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merryhelps · 4 years ago

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plotting etiquette : a players guide

[ coming soon / an admins guide ]

plotting is an essential part to writing together; whether you’re in a group, an indie blog or even a 1x1, you need to be able to communicate with your peers in order to build a story. and that’s why we’re all here, right? to create worlds, no matter what the context, and most importantly, to do this with others. roleplaying is a team effort - no matter what universe you’re writing in. below the cut are some helpful tips, tricks and advice to remember when attempting to plot with others. if you’ve found this guide useful, please like and/or reblog to spread the word - and hopefully help out others along the way. ***a part two will be out next week for admins on how to promote and help your group with plotting.

i. ‘i’m scared of bothering people!’

this is a statement i’ve seen the most often around the rpc - whether it’s from a various text post people reblog, or as an admin who’s been on the receiving end of messages like this.

it’s important to remember that most of us get a little nervous about reaching out. while writing original pieces or fanfiction can give you some distance between the creating portion and the feedback process, there’s no real space for roleplaying. it’s an instantaneous thing - we put our words out there on the screen, and someone else has to reply to that in some capacity.

whether you’re an extrovert, an introvert or something in between, this can often be the beginning of the end for a lot of roleplayers. maybe you’ve joined an established group, and it seems like everyone has set dynamics and you don’t want to shake things up. or maybe you’re an indie blog, but you’re too scared to talk to someone you’ve idolized and want to write with.

the thing is, you can’t expect people to know what you want if you can’t verbalize it yourself. let them know you’re a little nervous ! chances are, they are too. we’re all on this platform trying to do the same thing, and everyone gets nervous about exposing themselves to strangers now and again. ultimately, we put a little piece of ourselves in every character we create, and that can be terrifying to show to people and expect them to accept. but a little effort goes a long way - making the first move can often help build a bridge to someone you might not have otherwise gotten the chance to write with. you’re going to have to take a risk sometimes. while not everyone is going to be receptive, most people will be. and chances are, if you start with something as simple as “hi, i’d love the chance to write / plot with you,” you’ll be met with an extraordinarily excited new partner. understand that if they don’t, it’s not a bad thing ! some writing styles don’t mesh together, some people have a harder time talking freely than others, and so many of us regularly forget to reply to a message. know that if you’ve put yourself out there, that’s a huge step in the right direction, no matter what comes of it, and next time it’ll be even easier.

ii. come prepared.

this is ultimately where a lot of players fall short. it’s one thing to say ‘let’s plot’, and another thing to do it altogether. you need to have some sort of jumping off point.

some ideas include:

a prompt / plot idea.

this is especially important if it’s a new person you’re trying to interact with. it’s difficult to come up with things on the spot, and if you’re reaching out, you need to have something to reach out with.

in a group you’ll want to take the time to read their biography / about / wanted connections if they have them listed. it’s a quick way to ensure you have a basis of what they want, and how you and your characters can then fill those needs.

as an indie / 1x1 see if they have any ‘wanted plots’ or ‘prompts’ tags. check out their ask memes tags. ensure you’ve read their guidelines on both of these, and follow them. while most people have similar rules, you can’t know that for sure unless you’ve read through them.

questions about their character(s).

everyone adores talking about their own characters - give them an opportunity to let them tell you about theirs! even if they’re playing a canon character, they’ll have their own take on them, with headcanons and quirks and hobbies that might not show up in the specific canon the character comes from.

use ask memes if you need help coming up with questions - ask memes are extraordinarily helpful when it comes to fleshing out muses for developmental purposes as it is, and while they’re usually made for general tumblr interaction, they can be a great jumping off point for talking specifics.

don’t be afraid to point out things in their bio / about / etc. this shows that you’ve gone through and read their pages, which shows that you care about them as a person and a character, and not merely another faceclaim.

talk about your character(s).

it’s always good, especially in a group, to have a small statement of facts about your character. in business, this is called an ‘elevator pitch’ - a few concise sentences that can get someone else interested.

for example, merrick wood is a former cheerleader who would do absolutely anything for her sister, holly, has no real ambitions and loves the weird and supernatural. you can find her swimming, or listening to mix cd’s she makes for her own amusement, or even on the hunt for big foot. this now gives the other player a few things to pick through - what kind of music is she listening to? why is her sister so important to her? is cheerleading still important enough for her to mention it to someone?

iii. plotting is a two way street.

the above two points work on the basis that you’ve made the first move - but say you’re the one who’s gotten the message of someone eager to plot with you ! takes a little stress off of your plate, but adds to their own. no matter what, remember that there is a real person on the other side of the screen. be kind, and treat them how you’d want to be treated - even if you’re not interested in writing with them, let them know ! a simple thanks for the message! i’m honored you’re interested in my characters, but at the moment i don’t think we’d be a good fit is enough of a response that most people should leave it at that. if you get a message saying they’re not interested, simply say ‘thank you for replying!’ and move on. as stated above, not everyone will always click - respect people’s boundaries, and understand that you’ll find a new partner in due time.

responding to plotting messages is as important as creating them; if someone says they want to plot and gives you ideas, play off of them. don’t simply say ‘okay!’ or ‘cool!’ - a habit a lot of people have had over the years.

example. if jenny says “i think it would be great if robert could surprise them with flowers,” reply wth “oh how cute!!!” and end there - expand on it, adding your own input - “that’s so cute! denise adores lilacs, and would be flustered to get them from someone she admires so much!” the latter sentence gives your partner something to respond to, something to work with, and may just end up being in the thread you write together!

iv. don’t make your admins do all the work.

this section is primarily for group roleplayers.

your admin(s) already do so much. behind the scenes, there’s constantly updating the main pages, queueing ads, coming up with tasks and events and plot drops to keep players entertained and happy. at the same time, they’re trying to play in the group with you - create their own stories, write their own characters. they should not have to spoon feed you plots. these are things you need to develop on your own and with fellow players.

example. in a town rp, and you have a social butterfly character ? throw a birthday party for a character, giving the other characters something to participate in without an official Admin Sponsored Event. you should of course ensure the admin is okay with you having ‘events’ like the above for various players, and you need to ensure you’re inclusive in them - don’t ‘throw a party’ and not invite half the group because you don’t want to plot with them. take the time to message players of characters who might not normally show up and figure out something else with them, or a reason why they would be there or even why they wouldn’t!

v. stop bubbling.

at the end of the day, plotting together is the best way to stop bubbling from happening in your group. no one wants to be the player left out of everything - make sure to try and reach out to the others, especially if you think other players may be ignoring them. writing together - in a group, on an indie, anywhere really - is supposed to be fun and challenging and a different experience every time. before you go to your admins about being left out / ignored, ask yourself if you’ve done the above. have you messaged other players ? asked them about their characters, and given ideas of potential prompts for the two of you to write ? if you have, and you’re still getting ignored, then absolutely talk to your admin team! but try and be proactive instead of reactive and you’d be amazed at how far you can go.

hopefully this guide will help you - remember, your roleplay experience is ultimately cultivated by yourself. you choose which groups to apply to, which characters to bring, and your attitudes and behaviors can affect your gameplay. being in a group, specifically, is about being a part of a team. become a team player, and you and your characters can find the roleplay family of your dreams ♡

#rph #rpt #guide #plotting etiquette #writing help #rp advice #©#© | guide #© ashley #requested

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jasontoddiefor · 5 years ago

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Title: burn bright until we’re not Fandom: Star Wars Ship: Biggs/Luke AN: Remember how I complained about the lack of fanfic? Yeah.

Read on AO3!

— first

Luke Skywalker was not the first person Biggs had a crush on, but perhaps he was the first he fell in love with. The day he realized how much he adored his best friend wasn’t really different from any other day on Tatooine. There wasn’t much to do on their homeworld but to laze around, work on the farm, get drunk, repair a speeder and go racing. They had been done with their chores already.

Well, Biggs who had many siblings and less to do in general had been finished.

He’d gone over to the Skywalker homestead after to help Luke so that they could go racing after. Luke had been busy repairing droids, grease smeared over his clothes and face while he frowned at five different wires, only to lighten up as soon as he spotted his best friend. Biggs fell in love with the way Luke smiled at him.

— kiss

More often than not, kissing Luke meant tasting dust and oil. Biggs didn’t mind too much, even made fun of his boyfriend for being made out of storms and machines. Luke tackled him in retribution, they fell down into the sand, complained and laughed. They kissed the day Biggs left for the Academy, for the Rebellion, and there was nothing sweet about it. They clung to each other in desperation, torn between dreams and hopes and promises of coming back.

— final

The fighting stopped, the second Death Star had been taken out and with it the Emperor. But still, there was no sign of Luke. Biggs hadn’t been there when he decided to leave, surrender to Darth Vader so they wouldn’t have to deal with a Sith Lord killing their already few numbers. This was the final day of an era of tyranny, and Luke might be-

— numb

No, I am your father.

Luke had been desperate at first, then panicked and scared and finally angry. Now he only felt numb. When his world had been falling apart, the stories about his father had been something to cling to. He had been a good man, a hero, and Luke had wanted to be just like him.

He didn’t know who was supposed to be now.

— broken

When Luke returned from Bespin, he wasn’t the same. He was missing his friend, his lightsaber and his right hand, but something in him had broken and Biggs didn’t know how to fix it.

“He survived Vader,” Wedge assured him. “He will pull through.”

— wings

“So, uh, does everything around Commander Skywalker usually grow wings?”

Rogue Squadron’s newest recruit was short, and she doesn’t look like much, but her turns were so sharp that Luke wanted to hand her his lightsaber just to see if she’d know what to do.

“You get used to it,” Wedge sighed. “Our dear leader usually goes outside to meditate, but Biggs forbid him after he caught a cold last time.”

Luke dropped one of the floating tools on Wedge’s head.

— melody

Luke was humming. Biggs was fairly sure he didn’t even notice it, but since they had taken off, flying in the direction of the Death Star, Luke had been humming. He only really stopped when he was calling in and giving a status update. Biggs knew the song from Luke. It wasn’t a nursery rhyme, but Aunt Beru used to sing it as one. Luke always muttered it when he was trying to calm down, except for that one time he had shouted it when they’d been flying away from Tuskens in Beggar’s Canyon.

“Oh, You're never gonna be closer to the Great Water,” Biggs whispered to himself. “Than when the Master sends you into the desert, don’t cry, don’t cry…”

They’d make it out. They would survive this suicide run against the Empire and utterly destroy their weapon of mass destruction.

— rules

Luke watched Biggs leave, the japor snippet he’d been given burning warmly in his hand. Biggs had promised that he’d return in three years time, come pick Luke up and they’d be free to travel wherever they wanted. It was a nice dream and Luke wanted to chase after it, but nobody who had made it off Tatooine ever came back, such were the rules of their life. Luke felt like everything inside him was screaming at him to tell him he’d see Biggs again. Well, that could only mean that it would be Luke chasing after Biggs, so that for once in their lives their roles were reversed.

— chocolate

Introducing his new wingman to sweets was Wedge’s new hobby. Biggs Darklighter, Outer Rim pilot, was a terror on the field. You almost wouldn’t assume he was nineteen, looking and acting much older. Right now though, his face utterly stuffed with fine Alderaanian chocolate, he actually seemed like the inexperienced young man he was.

“I have to show Luke this,” Biggs muttered.

“Who’s Luke?” Wedge asked.

Biggs smiled softly and oh- well, if that wasn’t a love-struck expression.

— nostalgia

“I missed this,” Han said. “You, me, people shooting at us while we’re saving the day.”

“This is not the right place for nostalgia, Han!” Leia shouted at him and leaped over their cover, her lightsaber ignited.

“You’re right,” Han agreed, watching her tear her way through their attackers like an angry war goddess. This was way better.

— heartbeat

“We’re losing him! I need a medic over here, now!”

This wasn’t their childhood adventure, this was war. It meant burying and burning their dead, staining their dirty flight suits with the blood of the people they couldn’t help, those they reached too late.

“Quick, someone, his heartbeat is weak, hurry up-“

“He’s gone, Biggs,” Luke said, his voice sounded far away. “We have to keep moving. C’mon, the imps aren’t far behind us.”

— stranger

They hadn’t seen each other in weeks. Luke had been tracking down Jedi artifacts on his own and Biggs had been busy flying transports.

“Hey, there stranger,” Biggs greeted Luke from behind.

Luke didn’t even twitch, it was getting near impossible to surprise him nowadays. He turned around quickly and pulled at Biggs’ collar so he could kiss him. Around them, their friends shout and whistle.

“Idiots, all of them,” Biggs laughed and went in for a second kiss. He tangled his fingers in Luke’s hair. It was darker than it had ever been on Tatooine, and longer too.

“You need a haircut.”

“I need a shower,” Luke replied. “Care to join me?”

— confusion

Han didn’t know what he was supposed to make of the kid, the old man, and the two droids. Chewie liked them, especially the old man. He’d introduced himself as Ben Kenobi and the kid as Luke Skywalker. Han had been a brat himself during the Clone Wars, but even he recognized those two last names. The Jedi magic business he was less sold on – it made no sense and it was confusing as hell, alright? – but back in the war, the Jedi had been Generals. Military titles Han could work with. Either way, the kid and the old man didn’t look like much, but perhaps they’d prove him wrong.

— bitter

The alcohol tasted bitter on Luke’s tongue, but it wasn’t the worst drink he'd ever had.

“Passable,” he judged and handed his bottle over to Wes who promptly choked on it.

“The heck, Skywalker! This tastes like the stuff I put in my tanks! This isn’t drinkable.”

Luke frowned and took back the bottle to hand it to Biggs, who also had no problems drinking it. They shared a look, then grinned.

“You should taste the stuff we drunk back home.”

“No, thank you.”

— afterlife

Biggs stared at Luke, then at the empty space beside Luke where apparently Anakin Skywalker’s ghost was lurking, and finally back again at Luke.

“No,” he said, pulled their blanket over his head again and dropped back on their bed. “It’s too early for funky Jedi business. I can meet him later when I’m awake and coherent enough to understand dead people coming back. The world of the living is closed for any afterlife dwellers until I’ve had my kaf.”

Biggs slowly fell asleep again to the sound of twin laughter.

— daybreak

Biggs had spent the whole day over at the Lars homestead until it had been so dark, Aunt Beru hadn’t wanted him to go home by himself. Luke and he had squeezed together in Luke’s bed, which was much too small for two teenagers, even if Luke was short for his age. They stayed up way to too late and got up before the first sun rose.

“C’mon,” Luke whispered and dragged Biggs with him outside. They climbed up the dome of the homestead and huddled together, watched the sunrise. At daybreak, Biggs decided he’d follow Luke everywhere, he’d only need to ask.

— audience

They had an audience.

“Didn’t you say he was your boyfriend?” Wes asked. Next to him, the pilot Luke had arrived with – Han Solo or so? – looked just as flabbergasted as the rest of the team. He kept looking at Luke, as if to check that they weren’t playing a prank on them.

“You talked about me?”

Now Luke was looking up at Biggs with his big blue eyes flickering mischievously and Biggs could feel his cheeks heating up.

“Well, yes. I mean, it’s not like this is Tatooine, but I figured I should still, ah, stick to the oath, so boyfriend-“

Luke finally had enough torturing Biggs. “Yes, you did fine. And yes, we are married.”

“When did that happen?” Solo asked, throwing his hands in the air. “We arrived not even a week ago!”

Now it was Luke’s turn to blush, rightly so. “Uh, before Biggs left Tatooine, so three years ago…?”

— endless

Sometimes it felt like the fighting never stopped. They came back from patrol, someone slapped a few bacta patches on them if they could afford any, they ate if they could keep the ration bars down, went to sleep if they didn’t wake up screaming and got sent off for another run. There were moments where Biggs thought it didn’t get any better, the Alliance just tried to avoid the worst of the punches. He hated this endless fighting, the thought that this might be it for the rest of his life.

He always got back up again either way.

— fireworks

The first time they kiss, it wasn't so much a kiss as Biggs being stupid and getting lost in his thoughts. Luke couldn’t sit still and he was always making sounds, whether he was humming or talking. Luke had turned to Biggs, asking him to hand him a tool and all Biggs could think of at that moment, was how nice it would be to kiss Luke.

So he did.

As soon as his lips touched Luke’s, he realized what he was doing and pulled back. He expected Luke to start shouting maybe, not to flush bright red, stammer and abandon all attempts at communication to dive in for a second, clumsy and awkward kiss. They made up inexperience with enthusiasm and nothing, not even the drought season fireworks, could compare.

— wishing

“So you what? Rub a lamp and get three wishes?” Leia asked skeptically.

Han groaned. “Yes, it’s an old Corellian story. Can I go on now?”

“But, Dad, aren’t there any rules about the wishes?”

“Yes, Han. There must be rules.”

There probably were, but Han couldn’t recall them. He only vaguely remembered the story from his childhood. Maybe his mother had told it to him or he had just put it together from the many stories the fellow orphans used to tell at night, he wouldn’t know.

He did know that his wife and son shared the same inquiring look that looked utterly adorable on Ben’s small round face.

“You make up some rules then,” Han decided and as expected, Ben and Leia immediately began discussion.

So much for bedtime stories.

— birthday

Leia’s birthdays had always been overshadowed by the much more important Empire Day, a festive no planet of the Empire could escape. Her parents used to sit down with her for an hour at least, both making time in their busy schedules to have sweets with her and give Leia their presents. After Alderaan’s destruction, Leia had never stopped to think about her birthdays. She’d forgotten it twice and only remembered it when Luke mentioned offhandedly that it was his birthday while they were stuck together hiding from bounty hunters.

The war wasn’t over now, far from it, but a year after the Emperor’s death, Leia could celebrate, wanted to celebrate her birth and that of her twin’s. She’d missed enough years with him, she didn't want to miss another.

— tomorrow

Today they partied. They cheered and danced and got so blackout drunk they wouldn’t be able to hear the desperate screams of their friends’ dying breaths. Tomorrow they would burn flags for their dead. They would pack up their base and rush to a new system to hide in.

— oppression

Biggs could have had a comfortable life on Tatooine. His family was well-established and he’d earn enough money to live a good life, but Biggs had always dreamed of the stars. But even more than that, he’d yearned for a free galaxy. The Darklighters had kept their last name when they became free, Biggs great-grandmother hadn’t ever wanted to pretend she came from somewhere that was not oppression, but the people around them had forgotten it more and more with each year that passed.

Skywalker, on the other hand, was so glaringly a slave name, people took notice.

Tatooine bred two kinds of people, those who resisted and those who sought to establish their cruel system. If they had just one or two pilots more, a chance to get off this planet, the rebels would be overrun with help from the Hutt space.

— agony

Leia stared at the people in front of her, wondering whether they were serious pilots or a bunch of teenagers.

“You don’t understand,” Hobbie insisted. “It’s agony. You’re our only hope, Senator.”

“I’m busy,” Leia said and walked past them. Honestly, Luke and Biggs were adults, they could solve their fight on their own. Interfering would only make it worse.

“Please! They won’t even talk to each other!”

Leia rolled her eyes. If they already weren’t talking anymore, they were already done fighting and just trying to figure out who needed to apologize first.

“Busy!”

— return

Luke wondered what it said about himself that he’d been so reluctant to return to Tatooine, even when he knew that Han was here and they had to free him. Perhaps it was because he could still smell the ashes of his burned childhood home. Or maybe because he could hear the desert scream at him, beg him to save their children.

But he couldn’t. Not today.

He’d be back again, he knew then. Free the remaining slaves as the Jedi had ought to do decades ago, teardown the makeshift grave he’d made for his parents, and maybe watch in amusement as Biggs’ mother would be forced to treat him politely as her son-in-law.

— protection

“Don’t forget to use protection!” Wedge shouted, as always the loudest of the Rogues.

Right beside him, Hobbie laughed. “And close the doors if you’re busy!”

Wes, the last remaining member of the original Death Star Red Squadron only snorted and shook his head. “They’re going on a mission, guys.”

“Undercover!”

“Without supervision!”

“Left alone for the first time in- uck.”

Biggs had thrown a pillow at Wedge, while Luke hadn’t even bothered to turn around. No, he had a husband to protect his honor.

— boxes

They exchanged gifts near midnight while the party showed no sign of ending, but the day was almost over.

“What is this?” Luke asked and for a split-second, Leia was angry at her parents. How could her father let them be split up? Luke should have grown up together with her on Alderaan, known their customs as well as she did.

“They’re marriage cords,” Leia explained. “Siblings make them for each other when they get married. I’m…” Leia quickly counted the years. “Nine years late, but I wanted you to have one. We usually put them in our hair during the wedding and keep them as necklaces or bracelets after.”

“Oh.” Luke examined the sky blue cords Leia had spent weeks fussing over. “Can you help me put them in? I don’t know how exactly.”

“Of course. Do I get to open my present before?”

“Yes!”

Luke eagerly pushed a small box into her hands. Leia opened it carefully and took out the bright purple crystal out of the box. Her brother looked a little sheepish, but there was an edge to his expression of which Leia knew that it meant that this was important to him.

“I know you said you prefer blasters and would leave the Jedi-ing to me, but the galaxy’s better off when we’re together.”

She grinned and elbowed Luke. “Don’t start complaining when I kick your ass, little brother.”

“I have it on good authority that I’m actually the older one-“

— hope

When Biggs finally returned to Yavin IV, he was exhausted. It was daytime on the moon, everyone seemed to be outside, running around, but all he really wanted to do was drop in his bed and sleep for the next twenty-four hours.

“Good morning, Commander Darklighter!”

The young boy who had greeted Biggs was dressed in loose tonics, looking much happier and comfortable than he had half a year ago when they’d found him and another two dozen children in an imperial training facility. He hadn’t gotten out of his habit of calling people by their titles yet, but his night terrors had lessened considerably and Biggs counted it as a win.

“Morning, Finn,” Biggs greeted. “And who is this little lady?”

The little girl hiding behind Finn mustered him curiously. She couldn’t be much older than four if Biggs were to guess.

“This is Rey Skywalker,” Finn said. “She’s new. Master Luke found her on Jakku. He’s training with the Padawans right now, do you want me to take you?”

Skywalker, she was another one of their many nameless and abandoned children then.

“I’d like that,” Biggs said and crouched down. “It’s nice to meet you Rey. My name is Biggs. I’m usually in charge of making sure our Jedi Master is behaving.”

He held out his hand and little Rey, new hope for a new age, took it.

— preparation

There were four of them, five if you counted Luke. Out of thirty, five had made it back from the Death Star. The other squadrons weren’t faring much better, there was a lot of reshuffling to be done.

“We need a name,” Hobbie decided, the oldest of them all at twenty-six. It seemed a little bit like a macabre joke.

“Five rogue pilots? We’re not gonna be a new squadron. They’ll split us up,” Wes tossed in, anger coloring his voice. He’d been with the Red Squadron the longest, lost the most friends. Despite his words, he had marched with the rest of them to the first empty room near the hangers, not awaiting room assignment. None of them were really preparing to be split up.

“So we tell them we’re a team,” Luke said, shrugging. “They can’t do anything about it then.”

Biggs wanted to protest. That really wasn’t how the Alliance worked, and yet when he opened his mouth, the words were lost to him. Luke got this air about him sometimes, like he knew whatever was saying was the truth and nothing but the truth.

“Rogue Squadron,” Wedge decided. “We should be the Rogue Squadron. We made the Death Star shot, we finished what they started, we’ll take their name. I’ll be Rogue Two.”

Wedge hadn’t been at Scarif, he’d been in medical at the time, but Tellem had been and they had died there. Biggs had never known what exactly their relationship was, and now it was too late.

“Rogue Three,” Biggs said instead.

“Four,” Wes added, while Hobbie claimed Rogue Five for himself.

That only left Luke and it seemed obvious now where he belonged.

— beautiful

“You’re beautiful.”

Biggs snorted.

“I’m old and gray and no, I’m not going to go pick up the Padawans in the jungle with you. Flattery won’t get you anywhere, Skywalker.”

Luke laughed and sat up. “Oh, I’m pretty sure it’ll get me everywhere.”

After all these years, Biggs still felt like that clumsy sixteen-year-old with a crush on the loveliest person he knew. He’d thought of himself as so grown up then already, but looking back, he knew they had been children still, much too young for the decisions they would make.

“If we pick the kids up with a ship, how much longer can we stay in bed?”

Going by the speed at which Luke made himself comfortable next to Biggs again, he assumed they could stay like this at least another hour.

— lies

“He’s my father!” Luke finally shouted, cut off from the rest of their squadron, stuck in a jungle on some Force-forsaken planet in the middle of nowhere.

In the desert, you learned how to be silent, least of all you attract womp rats or raiders or even more dangerous beings. Luke rarely raised his voice but now, admitting the truth, he was shouting at the storm inside his mind.

“Darth Vader is your father,” Biggs repeated.

He wanted to tell him to stop lying, except it made terribly sense. Luke’s wanted posters never named him as the Death Star Shot, and they demanded that he was to be brought in not only alive, but unharmed.

“But you’re still Luke Skywalker,” Biggs continued.

He pulled Luke back into his arms and, as so often in the last months, hoped they’d get a break from fighting the Empire, fighting for Justice.

— underneath

Han opened the secret compartment of the Falcon, hoping everybody would be alright. Three bright-eyed kids looked back up at him and not for the first time, did Han wonder why he of all people always ended up smuggling Jedi brats through the galaxy. He was married to Leia, Senator of New Alderaan and Jedi Knight, and he was a pretty well-known figure as well. He really shouldn’t be cut out for undercover work still after so many years.

“Thank you, General Organa,” the oldest of the brats said and climbed out of the hatch.

“Don’t sweat it.”

— hide

Watching the tiny Skywalker and Darklighter interact was one of Rex’s favorite past times. They were so much like General Skywalker and Senator Amidala, it was almost funny. Always searching for the other when they were in the same room, making eye-contact, the cheesy flirting toned down to keep an air of professionalism – Rex could go on and on.

The only difference was that they didn’t have to hide.

Commander Skywalker rushed past Darklighter and gave him a quick peck on the lips before chasing after some new recruits. Rex wondered if perhaps his parents would be here now too, fighting alongside them, if they hadn’t been forced to keep their relationship a secret.

— diary

“He knew, you know,” Luke told Leia. “Ben- Obi-Wan. He knew about our parents’ relationship, but he kept it a secret anyway because Father would have been thrown out of the Order and Mother would have lost her seat in the Senate. He wrote about it in his journal.”

Leia had wanted to get her hands on Obi-Wan Kenobi’s journal ever since her brother had given her the purple kyber crystal that accompanied Leia everywhere. It was difficult to figure out how to construct a lightsaber without any reference texts, but Luke had been busy.

“So all of this could have been avoided with a few changed laws?” Leia asked, already knowing the answer.

Of course, it wasn’t this easy. Tracking down how deep Palpatine’s machinations had ran took up most of her time. Leia still resented Vader and she didn’t think she’d ever care for him the way Luke did, but there was something horrifying about reading through a Sith Lord’s observations of a bright twelve-year-old child meant for greatness. Leia could never mourn Vader, but in the quiet presence of her brother she allowed herself to mourn Anakin Skywalker.

— unforeseen

Biggs didn’t believe it when he saw a tuft of blonde hair, the color of spun gold, during the meeting. Wedge had mentioned that the princess had been returned by a farm boy and a smuggler, but he didn’t think of Luke. He was still back on Tatooine, waiting for Biggs to come pick him up. He’d been meaning to go a few weeks ago, but the Alliance had needed him more. Now Luke was within reach, and yet, even when Biggs could clearly see his face, just across the hall, he couldn’t believe it.

— conditional

“These terms are non-negotiable, Skywalker,” Fett said.

His blaster was still pointed at Biggs’ temple. The bounty hunter would kill him before either could move.

“Fine.” Luke threw away his lightsaber. “I come with you, but he stays alive. Those are my conditions.”

Fett agreed and tossed a pair of handcuffs at Luke, shooting Biggs’ leg in the same motion. Biggs shouted and dropped to his knees.

“He’s alive, now come on, Jedi.”

— gone

He had missed twenty years, two decades, too much time his son should have been at his side. Padmé was gone, Vader had returned to Naboo to examine her grave, to ensure that this hadn’t been yet another trick played on him, that she hadn’t betrayed him once more.

Vader had always thought their child would be a girl with Padmé’s coloring and maybe his blue eyes. She had been fond of them. He wondered what Luke looked like beyond the red haze of Vader’s vision.

— clear

“Are you threatening me?” Biggs asked, trying to figure out why Han Solo was metaphorically waving his blaster in Biggs’ face.

Han nodded and crossed his arms in front of his chest. The two of them were almost the same height, but Biggs was tired and slouching while Han was standing with his back straight.

“Yes, it’s tradition. Luke is my friend. I figured nobody else had done it on his behalf. Are we clear?”

“Crystal,” Biggs replied.

— heartache

“He’s stupid!” Leia ranted. “And ignorant and arrogant and petulant and-“

“Important to you?” Luke interrupted her.

Leia glared at him, then dropped face-first onto her bed and groaned. It was strange seeing her so childish. Around everyone else, she acted much more serious, never said a word about how she was feeling. Luke thought it might be because everyone called her “Princess” first and by her rank second, making it easier for themselves to talk over her.

But the two of them clicked well. Sometimes it surprised Luke that they hadn’t been friends since childhood, teasing each other about their crushes and heartache.

“One day I’m going to kiss Han to shut him up,” Leia vowed.

— wired

There were always a lot of droids on their bases, especially around the hanger where most of the repairs took place and the pilots kept their astromechs, except Luke’s of course. Artoo always followed his Master or, in his absence, his Master’s companion.

“Your droid has some loose wiring,” one of their mechanics said.

Artoo had left one Master once, he wouldn’t leave a second.

— insanity

Watching Luke train was fascinating. He was right in his element, all the habits that made Luke a little strange fit so suddenly. You couldn’t spent half your life in love with Luke Skywalker and end up thinking he was normal. Biggs recalled the stories the Clone Wars’ veterans on base told of the leaders they always called their Jedi, loyal to the end. They sounded like ethereal warriors with too bright eyes, always a little too aware of their surroundings. It was almost too easy to picture Luke as one of them. It wasn’t insane to imagine him bringing back the Order he belonged to now.

Biggs wouldn’t mind. Hell, he’d be right out there with him helping. If Luke set his mind on something, he could do it.

— foolish

“Marry me,” Biggs said.

“What?” Luke thought he had misheard Biggs.

“Let’s get married,” his boyfriend repeated, grinning like a love-sick fool. “So you’ll always know I’m going to come back for you.”

“We can’t. My uncle-“

“So we’ll do it in secret,” Biggs argued. “No one but us has to know.”

Marrying in secret was nothing unusual on Tatooine. It was often enough that couples couldn’t be together openly, Hutt rule prevented that kind of freedom. Luke had always thought his wedding would be different.

“We’re not slaves,” Luke said stubbornly. They shouldn’t have to do anything in secret, they were free people and few things had ever been as important to Luke as reminding others of it.

“I know. I know Luke Skywalker, freeborn child of Anakin, child of Shmi, child of the desert. I know you and I want to marry you.”

Luke stared at him in disbelief, giving Biggs a chance to take back his words, but his best friend was still serious, unwilling to budge. Luke was strong, stubborn too, but not enough to deny himself this.

“We don’t have any water!” He finally blurted out. “We need water. And japor pieces.”

“Is that a yes?”

Luke leaned forward until his forehead was resting against Biggs’. “Of course, I’m saying yes.”

— words

He was silent at his father’s funeral. He could hear the people celebrating in the distance, but right in front of the funeral pyre where Anakin Skywalker’s prison laid burning, Luke couldn’t say a word.

— study

“Master Yoda told me to pass on what I’ve learned,” Luke said and dropped the datapads in frustration. “But there’s so much I don’t know! How am I supposed to bring back the Jedi if I don’t even know half of what their Padawans had to know?”

He’d spent hours upon hours reading through his Father’s archive. He barely managed to get through one text without having to look up another and another- A lot of it didn’t make sense to him and half of it he didn’t even understand.

Whenever he told one of the others, they just said he’d manage with some more studying, but Luke was starting to lose faith. Where did one start to study without a teacher?

Master Yoda had called him a Jedi Knight, Luke wasn’t so sure about that anymore.

— love

Luke didn’t know how to love gradually. Unlike his Father, as he’d later learn, Luke’s love wasn’t all-consuming, going further than it should. He cared for his pilots, for his friends, his sister, and his father. Anakin Skywalker was Darth Vader, but Darth Vader was also Anakin Skywalker or he wouldn’t have chased after his son for years. Once that knowledge settled in his mind, Luke loved his father. It gave him the strength to throw away his lightsaber, to come in peace instead of war. He’d never excuse Vader’s actions and he’d never give more than he could, but Luke loved and the galaxy was a better place for it.

— skies

“Rogue Squadron reporting for duty, Sir,” Luke said.

He knew that the rest of High Command didn’t really know what to make of him. He was young, he was short and he had a lightsaber he was only just now figuring out how to use. The sky, though? That Luke knew. He didn’t know how to be a Jedi, but he knew how to fly and soar through the sky.

He could be a pilot.

He would be.

— stars

“I want to see the stars, all of them,” Luke said, proud that his voice didn’t crack even once. It had started breaking a while ago, much to everyone’s amusement.

“All of them? That will take a while.” Biggs was teasing him, but Luke knew his friend yearned for the stars just as much as he did.

“A whole lifetime!”

Luke couldn’t think of anything he’d rather do.

— lucky

Luke closed his eyes. He had to make this shot. Failure was not an option. What was, was.

Back on Tatooine, people always said Luke was a lucky one. He may not have had the most money, but he always managed to pick the best droids and ship parts for the few credits he did have. Shooting womp rats half-blind with sand making his eyes tear wasn’t more difficult than this.

He just had to focus.

— shake

“This is Rogue Three, I’ve picked up some annoying imps and I can’t shake them.”

“Rogue Twelve here. I’m helping you out. Where’s your wingman?”

“Busy getting shot at- I just got that wing repaired, don’t aim at it, you stupid-“

“Rogue Six, has anybody got their eyes on our fearless leader?”

“Rogue Two, I’m still following Luke- kriff, shit, oh, no, no-“

“What’s going on there? Wedge, what the heck’s going on?”

“TIE fighters, three of them- fuck, that’s Death Squadron! Everybody retreat! Get out! Hail command and tell them we need back up! Now!”

— punctual

Biggs pulled up, just in time to avoid the shot from the TIE fighter behind him and spun, just like he used to back home, causing the enemy pilot to crash into the wall. Biggs resumed his position as Luke’s guard, sure that once more he wouldn’t be able to make it. Instead of falling into a panic, remembering the names and faces of the decimated Red Squadron, Biggs forced himself to look ahead. They’d make it, he told himself. There was no fear. The winds of Tatooine carried them forward and Biggs watched as Luke made his shot. Even before the hit landed, he was already pulling up, ready to give Luke cover so they could escape in time before the Death Star blew them up as well.

Biggs knew Luke had done the impossible.

They escaped the Death Star as fast as they could, passing the wreckage of a bloodless battlefield.

“Red three, are you with me?” Luke’s voice echoed over the comms.

“Yeah,” Biggs replied. “Like I’d ever leave you alone. I promised, remember?”

They were both laughing and crying when they got out of their ships. Biggs pulled Luke into a hug, desperation and utter joy overwhelming him, so very similar to that last night on Tatooine.

They had survived.

#star wars #Luke Skywalker #biggs darklighter #skylighter #leia organa #Han Solo #the rogue squad ended up playing a way bigger role than i though they would #fanfic #almost 6.000 words my dudes #in one day #that'S what the cool kids call #'i didn't work on my essay'#look at me go tossing all my worldbuilding in here again #i just have feelings about Alderaan alright

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demonicpiano · 4 years ago

Text

Three-Fourths the Way There

RusEng + Magic Trio School AU!

You can read it on my AO3!

Rating: General/K+

(Safe enough to read at work!)

Words: >6K

Status: Complete, One-shot

Summary: There’s a new rule that school clubs need to have four members to a club, minimum. The Magic Club only has three. Cue panic.

"Don't look now, but that Russian kid is staring again."

Arthur turned his head. In the seat beside him, Vlad smacked a hand to his face, "I said don't look! Oh, great! He's probably going to curse you now and eat your parents!"

"Wow, he'll curse me and eat my parents?" Arthur made sure that his friend saw him roll his eyes. "Remind me to give my mum a call after class."

The last third of their trio glanced over his shoulder from a desk ahead as Vlad whisper-yelled, "What do you think happened to his ma and pa?"

"That's dark." Lukas launched a wad of paper, which bounced off the side of Vladimir's head. "You should be studying."

"Look around." The chatter of teenagers said it all, "Nobody's working. I bet the teacher is playing solitaire."

"Lukas is right. Sitting here and gossiping like a bunch of old ladies won't help us study." Arthur opened his textbook with a promise to his companions, "We have plenty of time for that during ritual."

"Honey or lemon this time?" Lukas asked.

"Lemon. Demons don't like the texture of sweet things."

Across the classroom, a lone Ivan smiled.

~.~

Not only was he the spokesperson of the Magic Club and go-to exorcist when the girls believed a spirit was haunting the gym locker room (the trick was to get the ghosts to leave willingly), Hetalia Academy's best and most prestigious was exemplified in the perfect form of Arthur Kirkland, head of the student body in Council. He was the first to arrive and last one to leave, as always, with notes on the ready to whip the other members into focus. Of course, he did not forget to hide the chalk so Yao and Alfred would not host doodle-contests that would end in a decisive victory.

Absolutely perfect...at least, he would say so.

Not long after Arthur settled, the door to the otherwise empty classroom opened, and he automatically straightened. Maybe today's Student Council wouldn't begin forty minutes late. A hulking figure slowed before the cluster of desks pushed together in a cheap meeting strategy, "Good afternoon, President."

Arthur raised his eyebrows, "I told you that you do not have to call me that." Ivan simply smiled, like he always seemed to do. "Take a seat. Hopefully the others will come soon."

"Thank you." Ivan settled, and began fiddling with something inside his bookbag. It stayed quiet. Neither of them were ones to make an empty room particularly interesting, but silence did not always need to be filled especially after a chatter-filled day of teachers and students. At least Ivan knew that...as much as Arthur could find himself to be at ease with him. Not only did the big guy stare from across the classroom during first period, he often giggled to himself as if he had many devious secrets. The fairies would shudder upon his arrival and promptly flee. Strange, but Arthur would take whatever damn peace and quiet he could get over-

The door swung open with a squawk of hinges and words, "...it was a shitstorm-supernova, man. I told him to lay off the milk, but-OH-HEY-ARTIE-HOW-ARE-YOU-DOING?!"

Arthur tried not to flinch too much as a gobble-gooked, French-accented chuckle poured salt in the wound of his bleeding eardrums. "The party is here!"

"That's me by the way!" Alfred announced with the World's Widest Grin. Sometimes it reached impossible places. He bounced past Ivan, gave him a smack on the head, and noisily dropped himself and his bookbag beside Arthur. Francis took Arthur's other side, reeking of a bath of perfume. No escape; it was either French or American. Damn it all, Arthur should have taken the other seat and risk sitting beside Ivan or Yao. Speaking of whom, the last (but certainly not least) shuffled in and plopped himself beside Ivan with a sigh.

"We're all here," Arthur said right away in order to curb stomp any potential conversations or distractions. "We'll get started right away. Phone's down and off, and as always, save your complaints until I'm finished." He grabbed a few sheets from his collection, snapped his folder shut, and began to distribute. "As you know, our annual dance is still some months away, but it is our duty as Student Council to get these flyers set up and sent out as soon as possible. I made these example sheets—Ivan, get off your phone, please—so we can hopefully come up with a design."

"Not on my phone."

"Nobody stares at their lap and smiles like that."

"I do."

"Nobody asked you, Francis."

"He's knitting," Yao said. Ivan snapped his hands over his lap and looked up as if he were caught halfway into the biscuit jar.

Before Arthur could say anything, before he could think to say anything, Alfred leaped from his seat with a shrill, "Are you really knitting! Isn't that something old ladies do?!"

"I..."

Arthur yanked the back of Alfred's jacket to get his behind in his seat again, "Sit down, would you? And knitting is not just for old ladies. It is a very calming and intricate hobby that can be used for a variety of reasons and-" Ivan was staring again. Smiling. Arthur gulped, ending much more weakly, "but you should leave it for a different time."

"Okie-dokie."

"Old lady!" Alfred sang.

"Shut it," Arthur warned. "Back on track here."

Work unwillingly completed was better than no work completed. As long as those ungrateful little—oops, the lovely student body—appreciated Arthur's efforts, then all would be just peachy. Besides, it wasn't the Student Council he looked forward to most, but the Magic Club was not until after school tomorrow. Once a week was always so close, yet so far. They had the design for the flyers completely planned and even began discussing a bake-sale in spring by the time Alfred leaped from his chair, "It's four o'clock! Time to go!"

"What is burning his ass?" Yao wondered. Arthur simply shook his head as everyone around him snatched their belongings and peeled out of the room as quickly as humanly possible. He gathered the scattered plans to tuck them safely into their folder with much more care than anybody else would give-

A paper poked his arm. Oh, Ivan was still there, holding one Arthur must have overlooked. "Oh, thanks-"

"Can I walk with you to the bus?"

"Excuse me, what?"

Ivan ducked his head.

"I suppose."

"Thank you."

Arthur gave a side-eye before taking himself and his bag out of the classroom. He walked fast and with purpose, though Ivan easily kept pace with long legs. Neither said anything, which was a bit odd. Then again, he was a bit of an odd fellow. Not many friends. Not really any friends. Large. Hulking. Thick arms. Uh, keeps to himself. Typical odd kid, yeah.

"How is your magic club?"

"Magic Club? It's...all right." A warning glance. Ivan kept his eyes forward. "Why?"

"All right? Did you find somebody yet?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Did you not hear? There was an email." Ivan stopped in the middle of the hall and pointed to a ginormous bulletin board a little ways away. "Every Club needs to have at least four members now or else it will be disbanded!"

"What?!" Arthur sent a sharp look over his shoulder, hoping for Ivan's sake that was just a cruel joke. He stormed across the linoleum floors, pouring over every letter and announcement (and a stray note saying that so-and-so smelled like mushrooms?) until he caught the bright yellow sheet that read, 'AFTER-SCHOOL CLUB UPDATE.' So on and so forth, '...effective the first day of the new semester, January 4. If you have any questions, please speak to a guidance counselor or send an email at...' "No..." Arthur cursed the paper. The paper did not respond. A heart could not handle to be abandoned like this so quickly and suddenly. Him. Lukas. Vlad. The chopping block called for their necks.

Ivan let out a thoughtful noise beside Arthur, scaring the nerves out of him again. Arthur almost told him to stop sneaking on him like that, but found himself unwilling to open his mouth. The Magic Club was unlike the others; it did not thrive off crowds and attention. It can, and has been, thriving with secrecy and rumors whispered through the halls. Three people was enough. It has been enough. It always should have been enough-

"So you have not found fourth member yet?"

"No. Not yet." Arthur resisted the urge to look to Ivan's face. What if it was a tease, a laugh hidden behind sweet words? What if it was full of hope? An unspoken yet obvious question? He couldn't bear it. Not now. Not so soon. "I have to go."

"Ah, did I say something bad?"

"No, Ivan, not you. I need to get home." Quickly, over his shoulder, Arthur called, "Goodbye."

"Okay, uh, bye-bye!"

Arthur stormed out of the school. Each step would be a threat to leave the earth to shatter if he didn't want to be so quick. He threw himself onto his bus and fell into a seat with a huff. Everything had fractured and fallen apart so quickly. Now, he had the entire ride home to stew in the dark thoughts swirling through his mind.

~.~

Nobody welcomed Arthur home, and he did not care nor have the time to care. It was straight to his bedroom, door locked, and books unceremoniously deposited on his desk. He immediately opened his laptop, then his chat window between him, Lukas, and Vlad to start a call. The application droned. His reflection scowled at himself. It didn't make the drones drone faster.

"Arthur? What's up?"

"Lukas, I-" Something made a string of obnoxious noise from the other end.

"Sorry-" Yap, yap, yap-

"Hana! Shush!"

"I'll just go upstairs."

"No, no," Arthur said, "if I called at a bad time...I should wait until Vlad gets on anyway-"

Bloop.

"Talking about me?"

Arthur slapped his hands to his desk, "The Magic Club needs to find another member or we're getting disbanded."

"Wait, what?!"

"There was some letter from the principal. Hold on, I didn't check my email yet today." Arthur sought to do that. "Apparently, it has something to do with funding or whatever excuse they're using, but all clubs have to have at least four or more members starting the new semester."

Vlad squawked in offense.

"Check your email! It says it all there."

Lukas' voice was a quiet storm, tight with concern, "The new semester? That's less than two months away."

"Still, that will give us a decent amount of time. We can ask around to see who can join."

"Hey, Lukas," Vlad said, "what about your lil' bro?"

"He's in grade 8. Doesn't even go to the school yet."

"Oh. Sucks."

"Hm."

Arthur worried the inside of his cheek. As noisy as it was, life was mundane, scheduled and predictable. Sometimes. Nothing extraordinary besides the occasional demon got loose or a ghoul haunted the west wing's urinals...until this dropped a wrench onto his foot. Adapt or die. What the most awful of ultimatums.

"Yo, Art?"

"Yes?"

"You thinking of anybody?"

"I'm thinking," he promised. Perhaps too much. "I...I need to go. I just wanted to tell the both of you, and I have homework..."

"It's all right," Lukas said. "I have dinner soon. Vlad and I will talk a little bit more until then."

"Yeah, Arthur. Take care."

"Right then. Thanks. I'll see the both of you tomorrow." Arthur dropped out of the call, staring at his friends' profile pictures still indicating they were live and chatting for a moment too long to be healthy before closing the lid of his laptop. Him. Lukas. Vlad.

Emil was too young. Arthur's brothers had graduated, save one, but Peter was still in primary, and besides, he wouldn't invite the little twerp anyway. Francis? He may have had the taste for finer things in life, but that was for anything he could get a sense on, and unfortunately, that excluded the supernatural. He was already in several other clubs anyway. Alfred? Hmm, he pissed himself over a ghost story in the seventh grade. Perhaps not. Maybe Yao? He only had Cooking, as far as Arthur knew, and they had a few fine talks about Chinese superstitions. Maybe. Then there was...Ivan. A complete mystery, really. Did he ask about the fourth spot in the Magic Club because of interest, or to simply be nosy? Arthur walked off before Ivan could make any of this known. Not many dared to approach the 'school gremlin' (yes, he was well aware of the whispers), let alone ask to walk with him out of the school without asking for something in return.

Arthur tipped his head back and pinched his eyes. He had too much pouring itself onto his lap out of the blue like this. After another, more final sigh, he leaned to pull his homework from his bag. Essays and questions were an excuse to put his mind somewhere else.

~.~

"Sadiq."

"He's already in the Cooking Club."

"So is Yao, and you asked him."

Arthur tossed up his hands from the lunch table. As soon as they walked into the building, the Trio set a mission to scour and take in any potential recruits. It was an ultimate failure. Most of the finest potential candidates were already claimed, already asked and not interested, or too superstitious to dabble in the Dark Arts. Cowards. Rinse, lower standards, repeat. The rest of the student body laughed, gave them weird looks and/or asked, "Magic Club? What's that?"

Sigh.

To think all of this was to get new bodies inside the classroom, to see if they were even capable of joining said club!

"This is highly ineffective," Arthur announced. "Going student to student is slow at best."

Vlad nodded solemnly, "I accidentally asked Timo twice."

Lukas gave him a funny glance. "You asked Timo? You know he lives two doors down from me, right?"

"Maybe. No. I don't know! All of these kids are blond and look the same."

Arthur contemplated allowing himself to have a sob to two. Or ten. Lukas said, "I'll go to the main office after lunch. Maybe I can ask them to make an announcement for anyone to meet us in our spot."

"You would do that? For us?"

"For the Club, too."

"You don't have to do it alone. Arthur and I can come with!"

"It's okay. I have a study period next. I can afford it. Don't miss class."

Vlad and Arthur grabbed Lukas' hands, reeling and praising, "You're our last hope!"

~.~

After a few minutes of Calculus, an announcement dinged overhead, "If anyone is interested in joining the Magic Club, please meet in Room 23A after school. Again, if anyone is interested in joining the Magic Club..."

Arthur kept his eyes toward his worksheet. Chairs squeaked as bodies turned and whispered. Just a few more hours until then. He will know—and finally accept—at that point that they were doomed, and lay his wand to rest.

~.~

"We can summon a demon."

"Vlad, that's your answer for everything."

"Oh, come on! We can have it pretend it's a part of the student body. We're magic. We can make up some paperwork."

"I suppose you're fine with selling your soul in exchange for services, then?"

They sat, seats pulled close together and slouching under the heavy atmosphere. Nobody came. It was just the three of them. As it always was, and apparently, as it always will be.

"I'm sorry," Lukas spoke up, "I should have told the lady to have more pizzazz for the announcement."

"Don't go blaming yourself for things that aren't your fault, Lukas. You did well, and we thank you for it."

"Yeah," Vlad said, "you did great." Then, "Maybe we should've ordered pizza."

Arthur pointed out, "We would only get people in here for the free pizza. Besides, who would pay for it?" He stuck his elbows on his knees and cupped his face with his palms. "Maybe it's better this way. Nobody is pretending to listen to us when there is nobody to listen."

"We should have ordered pizza anyway. I'm hungry."

Someone's stomach gurgled. Arthur and Lukas pricked their eyebrows at one another. Lukas straightened from his slump, "It could help with the mood. Unless you want to sit here and sulk instead?"

"Just for a while longer," Arthur promised. "Then we can get something to eat."

Just for a while longer, they waited. "We can still hang out," Vlad offered. "We can do séances at my house."

"True, but we won't have the funding from the school."

Lukas gave a limp shrug, almost dropping into a puddle on the floor if he slumped further into his chair. "Could always meet for movie-night at my place."

"Ooh," Vlad had just a smidge enthusiasm more than Arthur could muster, "Movie-night."

Someone knocked on the door. Three heads snapped up, eyes wide and glancing to one another as if to ask, "Who could it be?" A creak, and a pale head of hair breached their precious space. Arthur's heart leaped for some reason, and he wondered if it was hope or dread.

"That's..." Vlad started, and he didn't leap for joy.

Ivan smiled like he always did, closed-mouth and tight. He quietly shut the door and asked, "Magic Club?"

Lukas and Vlad simultaneously straightened in their seats with their faces reminiscent of stone. Arthur tried to be the same, though deep down inside, he believed it would come to this. Braginsky was their last stand against eternal end. If that was the case, perhaps fate brought him here. The fairies, as they already have cried and fled, may have not agreed, but how bad could a man that kept to himself, knew how to knit, and blushed so easily be? Not that knitting was an excellent judge of character...

"Yes, that's right." Arthur rose from his seat, finding himself to smile anyway as their newcomer wrung his hands together in a nervous fit. Although he knew the answer, he had to ask out of propriety, "What brings you here?"

"I heard the announcement." Ivan tipped his head. "Unless you already filled your forth spot? I do not see anybody else."

"Err, no, we...we haven't found anybody else. Yet."

"Hey!" Vlad hissed, "Don't try to tell me...the Braginsky kid?"

Lukas sang under his breath, "He's gonna eat your parents..."

"You haven't?" Ivan was much too happy about that. "That is good!"

"Not really," Arthur said.

"I mean, it is good because...I would like to ask...ah..."

Vlad kept chanting most quietly, "He's gonna eat your parents. He's gonna eat your parents-"

"Go on," Arthur urged. This or doom, he reminded himself. Well, unless Braginsky planned on bringing doom. He better not.

"I would like my sister to join your club."

Vlad stopped chanting. Lukas stared. Arthur blurted, "Your sister? Why isn't she here, then?"

"She is, uh, not good with people."

"So you want to pawn her on us instead?!"

"Vlad," Arthur warned. Vlad slumped against his chair, more haunted if anything.

"No, no!" Ivan shook his hands like he pleaded for his life, which was unnecessary so far, "It is so she can make friends! It would be good for her."

Lukas asked, "Would it be good for us, too?"

"You're considering it?" Arthur was a tad surprised. Lukas had an irritated air about him. Though it did not appear to be any different from his neutral expression, he knew. Oh, Arthur knew.

Vlad tossed his hands up, then down to his lap with a sigh. "I mean...I guess. It's not like anybody else is waltzing in here." Louder, to Ivan, "So what does your sister do?"

"Hm?"

"This is a Magic Club," Arthur said. "If you...your sister is interested in joining us, she must be and prove herself to be supernaturally inclined."

"Oh, yes! She can talk to ghosts!"

"She can?"

"Well, she mumbles to the air a lot..."

Vlad echoed, "She mumbles to the air."

Lukas made a small, "Hm." The seriously? was understood.

Arthur tried to grin and bear the threat of curses against his back, "We have another meeting next week. Same exact day, same exact time. If you think your sister has what it takes to be in our Club, by then all means-"

Unbridled joy bloomed across Ivan's face, turning his cheeks completely pink and squishable. Not that Arthur wanted to squish them. It was just that they looked squishable.

"Hold...hold on!" Vlad said, "What grade is this girl in?"

"Nine."

"A NINTH GRADER?! Arthur-"

"It's just to see!" Arthur insisted, all the while avoiding Ivan's steady eye. "Just this once. It's the nice thing to do after all."

Lukas and Vlad shared another glance. Lukas said, "I thought you didn't care about being nice."

"Excuse me?! Who said!"

They simultaneously looked away.

"So that is a yes?" Ivan asked. Gasped. Clapped excitedly without getting an answer, "I hope you give her a chance! It would be the nice thing to do after all!"

Arthur sputtered, "You-!"

"Goodbye!"

"Oi!"

The door shut.

Arthur cursed under his breath. The source of his ire was gone; why did he feel so worked up? This or doom.

"His sister, huh?" Lukas wondered aloud.

Vlad stuck an elbow into Arthur's side, catching a soft spot, "Told you that guy was weird. He stared at you the whole time like you were something to eat."

That was Ivan's something-to-eat face? What a gentle devourer he must be, then. Arthur cleared his throat and batted Vlad away, "Don't worry about it. The whole family is weird."

Lukas said, "Not the oldest."

Vlad, "That you know of."

"Hm."

Perhaps there was still hope for the Magic Club.

~.~

Surprisingly, one week passed quickly. The weekend helped, since those always swallow as much time as possible when one was not looking. Keeping oneself busy helped, too.

Early in the week, the student council meeting was mildly successful. It was a bit too chatter-filled for Arthur's liking, but he supposed with all the hard work they accomplished the last meeting, he didn't have to take the chalk sticks from Alfred and Yao when they snuffed their hiding spot from the top drawer in the teacher's desk. At least not right away.

Why Alfred snooped in there, nobody knows.

"Everyone get seated, put your phones and knitting supplies away. We may be ahead, but that doesn't mean we can completely slack off."

Whatever was in the water, Arthur urged it to make a home there because everyone was attentive, or at least calm enough not to make fools of themselves. At four on the dot, Alfred sprung from his seat, rallying the others and Arthur let him go with no dissent...even if it was right in the middle of his sentence.

Just one more day to go. In twenty four hours-

"Arthur."

That time Arthur jumped. He kept his eyes on the papers that Yao made no move to help gather, "Yes, Ivan?"

"Can we walk to the after-school bus together, Arthur? Please?"

Yao looked up in surprise, but thankfully didn't say anything as he took his bag, one of the papers, and hurried out of the room. Arthur opened his mouth, floundering as his face began to feel warm, but words were difficult at the wrongest of times.

An arm drooped over his shoulders as the stench of overly-floral perfume breached his nostrils. Francis fake-wailed, "Oh, Arthur, but I thought we always walk to the after-school bus together!"

"Ugh, Francis, get off of me!" was a lot easier to say. Arthur made a show to brush invisible germs off of his blazer, which made Ivan giggle. "And no, we don't."

Francis rolled his eyes, "I see now! Ivan is your favorite! You rather walk with him than me! Hmph!" A side-glare turned with a smile as he spun away. Arthur swore there was a wink in there. Bastard. "Good day to the both of you. Good day!"

"Fantastic," Arthur made sure to say as dryly as humanly possible. "Let's get out of here, shall we?"

So they did. They left the classroom, turned off the lights, and closed the door. Walked down the halls. Walked out of the building. Really, nothing interesting. To think Ivan asked so eagerly. Arthur felt his mouth pull down as the autumn air sent a slight chill across his face.

"You're my favorite, too."

The bottom of Arthur's sole scratched the sidewalk as he abruptly stopped. After hours meant nobody was around. The rest of the Student Council already boarded the bus. It wasn't a mistake on the ears.

Still, Arthur asked, "Excuse me?"

Ivan looked downright terrified. "Ah, um, excused?"

"I appreciate the sentiment, but kissing arse is not going to get your sister into the Magic Club any faster."

"No, I...! I wasn't..." A flinch, "I'm sorry. Goodbye!"

"Wha...oi!" Arthur called after Ivan's clumsily retreating backside. "The bus is this way! What in the world?"

He stepped onto the bus, ignored a, "Artie! Sit with meeeeee!" and sat in his own seat as far from Francis and Yao, who bickered about...rice cooking methods?

"Huh. Guess he doesn't want to be bothered." Alfred unashamedly announced, "Whatever! I just put that stuff in the microwave! Ha-ha-ha!"

Yao blanched. "Ai-yah! That's your answer for everything!"

"Ha-ha! I wish!"

Arthur turned his eye just in time to see Francis put the back of his hand against his forehead and slump in his seat. Ivan would be in the far back, where he sat now, smiling and knitting as the others bickered. Such a strange guy.

~.~

Arthur's bewilderment slowly steamed to irritation throughout the rest of the night, ending to a boil as he scowled at the fairy-lights above his bed. He had been thoroughly warned of the quiet kids, mostly from snickers and back-sided gossip that he would roll his eyes, but many legends had a grain of truth within them. Ivan's truth was that he did not even bother to pretend he wasn't shying up to Arthur to get his sister into the Magic Club! That he wasn't pretending to not pawn her off so he wouldn't have to deal with her for at least an hour a week! What an awful, awful older brother! He gave his duvet a tough yank at the thought of other awful older brothers, and thus sparred a downward spiral of grumbling, hard-fought battles in his head, and a bad night's sleep.

When he woke, his first thought was to rue the entire day before it started, most importantly, the Magic Club's meeting after school. His phone buzzed no more than 17 minutes after he pulled himself out of bed, and he saw a message from Vlad; "Bring a spoon you don't care about."

Arthur let out a sigh at the breakfast table. It was too early to make his stomach start to work, but he wouldn't start the day without black tea. A few giggles circled his head as he felt the little hands of fairies gently tug at the unmanageable clumps of bedhead. Whatever would happen that day, his friends would still be there. If not for another meeting, then movie-night and some pizza.

~.~

Before first period, Arthur stopped at the library to pick up a pass to spend his study hall there with books and peace and quiet instead of a classroom full of yappy teenagers. Why call it a 'study hall' when studying isn't a building-wide requirement to some teachers, he didn't know.

The line was rather long, most likely full of students who procrastinate on homework and scrambled for a time to do it before their classes. Arthur crossed his arms and quietly tapped his foot, not out of patience, just for something to do. The thought of Ivan knitting, long but deft fingers effortlessly and neatly looping the thread popped in his mind, and he tossed his hands down to his sides with a huffy sigh. Some heads turned to stare, but they meant nothing.

"...'scuse me. Arthur."

Arthur didn't jump this time. He turned his head to nobody else but Ivan's direction, who of course was right there, right at that time, in the same line. His own visage must have spilled the thoughts bubbling over the edge of his mind and Ivan quickly ducked his head toward the carpet.

"Good morning," he still tried. "How are you feeling?"

"As fine as a Tuesday morning allows."

"Ah."

"The line is moving."

"Are you getting pass?"

"What else would I be in for?"

Ivan smiled, crinkling his eyes, "Books, silly!"

Right. Arthur walked into that one. "Yes, I'm getting a pass."

"What period?"

"Fourth."

"Oh." They didn't share a study period. "That is okay. We can walk to first period together, yes?"

"Ivan." Arthur took a long inhale through his nose. Out. "I would highly appreciate it if you would stop trying to...do whatever it is you are doing to try to win our favor on your sister's behalf. Whether or not she gets in is up to her abilities-"

"My sister?" Ivan echoed. He let out a little laugh, "Oh, no, no, I do not worry for Natalya."

"What. Then why did you come to the Club room last week for her?"

Ivan didn't answer until he signed his name on the pass-sheet and stepped from the counter with a little gesture, "I wanted to know how you three would react. What your faces look like when you first think of my dear sister." He tipped his head, breaking into a cheeky grin again, "Yes, that exact face you have right now."

"Young man," the librarian prompted when Arthur stood in front of the counter without signing his name. He took care of that, received his pass, and stepped out of line to wander away from the other students...all with Ivan trailing beside him.

"A-and?" Arthur cleared his throat, forcing himself to look into Ivan's face. "Did you get what you want? We're giving her a chance."

Ivan leaned forward in the slightest, but it was a mountain shifting onto Arthur. "No. Not yet."

"Well," Arthur grunted out, "until then." He turned on his heel.

"Are we going to walk together? We share class."

"I have to go to my locker!" Arthur lied, and hurried as quickly as possible out of the library, but the drowsy hoard of teenagers was the worst of impediments. Ivan's eyes iced the back of his neck.

~.~

Ivan didn't stare during first period. Lukas and Vlad didn't notice, otherwise they would have started to snicker and talk about how their parents would inevitably be eaten. Arthur noticed, only because it was weird for him to not stare as it would be for somebody else to do so. No, Ivan occupied himself by staring down his lap—knitting. Anyone else, and the teacher would have given them the what-for already. Arthur found himself momentarily wondering what he was making so intensely, but immediately told that part of his mind to keep quiet and pay attention to the teacher.

Even during lunch, the Magic Trio ate in stony silence. Perhaps the thin wire separating all of them from utter doom had left them just as concerned as Arthur. Concerned, because he was not nervous or anything for any reason or from anyone.

The only conversation they had all day besides a dreary good morning was Vlad stopping Arthur in the hall to seventh period, "Hey, do you have your spoon?"

Arthur quickly nodded, unable to say more with the crowd of students pushing their way to their next class.

His stomach tied itself into a tough ball. Last period. Arthur did something he loathed to make a habit; clock watch. Instead of excitement at the end of the day approaching as slow as possible, it was like watching the blade dangle over his neck. When the bell finally—finally—droned, he already had all his books packed up and was one of the first out the door. He even got ahead of the brainless dismissal hoard and almost bumped into Lukas on the way to their room. They gave one another a nod before Arthur let his friend inside first.

Vlad followed soon after, closing the door with his backside and let himself have a short but loud sigh. They all shared it. They wordlessly fetched their cloaks, tomes, and battery-operated candles because the school deemed normal candles a 'fire-hazard' and matches 'weapons of great-potential destruction,' so dollar-store tea-lights had to do for ambiance. Cloaks on. Vlad rushed to the front of the room. Lights off. They drew close in a circle and raised their hands. Quiet. Calm. They thought of the spirits watching over them, and released a collective exhale.

"It's lovely," Lukas said, and it truly was.

A knock on the door. Three robes brushed one another, bundling in their tight knit, and faced their soft intrusion. The door opened. "Go on," a voice murmured. Two newcomers shuffled inside, one much smaller than the other. The family resemblance was uncanny, starting with the platinum locks on top of their heads. Ivan glimpsed over the trio and urged his little sister forward. She stared with impassive eyes.

"Welcome," Arthur started. "Welcome to the Magic Club."

The girl kept staring.

"May we have your name?"

"No, but you will call me Natalya."

Based on the light noises of delighted shock along his sides, Arthur thought the same thing; Quick girl!

"Very well. This is Vlad and Lukas," gesturing accordingly, "and I am Arthur." With a subtle shot of eyes to Ivan, "Thank you for being here, again. Would you join us?"

"Depends. What do you do?"

"We commune with the fair folk."

"I can do that in my backyard."

"Uh. We also take commissions to curse people."

Natalya started to look thoughtful.

Vlad said, "It goes both ways. We don't just take in anybody. You have to prove yourself worthy to carry the secrets of the Magic Club."

"Okay."

Eyes to Arthur. He reached into his pocket. Thus comes the truest test, "You have to bend this spoon."

~.~

"She didn't break a sweat!"

"Ninth-grade girls are terrifying."

"I'll see you two tomorrow."

Arthur left the Club room with more spring in his step than he entered. Tomorrow morning, he would drop off Natalya's inauguration papers to the Main Office. By next week, she will have her first official Magic Club Meeting. Nobody has joined since they all did when they were ninth graders! They had to plan and make it special. Goodness, Arthur hadn't felt this hopeful about the future since the third installment to his favorite book series was announced and that was a little over two months ago!

"Oh, Arthur!" A voice sang down the hall.

Arthur abruptly stopped and felt stupid about it. A happy hum and footsteps came closer, but he didn't turn. He made Ivan do the work of stepping around, and gave the giant a tilt of the head, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"We go home together on bus Mondays, but we can do the same today, yes?"

"I would say so, since we're all going that way."

Arthur must have not responded as enthusiastically as Ivan would hoped, so he goaded while they walked, "This is very good news. My sister has friends now, and your Magic Club will not go away."

Oh, they and Natalya were friends now? Arthur wouldn't complain; anybody that befriended the spirits was fine in his spell books. He glanced up Ivan from the corner of his eye. "Yes. So everything is said and done now. We can go back to living our lives as we were."

The side of Ivan's mouth curled up, "With a little more this time."

Arthur let out a huff, wondering how he could say, 'You can stop pretending to be friendly with me now that you have what you want,' without sounding like an utter toad.

A hand gently set on his shoulder, "Arthur, wait."

Ivan stopped and pulled something out of his blazer's pocket. "It is getting cold." He held a small bundle of dark green fabric. Knitting. "You should keep yourself warm."

"I can't take those."

"Do you not like them?"

"I do," Arthur said quickly, and he really did. "The stitching is impeccable and the colors blend in very well together. You worked on these for that entire time; I couldn't just take them from you."

Ivan pulled closer, tipping his head down and spoke lowly to Arthur's ear, "I made these for you, Arthur. I am giving them to you. They will not yours to take, but mine to give." Arthur shifted enough to catch Ivan's eye, giving a hard stare as much as he took one. "My sister is in Magic Club now, so you cannot say I am doing this to...'kiss ass,' okay?"

"So you are doing this because you want to do it? Just because? Because you are so..." Arthur made sure to stand straight as possible, meeting him half-way, "Nice and caring and charitable and kind? Do you know how strange that is? How strange do you make yourself out to be?"

"That is funny, Arthur. You call me strange but here you are. A ferocious, wild little creature."

"You're dastardly. I'm onto you."

"You are 'onto' me? I am just trying to give you gloves."

"Is that really all you're doing, though?"

Ivan gave the bundle in his hand an urging bob, sweet and wanting yet mysterious as always. "You decide."

Arthur found himself smiling like a fool.

#THE SIN BIN #my fic #hetalia #hws RusEng #hws Magic Trio #hws #hetalia au #hetalia fic

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kathyprior4200 · 5 years ago

Text

Inside Alastor’s Head (sensitive content warning)

Part 1

“Use the princess to convince Lucifer to hand over Hell to me. Get to know Charlie and her family, see how this so called Happy Hotel works. I can’t wait to see her face when she realizes it’s actually the Hazbin Hotel. Has a better ring to it, anyway. May as well speed up the process by bringing in Niffty and making grumpy Husk join in. It’ll be everything Charlie’s dreamed of…and when it all blows up in her face, I’ll be enjoying my popcorn.”

“So Charlie likes music and dancing, too? How marvelous! These hotel residents can enjoy my singing and illusion magic. (They won’t know what’s coming next.)”

“Who, me? Evil? Why would you think that? It’s totally unlike me to broadcast my massacre of demon citizens who stand in my way. (Except it is.) Man, seeing them running and sacred…reminds me of game I used to hunt when I was alive.”

“The demon princess wants to redeem sinners. Ha! Probably the silliest claim I’ve ever heard. A nice refresher from the usual grim news on the Picture Show. Her singing was a nice bonus. Oh, the good old days of being on the air…basking in the attention and glory. I told jokes, advertised shows, announced fun events. I even got to report on murders for the news, probably my favorite part. Soooo close to being able to advertise Jambalaya. Several other announcers got the part, so I wore a disguise, snuck in one day and sliced their heads off. Still loved the expressions on their faces. Here in Hell, I have no opponents in the radio business. ”

“Those overlords look scary and cocky, but they’ve heard the tales of me…they’re scared deep down, for good reason. Sir Pentious didn’t stand a chance when I summoned black tentacles to wrap around him and his ship. Along with my powers, I have shadowy spirits to do my bidding. That’s why you can sometimes see them when I attack. You don’t need brute force and insults to win someone over. All it takes sometimes is some illusions, a little help from the Loa…and just smiling all the way through.”

“My microphone cane surly comes in handy. It’s what allows me to project events in front of me and broadcast them on the radio. It has a life of its own, but I’m in control, of course. All part of the magic deal with the Loa.”

“I enjoyed watching the picture show and going to the circus when I was a boy. Watching the animals and the performers was lots of fun. I may have burned down the circus tent after being rejected from a comedian role. But it was only an accident: my fingers slipped when I was getting cigarettes for father. Whenever I got sad, my mother told me “You’re never fully dressed without a smile.” Her motto still rings true to this day.”

“I enjoyed hunting deer in my human life, yet I also feel some connection to the animal. They’re majestic, agile, and are free to travel pretty much anywhere. Though they’re often attacked by hunting dogs…or in my case, police dogs. The beasts mauled me just before I died. It was back in 1933. Thus, for my so called evil deeds, I arrived down here in Hell. And I gotta say, it’s quite a fun place to be!”

“Sex and romance don’t interest me. Don’t get me wrong; Charlie is a charming demon belle, and Vaggie is adorable and feisty…but they’re just a means to an end. Maybe I’m too self-absorbed to want to deal with being judged by others. More fun, less responsibilities when you’re on your own. Though, I’ll admit, I did meet a lovely lady in my human life, but, certain circumstances led to a tragic end. Don’t get me started on Angel’s disturbing sexual remarks. That gross stuff makes my skin crawl. (Heh, that stuff bothers me but seeing the blood of my victims does not. Go figure.)”

“When I smile and touch people, I’m in control. It’s the quickest and obvious way to show my dominance. Frowning shows doubt, weakness, and I can’t afford to appear weak. When other’s try to touch me, it’s always unexpected. I can never tell what it will feel like on me. My space, my rules. Touch me too much, and I hate it. Like when he…my father…did things to me…in front of mom. Abuse, molest, he did it to both of us when the drinks were in his system. You can see why I was shocked and overjoyed when I finally stabbed the life out of him. I fled into the woods in the hours before dawn, the police hot on my tail. Saw the faces of deer before I got shot in the head. The dogs came upon me and…nothing.”

“I got my love of cooking from my mum. One of her favorite things to make was jambalaya. A tasty cuisine of rice, chicken, sausage, shrimp, a whole bundle of things. She added so much spice to it (and accidentally burned herself making it), it almost killed her. I thought it was fabulous, the heat invigorating to my taste buds. The secret spices she used by accident? Ghost peppers and Wasabi. It reminds me of home in New Orleans…a world of music, daily life, and alas, racism. People who didn’t know me at the radio station, white people and sometimes black people, badmouthing me for my mixed Creole heritage. Once I perfected my shooting with my rifle, well…they got what they deserved in the dead of night.”

“Ah, I loved the stock market crash of 1929! There were so many orphans, so many kids in distress! Perhaps it made me feel better to know that there were those who had it worse than me. I’ve had my share of bad luck, it was about time for others to experience some of their own.”

“I sometimes kill people at random, when I’m especially mad. It’s sort of like a game: the more you kill, the more dominant you’ll appear. I’m not fond of killing innocent children or chasing people, I mostly prefer to catch people off guard. To slaughter them behind the curtain, if you will. I would never rape or eat another person…such uncouth, disgusting behavior. Chasing my victims takes too long. Best to go at my own pace and decide their fate for them. But no worries; for women and innocent strangers, I make their deaths as painless as I can. Gotta keep being a gentlemen in some aspects.”

“Voodoo had been practiced by my ancestors, way back in Africa. I read about the Loas and many of them were just like me: well-dressed, powerful, lovers of food, wine, the good life. From what was passed down to me, I was able to communicate with them. They granted me their powers to use in my afterlife…but only if I was willing to suffer an “early, gruesome death,” along with the loss of a potential lady partner… you know the rest. I know some of the symbols and they provide me with visualization of the spells I want to conjure.”

“Singing, swing music, the radio, dancing, and dad jokes…those hobbies brought light to my otherwise mundane, grim human life. Even if other people don’t find those jokes funny, I always get a kick out of them. They’re so simple…a basic for any comedian. Though I do wish I knew how to tap dance. Maybe my magic can help me out...”

Part 2 (Sensitive Content Warning)

“Hello mortal humans, wherever you may live. For those who may not know me, I’m Alastor, the Radio Demon from Hell. Thank you for tuning in to 66.6FM, the only radio station in Hell and the only one I can talk into in your world.

You may be thinking, demons aren’t real. Hell and Heaven aren’t real. He’s probably just using a low radio voice for effect. Well in a way I am, (laughs). But I can assure you…I’m very much real, though not really alive anymore. You see, with the help of some imps from Immediate Murder Professionals, my shadow has access to portals from Hell to Earth. He is Rotsala, and he can travel through radios like I can. He’s been lurking everywhere; in your car radios, those alarm clock radios you have in your homes. And recently, (with Vox’s help), he’s figured out how to access online podcasts, if that’s what they’re called. Thanks to him, I’ve gotten updates on your modern world. It’s very strange and very wild…I’ll never really understand it. Mostly because I’m from the early 1900s and I’ve been in Hell for decades.

Now, if you remember from last time, I discussed my thoughts on the Hazbin Hotel in Hell and Charlie. About how she was a lovely friend and you she would be of great use to me to take her father’s place on the throne. And you got a glimpse of my love of cooking, sewing, singing dancing, along with the obvious killing and eating people part. I could talk for hours about myself, but not this time. On this broadcast, I’m here to talk about all of you.”

“No, no, no, don’t try and turn the radio off. I have it stuck on full volume, so much that even covering your ears won’t do. You probably already know that I constantly smile to show my dominance and power. Frowning indicates weakness. But…I have learned there are a few exceptions when it comes to showing other emotions. I am…actually upset. Very rarely do you find me in this state. So unless you want my shadow to rip you apart from your insides, I suggest you listen very, very, carefully.”

“First, let’s discuss this global pandemic that you all are dealing with right now. You refer to it as the corona virus or Covid 19. It seems that everywhere, people are dying right and left as this virus rapidly spreads. Jobs are being lost, entertainment sites shut down, people stuck in their homes for months, wondering if they’ll make it through all this.”

“I’ll admit, this pandemic is just as entertaining as the Stock Market Crash of 1929. So many orphans, so many hungry people waiting in line for food, or not being able to be with their loved ones. Mostly it’s fun to watch because I’m already dead and I like watching others suffer. (sighs)”

“But yes, it’s also a mixed bag. When I took a peek at modern New Orleans I was frankly stunned like a deer in the headlights. (audience laughter). How utterly lifeless it was! Bands not playing live anymore, restaurants closed. Even more shocking, Mardi Gras was cancelled! I grew up with the parades and the laughter and music in my previous life. To have all that taken away…I might as well have died sooner. It really is a shame how we take everyday life for granted…we’re not concerned about death or loss until it hits us right in the face. Trust me, I’ve been there. Back when the 1918 Spanish Flu killed my mother. Back when I cried at her gravestone even with a large smile on my face. That day that I lost all sense of humanity and became the demon I was destined to be.”

“But what of you folks? You wear facemasks every day, you wash your hands, you pray every day that somehow, you and your families and friends and loved ones will get through it in several years. Maybe you will. Maybe you won’t. One good thing about the pandemic: the enforcement of the six foot rule. Social distancing is essential, and I think it should be mandatory in Hell! I hate being tainted and touched, that’s why I wear my gloves all the time. If only Angel Dust had that rule drilled into his head, it would make my afterlife so much easier. I always wash my hands before and after cooking, and especially after getting my victims blood all over them. You should too. Pure common sense. You can never be too clean and careful no matter where you are. But enough about that.”

“Hell is being more overpopulated than usual, and now I can see why. Thousands of people dying and being sent down here…I bet that stuffy hothead Stolas is having a party now that he’s not lonely anymore. You all are careless fools. You huddle close together during protests or pool parties or fight each other in grocery stores. All you think about is yourselves, hording toilet paper and food and not thinking of those who might actually need it more than you.”

“That drama gets old fast, even for me.”

“Many believe they have their rights taken away just because they can’t go to the Picture Shows anymore. Well let me tell you this: nurses, teachers, policemen, caregivers…they’re all risking their lives on the front line trying to heal others and slow down the spread of the virus. They witness deaths all the time and for every person they don’t manage to save, they feel guilt that will weight them down for weeks, months or even years. And the majority of you laze around, too absorbed in your own worlds to take notice.”

“Want something to do to cure your agonizing boredom? Well, sadly, killing and cannibalism isn’t recommended as you would put your health at risk. But you can try new recipes at home. Learn how to make classic foods, especially good Creole dishes like Jambalaya. If you can make it better than me and my mother, I’d be impressed but we all know that’s not going to happen. Sing along to some songs. Listen to the radio. Watch some classic musicals.”

“Or for the online folk, watch the Hazbin Hotel! Make art and stories about me torturing my enemies. Laugh at all those who ship me with other characters because we know that I’m not interested in sex and romance. But to be heard…those who attack other people in the fandom over tying me down with Charlie and Angel and whoever else…stop it. Enough is enough. Respect other people’s fan works and let them indulge in their crazy imaginations. I belong to no one and I will befriend and flirt with others however I see fit. “Some asexuals and aromantics can still fall in love and enjoy sex.” Yes, that’s true, but my standards are different. Back to the virus…there are some people that deserve to get sick from it. The whole world could get infected and die but I’ll still be thriving in Hell…provided that I don’t get killed.”

“I don’t really care about any of you. I’m just here to bring you the harsh truth. Doctors and essential workers are trying their hardest to make sure you all and enjoy your mundane lives. There’s no need to glorify them as heroes either. Just treat them with respect and move on. Patience is a virtue…I know that many of you need to go back to work, but putting others and the community at risk will just create an ongoing vicious cycle of misery. But if you want to expose yourself in the name of “making America great again” or wherever else you are, then be my guest. I’m always up for more prey to hunt down here.”

“Now, onto the second topic: protests. Believe it or not, I, too, was saddened and shocked by the death of African American mortal George Floyd. He’s up in Heaven, not with me, so don’t fret.”

“Yes, I’m entertained by the violence, cars setting on fire, the screams and yells, very thrilling! But to be honest, sometimes I feel safer in Hell in comparison to what’s going on in your world…and that’s saying something.”

“All the riots going on, protesters being sprayed with teargas, being hit with batons. Looting, shooting, all of this madness going on. Charlie says that inside every demon is a rainbow, but I say inside every demon is a lost cause. Perhaps we’re both right. Though they’re may be some good inside everyone, we’re all imperfect lost causes. We’re subject to sin, violence, discrimination, and endless chaos. We are failures. It’s inevitable. There was no hope for me, and now there’s no hope for any of you.”

“Police brutality needs to end. They are supposed to protect you folk, not use power to push everyone back for no reason. The rioters who looted stores, set cars on fire and put others in danger like that, need to take full responsibility for their actions. They don’t need to unleash their pain and rage onto the city and others. Killing and chaos is my job, no theirs.”

“Racism, sexism, homophobia, they’ve been around since mankind became civilized. Black Lives do Matter. Those who have been downtrodden, beaten up, pushed to the side like dirt, need to have their voices heard. Otherwise, those in power will keep using and abusing their power and authority until there’s nobody left.”

“Just take those white police and your president for example. The policeman arresting George Floyd and pressed a knee onto his neck for no apparent reason, other than he was a person of color who so happened to be caught doing something wrong, at least to them. He kept saying “I can’t breathe” and no one stepped in to stop the situation. The policeman was arrested but that’s a mere slap on the wrist in comparison to a life lost. The cops involved need to experience the same fate.”

“And don’t even get me started on this Trump. A narcissist who sees himself as America’s God and has a cult of brainwashed voters and supporters. One who throws tantrums whenever someone disagrees with him. He sees women as sex objects and minority groups as tools and trash to be disposed of. Tear-gasing innocent protesters while holding a Bible posing for pictures. Satan himself would be shaking his head at this. Life on Earth was Hell for me and apparently it’s gotten even worse.”

“And not to mention Trump boastfully claiming that he’d unleash vicious dogs and military force on protesters. Only a few people would see that he inadvertently made a reference to when African Americans and ethnically diverse people were attacked by police dogs when protesting and trying to make their lives better. As a biracial French Creole who was mauled to death by dogs, I’m offended and appalled.”

“Oh but I’m just a fictional character who can love or hate anybody. I bet I love Trump and Angel and world suffering and sex just because I’m a crazy furry demon. Right? Right?”

*intense static and screeches*

“GROW UP. WAKE UP. IF YOU THINK ANY OF THOSE THOUGHTS, THERE’S A SPECIAL CIRCLE IN HELL FOR YOU.”

(deep breath) “Apologies.”

“All Lives Matter? Wrong. A pathetic way to derail from the main problem and include white people so they can play the victim. The truth is, no lives matter except my own. Second to my life is my mom, Charlie and her friends. (Except Angel). Charlie’s project of rehabilitating sinners will eventually come to an end when humanity suffers a Greater Depression and all fall down into Hell. I have all of eternity to witness the end.”

“Onto the last topic. You know that I secretly desire to take over Hell and spread chaos to Earth and Heaven, yes? If Charlie behaves, she’ll get to rule by my side along with Husk, Niffty, Mimzy and Rosie. Will that happen? Who knows? You’ll have to stay tuned for the next episode, if it even comes. (laughs). You’ll never know what happens next, just that everyone enjoyed my jambalaya at the hotel.”

“Oh dear, did I strike a sensitive nerve? Did that hurt your insides and your mind more than our previous topics? You’re even more pathetic than I thought.”

“But have you ever considered any underlying reasons as to why I enjoy spreading chaos and destruction? I may not be God but I do have god-like powers.”

“The obvious answer? Sheer absolute boredom! I’m always seeking new forms of entertainment to enjoy. And what better way to do that then to watch sinners scream and tremble at my presence? Of course, I would always like my friends to smile and have fun with me, singing dancing, making deals, or whatever.”

“But let’s say I was God? Why send Exterminators to reap Hell of demons every year. To curb overpopulation, yes, but to also remind demons of their place. God and the angels and the chosen reside in “paradise.” Only those who are fully “good” and devoted to helping others and believing in God can enter. It’s the perfect fear tactic: remind demons that they are lost causes who deserve to suffer and potentially met their end.”

“Perhaps I do want to help Charlie with the hotel. Not just for entertainment but to introduce her to the way real life works. Seeing others fail will happen no matter what and that will be a pleasing sight. Demons reside in Hell due to the lives they’ve lived before. There’s no undoing what is done. Even if she does manage to redeem a sinner or two, there will always be those who try to claw their way up and then tumble back down to failure. I am a deal-maker, perhaps the most untrustworthy one in Hell. I want to test others, see how powerful and smart they really are.”

“This all ties in to a larger lesson that is bigger than any of us can comprehend. With the pleasures of drugs, sex, killings and sin, comes the cost of knowing you are seen as outcasts deserving of death by those in the heavens. Whether it’s Angels, Exterminators, Overlords or people in politics and management, the elite have always used power, fear, rules, and any means necessary to keep people in line in the name of “order” and “God’s will.” Lucifer would explain this better than me as he has centuries of experience. I’m willing to bet that Charlie will learn this the hard way, sending off sinners to “paradise,” only to find that she and her parents are stuck down here forever. Earth is between Heaven and Hell; it is full of good and evil, the sins and freedoms of Hell but also the passiveness and illusions and sheep mentality of Heaven. It’s all too easy to blame others and deny what’s going on around you. Go to Heaven for an enlightened life and forget about the criminals, the homeless, and the misfits below your feet.”

“Let me tell you what my name means. It means “tormentor,” “avenger.” I’m a seeker of entertainment who loves to torment others to boast my status. But I am also one of vengeance. Retaliation against anyone who takes advantage of others. Those in Heaven, Vox, Valentino, Lucifer, my father, all of those who treated me like dirt for who I was… my magic is there to benefit myself…but it is all used to teach others a deeper lesson in mortality and what one believes.”

“And me being an anti-hero could somehow lead to my redemption? Ha! No. As long as more episodes don’t come on the air, then I will continue my rampages and broadcasts in Hell. And if anyone lays a hand on me, my mother, or Charlie and my friends, then they will wish they had met their fate from the virus instead.”

“Agree or disagree with me. I don’t care. Thank you for listening and as always, stay tuned.”

#alastor #hazbinhotel #covid_19 #protests #black lives matter

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thegayfromrulid · 5 years ago

Note

Frkm 1 allll the way to 99. Also, the next SAO game eugeo lives as a sword and not die (thank GOD)

@2. chocolate bars or lollipops?

Chocolate bars- I will not eat lollipops.

3. bubblegum or cotton candy?

Cotton candy! I actually get super bad headaches from bubblegum.

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?

Probably lonely genius...

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?

Soda bottles!! I feel so fancy!! And old-timey.

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?

I guess tomboy even though I’m a boy??

7. earbuds or headphones?

Aren’t these the same thing? I think I prefer over-ear headphones, but I don’t really like either.

8. movies or tv shows?

Depends on the genre I guess. But as a main rule, live action- movies, animated- TV shows.

9. favorite smell in the summer?

Potato salad.

10. game you were best at in p.e.?

Frankly, I wasn’t good, but I was really good at pissing all the jocks off-

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?

I make myself these homemade egg mcmuffins. I enjoy them a lot. I am very picky about breakfast.

12. name of your favorite playlist?

I only have one and it’s very generic: The Gay From Rulid’s Playlist. Yes it’s on Spotify. Yes, it’s 99% anime openings and endings and maybe Bet On It from HSM2. Be ashamed of me. Go on.

13. lanyard or key ring?

Lanyard! Mine is a BNHA one I bought from an artist at Nekocon!

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

Either Sweet Tarts or Nerds.

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

I usually have one leg tucked up under me and the other stretched out.

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

A black and white pair of Skechers. They look like shit. They almost never are replaced by another shoe. Not even in the gross muggy heat.

18. ideal weather?

When it’s just warm enough to wear a t-shirt and sit in the sunshine, but cool enough that I’m not hot, and a little breeze is going. I think of this weather quite often.

19. sleeping position?

On my belly kinda spread out like a shounen protagonist.

21. obsession from childhood?

J.R.R. Tolkien. Have always been obsessed with him and his works.

22. role model?

Redundant, but Tolkien again. Linguist and writer. Living my dream.

23. strange habits?

I unplug things like microwaves, lamps, and TVs when I am done using them. Very little remains plugged in at my place. The modem, the fridge, and the clock. That is it.

24. favorite crystal?

Amethyst. It’s my sister’s middle name. And I especially like the purple ones.

25. first song you remember hearing?

Blue by Eiffel 65. I don’t know why that song sticks out so much in my memory but it’s nostalgic for me. Tiny AJ hyperfixated on this song before anything else ya’ll.

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

Curl up in the sun on a blanket and nap.

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

Hot cocoa blanket cuddles.

28. five songs to describe you?

Uhhhh...I’m not very musically literate. Let’s go with Born This Way (the first person I came out to sent me that song so it feels special!), I’m Free to Be Me by Jamie Grace, Praying by Kesha, Shake It Off by Taylor Swift ( @delicateeuphorias would you believe it xD), and right now thinking about someone dear to me who’s been gone See You Again is stuck in my brain.

30. places that you find sacred?

Arboretums or big botanical gardens where I can get lost in the plants for a moment and take in how pretty they all are. And old monuments/big things people of the past built. A lot of things were built by people with no rights/freedom and I think about them and how despite the fact that they had nothing, they made such a lasting impact on our world.

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

*slips on my Owari no Seraph cosplay* I will kick ass in this sweet ass cape-

33. most used phrase in your phone?

My phone seems to think it’s “Kirito’s ass” and I want it to not think that.

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?

O-O-O-O’REILLYYYYYYYYYY’S...Autooo PARTS.

35. average time you fall asleep?

I’m an insomniac it could be 10 pm it could be 3 am who knows I sleep for an hour I’m up again...

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?

Fucking CAN I HAS CHEEZBURGR cats.

37. suitcase or duffel bag?

This all boils down to how much I’m packing. Going for a sleepover? Duffel. Going to con? My giant suitcase with room for all the bells and whistles of cosplay.

38. lemonade or tea?

Tea!

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

Oh cruel I looooove lemon. The pie!

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?

In high school here- so, aside from me being the resident weirdo (I DID come to school dressed as the TARDIS), my senior class decided to squirt hundreds of bottles of chocolate syrup on the sidewalks. We were an open campus so it’s all in front of our classroom doors- we had no hallways. And then they. They fucking EGGED ALL THE DOORS. The whole campus smelled like...ick.

41. last person you texted?

My father and mother in a group text to cry about customers treating me poorly.

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

I prefer the jacket pockets because I still haven’t found a way to get men’s pants under the radar of my ever-watchful parents and women’s jeans pockets are SHITTY. Women gotta boycott this shit it is UNACCEPTABLE-

44. favorite scent for soap?

Peppermint...peppermint ^-^ I like to smell like...mint.

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

Fantasy!

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

Recently I was reminded I live alone and my new favorite sleeping outfit...is...just some boxer shorts. Suck it dysphoria. Manly nightwear.

47. favorite type of cheese?

Pepper jack, Swiss, or ricotta.

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?

Strawberry :3

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?

I’m gonna sound so gay but when @disasterbikirito started laughing about a certain GIF and his laugh was so infectious I couldn’t help but laugh too.

51. current stresses?

Are you shitting me it’s everything. Every. Single. Thing. I cannot breathe. I am having meltdowns. Someone fucking save me I cannot deal with COVID well.

52. favorite font?

Garamond for writing in my free time, Doulous SIL for all the linguistics IPA symbols my greedy heart desires.

53. what is the current state of your hands?

Smooth but my fingertips have been gnawed on. I am stressed, okay?

54. what did you learn from your first job?

Gosh, lots of things. But the most important takeaway is that a good boss will genuinely care about you. I miss that man. He was so wonderful and so caring and taught me so much about theater. Technical things and artistic things and historical things. Sometimes I wish I could have made a career out of working under him.

55. favorite fairy tale?

Beauty and the Beast (AH...AH...I SEE YOU ROLLING YOUR EYES BECAUSE I’M TRANS. I KNOW. I *KNOW*.)

56. favorite tradition?

It’s a family tradition kinda unique to my household. Each year, we draw a name from a hat, and that name comes with a lot of words that describe us and what we liked over that year. We then each take a $20 bill and we go to a little hobby shop with cheap things in it and use that $20 bill to fill a Christmas stocking. We then hang them back up and empty the stocking full of candies and random silly things and have a good laugh and guess who filled whose stocking.

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

The first one is coming to terms with knowing my dad has a severe illness. It really shook my family up, and it’s terrifying us right now with everything going on, but after a while, I learned that he was smiling, so I could smile, too.

The second one is my mother coming back from her tour in the Middle East on top of the murder of my godmother. Two very stressful things happened at once. My mother got very violent from her PTSD and her best friend died in a horrible way. It was an adjustment for everyone, and it kind of ripped my family to pieces. I can say, though, that my parents are still married and are getting better, and my sister and I are coming back to the family to be more open and healthy.

The third, and maybe some of my followers are aware, was getting rid of my ex-fiance. He was a man who sexually assaulted me repeatedly and I won’t go into details beyond that. It took me 5 years to get rid of him and accept what happened, but I am a much happier person now and while I work through the trauma that caused me, I have the most wonderful partner by my side and if you had told me back then I’d find someone as kind and patient and loving as him, I would have laughed and thought you were insane.

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

Probably what I put on all my fanfic updates: “I know. I’m an asshole.”

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?

Some kind of shoujo romance but it’s bi also I want a sword.

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

There was nothing more smartass than Alice Synthesis 30 in SAO 18 asking a reporter to open up his head and prove he was human I’m sorry like OOF-

63. five songs that would play in your club?

Get in losers, we’re playing Steppin’ Out by FLOW, Elle me dit by Mika, Blue by Eiffel 65, ADAMAS by LiSA, and Touch Off by UVERworld.

64. favorite website from your childhood?

I was on Webkinz more than I want to admit.

65. any permanent scars?

Yup. I have one on my toe where I split the skin in half. I tripped. I have three surgical scars from when I had my appendix removed. And...the mystery scar. I was supposedly born with a scar it’s at the part where my foot meets my leg on my left side and you can see how it’s stretched over the years if you run your finger over it. The joke is that the doctor taking out my mom’s appendix scratched me in the womb.

67. good luck charms?

Not really a charm but I do have a little Kirito keychain I carry everywhere I go that I fiddle with when I’m nervous.

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?

Artificial bubblegum. Disgustiiiing.

70. left or right handed?

I am right-handed.

71. least favorite pattern?

Zig-zags.

72. worst subject?

History...I am ashamed. It’s interesting, I just suck at it.

73. favorite weird flavor combo?

Gingerbread and marshmallow. I am a bit picky about mixing foods and flavors, so this was the weirdest I could think up.

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?

Can you hear that? It’s my hysterical laughter. 12 on a scale of 10. I get up there pretty frequently. Thank you, chronic crippling pain.

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

I...I don’t remember...I don’t even remember...I think I had to be like what...kindergarten?

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?

THIS IS CRUEL I LOVE ALL POTATOS I LOVE THEM ALL SO MUCH-Au gratin.

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

Aloe!

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?

Coffee from a gas station. Mark my words...I will never get grocery store sushi. Ever. Again. My stomach has not forgotten. What a mistake. That was.

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?

So, my driver’s license hasn’t had an updated photo since I was 15 and just had a learner’s so I look like I want to murder a man but my school ID I had just run about a mile in the cold because the bus wasn’t running that day and my face is red and I look like I’m crying...probably the school ID...

80. earth tones or jewel tones?

Jewel tones~~

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

I am from the South and we call ‘em lightnin’ bugs.

82. pc or console?

Errrrr console. I’m not a gamer by any means but there’s way fewer things to press on a console controller.

84. podcasts or talk radio?

Neither...what...no...neither...they will put me to sleep...I will be out in seconds...the most dangerous things...people talking...and then I’m out...

84. barbie or polly pocket?

Barbie, she’s a LOT easier to dress. Those rubber clothes. SMH.

86. cookies or cupcakes?

Cookies but they gotta be the soft ones.

87. your greatest fear?

Being swallowed in the ocean. By a fish or a whale. I don’t play. Church kid don’t play with big things in the ocean with big mouths.

88. your greatest wish?

To make enough of a difference in someone’s life that they learn to love themself.

89. who would you put before everyone else?

Such a selfish thought...gosh...the mere thought of prioritizing someone troubles me.

90. luckiest mistake?

Telling a cute guy sending me dog pictures was an excellent flirting technique as he sent me pictures of his puppy. I immediately thought “oh god I’ve fucked up bad” and at present we’re kinda head over heels for one another so maybe just be stupidly blunt once and a while you might find true love.

91. boxes or bags?

Boxes. My cat didn’t force me to say that. Not at all. Sock, buddy, off the keyboard-

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights?

Sunlight. I like the sun. The sun is my friend. It is warm and would never betray me.

93. nicknames?

Sister calls me “spoony” when she’s being ridiculous. No, I don’t know what that means. Mama calls me “cakes.” I had friends who called me “Deku” because I’m a crybaby. Had a few people DM me and straight up call me “Eugeo” or “Eug.” AJ is technically a nickname.

94. favorite season?

Springtime!!!!! It’s...HERE!

95. favorite app on your phone?

I use like three apps...so Discord.

96. desktop background?

It’s. It’s Kirito and Eugeo. What did you expect.

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?

Mama’s, dad’s, mine, and my parents’ house number. And does the emergency 911 count (pahahaha).

(I answered the others in delicateeuphoria’s ask!)

#ask #ask me anything #weird asks that say a lot #ask game #weeaboo-god

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spookyashhelps-blog · 6 years ago

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Hi Asher! We are a mature, OC, southern gothic, mystery and town rp, that is both heavily plot driven and equally focused on character development. And we were wondering if you might have the time to give us an opinion/a full review, please? Regardless, thank you for your attention

sorry for the wait on this! life has been crazy and i wanted to wait until i had time to actually devote to this. remember, this is all an opinion and take what i say with a grain of salt! this got hella long and i apologize, i just went through everything.

okay, so first things first, i know that it was a trend to have like super short urls and people felt strongly about this?? idk if that’s still a thing really and i think a lot of people will get the reference to the song and it’s a banger, so i don’t have a problem with it, just something to keep in mind.

now, the theme. i think that the fansite style is fine, i know some people don’t like it for the “aesthetic” but they are generally easier to read and i’m all for accessibility. however, i do feel that it’s a little lackluster? the header is pretty and i like it but it’s a little plain and with a plain theme just kinda makes it meh? i’ve always felt that the theme should be an extension of the plot and i feel like this is such a cool and dark theme that it needs something to match it? so i think you should really change up the color scheme on the blog because the white vs off white with a little bit of green is just too plain for the theme.

i do like your graphics a lot! i am also a slut for that neon sign aesthetic.

okay, for the plot, i love it, but there are just little spelling mistakes and odd phrasing here and there. so, i just bulleted them to make it easier to read.

“So what little read thread of fate ties these two strange souls together?“ I think you meant red here? But also, I think there’s just way too make adjectives in this sentence and it’s too cluttered, making it lose the impact of it. at the bare minimum, i would take red out of there but also if you want to, i’d also get rid of strange. again, it clogs the sentence up but also that’s implying that those souls are odd individually. if you were trying to highlight the fact that things people were very different from each other and they make an odd pairing, i’d change the wording.

“A lung full of water,“ This just reads really awkwardly because lungs are always thought of and work as a pair. the only way someone could have a singular lung filled with water is if one of the lungs were removed, which if that’s a signature of the killer, then cool but it wasn’t clear if that’s the case.

“drown those he deems to sinful to live” that’s a “too sinful”

“So, please do come and join us!!!“ there’s nothing wrong with this really, and this is a note that i really don’t want to come off as rude so please understand that’s not what i’m trying to do. this is a note more on the admins and how they communicate. the over use of exclamation points, the pet names in the admin posts while addressing the tags and the members, doesn’t have the right vibe for this type of rps. you’re trying to attract an older and more mature audience and that just comes across as unprofessional and a little forces. that’s one of the things i have discovered about trying to get apps and and attention, the more professional and relaxed you are, the better. you can totally have a personality and be friendly and funny, but that’s not the way to go, one exclamation point does the trick.

okay, the next thing, the navigation page. there are way too many links here, and some of them i just don’t think you need and tbh, i’d move some of them around. it’s an odd thing i noticed, but people are more attracted to shorter before and during application sections and a longer after applying section, idk why. i’m doing bullets again because this got long.

the founding families, victims, the about, and the locations could honestly be moved to the after applying section just because if someone really wants to include this information in their app, they’re gonna look at it regardless, but if i was applying for the group, i’d be a little put off by what feels like work or homework almost.

since the faq is the ask page on your blog, i feel that’s very unnecessary to have it on the navi page.

i also feel that having a tag for faq and having an faq on the ask is unnecessary

the character directory and the character navigation are very redundant. i would get rid of one or the other, i know the directory says work in progress and if that’s the reason you also have the navigation, just don’t link to the directory. you never want to make unfinished work accessible

the wanted connections vs closed connections is also redundant, i have never seen the point of putting up taken connections really, but if you really want to do that, i’d say just make a page for it and call it wanted connections and just have two sections. if you want to advertise the open connections, do so on the promo blog, not on the main

the answered asks link also feels redundant with the faq tag and then on top of the faq on the ask page? i’d say trim that down, it’s just too much. my suggestion would be to get rid of the link to the ask and then get rid of the faq tag and just have the answered link. i also feel that can be down below in the after acceptance.

the banned link for the fcs on the navi is too much. you should link that page in your rules. with just a simple “here are the banned fcs”

i would put the sample and headcanon prompts on the app just again, to clean up the navi page

i’d put the follow list and the trigger links on the checklist page

blogroll is a bit of an antiquated term, follow list, or to follow, or some variant is more popular

and tbh, since you guys have so much info, which is amazing i really do love it, i’d even maybe make an extras section?? like the ooc list, the inspo blog, maybe even the locations page? things like that just because your navi looks like a way of text and it’s a page of links, it shouldn’t look like that

okay, so the guideline page, alright and apparently i’m just going to be doing a commentary over the whole page then bullet points for specifics and that’s the format we’re going with today. it’s a little long and wall of text-y so maybe either shorten them or break it up into more sections?

that first bit about acceptances, i feel you can delete now since you’ve done your first round of acceptances and that’s no longer needed

okay, so the thing about saying we don’t have set dates for applying is that comes off as very unprofessional and while yes, rp is a hobby, the more professional the admins look, the more people are going to trust the admins to run the rp, the more people are going to be attracted to it, and the more they are going to trust the rp to stick around. just say an apps are going to be accepted and if there is any issue, we will keep you updated

i’d say that they deny applications is longer than it has to be, just saying you have the right to deny applications, and that you are more than welcome to talk to us about why you were denied and reapply

the “ (or skeleton) “ is unnecessary and a little confusing. 48 hours seems long to me but that also maybe because i do mainly appless rps and the usual time for the full app maybe completely different. so, if that’s like around about the usual then ignore this bit, i trust you guys

“(somewhat negotiable)” i’d just say negotiable, but that’s a personal and really nitpicky things so eh

“If found to be instigating the drama, you will have two warnings before you will be removed from the RP. We also want you to know that we, the admins, aren’t perfect and if we are every making you uncomfortable PLEASE DO tell us. That is never our intention, and we will very gladly hear your concerns and fix our own mistakes.” that’s two different bullet points right there

now, some people really like discord chats, and some don’t. the thing that i have discovered is that people who don’t have discord or don’t want to join for whatever reason often feel very left out and often leave the rp, this is coming from rps that i have admined myself. so, i’d either get rid of it altogether or make it a requirement that you have discord just so you don’t have that problem

i do get that with these rps where longer threads are more expected the norm, i still feel that 7 days of inactivity plus 48 hours is a bit too long because that’s nine days that someone can go without posting before you have seen that they left, but also, having way too tight activity isn’t good either. i’d say a week without posting or letting you guys know is fair. however you want to divide that out, whether it’s five days plus 48 hours of warning or 6 days with 24 hours warning, i think it’s half a dozen and six of the other

2 months is a very long time for a hiatus and i think it should be cut down by half tbh, because at 2 months, that’s just reserving a character or an fc, i would do baseline of a month and then go case by case for anything longer

The bit about wanting people to let you know they’re leaving is unnecessary. sure, it’s nice to get a heads up, but people are going to do what they do and since they’re leaving, there’s really no disciplinary action to take against that. The reapplying thing is fine though.

as i said, the banned fcs should just be a link to the page because that makes it look neater and it’s less redundant and confusing

you don’t need that diversity bit, it’s clear that you guys feel strongly about it, and that’s not really a rule, so it doesn’t quite belong on the page, unless you want to use that as the segway to talk about the skeletons or you could add a rule that for every “x” amount of white fcs you have, you must have a faceclaim of color or for every “x” amount of under 25 (or whatever you want the age to be) you must have an fc above said age limit

waiting a month to pick up more characters is a little extra? i understand that you can have 3 characters right off the bat and that’s usually as many as people play but it still seems way too long

i guess i don’t understand why you want people to have a para going on and it’s not even a hard fast rule so? i think it’s slightly odd to have in there, but if you really want that in there i’d change it to something a lot shorter like “we’d love to see you guys have a variety of styles of threads, but it’s not a requirement” has the same effect, just said a lot quicker

i don’t think the XV section is necessary at all, i think almost everyone knows that and if they don’t, then that’s something to explain to them one on one because that is going to happen so little

the cutting posts thing is too long, that can be written in less words and for mobile rp, i’ve found that just having them tag it and having the partners do the cutting is fine and works great

i haven’t seen gray boxes in a 79 years, i don’t think they’re a problem anymore tbh??

you guys are getting way too specific with the dimensions of the gifs, just say small to medium. a note on that, is that 80 px is becoming the new norm so for those new fcs who have popped up recently, they might not have 100px resources so they might not be underused but it’s going to be a needle in the haystack search with little to no results to find 100px resources, so it just seems a little much to me. maybe just saying it’s a strong preference would be better

for the triggers, i’d just say, make sure that you add that onto your app so we can add it to the trigger list

the whole bit on what to do with triggers is again, very verbose, you can cut that down to something a lot shorter

also, i wouldn’t use finally, but if you are, make sure it’s on the last rule

i’d rearrange the last section tbh, because it’s a little all over the place so grouping them together by their subcategories would read better

i love the family page, think it’s great! love the diversity too!

the victim page is great too, but i would just add fcs for all of them since their families are playable.

the about for the town is incredible too

locations page is great too, but the phil’s watches and clocks graphic is broken

the only thing on the faq page that i can see is the bit about mock blogs seems like you heavily favor people who do mock blogs over those who don’t so i would change that wording completely

i already said my bit about the directory but i cannot stress enough that putting up works in progress just isn’t the greatest look and thing to do, but i do freaking love what i see with the page, i just wish the first time i saw it, it was complete

okay, so the banned list, i have some thoughts on it

so the fact that you have the exception of allowing more diverse fcs for the large number of groups you have banned makes it not problematic but

idk, i just find that type of banning a huge turn off for me and i know quite a few people feel that way too just because it kind of makes it about the fcs and the resources when it should be based on writing, which i can tell you guys are trying to promote, so idk, i’ve always felt that it creates a cognitive dissonance when groups ban that many groups of people

for example, i have a character that i absolutely love that he might actually work in this rp, but his fc is automatically banned and i’m very attached to his fc as his fc for him, so those really stiff blanket bans can loose you apps

as for the specific people, it’s kind of a long list. now, if those people are all on there because the muns have personal issues with them, great, case closed. however, if those are because they did one thing and you’re doing it because tumblr said they were bad people, but you don’t have a personal issue with them, then like, that could also loose you apps you know? but as i said, if those people are on their because of personal experiences/triggers, then it’s perf

the app is great, but i have a few comments

i can understand why you want to know how people found you, but it is a little odd, i’d suggest make that an optional thing

the understanding bit is a bit outdated of a concept, like it’s better than a password, but it’s still outdated

i’d completely reword the interrogation explanation paragraph because it’s just way too long and over explains it to the point it starts getting confusing

either the link to the accepted tag is either broken or the tag is empty

as far as the checklist goes, i would move the requirements for the blog to the rules page

and that’s the end of this opinion/review! in summary, i think it’s a great rp with lots of potential just a few things to tighten up. i think the things you should focus on is the theme, do things to make it have an aesthetic that reflects the plot and mood of your rp, work on the professionalism things i mentioned, and cut down on how wordy things are, things often get over-explained that sometimes it gets even more confusing and no one likes things over-explained to them. i wish you guys the best of luck!

#;; opinions #;; mine

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chibikinesis · 7 years ago

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A-Z headcanons for Marty :D

I FINALLY got all these done! ♥ Thank you so much, I feel so much love for my boy ;u; ♥

Alignment :: What would be their D&D alignment? How might it come into play?

Neutral good, with occasional chaotic good leanings. He has his principles, but he’s not a fan of conflict, and he’ll likely duck out of a situation when things get to heated for his liking. But if he can be a little mischievous behind the scenes, or just discreetly, to get a better outcome, he’s damn well gonna’ do it.

Beverage :: What do they most like to drink, and why?

He loves coffee. I said before that he was a very happy boy when the Slocum’s update came out in Creation Club x’D I imagine he doesn’t sleep a whole lot, so he loves the caffeine buzz. Quantum’s usually too much of a boost for him, but he will indulge occasionally.

Co-Habitate :: Do they live with anyone? What’s “need to know” before moving in?

I’m still toying with the idea of him traveling with an unnamed (as of right now) ghoul character in his younger years. Or maybe a human friend who gradually turned into one :o Maybe this person even helped him settle into the old Natick Power Station. I’m actually very much leaning towards this but I’ll have to work out some details.

When Marty was 15 or 16, he found a 7 or 8 year old Kimmy rummaging around in some of his scavenged/salvaged materials and the garbage trying to find some food. This ghoul character may still be around at this time; still deciding xD He takes Kimmy in and takes care of her for a while; but nobody comes forth for her during their travels , and after a while she just sort of becomes family.

In more recent years, they’ll let the occasional wanderer crash there for a few caps, unless they set off red flags. No one else has really ‘lived’ there, though.

Lots more below!

Decor :: What kind of home do they keep? Are there any defining details?

His workshop areas are a goddamn fright, but he knows where he keeps all of his stuff :) Crates full of parts, if not outright piles of metal stuff outside. And some of his stranger, more decorative creations litter the house. Thankfully he doesn’t let the living area get too messy, though.

Escape :: What do they do to destress? How successful is it?

He’ll usually go hide in his workshop and try to be creative. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it just frustrates him more. At that point he knows it’s usually time for a nap xD

Fluff :: What hits their soft spot? Does anything them into emotional goo?

He’s a total sap for family type stuff, and seeing other people happy in general. It can be hard to stay optimistic in the wasteland, and he revels in those small moments. He loves it when he makes kids laugh, too. He has this crap idea that kids don’t like him and it’s absolute BS.

Grudge :: How bad does an insult go over? Do they hold a grudge long?

Answered over here ♥

Hobby :: What’s something they do for fun that might be surprising?

The stuff he can’t use for his weapon or mechanical builds usually finds purpose as art projects, not unlike some of the stuff found in this mod. I like to think he makes a cozy profit from all of his creations.

Insomnia :: What’s their sleeping schedule like? Snorer? Sound sleeper?

Boy doesn’t sleep a whole lot, but he usually sleeps pretty soundly when he does. Schedule? Bah. He just goes until he can’t anymore, or until he feels tired enough to sleep. And he definitely snores xD

Jaded :: Do they buy into the “happily ever after” ideal? What’s their standard?

It’s a fun idea, but he knows better than to subscribe to such a mentality in the wasteland. He takes each day as it comes and just tries to live a fairly happy life.

Kin :: What’s their role among their relations? Do they consider others family?

He assumed a very protective big brother/goofy uncle role when Kimmy came into the picture ♥ He very much considers her family, but he never really says it because he’s not sure if she feels the same way. It’d kinda’ break his heart if she didn’t, so he just shows it through his actions.

Law :: What do they think about abiding rules? Are they selective about it?

It’s the wasteland, but he’s still got his moral code. He’s also not opposed to pushing those lines if the situation calls for it. As long as it’s not hurting anyone who’s not deserving.

Magic :: In a magic series or not, are they accepting, or is each instance a shock?

I read this and think of weapons like the Cryolator or or the Flamer or something of the such, and all I can imagine is him, as a self-taught (and still learning) engineer, going all starry-eyed and wanting to know HOW?! I WANNA’ MAKE WEAPONS LIKE THAT.

Network :: Are they connected to the people? How much do they reach out to others?

He’s pretty isolated and he likes it that way. He enjoys the occasional excursions to go sell his wares and stock up, but it’s plenty of social interaction for him.

Offspring :: What kind of parent would they be? Would they prefer one, or multiple?

He did a solid job of raising Kimmy, but he wouldn’t really want a kid of his own. He wouldn’t, however, be opposed to taking in another commonwealth orphan if the need arose.

Pistol :: Is this character skilled with a weapon? What’s their opinion of violence?

He enjoys energy weapons, and he enjoys the hell out of customizing pipe weapons and coming up with cool new mods and improvements for them. He prefers not to resort to violence if he doesn’t have to, but he knows it’s a necessary evil sometimes.

Question :: How often do they feel doubt? What topics are they defensive about?

Answered over here ♥

Reminder :: How are they at remembering daily needs? What falls through the cracks?

He’s worst about making sure to eat, but Kimmy will often take a portion to him out in the workshop when he’s particularly absorbed in a project. He’s actually good about his hygiene, though. Those long stints in the workshop make him feel pretty gross, and he’s very likely to prioritize a nice hot bath over basic nutrition.

Sing :: Do they like music? Do they listen often/sing/hum/play songs in their head?

He does ♥ He loves Diamond City Radio, but when he tires of the same old tracks, he’s found a handful of holotapes with music on them in his excursions. And probably a few more from Unnamed Ghoul OC. He loves The Coasters.

Touch :: How do they handle contact? Is their personal bubble big?

Answered over here ♥

Upcoming :: How much do they think of the future? Do they make long-term plans?

Answered over here ♥

Vice :: What bad habits do they have? Is there something they would be ashamed of?

Aside from not eating like he should, I imagine he’s just a bit fidgety. Like bouncing his (good) knee or drumming his fingers, or stuff like that. Nothing that really would hurt anyone else.

Wardrobe :: What’s their fashion style? Do they have any staple pieces?

Scavver couture xD Nah, he’s not super picky about what he wears, but when he finds pieces he likes and that are comfortable, he wears them to death.

X-Ray :: How’s their health? Any problem areas? Do they take care of themselves?

Aside from not eating like he should, he actually does take pretty good care of himself, all things considered.

The main exception to this rule was when he was in denial about his leg. He wouldn’t go see a doctor when he was still able, and what resulted was Kimmy’s first real excursion out into the wasteland to go find one to bring back to Natick. He’d have probably died of septic shock from the infection had she not.

Yack :: What’s their favorite thing to talk about? What do they go on about?

Probably his projects. Or when he sees something cool that he wants to try to make himself, or that atleast inspires him to work on something.

Zodiac :: What’s their astro sign? Does it fit? What would you pick, if it’s unknown?

His personality gives me a really strong Aquarius-Pisces cusp vibe ♥

#marty #fallout character #fallout oc #original character #deaconmcsexypants #long post

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shamelessnerd · 7 years ago

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Huntress Cosplay 1.0

Yup, this post is definitely late and it’s totally my fault. I apologize, guys. I had a serious bout of con crunch (I swear upon my soul, never again will I endure that, not ever again) and afterward I was totally dead for a good five days. After that, it was time to start planting my vegetable garden and some insurance issues cropped up as well.

So, this is just pretty late and I apologize for that (computer kept crashing when I tried to download my pictures, so after cursing and an email shuffle later, I finally got them) and I hope the mad progress updates to come will make up for it!

Alright, so on May 19th, 2018 at Motor City Comic Con, I marched into the halls as the only Huntress of the show.

(Sorry, my photographer forgot I has feet.)

So, things wrong with this: The belt. *SHUDDERS* By far. I did not have near enough time to get the belt pouches done and so I had to quickly paint what I could in order to have something I could even carry stuff around in. =/ I didn’t even have time to practice posing (which is honestly, one of the worst things to not practice before a con.)

I also didn’t have time to get the white trim done along the bottom edge of the cape, but rest assured it will be there by the time New York Comic Con is around.

Additionally, I will have to make adjustments to the strapping on the mask to make it sit comfortably through hours of wear. It started out fine, but by the end of the day, I had a raging headache. I’ll cover that in a separate post, as I will with everything.

Here is my reference photo I was basing this off of:

I gotta say, I was very happy with how it turned out! (Except for the belt, dear God, that hideous thing....) and a lot of people were super excited to see Huntress! I can’t tell you how incredible it felt to be recognized as Huntress and how geeked people were to see her. All my Huntress fans out there, know this: She is not forgotten. Not by a LONG shot! They were so excited to see her at the con, to have her represented, and that honestly just put me over the moon! Seeing other people just as nerdy and fans of Huntress as I am made all the work, misery and tears getting this costume ready in time made it all so much worth it. One guy even stopped me for a picture AND a selfie with me and proudly showed off his collection of Birds of Prey Sideshow Collectible statues -- the Huntress one provides the lockscreen wallpaper for my phone.

And the thing I think I loved the most: 5 kids wanted to take pictures with me. Needless to say, Helena was grinning from ear to ear in my mind. Nothing could’ve made the day better.

Credit for things I did not make:

The mask is by TigerStoneFX

The belt buckles (which I will show in more detail in following posts) have been 3D printed and designed by my wonderful and brilliant friend, ThatWhichLurks,

Crossbow by NXT Generation Toys.

Parachute buckles and sliders are from Strapworks.com. (Seriously, this should be on every cosplayer’s bookmark list.)

Cloth from Stylishfabric.com.

Combat boots from Volatile.

Additional shoutouts to those incredibly helpful people, and more to to come as I go:

Clarke Cosplay for his incredible patience and going above and beyond helping this newbie cosplayer wrap her brain around crafting bendy 3D objects from flat materials. He not only patiently answered all my questions, he even MADE a Huntress kneepad. Needless to say, I’m still BLOWN AWAY. All I can say is wow. And thank you, so, so much. This guy really knows what he’s talking about and if anyone needs help on the basics and getting started, definitely check out his YouTube channel. And please, let’s just admire his sheer expertise and faithful documentation of his process -- it’s cosplayers like him that really keep the hobby open and welcome to newcomers.

And I would be remiss if I did not mention Rianne Royale either. It was her help that got me into sewing and she also went above and beyond in helping me out with that maddening white trim on Huntress’s cape. Not only does she love a good challenge, but she loves helping others overcome their cosplay challenges as well, and without her down-to-earth advice, I would surely still be bent over that sewing machine!

Additional thanks (even though he’s unlikely to see) is Angelegend for his videos on Plastidip and painting. They didn’t answer all my questions about paint but his videos are by far the most newbie-friendly that I found and gave me a very good handle on where to start when it came to painting foam -- especially the Plastidip! He also showed how to make the small things like padding the inside of the kneepad and how to make the piece of armor that goes on the back of the hand -- stuff that normally gets lost in so many pro cosplayer’s eyes, the simple stuff they don’t think twice about. He also has amazing builds for Halo and Mass Effect, so if that’s your cup of tea, definitely start there!

And of course, the wonderful woman behind Rainbow Curve Corsetry, a wonderful seamstress who is the reason why that cape looks as freaking fabulous as it does. Holy. Hell. Do I owe her a LOT. She’s in that vague group often called ‘a friend of the family’ but feels like she’s just a hell of a lot more than that. (Okay, she’s the daughter-in-law of my mother’s best friend, but that’s a mouthful to say.) She taught me the most important rule of sewing from scratch: Just dive in and do it.

Now, that definitely isn’t everyone, but it’s a few, and I’ll sing praises for everyone as I go through my process posts.

And many deep and heartfelt thanks to my incredible friend and sister-from-another-mister @slayerrelick for housing my miserable butt for a full month so I could even get started on this project. Her love and patience absolutely made this possible and I’ve no doubt she’s half the reason I’m still alive and/or not in jail for murdering someone ‘cleaning up’ my crafting table. This one is for you, hunny.

Additional notes!

Far as I could find, I’m the in the minority of Huntress cosplayer’s that went the full tamale with making the armor, including the kneepads, by hand from foam. So what do you all think? Does it work? Look good? Anything need changing? Hair, makeup not what they should be? Lemme hear your feedback!

#Ultimate Huntress Cosplay 1.0 #huntress cosplay #Huntress #Helena Bertinelli #Motor City Comic Con 2018 #Credits #Bring Huntress back

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kanawolf · 7 years ago

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Well first off @first-son-of-finwe thank you so much!

Now then, I've been thinking of trying to role play with one of my ocs (the main character in like 98% my tolkien fanfics) but I don't really know. That being said I figured I might just make a post about her (and then if people are interested I'll try to make a rules and a muse/mun page). Here we go!

Silm, SoM/SoW, Hobbit, and Lotr

Name: Kayden (common) Manwamahtariel (Elf name)

Race + Age: Of maia and human descent (1/4 probably). Roughly 800-1000 years old (about 28-32 in human years and looks like it too)

Parents: Names unknown (she doesn't like saying)

Occupation: Herbologist, Translator/Linguist, Ethnographer/Writer, Shop Owner

Hobbies: She'll give just about anything a try; writing, reading, travelling, gardening, and learning

Description:

Kayden is about 6ft tall and has a lean musclar, and agile, build (especially on her arms and legs) her body from all her time travelling/rock climbing through Ea. She has thick waist/hip length hair and is usually on some form of updo to keep it out of her face, unless she is very relaxed, then it's let down. Blue eyes and tan skinned, she has a slightly round face with a defined cheekbones, freckles promimately around her eyes, nose, and cheeks, and a two scars close to her hairline. She also has runes "tattooed" all over her arms and legs (to help her control it).

Personality:

Kayden is a very caring, gentle, and queer person, but not afraid to talk shit and be blunt when it comes to the truth. Sarcastic, stubborn, and sometimes mixes friendly insults with harsh ones. Has a habit of hiding her anger (which is usually a slow burning one) only to implode layer on. Very emotionally driven but also has a logical side which leads to many hours of ponderous thinking and asking questions. Not very fond of authority figures and if told she can't do something, she will always try to find to do whatever it is and do it better than everyone else. Or at least better than the expectations set on her.

About:

As a child, Kayden was always an odd and gentle child, with a curious and reckless streak. She has quite a lot of energy that often shows through pacing and tapping her fingers, or by exploring. Something that cause much worry when she a child because she kept disappearing in the hopes of learning new things. Her caretakers learned to control by surrounding her with books, parchment, and a quill and ink basin.

As soon as she could, Kayden left her home and started travelling all of Ea to learn about all of the various people, flora, fauna, and minerals within. She soon became a wandering shop owner and taught many people how to use all types of mixtures for various reasons. As she got older and noticed that she stopped aging at the same rate of other men, she started staying in every place for much longer so that she could study and understand the people completely and started writing books and each race and it's different clans and subdivisions.

In terms of relationships she generally thinking of everyone pretty equally and doesn't care much for titles (which is why she doesn't say hers). She tends to give respect to people once she believes they deserve it through their actions and words. Her family is very important to her and she send them letters as often as she can and they, specifically her 5 siblings, have been known to visit her wherever she is. Because of her personality she understands a lot of emotional things and she is a very good counsellor to her friends, family, and even acquaintances. She is fiercely loyal to her family and friends and has a habit of disappearing for months if she is betrayed because if how badly she wants to the good and beauty in the world.

That's all I have for known and will probably make another post or a page on my blog to update her till she is complete and I'm happy with the details and such. Any one who has advice please feel free to drop by. I don't mind most role play subjects and will try just about anything just talk it out with me first. The one thing I won't do is rape/sexual abuse unless it is something that is referenced or happened in the past.

See ya!

#rp #roleplay #role-playing #oc #original character #kayden #muse #doing a new thing #always exciting #k writes

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wildlyhardphilosopher-blog · 5 years ago

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Pitbull Puppy Training | Get the Best

New Post has been published on https://dogtraining.dknol.com/english/pitbull-puppy-training-get-the-best/?utm_source=Tumblr&utm_medium=Tumblr+%230+Freda+K+Pless&utm_campaign=SNAP%2Bfrom%2BBest+Dog+Training

Pitbull Puppy Training | Get the Best

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WaggTagg™ Contact details for Council Certificate III In Engineering – Boilermaking/Welding Create a book Reviews Hannah RuessGovernment Accredited Dog Trainer Report cruelty Eye care Greeting guests calmly Adopting from a breeder Search Learn more about the classes Online Course -Basic Dog Manners – Level 1 Copyright © 2018 Animal Welfare League of South Australia Careers with Dogs interaction Jump up ^ Millan 2010, p. 88. In Home Training Deaf, or hearing or speech impaired? 1300 4 777 22 Tool Definition Animal Cruelty amp Welfare Email Tools Lesson Time: 1hr per wk The Advertiser Facebook Basic health and care 7. Please feel free to add any other comments & suggestions you may have for improving our courses. Best Dog Obedience Training | Get the Best Best Dog Obedience Training | Top Online Resource Here Best Dog Obedience Training | Top Online Resource Available Here Legal | Sitemap

#Alpha Dog Training #Dog Training Gloves

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insanereddragon · 7 years ago

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11 Questions (x4!)

1. always post the rules. 2. answer the questions given by the person who tagged you. 3. write 11 questions of your own and tag 11 (or however many) people to answer them.

Apparently, you guys are thirsty to know more about me. I was tagged by @hisreindeerjumper @thisbirdhadflown @corabe and @elletromil! So 44 answers incoming, under the cut.

(from hisreindeerjumper)

1. What fandom have you been involved in that’s your favorite to date?

Are you seriously going to make me choose between Hannibal and Kingsman? I’ve met so many wonderful people in both fandoms, and while every fandom has their occasional drama and discourse, I’ve found both of these ones are generally such positive and welcoming places, full of top notch creators and consumers alike.

*sighs* Okay, I guess if push came to shove, I’d choose Kingsman, if for no other reason that it is where I met @elletromil, and I’m sure you all know how much I absolutely adore that woman.

2. What did you want to grow up to be when you were little?

Paleontologist, then a cop, and then a forensic psychologist. I figured out at the end of my first year uni that psychology wasn’t for me, but ended up getting a degree in it anyways.

3. Favorite places to shop online?

I don’t shop much online anymore, but when I do it’s mostly on Society6 and Redbubble because I adore supporting all the wonderful artists in our fandoms.

4. first kiss! tell me all about it! and i you haven’t been kissed yet, how do you want it to go down? do you want to be kissed at all?

It was kindergarten (about 6 years old), and I dragged a boy behind the toy cubbies.

5. who was the first author that you read with a voracious hunger?

Brian Jacques and the Redwall series. It was my first ‘fandom’, and it lead to me doing email RPs for a few years.

6. what color looks best on you?

Black or green, but I can pull off certain shades of red on occasion.

7. do you read your horoscope?

Nope.

8. what are you most proud of in your life?

I guess maybe starting a long running anime convention.

9. favorite food & why!

It’s a toss up between my family potato soup or biscuits and gravy. Both remind me of feeling warm and loved during times that were sometimes less in both of those things.

10. what scent do you have the strongest memory association with?

There is one scent, and I don’t even know what it is -- I can’t even describe it -- but whenever I smell it I vividly remember this one summer when I was a child. I don’t smell it often at all, but it always hits me like a punch to the gut just how vividly I remember everything from that summer.

11. favorite tea flavor!

Chamomile, but I like white and other herbal teas too.

(from thisbirdhadflown)

1. We all did embarrassing things as teenagers. Share a story!

I tried to dye my hair blue while I was at boarding school, and instead it failed miserably and I ended up with this sea foam green hair. It was awful. For my birthday that year my mom paid for a stylist to dye it back to my normal brown color because it was so embarrassing I didn’t want to wait for it to grow out.

2. What is a headcanon for one of your OTPs?

Thanks to @deepdarkwaters I will always think that Harry and Merlin communicate secretly to each other (morse code or sign language, or the one time that Harry actually had to use flag semaphore XD)

3. One book that had a huge influence on you?

Hrm, I’m not sure that I have a single book that was a ‘huge influence’ on me. I certainly have favourites, and I’m sure that I’ve taken lessons or ideas from many of the books that I’ve read, but never one that sticks out like a beacon of light.

4. Who is one misunderstood character?

No Face from Spirited Away

5. What are your pet peeves?

Sheets that aren’t laying flat. People flushing with the lid to the toilet open. People who refuse to move to the back of the bus. Wet socks.

6. One thing you wish you knew as a child/teen that you know now?

That the anger and resentment wasn’t worth it, and that forgiveness would be something that I'd be able to find.

7. Would you like to be famous? In what way?

God no, I could never stand my life ending up under the scrutiny that seems to inevitably come from fame.

8. Best part about getting older?

The freedom to do what you want, once you realize that it’s okay to let yourself do those things.

9. One thing you really enjoy and one thing you really dislike about fandom?

I love the sheer creative output - so many unique ‘verses and ideas all starting with the (sometimes very) limited source material. Just an endless amount of ideas that I never would have thought of, but are amazing and wonderful all the same (even if I don’t like them personally).

I hate that sometimes expressing non-popular viewpoints, even politely and in the confines of one's own personal blog, can spiral out of control into massive discourse and drama. The downfall of connecting to fandom on a site like tumblr and the internet in general really.

10. What makes and breaks a fic for you?

The moment I can’t believe in what’s happening. A well considered crack fic is guaranteed to keep my interest, but I poorly thought out canon one is going to have me clicking the back button.

Also, formatting. Sorry guys, I try so hard not to let formatting keep me from reading a fic, but I recognize that I’m very picky about aesthetics. If it’s not laid out with proper spacing and standard book-like formatting, I’m probably not going to stick it out.

(from corbe)

1. What are you top five fandoms right now?

Hannibal, Kingsman, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them... I don’t really do any other fandoms with any consistency.

2. What are your top five go to books right now?

I haven’t read a proper novel in a long time, so my top go to books right now are all origami books XD

3. What are your top five go to movies right now?

Kingsman, Victor Frankenstein, Mad Max Fury Road, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Deadpool

4. Do you have pets?

2 cats, Spork and Fruit

5. If you could have dinner with one person from history dead or amongst the living who would you have dinner with?

I know you’re looking for someone famous or important, but if I could actually do this, I’d have one final dinner with my grandmother, before the dementia had taken over.

6. Do you like pumpkin spice? Is it a problem for you that I absolutely adore pumpkin spice and will willing cut someone for a pumpkin spice latte?

Haha, I don’t go gaga over pumpkin spice specialty items (you could gladly have my latte, I wouldn’t drink it), but I do love the abundance of actual pumpkin items in the fall. I tend to overindulge on pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin cookies XD

7. Do you have a favorite holiday?

It’ll always be Halloween. I was a costume maker up until my kids were born. I’d start my costumes in April, and I’d spend a lot of time and money on them. Now I just do my best to give the kids decent costumes that won’t break the bank, and eat lots of chocolate.

8. Do you have a favorite rare fandom pairing, a pairing that’s hard to find fic for or not as popular?

Meeklo Braca / Scorpius (with or without the addition of Sikozu) from Farscape. I’ve reread the 33 total fic on AO3 at least a dozen times, and even keep the tags saved in the hopes something new may pop up some day, but the fandom is well and truly dead :(

9. Do you like pickles?

Yes, but only if they are dill.

10. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? Just to make you feel better I do, I sleep with the bear my husband bought me when my Dad passed away.

I don’t - most of mine have been divided amongst my boys.

11. Do you like doing crafty hobbies like sewing, knitting, metal working, or do you enjoy hobbies that involve collecting?

Haha, crafty hobbies are my thing. I sew, crochet, do origami, and make chain maille and jewelry.

(from elletromil)

1. Who was your first celebrity crush?

Jensen Ackles XD

2. For what meal do you prefer going to a restaurant? Breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner? Only a quick coffee/tea/dessert?

Breakfast, or rather breakfast food. Give me an omelette or benedicte or skillet any time, but they are always infinitely better coming from a well seasoned grill or pan. I can’t replicate that at home.

3. Would you rather clean the dishes or dry them?

DRY THEM. I hate washing dishes so very much. Thankfully Mr. Red agreed for that to be his chore around the house.

4. Are you the kind of person who puts a song on repeat until you’re tired of listening to it or do you have to always change songs?

Repeat. I’ll listen to a single song on repeat for days at a time XD

5. What supernatural/fantastic creatures would you like to be and why?

Phoenix, because I relate to the idea of rebirth from the ashes. I have one planned in one of my tattoos I hope to get.

6. Are you more afraid of what is at the bottom of the oceans or what we could find while travelling in space?

Space, because there are going to be things that we just can’t comprehend or understand.

7. You’re favourite kind of weather and why?

Bright, warm sun with a cool breeze, so I can just sit outside all day at the perfect temperature.

8. You can live anywhere you want, where would it be?

Honestly, I’m pretty happy where I am. We’ve been here for 10 years, just bought our first house. I don’t really want to be anywhere else :)

9. If you use the tumblr app on your phone, did you prefer when the bar was at the top or do you like now that it’s at the bottom? (am i still bitter about this sudden change? why yes i am XD)

Top, stupid update.

10. Did you ever watch a movie/tv show just for an actor/actress and you were sure it would be horrible, but it ended up actually being good? What was it?

I was sure I was going to hate Men & Chicken, but I was compelled by Mads and the Fannibals, and I was surprised how much I liked it. It is bizarre and definitely not for everyone, but turns it was just the right amount of strange for me.

11. You can decide on a tv show that would get a new season, a movie or a book that would get a sequel, what would it be? In a hypothetical world where the sequel/new season would be fantastic and all that you’ve ever wanted.

Hannibal Season 4. HANNIBAL SEASON 4. HANNIBAL SEASON 4. HANNIBAL SEASON 4.

(Also Sense8, Leverage, and Dominion)

Darlings, this was too many questions. So no tags or new questions of my own. Sorry, I’m burnt!

#personal #ask and i'll tell #so many questions #so many answers

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daringdisneydays · 8 years ago

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Pre-Program Welcome: Semi-Professional Version

Hello to whoever felt like reading this blog would be interesting 😉 It’s nice to be read by you, nice shirt, really, wow, you should wear this colour more often because wow. Gorgeous.

Like so many other people on tumblr, I’ve applied (and, spoiler alert: have been accepted) to the Disney Cultural Representative Program. In about two weeks I’ll be leaving Germany behind me and fly to Orlando together with my best friend @katiesdisneyadventure. If you want to follow someone who is actually good at blogging and can keep to regular updating schedules, please, go ahead, follow her! She’s a darling.

This post will be dealing with the application process – from writing and handing in my cv and my pictures right till I was accepted. It will be a general overview, but please keep in mind that, as I have applied in Germany, my experience will be based on it.

The application process can easily be divided into four stages:

Stage One: The Writing Process (Application,CV,Motivational Letter, Online Questionaire)

Stage Two: The Interviews – both in skype as well as in person

Stage Three: The Waiting Period

Stage Four: The Result

Stage One: Writing Can Be Scary AF

First of all, when you apply for the Disney Cultural Representative Programm (CRP in short), you are supposed to hand in your CV and a motivational letter. Please, do not be scared if you don’t have a lot of work experience – neither have I. And Disney is not looking for professionals but rather for enthusiastic people who want to give their all within the program. Especially within the CRP, you are supposed to represent your culture and that is something you cannot learn.

The online questionnaire is confidential, so I cannot share much with it. I know I was a bit scared when I went through the different questions because, as a non-native speaker, I sometimes had to google a phrase or two. But overall, as long as you are being honest, there is nothing that can go wrong.

A short, probably outdated piece of advice for your motivational letter – tell a personal story. It’s an advice I generally give for whenever you apply for a job, show what connects you to the brand you are applying for. I am sure, Disney means a lot to whoever is reading this and considering to apply as well. How did you meet Disney? What do you connect with it? No, it won’t be boring that you and every second person connect it with movies and childhood – that’s gorgeous! How has it influenced you further? Awesome!

Stage Two: Oh Goodness! I AM TALKING TO PEOPLE!

So here is where the German experience comes in – when I applied and started reading up more about the interviews, I was overwhelmed. Apparently going to the interview stage is not hard (and I can agree with that), but there would be skype-interviews to do a first selection of who should advance further and only then you would be invited to an actual face to face interview with Disney employees.

So, me and Katie where invited right away and so was everyone who attended the interview in Frankfurt, which is pretty far away from Berlin. The dress-code is business casual, no jeans, blouses but no evening gowns as well.

If you are not sure what to wear, go on the Disney website and search for The Disney Look. It’s a guideline you must follow anyway when you are accepted into the program and thus, you can see this as a practise session. In general, I recommend to take a look into this maybe before applying even. There is for example a no-tattoo rule for certain body areas and covering-up with make-up is a not allowed. So, if you have a tattoo on your wrist, for example, that’s it. No Disney Food And Beverage Job for you.

The beginning is easy, you’ll have an introduction, maybe meet people before or during that phase. You can decide for your interview window, if you are fast enough. I was and got right into the second badge of six.

The part that is hardest to prepare, but, in the end did not need a lot of preparation at all is the actual interview. No one will ask you any trivia questions, like, when Snow White came out in the theatre or how many ears Mickey has ( spoiler alert: two). In general, the questions will be fairly open – so, if you have any special hobbies, talents, if you are doing a lot of social work, be sneaky in your answers to bring that up. “So, how do you think you can stand the heat?” “Oh, that won’t be a problem, I am used to it because I do lava-diving in my freetime”, things like that.

A lot of people say: Don’t forget to smile but I have faith in you, reader. The smile usually comes automatically, maybe even accompanied by an awkward laugh. You got this.

Stage Three: Wanna Play The Waiting Game? No? TOO BAD!

Waiting sucks. You probably know that already but it gets even harder during the application process. Waiting for the interview invitation was bad because it is your first time waiting but I promise you, it won’t be the last. Disney is super busy and there are so many people applying and a lot of other company stuff to be done.

Something I did not even think of, hadn’t it been for my darling Katie? Going on facebook. There are a lot of facebook groups, some for all CRPs, some just for the interview. I also larped during that time and went to cosplay things, basically adrenalined myself up.

The hardest waiting game however starts after the interview. I am sure there will be one brave soul asking the interviewers how long it will take until you’ll get a reply. Maybe YOU are even that brave soul. That would be cool. I certainly wasn’t. So in our case this was the longest 23 days I had ever experienced. People will start getting their acceptance mails in badges so maybe some people on facebook already tell you that they’ve been accepted while you just do this: ?????. And it will be hard, so hard to see people’s dreams come true while yours is just semi-true.

Even after acceptance don’t think this will be the last time you have to wait for something. In my case I had doctor’s appointments, visa, breakfast, flights, insurance. Grown Up Stuff. And, until recently, Disney Housing. I still have no idea in which housing complex I will live. I am playing the Waiting Game right now. Thank goodness for video games.

Stage Four: THE ANSWER IS LOOOOOOVE

So much for helpful advice. I was accepted which is AMAZING. My friend was accepted. Generally, a lot of people get accepted or put on hold. We even had people switching acceptance dates with each other????? So, head’s up, dear reader, I have faith in you! If a mess like me can do it, you can do it, to

#disney cultural representative program #disney crp #disney #cultural represenatitive program #disney blog #johanna sucks at blogging but she's doing it anyway #johanna gives advice

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kjsimmill · 5 years ago

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Someone in a group I am part of asked me for some tips on using Twitter for novices. Now, I am the first to admit that I am a long way from being an expert, however, I am more than happy to share what I know and have learnt. So in this article I will cover

Finding followers

How to Retweet

What to Tweet

How often to tweet

Common Hashtags for authors

and some Useful Tool

Once you have a Twitter account set up you’re going to want to start following some people, I find following people I share interests with help, as well as those I am in groups with. I am by no means an expert, but this is what worked for me.

Finding followers:

Start by typing your interest in the search bar with a # in front of it. For this example, I will use #authors, but look for people who enjoy your hobbies, your genre, etc

This brings up posts with this hashtag

Ignoring any accounts that show at the top scroll down, if any tweets catch your eye, retweet and follow them, often Authors will follow back.

To follow someone:

If using the above step you find someone you want to follow, hover over their name to open the profile

Click the follow button, this will then turn blue and say following. (PS I don’t know this person it is just who came up during my screenshot for the example)

The way is after doing the hashtag search click on the people tag. This displays all the people with the hashtag you searched for, read their profile and follow anyone you like

How to retweet:

Retweeting is one of the most important things when trying to establish an account, it shows people the kind of things you like, and if you share content they like they are more likely to follow you. By retweeting others, you make the page not all about you, but about others too. This is important in social media. The general guidelines, based on my digital marketing course are as follows, don’t worry about these too much, it is just to show what kind of balance you eventually want to aim for:

Posting tactics:

In my digital marketing course, the following Tweet strategies were recommended as best practises.

5-3-2 – 5 pieces of content from other people, three of yours, two personal status updates – this works best for people and small businesses

5-5-5 – 5 updates about you and content, 5 about other people, 5 responses to other people’s posts – these posts should add value and be relevant to you, your hobbies, or the market

4-1-1 – 4 posts from other people, 1 retweet for every 1 self-promoting update

Rule of thrids – a third of you, a third of others, and a third on personal interactions

How to retweet a post:

Using the search function find a post you think will enhance your feed and be of interest to your followers. Again I will use #authors as an example. Here I recommend instead of using the default page that comes up, you select the ‘latest’ tab. Scroll down until you find one you like.

For this example I will select the retweet button

When you click this the option to RT will come up. You can either just retweet, or rt with your own comment

Once it is done the rt button turns green. The number by it is how many times a post has been retweeted.

Retweeting your followers

Being engaged and retweeting your followers is really important. The tweets of the people you follow are displayed on the Home page

Using the same process above, scroll down to find the ones you want to retweet, and select the retweet button

What to Tweet

Content is all important. It is better it send out 4 or 5 tweets your audience will be interested in, than 50 they won’t. There is a fine line here, as you want to use it to promote your book.

Posts with pictures, according to my digital marketing course, get around 80% more engagement than those with text alone. So where possible include a relevant picture, gif, or in the case of authors, a book link often pulls an image from Amazon.

When promoting your own work, I find best practice is to offer pictures with teasers.

Another well-received option is to use quotes from your reviews, and short elevator pitches.

Think of a Tweet like a pick-up line, you want to entice and tease your reader, gain their interest so they want to know more.

However, it is not all about your book. You need to be personal, reveal and share snippets of your day. If you’ve written something you love or hate, tweet about it. Seen something which inspires you, made something you’re proud of? Take a picture, share it. The goal is to connect with your audience, let them see you, and your work.

How to Send a Tweet

Start by pressing the Tweet button

If you have some text highlighted in red when you write a tweet, this means it is over the character limit.

You can always find a way to save space if needed by changing things a little

Once your tweet is written, double-check it for typos and press the Tweet button.

How often to Tweet

The average lifespan of a Tweet is 17 minutes, after which, unless people have RTed or looked for it specifically then it is finished. This is because of the constant scrolling timelines. According to Internet Live Stats, every second around 6000 tweets are sent. However, despite their short lifespan this doesn’t mean you should be sending out something every 17 minutes. Here it is important to focus on quality over quantity. Before posting anything make sure it will add value to your customers.

If you don’t log into your account within six months, Twitter may shut it down.

What Hashtags to use

The author community has so many hashtags it is hard to keep track. The rules are simple.

First, make sure they are relevant, don’t use #nonfiction if your book is #fiction

Secondly, check what is trending. If you can, you want to turn a trending hashtag into a marketing push, some people call this trend hijacking. Trending hashtags are displayed on the left side of your Twitter.

Here, since my book donates to charity, I could utilise the current trending #internationaldayofcharity and highlight the donating aspect of my book in a promo tweet.

In this instance, you’ll also see I opted to link to the charity rather than the book. It is a day of charity after all, if someone is interested in my book, they can always check my profile, however, I want to promote the DMWS here.

Always be tactful and tactful when using trending hashtags

Common hashtags for authors

Books and Reading

#amReading #Bibliophile #bookreview #Books #BookWorm #GreatReads #MustRead #WhatToRead #bookswelove #FridayReads #TeaserTues #IlikebigBooks #recommendedreads #Weekendreads #whattoreadnext #WriterWednesday or #WW

Genre, examples

#ChickLit #classicbooks #contemporaryYA #cookbooks #crime #DarkFantasy #dystopian #EpicFantasy #erotica #Espionage #fanfic #Fantasy #fiction #graphicnovels #HeroicFantasy #histfic #Horror #indie #LBGT #LitFic #LitRPG #Love #MagicandWizardy #manga #mystery #nonfiction #paranormal #PictureBooks #Romance #SciFI or #SYFY #Suspense #SwordandSorcery #Thriller #UrbanFantasy #WomensFiction #yabooks

Promo

#99c #AuthorRT #BookGiveaway #BookMarketing #Authorfollowback (not popular anymore) #FreeReads #FreeBook #NewRelease

Publishing platform

#Apple #Amazon #eBook #BookBuzz #eReaders #KDP #Kindle #KindleBargain #Kobo #Nook #SmashWords #KindleUnlimited #FreeonKU

Useful Hashtags

#Bookboost (any tweet tagged with this gets a rt from Bookboost) #IARTG (Indie author RT group) #ASMSG (Authors’ Social Media Support Group) Writing Process

#AmWriting #AmEditing #CopyWriting #Creativity #Editing #IndieAuthor #WIP #WordCount #Author #Writing #WritingAdvice #WriteMotivation #WritingTips #WritersLife #WritingCommunity

Useful tools

https://tweetdeck.twitter.com/ – Free

Use to schedule tweets. Type your Tweet in the box, select date and time, and repeat with different dates for repeating tweets.

https://www.socialoomph.com – Free with limited features, or $15 a month to create a queue

https://www.vicconsult.com/buffered-bulk-tweets/ – great for text only tweet scheduleing – $5 a month, must keep adding content, so keep a notepad with the tweets on to copy and paste in. When I last used this it was still restricted to 180 characters

https://ifttt.com/twitter – Free – Great for finding and posting content you enjoy

https://ifttt.com/applets/SMvaxczG-if-hashtag-then-retweet-it is a great one to use if you often retweet specific hashtag, but be sure to keep the -RT in the hashtag line. There are so many, that you can opt to rt things from places like NASA, or simply say thank you every time someone follows you

Summary

When Tweeting the idea is to keep your audience entertained, give them insight into you, your work, your interests, while also engaging with them. It is not all about selling your book, it is about adding value to their day, be it a smile, a book teaser, or just something personal they may relate or be inspired by. Try to keep a balance between your things and everyone else’s. RT followers, RT things that interest you, doing this shows people what you like, and shared hobbies and passions help them to relate to you and form an online relationship.

As I said above, I am a long way from being an expert on social media, however, I hope you have found some of these tips useful. This is my Twitter strategy, based on things I have learnt in the digital marketing, associates degree I have just completed, as you get a feel for it you will develop your own best practices. If you have some tips you’d like to share, please feel free to comment below. I would love to know what works for you.

I hope to see you here again.

Article by K.J. Simmill (KS the Dreamer)

Since I still have your attention, and this is a marketing post, it must be time for some shameless self-promotion – check out my award-winning books here, and have a great week x

How to Twitter, and Hashtags for authors #TwitterTips #AmWriting #IARTG #howtoTwitter #DigitalMarketing #authors Someone in a group I am part of asked me for some tips on using Twitter for novices.

#author hashtags #b2b #b2c #Digital Marketing #hashtags #hashtags for authors #how to Twitter #how to use twitter #promoting books #promoting tips #Twitter #twitter tips #writers #Writing Tips

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