In this section of the website you can learn about the author, the story, the characters, and read frequently asked questions (FAQ) regarding the story.
The Author
Hello! My name is Melissa, and I am the author of the story. Some of you may know my work from messa @ deviantART. I am humbled that you came to visit my story! Let's see... I attend art school in Minnesota, USA, and I'm a big fan of fantasy and anime/manga. I really like cheeseburgers. I really don't know what to talk about here. I just see lots of websites with this "about the author" section. Most people really don't have any questions about me, so.. uh, next section!
The Story
The basic jist of the story is that it is a horror story. Or maybe it's more suspenseful than it is horror. Either way, it takes place in a small isolated town called Lenor. Within this town there is an asylum where extremely talented people are sent (mostly child prodigies). The story focuses on ten-year-old Alice who is sent to the asylum by mistake where she ends up uncovering a dark secret and past that is tied in with the asylum's current hauntings.
Characters
Alice Cunningham
The main character in the story. She lives with two very loving parents until she is one day sent to Lenor's infamous asylum. She thinks this is by mistake. Alice soon discovers and becomes involved with a dark secret within the asylum. Alice is the kind of girl that is very curious, and a little bit hopeless. She relies a lot on other people and keeps to herself often.
Sipiyu
Sipiyu is the resident ghost of the asylum and has been active in haunting it lately. He seems to have a goal in mind, and that goal involves someone most unexpected. He seems to also have a connection with the staff members at the asylum. He is very dark and brooding and doesn't say much. He also keeps to himself a lot, but is very active towards his goal.
Katherine Morgan
Katherine, although one of the younger staff members, is a caretaker at the asylum. She is head of the Girls' Dormitory and quickly earns the trust of Alice. She is a kind woman who, on the outside, appears most sincere and thoughtful of others; on the inside, however, she is distraught by a dark past, and sometimes this distracts her from her otherwise caring nature.
Emily & Hannah
Emily and Hannah are two girls that first befriend Alice... and then put her in a dare. But they are truly caring of Alice and quickly become her good friends. They also share a room with Alice. Emily is the kind of girl that could keep up with the boys; she is loud, exciting, and always getting the girls and herself in trouble. Hannah is Emily's opposite; she is very cautious and often tries to pull Emily out of getting into trouble.
Girls Asylum Outfit
Boys Asylum Outfit (Coming Soon)
FAQ
What inspired you to write SIPIYU?
A: Inspiration first came when I watched Miyavi's (Japanese Rock dude) video for "Girls, Be Ambitious." I wanted to do a story based off of the video, about a young girl that's a patient at a hospital who befriends a computer-like entity. It evolved from there!
How long does it take you to finish a chapter?
A: HAHA. Well normally it wouldn't take six months! When I don't have anything else going on and the mojo is running high, I'm sure I could get it done in less than a week. But with so much going on and inspiration either running high or low, it takes a bit of time.
What inspired your characters?
A: Alice and Sipiyu were inspired by Miyavi's video for "Girls, Be Ambitious" (the main characters in the video). Veyerus came out of some dark corner from the back of my mind, I think. He's been living in there for awhile. I also thought it would be interesting if I could switch out stereotypes--the bad guy would be the one in white!
How has the story and characters developed over time?
A: I bounce ideas off of close friends a lot of the time. They give me feedback, and we work out solutions to ideas we both have that I find interesting. SIPIYU unfolded right before me. I have the whole story roughly planned out, from beginning to end, but as I write it slowly changes, so I try to accomodate for those changes. The characters sort of change as I change.
Copyright & Disclaimer
Sipiyu and all content related are copyrighted © to Melissa Somerville, unless otherwise mentioned. Any work not belonging to Melissa is © to its rightful owner. If you wish to use any content from this website you must first gain written, expressed permission from the rightful owner. Layout and graphics were created by Melissa Somerville.
