#I have forgotten the formatting rules and etiquette | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sto11en · 1 month ago

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TEMPORARY RULES .

✶ follow rp etiquette , dont be mean or rude to others or send anon hate . if you display problematic / toxic / harmful or generally unsavory behaviors you ' ll be blocked . ( such as pedophilia , incest , transphobia , racism , etc. ) im mutually exclusive , don't interact with my posts or send asks if we ' re not mutuals. im selective with following ; i like a small following . please hardblock if you decide to unfollow ; i don 't want to accidentally refollow .

✶ communicate with me ! if there ' s any issues at any point please let me know . i ' d rather fix the issue than let it brew to become a conflict . generally just tell me if you don 't want to ship anymore / you dont have muse for something anymore / i made you feel upset or hurt or otherwise offended you . don ' t drag me into your drama , im not pro - callout unless the person is truly harmful + there's undisputable proof . you ' re responsible for your own conflicts

✶ don ' t steal ANYTHING ; everything i post , i make ; graphics , carrd , headcanons , etc. . SI - EUN JUN BELONGS TO ME , he is my character and i put a lot of time and research into my characters . if you need help with photoshop or carrd you can reach out . i also have a resource blog here . he 's a newer oc so please be patient with me as i fully develop his character

✶ plotted interactions and interactions with friends / mains will usually take priority . i write what i have muse for and not in the order of which is received . i write what gives me joy ! i encourage you to utilize ask memes and continue them as threads , it ' s the easiest way to get interactions other than plotting . i prefer writing longer , multi paragraph threads . icons & fancy graphics aren ' t necessary ; i 'll alternate between using icons and not . if you use ai for anything , do not follow . If we talk about something between our muses then chances are I'm going to want to write it too. im 100% with having more than one thread with you at a time !! in fact , it's one of my favorite things.

✶ im slow . im a mother and have other responsibilities + hobbies so i'm not always here. i also have other blogs . simply nudge me if you think that i've forgotten to answer or reply to something . this goes for ooc messages too , i get distracted and will forget to reply . I also have various mental illnesses that will affect my motivation and activity . the queue is only used for images , aesthetics , etc . but all writing is posted as I finish them .

✶ darker themes , sexual content and triggers will be tagged accordingly . i tag with a simple format to make it easy to blacklist . ( ex. #nsfw / #violence / ) . i prefer writing sexual content with muns who i ' ve talked to ooc.

✶ i love shipping but i am not an auto - shipper . our muses must have chemistry and there need to be development between them . i prefer to write how to relationship develops naturally but we can also plot it to make things easier when involving history , timeline , etc. i prefer to ship romance with muns i talk to frequently and who give me the same energy ; who want to ship as much as i do and who show it. not sure how relevant it'll be here since im primarily focused on ocs but THIS BLOG IS EXCLUSIVE SHIP . i only ship romantically with ONE portrayal of any specific muse. you ' re more than welcome to send me nsfw , romantic or shippy asks , i ' ll answer any asks i get , it 's a good way to test chemistry and feel for a dynamic . i love all forms of dynamics and will gladly plot and write relationships other than romance .

✶ im clover , a 25 year old mother . my life gets a little busy but i try to get on as much as possible. im a very chatty person and am not scared to jump into your ims . you ' re more than welcome to add me on discord if we are mutuals . ( @ serpenteis ) , i also write on there if you ' re interested in that : )

✶ CREDITS : psds i use - @pinkinnards pink bloodwiser + tomato taco . & @travi3sapsd 's KITTY .

#rules.

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cewyll · 10 months ago

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hii! i found your blog by accident and i'm mesmerized. i used to play rp on twitter and i really wanted to start doing the same here but idk where to start. could you please give me some tips?

oh hey, thank you so much for reaching out! :D i'll admit i'm not as active on this blog as on others, but it makes me happy to have reached you nonetheless. <3

i'd be delighted to give you some tips to start out! it's definitely a process that feels a bit alien at first, but over time you get a feel for it. :>

i am soooo sorry in advance, this is going to be super long — you picked a wordy bitch to ask 😂 but i'll try to format this in a way that's easier to read!

take your time to go through stuff & no need to read or absorb it all right away. feel free to keep this post bookmarked to look back on whenever you need it as well.

💖 welcome to raine's stupidly-long guide to starting tumblr rp! 💖 qualification: i've had this blog for 11 years. fml disclaimer: still all just from my perspective, i'm just one gal with opinions hehe

start out by making a new blog for your character. (i wouldn't recommend starting out with a sideblog personally, since you can't send asks from them). choose a url that feels relevant. i'm always a fan of the ol "smush two words together that sound nice" technique — ie, my other blogs are huntershowl and icarusplunged — which never seems to fully go out of style. really you can do whatever feels right to you :)

the most important part of setting up an rp blog is creating a rules page and, if you're writing an OC, an about page. the rules set up your boundaries, your wants and don't wants, anything you want someone to know before they follow you. the about page should give new partners everything they need to know about your character — personality, appearance, setting/lore, any backstory you want to display publicly.

feel free to look around at different rpers' rules pages and use them as inspiration! as long as nothing is copypasted and everything is your own original content, which brings me to etiquette.

etiquette!

'tis largely an Unspoken Thing in the rpc (rp community), and breaching it can def make people feel uncomfortable (even though that's something that Should be in rules pages, most of us forget haha). here are the things i can think of off the top of my head:

the way to reach out to new people is simply to follow them. that's all you gotta do! if they don't follow back, don't push, just unfollow them after a few weeks and move on. it's almost never personal!

in that vein, if someone's blog is private/selective/mutuals-only, wait to interact until they follow back.

once they do, it's up to you how you want to move forward — usually i'll wait until they post some sort of interaction call for you to like. a starter call, a plotting call, orrrr if they reblog an ask meme (which is like a list of sentence prompts! you can choose one from the list and send it as an ask, which they can use as an rp starter.) you can also just IM them though :)

don't reblog non-rp content (ask memes, quotes/imagery, etc) directly from another rp blog, it clogs up their notifications! just reblog from the original post instead.

don't interact with other people's threads (liking or reblogging, but feel free to read them and talk about them ooc!), and only respond to a starter if it's labeled as open — otherwise it was probably written for another rper specifically.

try not to prod people too hard if they haven't responded in a while. some folks are okay with being reminded about a forgotten thread a few weeks after replies stall out.

always tag nsft (not safe for tumblr, the other acronym gets flagged/hidden) and very upsetting content — gore, SA or abuse mentions, etc. i've seen some people starting to use "dead dove do not eat" as a catch-all for super dark content, but honestly that phrase gives me the heebiest of jeebies so i prefer to go with individual tags

general platformless rp etiquette rules apply: don't steal other people's content, don't assume or control the other character's actions/thoughts/etc.

be kind to each other, most of all. communicate when you have a problem with someone, rather than making a vague/callout post about them. that being said, i'm a proponent of the block button — blocking people is okay! it's not a big deal. this is a hobby space and no one is entitled to you. advocate for yourself!!

okay that was a long section, whew! lil break. take a sip of water. have a snack mayhaps.

now: RP STRUCTURE (the fun part)

we don't really do "script" style rp on tumblr — it'll usually, if not always, be in prose/paragraph form. formatting is a fun touch, but not necessary. as you can see, i'm using small text here with some little chunks of text in bold/italic or regular size text to add some visual interest. again, not necessary! experiment, figure out what you like!

lots of people will use icons of different sizes — 100x100 is the most common, but they really do vary. i would suggest going smaller rather than bigger (like don't use full post-width gifs or icons, try to keep them under half the size of the post? that's the most common vibe at least.)

icons can be used to "illustrate" your character's expression among a bunch of text, if you want Visual Spice. but they are soooo not necessary! totally up to you.

here are some examples of my icon styling!

there are lots of rp resources out here for cool coloring psd's and graphic templates for ya blog. create something fun and pretty that you like! <3

to reply to a thread, reblog it and add your post.

important: i highly recommend downloading and installing XKIT in your browser. it's an extension that lets you trim posts to the last two reblogs (common around here), customize your blog experience, and just makes it a lot easier to exist on tumblr haha.

ummmm i think that's it actually! you're finally free of my rambling. i really hope this helped!! please let me know if you have any questions, and gimme a follow when you start up a blog — i'd be happy to help you out however i can.

#* OUT.#* NOTE.#* ANSWERED.#{ seriously don't be shy to ask any more q's! }#{ also if any of my mutuals want to leave replies with more tips pls feel free <3 }

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4gives · 27 days ago

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RULES .

✶ don ' t steal ANYTHING ; everything i post , i make ; graphics , carrd , headcanons , etc. . THE CHARACTERS HERE BELONG TO ME . i put a lot of time and research into my characters . if you need help with photoshop or carrd you can reach out . i also have a resource blog here .

#rules .

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orological · 2 years ago

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Rules & Regulations~

Every good start has some rules, right right~? This blog is run by Yuan (She/They/He). I'm 30+ and you might've seen me around before, I've been off and on this site for over a decade ♡ I'm fairly laid back, so there isn't too much by way of rules--! Just be nice and respectful and we'll have a great time! ♡

Carrd Bio

1. Don't be a bully / fancop- I don't want to see anyone spreading harassment or bandwagoning hate. I will tag all the major things I can think of, with hopes people will blacklist things (not that I'm expecting to write seriously weird/taboo themes on an Orologia blog of all places!) This also means I really, really don't care about callout posts - they're often petty and ugly.

I don't want to hear about how so and so is writing stuff you don't like/someone you don't get along with. I'll decide for myself who I'm comfortable interacting with plzkthx~ ♡ 2. I'm fairly busy, so please respect that - I might not respond right away! Sorry about that, but life is a busy busy thing. If it's been over a week feel free to ask if I've forgotten your reply, I'm pretty forgetful, but please be patient! 3. Standard RP etiquette applies - I'll accept in character asks from anons but for actual RP I do prefer paragraph format. Bantering in one liners is fine too if it's not a thread. I just really love writing so thank you! Thank you~!

4. 18+ only! - I'm too old to feel comfortable writing with minors, sorry! You can follow and such but I want my writing partners to be adults.

About Orologia: Orologia is genderfluid by nature. Their pronouns will shift as I write because of this!

They are a generally good bean and because they've spent so much time running simulations they understand more about mortals than their younger siblings - but they are still emotions experienced from the perspective of an immortal godlike entity. If anything, with the way I write them, their alignment can be summed up as chaotic neutral, leaning good. They want the best ending for the skies and that means some difficult choices had to be made.

While they know they can never replace important bonds in people's lives, they still want to do their best to act as a guiding pillar.

#pinned post #rules post

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c-e-d-dreamer · 4 years ago

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Who’s Counting: Part One

A/N: I know I already posted this for Nessian Week last month, but for formatting consistency and organizational purposes, I am posting it again, so just roll with it...

Chapter Masterlist // Next Part

Most days, University of Prythian feels like every other public college. All brooding brick buildings and precisely placed green spaces and students loudly milling about in droves. A group of frat boys throwing around a frisbee on the common. A group of girls in bikinis tops taking advantage of the late August sun. Shouts of “oh my god, hey” and “how was your summer” just barely drowning out crying parents dropping their kids off. It’s migraine inducing.

Nesta throws the car into park, the old Chevy only groaning slightly as it settles after the trek up to campus. She hears the doors open and close, but she just grips the wheel and closes her eyes, taking in three steadying breaths and hoping the oxygen can find a way to calm her spiking blood. In through the nose, out through the mouth. It’s a new year. After everything that happened last year, technically up should be the only direction. She hopes. Once Nesta feels like she has a hold of her frayed nerves, she slides out of the driver’s seat to find Feyre already excitedly pulling her bags from the trunk, settling them on the pavement next to the car. Elain comes up beside their youngest sister, pulling her own suitcases out.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to drop you off closer to your dorm, Elain?”

“I’m in Oakwood this year. It’s not that far a walk.”

Nesta nods, grabbing the last of Feyre’s bags and closing the trunk. Before Elain can wheel off with her bags, Feyre’s wrapping an arm around each of her sisters’ shoulders, a wide smile plastered across her face under her U of P baseball cap.

“The Archeron sisters are back together again!”

“Well, until Nesta graduates,” Elain reminds Feyre.

“Maybe she’ll do a fifth year, just for us.”

Nesta just raises an eyebrow at her sisters’ antics. A fifth year? Impossible. Not only because she takes her studies very seriously, keeping her GPA well above the average, but because the idea of spending an extra, unnecessary year in this place sounds like her own personal circle of hell. The sooner she can finish her degree and get on with the rest of her life, the better.

“Alright,” Feyre concedes. “Bad suggestion.”

With a wave and a promise to meet up for dinner later, Elain is off towards Oakwood Hall. Nesta hoists one of Feyre’s duffle bags onto her shoulder, following her youngest sister toward her own dorm hall. As she steps up onto the sidewalk, though, her shoulder collides with a firm body, Feyre’s bag almost falling out of her grip.

“Hey! Watch where you’re going,” Nesta seethes.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” a voice calls in return, already swallowed up by the groups of students moving in and out of the dorm hall.

Nesta rolls her eyes at the saccharine nickname, resettling the duffle on her shoulder and catching up to Feyre. Her sister’s dorm reminds Nesta of her own freshmen dorm from back in the day, simple and small, all white walls and plain wood furniture. Despite the things already in the room, Feyre’s roommate is nowhere to be seen.

“Do you need help with anything else?” Nesta asks, dropping the bag she had been holding onto Feyre’s bed.

“I should be good. Orientation starts in a few hours.”

A moment passes as the two sisters stare at one another. They aren’t exactly the most affectionate of families, hugging and that sort of thing. So with a small nod and smile, Nesta is on her way, back out of the dorm hall and to her car.

Luckily, the off campus apartment she’s staying in this year isn’t that long a drive, and when she walks through the door, Emerie is already inside, leaning against their kitchen counter, a fork poised between her fingers and what looks like a slice of chocolate cake perched on a plate.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” Emerie drawls, but the smile tugging at the corner of her lips gives away the teasing nature.

“Hope you brought enough to share,” Nesta replies, eying up Emerie’s plate.

“Do I look like I’m made of money? Go to the dining hall and get your own.”

“When’s Gwyn meant to get in?”

“Not until later this week. I’m surprised you’re on campus this early.”

“Feyre has orientation this week. Plus I need to hit up the bookstore. I have Williams this semester.”

“That man seriously needs to get that stick out of his ass when it comes to having the “right edition” for his class.”

“Tell me about it,” Nesta sighs, sneaking her hand into the utensils drawer and then snagging a bite of Emerie’s cake before the female has a chance to react.

“Hey!” Emerie calls after Nesta as she retreats to her room. “You’re lucky I like you, Nesta Archeron!”

~ * * * ~

The campus bookstore is mostly filled with parents and baby-faced freshmen trying to decide which University of Prythian gear to spend all their money on, but once Nesta pushes back to where the shelves of textbooks live, the throngs of bodies thin out. She can’t help but run her finger along the spines of the books, all lined perfectly along the shelves. Each spine is a different color, a different texture, bold or curvy font declaring its title to the world, and while many are textbooks, that feel under her fingers is still a comfort. Like a heartbeat lives between the soft linen pages and beats in time with her own.

A turn around the corner and Nesta finds the section of books she needs. She scans the different titles, and when her eyes finally land on the one she needs, she can’t help the long sigh that looses from her lungs. Of course, it’s on the very top shelf. Nesta reaches her arm up, stretching up onto her tip-toes until the pads of her fingers just brush the spine of the book, trying to inch the book closer to the edge where she could get it down.

“Need some help, sweetheart?”

Nesta falls back on her heels in surprise, the voice and nickname snagging on her memory. She whips her head around to find a guy leaning against the shelf, arms crossed casually across his chest and a smug smile plastered across his face. He’s tall with broad shoulders, dark curls pulled into a bun at the back of his head. Nesta’s eyes can’t help but snag on the lines of ink dancing across the skin of his arms and peeking out of the open cuts of his bro-tank. When her eyes dance back to his face, his hazel eyes are alight like he had clocked and was delighted in what she had been doing. It makes her brain crash back into action, a scowl settling easily across her features.

“You were the one who bumped into me earlier. Outside of Somerset Hall.”

“That was you?” the guy asks, not even being subtle as he checks Nesta out. “My apologies. Let me make it up to you by taking you out to dinner.”

Nesta doesn’t even deen that with a response. With a scoff, she turns back toward the front of the bookstore. She can come back later for the book she needs, ideally when this insufferable man with his cocky grins and overconfidence is nowhere to be seen. As she weaves her way through the shelves and toward the exit, she pointedly ignores the heavy set of footsteps she can hear trailing behind her.

“At least tell me your name.”

“No.”

“No? Well that’s definitely an interesting name. My name’s Cassian by the way.”

“I don’t recall asking.”

“You didn’t have to. Your eyes were asking for you.”

That has Nesta halting in her steps. She whirls around and clearly her sudden stop has this Cassian thrown off, his own steps stumbling. Good. She likes having the upperhand.

“Does that line actually work for you?”

“Actually, I usually have to use less words. My ruggedly handsome looks do all the talking.”

“Rugged? Sure. But handsome?” Nesta pointedly rakes her eyes down his figure, and when they meet back with hazel, Cassian’s cock-sure grin slips the barest hint at the corner. “I don’t think so. You looked like you crawled out of a dumpster.”

Nesta expects his smile to fall fully at the jab, and she hopes it’s enough for him to leave her alone, but instead that smile is still stubbornly there. Even worse, it twists and shifts into a smirk, like this is all some kind of fun game. It makes Nesta’s heart give an extra kick in her chest, and before she can even think about dwelling on what that means, she turns on her heel.

“Goodbye, Cassian.”

“Goodbye, sweetheart.”

~ * * * ~

On Thursday, Nesta finds herself at the dining hall. It’s a little late for breakfast and too early for lunch, so luckily the place is blessedly not too crowded, just a few pockets of students talking and laughing at various tables. She’s standing in front of the pastry display when her phone starts buzzing incessantly, and she slides it out of her pocket to find Feyre going off in their sister group chat.

Feyre

I just met the most attractive man I have ever seen

I’m not fucking around. HIS FACE

And he called me darling

He asked me to drinks tomorrow night!

“I personally prefer the blueberry muffins.”

Nesta snaps her attention to her left to find Cassian standing there, that same wide and cocky grin from the bookstore settled across his face. His hair is down today, soft curls framing his face and brushing against his cotton tee covered shoulders.

“You again,” Nesta sighs.

“Isn’t it funny how we keep meeting?”

“Funny isn’t the word I would use.”

“It’s almost like the Universe keeps pushing us together.”

“Or you’re stalking me.”

“Maybe you’re stalking me,” Cassian says, tossing a wink Nesta’s way.

“And why would I do that?”

“I thought we already established the fact I’m ruggedly handsome?”

“Pretty sure the only thing we’ve established is that you’re full of yourself.”

Nesta turns and snags one of the wrapped chocolate chip muffins out of the display case, fully prepared to end this conversation and enjoy her snack in peace.

“You forgot something the other day, you know.”

Nesta looks back toward Cassian where he has an outstretched hand between them. There, clutched between his fingers, is the book she went to the campus bookstore to pick up. She blinks a few times at the wide script proclaiming Art Through the Ages, the cogs in her brain tripping over one another and trying to comprehend the sight before her. Her hand begins to reach out to take the book before she snaps it back to her side, her eyes locking back on Cassian’s face.

“You got the book I needed?”

“The perfect excuse to find and talk to you again.”

“Well, I can’t accept it.”

“Then you can Venmo me,” Cassian says, leaning into Nesta’s space and pressing the book into her hands. “And your Venmo will have your name, won’t it? So it’s a win-win.”

This close up, Nesta can see all the green vines and gold flecks that make up his hazel eyes. The way his nose sits just off kilter like it’s been broken and set not quite right and the stubble pushing through along his jawline. She can feel the warmth that seems to radiate off his person in rolling waves. It’s a bit overwhelming.

“It’s Nesta,” she offers, taking a step back.

“Nesta,” Cassian says, like he’s testing the weight of her name on his tongue. “Well, Nesta, how about that dinner? The offer still stands. Or we could skip straight to dessert.”

Nesta lets out a snort at the comment. She’s sure the sound isn’t particularly attractive, but she can’t help it. The audacity of this man.

“Only in your dreams,” Nesta quips, turning on her heel and heading toward the register to pay for her muffin.

“Is that a promise?”

She pretends she doesn’t hear him as she swipes her meal card and makes for the dining hall exit. She can feel Cassian’s eyes tracking her the whole way.

Later, when Nesta gets back to her room and is thumbing through Art Through the Ages, she finds a note folded up between the pages. She opens up the paper to find an unfamiliar scrawl, simple black lines spelling out ‘Cassian’ and ten digits. She hesitates for only a moment before crumbling it up and tossing it in the trash.

~ * * * ~

Classes start up on Monday, and Nesta is ready to throw herself back into her books, notes, and work. She has a jammed packed schedule this semester, knocking out the rest of her general education credit requirements needed to graduate on time. The perfect distraction to keep her mind busy. At least, she was able to squeeze in enough classes that actually interest her, including a course on Early Women Writers.

On Tuesday, she walks into the science building and her chemistry class. She finds a lab table a few spots back from the front, settling onto one of the stools. She pulls her textbook and laptop from her bag and is just typing in her laptop password when she feels a presence behind her.

“I guess I should thank you for coming through on your promise. The best dreams I’ve ever had.”

Nesta can’t stop the pained sigh that pulls its way out her lungs. She rubs a hand down her face before turning to the right, just in time to find Cassian sliding into the stool beside her. He has another cotton tee on, his hair once again pulled up into a bun style.

“Please don’t tell me you’re taking this class.”

Cassian reaches into his backpack and pulls out his own chemistry textbook, holding it up as some sort of proof.

“The Universe strikes again.”

“So you keep saying, but clearly the Universe has bad taste.”

Cassian throws his head back and laughs at the comment, surprising Nesta with his reaction and earning them a few curious looks from the rest of the class. The sound is deep and warm, seeming to radiate from deep within his chest. His shoulders shake like his large frame isn’t enough to contain the sound, and Nesta finds herself staring at the crinkles that appear beside his eyes.

“Alright, class. Welcome to chemistry.”

A hush falls over the whole room as the professor strides in the door and to the front of the room. She hands a small stack of syllabus sheets to each person sitting at the front to be passed back and a blank seating chart to fill in is passed between the tables. The professor goes through the syllabus for much of the allotted class time, and Nesta makes notes in the margins of hers about the grading system and circles the important deadlines she’ll need to remember.

“I hope you’re comfortable with where you’re sitting and who you’re sitting with,” the professor addresses the class an hour later. “They’ll be your lab partner for the rest of the semester.”

Nesta wants to groan as she buries her face in her hands. How did this become her life? As if simply seeing Cassian’s insufferable face three times a week for this class isn’t enough, now they actually have to interact and work with one another. If Cassian’s theory about this being the Universe's doing is correct, Nesta is pretty sure the Universe is just laughing in her face now.

“Well, would you look at that, Nes,” Cassian drawls from beside her. “Another point for the Universe.”

“I’m going to murder you in your sleep,” Nesta mutters from between her fingers.

“As long as we get to cuddle a little beforehand.”

“Cute,” Nesta says, putting as much dry sarcasm as she can behind the single word.

“You know, lab partner,” Cassian offers while he stands up and slings his backpack across his shoulders. “I think it’s going to be a great semester.”

#my fic #who's counting #acotar #nessian #nesta x cassian #nesta archeron #cassian #nessian fanfiction #nessian fic #also what do we think of this formatting?#do we like it or nah?#anything I should change?#I haven't posted a proper multi part fic on tumblr in so long #I have forgotten the formatting rules and etiquette

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hb-writes · 4 years ago

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The Audit

Summary: It’s 1924 in the Little Lady Blinder universe. Clara and Finn make their annual visit to their mother’s grave.

Inspired-ish by this request: Also do the family celebrate her mums birthday? I think it would be a nice occasion where they celebrate her birthday and it’s nice for the twins especially whilst the boys are away polly makes a thing of it. ( I know nothing like this happens on the show, but I think they should) xxx

AN: So while I don’t think the family would celebrate her birthday, and actually find it painful to talk about her most times, I could see Finn and Clara sharing a little tradition like I’ve written about below. It’s not quite what you’ve asked for, but I hope you still like it!

Featuring: Finn Shelby, Clara Shelby (Shelby!Sister), Shelby!Mother

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Clara’s mind was settled on approximately seven things aside from the path she walked along, paying more mind to the questions in her head than the cobblestones at her feet. Truth was Clara had little need to pay attention to where she was going. She was far more familiar with the cemetery and it’s surrounding landscape than she was comfortable with, having buried far too many in her relatively short life.

“You’re late.”

Finn flicked his cigarette away, startling his sister as she glanced up from the pavement. He pushed off the pillar he’d been leaning up against, the entrance a sad excuse for a welcome, composed of no more than two crumbling stone columns and a rusted wrought iron gate.

Clara pulled her coat tighter, frowning as she stepped closer to her brother. “Tommy came back early, said he wanted me to go through some things with him before the… I suppose it doesn’t…” Clara took a breath and met Finn’s eye. “I’m sorry.”

Finn shook his head, closing the remaining distance to pull her into a hug, his chin easily fitting over the top of her head. They hadn’t seen each other for a stretch of time, both of them overly occupied by the vastly different bits of life that customarily kept them apart, the Blinder duties and generally reckless adventures for Finn, and the Shelby Company Ltd. duties, and school, and family business for Clara. It was the recklessness that usually brought them together, the pair accustomed to passing at least a few evenings a week up to nothing particularly good. But with half the family locked away, they’d all had to step up. While Finn found getting up to nonsense revitalizing, Clara had been too busy for it, and far too tired aside.

“Don’t worry about it,” he offered, settling his arm around her shoulder as they walked the familiar route from the entrance to their mother’s grave. “At least it’s not raining again this year.”

Clara allowed herself a light snort, conceded a small smile as she leaned into her brother because there’d been more rainy cemetery visits over the years than not. Clara knew her brother didn’t care for the annual trip quite as much as he used to, had an inkling that he found it a bit asinine now compared to when they were kids, just a couple of orphans grasping onto a handful of wispy memories of a woman they knew very little about. That described them even still.

If Clara was being honest, she found it all a bit silly too, but the ‘do we or do we not?’ of the occasion was never a discussion between them. The only discourse they ever had on the subject, always initiated by Finn about a week ahead out of custom, was in establishing a time they’d both be available on her birthday.

It had been nearly ten years now that the twins had been coming to their mother’s grave and although they’d never told the others, never asked for a sibling’s accompaniment or gave a hint as to what they were both doing sneaking off on their mother’s birthday, Clara had a feeling they all somehow knew.

It was why when not an hour before, as she grew antsy, repeatedly shaking out her wrist to check the time while she sat perched on the edge of Tommy’s desk, something shifted in him. Tommy simply asked his questions about the books and let her go, wordlessly accepting her answer of ‘out with Finn. He’ll bring me home’ when he asked where she was heading off to.

Visiting their mother’s grave usually felt a bit like ringing in a new year but with less of the flair and celebration. Maybe an annual audit was a more apt description, seeing as Clara and Finn kept a ledger, a nondescript notebook stashed in the nightstand of Clara’s bedroom at the Watery Lane house, accessible to them both, though Clara would argue that Finn had more access to the archive now than she did, being as he stayed over on the lane much more often.

Still, neither of them was likely to touch the book between visits to the cemetery, more likely was it that the ledger passed their minds only in the week or so before their mother’s birthday, and even then, neither of them was apt to do more than think on what they’d be marking down, mentally preparing themselves for the occasion, ensuring things went smoothly.

The book came with rules, a certain etiquette that went unspoken between the two of them from conception to practice. The implicit secrecy of the whole thing, and the way they constricted their documentation to a particular day and place had been precedents set from the start. They’d only write while at the cemetery, while in their mother’s supposed presence, and there were limits on what was documented, the format decided nearly a decade prior, each of the entries nearly identical in configuration though the content varied.

Finn and Clara recorded what happened in the preceding year, took an audit between the two of them of anything new they learned about the woman, and made a few promises to themselves and each other, intentions expressed just between the two of them. The words held no true pressure for realization, just an assurance of support from the other in the case they chose to move forward.

This year felt different to them both as they’d prepared though, a bit forlorn and detached and impossible, what with Arthur and John and Michael and Polly locked away, and Ada in America, and Esme and Linda barely speaking with the lot of them, allowing the twins a bit of connection for little more than the sake of the babies, and on the order of their husbands.

Clara had, on a fair few occasions, pondered what their mother would think of their situation, of Arthur and John locked away, of Clara feeling a bit that way herself while her twin brother was left to flounder, feeling lost and redundant as Tommy did what he did, all of his moves in the name of the family he’d allowed to take the punishment for his sins, and all while Ada played at being a neutral party from a continent away.

They went through the motions without discussions, Finn helping Clara to settle the blanket she always brought and taking a sip from the thermos of nearly cold tea while she found the pen and the appropriate page.

“Shall we review?” Clara asked, glancing at the page as she marked the year at the top in bold loopy script, 1924.

Finn took his time with another sip, prolonging the silence with an exhale and with the pen held still against the page Clara trembled, taking no care to pretend that it was only from the cold.

“She’d be ashamed,” Finn finally said and though Clara nodded, she wasn’t entirely sure of what her brother meant. There was far too much she could be ashamed of.

Would she be ashamed that her sons and sister-in-law and nephew were criminals of the worst sort? Murderers?

Would she be ashamed that her once sweet, doting Thomas had ordered it all and let the others take the blame?

Would she be ashamed of the twins? Of their lack of action in the face of the others’ plight?

Despite wanting to fight Finn, despite wanting to say that they didn’t know their mother well enough to say how she would feel, or that they didn’t know Tommy’s plans well enough to decide either way, Clara knew Finn was a bit right, so she swallowed her retort. No mother would wish this for her children, or at least, Clara liked to think that their mother would never wish for this.

And anyway, Clara often questioned those very things herself, pondered if she had put up enough of a fight to Tommy, analyzed at length whether she and Finn and Ada had been too forgiving of it all, but then she thought what choice did they have? Tommy was all they had now, and even if Polly hadn’t been locked away in Winson Green or Ada hadn’t gone off to Boston, Clara didn’t know if she was capable of not forgiving her brother.

She hoped a certain part of her mother would be proud of her, proud of the advanced education she’d received, proud of Clara’s love of stories, and content with the kindness and loyalty she showed to her family, despite it all.

Clara took a sip of the tea, grimacing as the cool liquid hit her tongue.

“Did you learn anything new?” she asked.

Clara hadn’t. The information about their mother, the little anecdotes, usually came so organically, in moments when one of the twins reminded a sibling of some long forgotten trait of hers or when someone was feeling just the right bit of nostalgic, but it had been a busy year, filled with the death and misery and arrests, and very little else.

Finn’s answer came with the slight shake of his head and Clara felt the same difficult swallow as her brother, her eyes growing wet though she’d told herself she wouldn’t allow it. She’d be strong for Finn today, and for Tommy and Ada and John and Arthur, too.

Clara took care as she set the thermos down, a small whimper breaking when Finn took her hand. “She’d be proud of you though.”

Clara coughed and cleared her throat.

“Proud of us,” she said, meeting his gaze.

Something in Finn’s face shifted though he kept his hold on both her hand and her eyes. Clara knew Finn didn’t truly believe it. The sentiment barely registered with him, and she knew that her brother thought that if he had just run a bit quicker, or shouted a bit louder, he could have saved Arthur and John from the current reality. She knew it because despite everything, she similarly held onto the imprisonments, John’s and Arthur’s and Michael’s, like they were her own, like she’d been the one to put them in the cell even if she’d been innocent aside from serving as a bit of fuel to the fire.

Clara put a dash beside the spot she’d designated for the new information and jotted out a few lines below.

“I think this covers the updates.” Clara turned the book towards Finn. “Is there anything...?”

Finn shook his head as he glanced at the information she’d inputted, the neutral bullet points that described the past 365 days honest enough though they were far from agreeable.

“Goals?” Clara asked.

Finn scoffed as she said it and fished out his pack of cigarettes. “You mind?”

Clara shook her head, watching as he lit the cigarette and took a long draw from it, scoffing again as he looked at her.

“You know what I wish for?” Finn said, using his cigarette to point at her the same way Tommy often did. “What I long for?”

Clara shook her head.

“Nineteen fucking fourteen,” he said.

Clara felt a shiver run up her spine at the thought. 1914. Things had been simpler then, lighter, but Clara only remembered 1914, and the tenderly memorialized years that care before it, like mere glimpses of a distant life. She remembered bedtime stories and the one-off moments that had frightened or surprised or somehow otherwise wormed inside her psyche but she’d not give up the decade between just to go back.

“I’ll just take having everyone home,” Clara answered.

“That all?” Finn asked, shaking his head at her. “Can’t believe it would be. I imagine you’re wanting highest marks and employee of the month and a new horse an--”

“That’s what’s most important,” Clara answered, nodding a few times to settle it in her mind. “Fuck the marks and Tommy’s accounting ledgers. I’d just like them all home.”

Finn smiled. “And I’d like for them to take us seriously for once,” he said. “It’s only Esme who ever really listens.”

“Yeah, cause she’s not an idiot,” Clara said. “And cause she’s nearly the youngest in her own family. She knows what a shit hand it is.”

“Ah, well, I wouldn’t know much about that,” Finn said. “It’s you who’s the baby.”

Clara shook her head, a smile on her face despite the words she offered. “Fuck off, Finn.”

Finn smirked at his sister. “Come now, Clara. We’re sitting on mum’s grave, on her birthday of all days, and you’ve gone and cursed twice in less than a minute. What’ll she think of us?”

“It’s been quite a fucking year, Finn. I think she’ll understand.”

“Yeah,” he echoed. “Quite a fucking year.”

Finn watched, quiet as his sister etched two words into the bottom of the page, the twins’ wishes for the next year summed up with two simple words, home and respect.

-----

Read more Little Lady Blinder here.

-----

🏷:

@beautycinders @buckybluebarnes @cecii22me @lovemissyhoneybee @marquelapage @midnight-dreams-23 @mo-onstarrs @ohhersheybars @pollyrepents @unicorndetective22

#peaky blinders #peaky blinders fanfic #shelby!sister #shelby sister #finn shelby #finn shelby x sister #clara shelby #little lady blinder

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merotm-a · 3 years ago

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updated ( 04 / 10 / 22 )

hello ! i prefer to keep the rules page as straightforward and simple as possible ! thank you for taking the time to read them !

This blog is going to low to med. activity at best and I’m trying to be very private with this blog as well due to being a remake in order to cultivate a better space for me to rp in. Please respect my wishes.

As stated before this blog is private and selective, meaning I only interact IC with people who are mutuals with me and I can be picky with who I follow. That being said, please don’t take it personally if I don’t follow back. I’m typically crossover, AU and OC friendly ( provided that I can find info for your muse ).

I am a busy person. I am juggling a job and other real life responsibilities, so I might not always be available to interact with and my replies tend to be on the slow side. Please be patient with me but also feel free to poke me if you feel like I’d forgotten something like a starter ! The above also applies to OOC as well. I sometimes can get a little scattered during OOC communication so please be patient with me regarding that too.

General rping etiquette that we all know and love applies here ( no metagaimg, godmodding, etc. ).

I don’t do too much fancy styling. If you feel that any formatting I do makes it difficult to read and respond to my replies, please let me know !

Shipping - This blog is multi-ship, although I’ve gone from being multi to being single ship if I feel like the relationship between the muses is good. I’ll announce if I change shipping status if this happens. To add, because my muse is an adult ( +18 ), I’ll only be shipping with other muses that are 18+.

I really love pre-est. relationships of any kind ( platonic, romantic, enemies, unrequited love, etc ). So, please share any ideas if you have any !

I don’t enjoy seeing hate and I’m less of a fan when it comes to rpc drama. I prefer to keep my distance from either of these things and generally just want to have a chill atmosphere for this blog since it’s supposed to be a hobby. If you personally have any issues with me you can either softblock / unfollow / hardblock / communicate with me. All of these are valid options and I will respect whatever choice you make. I also reserve the right to do these things as well and please don’t come after me for doing so.

As stated on the pinned post, there are going to be dark topics on this blog. I try my best to be respectful about them and portray them to the best of my ability while having everything tagged accordingly as ‘ trigger tw ‘. That all being said, if you find yourself uncomfortable with any of the topics explored / expressed on this blog, then do please put yourself first and unfollow. I would rather you take care of yourself first as an individual than make yourself stick around because you feel like you have to.

I tend to let others do as they like with their blogs and don’t interfere with it, but I hope that everyone treats sensitive topics with the respect and time it deserves. That being said, I do have my hard lines I put in the sand and might unfollow / block for said things

Going off what was stated above, muse =/= mun. Just because I’m writing darker topics or my muse is acting in ways or says things that make the moral compass go in odd directions doesn’t mean I support them or romanticize them.

Unfollowing: please softblock when you unfollow and I’ll do the same to you. I personally might start unfollowing people if any of the following happens: you do something that doesn’t sit well with me ( i.e, spreading hate, being overly pushy with me, trying to make me break one of my rules, etc. ), we don’t really have that much interaction either IC or OOC, I feel like attempts to rp / plot go no where / general sense of disinterest, or you’ve been on hiatus for over 1 year.

Anyway ! Thank you for reading the rules !

#rules.

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githyankiwarrior · 4 years ago

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⚔️ ‘ﾟ･ 𝐆𝐔𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒

IMPORTANT: The opinions and views of Lae’zel do not reflect my own. My muse’s morals and behaviours does not mean I, the writer, approve of them. If you’re uncomfortable with heavy themes and immoral characters, then this blog may not be for you. Note: This is fiction, not reality. I as a writer will not stay away from exploring certain themes just because you might be unable to handle the concent this blog may dewelve into. I do not tolerate artistic/creative censorship.

INTRODUCTION: This is a roleplay blog for my intimidating warrior Lae’zel of Larian’s Baldur’s Gate 3. Don’t fear, though. I do not bite.

WRITER: Yo! I’m Jen, 25. She/Her/Dad. Timezone GMT+1 (Sweden). I try to be friendly and open to most! Holla at me whenever! I’m not always going to be super active, real life and just not feeling like it happens. I study and will sometimes have little time for roleplaying. Please do not hound me for replies, ic or ooc, they’ll come, eventually, maybe… Someday. I can sometimes go off the social radar for long periods of time, please dont guilt me into replying if I do not chat as often as I used to sometimes.

I have an art/personal blog at ( JarfieJen )!

FOLLOWING & UNFOLLOWING: This blog is private; meaning I only interact with my mutual followers (those who follow me and i follow back) thread and ask wise. This is for my own comfort and I ask not to be shamed for it. I don’t follow everybody. If you follow me and I don’t follow back, then most likely I’ve either forgotten to check out your blog, or I’ve not felt that we as roleplayers will match, if the latter- please don’t take it personally. don’t go out of your way to ask me for an explanation as to why I dont want to roleplay, or have blocked you, seriously.

I’m not 100% exclusive as a standard, but if you want to be exclusive with my muse, I am willing to discuss that. However, if you want exclusivity from this blog, then I excpect the same from yours, and that the exclusivity will be mutual.

I will unfollow if no sign of desire to interact ic and ooc with me has been shown from your part despite me giving attempts to reach out. I will also unfollow and softblock you if you post politically charged posts, too much social justice related posts, or too much ooc where the amount of ic posts compared to ooc is very low. If you unfollow me, I ask of you to PLEASE softblock me (block then unblock) so I can avoid the awkwardness of me still sending you things without knowing you no-longer want to interact. Thanks.

INTERACTION: I interact with any fandom (that I either have knowledge about, or find interesting despite lack of knowledge). I’m oc and crossover friendly, most are welcome to hang out with lae’zel here. Aus are top tier content, I love those. Interactions with multiple versions of the same character will be set in separate universes. I do not roleplay with non-roleplay blogs! However! Non-roleplay blogs are free to send in questions to my muse, headcanon asks or if they want to find things out about them from them in character.

RP ETIQUETTE: No godmodding; you control your character and I control mine. Minor things are fine, if its minor actions that fit my muse and will move the plot along. If you don’t know my muse well, ask me if they would do the thing. Mutuals are welcome to like my starter calls and to reblog any opens I write. THOSE WHO ARE NOT IN MUTUAL FOLLOWING WITH ME please DO NOT like or reblog starter calls/opens. I also want ask threads to be carried over to normal threads, as I find the reblogged ask thread system to be shit and aesthetically unpleasant to look at.

TRIGGERS: I have no specific triggers, really. I tend not to tag trigger-like content except for the common nsfw tag. Again, see above important message. If you are sensetive and easily offended, this blog may not be for you.

FORMATTING: I write mostly with small text, and use icons, gificons. I have no trouble writing without icons, though! You do not need to match my style of writing! I’ll do my best to match your writing lenght, but I tend to mostly write between one-liners to a few paragraphs. Of course, you do not need to match the lenght, I just ask I do not recieve a one-line/uninspired reply to a reply of mine if I’ve written two paragraphs, etc.

SPEED: I am either faster than lightning on speed at replying, or slower than a crippled snail stuck in glue. A kind nudge on my shoulder regarding my reply/or if i’ve seen yours is fine! But please don’t hound me about it. That will make me reply even slower, if at all.

SHIPPING: I am open to ships on here, but I don’t ship Lae’zel with just anyone, she does not actively seek real romance, even if she would enjoy the occasional one-night stand. However should she ever sail ships with other muses- then those ships are separate and she is not cheating unless I’ve stated otherwise. I do not write polyamorous-shipping, like with multiple-writers being involved in the same thread, it has only given me bad experiences.

MAINS: I’m open for mains and exclusives. I prefer being close to my rp partners and have ooc communication. Exclusivity is reserved to those I am very close to ooc and have known long enough.

RULES: I read other writer’s rules pages before I interact, but I tend not to send in passwords, though. It depends on my anxious feeling , you get me?

CALLOUTS: Same as for political posts and/or sjw related content. I don’t want it on my blog and will probably unfollow if I see it too much of sthat sort of drama on my dash. I don’t engage in callout drama for petty reasons such as a falling out or you just don’t like someone. Witch hunts are gross, keep it away.

CREDITS: RP icons/PSD by me, dash-icon by me, theme background by me ( image used: official bg3 art ).

#⚔️ ‘ﾟ･ mobile rules

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donofdepravity · 5 years ago

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Please read my rules before interacting, weather you are a prospective RP-partner, or a Spectator. All Blog navigation is centralized on my Links page, which is also mobile friendly.

Greetings: -This blog is R18+ because of NSFW. Being upfront. -You can call me Rave. They/Them pronouns. I am 25+ (Timezone is The Future™) -If you interact with me, I will assume you have read these rules in full. (And vice versa if I interact with you.) -This blog is Indie & Private. (No RP group affiliation. If you follow me I’ll check out your blog, but I won’t follow everyone back.) -FF7 characters preferred, but I will consider crossovers. Anons are welcome! -Regarding OCs, I will only be interacting with OCs of current mutuals. Any interactions outside of this are purely at my own discretion. Do not request otherwise. (I used to just be selective with OCs but recently I’ve had a difficult time with an OC mun not respecting that and pushing interactions.) -No drama / rudeness / hostility. I will not publish asks stirring trouble, and will block people if need be. -I lose track of Tumblr IMs easily, so if you are IM only and I seem like I’ve forgotten our convo, hmu again so I get a refreshed notification.) -Discord is available for mutuals. Please, I prefer it over Tumblr IMs!

Spectators, please do not reblog my threads. I’d love to hear from you if you’re enjoying things in IMs or my inbox, though!

Dark Themes: -THIS IS A FUCKED UP VILLAIN MUSE. PLEASE BE AWARE OF THIS. He WILL be gross. -Angst / Violence / Death and other dark themes not limited to the aforementioned will appear on this blog. If these bother you, do not follow me. I do tag everything, if you are selectively uncomfortable please check my TW tags page to check what I tag. -Anything verging on or in the extreme (Re the above, or within smut topics) will be hidden under cuts. (I don’t hide general NS/FW, but it is tagged if you wish to avoid it.) -Basically, if a post I’m writing or replying to involves what I believe to be a triggering topic, I’ll tag it. -If you need anything specific tagged, please let me know. -I do not have any particular triggers myself for you to tag.

Basis of engagement: -General RP etiquette applies. -No god-modding. Don’t control my muse. Minor implied things can be okay within reason, like opening doors, or if in a character moves some part of another character. But please be reasonable and fair. -Related to above, I have no interest in RPing with someone that has a control complex / Must be the ultimate / best at everything. (There are logical muses that get a pass on this rule, ie Sephiroth, but within reason.) -This is not a multi-muse blog. I try to plan 1-1 encounters in threads. While I don’t mind brief character appearances, please don’t rely on the thread having an ensemble cast. It doesn’t work well with Tumblr’s reply format IMO.

Ships -Where to even start. Uh. So ironically I’m not particularly looking to ship on this blog since he’s not a primary muse of mine. But ships will be considered within a plot context. -My Corneo is primarily hetero. He won’t knowingly fuck a guy, but he will appreciate a pretty boy, and he’s not above wanking off to, or with other men. Maybe if he were drunk enough he’d fuck a guy. -In general as a person I am a Multi-Shipper. If for some disturbing reason you ship your muse with Corneo, you’re welcome to tell me. But ask first rather than presume. He’s got a rep for one-night-stands with his brides of course, but I will still be selective threading. -Romantic involvement however he is much more selective, so there will be chemistry required. -UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE: ALL SHIPS, EVEN WITHIN A VERSE, EXIST IN SEPARATE MINI ALTERNATE VERSES. -Please do not pre-establish a relationship with my muse without discussing it with me. Talk to me first if you are interested in that.

Smut -Smut will occasionally appear on this blog if my my brain decides it’s in the/a cursed mood. But if you want to write it with me, let’s discuss it a bit first privately. -While I do love me some good horny writing, I can appreciate its not for everyone. I am open to fade to blacks / morning after if you are not smut-inclined. -Once any flirting progresses to smut it will be tagged with: ‘⋙{ ns/fw }’ - It is my general NS/FW tag. Any TWs will be applied additionally.

Dark Themes -As I mentioned dark topics before, I’m not adverse to some borderline topics, acknowledging mun does not equal muse. -I will tag Selfcest or anything grey-zone ‘problematic’ if relevant in case you prefer to block it. -Where relevant dub con / non con or other such triggers will be tagged. Please be aware that any threads containing as such serve a plotted narrative purpose and are not rape fetishization. I’m not changing my content. If you have a problem with grasping this concept, please leave. Your mental health and safety is important, but also your own responsibility.

I use RP Thread Tracker to keep track of all my threads. Please let me know if you change your username so I can update my settings.

Memes: -I will try to respond to memes / asks! Mutuals, Non-Mutuals, Anons all welcome. -Please don’t take it personally if I don’t answer your ask, sometimes things just don’t click. -Starter-memes, unless I pm you and discuss otherwise, generally these are for smaller-format threads. Just to balance out my lengths of things and make it easier for me to get something back to you.

Reply lengths: -I’m occasionally prone to writing larger Multi-Para starters. It’s just my nature. I don’t expect you to match it. Please don’t be intimidated. (But also, typically my average reply length tapers off after the starter for a more reaction-based format. -Multi-Para style is my main tendency writing with an average of 2-4 para replies. Shorter semi-para may occur at times, particularly in dash commentary or shitpost threads.

Reply Frequency: -This is not my primary muse, so I will only be checking this blog occasionally. Consider it low-activity. -When my threads start crowding I queue posts to help stagger replies. -Neither length nor reply-speed is an indicator of my interest level in a thread. Some threads are intended to be larger formal threads while others are shorter that I want to remain light for enjoyment. A varied thread diet is best. -Please do not compare my threads against each other. I plan my replies around how I know I’ll best be able to manage my schedule, as well as meshing in with my various RP partners schedules. Occasionally this means one person may receive a burst of replies in a short space of time. This is usually because we only have a narrow window to mutually be active as they may only be able to reply every few days. It doesn’t mean I’m ignoring others. I’ll get to you, just chill. Things are fine. Bother me about this? You will be likely dropped. -That said, if it’s been around a month, you are welcome to check with me if I got your reply on a thread! I’m aware Tumblr sometimes eats replies and notifications. Likely it’s sitting in my drafts to write soon. But please don’t demand constant responses. I run multiple blogs, sometimes am in the mood for different muses, and have things I do outside of Tumblr as well of course.

Threads: -If life is getting fairly busy, I can’t promise replying to random starters/tags, so please message me if you want to start something. :3 -I will post Starter/Plotting/Ship calls etc occasionally, so please hmu on those if you see them. -My ‘Open Starters’ are open to mutuals. -If we’re not mutuals and you’re looking to get my interest, you’re always welcome to send something to my inbox and I might answer it. If you don’t know what to send, please check out my meme tag for ideas.

My rules used to be so short, but unfortunately certain encounters, and trying to avoid confrontations has led to it growing into a monstrosity, sorry. If you do anything in breach of them, I’ll bring it up with you. If a reasonable solution cannot be reached, I have no qualms blocking people.

Theme: OctoMoosey Icons by myself (rave-rps) Icon Frames by myself (rave-rps) Post-Graphics by myself (rave-rps)

#DonOfDepravity || Info

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transparentcrescent · 6 years ago

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Please read my rules before interacting, weather you are a prospective RP-partner, or a Spectator. All Blog navigation is centralized on my Links page, which is also mobile friendly.

Greetings: -This blog is R18+ because of NSFW. Being upfront. -You can call me Rave. They/Them pronouns. I am 25+ (Timezone is The Future™) -If you interact with me, I will assume you have read these rules in full. (And vice versa if I interact with you.) -I am Indie & Mutuals-Only. (No RP group affiliation. If you follow me I’ll check out your blog, but I won’t follow everyone back. I will interact with my inbox though, so check out my memes if you’re looking to break the ice. It’s just threads I reserve for Mutuals.) -FF7 characters preferred, but I will consider crossovers. Anons are welcome! -Regarding OCs, I will only be interacting with OCs of current mutuals. Any interactions outside of this are purely at my own discretion. Do not request otherwise. (I used to just be selective with OCs but recently I’ve had a difficult time with an OC mun not respecting that and pushing interactions.) -No drama / rudeness / hostility. I will not publish asks stirring trouble, and will block people if need be. -I lose track of Tumblr IMs easily, so if you are IM only and I seem like I’ve forgotten our convo, hmu again so I get a refreshed notification.) -Discord is available for mutuals. Please, I prefer it over Tumblr IMs!

Spectators, please do not reblog my threads. I’d love to hear from you if you’re enjoying things in IMs or my inbox, though!

Dark Themes: -Angst / Violence / Death and other dark themes not limited to the aforementioned will appear on this blog. If these bother you, do not follow me. I do tag everything, so if you are selectively uncomfortable please check my TW tags page to check what I tag. -Anything verging on or in the extreme will be hidden under cuts. (I don’t hide general NS/FW, but it is tagged if you wish to avoid it.) -Basically, if a post I’m writing or replying to involves what I believe to be a triggering topic, I’ll tag it. -If you need anything specific tagged, please let me know. -I do not have any particular triggers myself for you to tag.

Shelke isn’t a muse inclined to relationships. I will never default to shipping her. That said, I am not opposed to characters exploring the possibility emotionally but I will be highly selective when considering appropriate scenarios and dynamics if she is to explore a potential relationship.

Please keep in mind by the events of Dirge of Cerberus, while she is physically 9, she is 20 years old. Shelke did continue to gain life experiences- albeit traumatic ones -during her time in Deepground, and while the setting does affect her capacity to relate to others, that doesn’t invalidate her from such experiences. I won’t tolerate people acting as if she is only 9 years old, both because that would be gross, but also infantilising.

Ships -UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE: ALL SHIPS, EVEN WITHIN A VERSE, EXIST IN SEPARATE MINI ALTERNATE VERSES. -Please do not pre-establish a relationship with my muse without discussing it with me. Talk to me first if you are interested in that.

Smut -Smut won’t appear on this blog. Although I am a smut writer with my other muses, I have no intention of writing it on this one. -If a ship ever did reach a plausible scenario where something ‘more’ would occur, a fade to black will be used.

Dark Themes -While I as a mun am not opposed to dark themes, that only applies as long as due care is given to the subject and it serves a plotted narrative purpose, is not fetishization, and is tagged properly. I’m not adverse to some borderline topics, acknowledging mun does not equal muse. -Due to the background muse I am aware many dark themes would be of an overly sensitive nature, and I do not intend to actively seek out those scenarios and themes. -The inclusion of this segment in my rules is simply to help you understand my perceptions on such topics. If you have a problem with grasping these concepts, please leave.

I use RP Thread Tracker to keep track of all my threads. Please let me know if you change your username so I can update my settings.

Memes: -I will try to respond to memes / asks ! Mutuals, Non-Mutuals, Anons all welcome. -Please don’t take it personally if I don’t answer your ask, sometimes things just don’t click. -Starter-memes, unless I pm you and discuss otherwise, generally these are for smaller-format threads. Just to balance out my lengths of things and make it easier for me to get something back to you.

Reply lengths: -I’m occasionally prone to writing larger Multi-Para starters. It’s just my nature. I don’t expect you to match it. Please don’t be intimidated. (But also, typically my average reply length tapers off after the starter for a more reaction-based format. -Multi-Para style is my main tendency writing with an average of 3-4 para replies. Shorter semi-para may occur at times, particularly in dash commentary or shitpost threads.

Reply Frequency: -Sometimes I’m actively lurking, sometimes I’m not. My levels of muse, and muse for specific threads will vary day to day. I reckon I consider myself medium-activity at present. -When my threads start crowding I queue posts to help stagger replies. -Neither length nor reply-speed is an indicator of my interest level in a thread. Some threads are intended to be larger formal threads while others are shorter that I want to remain light for enjoyment. A varied thread diet is best. -Please do not compare my threads against each other. I plan my replies around how I know I’ll best be able to manage my schedule, as well as meshing in with my various RP partners schedules. Occasionally this means one person may receive a burst of replies in a short space of time. This is usually because we only have a narrow window to mutually be active as they may only be able to reply every few days. It doesn’t mean I’m ignoring others. I’ll get to you, just chill. Things are fine. Bother me about this? You will be likely dropped. -That said, if it’s been a fair few days, you are welcome to check with me if I got your reply on a thread! I’m aware Tumblr sometimes eats replies and notifications. Likely it’s sitting in my drafts to write soon. But please don’t demand constant responses. I run multiple blogs, sometimes am in the mood for different muses, and have things I do outside of Tumblr as well of course.

Theme: OctoMoosey Shelke Icons by professordipshit Lucrecia Icons by professordipshit Icon Frames by myself (rave-rps) Post-Graphics by myself (rave-rps)

#TransparentCrescent | Info

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giftofthegodess · 6 years ago

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Please read my rules before interacting, weather you are a prospective RP-partner, or a Spectator. All Blog navigation is centralized on my Links page, which is also mobile friendly.

Greetings: -This blog is R18+ because of NSFW. Being upfront. -You can call me Rave. They/Them pronouns. I am 25+ (Timezone is The Future™) -If you interact with me, I will assume you have read these rules in full. (And vice versa if I interact with you.) -I am Indie & Mutuals-Only. (No RP group affiliation. If you follow me I’ll check out your blog, but I won’t follow everyone back. I will interact with my inbox though, so check out my memes if you’re looking to break the ice. It’s just threads I reserve for Mutuals.) -FF7 characters preferred, but I will consider crossovers. Anons are welcome! -Regarding OCs, I will only be interacting with OCs of current mutuals. Any interactions outside of this are purely at my own discretion. Do not request otherwise. (I used to just be selective with OCs but recently I’ve had a difficult time with an OC mun not respecting that and pushing interactions.) -No drama / rudeness / hostility. I will not publish asks stirring trouble, and will block people if need be. -I lose track of Tumblr IMs easily, so if you are IM only and I seem like I’ve forgotten our convo, hmu again so I get a refreshed notification.) -Discord is available for mutuals. Please, I prefer it over Tumblr IMs!

Spectators, please do not reblog my threads. I’d love to hear from you if you’re enjoying things in IMs or my inbox, though!

Dark Themes: -Angst / Violence / Death and other dark themes not limited to the aforementioned will appear on this blog. If these bother you, do not follow me. I do tag everything, if you are selectively uncomfortable please check my TW tags page to check what I tag. -Anything verging on or in the extreme (Re the above, or within smut topics) will be hidden under cuts. (I don’t hide general NS/FW, but it is tagged if you wish to avoid it.) -Basically, if a post I’m writing or replying to involves what I believe to be a triggering topic, I’ll tag it. -If you need anything specific tagged, please let me know. -I do not have any particular triggers myself for you to tag.

Ships -I am a Multi-Shipper. Seriously, multi-ship trash. Please tell me your ships. -My Genesis muse is highly openly sexually, and bi. Odds are I’ll be open to ship, just ask first. He’s got a rep for one-night-stands, but I will still be selective threading. -Romantic involvement however he is much more selective, so there will be chemistry required. -UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE: ALL SHIPS, EVEN WITHIN A VERSE, EXIST IN SEPARATE MINI ALTERNATE VERSES. -Please do not pre-establish a relationship with my muse without discussing it with me. Talk to me first if you are interested in that.

Smut -Same goes for smut, which will appear on this blog. If you want to write it, let’s discuss it a bit first privately. -While I do love me some good horny writing, I can appreciate its not for everyone. I am open to fade to blacks / morning after if you are not smut-inclined. -Once any flirting progresses to smut it will be tagged with ‘She guides us to bliss (ns/fw)’ - It is my general NS/FW tag. Any TWs will be applied additionally.

Dark Themes -As I mentioned dark topics before, I’m not adverse to some borderline topics, acknowledging mun does not equal muse. -I will tag Selfcest or anything grey-zone ‘problematic’ if relevant in case you prefer to block it. -Where relevant dub con or other such triggers will be tagged. Please be aware that any threads containing as such serve a plotted narrative purpose and are not rape fetishization. I’m not changing my content. If you have a problem with grasping this concept, please leave.

I use RP Thread Tracker to keep track of all my threads. Please let me know if you change your username so I can update my settings.

Memes: -I will try to respond to memes / asks ! Mutuals, Non-Mutuals, Anons all welcome. -Please don’t take it personally if I don’t answer your ask, sometimes things just don’t click. -Starter-memes, unless I pm you and discuss otherwise, generally these are for smaller-format threads. Just to balance out my lengths of things and make it easier for me to get something back to you.

Reply lengths: -I’m occasionally prone to writing larger Multi-Para starters. It’s just my nature. I don’t expect you to match it. Please don’t be intimidated. (But also, typically my average reply length tapers off after the starter for a more reaction-based format. -Multi-Para style is my main tendency writing with an average of 3-4 para replies. Shorter semi-para may occur at times, particularly in dash commentary or shitpost threads.

Theme: OctoMoosey Background: By Jeff Kubina (Edit by me) Static Icons by denofwoe Icon Frames by myself (rave-rps) Post-Graphics by myself (rave-rps) GIF Icons by xgamerxiconsx

#GiftOfTheGodess || Info

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unattainabledreams · 6 years ago

Text

Please read my rules before interacting, weather you are a prospective RP-partner, or a Spectator. All Blog navigation is centralized on my Links page, which is also mobile friendly.

Greetings: -This blog is R18+ because of NSFW. Being upfront. -You can call me Rave. They/Them pronouns. I am 25+ (Timezone is The Future™) -If you interact with me, I will assume you have read these rules in full. (And vice versa if I interact with you.) -I am Indie & Mutuals-Only. (No RP group affiliation. If you follow me I’ll check out your blog, but I won’t follow everyone back. I will interact with my inbox though, so check out my memes if you’re looking to break the ice. It’s just threads I reserve for Mutuals.) -FF7 characters preferred, but I will consider crossovers. Anons are welcome! -Regarding OCs, I will only be interacting with OCs of current mutuals. Any interactions outside of this are purely at my own discretion. Do not request otherwise. (I used to just be selective with OCs but recently I’ve had a difficult time with an OC mun not respecting that and pushing interactions.) -No drama / rudeness / hostility. I will not publish asks stirring trouble, and will block people if need be. -I lose track of Tumblr IMs easily, so if you are IM only and I seem like I’ve forgotten our convo, hmu again so I get a refreshed notification.) -Discord is available for mutuals. Please, I prefer it over Tumblr IMs!

Spectators, please do not reblog my threads. I’d love to hear from you if you’re enjoying things in IMs or my inbox, though!

Ships -I am a Multi-Shipper. Seriously, multi-ship trash. Please tell me your ships. -UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE: ALL SHIPS, EVEN WITHIN A VERSE, EXIST IN SEPARATE MINI ALTERNATE VERSES. -Please do not pre-establish a relationship with my muse without discussing it with me. Talk to me first if you are interested in that.

Smut -Same goes for smut, which will appear on this blog. If you want to write it, let’s discuss it a bit first privately. -While I do love me some good horny writing, I can appreciate its not for everyone. I am open to fade to blacks / morning after if you are not smut-inclined. -Once any flirting progresses to smut it will be tagged with ‘Got any Barrier Materia (ns/fw)’ - It is my general NS/FW tag. Any TWs will be applied additionally.

Dark Themes -As I mentioned dark topics before, I’m not adverse to some borderline topics, acknowledging mun does not equal muse. -I will tag Selfcest or anything grey-zone ‘problematic’ if relevant in case you prefer to block it. -Where relevant dub con or other such triggers will be tagged. Please be aware that any threads containing as such serve a plotted narrative purpose and are not rape fetishization. I’m not changing my content. If you have a problem with grasping this concept, please leave.

I use RP Thread Tracker to keep track of all my threads. Please let me know if you change your username so I can update my settings.

Reply lengths: -I’m occasionally prone to writing larger Multi-Para starters. It’s just my nature. I don’t expect you to match it. Please don’t be intimidated. (But also, typically my average reply length tapers off after the starter for a more reaction-based format. -Multi-Para style is my main tendency writing with an average of 3-4 para replies. Shorter semi-para may occur at times, particularly in dash commentary or shitpost threads.

Theme: pirateskinned Static Icons by professordipshit Icon Frames by myself (rave-rps) Post-Graphics by myself (rave-rps) GIF Icons by xgamerxiconsx

#UnattainableDreams | Info

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spidersanctuary · 8 years ago

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A disordered venting about RP problems:

My experience RPing with Tumblr RPing is not very extensive - goes back about five years, I think. Before that, I RPd a bit, much earlier, but for the most part the only RPing I've done is on Tumblr (and Skype, but as an extension of Tumblr RPing).

I don't like bouncing around. I tend to stick with a place that looks legit, get attached to the characters (mine and others') and stick it out, even sometimes unreasonably so. I've been in... basically three group RPs. Two of them were larger (let's say, defined as "more than around ten active players at any given time", and the third was smaller and purely reactionary, a-la "we don't like the way things are here so we'll make our own". Though not without problems (and I can't say I didn't have my part in them), it was the most drama-free as a whole. It also looks like the fourth, soon to come, might follow along the same pattern.

Despite my sample size of one, I'm confident in saying small groups have a different dynamic. Especially if they're founded by people who already know each other. Bigger groups are trickier, in many ways, and I was struck by the realisation that the different problems I encountered in both my bigger groups were representative of two ends of a spectrum. Similar things going wrong in opposite ways, so to speak.

One of them was defined by lack of forethought and planning. Indeed the whole RP just kind of happened organically, something more serious growing out of something very silly and casual. While it had its fun sides - and it was wildly fun, at times, for as long as the fun lasted - it's also obvious in retrospect how that could be a huge problem. Different players. No standardised rules or guidelines until way, waaay later in the game (after much drama had already happened). Lots of different people with different RPing backgrounds and personalities and playstyles, none of them fully on the same page. While many of the problems had to do with one or two difficult personalities in the group, that's not really the isuse. There is always a risk of... unpleasant people, no RP group is safe from them and no RP guidelines will truly protect you from someone who WANTS to start shit or manipulate things to their benefit and is cunning enough to do that. But even aside from that... the lack of regulation about who could grab what characters and how many (some players ending up with 20+ blogs), or any kind of spoken agreement about activity guidelines and replying etiquette. Lack of agreement about how "canon" certain plots were, in the RPing continuity. Lack of agreement about the continuity, period. A clash between people who wanted to develop a certain pre-planned (and rather exclusive) storyline and those who were more in it for spontaneity. It was a recipe for disaster. It didn't need to get as bad as it did, but starting off like that, it was bound to get unpleasant eventually anyway.

Now, the other group... oh, the other group. After the colourful experience of the first group, the things it offered seemed like a reassuring breath of fresh air. Planning! An almost DnD-esque level of detail to the established universe, rulebook, bestiary and lore! Basically an entire little sandbox lovingly crafted for you to play in. Transparent activity guidelines and rules! An actual mod team working to be approachable while still holding authority! New plots for everyone to participate in to be released basically by the clock, so nobody would feel left out! So lovely! Unfortunately, things are rarely as sunny as they appear. A certain type of literate, application RPs is infamous for their snobbishness and elitism, and despite the initially welcoming tone, that was exactly what this unravelled to be. On the flip side, many of the appeals of the group amounted to little more than elaborate publicity acts. Always, always must the group remain attractive and desirable to newcomers (perhaps unsurprisingly given the apparently abysmal player retention rates, both short and long-term). The tone turned out very different from what was advertised, the sandbox-like universe revealing itself to be more of a literal sandbox, with complex topics turned into gimmicks, and supernatural characters (prosecuted and feared for their in-humanity) easily and casually sharing information about their powers with near-strangers like kids on a playground comparing their toys. The "plots" thrown one's way are not only usually poorly (if at all) developed but intrusive, so that they are impossible to avoid completely even if one is not interested in them. Worse yet, the RP insists on doling out serious consequences and high-stakes crises like death, destruction, invasions of murderous monsters or malignant town-wide spells, but is curiously reluctant to allow any room for serious RPing or sense of consequences.

In fact, it's impossible to talk about consequences when even a sense of any basic continuity is thrown out the window, precluded by the occasional hiatus and re-launch and the various measures taken to make sure that new players enter onto a relatively blank slate. Yes, even if long-time residents of the area and the populace in general SHOULD remember and be affected by that politically motivated massacre half a year back, or that time monstrous vegetables SLAUGHTERED half a school of elementary schoolchildren. Thus, even though the RP is long-running (turning two years old soon), it is impossible for the setting to develop any sense of history, and instead it seems to turn more and more comically nonsensical the more tragedies befall the town and are promptly forgotten a few weeks later. Rather than a serious and in-depth setting, one begins to feel instead as if all the characters are living in a Lotus Eater-like state of vague oblivion, briefly reacting to various events but never quite letting them reach collective memory.

Now, all this might be bearable (and even fun! There's an appeal in a certain kind of wacky no-strings-attached horror-comedy-gore, no denying that), IF a couple things weren't true. a) If the RP (and specifically the mod team) didn't make such a huge deal about what a serious and respectable and serious RP it is. No OCs allowed. "We allow shipping but we don't put an emphasis on it! Please don't think this is one of those silly ship-obsessed RPs". No more than two characters allowed. Replies MUST happen every x days, and even though replies of various kinds are accepted (all prose, just different formats and individual reply lengths), only CERTAIN kinds count towards the activity requirement (???!), and a long-term failure to keep it up will end up in you getting the boot. Even if you ARE active and involved with other people and interact a lot. (Don't even get me started on that. I and about three or four other people, most of whom LEFT shortly after, ended up having our plots disrupted SIGNIFICANTLY because the mods booted - or in this case harangued into throwing in the towel and leaving in a huff - a player who was active with all of us, but wasn't active enough in "the RIGHT way" i.e. the right format. This was part of a bigger package of them caring more about keeping up certain pretenses and ticking off certain boxes to be more outwardly desirable to new applicants than the fun of the users who were already there.) b) The nit-picking. Oh god the nitpicking and micromanagement. Some of the shit I've personally seen, some of it I've heard about. It's one thing to crit a player for not being IC with a mod pre-made character. It's another thing to do that after they've been in play for A YEAR, and if you do that then, you're being blatantly disrespectful of all the development the player's put into them. And it's yet another thing to do that to someone's OC (before the 'no OCs' rule was instated). I've had mods dictate to me that my character shouldn't be reacting to x event like this or that, by listing a bunch of factors that, while possibly convincing, were only ONE possible way to interpret the big picture. For real. Psychology is complicated but for some reason all that goes out the window the moment the mod team decides they know how your character should be played (and I'm not talking about blatant realism or accuracy issues like "that's not how PTSD works" but actual decisions/ways of thinking, things that there should, in theory, be no "wrong" option with because once again, people are complicated).

Which brings me to: C) The omnipresent feeling of entitlement by the mod team aka the Powers That Be, as if they believe that theirs is such a supremely privileged, special and elite group, that they merely DEIGN to let you be a part of it. All of it manifesting in a complete lack of basic courtesy when approaching players. Or rather, any player who's been there longer than a month and who they're not actively trying to be Welcoming(TM) to. I should have seen it pretty early when I had a beef with another player who, to wit, disliked that an RP scene we had depicted her character as a "bad guy" (who was previously ESTABLISHED in canon as a psychopathic murderer!!! and the RP scene basically showed him doing more of the same!!!). She ended up badmouthing me to other players she was interacting with closely, and then they as a group complained about me to the mods, in which she twisted a certain conversation we'd had over Skype into something that reflected very badly on me, along the lines of me forcing her to RP a scene she would be triggered by. Now. This was resolved when I provided the mods with copied Skype messages (direct Skype quotes, a format that, in theory, can't be doctored) that showed she was fabricating that conversation - that she had outright told me she WOULD be okay with doing that scene. She eventually got booted for that (and other stuff). And all would have been well if it weren't for the way I had been initially addressed by the mods, and the condescending, denigrating, making you feel like shit TONE of it. Going from zero, utter peace, to "you have an attitude problem and you need to stop now or we'll kick you out". They also tacked on about half a dozen minor "offenses" I had done, like rambling too much about how the reasons I liked a school subject someone else disliked in the ooc chat, or trying TOO hard to get involved in plots, or other bullshit things that the people involved hadn't even complained to them about. I later realised that this, too, was a Pattern. Whenever they went to you with any sort of grievance, whether from their own side or from another player, they would tack on about half a dozen other "transgressions" you had made, sometimes making them up entirely out of thin air. (Other examples include: Me trying to "enforce a headcanon" by having my character react x way. I then pointed out that the "headcanon" I was allegedly """"enforcing"""" was the information stated on THEIR blog about how characters are large are reacting to a previous major town-wide event. (To wit: the information stated that the Event, a violent and deadly clash between two groups of people, exacerbated tensions between them and led to more mistrust between them. My character, who belongs to ONE group, was being mistrustful of the OTHER group. And somehow, this was not okay. Yes. That's it. That is literally how asinine it got. But then again, it's not surprising - as I explain later, it wasn't baout the offenses making sense. It was about getting to make me feel shitty for something) Or: I was being "inconsiderate" by having my character "out" the supernatural status of another character whose player was no longer in the group, and who they were not in contact with. Said player and I HAD in fact discussed this at the time, and they'd WANTED to have it happen, but the mods didn't know one way OR the other. They simply ASSUMED so they could try to pin it on me!) A long line of instances of them taking "offenses" that they didn't know for sure were offenses, that the player DIRECTLY affected HAD NOT come to them about, to paint a bigger picture of you being some kind of Problem Child who was daring to be naughty in THEIR classroom.

Now, I don't know if this was deliberate, but I can see why they did it. It makes you, as the player, feel like crap, puts you on the defensive, makes you question yourself. "Holy crap, were people really bothered by that time I went on a jokingly-serious rant about how awesome botany is when someone said they hated that topic in biology class?" (Hint: No they weren't. They thought NOTHING of it. But the mods saw it and filed it away for when they needed to make you feel like crap.) It puts the mods in a position of power and strengthened their authority. It forces you into a no-win scenario where you either deny the nonsensical accusations, and thus weaken your position and look less credible because it looks like you can't accept responsibility when you're wrong, OR accept the accusations and thereby agree with them that you're the naughty child and bad at following the rules. So it's a shitty, shitty manipulation technique. All of it coming from a place of entitlement and elitism.

I wish I could say I come from all this wiser, but it does feel like entitlement and elitism are the common denominator here. Part of the problem of the first RP was certain people needing to feel like they were superior and hating it when other people got in the way of that. Part of the problem of the second was stuck-up, self-important mods. Ultimately, it comes down to people who enjoy, just a little too much, to feel power and authority over people. To say that "it's THIS way, because I say it is" and have that listened to without question. Who enforce the rules not because it benefits the community, but because it makes them look good. Who view discussion, in and of itself, as disobedience, as an attack on their authority, an attack on them. I can't say I know for sure how to recognise the warning signs of a group like that BEFORE applying. But maybe big RP groups just aren't worth it, period.

#rp #roleplaying #rp problems #tumblr rp #honestly this is just for the purposes of catharsis #and man did it feel good to get ita ll out #certain past fandom rp #~~~certain original setting supernatural rp~~~~

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bittenpath-blog · 6 years ago

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48cm:Opinion: How is Your 'Professional' Hygiene & Time Management?

Instead of talking about the same old apocalyptic industry news and dropping f-bombs on what happened to Interbike, let's back up and take a more intimate look at ourselves individually. If you asked me what I thought was the most significant thing that sets this industry apart from others (there are many), I would say it's each individual's personal and professional attachment to this industry and the very people (consumers), they serve. Elsewhere ... sure, people can care about and be proud of the work they do but not many industries come to mind where just about every individual is passionate to the point of being a customer or advocate of their own ties.

Think about that for a second. Whether you own/manage a shop or head up global sales for Sramano, no matter your role in this industry, you are an end-user and/or cycling advocate (a customer if you will) as well. In short, we are them and they are us.

But do they see us as we see them? How does our "hygiene" compare?

Before we try to "fix the industry" or adapt to what it being what it is, we should first consider how important it is to optimize and balance out personal and professional time management. I discuss this last, but time management is often more challenging to those working in the retail side of our industry. Their weeks don't often sync with many of their friends', family's, (and even customers'), and if not managed, can result in individuals burning out. Once burned out, motivation diminishes and things start falling apart (I recently discovered a sort of fun, analog way of doing something I've done for years ... but in a much more effective fashion and feel it's worth a conversation).

Poor Hygiene and How to Improve It

This isn't about bathing or conditioning your wizard beard, but when was the last time you checked yourself in the mirror or pretended to rub your eye with your shoulder only to inconspicuously sniff a pit to determine if your deodorant had expired? These things are a part of our daily lives because we care about our basic presentation ... yet we often overlook these attributes when it comes to our professional sides.

Stop looking at your hair and worrying about how many times you wore those socks ... (OK, maybe worry about the socks). Instead take a look at where your "Professional" Hygiene stands. What is "Professional Hygiene" you ask? At a glance, it's your professional identity and practices others observe during and OUTSIDE of your regular day to day. Oh ... and "PROFESSIONAL" identity and "social identity" are two very different things.

I looked at a good mix of people I know and know of and was a bit shocked how few either didn't have a LinkedIn account or hadn't updated it in years. Some just had an old profile picture with zero information attached and one of those owns a shop. I was also surprised to find, at the retail level, that mechanics seemed more likely to have an up-to-date account than other shop employees.

But I Don't Need It

But you do. LinkedIn is FREE and common ground for many of your moneymaking customers. Most are there to keep up and interact with others on a professional level as well as seek opportunities to collaborate and learn.

Facebook is social, and frankly, the ineffective white noise of the internet. On LinkedIn, no one is posting their kids' first day of school, there are very few political keyboard battles, and almost everyone is ... well, PROFESSIONAL! There is an unwritten rule of etiquette as LinkedIn is not the place to constantly pimp out everything you're trying to sell, however it is a great, more refined place to expose your own professional interests, events, knowledge, and accomplishments ... WHICH EXPOSES YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS! Who wouldn't love an opportunity to share all of those valuable assets with a likely successful group of professionals who like bikes ... FOR FREE? (Did I mention it was free?)

There are also an unlimited number of blogs and stories being posted by those you are 'friends' with or follow ... to which is yet another FREE resource of valuable information. Blogs like Occam's Razor offer an assortment of simple to understand viewpoints on digital marketing, consumer behavior, and more effective ways to engage them. Also, shops and employees can share everything from BRAIN articles and the latest promotional videos from brands you carry. Sharing pix and information about upcoming and past events, to passively bragging about the training seminars you send your staff too builds your brand's/business's integrity! Here in Atlanta, PMBA just completed a workshop with some great brands training shop technicians on some of their new technologies and assembly and maintenance procedures ... including e-bikes! Most of the attendees I know are sharing it all over Facebook but I only saw it posted twice on LinkedIn (atta boy Josh Boggs. Sorry James Stanfill, you don't get credit for your LinkedIn posts as it should be expected from you ... but it appears to have been a great week).

Every company, retailer, and individual in the bike industry should have an up-to-date LinkedIn account but read the next paragraph before getting too excited. There is a little upfront effort involved and it's important to get it right.

First Thing's First

Even if you've been in the same position for 10 years or own your business, everyone should have a current resume and curriculum vitae. Looking for a job isn't the only reason people build a resume or CV (though it is absolutely required if you are), but I cannot express enough how valuable it is to have an up-to-date record of your work history and accomplishments.

A resume should be a clear, one-page display of your work history with bullet points in order of importance under each employer and association (Include volunteer work as it oozes integrity). Usually no more than 10 years of work history is needed unless there are some key roles that relate to what you're doing or seeking to accomplish. Building a resume is also a great way to reflect on your professional growth and focus on your where you want to go.

A Curriculum Vitae (commonly called a CV) is more centered on actual experiences and accomplishments. Again, it should also be a clear, one-page item but allows you have a little more freedom in how you lay it out. It doesn't always have to be in chronological order and should be laid out based on what you want it to say about you. You can even have a few different versions depending on what you want to accomplish. While a basic, no-frills resume and CV are fine, there are a thousands of examples out there to help you determine your layout as well as services who put them together for you.

Time Can Be On Your Side

I was a great example of what not to do when it came to time management. There was a point in time I almost lost everything I was trying to accomplish ... and that was before I had kids! I Had a full-time job, worked weekend at a shop when I wasn't traveling to races, was a full-time college student, and got up at 5 a.m. to get in a couple hours of riding almost daily. I was used to maintaining a pretty insane study and training schedule in high-school but working so much started causing me to fall behind (and asleep) in class, be late to work, dating ... (what's that?), and constantly stressed. I eventually hit a wall but I wasn't going to settle just yet. I trained on an organized 'periodization' schedule so tried adopting other things to that format by jotting my daily schedule down minute by minute. I began with a block of required sleep time because I knew every other item's accomplishment relied on it. It was eye opening because I then started re-prioritizing my training and race schedule around my work and school load. Before I even put my schedule in play, I had this weight lifted off my shoulders.

Now with kids and some gray hairs, things are a little more predictable to manage, but some common phrases I hear myself say relate to putting off things I wish I hadn't. This includes personal projects, riding, friends, and worst of all, my family. For years I have continued to keep notes in endless medium sized spiral notebooks for both personal and work-related items and I have become a master of all things Google calendar. Well, I recently discovered there is a next level of organization to be had and I encourage everyone with a semi-busy life and ideas and creativity swarming around in their head to look up "Bullet Journaling." The best part is it's fun and instills a feeling of accomplishment every time you use it.

Arm Yourself with Bullets

I'm just going to say it ... I have a fancy little bound notebook with top-notch paper (Leuchtturm1917 A5) and a couple of dedicated pens. I even put it in a nice, handmade leather cover making it even fancier. It's called a Bullet Journal and it's the best thing I've done in a long time. There is an insecure group of men that have referred to it as a BuJo (let's agree, that's worse), but considering I shaved my legs for 25 years and rode everywhere in spandex I don't worry about things like that.

Here's a video explaining the basic format but the way I look at it, a Bullet Journal is a sole, central hub where you manually input everything from your personal and work life, to ideas and positive thoughts into a strategically indexed format. I still rely on Google Calendar as I live by several audible daily reminders, but nothing helps me remember or follow through with something better than opening a book and writing it down. Even seeing my rather well thought out content page triggers things I may have forgotten to address. It also keeps me on task with things I say I want to do to the point I actually follow through with them. For those that always feel they're playing catch-up (raises hand), this takes a lot of the edge off at the very least.

Don't Procrastinate and Take Care of Yourself First

We're in the middle of what some of the country calls 'Winter' and this is the perfect time to prepare for and make subtle changes ... including getting more organized. If you don't take care of your own needs and happiness first, it becomes harder to accomplish the things others, and you, are relying on. Breathe and start by doing something for you. And just create a LinkedIn account already!!!

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