Over_Thinker

⟢ "Don't you dare stand there and pretend you didn't know exactly what you were doing."

⟢ "I built my entire world around you. You didn't even notice it crumbling."

⟢ "Say it again. Say it to my face this time."

⟢ "I'm not angry. I'm just so, so tired of being disappointed by you."

⟢ "We don't have to do this right now. We never have to do this again."

⟢ "You remember everything except the things that actually mattered."

⟢ "I keep waiting for you to be the person I fell in love with. I think I need to stop waiting."

⟢ "Don't tell me to calm down. I have every right to be exactly this."

⟢ "I defended you. Every single time. I stood there and defended you."

⟢ "You want me to forgive you? Give me one reason I should."

⟢ "I can't look at you right now without seeing everything you took from me."

⟢ "There are things you said to me that I will carry for the rest of my life. That's on you."

⟢ "You didn't save me. Stop telling people you saved me."

⟢ "I'm not the villain in your story just because I stopped letting you write mine."

⟢ "Do you hear yourself? Do you ever actually listen to the words coming out of your mouth?"

⟢ "I grieved you while you were still standing right in front of me."

⟢ "You always know exactly what to say to make it worse. That's a talent, truly."

⟢ "I don't want an apology. I want you to understand what you did."

⟢ "You left and I still made excuses for you. What does that say about me."

⟢ "Just because you're hurting doesn't give you the right to make everyone else bleed."

⟢ "I trusted you with the parts of me I never show anyone. And you used them."

⟢ "There's a version of us I still think about. It just doesn't have you in it."

⟢ "You don't get to be the one who comforts me right now. Not after this."

⟢ "I'm not broken. Stop looking at me like I'm something you need to fix."

⟢ "All I ever asked was for you to stay. That's all. And you couldn't even give me that."

⟢ "Don't call it a misunderstanding. You knew. You always knew."

⟢ "I watched you choose everything else and tell yourself it wasn't a choice."

⟢ "Maybe I should've said nothing. I spent years saying nothing and look where that got us."

⟢ "You can leave whenever you want. The door works just fine, as you know."

⟢ "I'm not the same person who would've let you speak to me like that. Adjust accordingly."

⟢ "She needed you and you weren't there. I needed you and you weren't there. Do you see a pattern?"

⟢ "I don't hate you. Hating you would mean you still matter."

⟢ "Go ahead. Walk away. You've had enough practice."

⟢ "I'm not doing this to punish you. I'm doing this because I finally stopped punishing myself."

⟢ "You want credit for the bare minimum. Congratulations. You existed. Here's a medal."

⟢ "I have loved you past the point of reason. Past the point of dignity. Don't make me regret it more than I already do."

⟢ "There were a hundred moments where you could've told me the truth. You chose none of them."

⟢ "I keep having this dream where we're fine. And then I wake up."

⟢ "You were the one person who was supposed to understand. And you didn't even try."

⟢ "I will never let you make me feel small again. I want you to know that."

⟢ "Don't follow me. And don't pretend it's because you care."

⟢ "She's my sister. Whatever you did to get here, you leave her out of it."

⟢ "I forgave you the first time because I loved you. The second time because I was scared. There won't be a third."

⟢ "Some people are wounds. I didn't know that about you until it was too late."

⟢ "You broke something in me. I'm not sure you deserve to know what it was."

⟢ "Say you're sorry like you mean it or don't say it at all."

⟢ "I kept every letter. Every one. I don't know why I'm telling you that."

⟢ "This is the last time I let you close enough to do this."

⟢"You think I don't know? I've known for months. I just kept waiting to see if you'd tell me yourself."

⟢ "I don't even want an explanation anymore. I want you to sit with what you did."

⟢ "I miss who I was before I let you convince me I was too much."

⟢ "You talked about forever like it was nothing. I guess it was."

⟢ "I don't need you to fight my battles. I need you to stop causing them."

⟢ "Please don't tell me this is for the best. You don't get to narrate this for me."

⟢ "We could've been something good. You decided we weren't going to be."

⟢ "She cried and you laughed it off. I need you to understand why that was unforgivable."

⟢ "Put the blame wherever you need to. We both know the truth."

⟢ "You think this is a fight. I think this is a funeral."

⟢ "You have no idea how hard I've worked to become someone you can't hurt."

⟢ "I used to think if I loved you harder it would be enough. It was never the problem."

⟢ "You don't get to call it grief if you're the one who caused it."

⟢ "I would've given you the world. I think that's exactly why you left."

⟢ "I'm exhausted by the version of me that still hopes for better from you."

⟢ "All those promises. You said them like you meant them. Did you ever mean any of them?"

⟢ "She was my best friend before she was anything to you. Remember that."

⟢ "I used to think you were the one person who would never lie to me. Live and learn."

⟢ "You don't get to come back here with that face and expect me to fall apart again."

⟢ "I am so tired of loving people who can only love themselves."

⟢ "I'm not scared of you anymore. I need you to know that's not a threat, it's a goodbye."

⟢ "You wanted a version of me that doesn't exist. I nearly destroyed myself trying to become her."

⟢ "I'm not angry. I'm past angry. Angry was six months ago. What I am now doesn't have a name yet."

⟢ "You want to know what it felt like? It felt like drowning in something you poured."

⟢ "Don't you dare cry. You don't get to cry. That's mine. You don't get that too."

⟢ "I have thought about this moment for so long and now that you're here I just feel tired. So tired. Like the anger finally ate itself."

⟢ "You broke something fundamental in me. Just—something that worked before doesn't work anymore."

⟢ "I used to pray you'd come back. Then I started praying you wouldn't. Funny how that works."

⟢ "You want forgiveness? Stand there. Keep standing there. Maybe in ten years I'll have something for you."

⟢ "I'm not the mess you left behind anymore. But god I was. God you should've seen what you left behind."

⟢ "There are nights I wake up and I'm so angry I can taste it. It tastes like metal. Like something that should've healed."

⟢ "You told me I was too sensitive. I believed you for years. That's the part I can't forgive. That I believed you."

⟢ "You never hit me. You want a medal for that? You never hit me and somehow I still flinch."

⟢ "I'm not a tragedy. I refuse to be your tragedy. What you did was ugly and ordinary and I will not make it beautiful for you."

⟢ "I was a child. You knew I was a child and you did it anyway and I have spent my entire adult life cleaning up what you made."

⟢ "Stop explaining. Every word out of your mouth is just you loving yourself more than you ever loved me."

⟢ "I don't want to hurt you. I want to unhappen you. There's a difference."

⟢ "You know what's funny? I still defend you sometimes. Habit, I guess. Old dog stuff. I hate myself for it every time."

⟢ "I survived you. I want you to sit with that. I survived you and you don't even know what that cost."

⟢ "The version of me that loved you is dead. I watched her die. It was slow and it was ugly and she deserved better."

Everyone writes: “We’ve known each other for years!"

But we can do better than that—let's make things actually interesting.

Here are some quick tips for writing two characters with history (without saying, "we've known each for years"):

• They reach for the same object at the same time without looking

• One of them uses a nickname no one else is allowed to use

• They start arguing mid-conversation like the first half already happened

• They move closer when the other looks uncomfortable

• One of them says, “Don’t start,” before the other has said anything

• They know exactly which buttons to press (and press them immediately)

• They unconsciously drift toward each other in crowded spaces

• They anticipate each other’s reactions before they happen

• One quietly moves something (a drink, weapon, chair) because they know the other will reach for it

• Someone might say something, and the other immediately responds with: “You’re still doing that?”

• They suppress laughter at the same time over something no one else noticed

• One character still treats the other based on who they used to be

• A certain place, smell, or song causes them to exchange a look

• Their arguments sound rehearsed, like they’ve had them before

• They touch each other casually without asking (fixing clothing, nudging, taking something from their hand)

• They stand closer than strangers normally would

• They borrow items from each other

• They bring up something embarrassing from ten years ago

• They sit in silence together and it’s either very comfortable or extremely tense

• One of them automatically orders the other’s drink

• They interrupt each other and still somehow finish the same sentence

• One starts a story and the other finishes it automatically

• They argue about the details of shared memories

• They mention people or events without explaining them

• A simple phrase or nickname triggers an entire inside joke

• They notice tiny things about each other no one else would catch

Real history sounds like unfinished conversations, old habits, and arguments that never really ended. When you show shared history (instead of telling) your characters seem that much more alive and believable.

On a similar note: Not all shared history is comfortable. Sometimes shared history means unresolved tension or an old rivalry:

• They refer to something only as “that” or “before.”

• Someone says “You know why.” without explaining further

• Standing slightly farther apart than expected

• Fingers drumming or fidgeting when they’re forced to talk

• Avoiding eye contact for just a second too long.

• A small disagreement suddenly becomes heated.

• One character reacts sharply to something that shouldn’t matter anymore.

• A casual comment triggers silence or defensiveness.

• One character starts explaining themselves but trails off

• One character makes small, cutting remarks disguised as jokes

• They still know each other’s preferences or weaknesses

• They speak in fragments when the past comes up

• They fall into familiar conversations and then awkwardly break them

If you enjoy digging into character dynamics like this, my printable novel planner has detailed sections for relationships, character arcs, and story structure. It’s perfect for organizing a fanfic or mapping out an entire novel!

@kaleidraws: obviously it's not a one for one, but can you see it

me: (drawing through tears of stifled laughter on an airplane) uh-huh

At his fighting peak, when naught but the compression of bone and sinew and the flex of muscle should have occupied his thoughts, Raiden suddenly felt as if he were no longer standing within the Wu Shi Academy tournament ring. Without warning, the storm warrior followed the completely illogical impulse to its conclusion, and disappeared from the kombat ring...

Much Ado: Chapter 1 (by @whysosincere)

Screaming

Ladies, I am going to be interviewing Mr. Jeff Meek regarding his role as Lord Rayden in Mortal Kombat Conquest.

this entire section of Chapter 2 of Much Ado is everything and I am begging you guys to please read it