Creative Writing Sharing & Discussing Thread

[Liberza]

Creative Writing Sharing & Discussing Thread

---

A very similar thread used to exist but is simply too old at this point and re-using it would be considered gravedigging, so instead I’m electing to start a new one. However, you should read the OP of the previous thread since it has some interesting information and great tips for being a better writer, and is a much better OP than I can come up with.

Creative writing discussion

Hey fellow writers and readers,

As November approaches, I can't help but feel the excitement building up for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). I was actually inspired to make this post in preparation for NaNoWriMo, (a yearly event that challenges writers to write a 50,000-word novel). NaNoWriMo is a great way to practice your creative writing skills, meet other writers, and have fun. in preparation for this fantastic event, and as a way to foster a sense of community among our fellow wordsmiths, I thought it would be great to start a general discussion thread about all things creative writing. Whether you're a seasoned novelist, an aspiring poet, a short story enthusiast, or just someone curious about delving into the world of creative writing, this is the place to be.

What is Creative Writing?

Creative writing encompasses a wide range of forms and genres, including but not limited to:

-Novels and Novellas
-Short Stories
-Poetry
-Essays
-Scripts (for theater, film, or television)
-Creative Nonfiction
-Fan Fiction
-Flash Fiction
-Haikus
-Experimental Writing
-General Worldbuilding projects

In creative writing, we have the freedom to explore our imaginations, craft stories, and play with words to express our thoughts, emotions, and narratives in unique and compelling ways. It's a journey where we can breathe life into characters and build entire worlds, because hey, why not?

Tips to Become a Better Writer

Here are some tips that can help writers at any stage of their journey to improve their craft:

Read, Read, Read: Reading widely exposes you to different styles, genres, and techniques. It's one of the best ways to learn about storytelling and develop your voice as a writer.
Write Regularly: Make writing a habit. Set aside dedicated time each day or week to work on your creative projects.
Experiment: Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. Try different genres, styles, and formats. Experimentation can lead to unexpected breakthroughs.
Edit and Revise: First drafts are rarely perfect. Embrace the revision process; it's where your work truly takes shape.
Seek Feedback: Join writing groups, workshops, or online communities to get constructive feedback. Critique is invaluable for growth.
Embrace Writer's Block: It happens to all of us. Instead of being frustrated, consider it a natural part of the creative process. Take a break, find inspiration, and return when the muse strikes.
Set Goals: Whether it's word counts, finishing a specific project, or submitting work for publication, setting achievable goals can keep you motivated.
Stay Consistent: Consistency is key to honing your skills. Even when you're not in the mood to write, the act of showing up can lead to some of your best work.
Find Your Writing Space: Create a comfortable and inspiring place to write. A dedicated space can help you focus and get into the writing groove.
Believe in Yourself: Self-doubt is the enemy of creativity. Trust in your abilities and keep writing, even when it's challenging.

Reedsy gives a huge list of helpful writing websites, which I will post here: https://blog.reedsy.com/best-writing-websites/

Feel free to share and discuss creative works, provide inspiration, edit, or give advice.

Happy Writing!

With that said, welcome to the Creative Writing Sharing & Discussing Thread! As the name suggests, this is the place for you to share and discuss your creative writing endeavors. As opposed to simply being a place to discuss your writing, you can also share some of your writing here! (Though please spoiler it, the last thing we need is the world’s largest walls of text taking up an entire page!)

This thread is meant to serve as a place where your writing and creativity can be displayed for others to see and discuss constructively. If you feel like you’re writing all of your thoughts out on a paper, google doc or even a dispatch that you think nobody’s ever really gonna read in the first place—like I certainly am—this thread is meant for you! If you feel like people ARE reading your writing but still want some feedback on your writing, this thread is ALSO meant for you!

I’m gonna be honest, I’ve only started this thread so I have somewhere else to share my newest excerpts from my current creative writing project, rather than having a personal passion for the hobby, or profession, of writing! But hopefully, you have some creative writing you want to share and discuss just like I do. Because if so, you’re in the right thread!

In the words of the previous OP:

Feel free to share and discuss creative works, provide inspiration, edit, or give advice.

Happy Writing!

[Neu Arbuckle]

I’ve had an idea for a space western for so long but can never get it out past the premise

[Australian rePublic]

So I have a bit of a dilemma when it comes to creative writing, would this be the place to discuss it?

[Liberza]

Just to get it out of the way, this is the writing project I’ve been working on, I am very passionate about it and I’ve been working it up to 10k words insofar, and I believe it’s the best lengthy work of writing that I’ve ever created in my life so far:

https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=2773408

So I have a bit of a dilemma when it comes to creative writing, would this be the place to discuss it?

Yes, absolutely

[Inevitable Poverty]

Great timing, huh. I wrote this short prose a couple days ago, to serve as a reflection of my feelings. I shared this in telegrams with some friends, and on some regional message boards, but I figured that I should put this in some place dedicated for writing. Feel free to give your thoughts on it, whether it be feedback (although I barely ever write), emotions, etc.

The world we live in is beautiful.

The forests, green as can be, with a surreal feeling as you trek through them, as you are surrounded by monoliths 3x your age, bustling with hidden life, the chirping of birds all around you, making way for the occasional moment of silence. A fleeting silence, one where you can reflect upon yourself, as a stream babbles and gurgles behind you. You walk over to the stream, sweat staining your shirt, both feeling cold and hot at the same time, your hoodie wrapped around your waist as the trek got harder, and you grew more tired. You bend down, putting your hand into a shallow pool of the stream. The water caresses your hand, enveloping it in a chilly embrace, the coldness nipping at your skin, refreshing you from your hike, acting as a brief moment of peace.

The mountains, where you can look out at the view, and seek solace in the clouds you are standing in, watching as everything that once seemed to move so fast, seems to move so slow as you look down upon everyone. You stand on a ledge, your view of the bustling town below you interrupted by a thick blanket of white, fluffy clouds, moving swiftly across the horizon, taking in all of the colors of the sunset, its rays unfurling across the clouds, creating a gradient of warm colored cotton candy, comforting you as the frigid air swirls around you.

The local park in your area, where it is almost serene in a sense, perfectly warm enough to be comforting, but not sweltering, just warm and breezy enough to keep you comfortable whilst you sit on a old, wooden park bench, plastered with the name of a person you never had the chance to meet, staring off into the verdant fields, whilst the combination of the weak, but present sun and the calm, lukewarm breeze caresses your skin. The laughter and screams of kids in the distance playing sports you played as a child give you a sense of wistfulness, as you reminisce on your past, carefree days, homesick for a home that doesn't exist anymore, yearning for days that have since passed, your only reminder of them being your memories, which fade with every day, your past erasing itself as you grow older and wiser. A heavy weight in your throat emerges, along with the tears in your eyes as you both feel melancholy and euphoria at the same time. Saudade, as they say.

The wintry, gray days, that you once found unpleasant, serving to comfort you, giving you time for contemplation, giving you time to understand your position in this world, although your attempts are futile. You still cannot understand why you are in this world, or the job you serve in it. All of these emotions that you once held, seem in vain, as you wonder if any of this matters, but more importantly, whether this is the correct place for you.

It, certainly, does not feel like the right place for me.

Perhaps in another world, another universe, another life, another timeline, I could make sense of things. Perhaps in another universe, I could lay in a field at night with a person I love, staring into the stars, comforting each other with our warmth, acting as an oasis of comfort in a hard world, the starlight glistening in our eyes as we move to look at each other, tears forming from euphoria, and a sense of belonging, or understanding.

Perhaps in another world, I could freely express my emotions, more so than I do now. No need to hide anything, as people would be accepting of who I am. I could be vulnerable, without any of the discomfort that I get whenever I try to be just that. Perhaps things would just be better, and everybody would not have to stress as much.

Perhaps I could simply look out onto the sunset, the world around me seeming to fade away as I lock in on a certain moment, having finally found peace in myself. The rays of the waning sun dance across your skin, the golden hour fading away, turning into a medley of warm colors, but rather than invoking nostalgia or sadness, it invokes warmth, belonging, and peace. Not emptiness, not something ignorant, but peace. Peace with who you are, peace with your purpose, peace with the world. You have already fought your wars and battles with yourself, and you have found a ceasefire in the solace of the sun.

Maybe.

One day.

[Sycozet Productions Incorporated]

please please PLEASE A&F community keep this thread alive

[Liberza]

Great timing, huh. I wrote this short prose a couple days ago, to serve as a reflection of my feelings. I shared this in telegrams with some friends, and on some regional message boards, but I figured that I should put this in some place dedicated for writing. Feel free to give your thoughts on it, whether it be feedback (although I barely ever write), emotions, etc.

I’m gonna take a look at it and give some feedback. Treat others how you want to be treated!

You walk over to the stream, sweat staining your shirt, both feeling cold and hot at the same time

I LOVE writing that has these kinds of contradictory stuff in it, the ‘both feeling hot and cold at the same time’. I love stuff like that and have used it plenty as well in my current writing iirc.

Your hoodie wrapped around your waist as the trek got harder, and you grew more tired.

Noticed the wording using ‘trek’ multiple times, since I’m a nitpicker, but that’s just a me problem

The mountains, where you can look out at the view, and seek solace in the clouds you are standing in, watching as everything that once seemed to move so fast, seems to move so slow as you look down upon everyone. You stand on a ledge, your view of the bustling town below you interrupted by a thick blanket of white, fluffy clouds, moving swiftly across the horizon, taking in all of the colors of the sunset, its rays unfurling across the clouds, creating a gradient of warm colored cotton candy, comforting you as the frigid air swirls around you.

A lot more peaceful than the mountain-over-the-town scene the protagonist in my writing went through…

The local park in your area, where it is almost serene in a sense, perfectly warm enough to be comforting, but not sweltering, just warm and breezy enough to keep you comfortable whilst you sit on a old, wooden park bench, plastered with the name of a person you never had the chance to meet

I like that last sentence. ‘Person you never had the chance to meet’ paints a picture of an idea that every person in the world is someone who could be a friend, someone you know, someone reachable and talkable. Kinda takes away the idea that most people are just in the background of your life.

staring off into the verdant fields, whilst the combination of the weak, but present sun and the calm, lukewarm breeze caresses your skin. The laughter and screams of kids in the distance playing sports you played as a child give you a sense of wistfulness, as you reminisce on your past, carefree days, homesick for a home that doesn't exist anymore, yearning for days that have since passed, your only reminder of them being your memories, which fade with every day, your past erasing itself as you grow older and wiser. A heavy weight in your throat emerges, along with the tears in your eyes as you both feel melancholy and euphoria at the same time. Saudade, as they say.

I like the wistfulness part. I also am being introduced to the concept of saudade here. ‘Homesick for a home that doesn’t exist anymore’ is certainly an aesthetic. It feels difficult to imagine leaving something behind and never being able to visit it again, something that was integral to your growth as a person. Fits pretty well here.

The wintry, gray days, that you once found unpleasant, serving to comfort you, giving you time for contemplation, giving you time to understand your position in this world, although your attempts are futile. You still cannot understand why you are in this world, or the job you serve in it. All of these emotions that you once held, seem in vain, as you wonder if any of this matters, but more importantly, whether this is the correct place for you.

Definitely thought-provoking in a sense. Every human being in life is eventually faced with a dilemma, that is the journey to find purpose in their life. It is different for everyone, but many still haven’t found it yet. You might look at the world around you and think that it doesn’t matter, and that’s a natural response to not comprehending the idea that meaning is what you make of it. There is no inherent meaning, but if there were, I don’t think the idea of meaning would be meaningful at all.

Perhaps in another world, another universe, another life, another timeline, I could make sense of things. Perhaps in another universe, I could lay in a field at night with a person I love, staring into the stars, comforting each other with our warmth, acting as an oasis of comfort in a hard world, the starlight glistening in our eyes as we move to look at each other, tears forming from euphoria, and a sense of belonging, or understanding.

No notes, simply true that man

Perhaps in another world, I could freely express my emotions, more so than I do now. No need to hide anything, as people would be accepting of who I am. I could be vulnerable, without any of the discomfort that I get whenever I try to be just that. Perhaps things would just be better, and everybody would not have to stress as much.

Expression of emotions is something I have heavily struggled with recently. Not so much now as maybe a few weeks or a month ago, but I often find myself considering if I am truly just mentally incapable of expressing them outwardly, or if I have conditioned myself to simply not expressing them. But regardless, when confronted with emotion, I simply do not know how or when to let them out. It makes me inclined to imagine crazy false scenarios just to be able to even imagine lashing out with anger or sadness. Many might be in the same boat because of the fact emotion is often seen as a weakness or disruption, or outward expression of such rather. We are products of our environment and our societal environment often harms our mind.

Perhaps I could simply look out onto the sunset, the world around me seeming to fade away as I lock in on a certain moment, having finally found peace in myself. The rays of the waning sun dance across your skin, the golden hour fading away, turning into a medley of warm colors, but rather than invoking nostalgia or sadness, it invokes warmth, belonging, and peace. Not emptiness, not something ignorant, but peace. Peace with who you are, peace with your purpose, peace with the world. You have already fought your wars and battles with yourself, and you have found a ceasefire in the solace of the sun.

Maybe.

One day.

Great outro. Puts into picture how living in a moment of leisure and peace has some extra emotional baggage because they’re so hard to come by.

[Kasdados]

My main outlet for creative writing is P2TM political RPs.

I feel pathetic just saying that.

[Liberza]

My main outlet for creative writing is P2TM political RPs.

I feel pathetic just saying that.

We can discuss that here too tbch.

I think Helsley’s aura has dropped since Orangegate. He’s less of a rabble-rousing populist now since he’s so mentally drained by the human cost of the war.

[Kasdados]

My main outlet for creative writing is P2TM political RPs.

I feel pathetic just saying that.

We can discuss that here too tbch.

I think Helsley’s aura has dropped since Orangegate. He’s less of a rabble-rousing populist now since he’s so mentally drained by the human cost of the war.

Well, as they say - aura is the death of a character.

[Liberza]

We can discuss that here too tbch.

I think Helsley’s aura has dropped since Orangegate. He’s less of a rabble-rousing populist now since he’s so mentally drained by the human cost of the war.

Well, as they say - aura is the death of a character.

Are you saying I should kill off Helsley!

[Floofybit]

I used to write so much but now I've run out of things to say

[-Liberty-]

on a side note WE (yes ALL of US) want to snuggle up with hesley under a pile of blankets as the fireplace crackles and snow falls outside right

[Sycozet Productions Incorporated]

can someone give me feedback on the finalised first half of my catkin factbook?

[Liberza]

on a side note WE (yes ALL of US) want to snuggle up with hesley under a pile of blankets as the fireplace crackles and snow falls outside right

helsley is literally my most blatant self insert character by the way

[Grand Federal Republic of America]

me for some reason:

"What if dinosaurs fought in a hunger games like thing in order to get more resources from the pseudo-socialist Monarchy!"

This is stupid obviously, and the hunger games like thing is a bit on the nose of copyright violation, but I have a few twists in mind. I will more then likely just keep this to myself.

Pretty stupid idea lol!

edit:
actually, the government is not socialist at all, in fact it's very capitalistic. The only thing socialistic about it is that food and water is distributed by the government, even this is determined by how much kills a contestant gets in the trials, although killing is actually optional and multiple survivors may occur, as long as everyone survives 20 days in an isolated environment, not just your typical "wilderness arena" it could be a train, or a plane, or island, or cruise ship. The stupidity of this is insane.

[Rosettan Overwatch]

What if: Russia split into Ten after the fall of the Kremlin;
-Mÿrmanskzi Nordic Kingdom (MÿNK)
-Moskovian Republic (MkR)
-Siberian Kingdom (SK)
-East Siber-Chukchi Kingdom (ESCK)
-South Volgograd Kingdom (SVK)
-Anzhu Island Directorate (AID)
-Arctic Laptev-Kara Territory (ALKT)
-Novaya-Zemlya Autonomous Research Territory (NZART)
-Autonomous Ruso-Kalin Sector (ARKS)
-Primorsky-Krai Kingdom (PKK)

with Crimea returned to Ukraine, the Kordon/Zimov'ye Region returned to Kazakhstan, Tuva and Altai Republic ceded to Mongolia, Altai Krai ceded to Kazakhstan, and the ARKS potentially being integrated into Lithuania.

Something I cooked up after a couple seconds of thought. Obviously the ~6k nukes are destroyed.

[Grand Federal Republic of America]

I am sucky writer, unless I'm in my head.

Once I get to my keyboard it all goes away.

For example, this NS nation, I have come up with PAGES of lore inside my head, but so far, I have only gotten like 1 battle into writing.

[Liberza]

I am sucky writer, unless I'm in my head.

Once I get to my keyboard it all goes away.

For example, this NS nation, I have come up with PAGES of lore inside my head, but so far, I have only gotten like 1 battle into writing.

It’s easier to envision stuff a lot of the times. You can imagine the meaning of the words before actually needing to put the words down.

[Liberza]

can someone give me feedback on the finalised first half of my catkin factbook?

Looks good, I also appreciate the drawing to help visualize catkin

[-Liberty-]

on a side note WE (yes ALL of US) want to snuggle up with hesley under a pile of blankets as the fireplace crackles and snow falls outside right

helsley is literally my most blatant self insert character by the way

doesn’t matter, still want him to kiss me till i fall asleep

[Liberza]

helsley is literally my most blatant self insert character by the way

doesn’t matter, still want him to kiss me till i fall asleep

you never responded to my statement about helsley-alderneen toxic yaoi in the ooc thread

and wait, was it you or kas who called him ‘bernie sanders but worse’?

[Floofybit]

helsley is literally my most blatant self insert character by the way

doesn’t matter, still want him to kiss me till i fall asleep

Who?

[Grand Federal Republic of America]

helsley is literally my most blatant self insert character by the way

doesn’t matter, still want him to kiss me till i fall asleep

Ayo what da fu-

[Liberza]

How do we feel about this latest excerpt from my project?

A plate was placed down on the wooden floor of the bedroom. Kassien eyed it warily from his seat on the bed, then looked up at Asriel's sheepish smile with an opposite frown.

"You think I'm gonna eat that?"

"Yes, at some point."

"You probably put something in there."

"I didn't put anything in there," Asriel said, playing dumb, confident now that Kassien's softening was perceivable. "My mom did. Ingredients for her butterscotch-cinnamon pie!"

"I don't want it."

"Have you tried it?"

"No. I don't have to."

"Okay, so you're a picky eater," Asriel said, fidgeting with a pen in between its fluffy fingers. "I'll write that down--"

"Do not WRITE about me!" Kassien barked, to no avail as Asriel ran off somewhere else in the house, also without closing the door. Grumbling, Kassien stood up from the bed he apparently called his own now, looking down disdainfully at the slice of pie so pathetically put before him. Deciding he felt like a moron staring hatefully at a plate of food, he knelt down to pick it up. He still wasn't going to eat it, for now anyway; he simply placed it on the nightstand and returned to bed.

Since he and Asriel returned to the upper house, Kassien had refused to show any level of cordiality, let alone leave the room. Kassien planned to sleep until he was given reason to do anything else. He would have nothing to do with the caprine monsters he believed to be his tormenting captors, even if he couldn't tell the reason to believe so, nor to do nothing with them.

After a mere moment of silence, Asriel entered the room again. It seemed energetic, but slowed itself down to not freak out Kassien. Asriel walked over to the rocking chair in the other corner and sat down, looking at Kassien’s sour face.

“Before you say anything, Mom told me I should keep an eye on you. She’s, uh…worried you might try to hurt yourself?”

Kassien wanted to retort sarcastically, but after genuinely considering what was just said, he couldn’t bring himself to be unserious.

Did he really seem that bad?

He didn’t reply. He didn’t want to give Asriel the pleasure of knowing that he was fine, but he wasn’t going to lie and suggest that was a length he’d go to. He didn’t even realize how uncomfortable he looked after Asriel said that.

Asriel tilted its head. “Um…I didn’t mean to offend you…”

Offense wasn’t exactly the right term to describe what he felt at that moment. But seemingly he had forgotten that he was effectively a stranger down here. On the surface, most people in Sartarus knew who he was. They considered him intelligent and mature, sometimes even stable, too stable, but also quiet and aloof. But Asriel and its mother didn’t know anything about him.

He tried to tell himself, ‘good, keep it that way’, but it felt wrong to his psyche. He was not so accustomed to being isolated and secretive, it had never been his way of doing things. And the idea that he could be perceived as something he wasn’t made him thoughtful.

Asriel chuckled awkwardly, fidgeting with its fingers. “Kassien…you’re not saying anything.”

Kassien squinted at Asriel rebelliously, but the damage had been done. He had been stricken with uncertainty as to how long this could continue.

Asriel took Kassien’s demeanor changing back to rebelliousness as a good sign. It signaled that Kassien wasn’t suddenly sad or emotional or in danger. It sheepishly smiled, and continued, “So…do you like the bed? It, um, hadn’t been used in a while. We don’t come here that often.”

Kassien’s pride suppressed the curiosity to ask what that meant.

Asriel pursed its lips, tapping its fingers. “…Well if you aren’t gonna say anything…then I’ll just talk to you! About, um…well…oh, how about these?” Asriel reached for a nearby bookshelf and retrieved an unread book, dusting off the cover. “Have you ever read…um…nevermind,” Asriel squinted, grabbing another book. “How about…no, not that one either…”

“What’s your problem?” Kassien snorted. “Just say the damn name of the book.”

“I would, but, uh…they’re all about snails,” Asriel shrugged. “Mom is…a snail-lover.”

Kassien squinted, disregarding that he had voluntarily said anything. “That’s stupid.”

Asriel leaned back in the chair, frowning. “Sorry…it’s not my fault.”

Kassien’s tightly skeptical expression loosened with those words. “…I wasn’t addressing you,” his eyebrows furrowed. “It was a general statement, dumbass.”

“Sorry…”

“Stop saying sorry.”

“I’m sorry! Er…sorry…”

Kassien groaned, rolling his eyes and his body over to face the wall.

Asriel fidgeted with his hands, feeling like it was disappointing its own expectations for itself. “You, you know…you’re really mean, but, at the same time…you’re taking this really well, for someone who can never go back home again.”

Kassien perked up at that statement. He sat upright, looking over his shoulder to Asriel.

“I mean,” it continued, looking down at the floor shyly, “As far as I remember…there’s no way for anyone to leave the Underground. Alone, I mean. Including humans. I mean, if they could, I think—“

“How did I survive the fall?” Kassien asked, the first open-minded thing he’d said.

Asriel perked up and made eye contact with Kassien. “What did you just say?”

“You deaf or what? I asked how did I survive the fall.”

“Um…I think it may have been the bed of flowers.”

“…Flowers.”

“Yeah. Does that not make sense?”

“No, no sense whatsoever.”

Asriel scratched his head. “Well, there’s no other explanation! A fall that big, I don’t imagine how else…”

Kassien looked down at himself, then to the door. He stood up, his expression having changed. Without saying anything he walked out of the room, Asriel hurriedly following in curiosity.

Kassien emerged to the living room, where Asriel’s mother remained. The mom looked up at him, seeing that he was no longer panicked.

“Um…you can call her Toriel,” Asriel whispered, picking up by now that Kassien had no interest in formally greeting anyone.

“How did you heal me?” Kassien demanded of it. “I had broken bones all over. And I was probably concussed too. And then I wake up a little bit later and I’m just fine. What did you do to me?”

Toriel looked with blinking eyes for a moment, and then it gave a gentle smile. “Well, my child…I—“

“Do not call me that,” Kassien growled. “Just tell me what I want to hear.”

Toriel appeared intimidated, continuing, “…Ah. I suppose that healing in the surface world never was the same as it was among us monsters. I guess not much has changed?”

Kassien squinted at Toriel impatiently. It continued, “Magic, young one. I healed you using magic.”

Kassien blinked at the revelation. In literally any other context he would’ve been skeptical to that answer, but given he was surrounded by anthropomorphic goat monsters, why wouldn’t magic be the answer?

He huffed without particular protest and turned to go to the room. But halfway there, he stopped in his tracks. His mind raced with the most thought he’d had since he got here. And slowly, he turned back to face Toriel.

But whatever he wanted to say, he decided against it, continuing his return to the room. Asriel followed, with a curious expression.

The young monster closed the door behind it, looking to Kassien as he sat on the bed. “…You looked like you were gonna say something.”

“Nevermind,” Kassien said, frustrated with Asriel’s further questioning.

“Come on, please just tell me!”

“Forget it!” Kassien hissed, turning away.

At first, Asriel decided not to push it, fearing it’d undo the progress it had made with Kassien up to this point. But then a feeling sparked. A feeling more direct. He had spent all this time with his mother being hospitable to Kassien, and each time he had responded with bitterness. He had to understand.

“Why are you like this?”

“What?”

“So…mistrusting. Why? Are you okay?”

“Okay? Of course I’m not okay. Apparently I’m stuck here forever and never going back home. How am I supposed to be okay?”

“I don’t think that’s it, though. We’ve done nothing but help and be kind to you this whole time. Is this your usual…reaction to that?”

Kassien turned to glare at Asriel, sitting up. “I…no. But the circumstances are different.”

“Because we’re not human?”

“Yes…and because I’m stuck in a world I’ve never known and can never get back to the one I do know. What did you think it was, *sshole?”

“Okay. But why don’t you trust us?”

“I…because…”

“Because we’re not human?”

Kassien was silent for a moment. He had to genuinely consider what that meant.

“…Not exactly.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t trust humans either. I was…afraid of you monsters at first, but not anymore. I just don’t trust any of you. I can’t trust anyone of you.”

“Why?”

“You just can’t trust people,” Kassien scowled. “You never know their intentions.”

“What could our intentions possibly be at this point after everything we’ve done, Kassien? That can’t be the reason either.”

“I’m here against my will!”

“You’d be here anyway. Unless you would have preferred to die?”

“Maybe I would have!”

A moment of silence.

“…You’re projecting.”

“What the hell are you talking about? What am I projecting?”

“Humanity. Onto us.”

Kassien stared at Asriel. The monster continued explaining.

“You said you just ‘can’t trust people’. I don’t agree. I can trust everyone down here in the Underground. But I’ve never been in your human world. So maybe people are a lot harder to trust up there. Maybe they’re a lot less nice. Is that correct?”

“I don’t know anything about your kind.”

“Answer the question, Kassien. How do you feel about humanity?”

The truth was, Kassien didn’t like humanity all that much. At all. How could he? All the things that humanity as a species was responsible for throughout millennia of history. Destroying each other and the world with it. So selfish and greedy and cruel and ignorant. It was like human nature. He saw it in Sartarus, he saw it in history books, he saw it in the news and in politics.

“…Humanity isn’t great. But how am I supposed to know you monsters are any better?”

“Case in point. You’re defensive. It’s a protective measure. You’ve been surrounded by such an awful world your whole life. Haven’t you?”

Kassien sneered at what he believed was Asriel’s patronizing, but after a moment, he couldn’t argue with what was said. He nodded slowly.

“But at the same time, if you were in a similar position to now, where you’d be somewhere foreign and scary, and staying with humans who helped you…you wouldn’t be so hostile to them, right?”

Kassien said nothing, but he knew it was correct as well.

“You’re afraid of the unknown. You don’t know monsters. And in the human world, if you don’t know something, you have to treat it as a possible threat. Something that can harm or deceive you. But you know that we haven’t been harming you, or deceiving you, or threatening you. What are you afraid of?”

Kassien stood up from the bed, looking Asriel straight in the eye. “What am I afraid of? I’ll tell you what I’m afraid of. I’m afraid of being so far away from everything I’m used to. I’m so far from home.”

“Kassien.”

“I’m so far away from family, from comfort, from school…”

“Kassien…”

“I’m so far away from my prospects. My future! Everything I saw for myself, for the world, GONE!”

“Kassien.”

“WHAT?”

“You’re crying.”

Kassien’s mouth remained agape as he stared directly into Asriel’s softly regretful eyes. The human boy’s fingers raised to his cheek to feel the wetness there, something he hadn’t felt in so long. Tears on his own face. He’d become so accustomed to a world where everything felt wrong to the point that it was right that all of the world’s evils weren’t worth crying over. They were livable, they could be passed aside.

Asriel spoke, with a soft frown still not nearly as soft as its melodic voice, “…What are you afraid of, Kassien?”

Kassien blinked his blurry vision away. He was utterly ashamed of himself for looking so pathetic and vulnerable, but Asriel, maddeningly, didn’t care. This entire moment went against his nature. But somehow…

“…I’m afraid of…everything being as it seems. I’m afraid of being able to trust what I see and come across. I’m afraid of there being no problem, nothing to fight or fix.”

“Because…that’s the opposite of what you know, right? That’s not your world.”

Kassien stared to the ground self-pitifully. He nodded listlessly.

Asriel looked to the teenager who suddenly looked so devoid of his anger and energy.

“…I’m glad to hear that, Kassien.”

“Why would you be glad to hear that?”

“Because…you see problems in the first place. I’m sure there’s a lot of people who would look at the world and think there’s nothing wrong. But you’re offput by the very concept. How could it even be possible?”

“So what..?”

“It means you’re a good person, Kassien.”

Huh. A good person.

In truth, Kassien never really put too much thought into whether he was a good or bad person. He only ever thought about the world, and whether or not it was good or bad. Whether it was the people of Sartarus who were broken, rather than him.

He had been a fool to believe the brokenness of Sartarus and the world had evaded him. He was just as much a product of humanity’s insanity as anyone else was. The difference was the manner in which he was a product of that.

When he thought of it, that manner did make him a good person. Instead of being the kind of insane to believe all the lies and speculations about Chara, he was the kind of insane to go so far as climbing Ebott just to prove them wrong. Instead of being the kind of insane to live so materialistically, he was the kind of insane to seek out meaning and truth at any cost.

Instead of being the kind of insane to accept everything, he was the kind of insane to trust nothing.

“But…I’ve been awful,” Kassien uttered, unwilling to explicitly admit that he had wronged Asriel and Toriel.

“That was your natural response. You’re a product of your environment. Everyone is,” Asriel smiled wistfully. “You’re trying to find the gap in the story. And, um…that’s okay. But, with time, you’ll realize…it’s all okay. You just need time to…let your guard down. Maybe that won’t happen immediately, but…if you were always so mistrustful since you were born…how many great things would you never have known?”

Leaving that thought for Kassien to process, Asriel smiled at Kassien warmly, and for the first time it didn’t make the human’s blood boil. Its arms widened horizontally, its smile widening.

“What are you doing?” Kassien asked.

“Do you want a hug?”

“…I’m good.”

Asriel didn’t seem demoralized by the rejection, retracting its arms but still smiling. “One day you will. Me and my mom, um…we’re here for you, okay? I know you don’t wanna be down here, I know it’s really difficult to process everything…but you’ll be okay. You’re a problem-solver, right? I think…there’s no problem you face that you can’t fix.”

Asriel’s smile softened as it turned, glancing over its shoulder at Kassien before leaving the room, and closing the door, leaving Kassien alone with his own thoughts.

(If it seems long, most of it is because of back-forth dialogue, so don’t worry)