#OOC;;

[biff-adventurer]

roleplay tips: characterization

so it's come to my attention that there's a misunderstanding on what "characterization" actually is. we all know what the phrase implies: we make sure we know why characters do what they do, be it an immediate influence or one from the distant past, as well as the beliefs they hold and the personality traits they display.

however, i've seen people have trouble actually executing the character traits they want to the detriment of themselves and others. this post is meant to clarify the execution of characterization in the context of spontaneous roleplay.

i'll take biff as an example just so no one else feels self-conscious. so biff, poster boy wol, himbo, literal meme incarnate (born from the little comic that goes: i wonder what the wol is doing? while wol is bouncing on the egg mount in the background), hero of eorzea blah blah.

what did i want for this character?

thematic cores: love, adventure. what kind of love? love in all directions; what does it mean to love so fully and so easily? what does it mean to have unfettered compassion for the problems of others? life is an adventure, and i want to see the world. i am full of endless curiosity, i am excited to find all that life has to offer. wherever i go, i love and i learn. because i love you, i will do everything in my power to bring you ease and happiness. (i want to be loved. i want to be worthy. do i matter? i'm sorry. i'm trying my best.)

personality traits: passionate to the extreme, whether it be joy, sorrow, anger, fear, guilt, etc etc. not book smart, but heart smart (he has to be able to make friends somehow). self-effacing, to a fault. temper problems. an insecurity driven need to always be useful to the people he loves, or else he will be irrelevant and forgotten. a strong sense of justice. incredibly stubborn. untrusting toward those he loves, and too trusting of strangers. impressionable. very emotionally sensitive, and wears his heart on his sleeve. pretty standard hero character stuff, anyway.

how do i enact this in roleplay?

spontaneous roleplay often puts roleplayers in situations where they have to make quick decisions while they respond to the simuli around them. since we want to be expedient for the sake of others, it can be hard to see what shape your choices take in the long run.

to deal with this, i look at my character's internal emotional reaction first. then, i go on to consider what possible dialogue choices i have to work with, and what trait each would show about my character. since the telltale games were very popular when i was a younger rper, i tend to map out my characters' responses as though they are part of a telltale storyline.

Biff's Husband: “You have such a soft, tender heart. I love every inch of you.”

the options i can consider here:

"Even the dangly bits?" eyebrow waggle (flirty)

"Yer always so kind to me, husband." (low self-esteem)

"I can't help it. I know how it feels to be a stray." (empathetic)

"And your wisdom protects it valiantly." (grateful)

"I wish I could see it the way you do." (frustrated)

the action or dialogue i choose depends on how i want the RP to go, or what tone we established earlier, or what kind of plots we've agreed to cover. from the above, i chose option 3 because it extends to a greater conversation about feelings and motivations. it lets in the other character while also giving biff a chance to talk about himself in a way that invites someone else to share something vulnerable.

obviously, it demonstrates empathy. the other choices would have lead me down other roads. i usually have a flowchart in my head for how i think this will all play out.

flirty > his husband likely feels dismissed > husband frowns and elbows biff (or worse) > biff is embarrassed for trying to flirt so either he laughs it off or very sadly apologizes > if he laughs, it makes his husband feel dismissed again > suddenly our characters are in a conflict and we're tasked with ushering them out of it, which is a pain > can point toward an unwillingness to open up

low self-esteem > husband feels compelled to comfort him > biff grows upset that he's made it about himself > onus on husband to dispel the situation or let biff sulk by himself > uncomfortable for ooc and ic, and demonstrates a self-absorption trait we don't want (unless this story was originally sought out)

empathetic > husband feels invited into the conversation and shares how he feels like a stray > biff asks him to say more about that > suddenly they're having a deep conversation about their pasts > possible character development or bond deepening

grateful > husband feels appreciated and vows to continue protecting his husband > biff holds him tight > romantic sweet nothings ensue in perpetuity > fluff roleplay activate!

frustrated > husband concerned about biff's temper > biff continues to grow frustrated at his own inadequacies > roleplay turns serious in tone > suddenly i have to find a way to diffuse biff's temper or burden my rp partner with the task > can imply instability of character, which can be dangerous for character and relationship

i apologize if this all sounds very "duh, gwenny, i'm not STOOPID", but i think it's important to make explicit what often goes unsaid, for the benefit of those who can't articulate exactly what they're looking to do. i could give another example involving more conflict, but i think that might be overkill.

all the little choices in dialogue are the actions you're taking in character. not just the literal actions of whether or not you're fighting. what your character says reflects what they believe. if you want them to show up as an empathetic person, you've gotta actively choose empathy or make it obvious to others the way your character speaks that they're coming from a place of empathy. it all adds up to a bigger picture, and suddenly you've realized that you're getting the ending that you wanted, because you worked hard to get there.

obviously, you can't always know how others will receive your character. my character would be a lot louder, cartoonish and unhinged in a closed story than he typically is in roleplay venues. that's because venues are active scenes where we're dealing with other parties who want to have a good time! we don't wanna put a damper on their day unless they're expecting meatball-spicy drama. we often have to give a lot more space for others to be included than we normally would in a fic, where we establish everything on our own.

BUT, having several different choices prepares you for any future misunderstandings. you can tell them your character's motive during that period, but when you are ultimately asked to do something different because of some mistake, you have other choices and a clearer picture of how to have your character create and progress relationships in a story. and you show you are willing to work on both your character and yourself, as well as offer compromises via these other paths, in order to tailor the bond between two characters in a way both parties can agree on.

and it becomes a lot easier to own up to mistakes when you look at your character as both a person that is not you and a literary device meant to convey certain ideas. it's not a personal attack on what you believe, but rather a comment on how people feel from what you've written. that is very useful feedback, for both fics and roleplay writing.

trust me, this comes from years of making incredibly embarrassing mistakes and having to write them into character development unwittingly, because i was an idiot. so unto you i bestow these tools to avoid the shame i suffered......

[heartlightheartbright]

What are some nice things you want to say about blogs you follow?

From when I posted this, I'm guessing! I'm gonna preface this with a gentle note that this is to compliment people because they deserve it, and does not bring an obligation to interact with me. Nor is this an exhaustive list- this is just what comes to mind right now!

I adore watching @sennenpharaoh and @flamesignite interact. Their threads are stupidly wholesome and they should feel good about it!

@heartsandwishes's AU is so cool for both Xion and Vanitas! Ngl I have snuck in and reread their bios a few times, in addition to watching some of their threads with others. One of the blogs that made me decide to jump back into tumblr rp, actually!

@emptinas is just A Really Good Vanitas. Super good. Also another one that decided me on trying tumblr rp out again! I am 100% guilty of scrolling back through their blog to read their HC.

@multif0rmed already knows they're the third bog to do the same as the above, but what a good Xehanort? They handle such a wide variety of threads with so many different characters with style and finesse!

@dichotomouskey I could go feral about for hours all their stuff is great okay. Their writing style, their formatting, the background they've developed with their AU. Be still my beating heart.

@allcfme is a stellar Shadow and I very much enjoy following what they've been up to! @micsmasmuses gets a callout for this as well. Cherish that angry pinecone.

@svnbled, @veloriaharmonia, @lcstkey, @armacours are delightful KH OCs, or OCs with a KH verse in one case! Absolutely wonderful. Again I've probably spent a good few hours going through their bios just enjoying the world building (though Lex could always stop trying to break my heart, little goblin).

@electricea is so goddamn pure and wonderful, again, love reading their threads, love interacting with them OOC. Adhering to their canon cause they stealin' my heart.

@system0n is one of so many multimuses I could compliment but I wanna shout them out specifically just due to being so open and lovely. I've gotten to interact with two of their muses and I will interact with ten more if it means getting to write further threads with 'em!

@not-someones-shadow, @art-sprees-in-spare-time, @ocsareawesome and @dilutedaspirations almost feel like a package deal of enjoyment, but all of you are so original with how you approach both canon and OCs and I very much enjoy everything we do together!

And hey. I'm sleep deprived and suffering from addled insomnia brain, but if I follow you? I admire something you do! So please don't think just because my goofy ass didn't shout you out specifically that you aren't still amazing, cause all of you are.

[dis--parity]

Life Update for my 26th Birthday

Hey, y'all, sorry for the lack of responses over the past few days but it's been... hectic, as I've been recovering from work and mentally preparing for the next stage of my transition.

So, today is my 26th birthday, which is crazy enough in it's own right; I moved into my current apartment where I've since stayed and been able to properly transition when I was just 22, and when I look back, it blows me away at how much I've changed from that anxiety-ridden, constantly stressed little egg.

I'll admit that a lot of my transition has been influenced by... just an obscene amount of good luck. I was lucky enough to be referred to an accelerated GIC service and also get on a shorter waiting list for my surgery, and now my good luck has continued even further, as I found out during my physical consultation yesterday.

For reasons that are a little too TMI for me to get into here, I actually don't need electrolysis for my surgery like I would have expected, so I'm gonna be able to get my surgery... soon. Like, really soon; the earliest date I could possibly schedule in for is the 27th of March. Yes, as in this March, as in this year.

Even after a whole day, I don't think I've even fully processed the fact that I'm doing this, that I'm getting bottom surgery this year. I guess it's happening a lot faster than I've expected, sure, and it's nothing but a good thing in my eyes, don't get me wrong, I just don't think the reality has caught up to me when I spent all this time expecting a massive delay because I'd need electrolysis, and now it turns out I don't.

There's still a long way I have to go in my life and a lot I wanna sort out, but, for the first time in a while... things have been, like, consistently on the up-and-up for me over the past year. I've made so many new friends, I've found a new passion for writing and new projects, I even managed to visit my boyfriend after three and a half years of being together, and I'll cherish every single one of these experiences and memories and everyone I've met during my journey.

And I'm thankful for every single one of you who can call me your friend, or just a writing partner, and I'm happy that I get to share this journey with all of you!

Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. I'm in a good mood today! :D

[laxusthelightning]

(so... ihad to sketch the reunin in my head. and... ya. typical... right? 8))

[herleaf]

LIKE THIS FOR A STARTER (lengths will vary. multi’s please specify a muse)

[onepiecc]

Coming Back February

I’m looking at coming back Feb. however I will be making changes such as only three main muses then the rest might be request only. I will be cleaning out my drafts and dropping everything there.

Please like this post and I’ll come to your DM to talk about a new thread with those who are interested. I’m just thinking a clean start will be best so I’m not overwhelmed.

[notimminent]

Starter Call, anyone?

[peppy-jester]

"Pomegranates symbolize undying devotion or undying love for another human being"

[divergxxxnce]

for. near future reference

is tumblr gonna get pissy if i decide to post alex boobs on here

[heliacalxrising]

Hi everyone!

I am...so sorry that I've gone radio silent on this blog. It wasn't my intention, I just had a huge drop in my mental health and I just did not have the spoons to deal with anything but some reblogs on my multi and doom scrolling on tiktok.

Anyway, some news! I have been working on clawing myself out of the hole, and then my chronic pain flared up bad in my leg, and the doctors finally discovered -- drumroll please -- I have a tumor! It's just doin' it's thing under my kneecap, growing...causing pain...shifting ligaments... Ya know. It's most likely benign, but there's a small chance it's not, and so I'm scheduled for surgery in literally a month.

I'm going to try and slowly get back on here, if anyone misses me! Because I really miss you guys! The stuff in my drafts is put on hold until I can reclaim muse for them. In the meantime, I'm always lurking on my multi, so you'll know where to find me!

[beyondthebcundary]

A Teeps secret:

I mostly follow people if I don't know them too well if I see their writing and like. There are a few exceptions here and there but it's the same metric for everyone. If I like your writing I drop a follow so I can see more of it (and so i can have stuff to read on my breaks)

Even if I never send you anything (I'm an awkward person) and If I don't like too many of your posts (I don't want to be annoying) doesn't mean anything.

I'm literally just here to vibe nowadays with only recently trying to balance rping and work since I miss writing as these stupid little freaks I love. I just don't wanna end up stepping on toes again cause I'm still kind of bad at reading situations and stuff, but I think I've been getting better at it

And if I every do something that irks you I'd rather it be brought up sooner rather than later so I can, you know, stop doing that. I'm stupid about subtly, this isn't a self dig I'm being 100% serious I will not get it unless its said straight outright.

[biff-adventurer]

y'all... y'all... i promise, grammar rules aren't there to hurt you... please start a new paragraph for every new speaker... it's not that i don't wanna understand... it's that i literally can't brain b/c i don't share the same brain with you... please i beg you

[heartlightheartbright]

Hey! Thanks for your patience while I'm being a bit slow! I'll be trying to catch up a bit in the next few days and tossing up offers to get some more starters on the way, too. So many mutuals, so little time!

In the meantime, for those of you who'd prefer context on what's going on, there's a read more for that. If you'd prefer just to stick with rp and not worry, hey, no worries! Just don't click.

Uh, tw: explosions. And attempted murder, I guess.

Someone asked me why I got back into rp and I responded "well the building I was in got blown up". So anyway, the joke was that it wasn't a joke.

It just didn't get blown up as much as was perhaps initially intended. I also wasn't part of the group of people the perp was trying to kill- he just...didn't necessarily care that a bunch of innocents were there.

I was unfortunately pretty close to the blast when it went off. I'm physically fine, as is everyone else who was there. No one was seriously injured. It's just meant things have been messy thanks to...being right there, lol. Add the whole #trauma thing to the whole deal and I've admittedly had some stuff to deal with.

The situation at the moment gets quiet for a few weeks and then picks back up, so I can't even really say when it'll be over. Knowing the legal system, maybe I'll be lucky enough to see the end of it in like... two years.

So, please bear with me. Some days are better than others. There's a whole lot more good days than bad, but I'm still taking life a day at a time right now. This blog is genuinely a place I intend to keep fun and light-hearted, but if I go quiet for a few days, this is undoubtedly part of the reason why.

[dis--parity]

Hey all, right now I'm kind of in a state where I'm taking stock of who I am as a person and how I can be a better friend to everyone who's showed me kindness, and I'm working through it by writing a little more and trying to gently remind myself that people appreciate the stuff I put out. I won't go into detail about what triggered it but it was... sobering. So that's why I'm here a bit more recently.

But while I am, I wanted to share some good news, too!

Today, I got my first consultation for bottom surgery! I'm looking at my first face-to-face assessment sometime in late January / early February, and I couldn't possibly be more excited!

On top of that, I've finally kicked my own ass to get my legal name changed everywhere, including my passport, meaning that with a bit of luck, I'll be able to visit my boyfriend under my own name! The process is... a lot easier than I thought it would be, and I'm trying not to kick myself for not doing it sooner, but it doesn't matter!

This has been your dose of trans joy for today, happy holidays y'all!

[unhinged-greed]

This bitch right here

Is ready for being assassinated //