Interviewer: Welcome to Bitter Talk! The show where we discuss all things related to the Bitterverse. Today we have an exclusive interview with the author of Bitter Tales From the Galaxy herself, Kitter Bitters. Welcome, Kitter, and thanks for joining us today.
Kitter: It's not like I had much of a choice, right? This is all happening inside my head.
Interviewer: (Laughs.) Fair point. Though that does make me wonder, why didn't you ask Holly Starstorm to interview you?
Kitter: I can only handle so much fourth-wall breaking. Let's not get carried away.
Interviewer: Fair enough. Besides, Holly isn't the subject of today's conversation. We're here to talk about the galaxy's smoothest criminal: Kinley Pryse.
Kitter: That's the one.
Interviewer: Kinley has become one of your most successful characters, and judging by the reactions she gets, she's definitely a fan favorite. Walk us through her creation. How did she come about?
Kitter: I'd always wanted to write a criminal character. On other roleplay boards I tried steering Katarine toward that kind of life, but it never felt right. The biggest issue was motivation. I understand heroes. I understand wanting to help people and sacrifice for something bigger than yourself. Villains were always harder for me because I struggle to relate to someone who hurts others simply because they can.
Interviewer: So what changed with Kinley?
Kitter: One day everything just clicked. I was watching Supernatural and saw Dean Winchester charging headfirst into another haunted house. I paused and thought, "Why?" Why do the Winchester brothers keep doing this? Then it hit me: they do it for family. Sure, they've saved the world several times over, but they never set out to be heroes. Everything started because they wanted to protect the people they loved. That idea stuck with me. Before long, I had a story about a young woman willing to enter the criminal underworld to save her own family. Kinley never became a criminal because she wanted that life. She became one because circumstances forced her into it.
Interviewer: That's a fascinating distinction. So what exactly forced her hand?
Kitter: Her father. Alden Pryse was a gambler who got in too deep with some Black Sun loan sharks. Eventually they decided he wasn't worth the trouble and put a hit on him. By the time Kinley learned what was happening, he'd already been beaten nearly to death. So she made them an offer. Alden Pryse would live, but his daughter would belong to Black Sun.
Interviewer: Wow. So Kinley is as much a victim as she is a crime boss?
Kitter: Absolutely. People see the confidence, the swagger, and the reputation, but at the end of the day she's just another prisoner. Kinley works for a Black Sun boss named Flint, and she does whatever he tells her because if she doesn't, Alden pays the price. She's not a smooth criminal because she wants to be. She's a smooth criminal because survival demands it. She knows she's expendable and only valuable as long as she's useful.
Interviewer: That's a rough situation, and all for her father. Speaking of him, Alden is a pretty unique name. So is Flint. Any inspiration behind those?
Kitter: (Laughs.) Well, I'm from Michigan, so characters connected to Kinley's story are named after towns in Michigan. It's a little personal Easter egg that most people never notice.
Interviewer: That's actually a fun piece of trivia. So your home state inspired some of the story. What about Kinley herself? Where else do you draw inspiration from?
Kitter: Kinley is really a blend of several characters I absolutely love. She's loyal to family the way Dean Winchester is. She's clever and resourceful like Captain Jack Sparrow. She has some of Deadpool's unpredictable energy and shares the confidence and attitude of characters like Han Solo, Hondo Ohnaka, and Johnny Lawrence and a dash of Stephan Salvatore's ripper psychosis. I love spending time with those kinds of characters, and Kinley lets me explore some of those traits through my own lens.
Interviewer: That definitely comes through. Another thing fans love are the famous Kinley quips you post at the top of your replies. Where did those come from?
Kitter: Kinley needs to be larger than life to survive. Her entire existence is basically one giant bluff. She's in deep water, she knows it, and she's convinced herself the only way out is straight through it. At first I used quotes and one-liners to highlight who she was as a character. Over time those evolved into their own thing. Honestly, the old Chuck Norris legends were the biggest inspiration. Chuck Norris became this larger-than-life myth through a series of jokes, and I thought, "Why can't Kinley have that?"
Interviewer: The galaxy's answer to Chuck Norris?
Kitter: Exactly. Though she'd probably rob Chuck Norris before admitting it.
Interviewer: I'd pay to see that. Looking ahead, what can fans expect from Kinley in the future?
Kitter: Hopefully she'll continue climbing the criminal ladder and eventually earn her freedom from Black Sun. That's certainly her goal. Whether she succeeds is another story. I know where I want her journey to end, but I'm keeping that under wraps for now.
Interviewer: A mysterious answer. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see.
Kitter: That's the idea.
Interviewer: Before we wrap up, is there anything you'd like readers to know about Kinley?
Kitter: More than anything, I'm grateful. I'm honored that so many people enjoy writing with Kinley and following her story. Back when she was part of the Black Sun Syndicate faction, she was ranked as the most notorious criminal in the galaxy. That meant a lot to me. But what means even more is seeing people become invested in her journey. Kinley has been incredibly fun to write, and honestly, she wouldn't be half as memorable without the people who helped bring those stories to life alongside me.
So thank you to everyone who's read her adventures, written with her, or cheered her on. I appreciate all of it more than you know.
Interviewer: That's a wonderful note to end on. That's all the time we have today on Bitter Talk, but stay tuned as we continue exploring the stories, inspirations, and characters that make up the Bitterverse.
Kitter: Thanks for having me.
Interviewer: Anytime. I mean, I am inside your head after all and who doesn't love talking to themselves?
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