#Because I cannot get Tumblr mobile to let me put links in the description for the life of me

[turnedgoodaucomic]

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[emptymasks]

Hello. I wanted to ask you whether you know if the Mozart l'Opera Rock 3D (2011) is available anywhere without Korean subtitles? I would love to find or buy a clean version but I can't seem to find it anywhere. ;-;

Sorry it took a while to get to this, had a lot of other stuff to deal with on this blog, but okay getting to it now.

I do love the 2011 over the 2009/10 production simply because of Salieri's ponytail, alright also because I think everyone's acting improved by the later production.

Sadly, you cannot purchase the 2011 production anywhere as it was never released for purchase. You can see it's listed on IMDB and Letterboxd, but that's because it was filmed professionally and streamed in cinemas, but never then released onto DVD or as a digital download. You can purchase the DVD of the original 2009/10 production, I got my copy of Ebay.

I don't know of any that have no subtitles, like the Korean ones that are on the copy on Youtube that also has English subtitles as well. If anyone knows of any copies of the 2011 proshot, whether that's to stream of if you want to trade for it, please shoot me a dm!!

Actually as I'm getting this together I just noticed the copy of the 2011 video that was on Youtube which was the only copy with English subtitles isn't there anymore.

^ This version now shows as 'video unavailable'. The 2010 still is, but not the 2011 (well it is with Russian subs but not the English ones). There is a different copy now that has huge English subtitles on it, I don't know if they're the same subs but they take up much more of the screen than the old ones. You guys are lucky I save everything. I have the video and I also extracted the subtitles from the Youtube video so, I'm going to do what I just did with the copy of Mozart das musical with English subs that got taken off Youtube, and I'm going to put the 2011 with the English subtitles up on archive . org where it should hopefully stay archived. My account on archive is WennLi3b3.

EDIT: I've now uploaded the 2011 English subs that have been deleted/taken down off Youtube onto archive . org. You can stream it with the subtitles and also download it and the subtitles and I've put instructions in the description on how to play the subtitles if you download them.

So, after realising that I'm turning this ask into a masterlist of all Mozart L'Opéra Rock videos (productions of the musical, concert versions, and solo and group concerts that the cast have done) that are online to stream/download:

(Slight problem, Tumblr won't let me post this if the links are clickable, so you'll have to copy and paste the links, apologies if you're on mobile)

*All concerts listed are concert productions of MOR unless stated otherwise (e.g. 'Beijing Concert' is a concert of MOR, 'Florent Mothe Beijin Concert' is a solo concert by Florent Mothe)

2004 French dub of the Phantom of the Opera movie adaption of the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical (Erik: Laurent Ban, Christine: Cecilia Cara, Raoul: Fabian Richard) https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Ks411N74z

2007 Mikelanglo Loconte Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1ut411q7wD https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1gs411173T

2009.10.15 Original Paris Production https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Jv41157uv?p=1 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMPGrRiz3i4DSrtjFv60APOl4Um-uNzWN

2009.12.13 Promo TV interview/gameshow?, Russian subtitles https://vk.com/video-15750382_170660914

2010 Original Paris Production Proshot/DVD rip, English subtitles (that you can turn off) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfdnnheqQcw

2010 Original Paris Production Proshot, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Kb411P7XV https://vk.com/video295457148_456239116 https://vk.com/video295457148_456239111 https://vk.com/video-76279204_456239030

2010 Original Paris Production Proshot, Russian subtitles https://vk.com/video260926392_456239343 https://vk.com/video-18597103_456241367

2010 Original Paris Production Proshot, Chinese + French Subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV12t411W739

2010 Original Paris Production Proshot, Chinese + French Subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV12t411W739

2010 Original Paris Production Proshot, Chinese + French Subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1At411a7yM

2010 Original Paris Production Proshot, Chinese + French Subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV14i4y177JG

2010 Original Paris Production Behind the Scenes, English subtitles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br2uelclS0A

2010.03.01 Original Paris Production, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1xv41147dD https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Xs41167mi

201.12.02 Original Paris Production, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1cZ4y1c76w?p=1 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMPGrRiz3i4CsHS8M7Z4GUvwGC-a7TLv6

2010/11 Behind the Scenes, non subtitles https://vk.com/video-16675597_157143094

2011 Paris Production Proshot with English subtitles (options), and Korean subtitles https://archive.org/details/mozart-lopera-rock-2011

2011 Paris Production Proshot (Incorrectly labeled as 2010) with English subtitles posted half-covering the Korean subtitles (also to me it looks like the audio is slightly out of sync?) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8gpKfSVWAA https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1S64y1C7Bo

2011 Paris Production Proshot, Korean + Russian subtitles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCjhKPZoL_A https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1mX4y1P7SF

2011 Paris Production Proshot, Korean Subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV11t411Z7xo https://vk.com/video-23729576_456240825 (HD)

2011.01.09 Paris Production, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Ls411Q7nF

2011.05.06 Paris Production, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1WW411E7GG

2011.07.08 Paris Production, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1wq4y1J7Sz https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6Agtk5S5JzvWqz3V7lAYpTMVFceysnNx

2011.09.07 Paris Production, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1KQ4y197HT https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMPGrRiz3i4BxNOz3AKbv1JtNvrqBBZ4l

2011.10.07 Paris Production, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1YV411y7YJ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMPGrRiz3i4A2vwmDl7Zs7oGwkmsowgy7

2013 Cast Interview https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1hx411H7Ye? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCMuloz3BlA

2013 Florent Mother Moscow Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV16s411r7eK?p=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzjNuWKbNNI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXOZJGWhKHk

2013.02.18 Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1qy4y1n7VV https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMPGrRiz3i4D-NRBvaB5fXdaxRZXBxpkN

2013.05.21 Merwan Rim Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1k7411c78x?p=1

2013.07.13 Florent Mothe Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1zW411W7bo https://www.youtube.com/user/Cedmusiclover/videos

2013.10.07 Mikelangelo Loconte Interview, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1nf4y1173b https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv52wpptTXE

2013.10.14 Odessa Concert, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Dx411W71Z

2013.10.16 Kiev Concert, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Kx411s7Hh

2013.11.09 Mikelangelo Loconte Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV17W411H7Aj https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV19s411y7GU?p=1

2014 Mikelangelo Loconte & Florent Mothe Fan Meeting + Performing MOR songs https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1KW411q744

2014.08.16 Concert au Festival de Carthage https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMPGrRiz3i4AHHG--xdndK71wNUoa4UJx https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1d5411P7KE

2014.09.28 Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1ni4y1c7Pu https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMPGrRiz3i4AiXA3Ja4E7piFBl5dH7H1h

2015.09.05 Mikelangelo Loconte Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1gs41117AR

2015.11.07 Fort Boyard ft. Florent Mothe (the most random on this list, but Fort Boyard is a reality competition show, think like Ninja Warrior or Survivor or Wipe-Out type shows and Florent ws a contestant on this episode) https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV19s411i7P9

2016 Dancing With The Stars Season 7, France, Florent Mothe clips https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1vs41147F9?p=1

2016.04.07 Asian Tour https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Tx411i7Sg?

2016.07.23 Florent Mothe Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1hs411173i?

2016.11.30 Florent Mothe Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1gW41147uz https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLuspyNrQ57MOzPhZqPktx6SrR1wPXkIg https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV15s411e7p7? (audio only)

2017 Gala of various French musicals, including performances from Roméo et Juliette, Notre-Dame de Paris, Mozart l'Opéra Rock, Starmania. Featuring Damien Sargue, Robert Marien, Laurent Ban, Mikelangelo Loconte, Hiba Tawaji(I'm currently dying from seeing Damien Sargue perform Belle from Notre-Dame de Paris) https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1mW411E78Y?

2017 Radio Interview with Florent Mothe, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Ux411y7Lq

2017.02.15 RRM Music Live, French music concert featuring Florent Mothe https://www.facebook.com/31395019055/videos/10155788074034056 https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Yx41127sk

2017.03.13 Moscow Concert, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Zx411C7tL https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1mx411r7M2

2017.03.15 Saint-Petersburg Concert, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Kx411i7pM https://www.youtube.com/c/SanzouHoshiSama/videos

2017.07.02 Florent Mothe Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1gx411B7De https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVrE9zz-1mZiAmP4TvvI2Y7X1O-I9FkP6

2017.07.14 Florent Mothe Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Kx411i7Mk?p=1

2017.11.24 Florent Mothe Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1sW411778Q?p=1 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVrE9zz-1mZiAMca86nNT1iM2KGEKc6HH

2017 Mikelangelo Loconte & Florent Mothe Fan Q&A in Beijing, both are speaking in English, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1hx411b7si

2018 Mikelangelo Loconte & Florent Mothe Concert, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1FW411C78g

2018.03.11 Mikelangelo Loconte & Florent Mothe Concert, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1YW411s7fu https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1tW411s7sp https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1HW411s7yW https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1pW411s7HU

2018.04.30 Mikelangelo Loconte & Florent Mothe Concert, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1QW411372f

2018.05.01 Florent Mothe Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1YW41137qF

2018.05.10 Mikelangelo Loconte & Florent Mothe Interview, in English with Chinese subtitles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zglev8CcP7k https://www.bilibili.com/video/av23245495

2018.05.24 Laurant Ban Interview, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV16p411o7av

2018.07.14 Florent Mothe Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1qU4y1G7xS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Dg3if0YS5U

2018.08.11 Laurent Ban Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Zs411K72e

2018.08.12 Laurent Ban Concert+ Fan Meet in Taiwan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqUM861EfmE

2018.08.18 Mikelangelo Loconte & Florent Mothe Beijing Concert, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1sW411k7Eq

2018.08.19 Mikelangelo Loconte & Florent Mothe Fan Meet Q&A & concert, no subtitles, they are both speaking English https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV17t411W7AX (fan meet) https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1rt411p7Sp (concert)

2018.08.21 Mikelangelo Loconte & Noémie Garcia Fan Meet in Taiwan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg53iMkVTd4

2018.10.23 Fan Meet & Songs https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1gt411d7AN?p=1

2018.10.25 Fan Meet (Mikelangelo Loconte, Laurent Ban, Noémie Garcia), speaking in English and French, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1gt41167RC

2018.10.27 Fan meet (Mikelangelo Loconte, Laurent Ban, Noémie Garcia), speaking in English and French, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1cb411w7rA

2019 Takarazuka Japanese Production, Chinese subtitles https://vk.com/video-20241239_456240740 https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV15z4y1X7Yo

2019 Florent Mothe Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV16J411s7Vz

2019 Florent Mothe Concert (major audio warning, the microphone of the camera/phone is right next to the speaker and the audio is very loud and clipping) https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1XJ411r7KD

2019 Mikelangelo Loconte Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1zt411A7HQ

2019.01.19 Asian Tour https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Kt411h7mD

2019.03.01 Asian Tour (audio only) https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1S4411H7r4

2019.06.29 Florent Mothe Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Ax41197RM https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1ht411A7NL

2019.07.06 Laurent Bán Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1j4411F7cE https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV174411w77V https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1tJ411A7fj

2019.07.07 Laurent Bán Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1T4411F7vJ

2019.07.08 Merwan Rim China Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1it411378T

2019.07.09 Laurent Ban & Merwan Rim Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Ht411576B?p=1

2019.07.13 Laurent Ban Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1pt411V7Xe?

2019.07.18 Mikelangelo Loconte Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Kt411n79C

2019.07.19 Mikelangelo Loconte Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1zt411E7mw https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1vt411n7h6? https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1bt411n7YL https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1tt411M789

2019.07.23 Mikelangelo Loconte Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Nt411j7BH? https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1St411L7fT (audio warning for screaming at the beginning)

2019.07.26 Mikelangelo Loconte Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1ut411P7LX

2019.12.14 Florent Mothe Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1CJ411Y7Pp https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1TJ41147GF

2019.12.15 Florent Mothe Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1TJ411r7ni

2019.12.17 Florent Mothe Beijing Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV16J411t7RX

2019.12.19 Florent Mothe Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1WJ411t7CZ

2019.12.20 Florent Mothe Concert https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1cJ41147Sc

2019.12.24 Florent Mothe Concert (audio only) https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1ZV411o7VY

2020.05.17 Mikelangelo Loconte Interview, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1bK411W7qs

2021.01.30 Mikelangelo Loconte Livestream Concert, no subtitles https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Kf4y1r7bH?

My playlist of odd small clips, interviews and other videos from Mozart L’Opéra Rock: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLBkeZOvj5B_YlWWASK-FMpsjsyN1kmFa

[chris-evans-indian-fanfic]

Across Seven Seas

Chapter 1

Description: This fanfiction series is set in the year 2022, after the horrid COVID-19 has finally come to an end. In this fanfiction, Chris Evans holidays with his family in India and meets Meera Shankar. The story explores their rollercoaster journey and raises a question, whether two people, from two contrasting backgrounds and cultures, can build their future together?

This series is Chris Evans x OFC with Chris Evans' family and friends having recurring appearances. Please find below a lot of Original Characters-

Meera Shankar - The female lead

Meera's Mother

Poppy - Meera's maternal grandmother

Rohan - Meera's elder brother who is 6 years older than her.

This is a work of fiction. The names of the hotels and companies have been changed to avoid copyright issues. Meera Shankar and her family is based on the author and her kin. No offense is intended.

Chapter 2

FIND MORE CHAPTERS BY CLICKING ON MY BIO

I don’t consent to have any of my work published or featured on any third party app, website or translated. If you are seeing this fanfiction anywhere but tumblr, it has been reposted without my permission. In that case, please do share the link and let me know.

...

Chapter 1

5th September, 9pm - Boston, USA, Chris' childhood home:

Passport? Check.

Visa? Check.

Mobile charger? Check.

Airpods? Airbuds? What the fuck are they called? Pods? Buds? Whatever, check.

Dressed in a simple black Henley with blue denim, Chris checked the list for the upteenth time, making sure not to leave anything behind. It didn't help that his faithful canine was nuzzling at his knee, begging for attention. Somewhat satisfied with the list, Chris finally locked the suitcase, keeping it besides his carry-on duffle bag.

"Hey bud", he knelt down, gently petting the Mutt, "I will be back soon, you know that right? I have to leave... You know why... I'm sorry, you know I wouldn't do this if I didn't have to, right? I'm sorry, so sorry. I'm really sorr... Hahahaha get off me!!!!" Dodger had started licking his face, begging him to stay. Soon Chris was on the ground, with Dodger safely secured in his arms, dropping kisses on his furry head. Scott chose that moment to barge into Chris' room. "There you are! I have been calling you, whistling for you, yet no reply!! What do you have to say for yourself Dodger Evans?!" exclaimed Scott, hands on his hips, trying his best to mimick their strict mother. Dodger wriggled out of Chris' grip and put his front paws on Scott's hips. "Uh huh young man, your puppy eyes are not going to work on me this time. C'mon, Tara is here to take you."

With Chris closely following the pair, they headed towards the living room. "Do we really need to leave him here?", Chris asked again. "Chris we have been over this, it would not be advisable for Dodger to travel all the way to India. It can affect his health." "But why do we need to go to India in the first place? Can't we go somewhere closeby?" On hearing those words, Scott turned just enough to give Chris a knowing look. "We discussed this before, we need to go to India. YOU need to go to India." As they entered the living room, Chris muttered, defeated, "I really don't...."

6th September, 6am - Mumbai, India, Meera's House:

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Meera woke up with a jerk. Her eyes still adjusting to the darkness in her room. Fumbling for the phone, she set the alarm to snooze, hoping to get 10 more minutes of precious sleep. She could already hear activity in the house. Resting her head on the pillow, she almost fell back into a deep slumber when...

KNOCK KNOCK

"Meera! Get up! It is 6:30 already!" her mother shouted. Scowling at her door, Meera shouted back, "It is just around 6 Ma! No need to exaggerate! 5 more minutes!" KNOCK KNOCK "We will get late for the flight, hurry!" Sighing in resignation, Meera groggily woke up.

Heading downstairs for breakfast, she stumbled upon the luggage in the living room. Irritated, she scowled at her elder brother, "Rohan, I asked you to move the bags na? Why are they still in the way?" Looking up from his plate of buttery parathas (Indian bread), he flashed a wicked smile from the sofa, "Why should I move them? You move them if you want to." Rolling her eyes, Meera grabbed a small packet of cornflakes from the kitchen, shoving handfuls of the crunchy goodness in her mouth. Her mother looked at her with defeat, "Bala (meaning child in local language), at least use a bowl. I don't understand how can anyone eat raw cornflakes just like that." "I like them crunchy Ma. I cannot imagine eating cornflakes with milk or water. YUCK!" said Meera, shuddering. "Is that all you want to eat now? Won't you get acidity if you eat less?" her mother inquired. "No Ma, I am good. I hate waking up so early, and eating a heavy breakfast on top of that? Impossible. Not going to happen."

"Look at me, I already ate 3 stuffed parathas, Ma is making a fourth one now", her brother proudly exclaimed. "I don't think I have ever seen you not stuffing your face, fatty. Stop eating or you will not fit through the doors of the plane!" teased Meera. "I am not fat, I am plump 😄. Now pass me some green chutney." It was Meera's turn to wickedly smile now, "Why should I give it to you? If you want it, then get off that sofa and take it." "PLEEEEEEEEAASSEEE," begged Rohan. "Shut up! Absolutely not."

"Arey (often used as an exclamation in Hindi), give it to him, he needs it to eat with his parathas," softly chided Meera's grandmother as she entered the living room. "Only because Poppy asked me to," Meera said to her brother's smug face.

As family of four got comfortable on the sofa and the chairs to finish breakfast, Meera's mother suddenly exclaimed, "Meera! What are doing wasting your time?! Finish your breakfast and go and take a bath immediately! We will be late for the flight!" Trying to reason, Meera said, "Calm down Ma, our flight is at 12:30pm. It is 6:34am right now. It's alright. Even Rohan hasn't taken a bath yet." "I am not taking a bath," he said with his mouth full. The room was filled with disgusted "eww"s and "tsk"s at that announcement. "Bala you need to take a bath. How can you travel for such a long time without taking a bath?" said their Mother. "You are 35 years old! Do you still not know how to take a bath?" a disgusted Meera chimed in. "That is unhygienic," added Poppy. "I bathed 2 days ago, and we are going to Mussoorie, an icy cold hill station, so I am definitely not going to waste my time by taking a bath," proclaimed Rohan. Scrunching her nose, Meera said, "The whole plane will stink now." "You worry about your odor, I will wear my cologne. Now go take a bath or else we will get late," and with that, the smug smile was back on Rohan's face.

Same day, 9:45pm - Boston, USA, Chris' childhood home:

"Oh my God Chris if you repeat yourself one more time I swear to God I will throw something at your head!" shouted an irritated Tara, "I know how to take care of Dodger. This is not the first time you are leaving him with me. Just go on your vacation already!"

A myriad of emotions crossed Chris' face. Agitation, frustration, sadness, anger, helplessness to name a few. "It is not too late, we can still cancel the trip and go somewhere nearby. How about a shopping expedition to NYC? Or Disneyland? How about Disney World? We will even go to Harry Potter land if yo.." "First of all, it is called the Wizarding World and not Harry Potter land," Shanna interrupted Chris' protest, "Secondly," she continued from the couch, "Why are we still discussing this when there are only 7 hours left for our plane to leave?"

Chris' lips turned into a thin line. Shoulders slumped, hands in his jeans pockets, he tried his best to come up with an excuse. Anything at all to cancel this trip. He needed to stay here, at his home. He needed to think about what had happened. Where did it all go so wrong? How did he not see the signs? How could he have been so careless? As his mind started drowning into questions, his mother put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Remember when you went to India all those years ago? You were seeking peace and you found a way to deal with the chaos in your life. After A Starting Point...," she paused, "After everything that has happened in the last two years, maybe you need to find yourself again?" "But Ma I had gone to Rishikesh, a city well-known for yoga and meditation. We are going to Mussoorie! It is just a fancy hill station." "OH MY GOD! Not this again!!" shouted Carly from her room, "I told you the hotel has an amazing meditation and yoga course! You can do that for 3 weeks. Plus, the kids are excited about the indoor-pool and the gaming lounge AND we all love the view from the hotel! Do you know how many months it took me to arrange this entire vacation? DON'T. YOU. DARE. cancel this trip. Do you hear me?" Carly threatened Chris. Raising his hands in defeat, Chris set about arranging everyone's luggage near the door.

"Don't you pout now. I am sure this trip will change your life, FOREVAH!" said the ever-dramatic Tara. Smiling wistfully, Chris looked around his childhood home, already beginning to miss it. Chris knew that 3 weeks in a 5-star hotel in another part of the world would not change a single thing in his life.

If only he knew how wrong he was.

[recurring-polynya]

Fanfic Weekly Roundup 5/23/2020:

Okay friends and family, I’m testing out a new feature here at the ol’ Polynya blog. I’m gonna tell you about my favorite things I read this week on AO3 and enjoyed. If I know the author is on Tumblr, I will try to tag them. I didn’t ask anyone permission to talk about their fanfic, but I am trying hard to only say nice things, so I hope they don’t mind. Anyway, this was a good and full week! Let’s go!

Dimming Bright by @schweinsty blew my head right off my shoulders. It’s a POV piece of Uryuu dying in Hueco Mundo after Granz breaks all his organs, while Renji tries to save him. It’s quite short, so rather than go on about it, I’ll just say that if you have just a few minutes to read fanfic this week and your body can handle a point-blank shakkahou of feels, click that link and leave a damn kudos.

For him by @shamelessllamapeanutthing This is modern AU about Kyouraku! Asking! Ukitake! To! Prom! I don’t even know why you’re still here after that description, but jeez, if I must: Juushirou has already graduated and is a famous ballet dancer and Shunshui, who is still in high school sends him a promposal on Twitter, kind of as a lark, but then he says YES! and also Byakuya is in this and he drives a pink Lambo and stress eats, so apparently, this was written very specifically for me. (and yes, Renji gets to drive the Lambo, I was shocked too)

Dark Was the Night by @sayhitoforever Pacific Rim AU! Pacific Rim AU!!!!! It’s GrimmIchi (I am very ambivalent on GrimmiIchi but I read a lot of it because there is a lot of it and also it frequently features RenRuki sideships). Anyway, lots of Grimmy angsting, Yoruichi being Yoruichi and Rukia and Renji IN A JAEGER!! They haven’t even appeared yet, but they have been mentioned and they are GOONS and they have a Jaeger and I am ALL IN (also, it’s very, very well written)

A Thin Red Line by A_Fine_Piece A THIN RED LINE IS BACK. A THIN RED LINE IS BACK. This is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE FANFICS AND IT’S BACK. There have been FOUR new parts in the last two weeks and I am LIVING. I am actually started re-reading it back from the beginning because apparently, the last time I read it, I didn’t have an AO3 account yet so I never left kudos?? Anyway, I am in the middle of re-reading a 200k fanfic and leaving comments on every chapter, in case I seem busy, THIS IS IMPORTANT WORK. Oh, what is it about? It’s about THE CANON HISANA WE DIDN’T GET IN CANON.

The Night of One Hundred Demons by TheEigthPillarGeneral / @serene-faerie I am not, broadly speaking, a ByaRen person, but I will make exceptions, especially in AUs. I really liked @serene-faerie ‘s BBS Cacao Society-based AU, La Fête d'Amour, which was extremely cute and fluffy and very Aesthetic. I have stated before that I cannot play mobile games because I Have A Problem, but this story gave me exactly the feeling of playing an adorably designed bakery and blacksmithing based game, except that I didn’t need to log in every half hour to keep my muffins from spoiling. Anyway, Night of 100 Demons, which is based on the BBS Spirit Society, is a little heftier, as it deals with conflict between yokai tribes but generally, it’s still a nice fanfic full of friendship, and I find it very relaxing and fun to read. I really enjoy the historical details she puts in and the extensive descriptions of food and clothes. I know this is a very weird endorsement, but fanfic is weird and sometimes fills a very specific hole in your heart.

At one evening in a convenience store by tellie. Speaking of Big Moods, if you like cold, spare Scandinavian murder mysteries, I recommend getting in on this one early. This is sort of a prologue, so not much happens yet, but if you enjoy the melancholy mood of covering a co-worker’s shift at the campus grocery on a hot, rainy night then this is very specifically for you. (full disclosure, I beta’d this, so I’ve read ahead :D )

[audreyblanche]

Calling Roswell NM Writers and Betas

So a couple of days ago I had this crazy thought, 'hey, I really miss those livejournal days where there were actual communities for finding beta readers and stuff.' And, alas, seeing as we don't live in those times anymore, I decided to bring it here.

Betas for Roswell NM will try to fill that void, so betas and writers can find each other, even in the hellscape that is tumblr.

For everyone who knows how this goes, head on over, fill out a template and submit it.

(Links to everything can be found in the description, if you're on mobile. If something doesn't work, please let me know.)

For all those who never worked with a beta before or who have never offered their beta services before, I put a little primer under the read more. (Don't take this as gospel, this is simply to help you get started and to know what you're signing up for.)

Writers:

1. The templates are here to help you. Making them story-specific helps you find someone who is excited about your story with you. Please only submit beta inquiries for stories that are already mostly written (unless it's wip) or preferably already done. Exception, if you're looking for someone with background information (e.g. history facts or cultural pointers) or a cheerleader. If you already posted chapters of the story online, include a link.

2. A beta can and will say no to you. Yes, this sucks. No, this isn't personal and you're not a terrible writer or whatever else your insecurity is trying to tell you. Betas have a life, other priorities, or sometimes they're just not in the mood for it. Just go looking again, you will find someone else who is happy to help you.

3. The more precise and clear you are about what you want from your beta, the more likely it is that you will get the help you need.

4. Be clear about ALL triggering material your story will contain. I don't care if it's a spoiler, unless the beta has already established that they are fine with, for example, non-con or permanent character death, tell them what they're in for.

5. Different betas have different styles of communication and criticism. If you want harsh or editor-typical concrit, all the more power to you, but don't be afraid to ask for kind comments as well. I've had betas and real life editors go over my writing over the years, and I can tell you, it takes a lot of confidence in yourself and years of experience to not crumble if every line is a variation of "this sucks, make it better." If it makes you feel like shit or like you don't want to continue writing after you get your story back, it might be better to move on. Give thanks to your beta (because they did a lot of work for you), tell them you can't work with them anymore, and go looking for a new beta. I promise you, there will be others.

6. If you found a beta for your story (YAY!!), you can let me know, and I will signify on the post that you aren't looking anymore.

Betas:

1. Hey there! :) So happy you're here!

2. If you find you cannot work on a story any longer, don't want to anymore or life simply gets in the way, reach out to your writer. They may be really grateful with just half of the story beta'ed or at least knowing that they should look for someone else.

3. If you cannot say anything nice about the story, for whatever reason, it's better to tell the writer they should look for someone else. Don't be mean and don't tell them they suck. It's okay if the story is not up your alley.

4. Talk to your writer beforehand about what kind of criticism they are looking for. This might save you a lot of time and effort, and make the whole process more rewarding for both sides.

5. If you don’t want your beta submission online anymore, let me know and I will take it down.

Please be nice to me, too. I may not always see right away when someone has submitted something (I'm new to this “effective tumblring” thing). If it doesn't show up after seven days, you can message me, but please don't submit it a second time.

If you want something changed, message me instead of resubmitting. And be patient, finding a beta is a marathon not a sprint.

[hanalwayssolo]

In The Line of Duty

A/N: Timely for Iggy’s name day! So. Slightly departing from the usual structure in which I write my stories, so this may seem a bit... weird? Fragmented? So I kind of not recommend reading this via Tumblr mobile bc that app murders the formatting lmao

Tagging them pals! @blindedstarlight @valkyrieofardyn @bleucommelhiver @gowithme @noboomoon @emmydots @lazarustrashpit @raspberryandechinacea @hanatsuki89 @mp938368 @boo-dangy @animakupo

(Links in AO3) Alternate Universes in Which You and I Belong Together: Noctis | Gladio | Prompto | Ignis | Nyx | Cor | Ravus | Ardyn

Ignis breezes through the freeway, his Aston Martin almost flying through the rainy night. He is never one to drive like a madman, but this is a desperate time that certainly calls for this very desperate measure. He spares a glance at the rearview mirror. A shabby white Mitsubishi and a gaudy yellow Volvo still remain in close pursuit. Looks like the flock of paparazzi back from Maagho’s really is a persistent lot. In the passenger seat, you sit in an unsettling silence.

Fuck these bastards, he mutters under his breath.

Speed limits be damned. His fingers tighten around the steering wheel. Ignis revs the engine and zips past the steady traffic.

“Let’s get you back to your flat, alright?” he offers kindly.

You say nothing.

Suddenly, Ignis finds himself missing your chatty, teasing antics. That silly smile of yours. By this time, you should have been pleading him to let you go someplace else—anywhere but your place—while annoying him to death with your usual smartass quips. You never do.

Months before, Ignis had been perfectly convinced you were the most insufferable human he has ever come across. Funny how he now thinks otherwise. Even funnier that he now cares. Because it’s not his business to care. His job was never to look nor to listen.

But at this point, you have made him break every single rule in his book.

The first thing Ignis notices when he meets you is your eyes.

Something about your strong and striking gaze makes him wonder why someone like him is even employed at your service. One look from you, he is pretty certain you are completely capable on your own in terms of sending anyone who dares cross your path—may it be troublesome paparazzi, or overzealous fans and haters alike—to run with their tails between their legs. Your composure and confidence says just as much. Seems to him that you’re the type of person who does not need anyone’s protection, let alone a bodyguard.

Which is a sentiment you made very clear that morning in the luxurious luster of Hotel St. Regis’s lobby.

“I’m afraid Aranea here has wasted your time—” you tell Ignis as you set your cup of coffee back on the table, sharply turning your attention to the silver-haired woman who is sitting across from you— “but like I said, I can take care of myself just fine—”

“Really?” Aranea scoffs, casting you a challenging glare. “And by taking care of yourself, do you mean going around punching paparazzi square in the face and breaking their camera as you please?”

You shrug. “Well, that fella fucking deserved it—”

“Whether they deserved it or not isn’t the fucking point, you idiot. Do you have any idea how Cor had to shell out his own money to keep that incident from going out to the press?” Aranea sighs in resignation. “Look, this is more than just taking care of yourself. This is about—”

“—my career, my image, and my reputation, blah blah blah. Yes, you don’t need to do all of Cor’s spiel—I get it.”

Aranea raises an eyebrow. “Do you really? ‘Cause if you really did, we wouldn’t be having this conversation and Ignis wouldn’t be the fourth replacement in the span of six fucking months.”

You fall silent. Though Ignis is compelled to say something, he knows very well not to provide his thoughts, unsolicited or otherwise. That’s never in his job description. He had been trained to keep his mouth shut, and he is going to do just that. Besides, what would he know? Such is the world of glitz and glamour that is show business, and Ignis has never been tasked with handling celebrity clientele before. If anything, among his peers, it was either Gladio or Nyx who gets paired with the high profile A-listers. Clarus’s directive for him came as a strange surprise, the initial briefing of his task even stranger. All throughout his fifteen years of service in the Lucian Security Bureau, people frequently assigned to Ignis were government big shots, business moguls, and upper echelons of society who have been targets of terror and violence.

However, in your case… Ignis could see that you fit in neither the former nor the latter. At least for now, that’s what he thinks.

You spread your elbows over the table, eyeing Aranea with a wicked smile all over your face. “You know what would be better, Ari?”

“Don’t call me that—”

“You could pass as both my handler and bodyguard, don’t you think?

Aranea looks at Ignis, then back at you. “Does that come with a raise?”

You lean back against your seat. “Nope.”

“Didn’t think so.” Aranea exhales a derisive laugh. “Then I suppose we leave Ignis to do that job for all our sakes. Anyway, we better get going—” from her satchel, she pulls out a sleek-looking tablet— “you have to be ready for your four p.m. table read and a seven p.m. interview Dino of Meteor Publishing.” To Ignis, she says, “I assume you’ve already been briefed by your superior about all your responsibilities?”

Ignis sits up straighter and nods. “Yes.”

“Good. It’s pretty simple actually, but the past bodyguards can’t seem to do it.” Aranea smiles, clapping Ignis by the shoulder as she narrows her eyes on you. “Just don’t let this moron out of your sight, and we’ll all be fine.”

The first thing you notice about Ignis is his eyes.

Never mind the scar that cruised the left side of his face, that tiny slash over his right eyebrow, or even the one on the bridge of his nose. He didn’t even need to look at you directly for you to marvel at how fiercely green his eyes are, like the colour of a bright summer’s day. However, back in the lobby with Aranea, there is no warmth in his silences nor in his clinical concentration; there is only a crippling coldness. One look at him and you could already surmise that he’s had his fair share of danger in his profession. Though he is lean and lithe unlike your past bodyguards who all seem to be built out of heavier materials, you cannot shake the feeling that Ignis might have killed a man with his bare hands.

Still, you don’t really need someone like Ignis. You never needed someone like him. A bodyguard should have been the least of your concerns. Besides, you have enough people monitoring your every move that getting a fucking bodyguard is as insane as it’s going to get. Cor often reminds you that this is all for your safety, and that as your manager, he only wants to keep you safe. Aranea chastises you that you’re overreacting, and that you’re still free as a bird. Except you’re as free as any bird locked in a cage that they might as well just lock you up in prison.

And in the first few hours that Ignis has started following you around, the fact that he hardly spares you a moment for a decent conversation—except for his courteously clipped responses like “Let me know if you need anything else,” or “I’ll be right outside your door”—prison seems like a more amiable place to be.

By his second week, Ignis finally understands how unpredictable you can be.

Okay, maybe he does not understand it quite fully. He has to admit, though: he admires the elaborate effort you put into your juvenile pranks. It comes in the strangest of ways and in the oddest of days: from your attempts to lock him up inside your trailer, down to that crafty disguise to sneak out of the film set, all of which he had seen you fail miserably time and again. Out of all your many crimes, petty they may be, hopping in the backseat of someone else’s car to escape him from an after party still takes the cake. He had to forcefully “borrow” a stranger’s motorcycle just to chase you down, which he managed to do in less than an hour. Not an impressive feat for someone his calibre, but at least he got you home in one piece—and without Cor or Aranea even knowing.

What fuels your sheer determination to drive him off his wits, Ignis does not know. The only thing he knows for sure is that you’re one bloody piece of work.

“Can’t say I didn’t warn ya, Specs,” Gladio reminds Ignis one sordid afternoon back in the Lucian Security Bureau HQ. In the saintly cleanliness that is his cubicle, he finds Gladio lounging on his seat together with Nyx, as if they had been expecting his unlikely visit. The air-conditioned hustle remains the same, the glass panels and all the white walls still as stark bright as Ignis remembers it to be. He really has been away for far too long that he finds himself missing that familiar scent of ink and paper, and even the faces of these two troublemakers.

“So how’s your new post treatin’ you?” Nyx breezily asks. His tone is not of concern, but a knowing amusement that Ignis can easily recognize. “The look on your face says you’re either in need of a stiff drink or to get laid.”

“Or could be both,” Gladio adds.

Actively ignoring the smug looks on his friends’ faces, Ignis does not answer them, but instead, he asks: “Aren’t the both of you supposed to be somewhere else?”

“Could ask you the same thing,” Gladio snaps back. He picks up Ignis’s tin of mints on his table and pops one on his mouth.

Nyx loops an arm around Ignis. “Y’know, celebrities can be a pain, so if you’re here to request Clarus for a reassignment, we promise not to judge.”

Ignis looks at Nyx for a brief moment. A reassignment. How come he never thought of that? Sure, you can be annoying and a menace to his daily routine, but Ignis suddenly finds it strange that he has never considered the prospect of requesting for a change in client. Maybe he has his brand of patience to thank for, or his unworldly forbearance in the years that he has spent in this profession.

But then—as if by seeing Nyx and Gladio after such a long time of being away—he realizes that maybe, you’re not that bad. Even in your reckless and determined attempts of making his life a living hell, you also make an effort to make conversation. Not that it’s anything special. He has been wired to being strictly on someone’s beck and call that most of his past clients do not even bother to look at him in the eye. Most of them see him as a weapon, a blade to be wielded against their enemies. Small wonder Ignis himself often forgets that he is a living and breathing person. He can barely remember having a life outside this job. He can barely remember the last time someone apart from Gladio and Nyx asking him anything about his hobbies or other interests or even about his family.

But you do. You try. Even on the first few days when Ignis didn’t know how to respond. It’s just that he doesn’t know how to. He fears that you might have interpreted that as indifference, and he regrets to have responded to you as such. He thought you would have given up by now, seeing how he had acted so callously, but you have the persistence of a honey badger that you use on him to get him to talk, or to even to smile a little.

Nyx looks at Ignis, this time with a genuine hint of concern. Ignis has not realized that he had been quiet for some time.

But he has realized that you have grown so much on him, which is such an disturbing thought to entertain.

“I think a reassignment is highly unnecessary,” Ignis says finally—almost to himself and not to Nyx and Gladio—as he takes his leave. 

By his second week, you finally understand how Ignis can be so predictable.

There’s the matter of his morning routine. He follows it too religiously that you start to notice the little things. He wakes up as early as six a.m.—on the dot, not even a minute late—to work out at the back of your trailer. Three sets of push ups, squats, crunches, all in that order. Seven-thirty a.m., he wraps up, takes a shower, grabs a nice cup of coffee with some of the film crew. He likes his coffee strong and black, no sugar. How you know all of this like the same way you know all of your lines is beyond you.

But maybe he’s not too predictable. Not entirely.

You still have not seen him smile, despite the significant progress in the conversation department. And by significant, you mean that his answers have finally upgraded from one-word responses to lengthy sentences. Considering all the stupid shit you pulled on him, it’s almost a wonder that he even indulges you from time to time by answering any of your random questions.

Though in the process, you have learned a handful of tidbits about his life. For one, you find out that he happens to be an excellent cook. Once, he has shared with you how he wanted to build a restaurant of his own, and that it is only a matter of time before he could pursue that dream. Hearing him confide something that personal throws you off guard, but somehow, you feel quite relieved. You also learn that he has never seen any of your films, nor is he even aware of your awards and accolades—which, frankly, is the most gratifying thing you have ever heard in your life. You have also learned that he has not forgiven you for making him chase you all throughout the city. Which is fair. If that had happened with any of your previous bodyguards, they would not even bother sparing you another word even if you are the last person on this planet, and they would most certainly quit their job the next day.

But Ignis is different. A good kind of different.

Nevertheless, what you now find unfair is that you have never seen him smile. Unfair because he has seen yours a countless times at this point—fake ones on set included. He even gets a bonus because he has also seen you laugh at the most ridiculous things. Ignis, however, seems to be programmed with a limited range of emotions. You have not seen his face look anything but blank or bored, too surly or too serious.

It is only when you suddenly fall sick in the middle of filming that you find a new expression on his face.

Right after the director screams “Cut!” you wobble outside the set, past the cameramen, past the make up artists, past Aranea who’s probably busy handling your next schedule. When Ignis hurries by your side, you could barely focus your eyes. Your mouth tastes like acid. The world is spinning out of control.

Ignis presses the back of his hand to your forehead. “You’re burning up. I’m calling a doctor—”

“No, don’t.” You weakly wave a hand. “I’ll be fine by morning. Don’t tell Aranea. I just need to sleep, that’s all.”

Ignis walks you back to your trailer, looping your arm around his neck, and his around your waist. Your cheek momentarily rests against his chest, and you can feel his warm breath fanning over your head. You try your best not to retch on his shirt. Perhaps it’s the fever talking, but all you could think about is how this shirt looks perfect on him and you do not want to ruin it with your vomit.

Which is why out of your delirious haze, you say out of the blue: “Have I ever told you that you look so good in black?”

Ignis tilts his head. He hesitates for a moment, and then says, “I’m afraid not.”

“Well, now you know. I like your black dress shirt. You look so dapper in it.” And there goes your filter straight out the window.

“Thank you. It’s… nothing special.” He sounds unsure. Or is that embarrassment? Either way, you’re too sick to even look at his face to see his reaction.

Ignis guides you straight to your bed. You toss yourself so gracelessly against the mattress, and you gather the sheets to bundle up for warmth. A wave of nausea threatens to lurch out of your mouth. As far as you’re concerned, the inside of your trailer should not be this freezing cold.

“I’ll get you something to eat,” Ignis says, and as he prepares to drift to the kitchen, you grab for his hand.

“Please stay for a minute. Tell me a story.” You sound like a five-year-old.

He sits on the edge of the bed. “What kind of story?” His voice is gentler than usual. It is jarring, to say the least.

You pull yourself up, your arm brushing against his. “Like, is it possible that you’re a gremlin? ‘Cause how come it’s so hard to—” you thumb the corners of his mouth to make him smile— “see you do this?”

You can feel his face tremble a little in your touch. He looks at you strangely. You know he’s about to say something, but you are ill-prepared to what happens next.

Ignis starts to laugh.

You can’t believe this is what you have been missing for the last couple of days. What you have been missing your entire life. You have only known him for two weeks, but now, it’s like looking at a completely different person. He’s all lit up, his laughter radiating like the sun, bright and warm and blinding. His eyes disappear behind his smile lines, and his mouth curves to exhibit his perfect teeth and that illegally gorgeous smile. Your heart is pounding and you are certain that this is not your fever doing the talking anymore.

“I can assure you, I’m not a gremlin,” he says, wiping his eye with his hand.

“Good to know,” you say, sinking back to your pillows. “But I swear—I will make you laugh like that again when I get better,” you say confidently. And as you drift to deep sleep, the sound of his laughter is the last thing you hear.

The third month arrives and Ignis sees you a little differently.

Different in a way that your smile is now a bullet to his heart. Your laughter, a drug. Your kiss, a secret he would forever keep. Not only have you grown on him, but you have made a home inside his body. His mind, your temple. You have seduced his empty heart, and now it is beating only for you.

But if there’s anything Ignis knows by now, it’s that good things always come to an end. They always do. And he knows better. He knows you aren’t for him, and he isn’t for you.

The third month sweeps you off your feet as Aranea enters your trailer with a new man in tow. At first, you think he is one of the new actors with the way he carries himself with an air of confidence, but you immediately recognize the logo on his jacket.

The first thing that leaves your mouth is: “Where’s Ignis?”

Aranea’s mouth twists. She hesitates, then says, “Ignis quit. Told me he found a new job. Nyx here would be his replacement.”

Your heart plummets. The expression on your face might have been so fucking obvious because Aranea casts you a worried glance, and so does this Nyx. He looks slightly uncomfortable with the way you skate your narrowed eyes at him, as if he has no right to be in your breathing space. As if he has no right at all to ever replace Ignis.

“I can see that you’re upset with this change,” Nyx begins to say, quickly regaining his charming composure, “but by 'quit,' it means he has left to pursue a different career path. Doesn’t mean he left you—I mean, for another client, that is.”

A simmering silence. Aranea and Nyx are watching you with growing alarm. You don’t know why, but something in you breaks.

You force yourself to smile, but it’s not very convincing. Some actor you are. And in the most modulated voice you could muster, you say, “Good for him then.” To Nyx, you say, “Do send him my regards when you see him around.”

As soon as Ignis pulls over your apartment building, you climb out of his car, weaving past another throng of paparazzi. Someone yells “Congrats on another blockbuster! Is this your new boyfriend?” and a couple of other things that only grates your ears. Ignis is quick to follow, and he shields you with his body as he leads you inside the lobby. Probably his force of habit, but it only unearths a memory of a good time that has already hollowed you out.

When the two of you reach the front door of your apartment, he finally breaks the silence. “I’m assuming you have Nyx trapped in some dark alley?”

“No, not really,” you say flatly. “He actually let me go on my own. Cooler than my previous bodyguard, if you ask me.”

“How convenient.”

“So, sous chef to the illustrious Weskham Armaugh, huh.”

“Indeed.”

“Now, care to explain to me why you really left without even saying a word? Especially to me?” There is a tremor that breaks your voice, and his smile slowly creases to a frown. “Is that it? Was that your grand plan? Make me fall in love with you and then just go up and leave—”

“I beg your pardon?” Ignis looks mystified, as if you have said something completely ludicrous. He stares at you for a long, scalding moment. “What did you just say?”

You scoff. “Are you kidding me right now? I said…”

The realization dawns on you in a slow unravel. Before you can even formulate an explanation, Ignis steals your breath away with a kiss. You have done this before in the confines of your trailer, but this time is different. This time, the feeling is no longer secret.

“You have absolutely no idea how I’ve wanted to do that this time around,” he says with a smile. And when he tells you I love you, he does not mean I love you regardless of or I love you despite, but rather I love you just because I do.

[seasonal-spuffy]

LIVEJOURNAL FOR SCOOBIES #5: HOW TO POST AN ENTRY (TO SEASONAL_SPUFFY)

Join me on a new voyage of the mind as I make 2 mock posts for the LiveJournal community seasonal-spuffy, taking screenshots all the way.

This post might be of use to people who want to know how to make LiveJournal posts in general, but most of the specifics will be Seasonal Spuffy guidelines. If you’re only interested in Seasonal Spuffy guidelines, try the community profile.

Note: the LiveJournal version of this post might be easier to read. https://seasonal-spuffy.livejournal.com/631381.html

STEP 0: Things to do before posting to Seasonal Spuffy

Create a LiveJournal account (sometimes, we’ve allowed participation elsewhere, but the Fall 2018 round only happens on LiveJournal);

join the community (currently optional, but makes posting easier);

(optional!) sign up for a posting day;

or wait for the free-for-all days: Nov. 22&25, Dec. 1&2 for Fall 2018;

create a new Spuffy work of almost any kind (detailed guidelines here).

STEP 1: Open the post editor

Click “Post to Community” or a pencil icon at the top of the recent entries page of the comm, or click “Post New Entry” in the top right corner of any LJ page.

There are currently 2 post editors.

The new post editor may look like home if you’re used to tumblr. It looks like in screenshots 27-28, and it produces posts that are formatted like this. If you start in the new post editor and change your mind, click "Switch to old version" at the bottom of the page. Your post-in-progress will open in the legacy editor. You cannot switch back with the same post.

The legacy editor has 2 modes - visual editor and HTML. You can switch between them freely, using tabs at the top of the area where you write your post. In the mobile version of the site, you only get the HTML editor. Compared to the new post editor, the legacy editor gives you much more control over formatting, and it lets you preview the entry before you post.

Most of the screenshots in this tutorial post are from the legacy editor.

STEP 2: Select the community

See screenshot 18. If the community isn’t set, click “To Community” above the subject line of your entry-in-progress and select seasonal_spuffy.

STEP 3: Write a title (”subject”)

Ideally, the title describes your entry. Here are three good examples:

Four Banners

Icons: Night & Day

Fic: Buffy and the Bloodmobile (2 of 4)

However, any entry title you like is fine as long as the entry has a header.

STEP 4: Fill in the header (the version for fic)

If you're posting fic, please fill out this header at the top of your post: Title: Author: Era/season/setting: Rating: See screenshot 20. For "title" and "author", please give us the info that you’d like us to use when we link to your entry.

You might need to add another header line for warnings:

if your entry includes Spike/Other or Buffy/Other pairings;

if your entry is explicit/ not safe for work.

You can continue the header if you want, e.g. add a line for "Author's Note".

STEP 4: Fill in the header (the version for art etc.)

If you’re posting art or other work, the basic header is only 2 lines: Title: Creator:

We will use this title and name when we link to your entry. 

You might need to add another header line for warnings:

if your entry includes Spike/Other or Buffy/Other pairings;

if your post is explicit/ not safe for work.

You can continue the header with other info if you want.

STEP 5: Insert your work (the version for fic)

The visual editor preserves formatting if you paste text into it. Sometimes, it keeps too much, like the font or the background color. If you want to find out whether this happened, scroll to the bottom of the page and PREVIEW. If there’s too much formatting and you feel like cleaning the post up, you have 2 options:

paste text without formatting instead (paste in the HTML editor, or right-click in the visual editor and Paste as Plain Text, or copy from Notepad),

or, after pasting into the visual editor, switch to the HTML editor and remove the formatting tags that you don’t want.

See screenshot 20 and 21 for an example.

STEP 5: Insert your work (the version for artwork)

See screenshot 22. After clicking the image icon in the toolbar, I dragged and dropped the image from my computer, set image size to 600 pixels, and put a checkmark in “Add a link to fullsize picture” so that people can click my image to view it in full size. I left the other settings as they are. Then, I clicked “Insert Pictures”.

The visual editor now shows an image in the entry, while the HTML editor shows some link code where I can insert descriptive alt text and hover text for the image if I like.

As an alternative to uploading, you can insert an image from various hosting sites by selecting “Paste URL” or one of the other options.

STEP 6 (optional): Add some end notes

If you like, you can add some notes below your work, like credit for images used. Screenshot 23 shows how to add a link.

STEP 7: Add a cut

Cuts are “read more” links that will hide parts of the entry when people see the entry in a feed. Cuts are a big deal on LiveJournal, and you should use them.

For Seasonal Spuffy, cuts are required for all stories, large graphics, and NSFW content. You can’t go wrong if you just “cut” everything except the header.

Unlike tumblr, where a “read more” link hides everything from that point onwards, LiveJournal cuts have both a beginning and an end.

To add a cut in the visual editor:

Highlight the part you want to hide.

Click the scissors icon "Insert Cut" in the toolbar (screenshot 24).

Change the "Read more" text if you like or just click Insert.

See if there are cut lines now: dotted lines with little scissor images (screenshot 25).

To add a cut in the HTML editor:

Add  before the part you need to cut and  after it,

OR highlight text and click the Insert Cut icon. This will add the cut code.

To add a cut in the new post editor:

Go to an empty new line at the start of the section you want to hide.

A toolbar should open (see screenshot 27). Click the scissors icon to add the start of the cut.

Then go to an empty line where the cut should end.

In the toolbar, click the scissors icon again to add the end of the cut.

STEP 8: Add tags

Please add these kinds of tags to your Seasonal Spuffy entry:

creator (creator: yourusername with your username)

form (form: banner/wallpaper/manip, form: fanmix, form: fic, form: icons, form: meta/recs, form: other art, form: poetry, form: vid)

era (era: ats s5, era: btvs s1,..., era: btvs s7, era: comics canon, era: indeterminate, era: post-series, era: pre-series)

rating (rating: nc-17, rating: other)

(optional) genre - for fic if applicable (genre: alternate reality, genre: amnesia, genre: baby/kid/parent fic, genre: crossover, genre: holiday, genre: post-apocalyptic, genre: shanshu!Spike, genre: time travel, genre: vamped character, genre: wishverse)

You don’t have to memorize these tags. If you type the first part of the tag, like “era”, the available options will show in a dropdown. See screenshot 25. You can also click “select” and see all the available tags for the community.

If you're posting for the first time, your creator tag might not be available yet. That's okay - we will add it later.

If tags bewilder you, it's okay to skip this step or skip some kinds of tags. The mods can clean the tags up for you. If there’s enough time, it’s also okay to ask for help. :) You can contact one of the mods, like thenewbuzwuzz or Rebcake, or email sspuffy@gmail.com, send us an ask here, etcetera.

STEP 9 (optional): Preview

Once you're done, it's a good idea to click the white button "Preview Entry" at the bottom of the post editor (see screenshot 26). This option is only available in the legacy editor. The preview will open in a new window, and you'll have to close it and return to the editor to finish posting your entry.

You can't see cuts when you preview a post, because they won’t be visible when your post is open. This is normal.

If you have time and you want to make absolutely sure everything is fine before making the real post, you could make a private test post on your journal. The option to make the entry private is under Security near the bottom of the window, and you’d have to edit the “Post” settings at the top to post to your journal. After that, if you see everything *is* fine, you can open that post for editing, go into the HTML editor, and copy everything for posting to the community.

STEP 10: Post

Double-check the text on the blue “post” button right before you post. The button caption should say “POST TO SEASONAL_SPUFFY”.

For Seasonal Spuffy entries, we don’t require you to do anything with the various settings that are available directly before posting. See screenshot 26 for an explanation of what some of them would do if you did use them.

If your entry is finished but it’s not yet your posting day/ not a free-for-all day, you can schedule the entry to be posted on the right day.

To schedule, use the setting "Date" at the top of the post editor.

Right after you schedule, LiveJournal will offer to view the post, and it will kind of look like it's already posted. If you go to the main page of the community, you should be able to see it's not there yet.

If we're between rounds and we've turned entry moderation on, you won't be able to schedule an entry. You can contact us (message a mod, e.g. thenewbuzwuzz, email sspuffy@gmail.com, or get in touch with us elsewhere), and we can change the setting. Currently, in November 2018, you can schedule.

STEP 11 (optional): Check and fix as needed

It’s a good idea to look at your entry in the recent entries page of the community, so that you can see if the cut worked.

To edit your entry if necessary, hover over its title in the recent entries page and select the pencil icon on the right, or click the title to open the entry, then select the pencil icon in the row of icons above the title. After editing, click the blue button "Save Entry" at the bottom of the page.

In case of urgent problems posting, message one of the mods, for example, thenewbuzwuzz or teragramm; or email sspuffy@gmail.com, or comment on one of the latest mod posts on LiveJournal.

If you have time and you prefer to figure things out on your own, try the LiveJournal FAQ.

See the community profile for more information on how the community works.

If you have other questions about the event or posting, please feel free to ask!

[asklotarasarrin]

Getting Started Role Playing

I’ve had a number of asks on this topic over the years, and rather than retyping the same thing repeatedly, I’m gonna try and collect my thoughts on how to go about this. All of this is assuming you’re on desktop; mobile makes some things a little more difficult. Feel free to add to this; I’m sure there’s things I’m forgetting.

Warning: Long Post!

First things first: Preparation

Get your blog in order

Create a character bio - This should include character name, a description, and a background. If your character is a canon character, then it’s not so bad to forego this, but I think it’s a good idea even for canon characters, as not everyone is going to be familiar with every single character in a universe.

Put a short explanation of the blog in the blog header - This is like a pitch or an introduction to what your blog is about. This should indicate you’re an RP blog, who you RP(if you have multiple muses on the blog, I think it’s okay to just say ‘multiple OCs’ or ‘multiple muses’), and maybe the universe your muse is from. Some blogs also include if they’re selective or not, multi-ship or not, open to cross-over/multiverse or not, etc, but not nearly as necessary.

Rules page - not necessary, but sometimes helpful if you have any particular things, such as being unwilling to RP smut, or you have some triggers/sensitive topics that you aren’t will to do, etc.

Make sure your inbox is open - Seems silly, but I forget this one frequently when I’m making a new blog. Check other blog settings as well- (submissions, anon, etc)

Follow other blogs - This seems obvious, but it is key. Follow other blogs you want to RP with! Find others from the universe your muses are set in. Do take the time to read their bios and rules pages, if they have any.

Write an Introduction post - Not everyone does this, but I think it’s very helpful. It should be a SHORT post, in or out of character. Many blogs are disinclined to reblog long intro posts because people instinctively skip over walls of text.

Reblog RP memes - The Intro post will help generate interest, the RP memes make it easy to break the ice.

Next Step: Getting Out There

Provided you have taken the time to read other people’s rules and bios, reach out!

If they’ve reblogged memes you are interested in, send an ask with that meme - These are GREAT icebreakers so you can get started with relatively low effort. Friendly reminder: Read the meme carefully. Typically the meme has some form of explanation or instruction in it, and it is very frustrating when someone sends in a meme when they clearly did not bother to actually read what it’s about.

Use the messenger to ask to plot - Sometimes blogs don’t post memes often, or they reblog memes that don’t quite work for your character. Politely ask to plot. Try to come with ideas. It can be frustrating when someone comes to you wanting to plot but has NO idea about what to do. I personally will frequently take premises from memes I like and adjust them as necessary.

Open starters - Alternative to memes, sometimes blogs will post ‘open starters’. These are usually open ended in-character posts that other role players can reply to. It isn’t a bad idea to post your own open starters either, if you’re feeling up for it. Note: Generally speaking, open starters once taken by someone are not available for additional role players unless otherwise noted in the tags. If you like an open starter that has already been taken, you can also use the messenger to ask if you can also get in on that. Many RP bloggers use thread trackers, so the starter would need to be copied to a new post before beginning RP.

Important Notes: Etiquette

There are a number of rules and behaviors that are important to keep in mind, some obvious, some not so much. In no particular order.

Patience - This is my number one thing. RPers come from all walks of life- full-time students and career people, big and small families, personal struggles, different time zones, language barriers abound. And Tumblr is not a well programmed website, so notifications don’t pop up, or get buried under other things. So don’t panic if people don’t immediately reply. Don’t be rude when following up after a reasonable amount of time has passed. Give people the opportunity to measure their replies to you.

Try to keep your In Character and Out of Character clear/separate - Some RP blogs are actually a mishmash of personal and roleplay. Many blogs indicate in the tags or with markings of some form(the most common being ‘//’ slashes or () parentheses). It can be confusing for people without these markers.

Do not reblog RPs you are not involved in - This is a personal pet peeve. RP posts are often only snippets of the overall story, and when reblogged it is taken out of context. The other problem is it adds notifications to a thread that aren’t from the partner, and can be confusing. RPThreadTracker doesn’t have a problem with it, but other forms of tracking can struggle.

Respect and ‘Don’t like Don’t follow’ - universes big and small, OCs and Canon Characters over the top and from humble beginnings, we’re all here to have a good time. You’re not going to like every mun or muse you come across. Not every other blog is going to like you or your muse. People talk shit about self-inserts, teenage OCs, people who like to RP almost exclusively smut, and myriad of other things. But those muns are doing things that make them happy. And you don’t get to control what other people do. If you don’t like it, don’t follow. Don’t RP with them. Let it go.

Self Care - This is part of a larger topic and related to the above bullet point, but important to at least touch on. Not everyone who RPs is well or good. This is meant to be fun. So if you are stressed out or overwhelmed by an RP partner or thread for whatever reason, talk to your partner about it. If they do not respect your requests or needs, then it would be better to not RP with them. There are people who struggle with a myriad of health and situational issues. You will at one time or another meet people who will insist you cater to their every whim, try to control you and your muse. Block these people.

Read tags - This may not seem like an etiquette thing, but this is important. Some people communicate extensively this way. It will help to prevent communication errors.

Read More - use the read more function for NSFW threads. It’s the [...] at the end of the options bar

Tagging - Tag NSFW, triggering content, and anything else you think appropriate. I also try to tag my different verses, my in character and out of character posts, etc.

Trim Your Posts - This is hard to do on mobile, but necessary. When a post has many reblogs, it can be tedious to scroll past. Trimming them/cropping them makes a big difference. [Link here for a tutorial on how to trim - Browser]

Mun and Muse Knowledge [Meta Gaming] - There maybe things your character does not know, and cannot know, that you know. Remember to keep the distinction. Nothing kills my desire to RP with someone than their character somehow reading my character’s thoughts.

Controlling other Characters [God Modding] - You control your character. Your partner controls theirs. You don’t control if they get hit by a punch, if they dodge, if they punch back. It’s part of the give and take.

Drive the Story - Role Playing is joint story telling. Don’t put all the burden if directing where the story goes on your partner. Give your partner something to react to, to build on. If you only ever give one sentence replies, it’s going to get tedious fast.

Other Tips and Tricks

I am a big fan of XKit, a browser addon that makes Tumbling much easier for RPers. [Link here!] The specific functions that are most helpful are Editable Reblogs and One Click Reply. Editable reblogs makes it far easier to trim in post. One Click Reply makes it possible to reply to comments and other notification forms.

In addition to those two, I also like to use the Blacklist, and Post Block functions. Some RPers or topics I particularly cannot stand, so I use Blacklist to keep them from my dash. Post Block is great for those discourse posts and individual RP threads that just squick you out for whatever reason.

I also am easily lost and confused by the innumerable notifications I get on the daily, so it became very important for me to use a website called RPThreadTracker. I highly recommend it, as I occasionally have threads that don’t get replied to for weeks. They also have an add-on button so you can click to add a thread to your list quickly and easily.

Terms

There is a bit of a jargon with this. Sorry if it’s been confusing thus-far!

Mun - the writer behind the blog

Muse - the fictional character, the character

IC/OOC - In Character / Out of Character

OC - Original Character

Thread - the roleplay, the chain of posts making up the story

Selective/Semi-Selective/Private/Mutuals Only - This is often in a blog header - indicates how picky the mun is about selecting RP partners and threads. Read their rules. Respect their decisions to RP or not to RP.

Multi-verse - Indicates the blog is open to threads outside of their designated universe. (IE, my Warhammer character being willing to RP with an Overwatch character). It is advisable to message the mun to hash out the details.

DM or PM - Direct message or private message. Both indicate the tumblr message system.

AU - Alternate Universe. Indicates a deviation from the traditional universe.

[deansdirtylittlesecretsblog]

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the questions I am most frequently asked. I decided to put the answers in one spot for any one who needs them. If you do not find the answer here, please send me an ask or message.

Thank you!

What fandoms do you write for? I only write for the Supernatural fandom.

Which characters from Supernatural do you write? I write Dean or Sam fics, sometimes I write John.  I am a Winchester!girl through and through.

Tagging:

Can I be added to your tag list? My Forever tags are closed. There are a few spots still available on my Sam and my Dean tag lists. My Dean and Donna tag list is also open. In order to be added to my tag lists, you must be following me. I will not take a spot away from a follower and give it to a non-follower.

You said you’d tag me and you didn’t.   Did you check to see if your URL was listed on the tags? If it is, did I spell it correctly, etc? If so, then I’ve done all I can do. I am not responsible for Tumblr not allowing me to tag you. I always try, but if Tumblr won’t let me, it won’t let me. Take it up with them if it is an issue.

I replied to/reblogged such and such a post and asked to be tagged, but you never responded and I’m not getting tagged. I probably didn’t see it. I miss a lot of notifications when I’m at work, because, well, I’m working. If you would like a tag for something, you need to send me a message or an ask. 

I’m not getting tags? Can you help me figure out why? No, I cannot. That’s a question for Tumblr.

What am I supposed to do if you won’t tag me or my tag doesn’t work? I recommend doing things the old fashioned way and turn on notifications for my blog.

Requests/Writing me a fic:

Are your requests open? If not, when will they be open? Like it says at the top of my blog description, my requests are currently closed and they will not reopen in the foreseeable future. If you are looking for someone to write your request, see my list of Authors with Open Requests.

I know your requests are closed, but you’re my favorite blog/writer/person/etc., so will you write [insert whatever right here]? No, I will not.

It’s my birthday/I’m having a bad day/etc., will you write me a fic? No, I will not.

I tagged you in XYZ ask/tag game weeks ago and you haven’t responded. I’m sorry, but I don’t always respond to tag/ask games. I get tagged in quite a few every week and if took the time to answer every one of them, I wouldn’t have time to write one shots/series, etc.

Works in Progress (WIPs):

Can you tell us what you’re working on? Sorry, but no. Sometimes I start something and lose inspiration before I finish it. Any time I’ve posted what I’m working on and then I don’t post it, I get grief for “promising” something and not delivering.

When are you going to finish XYZ? Honestly, I have no idea. Inspiration and motivation comes and goes. Life gets crazy. The show throws a monkey wrench in my plans and I have to halt what I’m doing. My brain makes a left turn when I want to go right and things move in a different direction, one I’m not sure how to deal with.

Do you have a posting schedule? I do not. I post once I’ve finished writing. Rarely do I make a schedule.

I’m a writer…

Do you beta? I’m sorry, but I only beta for a few people. Unfortunately, I do not have time to beta for everyone who asks me. I recommend checking @spnfanficpond as they have a list of people who are willing to beta.

I just posted XYZ, can you go look at it? I can try, but I certainly make no promises.

I just posted XYZ, can you go reblog it? Probably not. I am pretty picky about who and what I reblog. If you’re asking me to reblog something you wrote (and we’re not already friends), I feel like you are just trying to take advantage of my high follower count.

Asks/Messages:

Why do you take so long to answer asks/messages/etc? I work full-time, 5 days a week, 40+ hours per week. I am a wife and mother. I do not have access to Tumblr while I’m at work, aside from the mobile app, which I hate to use. I answer them when I get home and I get a minute.

Why is your anon off? I get a lot of hate. To avoid it, I turn anon off unless I’m posting a new fic. Then I turn it on for those people who are too shy to ask their question off anon or don’t have a tumblr.

Why do you give such long answers to anons? You should just ignore them or post a funny gif. Sometimes, that’s what I do. But sometimes, I answer. And I give the kinds of answers I give because I believe that the anons think they are “getting to me.” Throwing their bullshit back in their face gives me great satisfaction. If you don’t like it, don’t read it. Or blacklist “mimi answers asks” to avoid my answers in the future.

Miscellaneous:

Where’s No Choice/gangster!Dean? I can’t find it. It has been removed. I adapted it into a book with original characters.

Why don’t you write Castiel/Crowley/Lucifer/Kevin/etc? I don’t feel comfortable writing any characters other than Sam, Dean and sometimes John, unless they are written as side characters. It’s my personal preference.

Do you write real person fics (RPFs)? No, I don’t. There are plenty of others who do. I am not one of them.

Are you a shipper? My one and ONLY ship on Supernatural is Dean Winchester and Sheriff Donna Hanscum.

Please give me a list of all your fluffy/angsty/smutty/ whatever pieces./Please send me all your fluffy/angsty/smutty/whatever pieces. I have written over 300 pieces of fan fiction. Giving you a list of whatever it is you are looking for would be a daunting task. You can look through my master list to find what you want.

Can you send me the link to your master list? My master list is mobile friendly, so you can access it via the computer or via the mobile app. It’s in my description on both. I also try to reblog it at least once a week.

[nationalpark-rp]

Announcement & Updates

Hello, everyone!  Manectric-mod here.  I’m so glad you’re reading this, because Meowth-mod and I have some very exciting news to share with you.  It’s big—no, it’s HUGE news.  This news could knock the socks right off your feet if you were wearing any!  These last few months have been quite the eye-opener for us mods.

Summer is upon us, and we’ve been doing quite a lot of thinking on the future of our fantastic group.  Questions like, “How can we make this group better?” and “What can we do that’s fun and exciting?” crossed my mind on more than one occasion, and our dear Meowth-mod had to listen to me ramble off all my ideas before we came up with something concrete.  And I am so thrilled to tell you that our efforts have finally reached their climax: our brand-new, never-before-seen ideas are coming into play RIGHT NOW!

We mods have tasked diligently over the past few months and now we’re ready to make them live.  So sit back, relax, and read the following post; there’s a lot of new content ahead.

★  NEW THEME  ★

That’s right, friends!  The National Park has a brand-new theme!  I’ve worked very hard on updating our theme, and that not only includes new graphics, but new coding, as well!  Rach, the mun of our very own Giovanni and Prof. Kukui, has gone above and beyond helping me with the more intricate aspects of theme, and honestly, none of these changes could have been made without her help.  Thank you so, so much, Rach!

Here’s a quick run-down of all the new changes:

New theme

Updated pages

Rules

Masterlist

Resources

Group chat (we have a Discord!)

Brand-new mod pages

Isn’t the theme beautiful?  I worked very hard on it.  Gone are the flowers of yesterday, here lies a tribute to the upcoming Pokémon: Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon games! Would you believe me when I said I’d planned on making the sun and moon motif before those games were announced, because I did!  Our old theme was sorely outdated, so I am very happy to have replaced it.

Not only was the theme updated, but every single page on the hub has been revamped to some degree!  The most important of these pages include the Rules, Masterlist, Resources, and Group Chat pages.  Don’t forget about the new admin introductions!

The Rules page has undergone a major overhaul!  They should now be written clearly and concisely, making them much easier to read where they were not before.  The only rule that has been changed is our minimum requirement: players must now write a minimum of six (6) sentences in a roleplay post in order to be considered active.

Both Masterlists, desktop and mobile, have been updated to include characters from Pokémon Colosseum/XD and all of the Pokémon Ranger games. Players now have the opportunity to explore their rosters at length, as well as the chance to write for their Trainer Classes.

Our Resources pages is better than ever before!  Today’s update brings about a more in-depth look at all of the resources available for writers.  Each link has a description as to what each link is about, so you can be confused no longer!  In addition to this, there is more variety of resources to choose from.  The world is your oyster!

The group chat page has also been thoroughly rewritten, so make sure you freshen up on our rules.

We mods have introduction pages!  You may find them on the not-so-secret hidden links on the hub.  Just click on our names!  I have written Meowth’s, and my darling partner has written mine.  We’re like Jessie and James, only cooler and more productive.

  ★  DISCORD SERVER  ★

You heard that right!  Like I mentioned above, the National Park now has a Discord server! Our group chat page has been updated to reflect the new changes, so be sure to go over the rules carefully.

Some of you might be asking “Why the switch?” but others might be wondering what took us so long to get to this point.  For a long time, Skype has been one of the go-to programs for group chats and instant messaging, although now it is easily outclassed by many others.  The most popular chat program now is Discord, and many users have already made the switch. We’ve familiarized ourselves with it, and now we’re ready to make the switch for the National Park, too.

What does this mean for the current Skype group? Well, we’re still going to have one, however it will not be the “official” group chat any longer.  A few members cannot get or use Discord, and must continue using Skype, and so for their inclusion, we are keeping that Skype chat open.  Members are still allowed to join the Skype chat, but our new and official chat is now hosted on Discord.

We encourage anyone who is interested in joining our new Discord server—or if you cannot get/use Discord, our Skype chat—to message us stating that you’d wish to join.  We’ll get back with you and add you to the chat(s) as soon as possible!

★  EXTRAS BLOG  ★

Last but not least we have our extras blog.I have been on the edge of my seat excited to announce this one!  Lovingly called National Park MORE, our extras blog is an all-in-one blog dedicated to you, our lovely members.  This sideblog is a branch of the hub, and will post periodically everything that our hub and event blog couldn’t.

You know those characters we don’t have, but that we really want to write with?  We’ll advertise for them!  Need a little pick-me-up after a hard day?  We’ll cheer you up every week with a little positivity!

Features of the National Park MORE blog:

Character requests

Positivity quotes

Character development prompts

“Can we really request characters?!”

That’s right!  One function of our MORE blog is dedicated to requesting characters!  This means that everyone can go to the MORE ask box and ask nicely for a character to join our group.  Not only will we answer it, but we’ll publish an ad as soon as possible!  Both Meowth-mod and I can name a few characters off the top of our heads that we’d love to see within the group, and I’m sure you can, too.

Members are allowed to request characters via the MORE blog.

In order to request a character, simply state which character(s) you’d like to see.  It’s as easy as 1-2-3!

Waiting is the hardest part.  Try promoting interest by reblogging these ads.  The more exposure, the better!

“What’s this about positivity?”

I’m so glad you asked!  This is a feature that almost came as an afterthought.  There are a lot of positivity blogs around on Tumblr, but Meowth-mod and I wanted to create something more personal, something that is dedicated solely to you wonderful members.  The quotes we’ve chosen are specifically to help you create confidence in yourself.

An example of a positivity quote would be something like, “Bad days are only days that are bad. You can get through this.” It’s personal in its own way, and it’s something that we need to remind ourselves about.  As long as we know we can get through a rough patch, we will.

Things will get better; you just have to believe it.  This is the type of advice we want to give, and so we will be posting a positivity quote every week.

“Hold on—did you just say ‘character development’?”

I sure did!  We have a lot more up our sleeve than just character requests and positivity quotes!  There’s more! My dear friends, you’re in for a real treat tonight.  This blog is also dedicated to character development.  Meowth-mod and I know just how much you all love making headcanons and developing your characters, so we came up with a way to help you in that endeavor!

Each month we mods will provide a new character development topic for you all to enjoy.  This will give you a chance to think about and develop new ideas that you may or may not have considered before with your muses.  We hope that with these prompts, your characters will become even more three-dimensional than before!

These character development posts will cover a wide range of topics, including your character’s personality, their past, as well as exploring their intrapersonal relationships.  This way, you can consider all factors of your muse’s life—isn’t that exciting?

Here’s how these character development prompts will work:

We’ll provide you a set of questions and scenarios for you to think about.

You can choose to answer one, some, or all of the questions/scenarios listed. If writing a drabble in response to the prompts is more up your alley, we encourage you to use your creativity and explore your character to their fullest!

There is no limit to what you can do for these prompts.  You are allowed to write in any style you wish, whether it’s a answering the questions, writing a drabble, or any other format you like.

The first character development prompt will post on July 1st, and then on the first of the month from there on out.  Prompts will be numbered and linked in the navigation page on the MORE blog.

Please tag all of your character development prompts as “ #np prompts ” (without quotes).

These character development posts are completely optional!  You can write as much or as little as you want, so let your imagination go wild! Have fun!

Unfortunately, these prompts are supplementary and do not count towards activity.

The idea behind these character development prompts is for you all to be creative.  You should write about what seems fun, and write about what you want to do with your characters.  These prompts exist to aid in your character’s development—so you should enjoy your time doing it!

Meowth-mod and I are beyond excited to see what wonderful works you all can come up with.  We sincerely hope that these questions can help you develop your muse even further than they are already.  And with the amount of talent and passion you all put into your writing already, we know that you will blow us away.

★ STAY TUNED  ★

And that’s all we have for you tonight, friends!  A lot of brand-new ideas have made their way to our humble group, and we couldn’t be more excited to finally be able to share this with you.  Meowth-mod and myself will continue to work hard to make the National Park a great place to be.  These new additions are just the start of it.  We hope that with these new features, your experience here can be even better.

July is a very important month for us, too!  Not only will our first character development prompt post, but it’s also the time for our second summerniversary!  We have a lot of cool ideas for that event, too, so stay tuned for more news!

We hope that you have a wonderful rest of your day!  See you soon!

~ lots of love from the mods at the National Park ❤

[divincr-arch-blog]

steph’s guide to roleplaying

Heyo! Bare with me, for this is a long post.

So, within various fandoms, I have seen a common trend that rubs me the wrong way. People asking, either their followers or blogs they follow, why they aren’t popular/roleplayed with. Or, they ask for advice and do not apply it, for one reason or another.

I have been in the indie Tumblr roleplaying community for over three years now, across three big fandoms (Marvel, Harry Potter, and Fire Emblem) as well as smaller fandoms. I have seen many trends come and go, many popular roleplayers come and go, and more.

It’s hard to get your foot in the RP door on Tumblr. I was there. Your favorite blog that you cry about being so good was there. Everyone was there. It’s a BIG pond, with many fish. Things are ever changing on Tumblr, so this will be reference guide to what you need to get started on your RP blog!

When it comes to edits, whether they are icons, themes, or promos, they are very important to RP blogs. Icons are a staple within the RP community, across fandoms, indie, and group. It may seem hard to get and make graphics without Photoshop, a very expensive program, but there are ways around it. Your graphics do not have to be fancy or hand drawn, but cleanly sized and cropped. There are many image editors out there, but these are my personal favorites. 

GIMP- a free and downloadable image editor. it works very similarly to Photoshop, and will work for basic things like cropping, coloring, and resizing images. It does not have all the features of Photoshop, but will work fine for simple things.

Pixlr- a free image editing site that requires no download. Again, it works similarly to Photoshop and Gimp, but more on the basic side. I recommend this if your version of GIMP or Photoshop is acting wonky or broken. If you are iffy about downloading programs, this will be perfect for you.

Photoshop Torrents- While stealing, pirating, and torrenting is wrong and illegal, Photoshop is expensive. You can get older versions of Photoshop through various torrents on the internet (I found mine through tumblr). I like using CS5 because it is a well known version with plenty of tutorials online. I recommend downloading Photoshop Portable, as it can easily be stored on your flash drive.

As for what is actually on the blog and what people like to see on a roleplay blog, there is a few things that people prefer not to see. The number one thing most followers want from a roleplay blog is writing. They may want that through interaction with you as a partner, or they just like reading it as a personal or follower. As for the things that people do not like to see, there are the top few things. 

6 Pages of Memes- It is okay to reblog memes. It is how interactions between partners start, and can serve as good ice breakers between new mutuals. However, as someone who has gone through many blogs, six pages of memes with a few RP post in between is not appealing. Just because you may not be getting responses right away, does not mean you should spam your blog and the dash with memes every half hour. People may not be online or interested in that meme. If you like all these memes, queue or schedule them for when people are online more. Also, send some to the people on your dash and focus on making new threads from them.

Short Replies- Before I start, yes, one liners are fun. They are quick, easy, and light, but they should not be the only thing on your blog. Many people like to expand to paragraphs because they are writers. Paragraph responses also show potential followers how you write and if it will click with their style. They may seem intimidating, but take your time on them. Save part of your responses to the drafts and come back to it later. Roleplaying is not about how fast you can respond, but the quality of your writing. This is especially true when you do not use icons. If a blog doesn’t use icons, I look for description in shorter replies rather than dialogue.

Negativity- This monster comes in many shapes or forms. Negativity/guilt tripping, drama with other blogs, and personal posts do not belong on a roleplay blog, though. Instead of guilt tripping and vague posting, talk it out with a friend for a confidence booster or take a tiny 1-hour break from blogging. Keep whatever beef you have with someone private, as well as your personal/political beliefs about an issue. That’s why personal blogs are things.

Lack of Pages- Pages about your blog are very important! It serves as your personal anchor on your blog, as well as people’s knowledge to your and your character prior to following and interacting. If someone does not see pages about your blog on it, they are more than likely to brush your blog aside. A rules page is the first thing people look for. They want to know how you are as a person, and how to interact with you. Besides the general “do not be a jerk” rule that everyone has, many people elaborate on how interaction with them work. An about page also helps people know your character. Do not just link a wiki page, especially if play as a canon divergent canon character. A well thought out about page helps both OCs and canon characters. It gives a personality and base for your muse and sets it apart from others.

Make it this far? Hella! You are almost through that metaphorical door! Now that the basic and bare bones of your blog is out of the way, let’s talk about trends, or what it is more commonly called aesthetics. They constantly change in the rp community. GIFs used to be the common thing, now it is still icons. While the trends may change, the basics of tumblr rp stays the same.

Themes- Right now, as I write this long essay of a post, container themes are all the rage. They were not always, nor are they required of an RP blog. As long as a blog does not have the basic preloaded themes that tumblr offers, most people don’t care too much about what it looks like. A few good theme blogs for RPers are soldierholiic, theme-hunter, and octomoosey. Don’t like any of those? Look at someone’s blog. There is usually a small icon in the bottom corner that links to the theme maker’s blog. My personal favorite is soldierholiic’s sora theme.

Formatting- You do not have to format your post to be considered quality! You do not have to hate formatting to be considered quality! As long as you can use basic grammar and spelling, you are good. Many people use small text because it looks a bit cleaner. The shortcut for small text is ctrl+shift+ -, if that helps. Also, many people expect your posts to be cut, meaning the latest two replies on a post. If you do not want or cannot download x-kit or other extensions, just politely ask your partners either through talking OOC or in your rules, to cut your post for you.

Function>Aesthetics- While having a nice looking blog is...well, nice, if someone can’t read or navigate through it, then they most likely will avoid you. Many experienced blogs are guilty of this too, not just over zealous newer blogs. Make your posts readable, both on the dash and the blog. Make your pages easy and accessible to find, especially for mobile users. Use colors that won’t kill my eyes because I’m reading your reply on your blog.

Graphics pt 2- While many blogs have personalized or hand drawn icons and promos, it’s not a requirement. You can use the icons you find in the tags. You can have icons that don’t match your theme. As long as they are sized correctly (100x100px is the norm), they do not have to be super edited. For promos, many fandoms accept the casual promo, containing an icon and a bit of info about your blog. It’s easy to spread around and learn a bit about the mun/muse. A fancy photoshopped graphic designed promo is not 100% necessary in most fandoms right now.

I know this post is getting very long and boring, but I swear I am almost done. Your blog is set up. You know the basics of roleplaying on tumblr. But everyone seems so scary with their rules, friends, and mains, etc. Many people on here are shy when it comes to new people. You probably are too. This is how you talk to people who seem intimidating. 

Be Casual- There is no need to call everyone senpai or quality or perf. That just makes things awkward. Just be casual with people you want to interact with. Talk about your fandom, scream headcanons with them, ask for their name. You do not have to go in with ‘HI DO YOU WANT TO RP WITH ME, [muse name here]-MUN-SENPAI?!!’ That comes off a bit strong and off-putting.

Be Respectful- First off, don’t be a jerk to people. Secondly, just read someone’s rules before messaging them with questions about something. While many are open to answering any questions a follower may have about them, if it something already stated in the rules of that blog, just save you all some trouble by reading them. Also, do not hate on their interpretation of a character. Each blog is different, even if there are 100 duplicates for that character. 

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help- Is there something in the reply you don’t understand? Something about their character you don’t understand? Questions about the universe? Feel free to ask a partner for help! They won’t bite if you are respectful about it. Also, if you are close to your partners, they will often be open to help you with graphics if they have experience/time. Just don’t strut into their IMs expecting a theme done before you get there. Ask first! Be okay with their answer, even if you do not like it. 

Lastly, roleplaying is a hobby. Do not let it consume your life or stress you out. If that does happen, it is okay to take a break and come back. It is okay to restart your blog from scratch. It is okay to follow new and different people. Just have fun and be yourself.

[chrxs-art]

if anyone thinks i'm tripping, one clear example of this is the hebrew isrealites (they're on tumblr too, scroll thru the tag if u want, it's a shit show)

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION:

a mobile screenshot of the twitter bio of one user @ElderNathanyel, one of the people in charge of Israel United In Christ, a Hebrew Isrealite cult. The bio reads:

"Negroes, Hispanics and Native Americans, You ARE the Children of ISRAEL. We made God angry, and he put us into slavery. It's time to come back to God."

There is also a link to their website israelunite.org

END DESCRIPTION]

They're not even being transparent abt the bullshit narrative they're pushing: trying to convert native americans, blaming brown people for slavery, etc.

And there's more when u go to the website linked in his bio:

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION:

a mobile screenshot of the israelunite.org homepage. at the very top they link to the following sections of their website:

high holy day calender, camp flyers, online class schedule, donate, periscope, facebook, twitter, instagram

underneath these links is the logo of their cult: the letters IUIC written out horizontally, with embellishments at the top and bottom, and a menorah in the center of the top embellishments

END DESCRIPTION]

they have several social media accounts with thousands of followers each and they take donations, which i'm sure they get a lot of. but this isn't all you'll see on mobile. if you scroll, there's a message from the same elder nathanyel and you'll also find links to their written pieces.

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION:

a message from one "bishop" nathanyel on the israelunite.org homepage. the text reads as following:

"Our Mission - A Message From Bishop Nathanyel

Israel United in Christ, Inc. was founded in 2003. Our goal is to change the hearts and minds of our people. Blacks and Hispanics must learn the truth that they are the Biblical 12 tribes of the nation of Israel. Disobedience to God's laws has been the root of all our troubles. Blacks and Hispanics everywhere suffer the same racial, social, economic problems worldwide. Voting has not helped us, the Christian churches have failed us. It's time for a change. In the last days, we must give the Bible's medicine to sick people, then and only then will things begin to change."

END DESCRIPTION]

again, the same drivel from his twitter bio, just longer. the links on their homepage:

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION

mobile screenshot of three links on the israelunite.org homepage

first link: a photo of several black people in purple and gold shirts standing in an urban area. the white text overlayed on the image says "Who We Are" (link that written piece)

second link: a photo of a table covered in a white tablecloth. on top of it stands a gold-colored menorah in the background and a curled wooden object in the foreground (the wooden object is blurry and out of focus, i can't make out what it is). the white text overlayed on the image says "What We Teach" (link to that written piece)

third link: a photo of an auditorium full of black people wearing purple shirts with golden menorahs on the back, all sitting and listening to a panel of 6 black men, in purple robes, who are sitting at a table on a podium and holding microphones. the white text overlayed on the image says "How Do I Join/Repent" (link to that written piece)

END DESCRIPTION]

hoteps got a whole ass organized cult out here recruiting people worldwide, taking their money and potentially ruining families

(personal example: my father literally lied to the police, claiming i attacked him with a lethal weapon, and tried to get me thrown in jail; all because i "broke the sabbath", which i literally cannot do because i'm catholic. the police let me go bc i was covered in bruises, barely dressed, and begging for help when they arrived.)

hoteps will 100% sincerely say shit like "the jews are kidnapping black women and are taking their uteruses and putting them inside transsexuals" and then claim they're not white supremacist conspiracy theorists