frequently asked questions
- What is Marvel College AU?
This group focuses on Marvel characters meeting in an Alternate Universe while attending University. Before they were heroes, before they were villains, they had to learn. The Alternate Universe definition means that you may take a marvel character and completely change it to suit your style. - Why should I join Marvel College AU?
We are a very close group, which is run by Moderators who also participate in play, so there is no sense of neglect from the Moderators. We have been active for almost a year, and we are still gaining new members each week. There are a wide variety of characters to interact with, both canon and OCs, and with the wide spread of writers there are many people to interact with no matter what your time zone. - How can I apply?
We have a page dedicated to helping you create your character and applying to the Marvel College AU, which can be found here: "how to apply". - How can I find out if my desired character is available?
You can DM us at the Moderator account @College_AU and ask, or you can also check here: https://twitter.com/College_AU/college-au-list/members which is always immediately updated. - Why do you only accept one of each character?
We like to keep it as an exclusive group, without an interacting outside of those in the #CollegeAU. For example, if Loki was attacked by the Hulk outside of the AU, then came to interact with others, it would cause confusion with our Hulk within the AU. - I'm not ready to make my account just yet, can I reserve an available character?
Of course. We understand that some characters may be more popular than others. Just DM us at the Moderator account and ask us to reserve the character. We will post a tweet stating this to prevent others from applying for the same characters. - A previously taken character just became available, how soon can I apply for the character?
It varies for each character, depending on the previous writer's length of time within the group. Obviously a great deal of people within the group with the previous character and may wish to adapt any SLs or react to the character leaving with their characters, and we like to allow them time to do this. We like to allow a minimum of 2-3 weeks. - Can I join the group with an existing character?
Yes. Though we would like for the character to be exclusive to the AU. If your character has begun their story elsewhere and wants to join the Marvel college we welcome your backstory to be included in the application twitlonger, however, we must insist that this is either "revamped" account exclusively for the AU or that you create a separate account for this. - Can I join the group with an OC?
Of course. You apply exactly the same way. Your character can either be a human, mutant, god, anything you choose. If your character is a relative of a Marvel character, for example, a sibling or child of a popular Marvel character, we ask that you do consider the character might be a student in the College. If this is the case, come to us and discuss your idea and we will get in touch with the character to see if they are open to this. - How many characters can I play in the group?
We accept a maximum of three characters per writer, to ensure that characters aren't created and neglected in favour of others. We know this is a small amount of characters compared to what some are used to, but based on experiences we feel this is a good number. - What should I put in my short bio?
A short description of your character and what they are studying. When the account has been accepted we will ask you to include #CollegeAU to the bio to distinguish the account for those outside the group. At a later time when connections have been made, you can include others UNs in your bio if they have a relationship. - What should I write in my full (twitlonger) bio?
In this bio you tell us everything that makes the character AU - for example, a mutant character in the Marvel universe doesn't necessarily have to have their powers in this group. Tony Stark does not have his Iron Man suit, but is an engineering genius. You can also tell details of birthdays, origins, family, personality - as much information as you're willing to give, but we do ask you put some detail into it as Moderators make their acceptance decisions based on these biographies. - Do I have to use the Marvel Cinematic Universe face claim?
No. Your choice of face claim is yours alone, but we do suggest that you consult the character list first and try not to use a face claim that is already being used to avoid confusion. - How do I contact the Moderators?
We can be contacted in several ways. We collectively check the account of @College_AU several times a day. We will always aim to get back to you within 12 hours minimum, to allow for time zones. There is also a Contact Us page through the website you can use. If you want to contact us with a longer length query, you can email us at [email protected] - My character's information doesn't appear on the website yet, when will this be done?
We update the website 2-3 times a week with new characters, usually at the weekend. If you are concerned that your information isn't showing, please DM us and we will update this as soon as possible. - I want to change my character's details on the website, how can I do this?
If the information showing is wrong, or you'd like to update your bio or avatar, please DM us and we will do this. We do routinely update this information every few weeks, and attempt to make sure all information is correct. - I'm having trouble arranging RP within the group, what can I do?
Our first and foremost recommendation is the power of DMs. We understand that many new members can find a TL so active rather intimidating, and with many of our members interacting in #4WT outside of closed scenes, it can either be seen as easy or difficult to integrate into the TL. If you find it difficult to get into the swing of the RP, please feel free to DM any of the characters if you'd like to set up a scene with them. We assure you that all of our members are very friendly and approachable, and all are willing to help a new member get started. You can also try posting an #OpenStarter for others to join in, or reply to others who have posted the same. We pride this group on being very accepting and open, so please do not hesitate to approach any character on the TL. - I'm having difficulties with another member of the group, what should I do?
In all scenarios we will encourage private reconciliation between the writers in the instance of a dispute. Nobody likes to see conflict on the TL and we certainly do not wish for others to get involved in chaos which does not concern them. If you have a disagreement with another writer, please deal with this in DMs to come to an understanding and do not post airtweets or derogatory OOC comments on the TL. If we see any insulting or unkind comments posted in a malicious manner, we will take action against this. If you cannot find a resolution, please bring your matter to the Moderators and we can aid with a solution. For further information, please check out the #UnfollowingRule on our rules page. - I'm having a busy time away from RP or on other RP accounts, can I put my character on hiatus?
Of course. Just let us now that your character is on hiatus and we will ensure that your character is not suspended for inactivity. It's also a good idea to post a tweet from your character explaining your hiatus so that others are aware. - What is a #4WT?
"The fourth wall" is an expression stemming from the world of theater. In most modern theater design, a room will consist of three physical walls, as well as a an imaginary fourth that serves to separate the world of the characters from that of the audience. In fiction, "breaking the fourth wall" often means having a character become aware of their fictional nature. Many group members choose to use a #4WT or "fourth wall tweet" as a means of commenting on TL scenes which they are not directly involved in. It's also a great way of interacting in a large group when mentioning others directly is not possible. - I've decided I want to leave the group, how do I do this?
If you wish to leave the group for whatever reasons, please contact the moderator account @College_AU in the first instance. If it is due to a dispute or discomfort in the group, we will do what we can to help rectify the issue with the persons involved, though if it is a firm decision then we will respect your freedom to leave the group. Do not just tweet a leaving statement and hope that it is seen. Contact the Moderators first, then post it. We will then RT it and make the announcement of "[@/username/ has chosen to leave the group". This will allow others to be informed. Do not make any amendments to your account until 24 hours after leaving the group, otherwise we will not be able to trace your account to remove it.