“Lafayette had red hair and a long nose.” (Lafayette by Joann A. Grote)

“Gilbert was tall and had red hair.” (Marquis de Lafayette: French Hero of the American Revolution By Gregory Payan)

“At this period of his life, the Marquis de Lafayette was a noble looking man, notwithstanding his deep red hair. His forehead, though receding, was fine, his eye clear hazel, and his mouth and chin delicately formed; exhibiting beauty rather than strength.” (Complete History of M. de Lafayette in the American Revolution by an Officer in the Late Army.1858)

“Lafayette stood out in a crowd. He was tall and bony with green eyes. ‘Pale, lanky, red-haired, with a pointed nose and receding forehead,’ added biographer Vincent Cronin, ‘he looked less like an officer than a wading bird. Nor was he a shining courtier, being slow to speak and awkward.’”(Lafayette: Hero of Two Worlds by Jim Powell)

“The young French nobleman was tall and slim, with a pale, oval face and thin, reddish-brown hair that receded sharply at the temples. His nose was long and slightly upturned, his mouth short but full-lipped.” (Washington: A Life By Ron Chernow)

“America’s great friend, Lafayette, was in his school days ‘the big boy with red hair.’ (Methodist Review, Volume 103)

“The tall young man of twenty-four who emerged from the post chaise, with his broad shoulders, his great beak of a nose and his reddish hair, was no Prince Charming, but the crowd had not expected that he would be as pretty as a porcelain doll. In his uniform of an American Major General, Lafayette was an impressive, a soldierly figure. “(Madame de Lafayette)

“At Versailles, even Lafayette’s rugged appearance counted against him. The young marquis was large for his time: five feet, nine inches tall and endowed with a broad frame that one contemporary described as “decidedly inclined to embonpoint.” In other words, he tended to be stout. As Lafayette grew older, his bold features would be called distinguished, but as a youth he was not widely perceived as handsome. He had a long, oval face with a prominent aquiline nose, gray-blue eyes that peered out from a pale complexion, and a shock of unfashionably red hair atop a high, sloping forehead. Friends and admirers saw Lafayette’s open and frank expression as a window to his soul, but this transparent credulity placed him at a disadvantage in the dissimulating games of intrigue that passed for sociability at Versailles.” (Lafayette Reconsidered by Laura Auricchio)

“I didn’t understand a word of that.”

“Are you stupid or do you not speak ____?”

“How do you say ____?”

“What are they talking about over there?”

“Was that a curse?”

“I didn’t understand a word of that, but it sounded bad.”

“Why are you smiling? What did you/they just say?”

“Don’t try to trick me into insulting people again. I’ve still got a bruise from last time.”

“Why is your language so hard?”

“You have no idea what I’m saying, do you?”

“Speaking slower doesn’t help when I don’t understand the words coming from your lips.”

“I know enough of your language to not starve. That’s it.”

“Will you help me translate this?”

“They’re laughing. That can’t be good.”

“Hey, I know that word!”

“You said my name. Are you talking about me behind my back again?”

“I just called you something stupid, didn’t I?”

“Are you trying to get someone to punch you?”

“Put your hands down before you get us in trouble.”

“That gesture doesn’t mean what you think it does.”

“Your manners are atrocious.”

“I can’t tell if you’re rude or just ignorant.”

“Only a three-year old would talk like that.”

“Where did you learn to speak ___? In a gutter? You sound like a hooligan.”

“If you spoke any more formally, I might mistake you for royalty. You need to learn some slang.”

“No one says things that way anymore.”

“Just close your mouth. It’s safer.”

“I’ll translate for you.”

“I’m sorry, I’m a bit rusty.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll teach you.”

“I love sharing my language with people.”

Something I’ve noticed in the RP community is that we expect our RP partners to be writing machines. We expect them to churn out a reply almost immediately after we post ours, be on when we are, always send us memes, et cetera. Here’s the thing: our RP partners are not machines. They are human beings who need to be respected for more than their ability to write. Other than the usual “your RP partners may not feel like replying at the moment,” here are some things to respect them for, and remember when you’re RPing:

Respect that your RP partner may be in school.

Respect that your RP partner may be employed.

Respect that your RP partner may have at least one physical illness.

Respect that your RP partner may have at least one mental illness.

Respect that your RP partner may have friends outside of tumblr.

Respect that your RP partner may have a family outside of tumblr.

Respect that your RP partner may be a parent.

Respect that your RP partner may have hobbies outside of tumblr.

Respect that your RP partner may have religious obligations.

Respect that your RP partner may not always have internet, or computer access.

Respect that your RP partner may be going through a difficult life situation.

Respect that your RP partner does not have to disclose everything happening in their personal life to you.

Too often, it’s easy to say “no one RPs with me” or “no one ships with me” or “no one sends me anything” without considering any of the above, or even more circumstances your RP partner(s) may be dealing with. Too often, it’s easy to say one of those things, and not consider how the other person feels when reading it. Someone dealing with at least one of these circumstances can feel guilty for not replying right away, sending something, et cetera, or feel like they have to once they see their partner is unhappy. 

I know I do when I see things like that on my dash.

When you start feeling guilty for not doing something that is part of your hobby, or feeling like you have to do something that is supposed to be fun, it stops being fun. It feels like a job. I know when I feel obligated to do a reply for a person, I drag my feet. I do not feel excited about the RP as much anymore. Even if they say, “Sure, I’ll wait,” I see them post elsewhere that no one sends them things, or no one RPs with them. The guilt turns on. I feel like I have to reply. It’s a passive-aggressive tactic that a person may not even be aware that they’re doing. No matter what, though, it needs to stop.

All in all, we need to show more kindness and patience towards our RP partners. The best relationships I have on this website are the ones where we treat each other with not only that, but with mutual respect. We also communicate regularly, and tell each other if we need to hold onto replies. I feel relieved knowing I can go to my RP partners, and tell them to hold onto my replies because I’m not feeling well, and I don’t know when I will be. It is an amazing feeling. We need more of that on this website, and less expecting one another to be robots.

we attack the redoubts at nightfall.