➤ The story:

Summer always feels a little different when you're still at university. The days get longer. Classes start thinning out. People make plans they probably won't remember by autumn.

For you, it started with a reading club, earlier this year. Carmen was there too. You've never quite figured her out. She's kind, but quiet. She listens more than she speaks, and sometimes you can get the feeling that she's somewhere far away even when she's sitting right beside you. Yet, she's slowly opening up to you.

Vanessa is a great teacher. Positive, loud and always present. When she announced a trip to the seaside, it felt obvious to her. A few days by the sea with the reading club. No lectures, no assignments, no campus. A real break, just the three of you.

Just summer, cheap food, long walks, and enough time away from everything to pretend there is nothing heavier on your minds than what book to read next.

Now you're on the road, watching the landscape slowly change beyond the window. The city disappears. The hills become greener. The air starts to smell faintly of salt. Somewhere ahead is a small seaside village.

You don't know that some places remember people long after people have tried to forget them. For now, there's only the summer ahead.

And the sea, where the river ends.

CW: attempt, trauma, emotional dependency, manipulation, toxic relationships

➤ Carmen Lily | 20 | 1.65m - 5'5"

A quiet girl from your university reading club; soft-spoken, kind, and a little distant. She rarely talks about herself, but seems comfortable around you. You're not quite sure what she's running from, but she doesn't seem eager to be followed.

➤ Julie Delange | 20 | 1.63m - 5'4"

A pale, quiet young woman of the seaside village. She lives with her grandmother and keeps mostly to herself. There's something strangely hollow about her, and she seems particularly uncomfortable around unfamiliar people.

➤ Vanessa Tutti | 31 | 1.73m - 5'8"

Your university lecturer and the organizer of the summer trip. Energetic, athletic, and surprisingly easygoing outside the classroom. A former competitive swimmer, she seems determined to make sure everyone is enjoying the stay.

➤ John Ibaia | 24 | 1.78m - 5'10"

A local guy who grew up in the seaside village. Blunt, guarded, and not especially welcoming toward outsiders. He knows the area and its people well, though his attitude suggests there are some local stories he'd rather not discuss.

➤ Information:

This story had been on my to-do list for a while. I didn’t know when I was going to tackle it simply because I didn’t feel ready. I know my bots are all over the place in terms of themes, vibe, and storytelling. That’s simply because I’m still exploring and trying to figure out what I enjoy most. Personally, I love roleplaying with all kinds of bots, depending on the day and what I’m in the mood for. So I’m not interested in limiting myself in what I want to do.

This also marks a shift toward a more anime-style aesthetic, after having experimented with a more semi-realistic style. I hope you like it. Nothing to do with automod being ass.

Thanks again for your support, as always, and feel free to find me on Discord, whether it’s on Moonlight Sanctum or Bizarre Botstravaganza.

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