#i don't think it even has a fandom let alone an rpc but FOR ALL MANKIND. ASTRONAUT BOI

[troublcmakcrs]

{ ⊾ } —- favorite rp memory? / { ⋎ } —- favorite thing about the rp community? ( forces you to be nice because its funny ) / { ⊿ } this was talk about your favorite character but amma add spice : talk about your favorite sim character <3

wahhh, i had to leave the mysims rpc after a huge stupid drama blew it up (part of my decision to leave was due to me being busy with school anyway, plus it was just boring to continue in that fandom when half of my rp partners (2 people) suddenly blocked me) but my time in that fandom will always hold a very special place in my heart. it was the first tumblr rpc that i really got into, and it was back in the days of people actually interacting and sending out random asks and tagging their mutuals in random starters. even with only 5 people, a pet rock, and a shoelace in the fandom, the dash felt so vibrant and alive.

i had one ship that i really loved, travis & crystal, wherein i wrote crystal and my friend (at the time) joey wrote travis. they were high school sweethearts, the dumb blond jock boy & the bitchy sassy goth girl riddled with teen angst. and they were sooo cute 💕 i struggle to listen to songs about summer love without going back to them

i do wanna bring my mysims muses back someday, but i'm worried i'll never be able to recapture the magic that was The Thems, i'm sooo :(

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fuck you

my favorite thing about the rpc community is... honestly... just existing as a community. i love seeing everybody's writing and posts on my dash and being able to get inspired by those! while i write entirely for myself (and you should, too!) i find that my writing is better when i'm faced with other writing. there's just something about getting a really good reply from your partner, like when eli hit me with the line "an ouroboros of narcissism" or something like that, that gets me.

you know when you read something so good that your fingers get twitchy and you feel compelled to put them on the keys yourself? i live for that feeling, and it's something i don't get as easily in the fanfiction community. but in the rpc, that feedback loop is pretty much constant

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AGH... how could you make me pick a favorite sim?? :( all of the residents of sunset valley (not you, thornton wolff) have me in a fucking vice. (i'm jk, even thornton gets me, but goddamn he is terrible, but that's what's fun about him. pretty much every time i play with thornton, i make him the biggest bitch imaginable)

but ig... my favorite sim out of all of them is probably mortimer goth. he's definitely gotten the most playtime out of all of the sunset valley townies. i love going against established canon and making him marry the ghost, lolita goth, in his backyard instead of bella bachelor like he's ~supposed~ to or whatever. sb pointed out that that was very twilight-ish, and i'm like. fuck it, idc, maybe twilight has a point. it is kinda freaky, but i think it's cute. weird but cute. let me live, goddamn!!

a very close second is agnes crumplebottom, mortimer's aunt. without player intervention, she will pretty much always die loveless and alone, despite having the "hopeless romantic" trait, and that breaks my heart :( so i intervene as often as i can bc i can't stand to see her die lonely :((

she's a recurring character from... i believe the very first sims game, although she didn't come in until one of the expansion packs. and she made her debut as a crotchety old woman who beat happy lovers who committed pda in front of her with her purse, which ok.......... queen...

but also with sims 3 giving us the backstory that her fiance died right before their HONEYMOON and the implication that she's only bitter about happy couples bc she feels she lost her chance at love... she got me like :(((

(also i just looked it up and i was right. agnes was first introduced in the expansion pack for the sims, "hot date." mortimer has also been in all 4 sims games released so far, in the very base versions of all.)

[crueliste]

not counting possibly abusive and toxic situations, what's the worst experience you had while roleplaying? something annoying, something petty, something that in hindsight can be considered an inside joke. go nuts. be salty

some things from across all rpc's i've been in.

the usual 'having your villain be made into a ha ha joke' that comes as a side dish whenever writing a lot of/only villain muses. it's much less of an issue now that i've gotten braver about curating my space, but at the start it was rough. especially since i came into this fandom alone and i was trying so hard to fit in, including letting people walk over my muses. it was super discouraging.

villain rivalries that are clearly just weird ooc banter/dick measuring and ic vagueposting. i LOVE villain rivalries when they're done well and plotted with the other party (shoutout to tekk for our bomb rocket-plasma stuff its my favorite ever).

following all my accounts while clearly only being interested in one of them. you don't have to follow all my accounts even if we're friends ooc if you don't care about the muse.

ok the rest are just mild inconvenience annoyances.

wanting to 'fix' my villain muses

thinking a muse is an exception to my muse's dislike/murderous intents of nearly everyone around them for no reason

assuming we have a full romantic ship the second there's mild flirting or one night stand when my muse is an unfeeling trashy bastard with zero interest in relationships. also applies to the 'exception for no reason' point.

none of this is at anyone i'm following because i've learned to curate my space and not be mutuals with people with whom i don't have mutual respect with.

[noxianwilled]

19 . 37 . 12 . yeet

SHIPPING QUESTIONS

— @axewhirl

12. do you ship any rarepair?

what is a rarepair for kat? i'm not sure, i'm not very into the league fandom other than the rpc. does kat//lux count? bc i like it tbh. i like her and darius a lot, and other stuff that i shipped through rping in the past, like with sett and leona and samira. i think? that's it but honestly especially when it comes to rp i'm just open to anything that might seem interesting.

19. is there a ship you used to dislike, but now you like?

that happened in a different blog! there was a canon warcraft ship i wasn't a fan of involving a muse i wrote, and then came along someone writing the other half of the canon ship but with a take that made it make sense to me. for kat, though, none that i can think of.

37. how does your muse handle breakups?

terribly. i've talked about it before, but katarina isn't very open to love. her experiences with letting people get close almost universally ended up bad, and she tends to keep them at a distance, trying to do it even when she starts to get feels. she doesn't want to let herself be in love because she's so afraid she'll end up hurt, because people either betray her or leave.

so regardless of verse, breakups just sort of make that fear into a reality. she isn't the type to openly show she's heartbroken, though, and will do anything she can to hide and just not really deal with those feelings (she feels everything very deeply, imo, and heartbreak is no exception). so she's not the type to hide from the world and cry and mope and such. instead, she's more likely to keep herself busy in any way that'll distract her from her feelings, be it overworking or acting extra reckless bc hey it's better to be concerned about staying alive than her broken heart lmao and i think that applies regardless of verse. she'll be taking more upon herself in canon, she'll prefer the needless risk over the safer options. and in modern verse i feel that'd also apply, but on top of either working more or engaging in risky behavior, she'd likely go out a lot, hang out with friends a lot, and try to never be alone for long enough she has time to think about it.

of course that doesn't work literally all the time, but yeah she'd prefer to be out there doing things and living life instead of taking time for introspection. when she is alone, maybe she'll let herself be sad and cry about it

also 'friendly exes' doesn't exist in her vocabulary. like i said, she doesn't open up for serious things easily (she needs to have serious feelings for someone and know and trust them enough she'd give them a chance), so when she does she doesn't give up on her relationships easily, and if they fail and she ends up hurt and heartbroken, she doesn't wanna be friends with the other person. if she can't pretend they don't exist, she'll be extra mean - especially to them directly.

[shiroi---kumo]

Unique Character Questions || Accepting

@lady-quen asked:

98 😊

98. List 10 reasons why you love spending time with this character.

🌙 Kumo is my weirdest muse. ☁️☁️☁️ He is weird by default as he's not human but I love him for that because he's so challenging. I can't walk into a single interaction from a human perspective. I have to ask myself constantly - what would Kumo hear, smell, feel, taste, experience. His body alone is so different from mine and I have to ask myself how would his body interact and feel the world around him with every single interaction. He's challenging and I adore him for that. It makes writing more fun for me.

🌙 Kumo is my most complicated muse. ☁️☁️☁️ On top of the above, the way Kumo presents himself and speaks is the complete opposite of how I present myself and talk. Some of the vocab he uses or the way he constructs a sentence just gets me sometimes because my brain goes Kumo where did that even come from? Kumo also has abilities I don't and never will. So the way handles a situation is so drastically different and I need to just let him flow and do things as a Misterican would - not a human. To do things as an immortal would not a mortal. The man is a living GOD and when writing him I can never ever forget that.

🌙 Kumo is one of my oldest muses. ☁️☁️☁️ I think most of you are well aware how long I have been deep into FFU's fandom, so Kumo has been with me for a very long time. 20 years this year! He's special. He's one of the first characters that in personality and design I really really clung to and he's stayed with me ever since. He's one of those characters I just look at and my heart melts and I'm back at Oh you beautiful beautiful boy.

🌙 Kumo is my kindest of all my muses. ☁️☁️☁️ And that's saying something. I have some that are in a very close second but Kumo takes the cake with that one. This man has gone through literal hell and back. Lost it all twice and died well over a hundred times and after everything, he still chose kindness because he refuses to let the world break him. At the end of everything when Kumo has a choice it is always always love and it always was love and always will be love. That part of him will never change.

🌙 Kumo is my strongest muse. ☁️☁️☁️ In terms of ability. He is a living God and I am not exaggerating that when I say that. While Kumo is a kind and peaceful man, if he is forced to resort to fighting he is a force to be reckoned with. In RPC terms, Kumo is absolutely over-powered and I will not write this aspect out of him. Kumo would be considered a Muse of Power in RPC terms and it is a part of him that will always stay. He canonically can control his sword telepathically and is immortal. Kumo can and has deflected an Ultima spell with a single hit. Kumo can and has fought on near death injuries. He can canonically cause explosions with his breath. Kumo is massively over powered and honestly, I love him for that.

🌙 Kumo is my most controlled muse. ☁️☁️☁️ In the terms of this massive power he possesses, he hardly uses it. He mainly acts in defense of himself and others. It's few and far between that Kumo will start a confrontation and go on the offensive straight out the gate. That's just not who he is as a person. He is canonically told at one point in the series "Use your sword, not your mouth." as a urge to get him to fight. He keeps his emotions and his powers in check at near all times and it takes a lot to get him to snap. If Kumo snaps on a person, it's best to take another look at the situation because I promise you there was an attributing reason as to why.

🌙 Kumo is just fun to talk to. ☁️☁️☁️ As I have previously stated, he is not human so that means he has a culture that is completely his own and it's so fun to go exploring with him. To learn and experience Misterica with him. It owns my entire brain. Kumo was in love with his people, his culture and his home and it shows in every word he speaks about it. No matter how he's feeling when he does - his adoration for his home is reflected in the way he speaks about it.

🌙 Kumo's love is infectious. ☁️☁️☁️ If this man could wield power based on his love alone, he could conquer the universe. Kumo is not one to love with any sort of motive attached. He loves because loving is what he feels he was made to do and he feels like it's the strongest and most effective way to reach another soul. Life is born of interaction and in those interactions we are shaped and made into the people we are. If something has to infect a soul then let it be his love. Let the people that interact with him know they are loved. Know they are cared for. Let the people who share their lives with him, know he holds them above all else. The Teachings of Tiamat state Life over All and Kumo takes it very seriously. If he could change the world with any object, he would choose his heart every single time.

🌙Kumo's perspective on things is one of my favorite things in the world. ☁️☁️☁️ Asking this man philosophical type questions gets some of the best answers ever to come out of his mouth and I love hearing him just start talking in my head to explain them to me. Ask him about the benefits of being Good or Bad and he will give you a ramble about what he thinks of both sides. Ask him about war and peace and he'll recite you poetry. Ask him about Light and Dark and he'll get really metaphorical and weave a tome for you. There are some things Kumo is excessively opinioned about and finding that one thing that sets him off into another philosophical ramble again - oh those are my absolute favorite. This man - this man is a poet in disguise.

🌙 The WAY Kumo conducts himself and speaks is so interesting to me. ☁️☁️☁️ The way he acts wiser than his years on some subjects and then in some places his physical age comes glaring forward. The way there is no middle ground when you look at all that's underneath the perfectly poised mask he wears near 24/7. Some people just set him off and others he has near no reaction to. The way he conducts himself so regally but at the same time at ground level as to not be above anyone around him. Kumo doesn't ever think himself someone's better despite his pedigree and I just I find it so interesting of him to be that way.

[fauscailt]

me when I've only done like 3 posts: OK but what other verses can I shove jason into

[rpbetter]

I'm so tired of roleplaying with people who don't put half the commitment I do into our threads and muses. I'm so tired of feeling like I'm a weirdo or like I don't belong for that. Any other hobby and people wouldn't care if I took it seriously. Why is roleplaying different? How can I keep going like this if I'm getting rudeness from all sides? I can't even go outside my already tiny bubble and find more partners, because I always see people putting roleplayers like me down and it's exhausting.

"Why is roleplaying different?"

Well, Anon, I know that was a rhetorical question, but I have some thoughts on that. To the surprise of no one!

I strongly believe that this is an issue with how fandom has come to dominate roleplaying. As I've said before, it really wasn't always like that. Of course, you always had canon characters and almost all RPers were invested in a fandom or two. The difference was that online RP was once viewed much more like tabletop RPGs are.

When the RPC became a near-total offshoot of Fandom, a lot of shit changed and very rapidly...and within Fandom, a lot of shit was changing very rapidly as well at that time.

RP has always been something looked down on (though, at least no one ever accused written RP online of being literally demonic like they did DnD, or made correlations to murder sprees like they did LARPing, so there's that) as strange, not the good, understandable sort of dorky.

Part of that is almost certainly because of the difference in the way society views writing vs the way it views hobbies like gaming - writing is seen as an intellectual pursuit and a job, gaming, even at its most negative points of view in wider society, has been seen traditionally as a downtime activity only.

But. RP was not looked down upon from within Fandom or in roleplay communities themselves like it is now.

When the whole experience of fandoms themselves became extremely mainstream and open, it welcomed in a ton of shit ideas and behaviors that were not previously prevalent. It changed RP, too, along many of those same lines.

When your hobby is considered objectionably weird by people within the fandoms you love and RP in and that makes you a sort of lowest-tier fan, the viewpoint of RP to RPers becomes something lesser than a valid hobby. When RPers are the same people who engage with Fandom monetarily, anything not monetized is passively consumable content, including RP. And RPers are trying to both deflect shame and struggling with wider society's mixed messages, that now hit them everywhere online as well. Shit like, "you don't have to monetize your hobby, it's okay to just make really good cross stitches of memes for yourself" and "if you're not paying me, you have no control over me."

We seriously do not view RP as a proper hobby anymore, that's why. There are many factors to that, those are just few, but that's the ultimate answer. It's not seen that way because it's not valued in the same way.

I think much of the problem with muns losing their entire shit over anyone else approaching the hobby differently, dare I say...more seriously, is related to a lot of complex psychology about self-esteem, control, and anxiety. So many people here struggle with serious self-worth and confidence issues, and I think to many of them, whether they realize it or not, when they see serious RPers, they feel like that's an inherent judgment and a danger to their own enjoyment. Because RP, as writing, is a skilled hobby - the more you practice it, the more skilled you become with it. Meaning that someone who approaches the writing seriously is going to be at a higher skill level.

Enter the way we're training to think about writing again - when they see someone who is very practiced, skilled, and confident with their writing, the learned idea is that they're somehow superior in a nasty, personal way.

I most certainly do not think that makes it alright, it isn't, and I'm not very tolerant of it.

It's absolutely alright to engage with RP in any way you see fit. If that's extremely casual, it's a minor hobby for you, that's great! I'm so happy you're enjoying yourself, and I mean that in no facetious way. But not when that is the only form of it respected and accepted. It's just as alright to have RP as your primary, serious hobby!

The only way we can all enjoy a hobby with such great variance within it is by respecting each other's variables, not by vilifying them. It's recognizing that, no matter how much you enjoy the mun and/or muse, they're not engaging with the hobby in the way you are, it's not a good fit to write together. (Please, begging y'all to be friends with those who are different, not enemies, shit's sake. You've not got to write together to be friends!) Instead of labeling them and being hateful. Different =/= a threat.

And, to go off a bit lol y'all demonizing serious RPers really don't get that there are some intense tones of ableism and more going on in that narrative of yours, huh?

Not that anyone requires a reason to be serious about any hobby, but when people pick a hobby like RP as their primary one...you should probably have the maturity to consider why that is. Could it be that they focus on a hobby they can do from their homes and that requires low physical involvement, and has a degree of separation from direct socializing, for a reason?

Serious RPers tend to be limited in their ability to pursue other hobbies. Mental and physical health, region, finances, and ability to spend time outside of the home are all very common limits for those who "take RP too seriously/are addicted to RP."

Maybe take five seconds away from your own issues to consider that the person you're shitting on for something so minor as a difference of importance of a hobby might be the full-time caretaker of a special needs child, having to remain home and on a very small income. They might be chronically ill or suffer from agoraphobia. They might live in an area with no hobbies of interest, affordability, or at all...or they might live somewhere that is incredibly dangerous for them.

I honestly do not know where these people have been that they've been aggressed at by serious RPers, but that's usually the excuse. (I'm not saying it has never happened or does not happen, before anyone goes there.) The idea that serious RPers are extreme elitists who are demanding that other muns do what they do, how they do it. That they expect other muns to be online and RPing all the time, that they be "available for entertainment at all times" at the cost of real-life matters. Having the expectation that threads not be dropped constantly or that a writing partner not leave for months with no contact is neither of those things.

In over two decades of RPing across almost every platform type that has existed, I have literally never seen that be either a singular RPer-type problem or one that serious RPers are even more likely to deal in. I've seen the opposite, actually. Which is not a condemnation or a statement that all casual RPers do this, just what my experience has been. And one that actually stands to reason based on the way they view and engage with RP - quick replies, quick entertainment, and very low commitment to threads, muses, or other muns. Of course, it's annoying to them when a more serious RPer is unwilling to do rapid-fire style quick, short threads from an ask with them, but is writing the lengthy replies they already owed instead.

That's probably a factor as well, in here among a plethora of misunderstanding/unawareness of differences - for many serious RPers, it's not easier and more fun to write short, quick threads. So, what a casual RPer is seeing is that they're willing to put all this extraordinary effort into a massive reply to someone else while their easy, fun, quickly done thread is waiting in line.

Misunderstandings and unawareness breed hostility, period. And there is a hell of a lot of those things in the RPC.

What serious RPers are expressing are either boundaries/expectations or frustration. Not a demand that you be around all the time, but an expectation that you leave them alone if you're not also a serious RPer who will be committed to threads and muses. Not hostility and elitism, the frustration that it's already difficult to find muns who will work out before you add in the majority rule of casual RPers.

It's incredibly disheartening, frustrating, and honestly, a bit anxiety-inducing to constantly be the weird one, always have few choices, and to be at risk of being Problematic purely because you take the hobby seriously. You can't vent without someone jumping on your ass to remind you (even if you said numerous times that "real life comes first" and "people can do what they want") that omg, people have lives, people can do what makes them happy, it's just RP.

It's so upsetting when you think you might have found a good writing partner, then, you see a PSA they've reblogged about how it's a "hobby, not a jobby," and "no one owes anyone anything, ever." Excuse me, as that last one is a direct quote, let me redo it so it is verbatim: "no one owes anyone here anything - EVER !!!"

I said I wasn't very tolerant :)

But seriously, exactly what you've expressed is why I'm not...it's another form of controlling others instead of trying your best to control your own experience, and it's often extremely hateful. I'm not tolerant of anything like that, it's no longer supporting preferences at that point. When your preference is the only one that will be tolerated in the community, it's not a preference anymore.

It's something that makes others feel isolated, afraid of harassment, and depressed. It is a hobby and it isn't supposed to make you feel like that!

And, no, absolutely the fuck not lol the "answer" to this isn't that you're taking it too seriously and need to take a break. I'm so tired of seeing that shit tacked onto RPH responses and vents and PSAs. You're not saying that RP is making you feel this way, "just take a break and come back when you agree with everyone else" isn't a solution.

Of course, if you do feel like your time here has become so upsetting? Yeah, obviously, you should try to find some other things to supplement your downtime that make you feel happier again. Engage in some other forms of writing just meant for yourself, or that can be published as fics. Spend some more time on a game you enjoy for a while, or get invested in a new one. Learn to shape bonsai or make no-knead rolls. Whatever would make you happy as a hobby when you're not here.

Other than that, however, well...we're not going to be implying on this blog that you're too serious and need to take a hiatus until you have no emotional investment in your hobby. That's insane. I'd not say it about hiking, martial arts, dog obedience competitions, hobby farming, or painting either.

I wish I could think of some solutions as to where you could look that wasn't like this, but it's definitely the majority of the RPC. It doesn't help that, due to this, serious RPers have a tendency to quietly stick together and not venture out into the RPC. They're just not incredibly easy to find.

I will say that they tend to be:

novella - if you're not here for serious RP and sticking around for a while, you're not going to invest the time and energy into particularly lengthy writing

older RPers - I would say that twenty-five is probably the youngest, with early thirties to late forties being the majority

in fandoms with a large adult base of fans - even if it's a franchise friendly to, or even meant for, younger fans, if it has a particularly active adult fanbase, it's a better chance of finding serious RPers in it

as above, old fandoms - fandoms that have been around for a long time tend to have more serious RPers in them

fandomless OCs - tend to have a higher chance of being written by serious RPers than canons or heavily fandom-involved OCs

RPers who do not do a ton of advertising for their muse(s), but when they do, they don't advertise them based on activism points or trends

slightly more likely to not have an emphasis on highly aesthetic blogs, graphics, icons etc. - they use a modified basic tumblr theme, low on graphics, their aesthetics are not on-trend, for example

anti-content policing/"write what you want" style muns

muns with more extensive rules pages - they plan to be here for a while, they take writing, RP, and their muse(s) seriously, so, it's a bit more important to them to head off problems before they start

those with older characters/FCs - be that literally in age or the character being one that has existed for a long time

"stay in your lane" style muns - if they're opining on fandom or the RPC, they must really be angry about something

those with numerous and detailed headcanons - for example, their response to a HC meme ask like, "what's your muse's favorite ice cream flavor?" is going to be treated seriously, not simply answered with "mint chocolate chip because my bby is gross"

As usual, not a complete or perfect list. I don't fit some of the things on there! It could give you some things to look for when trying to find other serious RPers, though. It's based on observances from someone who was never a casual RPer, even as a minor (me, obviously), and maybe it could at least keep you from continuously running into hostility about your approach to RP.

I've honestly considered making a list of some sort expressly for RPers who are on the more serious end of the spectrum, but...in a RPC back when things were dominated by serious RPers, I did that sort of thing with a RPH I had, and it still got labeled as being a list for and by Elitists. I don't know that anyone would want to put themselves out there for potential harassment on tumblr, you know? It was a joke then, just having a group of RPers label you as an Elitist. Here, you get told to kill yourself, and none of us need more of that shit, right?

Try to hang in there, Anon, I know it's upsetting, and I'm so sorry that something fun has gotten to be like this.

Try to understand that these people are coming from a place of irrational defensiveness, often in response to bullying themselves at some point or feeling bad about themselves. That doesn't make it right, but it does make it easier to not take to heart.

And keep at it! In my experience here, once you find a group of people you fit into, it really is...A Group. Especially among RPers who are ostracized, they stick together, they promote each other, and they're very happy for their mutuals to become your mutuals. Once you find them, it unlocks so many opportunities for the interactions and type of RP you've been missing!

[pxppinmolly-archived]

🍵🍵🍵🍵 Gimmie

Salty Sunday

ALRIGHT LET'S GO GRAB BAG.

1.

This has been bugging me like for awhile but recently seeing the 'hot take' of how people over glorify Alcina and how saying she's a lesbian and shit is bad because she's evil and saying she's a lesbian cus she killed only women is bad which like Granted that alone? Okay.

But that isn't the only reason why people HC and say she's a lesbian? KDFJ Like I don't need to explain but there's so much as to why she seems to be coded heavily as lesbian and no not all of it is based on evil shit (like come on. the puzzle room talking how women are blind to male advances. how all the statues of the angel's were all women in sexual poses. how she obviously doesn't like men. etc etc...)

Like man it rlly bugged me people are saying the fandom loves Alcina too much 'cause she's so vile and it's like UH YEAH I SURE HOPE SHE IS?? THAT'S WHY IM HERE BITCH

2.

Also this one is really no fucking shade at any one in specific as this is something I've seen like. A LOT happen over my years of being not just in the RPC but the creative... community in general.

But. It really always bugged me and kinda makes me :v when people write smutty stuff and act like it's so bad in terms of like. OoohoOOHOHOHO I'm being so naughty and evil oh my god the siiiin and I'm just like... It's okay to write smut.

Like if anyone gives anyone shit for it they're just an asshole who doesn't know how to mind their business. But people hyping it up and being so public like ooo I'm so ashamed it just bothers me a lil bit? Idk it just makes me kinda like... Mmm. Like it's not a big deal and people just overhyping it just leaves a bad taste upon my person BUT THAT'S JUST MY OPINION AGAIN!!

3. I've talked about this before and granted I haven't seen it much anymore but god I HATE the whole thought idea of like 'blocking someone makes you a bad / immature person or you're wrong for doing it' or people having such gripes over people having them blocked like. WHO CARES... IT'S THE INTERNET. Like if someone in the RPC has you blocked well oh well I guess! It might not even be anything personal it's just they don't want to interact with you and just to make sure you don't get the wrong idea they make it so you can't follow! People do that!

Like who gives a shit. I'll block anyone I don't wanna see or interact with I don't give a fuck. ASKDJ (I'm not that flippant on it but I am liberal with my blocking. <3)

4. Sits down backwards on my chair.

This fandom has such entitlement man it's insane. AKSJDFG

I am just constantly amazed with how this fandom, the fandom in entirety not just RPC, feels so entitled to their shit and like.. Are so. Needy? I guess? KDJG

Like man the people bitching over Charlie/Alastor not getting any content in the shop but Charlie/Vaggie do instead even tho they are.. the canon couple.. AKSDFJ Or people harassing Viv over making their ships canon and wanting content for it to the point now Viv doesn't even like seeing those ships cus it just triggers her.

Like honestly who gives a fuck if a ship isnt canon like. This is going on a whole nother small tirade now but I'm tired of like 'pushing for canon'. None of my ships are canon that I can think of off the top of my head but who gives a fuck I'm still having fun and making the content I wanna see damn it. I'm not harassing the OPs on twitter like animals. ASDKFJG

Like. We are gonna get content we might not like from Hazbin/Helluva! I sure as fuck have already and I know I will continue to be upset and I HAVE A RIGHT to be upset but I'm not gonna be like. Harrassing Viv on twitter or some shit. I'll bitch about it but on my own blog in my own time and not even on the radar and then go: well anyway back to this divergency

LIKE IT COSTS 0 DOLLARS JUST TO KEEP SHIT IN YOUR OWN LANE AND JUST DO AND MAKE WHAT YOU WANT IT RLLY DOES. SDOFKGJ

[killthebxy-archive]

I need positivity. I’m so sad rn. I’m starting to think it is time to move on to another role play in another fandom. My blog is fake popular. Nobody plays with them as much as pretends. I don't get replies. People never write the starter they say they will. Ships we plan don't ever happen. Duplicates always come first. I made my blog too late. I can't even tell anyone that. It's just passive aggressive whining on the dash if I do. Or pressuring for replies. Or forcing ships. It bites.

first of all, nonnie, thank you for reaching out for me about this — as i assume this is related to my Lord Commander cloak of protection project, and this is exactly what i want of it. for people to talk when they are upset, to let it out, to not keep it all bottled up inside. to help realize that we are not alone, even when things seem really dark and really helpless.

from what you say, i take it you roleplay a canon muse — and, as someone who does that too, please know that i very much relate. having a canon muse is very easy in certain aspects, in that you easily find photos and gifs and everything like that, but it is also very hard precisely for what you say — it’s impossible, at times or many times, to not feel like we are just “one more”. like so many others do the same, so are we even needed here? is our portrayal needed, would it make a difference if we left? i do understand.

and let me tell you, it’s perfectly normal to feel this way. of course rp is a hobby, of course our life does not depend on this — but we are human beings, we’re not machines. we get attached to our muses, we get attached to our partners. and it sucks when it feels like it’s just not working out for one reason or the other, like we’re failing at this, like no one’s really interested in what we’re doing. you have every right to feel upset about it, and never let anyone tell you it’s “whining” — it’s you expressing your emotions, as you have every right to do. you don’t have to be happy all the time and you certainly don’t have to pretend you are. although, yes, sadly i am aware that there is a horrible tendency around these parts to attack people for this. but i’ll listen to you whenever you need it, even if i can’t do anything else to help. this much you can count on.

another important thing: it doesn’t matter if there is 100 blogs with the same muse as yours. yours is yours, and it will always be different from any other roleplayer. it can be really hard to start and to find partners who stick with you and appreciate you, but it does happen. i know this is a lot easier said than done, and that it can be legitimately scary, but try to reach out for people too. if you write a starter for someone and they don’t reply, don’t give up — find someone else! find someone who’ll appreciate you as much as you appreciate them. we are so many here in the RPC, sometimes it’s just a little bit of luck to find the right ones. if you feel like your portrayal is not what you want it to be, try to improve it. look for writing tips, look for information about your muse, invest in formatting and icons if you like it — if you ever need any tips on any of this, as well, feel free to come to me. 

and remember the most important thing: roleplay should be done for your amusement and fun. nothing else. this isn’t a job. you don’t owe anyone anything. no one has the right to dictate whether you do it “right or wrong”. if someone on your dash makes you uncomfortable, unfollow. block, if you have to. there’s nothing wrong with that. and, if eventually you truly do not feel well in you current fandom, find another — there’s nothing wrong with that, there’s no shame in that. you are looking out for your own safety and well being. and i do not know who you are, obviously, as you are anonymous, but i am certain that you are special and unique and talented in your own way, and that you are doing the best you can with your blog. and i promise you that, even if it sucks and seems terrible right now, it will get better. i believe in you

[chopperpirate]

Hello chopperpirate. I respectfully wanted to ask you to please stop approaching roleplayers out of the blue if it seems apparent that you have not read their rules. Please always look at a blog, its posts, check out any kinds of links you may find (sometimes they are also hidden in the blog introductions, if you hover over someone's icon, directing you to a google's doc or a carrd guidelines page). We have never personally interacted but several of my friends have been complaining about you ignoring their rules entirely and are collecting evidence because it seems a limit has been reached (for them). I am not a fan of call out posts so I wanted to approach you privately first in hope this might help you in future.

Simply approaching writers in character who have not followed you or vice versa (like without you guys being mutuals) leaves many people extremely uncomfortable and anxious. Please try to put yourself into the shoes of the people you simply rp with from one minute to the next, who are not prepared because they have not decided to want to write with you, who might not even know your character, let alone might not at all be interested in your character. I really just want to let you know there are quite a lot of people who disapprove of your way of approaching people in the RPC. I have seen the messages you sent them when they complained to you about it and the way that you responded.

It seems you are more defensive than understanding (just my personal opinion). I feel like if you took a little more time thoroughly looking at someone's blog before contacting them at all, it'd not only put you more on the safe side but took away a lot of people's anxieties who have rules up for exactly that reason: not being approached out of the blue by someone they did not choose to follow. Something else I think is important to mention is, I know many people like Chopper but not everyone does. In fact two people you approached recently hate One Piece. Just try not to assume or take for granted that everyone wanted to interact with your muse or the fandom you are from (again that is what rules are for!).

We're all just trying to have some fun so please don't be offended and just take this as a well meant piece of advice from someone who is a roleplayer for 20 years and knows what's good for the RPC. I also hope I can convince my friends to not call you out on that since the RPC doesn't need more drama. Have a good day! :-)

This was a very sweet and considerate way to get your concerns across and the sentiment is appreciated. I will endeavor to avoid initiating contact with mutual specific blogs and to follow any rules I can easily find on Mobile. When I'm off mobile, I tend to read rules all the time, but Tumblr seems intent on not fixing the flaws with its app. I've tried going onto the mobile web browser for some, but that has mixed results. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Regardless, I'll do my best to respect the boundaries set by others, but if I can't see the rules, I'm not exactly going to let that stop me from meeting new writers. I try to limit it to a single message and if they don't reply, I don't pursue further interaction. That shouldn't be so bad, honestly. If it is, I recommend they simply make their IMs mutual exclusive or just put their status as such a blog on the front of their blog or on a pinned post until Tumblr fixes this glaring issue.

[rpbetter]

I think a master list for long term roleplayers is such a good idea! I think if it delineates the reasons someone would do long term over short term, and makes sure to not prop up one style over another, it could go over well. I just wonder what a roleplayer would have to do to be listed. Rp a muse for over two years? Have a declaration they don't easily lose muse and keep muses for a long time by default? I think that's the hard part, because it would be easy to exclude people if done wrong.

Hey, Anon!

Well, I'll let you in a secret...I might have begun that project this weekend. So, it might (absolutely will be) be happening, and this message certainly made me feel good about it!

It also brings up some incredibly valid points I hadn't thought about, like how one would go about specifically designating RPers as long-term. As you said, it's got a potential problems for exclusion, and the only exclusion intended is simply not being a dedicated, long-term RPer.

I think the only fair way of doing it is to let the muns themselves decide. As it presently stands, the idea is to submit the answers to a form that does ask "RP experience (years and places)." I thought that might help muns field each other better, and now, I think it might be the fairest way of determining what "long-term" means to everyone.

If you feel like someone who has been RPing for two years with the same muse(s) is long-term enough, then it is! If that's not enough to hit your mark of long-term, no hard feelings even happen because you just keep scrolling the list to someone who has been RPing for ten.

I'll be rewording the question to have two parts, thanks to this ask! It'll now read something like, "How long have you been RPing (includes tumblr and other RPCs)? Has this been the same muse/handful of muses (what's your longest time RPing a muse)?"

That way, you're also not running into issues like...well, let's use me as an example. I've been RPing online for over twenty years, but have only been RPing on tumblr for seven. I've had one muse for almost seventeen years, but another one only for that seven years. If I was to answer just with my presence here on tumblr with that muse, that's far shorter than my total time RPing and doesn't include that I'm long-term enough to have had a muse for seventeen years. This way, I could customize my answer and give a fuller one.

I know we all tend to think of tumblr's RPC as rarely taking on new muns these days, but I meet them fairly often. None are new to written, online RP, but they've only just joined this RPC. I certainly don't want anyone to feel like they have to answer "six months" when that isn't entirely an accurate representation of their experience and interest.

The questions are also not overly skewed toward any single type of RP outside of the umbrella of "Dedicated." Meaning long-term, primary hobby/dedicated interest RPers who stick with threads and muses. So, while, yes, a lot of us are also into long replies, it's not excluding those who write less either. It asks your style(s) and gives the options of "sentence, para, multi-para, novella, lengthy novella." You can, obviously, put multiple answers in as to what you prefer to write!

Some additional things it asks for:

links you'd like to include (rules, promo, carrd, docs, bio, other)

types of RP concentrated on (angst, slice-of-life, canon-involved, AUs, romance and shipping, friendships, horror, etc.)

your URL(s), obviously!

blog type (single-muse, multi-muse)

muse/primary muses' names (if this is a multimuse blog with all muses in one place, if not, please designate which goes with which URL)

mun age/age range and age requirements

other things about your blog/RPing/muse(s) (hard limits, crossover friendly, OC friendly, plot-driven, selectivity, etc.)

I really want to give the widest variety possible of dedicated RPers the opportunity to put themselves out there if they desire, since it truly is incredibly hard to find each other anymore. And I believe that since such phrasing tends to be a turn off for those who are more casual RPers, that alone cuts down on the likelihood of me having to message someone and tell them that they might not qualify.

I do plan to actually look at the blogs, though that is definitely going to annoy some and take more time to get people's submissions posted. It isn't because I am remotely interested in being judgmental of anyone's blog, writing, muses, or whatever! It's...tumblr. In 2021. Leaving anything up to an honor system is asking for trouble, and as we've seen in the not too distant past, very unfortunately, no matter what one says, the effort they go to in order to not rub people the wrong way, if someone wants to misread negativity into something, they will. Any time you have the topic of types of RP or broach it being at all acceptable to have preferences, requirements, expectations, and so on, it can turn quite ugly quite quickly.

It is a serious concern that those determinedly offended parties will misuse the listing. While seeing too many red flags of harassment on a blog doesn't retroactively stop them from seeing the list of RPers, it does at least prevent them being on it. That is absolutely within the rules, too, that this is not a place that is friendly/tolerant of any manner of policing and resultant harassment.*

*There will be a harassment policy. I realize that any listing can be used inappropriately, and I realize, too, that there is a limit to what I can do to cultivate and maintain a safe place...but that needs to be done in so far as possible and taken seriously. Callout culture is absolutely not allowed, period. That won't be added to the list, if it's engaged in and I'm aware of it, it'll be a removal from the list. Inappropriate use of the list as a callout resource will result in blocking, harassing others to RP with you when you've been politely declined will result in blocking. Yes, that can be subverted, but the stance matters.

And, obviously, I'd also be looking for anything really glaring like the basic (and it's my intention to make it as clear as possible that these are variable things, we're all real people here, that it's repeat and extreme behavior only) parameters state. Things like incessant, flippant muse creation and collection when there is, right there stated repeatedly, not the time or creative energy to keep up with those already present. Or just as obvious blog/muse/fandom hopping. Again, a thousand times, if that's how you enjoy RP and engage with it as your hobby, that's perfectly fine. It's also perfectly fine that other people don't enjoy that and would like a space to find the comparatively tiny number of muns who want to engage with the hobby in the way they do. That's what I'm trying to do!

I don't have an estimate on when this might go live, as has been clear with my horrifyingly delayed responses, I'm very busy right now. Just know that it will be happening! I believe things will be slowing down, allowing me more time to do more than a couple of responses a week, roughly toward the end of October/beginning of November. So, I'm thinking it might be the first week of November.

That's a little bit off, but it does give everyone time to send in asks about it! If there's something you can think of that would be helpful (questions for the submission, the way it's set up, rules, whatever you can think of), please, do send it in. I want to know! I'm just one very busy, very tired mun trying to still be a dedicated RPer myself elsewhere lol I appreciate that sort of feedback! And the list is for y'all, you really should get to opine and suggest things!

Also, I did just think of something, opinions, anyone? Since it is a list that is open to everyone who fits the description, there will be blogs containing "dark content." While tags would catch the major, basic things muns might wish to filter, that can't possibly be expected for unique squicks and triggers. I don't want anyone getting specific on the listing, I think that could incite problems, but how about warning that the blog does contain such content, with the notation right there in the rules, use info, and posted listings themselves that it's advised to visit rules links first for details. I'd like to avoid anyone getting exuberant, clicking a blog URL, and seeing some graphic imagery they need to avoid. This way, if you do that, you have been warned...repeatedly and responsibly, and made your choices.

Obviously, that is dependent upon muns actually detailing what upsetting content might be present on the blog in their rules and not simply making a blanket statement that it exists. I haven't seen many RPers of this type doing that in recent years, but I'm sure that the increasing threat of harassment has negatively impacted this honesty and warning system. Still, at least this way, you'd be warned and could exercise your own judgment messaging the mun of the blog to ask for content specifics before you proceeded beyond rules.

Those are my thoughts, anyway!

[rpbetter]

As a female I get tired of seeing psa post about /It's important to treat female muses with respect/ or /Female muses deserve better treatment!!/ it's this constant thing I get slapped in the face by mutuals who reblogs that once in a blue moon, but ignore male muses or treat them like shit. I'm sorry to come off as sexist, I wish people would look out for male muses too and those who are gay since they get the short end of the stick and not appreciated. Don't get me wrong it's important to respect all muses regardless of their gender, but these post are coming off as quite feminist and Tumblr is known for being a man hater. I feel really bad for saying all of this.. I'm sorry for this rant, RPbetter. I just need to let it off my chest.

It's all good, Anon! I did tell y'all you could do exactly this!

I know, as in, I can actually feel the hackles of the RPC rising preemptively, this is going to rub people the very, very wrong way...so, I'm asking you to at least try to put that on hold and consider some things about this as a different view from what you've experienced before you get angry with Anon or myself.

Because I think the issue with this, and all PSA's that are especially full of delineation like these are, is that it isn't going to be everyone's experience in the RPC.

We tend to feel like the RPC is our little corner, or for some of you, vast empire. Sometimes, an overlap of both - our little area we have cultivated with our mutuals, our preferred resource blogs, all the blogs that branch off from us and the larger RPC specific fandom community we're a part of. I mean, I know my fandom is huge, my highly cultivated homestead within it is tiny.

I also interact with people from equally huge RPC fandoms. So, between the two, I see some major differences. The differences in some of the minuscule RPC corners I have people in can be even more extreme.

Example?

I have a mutual who is open to crossovers and spends time in three bigger fandoms with their muse. The muse is highly desirable in the fandom they come from, had no issue adapting and being desirable in the second big one, but in the third, it was quite different. Same approach that worked out wonderfully everywhere else did not work in this third fandom because the muse...is female in a male and gay ship predominant fandom. So, while this mutual never experienced trouble getting/keeping interaction and respectful treatment of their muse/themselves everywhere else, they suddenly got slapped with it there. It's often a problem of specific fandoms and their material.

Another example?

Myself.

My main muse is everything that the more hateful PSA's of this sort say is the desirable muse that unfairly gets all the attention and respect: extremely well-known main character, conventionally attractive, male, white, young, and the way he presents in canon, you can play with HCs about him being not being cishet pretty easily. Highly shippable muse that can be made even more so without messing with canon much, if at all.

So, you'd think that I would never have any trouble getting interactions, ships that I want, plots I want, and good treatment of my muse (I mean by other muns, other muns not being total assholes about my muse, what happens between muses, when it isn't directly due to the mun's attitude, is different), right? I don't.

Don't get me wrong, I have the interactions I want, they're perfect. I have the writing partners I always wanted, the best ships, stunning plots, but that's entirely because I am OC and crossover friendly. I'm open to accepting writing partners based purely on the writing. My own fandom does not like my muse, outside of one specific version anyway, the canon ship is not supported, the popular fanon ship is likely to get you a callout in the RPC.

In my fandom, the female muses do get more respect and attention for the most part. It's one of those fandoms pretty into...well, fandom as an act of activism. That's not to say, before anyone loses it on me, that creating or picking up a female muse is doing it for woke points. Just that there is a rather open prerogative in my fandom to create/choose muses based on the idea of "representation" and "fixing canon." If you have one that is like mine, you're automatically assumed to be a lot of really shitty things. Getting called a school shooter, love that for me.

The whole "respect female muses or die" take isn't necessary there, it's the take. Doesn't stop it from coming around weekly, though, so I do feel you on this, Anon.

Furthermore, I'd personally prefer it if we'd all consider getting back to the take of just respecting muse choices and writing, period. People are always going to have preferences, in one place it might align with your own, in another it doesn't. That's perfectly alright and does not mean anything horrible about those people unless they're actively being horrible with it!

Preferring female muses doesn't mean you're a radfem, preferring (or just having even one) a f/m ship does not mean this or that you're homophobic either, nor does it make a bi/pan muse suddenly heterosexual and "bad representation/you're just saying they're bi and that's gross." Just means those are the ships that developed.

Preferring male muses doesn't mean you're "part of the problem" or "taking the easy way," and having or preferring a queer ship does not mean you're a "nasty fujoshi." It also doesn't invalidate what someone has established about their muse's sexuality, a bi/pan muse isn't Gay Now because their primary ship is m/m.

And that's to say nothing of how weird, and often at least mildly offensive, all of this is to both muns and muses that are not on the gender binary. You should probably consider that before you keep implying to a mun that the muse they've established as not cis is exactly that.

Or, that writing a female muse might be impossible for some muns for more reasons than just preference, a thing that is valid enough on its own. A decent number of muns in the RPC are also not cis, this may be the only safe place for them to drop being gendered as they were assigned at birth, it might even trigger dysphoria for them to write a female muse. I know that I am incredibly uncomfortable writing female muses. It's a little ridiculous to keep dropping the implication to outright demand that everyone needs to do their part in filling the female muse quota in the RPC or they're misogynists and/or phobes.

My experience, and I am not alone in it, has been getting plenty of shit for having male muses only, always assumed to be cisgender and often heterosexual. Plenty of shit for not writing the canon as cishet, too...and plenty more for my main ships being with female characters because they're the ones that worked out and stuck around.

No one is lying when they say that there are places where their male muses and queer ships are not looked on positively.

The thing is, I also witness female muses being treated like shit, yes!

And I will say, that treatment is so much worse if the muse is also an OC, has a canon f/m ship they'd like to write or just to write a ship with a canon if they're an OC, or they're certain types of female muses. Because the demands do not stop at being female. You also have to write a Strong Female Character to be of interest, and she had better be available to shipping and smut while not presenting as too sexually open. It's become an impossible obstacle course.

I see it on the dash, I see absolutely valid complaints, and the majority of my friends write female muses. I'm very aware of the problems they've faced, bias against them does exist!

Example of this?

Writing partners who have both male and female muses experiencing, repeatedly, their male muses being picked over the female muses, and their emotionally softer or less sexually available female muses being chosen dead last. The writing is great, these muses are well-done and interesting, easy to interact with, but they'll get told on the blogs for the male muses that they're only interested in them, the other mun having missed that this is the same mun behind both muses.

And it always comes down to wanting to ship m/m. Even when the muse is established as being heterosexual, they'll just keep trying to push it into happening with their male muse. If your male muse is heterosexual, that is like a violent act against the whole RPC.

So, that's also absolutely not a lie either, it does happen, it is a problem. It's valid to be upset about this!

In my opinion and experience, these are both significant problems predicated upon the same, overall issues:

not respecting choices and preferences equally

performative activism in fictional communities

requiring personal information as justification in order to respect choices/preferences as valid and not problematic

not being interested in writing for its own sake and characters for their own sake, but rather, what they say about oneself/in validation and display of one's ideals and/or personhood

not understanding that just because a character is x, y, or z does not, actually, make them interesting or a good character, let alone to everyone

So, I really think the answer here isn't saying that there is a single problem with muse gender across the board, everywhere and without variables, and demanding that people "respect," a thing that actually translates into "you must accept all of x as writing partners no matter your interest in them or viability, as writing partners" all of any one type of muse. I think that's just weirdly pressuring and remaining at a distance from the incredibly simple answer of accepting that people have preferences that do not always benefit you, that you might even find offensive, but that's a right they have.

It's okay if you're not interested in the conventionally attractive, canon male muse, even if someone has HC'ed him as queer. It's okay if you're not interested in the Strong Woman female OC, even if someone has given her other labels of significance. It's okay if you're not interested in someone's well-developed, well-written female OC or canon, someone's male OC or canon, or someone's proudly genderless creature. (Again, don't come at me folks, I literally call myself that, it's a joke based on the way people who do not ascribe to the gender binary can be treated/viewed by others who do, thanks!)

Your likes and dislikes are okay! Even if they're "not inclusive," yes. So long as you're not being a fucking bigot, you're alright. It isn't anyone's job here to be correct the ills of reality in their fiction, let's just all start focusing less on the fine details and more on respecting each other regardless of whether individual preferences benefit us or not.

Forcing people to interact based on guilting or shaming them is the opposite of the answer. Always. And just because it is one extreme in your RPC area does not mean it's like this in everyone else's. I'm genuinely sorry that anyone has experienced negative things based on such ridiculous factors, but please, be sure you're not turning around and doing the same shit to someone else.

Going to repeat:

Forcing people to interact based on guilting or shaming them is the opposite of the answer. Always.