@ writers of Soft Readers
Give them Fierce Friend(s).
If you have a Reader who takes the bugs outside, give them a friend who kills those critters quickly, effectively, and without mercy. If Reader says "You should treat them how you want to be treated," Friend responds with "I am." (But maybe Friend leaves the spiders in the corners. "They're paying rent, it's fine.")
If you have a Reader who is shy, give them a friend who makes themselves larger than life so Reader can hide in their shadow. And Reader is the one they go to when they need to be quiet.
Give your Soft Readers someone they have saved, someone who repays that with loyalty and a devotion that some would call romantic. And maybe Reader and Friend tried it! But it didn't work, and if someone asks Friend why? (But only if that person doesn't set off Friend's Nope Buttons), Friend says something about how the more you handle a pretty, delicate thing, the more likely you are to break it, and Friend is clumsier than they look.
Give your Cheetah Readers (anxious babies, must protect, 10/10) a Hyena Friend. Someone who'll crush anything that they want, whose laugh is a cackle that promises violence to those who know. (Oh, you found a man? Give Friend their name, no they won't hurt him, just the usual shovel talk, yeah?)
Give your Red Wolf Readers (fighting to survive in a world that wants them dead, please just let them rest) a Coyote Friend. Sure, Friend can be mistaken for something soft, noble, and even kind. But then they grin, and the only thing you see is hungry cunning. (But they're loyal, checking on you with bloodstained teeth.)
Give your Grey Wolf Readers (quiet, withdrawn, they didn't ask for this) a Fox Friend. Friend is cute and cuddly, but is also just as willing to pickpocket you while snuggling. (Even if it is so they know you'll be forced to let them pay for your treat.)
Softness will always bring in someone who sees it, who values it, who will burn the whole fucking world if the Soft said they wanted to dance in the ashes. And yes, sometimes that comes from the Love Interest. But sometimes it finds them sooner.
Signed, a Fierce Friend.
