Seriously.  This was the funniest fail of… at least a few years now.

Most of you know that I’m a teacher.  I teach 5th grade – 10 year old little twits.  I adore it and them.  Don’t get me wrong, but we all know 10 year olds are twits.

So…

This year’s group has been a rowdy bunch.   Lots of ADHD  and more than a few others issues.  They hated each other at the start of the year.  Constantly were bickering, tattling, bitching, whining, complaining, and backstabbing each other.  It wasn’t fun.

I decided to take matters into my own hands.  I taught them how to deal with their own issues.  We’ve worked hard at building unity and that class is now one of the most cohesive I’ve ever taught.

Go me.  Success.

Sort of?

Today, it backfired on me horrendously.

The kids have had issues with their PE teacher for some time.  Issues I understand.  He’s a bit of a power-tripper, has his favorites (including his son, who’s in my class) and tends to pick on certain kids all the time while others get away with bloody murder.

They whined, bitched, complained… and finally wrote a letter to the principal, asking for a meeting.  They got it.  He, myself, the kids, and the principal all sat down and hashed out a plan that all of us agreed would work well.

It did.

For a week.

Then he rescinded the plan and reverted back to his typical behavior.  I kept telling the kids to just wait it out, he’d go back when he saw that it wasn’t working the old way.  He didn’t.

So… all that to explain what happened today.

They all, together, unified to the last child (including his own son) walked out on him.  The just up and walked out.

*groans*

I got called up to the office and actually asked: “Why are you teaching these kids to solve their own problems?”

o.O

It’s a life skill.

I want you guys to know, I love this player-base.

Thanks for the immediate feedback.  It made my night last night to see how people felt, and the openness and honesty with which you guys responded has helped greatly.  I promise, your views and opinions will be taken into account.  Given the fact that we aren’t all in agreement, we may not all get exactly what we want (me included!) but I know we’ll roll on.  You’re too good of players not to.

I’m working with the other staff to plan a few new twists that’ll tie in to the Queen’s death, of course.    There ought to be a bit more religious tie in with this one.  I’ll leave you pondering that

Also, there’s a “new” building next to the fountain.  To explain, since some of you get so tense about new buildings in old areas: It isn’t new.  It’s been there for a long time ICly, okay?  It’s just never been a matter of importance to most people, before.  You should find out tonight what that’s all about.

Finally, if you have ideas you think would make good plots for a group, or several groups, or the whole pbase together, please feel free to email me.  They might be implemented, they might not, depending on practicality and time demands, but I promise they’ll be read over.

I’ve noticed a trend.  I post here when I am frustrated and losing my mind and need to vent.  It’s so helpful.  But it also isn’t, because I’m starting to realize that all you guys see of me is the bitchy cat-plant, and there’s so much more than I reveal.

So, apologies, and I’ll try to be a bit more positive for awhile.  Life’s been chaotic – if that’s an excuse.

Anyway…

It’s been a month since the ball, two weeks since the events with the Scarlet Touch, and a little over a week since the fires in the slums.   I’ve seen some of you really trying hard to figure out this puzzle.  You’re working together, you’re fighting through uncomfortable if not overwhelming setbacks (plague and martial law, anyone?)  You’re doing a terrific job both OOCly and ICly.  It’s fantastic to see.  Yeah, we’ve still got our complainers, and I’m in over my head with one, but for the most part I am absolutely thrilled.  Keep it up guys.  You’re closer to beating this thing than you think.

There’s the encouragement.

Now for a handful of questions:

It’s time for another mini event.  I’ve a couple of ideas in mind, a couple of ways things could go.  Maybe I’ll manage a couple – I do have a long weekend coming up.

What I’d like though, is complete honesty one more time.   So if you could, post a comment answering these questions for me.  Names are helpful, if I need to follow up with questions regarding your posts, of course.  Nobody’s going to get slapped.

1. Are you having fun the plague RP still?  Is it adding to your characters and your enjoyment of the game, or are you in the camp of: let’s just end this already!  Do you want to be involved in ’saving the world’?
2. Are you interested in seeing a player-run world, where the new monarch, whoever they are, is managed by a player? Many of the larger games do this.  It’s a lot of responsibility, but it’s also a lot of power.   We as staff are seriously considering it, rather than our typical NPC monarch routine, especially since it was a player who took it on themselves to end the current regime.  Or, would you rather leave things as they are, and have us stick with status quo?  (Keep in mind, this doesn’t necessarily mean a currently active PC, although it could be.   It could also be a new character altogether, someone who exists in the background of Seahaven and is only just coming forward into play.  I have a whole list of these types of characters started.)
3. Are you interested in religious RP?  Do the goings on of the Gods intrigue you and your character?  Are you into heresy RP (either side of the matter)? Would you like to see more of the major churches, the major good / bad forces, etc?
4. Based on some recent conversations, I’m going to add this, last question.  Are you tired of being involved?  Do you feel as if the plots are singling you out, somehow?  Are you being picked on or ignored?  Would you rather be ignored?

I think that covers it… I think.  Feel free to add other comments as well, especially if you think I missed something.

I might post more later when I’m not brain dead from dealing with a bunch of 10-year-olds for hours.

I’m extremely torn.  Personally, I thought the little event yesterday was a success.  A lot of people came out, some very crucial decisions have been made ICly, and it seemed like a lot of fun was had by those who were there.  (A huge thanks to those of you who got up hours early or stayed up hours late just to be able to attend!)  Feedback was, for the most part, positive.  However, it seems a few of you are insisting on stirring up trouble with those of us who are enjoying the game.

Why?  What do you get out of ruining everyone else’s fun by snide comments in your titles, by bitchy tells, or refusing to log in until an event ‘you hate’ is over entirely?    If you don’t want to log in, fine.  Don’t log in. But don’t you dare start trying to stir up the rest of the players who are having fun through OOCly ruining their efforts or ours. I’m soft.  Yes.  I love the pbase and would do just about anything for y’all, including staying up WAY past my bedtime on a regular basis to ensure that the game runs smoothly, but here’s your warning:  If you deliberately cause strife and attempt to ruin things OOCly for other people, you won’t be playing for long.

We all know that the actions we take ICly have an effect on our characters.  Sometimes we don’t like the results… but everything that’s being done in these plots is building up to something big, something potentially fantastic for everyone.  We know what we’re doing.  We work hard to keep you on your toes.  Would you truly rather go back to sitting in taverns day in, day out, with nothing to do but gossip and bitch at each other?

That said, thanks again to all of you who came out last night and had fun.  I did too.

Another mini-event this weekend.  Let me know the best days/times for you all.

I’ve been busy getting things done, but it’s been ages since I’ve actually reported any of it.

Crafting has, unfortunately, taken a back seat for the time being, as I’m inundated by work and planning things within the game.  It’ll be back on track as soon as I possibly can.

However, I’ve done a few things here and there.

1)  The ball – as you saw posted on the forums, (I hope).  If not, here’s the log of part of that little event.

2)  I cleaned up, moved around, and organized the Watch forums.  If you’re a player of a watchman, hopefully you’ll find them simpler to use and find information on, now.  If you don’t play a watchman… you don’t get to read them.  Hah!

3)  I’m currently working on a mini-event to bring the events of the ball into focus.  Hopefully you guys can be there tonight.  If not, logs will be posted and you can, of course, find out ICly from the people who do attend.  If all goes well tonight, expect more of them, quite regularly, in the future.