#Creative Content Prompt

[demaparbat-hp]

Almost

[dissociativecollective]

I'm trying to see this for what it is: a new chance, an opening, a beginning. A clean slate. A way of the universe undoubtedly showing me that this phase is over and I'm ready [or not] to dive into the next. But all I can see is defeat. All I can see is the fear of not deserving to end up where I want to be, where I should be, where I feel I have to be. My thoughts are overwhelming. My doubts are endless. I'm a well that's filled to the brim with poisoned water. I'm a finished painting, a portrait painted in the most vibrant colors. But the knife is tightly grasped in my hand and I want to scratch off layer after layer and start again, just to figure out who I am and do something different. Something new. It's all old news and repetitions of past mistakes and regrets and I don't know how to break free from this trap. It comes down to this: I'm scared senseless. This fear has become part of me and I don't know how to look at the future without feeling overwhelmed by it. I want to write about hope next, but I don't really feel it right now. But I think I'll feel it one day. I know I will. I must.

[the-broken-pen]

“Hey,” the hero panted. “At least I’ll make a pretty dead body?”

The villain hissed at them beneath their breath.

“I don’t want this. You know that, right?”

The hero stilled. The chanting of the crowd grew louder.

“I know.”

The villain looked down over the edge of the stage, eyes cold and calculating as ever.

Their eyes caught on something.

When they turned to the hero, they smiled.

“Hold your breath.”

The square erupted in smoke, and everything was lost to the blur of unconsciousness.

“You’re an idiot.”

The hero blinked, half asleep.

“What?”

The villain made a low noise of irritation, and behind them, someone laughed.

“I told you not to breathe.”

The hero half smiled, vision blurry.

“Next time, say something sooner.”

“God, why did I save you—“

The hero shifted to laugh, and felt bandages wrapping around their wrists. They frowned, pulling it up to their face.

The villain watched them, carefully.

“Bandages?”

The villain nodded.

“You were bleeding.”

“I don’t remember—“

“Suppressants affect the ability to feel pain. A mercy, if you were to be executed, but a curse if you get wounded.”

The hero made to unwrap one, see the damage, and the villains cool fingers closed around their wrist.

“Stop it.”

“You didn’t tell me they were reckless,” the same laughing voice as before said, and the hero snapped their gaze to them.

They grinned.

“Hello, there.”

The hero’s power sputtered to life, as if pushing past the final dregs of the suppressors, and slammed out into the room, exploring every nook and cranny. It slid along the skin of the newcomer, testing, as if figuring out what power they held.

A moment later, the hero gagged, retching.

The villain simply watched them, unconcerned, hand still on their wrist, but the newcomer frowned.

“Are you—“

“I hate fire wielders,” the hero gasped, covering their mouth. “You taste like smoke and feel like suffocation.”

The newcomer stilled, and their power told them with no shortage of glee that their name was Alex, and it the hero wanted the flames wreathed within their skin, they could have them.

Alex glanced to the villain. “How did they…”

The villain examined the hero’s hand, before pressing a nail into their skin.

The hero’s power practically purred, sliding back into their skin. When the villain smiled, it was feral.

“Their power is a loathsome little thing. Just too far on this side of sentient. A curious thief and magic rolled into one.”

The hero made to yank their hand away, and their power protested.

The hero left their wrist in the villains grasp.

Alex’s eyebrows pinched. “So why aren’t you affecting them?”

The villain’s smile, if anything, grew sharper.

“Could be the gas, from when we saved their life,” With their free hand, the tipped the hero’s chin up to examine their eyes. “Or, could be that they like me, and their power likes me too.”

The hero flushed.

“It does not—“

The villain swiped a finger on their forearm, and the hero’s power glowed at the contact.

They didn’t even realize they’d copied the villain’s powers until they tasted the stardust and wind that came with telepathy and teleportation.

Right. Suppressors.

If the hero hadn’t been so hopped up on suppressors earlier, teleportation would have gotten them out much easier than gas. From the look on the villain’s face, they knew that too.

People had learned the hard way not to teleport those who have been suppressed. Magic didn’t like it.

The villain snorted.

“You’re an asshole,” the hero bit out, and their power curled around their newfound toy like a baby dragon, hoarding it in their chest. Alex’s thoughts were unimaginably load.

“God, how can you be around anyone, ever?”

The villain cocked their head. It wasn’t the first time the hero had asked that question.

Behind them, Alex left. Blessedly, it got quiet.

“Practice,” the villain admitted. “A lot of it.”

The hero wanted to shove the telepathy out of them, but their power simply held on tighter.

“It won’t let go.”

“Mm. Quite the noxious creature.”

“I’m the one living with it.”

The villain hummed, hand tracing along the edges of the bandages.

“I would never have let you die.”

The hero simply thought, I know.

The villain smiled.

I love you, the villain’s eyes bore into them, thought flung across the void between their brain and the hero’s.

The hero took their hand. The villain let them. “I know.”

In their chest, their power finally, finally settled, as if it had been waiting for this all along.

[mittensmorgul]

There’s another post going around about this, but tumblr won’t let me reblog it but...

When I read a story written by a human being, I’m not just reading it because I want to read a coffee shop AU with a specific plot description. I’m reading it because it’s making a connection to another human storyteller and seeing a piece of them carved into the words. Storytelling is a human act of sharing joy, angst, tension, resolution, satisfaction. It’s an act of love.

Writing and reading a story isn’t just an act of creation and consumption. I hate that commercialism and AI are reducing it to that sort of transaction. Like oh, you need words on this subject and that’s the end of it. Like what we really needed was just a vending machine we can push buttons on to get a fix, as if the human creating the story wasn’t a factor. That the author’s life experience and views and feelings haven’t infused the words with their own unique touches.

I’ve read hundreds of coffee shop AU’s over the years (and thousands of fics in general). I’ve seen many similar tropes reused across stories, and just like an AI would, I’ve learned things about writing them that I will always carry with me. But unlike an AI, a human author is not just the sum total of coffee shop AU’s we’ve consumed. Even if we used the same prompt, the same sets of tropes, the same characters. I will always choose the human-crafted story over the computer generated one.

Because again, I’m not just looking for a very specific fix via a series of words. I’m looking for a human connection through story.

Unlike an AI, I have BEEN to a coffee shop. I’ve had experiences in coffee shops. I’ve had funny little meet-cutes with people. I’ve accidentally spilled coffee on myself and knocked heads with someone as we both rushed to wipe it up. I know what it FEELS like. The machine doesn’t.

I’ve also read millions of things that aren’t fanfic, or coffee shop AU’s. I’ve experienced things OTHER than going to coffee shops and having meet-cutes. And I know what all those things feel like when processed through my personal human lens of experience, which is different from every other personal human lens of experience.

All the machine can do is spit out what it THINKS a human experience is, and I honestly don’t care about that at all. Fic is not a “product” to be “generated.” It’s an art form that connects us to other people who share the same love of a thing that we do.

People who, even when all writing the same characters in the same setting to the exact same prompt, will all add something or have a viewpoint about something or bring a completely different personality and life experience to the story that no one else on the planet could. That’s what I’m actually reading.

[lifenconcepts]

Y’all have no idea what you’re doing when you mess up a character. Sure, a bit of blood is nice, but if you REALLY loved them then you would put them in misery and anguish. here are some ideas :3

physical, emotional, mental distress, ill, harm..

Chop off a limb, their reaction can be plentiful expressive and entertaining.

Make an ordinary human quality an over abundance. there’s lots of opportunity here. Such as too much hunger (basic) or having enhanced vision (sensitive eyes too) or too much blood in the body or lots of one substance or limb like having 2000 eyelashes idk man. Make the consequences believable so it doesn’t resemble a superpower (like super hearing but their ears constantly are in pain and they get migraines from it and they ring).

Throw them into an unlucky situation where their vehicle messes up and if they’re on public transport then it just brings them somewhere wildly different than what they wanted would be nice if they also didn’t have a safe place.

Give them a sudden overwhelming emotion, play god, make them absolutely manic or depressive or unprompted hostile. It’s fun.

Give them a random delusion. There’s lots of possibilities here from commonly represented ones like feeling watch’s and what not but you can experiment! Make them afraid to take off their clothes, make them unable to walk through door frames, make them disconnected with their body (could be one on its own), make em irrationally afraid of pots, make them desire to destroy every slug in the world, there’s so much creativity to be unleashed!

Get rid of the most loved and prized thing in their life, this one’s a classic.

How would they respond to threats? Threats to their well being, to their home, to their belongings, to their financial stability, to their families, to their friends and pets, to their sanity, to their body, to their life?

Teach them a false belief and allow them to destroy themselves.

lead them into a false sense of security and rip it out of them at the very moment they need it most.

fuck it. Teleport them to a messed up place. Crumbling building, country without the language they speak, planet where there’s no air, they’re suddenly in the sky, no recollection how they got there.

Ruin their job or hobby for them.

The one thing that’s least likely to happen happens and what seems to be a one in a quadrillion chance actually happens (such as a bit of dust travelling so fast it blind them, or a sandwich causes them to slip and slide down the stairs and crash into a metal wall).

Make nobody able to understand them (interpret it however. Could be just language wise or just unable to comprehend their bodily cues and constantly misunderstand and misread their behaviours and thoughts).

Eh strip them away from their humanity or something. No more emotions, no more soul, no more love, no more morals. Only pain and suffering.

have them choose between two things equally dear to them (common trope but not common enough).

Make them a sad song personified, take Simon & Garfunkel’s Sound of Silence for example, or any of The Smith’s songs (incredible, really).

Make them suddenly have a desire to destroy themselves, an idealised fascination with something strange such as wanting to see red on themselves or want to feel the raw bones in their hand.

A tad bit of insanity is always wonderful. Truly.

ANYHOO if anyone needs help to think of a plot for their story or fanfic please feel free to request me, I have dozens of theories and ideas of how to not only make a believable thing but also an interesting character and truly effective hurt! I insist, I can help!

[sunnynwanda]

Sea waters

The crowd cheers, their voices melding into one expression of joy. Hero can hear none of that. They take two unsteady steps on weak legs before collapsing to their knees. A sob escapes their lips, inaudible in the commotion of the celebrating crowd. Hero wants to scream in anguish, but their voice betrays them - a fit of hiccups is all that comes out of their trembling chest.

It’s only when someone tries to grab the body that they explode.

“No!“ their scream echoes from the vaulted ceiling of the atrium. “No! Don’t touch them.“

The two policemen who wanted to drag the corpse away jump back in surprise. Hero scrambles to their feet, picks up the dead body and walks up the stairs. They stand on top, take a deep breath and turn around, facing the crowd. The cheers start dying down when people see the tear-stained face of their saviour.

“Villain didn’t... they did not deserve death,“ Hero chokes on their words, sorrow lacing their voice. “I did - I do.”

They didn’t want this. They never did. Their fight was set up by the mayor. Hero knew that. Villain knew that. None of this was supposed to happen.

Yet it did. A twist of faith that led Villain down the wrong corridor. A twisted coincidence that made Hero blast the wrong wall, crushing their best nemesis under it. And now Hero would have to live their entire life with the greatest of regrets.

They take a step back. The people stare in confusion as Hero flies up into the sky, higher than ever before. 

They don’t stop until all that is left of them is a tiny speck in the sky. They glance down once, as if to say farewell to the city, then gaze at the peaceful face of their Villain before letting their body go down into the depth of the sea.

Hero never returns. Some say they left the city because there was no evil to fight anymore. Others claim they saw Hero dive into the water after Villain. No one ever learns the truth, yet no one ever dares to disturb the waters of the sea that swallowed the Hero and their foe. 

Masterlist

[joinourbookclub]

Book Club Writing Prompt Exercise!!

Task Write a short story based on these two ideas, "sleeping during danger" and "a place where it is comfortable to be alone." Thank you @chaoticstupidbird for providing these prompts once again!

Time brainstorming: Ten minutes

Time writing: 30 minutes

-----

A teddy bear, a lollipop, a picture. You could part with these things for the time being. The toy was something you’ve had since birth and was now worn and stained from all of your love, but there have been harder things to part with. In a few months, you’ll be reunited anyway. That’s what you have to remind yourself.

It was supposed to be over in a few months, but instead each day grows lonelier. You are lonely without your prized bear, lonely without your brother, who promised to be back months ago. When you can’t take it anymore, you gain solace from wrapping your blanket around your shoulders and sneaking off under the stars to where you hid the rest of your treasures. Mommy and Daddy said not to go down there, but it has never hurt you before. They want you to be prepared, so this is actually a good thing. You stay the night surrounded by all of your precious things and in the morning you leave the blanket behind to accompany them.

You sleep there several more times over the next few months. Somehow, it becomes more comforting than your room. It is a place where you can escape the pain of your brother never coming back and the anxiety of danger that is always incoming but doesn’t seem to have a definite date. You move more of your few possessions down there until your room is empty except for the bed and dresser. You are ready for the night when you wake up to the sounds of wailing and thundering bangs.

Mommy and Daddy prepared you well for this day. You know to run out of your room and across the yard. You know not to turn back and look for them. You know to ignore the smells of smoke and ash and not to question whether that smell is coming from burning flesh or not. You lock yourself in the bunker, no, your happy place and wait for your parents. Minutes pass as you examine the last picture that was taken of you and your brother. Hours pass as you suck on the lollipop and cuddle your teddy bear. Days might have even passed before you cover yourself in your blanket. You want to stay awake to wait, but you’re too used to the feeling of sleep down here. Eventually you can’t stop the closing of your eyes and you’re lulled to sleep by the sounds of your world being destroyed. You are alone, but it’s strangely comfortable.

[quest-for-pluto]

“If you wrote a book where the first and last sentence were the same, but had different meanings, what would they be?”

Warnings: Dark content, suicide, implied/attempted homicide, blood, violence and major feels.

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,” she hummed under her breath, smiling down at the bundle in her arms and rocking her ever so gently. “You make me happy, when skies are gray.”

•

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,” she hiccuped under her breath as warm tears rolled down her cheeks, fingers combing through her daughter’s long, lovely strands of hair. The girl didn’t move, forever motionless as she laid in a growing pool of her own blood that seeped slowly from her wrists. “Y-You make me happy, when skies are gray.”

— Inspired by Avatar-of-Greed’s YouTube comment

************

“Make a wish!” Her brother laughed joyously, tugging insistently on her arm. She giggled, blowing out the ten candles on her cake. Everyone cheered around her as her mother tried ushering them into a family picture.

•

“Make a wish,” she murmured to herself in the silent house, staring numbly at the single, flickering candle that lit up the old picture beside her. She blew gently, and the dim light extinguished, plunging the room into darkness.

************

“You’re my best friend,” she whispered with a grin, burying her face into the stuffed animal’s plush chest.

“You’re my best friend,” the stuffed animal sang, tilting its head as it inched closer, its razor claws screeching loudly as they dragged against the floor. The girl sobbed, crawling backwards on her bed until she hit the wall.

************

“Go, Leo!” He laughed, launching the frisbee with all of his strength. His dog raced across the open field, jumping up and catching it in his mouth.

“Go, Leo,” he coughed from under the debris, reaching out a hand to pat gently on his dog’s head. His chest was pinned down by layers of concrete, slowly crushing him with the weight. Leo whimpered, nudging his hand insistently with his nose.

************

This one’s not mine but it was too beautiful not to include:

************

Here’s the prompt source: CLICK TO BAWL YOUR EYES OUT

[the-broken-pen]

“What would you give,” the villain drawled. “To save the world?”

The hero swallowed. Their arms hurt in the binding, pressed too tight against their skin.

“Everything.”

The villain tipped their head.

“Mmm. Lovely. But I have everything. Try again.”

The hero did know, they didn’t know what the villain wanted and the world was going to burn and people were going to die and it hurt—

“Whatever you want,” the hero blurted. “Take it.”

The villain smiled.

“You panic so pretty, darling.” The villain crouched down in front of them. They tipped the hero’s chin up with one elegant finger. “What I want,” they said slowly, like a secret. “Is you.”

“I—“

“You think yourself worth the world, then? I release you, and the world burns so you can stay free and live the rest of your meaningless life. After all, what’s a hero without anyone to save?”

The blood drained from the hero’s face. Their powers lay aching, stolen in their chest.

“No,” they said, and they weren’t sure if it was a plea or a command.

The villain stood.

“You or the world, hero. I’d take either, given the chance,” their eyes burned into the hero’s. “Choose.”

A tear, one, traitorous tear, slid down the grime on the hero’s cheek.

“Me,” they whispered.

Something dark simmered in the villain’s gaze.

“Look at you. Such a good hero, saving the world,” they cooed. They motioned a guard to haul the hero to their feet. “I’m going to have so much fun watching you break.”

The hero never saw the outside world again.

They just hoped it was safe.

[prompts-by-anjali]

"Hi. I know we just have mutual friends and never really hung out before -- so trust me, I know how crazy this is going to sound. But I've been in love with you since I saw you at that cafe place that does the fudge cookies. I know you had that whole meet cute with B, bumping into them and getting fudge on each other, but I was there too, and I've been falling harder ever since. Andddd that's absolute garbage, can't say all THAT to someone who's getting married in the next thirty minutes."

"Wow."

"AHH! What -- who -- how long have you been SPYING on me, you pervert?"

"Okay, whoa. You came into MY dressing room. And you're wearing all your clothes and... I don't see how I'm a pervert."

"My SPEECH is the one that's naked, smartass!"

"Whoo. Yeah, sheesh, that was rough to hear. Today must be tough for you."

"Do me a favor and bleach your memories of that, okay? Whoever you are."

"Bleach my memories of what?"

"Thanks."

"No problem. Try not to flash your nude speech around. Talk about awkward."

"Hey -- bleach, I said! And I wouldn't! That's not funny!"

"It's pretty funny. See you later, person I don't know."

"Not if I see you first! Gah, asshole."

[star-vibing-prompts]

Random shit I had or others had said as prompts.

Warnings: Swearing, Mentions of sus, dark humor(probably), dark themes(also probably), Sensitive topics

----------------------------

"Motherfucker is high on cat nip at the top."

"Imma just kick this fish then-"

"Let me sleep with you!"

"STOP CREAMING YOURSELF"

"Let me throw your child!"

"I smacked a bad guy's booty."

"That was a good ass slap!"

"Give me all these delicious batteries!"

"Everybody died in this family!"

"I JUST SHOT HER BODY WITH MY GUN-"

"I DIDNT EVEN KNOW I HAD BALLS STILL!"

"I got stuff on my neck!"

"Be honest, am I hot?" "I'M GAY-"

"IMMA WHIP OUT MY BEANS ESSAY"

"Not the duckussy"

"Already sus gonna hide in the ooc"

"Okay I got my happiness, bye"

"I like me some Among Us"

"Can someone hold me please"

"[Name] stop searching. I wanna search something up to on him!"

"IS HE WRITING A FANFIC OML"

"I KNOW BUT WHEN I LAUGH I SOMEHOW CHOKE ACK-"

"You're more grosser than I am."

"Ohh~ Hee got the rizz~"

"OKAY BACK TO CRYING"

"I love dying screaming"

"IM CRYING WHAT DID WE JUST WALK IN ON???"

"I will slap myself if I say something sus"

"Let her scream lmao."

"Being force to talk by a 14 year old"

"Such a beautiful break up"

"STOP RIZZING ME"

"Anyway does anyone want to get slap by me?"

"Damn she hot"

"THE FUCK WOMAN???"

"DAMN I AM A LONELY BITCH"

"Actually *SHITTING* himself would be pooping. *PISSING* himself would be peeing."

"Why did you eat mah stick?"

"STOP EATING POOP???? WHOS POOP EVEN IS THAT???"

"I- Wha- ho- ...MY BRAIN CANT HANDLE THISI-"

"I think u just pissed him up even more"

"And why are you creaming [Name]?" "Damn tell me how you really feel about the cream jesus"

"One of them is: What the fuck is going on at this point and why am I still here for it?"

"I just love killing people!"

"I want to fuck Optimus Prime."

"Allergies are kicking me ass"

"I would've given you some but you didn't talk fast enough /j"

"[NAME] PLEASE I BE SILLY"

"I SWEAR ON [NAME] IT AINT ME"

"Why is [Name] robbing [Name2]"

"Enjoy your last peaceful moments"

"You were the chosen one"

"Then speak it"

"And [Name] just set himself on fire"

"I feel like I am being judged now,,,,,bye." *disappears*

"The shame has already been done there is no going back"

"My mom used to buy me robux before she mcfucking died"

"I BROKE MY STICK"

"THEY DONT KNOW WHAT GOES ON BEHIND CLOSED DOORS"

"My gaydar told me"

"What the fuck are smiley fries."

"Rice with beef broth because we have no chicken"

"Anime cat girls are canon within Spongebob now."

"The Cat Has Ingested The Wall"

"Split dat chicken wingg"

"Oeuur... digs chicken wing out of the carpet"

SHRIEKS AND BREAKS IN THROUGH A WINDOW

"They have been bestowed the name [New name]"

"I love the fumbling with the remote"

"Literally vibrating in my chair, I’m really excited for the game"

"That's so sad imagine someone hated you so much they wouldn't even spend more than 5 bucks to hire a hitman"

"Bro's gonna be willing to die after that"

"FLOOFY AND GOOBER"

"I wanna invite them for tea and crumpets

The best type of relationship"

"ILL FORFEIT ALL MY LEGAL POSSESSIONS TO HIM"

"Like damn dude you don't need THAT much eye liner"

"This is so emo"

"My dude needs to look fabulous"

"WHAT A GOOBER ! FOOLISH LITTLE FELLOW"

"OMG ITS MY KID"

"LIL GUY IS SPEEDY ASF"

"They got a little too silly"

"ITTY BITTY"

"They just need to put some ice on it"

"Aww noo they spilled the cranberry juice" :(

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Steph's Crew - Part 20: Hold On

Intro:

What's up, folks?

So last time Bret and Steph had a little bit of a moment. Which is bad, because both of them are taken lol. I mean, nothing too crazy happened... but the fact that something almost happened is bad enough, right?

Today, we're going to kind of see the aftermath of this (how it affects the relationships between the group, especially Elise), and we're also going to get a bit more context for Bret and Rachel's fight last time, and development for his family drama. It's going to be quite tense all round, but hopefully still enjoyable!

In the silent study room

(The bell rings for break. Dylan, Alice and Bret are walking into the common room together, when all of a sudden, Elise comes by)

Elise: Morning, folks!

Dylan: Hey, Elise!

Alice: What's up, El?

Elise: (smiles) Oh, nothing much, nothing much.

Bret: Did you have a lesson?

Elise: (immediately stops smiling) Yes. Textiles.

Bret: (awkwardly) Cool.

Elise: Yeah. (pauses) So, I think we should talk. Don't you?

Bret: I guess.

Elise: Great! I'm glad you agree. We'll try and catch up with you guys afterwards, is that ok?

Alice: Uh, yeah. Ok.

Dylan: See you later?

Elise: Of course! Now, come with me. (pulls Bret away to the silent study room)

Dylan: Looks like somebody's in trouble…

Alice: It's Bret. He's used to it by now.

(In the study room, Bret and Elise continue their conversation)

Bret: So…

Elise: So.

Bret: You're upset.

Elise: Obviously!

Bret: Why?

Elise: Are you being serious?

(There's a silence as Bret tries to figure out what to say next)

Bret: …No?

Elise: (sighs) Bret, what's going on? With you, I mean. And your aunt.

Bret: Nothing's going on, El.

Elise: It seemed like a big deal at the time…

Bret: I don't want you to worry about this.

Elise: I wish you'd talk to me. If something is up, you can tell me about it. You know that, don't you? That's what I'm here for.

Bret: I know.

Elise: (takes his hand) Have you and your aunt made up yet?

Bret: Not exactly. But we live together. We've got to get over it at some point, you know?

Elise: Hmm. (pauses) And you didn't mean what you said back then, did you?

Bret: When?

Elise: When I found you at Stevie's?

Bret: What did I say again?

Elise: You don't remember what you said? About how I wouldn't understand your problems because of how privileged I am?

Bret: Ah.

Elise: Yeah. You were all like, "I'd love to see how your life advice applies to someone who hasn't been handed everything on a silver platter. Your life is perfect. You have great friends, a whole family full of legit good people, rich and successful parents, and an older brother with a flat that you can go stay at when your parents are driving you insane. You have a nice car, a big house, perfect grades. You'll probably go on to study at Cambridge next year. You have everything. You won't know what it's like to lose everything. So don't even try to advise that person now."

Bret: Wow. I said all that?

Elise: Yup.

Bret: I don't even remember saying half of that…

Elise: But you did say all of that. And more. That part stuck with me the most, though.

Bret: Huh. It's freaky how good your memory is.

Elise: Adam tells me that all the time.

Bret: Your brother's a hoot.

Elise: Yeah. Look, when you said that, it… well, to be honest, it hurt. A lot. Mostly because I was only trying to help.

Bret: I know you were. Come here. (hugs her) I'm sorry.

Elise: Are you?

Bret: Yeah, of course.

(Elise stops hugging Bret)

Elise: Because not only was it unnecessary, but it was kind of uncalled for. You don't know everything I've been through. You might believe that you do because we've known each other for years, but you don't. And you don't know what my parents have had to go through, either. You know, to get us to where we are now. You haven't seen the journey. All you know is the destination.

Bret: I get that, but-

Elise: No. I don't think you do. Look, as much as I dislike the pressure I tend to get from my family, I understand why I get it. That's all I'll say. My parents made sure Adam and I knew the importance of hard work because that's how they became successful. I appreciate everything my family has, and what my parents do for me. And I do know what loss feels like. You already know about my grandparents. You know, the ones that gifted us that vase you broke?

Bret: Ok, did you really need to bring that up?

Elise: I'm not done yet. I also know a thing or two about dealing with family issues. (sighs) You know about Adam getting his high school girlfriend pregnant, don't you?

Bret: Yeah, you told me about that.

Elise: Did I tell you that he got kicked out of the house because of all that?

Bret: …No. You didn't. Is that the reason why-

Elise: He doesn't live with us anymore. Yeah. He couldn't to go to university like my parents wanted. He got into a bunch of fights with mum and dad about it. Eventually, he couldn't take it anymore. Neither could they.

Bret: Damn…

Elise: To this day, he hasn't said a word to my parents. I'm the only person in my family that's still in contact with Adam. He hasn't got a relationship with anyone else. And I've kind of kept it a secret.

Bret: I… don't know what to say.

Elise: I think you could start by saying something along the lines of, "I suppose even people with certain privileges have to deal with problems in their lives sometimes."

Bret: Yeah, what you said. (laughs)

Elise: I know that I'll probably never truly understand exactly how you feel. I haven't experienced the things that you have. But I promise you, all I want to do is be there for you. 'Cause I love you.

Bret: You do?

Elise: (blushes) Yeah. I do.

Bret: (smiles) 'Kay, now I don't feel embarrassed by what I told Stevie.

Elise: (giggles) What did you tell Stevie? (pauses) Wait, wait. When was this?

Bret: Over the weekend. Before you met me, I went over to his and we hung out for a bit.

Elise: Why, though? You don't work during weekends.

Bret: I know. I just wanted to talk.

Elise: What about?

Bret: About how my aunt was driving me nuts. I just needed a break from being in the house, that's all.

Elise: So, let me get this straight. You needed to talk to somebody about your issues with your aunt, so you go talk to your boss?! Not a friend?

Bret: Stevie WAS my friend before he hired me… he's allowed to be my mate outside of work hours, isn't he?

Elise: I mean, I guess. But seriously? Not anyone else? Like your school friends? Or your girlfriend? It seriously had to be Stevie?

Bret: Dave was there, too. You know Dave - the dude from the record shop next door? And his brother, Colin.

Elise: And you thought that all of those guys were better people to confide in than me…

Bret: It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it didn't work out. But it's ok, 'cause then later on that night, I went to Steph's place.

Elise: What?!

Bret: What?

Elise: You went to my best friend!

Bret: Yeah. I mean, she's my friend, too. What's wrong with that?

Elise: Well, what did she say about it?

Bret: To talk to you.

Elise: Hmm. The only thing that's come out of your mouth that I can fully get behind. And it technically didn't even come from you!

Bret: Huh.

Elise: Only thing is, you should've done that from the get-go. You went to Stevie, Dave, Dave's brother, and Stephanie? You should've just come to me! Why don't you feel comfortable talking to me about deep stuff like this?

Bret: 'Cause I don't want you to worry!

Elise: Bret!

Bret: I hate talking to people about Gordon! It hurts to talk about it. And I don't want to hurt you with all my issues… you care so much about people that you kind of make their problems your own. I guess I just wanted a break from just feeling constant pain… so I went places where I knew I could forget about my problems and feel better instantly, instead of forcing myself to face them.

Elise: Well, you know what? You not being honest with me and coming to me when you need support hurts me a lot more than your problems could. I hate that you feel the need to keep stuff from me, Bret. I don't want you to do that anymore. If this is going to work out, then we need to be straight with each other.

Bret: I agree. I'm sorry. No more secrets?

Elise: No more secrets.

(The two share another warm hug, longer than the first)

Bret: Oh, wait. Since we're being honest, there's something you should probably know real quick.

Elise: Oh, yeah? (breaks the hug) What is it?

Bret: It's about Stephanie.

Elise: Ok…

Bret: When I was hanging out at her place, she and I drank a lot of beer. And then we stayed up late, talking about random stuff.

Elise: I don't know where this is going…

Bret: We had this weird moment where we almost kissed.

Elise: WHAT?!

Bret: But we didn't! Nothing happened. I'm just saying, it almost did.

Elise: Oh my God… oh, my-

Bret: Please don't be too upset… me and Steph weren't going to say anything to anyone, but you wanted us to be honest with each other. I just thought you deserved to know about it.

Elise: I-I… thanks? I guess. I just- I need…

Bret: I'm really sorry!

Elise: I need a minute. Yes! That is what I need. I just need some time, and-and space to just process this whole conversation. Yeah.

Bret: Ok. El, are you alright?

Elise: (shakes her head) Of course. I think I'll go now. Thanks for the talk. I think. (leaves the room)

Bret: Ok. Bye. I- (the door slams shut after Elise leaves) love you, too.

In the common room

(Dylan and Alice are sitting on a table in the common room at break. Alice is showing Dylan a funny cat video on her phone. Stephanie joins them)

Stephanie: Hey!

Alice: Oh, hey! (stands up and hugs her) How are you?

Dylan: Yeah, and where have you been? We haven't seen you in ages! (hugs Stephanie as well)

Alice: Poor Ellie was getting so worried about you… she called you a bunch of times.

Stephanie: Yeah, I know. I called her back as quickly as possible. I've just had to take care of a few things. But I'm good now! Mostly. (pauses) Where is Elise anyway? I haven't seen her yet today. Or Bret.

Alice: Did you just come in now?

Stephanie: Yeah.

Alice: Right, 'cause she was here this morning. You would've seen her then.

Dylan: I actually saw her go to the silent study room with Bret a few minutes ago. So they're probably still there.

Stephanie: Huh. Wonder why.

Alice: To talk?

Dylan: Or to do something else, if you know what I mean…

(He and Stephanie both start laughing at this)

Alice: No, no, 'cause El told me that she and Bret really needed to talk. I think they're going through something right now.

Dylan: Oh, yeah?

Alice: Yeah… she didn't give me any specific details about it, though. I don't know what's going on with them.

Dylan: Man… I hope everything's ok.

Stephanie: (gasps) I think I know what's going on with them.

Alice: Wait, what? How?!

Stephanie: 'Cause Bret came round my place this weekend.

Dylan: My gosh… was he ok? What happened?

Stephanie: A lot of stuff happened. I don't know if I should say everything, though.

Alice: (annoyed) Steph!

Stephanie: What? It's for them to say, not me.

Alice: That's never stopped you before…

Stephanie: I'm trying to turn over a new leaf?

Dylan: Bruh-

Alice: (angry) Don't give me that bullsh-

Elise: Hey, guys.

Alice: (instantly cheers up) Hey! (the two hug)

Dylan: How's it going, El?

Elise: (sighs) Not great. I have no idea what I'm even doing here.

Stephanie: What, in school?

Elise: No, with Bret!

Stephanie, Dylan and Alice: OH.

Elise: It's so weird. I've known him for almost my entire life, and yet, it's like I barely know him at all.

Alice: Oh, honey…

Elise: Yeah. I love him, but I don't understand him. And it's not like he makes it easy. He never tells me anything! Not when it matters… like it does now. Can you be with someone that you don't fully get? Or trust?

Dylan: Hmmmm. Like, I would say yes, since I've experienced that before. You know, with Robyn? But as you guys know, that didn't end too well, so…

Alice: I'm sorry, El. That sucks.

Dylan: What happened between you two, anyway?

Elise: I don't want to talk about it anymore. But hey, here's an idea. (glares at Stephanie) Why don't you ask Steph? (leaves the common room)

(There's an awkward silence between the rest of the group. Stephanie looks shocked and slightly guilty)

Alice: (calls out to Elise as she walks away) But we just did!!

Meet me at our spot (Flashback to the weekend)

(Elise gets off the bus at Tipton Street and spots Bret sitting at a seat outside Stevie's restaurant. He eventually notices her staring at him. After a moment of the two just looking at each other in silence, Elise nervously approaches him and sits down beside him)

Elise: Hey.

Bret: Hey.

Elise: Thought I'd find you here.

Bret: Hmm.

Elise: So, there was a bit of excitement over at your place!

Bret: (sighs) That's one way to put it.

Elise: (chuckles) That's what my dad says every time I fight with my mum. "That was a bit of excitement!" Not the good kind, obviously.

Bret: Nope.

Elise: How are you doing? You ok?

Bret: I don't know.

Elise: You want to talk about it?

Bret: Not particularly, no.

Elise: Why not?

(Bret doesn't answer her. Elise isn't sure of what to say next)

Elise: Look, I know it's not really any of my business, but… I don't think you should keep whatever this is to yourself. Nobody ever solves problems by bottling them.

Bret: I know…

Elise: And I'm here! I'm here for you because I care about you. You know that.

Bret: Yeah.

Elise: So talk to me. I mean, that fight with your aunt sounded pretty crazy.

Bret: It was…

Elise: How are you feeling about it?

Bret: Like nobody in my family has ever given a crap about what I have to say.

Elise: Ok… what do you mean by that?

Bret: Exactly what I said.

Elise: Right. Could you maybe explain that a bit?

Bret: Well… you know that letter you found in the sofa?

Elise: Yeah.

Bret: Well, I read it. And it turns out that it was from my uncle. Gordon Turner.

Elise: Gordon Turner. Why is that name so familiar?

Bret: He worked in broadcasting for a couple of years. And he has a show on the radio.

Elise: Ah! Cool!

Bret: It's not THAT cool. Anyway, neither me nor aunt Rach stand the guy.

Elise: How come?

Bret: Well, he and aunt Rach were married for five years before they split up. She never told me why they split up, necessarily… but I have a few theories.

Elise: Like what, Bret?

Bret: Hang on a sec. (gets his phone out) I've got a whole list on my notes app.

Elise: Oh, for goodness sake-

Bret: Number one - Gordon is a workaholic. Maybe he got so busy with his broadcasting job that he had no time for Rachel. Number two - cheating scandal. Number three -

Elise: STOP! (snatches his phone away) Focus on what's really important right now.

Bret: I am, El! I'm trying to tell you that my uncle sucks.

Elise: Right, well. you could've just said that from the beginning.

Bret: Sorry.

Elise: What's your problem with Gordon?

Bret: Uh, that he sucks. Come on, El. Pay attention!

Elise: Alright, you really need to elaborate on that. I get Rachel's problem with him, but what has he ever done to you?

Bret: Every time he meddles in my life, he ruins it. He's the reason my 13th birthday party went down the drain!

Elise: Oh, yeah! I remember that… The firemen were a ton of fun! They were all so nice.

Bret: And he's the reason my project for the young songwriter competition didn't go through. He knew how important it was for me, and he didn't give a flying fuck-

Elise: Yeah, but there was no full guarantee that you would have won it even if you did submit your song on time. The competition was intense that year.

Bret: That's not the point, El. And he's kind of indirectly responsible for my parents dying, too. But apparently, it's wrong for me to think that, according to aunt Rach. Whatever.

Elise: Wait, he what?!

Bret: He had a party that night. My parents were invited. So they took me to aunt Rach for the night, and then they left. They didn't make it back.

Elise: Wow.

Bret: Yeah.

Elise: So you associate your uncle with pain and loss. That's why it's a bad thing to you that he reached out to your aunt. I see.

Bret: I guess. I never thought of it in that way.

Elise: Did you explain that to your aunt?

Bret: Well, yeah! (pauses) Poorly.

Elise: I'll say.

Bret: (slightly offended) What's that supposed to mean?

Elise: You do love constantly meandering about an issue without properly addressing it. I mean, even now, it's taken you ages to explain this to me with actual information, so I can see why you ended up fighting with your aunt over it-

Bret: (annoyed) What the hell…

Elise: Dude, don't be mad. I'm just telling you as it is. A little word of advice, though - if you actually want to get somewhere with your conflict resolution problems… or just any problem in general, then don't avoid it. Actually be clear on it from the jump. Face it head-on. Don't take any detours. Do go off on unnecessary tangents. Just address the problems you have in a clear but respectful manner. See where things go from there!

Bret: Right. Well, I'd love to see how your life advice applies to someone who hasn't been handed everything on a silver platter.

Elise: (upset) Bret… listen, I'm not saying that-

Bret: No, Elise. You listen to me. Your life is perfect. You have great friends, a whole family full of legit good people, rich and successful parents, and an older brother with a flat that you can go stay at when your parents are driving you insane. You have a nice car, a big house, perfect grades. You'll probably go to study at Cambridge next year. You have everything. You won't know what it's like to lose everything. So don't even try to advise that person now.

Elise: Bret!

Bret: I can't talk about this anymore. Not with you. You won't get it. (sighs) You know what? I'm out of here. Don't follow me. (walks away)

Elise: (welling up with tears) BRET!

Bret: See you at school, El.

(A bus pulls up at the stop where Elise got off. Bret gets on it. Elise watches as it drives off. Tears make their way down her face. She doesn't know what she did to cause this to happen)

Library lunch break

(Alice and Elise are sitting together in the library, studying for an upcoming test. Alice can see that Elise is still upset about her argument with Bret, so she tries her best to take her mind off it)

Alice: I don't know why I chose A level Physics… sixteen-year-old me was a fucking idiot…

Elise: (laughs in spite of herself) Come on, Ally. It's not so bad. You're doing a great job with this stuff. A much better job than I likely would've done.

Alice: Highly doubt that, but thanks for the confidence boost!

Elise: No, I'm being serious. That's why I didn't go for A level Physics.

Alice: Ah… I see.

(The two girls laugh for a bit… before immediately stopping as the librarian passes them)

Alice: Remind me why you think studying in the library is a good idea?

Elise: It's a nice and peaceful space. And it has all the books and supplies we need. And computers. And Wi-Fi!

Alice: Yeah, but the librarian is so creepy…

Elise: Oh, don't start this again-

Alice: Why is she always everywhere?! Always watching, listening, lurking in the shadows… I'm not the only person that feels this way, you know. Ask anybody. Like Dylan. Or Kenny. Or Connor. Or Stephanie.

Elise: Or Bret.

(There's a slightly awkward and sad silence between the two girls)

Alice: Yeah, him too. Ellie… are you ok?

Elise: I don't know. I'm confused. My mind is all over the place… I'm feeling a million things at once. Like, a part of me wants to hate him, but I know that I never will. A part of me never wants to see him again, but another wishes he was here right now.

Alice: But if he WAS, then we wouldn't get no work done, so maybe it's a good thing he ain't around.

Elise: Maybe I'm overreacting. He DID say that nothing happened. And I believe him. But it doesn't change the fact that it COULD'VE happened.

Alice: Yeah, but he came clean. That counts for something, doesn't it?

Elise: He said he wasn't going to say anything, though. He and Stephanie promised each other they wouldn't say anything about it to anyone, but he changed his mind when I told him that I wanted no secrets between us anymore. Which means he was this close to cheating on me with my best friend, and then he planned to keep that from me.

Alice: …But he didn't?

Elise: I know he didn't. And I'm glad he was honest about it. But it still hurts to hear.

Alice: (sighs) I know. You know what, though?

Elise: What?

Alice: We don't know the full story of what happened that night between Bret and Steph. All we know is that they got all drunk and had a moment when they almost kissed.

Elise: It's still bad, though.

Alice: I know. But I just think that you should stop avoiding each other and actually get to the bottom of this once and for all. Have a proper conversation about it, so that you know how serious this whole thing actually is. Maybe if you knew the whole story, you wouldn't be so in your feels about it right now, punishing yourself with all these thoughts. Making it out to be a bigger deal than it actually is.

Elise: I get what you mean. But it still sucks. I feel let down by two of the people I trust more than anything.

Alice: Yeah. This was a big shock to find out. I mean, I'M freaked out by it, and it didn't even happen directly to me. I can only imagine how you're feeling right now. Just keep what I've said in mind, yeah? I mean, you and Bret are so great together. You two care about each other so much. Earlier at break, you said you love him. And that's huge. You shouldn't give up on that just yet.

Elise: (trying to remember) I said that?!

Alice: Yeah! Bret told me he said that to you. But then later on, you said that to the rest of us. You were all like, "I love him, but I don't understand him." Or something like that. And you know I wasn't the only one that was there. Dylan heard it, Steph heard it-

Elise: Oh my gosh…

Alice: What does being in love feel like, Ellie?

Elise: Right now, it sucks. But I'm probably not the best person to ask. (sighs) And the worst part is that I can't even talk to my best friend about it, 'cause she's part of the problem!

Alice: Oh, yeah. I'm sorry, Elise. But you'll always have me! If that's any consolation.

(Elise rests her head on Alice's shoulder, and Alice leans her head on Elise's head in return)

Alice: You're not going to be mad at Stephanie forever, are you?

Elise: Probably not. Mostly, I'm just confused as to how she managed to get involved to begin with. Why would she even want to get with Bret? She has Ben… and Ben's a great guy.

Alice: Maybe she was feeling lonely. Long-distance relationships are difficult.

Elise: I know. But still…

Alice: You can't avoid Steph or Bret. You'll have to face your problems eventually.

Elise: (voice breaking) I know…

Alice: Just talk to them, El. Work this out. You're good at that.

Elise: (smiles) I'll try my best.

Alice: That way, at the end of the week, we can all go to prom together and have fun as besties with no issues at all!

Elise: But Ally, Steph isn't going to prom. Remember?

Alice: Oh, yeah. Right. But the rest of us are, and I want us all to be good by then. Ok?

Elise: Ok.

Alice: You want to come to my place on Friday to get ready for prom? Dylan's going to be there, too. It'll be great fun.

Elise: Sounds like a great idea. I'm in!

Alice: YES!

(The two girls hug. Their mutual friend Dylan comes into the library at this point and heads towards them, but they don't notice)

Elise: Thank you so much, Ally. For everything.

Alice: Anytime.

Dylan: (jokingly) Now, kiss!

Alice and Elise: SHUT UP.

(The three all laugh together as Dylan sits at their table and joins them in their study session)

Evening at the Johnson's house

(It's in the evening, just after dinner. Dylan and Alice are chilling on the sofa at Alice's place. They're both excited for prom tomorrow)

Dylan: So what time are we meant to be at school, again?

Alice: 10 AM. And then they're letting us out like, an hour later so that we can get ready to party at prom! Which I'm pretty sure starts at 7 in the evening.

Dylan: It just sounds so pointless, though… like why not just give us the day off?

Alice: 'Cause they're jerks. But anyways, before I forget, I invited Elise to join us at 12. That's ok, isn't it?

Dylan: Yeah, yeah!

Alice: Cool. (sighs) She really needs this.

Dylan: She does, yeah. I'm kind of worried about her.

Alice: Me too. I hope she's doing alright with everything that's going on with Bret.

Dylan: Yeah. Man, that guy's an idiot. I love him, don't get me wrong. But still.

Alice: I know! How do you mess things up with someone as sweet as El? She doesn't deserve what he's put her through at all…

Dylan: And they've only been together for what? A month now?

Alice: Just about. I don't know how to feel about them. I don't want them to break up, just because I know how much they care for one another. And they love being together so much. You can tell. Their relationship is so special, but at the same time, some things just aren't meant to be.

Dylan: Yeah. Sometimes in life, two people who aren't meant for each other end up finding each other.

Alice: True… that's what happened with Mary and her ex. She's always saying that it's a good thing that it didn't work out between them 'cause they probably weren't meant to date in the first place.

Dylan: Well, the fact that she was keeping that relationship a secret from your parents certainly didn't help matters…

Alice: Yeah… man, for a smart person, my sister can be a real idiot, huh?

Mary: (from across the hall) I heard that!

(Dylan and Alice burst out laughing)

Alice: (calls back) Sorry, sis! (turns back to Dylan) Anyway, they're better off as friends if you ask me. But it's crazy to me how unpredictable life can be. You never know who you're going to meet, or who you're going to fall in love with.

Dylan: Yeah.

Alice: It's scary… I don't want to end up with the wrong person.

Dylan: Nobody wants that, Ally. But I personally don't think you will.

Alice: Why not? You're not just saying that, are you?

Dylan: No, no. I mean, I don't know what's going to happen, but I do know who you are now. You're this amazingly smart, strong and sensible girl. You know what you want out of life, and you know what you're looking for in a person. You've got a good head on your shoulders, and you're more than capable of figuring out any craziness that life throws at you.

Alice: (smiles) Aww. Stop.

Dylan: I mean it. You'll be fine. Nothing can defeat you. Not even heartbreak or failure. You're like an unstoppable force. Never forget that, ok?

Alice: (blushes) You're too kind. Thanks, bro.

(Alice rests her head on Dylan's shoulder. Dylan briefly glances down at her. He swallows, shifting awkwardly in his seat. He slowly moves his hand towards hers, but then stops when Alice starts talking again)

Alice: Well, I think I'm going to go to bed. (yawns) Good night, buddy! (leaves the living room)

Dylan: (sighs, disappointed) Good night.

That's all for today.

Poor El. And Bret. And Dylan at the end lol.

Things aren't looking too good for Brelise... but on the bright side, they've both said the three magic words to each other for the first time (you know... "I love you"). That's a big deal! A month doesn't seem like long enough for this milestone, does it? I looked it up, and I found out that on average it takes about four months to fully fall in love with someone. These two took a quarter of that time haha. But when you take into account the fact that they've known each other for ages, they've been friends for years, they had been spending lots of one-on-one time together before they started going out, etc... it's not SO bad. I wanted to give them a few moments of cuteness before bringing in some more chaos lol. But don't worry too much - next time, it's prom! And everything will be ok by then, I can assure you.

Dylan and Alice get a bit more development in their relationship, too. I'm super proud of that scene at the end. I love moments like this in stories, when two people are comfortable around each other and clearly care about each other a lot, but get nervous while hesitating and trying to make a move. Unfortunately, at this point, it's mostly one-sided lol.

Feel like I should have included more of Steph... especially since she won't be present at all during the prom post lol. But The one right after is actually going to be a Steph-focused one (it's prom night, but from her perspective!), so I'm looking forward to sharing that one with y'all.

See you next time!

[writersretreatblog]

OPENING INFO

What is Writer's Retreat?

What is Typing Tourney?

How to Join

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[sevyn-stars]

Jump Then Fall (Right Into You)

I’ll jump if you jump,

I’ll fall if you fall,

And together, we will rise.

I’ll go if you go,

I’ll stay if you stay,

And together, we will believe.

You tell me to dance, I dance,

You tell me to stop, and I will,

And together, we will sway.

You tell me to stop caring,

But still I will care,

And apart we will grow.

[razzle-zazzle]

How do you come up with the titles for your fics? They're very creative!

This is a very funny question for me to receive, because the answer... varies. Prior to getting an AO3 account, I only really titled my fics if I had a good idea for a title; AO3 requires every piece to be titled, though, and a lot of them... did not come easily.

I have the easiest time with Whumptobers, as I just title those based on the prompt. Otherwise, I have to come up with the titles myself, and it's usually the first thing I think of that sounds good enough. I have two pieces titled "i don't even know" and "dormmates (idk what to call this)" respectively purely bc I couldn't think of a title for them, and then I have pieces where the title is some low-meaning jargon that vibed like "it's snow problem!" "tiny steps in the night" "eggs for one" and so on. So more often than not I'm scrambling to figure out some kind of title to satisfy AO3 and then leaving the piece untitled on tumblr bc it doesn't need one.

When it comes to naming AUs... yeah, that varies too. I had a lot of trouble coming up with a name for the Between AU because a lot of what I was coming up with (Bergen Branch, Bergen Brothers, etc) either felt misleading, incomplete, or didn't fit the tone quite right. So even though "Between AU" makes no reference to the fact that Branch gets to be Bergen royalty, it still works with Branch's character arcs in that AU as being caught between different worlds. Some of my AU titles end up being more literal or descriptive (Undead Acrobat, PN Rapids AU), and some get to be a little more poetic (Pearl & Seaglass, The River Runs Deep).

There is one series where I spent a lot of time figuring out titles; in fact, just a few weeks ago I had a category two brainrot event that witnessed me going through all the ice and ice-related Wikipedia articles + a thesaurus shifting some of the titles in If We're All for One World (the title of which is literally just a lyric from the show's theme song, lmao). And the names from that series don't all fit a cohesive theme! I just put them together based on the other pieces they could be themed with, and based on what served the story best! I do have a series where all the names follow a theme (Buried Beneath), but it's a loose theme of "earth-related" lmao.

tl;dr I pick names based on what works for the fic itself, but sometimes I just throw words together until I get something that sounds vaguely fitting, and sometimes the fic is part of a series where the titles have some kind of theme, but even then it tends to be loosey-goosey.

[goodpoetryblog]

Poetry Title Ideas:

“Masks, Or What Makes A Hero Not A Villain”

“The Grocery List”

“Graduation Unicorn”

“Tenderfoot”

“Open When You Are Angry”

“Rats”