if the sun will rise even one more time

the protector 

“Get behind me.”

“I’ll fight them off.”

“I won’t let them touch you.”

“They hurt you, didn’t they?”

“Hold onto me, it’s not safe here.”

“Stay there, I’m coming to get you.”

“If you want to live, you’ll let them go.”

“I’ll kill them if they lay a hand on you.”

“Here, grab onto me, I’ll carry you out.”

What were you thinking, running off like that?”

“I get it, you’re brave. But, don’t do that, again.”

“If they want to hurt you, they’ll have to go through me.”

“What made you think you could protect yourself here?”

the protected 

“You… you saved me.”

“I didn’t need protection.”

“You were hurt… saving me.”

“They’re trying to kill me, help!”

“You could have been killed saving me.”

“I could’ve handled it myself, you know.”

“I don’t like it here. Can I stay behind you?”

“Oh my god… I didn’t think you would come.”

“They want to hurt me. Please, don’t let them!”

“Please, just leave me behind. They only want me.”

“You’re going to get yourself killed rushing in for me like that.”

We all get worn down by life and often we turn to RP for rejuvenation. But more than once I've seen people on here that find themselves burnt out on the RP community itself. With nearly 20 years of role playing under my belt, I thought I'd share some of my favourite self-care tricks.

Block people. You don't have to explain yourself and 'weird vibes' is a legitimate reason. You deserve to feel safe and unbothered in your hobby space, and RP is based on consent. Just like with any recreational activity, you can withdraw your consent at any time and no is a complete sentence.

Turn off anon. This prevents anonymous harassment and gives you great insight into who to block or report if you get non-anonymous harassment.

Drop threads. I know RP etiquette suggests you need to tell your RP partner when and why, and sure, if they ask politely you can give it a go - just know that a pre-written variant of 'not feeling it' is good enough. In my humble opinion, I think dropping boring or vexing threads is everyone's prerogative and doesn't require explanation. Again, no is a complete sentence.

Talk it out. If you like the thread but things took a turn you didn't like, it's time to bring the RP into the workshop. Something like 'Hey I really like our RP so far but I'm losing my spark, can we talk about course correcting where the plot is going?'

Make clear rules and revise them frequently. I'd also advise against spending said rules excusing or explaining why you don't like or want a certain thing - I cannot stress enough how your preferences are not up for debate.

Get comfy chasing. A lot of RP is about inviting others to play over and over and over. Rejection is a part of it. See if you can't find some element of self-care in it - taking rejection well is a great skill to practice in such a low stake environment.

Notice and celebrate the good stuff, instead of digging holes about the bad. Tell your co-players how great they are. Marvel at all the hard work you put into your muses and graphics. Admire your own blog.

Stop. Take a break. Check in with yourself. Do you actually need to face something in IRL? Do you need to rest? A snickers? A walk? Don't bother with posts á la 'offline for the day' - leave your options open to reduce guilt or shame if you want to poke your head back in.

meanwhile chiasa:

"Ah, fascinating!" Adric replies, kneeling down and carefully offering his hand to Kachi "almost reminds me of myself, at least in terms of origin."