#Which will be based in OOC plotting prior to any new thread I take on

[deathinfeathers]

//Reminder that all threads will be purged on February 1st, after which I will be taking a new approach to IC interactions since I simply cannot stay on top of things over here anymore.

[amillioninprizes]

Some thoughts on Veronica Mars, fan service, and noir

I’ve been on winter break and at home with a nasty combo cold-ear infection-stomach virus the past couple of weeks, and as so often happens when I don’t have much going on, my thoughts have turned to ruminating over the steaming pile of excrement that was season 4 of Veronica Mars. Why yes, almost six months and one cancellation notice later and I’m still complaining about it--as I told someone on Twitter, it was so stupid that it’s going to take years to unpack.

This particular rant is brought to you by a common refrain seen in both professional critics’ and S4 supporters’ reviews of S4: the movie was schlocky fan service, while S4 is TRUE NOIR. I’m here to argue that neither of those things are true, and that in the grand scheme of things trying to definitively call Veronica Mars noir or not isn’t the best qualitative judgement of the series.

A note on “fanservice”

Something that’s been very strange to me in the critical discussion around S4 is that the fan-funded movie has been retconned as a fanservicey failure. This is weird because it did get a positive Rotten Tomatoes score, actually turned a profit despite the unorthodox distribution model, and was overall well-received by fans except for maybe the 5 Piz lovers out there (he absolutely did not deserve better you guys; he works at This American Life and lives in Brooklyn, he’ll be fine).

A lot of the things pointed to in the movie as fan service actually weren’t. In every interview about the movie and S4, RT and KB always talk about how they started with the image of Veronica punching Madison at the high school reunion and worked from there. The problem is that almost no one had been asking for that. If they had bothered to read any online discourse about the show (and we know RT definitely does), they would know that fans are actually somewhat sympathetic to Madison--after all, she was the intended recipient of the drugged drink Veronica received at Shelly Pomeroy’s party, plus growing up in a family that she wasn’t meant to be a member of must have negatively impacted her. When the preview scene of Veronica encountering Madison at the reunion welcome table was released, Veronica didn’t come off sympathetically. In a similar vein, as much as I liked Corny as a side character in the original series, I didn’t need him to come back for that random scene at the reunion. Nor was anyone asking for an out-of-nowhere James Franco cameo (which given what we know about him now is super gross in hindsight).

So why was the movie well-received by fans? Veronica was in character after an unevenly written and performed S3, and she was back in Neptune, doing what (and who; Ay-yo!) she was meant to do. So while the mystery was subpar (and what Rob Thomas mystery isn’t?), the character side of the story made sense and was satisfying. I wouldn’t call that fan service so much as good writing. Plus, what is even the point of wasting time, money, and effort on making a tv show or movie if it’s going to actively alienate the audience?

S4: more trauma porn than true noir

Admittedly, I’m not exactly the world’s foremost scholar on film noir (in my opinion, the height of cinema is teen romcoms c. 1995-2005), but I do feel I have enough pop cultural knowledge to have a working understanding of what film noir is, and as internet folk would say, S4 ain’t it chief. Sure, S4 was bleak subject matter wise, but that does not automatically equal noir. HappilyShanghaied, who does have a film studies background, wrote a pretty excellent post about why that is shortly after S4 dropped that I could not improve upon, so I will just leave it here. 

In addition to this analysis, I would also point out that S4 was lacking in a unique visual style common to noir films, especially compared to the original television series and the movie. The original series made use of green, blue, and yellow filters to fulfill a high school version of the noir aesthetic (quick shoutout to Cheshirecatstrut’s color theory posts for more on what we thought this meant before it turned out that Rob Thomas did not actually intend to imbue meaning into any of this), while the movie adopted a more mature muted blue-grey palette. S4, however, was more or less shot like a conventional drama and was brightly lit, perhaps signifying Rob Thomas’s apparent plans to turn the show into a conventional procedural.

The movie: more than fan service 

If anything, the movie was more noir than S4. Take Gia’s storyline for instance. While Veronica was off obtaining elite degrees, Gia spent 9 years in a virtual cage being forced into a sexual relationship without her total consent (because that’s the only storyline women can have on this show), and then set herself up to be murdered at the very moment she could potentially break free. That’s pretty fucking grim.

Then there is the whole police corruption storyline, which is a hallmark of noir fiction. The glimpses we get of the Neptune sheriff’s department point to a larger conspiracy at play than just crooked cops; Sachs lost his life trying to expose it and Keith was gravely injured. This was the story I was excited for future installments of Veronica Mars to address, especially given its relevance to today’s politics. Unfortunately, this thread was entirely dropped in S4, where the police department (because, as Rob Thomas revealed in interviews but not onscreen, Neptune has incorporated) is merely overwhelmed by the scope of the bombing case rather than outright corrupt. (Side note but Marcia Langdon was also a more complex and morally grey character when introduced in the second book than she was on screen in S4. Another wasted opportunity).

Noir is also marked by a sense of inevitability or doom as a result of greater forces at play. An example of this in the movie is Weevil’s storyline. After building a life and family for himself, he ultimately ends up rejoining the PCHer gang he left as a teenager due to a misunderstanding based on his race and appearance and the assumptions authority figures make about him because of those things. No matter what he does, he is still limited by an unjust and racist society. Contrast this with the final explosion in S4; it’s not inevitable, just based on Veronica’s incompetence. Rob Thomas claims that he tried to create a sense of doom to LoVe’s relationship between the OOC Leo storyline and the last minute barriers before the wedding, but those aspects just served to make the story unnecessarily convoluted.

What is noir anyway? Was Veronica Mars ever noir? Does it matter?

But this is all assuming there is a set template for noir anyway. This New Yorker essay points out that trying to definitively establish a set of rules for noir is difficult and that the classic noir films were more a product of midcentury artistic and political movements than a defined genre. The noir filmmakers working at the time would not have described their work as such. The kicker of this essay is the final sentence: “But the film noir is historically determined by particular circumstances; that’s why latter-day attempts at film noir, or so-called neo-noirs, almost all feel like exercises in nostalgia.” I found this particularly amusing because as Rob Thomas infamously proclaimed in his S4 era interviews, he wanted to completely dispense with nostalgia going forward. Rob Thomas and S4 supporters have said that Logan needed to die because noir protagonists can’t have stable relationships; but, if there isn’t a defined set of rules other than “an element of crime”, then was it strictly necessary? Hell, writing a hardboiled detective who does have a stable relationship and maybe even a family could have been an interesting subversion of genre expectations. Unfortunately, Rob Thomas isn’t that imaginative.

There’s also the issue that noir and hardboiled detective fiction aren’t interchangeable genres. This article lays out that idea that they aren’t the same because noir is ultimately about doomed losers; in contrast, detective fiction, while dark, contains a moral center and has an ending where a sense of justice is achieved. An interview with author Megan Abbott makes a similar argument; she states that in hardboiled detective fiction, “At the end, everything is a mess, people have died, but the hero has done the right thing or close to it, and order has, to a certain extent, been restored.” Based on the descriptions laid out here, I would argue that in its original format Veronica Mars far better fit the detective fiction model; while she wasn’t always right, she was never a loser, and she solved the mystery. S1-3 all had relatively hopeful, if not totally happy, endings, but you never see anyone complaining that they weren’t noir enough; if anything, they were more emotionally complex than the ending of S4, where Logan’s death is essentially meaningless. One could make the argument that S4 did push Veronica towards a more noir characterization by the definition of these articles by making her more incompetent and meaner than she was in previous installments, but that is a fundamental change in character, which is not coherent writing.

And that is ultimately why S4 was so poorly received by longtime fans and why there will be no more installments of Veronica Mars anytime soon (at least on Hulu). Even if S4 had been noir (or at least shot like one), the serious issues with plotting, characterization, and lack of adherence to prior canon that this season exhibited would still exist. Defending the poor writing choices made in S4 with “it’s noir!” does not mask them or automatically heighten the quality of the product. Perhaps ironically, in ineptly trying to be noir in S4, Rob Thomas likely prematurely ended Veronica Mars by failing his creation and fans with lazy storytelling.

[affcgato-archived]

MUNDANE / ELEMENTARY TEACHER.

verse tag: → clary fairchild // to awaken joy (v.) location: manhattan & brooklyn, NY. age: varies; 26-29, thread dependent.

verse summary.

Art has always been Clary's passion, threading itself through her entire life. at first, it even took her to college until a pivotal class prompted her to declare a dual major, & she started on the path of Elementary Education & Art. graduating with honors & earning both her B.A. & M.A., she took a risk & did a nine month artist in residency program with The Whitney Museum.

After the conclusion of the program, she would go on to accept a job teaching kindergarten at one of the prestigious private schools in New York City. Her curriculum centers largely around art, & language development following the expectations established by the school.

During the school year, she works with other volunteers for a nonprofit specializing in guided art therapy for both men & women - youth & adults - looking for support after trauma associated with assault, as well as military veteran groups confronting issues surrounding re-entry to civilian life, post-traumatic stress, & other related things. Typically she oversees one session a week after the conclusion of her school day for each group, with her youth group being on Saturdays, & her adult group on Wednesday nights.

During the summer, she's often called to act as an artist in residence for various programs through New York Foundation for the Arts. Through these residencies, she's traveled to places such as Cape Town, South Africa, Skowhegan, Maine, & Itaparica, Brazil - the latter of which was funded by grant through her employer in the hopes to bring back ideas for further diversifying their curriculum.

basics.

Clary's canon backstory in this verse is largely similar to her seemingly mundane life prior to her sixteenth birthday. She was born the younger child of Jocelyn Fairchild & Valentine Morgenstern, but raised solely by Jocelyn in Park Slope, Brooklyn. They had separated following steep personal tragedy that had claimed the life of Jocelyn’s parents when their home burned under mysterious circumstances, & Valentine had bolted with their son.

She attended St. Francis Xavier School, a private school near her home in Park Slope, Brooklyn, which is where she met Simon Lewis when she was six years old. Additionally, prior to her high school graduation, she was taking classes at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

When she was 16 ( circa 2007 ), she received a letter from her father’s estate revealing he had passed away far more recently than she & her mother had been lead to believe - Jocelyn had been under the impression her husband had died in that tragic fire that had claimed the life of her parents & young son before the birth of their daughter. Several weeks later, Jonathan turned up on Jocelyn’s doorstep with the revelation that not only had Valentine lied about his own death, but also that of his son.

Jonathan has been living & working in Manhattan since, compliant with @idumean​‘s professional chef verse unless plotted otherwise. Jocelyn & Luke are now married & living at Luke’s.

Clary teaches kindergarten at a private school in Manhattan’s Upper East. Her class size ranges from 8-10 small children, & follows a Scandinavian elementary model that emphasizes playtime & education through discovery. Her school year runs from roughly the second week of September through the first week of June, with her artist in residence programs typically picking up the third week of June through the second week of August. ( yearly salary: 76,000, pretax ( link ), $60,291 after taxes. works out to roughly $5,024/mo. )

Clary does not drive. She does however frequently use the metro, as well as very, very rarely takes cabs to get between home & work as well as the various places she goes during the week for her volunteer work or art ramblings. She runs an instagram account based on the rambling sketcher ( link ), & sells prints for additional income. she carries an etchr field case with her for those excursions. you can find the rest of the details of her kit here ( link ).

Clary lives in East Harlem ( link ). She has a small studio apartment that’s perpetually covered in plants & paintings. It’s very small, but it’s one of the most walkable areas & close to public transportation - & it’s home. Her rent takes up a disproportionate amount of her income, but she supplements her teacher’s salary with her art work, & various grants cover the cost of her artist in residence excursions that aren’t covered by the programs themselves. She doesn’t have any pets.

simplified timeline of events.

prior to 2007, lived in Park Slope & attended St. Xavier’s.

after August 2007, lived with Luke & Jocelyn but continued attending St. Xavier’s. Additionally started taking classes at Tisch.

Graduated St. Xavier’s in 2009, age 17, & starts college the following fall.

Graduates college in 2014, age 22, with both a B.A. & M.A. in elementary education & art. Starts a nine month artist in residency program with The Whitney Museum immediately after graduation.

Summer 2015, Artist in Residence in Cape Town, South Africa

Starts as a kindergarten teacher in the Fall of 2015.

Summer 2016, Artist in Residence in Skowhegan, Maine through the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture.

Summer 2017, Artist in Residence in Itaparica, Bahia, Brazil through The Sacatar Foundation’s Instituto Sacatar.

options & ideas for interaction

option i. meeting in a public space. Clary frequently wanders the city doing sketches, so it’s very possible to run into her at various museums, coffee shops, or while she’s navigating the sidewalks after work. places of high interest for her at the New York Botanical Gardens, the High Line, The New York Public Library, or her canon haunt, Java Jones in Brooklyn. Additionally, she can also be found at various gallery openings, or at her brother’s restaurant, Per Se.

option ii. meeting through work. Clary works in Manhattan’s Upper East at a private school modeled after The Brearley School, as well as with various artist in residence programs listed but not limited to above. Her artist in residence programs are relatively short, & only occur during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer months ( late June - early August ), but offer flexibility in that they aren’t restricted to Manhattan as the rest of the school year would be.

option iii. meeting through volunteer work. Clary additional volunteers with a nonprofit organization working with youth & veterans. These programs emphasize art therapy, with youth activities on Saturdays, & the veteran meetings on Wednesday nights.

verse specific ooc notes

Disaster related plots ( bird box, apocalypse, etc. ) will default to this verse unless otherwise plotted.

Additionally, if using other canon TSC muses as NPCs, I will default to my own portrayals if possible unless plotted otherwise for simplicity’s sake.

[ofrevas-a]

ALANARI’S RP PLOTTING CHEAT SHEET.

Want new-and-exciting plots for your character? Long to reach out to more of your followers, but don’t know where to start? Fear not! Fill out this form and give your RP partners both present and future all the of juicy jumping off points they need to help you get your characters acquainted.

Be sure to tag the players whose characters YOU want more cues to interact with, andrepost, don’t reblog! Feel free to add or remove sections as you see fit. Template here.

Mun Name: Nixe

OOC Contact: Tumblr IMs or Discord (mutuals only, preferred method)

Who the heck is my muse anyway:

Alanari is an exiled, raised-Dalish elf whose role in their main verse is the Herald, and later, Inquisitor. They were a scout with the benefit of middling magical talent, though they’re undertrained according to most standards. 

Points of interest:

Alanari was exiled from their clan prior to the Conclave, and reactions from Dalish who know of their ‘crime’ can range from sympathy to hostility. Those who don’t have reason to know may make assumptions, and depending on their closeness, Alanari may correct them. 

They’re an elvhen apostate who is initially suspected of murdering the highest-ranking human religious leader in Thedas, and even once their innocence is proven, distrust likely lingers. 

At some point after the end of the main game, they’re openly in a relationship with an elf hailing from Tevinter. Whoops, more distrust. 

They’re openly disdainful of nobility as a whole, without distinctions made for character or behavior. Their good opinion is hard-earned.

Not long after the first attempt to seal the Breach, Alanari attempts to flee Haven, only to be discovered and coaxed back by Solas.

They use their anger at the injustices committed by the world around them as a shield; to those who don’t care to look deeper, that anger is all they hold, and rather ineffectual, if also annoying. 

What they’ve been up to recently:

They interrupt a ritual and get thrown into the Fade for it, then wake up to find they’re being blamed for events and deaths they can’t recall. They’re reluctant to stay when just about everyone around frightens them, and need encouragement to do so. 

Eventually, they’re too involved to simply walk away (without being caught again), and soon after an enemy finally shows his face. It’s at this point that there’s no turning back, the responsibility outweighs their fear. 

(following Trespasser) 

They leave Orlais to return to the Marches, and their immediate goal is to warn other clans of an increased threat: not Solas himself, necessarily, but any who might fear what he might do and seek to remove his potential allies. 

Secondary to this (but not in terms of less importance) is protecting what refugees they can from others who might prey upon them, from bandits to slavers. Humans (and Vashoth) are sent on their way once safe, and elves are given an offer of a life where they need not exist in fear. 

Thirdly, they learn what they can about the magic which still lingers in forgotten corners of the world. They have no intention of opposing the veil’s removal, but seek to protect the elves as a whole from the aftereffects. 

Where to find them:

Anywhere Corypheus is a threat, and where there are rifts. This canonically ranges as far north as Kirkwall, but I would be interested in the possibility of them even further from the epicenter, say, Rivain (given the PC can contact a seer there to help Cole) or even Antiva. Interestingly, a ship bound for Antiva on the night the Breach formed came into contact with a legendary ship once it had docked, one which appeared to be manned by spirits. 

Additionally, a letter found during Trespasser states that at least one rift was present in Antiva City, and was closed in the spring preceding the Exalted Council.

Within Skyhold, they can be found in their tower, the sparring ring, the barns, and the forge, where it’s not quiet, but where they can have a moment to breathe (and being there reminds them of their father). 

(post-Trespasser) 

Hasmal

Ventus just before and during the Qunari attack 

abandoned elvhen temples

(with even more plotting) in the paths built between eluvians

roaming the Marches and Nevarra

Current plans:

To keep Corypheus from conquering Thedas. A magister from a time when elves, no matter their origin, were even worse off than in modern day, gaining more power is unacceptable. 

(post-trespasser) They finally walk away from the inquisition and all the power it’d given them, in order to live and chase their own desires without restriction. 

finding and rescuing refugees

hunting slavers

learning all they can about the nature and formation of the Veil, as well as possible outcomes of it being removed

exploring undisturbed temples, hoping to find artifacts and lingering magic they can put to use protecting the elves under their protection

Desired interactions:

Arguments regarding the far-reaching decisions they make. One which comes to mind first is the aftermath of the Wardens being banished. Something I’d like to explore is the decision being temporary and is rescinded once Corypheus is out of the picture and thus no longer able to seize direct control of Warden mages, which is something that frightened Alanari immensely. 

Threads with Briala’s other agents, whether canon or OC.

Plotted interactions following the conclusion of trespasser. Alanari leaves Orlais, but they don’t exactly turn into a hermit, they’re active in the Free Marches and sometimes sneak into Tevinter. Possibilities I’m especially interested in are those where they’ve never met, and so your muse wouldn’t recognize them immediately, though there’s also room for them to realize given basic knowledge of what had happened to Alana during Trespasser.  

Offered interactions:

Devout Andrastian muses making assumptions about them based on popular rumor, whether those involve them personally, or the Dalish as a whole, and whether said devout muse is willing to be corrected or not. If the latter, there’s the potential for negative relationship-building. 

Also regarding Andrastians: muses who believe wholeheartedly that Alanari’s god-touched, and either having that affirmed or discouraged based on who they are or the actions they take. 

Comparing differences in magic backgrounds and even just how there are little-referenced distinctions between elvhen and human senses and talents.

In the case of another elf holding political power, Alanari coming to face that anyone is capable of subjugation, and the worldview changes which might stem from that realization. Trespasser builds on this theme, with the inquisitor taking control of events in ways that only hurt their reputation and ultimately forced a drastic change. 

Anything else?:

I prefer at least a little plotting, no matter the verse. In their main, it’s less of an issue (they can go just about anywhere and have access to most world leaders), but in others, I need to establish reasons for there to be interactions, since Alanari is up to things which necessitate some secrecy. 

Tagged by: @theharellan over a year ago. oops

Tagging: um. @magistersblade @burnpast @aniente (your choice!)

[aragakisan]

ARAGAKISAN’S RP PLOTTING CHEAT-SHEET!

Want new-and-exciting plots for your character? Long to reach out to more of your followers, but don’t know where to start? Fear not! Fill out this form and give your RP partners both present and future all the of juicy jumping off points they need to help you get your characters acquainted.

Be sure to tag the players whose characters YOU want more cues to interact with, and repost, don’t reblog! Feel free to add or remove sections as you see fit. Template here.

Mun name: Miyu/Myka/Mint OOC Contact:  IM’s, or ask for my discord drop. I sometimes suck at replying to instant messages in time, but I’ll try my best!

Who the heck is my muse anyway:

Shinjiro Aragaki of Persona 3, a founding member of the anti-Shadow group by the name of SEES. A tragic accident involving the then 16-year-old losing control of his Persona and resulting in the death of a single mother caused Shinjiro to leave his team behind one and a half years before the main plot’s timeline and to live in a constant state of self-loathing and guilt over said event, isolating himself from others completely. He initially tries to forget about his trauma, coping in extremely unhealthy ways (both physically and mentally) - though as he is unable to do so, his past catches up with him in the form of a revenge plot and is what eventually leads Shinjiro to an unfortunate fate of either death or a several months long coma, depending on the version of the game.

Points of interest:

1) Despite his scary looks and seemingly tough and intimidating attitude and presence, Shinjiro carries deep down an extremely caring and warm personality, constantly worrying and looking after others. He keeps this trait hidden to his best ability as his desire is to appear strong and reliable, though no matter the effort put into the tough guy act his true nature tends to constantly shine through in various ways regardless. If your muse happens to be in trouble or danger, you may just be able to count on Shinjiro to save the day - or at least take care of the aftermath, as his concern and selfless willingness to help often reaches out to anyone in need (and deserving) of help, not limited to his friends and loved ones.

2) In canon timeline Shinjiro is plagued with feelings of burdening guilt and self-loathing at almost all times due to an accident he cannot stop blaming himself for. This results in distant, standoffish and defensive behavior, pushing or attempting to push others (especially those worried for him) away. Keep this in mind in regards to interacting with my muse in this timeline especially; he won’t share - and if he shares it is hugely dependent on the person and he still won’t share a whole lot. In addition to this, Shinjiro is an introvertby nature and will rarely approach another person unless they are a close friend or in need of help, or otherwise forced to co-operate and interact. He also generally doesn’t talk much.

3) Shinjiro loves two things above others: animals and cooking. Especially dogs will cause the boy to smile and act a lot less on guard than usual (as long as no other people are around to witness it), revealing once again his true, gentle nature. Cooking on the other hand is more than just a hobby for the young man, but instead a passion. Leave it to Shinjiro to cook a meal resembling in its quality something taken straight out of a cookbook, to teach others about the secrets of the craft or to shame you for your eating or cooking habits. Getting him to cook you something may still be somewhat of a difficult task, extremely dependent on the situation as well as the inquirer.

What they’ve been up to recently:

Dependent on the timeline and/or the verse.

In a canon (or P3P’s FeMc route) verse before Shinjiro rejoins the ranks of SEES, Shinjiro will be living most of his days and nights on the streets, wandering around and helping those in trouble or alternatively, taking part in shady deals with a group of criminals by the name of Strega. Shinjiro’s health is in a constantly deteriorating state due to the use of Persona-suppressants (a drug used to seal away or control one’s Persona) that he gets from the group in exchange of these deals, resulting in more or less noticeable symptoms in addition to the strained state of his mental health. In the same verse a little later on Shinjiro will be part of his old team once more, fighting alongside his friends and eradicating Shadows for one full month before his eventual departure - making his time limited and scarce and thus affecting the threads based on this verse in many ways.

This blog will also include verses of anything before the game’s main plot’s timeline, including timelines such as: childhood, pre-SEES (2007), SEES’ first fighting days before Shinjiro’s accident (2007) – as well as anything after the fact before April 2009.

In a post-Nyx verse Shinjiro is a coma survivor, resurfacing from his coma after the events of October 4th sometime in early February, though he is dispatched from the hospital later in April. Shinjiro will no longer be depending on the use of suppressants, his health slowly but surely returning and improving. A chain of events also leads to the boy’s closure regarding his trauma and reconciliation with Ken, resulting in Shinjiro’s resolution, evolved Persona and a gradually improving state of mental health as well - able to finally stop obsessing over his past trauma. He is a returning student of Gekkoukan High, now one grade behind his own age group, working diligently in order to finally graduate high school and through that get his life back in order. This verse is my blog’s MAIN AU, and a lot of interactions deemed impossible or unlikely in the canon verse may or may not be set to happen in this verse. It is also the only verse in which romantic shipping occurs (not counting crushes or something lowkey that isn’t dating, etc). The default version of this verse is somewhat of a “everyone survives” type of an ideal, alternate world in which Nyx is sealed with some additional help, though depending on some details I am willing to RP a version including the protagonist’s death as well. This AU welcomes the male MC as the protagonist as well despite coma route originally being FeMc exclusive, though some details will obviously change.

— Crossovers and other AU-type of deals will be discussed case by case.

Where to find them:

Back alley of Port Island Station

Iwatodai dormitory

Tartarus

Iwatodai Strip Mall, more specifically Hagakure’s

Any given place in Port Island

Gekkoukan High (pre oct 4 2007 & AU only)

Current plans:

1) Redemption. To pay for causing the death of Ken Amada’s mother - in any way the boy in question sees fitting, going as far as to be willing to forfeit his life for the cause.

2) Protect and look after loved ones. Shinjiro keeps a close eye on his friends, worrying and looking after their health, safety and needs to the best of his ability.

3) Getting his “shit together”. AU verse. Finally (even if a year late) graduating high school. Finding a job (preferably cooking related) and a place to stay in. Settling down.Maintaining his health - both mental and physical. Maintaining and improving his relationships. Fulfilling his new resolution by living looking after and watching over the boy whose life he’d once ruined. Honoring his new, second chance at a better life.

4) To fight alongside his friends once more. AU verse. In order to redeem himself for the loss of progress and the trouble he once caused SEES (Akihiko and Mitsuru) with his departure, Shinjiro decides to participate in the activities of the Shadow Operatives later on and for some time. This is also to take full advantage of his new, stronger and now stable Persona, as well as to ensure Amada’s chance at a normal childhood as much as possible by filling in for him whenever needed.

5) To lead a normal life. AU verse. Sometime after his mid twenties, Shinjiro will forfeit all Persona-related fighting once more in order to lead a life free of all things related to Shadows and Persona, to live life as a normal citizen. He may never be able to fully leave Shadow-related things out of his life due to his close ties with other Persona-users, but it is no longer what his life revolves around.

Desired interactions:

1) DEVELOPING ALREADY ESTABLISHED BONDS. Exploring and developing the familial bond between Shinjiro and Akihiko - all timelines included. Exploring and developing the boy’s friendship with Mitsuru, an old friend and teammate. Exploring and developing (and fixing) Shinjiro’s bond with Minako, including a possible romantic relationship first unsuccessfully established in the Portable-timeline prior to October 4 and finally given a second chance in the main AU verse. Developing Shinjiro’s extremely complex relationship with Ken, especially after Ken’s change of heart toward the older male. I also need a Koromaru to RP with, seriously.

2) GETTING TO KNOW THE REST OF SEES. I want more interactions with the rest of SEES too. All of them. From Shinjiro being a “super senpai” (direct quote) to Junpei to the Hierophant being a cooking instructor to Fuuka. I also need to establish relationships with characters like Minato, Yukari and Aigis as the games particularly lack interactions between Shinjiro and these three. At least that’s how I feel like.

3) STREGA. Shinjiro shares a rather interesting, complex and conflicting relationship between Strega. They aren’t friends, but they aren’t necessarily enemies either (that is until Shinjiro decides to rejoin SEES). A lot goes on between them, Shinjiro somewhat trapped in this troubling situation. Where did it all begin, how did they find out about each other? How do they interact outside of their shady business deals and blackmail? How does each Strega member feel about Shinjiro? These are all things I need to know.

4) Interactions with characters from other Persona games can always turn out to be rather interesting, Persona-users or not (and “normal people” in P3′s universe too!). I am also very open to crossovers of any kind. Don’t be afraid to approach me even if our characters have never canonically met each other. OCs are welcome too, as long as I am able to learn enough about them from you to know how to interact at all.

5) Childhood threads, adulthood threads etc. Anything outside of the canon timeline deeply intrigues me and is something I desire to develop and explore.

Offered interactions:

1) FRIENDSHIP, COMPANIONSHIP AND SUPPORT. As is mentioned in my rules, I am not someone very open to romantic shipping as a personal preference of mine: my muse for it is extremely picky. Friendships of any kind are hugely encouraged, however! Even if my muse may not be the easiest to get to know up, close and personal, deep down he is quite kind, friendly and caring and it may not take a whole lot for him to care enough to worry about your muse as well, even if they don’t yet know each other super well. Perhaps our characters could be fighting alongside each other toward a mutual goal? Characters that are already friends or acquaintances with Shinjiro may also be able to explore various types of interactions and situations and further development. Whichever the case, I will rarely (possibly never) turn down a friendship of some sort with my muse. Shinjiro needs friends. He is also the ideal character for a big brother -type of a relationship, which is why I’ll be super hyped to RP friendships with child muses as well.

2) COMPLEX, UNPLEASANT INTERACTIONS. As much as I love tender feelings and friendship and as easy as it is to make Shinjiro care for your muse, it isn’t hard to make him dislike someone either if they end up crossing the Hierophant’s strong, personal values deeply enough. Or perhaps your muse has something against Shinjiro for whatever reason? I want complex and unpleasant situations and relationships that cause deep and conflicting feelings and opinions. Good example of this is Strega, which I mentioned previously, though other characters may be able to develop similar (mutual or not) distaste with Shinjiro as well. Misunderstandings, blackmail or other threats, fighting, enemies, grudges, danger and more - all are situations I’m interested to explore.

3) ANGST. Let’s be real, Shinjiro may just be your go-to muse for some angsty interactions, angsty as is his whole backstory as well as his whole character during the canon timeline. Due to this fact angst from my muse may or may not be guaranteed to happen at least to some degree at some point in time, but it may be easy to explore your own character’s angsty feelings or situation with the help of my muse as well.

4) Any type of plotting and just casual interactions too are extremely welcome! I am super open for pre-established relationships, new verses and AUs. If you have an idea or wish to interact with me, don’t be afraid to send me stuff, to contact me or like my starter calls etc. I am here to write and explore both different kinds of relationships as well as my own muse; his feelings, thoughts, motives and development and I tend to think all interactions contribute to it at least to some degree.

Current open post/s:

Starter call

Anything else?:

Generally a bit slow due to my poor concentration at times, fatigue and awful sleep schedule. Super eager to interact with all kinds of muses though! Still getting into P5 and mapping out my verse for it; I do want to RP with your P5 muse but please be patient - coming up with good ideas is harder and slower when you don’t 100% yet know what you want. Will get done though. Same applies for muses of any other series I may not be familiar with or don’t yet have a verse for and OCs, possibly.  I am not chronological with my replies either, but simply answer according to what I have the most muse for at that moment. Thank you for your patience!!

Tagging: Everyone. This post is super useful!