Sly 3 Scenes: After The Blinding Dust Incident

Emotions in writing

Affection

Definition: Affection is a feeling of fondness or love towards someone or something. It typically involves a warm attachment, a caring attitude, and a desire to show kindness and tenderness.

When you want to write the emotion affection, it's important to "show" the emotion your character is experiencing through their physical reactions and dialogue, rather than "tell" it.

Physical signs:

Hugs: Characters wrapping their arms around each other.

Kisses: Gentle or passionate lip contact between characters.

Hand-holding: Characters clasping each other's hands.

Cuddling: Characters snuggling closely together.

Caresses: Gentle touches or strokes on the face, arms, or back.

Smiling: Warm, genuine smiles directed at each other.

Eye contact: Prolonged gazes or meaningful looks.

Leaning in: Characters moving closer to each other.

Playfulness: Light teasing or playful physical interactions.

Body language: Open and relaxed posture, facing each other.

Resting heads: Characters resting their heads on each other's shoulders or laps.

Arm around shoulder: One character placing their arm around the shoulders of another.

Squeezing hands: Characters giving a reassuring squeeze to each other's hands.

Nuzzling: Characters pressing their nose or forehead against each other affectionately.

Sharing personal space: Characters standing or sitting closely together.

Whispering: Characters leaning in to share intimate or secretive words.

Back rubs: Characters giving gentle massages to each other's backs.

Gentle touches: Characters brushing away hair from each other's face.

Playful nudges: Light nudges or bumps with elbows or shoulders.

Shared laughter: Characters laughing together, often with touching or holding each other.

Internal sensations:

A sense of inner warmth or comfort when thinking about or being near the person they care for.

A fluttery feeling in the stomach or chest when they see or think about their loved one.

A general feeling of happiness or contentment when in the presence of their loved one.

A heightened sense of excitement or anticipation before seeing their loved one.

A calm and peaceful feeling when thinking about their relationship or when spending time together.

A subtle ache or longing when apart from their loved one.

A sense of security or safety when they are with their loved one.

A feeling of being valued and appreciated by their loved one.

A deep affection and fondness when remembering shared moments or qualities of their loved one.

A sense of gratitude for having their loved one in their life.

Mental Responses:

Longing for their presence

Comfort in their words

Excitement at hearing from them

Gratitude for their kindness

Eagerness to reciprocate

Nostalgia for past moments together

Anticipation of future connections

Affectionate memories surfacing

Sense of belonging

Telling Affection Examples to Avoid:

Try avoiding things like this:

John felt an overwhelming affection for his wife.

Sarah was filled with affection for her newborn baby.

The old man's eyes were filled with affection as he watched his grandchildren play.

Despite their rocky past, Mary still felt a deep affection for her ex-husband.

The dog's tail wagged with affection as his owner petted him.

Practical Examples of Showing Affection:

Some examples of showing affection in a sentence:

She hugged her friend tightly, feeling her warmth and comfort after a long day.

He smiled at his daughter and tousled her hair, glad to see her growing up so fast.

She rested her head on her partner's shoulder, sighing contentedly and feeling at ease in their embrace.

He placed a gentle kiss on his wife's forehead, silently communicating his love and support for her.

I've found quite a few Thieves In Time rewrites over the years. I can't help but imagine how some of them would play out if my premise (Penelope joining the adventure against her will) were introduced...

This is on top of all the other "What if?" scenarios I came up with on my own...

Dialogue Prompts for Self-Doubt

"I don’t know why I even bother. I try so hard, and it’s still not good enough."

"What if I’m just not meant to do this? Like… maybe I’m not the right person for it."

"I keep letting people down, and I’m starting to think that’s all I’m good at."

"You ever feel like no matter what you do, it’s never enough? Like you’re stuck in this endless loop of failing?"

"I’m so scared of messing up again. I can’t handle another failure."

"I feel like a total imposter, like any second, people are going to realize I don’t belong here."

"Why would anyone choose me? I mean, there are so many better people out there."

"No matter how hard I try, I never seem to get it right. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong."

"Sometimes I wonder if I’m even worth all the effort. Like, what if I’m not?"

"I don’t think I can keep going. This is too much, and I’m not strong enough for it anymore."

New refs???

Sly sappiness: Proposal

No story behind this one. I just felt like drawing something sappy and this happened.

Well, this was a wild election year. Please excuse me while I continue onward with rewriting Thieves In Time...

This is something I've been cooking for a long time, and though I can't continue playing the game I started with some folks i do kinda want to get it out into the world for people to playtest and enjoy. If you would join a discord server dedicated to this, dm me/send me an ask, or follow for updates.

I turned the Cooper Gang into marketable plushies. (at least design-wise)

Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time Redux by nikkikins

What a storytelling trainwreck Thieves In Time was... Here. I fixed it for ya. This a Thieves In Time rewrite.

Let’s keep the “Penelope betrays the gang” angle, but rope her into the adventure and have her learn a lesson or two about friendship. She’ll start off wanting no part of the journey, then grow to like Sly, Bentley, and Murray all over again, eventually seeing the error of her ways.

And also have her narrate. Yes, I know that’s a bold move, but ask yourself this. Would this story work if Sly narrated? Didn’t think so. 

Now, this story doesn’t include her motive. Nor any dialogue. That part is left up to the reader.

Penelope will spend most of this story keeping quiet about her treachery, only for everything to be revealed at the end of Episode 5. By then, she will have returned to being on the right side for real. 

She only gets as far as designing the blimp in this story.

One last thing... Toad Town from Paper Mario: The Origami King not only slaps, but its musical progression works perfectly with this story. Start with Musée Champignon, then Toad Town Ghost Town, and work your way up to Toad Town’s final form. 

Spoiler alert: As the music progresses to its final form, Penelope will become more heroic.

Here’s your order: 

Musée Champignon (Prologue & Paris Tutorial)

Toad Town Ghost Town (Turning Japanese) 

Toad Town Red Streamer Removal (Go West, Young Raccoon)

Toad Town Blue Streamer Removal (Clan Of The Cave Raccoon)

Toad Town Yellow Streamer Removal (Of Frogs And Mechs)

Toad Town Purple Streamer Removal (40 Thieves)

Toad Town Green Streamer Removal (Paris Epilogue)

Yes, you read that correctly. Episode 4 has a new villain. I’ll give you one good guess who they might be.

Thieves In Time Redux Meme #2

For context, this is one of Penelope's actions during Something's Fishy. Episode 1. It's during a newly added RC Car segment.

For more context, this "gate" is something she could have opened in seconds. It's something she designed herself.

And these "higher expectations" might make future snooping sessions a bit harder. Whoops. And even worse, she comes out of this one empty-handed.

But at least her boyfriend and honorary older brother like her better now?