#especially the ones I already rp with

[not-iceking]

Guys, I think he's dead

[piningpercussionist]

Is.. this your cat? Or is this cat.. you?

Oh!

*Kim gently takes Kit (cat) Pine into her arms, smiling softly down at her for a moment.*

Not my cat, no... technically me, yes? Dunno where she came from, exactly, but I think I remember her coughing up a hairball or something onto Scott's coat not that long ago. Devious little thing... I like her, obviously.

[elftwink]

been learning to play ironsworn (gritty fantasy ttrpg which you can play with a gm but is mostly suited for solo or small group co-op gmless play) after having the rulebook pdf for several years (stars finally aligned to remove invisible thing blocking me from reading it idk) because i'm on another solo ttrpg kick & i don't know what took me so long to get around to this game because it genuinely is exactly what i was looking for. years ago when i was playing through solo 5e modules i should have just been playing ironsworn (believe it or not, 5e isn't very suited to solo play and is extremely clunky when you try lol).

also though i have dabbled in some other solo ttrpgs, a considerable amount of them are journaling games which is fun but imo considerably more work (usually by the time i'm a quarter of the way through the journal entry, i know how to entire scene played out and i want to move on to the next gameplay thing, so i get frustrated and bored quickly. it feels like when you solve a level in a video game but don't have the coordination to pull off the necessary move so you have to spend 20 extra minutes doing something you already figured out), so i really appreciate like not needing to write something for the game to progress (ive been taking notes for my own record since im playing solo and thus am not really out loud roleplaying the way you do in a group, but i definitely could do that instead and not take notes and the game would still function perfectly)

& ive been playing by myself but also in the past ive played a lot of ttrpgs in very small groups which has been other games but is mostly dnd and like. we also should have been playing ironsworn so that having a gm was not necessary. have definitely played games where we had to adapt the rules soooo much to do something that is just base game included in ironsworn. plus it's rules-light enough to do pretty complex moves that pose difficulties in bulkier games (ever introduced someone to dnd and they tell you they want to do a sick backflip and catch something and then attack and you have to tell them that will require several different consecutive rolls and some creative liberties with how the rules are 'supposed' to let you move? you can just Do That in ironsworn. use the strike move and describe it. done!)

the one thing is that although it's rules-light enough to theoretically play any setting or genre (some with more difficulty than others), ive found so far that like... the grittiness and sense of threat is very built into the mechanics so that would be sort of difficult to work around or change (but i think it's great from a game design perspective). what i mean is like, okay: you start with 5 max hp. there isn't really a way to raise this max hp, you just slowly gain abilities (assets) that make you less likely to have to lose the hp in the first place, or that make it easier to recover. when you encounter foes, you rank them on a scale of 1 -5, and enemies on the lowest side of this scale do one harm to you, while enemies on the highest side do five harm to you. so even though encountering an epic enemy won't always be deadly due to the assets you have, they are ALWAYS capable of taking you down to 0 hp with one good hit. so the feeling of threat is much more present compared to games where your character starts to be able to just tank and push through a failure or huge threat.

admittedly also i'm playing solo, im still learning how to balance combat, and also i built a character who has NO combat talents and iron (the close quarters fighting stat) is one of my lowest stats so i personally am under much more threat than if you built a character who knew how to fight or who could do deadly harm. but also the other thing about combat is it's extremely difficult to maintain control of the fight; you have to score a strong hit to do it on basically all moves, and there's a really limited pool of moves available when you don't have the initiative, and obviously none of them really favour you. i don't know that this makes combat genuinely more difficult, but it does make you feel like the fight is always about to spiral out of your control. every second you let it drag without decisive action feels like it brings you closer to dying. like i said, this is a feature of the game design and not a problem in any way. just thinking about it because when i was initially learning i was going to try to supplant it into a homebrew fantasy world of my own but the tone just wouldn't be right. and that it is somewhat difficult to replicate the kind of worlds that i typically play or run for dnd, which tend to lean somewhat sillier and definitely much higher fantasy

but i like to try new things and tbh especially in dnd i find that i very rarely feel that sense of threat and when i do feel it, it has nothing at all to do with the actual mechanics and reality of the combat and everything to do with how well the dm sells it to me and makes it sound and feel scary and dangerous. which is a testament to what a good gm can do for you but i do appreciate the threat feeling more built-in and also being actually real.

[aerospectrum]

I’d write with you if you didn’t make all your muses fags there’s nothing worse than having good muses written by women obsessed with turning straight men into fags

tw; I don’t answer rude messages like this and I won’t after this one either but I felt I needed to address this one in particular cuz it’s super lame to like the entire rp community.

first fiiirst first. like heeeell fuckin yeah man non-straight people exist and they have sex!

first. not a girl, I’m literally male my guy, just out here living wild and free with a weener and balls lmao. so there’s that. second who cares if girls write gay fic about the characters they like it doesn’t even affect you??? third. don’t slur me or at me that’s really messed up man and I wouldn’t write with you anyway. Fourth. I’d have rather you just dmed me instead of this cause it feels really childish and knowing there’s still people in the rpg community with really bad intentions, takes, and mindsets like this makes it hard for others to take risks and chances on fic and muses that they interpret in ways that aren’t heteronormative or cis aligned. people interpret characters differently in more ways than just sexuality and it’s fluidity and that’s great, just let people exist how they feel comfortable to exist, they’re not hurting you.

lastly. this is fiction. these aren’t real life people my guy. none of this is deep enough to send messages like this. people create and write such amazing work here and you just trivialize it all to “eeeew girls are taking over cool characters and ruining my machismo vibes writing gay people having sex eeeeeew”

[victorluvsalice]

Valicer OT3 Week, Day Two: The Cool Kid, The Jock, And The Nerd

OT3 Week (as per @ot3-week) continues with a prompt that definitely seemed suited for a High School AU -- "The cool kid, the jock, and the nerd!" I think we can all agree that would be Smiler, Alice, and Victor respectively. :p At any rate, here's a high school version of the trio hanging out together at lunch -- with Victor having a rather important question for Smiler...

--

“...why do you hang out with me?”

To Victor’s horror, Smiler looked up from their sandwich, confirming that he had indeed said that out loud. “Because...I like you?” they said once they’d finished chewing and swallowing. “Do I need a better reason than that?”

“I – um, it’s just...” Shut up shut up shut up – but now that the door had been opened, Victor found himself plunging onward, needing to know. “You’re easily the popular, well-liked person in this school. The coolest of the cool kids. People think you’re the greatest – and you are!” he hastened to add, waving his hands. “You’re funny, and friendly, and you really s-seem to take an interest in e-everyone – anybody and everyone likes to hang out with you! You could be friends with anyone! And – and I’m–” Victor swallowed, trying to find the words. “I’m – n-not that. I’m – me.”

Smiler gave him a long look – the kind of look that suggested some kind of “Victor Is Having Self-Esteem Issues Again” alarm was going off in their head. Then they put down their sandwich in favor of taking his hand. “And I like you,” they repeated, looking Victor in the eye. “Even if you’re nothing like me. Especially since you’re nothing like me! I don’t need another me in my life – I’ve already got me! But I didn’t have a ‘you’ until I met you. And now I do.” They shot him one of those stunning grins. “And I’m very happy about that.”

“I...” Victor pulled at his tie, trying not to think about how warm Smiler’s hand felt against his. This wouldn’t be half as hard if I hadn’t had a very enlightening dream about my romantic tastes last night, he groused to himself. Why couldn’t this have happened before I realized I had a crush? “I just – don’t get it? W-why you would want a me?”

“Well, for starters–”

“What’s going on?”

Victor looked up as Alice (aka the other person that he was crushing on, and who hopefully would never find out that fact) came over, carrying a tray. “I mean, I can guess from context that Victor just had a self-loathing moment, but fill me in on the specifics,” she continued, sitting down.

“Not much to fill in – Victor just asked me why I hang out with him, and I’m in the process of reminding him that he doesn’t have to be one of the ‘cool kids’ for people to like him,” Smiler told her.

“Ah.” Alice picked up a chip and popped it into her mouth. “Well, allow me to second the sentiment. I personally find ‘cool’ is often overrated.”

“Maybe, but...I-I just have a hard time seeing the a-appeal of me,” Victor said, looking between them. “Especially – Smiler, like I said, you’re already the most popular kid in school. You don’t need to hang out with someone like me if you want company. And Alice – you’re smart, you’re witty, you have an amazing imagination – oh, and you’re an incredible fencer. The absolute star of the team!”

“I’m also the girl who most people avoid because she spent the majority of her childhood in supervised hospitalization after her family died in a horrific house fire,” Alice retorted, taking a swig from her bottle of soda. “And the one who still talks to invisible creatures on the regular, because so far every medication I’ve tried has had side effects that just are not worth it. Just because I’m like, three percent jock doesn’t mean my social life is any better than yours.” She jerked her head to the side. “Do you think I understand why Smiler’s here? They could do damn better than hanging out with the local loony, that’s for sure.”

“What do I have to do to make you both understand I like you and that’s the end of it?” Smiler grumbled, folding their arms.

“Go back in time and stop the murder of my parents and sister,” Alice replied, waving a fry at them.

“Somehow convince my mother that I’m not a complete failure of a human being,” Victor muttered, looking at his feet.

Smiler sighed. “You two sometimes...look,” they said firmly, leaning across the table. “I think you’re both awesome people, all right? Alice, I agree with everything Victor said – you’re intelligent, you’ve got a great sarcastic sense of humor, and you’re frighteningly good with a sword. I respect that a lot. And Victor – you’re kind, and artistic, and really smart yourself! You know so much about butterflies, you could write your own encyclopedia! I’ve learned a lot, hanging around you!”

“Not to mention your piano skills,” Alice said, shooting Victor a little smile that made his stomach do flip-flops. “I know your parents have got you thinking that you’re not worth anything, but – you really are. To us, at least.”

“Yeah – so could you please stop trying to understand why we’re friends with you and just accept it?” Smiler added, reaching over and giving Victor’s wrist a little squeeze. Then they shot him a disarming grin. “Or do I have to kiss you silly to get that to happen?”

Victor felt himself go beet red as a certain bit of a certain dream started replaying itself in his head. “I – uh – you – um–”

“Who put you in charge of kissing him?” Alice asked, with a playful smirk that did not do anything for the images inside his brain. “Maybe I want a go at it.”

“Maybe we should just do it both at once then,” Smiler joked back. “That’d probably reset his brain.”

“...really?”

This time it was both Smiler and Alice blinking that alerted Victor to the fact that, once again, he’d said that out loud. He dropped his head, wincing. Oh no – that’s it, that’s the bridge too far, it doesn’t matter what they said before, me blurting out that I’d be open to kissing both of them at once is sure to make them –

There was another squeeze on his wrist, and he looked up to see Smiler and Alice looking at him with – not disgust, like he’d feared, but simple surprise. And – just perhaps, if he wasn’t seeing things – a bit of interest? Could they possibly... ? “Well,” Smiler finally said with a little wink. “Think that’s a discussion we should have after school.”

Hope alighted in Victor’s heart, chasing all the dark thoughts away. “Yes,” he breathed. “After school.”

[mistrdctr]

Headcanon: Not Sorcerer Supreme.

I think I have written it into my 'about' regarding Stephen, but in my Version he is not the Sorcerer Supreme during and after 'Multiverse of Madness'. He also wasn't Sorcerer Supreme even before that, during Spiderman's 'No Way Home'.

In fact, my version has never been the Sorcerer Supreme. He could have, but never got the title. Keep in mind that my portrayal is 99,9% based on the MCU portrayal, not the Marvel comics.

Why? read down further below.

I did some googling / researching and this bit here actually describes it quite well:

In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wong is the Sorcerer Supreme, and remains so throughout MCU Phase 4. The role of the Sorcerer Supreme was held by the Ancient One in Doctor Strange, but after her death at the hands of Kaecilius, the post was left open — as Wong states, "Earth has no Sorcerer Supreme to defend it. We must be ready." Given the MCU’s focus on Doctor Strange as the franchise’s central master of the mystic arts, Wong's Sorcerer Supreme status seemed unlikely, as it was assumed that Stephen would assume the role in the years following the Ancient One’s death. This theory gained ground with Strange’s use of the Eye of Agamotto throughout Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, with the hero taking one of the key items used previously by the Ancient One. However, Strange was never confirmed to have been given the role of the MCU Sorcerer Supreme. Spider-Man: No Way Home also confirmed that the title had gone to Wong — the former librarian of the mystical city Kamar-Taj who was integral in Strange’s magic training. Doctor Strange 2 and She-Hulk showed that even after the events of No Way Home, Wong is still the MCU’s Sorcerer Supreme. Be it because of a technicality or because Wong deserves the title more than Strange, Wong’s position as the Sorcerer Supreme suggests that he is the franchise’s most powerful magic wielder.

It was revealed in No Way Home that Wong came to occupy this role after Strange was turned to dust by Thanos’ snap in Avengers: Infinity War. The ensuing 5 years without Strange, it is implied, meant that Wong was the world’s most powerful sorcerer and received the high accolade because of it. Strange’s envy over this fact is played for comedic purposes in Spider-Man: No Way Home, though there is much to suggest that Wong is deserving of the position — from the extensive period of his life that he has dedicated to training and study to the clear respect that he receives from other sorcerers. Given the short period of time between Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange 2, there is no reason for Wong's demotion in MCU Phase 4. Doctor Strange 2 shows how Wong pushed to use his position as the Sorcerer Supreme more than ever before as he is forced to defend Kamar-Taj from the Scarlet Witch’s attack. Wong commands each of his students in maintaining the city’s defenses and manages to amass an impressive number of sorcerers from across the world – all of whom greet him with a ceremonial bow that Strange refuses to re-enact. While at the end of the film it appears that Steven has come to terms with Wong’s superior position, finally bowing in deference, Doctor Strange 2's final shot suggests that the title may soon be transferred to him. The Doctor Strange 2’s ending shows Strange awakening his third eye, mirroring that of Sinister Strange from the Incursion Universe. In the comics, the ability to open one’s third eye grants extra powers to the user such as the ability to see through disguises and probe others’ souls. Finishing on this cliffhanger suggests that the title of Sorcerer Supreme may still be challenged.

Which basically says that we don't know if Strange has ever been Sorcerer Supreme! Which I find very fascinating and that's also the approach I myself am taking with this blog. In a lot of interactions, it is oftentimes implied that the muses think he is Sorcerer Supreme - which is totally fine, as they might expect him to due to his powers, and Stephen will, most likely, correct them (while gritting his teeth lol).

-> It is also totally okay for muses to assume he has been Sorcerer Supreme at some point, but for this blog, it is not canon.

So, while it is likely that he may has gotten the title when the Ancient One died, but we don't have proof regarding that; It could have gone to Wong, simply because Wong has been around for such a long time and Stephen has basically just 'wonderkid his way through Kamar-Taj' and turned out to be incredibly powerful. Even if he is more powerful than Wong (which makes sense as who he is as a character in the MCU Universe), I could see the title having been given to Wong for all the other reasons (him having been around for a long time, suitable to lead Kamar-Taj etc).

-> But also: Perhaps the whole thing of 'who becomes the next Sorcerer Supreme' was still decided upon and then, well, Thanos happened. Before the title could go to Stephen in an 'official way', he was blipped, erased from existence, and Wong got it. That's why it also makes sense for Stephen to mention it to Peter during No Way Home: Because he blipped for five years, Wong ultimately got the title. (I CHOSE THIS TO BE THE 'CANON' I AM GOING WITH FOR MY BLOG)

So all I'm thinking is: If Stephen used to hold the title right after Doctor Strange 1, and then it was taken away from him because he was gone for 5 years - when he returned, why didn't he get the title back? Sure, one could say that there a rules and regulations attached to how the title is gained - but still: Wouldn't they, at least, have given Stephen back his title then, because he essentially made it happen that Thanos could finally be defeated (even if it came with great loss)? Sure, perhaps the former Sorcerer Supreme needs to die for that, but... wow. That's some harsh rule there. Couldn't they have made an exception for a man like Strange, who has saved the world from eternal Doom in so many ways before? (In case he has been the Sorcerer Supreme before...) -> I do think that it's quite likely for the title to either have gone to Wrong first OR for the whole 'who becomes the next Sorcerer Supreme'-thing to not have been finished before the events in infinity War happened.

To summarize my thoughts: My version of Stephen Strange has NEVER been Sorcerer Supreme. He is insanely powerful, yes, perhaps more powerful than Wong is (sorry Wong, ilu), but Wong has been a sorcerer for so much longer and honestly? He's much better at caring for Kamar-Taj and making sure everything is going well over there.

I could see that Wong still very much respects Strange for being so insanely powerful and trusts him in that regard, and the Title is merely a formality (which Wong likes to enforce the rules of, like bowing in front of him for example, lol).

The Ancient One herself says that Strange is 'meant to be the best of us'. So, at some point, he will probably become the Sorcerer Supreme. It will happen, I guess, but it hasn't so far in my portrayal. I just hope Wong doesn't need to die for that...

Here's some more additional 'Why Wong is the Sorcerer Supreme' stuff to read (under a read more bc man, this post is long af):

As Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness revealed, almost every other version of Stephen Strange across the multiverse threatens the very fabric of reality in one way or another. Earth-616 Strange may be a hero who's destined to become the Sorcerer Supreme, but he is just as likely to destroy the multiverse, as evidenced by his own willingness to bend cosmic rules for fixing minor problems. These risks do not exist in Wong's Sorcerer Supreme tenure. In fact, Wong's defining trait is his dedication to duty, which is why Wong was in Shang-Chi and Strange wasn't, even though Doctor Strange most likely also felt the powerful presence of the Ten Rings. While Doctor Strange has his own metrics for what threats or issues require his attention, Wong adheres strictly to the rules binding the Sanctum Sanctorum and Kamar-Taj, which is a necessary qualification for a figurehead overseeing the safety of reality. Even the hot-headed Strange knows this to be true, which explains why he finally bowed to the Sorcerer Supreme in Doctor Strange 2. Following Doctor Strange 2, Wong's Sorcerer Supreme status was further proven to be well-deserved throughout MCU Phase 4. In She-Hulk, Wong even showed that his own adherence to rules and duty don't get in the way of his higher duties at Kamar-Taj, as Wong is not above working with the reformed villain Abomination in order to fulfill his responsibilities to the sanctuary. Indeed, Wong deserves to be Sorcerer Supreme because he's willing to face governments, heroes, and other entities as a representative of Kamar-Taj — a tedious role that Strange never really rose up to. Moreover, while Doctor Strange used his free time to fumble No Way Home's memory spell, Wong's break from his duties simply involved watching The Sopranos with Madisynn or singing karaoke with Katy and Shang-Chi, rather than endangering reality. Wong may not be the Sorcerer Supreme that Earth-616 deserves, but he's definitely the one that the Multiverse Saga needs.

used source: [x] also interesting to read: [x]

[luvsavos]

(AA) hey, Mr. Martin, if you’re still doing oc asks, you mind if I ask some more? I literally know nothing (or, if I do, it’s very little) about them, and I figured you’d like to talk about them more too! So…for Lord Naasfilrah, 23? (As a god, I imagine he’s above our morals) and 29 for Shara? (What does a Shara Ishvalada even EAT?…I wonder…🤔)

i WILL get to the rest of my asks either later tonight or sometime tomorrow BUT i am in an oc mood so this one gets a special exception jgjgjv

oc ask meme!

23: Is your character morally gray or black or white?

naas is.... pretty damn morally gray; he definitely isn't as "true evil" as his brother, but he also sure as fuck isn't a saint by any means. he's very much the type that he WILL get done what he wants to by any means, no matter the consequences---though he is acutely aware of his role as destroyer, and he doesn't take nearly as much twisted pride in it as alaakiilah does; destruction as a necessary evil, is the way he sees himself. while he absolutely does not care about mortal life being caught in the crossfire of his actions, he is mindful of the world itself and tries to limit the amount of damage done to it.

29: What would be your character's favorite food?

you have NO idea how excited this specific question makes me because it's actually one of my favourite aspects of shara; hot chocolate! while their natural diet would probably be something more like absorbing energy from the earth itself via their wings (and maybe tail), they've taken a liking to hot chocolate specifically thanks to my friend @wolfoflyngvi 's oc, fenrir, who's one of the few people to genuinely consider shara a friend<3 they can fairly frequently be seen with some when in their mortal form, and they especially like it with marshmallows. they also just like marshmallows in general a lot too, they're especially fascinated by the tiny ones

[boatswainscall]

Nothing makes me feel immediate overpowering resentment and envy like hearing about people who have D&D campaigns that last years. Meanwhile every campaign I've ever done with my friends has choked and died four sessions in due to schedules getting too fucked and tangled to maintain ANY kind of consistent play schedule

[miqojak]

24. What is an alternative life path your OC might have gone down? How different would their life be if they'd made those decisions?

Edgy OC Ask Meme ( @the-sycophant for also asking this one! )

It's funny, because it would both be not very different, but also quite different. There's a couple turning points, I think - either A) She and her twin never try to pick-pocket Kublai, thus never ending up in the Yakuza, or B) She ends up in the Yakuza, but never meets Ketsuchi.

Both of these still end in her career being quite similar thus far - she always ends up as some sort of crime boss, be it in the East, or as some sort of gang leader in Ul'dah. The real difference is in the lack of knowing Ketsuchi - all other people she's interacted with in RP that she's let herself get close to? Have all been a let down. They've all left her behind/left the game, so all her biases have been confirmed all along - save for the instances where Ketsuchi helps her to learn to better communicate, to better express herself, to put the somnus down... to, in small ways, be a slightly better person and version of herself. He claims, even IC, that his own moral compass isn't great - but he's basically single-handedly steered Jak off of a path of destruction - both her own, and that of everyone around her.

She'd be a less forgiving leader, however - just as exacting in every way, but without any margin for forgiveness - and far more violent in upholding her standards and expectations. It's hard to say if she'd still be on somnus - she was trying to kick the habit, but Ketsuchi gave her a lot of shit about it at the time... thus encouraging her to try even harder, to not just prove herself wrong... but him, too. She'd just be... a lot more cold, and cruel. She wouldn't doubt herself when she calls everyone a sheep. She wouldn't look for diamonds in the rough. She wouldn't have as much heart for those still in the gutter... because the last of her little heart would have been left behind about the time she ended up in an abusive relationship with a de-throned crime lord, and didn't have Ketsuchi to pick her up (and say "I told you so") afterwards. She learned a lot about him, about herself, and about the world during that time -and though she wishes it hadn't happened? It showed her that she can't keep painting all people with one brush. The people who let her stay with them while she was recovering had no reason to help her - save that someone they consider a friend has asked it of them. And someone who had told her he loved her had hurt her in ways unspeakable - and all while the one man who had never said any soft words to her really... kept showing up for her. She believes in actions, and his actions showed her, over time, that her fears and suspicions were oft misplaced.

When you rescue an alley cat, you coax it out not with soft words - but with your actions. You move slow, you offer kind gestures, and eventually it realizes that you're just bringing it some tuna, and leaving it alone, and that's okay. Ketsuchi was the one person willing to take the time it takes to coax Jak out of the dark place she'd dug into, back into the light of day, and show her that while most of the world is pretty terrible - it's not all as bad as she thinks it is. Everyone else got her about halfway to seeing the light, then washed their hands of her - not truly comprehending how damaged she was, despite how many times she insisted they not bother, that these people not get her hopes up if they were just going to walk way. A taste of that light is worse than not seeing it at all, after all - it just hurts, at that point. So...it might sound sentimental, but it's more like he was monumental in helping her be who she is, today. If he weren't around in her life? Well, she'd probably be decidedly villainous; when the world cares not for the broken, what else are the broken edges to become, but sharp?

[japhgura]

The human urge to assume everyone secretly hates U

A fine drop indeed😌🍷

[fourfuckinghorsemen]

Your intelligence is a gift to humanity. Put it to good use. Build a bigger nuclear bomb.

Nope, not happening.

[piningpercussionist]

(OOC: How about you tag me as.. i dunno, Doc? simple enough.) another psychic message. seems stronger...? a slight twinkling fills the air. barely noticeable. "my... Employers have advised me to broadcast a secondary message, as you seem to have shrugged off the first one. I personally found this to be a... suitable suggestion. being incorporeal. unanchored to this particular low level wavelength isn't fun. floating somewhere between *out there* and *in here*. it's very disorienting. conversing with another sentient thing would be preferable. my name is unpronounceable for your kind. and, indeed if spoken. would simply not register as a name within the consciousnesses of the tiny, infinitesimally small specks who collectively refer to themselves as 'the human race'. so, for the time being. you may refer to me as 'Doc'."

. . .

*Kim glances around to see if any of the others seem to notice the twinkling, but finding them preoccupied, she turns hear head to the window with a tight lipped expression.*

(... I still feel like this is some sort of mental break... but I'm going to entertain this in the name of not having some sort of breakdown before the show, okay?)

*She represses a shudder as she reaches up to scratch the back of her neck, a little sick with dread.*

(Okay "Doc," welcome to the next twenty four hours of what was already likely to be my fucking unraveling... lapse of insanity entire aside... You're probably going to be hearing a lot of swearing and violence in there if you haven't already...)

[maelancoli]

Adding Tension After the Ship Happens

i feel a lot of slow burn ships lose steam after the characters finally get together, whether it's just from sleeping together or them actually engaging in a relationship, so here are some ideas for how to maintain steam.

their problems are not solved now that they've crossed the thresh hold

first things first, the plot itself i'm sure has other details than just their relationship. even the most fluffy of fluff has other things going on than kisses and giggles. don't abandon these details once the relationship truly begins. and if there was any kind of unresolved tension point or previously mentioned ex/trauma/insecurity/fear bring it back! bring things back around that might put a strain on a new, tender relationship. this can either make them have problems or be a way to develop their bonds and *show* it in action. any of these foreshadowing/resurrected points can be added in edits if you didn't start out with them or with retconning if you're writing rp/fanfic. all the writers do it. we see it in tv everyday it's ok if u gotta pull a rabbit from a hat.

their relationship will not be suddenly smooth and solid as if they have been married 20 years

okay they kissed/fucked/agreed to be together. now what? what circumstances kept them from getting there sooner? are those circumstances still present and how will they deal with it as a team? you also don't have to have characters officially together once they've done something physical. there is still discussion to be had and boundaries/expectations to establish. those conversations could be interesting to explore. and, even more-so, this is the perfect point for plot to happen and keep them from being able to have those conversations when they should. you can add angst, you can add miscommunication, you can add anything that tickles your fancy. especially a perfect time to have an ex return to cause some tension and uncertainty if they haven't made it official. they don't know what they are yet and that uncertainty is a delicious point to write it and really give the characters a hard time

utilize the main plot's tension

again, if you're writing more than just a contemporary fluffy romance, the romance should enrich the main plot. the romance as a subplot should be a component which merges with the main storyline and does not take away from it. if you don't want to milk the will-they-won't-they anymore than you already have it's time to build the relationship up in the midst of OUTSIDE conflict. let them disagree about how to resolve problems. let them butt heads. let them be scared and do and say stupid shit because they're scared. let them be worried or angry or frustrated and have to figure out how to balance their newfound vulnerability with who they are and were before that point. let them hurt each other a little so they can come back together stronger.

utilize the characters around them

if it is a plot which is mainly romance filled, then think about the tension from the lives around them. think about their loved ones and how their own issues could influence the plot points the characters have to face together. this could be a time for them to be introduced to loved ones. you could throw in a group trip with silly mishaps and shenanigans. you could even have loved ones try to break them up or doubt the love interest. navigating new relationships while also dealing with friends and family can be a source of plot and tension in and of itself. this can be a point to let love interests reassure each other and prove their salt. it can help them grow closer. it can be the heroic moment for one of them to stick up for the other or prove they're there for them no matter what.

overall if you're struggling with what to do after the slow burn feels like it's sizzling out it's time to zoom out. make sure you are not losing the whole picture of their environment or steamrolling past the real development of new relationships.

[shame-kink]

late 2010s quasi-almost-"new-weird" feminist fantasy comics failing to live up to the same themes done better in the 1997 anime Revolutionary Girl Utena

[shorthaltsjester]

doing questionable things like rewatching a bard’s lament for “fun” and scanlan and vex you will always be famous. the fact that scanlan brings up that they’ve travelled across planes to fix vex’s daddy issues but then it’s vex’s daddy issues that ground her rebuttal to scanlan when she tells him to stop treating kaylie like an object. and god. vex’s “fuck him! fuck him for not saying anything sooner. and fuck us for not asking.” in the immediate aftermath, and then once she has time to put her walls back up, vex’s “my take-away from scanlan is that we all talk too much.”

the fact that vex was the one who made that comment that without his magic scanlan is just some guy but he’s also the some guy that vex spends the campaign looking up to (even if she does it through barbs and snark), the fact that when vex was fighting against saundor hearing things like “unproven ally” scanlan was all jokes until he realized how much vex believed what was being said to her. the fact that when scanlan comes back, it’s vex who literally sees through his disguise.

what do you mean scanlan was a deadbeat father who discovered a daughter that he did love but loved only as an object until vex called him out on it? what do you mean vex was a woman who struggled to forgive in part due to her crapshoot father and she was the first to forgive scanlan when he came back?

vex and scanlan also have such interesting interactions in terms of the balance of snark, silliness, and sincerity. it’s not uncommon from any characters of sam or laura’s since they are both silly little guys who also love drama and roasting each other especially when it comes to character rp, but as always it’s so dynamic when it’s the two of them bouncing off each other, especially when they’re doing so through scanlan and vex who are already bitchy characters (affectionate) with humour as a deflection method. but it’s a silly and deeply sincere moment when vex finally puts the witch hat scanlan gave her back on with his promise that he won’t run away from the final battle. it is one of my favourite laughable moments in c1 but it also reeks of sincerity when scanlan asks vex if she prefers planetar scanlan or normal scanlan and vex tells him he is fucking hot as a planetar, but she loves him like he was and he’s her favourite when he’s just himself.

like. they’re insane do you understand. the dawnfather asks vex to prove herself and scanlan turns her into a dragon to help her succeed, pelor asks vox machina what vex means to them and scanlan says she’s greedy and mean and the most perfect of them all. the knowing mistress asks scanlan to prove himself and vex escorts him on a broom he unlocked for her and then she picks an impossible lock for him, ioun tries to remind scanlan that his strength is the joy he provides to his friends and he makes a deflective quip that he’s really powerful and vex undercuts his deflection with a sincere assertion that he is. scanlan cast his last wish spell letting her see her brother on her wedding day. vex sent herself across the continent alone with her worry and grief while scanlan’s corpse lay awaiting resurrection to ensure that his daughter could be there to either bring him back or say goodbye.

they are the platonic chosen soulmates of all time to me. i make a post like this like once a year minimum and it’s because they Haunt me. both sam and laura said what if we made high charisma characters using their charisma as a shield and humour as a weapon and they saw through each other’s masks but they never explicitly talked about it to one another. good riddance to talks machina but i will never forget the episode post bard’s lament with laura and sam where sam revealed that vex was the only one who said anything that actually got through to scanlan and another episode where laura revealed that the reason vex was so angry and sad when scanlan left was that vex felt like her and scanlan had a unique bond where they were the only two who really saw one another’s masks for what they were. also laura providing the insight that while vex was actively working on being more forgiving, another reason she was so open and happy with scanlan when he came back was that vex didn’t want to scare him away again.

what am i supposed to do with all that? be normal about scanlan and vex? literally impossible

[grims-local-pkmn-irl-hub]

How to Write Engaging Anons

I’ve spoken to a lot of people behind close doors and we have all come to a realization: PKMN IRL as a community isn’t the greatest at sending engaging anons,,,

A lot of anons tend to get off track from what the blog runner is trying to do or will send completely unrelated anons during a plot moment on someones blog which can be incredibly frustrating for the blog runner.

So, I’ve decided to compile a little “guide” to help.

Look over the recent posts of a blog to see if they’re doing anything that could be considered plot relevant before sending an anon. Are they vague posting about something? Did they cut off a tangent too short? Did they mention they have stories to share if anyone wants them? Did they say something off or slightly concerning? ASK ABOUT IT! Ask them to elaborate! Ask for more detail!

Try and keep asks on task if a plot hook/point is currently happening. It is incredibly discouraging for a blog runner to see the notif for an anon only to open it and it have nothing to do with what they are currently trying to reveal/be engaged with. Do not latch onto a bit like your life depends on it because you are most likely just tiring out the blog runner who just wants to share interesting character/story info. Bits have a time and a place.

Don’t have a character that would realistically send that anon? Then don’t send it as that character, send it as yourself. The blog runner and character will not know the difference. This also has an added benefit of baiting a character into talking about something you know your character can then interact with. Anons are great for interaction in more ways than just asks.

Worried someone already sent the ask you’re about to send? SEND IT ANYWAYS! A blog runner would much prefer two of asks of generally the same question than zero asks! And it shows that people care enough to ask that question twice! It gives the blog runner something to think about when writing!

Don’t have any idea of what anon to send without an ask game? SEND THE SUPER “BASIC” ONES! I promise you that very basic questions like “how do feel about this”, “why do you say that”, “you mentioned [this], can you elaborate more” ARE LOVED BY BLOG RUNNERS!!! So much can be understood about a character’s mental state or attitude depending on how they choose to answer these questions. They’re “basic” and “overused” because they are really good questions to ask!

Try and engage critically with a character! Remember! This is an RP community! We are playing these characters as if they are real so you need to treat them like people! For example: Telling a very clearly mentally ill character that their thought process isn’t healthy and that they should just go to therapy isn’t the most helpful anon and it especially isn’t when that seems to be all the blog runner gets when they’re character gets like that. A good way to try and engage critically is to ask similar questions as above such as “why do you think that” along with some others like “can you walk me through your thought process”, “do you know when you started acting/thinking like this”, etc.

IC Hate Anons. These anons are fun and good! They can be very useful for story telling and showing off certain aspects of a character! They can also be super draining especially when that seems to be all that a character gets when trying to do plot hooks/points. It can make a blog runner’s motivation wane and deplete when all it ever seems like is that anons want to use their character as a punching bag. A good way to negate this is if you send an IC hate anon is to quickly follow it up with an anon that’s trying to engage critically and is asking questions and treating the character as a person. This allows for a blog runner to have choices on whether they want their character to be a punching bag right now and get beat down or would rather follow the anons line of questioning.

Ask games. I know I’m beating a dead horse here but SEND AN ASK TO THE PERSON YOU ARE REBLOGGING FROM. The blog runner will see you reblogging it from them and be waiting for an ask to come in and then it never does. Send an ask. They are literally pre-written most of the time. Okay that’s all I have to say here. 👍

Make sure the anon has some sort of substance. Even when sending anons outside of plot periods make sure the anon has something the character and blog runner can actually feasibly answer. One word anons that are just “yeah” or “okay” are incredibly difficult to respond to. So is randomly being sent quotes or things that just generally have nothing to do with the blog or pokemon in general. People have an easier time when being sent asks about their character’s pokemon, family, friends, most recent stupid post, etc. I have about 40 anons rotting in my inbox for @/espers-n-espurrs because they have nothing to respond to. And this isn’t to say silly/dumb anons shouldn’t be a thing. They should be but they should also be something someone could reasonably reply with besides just replying with “why the fuck did you send me this”.

In all, remember you are not only engaging with a character and their story but you are also engaging with a blog runner. You may never know their name or have a one on one conversation with them but the asks you send their characters do have an effect on the blog runner.

Show that you are engaging with their character, show that you care about the story they are trying to tell.

Reblogs are important for interaction but in my mind asks are the backbone of this community. A good ask and a good response allows for a good chance for others to be able to interact with the response IC.

But yeah, remember, the blog runner is still there behind that screen, you are still interacting with them when you interact with their character. Give them something to work with when you send an ask.