INKflow ~

"Pride is going to be the death of you, you know."

◈ “You made me a coffee?”        “I heard you coming home late last night. figured you'd need it.” “And you were right. Thanks.”

◈ “You should probably get out of here. I'm sick, I don't want to get you sick as well.”        “What? No way. We're in this together, literally. Sit down, I'll make you some tea.”

◈ “Hey, have you seen my sweater– Ah. You're wearing it.”        “I'm sorry, I got cold and all of mine are in the wash. But you can have it back...” “No, it's okay. Suits you.”

◈ ‘you keep having people over for one night and i'm not trying to slutshame you but it makes me uncomfortable and i'm not sure why... oh, wait...’ vs.   ‘you never have people over and i know it bothers you but it secretly makes me very happy and i don't understand why... oh, wait...’

◈ “You look tired. Rough shift, I assume? Want me to make you dinner too?”        “You're an actual angel.”

◈ “What are you– Whoa, what–!”        “Ssh!!! The landlord is outside the window, I'm hiding so we don't have to open the door and talk to him!”

◈ “I heard you stayed up late last night. You okay?”        “What? Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry. Why were you up?” “Oh, just... Couldn't sleep, I guess.”

◈ “You look good. What's the occassion?”        “A date.” “You don't look very happy about it. Wait, did they stand you up again?” “Oh, I'm sure they're just late...” “Oh, hell no. C'mon, get up. I'm taking you out.”

◈ “You're stress cleaning. Want to talk about it?”        “Not really.” “Do it anyway, before our floors get bleached a shade lighter.”

◈ “So, about last night...”        “Can we please... Not? It was a mistake, okay? Let's just forget about it.” “Oh. Um, yeah. That's what I was thinking too.”

keep up the good work, boss. 🤝

a teacher told me something once. it's stuck with me:

your unique perspective is worth it.

so keep writing.

Ways You Can Write a Secret Villain (Without Saying "Villain")

A helpful resource for writers! Follow and reblog for more!

How they blend in:

Helpfulness — always nearby when someone needs help. Agreeableness — nodding along just enough to stay trusted. Politeness — always courteous, never raising suspicion.

When something feels slightly off:

Deflection — redirecting attention before questions linger too long. Knowing looks — reacting to things they shouldn't know yet. Curiosity — interest in how far people can be pushed. Detachment — watching conflict as if it were a game. Amusement — a faint smile at situations that shouldn't be amusing.

How they influence others:

Suggestion — planting ideas so gently that others believe they thought of them. Encouragement — nudging someone toward choices that serve a hidden plan. Reassurance — calming doubts before suspicion can grow.

When their schemes start to unfold:

Strings — events aligning a little too neatly. Timing — appearing exactly when needed. Leverage — knowing the right secret to hold over someone.

When their true nature is glimpsed:

Cold strategy — people becoming pieces on a board. Sharpness — kindness disappearing for a split second. Satisfaction — quiet pride in a plan working perfectly. Silence — letting others take the blame while they step back into the crowd. Calculation — every action revealed as deliberate.

"What could be so important as to be worth resisting so stubbornly?"

"Then stop resisting me!"

"No! Because I can't risk losing you again! I know what you'll become... And trust me. This is better."

"... I'll never love you."

Ways Grief Can Show Up (Without Saying “Grief”)

This is part 2 of my "Show Don't Tell" series—read on the different ways that Fear Can Show Up.

✦ Reblog to keep this for later — writing emotions is hard, and it helps to have references when you’re stuck on a scene.

If you're working on a fanfic, original novel, or short story, I also made a 60-page Novel Planning Template to help organize characters, emotional beats, plot arcs, and scene ideas.

It’s basically the planner I wish I had when I kept abandoning stories halfway through.

You can check it out here if it sounds helpful. No pressure! Just sharing in case it helps another writer finish their story. ✦

WAYS GRIEF CAN SHOW UP

When it first arrives: • Shock — the mind refusing to process what just happened. • Disbelief — this can’t be real; reality feels slightly off. • Numbness — emotions shut down like a circuit breaker.

When it settles in quietly: • Hollowness — something missing from the world’s shape. • Emptiness — rooms feel larger, conversations feel thinner. • Loneliness — even surrounded by people, something important is absent.

When memories surface: • Yearning — the aching wish to see them just one more time. • Bittersweetness — joy tangled tightly with pain. • Nostalgia — the past glowing brighter than the present.

When it lingers in daily life: • Heaviness — every task feels slower, harder to start. • Fatigue — exhaustion that sleep doesn’t quite fix. • Distraction — thoughts drifting back to what was lost.

When it turns emotional: • Sadness — quiet tears or sudden waves out of nowhere. • Guilt — replaying things you wish you’d said or done. • Regret — small memories suddenly carrying enormous weight.

When it overwhelms: • Despair — the future briefly feels smaller than it used to. • Anguish — pain that tightens the chest and throat. • Crumbling — holding yourself together until you suddenly can’t.