TowersFall: we’re going modern day right?
dropsgum: Yeah!!
dropsgum: I’ll make the starter if you can’t think of anything
TowersFall: sure but i did have an idea already if you can use it
TowersFall: busy mall, my characters an assassin so shell be on a job and unexpectedly run into yours and then we go from there
dropsgum: Oooh, sounds exciting
dropsgum: Well then I can start!! you can show me your great writing skills Mr. great big writer :p
Her jabs reminded me that we weren’t friends having fun—we were doing this to prove our points. Not that I didn’t already foresee the outcome, nor am I saying her point has any validity…
God, I needed to focus.
dropsgum: Emerald ran through the mall in a rush, finally stopping in front of the boutique hat store that she often frequented. She just
had to get there before they closed—luckily, they were often empty at this hour, and so she knew she’d have a good, quiet time shopping. In fact, she was so eager to get going that she walked in without realizing someone else was in her path.
Solid paragraph response. That worked with me—paragraph long was the idea in my mind. Not too little that you don’t have anything to work with, not too long that you have to pad through the character’s every thought.
Wait, am I praising her!? No, no, just reply. Reply already!
TowersFall: Juliet was on a mission—and she’d do anything she could to accomplish it. Tracking her target was easy, especially with how empty the mall had become. He had just left the hat shop, which meant it was time to wait it out before following him. However, when she moved to tail her target, her senses failed her for a crucial moment as she bumped into a young girl. All she did was glare in response, saying nothing. There were no words she could spare for such a fool.
dropsgum: Emerald stumbled back, butt smacking against the cold floor. She stuck her tongue out at the woman who ran into her. “Geeeez, can’t you watch where you’re going?…Say, I don’t think I’ve seen you before, and I know ev~eryone that goes through this store! Are you an undercover cop or something super cool like that?”
TowersFall: Juliet’s face hardened. What could she say to such a stupid girl? Nothing. All she wanted was to glare at her further and hope she goes away.
dropsgum: Frustrated, Emerald got up and waved a hand in her face. “Helloooo? Is anyone in there? Wait—you’re a robot! Of course! Is that it, Ms. Robot-o-bot?”
TowersFall: She was losing neural functions just listening to this fake cutesy talk. Are all young woman like this these days? She truly prayed for the downfall of the current generation. Why won’t this clumsy stranger just take the damn hint and fuck off?
She worked alone. She
needed to be alone—he was getting away.
dropsgum: Emerald sighed. Clearly there was no getting through to this stubborn, weird mute woman! “Byeeeee, then, I gots some shopping to do!” From there, she strutted off, though she threw a curious glance back to see if the woman had changed her mind on being a mime.
TowersFall: Juliet had no interest in carrying a conversation. She remained as she was, keeping an eye on her target from a distance and waiting for Emerald to look away so she could operate in solitude.
dropsgum:dropsgum: Oh my GOD YOU’RE SO RIDICULOUS!!!
I choked on my own spit. What was that for!?
TowersFall: before you get pissed at me for bad writing, juliet had no reason to entertain some random kid
dropsgum: That’s not the problem here and you know it!!
dropsgum: You made her!! You’re the one that chooses how she acts and responds to situations, maybe in books you can make cool lone wolfs that’d rather die than talk to people but you know that in RP it’s completely different!!
TowersFall: is it really
dropsgum: Yes!!!
dropsgum: In RP its important to give me some kind of hook! God you don’t know this?
dropsgum: You need to leave something for the other person to reply to otherwise it’s either one person struggling to hold the conversation or the RP dies because of total disinterest! When you give me silent replies how am I supposed to care??? ╮(︶︿︶)╭
I winced. I tapped my fingers against the keys, struggling to find a way to defend myself. In truth, I knew I couldn’t—she was right. I’d read and believed the same advice, yet when I applied it to myself, I came up with all these excuses.
All right, maybe she was right on that
one point, but one! That doesn’t mean a trend!
TowersFall: okay fine maybe youre right
TowersFall: but otherwise it was mostly character incompatibility
dropsgum: Y’know you could’ve had her get pissed at Emerald? Maybe try to push her away or resort to force to shake her off?? Something super dramatic, I’m not violence averse!
dropsgum: Alsoooooo
dropsgum: I hate to break it to you
dropsgum: But Juliet is another stoic distant character with an obvious tragic backstory!! Stop acting like you’re some great writer when you just do the same thing over and over again!!
TowersFall: she is NOT
TowersFall: shes different shes serious and no nonsense but not completely emotionless she suppresses them because of her assassin work
dropsgum: :P :P :P please read that again and get back to me!
TowersFall: its different
TowersFall: its
I had to go back and retrieve my pillow. With my head buried deep within it, I was forced to confront some uncomfortable truths. The biggest one being…
Emotionless. Stoic. Distant. No nonsense. Focused. The more I dwelled on the meaning of those words in comparison to hers, I could find minute differences in the specifics, but looking at it generally…
A dedicated thief is like a workaholic too. They’re both criminals, serious—and so is someone dedicated to an ideal like being dedicated to their work. The connections wound together before my eyes, and I became a hostage to the horrid revelations about my characters.
They were the same.
I was…
I dropped my pillow and stared at my hands. With reluctance, I forced my hands to type my thoughts before my brain exploded.
TowersFall: okay
TowersFall: fine you were right
TowersFall: ill just go now
dropsgum: Hey wait!
TowersFall: oh what the fuck do you want now
This time, her typing notification lasted for much longer. What was she doing? Was she going to rub it in? I was sick of this conversation—sick with a sudden wave of creator’s hatred and a small amount of guilt, and so I moved to close the window.
But before I could, a text wall hit me, one that made me pause.
dropsgum: I didn’t do all this to make you feel bad
dropsgum: I kinda just wanted an apology?
dropsgum: i admit I have my own character tropes I like so I’m really not judging I just think you need to gear your characters towards RP more!! From what I see on other Groups I think you struggle a lot with that and I wanted to help
dropsgum: That’s all
dropsgum: I like my super serious drama characters too just loosen up and have fun y’know? and obvs maybe don’t dunk on people with that blog, crit is all good but without consent it’s just super mean
dropsgum: k?
…Fuck it.
TowersFall: sorry for that
TowersFall: ill take it down and resign. not like i had much of a career there anyways
dropsgum: Aw, thanks (; ω ; )ヾ(´∀`* )
dropsgum: But seriously, don’t stop on my account. I don’t think I’m much better with how badly I went off on you, god if anything I should apologize to for being kinda cringe about it
TowersFall: its nothing i hardly even cared
TowersFall: just like
TowersFall: do you think my characters are any good?
Her reply was immediate.
dropsgum: You care about them, right? You worked hard to make them what they are?
TowersFall: well duh
dropsgum: Then of course they’re good! They’re made with love (＠＾◡＾)
…
I let out the breath I was holding and leaned back in my seat. Though a lot of them were based off of the anti-heroes I adored, I wouldn’t want to do anything else with my free time but develop them beyond that. Even when my parents didn’t have a clue, even when it distracted me from schoolwork, I still loved every moment.
Love, huh.
That was the core of a good character. Whether you loved them—nothing else.
Telling myself that, I felt a warmth I’ve only rarely felt before grow inside me. Like the satisfaction you get from preparing your own meal, or seeing a plant you’ve been carefully cultivating finally sprout.
TowersFall: thank you
TowersFall: hey, mind if we give that RP another try? i got some ideas on how to make it interesting
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