puzzlexagent-blog

[puzzlexagent-blog]

This is a long overdue update but unfortunately I’m going to have to switch into semi-hiatus mode for a few weeks. I’m working on a comic that I’ve been neglecting and I have a self-imposed quota of 4 pages per week, which will take up a lot of my free time outside of studying for class, as they are fully colored and shaded pages. 

I’ll still be able to write, and I’m going to set aside some time each week to get on here more often so threads don’t sit and collect dust like they have been lately.

[puzzlexagent-blog]

“ You got me there. But I don’t think smuggling snow would be much better. All of it would melt before it got where it needed to go, and even if it didn’t, there’s not much you could do with it. You’d be better off with the fake snow from snowglobes. “ Sliding the file discarded by Ava over to him, he flipped through the pages, skimming them quickly with intermittent glances at the other. “ By the way, what’s wrong with Greenland? People live there, you know. Or are you afraid of ‘accidental campfire-ing’ your way through the ice sheet? “ There was no accompanying smile to this, but there was just enough dripping sarcasm to get the point across.

[puzzlexagent-blog]

“ Ha ha, very funny. When you say it like that, people will think you’re a pyromaniac. “ A concerned glance from the clerk around the end of a shelf caused Nelson to flash an innocent smile in their direction. Sighing, he continued, “ In any case, they’re not my files. My case files are probably locked up in a steel vault somewhere. One of them, anyway. The ones you’re holding are from another division. Weird case, even by my standards. Something about a coast-to-coast black market trinket ring. Whole thing was busted when a snowglobe from Alaska fell on a pedestrian’s head, seemingly from out of nowhere. In Iowa. “

[puzzlexagent-blog]

so apparently Puzzle Agent is on sale on Steam for a whopping $0.99, with Puzzle Agent 2 at $1.99... wink wink nudge nudge 

[puzzlexagent-blog]

poltroon

[pol-troon]

(n.) can also be used as (adj.) 1. an abject or contemptible coward. 2. marked by utter cowardice.

Once confronted for their rude comments or actions, bigots will usually expose themselves for the ridiculous poltroons they really are.

[puzzlexagent-blog]

conflagration

[kon-fluh-grey-shuh n] 

(n.) or as an (adj.), conflagrative. 1. a destructive fire, usually an extensive one.

A chance encounter between his wife and his mistress at the department store had a conflagrative effect on his life; he lost his family, his friends, and his job, all in quick succession.

[puzzlexagent-blog]

also the one (1) drawing that basically clued me into nelson’s birth year also informed me that it’s implied nelson was stood up at his high school prom

i mean

that’s a corsage lads

[puzzlexagent-blog]

i was thinking about reevaluating the headcanon age i have for nelson (since i basically pulled it out of thin air) but it turns out that, based on some little doodles about nelson made by the creator of puzzle agent, graham annable, his birth year can be reverse-engineered to either 1963 or 1964

which, assuming puzzle agent takes place in 2010 (the year it was released, and is entirely plausible), would actually make nelson 45-46 at that time (nice)

but it also means that if nelson wasn’t frozen at that age when i write him, he’d be 53 or 54 now

[puzzlexagent-blog]

@bystcrdust​

“ Hey, hey, hey, careful with those! Both of us could be in big trouble if anything is out of place. “ Taking a teenager into an evidence room was an understandably questionable decision, even with an agent - and a passing clerk - overseeing the whole affair, but in his view, it offered an educational opportunity and, more importantly, kept her out of trouble. 

[puzzlexagent-blog]

I’m so fucking scared

[puzzlexagent-blog]

saturnine

[sat-er-nahyn] 

(adj.) 1.��having a sluggish or gloomy temperament; taciturn. 2. having a tendency to be bitter or sarcastic. 3. having lead poisoning or disorders related to lead. 4. born under the influence of the planet Saturn.

A group of three teenagers squatted near the train tracks, smoking cigarettes and staring at passersby, their eyes lined with kohl that had become smudged by the greasiness of their skin.

[puzzlexagent-blog]

@limlnal​​

On the majority of occasions, Nelson was not the one to make the first move in conversation, excluding when he needed information or found someone in need of aid. People went on their merry ways, and never lost any sleep over not striking up a chat with every person they passed, so there was little cause to disrupt that fact of life. Nonetheless, despite their outward appearance, one person in the crowd did seem like they could use a bit of help, and that was enough to break his usual silence.

“ Excuse me, sir. I don’t mean to pry, but ... are you feeling okay? I could give you a hand with those, if you’d like. “ 

[puzzlexagent-blog]

@kaengeru​

The Bureau had not been known for giving out the minute specifics of a situation ( at least in his case ), but his superiors had seemed especially dodgy with questions when giving this particular assignment, unusual for an odd job and general subtle code for “it’s classified”. While he wasn’t fond of the idea of being kept in the dark, it was an opportunity to get out of his dusty office for a change.

“ Good evening, Miss Uneo. I’m Nelson Tethers, of the FBI. I’ve been assigned to escort you on this trip. “ A simple escort mission: it couldn’t get too wild. 

[puzzlexagent-blog]

i gotta practice writing shorter threads so smash that like for a short starter!

[puzzlexagent-blog]

5 Writing Tips for Roleplayers

I wrote this up on a blog of mine that’s currently inactive in response to a meme, and I felt like sharing it here, too! These are tips I keep in mind regularly and feel they really work for me, while I occasionally notice sometimes people haven’t quite grasped the concepts and may be interested in doing so. In no way is anyone roleplaying incorrectly, but these are just ways to make the experience perhaps more enjoyable for you and those you interact with!

1 — Be aware of whether or not you’re actually giving your partner something to respond to. Upon finishing a para or multi-para reply, check if your reply has at least two of these three things: dialogue, action (aside from speaking), or imagery describing the scene or your character’s appearance. This should give your partner a substantial amount of material to base their reply off of. They can have their character speak back to yours, react to the action, or react to/build on the imagery! All three are great, but not always necessary. This tip also may not always apply depending on the kind of interaction you’re having, but in your typical para they will be what keeps the story moving. Note: Your character’s inner thoughts are a fourth element to add in a reply, and while it’s important and interesting to read, keep in mind that sometimes it’s not easy to base a response off of.

2 — Another tip for giving your partner something to respond to when it comes to one-liners or dialogue in general is to avoid saying single statements pertaining to one idea. By this I mean something like, “That’s cool” or, “I wish I could do that.” Instead say something like, “That’s cool. Where did you learn to do that?” or, “I wish I could do that, but I don’t have anyone to teach me.” Adding a question of course never fails to give your partner something to respond to (and therefore can even be written by itself as it’s not a statement). Making a compound statement or more than one statement on a subject essentially gives people two things to work with, and responding to it will feel less restricting. For example: Instead of your partner saying “You never know until you try” to the simple statement (creating another boring statement), by adding to yours you could invite them to say something like, “You never know until you try. I could teach you!” Now there’s something you can easily respond back to!

3 — If you’re anything like me and prefer replies to stay concise so that things move along more quickly, avoid multiple lines of dialogue pertaining to many different ideas and avoid having more than one goal to obtain through action. This is something that happens a lot, and even the most experienced roleplayers do it unintentionally. I am still guilty of it myself. We all go a little overboard sometimes, and you will notice that once someone goes overboard the replies have a tendency to keep expanding. Even if more is happening at once, the story tends to drag. This can be a problem because it’s one of the main reasons we will get bored of a thread, or feel too overwhelmed by it, or both. Try to restrain yourself by finishing the reply after you have responded to the one or two things your partner has given you. Instead of focusing on matching word count, focus on matching ideas. Feel like it’s still not enough? Throw in some imagery or insight to your character’s thoughts.

4 — When writing a starter for an interaction with a character yours has yet to interact with, this should be a given, but read everything the mun has provided about that character. If it’s a canon character and particularly if it’s one you’re not as familiar with, go beyond that and look them up on a fandom wiki, just make sure to recognize where the character may be canon divergent if they’re supposed to be. As you do this, pick out ways this character may relate to your character. Do they have similar or conflicting interests? Are they from the same place or been to the same places? Is there something about them your character finds impressive or something that bothers them? Is your character’s personality one that might clash with theirs? Once you’ve got answers to any of these questions, have your starter comment on or insinuate something you’ve discovered. This gives something for your characters to discuss and jumpstarts the creation of a story to share, which is especially important if it’s their first meeting as those threads are always in danger of feeling redundant and flat from the start.

5 — Find your character’s voice (a.k.a. their way of speaking). As you write their dialogue, ask yourself questions like these: Where/when did they grow up and how did people (of their social class) speak there? What kind of accent do they have? What slang do they use? Do they avoid using contractions? Do they use foul language and how often? Are they articulate with a wide vocabulary? Do they keep things short or are they prone to run-on sentences and long-windedness? Do they have a speech impediment? Are exclamations (!) common for them or do they speak more calmly? Do they address people with pet names/nicknames? And a bonus: If texting/typing applies to them, do they use correct grammar, capitalization, acronyms, emojis, etc? Finding your character’s voice is key if you really want to get to know them and it’s also one good way to be sure you’ve created a solid character. You may feel it comes naturally, but take note of it and make a conscious effort to keep it consistent. It also may evolve over time, but be aware of that, too!

[puzzlexagent-blog]

i gotta practice writing shorter threads so smash that like for a short starter!

[puzzlexagent-blog]

strident

[strahyd-nt]

(adj.) 1. having or making a harsh sound; creaking, grating. 2. having a shrill, irritating quality or character. 3. urgent; vigorously demanding.

The prince held his mother’s dry, shrunken hand and looked at her face. He thought back to his early childhood, how she towered over him, looking at him down her long, elegant nose, like an elk dressed in regal finery. She had been a difficult mother, willful and strident, with a presence more imposing than even the king — now she was silent, tiny in the expanse of the canopy bed.