Thanks to Cat on the table and Praise's waterfall for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 60

The last item on the day's agenda was character building. Specifically, what all the ingredients were that made up a character. There was a long checklist, and Lovino felt a sense of despair when he saw all of the questions that had to be answered about each character. Almost two pages' worth. He didn't think that his characters were so well-developed.

They were then given an exercise where they had to examine photos of random people and then they had to create a mind map for the person on the photograph, listing all of the character traits they thought the people had based on the pictures.

…And it might have been rude of him, but one of the people just screamed 'cougar'. There was just something about the photo of this woman that made Lovino think of someone like that. Well, she appeared wealthy, for starters, but the exact clothing she wore and the way she held herself… Something just gave him that impression.

"In prose, you can have many opportunities to show your character's personality," Pierre explained. "In drama, for example, it's not so simple. You need to demonstrate what your character is like through attitude and clothing. It's easier to use stereotypes to this end, but it's also a way to make a character in a play interesting by subverting expectations. That is the same with prose as well. And, if you're brave enough, it can also be done with poetry."

"Writing an interesting character is probably the most important ingredient in writing a story," Winston continued. "If the main character especially isn't interesting, or if the reader can't form a connection with that character, then no matter how interesting the plot is, your story will fail to engage the reader or the audience, and you will be stuck with a flop. Two of the most important things to keep in mind is the establishing character moment, and the character development. Conflict can be used to take the characters from their establishing moment and through the development. The conflict can be either external – someone wanting to kill them, for example – or internal, such as anxiety or low self-esteem."

Lovino resolutely ignored the glances in his direction.

"You should also give them a goal to strive towards," Winston further explained. "They want something, and they would do anything to reach that goal. The conflict is used to deter their progress, and both internal or external conflict could be used for that end. Let's return to our socially-awkward teenager. He has a crush on this girl. External conflict can be that someone else is already dating this girl, and internal conflict is his own lack of confidence. A story can contain both internal and external conflict."

They continued talking for ten more minutes, and then finally it was time to go home.

Since it was late at night, and since they had to return early in the morning, Gupta had offered for Lovino to stay the night at his house. Everything had been arranged beforehand, and Eshe had already taken his bag to their house.

As they were driving back, Lovino texted his father to tell him that the workshop was finished for the day. He smiled when a reply arrived. His father was asking him if it was fun, and Lovino replied in the positive.

…

Romulus sighed in relief when the message came from Lovino. To be honest, he was still a bit apprehensive of allowing Lovino to go to another town to do something that ended late at night, which was why he insisted that Lovino have at least one friend with him. The arrangement of staying over for the night also came later, and he had to agree, it would be more convenient for everyone involved.

And the fact that Lovino was staying with the school principal made him feel a little bit more relaxed.

He was worried about Lovino being in yet another town at night, and not specifically at the house of one of his friends. The main reason why he was willing to let Lovino go without a fuss was because he wasn't willing to risk anything. Their relationship had improved in the last few months, but Romulus was still afraid of doing something that would mess it all up. And considering this was something that Lovino showed an interest in, he had a feeling that Lovino wouldn't be too happy if it was denied to him.

Romulus was also happy to learn a bit more about the things that interested Lovino. Not only because he was getting to know his son a bit better, but also because they had to apply for universities soon. If Lovino could find something that he wanted to do, then that would be a relief to Romulus as well.

He also wanted Lovino to spread his wings. He'd been kept in a cage for too long. It was rare that he frowned now, and Romulus hated himself for thinking that it was how it was supposed to be. And he hated himself for believing that Lovino was the problem. Seeing Lovino's smiles, he couldn't imagine him without it anymore.

He sighed, opening the photo of Lovino lying in the hospital bed. He would do anything to avoid this scenario again.

…

"Don't stay up too late," Eshe called out before heading towards her own room.

Lovino and Gupta were lying in the dark room, with Lovino on an inflatable mattress. The mattress was a huge thing, actually, and Lovino was worried about rolling off. It was a long way to the ground. And the fact that this wasn't particularly firm made Lovino suspect that it was a distinct possibility.

"So, did you at least enjoy it?" Gupta asked.

"Yeah," Lovino said. "It was fun, and I think it would help me with the book."

"You looked as though the gears in your head were turning," Gupta said.

"Well, I realised that I haven't thought of an ending yet. Now I need to work on one."

"…You said you're basing the story on your own experiences. So… Do you want your main character to be successful with his suicide attempt or not?"

Lovino was silent for a moment, before he sighed.

"Part of the reason why I'm writing the story is to give hope to people in the same position as I was," Lovino said. "And… I want them to know that it's never too late. So… there will be an attempted suicide, and the recovery afterwards, or at least where it starts. Otherwise the recovery would take up too much of the story."

"And the bullies…?" Gupta asked. "What are you planning to do with them?"

"I was thinking… One more confrontation, and they're caught in the act. They're arrested for assault and sent to juvie."

Gupta chuckled.

"Wishful thinking?" he asked.

"Well, they say authors don't get mad," Lovino said. "They just write you in their novel and figure out how to kill you."

"I guess that's true. Anyway, do you need water? Are you still drinking the sleeping pills?"

"Yeah. We tried to get me off of them, but the nightmares still come. I already drank one."

"So I assume they're not fast-acting."

"About twenty minutes."

"Then I guess we should try to get to sleep. Anyway, I hope that this manages to be a good experience for you. Goodnight."

…

Lovino was awoken when he made contact with the ground, the inflatable mattress now on top of him. Gupta turned on the light and offered to switch places, which Lovino was grateful for.

…

Antonio looked up when he heard someone knocking on the bathroom door. Since it was his father's birthday, the extended family would be coming by. It would be the first time in months that they would all be gathered together. And… It wasn't really something that he was looking forward to. By now, everyone knew about Lovino.

"Are you almost finished?" his father asked.

"I just need to clean the bathtub," Antonio replied.

This wasn't part of his punishment. Whenever the family came to visit, Antonio's main job was to clean the guest bathroom. So, this was actually normal for him.

"Your mother and I were talking about your punishment," his father said. "We decided to let you off the hook, if you can behave yourself."

Antonio's heart leapt. That was probably the best news that he'd heard in a long time. He grinned.

"Gracias," he thanked his father.

"Remember, this all depends on your behaviour," his father said. "And it especially depends on whether or not you and Miguel fight today. We're not going to hear that you tried to strangle him again, are we?"

Antonio swallowed nervously, before shaking his head. He couldn't even be mad at Miguel for letting that be known. Miguel had been hurt and angry, and Antonio couldn't blame him for wanting to get back at him. And he truly felt horrible about the situation. He hadn't meant to harm his cousin, but his anger took control. He reacted in much the same way that he would react if he lost his temper at Lovino.

He would definitely have to work on not assaulting his cousin. His freedom depended on it.

…

They received a small breakfast when they arrived for the next day's workshop session, and afterwards the lecture started to touch upon the different forms of poetry. Poetry wasn't something that specifically interested Lovino, but he still dutifully took notes.

"There are generally fifteen poetic forms," Pierre explained. "What you wish to do with your poem would determine which form you decide on. These poetic forms are as follows: A blank verse, which is poetry written with a precise metre, usually iambic, but which does not rhyme. Rhymed poetry, by definition, are poems which rhyme, though their scheme differs. Free verse is a form of poetry that lacks a fixed rhyme scheme, metric pattern, or even stanza length. Epic poetry is a lengthy, narrative account, usually about events in the distant past. In this poetic form, the other narrative devices play an important role. Narrative poetry is similar to an epic poem, but is considerably shorter in length, and can be a recent or fictional event. Haikus are a Japanese form of poetry, known for the five-seven-five rule, in which it has three lines consisting of five, seven and five syllables respectively. Pastoral poetry concerns itself with the natural world, rural life and landscapes. A sonnet is a fourteen-line poem, generally associated with love poems, though it's not a rule. The rhyme scheme used depends on the style of sonnet. Elegies are poems about death and loss, and employ themes of mourning, loss and reflection, though one could also use them to explore themes of redemption and consolation. An ode, much like an elegy, is a tribute to its subject, though the subject need not be dead or even sentient. A limerick is a five-line poem of one stanza, AABBA rhyme scheme, and the subject is a short, pithy tale or description. When a poet wants to make a dirty joke, limericks are their preferred form. Lyric poetry refers to the broad category of poetry that concerns feeling and emotions. A ballad is a form of narrative verse that can be either poetic or musical. A soliloquy is essentially an inner monologue, and isn't exclusive to poetry. And finally, a villanelle is a nineteen-line poem that was originally a form of pastoral poem, but evolved to describe obsessions and other intense subject matters."

They were then given an exercise: they had twenty minutes to write a haiku. Lovino thought that it was overkill, until he realised how hard it was to think of something to write in a haiku. Several things came to mind, and he eventually started to write something down.

Feeling only fear
Defence was my only goal
But became hated

He jumped when he sensed someone peering over his shoulder, and he turned to see Winston reading his haiku. The presenters were wandering through the hall, probably checking to see if everyone was managing and ready to offer assistance. The man glanced up, locking eyes with Lovino, before drifting away to the next person. Lovino swallowed nervously. He didn't know what the man was thinking.

A few of the participants were asked to read their haikus, and Lovino was grateful that he wasn't called upon. Madeline then proceeded to explain a few technical terms when it came to writing a play, and afterwards they received a break. Lovino made his way to the bathroom, but when he came out, he saw Winston standing there, looking solemn.

"Lovino, do you mind if we have a little chat?" Winston asked.

Lovino swallowed nervously, but followed the man to his office. Turned out that he worked in this building. Winston closed the door behind him, his lips pursed.

"Is this about my haiku?" Lovino asked.

Winston sighed, before he nodded.

"I don't know what happened in your past, but something like that can only be born from immense pain," he said. "Do you at least have people to support you?"

Lovino nodded.

"It's gotten better," he said.

"That's good," Winston said. "If you don't mind me asking, have you thought about what you wish to do once you graduate high school?"

"I've been looking at those booklets for the school of languages," Lovino replied. "It's… I was thinking of studying language and literature."

Winston nodded.

"I can sense that you have a story to tell," he said. "And if you feel that writing is the means to do it… Tell me, that novel you're writing… what do you intend to do when you're finished?"

Lovino swallowed.

"I… I might take it to a publisher," he said. "If… If it's any good."

"If you make a decision based on that, then may I offer my support?" Winston asked. "I have several contacts in the publishing world, and have acted as editor a few times as well. When you finish your manuscript, you may bring it to me, and I'll look over it and offer you advice. And if you can convince me that you want this book in the outside world, and you want to let your story be told, then I will try my best to help you with your goals."

Lovino's jaw dropped. He wasn't expecting something like that. Winston smiled.

"Your teacher told me that you're very talented," Winston said. "Do you have anything that I can see for myself?"

"I… I have a few short stories," Lovino replied.

Winston handed him a card, and Lovino scrutinised it.

"My email address," Winston explained. "If you want, feel free to send some of the stories to me. One of my jobs is to provide support to new authors, and to help them prepare for their future. I know it's hard to make a career out of writing, especially in the beginning, which is why I want to help as much as possible. You've got me curious, and I would like to help you tell your story."

Lovino smiled and thanked the man. Support… And not just moral support. He could use something like that.

…

Things were… awkward at best. Miguel and Antonio did their best to ignore each other, though Miguel was the one that made the most effort. Antonio was glad that his cousin brought a book along. He also tried to attract as little attention as possible from the adults. They were still disappointed in him for bullying Lovino.

If they actually knew Lovino, they wouldn't be so quick to judge Antonio.

He wanted to retreat to his room, but he didn't want to be seen as rude, especially if there was a chance that it might rob him of his freedom. So he endured the occasional comment regarding how disappointed his family members were in him.

…

After the break, they were given a practical assignment. They had to do some planning, and then write a short story. Lovino managed fine, but his friends seemed to have some difficulty in coming up with an idea. They were used to writing with a prompt, and Lovino had memorised several, and also had a few other ideas in mind.

It took a long while, and there was some discussion among the participants. The presenters went through the hall again, offering aid to anyone that required it.

Lovino sensed eyes on his paper again, and sure enough, it was Winston. The man appeared pleased, as though Lovino had confirmed something to him. The teen wondered if Winston was satisfied that he hadn't been a bit premature in his offer to help Lovino.

After the practical session, lunch was served, and then they were to give feedback about the workshop. They also had the chance to ask the presenters about questions that arose during the session.

It ended when each of them was given a certificate commemorating their participation. Lovino was glad for the experience, and it renewed his desire to write something that could be a comfort to people like him.

He remembered what Winston said, and he needed to gather the short stories he wrote and type them on his computer before he could send them to the man, who happened to be a member of the university's creative writing department.

And he needed to pay closer attention to the university's booklet.

…

Antonio sighed in relief. Everyone was gone, and nothing bad had happened. Not even when Miguel mentioned that Lovino appeared to no longer be afraid of him.

He'd gone to lie down on his bed, but sat up when someone knocked on his door. His father poked his head in.

Antonio jumped in surprise when his father threw something in his direction, and only when he had it in his hands did he realise that it was his cell phone.

"Good job," his father said. "As promised, you're off the hook."

Antonio beamed in delight and thanked his father. Now he just needed to wait for Francis and Gilbert to be free as well.

And then they need to repay Lovino for this indignation.

The different poetic forms come from Masterclass. I have no desire to go searching through my university notes at this moment.

We have this huge inflatable mattress – almost the height of a regular bed. We got it when I was doing my Honours degree (in South Africa, the Masters degree is split between Honours and Masters) and my sister was a first year, and the flat only had one bed. Since I only had classes on a Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, I went through on those days, and slept over on Thursdays. Anyway, while still getting used to that mattress, I rolled off the thing and it ended up on top of me. It was a tile floor. I was not impressed.