Betji's Guide to Making Friends and Not Disinfluencing People on Rubi-Ka
Rubi-Ka can be a great place once you have friends, but how DO you make friends? More than one acquaintance has demoaned their inability to make friends, meet people, and develop a comfortable social circle. I would like to offer this advice to those people who enjoy having a distinct personality, yet wish also to have a pleasant and comfortable circle of friends.
The first rule is patience. You can't make friends overnight. Pick a place to hang out, and be persistent, on and off, for a week or two. If nothing works, try another locale for a couple weeks. Rompa's (especially) and Baboon's (sometimes) in Omni Entertainment, The Cup in West Athen, The Happy Rebel in Tir, and of course Reet's Retreat in Last Ditch on Stret Upper West Bank are the classic hangout points. More detailed guides can be found if you look around.
The second rule is to be quietly friendly. Don't bounce around like a demented Reet jacked to its tailfeathers on stims. Stand or sit, smile, compliment people on their nice clothes, impressive armor, powerful weaponry, professional accomplishments, or whatever. If you've read news or stories about them, mention how famous they are. Social type people on Rubi-Ka like to be noticed, so give them a little! Take an interest in them, rather than yammering about yourself.
The third rule is to present the nicest and best part of your personality to others first. If you've got dark hidden secrets, festering angst, manic or suicidal tendancies, etc., please keep them in check. Let others discover your evil secrets later, once you make friends. If you start with the dark side, don't expect to make many friends in the first place!
Some people on Rubi-Ka live for politics. The constant tension between omni and clan is lifeblood to them. These people want to air their viewpoints, so be prepared to listen. If your views differ, you might discover in them an arch-rival or nemesis with whom you can develop some great running antagonisms ((a few OOC tells to establish this is recommended, though)). Remember that omnis compete and fight among themselves at least as much as they fight against the clans. Meanwhile, neutrals and clans are split between aggressively hostile organizations (Desert Winds, for example) and defensive 'live and let live' groups (such as Valor Eternal).
Other people on Rubi-Ka are non-political, sometimes to the point of seeking friends and companionship regardless of political affiliation. These can lead to many wonderful and interesting affairs as you travel in supposedly hostile circles. I have very much enjoyed putting people first and politics last. It has allowed me many good friends and interesting situations that I'd have missed otherwise. One of my the most memorable was leading an Omni team alongside Braedon's Valor Eternal clan team in search of a mutual friend stranded without insurance, arms or armor in the middle of Mort. It was quite gratifying to see traditional arch-enemies briefly assembled to work together.
If you have strong romantic or sexual desires, please be discrete and non-confrontational about them. Do NOT assume that sexy or scandalous dress necessarily means availability. Mores are different on Rubi-Ka. Lots of women and more than a few men end up dancing semi-nude at Reets. They want to be noticed and admired, yes. Do they want crude advances from strangers, almost certainly no. Even the rauchiest, most overcharged sexual maniacs I know prefer a gentle, gracious approach. No matter how hot someone feels, how immediately needy they are, they don't want to hear, "Heya, sexy thing, wanna f**k?"
I have noticed a remarkable proportion of people on Rubi-Ka think that it would be interesting, exciting and cool to have an evil, de****able, unattractive personality. Well, it's really very easy to gain antipathy and hatred. Just act like an insulting boor. No skill or sophistication is required, but all you'll collect is a lot of ignores and dirty looks. A far greater challenge is to develop an interesting character that people want to know more about, rather than keep at arms length. Being someone who is "interesting," that people want to learn more about, is the real challenge. And you're on Rubi-Ka because you enjoy a challenge, right?
It is my practice to always take people on Rubi-Ka at face value, and to never inquire too closely about the age or gender of the spirit that guides them. For example, whenever I begin to speculate about whether the guiding spirit of a certain person is actually male or female, my ladylove Blackpetal gently asks, "Does it really matter?" Of course, she's absolutely right... it really doesn't matter. What counts is who a person is on Rubi-Ka. That is the true wonder and joy of life on this planet, and all the similar worlds in this wonderful, wacky, and ever-changing galaxy we call home.
- Betji
freelance atlantean omni agent
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