.

𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗠𝗦 𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗗𝗘.

-- BOLD all that applies || ITALICS what applies on occasion

001.ㅤ 𝗘𝗬𝗘𝗦.

avoids eye contact when nervous, maintains eye contact when nervous. avoids eye contact due to being neurodivergent, enjoys eye contact as a means to read and convey emotion. looks down when emotional, looks up when emotional. cries openly, wipes tears quickly, suppresses tears. wandering gaze when lost in thought, holds gaze while thinking. seeks out eye contact for reassurance, seeks out eye contact to gauge enthusiasm during conversations, eyes move constantly during conversation. expressive eyes, emotions only evident through eyes, uses eye contact to intimidate. looks up while thinking, looks down while thinking.

002.ㅤ 𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗦.

clasps behind back, rests in lap, fidgets with clothes. twiddles thumbs, chews at nails/skin, pushes back cuticles, draws patterns on table/counter surfaces. animated gestures while speaking, only gestures to emphasize, utilizes sign language, speaks only through sign. callouses, scars, smooth, wrinkled, worn, soft, delicate, boney, slender, thick, veiny. touches others while speaking, reaches out while laughing, reaches out to comfort others, reaches out to seek comfort. places face in hands when exasperated, places face in hands when exhausted, places palms over eyes to hide when overwhelmed, rests chin in hands. taps fingers when impatient, taps fingers when nervous, taps fingers while thinking. scratches scalp, strokes chin, rubs back of head, toys with objects around them, runs fingers over surfaces while walking by.

003.ㅤ 𝗠𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗛.

chews lip, chews at inside of cheek, licks lips, bites tongue, chews on straws. resting frown, resting smile, neutral resting expression, resting pout. grinds teeth, flexes jaw. covers mouth when laughing, covers mouth when shocked, covers mouth when concerned, hands to lips while thinking, covers mouth when chewing, chews with mouth closed, chews with mouth open. smirks, grins, subtle smile, wide smiles, sad smiles, intimidating smiles, menacing grins. openly smiles, tries to suppress smiles, bares teeth when angry, lips quiver when emotional. stutters, speaks quickly, speaks slowly, good pronunciation, poor pronunciation, moderate pronunciation, purses lips, sucks in lips, holds mouth open when shocked or confused.

004.ㅤ 𝗟𝗘𝗚𝗦.

bounces leg when nervous. draws knees to chest when sitting, draws knees to chest as a means of comfort, sits on knees, sits with legs crisscrossed, sits with legs spread open in chairs, crosses legs when sitting in chairs, sits with one leg folded under the other. places feet on furniture, never places feet on furniture, sits on counters, sits on desks, sits on tables, sits on edge of seat, sits hunched over with forearms on knees, arches one knee up, sits on the arm of chairs/couches, feet on dashboard, swings legs back and forth when sitting somewhere elevated. wiggles toes when nervous, wiggles toes as a general tick. shuffles feet, kicks foot into ground, stomps feet. loud footsteps, quiet footsteps, silent footsteps.

005.ㅤ 𝗛𝗔𝗜𝗥.

runs fingers through hair, tugs at hair, picks at scalp, chews on hair, twists locks of hair while thinking or nervous, smooths out locks of hair while thinking or nervous. prefers hair out of face, prefers long hair, prefers short hair. wears hair back, keeps hair down, smooths back hair. plays with other’s hair while talking, plays with own hair while talking, strokes hair to comfort others, likes having hair stroked for their own comfort, braids others’ hair while talking, braids own hair while talking. flips hair out of face, pushes hair out of face, leaves hair alone even when falling into face.

Tagged by: @moxxietude Tagging: @toranoya for Saint Peter, @umbravirtus for Hans, @visage-of-hell, @poisonedspider, and anyone else in the mood to do the thing

Don't just be pretty, be present. Write with the world like it's real.

There is a lot of beautiful writing in the RPC, a myriad of wonderfully different styles and preferences, and that is an excellent thing! If this tip doesn't feel like it is for you, that is okay! Everyone has different styles and desires; it may resonate with some people and not with others and that is absolutely okay. No one needs to be an expert at anything--I'm certainly not! I almost never edit replies, sometimes I just babble pure nonsense, and I'm a tiny bean of an RPer in a sea of amazing artists. These are just thoughts that have been kicking around in my head for a while, and that I hope will help someone here and there.

Don't just be pretty, be present.

Rather than stressing over how pretty your reply is, whether that means word choice or the actual formatting of the post, consider how present your character is in that post. Are they just passively reacting to a situation or a statement? Or are they really interacting with whatever is going on? Whether it's purple prose or stripped down simplicity, for some people things will feel a little flat, a little hollow, if a reply is especially passive--if a character responds but gives nothing back.

Is one of the characters carrying something weird around in the scene, like a chunk of 2x4 or a broken trumpet? Whatever it is, consider having your character interact with that element. Since it has been introduced, it exists, and there is nothing wrong with having your character notice it. Maybe they interact verbally, by asking about it. Maybe they interact through the narrative, by thinking something about it, or having an emotional response to it if it might be something they have previous experience with. Or, hell, if it really feels too random, you can have your character think that. Just like, What the hell is Joan doing with that trumpet? I don't want to deal with any more weird shit today.

React to what is around you in the scene. Interact with the world. If you're in a castle, maybe consider having your character touch the wall and make note of the texture. If something horrible is happening, don't just repeat a list of the events that happened, but show how your character reacts. You can show reactions internally or show reactions externally, and you can absolutely do both! Showing internally could mean demonstrating through their narrative or their thoughts how they feel about whatever just happened. Does it terrify them? Is their heart pounding? Do they want to run? Are they struggling to continue to stand next to their best friend? An external response might be describing their actions without touching on what's happening in their head--like taking a few steps back, a sudden gasp, stepping in front of their loved one--or even just describing how they look. Maybe they go pale, maybe their hands shake or their voice shakes. You don't have to state everything, you can show them however you want to, but for a lot of people, an RP experience is going to feel much more interactive, much more immersive, when you have the scene get to your character.

A beautiful character standing there and observing events is great, and it can be absolutely in character for them to be completely bored about whatever it happening, to show no reactions whatsoever... but that can be boring for your writing partners, especially in an action scene, and not leave them feeling inspired or feeling they have any sort of a hook to respond to. There's a line from an old song that always comes to mind when I think about this: If you're bored then you're boring. Not necessarily always true, there are ways to keep a bored character engaging, but it can be true. It can be very true. If a character has no more reactions than a plank of wood, then the other characters in the scene might as well walk away and go find an actual plank of wood.

A beautifully written reply that ultimately says nothing of significance to the situation can be wonderful, a gorgeous bit of almost poetry--but for some, it may leave your partner feeling like their efforts to create or support an important moment in the plot have fallen flat.

[Adding: Vivid descriptions are interacting. You're interacting with the world when you do that, you're making it more real. Flashbacks are interacting, you're showing how the events affected your character and what is happening in their mind suddenly. Try to give something for your partner to work with, of course, but don't hold yourself back. Chase your inspiration!]

Write like actions have consequences; play with the world like it's real.

I know a lot of people can be unsure how to react, because they don't want their characters to fail, but that is a trap that may lead to a stagnated scene. Your character doesn't need to win all the time. Let them be imperfect, let them fuck up, let them make mistakes, let them fall on their face, let them be in danger, let them risk it all, let them need help sometimes--

Let them be alive. (Or, you know, whatever passes for alive in their particular canon!)

It's RP. It's okay to take risks. It's okay to not be sure what the perfect response would be, it's okay to experiment, to go with what you feel your character would really do--even if that means they drop everything and bolt out of there, even if it means party members don't see eye to eye on something. It can be daunting to write a character with significant flaws, and it's not for everyone, but for a lot of us? I think it can be super rewarding to go through those little arcs and moments, the ups and downs, the times when your character is doing well and the times when they're just--lost. Flailing.

Write like everything matters. Even if you just do it in tiny little ways, use the scene around your character; let the weather affect them, let them idly pick at some grass if they're sitting in a meadow, let them be sore from a particularly chafed feeling spot because they've been sweating in their armor in an arena all day. Let them be cranky. Let them have headaches. Let their intentions, thoughts, preferences, and vibes not always match their lover's in any given moment; there's a lot to be said for characters who aren't always in perfect harmony with each other. Maybe one wakes up cranky and the other wakes up wanting to burst into song, bathe in coffee, and tackle ten new projects before the birds even start singing. Let them clash, let their love show through how they both respond to those little clashes.

And don't be afraid for your actions to have consequences. Write knowing that your character might be absolutely saying the wrong thing and digging themselves an ever-deeper hole here. Write as if your partner's reply has consequences: if the other character is a dick to yours, don't feel like your character must remain unaffected. Maybe they have the kind of personality where that can roll off their back, but then again, maybe they don't. Let your character be affected by things. Let them be hurt, let them be angry, let them be confused. Let them laugh. Let their minds wander.

Let the world, and the people in it, affect them.

If a bus goes by, maybe your character misses a few words of what the other said. Maybe those words are important.

Maybe it's a hot day and your characters have been out and on the go nonstop; it's okay to let your character be cranky, overheated, and dehydrated and just need to get somewhere cooler and quiet to decompress.

And then for big plot moments? If something terrifying happens, or something amazing, don't pretend it isn't happening, don't ignore it in favor of just replying point-by-point to every bit of dialog from your partner's last post. Conversations aren't always perfect. They ebb and flow--and they can absolutely be interrupted. Have fun. Talk with your partners. Don't try to control them, and don't use "it's what my character would do" as a way to trash a plot or ensure someone else has a bad time. Don't use RP replies to punish them. Keep it genuine in-character, whatever that means for your muses, and keep it kind out of character...

But don't keep your writing or your characters behind glass.

Let the world interrupt your character. Let the world move your character. Let the person with them have an impact on them, for better or for worse. Let them be hurt. Let them do the hurting. Let little things annoy them. Let them be distracted. Let the world matter. Let their emotions and reactions show.

They don't need to be a pretty, perfect, porcelain doll to be an incredible roleplay character. They just need to be present in their own scenes, in their own stories <3

Eris hadn't expected him to yield so quickly.

He wasn't sure what he had expected, but not this. Defiance, useless hissing and posturing, threats, or maybe weeping? But the way Hans simply gave in, agreed and gave himself over? That struck a chord in the High Lord, because he recognized it. With a sudden pang of pain--familiar pain, old, a memory that left its secret scars--he recognized that adaptability, the drive to do whatever it took to survive.

He knew--he had been there.

Eris immediately absorbed the heat that had begun gathering in Hans's chest, easing away any trace of the burn that might have been starting, and rested his palm against the now-bare skin instead, standing far too close to him.

Mine. My human. The realization was a sobering one, for even as the human now belonged to him, if Eris accepted him? He would belong to the human in return. He would be bound to protect him, should someone else threaten him--although, in a darkly twisted irony, Eris himself would be able to do whatever he pleased to the human.

His human.

His survivor.

"Remove the chains," he told a guard, without ever looking away from the human's eyes. "And very well. Tell me your name."

As long as you belong to me, I will defend you. Let the monsters come for you; I will fight for you. But I will never, never tell you that.

Stay ever at my side, and you will be safe. So long as you are mine.

"Yes" The man didn't even hesitate.

20 seconds was an awfully short time and everything that had happened to him had happened so quickly it felt surreal. He wished now he had listened to his brother and read more stories about the mythos out there, he had been a nonbeliever in anything and everything magical until he met Elsa and was somehow struck by lightning twice in life running into magic twice it had to mean something, right?

But he was aware no god or deity would come to his aid, at least he was consistent that way. He knew was on his own, always has been, and unknowingly he echoed the lord's thoughts.

What was he to do? In the face of bounds and magic?

Choosing to live now, he swallowed hard hoping he would at least have that decision in his hands later if he came to regret his decisions but Hans knew, he just knew the world wasn't the fastest or the strongest, it was of those who could adapt themselves better to the circumstances, and that was Hans' strongest suit, he had survived Ulrich, his father, he had survived Arendelle. He would survive this somehow.

"I give myself to you, uh... my lord" he tries with the first title that comes to his head.

His palms were sweaty, his heart beating a thousand miles a minute and he was sure his eyes were wide like saucers.

He was terrified. Yet Hans' will was that of the strongest steel. He would do what it takes to survive. Even if at this moment, it was painful or demeaning.

they have the same energy really i think we're on to something with this crossover guys--- @botanikos @doublejango

When Vox actually showed up, Vepar quite literally gasped in quiet delight, thrilled that he had come. And while he was as aware of his own station relative to a Sinner's as any Goetia ought to be, he was too excited, too happy for once in his life, to remember all of his composure: he bowed. It was a graceful thing, as if performed by a dancer, and when he stood he was smiling--a rare thing, not that Vox was likely to know it.

"Vox," he greeted, touching a hand to his chest. "It is an honor to have you here. Thank you for coming. I know it isn't necessarily something many Sinners will enjoy, especially given that a good portion of the exhibits are fish from Earth--among other planets--but I thought you, you might like it." The way the Goetia spoke those words, it sounded like that meant a great deal to him. Perhaps they could never be kindred spirits, perhaps such a thing was never possible for demons, but all the same? Vepar was happy. He was happy to be able to share this vision with someone else who might like it, and even if Vox ended up laughing at him in the end for taking so much joy out of such an endeavor? It was worth it just for these moments.

"Your driver is welcome to remain in the car if they wish, but they are also welcome to wait in the lobby if that is more comfortable; I wasn't sure how many staff you might bring with you and so had a small supper prepared for them." If Vox chose to leave his staff in the lobby, they would find comfortable furniture and a pleasant buffet. And, of course, there was one massive wall of a tank there--a tropical reef, as should best greet all guests at any aquarium. The lights in the huge tank were dimmed, but some of the fish were still visible of course--not all creatures slept at night.

But Vox? Vepar led Vox deeper.

It didn't smell like an aquarium--it didn't smell of concrete and machinery, of electrical conduits, of cleaning products. The place genuinely smelled fresh, like ocean air, and the sounds around them were soft.

"I know it might seem rather forward, inviting you to this, but once I heard about your love of sharks? I had to. It seems so rare to find souls who aren't... jaded? Who still loves to love, to enjoy life. There is--a difference." They walked along a corridor completely surrounded by water, fish sleepily swimming over them in the tunnel, candles flickering along at their feet. "Perhaps in Heaven, love is an infinite thing, but here, in Hell... it is so finite, that I will gladly seek out any joy--and anyone joyful." As the Duke of Loss, whose domain revolved around grief and loneliness, emptiness and agony, Vepar craved these warmer things and wasn't ashamed to admit it.

"Here." At the end of the first tunnel, he stepped down, then offered Vox his hand for the stairs, as the room was darkened--but it wasn't a room, not properly. Because the moment Vox stepped down there with him, the two of them were standing on the sea floor. They could breathe, they could speak, they weren't even wet, but all the same, it felt real. "You may swim if you wish, it is perfectly safe," the Goetia added, looking up with pride.

Above them, they could see moonlight and starlight shimmering on the surface--but all around them? There were shadows. Sharks. Graceful in their endless movement, shadows above them, ghosts passing beside them.

"They can bite you," he cautioned. "Just as we can interact with them, they can interact with us. But until they are given reason not to be, they are gentle creatures." He reached a hand out, and a hammerhead who seemed to recognize him came racing up, turning at the last moment to brush her entire body along the Goetia's talons, clearly enjoying it. She came back around to do it again and again, and eyed Vox curiously.

"This is the first of the shark tanks," Vepar explained. "And this is Heloise. She has a scar there, near her tail; humans tried to kill her. And in the moment she realized she was about to die, she fought it. So many animals do not. They have the instinct to live, but it is not the same thing as a fear of death, not always. She wanted to live. So, I offered to bring her here." He kissed her face gently, and when a heavy bull shark swam up and nudged his shoulder, he turned to pet and scritch at that one as well. "All of these sharks were rescued from one fate or another. Enjoy them. And forgive me, please, for going on at such length; we needn't talk, you are welcome to simply enjoy their beauty." He swam up a little bit off the bottom, floating there comfortably--happy. He had just spoken far too much, sharing more about himself than he ever really did, but Vepar was practically gleaming with delight.

"Pet them, scratch lightly at them, but please do not hurt them. They are alive--and quite friendly. Darling, darling, no," he said, and clicked his tongue at one who was experimentally trying to nom on Vox's jacket. The shark seemed to understand, because it let go and veered away--only to be replaced by another curious one, who seemed fascinated by the Overlord's screen.

It's kind of funny that Vepar had sent an invitation, because the thing was Vox had long ago determined he was going to be present at the opening ceremonies regardless of whether he received one or not. (As far as he was concerned, it was his goddamn right, if this place was intending to upstage Vee Tower for largest aquarium in the city.) He'd blocked off the entire evening the moment it was announced, and then the afternoon too after some thought—just to be safe. If it hadn't been open to sinners (unlikely, given the location, but not impossible) Vox would've found a way in through their security system; maybe a small drone if nothing else.

The point being that there was very little Vepar could've done to keep Vox out. (At least in Vox's opinion.)

The invitation, then, is a bit of a surprise; the sort that had him spitting out his morning iced coffee on some less important reports. He has no doubt that the note is real, of course; he has people to vet these sorts of things. A fake one would've never crossed his desk. It's more the nature of it at all—a private showing before the grand exhibition is an unusually generous offer, especially from someone he's never personally met. He's learned to be suspicious of such things—after all, his own generous offers usually have expectations attached.

Of course, he's still going to cancel all of his evening appointments in record time, because this is the most interesting thing to happen to him all year. That, and sinners—even the most powerful among them—generally did not want to refuse the requests of a Goetia.

Also, sharks.

Vox considers the contents of the short message as the driver skillfully navigates the streets of other Overlords' districts. It's the tone that most intrigues him; though he knows better to start making assumptions before he's met the man, it at least doesn't reek of the pompousness he's encountered with some other Goetia.

As they pull up to the main entrance, Vox catches a glimpse of a lithe avian figure almost silhouetted in the lights outside the aquarium. There could be no mistaking him; the businessman had taken the time to review what public information he could find about the Duke prior to leaving.

By the time the door opens, Vox has selected a suitably reserved but genuine smile, speaking without hesitation as he steps out of the back.

"Duke Vepar, I presume? It's lovely to meet you; thank you for your generous invitation. I've had my eye on this place since it was announced and let me tell you—I've been waiting with baited breath for it to open."

"You haven't? That's too bad. Cause I don't even know you," Blitz stretched, getting comfortable, "but I'd probably put you on a list. Hot chair guy, something like that." The imp was tired, his body pleasantly limp after an absurdly long and hard day, and draping himself over someone felt incredible. Granted, draping himself over an absolute stranger who may or may not want him there was questionable at best, but it sure felt nice.

Choosing not to worry about it, Blitz closed his eyes and leaned his head back over the man's shoulder, tucking his horns in comfortably against his back.

"So. If we're gonna cuddle," as if it wasn't all Blitz's ridiculous doing, "you gonna tell me your name? Mine's Blitz--the O is silent."

@doublejango

"Means you might be a little sus," Blitz said, hopping directly into the guy's lap, "but someone thinks you're fucking doable."

"Luckily I haven't seen my name anywhere, yet." He chuckles watching as the imp climbed on his lap. It did kind of catch him off guard though he didn't object.