#╰ * regular check in procedure — ooc;

[treacheroustwin]

tags;

[catcherofmonster]

The Beginning...

Requested: nope :)

Characters: Harvey, Maru, Lewis (mentioned)

Pronouns: they/them, Mx used as a formal title (like Mr/Miss)

Warnings: light swearing

Notes: the reader (y/n) will exclusively be referred to as “Farmer”. Apologies if anyone is ooc btw. This is probably the longest fic I’ve written (might make it into a series 👀). I also hate how I ended it, but it leaves room for another part jfdjfd

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It was the second day since the farmer had moved to their grandfather's farm. It was quite a change from their desk job. They spent the first day cleaning up the farm and planting some turnips that Mayor Lewis had generously gifted them and then headed into town to chat with some of the towns folk. The ones that they had met were absolutely lovely people.

They woke up just before the sun peaked its head over the canopy of trees. They dig through a chest and grab the tools that they need for the day and stick them in a worn green backpack. They fix their sheets on their bed and pull on their boots, heading out the door for the day. They stop by the near by pond and fill up their watering can, watering their newly planted seeds. They take note to stop by Pierre’s for some new seeds. After they’ve done some cleaning up of their yard, they check the time and decide to take a break to go into town.

The town was a short walk from their farm. Less than 10 minutes, they would estimate. They stop in Pierre’s to grab some seasonal seeds, reading the back of the packets to make sure that they grow well.

It was only when they looked up, did they realize that they hadn’t been to the clinic yet. They quickly walk over to the neighboring building and checks their hours. They let out a sigh of relief when they realized that they had a little over an hour till they closed.

They push open the door and was immediately greeted with the smell of disinfectant and something with a more earthy and rich smell. They walk in and let the door close behind them, taking in their surroundings. There were a couple of posters on the walls, talking about how you can be healthy and signs for sicknesses and such. There was a piece or two of framed artwork as well, making a stark contrast between it and the sterile white walls. There were worden chairs all neatly lined up neck to each other in the waiting room of the clinic. They turn their head to the left to see a reception desk, with a familiar face behind it.

“Hey Maru!” They greet her as they walked up to the desk.

“Oh! Farmer, welcome! How can I help you today?”

“Well...” they trail off. “Is the doctor in?”

“Yes he is, is there something wrong?” She looks a bit concerned.

“No, nothing like that.” They respond, giving her a reassuring smile. “Just wanted to meet him, since I haven’t already!”

“Ah well in that case, go right ahead. He should be in the room down the hallway on the left.” She points to the door on their side of the desk.

“Thanks Maru!” They wave at her as they walk through the door.

They follow her directions. That is until they bump into someone.

“Shit! I’m sorry,” they look up at him, a rising heat from embarrassment creeps onto their face. Of course they had to bump into a good looking guy. He was tall, roughly around 6’ if they had to guess. His hair was a milk chocolate brown and neatly styled, if not a bit messy, most likely from working all day.

“Ah no, it’s okay. It was my fault!” He raises his hands up with a slightly guilty expression on his face. “You aren’t hurt, are you?”

“No, I’m fine,” they gave the man a small smile. “I just moved in and was just introducing myself to everyone here.” They hold out their hand to him, he grasps their hand and gives them a firm handshake.

“It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Harvey, the local doctor. I perform regular check-ups and medical procedures for all the residents of Pelican Town.” He smiles and lets go of their hand. “It's rewarding work. I hope you'll find your own work equally rewarding, in time.”

“Maybe eventually I will. But right now, I’m just glad to have a break from everything.” They admit with a sheepish smile.

“Ah? That is understandable. Too much stress has been proven to lead to a couple of health issues, so please remember to take breaks when needed.” He informs them with a slightly worried look on his face.

“I will Harvey,” they beam up at him. Turning around, they continue. “I’ll see you around!”

“Hopefully not for medical reason!” He calls after the retreating figure. They look back at him with a mischievous grin.

“No promises Doc!” And with a wave they leave the clinic and walk the path back towards their farm.

[lgcmanager]

MUSICAL ACTING MISSION 003

SCHEDULE TYPE: TRIMESTER (CAREER) SCHEDULE RESTRICTIONS: Cannot be paired with another trimester schedule, unless stated otherwise

on JANUARY 11, HEO AECHA has summoned all the trainees confirmed to be in the musical acting path, old and new. it’s early in the morning, yet the woman seems fully present and watches on the trainee in the room. “good morning everyone!” she  says, fondly. “for those of you who only had the chance to meet me briefly, let me introduce myself. i am the head manager of LGC AGENCY, i oversee the careers of not only the company’s entertainers but also our other talents. which implies that i’m a busy woman and we won’t meet all too often, unfortunately. on a day to day basis, you will be taken in charge by your own manager; miss JEON DAHEE. this arrangement might come to change in the future.” she stares at them with a smile. “i have a lot of subjects to touch up, so let’s get to it!”

DORMS

“we’ve already sorted out all the living arrangements so for those of you who have chosen to stay in the dorms, you may move in starting from today. if you’ve chosen not to stay in the dorms, then you may also leave starting from today. however, those of you who have chosen to leave, please note that there isn’t to be any funny business from you all. if we hear of anything, you will immediately be sent back to the dorms. do i make myself clear?” she smiles at them but it’s clear that she is serious about her warning.

SNS

“the same rules will apply to you regarding your PUBLIC INDIVIDUAL INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT as it is with our other actors. you will be permitted to have an account once you meet the following conditions: first you must have completed a full trimester in this path and then have at least 6 posts on the legacy entertainment account. this will assure us that you know sns etiquette and that we can trust you with the content you will publish.”

DEBUT CONTRACT

“for those of new who are new, there are new legal grounds that we must go over now that you’ve moved over to lgc agency. here is your contract that you will need to sign and return as soon as possible. i’ll let you read over them on your own.”

( this is just an ic note, there is no need to submit this ooc )

MUSICAL AUDITION

“now that we’re done with the formalities, we can get to the fun part, can we? first of all, i must i am very satisfied to see you growing in number. it started out with only one of you, but i feel as though you will all learn a lot on this path. musical acting is a very difficult field that doesn’t bring forth a lot of fame in return. but the skills you will acquire during this journey will be something for others to watch out for. idols in particular could learn a lot from you in terms of live performance. of course, we will work to provide you with opportunities to get yourself known to the public. there’s actually one i am proud to present to you today, with the help of someone you all know very well.” she turns to the door, where KIM HYUNCHEOL, head manager of legacy entertainment, soon appears. they both exchange a polite smile as he walks up to stand next to her.

“hello everyone. i know you must be curious to hear about this announcement, so let’s not waste any time, shall we?  i am proud to announce that we have partnered with CJ MEDIA and KBS2 to put together a special musical adaption of something you have certainly all watched or heard about before.” hyuncheol pauses and analyzes the trainees’ curious looks. “our regular trainees will also join you in this adventure. i hope you can guide them through this process, especially those of you with more experience.”

[ OOC NOTE: in order not to spoil the contents of the casting call 007 that will be posted shortly after this, we will not reveal what the musical is. ic, hyuncheol would of course announce it to them. make sure to check it out since the audition procedure will be explained then. ]

after greeting them, hyuncheol leaves them in aecha’s good hands. she takes a moment to look at each one. “i know what you must be thinking: you were specifically chosen for this path and yet, trainees will be able to participate. or maybe you’re looking forward to it. no matter your thoughts, i do agree with the head manager when he says he hopes you can act as guides and role models for them to follow. in fact, i’m counting on you. most of them will most likely be part of the ensemble cast, divided by skills. unlike you, they’re not expected to be proficient in all of the performance skills. so make sure to prepare yourselves a lot and meet our high standards.”

VERSATILITY WORKSHOPS

“we’re introducing special workshops from now until the end of march.”, she continues. “they will help hone your skills and learn more about the immense work that goes on behind the scenes. the musical theater community is very small and most performers and crew members know of each other. a reputation can so easily be made or shattered. as such, we want you to know exactly what these people do. the stylists, the costume designers, the props designers, the stage directors. they are essential to the musical production. without them, you don’t get to stand on stage. learn from them, respect them and you will become a beloved member of this wonderful community.”

she smiles. “trainees will also be taking these workshops. we expect you, of course, to attend them at least once. the rest is up to you but remember that musical acting requires you to be strong in acting, dancing, singing and many other things. you can’t afford to put all of your eggs in one basket like idols or actors could. that’s what makes you so special as well.”

“on February 1st, some of the workshops will feature very special guests, you will know more about it then.” she remains mysterious.

discover the special guests HERE (the post will be edited later tonight after the musical has been revealed). ooc, the trainees will not know who they are until the mentioned date.

“on top of it, since you are musical actors yourselves, we want to give you the opportunity to host your own workshop. you will be able to do this once during the course of the next three months. it’s up to you to choose which one you would feel most appropriate to teach. if you know nothing about hair & makeup, for example, i would advise you not to choose that... i hope i’m making myself clear?” to lighten the mood, aecha chuckles. “other trainees will be able to attend. feel free to decide of the contents, as long as they are appropriate and helpful in the context of a musical, of course.”

REQUIREMENTS

make sure to use the hashtag lgc:musicalmission for everything related to this event. you have until APRIL 3, 11:59 EST to complete the following requirements:

MUSICAL AUDITION: PLEASE CHECK CASTING CALL 007 FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS. on top of the requirements shown in the post, you will get +5 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE ANYWHERE as bonus. it means you do not need to write two auditions! just link to your audition in the points form below to claim your bonus points.

VERSATILITY WORKSHOP (PARTICIPANT): write a 300+ words solo or a 4 replies (minimum 8 lines) thread with a trainee of any gender OR a fellow musical actor about attending one of the workshops mentioned above. the workshops taking place with special guests on february 1st will be filmed, so if you choose to write about it, make sure your muses are on their best behavior to avoid consequences or gaining a negative reputation.

VERSATILITY WORKSHOP (HOST): write a 300+ words solo or a 4 replies (minimum 8 lines) thread with a trainee of any gender OR a fellow musical actor about hosting the workshop of your choice. since they host on their own, your partner will have to be the one attending your muse’s workshop. for the muse who isn’t hosting, this thread can still count towards their requirement as a particpant whether it’s with a trainee or another musical actor.

the writing requirements for the musical itself will be revealed at a later date, but similar to how dramas work, it will be a different points form.

to validate your skill points and collect your notoriety points, please submit the following form ONCE on the points blog before APRIL 3, 11:59 EST.

TITLE: MUSE NAME ∙ MUSICAL MISSION 006

- MUSICAL AUDITION:  +5 ( skill points distribution ) bonus [ LINK ] - VERSATILITY WORKSHOP (PARTICIPANT): +5 ( skill points distribution ), +2 notoriety [ LINK ] - VERSATILITY WORKSHOP (HOST): +5 ( skill points distribution ), +3 notoriety [ LINK ]

[iamwhelmed]

Homesick: Chapter 4

I’m worried Raven may be a bit OOC here, even with the added stress of pregnancy, but I’m excited to post it <3

Read it on AO3

Read it on Fanfiction.net

She'd never lost her memories, that much she admitted. She'd been scared, guilty, riddled with hatred for who she'd been and the things she'd done. She knew very well that the titans forgave her, she'd seen the flowers at her feet when she woke up, but that didn't mean that she forgave herself.

That's what she told the team (minus Raven and Starfire, much to Terra's disappointment). She'd needed time, time to get more of a hang on her powers without Slade's influence, time to find herself again, understand the rock-climbing, cave-sleeping, salad-bar-devouring girl who got lost in turmoil. Beast Boy was the first to come forward, threw himself over her like a rug over tile, squeezed her with such desperation that she swore he thought he was dreaming. But he wasn't, she was there, and she took the opportunity to dig her nose into the warmth of his neck, nuzzling into the crook. When Beast Boy's kneading fingers released her as he stepped back, she smiled at him, and he smiled back; it was different from his old smile, older, she thought, but there was something else too.

Cyborg came forward and knocked her arm with his fist, teasing smile playing off the rise of his brow. She giggled and lugged him right back. "Welcome back, little lady."

"Good to be back, Cyborg."

"So," Robin stepped to the side, revealing a very different redhead from the one Terra knew, almost as though he'd stepped in front her her protectively. He might have, going by the exasperated shrug from the very slim, very casually dressed stranger. Jeans and a blue v-neck cotton shirt weren't exactly what she expected from a Teen Titan's wardrobe, but she wasn't one to judge. She turned her attention back to Robin, who had approached her with all the stern leader-ness she remembered, though he looked somewhat suspicious. She couldn't blame him, the last time she showed up at the tower without warning, she hadn't exactly been pursuing a career of altruism. "Does this mean you're back? For good?" One half of his mask got bigger, a sign he'd squinted at her with one eye.

Terra chuckled and rubbed at her arm, casting a side glance at Beast Boy, who realized why exactly she was looking to him and smiled. "Yeah sure, if you'll have me?"

There was a dead silence for a few moments, lifeless enough that she had the sudden urge to clear her throat. She waited, glancing from Beast Boy to the floor, to her other side, then back to Robin through the heavy lilt of her lashes. His face was indifferent, lips in a thin line as he scrutinized her with his stare. The stranger behind him tried to peer over his shoulder, get a better look at what was going on. Terra tried to ignore her, she was only making the twist in her stomach a million times worse. She knew she messed up, that sacrificing herself didn't make up for everything she'd done, all the horrible things she'd said, things that were true enough to her friends to hurt, but never things she sincerely thought. She'd wanted to hurt them, and she'd done that. Now she had to figure out a way to undo all of it.

Then Robin smile, offered her a hand to shake. Startled, she froze, some part of her afraid he was messing with her, but Robin would never. Slowly, she reached out and grabbed him; he shook their hands. "Welcome back, Terra."

Shopping was not her scene. Starfire knew this, and yet there they were, scouring a maternity store for a bra that would fit properly. She'd wanted to go alone, hoped she'd be less conspicuous if she kept to herself, dressed in civilian clothes, but Starfire didn't allow it. "Friend Raven, I am most concerned about the safety of both you and your unborn snarglpref! What would happen should a villain recognize you while you were on your own? I cannot allow it!"

Despite the eccentric wording, she supposed Starfire had a point.

The teenager at the counter seemed unbothered as she rang up the various bras and matching underwear, hardly sparing herself and Starfire a look as she slipped each item into the plastic bags. "Your total is $41.89."

Starfire reached into her new purse- tiny, lavender, with embroidered flowers detailing the flap- and handed the clerk the change. "Friend Raven, are you feeling unwell?"

"What? No, Star, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Apologies, you just look… paler than a Centari Mandra."

"A what?"

"You look unwell."

Raven sighed. "Probably just the baby messing with my skin, is all." She felt fine, not even a headache from the extra bouts of emotion her little one seemed to drink in. Baby had been quiet all day, let her eat without throwing up, didn't make her cry or tear the air conditioner from the wall, so she was actually in a better place today than she usually was. Even Starfire had noticed the small smile on her face as they'd ordered their coffee and tea when they'd dropped by her workplace to pick up her check earlier. Today had been a good day.

Starfire mulled over her response, contemplating whether or not to believe her. She shrugged, ultimately deciding that it must not have been worth talking about if Raven wasn't concerned. The clerk handed them their bags, and they carried on to the next store. Starfire had been looking to indulge in some new nail polishes, and Raven planned on roaming around the spiritual store next door, maybe pick up some incense and see if the baby liked the smell. She hadn't burned any since she'd left the tower, but the growing unease, caused by the life conorting her emotions inside of her, was enough to make her consider something a little more drastic than meditation. She skimmed the rows of trinkets, books for light-reading, and walls of hats and beads and dreamcatchers, pausing at the boxes of incense. She plucked a box from the shelf. She made her way to the front after a few more minutes of wandering the small box of a store, placing the incense on the table. The guy at the counter was much friendlier than the girl in the maternity shop had been, and he smiled at her as their eyes met. It might have helped that she'd been a regular here before she'd left the tower. The television, small and cheap and hanging from the wall of the store, was turned to the news, left playing in the background as they struck up conversation. "Your usual?"

"I'm not feeling…" she nearly raised a hand to her stomach, but shook her head. She didn't want it getting out that she was pregnant. Not yet "... adventurous."

"Hey, you know I don't judge." He waved one hand aimlessly in the air, using the other to swipe the barcode across the register. "Ya know, I don't think I've ever seen you out of uniform."

Raven raised an eyebrow. She'd hoped that wear a cardigan, long and black like her robe, would suffice, that she wouldn't have to deal much with the odd sensation of jeans on her legs, or the thin long-sleeved top she'd bought when her uniform had grown uncomfortably tight around her midsection. She'd hoped nobody would notice the change. "I think I'm" her eye twitched "outgrowing my uniform."

She handed him the cash, which he accepted with a cheeky grin, especially after she told him to keep the change.

"Once again, Jump City's very own Teen Titans have saved the city!" She gasped, turned to the tv to see Cinderblock on the move again, fresh out of jail. She could see her friends, see the procedures she'd come to know so well she could feel her muscles aching to move to join, to help. She reached one hand to her communicator, surprised that it hadn't rung. The fight was over before she could even register Beast Boy's T-Rex hauling into Cinderblock, or hear the burst of Cyborg's canon. The camera was full of dust, full of debris, and smudged with mud, but she could still see them, still see her family. Robin and Cyborg fist-bumped, all grins and confidence. A familiar woman strayed not too far behind, winding up what appeared to be a grappling hook, similar to Robin's. She wore a mask- Robin's mask- but she recognized the hair. Tangled limbs, lips against skin, Starfire's tears. Rage sizzled somewhere inside Nevermore, and Raven felt somewhat less inclined to hold her back.

But then her eyes landed on Beast Boy, who'd jogged into the shot shortly after he'd morphed back into himself. He was all grins and fangs, looking pumped to have been in a fight again after what Raven assumed had been a quiet three months, since she and Starfire hadn't gotten any emergency calls from Robin. Now though, she wasn't so sure. The stranger set her arm on Robin's shoulder, propped against him like he was a wall as she- well, Raven wasn't quite sure. Was she encouraging Beast Boy?

Seemed like it, because his eyes grew three times their size before he very clearly made a poorly-timed joke (or just a bad joke in general), and she watched as the other three hero's faces clenched in disgust or aged prematurely by twenty years. Affection piped up from her corner of Nevermore, egged on by Happy and only restrained by Timid. She couldn't help it, she smiled. Despite everything, despite another woman's name, despite the child that became more alive with every passing day, Affection had never quite let go of Beast Boy, and she wasn't sure she wanted her to. His smile was still big, still bright, still as boyishly handsome as it always had been, as she'd let herself acknowledge it as when she kissed him the first time. She raised two timorous fingers to her lips, hoping to recreate the pressure of him devouring her heart, but she found them a poor substitute.

Beast Boy laughed, the kind of laugh where he had to hold his sides, where he doubled over at his own stupid joke, and she at once missed him so that it swallowed her soul completely. Baby squeezed her heart, or maybe it was Affection; she swallowed. Maybe this had all been a mistake, maybe she was wrong to leave, wrong to keep this from him. He'd be scared, of course he would, but she was every bit as terrified, and what were they together for if not to support each other when the world was crashing down around them? She'd let her insecurities, maybe hormones, get in the way of reason. That'd been wrong. Beast Boy deserved to know. This was her child; this was his child. She raised her other hand to grace her swelling stomach.

And then there was a flash of blonde, and her revelation went as quickly as it'd come, but tore into her with such ferocity she thought it would have been better to never have had an epiphany at all. Terra herself, alive, wide-eyed, beautiful, she came flying over on a small slab of rock, then landed next to Beast Boy with all the grace of a classic woman. She slugged Beast Boy in the shoulder, and he grinned from ear-to-ear and slugged her back. Timid cried out, look at them, he's still in love with her. Does that mean he never loved us? Reason tried to step in (it was a friendly gesture-) but Sorrow screamed over her (look at their eyes, look at the way he's smiling, he doesn't miss us at all, this child is a bastard like us) and Rage rumbled beneath the surface (we had a purpose, our child does not, and that makes this so much worse than it already was).

The ball of glass, filled with colors and shapes that mirrored sunsets and twilight skies, stable on a podium by the front of the store, shattered in black aura. Her breath hitched, and she realized once again that she was crying. Reason spoke out, momentarily calming the other voices, though they continued to rage inside her mind. This is not the place to cry. Find Starfire and phase home. She took her incense and left without so much as a parting word to the clerk, who watched her with wide, panicked eyes as she fled the store. Had she stuck around, she might have seen the concern in them.

Perhaps that was why she'd looked unwell. She folded her cardigan over herself and rubbed slow circles into her stomach. Perhaps the baby had known what was coming…

Starfire tucked the blankets over Raven's trembling figure, brushing the strands of hair that'd fallen into her face. Streaks, still wet, still fresh, coated her cheeks like the lines on a paved road. She grimaced, pulling away to rotate her arm where Raven had clung to her as she'd sobbed. It was sore, no doubt bruised from the strength she doubted Raven normally had, but grief did funny things to people. Raven trembled under the covers, but she knew it would be a few hours before she joined the land of the living once more. Crying your eyes out for hours at a time, especially at the month of pregnancy where fatigue begins to set in, was a good way to ensure a long, dreamless sleep. She frowned and turned on their tv, careful to mute it so as to not disturb her now unconscious friend.

It was as Raven said; Terra was back, and the woman in Robin's bed was still there.

Her heart broke all over again.

For herself, for Raven, for the home she was starting to suspect they could not return to for a long time…

That woman, the one he'd let into his bed, the one she saw in her dreams, making Robin putty in her hands, pleasing him; she could never hear her name on the nights her mind graced her with such heartwrenchingly raunchy visions, but she could hear the desperation in Robin's voice, feel the euphoria he never gave her the opportunity to provide. That woman was still there, still smiling at him, still on his arm, and she felt no better once she saw the beautiful blue of her eyes. No wonder Robin had been captivated, she could see even the proudest of warriors submitting to her allure. She just never thought that he'd do so without so much as a goodbye.

Her eyes were burning, and she squeezed them shut as the tears started. She'd stayed strong as Raven wept, because she was an empath, because crying too would make things worse, but now Raven was asleep, and she could let it all out so long as she stayed silent. Her legs curled to her chest, and she wrapped her arms around them and dug her head into her knees, biting her lip to keep the whimpering at a low. Robin's hands cupping her own. Robin's boyish smile. Robin holding her face, pulling her into him, hands in her hand, lips pressed so sweetly to her own. The way he said her name, the comfort he brought her. She knew it was gone, it was all gone, so far behind her now that she couldn't even touch it, touch him. She loved him, she loved him so much, why had it ended this way, why could they not last, why could she not stay forever in his arms, kiss him, adore him, stay with him?

She thought he loved her.

She'd been wrong about that.

When Raven woke up, her eyes felt as crusty as sand, like somebody had taken a handful of glue and glitter and held both to her eyelids until they were heavy and thick with sleep. Her body, she noticed as she tried to sit up, was numb with sleep, like she'd exhausted every limb. She shook it off- must have been the fatigue, or the hours of crying. She made a note to threaten Starfire's life should she ever tell anyone she'd acted so emotional. It was out of character, though she supposed so was getting pregnant. She sat up and yawned. "Starfire, it's getting late, you should turn the tv off and get some sleep." There was no response.

Raven looked over her shoulder. "Star, did you hear what I-?" The bed was empty, still made from this morning, though the edge of the foot of the bed seemed to have been lounged on. She raised an eyebrow. "Starfire?" She glanced to the bathroom, but the door was wide open, and there wasn't a sound to go by- running water, singing, footsteps- anything. A quick glance at the clock told her that she hadn't slept well into the next morning, because it was only two in the morning. A quick glance at the door confirmed that. Raven slid out of bed, raising an eyebrow. "Where in the world could you have possibly gone at two in freaking morning…" Her normal monotone was back, and she was thankful for that. Normalcy was what she needed right now, before the baby realized she was awake.

It'd taken her a few minutes to track Starfire's location, and a generous walk to what appeared to be some docks, but any upset that had started in her stomach had been quelled upon seeing Starfire sitting at the very edge of the docks. I get it, Baby, you like Starfire. I do too, that's why we keep her around. "Couldn't sleep?"

If Starfire was startled by her sudden company, she didn't show it. "No, I am afraid I could not."

Raven took a seat next to her. "Wanna talk about it?"

Starfire sighed, swinging her legs limply over the side of the dock, tips of her shoes brushing the edge of the water, creating ripples where she moved. Raven dangled her legs over the side in solidarity, though her own were far too short to reach the tides below. "I used to think Robin and I were destined to be together…"

"I know the feeling."

"I just-" Starfire grinded her teeth, and in the light of the moon she could see the glossy finish of her eyes "I do not understand why Robin would commit the act of infidelity! He has always been the stickler and the strict follower of the rules, and that is the biggest of them all!"

Raven shrugged. "Well Star, sometimes we're wrong about people. Sometimes we trust them more than we should. It's part of being human."

"But I am not human." Starfire looked at her, glassy eyes filled with defiance, but desperation despite the instinct. "Raven, you can feel the emotions of others, can you not? Did Robin…" She glanced back down at the water, the way her boots graced the small waves "...Did Robin ever truly love me?"

Raven sighed. "I couldn't tell you, Star. He made me promise to never use my abilities on him, and I never saw much of a reason to," until now. Starfire whimpered, pulling her legs up with her arms, digging her chin into the crook between her knees. Raven's heart broke for the second time that day, watching her process, fully, what Robin had done. "Do you think he did?"

"...I do not think so, and I am starting to fear that I am correct."

Raven wasn't much for physical affection, and maybe it was the baby (which she'd blame it on later), or maybe it was the three months of confinement to close quarters with the most physically affectionate alien on the planet, but she wrapped an arm around Starfire and pulled her into an awkward side-hug. "There, uh, there…" she tried to comfort her. If Starfire was put off, once again, she didn't show it, must have been a pretty good actress. She turned her head into Raven's shoulder and cried.

They sat there for awhile, Raven wasn't sure how long. The moon had inched further into the sky, the sounds of cars nearby came and went, men on their way home to their families, children on their way home for the summer. These were things the two of them may never have. Starfire's tears had ceased, her breathing had returned to normal, but the comfort of their embrace far outlasted the original empathetic purpose. They both needed it, support. They could not find it where it should have been, and would not find it elsewhere, so they would work with what they had as they always have.

"Aw, am I interrupting something?"

How had she not felt him? Raven and Starfire pulled away, whipping to find a shadow standing atop the warehouse behind them. There was a cape they could make out, confidence (borderline narcissism), humor in his stance. They both blinked and stood. Starfire used the adrenaline spike to call on a starbolt, and held it up in the air with the hopes they could see the intruder better. It made no difference.

He laughed. "Don't recognize me? Can't tell by my voice?" He leaped from the roof in a surprising display of acrobatics, landing a few feet before them without so much as a grunt. They both went to take a step back, only to feel their heels edging off of the side of the dock. They glanced back to the waters, once calming before, now cold and beckoning. "Now now, ladies, don't go taking a dip just yet." Starfire raised the bolt higher, in warning. He took it in stride. One shadowed hand raised an amulet, red and glittering in the moonlight, round and regal from the gold chain it hung from. "You've gotta make an attempt to beat this off me, don't ya?"

Only a foot away then, and Red X was still moving closer.

[famedroleplayarchive]

You may or may not have noticed that the points shop was down for renovation and you had to message me to clear the claim with me so I could open the submit box for you, but the points shop is now up and running completely normally again! After the changes a couple of months ago, I have no intentions of putting too many new changes in place at once for a while, so this was just two tiny rule updates, a little reformatting and a new theme, and the biggest change, which is a major alteration in how acting points claims work from feedback in order to make that career path hopefully easier to work with! There’s also a surprise at the end to apologize for the interruption, so make sure you check the last paragraph out if there’s something you’ve been wanting to claim!

Firstly, the rule updates are minor things. Promoted solos by members in the same group can now no longer overlap. Overlapping promotions of solos without previous discussion has caused a little bit of OOC tension in the past, and while it’s always blown over, I would like to avoid that source of possible tension from now on. Promoted collabs with people outside of the same group can still overlap with same group members’ solo promotions in line with the old rule of the first week being off-limits. It’s also more realistic that wat. The other rule update, which is something that would have been in place in practice anyway, but I’ve decided to list officially, is that if a group ever reaches two or three members with a nation’s title (depending on group size and fame, but generally at two), that claim will be capped for the group. This is also for realism because it’s very unusual for a group to have even one member known as The Nation’s *Something*, and unheard of for it to be every single member of a group.

Lastly, regarding acting claims, the system no longer requires you to claim a currently-airing or to-be-aired drama that will air in-’verse at the exact same time as real life. It’s quite the opposite now and works much like all other claims in that you can take a drama once it has already been released and claim it for an upcoming/current in-’verse release. This is due to trouble with the way the acting claims used to run that didn’t allow muns much control over their own muse’s success or reception in the same way they have control in the music realm, for instance. I know this is a noticeable shift, but I’ve noticed concerns (and had concerns of my own) about how off-putting it can be for a muse to pursue a claims-based acting career when such control is absent.

Please note that past acting claims work the exact same way they did before, but I will be especially strict now with the rules. Dramas already used as past claims cannot be bought to be released at a different time, obviously, but likewise, once a claim has been bought, the mun’s new designated date will be the canon one. Along with this, from now on, OST claims can now only be made for dramas that have been officially claimed with acting roles (be it past claim or bought claim) to avoid trouble there. Current OST claims will not be affected and it will simply mean any dramas with OST claims but no acting claims before now must be claimed as past claims.

There are now two categories of television drama: niche and popular, denoting their wider popularity and career implications for the muse to further the purpose of more mun control. Niche dramas are less watched, popular dramas are more watched, and both have different pros and cons for an idol’s acting career because of that. Other than that, there’s some procedural changes I would ask anyone interesting in acting claims to review the rules for. Please ask me any questions if you have any. The change may take a little getting used to at first, but I have faith it’ll be easier on everyone in the long run.

Lastly, the surprise I mentioned as an apology for the interruption and changing things around: As of the posting of this post, there is now a week-long discount on the points shop! Not all items are discounted (very popular items like albums, singles, and creative claims, and prestigious items like a nation’s title are not), but most are discounted from around 15% off to 50% off the regular cost. Discounted prices can be found on the pages and will be active until November 21 at 12PM EST.

[sonreiv]

hello! how do you get attention on ask blogs? i just started one and i'm not sure how to go about getting attention for it

‘ello, nony! Here’s some tips from personal experience:

Try to make your promo post interesting! Maybe a little introductory comic setting up how they got here, or have your character say/do something more than simply stating “askbox open!” to give viewers a taste of how you’ll interpret them, etc. There’s no problem with making more than one promo post!

Interact with other ask blogs! Follow other ask blogs within the same fandom; it’ll be easier to be updated with what your fandom’s ask blog community is up to, and to get promoted. Check their FAQ to see if they are okay with doing blog interactions, and/or hit them up with an ask/DM to be sure. I personally like to agree on convos via DMs beforehand so both parties have an idea of what we’ll do.

Be active in the beginning. Try to update every three days or at least once a week for the first few weeks - this way you’ll be a more constant presence on your followers’ dash and more easily remembered.

Do balance quality and quantity! With ask blogs, you don’t really have to put a lot of effort on the art - I actually advise against that. A more sketchy, quick style than your regular polished style suffices - make it quick and refreshing enough that it doesn’t take much of your time and doesn’t put much pressure on you.

Tag your posts efficiently to make sure they’re seen. The first five tags are the ones that will show in people’s track; the first twenty ones are the ones that will show in tumblr’s and your blog’s search. So always tag first the most popular relevant tags - like the ship name (if applicable), the character name and show name. Leave your personal organization tags for second and ooc comment tags for last.

Try to keep your blog as IC as possible - as in, avoid reblogging too many OOC posts. Promos are fine; fandom related stuff like fanart should be filtered down; fandom unrelated things like memes should be avoided. It’s not a rule, but people are more likely follow you and keep following you if your blog stays constant to its main theme.

Make your answers interesting. Show, don’t tell. Try to avoid simply having the character stand there and answer the question punctually; throw in additional thoughts and quirks, memories, a whole situation that answer the questions by itself, or a situation that ends up opening even more questions. Let’s say you get an ask like “what is Y’s greatest fear?”. You could have Y answer “my greatest fear is Y” - OR you could draw the fateful in moment in Y’s past which made their greatest fear come to be, or have their greatest fear literally barge in through the window and their reaction to it, or have them get fidgety and side eyeing a dreadful mug sitting on top of a table nearby and leave the viewer wondering “wait, what’s that all about? Is it a fear of mugs? Something that happened related to mugs?” and inevitably getting an inquiring ask. Make it engaging!

ALWAYS! GO FOR! MAKING IT! ENGAGING! What makes YOUR interpretation of Y different than others, aside from your art style? Make it so if non followers see your post reblogged by someone, they don’t just go “oh this is nice art of Y”, they go “what’s going on here?? What’s the story?”. Make people want to check out your blog to see more posts. You don’t need to have an underlying plot going on (though that really works and is pretty fun to work with), but DO try to string some of your posts with one another in some way. Make a consistent characterization for them. Create running gags, small little inner jokes between you and the audience. Create something that’s unique to your take on Y.

If your askbox is empty or none of the few current asks really inspires you, it’s fine to send yourself a couple anons! No one will know! ;P

I think I sidetracked a little bit but that’s what I got on getting ask blog visibility! If you’re curious to know how it went for me when I first started, I was lucky to have about 3k+ (4k+? Don’t remember) followers this blog when I started promoting the ask blog. I was also lucky to pick two super niche characters who had very little content for them on tumblr, so the character sheet I did to promote them got a lot more attention than the actual ask blog promo. And finally, I was on a break from university to recover from two surgery procedures on my lung (the second one was urgent and actually happened after I created the blog!) so I had a lot of time to spend at home working on long and frequent posts, which helped me gathering interest. With that I got a good starting kick, and started to update my blog every saturday, with each post being previously planned and scripted based of the accumulating asks I got! Sadly it’s been a while I can’t afford to update weekly anymore, but I’m still as pumped to keep telling the story I have been working up for over a year now.

Also! If you’re a BNHA blog and I didn’t promo you yet on @ask-protoheroes, don’t be afraid to hit me up with an ask or DM and I’ll gladly promo you! I recommend you do it on my main since I’m logged in on here more often!

[acuppellarp]

Welcome (again) to A Cup-pella, Laura! We’re excited to have you and Serena Smythe in the game! Please go through the checklist to make sure you’re ready to go and send in your account within the next 24 hours. 

OOC INFO

Name + pronouns: Laura Age: 30+ Timezone: EST Ships: Serena/Money, Serena/Chemistry Anti-Ships: Serena/Poor People, Serena/No Chemistry

IC INFO

Full Name: Serena Faustine Smythe Face Claim: Olivia Wilde Age/Birthday: 32 / January 1st Occupation: Plastic Surgeon Personality: Arrogant, Intelligent, Escapist, Disconnected, Chauvinistic Hometown: Born in Provence France; Raised in Greenwich CT

Bio:  

Many people find it surprising that Serena Faustine Smythe is a doctor.  It seems antithetical to the glamorous life that accompanies being heiress to a nearly billion dollar company.  However, Serena Faustine Smythe doesn’t want to be the Kardashian, or the Hilton brand of Heiress.  She’s a Smythe, goddamnit. T hat’s Dr. Smythe, thank you very much.

Born in France to Faustine and Joseph Smythe, a titan of the cosmetics industry, Serena has never not had a silver spoon firmly wedged in her mouth.  Dermasmythe is a nearly billion dollar skin care company that skyrocketed in value after the release of an extremely popular anti-aging cream.  Their line of serums are all one of a kind, with formulas that are protected in vaults deep beneath the ground, with access held by only a select few.  Serena isn’t one of those few.  Not yet, at least.  But as heiress apparent to the Dermasmythe empire, she knows it’ll be within her grasp at some point.

Serena emigrated to the US with her parents when she was an infant, as Mr. Smythe sought to open the first American Dermasmythe manufacturing plant in northern New Jersey. At present day, there are seven such sites.  By the age of 3, Serena had a net worth of several million dollars, and it has only increased from there. Joe and Faustine divorced when Serena was only 10, and instead of sadness, the young heiress celebrated the news. Two Christmases!  Competition for presents!  

In the US, Serena attended an elite prep school in Greenwich CT, where by the age of 16 she was already a budding playboy, much like her father, whom to this day she still considers her biggest role model.  Still, as was custom in the Northeast, she did very well in school, and garnered the attention of many elite colleges, ultimately deciding to attend Dartmouth.

A gifted singer and athlete, Serena played lacrosse, and sang in an all women’s choir at Dartmouth while pursuing her pre-med degree.  Entering with so many credits thanks to prep-school, Serena managed to graduate a year early.  When considering what her next step might be, Serena decided to make a name for herself.  Despite being an heiress who would never, ever, ever need to work a day in her life, she made the very surprising decision to enroll in medical school.   Much of this decision was borne from her own stalwart desire to be the best, but also in fear of ending up like the Kardashians: being regarded as little more than rich and vapid.  Being heiress apparent to the Dermasmythe cosmetics empire, becoming a plastic surgeon was a no-brainer.

To her father’s (elated) surprise, she enrolled in his Alma Mater, Columbia University, and bulldozed her way through Medical School, and endured her surgical residency at NY Presbyterian Lower Manhattan–which, coincidentally, is what first brought Serena to ACup.  Entranced by the prospect of joining a singing group–and therefore continuing her favorite method of peacocking–Serena thought nothing of joining the Warblettes.  And now that she’s working full time as a surgeon, she still sings with the Warblettes–as women can’t resist someone so talented and artistic.

A bit (okay, very) disconnected from reality, even after completing medical school, money is no object to Serena, and she regularly goes on lavish, impulsive vacations and shopping sprees.  In the Heiress’ mind, there is no problem that exists that cannot be solved with money.  And much like her playboy father, Serena herself is proud to be a playboy herself, bedding beautiful women on the regular.  And that includes her father’s recent bride; a 25 year old, very popular instagram model who is now Serena’s step mother.

Upon completion of her residency, she wished to remain in lower Manhatan and promptly joined the staff of a chic plastic surgery clinic in TriBeCa where she regularly performs procedures on incredibly wealthy clients.  The hefty salary she earns is little more than spending money.  The world is her playground, and she intends to play as rough as she wants.

Pets: A Doberman Pinscher named Vanderbilt

Relationships:

♬ Sugar Motta

Best friend, roommate, sometimes arch-rival. It really depends on their mood, but generally speaking, they get along. Their fathers are good friends and business partners, and the girls grew up going to each other’s beach houses and having sleepovers in Paris and Milan after their shopping sprees. They obviously have no need for a roommate, but they love (and love to hate) each other enough that sharing a place seemed like the obvious choice once they both moved out of their parents’ houses.  Sugar became Serena’s roommate just as she was starting her surgery residency at NY Presbyterian.  

♪  Blair Anderson, Rowan Flanagan, Jane Hayward and Jessi St. James

Fellow Warblettes. She tolerates Rowan and Jane because they’re important to Blair, and Blair’s important to Serena, so whatever. Jessi is… palatable, she guesses, because she’s talented enough to make up for her lack of class. And Blair? Well, they’ve dated on and off through the years. When they’re on, they’re very much on. When they’re off, they’re good friends. They’ve never let their relationship hurt the Warblettes, and they don’t plan on changing that any time soon.  

♪  Blair Anderson

They’d met while Serena was working her surgery rotation at NY Presbyterian Lower Manhattan, and the heiress joined the Warblettes.  Instantly, Serena was drawn to the brunette beauty and thought absolutely nothing of being the girl on the side as Blair cheated on her then girlfriend Kate Hummel.  However, unbeknownst to Serena, Blair actively lied about her age in an attempt to keep the heiress interested.  When it all came to light, Serena promptly ended the relationship, but had to give credit where credit was due.

♬ Kate Hummel

Gross, disgraceful, etc. Serena just cannot stand her, and she will never understand what Blair ever saw in her. But whatever. Even if they did get back together, Blair’s cheated with her once, and Serena knows she’d do it again. Nobody says no to a Smythe.

EXTRA INFO

[ NOTE: Serena pays a firm to curate her public social media accounts.]

Twitter name/twitter URL/description: sfsMD

Serena F. Smythe

Facial Plastic and Hair Surgeon in TriBeCa 💉😷 Board Certified. Fellowship Trained.

Five latest tweets:

@  “You can be gorgeous at thirty, charming at forty, and irresistible for the rest of your life.” - Coco Chanel 💄👌#lipfillers #jawline #rhinoplasty @  They say the eye is the mirror of the soul. 👁👁  #blepharoplasty @ Be yourself, everyone else is already taken. 😉 @ Just checked another one off the bucket list! ✅ #palau #micronesia #travel #wanderlust @ Save Water. Drink Wine 🍷