i've got a lot, so let's go
+ a feeling that happened last year for one character of mine, that's now recently returned with two other characters of mine, but figuring out an arc's "ending point". it's not necessarily restricted to rp alone, but storytelling in general, but it's just... really hecking nice to look at a character and realize "oh, this is where you're meant to end up". it's cozy as a feeling, and just makes me feel content, ig, even if there is a VERY strong possibility that either a) that ending won't be reached due to the fundamental nature of rp, or b) that it won't 100% 1_by-1 fit what you originally had in mind, you still have something you want everything to lead to. as someone who writes her characters on the idea of arcs, usually filled with them taking Ls upon Ls, making tough decisions, being difficult people who have to interrogate that fact, and having to fight bitterly through circumstance, conflict, or even themselves — i love the feeling of knowing where i want it all to lead to. makes the effort and work put into things so much more worth it.
+ seeing other people who are similarly passionate about their stuff. i love being a spectator honestly, and i do love using my characters and my plot ideas to help nudge or bring people's narratives to the directions they want to go. i love seeing enthusiasm, and i love seeing people talk about their characters, material, memes, etc. these past few months rlly did cement that too. writing should be fun, rp should be fun, do all the dumb shit you wanna do with 'em and your ocs and i'll cheer like hell.
+ in addition to the above, building a bigger narrative together. i think that's honestly the biggest thing about rp: we play these roles and characters with other people who do the same, using language to build scenes that grow into mini-stories that grow into bigger stories that we're invested in, so much so that we keep writing and making them and making the same characters in different settings or making new ones in different settings, even though we know it's likely to be shortlived and brief, and something that is inherently private / personal to ourselves because the only audience to see this work is ourselves and the immediate people in the same circle, and a lot of people talk about these characters with the same amount of interest as an actual fanbase for an actual piece of media. that's like, legitimately so cool? art is cool. the work and labour people put into rp is cool. and the fact it is fundamentally a communal effort is so much cooler because you aren't just writing the story you want for yourself, but the story you and other people want together, because they are making the active choice to engage and write with you. that's kinda incredible, tbh.
+ less sentimental and pretentious but: embracing absurdity. i love funny threads, ridiculous dynamics, silly moments, and dumb internal monologues. it comes so much snappier to me, and it sparks so much joy.
+ just seeing shit through. few things are as satisfying as finally getting a plot you've planned out for months reach its endpoint, or a ship finally get together, or an arc get finished, or a scene finally occur. for me, this goes especially harder when its seeing other people achieve things they've talked about so long. like, hell, man, i'm happy for you! get that bread!
+ seeing and/or receiving reactions to threads and plots from people who aren't directly part of them. one memory that sticks out to me, constantly, is getting a message from someone who wasn't even part of the forum i was in, telling me they've read my characters' threads and were so hooked and wanted to participate in whatever comes next that it made them want to join too. that's a near incomparable feeling, imo. but it's also just really nice to hear server responses to things like big plot points, reveals, or even just specific quotes ppl liked. reactions to something concrete — whether emotional, critical, or praise — just feels hella good.
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