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[prompt-heaven]

“I’m Pretending I Don’t Love You” Behaviors

(for that beautiful, painful flavor of self-denial that authors LIVE FOR)

✦ Making fun of everything they do...gently. Like it’s the only way you can touch them.

✦ Telling them to be careful, but saying it like an insult.

✦ Correcting people who get their name wrong, then pretending it didn’t matter.

✦ Staring just a little too long—and then making a sarcastic comment to cover the slip.

✦ Showing up to things “coincidentally” wherever they are. All the time.

✦ Knowing exactly what food they like, but acting like it was a random choice.

✦ Volunteering to be on their team, share their tent, go with them, whatever excuse works.

✦ Looking away fast when they laugh. Too fast. Like it hurts.

✦ Caring for them when they’re hurt, but muttering, “Don’t read into this.”

✦ Being furious when someone else flirts with them and not being able to explain why.

[prompt-heaven]

Things Your Character Deeply Regrets (Even If They’ve Never Said It Out Loud)

(They may hide it, deny it, or carry it like an anchor.)

✨ Something they said in anger and can’t unsay.

✨ Someone they let go before they were ready.

✨ Not being there when it mattered.

✨ Saying “yes” when they should’ve said “no.”

✨ Saying “no” when they should’ve said “yes.”

✨ Not fighting harder.

✨ Fighting for the wrong thing.

✨ Being too proud to apologize.

✨ Being too scared to speak up.

✨ Choosing the easy road and watching it rot.

✨ Trusting someone they shouldn’t have.

✨ Not trusting someone who earned it.

✨ Keeping a secret that hurt someone.

✨ Breaking a promise they meant to keep.

✨ Turning into the very thing they once hated.

✨ Wasting time they can’t get back.

✨ Hurting someone to protect themselves.

✨ Letting shame win.

✨ Staying silent when someone else needed their voice.

✨ Realizing too late that love was the point and they missed it.

[prompt-heaven]

Hand & Gesture Language

Hands clenched into fists — Anger, restraint, or holding back something violent or vulnerable. Fingers tapping rhythmically — Impatience, nerves, or a personal ritual. Picking at a scab/cut/nail — Anxious, distracted, or self-soothing. Hands behind back — Formal, guarded, or trying to appear in control. Palms up / open hands — Surrender, honesty, or pleading. Hands gripping something tightly — Trying to stay grounded or keep it together. Rubbing temples — Overwhelmed, stressed, or trying to think clearly. Knuckles white from pressure — Rage, fear, or intense focus. Cracking knuckles — Habitual tension, or a signal that something’s about to go down. Thumbs hooked into pockets/belt loops — Relaxed, cocky, or casual authority. Touching their mouth while thinking — Deep in thought, holding something back. Hands fluttering mid-gesture — Nervous energy, overexplaining, or searching for words. Hands in fists in pockets — Rage or fear hidden under fake chill. Wrists limp at their sides — Defeated, exhausted, or too numb to react. Shaking out their fingers — Releasing adrenaline, fear, or something they don’t want to carry anymore.

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10 “There’s Only One Bed and Neither of Us Is Saying Anything About It” Moments

(because silence is a language, and tension is an electric blanket set to HIGH)

❥ One of them casually says “I don’t care where I sleep,” but spends the next ten minutes folding their jacket like it’s a pillow audition.

❥ They lie back-to-back with six inches of cold air between them like it’s a chasm and somehow still don’t sleep all night.

❥ Someone offers to sleep on the floor. No one lets them. No one explains why.

❥ The mattress dips when the other gets in, and they both pretend not to notice.

❥ Waking up tangled together and going still, like moving will make it real.

❥ One of them sleeps on top of the blanket “for boundary reasons.” We all know what that means.

❥ Accidentally brushing hands in the dark. No apologies. Just silence.

❥ One of them whispers something in the middle of the night, and the other pretends to be asleep, but remembers every word.

❥ “It’s fine. We’re both adults.” Cut to: neither of them moving a muscle all night.

❥ When they get up the next morning, they avoid each other’s eyes, but their hands brush as they pass. And this time, nobody pulls away.

[prompt-heaven]

20 Ways Your Character Might Self-Sabotage

(Because sometimes the biggest threat to them… is them.)

➵ Pushing people away before they can leave.

➵ Saying “I’m fine” when they’re not, and getting mad when no one sees through it.

➵ Pretending not to care so they don’t get hurt.

➵ Quitting things they love when they start to go well.

➵ Staying in bad situations because at least it’s familiar.

➵ Ghosting when things get too emotionally intimate.

➵ Joking about real pain so people don’t take it seriously.

➵ Falling for people who are emotionally unavailable.

➵ Making plans they know they’ll cancel.

➵ Overcommitting to avoid dealing with themselves.

➵ Getting angry instead of being honest about fear.

➵ Comparing themselves constantly, to everyone.

➵ Never celebrating wins, only fixating on flaws.

➵ Sabotaging good relationships because they don’t think they deserve them.

➵ Chasing chaos because peace feels boring (or unsafe).

➵ Apologizing too often or never at all.

➵ Giving up halfway just to say “See? I told you I’d fail.”

➵ Playing the therapist friend but never talking about their own pain.

➵ Procrastinating until it's impossible to succeed.

➵ Acting like they don’t care about something they actually desperately want.

[prompt-heaven]

Story Starters #3

Found Family Starters (for the ones who thought they’d always be alone—until someone stayed)

✧ They said "I got you" like it was no big deal. But no one’s ever said that to me and meant it. ✧ I didn’t know I could belong somewhere until I walked into that kitchen and someone had already set a plate for me. ✧ We fight. We yell. We steal each other’s snacks. And still, they show up every time I need them. That’s love, I think. ✧ I used to flinch when someone raised their voice. Now I roll my eyes and throw a pillow at them. That’s growth. That’s home. ✧ They know what my silence means. They don’t push. They just sit beside me until I’m ready. ✧ I told them the worst parts of me. They stayed. That’s when I knew. ✧ We don’t say “I love you” out loud. We say “text me when you get home.” “Eat something.” “You can crash here.” ✧ I’m still learning how to trust it. How to not brace for abandonment. But they haven’t left. Not once. ✧ I never believed in unconditional love. But now there’s this couch, and this blanket, and this messy group of weirdos who make space for me. ✧ They’re not blood. But they’re mine.

Cold Girls, Soft Hearts Starters (for the sharp-edged girls who love quietly, fiercely, and would rather die than admit it)

✧ I don’t do soft. But they smiled at me like I was worth something, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it. ✧ I pretend I don’t care. But I remember their coffee order, their favorite color, the way they hate pickles. ✧ I rolled my eyes at their dumb joke. Then laughed. Then hated how much I meant it. ✧ I pushed them away and they still came back. I hate that. I love that. I don’t know. ✧ I said “I don’t need anyone.” But my voice cracked on the last word and I know they heard it. ✧ I tell them to shut up. I mean “don’t go.” ✧ I’m the tough one. The reliable one. The emotionally constipated one. And I’m so, so tired. ✧ They hugged me and I stood there like a statue. But inside, something broke open. ✧ I made fun of them for being sappy. Then went home and replayed everything they said. Twice. ✧ I’m not scared of being hurt. I’m scared of wanting something I can’t protect myself from.

End-of-the-World Vibes (for stories where something big is ending, and something small, and tender, is beginning)

✧ The world is ending and all I want is to feel their hand in mine one more time. ✧ Everything’s falling apart and they’re still making me laugh. How dare they. How beautiful. ✧ If this is the last sunrise, I want to spend it with them. Quiet. Close. Real. ✧ I thought I’d be afraid. But with them here, I’m just… present. And maybe that’s enough. ✧ They looked at me like I was still worth saving. Even now. Especially now. ✧ We kissed like we were running out of time. Because we were. ✧ I wanted a big moment, but instead it was this—my head on their shoulder, the silence stretching soft around us. ✧ We said goodbye like we’d see each other tomorrow. We both knew that wasn’t true. ✧ Maybe the world doesn’t need a hero. Maybe it just needs someone who won’t leave when things get ugly. ✧ I don’t know what comes after this. But if they’re next to me when the lights go out, I think I’ll be okay.

[prompt-heaven]

Story Starters #2

“I’m Fine” Starters (for characters who are breaking but hiding it behind practiced smiles and default sarcasm)

✧ I’m fine. I mean, sure, I haven’t slept in three days and my thoughts sound like static, but yeah, I’m great. ✧ It’s easier to make jokes about the chaos than to admit how much of it is mine. ✧ Every time someone asks how I’m doing, I lie a little more convincingly. ✧ I can’t tell if I’ve gotten stronger or if I’ve just gotten better at pretending. ✧ I cried in the bathroom stall and came back out with a joke ready. No one noticed the red eyes. They laughed. ✧ I tell people I’m tired. It’s easier than saying I can’t remember the last time I felt okay. ✧ I’m the go-to friend for advice. No one ever asks if I’m surviving. ✧ I don’t know what scares me more—someone noticing or no one ever noticing at all. ✧ I’ve built this version of myself that everyone seems to love. The only problem? I don’t recognize them anymore. ✧ Smiling is just muscle memory now. I wish it meant something.

 Enemies Softening Starters (for when hate starts turning into understanding, and understanding starts burning a little too sweet)

✧ I used to hate the way they looked at me. Now I hate how much I want them to do it again. ✧ We don’t talk about the moment our hands brushed. But we haven’t stopped thinking about it either. ✧ There’s still tension when we speak—but now it’s the kind that makes my stomach flip, not clench. ✧ I catch myself defending them when they’re not around. I don’t know when that started. ✧ I know I’m supposed to hate them. I just don’t remember why as clearly anymore. ✧ They’re still annoying. Arrogant. Impossible. And I think about them way too often. ✧ When they’re angry, I find myself watching too closely. Like I want to understand the fire, not put it out. ✧ We bicker the way fire crackles, dangerous, but kind of addictive. ✧ They’re the last person I should trust. And yet, when things went bad… they were the only one who showed up. ✧ It’s not that I want to kiss them. It’s just… I wouldn’t dodge if they tried.

“I Thought I Was Over It” Starters (for characters who swore they’d moved on—until the memory hits like a bruise)

✧ I saw them across the room and it felt like a ghost walked through me. ✧ I thought the ache had gone. But one song, and suddenly I was seventeen again, heart cracked wide open. ✧ I can say their name without flinching now. But thinking about them still feels like biting into something bitter. ✧ I told myself I healed. But then I saw that smile—our smile—and all the old hurt came flooding back. ✧ I let them go. I did. I just didn’t expect to still miss them when it rains. ✧ I don’t want them back. I just want to know if they still remember me too. ✧ I laughed when I saw their name. That sharp, bitter kind of laugh that tastes too much like grief. ✧ There are people I’ve loved since. But none of them cracked me open the way they did. ✧ I found our old photo and couldn’t throw it out. I just… moved it to a drawer. ✧ Healing isn’t linear. Some days, I forget them. Some days, I remember everything.

[prompt-heaven]

Story Starters #1

Yearning for Belonging Starters (for characters who feel like they’re always outside the frame, even when they’re in the picture)

✧ I laugh when they laugh. I nod in the right places. And still, somehow, I always feel like I’m one beat off. ✧ I watch how easily they fit with each other. And I wonder what it’s like to not have to earn your place. ✧ I keep my voice soft and my presence smaller, like maybe if I take up less space, no one will notice I don’t belong. ✧ Sometimes I imagine someone turning to me and saying, I’m glad you’re here. And I try not to cry just thinking about it. ✧ I hear inside jokes like echoes of a language I never learned. ✧ There’s an ache in me that no one else seems to notice. Like I’m a missing puzzle piece for a box I’ve never seen. ✧ I try to match the energy in the room, but my smile always feels like a costume. ✧ I wish someone would choose me first. Just once. Without hesitation. Without backup plans. ✧ Being alone isn’t the hardest part. It’s being with people and still feeling like you’re standing outside a window, watching the warmth from the cold. ✧ I’m tired of pretending that not being invited doesn’t hurt.

Grief Without Closure Starters (for when what’s lost never got to finish its sentence)

✧ I keep thinking I’ll wake up and remember this is just a long, cruel dream. But the world keeps moving. And they’re still gone. ✧ There are so many things I didn’t say. And now they sit in my throat like stones. ✧ I walk through the places they used to be and pretend the air still remembers them. ✧ It’s not that I expect them to walk through the door. I just… never really stopped hoping they might. ✧ I want to scream. But I know even if I did, it wouldn’t bring them back. ✧ They left too soon. And now everything that follows feels unfairly loud. ✧ I still check my phone sometimes, as if a message might slip through from wherever they went. ✧ Everyone else moved on like it was a phase. Like grief has an expiration date. ✧ I smile when I talk about them. But it feels like I’m covering a wound with a sticker. ✧ I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. I still don’t think I have.

Quiet Crush Starters (for characters who are absolutely not in love, definitely not, shut up, no I’m not blushing)

✧ I don’t like them. I just notice their laugh before I notice anything else in the room. That’s normal. ✧ I know what color their eyes are in every kind of light. I wish I didn’t. ✧ I find myself looking for them before I even realize I’m scanning the crowd. ✧ Every time they say my name, I feel like I’ve just been handed a secret. ✧ I told myself I didn’t care. But when they sat next to someone else, my chest got tight in a way I couldn’t explain. ✧ I remember their little details. Not because I try. Just because I do. ✧ I thought it was a one-time thing. A passing thought. But here I am, three weeks later, still wondering if they meant that smile. ✧ I can’t tell if they like me too. And I’m scared to find out, either way. ✧ They said something kind, and I’ve been replaying it like it’s a song only I heard. ✧ I don’t even know if I want them. I just know I want to be near them. And that’s probably worse.

[prompt-heaven]

Friends to Lovers (School Edition) Prompts

The Best Friend Who Knows Too Much ╰ They’ve been friends since primary school. They’ve seen each other in braces, bad haircuts, and full-on emotional breakdowns over math tests. Now they’re teenagers. And things are… shifting. Lingering looks. Accidental touches. One of them falls first. The other realizes way too late.

Study Buddies and Something More ╰ They’ve always studied together. Always. Every test, every exam season, every quiet library moment. But this time, they’re sitting a little closer. Laughing a little longer. And when one of them falls asleep mid-flashcard session, the other catches themselves staring way too long.

“Fake Dating” for Prom... but Make It Personal ╰ They agree to fake date to make someone else jealous (obviously). They already act couple-y, so it’s no big deal. But after the third “pretend” hand-hold and one too many “fake” compliments, something real breaks through. And neither one knows how to put it back.

Late-Night Phone Calls & Secret Sharing ╰ It starts as a joke “Call me if you’re dying during the homework.” But then the calls keep happening. 1AM convos about dreams, fears, their futures. The line between “friend” and “something else” starts blurring somewhere between midnight and sunrise.

One-Bed Trope... But It’s a School Trip ╰ They get stuck sharing a room on a class trip (because of course they do). One bed. One shared blanket. And one realization that maybe this thing they’ve always had? It was never just friendship. Oops.

Locker Notes & Lingering Feelings ╰ They’ve always left each other dumb little notes in their lockers—jokes, doodles, inside references. But one day, one of them writes something real. And then pretends it was a joke. And the other one spends the whole day wondering if it meant more. (It did.)

The Protective Idiot ╰ He’s always looked out for her, scaring off bullies, sharing snacks, defending her in arguments. But lately, he’s not just protective, he’s possessive. And jealous. And confused. Because he doesn’t know when “you’re my best friend” turned into “you’re mine.”

The Moment They Realize Everyone Else Already Knows ╰ They’re best friends. Nothing more. Right? Right. Except literally everyone keeps asking when they’re finally going to get together. And they keep denying it… until one of them wonders why it stings every time the other one flirts with someone else.

The School Newspaper Love Confession (Oops) ╰ One writes an anonymous “love letter” for the Valentine’s edition of the school paper. It’s poetic. Personal. Honest. The other reads it. Knows immediately. Doesn’t say anything. Not yet. But their next conversation has a lot of weird, warm tension neither of them expected.

The Slow Burn to Absolute Devastation ╰ They’ve been friends forever. They almost kissed once. But they didn’t. Now one of them is dating someone else. The other one’s trying to be happy. But every moment together feels like a ghost of what could’ve been, until one of them breaks, and says, “It’s always been you.”

[prompt-heaven]

Walking Style & Energy for Writers

Swaggering — Confident, maybe too confident; the walk of someone who knows they’re being watched. Shuffling — Tired, aimless, or just trying not to be noticed. Brisk — All business; fast, focused, not here for small talk. Limping — Physically injured… or emotionally carrying something too heavy. Floating — Graceful, soft-footed, almost dreamlike. Dragging feet — Reluctant, dreading something, or emotionally drained. Stomping — Angry, forceful, not subtle about it. Skipping — Childlike, carefree, or pretending to be. Sneaking — Quiet, calculated, trying not to disturb or be seen. Staggering — Drunk, wounded, or overwhelmed. Pacing — Anxious, indecisive, mind racing too fast to sit still. Marching — Determined, controlled, ready for a fight or a mission. Wandering — Lost in thought, aimless, or avoiding something. Swaying slightly — Nerves, exhaustion, or maybe something deeper. Frozen mid-step — When fear or shock stops them in their tracks.

[prompt-heaven]

Longing in Love Starters

❥ I notice everything about them, and I hate how naturally I’ve memorized the way their laugh curves at the end.

❥ Every time they look at me, I forget whatever clever thing I was about to say. Which is probably a blessing.

❥ I don’t know when it happened, but they’ve started showing up in the spaces between my thoughts.

❥ I sit closer than I need to. Not close enough to be obvious, just close enough to feel the warmth.

❥ They touched my hand for a second. A blink. A breath. And I’ve been replaying it for hours.

❥ I tell myself it’s nothing, but my heart keeps writing poetry anyway.

❥ Sometimes I think I hear their voice in a crowd and my chest tightens before my brain even catches up.

❥ I want to tell them. God, I almost do. But the fear of losing what we have keeps my mouth shut.

❥ There’s a tenderness in the way they say my name that makes me believe they see me.

❥ I don’t want to fall for them. I just want to stay where we are forever. And maybe that’s worse.

[prompt-heaven]

When a Character is Falling in Love but Doesn’t Trust It

Love is terrifying. Especially for characters who’ve been hurt, shut down, or raised to believe vulnerability is weakness. So when they start falling? It doesn’t look like a Disney montage. It looks like panic in slow motion.

✧ They start noticing everything and it unsettles them. The way their voice cracks when they laugh. The way their fingers tap when they’re thinking. These little details burrow in and refuse to leave. And that awareness makes the character feel exposed.

✧ They become hyperaware of their own body. Where their hands are. How close they’re standing. If they’re blushing. It’s like being inside a body that’s betraying them constantly.

✧ They act a little mean. Not because they are mean. But because being cold is safer than being real. Sarcasm, distance, teasing, they use it like armor.

✧ They hate how much they want to share things. They’ll see a funny meme and instinctively want to send it. Then stop. No. Don’t get attached. They want to tell them about a childhood memory, then bite it back. Too personal.

✧ They become inconsistent. Warm one moment, distant the next. Showing up, then pulling away. They’re testing how much of themselves they can reveal before it feels like too much.

✧ They assume the worst. They know it won’t last. That this person will leave. That they’re misreading everything. Love doesn’t feel safe, it feels like a countdown to pain.

✧ They self-sabotage. Pick fights. Flake on plans. Pull away emotionally just to “protect themselves” before it goes wrong. It’s tragic and messy and real.

✧ They notice silence more. What wasn’t said. A delayed reply. A joke that didn’t land. Everything becomes a sign that maybe this love thing was a mistake.

✧ They want to run, but never do. The desire to bolt is constant. But they don’t. Because something about this person is pulling them back, despite every warning bell going off in their head.

✧ They don’t trust the feeling, but they keep falling anyway. And that’s what makes it beautiful. And heartbreaking. Because they don’t want to fall. But they do. And maybe, just maybe, that’s the bravest thing they’ve ever done.

[prompt-heaven]

Rivals to Lovers Prompts

��� They've hated each other for years, snarky comments, cold glares, constant one-upping. Then they get hit with the worst possible magical news: soulmates. Bound by fate. Linked by magic. Now they have to figure out what that even means without strangling each other in the process… or accidentally falling in love.

✧ They’re finalists in a prestigious contest...baking, sword fighting, reality TV, doesn’t matter. They’ve been rivals from day one. But late nights, shared exhaustion, and moments of unexpected honesty blur the lines. Suddenly the prize doesn't matter as much as the person they used to be fighting against.

✧ One position. Two candidates. Both brilliant, both stubborn, both dangerously attractive. They’re forced to work together for a final round of evaluation. Cue shared elevator rides, tension-filled meetings, and one night where the line between “I hate you” and “I want you” fully disappears.

✧ They're both hired to kill the same target, except they get in each other's way. Every. Damn. Time. Now they’re stuck either teaming up or getting each other killed. And somewhere between knives at throats and stolen hotel rooms, they start to realize they might have more in common than they thought.

✧ One's a brooding bounty hunter. The other's a cocky rogue. They've crossed paths before, never nicely. Now a shared goal (or curse?) forces them to travel together. The sniping is endless. The tension is unbearable. The night they finally kiss, they immediately go back to pretending they hate each other. (They don’t.)

✧They used to date. It ended badly. Now they’ve both built lives on opposite sides of the same industry/kingdom/city. And now? They’re in competition. Publicly. Pettily. But every insult still lands a little too sharp, and every win feels hollow without the other there to share it.

✧ By day, they’re coworkers or allies. By night, their masked enemies constantly clashing. Neither knows who the other really is, until the truth comes out mid-fight, and everything shifts. Now they have to reconcile who they thought they hated… with who they’re starting to love.

✧ They’re on opposite sides of a war. Or a political game. Or a rebellion. They don’t agree on anything, but they see each other. Late-night negotiations turn personal. Jabs turn intimate. And the realization that they might want the same future... just from different roads? That’s what wrecks them both.

✧ They agree to one temporary alliance for the sake of something bigger. Just one mission. One goal. But they argue about everything. They also accidentally save each other’s lives more than once. The final straw? One of them calls the other by their real name and means it.

✧ They’ve been pitted against each other since childhood. Both trained to be the best. Both told they’re the rightful heir. But as the final trial looms, they begin to question everything, including their hatred. When one of them says, “If I win, I’ll choose you,” the world tilts a little.

[prompt-heaven]

Enemies to Lovers (School Edition) Prompts

Detention Buddies From Hell (and Then... Not) ╰ Two students who cannot stand each other keep getting thrown into detention together. At first, it’s a war of eye-rolls and sarcastic muttering. But somewhere between graffiti cleaning and awkward silences, they start asking real questions. Like, “Why do you hate everyone?” and “Do you always talk this much when you’re nervous?”

Battle of the Group Projects ╰ They’ve been paired for a semester-long project. One’s a perfectionist who color-codes everything, the other’s a chaotic last-minute miracle worker. They clash. Hard. But during one all-nighter in the school library, they crack each other’s armor, and maybe laugh a little too long at each other’s jokes.

Hall Monitor vs. Chronic Rule-Breaker ╰ She takes her job way too seriously. He thinks rules are made to be creatively misinterpreted. He keeps getting caught. She keeps giving warnings instead of writing him up. And somewhere along the way, she starts waiting to catch him. And he starts hoping she will.

The Class President Debate Disaster ╰ They're both running for student body president. Both ambitious, sharp-tongued, and petty as hell. It starts with sabotage and anonymous posters. It ends with late-night texting about policy ideas and almost kissing in the janitor's closet after a heated debate.

Rival Babysitters Club (Yes, really) ╰ They both run babysitting gigs in the same neighborhood. Competition is fierce. Then they’re both hired by the same family for twins. Now they have to work together without murdering each other... while also baking dinosaur cupcakes and reading bedtime stories. They’re still arguing, but now it's while sharing Goldfish crackers.

Secret Pen Pals (With a Twist) ╰ Their teacher assigns anonymous weekly letters between students. They're supposed to “foster kindness and trust.” What it fosters is a connection that grows deeper each week. Neither knows they’re actually writing to the person they argue with constantly in class. Oh no. Oh yes.

Library Feud ╰ There’s only one free desk in the library, and they both claim it like clockwork. It starts with passive-aggressive note-leaving. Then competitive study playlists. Then “accidentally” sitting together during finals. Quiet enemies, quiet flirting, soft romance.

The Lab Partner From Hell ╰ They’re paired in chemistry. He’s lazy but brilliant. She’s organized but stressed. He teases. She glares. But somewhere between setting things on fire and saving each other from academic ruin, there’s a weird tension. And she’s not sure if the butterflies are from the Bunsen burner or him.

Theater Kids in a Love/Hate Spiral ╰ They both audition for the same lead. They both get it, because the director loves chaos. Cue over-the-top drama, stage fights that feel too real, and way too much time blocking scenes that require holding hands. And maybe... maybe they like it.

Enemies in the Comments Section ╰ They’re in the school’s digital journalism club. Both write opinion pieces. They always tear each other apart in anonymous comments. Turns out, they’re both also the last two at every meeting, working late and laughing a little too easily. Plot twist: they’ve been falling for each other offline while fighting online the whole time.

[prompt-heaven]

10 Subtle Ways a Character Reveals They’re Emotionally Unstable

╰ Inconsistent Eye Contact. Sometimes they stare too hard, too long. Other times they can’t hold it for more than a second. It’s not shyness—it’s internal chaos spilling out through their gaze.

╰ Changing the Subject Too Fast. They joke, deflect, or pivot conversations like their life depends on it, because maybe it does.

╰ Hyper-Fixation on Routine. If they can control the little things (folding towels, organizing pencils), then maybe their brain won’t cave in on itself.

╰ Forgetting to Eat, Then Bingeing. Not just about food. It’s about how they self-regulate (or fail to).

╰ Over-Apologizing. “Sorry” becomes a reflex, not a thought. It’s how they keep themselves from being abandoned.

╰ Picking at Skin, Biting Nails, Scratching Scalp. They call them habits. They’re not. They’re silent screams.

╰ Contradictory Stories. Sometimes they say they’re fine. Sometimes they hint at something darker. Sometimes they say both in the same sentence.

╰ Sleeping Too Much / Not at All. No middle ground. Just escape or overdrive.

╰ Flinching at Loud Sounds or Touch. Even if they don’t know why. The body remembers before the brain admits it.

╰ Sudden Emotional Shifts. Laughing, then snapping. Smiling, then withdrawing. Their emotional current runs wild beneath a crumbling dam.

[prompt-heaven]

Emotional Confession Scene Prompts

♡ Voice trembling on the edge of something bigger.

♡ A truth blurted out mid-argument, raw and unpolished.

♡ Avoiding eye contact, but finally saying it anyway.

♡ A confession disguised as a joke.

♡ “I wasn’t going to say anything but...”

♡ Whispered during a moment when they think the other person is asleep.

♡ A tearful outburst after staying calm for far too long.

♡ “You weren’t supposed to find out like this.”

♡ Telling the truth while staring at the ground.

♡ Letting it slip accidentally, then freezing.

♡ Writing it down instead of saying it.

♡ Starting a sentence three times before finishing it.

♡ “I didn’t know how to say it until now.”

♡ Sending a message, deleting it, sending it again.

♡ “You asked how I’m doing. I lied.”

♡ Finally saying what’s been obvious to everyone else.

♡ Speaking in metaphors because the truth feels too vulnerable.

♡ Telling someone else first.

♡ Breaking down halfway through the sentence.

♡ “I’m scared you’ll hate me if I tell you.”

[prompt-heaven]

Tender, Subtle Ways to Show a Character Cares

For the characters who will literally die before saying it out loud, but their body and habits scream devotion.

Letting them walk on the inside of the sidewalk

Memorizing their coffee order

Keeping extra gloves/scarves/snacks just in case they forget theirs

Texting: “Are you home safe?” instead of “I miss you”

Tucking their hair tag in

Offering the last bite, even if they really wanted it

Taking mental notes on what makes them nervous or happy

Saying “Call me if you need anything” and meaning it

Sitting close enough that their shoulders brush

Keeping an umbrella in their bag. Just. In. Case.

Being the first to notice when something’s off

Defending them behind their back

Refusing to let them feel dumb, even for a second

Remembering little details from a single offhand comment

Turning down the music when they walk in without asking