker, but it’s something I see in fiction/media and it drives me up the wall. So I wanted to include it.

6. For the love of God, do not use medical terminology unless you actually know what you’re doing/talking about. Many disabled people or those with serious medical conditions become what amounts to experts on their own diagnoses, because they have to. They have to be experts to receive the care they should be able to rely on. If you constantly fuck up terminology - trust me - it will be noticed, and it will take people out of the story or hurt their ability to suspend disbelief while reading.

There are ways to do medical scenes/conversations with doctors that avoid falling into this problem! I would just be very very careful to heavily research before using any complex terminology.

7. This disabled person does not exist to evoke pity. They are a human - nuanced and multi-layered - living their life, and their story should always, always reflect that. I don’t really have anything else to add to that.

I would love to hear further advice from anyone with anything else to add.

[brianna-lei]

Butterfly Soup Asks #16

This time including the squad as DnD characters, Liz facts, Noelle getting her yaoi education, and more

I’ve only played Dungeons & Dragons once (1) in my life so I’m no expert! I’d consider my thoughts suggestions (like with my takes on the charaters’ MBTI types, which I’m not an expert of either): 

Noelle as a Wizard sounds right, since she definitely can’t do anything reliant on physical strength. She would be an asshole and attempt things like building a Clone Army

AKARSHA THE BARD. Rogue sounds too cool for her

Diya: I actually want to say she’s a Ranger because the Wiki on 5th edition says “The Beast Master archetype forges a connection between civilization and beasts, allowing the character to interact with animals in certain ways including gaining an animal companion to control.“ Fighter and Knight also sound plausible though! 

Min: Barbarian with high Strength and no Intelligence and Wisdom

I don’t want to say too much because I want to save things for the sequel, but here’s some stuff:

She actually played against Diya in youth leagues before she transitioned. That’s why she recognizes Diya+specifically approached her to sign the baseball club form while Diya doesn’t recognize her. At the first club meeting Liz tells her “I was at one of your games when you were little” -- This is purposefully ambiguous/misleading (sounds like Liz was just watching) because she passes and doesn’t want to out herself to a bunch of club members she doesn’t know well

After transitioning she quit baseball and switched to softball. It was weird being the one trans girl on a team of cis dudes, and additionally when she was younger she sort of felt like she had to prove she was a girl; she naturally has feminine taste, but she’d overperform it by 25%. It wasn’t until she got close to Chryssa and found out she also liked baseball that she reclaimed her interest in it

She has a nice resting face so strangers tend to ask her for directions 

Sunburns easily

Yesss check the FAQ guys! Fangames are fine as long as you explicitly say it’s a fangame!! 

I’m almost mad I didn’t think of this myself. I’m one of those people who overuses “spoopy” 

All art in the game (including the title screen) can be downloaded here!

NO!!! 

Noelle. The day the others find out will be the End of her

Akarsha was reading some yaoi so it came up in conversation, and since Noelle had never heard of it Akarsha gleefully educated her (to Noelle’s horror). Noelle was extremely scandalized that Akarsha kept sending her inappropriate images, and Akarsha was like “i’m doing this out of the kindness of my heart! it’s for ur education!! me: Master Teacher. call me sensei”  

Following this Akarsha changed her chat name to YAOI SEME as seen at the beginning of the game 

Diya and Noelle: Never tried it

Min: Has tried it 

Akarsha: She constantly makes weed jokes but actually only does it rarely 

Yes, I’m planning on exploring this more in the sequel! 

Diya; Dee-ya. Rhymes with “See ya”

Min-seo: Korean way, but most characters like Diya pronounce it like Min-so, with the “Min” rhyming with “win” (not like “mean”). The “so” is one syllable (not like “see oh”)  

Akarsha: uh-KAR-sha

Noelle: No L 

I was planning on making the sprites blink! I’m still a bit sad I didn’t end up doing it

It’s supposed to be fall 2008 when they’re in high school, but I took a LOT of artistic liberties when it came to the references. For example, Akarsha makes a Durarara reference even though the anime didn’t come out until 2010, and there’s a lot of modern memes that ended up in there too...I couldn’t hold back...

The IGF trailer video is especially modern-day meme-wise -- since it broke the 4th wall, it was like, all bets are off. Don’t think too hard about it!

I wanted to put a lot of 90s and early 00s hits in the game for the nostalgia factor, like Complicated, Rock Your Body, Dilemma, etc. I think it would’ve made the experience even more surreal for players who are around my age!

I don’t own the rights to all the music so I can’t distribute it around for people to download! Here’s where you can find everything:

Thought Projection by Ketsa

Holding Your Breath by Ketsa

Thoughts of You by Ketsa

2011-13 by Ketsa

Miyauchi Yuri/110515 (miltata remix) by Miltata

Night Tourist by Miltata

Sound413_Images(short) by Miltata

Sound429_Floating Cloud (draft) by Miltata

Side by Side by Miltata

Blooming by Miltata

Romaras by Miltata

Little Circle by Miltata

Daydream by Miltata

Calling Project 2 by .que

Flame of Love by YOSHI

Valar Morghulis by Bloodgod

Overflowing by Tatsuya Kato

My Heart Will Go On - Recorder By Candlelight by Matt Mulholland

At one point Diya finds out what it means on her own. After she finds out, she uses it for the actual meaning :) (added this to the FAQ now) 

I can totally relate to all of them, but I’d say Diya! (added this to the FAQ now) 

that sounds a bit alarming

(I added this to the FAQ page now, thanks for reminding me)  I’m fine with people shipping whatever!! The only thing I can think of that’d make me uncomfortable is incest and shipping Diya and Min with male characters – other than that, go nuts

Oh noo im sorry, that must’ve been stressful! For those who don’t know, I chatted about my game for a few minutes last week with MEGA (a USC club I used to be in!). I’ve adapted them here with what I assume what the questions were: 

1. Is that your cat on your Skype icon? 

yeah it is!! it's burrito 

(people think it’s a cute name) 

LOL glad you guys approve

2. Was the game made in Renpy? What do you think of Renpy vs. Twine? 

yep! it's made in renpy! I actually started out in twine -- twine is impossible if your game is like longer than an hour and is image heavy. the engine started lagging so bad it would take 30 secs to do anything

2. Would you eat a tiny 2 inch man for $100 million?

LOL it's hard..it's a lot of money. I don't think I would

(but you could use that money to save many more lives! utilitarianism) 

it's a real dude tho! i'd feel awful for him haha it's hard when you have to physically do it LOL

3. How long did it take for you to make Butterfly Soup? 

FOREVER. I thought of it in my junior year over winter break

4. Was it for school (like an assignment)? 

nah! just on my own

(people saying that’s impressive) 

yeah!! self motivation

5. What’s your favorite part of the game? 

hmmmmM I like the "date" with min in the dream. it's so fun, with the dog park

6. Which character do you relate to the most? 

diya!! social anxiety queen, so relatable

(people comment on how she runs around when anxious) 

i really did that before my sat once, ran 2 miles at the school's track

7. Are you from the San Francisco Bay Area

yeah i'm from the bay! east bay

8. Which year did you first come up with Butterfly Soup? 

winter 2014 i think

(people trying to calculate which year was my junior year) 

i graduated a year early so junior year was also senior year

9. Are you making a sequel? 

yes!! once ihave more time. i have a lot of ideas for stuff that goes after

10. Was this a prequel to Pom Gets Wi-Fi? Or maybe spiritual successor?

this is a prequel. i dunno about spiritual successor tho, they're a bit differnt

11. Any tips on how to balance schoolwork and working on personal projects? 

hmm...i honestly sucked at this and could only work on it on breaks lol...if you can try to work it into your school projects, like some bit of it...

other than that i cant think of anything LOL it's hard

12. How did you organize yourself making such a long game? Any tips? 

it was SUPER hard to organize, i was really lost until i split it into 4 sections with each character. so if you're planning on making a game this big definitely think about forcing yourself into sections like that

the art was the most confusing to do bc of how many assets there were. i was going to say "have consistent naming conventions" but that's literally impossible LOL it'll always become inconsistent no matter how hard u try

13. What part of the game took the longest (writing? art?) 

writing, actually, despite how much i complain about art assets. it's really hard making sure the structure and themes come across correctly. like pacing is so hard. art is like #2 biggest time sink

14. How early in did you write the Akarsha/Min skateboard scene?

that came pretty late haha i put it in at last second

15. Are the characters based on real people? 

they're all inspired by combinations of ppl i know! i wouldn't say based on them, tho. for example min is like a combination of 3 friends i have, strategically arranged to play her part in the story

character design is design so u still gotta be deliberate about it

16. Who’s the other cat on the computer? (they’re referring to the cat on my desktop wallpaper) 

that one's maru! he's a famous japaense cat. he's super photogenic

(people speculating that he’s the “tube one”) 

the tube one? probably. he's famous for going into stuff

17. What was your favorite aspect of working on the game? 

definitely getting to put specific Asian-American experiences into it

i was like HAHOH i can do this and no one can stop me! it was really fun getting to do this without any creative direction from like, a studio or anything. so i could just go bonkers. i hate pitching stuff so

18. Any writing advice? 

definitely have other people beta your writing as soon as possible! they always catch stuff you missed. also this is like a cheat, make your characters really extreme. like find one aspect of yourself, and turn it up to 11 and make it into a character. that way they'll be relatable and memorable at the same time. i think most people don't make their characters extreme enough so they're all kinda samey

19. (I can’t remember what they asked me here, sorry! They were asking if a specific meme was in the game)

LMAO nah it's not. i did briefly think about it though, i will admit

20. Would you eat a Gusher the size of your hand? 

that would be pretty cool. i don't think i could eat it all at once tho...i would try to save it. like half

You’re welcome, I’m really happy to hear it helped the game feel relatable!!  

Thank you! I hope you have a good day too!!

haha I feel like my game is almost propaganda bc so many people wish they had girlfriends after playing it! the agenda...Thank you for waiting for the sequel, it makes me super happy to hear people are looking forward to it! 

You’re welcome!! I’ll do my best!!! 

You’re welcome!!!! :>

You’re welcome!!! 

same I’m really happy so many people find them relatable! you’re welcome!! 

You’re welcome!! my kids can never get enough love im very happy 

I’m glad you liked it! Thanks for the support! TT_TT