So, I'm writing

Chatterbox: Inkwell

So, I'm writing

So, I'm writing a story about a group of human beings that have their emotions blunted and deadened at an early age and you all know what happens next. One of the characters finds forbidden emotions and it turns all angsty and YA-fiction whatnot. The thing is, I want a broad idea of what emotions people feel, so could you guys do me a favor? Could you say what your emotional reaction is to the words listed below? What does such and such feel like to you? Try to explain it as if you are telling a person who has never witenessed that item or emtion would understand. And if you know where my list of words comes from, shh. Just play along anyway.

Father

Mother

Wind

Water

Friendship

Dreams

Love 

Lies

Pain

Crime

Punishment

Evil

Thank you all! (And no, thank you was not one of the ones on the list.) 

submitted by Ruby M., age 14, Somewhere
(December 30, 2013 - 7:57 pm)

I wish I could help you, but I don't usually have emotions, and when I do, they aren't all that strong. That isn't normal, is it? 

submitted by Maggie, age 12, nowhere
(December 31, 2013 - 10:39 am)

I don't know. I don't have emotions for all the items on that list and some of the items in the first half have negative connotations while some in the last half have positive connotations. I'm really just interested in what a large sample of people think. I'd be really happy to see what you think about any of the items on the list you have emotions of.

submitted by Ruby M.
(December 31, 2013 - 12:56 pm)

Father- A tall red-haired dude with a good sense of humor. So, cozy. Or, this might sound weird, but yellow. Innocent, unburdened...

Mother- I feel comftorble, and loved. Sort of pink. Like comfortable, but more complex.

Wind- I think of the freedom of going where I want. Red, sort of adventurous.

water- A thing that helps you and is dangerous. Like an orange. This sounds weird, but I feel a peaceful, neutral emotion. I can't really explain it.

friendship- I feel black. Mad, almost. I don't have many friends. I feel empty. I have Anna, Jesus, you guys, but that is really it. At school I have Risitha, but still...

dreams- Weird mixed colors. Imagination. I feel giddy, like I can do whatever I want.

love- I think of Jesus, of the Lord, of family, and of peole that put their needs after mine. So, I feel loved, and white. Love is pure.

lies- When I feel like the truth is mangled and twisted. Grey, with some black (evil) mixed with white (puritiy). I feel upset because most peole lie, and it makes me feel really guilty.

pain- purple. As unoxenated blood. Humor, as it can be funny. I usually laugh instead of cry and laugh so hard I cry.

crime- black. Evil. Guilty and worthless.

punishment- Turquoise, and itcan be helpful. Exited, because I love cleaning bathrooms (long story...)

Sorry for the poor explanations. 

evil- 

submitted by Sarah- oops- S.E.
(December 31, 2013 - 4:44 pm)

Evil- This is hard to explain. I feel balanced. That it is okay that I do things wrong by accident. There  are worse things than I did. Blue, for twisted.

 

submitted by S.E.
(January 1, 2014 - 8:06 am)

I'll try, though I actually often try to fight my emotions.

Father: You like him, but you also want to roll your eyes, groan, and act busy when he's around. (At least with mine cause he can annoy me to no end at times.)

Mother: Someone you always want to be around. To confide in, get advice from, and have a good laugh with. (You can tell I'm close with my mom.)

Wind: Cool, but not too cold. Strong, embracing, refreshing. Sets your hair whipping around your face, and fills you with vigor.

Water: Cool, soothing, like a gentle caress. But also clear, strong, independent, and set in it's ways. Like a river, flowing determinedly in one direction, never wavering or doubting itself.

Friendship: Magical, wonderful, like fireworks. It fills you with a sense of bubbliness. It's also strong, and dependable.

Dreams: Vague, yet powerful things. Soft or strong, depending. Fills you with a sense of longing. Soft colors, and hazy images.

Love: ... I have no flippin' idea.... Strong, embracing, but also painful at times.

Lies: Life? Painful, biting, but they have a sort of... strength to them. Something you can understand. Like love you can't always explain, but lies you can. Does that make sense?

Pain: A writhing, twisted mess. At times, you can be grateful for it, and it makes you stronger. But you also just want it to end.

Crime: Narrow, suffocating, fear. Like it's a straight path in front of you, with walls all around, and you can't get out.

Punishment: Bitterness, anger, sorrow. Like a heat washing all over you, but then a gentle mist touches all the sore spots, helping to ease the sting.

Evil: Deep, dark, blackish red nothingness. A malevolence unlike any other. Something humans can't quite portray, or grasp.

Um, so that probably really doesn't help. At all. But there ya go. My mind is weird, and slightly warped when it comes to emotions and describing them.

submitted by Blonde Heroines Rule
(December 31, 2013 - 5:35 pm)

Father-- Formal. Strict. Almost Darth-Vader-ish. 

Mother--Again, I feel this is overly strict and formal. Accusing, almost.

Wind-- Sharp. Painful. Chilling. Icy. Frustrating. Cold.

Water-- Um. Hmm. Soaking. Thin but thick at the same time. Clear. Most of the time. It being winter, I believe the only water I've experienced in the last few days is in a cup. Ah! Refresing. Tastes cold or hot.

Friendship-- A sort of bond that holds people toghter. Someone you can laugh with. Someone who will stand up for you. 

Dreams-- All I can think of is the creepy lady with the mask-face. Mysterious, I guess? Forbiding? Unknown? Prophet-like?

Love-- This word is so general I feel bad trying to.... do whatever I'm doing with it. Because there are different types of love, really. I love my family. I love my friends. I love cartooning. Some people love romantically. So really, I guess I would say it reminds me of all of these things and is a sort of passion that can varry.

Lies-- Twisted. Jokes? You can lie without trying, and you can lie being deliberate. Basically it's diverting from the truth to some angle.

Pain-- Saw off your finger.* That's pain. Or a type of pain, anyways. What you feel in your finger? It can happen anywhere in your body. Even to your emotions.

Crime-- You know how you just sawed off your finger? Do that to someone else.* That's a crime. You just broke a rule: No sawwing off other people's fingers. So a crime is when you break a rule set by officals.

Punishment-- You just cut your friends** finger off. You will be punished. Punishment is what happens to you for doing something bad by enforcers of those rules I mentioned earlier.

Evil-- The quote unquote "Darkness." When someone is driven so far to a goal, they forget about others and what matters in the first place. A sweet revenge, filled with malice. Two mistakes. Uhmm, I guess those enforcers considered you evil for cutting your friend's finger off.

*Metaphorically, of course. 

**Assuming they're your friend

submitted by Theo W.
(December 31, 2013 - 6:33 pm)

dreams: can be terrifying. Are occasionally amusing. The word makes me feel slightly apprehensive, as my dreams can occasionally foreshadow something that will happen to me (don't laugh. I'm serious.) and my dreams are generally terrifying, like the dream I had last night.
love: hmm...I don't know how to put it into words. Smiley. Foolish. Annoying, and annoyed at myself for being stupid enough to let people affect me, because if I let people affect me then it hurts when they get tired of me.
lies: intense fear and guilt. Worry that I'll get caught for whatever I was lying about (I lie a lot, but not to you guys)
pain: a sensation not unlike that of being burned.
crime: I feel absolutely nothing when I hear this word.
punishment: when it's punishment received from my parents, it means the loss of something I value. Recently, it's come to mean pain and hiding and worry that I'll be found out.
evil: I feel absolutely nothing when I hear this word
(I think I know where this list comes from)

submitted by Maggie, age 12, nowhere
(January 1, 2014 - 10:41 am)

Out of curiosity, what does it feel like to be burned? It's bad, right? I don't think I've ever been burned because I like things really, really hot.

submitted by Ruby M., age 14, Somewhere
(January 1, 2014 - 11:26 am)

I've never had anything worse than a first degree burn, as far I know. But when you get burned it's...I don't know how to explain it. Painful heat.

submitted by Maggie, age 12, nowhere
(January 1, 2014 - 4:19 pm)

It is painful. Really painful. My grandfather (he's a pastor at my church) let me light the advent candles with a match. The entire match went on fire, and my fingers all burned. He said deal with it, and he didn't let me wash it with water. I have scars to this day.

submitted by S.E.
(January 2, 2014 - 12:15 pm)

@Ruby M.- Well, being burned on your tongue makes your tongue taste weird - like nothing but at the same time, like something - and it feels a bit like sandpaper. Also, the place where you were burned is sort of numb and anything you eat tastes weird for a while. Being burned otherwise just makes the place where you got burned feel very hot and when you run it under water it stings a little. At least that is my experience. 

submitted by Elizabeth, age 14, Germany
(January 1, 2014 - 4:28 pm)

Burning doesn't really hurt at first. I know cause I've run over my hand with a hot iron! It's a very strong sensation, like wherever you've technically burn yourself is getting really warm. Then it stings later, especially when you run it under water. And dependin' on how bad it is, it swells slightly, and turns bright red. Like Rudolph (okay not quite). My knuckles turned red, and swollen. It hurt, but not too bad.

And if your burn your tongue, it basically feels funny, and makes you feel like you have to stick your tongue out and talk like Koda from Brother Bear when he's stickin' his tongue out. That's basically it. 

submitted by Blonde Heroines Rule
(January 1, 2014 - 8:45 pm)

The getting burnt thing... Like BHR said, at first you don't feel it, you just get this weird sensation and then it kills later.  When you're freezing to the point of almost hypothermia, first it just starts to feel cold, then it starts feeling funny, almost painful, then it is definitely painful and feels like knives sticking into you.  After you've been almost frozen for a while and you go into heat, the heat feels really intense but soooo good.  I know from experience.  I only wore thin socks and Converse for an hour outside in a New England January.

 

Will post replies to your questions when it's not 11:37 PM 

submitted by Melody, age 15, Disney
(January 1, 2014 - 11:37 pm)

Father-- Intrinsically evil and messed up, but kind of nice on the surface.

Mother-- Happy and relaxed.

Wind-- Strong, but can't do much in the short term.

Water-- Calming and fascinating.

Friendship-- One of the most important things needed for human survival.

Dreams-- Random craziness that makes me think I'm deranged.

Love-- Kind of goopy and overly involved friendship.

Lies-- Not necessarily bad, but needs a good reason either way.

Pain-- A good literary device...

Crime-- Various books characters and a dagger.

Punishment-- Generally unfair, guilt is its own punishment.

Evil-- No repentance or soul.

Spamster in his spamster cage says chiv.  Chives?

 

submitted by Gollum
(January 2, 2014 - 1:24 pm)

Father: A kindness, but impersonal. He doesn't know you all that well and doesn't understand you.

Mother: A warmth, like a hearthfire. She loves you and will listen to you. You don't have to pretend with her, and she will never think hatefully of you.

Wind: Coolness. Slightly like someone's touch, but less seperate from you.

Water: Coolness, again, but more harsh and malevolent, for it can kill you.

Friendship: Just a feeling of being with a person you can talk about anything with, and (if they're a good friend) will always back you up. It makes you feel secure.

Dreams: Like a movie that you make yourself, and yet watch without knowing what happens. That's the scary thing about dreams--you never know what happens.

Love: Romantic love is wierd--more often desire. Real love makes you feel part of the other person, like you inhabit a corner of their soul (or so I've heard.)

Lies: Hateful. Like you aren't worth telling the truth to and won't care if someone just makes things up to your face.

Pain: Physical pain hurts, but mental pain is terrible, because it rarely heals quickly and can drive you crazy.

Crime: Lack of obedience, like something a little kid would do.

Punishment: Reprimanding. Often necessary, even though regretable.

Evil: Blankness and something like if a person is looking at a carnival mirror--he sees everything distorted.

submitted by Everinne, age 14, A Dark World
(January 3, 2014 - 2:24 pm)