#and if the rp environment is what stops me

[wwaheoh]

“Your Hot Furry Boyfriend Takes You on a Date But Then Ethereal Horrors Beyond Your Understanding Interrupt [ASMR]” Von Lycaon x gnReader (Romantic)

a/n: was listening to an actual asmr rp video and realized how down bad i am

The cold night breeze whistled through the streets, a coat lended to you by your boyfriend, Von Lycaon, stopping you from feeling it in its entirety. There weren’t many others on the street, only a couple others milling about. Shops were beginning to be closed, street lamps buzzing to life, owls and cicadas beginning to sing as the Sun began to dip itself under the horizon.

Snuggling closely to your boyfriend, he wrapped his arm around you, the warmth of his fur and the solid feeling of his toned body provided were comforts of steady warmth. Smiling, the two of you continued on to your shared apartment, basking in each other's presence.

Then there was a boom.

Shattering the serenity of the evening, a dark pulsating sphere burst out in the middle of the area they were in. Screams rang out as people began to run away from the ever-growing ball. A newly formed Hollow was emerging.

Lycaon moved quickly, taking his phone out and dialing his colleague, “Rina, there’s a Hollow forming on Fifth Street.” He held you firmly, beginning to basically carry you as he moved to get you as far as possible from the emerging Hollow. “You know what to do.” Hanging up from his phone before pocketing it, he turned to you. “Let’s go Dear.”

Only a few steps before the Hollow burst, enclosing the entirety of the surrounding area in its new space-warping environment.

“Faster than expected…” He murmured to himself, a sense of worry building in him- though not outwardly exposing it, mannerisms learned from his years as part of Victoria Housekeeping. Without a Proxy, there was no way they could get out without getting lost within the Hollow themselves. All they could do was,

“Wait for Miss Rina.” Lycaon held you tight, knowing that your Ether Aptitude was way less than his. A safe estimation would be that you had twenty-three minutes until your time ran out. That would not happen.

As the two of you ventured throughout the Hollow, aiming to either encounter Public Security or be located by Phaethon- either way, being sitting ducks was not an option. At your behest, the both of you searched for survivors. It seemed most people followed protocols, encouraged to learn it by heart from a young age. You couldn’t not know what to do in case of a sudden Hollow appearing when living in New Eridu after all.

Just as you were looking through some windows, searching for the elderly or those unable to escape, Lycaon rushed forward in a blur of white being trailed by a cool blue. An Ethereal. It had just rounded the corner before being split into two and ultimately disintegrating back into the Unknown Substance of the Hollow. You rushed to be closer to him, before he raised his hand.

His ears rotated before his fur stood up. A break in his characteristic cool composure. Quickly, he grabbed you before you could even react and rushed the two of you behind an alley. Just as you were about to speak, he covered you mouth. You moved to shoot him a look of indignation before getting a good look at the expression he wore. Worried.

A shadow passed through the streets. It was large, about the size of a firetruck. Looking up, the two of you became petrified at the sight of the Ethereal. Bigger than any ever recorded, squid-like in it’s appearance. It flowed through the skies like water, a dead gaze as it searched for… something.

“Psst!”

The two of you jumped, Lycaon nearly punting the pint-sized newcomer before stopping himself midway through, the now recognized-Bangboo raising its small arms in surrender. “Wait! Miss Rina sent me!”

“Ah, Master Proxy. I apologize.”

“It’s fine! That weird squid Ethereal is something I’d expect to see at the Outpost! But forget that, let’s get you out of here.”

“Please, I think we have about thirteen minutes left.”

“Isn’t your Aptitude high?”

Lyacon motioned to you, with you waving as the Bangboo waved back.

The Bangboo turned back to the wolf-Thiren.

“Is that your…?”

“Significant other? Yes.”

“Wow! For some reason I both did and didn’t expect that…” The Bangboo muttered to themselves before turning back to lead them. Then they stopped before quickly motioning for everyone to hide.

The shadow of the titan-sized Ethereal passed by once more, now seemingly closer to touching down onto the ground than before.

“Alright let’s go!” The Bangboo whisper-yelled, waving for them to follow. As they passed and rounded a few more corners, the Bangboo seemed to have gotten a premonition, “Ethereals!” Lyacon burst forward to protect the team as mentioned Etherals burst out of the woodwork, black charcoal bodies with green oozing out from their underbody.

He stepped forward before bursting into motion, leaving a small crater where he used the ground as a starter block. Quickly disposing of the enemies in a professional matter, none of the Ethereals could even hope to land an attack as he fought, decimating their numbers with practiced ease.

Taking out his watch as you and the Bangboo caught up with him, you noticed a furrow in his brow. Questioning it, he replied, “Eight more minutes. Phatheon, we must hurry.”

“Right!” The Bangboo replied, scurrying forward to lead the group out once more. Passing through a few portals. The tell-tale sound of Public Security vehicles and Rescue Bangboo becoming more audible as your group began to reach the exit.

“EEEAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!”

A screech that could be heard from all throughout the Hollow, turning back, all three of you watched as the Ethereal noticed your group, having sacrificed hiding for efficiency in haste to get out. The being began to approach with frightening haste, unnatural in how something so big could move so fast.

Breaking out of his stupor fast, Lycaon hoisted you and the Bangboo up with his arms and began to sprint in the direction Phaethon pointed them in before being disrupted.

“Where to Master Phaethon?”

“Left!”

“Now take a right!”

“One more- oh jeez it’s catching up!”

Lyacon used every ounce of strength in each push his legs gave, pushing through stray smaller Ethereals, not wanting to give the monstrosity chasing them a chance to catch up. After a few more blocks, it had gotten so close that you could hear the squelching of it’s tendrils, with it only being stopped by the buildings. Just as it seemed that it would begin to make a grab at Lyacon, gunfire rang out.

Public Security, with this particular group headed by Zhu Yuan and Qingyi, with backup from neighboring departments as well as their very own, laid down gunfire on the Ethereal. Forcing it to evade to avoid taking the brunt of the firepower being let out on it.

“Phatheon!”

“One more right!”

He barreled forward, just as a wave of nausea hit you. Two more minutes.

Sprinting forward, he fell into one final tear in reality, arriving in a space in front of the Hollow.

Setting you and the Bangboo down, he let you catch your breath as he reconvend with Phaethon.

“I am in your debt, Master Proxy. Money will be forward-”

“I- It’s fine Sir!”

“Pardon?”

“Just for this once! Take it as a token of good faith.”

Lyacon smiled, nodding as he turned his attention back to you, leaving the Bangboo to return back home.

“Are you okay?” “‘m fine… just tired.” “Of course, let's have you checked then we can return home, okay?” “Mm…”

You nodded off to sleep as he lifted you in his arms, taking you over to the doctor to get checked. Waking you up only for a little bit before falling right back to sleep after all the tests were done. You were cleared- only being exhausted from prolonged exposure to the Hollow.

Setting you softly onto the shared bed, Lycaon softly caressed the top of your head. Thankful for having been able to get you out with minimal roadblocks. Had the two of you been even a little slower…

Best not to think about it.

Later, the Hollow would be contained once more through the combined efforts of Public Security and the military sector based in Scott Outpost. Only a few casualties- a testimony to the effectiveness of their efficiency.

[eeveelutionstarsofficial]

☆ Welcome to the Eeveelution Stars official Rotomblr blog! ☆ Hello! We're the idol group evolving everyone's hearts with our songs and dances, the Eeveelution Stars! Incase you don't already know us, let's get introductions down, shall we? My name is Eve! I'm the leader of the Eeveelution Stars, and I represent Eevee! My catchphrase is "Let's evolve together"! I became an idol to show that everyone can be something great and we can always keep getting better! Never stop evolving! -🤎 I'm Faye, the Flareon member and co-leader! I helped form the group after meeting Eve! My catchphrase is "Burn bright, don't hold back!" and my goal is to inspire my fans to embrace their inner fire and pursue their dreams with passion just like me! -🧡 You can call me Vivian. I am the Vaporeon member of the group. My catchphrase is "Let the current carry you to new heights". My goal as an idol is to encourage everyone to go with the flow and embrace life’s waves. -💙 I'm Jolynn! I represent Jolteon of course, my catchphrase is “Feel the spark—be unstoppable!”, and my goal is to bring laughter and joy to everyone, and that there's nothing better than being yourself! -💛 The name is Umbriel... I'm the Umbreon member. My catchphrase is "Find your light in the shadows". My goal... Is to help others find strength in their uniqueness, and embrace their flaws. -🖤 Hello! I'm Esme, I represent Espeon. My catchphrase is "Trust your mind, and your path will be clear". I'm here to inspire others to trust their intuition and show their creativity! -💜 I'm Gracie, the Glaceon member. My catchphrase is "Stay sharp and shine with precision." and I seek to show my fans that beauty and strength can coexist, even in the harshest environments. -🤍 Greetings, you can call me Leona. I represent Leafeon here! My catchphrase is "Grow with grace and strength"! I'd like to inspire harmony among people, pokemon, and nature. -💚 Last but not least, I'm Silvia! I am our Sylveon. My catchphrase is "Let's keep the magic alive together!" and my goal is to help create a world where everyone feels loved and accepted. -💗 Together, we pursue our dreams and help make each others come true too as we unite everyone through our performances and keep evolving! Now, not only are we connected as idols, but we're pretty much family too! We hope we have many more years of happiness and joy to come, and can spread it to all of you too! Shine bright and keep evolving, EvoLights! [OOC under the cut]

So... I wanted to make an idol group to feature in the story for my fanregion project, came up with these ladies here. Started working on them, became EXTREMELY attached and they kinda, funnily enough, evolved into something MUCH more than what I had intended, & now kinda becoming their own thing. They very precious to me rn,,, and I realized they'd make a PERFECT RP blog. So here we are! I don't want this to be *too* long but still want to make sure there's info for all the girls available particularly so interactions can be as smooth as possible, so I wrote everything you should need to know down on this doc (bc this would be 20 miles long if I didn't lol): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f55b2sO8AmJIjVBNs2hCWpzMiI-T8e9QFIS9MkYJZL4 I've got most of their backstories and whatnot roughed out as well but I won't reveal those just yet :) Oh and just to make sure it's 100% clear they are all humans; I plan to draw them in both their stage costumes and casual outfits soon! I also imagine they're from Sinnoh but travel worldwide all the time for their concerts and idol activities. They all live together as well and see each other as family. Also, the heart emojis are going to signify who's talking when! Only rules for interaction are no NSFW/suggestive content, otherwise everything is pretty much fair game. Blog is run by @michellekyura and you can keep up with my rp blogs at @michellespkmnirlhub ! That should be all for now!

[verpineshatterrifle]

most rpers could benefit from reading this article about consent in bdsm and related articles in the same website i am so serious (discussion of sexual activities in the link, website will ask you to confirm you are over 18, click at your own discretion)

you should be picky about your long term rp partners. you shouldnt just play with someone because their writing style is compatible with you and they play a character you like. you should like your rp partner ooc too, not just their writing

if you agree to do one scene with someone you have no obligation to continue writing with them, or even to finish that scene, even if that's frustrating for them. for any reason.

you should discuss ahead of time what you want to happen in your rp, even if its loose vibes, and check in while you're playing

it's polite to communicate with an rp partner if you wish to stop or your replies will slow down, or about literally anything else (the more ooc communication you have the better the rp will be i am so serious about this) but you DONT OWE ANYONE ANYTHING.

if your rp partner slows their reply rate, doesnt want to finish a scene, entirely ghosts you, you can try and check in with them and ask what's up, but no matter how frustrated you feel, do NOT guilt your partner. i don't care if you think they're being rude and inconsiderate. i don't care how invested in the rp you are. i don't care why they want to stop or slow or left entirely.

if all people involved in an rp are not enjoying themselves, the rp should not be happening

i've been seeing people say 'fuck ai, rp with real people' and thats very true, i want more people to get into rp and for it to be a normal fandom activity, and i have very strong opinions on ai involvement in rp (basically: DO NOT) but i spent a few months in an environment that treated the person who wanted to stop or slow down poorly. i even bought into the mentality that my partner owed me something for a little bit.

roleplay requires authentic, informed, explicit, continued consent. nobody, not an existing partner, nobody, owes you anything. everyone should be enjoying themselves. and you can always stop for any reason.

if you can't agree with that you shouldn't be doing long term roleplay, you should be writing fanfic.

[loveapologist]

We have had this conversation many times before, but I think it's worth repeating and stressing out:

Cringe culture is dead, embrace what you love making and do it unapologetically.

Speaking as an artist, I've found myself assaulted many times by the dichotomy of making art that is acceptable vs the art I want to make. By acceptable I don't mean void of controversy (art is all about sharing your own voice and sometimes that is controversial!) but art that I know it's gonna be well received by the internet.

Take fanart for example; it's not only that fanart is gonna be more popular and well received than original art (duh) but also fanart from certain media will garner more attention. A fanart from a different media will have less tracking and that is all well and understood; I'm not taking about popularity here, I'm talking about guilt.

Guilt about making something from a fandom and have people construct an idea about you, guilt about putting work and time into something that is not gonna interest the people that follow you and may drive them away. We have to get rid of that; how many stories are not being told due to guilt? How many niche fandoms are missing out on amazing artists?

I've found myself unsure about posting art of different stuff and even creating it. Getting stuck into this X fandom I may like and it's popular and well received and not being brave enough to share other things that are dear to my heart, due to this guilt. No one will care, they will think I'm this way or that, I will be an annoyance on people's feeds.

And that is so fucked up.

For example, at the start of the year I took the hard decision to stop being a freelance artist and change careers (for several reasons, I won't go into it now). It was incredibly painful and I could not bring myself to pick up a pencil again and create for months. I got into Harry Potter rolplaying in a very private environment and I didn't share it with anyone because I felt guilt for liking that fandom too- I've tried to move forward, grow out of it, but I just can't. I'm gonna be thirty soon and I've come to realize it's my special interest, it fills me in ways that other things can't. It's comfort, it's home.

The thing that got me out of a very toxic moment with art? Drawing my Harry Potter OC I use for rolplay. I love him so much, it's very dear to me and I would love to share the rich history I've built around him but again- even after all this time, I found myself feeling guilty. About liking Harry Potter, about having a cringey rp OC, about not posting art for the other fandoms I've been into.

And you know what? I'm tired of it. This fills me with a creative passion I hadn't felt in years, it makes me want to draw again even if no one really cares. I'm tired of feeling guilty and I won't let myself be reigned by it no longer.

Who cares if it's a rp oc, if it's a self insert in some ways, if it's cringe or overdone. I do have a creative voice, stories to tell, things that I love and it's that love I want to share.

Life is too short to stop yourself from creating and sharing something you love. Create the thing, share the thing. At the end of the day there is no one else but yourself to be accountable for the things you have or haven't done.

[murdermepeacefully]

Brahms Heelshire Headcanons

Honestly I'm not sure why it took me so long to do Brahms, given I've been writing him since mid 2022. But I've been really vibing Slasher Headcanon posts lately, and today, it's his turn! [Updated: 12/2/24]

As always, these are of course my own personal opinion, but feel free to reblog, add onto them, ask questions about them, or add them to the ones you accept yourself! I absolutely love hearing from others on their thoughts.

.♡♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡♡.

Headcanons from the Movie:

The Greta doll [Or the Nanny doll, for fics or content where the nanny is an OC or the reader] was never intended as anything dark/kinky/etc. It was simply Brahms mirroring how he'd seen affection shown towards him. I went into this in more detail on this post, if you're interested.

While he doesn't have the ability/time to do things like take care of his hair or shave, he does shower when the nanny is outside doing the rat traps.

When he can risk it, he'll sneak his clothes in with the laundry, but that became more difficult once his parents left. He's sometimes able to manage it by putting a few things in with sheets/blankets, but more often than not he'll simply use the clothes his dad left behind when he needs something clean to wear.

Def a clingy boy. Likes being able to have some form of physical contact with his partner, or at least be able to see/hear them if he can't do that.

Sometimes doesn't understand things that one would expect an adult to know, simply because his parents didn't teach him. The best way to address moments like this is to correct any mistakes gently, and teach him what he needs to know. [This does not mean to treat him like a child, just be patient and don't use a judgmental tone.

Occasionally has trouble processing emotions, especially negative ones, due to his father having a 'men don't cry' mindset.

Headcanons from Fanfic or Fandom Interactions:

Once he's ready to do so, he's okay with being seen without his mask. Respecting the boundary of letting him decide when that happens is a great way to show you care/trust/love him.

Definitely nervous about leaving the property, but he can manage if he's not alone at first. Once he's been out with someone he trusts enough to adjust to things like the crowds, levels of noise, and the environments, he's ok with splitting up for short periods of time.

When he goes out, he wears a cloth mask to cover the lower half of his face, so that the scarring will draw less attention.

Random Headcanons:

He's 100% the big spoon, regardless of a partner's size. While he does enjoy being held, he prefers to do so when he's holding his partner at the same time.

Really loves having his hair played with, especially if combined with kisses or cuddles.

Dog person [Cats are too aloof, and he enjoys the energy dogs can have. They're also a good way to get him going outside in the fresh air again]

Likes to slow dance with partners at times, because it reminds him of sneaking down the stairs and seeing his parents slow dancing together.

18+ Headcanons🌶️🔞:

Spicy Headcanons:

This man does not know his own strength, so do not be surprised at all if you have bruises in the shape of his hands.

Definitely a switch, because he can enjoy both being the one in control and the one being controlled.

loves seeing his partner climax, but prefers it to be from him doing it than them doing so.

He likes to restrain with consent, because it means that there's no escape.

100% respects safe words however, and generally uses the traffic light system of red means stop, yellow means slow down/pause, and green means good to keep going.

A bit into somnophilia [sex with someone asleep]

Does not like NonCon RPs or scenarios, even in a consensual noncon scenario. He prefers his partner to be very clearly, enthusiastically, consenting.

Age Regression Headcanons: NOTE: I am not intending to say that age regression on it's own is spicy or kink. However, I feel it best to keep it under the 18+ cut to be safe.

One of his favorite modern children's shows is Bluey. This is partially due to the characters being dogs, partially because of the parenting dynamics shown, and partially because there are heavier/more adult topics addressed in a way that's easy to process/understand.

Sometimes will relate to characters deeply, and can use that to communicate a bit more easily. [A main example is Bingo in Dance Mode]

To add onto the above, if a nanny/partner sees him upset and prompts 'Checklist', he will recite off Chilli's checklist from the episode The Show, while allowing himself to do the items on it. It started as a way to help him address his emotions in a healthy way, but soon became something that helps both him and his nanny/partner, as he can do the same thing with them.

The checklist is as follows: ✓ Have a Cry ✓ Pick Myself Off ✓ Dust Myself Off ✓And keep going.

Likes doing coloring pages or other simple crafts, and will often proudly present his partner with the end result.

Loves it when they put it on the fridge where it can be on display.

Eventually turns his childhood room into a 'Littlespace' room for him to go to whenever he like. This means painting the walls a soft, comforting color, putting soft rugs on the floor, adding prism window clings to the window to cast rainbows all about the room, a permanent pillow fort, and a TV with a DVD player and VHS player on a wheeled table that can be moved anywhere in the room, with a bookshelf full of movies from their childhood, as well as more modern ones.

One of his favorites is Quest For Camelot.

[darkleloog]

NO.

OK THAT'S ALL, WHAT THE HELL, I DON'T INSULT ANYONE NOR DO I INTEND TO DO IT, IT'S RP, SEND THAT BUNCH OF TEXT IN A COPY PASTE OF THE FIRST RESULT THAT APPEARED I THOUGHT "hehe, Alex will very upset with Darkle, Darkle wants to win that position as Alex's enemy." AND I TOOK A RANDOM PIECE OF ALL THE LOTS OF TEXT THAT WAS PUT THERE. I don't understand it, I didn't want to offend anyone.

THEN IT'S MISUNDERSTOOD AND THEY SAY: "oh, this guy is an INCREDIBLE idiot" And I try to tell them calmly: "ahem, no. This is just rp, I would never do that."

(This is a completely idiotic topic and taken in an immature way by me) Oh, and you'll think: "nah, nah, nah, he's just trying to defend himself from what this monster really is."

NO.

STOP. WTH, NO.

Darkle: GCBC DID YOU BLOCK ME?? Thank you, I love you too.

UUUHHHHG, THIS TEXT LOOKS SO WEIRD WITH ALL CAPS-

Well, whatever. THE CREATION OF THIS ACCOUNT WAS TO CREATE HATE TOWARDS DARKLE, HE IS THE ANTAGONIST

While I was writing all this I was thinking: "this text looks so bad, it's going to look like I'm EXCUSING myself" NO, NO, NO.

What a shame all this is

OH YEAH, I BLOCKED GCBC FOR A LITTLE WHILE IN THE FORM OF: "no, now, stop, I don't want to get in trouble, I don't want to have to do THIS TEXT." And it only got worse, bad choice. MY FAULT, my fault, ik, it's my fault, I'm sorry.

At the end of that pile of text I put " /j " because I didn't want that to be misunderstood, and you will say: "why didn't you put in small print that it is not serious to insult? IT LOOKED BAD, FROM MY POINT OF VIEW IT LOST GRACE, RATHER, GRACE FROM DARKLE'S POINT OF VIEW, I really wanted to make it look like Darkle was the one who wrote it, NOT ME.

Ok, this is already a lot to read, GCBC, sorry to tell you so late, but, do you remember that time I made an Alex bot and you told me:

" AI is theft, and also a HORRIBLE resource guzzler. If you care at all about the hard work that *real people* put into honing their crafts, or the environment, you'll stay well away from this nonsense. "

(Yes, I copied the text)

Again, SORRY!! AI is crap if you ask me, but I really wanted to do something different. I didn't dare tell you.

Finally the text ends here.

Postscript: This blog is the blog of an antagonist. I thought: "an antagonist is needed in an rp"

I've put humor here because I don't even like reading things written with so much "Capital letters? Seriousness?"

That's it, it doesn't matter. IT'S OVER, RIGHT?

[townofcadence]

🖼 my favorite types of characters

📒 three blogs i couldn't live without

🛍 the one thing i wish all of my followers knew about me

🔥 my hot take about the roleplaying community

@ssnowbunnii // RP Community Asks 🔥 my hot take about the role-playing community

Mmm, I don't feel like I have any that are particularly hot, but I do sometimes feel like people's enjoyment of the rpc could be elevated if they did a few things. If you block/softblock and in general curate your space, respect boundaries and stop assuming certain things reflect on you, things can improve drastically. Also!! Communication can help in a LOT of situations!

Like.... if you realize the way someone writes or rps or what they value in their interactions doesn't match what you want, it's okay to just walk away. They don't have to be malicious for you to unfollow or block, and you don't have to have a great reason for it. If they make you uncomfortable, if you just don't think you mesh, if what they value isn't what you write and vice versa, then you're allowed to leave, and that doesn't make you a terrible person. I definitely don't think there's a wrong way to rp, but sometimes what someone does isn't what you're looking for. There are so many people in the community and across fandoms that sometimes it's good to just focus on who sparks joy instead of spending time being frustrated by the way they do things instead. For example, if you primarily write to ship, it's okay if you do, but being in a group of people who don't ship at all would be a bad environment. The same could be said for someone who plays ttrpgs to crunch numbers being a group who like to focus entirely on rping and fluff.

I DO think there can be merit in having others around that engage things differently and that can make things interesting! But sometimes you just know that it won't work out or you just aren't interested, and that's okay. Curate your spaces! filter keywords and tags and block and unfollow as you need to make the space best for you.

Conversely, I feel like it's easy to take being unfollowed as a really personal offense even from people you never/hardly interact with, or someone's disinterest in some aspect of your creativity as personal. But often it's just about them making a space they feel comfortable in and want to engage for their hobby. I think it's important to step back too, and recognize being unfollowed does not reflect on you as a person, your writing capabilities, or what you've made. I have characters I write that people aren't interested in as much, and others those same people praise or show interest in. Sometimes people are invested in specific things like archetypes/personalities, aesthetics, and tropes they like or want to play out with their muse. And ultimately, it is literally impossible to meet every expectation of everyone ever. Sometimes a character might engage something like a trigger for someone, or sometimes they might just not enjoy a genre of writing, or the way a character handles things. Sometimes they might just not think it'd make sense for characters to interact. Sometimes someone won't be attached to a character they don't know, or be only interested in things from certain fandoms and not give much time or interest to things outside it. But none of those things means your characters are flawed or your writing is sub-par. They're just not your audience.

Sometimes it sucks when it doesn't mesh, don't get me wrong! Sometimes it feels bad, especially if you were excited to interact. But ultimately at the end of the day, there's so many others who will adore what you make as it is, too. Just respect the unfollow/block, be bummed about what could've been as you need to, and move on. Don't hold every unfollow or your follower count or whatever against yourself as a metric for your value. Focus your energy on where it will be valued, rather than who makes you feel bad about yourself, you know? Same with if people like your art or not, or your writing. Your style might not match what they like, but that doesn't mean it's bad. You will find your people over time, and over time some of those people might change too, but it's important to recognize that your value isn't determined by a number, and to not waste your energy fretting over if you're good enough. It's also good to let go of people who drain you, or make you feel shitty or you just don't enjoy engaging with. But it's fair for others to curate their space and sometimes walk away, too. Try not to focus on the negative stuff that ultimately doesn't matter and detracts from the fun of the hobby.

I also highly recommend communication, too. In my personal opinion, many issues can be resolved by talking them out and making sure you're on the same page. Whether it's tweaking a detail in an rp that doesn't align with your headcanon, expressing your interest in writing with someone, deciding where to go next because you're stuck in a thread, checking if something was seen, expressing you'd like to drop a thread and start something new, or even bringing up concerns that could make or break interactions if you want to continue them, communication can be great for fostering and maintaining things, even if it's scary. Most of the partners I do best with talk to me on the side about the thread themselves and it helps keep interest and momentum!

I won't say that discussing issues will work every time, of course! sometimes people don't want to listen or you'll never see eye to eye or they won't want to accommodate you, and sometimes it's not worth the time and energy, but if something is worth preserving to you, at least the attempt to talk it out can be important or preserving a relationship and preventing resentments from building up!

On a related note, consider this your checkpoint if you ever have wanted to unfollow me, but feel anxious to do so! I won't go after you, and I won't hold it against you. There will be zero retaliation. Do what's best for you, and please just keep having fun 💛

🖼 my favorite types of characters

In regards to this for others' characters, there is no character archetype that I don't see merit in! In an earlier ask, I talked about how each individual muse brings something to the table, and I think that holds true for characters I don't write. Others make them interesting and it can be SO fun to engage and see how they impact my own characters by the actions they take and the words they say! Every new reply is a new way things can twist and change and I live for that!

In regards to my own, I tend towards kind characters. I feel like a lot of the world, especially in mainstream media, kinda goes for stuff that's edgy and grimdark, and a lot of people who are writing on here might be looking for escape from the real world and just someone to care about a facet of them they place within their characters at times. And I feel like there's something special about playing a character who chooses to be kind despite how difficult it can be, who can hope and try to be good, and someone who can allow other writers to explore aspects of their characters that need someone willing to ask the questions and notice things.

I definitely want to get better with more flawed or selfish or shithead characters though! And villains! They can be a lot of fun and really get some interesting dynamics that you might not get when everything is going well, and sometimes it can be so fun to see how they force others to grow (or even change themselves based on events!)

📒 three blogs i couldn't live without

I don't really like answering questions like this because personally I think everyone brings things to the table and trying to pick anyone might make others feel left out even if I care about them too! Just know that if I follow you it's because I admire your characters and writing, and I want you to be here <3

🛍 the one thing i wish all of my followers knew about me

Honestly I don't mind if people don't know much about me. Not in a 'I want to be a cool mystery' way but more in a 'i only want people to ask questions or want to know me if they want to'. So I'm pretty content to not exist sometimes, but i do value those who have reached out and engaged me as a person as well as my characters. You guys are the MVPs and matter so much to me !!

[okamirayne]

Hi, fellow writer here simply trying to get some traction their story via tumblr. Do you have any tips?

Hi there, Fellow Writer! ✍🏼

Ooh, tips…!

I guess it depends on what’s got you stuck? Are you feeling blocked with plot or are your characters not cooperating? Do you need creative inspiration or something practical to apply?

Here are some tips that I hope might help, my dear. Please discard what doesn’t work for you, or feel free to let me know if there’s a specific area you’re stumped on in which I may be able to offer my humble two cents. 🩵

Inspiration ideas: create some music playlists for your characters; read some non-fiction books surrounding your characters such as their job/psychology/world (e.g if your character is a Viking warrior maybe read into early medieval Norse history and/or mythology plus battle tactics of the Norse warriors); make a character mood-board; have fun and dabble in some art or other creative pursuit to shake up your right brain (you can keep it connected to your characters/story); brainstorm with a creative buddy; dive into storytelling and read some fiction that inspires/entertains you; watch a movie/series that engages you and determine what it was about the story/characters kept you invested (this can be used to help you hone your craft); RP your characters if you can (the real-time urgency and method-acting nature of RPing can really help you connect with your characters); explore areas of The Arts that give you the sweet magical feels ✨; or maybe you just need a break away from the work to let it percolate?

Practical ideas:

1) Character chat: Have a chat with your characters. Write dialogue between you and them. Hang out with them. Revise or revisit your characters’ backstory, their goals (internal/external goals), their fears, unmet needs, their non-negotiables, their core values, their formative years, and the lie they believe about themselves. What are their objectives and what is motivating them? What would happen if they stopped believing the lie about themselves? Who would they have to be (that they don’t want to be), or what would they have to do (that they don’t want to do) if they stopped believing the lie. Examples of lies: I’m broken; I’m unloveable, I have to be strong, I have to rescue everyone, everyone leaves, I’m not worthy, I’m not safe, everyone depends on me, I have to be xyz, xyz is my fault, emotion is weak, everyone else is xyz, if I don’t do ‘x’ then ‘y’ will happen, I AM “xyz” (insert wound/lie here).

2) Head Hop: shift perspective or point of view if you’ve stalled, this can really help. Get into another character’s skin to tell a certain scene.

3) Endings: Get clear on a few different endings (revise plot, but leave room for organic development)

4) Drabbles: write some drabbles. Pick random words and write a short stream of consciousness response from a character’s perspective. E.g Snow, Time, Whisper. You can set a timer if you like, or just go with it, no editing, just free writing to see what gets unlocked.

5) Switch it up: Take a break or shift your environment. Take yourself out and treat yourself to a writer’s date/artist date doing something to fill your creative well (Julia Cameron talks about this in her book The Artist’s Way). If you can take yourself to an environment that resonates with your characters and/or the world they inhabit, even better. Some people like to switch the fonts they write in.

6) Frag Out!: Throw a plot-twist flash bang grenade into your characters’ world. Up the stakes, throw them a curveball, raise the tension, create some conflict or challenges. So long as it lends itself to character growth/revealing something about the character and/or advances the plot, that’s usually a good call!

No idea if these suggestions/tips were helpful, luv. Again, if there’s a specific area that’s giving you trouble you’re welcome to share. 😊 I really hope you can gain some traction and get things rolling again 💪🏼 Wishing you loads of inspiration and energy to do your wordcraft wizardry!✨💜✨

[peggyao3]

20 questions about Feyd-Rautha

I was tagged by @psycheetamore to answer these super interesting questions about our common blorbo Feyd and these were so fun to think about 😍

1. was there any specific point / any specific moment that suddenly made Feyd-Rautha your Blorbo, or did you slowly grow to love them more and more until they became a Blorbo to you?

Feyd became my blorbo after ~9 months of ao3 hiatus because of some other fandom shit. I saw Dune 2, felt a small tickle of a crush and thought "Might as well." I wrote Preyd and gave it to my sweet friend to beta read and she was so into it, we immediately started brainrotting about Feyd and within a few days, the hyperfixation was born 🥹

2. what’s the thing you love the most about your Blorbo?

That I get to explore the terrible abyss of the human mind and society with him, how the environment can shape a character into an unapologetic lack of empathy. Yet we are given enough scenes to work with to deduce his humanity and vulnerability, which is exactly what a "villanous" character needs to become three-dimensional. Plain evilness with no vulnerability is boring to me.

3. what’s the thing you dislike the most about your Blorbo?

In all honesty, his polyamorous tendencies, bc that's a bit too close to infidelity to me, which is a bit of a trigger for me 😂 But luckily I can just headcanon that part away and my brain is happy.

4. if you could talk to your Blorbo, what would you say to them?

I would tell him that it wasn't his fault 🫂 iykyk

5. what’s the one thing the fandom gets wrong about your Blorbo?

There is no right or wrong way to interpret a fictional character. What I find wrong is when people act like there *is*.

6. is your Blorbo an introvert or extrovert?

While like I feel like he thrives when admired by others, I don't think that's what truly fulfills him. I'll say ambivert.

7. describe your Blorbo in 3 words

Sociopathic, traumatized, violent, (and cunning, because you can't stop me from putting a 4th word xD)

8. if your Blorbo were real, would you trust them with your life?

If I was certain that I meant something to him, yes, absolutely.

9. do you talk to your family or in-real-life friends about your Blorbo?

Family: hard no xD Friends: My irl friends know I like Austin and Feyd, but I don't brainrot like I do in online spaces.

10. is there any crime, any wrongdoing your Blorbo could commit that would make you stop loving them and remove them from your hyperfixation entirely?

That's a bit of a strange question to me, because it's literally my own brain that decides what he does or doesn't do. If he were to do anything new in canon (which he won't because he's dead lol), I could just pretend he didn't.

11. do you like seeing your Blorbo suffer?

Seeing dominant, powerful men suffer and crumple into the traumatized boys they are on the inside is my SCHTICK 😩

12. do you ship your Blorbo with any character?

I mainly ship him with my wonderful bestie's OC in our RPs ❤️ But I'll also go with any FMC/Reader that people come up with in fics.

13. if your Blorbo is from a live-action media, are you also a fan of the actor who plays them?

Fan is too tame a word ����🥹🥹 Austin Butler makes me feel gushy like I have a real crush, but it's also better than having an actual crush on someone near me, cause irl men can kiss my ass.

14. would you still love your Blorbo if they were real?

In Feyd's case, of course not, because the things that make me go yesyesyes in fiction are hard nononos in reality.

15. is your Blorbo a victim of badly written script / bad plot / character assassination in the hands of canon?

I don't think it's a *badly written* character assassination. It makes sense for the plot as it is, but naturally I regret the lack of future scenes with him 😭

16. if you could change one canonical thing about your Blorbo, what would it be?

*points at the polyamory* — But even that, it makes sense for his background. I still like to play with that trope because it's a part of him, but I usually just move him away from it in the course of the fic/RP, via character growth and him realizing what he actually craves, etc.

17. when you first discovered your Blorbo, did you realize from that moment that they would become your Blorbo?

I knew that he completely ticks my boxes when I first saw him, but I always need to *lean into* it a little bit, offer my brain a treat by writing something about them, which then usually kickstarts the proper hyperfixation lmao 🥹

18. do you gatekeep your Blorbo? / would you want more people to know about your Blorbo?

I mean I definitely "gatekeep" my OCs because they're dear and personal to me, but I don't think I've ever done that with a franchise character. So no, I don't gatekeep Feyd.

19. has a fanfic about your Blorbo ever made you cry?

All the time!! But I'm also a baby who cries very easily 🥺

20. do you think this character will still be your Blorbo three years from now on?

I mean, I dearly hope so. But from experience, I'd sadly have to say no, because my hyperfixations tend to fade after a few months. But Feyd/Austin has been my *longest* so far, with 11 months as of now. My second longest lasted like 8 months, so maybe this means Feyd is meant for eternity 🤭

[mumbleberry]

Is legacieswcrp abandoned? And are you in any other wcrp’s?

Legacies is down for the count for the foreseeable future - I had to completely stop all rp I was doing back in November to keep up with IRL problems and am only just now coming back to things, which pulled the rug on Legacies right when it was getting started. I am thinking however of planning a much less ambitious rp project as a spiritual successor to Legacies! That's in large part what those interest checks I made were about. I am also considering scripting out a comic and/or fic series about the world of Legacies, but those would take a lot of time and a lot of worldbuild before they'd see the light of day.

In the meantime I have RPs I'm currently in tracked under #pinned - that would be YAWRP @warriorsweaver and Ever Rain @everrainrp (on hiatus). I'm also always down for causal private rp and worldbuilding things on discord if that's more your speed! My user is ursys if you want to add me ;D

I don't want to make too many promises right now on what my next rp project will be, but my goal is mainly to bring together a smaller core community of adult players in more of a sandbox environment with simpler rules/lore and rpg systems, and less dependency on scheduling. The next thing you'll probably be seeing on any rp I'd be personally running would be a call for staff apps!

[umesakus]

tysm for the tag @sugurei <3 i talk too much (but we been knew)

what's the origin of your blog title? hajime mf umemiya <3

OTP(s) + shipname: hmmmm i like lots of stuff!! but umesaku is def one of my faves lol but i also enjoy ships like yutamaki, satosugu, tojigo, rinsagi, zhongchi, and just lots of problematic shit and rarepairs 😎

favorite color: orange or yellow 🍊🍋

favorite game: the whole bioshock series!!! also the last of us, far cry 5, and my fucking hoyo gacha games like genshin/hsr

song stuck in your head: mama’s broken heart by miranda lambert (it popped in my head while i was in the shower lol)

weirdest habit/trait? where do i even begin… i guess if i had to pick one it would be my inability to not think of a song whenever someone says even just one word that reminds me of it. or i will often automatically create weird mashups in my head of pieces of songs that are similar/go really well together and it will sometimes be the weirdest combo ever

hobbies: being a tumblrina, writing/reading, playing video games, learning about psychology and personality theory/typology

if you work, what's your profession? i work in mass media lol. i wake up 10 mins before my shift and crawl over to my desk in the living room with eyes that are half-shut

if you could have any job you wish what would it be? idk 😭😭 i like parts of what i do but hate other aspects. i love psychology but idk what i would do with that (i don’t like dealing directly with people) and i have absolutely no science credentials so anything in STEM would basically require a lot of backtracking/catching up for me. which is unfortunate because my brain loves science and coming up with things but it also has adhd and struggles to function in most environments lmao. i also enjoy being artistically creative ofc but most things of interest in that arena are too chaotic like i cannot be doing freelancing or temporary positions and constantly dealing with that. so idk what the right balance even is for me atp LOL

something you're good at: finding ways to get the results i want on something!! i’ve been fucking around on the internet and computers for most of my life and am really good at troubleshooting. i learned how to p*rate media as a tween because i wanted to make music videos or download songs. i wanted better graphic and music editing software so i torrented and cracked photoshop/fl studio/etc. i learned how to do HMTL/CSS because i wanted to have pretty codes on my old rp site lol. i always found a way despite being a kid on the internet with no money and nothing else to do. I WILL NOT BE STOPPED

something you're bad at: dealing with people’s (and my own) emotions (“i shouldn’t be crying this is illogical” 🤓), texting, HAVING PATIENCE

something you love: animals!!! music!!! friends!!! fiction!!!

something you could talk about for hours off the cuff: the enneagram and psychology 😭 also fictional stories/characters ofc. so so many things. i can talk way too much

something you hate: people who make everything about themselves or don’t care about others 😭 also people who wallow/complain but do nothing to try and fix their problems lol. especially if they have the means to do so

something you collect: just merch from the different things i like haha

something you forget: everything!!! jk. but i WILL forget where i laid my phone or wallet if it’s not in the same place, and i’ll walk out of the house without my water bottle or keys too

what's your love language? quality time!!!

favorite movie/show: forrest gump

favorite food: hmmmm i’d say maybe pizza!!

favorite animal: birds!!

what were you like as a child? i could be more shy/quiet/anxious in unfamiliar situations but probably because of trauma lmao. i’ve always been incredibly observant and curious about stuff so my mom got me lots of puzzles and books and taught me how to read early so i had like the highest reading score in the school and shit. which was kinda stressful because i also had undiagnosed adhd and could get burnt out/“not apply myself” but i didn’t wanna disappoint people expecting me to be the perfect genius or smth lmfao. not that i gave that much of a fuck because while i was a “good kid” and behaved for the most part i’ve always had a rebellious streak and will mostly do what i want within reason skdjdjdjjsk i was always good at making friends tho and even enjoyed sports early on

favorite subject at school? i loved science and history

least favorite subject? hated math at different points mostly because of the way it was taught/how they expected me to do it. no i don’t wanna multiply with your specific method and i would rather die than show my work (literally my teacher would be like “you got the right answer but your shown work method was wrong” but like that’s BECAUSE I DON’T CAREEEEE just let me do what i need to do)

what's your best character trait? open-minded i guess? also optimistic/determined

what's your worst character trait? impatient af, hate doing “boring” stuff, i’m easily irritated by people lmao

if you could change any detail of your day right now what would it be? that i had gotten up a little bit earlier and had more time to do stuff

if you could travel in time who would you like to meet? hmmmmm….. this is tough and i could probably come up with a better answer if i thought about it for a while BUT my grandma had this one aunt she had to live with for a while who was like incredibly mentally ill i’m sure of it. she did some wild stuff and i wish i could just observe her and see what she was actually like lol. she was abusive as hell so i wouldn’t want to be besties with her ofc but i just wanna know why she did what she did. i’d also wanna meet my great-grandfather because he actually sounds nice but he died in a work accident which is why my grandma had to go live with various unstable individuals 🙃

recommend one of your favorite fanfics (spread the love!): the first one that popped into my head is this delicious noncon kinktober fic with shinsou’s quirk by @melon-fodder

🏷️ open tag!

[darkrpfinders]

Hey there I'm noodle! 🍜 23 yo nb (they/it/she)

I'm looking for some ARCANE roleplay- I just finished season one and am working my way through season two as we speak!

☆ this will be an oc/Canon RP (With doubling if wanted 👀 tell me about your ocs)

♡ I'd love to explore some au ideas and what ifs- (let my boy claggor live please-) and workshop a good plot!

☆ My main themes i enjoy are obviously romance- i also love drama and angst with comfort

♡ i typically use discord as i don't get Tumblr notifications like I'm supposed to :/ I'm a semi lit writer for 3rd person using the story format usually a paragraph or three!

☆ i do work full-time time aaaand have a part time job! So sometimes I'm a little spotty but I try at least one or two replies a day! (Thank you economy♡) if I'm super hype about it you will probably be My whole day off!

Example of style:

She hums to herself drumming her fingertips on her knees impatiently, her leg bouncing a bit as she scans the room around her. “This is taking forever..” her head snaps up hearing the bell finally ring- pushing up off the stone bench and grabbing her things before she rushes out of the crowded halls onto the street.

She stops for a moment, taking in a breath of fresh air after being trapped in the stale clinical environment inside tension leaving her posture as she felt the warm sun on her face, the sky overhead bright without a cloud in sight.

- sincerely 🍜

.

[prpfz]

Hey there I'm noodle! 23 yo nb (they/it/she)

I'm looking for some ARCANE roleplay- I just finished season one and am working my way through season two as we speak!

☆ this will be an oc/Canon RP (With doubling if wanted 👀 tell me about your ocs)

♡ I'd love to explore some au ideas and what ifs- (let my boy claggor live please-) and workshop a good plot!

☆ My main themes i enjoy are obviously romance- i also love drama and angst with comfort

♡ i typically use discord as i don't get Tumblr notifications like I'm supposed to :/ I'm a semi lit writer for 3rd person using the story format usually a paragraph or three!

☆ i do work full-time time aaaand have a part time job! So sometimes I'm a little spotty but I try at least one or two replies a day! (Thank you economy♡) if I'm super hype about it you will probably be My whole day off!

Example of style:

She hums to herself drumming her fingertips on her knees impatiently, her leg bouncing a bit as she scans the room around her. “This is taking forever..” her head snaps up hearing the bell finally ring- pushing up off the stone bench and grabbing her things before she rushes out of the crowded halls onto the street.

She stops for a moment, taking in a breath of fresh air after being trapped in the stale clinical environment inside tension leaving her posture as she felt the warm sun on her face, the sky overhead bright without a cloud in sight.

- Sincerely 🍜

DM @reallystupidplant if interested!

[chunkpupk1dd0]

˚₊⋅─── /ᐠ - ˕ -マ ───⋅ ˚₊

Taboo/Hard kinks

[18+, MDNI, NMIK]

[Ageless & minros will be blocked]

˚₊⋅─── /ᐠ - ˕ -マ ───⋅ ˚₊

‼️DNI‼️

[Minors, Ageless, Kink Purists, Kink shamers, Agere/petre, Bully's, under 19, Pedos/Maps, Zoophiles]

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

About me~♡

♡This is a (R.A.C.K) & (S.S.C) page♡

☆Hello!! I'm Koda, I'm a 19 year old kiddo puppy exploring my kinky side! I adore interacting with other kinksters & will most definitely be interacting ALOT.

☆I enjoy a range of kinks & fetishes, such as~

Kinks: AgePlay, PetPlay, CNC, BDSM, ImpactPlay, GunPlay, KnifePlay, RestrictionPlay, AsphyxiationPlay, Dark RP's like being Kidnapped/abused, BloodPlay, IntoxPlay, ForcedIntoxPlay, Fuaxcest, DDLB, Somnophilia, Dacryphilia, Me as a plushy, Exhibitionism, Oral, EdgePlay, OrgasmDenial, Fantasy Snuff films, Torture, Masochism, Military, AgeGaps, OlderMen, Monsters

☆Now, please know, I don't support the real life acts of Abusers, if you are struggling with abuse, please seek help. My Kinks are practiced in a safe, controlled environment where I & my partner/s can stop the scene at any moment.

Fetishes: Masks, Uniforms, Hands, Mouths, Teeth, Uncut & cutt cock, BDSM gear, Cat/dog ears & tails, fake toe beans

☆My limits:

Hard: Feet, Scat, Cheating IRL & RP.

Soft: Anal-must have extensive prep & foreplay, VomitPlay-Only if it happens when you gag/choke me,

☆Aftercare is a must, I prefer soft reassuring words while cleaning up in a bath or shower, eating snacks, then sleeping. I will gladly indulge in Aftercare for my partners, I will reassure you & discuss what we enjoyed & what we didn't.

☆Names I'm ok with _____ calling me;

Strangers: Pup, Koda, Little one

Mutuals: Puppy, Baby Boy, KodaPup, Lil boy

Play partners: All of the above + Snuff star, SexToy, Victim.

[anonymous-dentist]

I wonder how many of the admins have experience with ttrpgs and other role-playing mediums. Because a good GM will attempt to avoid a player death if it is not wanted by the players. I think we should still have egg lives, because it does lead to some really good rp moments, but the way that they are treated should be different, Instead of forcing a death to happen to push some sort of plot forward, They should be treated more like how player deaths are treated.

ALSO

death messages were turned off for the eggs and created unnecessary confusion. Plus the server has been lagging all night. It's wild that pepito didn't get a nightmare

Idk I just feel like there are way too many finicky external factors that makes it difficult to make an egg death seem fair on the current system

This one’s just a rumor, but I saw someone last night say that egg death messages have been turned off for good as part of the new rule set. Combine that with the fact that eggs are allowed totems now but the eggs themselves didn’t know that (Empanada only found out last week) and the fact that parents only find out about egg rules when they get onto the server and they’re told, and it’s like. What do you mean the eggs don’t know their own rules???

But anyway, I’ve been playing ttrpgs for over half a decade now, and I’m the type of player to actively encourage the dm to take the opportunity to kill my character if it makes sense in the moment because that’s fun for me. But with my current group, the others all were like “nooooo don’t kill him” and they weren’t having fun with me constantly teasing it, so, guess what? I followed the mood and stopped encouraging it.

It’s all about reading and following the mood of the group. And, when your players actively dislike something and write multiple tickets to you trying to get some part of the game removed, it’s the gm’s job to listen to those critiques to provide a safe and enjoyable game environment. That’s Just How It Is

[utilitycaster]

I feel like something so many ppl just don’t get is it’s improv. I’ll see ppl be like “I hate this arc” or “this dragged on” I’m like?? If you want to watch a curated tight fantasy story with a normal beginning middle and end maybe don’t watch long form improv media? Also maybe I’m just fundamentally misunderstanding what ur post is about. I’ll constantly think and say “it’s their game” not as a “they’re above criticism” way but more in a “cmon it’s not like this is a script that’s being poured over by ten ppl sitting in a room debating whether this 30 seconds drags or not”. Like I love Play it By Ear from Dropout but I’d never hold it to the same standard as like Six the musical or whatever. Improv/normal media requires a completely different rule set for criticism imo

Hey anon,

So here's the thing - I agree with this in terms of formal, published criticism (Ebert's Law, if you will) where you are, to an extent, grading on a scale; you should be judging on what the work is trying to achieve and not some abstract ideal that applies equally to all works regardless of provenance.

However, for personal discussion (including your own personal Tumblr blog)? This is totally irrelevant. You're allowed to dislike things, whether it's a 30 minute improvised musical or whether it's the Marriage of Figaro, for any reason. It is 100% valid for someone to look at the Mona Lisa and say "eh, doesn't do it for me," and, moreover, it's just as valid for them to say "it doesn't do it for me because I don't care for representative art and prefer abstract, modern works, but Da Vinci's sfumato technique is indeed masterful" as to say "It doesn't do it for me because it's fucking weird to me that she doesn't have eyebrows." People's enjoyment of a work is not necessarily reliant on effort put in or how much the artist cares about - it should be based on how much the art appeals to them.

It's fine if people hate an arc. If they hate it so much that they aren't able to enjoy watching, then I think they should probably stop watching...but that's a choice for them to make, and as someone who loves complaining, I've talked about arcs dragging and had it interpreted by total strangers as "you clearly seem to hate this" when really it was just a case of me...not liking some aspects of a larger whole, and choosing to talk about that because I had things to say. Like, I do think the early Campaign 3 pacing was deeply frustrating, and I do think that this wouldn't be the case if it weren't improv, but there have been many improv actual plays that I felt had great pacing, and also it was still frustrating to me and I wanted to express that.

In fact, what I was getting at in my post is that if you're trying to provide a counterpoint to other people's criticism, you need to focus on the points they're making; and if you're trying to defend something in general, you need to be talking about what you find good that is specific to that thing, rather than making excuses like "the cast likes it" or "it's improv".

To give an example: I love the Aeor arc, which was, to an extent, divisive. Here's two responses I could have:

"I think the Aeor arc built up to a satisfying and emotionally charged final boss fight that was thematically resonant with the Mighty Nein as a group. I think the path there had a good balance of adventure, combat, and RP scenes, especially given its position as the final arc of the campaign and the one in which many of the character romances were realized. Eiselcross was a fun and well-crafted environment that was challenging for a party of their level, and Aeor provided new insight into the Calamity, which at the time had not been explored in depth, while also providing a lot of opportunities to tie into the arcs of the various individual characters, notably Caleb and Caduceus. I also personally am a big fan of exploring fallen technologically advanced civilizations in a fantasy setting as a trope."

2. "Well, it's the cast's table, and it's improvised."

Both are true, but the first one lets people know what I see in that arc and why I love it. The second one ends the conversation, is true of almost everything Critical Role does, probably doesn't address anyone else's complaints, and doesn't even explain why I like it. And for what it's worth I don't think meta needs to address anyone's complaints - you're allowed to look at the Aeor arc and say "cool, I think it took too long and dragged and was too stressful" and we can part ways knowing we are different people with different tastes. But if I were, hypothetically, passionately trying to defend the Aeor arc and were openly resentful towards people who disliked it, the first option is obviously superior to the second option, which makes me look like someone who cannot come up with a single specific reason why this thing I allegedly love is good, and who is whining because I lack the maturity to accept that my opinions are not universally shared by all.