#which might be ooc but the plot snagged right there

[astridthevalkyrie]

Okay where do we start with cobra kai part 2 now that you’ve finished watching it

i'm SO glad you asked! here's my thoughts (prone to change since i just finished it last night), spoilers under the cut:

the bad:

oh my god we GET it. miguel should've been the captain. making everyone else get their ass kicked so easily just to hype him up was lame. once, sure. the "watch how it's done" scene was cool. but like three four different times? come on.

there was just so much repetitiveness in general. robby's distracted by tory. kwon is an asshole because he is. daniel and johnny argue over the same things they always argue about. zara is a mean influencer because she's a mean influencer. we get it we get it oh my god.

not specific to season 6 part 2 and far be it from me to be a superfan of miguel and johnny but oh my god johnny is so shitty to him. why the fuck are you bothering him on the place leave him ALONE. we've lost the heartfelt moments with miguel and johnny, and we've lost the plot with daniel and robby (which was one of the best relationships in the show).

sensei wolf was hot but useless, silver might as well have just been the iron dragons' "anonymous sensei" that they reveal later on. was silver waiting for daniel to find out before making himself public? like why was he hiding if he was just gonna come out and be there anyways.

they kinda have hit a snag with silver. he was a really good villain, the actor has a really good screen presence, and so they didn't wanna write him out of the show, but his arc was over. bringing him back now, again, becomes repetitive, and adds very little to the plot, even if it does make the iron dragons kinda relevant instead of just being super strong side characters.

what the actual fuck did they do to demetri. why were they trying so hard to make him unlikeable. i was rooting for him in part 1. he's hurt and lashing out at hawk, he's clearly still traumatized from his best friend breaking his arm and imo a shitty apology afterwards, but now? consistently talking about MIT, not trying hard, cheating on his girlfriend? it sucks how much he shouldn't have been part of the competition. more s6p1's fault for the dumb as fuck way they chose the team, but demetri was never a super strong fighter. so if you send him to sekai taikai, my god, at least give him a moment or two to show he's there for a good reason. character assassination at its finest. also very clearly done to make hawk look better in comparison.

carmen's appearance in this season was just another disgusting hammer in the nail of everything they've done with her this far.

stop making johnny a right wing conspiracy theorist i'm begging, stop sacrificing his character that should be mature af by now to make him say haha woke mob jokes.

while i love how mature sam has been the entire season, she has no goals right now. i don't know what it should've been, but they should have given her some stakes in the sekai taikai. her arc in season 4 and 5 also kind of concluded, without her ever beating tory and without tory ever honestly beating her. my samtory heart says i don't want them to fight, i love them fighting for each other and protecting each other (for once want tory protecting sam instead of the other way around), but my samantha larusso heart wants her to have a solid win against tory on the mat.

she was also ooc. i think she was right to call out johnny, but s4 sam would not say this!! s4 sam was johnny's student too! come on now. sam is not just miyagi do. sam has mastered both elements as much as the boys have. them deciding to switch up sam and amanda every season.

didn't want drama between miguel and sam but was hoping for a moment. ig if they're not broken up we're not supposed to care about them.

hawk's hair is tacky. hate it.

the cgi/ai mr miyagi thing was incredibly awful. why the hell did they do that it was so disrespectful.

WE SHOULD'VE HAD MORE SAM ROBBY SCENES. GIVE ME THE LEGACY KIDS GODDAMMIT.

the big thing. kwon's death (if he is dead that is). it's hmmmm. idk how i feel about it. on one hand, yes, good for everyone to finally realize this has gone way too far. absolutely fucking ADORE daniel trying to reach him and stop him. daniel lasrusso my beloved the only one who acknowledges these are kids. on the other hand, and i don't mean in this in a super mean way, who cares. right now the only thing that makes this sad is kwon's age. otherwise, his teammates didn't like him, his competitors didn't like him, the senseis didn't care about him aside from his skills. maybe this would be different if he was kim's favorite instead of yoon or if him and kreese had a relationship like tory and kreese did. or if he had a SINGLE humanizing moment. or a friend. they just did his character dirty tbh. also made him seem like a hotshot with nothing to back it up when part 1 showed him as very formidable. brandon lee is mega hot and his acting was fire he should've had more to work with it.

i also think the way it happened with him stabbing himself is dumb af. at this point it might've been better if he just stabbed axel.

and what's gonna happen now? if they continue the competition that's insane. if they don't then it's disappointing. we hyped all this up only to not have a winner? my god that sucks.

the whole brawl was just. meh. it's nothing like the high school fight they didn't even come close.

the good:

sam and axel were so fucking adorable. i really wish they hadn't gone down the he likes her and tries to kiss her route. would've been so much better if they were just friends, and kinda wanted to see a brawl of the two of them versus kwon and yoon.

KENNNYYYYYYYY. dumb as fuck that hawk and demetri didn't trust him for such dumb reasons, but oh my god they like my baby finally have a win. loved his middle finger to silver. wish there was a robby kenny scene.

sensei kim's hair down oh my gooooooood. she's so gorgeous.

i didn't wanna put kim/chozen in the bad, idk if i should put it in the good, it's just. there. lol.

tory and sam for the most part. no rivalry. just two traumatized girls knowing they need to fight each other and grimly resigning themselves to it. poor babies.

johnny's divorced wife ass voicemail. "the kids need you, i need you." the middle aged gay men have once again gotten me. silver called him a pretty boy this show is OBSESSED with calling johnny a pretty boy what the fuck.

silver also put daniel in a dog cage. no explanation as to what would've happened if daniel didn't use jesus (?) to escape. jumin han ass plan.

fight choreography was insanely good. personal fav is kenny's little flip when he's tapped in.

liked anthony and kenny's resolution.

training montage in the last or second last episode was super cute.

ADORABLE scene in the locker rooms with the whole "who are we? miyago do!" call me cringe. i loved it. i'm glad they realized this is it, they're not gonna be fighting as a team forever and they need to savor it.

miguel's maturity after he comes back to the competition was so refreshing. finally.

i know i already said brandon lee is hot but brandon lee is hot. the way they did his hair, his smirk, the way he talks, ohhhh my god.

carrying from season 4 part 1, whoever is doing peyton list's makeup makes it look like tory is constantly crying. at first it was jarring, but it really adds to the scenes and makes you feel bad for her.

hopefully in part 3 we'll get core 4 stuff. i want miguel sam robby tory hanging out. not on awkward double dates, but as friends who all like and love each other. the characters are all in a good place with each other right now. please please please.

there was probably more good? but i can't think of it right now lol. anyway watch cobra kai as a comedy and it's insanely good. take it seriously and you'll suffer. i have done both and will continue to.

[trashbatistrash]

,

[wilderkind]

Vai’ina Korovin

Basics –– 🌘

  Nicknames: Vai

  Age: 159 years

  Race: Viera - Rava

  Gender: Cis female

  Sexuality: Heterosexual

  Marital Status: Engaged to be married

  Server: Crystal - Zalera

Physical Appearance -- 🌘

  Hair: White, incredibly long.

  Eyes: Silver.

  Height: 6′5″

  Build: Built like a brick shithouse.

  Distinguishing Marks: She’s got scarring everywhere - some small, faint lines through dusky skin, some deep and noticeable.  One particularly large scar on her abdomen, roughly seven inches wide, just beneath her ribs on the left side - with an exit scar to match on her back. 

  Common Accessories: Carved bone charms, feathers.  An ornate metal helm.  Greatbow and feathered quiver of arrows.  A small star-shaped locket made of wood, hung on a reinforced chain around her neck - her daughter’s. 

Personal --- 🌘

  Profession: Professional monster hunter, adventurer of sorts. Former woodwarder, former resistance.

  Jobs: Will sometimes help out at the Moonflower, or with her husband’s bookstore. 

  Hobbies: Hunting, archery, reading, cooking, camping, swimming, whittling/making things.

  Languages: Common, native (I use translated Icelandic)

  Voice and Speech: Quiet usually, unless she needs to raise her voice - then, Vai’ina has a noticeably commanding voice.  Speaks with a very light, barely distinguishable accent resembling Icelandic.

  Birthplace: Golmore Jungle

  Religion: None.

  Patron Deity:Menphina, the Lover

  Fears: Being forgotten, being really alone - losing Frydstyr. 

Relationships --- 🌘

   Spouse: Frydstyr Ryssitarsyn

   Children: Lhyuine - Deceased

   Siblings: None, save the non-blood sisters she left in the Range.

   Other Relatives: None.

   Pets: None, but she wants a dog.

Traits --- 🌘

   Extroverted / In-between / Introverted

   Disorganized / In-between / Organized

   Close-minded / In-between / Open-minded

   Calm / In-between / Anxious

   Disagreeable / In-between / Agreeable

   Cautious / In-between / Reckless

   Patient / In-between / Impatient

   Outspoken / In-between / Reserved

   Leader / In-between / Follower

   Empathetic / In-between / Apathetic

   Optimistic / In-between / Pessimistic

   Traditional / In-between / Modern

   Hard-working / In-between / Lazy

   Cultured / In-between / Uncultured

   Loyal / In-between / Disloyal

   Faithful / In-between / Unfaithful

Additional Information --- 🌘

   Smoking Habit: Never.

   Drugs: Never.

   Alcohol: Occasionally, in a social setting.

   What I’m Looking For: Friends (new or old) or contacts from previous ventures.

RP Hooks --- 

Something giving you trouble?: Vai’s a senior huntress, and knows her way around the business - she’s been a hunter all of her life, and her bowmanship is nigh unmatched.  If there’s a beast giving you trouble, call her up and let her know.  You’ll be more likely to snag a contract with her for a kill if the beast in question is harming the land or a threat to people around it - she doesn’t hunt for sport.

I know you: She spent many years in the resistance after losing her daughter - perhaps your character knows her. 

The Moonflower: She helps out at the restaurant sometimes - it’s easy enough to find her in the yard or inside, as it’s more of a home away from home than any other place.  

Open:  I’m open for plotting, always!  If you can think of anything, don’t be afraid to message me here or on discord!

Contact Information/About the player ––– 🌘

Discord: Ink#7154 - Discord is the best way to contact me! Timezone & Availability: Central standard time, USA - I’m usually on when I’m home, but I do have a 40+ hour a week job that I walk back and forth to, so I might be unavailable in-game sometimes.  However, you can usually always reach me on discord.   I roleplay quite a bit with my FC on Zalera if I’m not on Marlboro, so let us know if you’d like to tag along sometime! Preferences: Paragraph-style roleplay.  I tend to write lengthier posts (at least out-of-game), and also roleplay on discord, which is my preferred platform generally for more story-based roleplay. I love storyline-oriented roleplay, with all the good stuff like foreshadowing and nuance and symbolism. I prefer 18+ roleplayers OOCly - I’m just more comfortable that way.   Notes: 🌙 You can see my detailed OOC information right here! 🌙

[thecoolkidsbasement]

Nancy Drew - Midnight in Salem ‘Fix it Fic’

So because I wanted to take a little writing break from my Inventor’s Absolution fic (so I wouldn’t suffer from the burnout of writing exclusively in one universe for so long), I got somewhat invested in writing a ‘fix-it fic’ for Nancy Drew’s Midnight in Salem game because it was Terribad(TM), and then got un-invested by the time I finished the scene LMAO I don’t think I’ll ever seriously put more time into it (maybe I’ll post it on AO3 + FF.net since it’s a completed scene and to get more eyes on it), so I thought I’d just leave it here for the Clue Crew to enjoy if they so wished. Basically I wanted a rewrite of the game in ‘novel form’ to fix dialogue, plot holes, puzzles, and other various things that I felt needed improvement in the story and plot. This starts at the beginning of the game, shortly after the Book of Apologies thief escapes, and before the opening talk between Nancy Drew and Deirdre Shannon.

Enjoy! Fic under the cut, thanks for reading (and apologies if Nancy seems a bit OOC, I tried doing a mix of ‘new Nan’ with ‘old Nan’. Happy reading, happy writing!

Amongst the verdant firs of the Salzburg forest, our young detective, Nancy Drew, navigates her way back to Moosham Castle after a book thief apprehension gone awry. Through the crowning tops of the wavering trees where they split amongst the drear sky are the towering eaves of the historical estate—the only guide she has in returning to the castle’s footbridge. She surmised the hike back would be a strenuous one, and furthermore considered herself lucky to not have rolled her ankle, or worse, broken a leg, from the way she launched herself over the bridge’s edge as carelessly as she did.

Not a story for Ned, that’s for sure, she decided while rummaging through her shoulder bag to examine the few pieces of evidence her book thief had dropped in their escape; an expelled home-made smoke bomb; a key with an usual blade, the teeth spelling ‘AW’, left abandoned in the cage lock that the Book of Apologies was bound with; and a torn plane ticket to Boston, Massachusetts.

Which was boarding at 3:40 PM.

Tomorrow.

I’ve got to find them before they get back to the states, or else I could lose their trail! Nancy lamented as she pulled her phone from her pocket to check the time, while also seeing several missed calls from a River Heights number — proven earlier to be that of Deirdre Shannon’s. Tucking her phone away, she decided she’d respond later with a lingering thought of how odd it was that Deirdre was calling her. Repeatedly. But right now she had other things to worry about, like how she would apprehend her book thief!

The Vienna International Airport is about a 4-hour drive away. With this ticket I at least know what flight my thief will be on and what seat they’re in! I’ll have to get past airport security first... I wonder if there're any open seats left on this flight?… Nancy puzzled as she climbed up a steep hill, using the rocks protruding from the earthen ridge as makeshift foot holds for a quick return back up to the main road. Brushing dirt off her hands and clothes, she took notice of a tear clean through her pants leg—most likely snagged on a sharp rock or thorny bush while she was running.

Definitely not a story for Ned, the detective sighed to herself as her phone buzzed once more in her jacket pocket. It was Deirdre, again.

The two hadn’t seen each other since the old town hall fire in River Heights last year, and they certainly weren’t on friendly terms once the truth and Nancy’s innocence had come to light… not that they were friendly beforehand, but reveling in Nancy’s short stint in prison certainly didn’t do their tense acquaintanceship any favors.

"Okay, Deirdre, you now have my undivided attention.” Nancy remarked once she answered the call. “What is it?”

“You know, when someone calls you in a panic and tells you not to hang up, it’s probably pretty important that you not hang up!” She snapped from the other side of the line with a huff.

“I’m sorry, but I told you I was in the middle of something. I said I’d call you back later, didn’t I?” She reasoned as she began walking the road back to the castle, lined on either side by dense trees, and examined the tear in her pants again as she walked.

“This isn’t something that can wait! I—…” All the ire in her tone died to a tense silence, in a pause so long Nancy removed her phone from her ear to check if the call dropped. The phone service out amongst the forest wasn’t the best, but her phone confirmed they hadn’t disconnected.

She put her cell back to her ear. “Deirdre? Are you still there?”

“I need your help, Drew.” Deirdre admitted quietly, her voice reluctant and almost ego-bruised, as if she were thinking better of having called the detective in the first place. “My cousin’s gotten into some trouble, and I thought I could help her, but—… but it’s a lot more complicated than what she told me over the phone. It’s worse than I thought it’d be.”

“What kind of trouble?”

"Like I said, it’s complicated.”

Gauging the distance of the road ahead, the peaking towers and the outer curtain walls of Moosham Castle cut through the trees. Nancy hadn’t realized how far she strayed until now. “Well, it looks like I just came into a bit of free time… if you’d like to talk about it?”

“I thought you said you were in the middle of something?”

“I was. I was literally chasing down a suspect when you called and got a little lost on my way back to the castle.”

“…A castle? Where in the world are you, Nancy Drew?”

“Austria, at this place called Moosham Castle. I was trying to locate an artifact for my dad on behalf of a judge friend of his, and—it was the craziest thing!— When I had my back turned, someone dressed all in black appeared out of nowhere and stole the artifact, disappeared in a puff of weird blue smoke, and jumped out the window!”

"Are you saying this guy got away? And here I thought Miss Nancy Drew always got her perp,” Deirdre said with blatant smugness in her voice.

You didn’t see them—they must’ve scaled up the outer wall somehow to come through the window… and they were quick. If they hadn’t stopped when they did to open up the book, I never would’ve caught up to them, Nancy realized glumly. Whoever this person is is crazy athletic, and they knew what they were doing. They knew that the book was here, and they had the key to get it open. This was no random robbery.

“I didn’t think anyone used the word 'perp’ anymore, Deirdre,” Nancy replied with a soft teasing, which granted her a scoff from the other end of the line. Possibly an eye roll, too. “Anyway, back to your cousin. What kind of trouble is she in?”

"Right. Well—… to make a long story short, my cousin, Mei, lives in the infamous Salem, Massachusetts. About a week ago one of Salem’s most historical mansions was nearly burnt to the ground, and now the entire town believes she was the one who caused the fire! They don’t have any evidence she did it, which is unbelievable, but any idiot can see she wouldn’t do something like that—!”

“Deir—Deirdre—Deirdre!” Nancy finally had to yell just to make herself heard over her incensed rambling. “Why would the town believe your cousin Mei would do such a thing if there’s no evidence? What evidence did they find? Did she provide a strong alibi? One that someone, or multiple people, can confirm? Are there any other suspects?”

"God, I forgot about that annoying thing you do where you ask a million questions a second,” Deirdre huffed exasperatedly. "I don’t know what evidence the police have. When I tried reaching out to them, they just laughed at me when they found out I was Mei’s cousin—like they thought it was funny I was trying to prove her innocence! Like it was so obvious Mei would do this and I just couldn’t see it! I had to leave before I gave them the smart-ass piece of my mind… it would’ve only made the situation worse for her.”

“I’m so, so sorry to hear that happened to you, Deirdre… really, I am.” Nancy offered genuinely, just as the footbridge was coming into sight, and she quickened her pace to meet it. “It sounds like your cousin is being falsely accused, or at least he police don’t seem interested in looking into other suspects.”

"Mei hasn’t been accused.” She clarified before sighing defeatedly, grumbling with a tight jaw. "…Not yet, at least, on official record… but everyone in Salem thinks she did it and we both can see where this train is heading. The only people here who see the truth are me and Mei’s older sister, my other cousin, Teegan. Nancy, Mei didn’t do this, and like I said, the situation’s really complicated… more complicated than I can explain over the phone. It’d be easier in person.”

“Are—Are you asking me to come to Salem?” Nancy inquired dubiously. She expected their exchange to be more of a mentoring; for Deirdre to ask for her advice on how to pursue the matter and that would be the end of it, so for her to imply—no, outright admit she needed Nancy to come to Salem—it became clear just how ‘complicated’ this problem really was.

And how desperate Deirdre was to save her cousin.

"You’re really going to twist my arm, aren’t you?” Deirdre groaned. "Yes, that’s exactly what I’m asking, Drew. I’m not going to beg.” There was an abrupt pause. "…I might say please, though, if that’ll convince you, but you can never breathe a word of that to anyone!”

As Nancy stopped on the footbridge to lean over the railing, the open window of the north-tower marked where the thief had jumped from the ledge to a sheer drop below; it was almost too high up to jump from without breaking your neck, and the exterior walls were built with smooth stone weather-worn from the years. How could the thief otherwise get up there, let alone get back down as quick as they did without injuring themselves? Perhaps a hook and rope? Climbing tools? Pure agility, athletics, and clever leverage? Perhaps through some other tools or means unknown to her? It seemed clean, professional, planned, and most importantly, puzzling.

“Do you know how far the Boston International airport is from Salem?” Nancy inquired while digging into her shoulder bag to produce the thief’s torn plane ticket, upon remembering it’s destination out. The detective wondered, was it merely coincidence that the Book of Apologies was stolen in the same week a fire vandalized a Salem landmark? Since Moosham Castle and the book itself both had a connection to the witch trials, it couldn’t be completely improbable that there was some deeper relation between the pieces, and her thief’s flight out to Boston only solidified her gut instinct.

“Boston Logan? Uh—it’s like an hour drive from Salem, I guess?” Deirdre said quizzically. “Does that mean you’re coming?”

“I’m definitely coming. In my book thief’s escape, they left behind a torn plane ticket. They were going to the Boston International Airport. The destruction of a Salem monument, the theft of an important artifact involving the witch trials, and the thief’s flight coming into Boston can’t be coincidence. I don’t know if my thief will be in Salem, but I’d bet they’re still linked to the town somehow.”

“That sounds pretty far-fetched, if you ask me.”

“I guess I’ll find out when I get to Salem. I’m going to see about taking an afternoon flight out of Austria tomorrow—think you can hang tight until I get there?”

“As if I have a choice,” Deirdre bit sardonically, before a softened sigh allowed her to continue in a kinder tone. “I’ll pick you up from the airport. Just text me your flight details, and try not to get in at, like, 2 in the morning or something. I’m not afraid to leave you at the mercy of a taxi driver.”

“I hear you. We’ll figure this out, Deirdre… I promise.” Nancy declared, and despite the silence from the other end, she knew Deirdre was still there—listening and careful.

“…Thanks,” She replied, before quickly hanging up as if it would hopefully diminish the tender gratitude in her reply.

[rxsewatcr]

KIM YUGYEOM, MALE, HE/HIM — It looks like FINCH HWANG just clocked in for their shift at APPLE. From what we know the 24 year old has been working here for 5 YEARS and is praised by customers for being GENEROUS & COMPASSIONATE, however their co-workers have noticed that on a bad day they can be CLOSED-OFF & AGITATED. I’m sure they’d hate for people to know [ REDACTED ]. 

hello there my loves! my name is skye and i write for the lovely finch hwang here and am super excited to meet you all and your lovely muses ♡ ♡ just a little bit to know about me; i go by she/her pronouns, hail from the CST timezone, and have absolutely zero triggers ― with that in mind, let me now introduce you to my boy here~! ( p.s. you can reach me on my discord @ h o n k s i n s w a h i l i#8001 )

* note: finch holds an incredibly illegal secret, which he absolutely refuses to discuss with others to the inevitable detriment of his mental health. when it comes to ooc, feel free to ask me what it is, i’ll be more than happy to share! however, in ic muses will not know whatsoever. i am hardly opposed to it being discovered by others, though such will most likely occur through the gossip blog at some point and/or plotted out specifically. cheers loves ♡ 

― * 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭.

full name; finch hwang

nicknames; birdbrains, tweety

age; twenty-four [24]

birthday; february 4, 1995

birthplace; bluevalley, vermont

gender; male

orientation; biromantic / bisexual

s/o status; single

occupation; apple technician

― * 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥.

fc; kim yugyeom

hair; dark brown

eyes; chocolate

height; 6′2″ ft

build; well-proportioned, tall and lean with a bit of muscle to him

marks/scars; a few on his knees from childhood

tattoos; n/a

piercings; multiple in his ears / conch, helix, upper/lower lobe

― * 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥

label; the illusory

myers briggs; enfp

house; slytherin

religion; agnostic

enneagram; the helper

big five; agreeableness 

chronic; n/a

fears; his mother dying, being laid off from work

― * 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭.

WARNING; mentions of cancer, illness

first and foremost; finch takes the term genius to an entirely new level ― with an IQ of 148, and earning his MENSA card at only 8, it wasn’t often that he went without some sort of attention from both his peers and simple strangers. from a 'small’ town no less, finch was the pride and joy for his mother, having raised him as a single parent following the death of his father when he was 7 months old

finch was one of the lucky ones, known as the gentle giant to many and making friends out of most ― his friendly demeanor and eagerness to help others earned him a spot as one of the most popular kids in town, school being a breeze and instead dedicating his time to assisting others, no matter if it was homework they trifled over or something else

he was something of a legend, far ahead in not only reading level but what seemed to be everything else as well ― finch passes the state level tests with eagerness, graduating high school at the bristling young age of 15. adventurous and willing to do whatever it took, he plans ahead and manages to win over the admissions board at harvard, quick to leave the confinements of vermont with dreams of grabbing the world by its horns and making it his

and for a time, it seems he might do just that ― entering into the most prestigious school in the united states, he essentially picks a major at random with high hopes in knowing that if anything, he can always change focus or get another BS if he wanted to. computer science becomes his focus, and 4 years later he walks out in full cap and gown with a million dollar smile on his face, eyes set on the horizon, and a duel bachelor’s and master’s degree tucked under his arm

and right as finch is about to set off on the adventure of a lifetime, everything goes to shit

he remembers it like yesterday, finding himself on a plane back to bluevalley rather than california. a simple illness they say, but when he arrives he soon finds it to be so much more ― signs of early dementia and an aggressive bone cancer suddenly flood the reality of his mother’s life, acting as a slap to the face for finch that makes him realize time was hardly on his side

but he’s a mamma's boy, and he promises to never leave her side even when his hopes and dreams call to him from across oceans and she can barely recognize his face. for once, he’s faced with the mortality of not only her life, but his own ― the medication used to treat her is expensive, and while he could afford it if he sought a higher status of occupation, he refuses to disappear a second time

still, he manages to snag the highest paying job he can find as a technician at the nearby Apple store, residing in the same mall he had wandered through as a child. the pay was better than most, covered the taxes just fine, but at the end of the day it was barely enough to make the medical bills disappear until the next one came rolling around. finch was up to his head in stress, back breaking with the crushing reality that he might fail not only himself, but his mother

and like some sort of a twisted saving grace, an acquaintance of the male introduces him to the dark web.

it goes entirely against finch’s morals, everything he’s ever stood for good and true...and yet, he can’t see a way out. information broker peers at the male from his laptop screen, and yet he knows it is so much more. it amazes him just how much the simplest of things, such as a password or an address, sell for huge prices ― and almost as quickly as he discovers it, finch is diving headlong into the only solution to the mess of his life he can find.

he only hopes he’ll be able to find his way out of it soon

― * 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

best friends , bad influence , good influence , childhood friends , friends with lingering feelings , his rock/confident , friendzoned , frienemies , ex-friends/current enemies , rivals , someone who is on to his secret , fwb , mutual crushes , hook-up , a will they won’t they , exes on good terms , exes on bad terms , first loves , exes with lingering feelings , regular at where he works , angel/devil on the shoulder , chaotic duo , someone he’s stealing info from

[seblaine-rph]

THE ADMIN'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY: a SEBLAINE-RPH chapter by chapter guide on building and admining a roleplay group

Chapter One - Making a Blog

So you've decided that you want to open up a roleplay of your very own. My first piece of advice is as follows; don't panic. Remember that even before the moment of conception, you aren't alone. If at any point you ever feel unsure, or would like another opinion, there are a vast number of people out there that would love to help you out. You never have to panic, no matter what the problem. Personally, I am always open to giving advice, helping with the process of building your plot/character biographies/other writing, production of graphics of any kind, theme makeovers, and the request of any other help you may need. I'm not the only one out there either, there are plenty of other RPH and other help-based blogs out there too. Most other roleplayers don’t mind giving opinions either, so you can always ask your friends.

1.) We're going to start, in this guide, with making your blog.

Some people prefer putting their main pages on sideblogs, but there are things (like submitting promos and shoutouts*) that are made more difficult by that so others prefer main blogs. Take a moment to consider what you want in this instance. There are guides out there and people you can ask if you want to do a bit of research, but in my opinion the decision comes down to one question. If you're planning on making a bigger group, something long-lasting with big needs, then you probably want to make a main blog. If you're making something simpler, something less serious (but of course still has your interest and devotion), or something smaller (like a 2x2, 3x3, or 4x4) then you could be fine with a sideblog. The only reason I've personally ever used a sideblog for a main was so that I could always be available to questions sent there within seconds, even while I was roleplaying. I had made a small group that consisted of less than a handful of characters and once I had those few roles filled, there was no further need for the main other than for organization and event announcements, so it just worked better to have it right there, attached to my character blog. If it had been on its own main blog, I may have forgotten to log in and missed questions sent to it.

*If you choose to make a sideblog, then you can use your rps/writing/personal blog to ask for shoutouts/promos. Some blogs that post those don't accept shoutouts/promos from anything but the main though, so keep that in mind. 

2.) Once you've chosen, the first thing you'll need is a url.

Remember that this doesn't have to be perfect just yet, because you can change it at any time, but if you have any ideas that you really like, it's smart to save the url immediately so that nobody else gets the same idea and snags it first. Before you forget, head into the settings for your blog and turn on your ask box, the anon feature, and your submit. There are new on-blog advertising features that you need to turn off now too. At the time that I'm writing this, there are two of them and they're listed together. There is now also a “non-chronological posts” feature that you’ll have to turn off too once it starts. Because Tumblr is finicky, it's a good idea to make your ad blog right now too, and you might as well throw up an ooc blog while you're at it. For those that have never made a roleplay before, these two blogs (ooc and ad) for your roleplay will be sideblogs. The ad blog is where you'll queue your ads so that you don't spam your main and therefore the dash. The ooc blog will be a private blog that you click the option to password protect so that your players have a little community to talk out of character with each other. This helps with plotting and keeping your players connected ooc.

In order to create a new sideblog, click the little person button (on the top right of your screen) and click +New, then write in your url and do the captcha. You'll want to make a post on your main and on your ad blog right now, so that Tumblr registers them as new blogs. You don't have to tag either post or put anything you'll actually keep in it, all you need to do is make a post because your blogs won't show up in the tags until two days after your first post. Sideblogs follow the same rule. Posting on them now allows you to hit the tags as soon as you’re ready to advertise.

3.) Now that you've got the basics set up, it's time to pick a theme.

You can ask around the RPH community, check the rp themes and rp theme tag, browse an RPH’s theme tag (here’s mine), or look through your favorite theme maker's blogs to find the perfect one for you (my original themes). 

When choosing a theme, you want to consider your group and its needs. Do you want a lot of links on your main page or would you prefer just a few links and the use of a full navigation page? Do you want a lot of room on your sidebar for a long description or will a scrollbar/a smaller space do? Also remember that if you choose to use a page with popup windows, you'll want to have mobile links up for them too.

A lot of people like to go with fansite themes, which all have a top header and side column(s) for information that make your main page look professional and streamline. There's room for a lot of information and links on some of these too. You can find fansite themes with sidebar columns that are so long that they have to scroll with the posts, but there are those that remain stationary as well. Some of them have font or navigation links as the top header, with no image, which are good for those of you that don't want to have to make a bunch of graphics for the main. 

Another go-to theme type for roleplay mains are container themes. One of the things that you have to remember with container themes is that you want people to be able to see your main page, so you want to use one that doesn't have a tiny container. I've seen themes that are so small that the posts are 150px-250px wide with a 150px height window of appearance, which forces people to use 6px font and gif icons that are 25px by 25px so that it "looks aesthetically pleasing," but that translates to "absolutely unreadable" for a good number of people. There are a lot of container themes out there, and a lot of them have really small spaces for posts. You can edit that yourself though, or ask for help from the theme maker or an RPH if your favorite theme comes with a tiny container.

4.) There is more to do once you've got a theme, now you need to customize it.

No matter what theme you use, or what type of theme, you can always edit the html to make it better suited for your needs. If you can't do it yourself, there are plenty of RPH blogs that would do it for you.

Before doing anything else, you should be sure that:

Your theme doesn't have any fonts that are below 12px. Some fonts are larger than others, but anything that you actually want people to be able to read cannot be smaller than 12px. It is relevant to mention that 16px is the standard for accessibility in font sizes, so your fonts should be closer to 16px than 12px, but any smaller than 12px is just cruel.

Your posts are 500px in width. On some themes, you can justify using as small as 400px on the post size, but no smaller. When the post size shrinks too much, it's harder to read and the font html tends to shrink too in order to compensate for the smaller space. When changing the post size, I always use cntrl+f to search for the originally used post size px, so that I can change all of the other applicable html locations (ask size, tag size, the entry div, photo set size, etc) as well.

You might have to change other things because of those two bullets. Containers might need to be edited, margins changed, etc. Those of you that want to change other aspects of their themes can do so now. Put everything on the main page where you want it. Consider this the first step in customization.

Then make your theme graphics. This is where you really start to see your roleplay becoming something specific and personalized for your plot. Use imagery that is relevant to your plot. Keep diversity in mind by choosing imagery that represents as many different types of people as possible, if you're using people in these graphics. Remember that you don't want your graphics to be too dark to see, but you also don't want them too bright to see-- and you definitely don't want to whitewash anyone. You may wish to use a PSD (<-link to psd tag) so that all of your graphics are edited the same and therefore look the same, just beware of those three problems. Almost any PSD can be edited and altered in the name of making them work properly. Again, there are RPHs that will gladly do this for you or give you advice, if you want the help.

Your theme colors should match your graphics, and can be taken directly from them if you want. I prefer to, it just makes it easier to ensure my graphics match my theme. It also helps to choose a lighter or darker variation of the color on the graphics that still matches, when you don’t want to use the exact same colors.

When choosing colors for your main blog, make sure that everything is still accessible. You want to make sure everything matches and looks aesthetically pleasing, but aesthetic means nothing if you can't read your blog. For instance, if your background is dark, the font you put on top of it should be light. If your background is light, the font you put on top of it should be dark. If you have a bright pink background and a bright yellow font, it is very likely that it will be completely impossible for anyone to read. Accessibility is not just important for those that have a difficult time seeing, but for you as well; if people can't read your blog, they won't stay on it long enough to give your group a chance.

5.) Your theme basics are done, now fill out your rpg information.

I'm going to do a whole new admin guide for this, so it won't be as detailed as it could be. I will link that guide as soon as I finish it.

Know your rpg and what you need on your page. Different groups require differen't information. For instance, if you're a supernatural group, you may want to at least link to information on all of the different species involved in your group. If you're not running a supernatural group, that's obviously not necessary.

As far as the basics go:

You'll need a sidebar description, something catchy that draws people in and makes them want to read more. Make sure it gives a clear reading on what your rp is about.

You'll need clear navigation. Most groups have a navigation page, but you also want to make use of your navigation buttons. All themes have a different number of them, make use of them with the most important links for your group. Remember that if you have popups on your theme, you're going to want to have mobile links up for that material too.

You'll need a clear set of rules. Most of these are the same thing written over and over again, so really consider your group and what is important to you as an admin to make sure yours are as unique as possible. If you have any requirements, this is where to put them. Age restrictions, instructions for nsfw or mature content, activity limits, dash rules, and ooc stuff all goes here. The point of a rules page is that you want to be able to say, "you knew this was expected of you" if any problems arise. And you can add to this! If you start up your rp and someone does something you absolutely do not want to see in your rp again, feel free to make an amendment and add it to your rules.

You'll need to consider what other information you need on your blog as well. Some rpgs require applications, others are appless. Some need to have their plot explained further, others can cover it in the sidebar. Whatever your needs, make sure everything is clear, not too long-winded (people will tune out if they aren't engaged), linked clearly for ease of navigation, and double checked for proper spelling and grammar.

6.) So you think you’re done, now get a second opinion.

At this point, you can tell that your blog is done and ready for information to be put on it. It looks pretty, it has graphics on it, all of the information you want it on your blog, and you're certain that you can read it.

Double check that last statement. You can ask a friend or you can ask an rph, but now would be a good time to make sure that everything is accessible. You want to make sure that your theme is the right theme. You want to make sure that you've got a good font and font size, for both your page html and your graphics. You want to make sure that your information is clear and concise as well as attention-grabbing.  It's really easy to miss out on stuff, and we all have different screen sizes, so it's really important to get a second opinion.

I do theme reviews and opinions on rpgs as a whole, but you can go to almost any rph for the same service or simply ask your friends for their opinions.