Don't Be Selfish -- Your RP Partner Is Not An Object

fuckyeahroleplayadvice:

A roleplayers guide to saying 'no'.

So, there’s a thing about the community of roleplay (as far as I’m concerned, I know of only tumblr RP, but I think this can crossover to any forms of playing games with others); and it’s the issue of players unable to say ‘no’.

The thing is, you don’t need a reason. If you feel like the other person will not add to want you want to do, say no. If you even like their character concept, but don’t feel like starting new threads, say no. If you already follow the same character and you don’t want to talk to more than one, say no. You don’t care for a plot idea, say no. Even your mutual followers you’ve played with before, and you simply aren’t feeling it at the moment, just say no.

The initial fear is that you don’t want to hurt their feelings, but what people don’t realize is that they’re sacrificing what they want for others. There is no need to make a hobby pressuring and stressful. You do not need to sacrifice your time and happiness for anyone else. Ever, in anything in life, to be honest. Don’t put up with things if they are detrimental. 

In truth, the other player is going to move just as quickly as you’ve denied interaction. And it’s nothing to lose sleep on. Most players are students and hold jobs; you have bigger things to think about than worrying about a saying ‘no’ to a stranger you’ve never, and maybe will never, meet.

And if you ever get abuse to follow and to RP with someone, you need to give them the most FOR SURE no you’ve ever given. To guilt and pressure someone into doing anything they don’t want to do for a hobby is wrong. In fact, in my experience, you run from those types. Hell, it might seem tough, but are they really going to make your life better now they’re got you wrapped you around their finger? Hell no. More than likely, they’re going to make your experience complete shit and it’s not worth the stress and effort. In this community, you don’t owe anyone anything.

If you don’t know about how to go say ‘no’, the easiest way is just saying, "Thank you for asking. I’m very flattered but at this time, I’m not really interested. I appreciate you asking though!" I’ve never gotten backlash from being nice. And you’re not being rude by looking out for yourself. That’s the thing people need to wrap their heads around: You. Are. Not. Being. Rude.  

Just remember it also takes courage to ask someone to play along. There’s a lot of anxiety when it comes to asking for interaction, so giving a soft, gentle answer is always the best way to go. Don’t be an asshole when answering, you’ll never get ANYONE to play with you. No matter how popular you are, we’ve all been denied before. Positive actions can give positive reactions, even in a negative situation. No need to burn bridges and ruin your reputation. But the example I gave is literally the most perfect answer. Copy and paste it, for all I care if it makes it easier to look out for yourself, do it.

TL;DR:

It’s a big community, you aren’t the first, you will not be the last, and you will get it yourself. In the end, no matter why you RP, it’s an outlet for creativity. Play how you want to play, with who you want to play with.

Don’t ever feel obligated to reply fast even if I do. If you need a day, a week, or several, it’s fine. If you don’t have the muse for our thread, it’s fine. If real life strikes, it’s fine. If you just don’t feel like it, that’s fine too.

The point is; it’s all fine. Take your time. RPing is for fun, it’s not a job.

Reblog if you take any interest in the muns you RP with

  Nightmare half-sighed, half chuckled.

"I don’t have x-ray vision." he assured her with a slight smirk. "But Outsider’s usually arrive at this country with a…gift of sorts that appears in a pocket. I was just wondering if you had one as well."  he tilted his head, studying her. "Would you check? It would be a vial, small, and filled with liquid."

He waited patiently, taking an absent bite out of one of the cakes remaining on the plate.

She blinked, then slowly lowered her hands, digging around both sides of her outfit. 

What the…?

Sure enough, there was a vial; small, seemingly made of glass, and with a little heart stopper.

….WHO PUT THAT THERE?

Nightmare gave off the impression that it just sort of magically appears.  She thought long and hard about the alternatives…

If it didn’t magically appear, someone must have slipped it into her pocket.

If someone slipped it into her pocket, it means they violated her private space.

If they violated her private space, no one would ever want to marry her.

If no one ever marries her, she’d spend the rest of her life completely alone.

And end up as a crazy cat lady.

A crazy cat lady.

Crazy cat lady.

"…C…crazy…cat lady….no-ooOOoo-o…."

….

…………..

NIGHTMARE’S EXPLANATION IT WAS!

"Uh…sure!  Yeah, I have the…little bottle…thing…that totally appeared out of thin air. Do I break it or something?"

A slightly confused grin tugged at the corner of Nightmare’s mouth at where her thoughts had gone, but he did his best to hide it; he’d freaked her out enough for the time being, no matter how amusing some of her reactions had been.

"You drink it." he raised his teacup and inclined his head briefly. "Drinking the liquid inside will allow you to stay in Wonderland and play the game." There wasn’t any more tea in his cup, but he pretended to take a sip anyway; it would look stupid if he just picked it up and set it down again without at least seeming to drink it.

The others would like her, he thought to himself, watching her with interest. They wouldn’t know quite what to do with her, but if they didn’t shoot her right when they met her for being strange, they would like her. She seemed to have a touch of humor (madness?) that was well-suited to Wonderland. If she survived, perhaps she would stay with them, as Alice had chosen to do.

She made her way to shift into a chair in front of his desk so she could lean in and rest her head on her hands, letting out a laugh.

"Oh…ahahaha…of course…haha…yeah I’m supposed to drink up some unknown liquid in a bottle that screams creepy that definitely wasn’t in my pocket an hour ago…hahaha…aahhhh~"

“No”

"But so hey tell me is there a way to get back to Rochester Street, because it just suddenly became night." 

She gestured towards one of the windows.

"Which is really weird because I don’t feel tired at all.  My mom is all about curfew and stuff. I don’t want to get grounded."

The incubus shrugged. “If you don’t want to play the game, give the vial back.” he held out his hand, watching her carefully as he considered how to get her to drink the liquid.

"As for getting you home, didn’t you say you came here in a dream? What makes you think you’re not still dreaming?" he asked, following her gesture to the window. If he could get her to believe that Wonderland was a dream, as Alice had, it might be easier to convince her that the liquid was harmless. The sudden change of time period could only help his case. 

She frowned, leaning back and shifting a bit in the chair.  

The man had a point: She would dream of mind-reading demons, magically appearing vials that might contain alcohol, clover decorated towers, and lots of cake. 

Still, her mind and her eyes wandered a bit, and she found herself staring distantly at his tie for no particular reason.  She contemplated about how angry her mother would get if this wasn't a dream and she were late coming home, when she hooked onto something he had already said.

"Game?" There was an almost gleeful spark in her eyes and all thoughts of an irate parent instantly left her field of vision.

I like games.  I like winning games. I win lots of games all the time. She made a terrible attempt to steady her poker face by nonchalantly scratching the back of her head.  "What sort of game are we talking about?  And is there a really great prize?"

"Naw, you don't have to.  Really it's just something I've been making; it isn't even very good ((No lie, it looks kind of terrible)).  Soooo...yeah." 

((No seriously, I wish I had some way to get photo shop on my computer because it's kind of bad right now...I'm gonna see if I can't salvage it though))

  "Heirs?" Nightmare frowned, confused, and then his face cleared as he realized she meant children. "Oh, no. I’m just replaceable. If I had died, someone new would have replaced me, and no one would have even noticed I was gone." he reached for his tea cup and lifted it to his lips, eyes twinkling at her over the rim. "But I’ll agree that we’re ‘square.’" he preened at her use of his title.

"So you think you dreamed your journey here?" he mused, setting the tea cup down with a soft clink and folding his arms as he considered her. It didn’t sound as though any of the role holders had gone to fetch her…never the less, she was there, and therefore must play the game. "Is there something in your pocket, Nessa?" he asked, curious to see if she had a vial like Alice had; it was possible, but then the rules of Nessa’s game might also be different.

She would have asked him to clarify on the whole “replacement” thing when she was distracted by the comment about her pocket.

"W-what?  What do you mean, is there something in my pocket? What kind of question is that?”  She stared back at him, an eyebrow raised. 

What kind of person asks a stranger what they happen to have in their pockets.  Seriously, that’s really random you know?

“Why do you even care what’s in my pockets, huh? I m-mean, you don’t have x-ray vision as well, do you?” She asked, a little flustered at the thought

and clutching her arms to her chest, just in case. 

Nightmare half-sighed, half chuckled.

"I don’t have x-ray vision." he assured her with a slight smirk. "But Outsider’s usually arrive at this country with a…gift of sorts that appears in a pocket. I was just wondering if you had one as well."  he tilted his head, studying her. "Would you check? It would be a vial, small, and filled with liquid."

He waited patiently, taking an absent bite out of one of the cakes remaining on the plate.

She blinked, then slowly lowered her hands, digging around both sides of her outfit. 

What the...?

Sure enough, there was a vial; small, seemingly made of glass, and with a little heart stopper.

....WHO PUT THAT THERE?

Nightmare gave off the impression that it just sort of magically appears.  She thought long and hard about the alternatives...

If it didn't magically appear, someone must have slipped it into her pocket.

If someone slipped it into her pocket, it means they violated her private space.

If they violated her private space, no one would ever want to marry her.

If no one ever marries her, she'd spend the rest of her life completely alone.

And end up as a crazy cat lady.

A crazy cat lady.

Crazy cat lady.

"...C...crazy...cat lady....no-ooOOoo-o...."

....

..............

NIGHTMARE'S EXPLANATION IT WAS!

"Uh...sure!  Yeah, I have the...little bottle...thing...that totally appeared out of thin air. Do I break it or something?"

He managed to actually laugh this time, patting her hand on his shoulder as he levered himself up from the floor. “The residents of Clover wouldn’t hunt you for killing me.” he assured her with a grin. “I can always be replaced.” he made his way back to his desk and leaned against it with a sigh, face pale as chalk. Offering her a smile, he tilted his head so that his hair fell out of the path of his one visible eye. “I apologize if I scared you.”

Then, leaning back carefully on his hands, he added, “So. You never did say exactly how you ended up here. There was something about a mirror, and then you decided I was going to eat you…?” he raised a brow, still slightly confused as to how she’d reached that conclusion. Her thoughts moved so fast, they were quite a challenge to follow, even if they were loud.

"Well sure, I mean you’ve got heirs probably and stuff.  But I’m sure someone would still miss you, or at the very least all the shallow people would miss your looks." She grinned back at him. "And I apologize for almost murdering you, even if I did think you were an evil dragon coming to eat me. So we’re square now, my lord?”

"Oh….how I got here…I have no idea, actually!  I remember looking in a mirror, and then I was falling through the mirror, and then I feel asleep, or maybe I was already asleep at that point..”

She remembered waking up in a strange town, being surrounded by people whose eyes have obviously fallen victim to eye-eating vacuum monsters, before she came across a tower.  Beautiful, tall, and enticing….

"Heirs?" Nightmare frowned, confused, and then his face cleared as he realized she meant children. "Oh, no. I’m just replaceable. If I had died, someone new would have replaced me, and no one would have even noticed I was gone." he reached for his tea cup and lifted it to his lips, eyes twinkling at her over the rim. "But I’ll agree that we’re ‘square.’" he preened at her use of his title.

"So you think you dreamed your journey here?" he mused, setting the tea cup down with a soft clink and folding his arms as he considered her. It didn’t sound as though any of the role holders had gone to fetch her…never the less, she was there, and therefore must play the game. "Is there something in your pocket, Nessa?" he asked, curious to see if she had a vial like Alice had; it was possible, but then the rules of Nessa’s game might also be different.

She would have asked him to clarify on the whole "replacement" thing when she was distracted by the comment about her pocket.

"W-what?  What do you mean, is there something in my pocket? What kind of question is that?"  She stared back at him, an eyebrow raised. 

What kind of person asks a stranger what they happen to have in their pockets.  Seriously, that's really random you know?

"Why do you even care what's in my pockets, huh? I m-mean, you don't have x-ray vision as well, do you?" She asked, a little flustered at the thought

and clutching her arms to her chest, just in case. 

  "Not another planet," he assured, grinning. "And I’m not an alien. But all the same, Wonderland is not your world, and I am not a human like you." he put the cookie plate down and steepled his fingers, letting his chin rest upon them. Following her gaze to the napkin, he folded it carefully and set it aside. "I’m ill." he explained, cheeks flushing.

Clearing his throat, he returned his chin to his hands and stared at her with his single uncovered eye. “So, how did you come to be here…?” he’d caught something about a mirror, but her thoughts were a bit too fast for him to hear much more detail.

(( She’s cute. :D And thanks; it always helps to have a visual. XD I can’t get my pics to work at the moment…))

She laughed, only half paying attention to him.  ”Ahahaha, but I never said you were…”

"…a-an alien." 

The theoretical gears began to shift in her head. Mind…mind…he read my…mind. What kind of other creatures live in towers again…? T-that’s right…

She was wrong.  He wasn’t an alien.

He’s-a-mutant-mind-reading-dragon-in-the-shape-of-a-super-hot-dude-who-uses-his-looks-to-get-them-to-come-closer-before-swallowing-them-whole-and-coughing-up-their-blood.

No wonder he wanted to fatten her up first. 

"NEVER!" She said, standing up suddenly and dramatically pointing a finger at him. "YOU’LL NEVER EAT MEH ALIVE!!!!" 

She spun around to run out the door, but paused a moment.  Would it be more epic to jump out the window?

""Eat you?! What are you-" Mind reading dragon in the shape of a super hot dude. He wasn’t sure whether he wanted to laugh or choke as  that thought filtered into his brain, and he scrambled to rise from the table, one hand held out in a placating manner while the other covered his mouth with his napkin again.

"I’m not a dragon!" He spluttered, coughing, "Or an alien! I’m a demon! A very ill dream demon!" reaching forward, he caught her by the arm before she could bolt for one of the two exits. "I’m not going to hurt you!"

"A dem-HOW IS THAT ANY BETTER!" She yelled back. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kick you in your super sexy shins and run like a wildfire out the-"

Hot dude is touching me, hot dude is touching me, hot dude is-SHUT UP, MIND I'M TRYING TO BE EPIC HERE.

She regained her composure and went back to yelling. 

"You can't honestly tell me you DIDN'T put this magnificently enticing tower here for the sole purpose of luring in hapless young virgins into your lair of evilness so you can attack their minds and prey on their weak, helpless bodies." She twisted her arm a little in an effort to get out of his grasp.  He DID offer her cookies, which either meant one of two things:

1. He's a part of the dark side.  Because they have cookies.

2. He likes cookies. And sharing.

"Does your aide happen to be a princess with long hair named Rapunzel?"

*She’s still insistent on there being a princess. After all everyone knows that princesses live in towers; it’s their natural habitat. She briefly wondered if Nightmare was the princess in disguise, and…

"That’s a very pretty name." he smiled, taking a bite of his own slice of cake. "And you don’t look thirteen at all." he smile morphed into a smirk as he read her age in her mind. He took a swallow of tea, offering her a plate of cookies. "But how did you find your way to this world?" he couldn’t see quite that deeply into her mind, and it made him curious. "We don’t see very many Outsiders in Wonderland." least that weren’t brought in by a roleholder, which she didn’t appear to have been.

"Thank you~" She replied for both comment and cookie, offering up a smile of her own.  "Ahaha!  You ,make it sound like I came from another planet."  He’s not an alien, he’s not an alien, he just spits up jelly…oh wait. She stared harder at the napkin at his side to try and reassure herself it’s nothing to worry about.

…Is that…blood?

She sat there, lost in thought, half pondering on the nature of the substance and half pondering on how she even got here to begin with. It had something to do with a mirror…and falling…or maybe floating…Upon waking, she had come across a town with a an intricate, clover decorated tower in its very center.  The sort of place that just begged you to wander on in.

  ((I’m going to use Hinagiku from Hayate no Gotoku, because I feel like it’s a little unfair not to know what the person you’re interacting with looks like ^ ^;;    ))

"Not another planet," he assured, grinning. "And I’m not an alien. But all the same, Wonderland is not your world, and I am not a human like you." he put the cookie plate down and steepled his fingers, letting his chin rest upon them. Following her gaze to the napkin, he folded it carefully and set it aside. "I’m ill." he explained, cheeks flushing.

Clearing his throat, he returned his chin to his hands and stared at her with his single uncovered eye. “So, how did you come to be here…?” he’d caught something about a mirror, but her thoughts were a bit too fast for him to hear much more detail.

(( She’s cute. :D And thanks; it always helps to have a visual. XD I can’t get my pics to work at the moment…))

She laughed, only half paying attention to him.  "Ahahaha, but I never said you were..."

"...a-an alien." 

The theoretical gears began to shift in her head. Mind...mind...he read my...mind. What kind of other creatures live in towers again...? T-that's right...

She was wrong.  He wasn't an alien.

He's-a-mutant-mind-reading-dragon-in-the-shape-of-a-super-hot-dude-who-uses-his-looks-to-get-them-to-come-closer-before-swallowing-them-whole-and-coughing-up-their-blood.

No wonder he wanted to fatten her up first. 

"NEVER!" She said, standing up suddenly and dramatically pointing a finger at him. "YOU'LL NEVER EAT MEH ALIVE!!!!" 

She spun around to run out the door, but paused a moment.  Would it be more epic to jump out the window?

"Does your aide happen to be a princess with long hair named Rapunzel?"

*She’s still insistent on there being a princess. After all everyone knows that princesses live in towers; it’s their natural habitat. She briefly wondered if Nightmare was the princess in disguise, and…

"Huh?" he stared at her, then at the blood on his napkin. Oh. Okay. “Thank you.” he told her tactfully, wiping his mouth once more and placing the napkin back beside his teacup. “Anyway, I’ve told you my name. What would yours be?” he gave her a charming smile.

"Nessa!" She said brightly "It’s short for…"

*dramatic pause*

“Vanessa!  But nobody ever calls me that, and neither should you! Also I am ten, and I’ve been ten for the past six years.”  Yes, she knew she was sixteen.  She just doesn’t like it.  

"Everyone says I look thirteen, but I do not look thirteen.” She glared at him as though daring him to say otherwise.  ”Ah, but you aren’t going eat cakes too?” ^-^ *she took another bite*

"That's a very pretty name." he smiled, taking a bite of his own slice of cake. "And you don't look thirteen at all." he smile morphed into a smirk as he read her age in her mind. He took a swallow of tea, offering her a plate of cookies. "But how did you find your way to this world?" he couldn't see quite that deeply into her mind, and it made him curious. "We don't see very many Outsiders in Wonderland." least that weren't brought in by a roleholder, which she didn't appear to have been.

"Thank you~" She replied for both comment and cookie, offering up a smile of her own.  "Ahaha!  You make it sound like I came from another planet."  He's not an alien, he's not an alien, he just spits up jelly...oh wait. She stared harder at the napkin at his side to try and reassure herself it's nothing to worry about.

...Is that...blood?

She sat there, lost in thought, half pondering on the nature of the substance and half pondering on how she even got here to begin with. It had something to do with a mirror...and falling...or maybe floating...Upon waking, she had come across a town with a an intricate, clover decorated tower in its very center.  The sort of place that just begged you to wander on in.

"I don't know."

  ((I'm going to use Hinagiku from Hayate no Gotoku, because I feel like it's a little unfair not to know what the person you're interacting with looks like ^ ^;;    ))

"Does your aide happen to be a princess with long hair named Rapunzel?"

*She’s still insistent on there being a princess. After all everyone knows that princesses live in towers; it’s their natural habitat. She briefly wondered if Nightmare was the princess in disguise, and…

"You’re spitting up jelly, did you know?" She asked helpfully. "Did you eat a doughnut recently?"  Either that or he was a doughnut. Naw, that was too silly.  There was a much better chance of him being a poison spewing alien than a doughnut.

Mmmmm. Doughnuts. 

She reached out to take a bite out of a cake, grateful to have something sweet nearby to satisfy the sudden craving. 

"Huh?" he stared at her, then at the blood on his napkin. Oh. Okay. “Thank you.” he told her tactfully, wiping his mouth once more and placing the napkin back beside his teacup. “Anyway, I’ve told you my name. What would yours be?” he gave her a charming smile.

"Nessa!" She said brightly "It's short for..."

*dramatic pause*

"Vanessa!  But nobody ever calls me that, and neither should you! Also I am ten, and I've been ten for the past six years."  Yes, she knew she was sixteen.  She just doesn't like it.  

"Everyone says I look thirteen, but I do not look thirteen." She glared at him as though daring him to say otherwise.  "Ah, but you aren't going eat cakes too?" ^-^ *she took another bite*

ice-like-dreams:

"You're spitting up jelly, did you know?" She asked helpfully. "Did you eat a doughnut recently?"  Either that or he was a doughnut. Naw, that was too silly.  There was a much better chance of him being a poison spewing alien than a doughnut.

Mmmmm. Doughnuts. 

She reached out to take a bite out of a cake, grateful to have something sweet nearby to satisfy the sudden craving. 

Both, naturally.

(( Aw, thanks! (And good evening! XD) ))

Ah, it's very nearly morning where I'm at *is sad*

Both, naturally.