I saw somebody write “They told us ‘you’ll get conservative as you get older’ and what they didn’t realize they meant was ‘you get more selfish as you get richer [which is true, there are studies]’ but what they didn’t count on is that no one gets rich any more”
Ok actually genuine tip for new tumblr users: if you see a post you like and want to reblog but theres a bad/annoying added on bit in the reblog chain feel free to just reblog that post straight from op or the last person who knew how to mind their business
I have played in LARP games where there was a safe word both to pause the game itself, and to call for help and have it be understood that you meant it out of game, rather than in-game.
I have played in LARP games on city streets where, because real world cries for help would be understood literally by those uninvolved, we had in-game codes for calling for authorities to assist in-game. Those games still had codes for making gameplay itself stop, and making it clear that real life assistance was needed.
ANY time it’s possible plain language might not be heeded or properly understood, having another layer for clarity is a useful idea.
This is pretty common in any kind of improv theater which has what we call “street work,” like a Ren Faire. Because you’re playing out scenes which may involve emulating distress, you need a way to say “there’s a real problem.” Thus, the ren faires I’ve been at use “in faith” and “in sooth.”
“In faith, there’s trouble brewing between X and Y!” = X and Y are play-fighting and doing a scene!
“In sooth, X and Y are fighting!” = No, really, the actors are really throwing down, help for real!
Anytime situations like this might occur, whether it’s in TTRPGs, BDSM, or improv theater, you need ways to say “no, this is real.”
The Renaissance Festival I work at has a code word where if a cast member needs to request assistance from another cast member while in front of patrons they ask for Captain Peabody. Captain Peabody is not an actual character at the Faire & just exists as a code word.
Love it!
Not entirely the same thing (tangentially related) but “Captain Peabody” reminded me that here in the UK we have a scheme called “Ask for Angela” whereby if you feel unsafe in a bar/club/venue you can ask them to “get angela” and staff will then assist by finding your friends, arranging a taxi, getting security staff, or calling police (whichever is needed)
