How to Read the Icy Taco, Self-Demonstrating Guide

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Hello, and welcome to Welcome to How to Read the Icy Taco. I'm Doctor James Fenrir Lupe, M.D., and I'll be showing you a quick tutorial on how to even read the Taco. When there's text in a different color with no name tag or smiley, (usually in italics), like this, it means someone is speaking but is out of sight. They could be simply out of the field of vision, or, more often, invisible or speaking from a different location by magic. However, more commonly, you'll see something...

: *walks in* Like this. I'm still Dr. Lupe. Oftentimes, characters will speak using smilies to mark dialogue.

Dr. Lupe: Other times, if the character does not have a smiley, just a name tag will be used.

: By the way, that thing with the asterisks? The "walks in" thing? Asterisks denote actions. If I go "*walks in*", I walked in. ... I'm not trying to insult your intelligence if any of this is self-explanatory. If I meant to insult your intelligence, I'd be more blatant about it. Now then, remember the floating voice color things? First of all, I should explain that different characters have different font colors. For example, my font color is firebrick, whereas Jinzo-

: *flies in* Did you call?

: ... No, I didn't. Whereas Jinzo, the annoying pest who just interrupted, has the font color of seagreen.

: Who are you even talking to, Doc?

: The audience! You're just as fourth wall aware as I am, you should be able to see-

: Are you drunk again, Doc?

: Anyway. If a character is speaking out of sight, their font color is used.

: Don't forget to mention: Even for the same Writer, multiple characters may have the same font.

: This makes it sometimes difficult to tell who is a floating voice, sometimes intentionally so. But font colors can be used in other ways, with characters. For example, if a character is speaking another language, it will be in curly brackets and the character's font color. *in Spanish* {In this way, characters can speak in languages that other Writers may not know, or even the character's own writer.}

: Now you're drunk and speaking Spanish to imaginary people who probably don't even know Spanish. Tsk tsk.

: Font colors are often used in combinations with font effects for shouting and such. For example... JINZO, YOU INFERNAL PEST! LEAVE BEFORE I THROW YOU IN A GIANT BUG ZAPPER![/color]

: Ooh. That was a good example. Some people use just the font colors similarly, using font color combined with smiley to show magical aura spiking, for example... Hi Doc!

: ... Uh... Usually things like this will be using the character's own font color. However, thoughts almost always use the color light blue. Thoughts can be rendered like this... (Jinzo should leave soon. As in, immediately.)

: Or like this! .oO(The most important thing to learn from this tutorial is that giving Doc a hard time is hilarious.)

: Thoughts can also be used to signify telepathic communication. However, I don't have that ability, and thankfully neither does Jinzo.

: There is also one other specific instance of one single font color being used for something. Objection!

: Not so fast! Let's explain it before we give examples.

: Isn't it a little late for that?

: The red color exclamations are references to the Ace Attorney series of video games. If you're not familiar with them, don't worry, they'll be explained later in the story. Usually the phrases you'll see in red are "Objection!", "Hold it!", "Take that!", "Gotcha!", "Eureka!", and "Not so fast!" Original to the Icy Taco, you may see "Shut up!", "Vacation!", and I see!"

: Don't bother memorizing the list, just know that red shouting is a reference. There's another big reference to the Ace Attorney series that we use, Psyche-Locks. If red lock smilies appear on a character, or the action "*Psyche-Lock'd*" is given, they're keeping a secret. Hey Doc, are you keeping any secrets?

:

: Apparently so. So, Doc, aren't you forgetting the most important thing? Wouldn't he be upset about that?

: What did I tell you about giving examples before the explanation. *sigh* Anyway. Font colors can also be used, usually on pronouns, when a character is talking about someone else but it is somewhat unclear. Jinzo's "he" was blue because he was talking about Hunter, and my "you" was seagreen because I was talking about Jinzo. Also, sometimes colors can be used for concepts. Black can, in some situations, symbolize death, for example. These font colors can be from any character in the entire Taco, so blue could also refer to PFA's Phoenix Wright, Drew's AJ!Nick, or Torkie's Ky, just to name a few.

: Speaking of Hunter, shouldn't he be here to talk about different Writer things?

*walks in* I'm here. When you see somebody talking/acting with no font color, no name tag, and no smiley, assume that it is the Writer, the NTWFer, speaking/acting. Some Writers have smilies, but most do not. Other than the floating voice thing, Writers can do any of the aforementioned character things. .oO(I think, therefore they are.) *in Spanish* {Is Jinzo bothering you, Doc?}

: Sí.

Writers also have other things.

((These are OOC tags, which means that 99% of the time, characters can't hear what you're saying, unless they're incredibly fourth wall aware.))

Also, if we say things in strikethrough, it is generally considered an out of character moment as well, but characters can possibly hear it.

: And reply, at times!

In addition, Writers also use the dice code to randomly choose a character to summon to the Taco, if they don't have a specific one they want to bring in. I can't really roll here and get an option I know I'll like so, I'll pretend to roll and *rolls*

: *walks in* Rookies! How could you explain this without me!?

: ... Well, that's the tutorial. I'll see you later, but for the moment, I need a very strong drink. Enjoy the Icy Taco.

((If you feel as though I'm missing something here, feel free to post and ask about it.))