Fire Emblem:if - Hoshido/Nohr Drama CD Complete Box Set

Chibi bidders are so cute 😍

Happy (belated) Birthday, @zeiva !

I know it’s late, but I would like to say that I deeply love your games and your art inspires me to draw. (I’ve been a fan of X-Note in one of the websites I’ve played back in my childhood). Also, after playing Phantom Seeds, that is the time I’ve finally inspired to write and create characters.

My most favorite game is OASE, a romance game where it doesn’t always involve a kiss scene, so I thought I would draw Mirage XXIV.

I hope you have a great day ahead of you \(//∇//)\

Original: Dangan Ronpa 4koma Kings vol. 4

Artist: 神崎りゅう子 (Kanzaki Ryuuko)

Do you have any tips on writing really great mutual pining? It's a pretty big part of my next fic but I can't seem to get the emotions across in my writing ;-;

Plotting Great Romance

While “pining” implies an almost lack of romance, I still think the same goals of writing a great romance apply. You develop each of the two characters separately, and you develop a basic story for each of them separately, and then you see what happens when you bring them together. Think of it like clapping - each hand is capable of accomplishing a lot on its own, but when you slap your hands together, it creates a unique sound that one hand cannot produce on its own.

You could plot out the scenes/tension/suspense between them before developing each individual character, but I think it can be more challenging that way. So I would try to imagine the backstory, the characteristics, the wants, the needs, the goals, the motivations, the quirks, the interests…figure out who each of these characters is first.

Once you have that, you can start to think about how each character affects the other. What new characteristics do each bring out in the other? Are they good or bad? What ways do they challenge each other? What impact does each one have in the other’s life? Don’t think in terms of romance at this point. Just imagine your characters together, and imagine them separately. What’s the difference? What aspects of their personality do they suppress around the other and which ones do they set free?

Then, consider what qualities they each admire in the other. Why does each of them like being around the other? And counterpoint - what things frustrate them about the other?

When it comes to pining…

…make the reasons behind their unrequited romance good. A reader can quickly get frustrated by two characters who are simply too shy to admit their true feelings, or too naive to recognize chemistry and affection that is obviously mutual.  This is easier than you think. Imagine what obstacles a relationship between them might have, and then have your character foresee this obstacle as too troublesome to deal with.

For example, in a Romeo/Juliet type storyline, two characters might pine for the other but fail to act on their feelings due to family expectations. An artist might never pursue art because their parents expect them to be a doctor, just like a person may not pursue another romantically because their parents wouldn’t approve. 

Geography might be another potential obstacle. Two characters that meet unexpectedly while on vacation may hit it off, but knowing they each live on separate coastlines, they anticipate a stressful long-distance relationship and hold back on confessing feelings. 

An existing relationship is a big one - a character might not feel fully committed to their current partner, but their partner has never treated them poorly and for all intents and purpose, they seem perfect for each other. So they hold back feelings for another person because they don’t want to hurt the person they’re currently with, who they do still care about deeply. Their life might also be comfortable with this person, or even well established, with a nice home and kids, and not wanting to hurt your children with a divorce is a big reason someone might hold back on feelings for someone else. 

Basically, you need to consider what is stopping each character from confessing their feelings. Fear of rejection is implied - there needs to be more than that in order to carry mutual pining for an entire novel. There need to be other obstacles, and they need to be ones that your characters can predict, and ones they care about. 

Let me put it much more simply. Instead of each character asking, “What if they don’t love me back?” have them ask, “What if they do love me back?” And consider what the answer to that question is. Once these feelings are requited, what are the consequences?  What is each character afraid of? 

So I think that would be my biggest suggestion - make their hesitations be about more than rejection. And when it comes to describing their emotions, don’t try too hard. Tell your story, and see what emotions naturally unfold. We convey emotion by putting ourselves into the shoes of our characters and imagining how it might make us feel. I think once you have the story well plotted and the characters well developed, it’ll become easier to describe what each of them is feeling. 

Good luck!

-Rebekah

You asked the wrong person

Fusion is the Ultimate Connection Between Gems

And you. Are NOT. A Gem.

My theory: we’re about to get a WHOLE lotta Pearl development. This scene drips with subtext. Lets look back a few episodes…..In ‘We Need To Talk’, we see just how jealous of Greg Pearl is. Even willing to fuse in front of him, simply to rub it in his face. But it doesn’t work out quite that way. Greg sees this as a challenge. A way to prove that he’s more than what he seems, and a chance to have an ‘Ultimate Connection’ with the gem that both of these characters love.

He takes it. He sets up an elaborate stage, and attempts to sweep Rose off her floaty feet.

Now, this didn’t work. But, you know who saw this? Pearl.

This broke her heart. The Gem she loved, with a human, someone who couldn’t even be trusted with her light. Ame quips “I think he’s my favorite!” and Pearl, dejectedly, sighs and replies, “I think he’s her favorite, too.”

Back to the Mr Greg leak.

Steven, Pearl, and Greg are shown checking into a hotel. Pearl seems nervous throughout the entire clip, but slowly warms up to the idea of a human style vacation. Later, we see Steven and Pearl doing a cute little tap dancing jig. Clearly Pearl is beginning to have fun, at least with her little gemling.

She seems genuinely happy. Steven is her one connection to Rose, the final piece she left behind. This is someone she trusts, loves, and cares for deeply. One could even say, she trusts him with her light. At this moment, the two could have fused, even by accident. Pearl is completely aware of this. She’s seen accidental fusions before.

Much like:

Or even:

As Steven and Pearl dance, they seem happy and relaxed. BUT THEN.

Greg budges in, someone who she does NOT trust:

She freezes. Is this her remembering Greg and Rose dancing that night? Is she afraid they may accidentally fuse? For her, is dancing as intimate as kissing, or deeper? Are we going to get further development? I know ‘salty Pearl’ is something most people cling to, but this could become an epic tale of heartache, a love triangle which showcases a heroine being courted by her knight and a knave, and the aftermath. 

The reason why introvert people were careful around strangers, even friends.

But what if I like awkward conversations?

i still love them..

🐈 💛💚 🐈

I added some fake dance classes to a local dance studio