#but on top of lack of roleplaying they also have stripped the setting of anything interesting or complex

[butchvamp]

i absolutely understand there was no way to account for every single choice ever made-- that's literally impossible across so many games and so many years and so many changes. i do, however, think that 3 games worth of established lore should be worth something and like.... addressed. there are always going to be things that are retconned over time, i even said previously that i liked some of the changes around the qunari that happened back in inquisition because it felt like a step in the right direction and finally fleshing them out and establishing their culture in a meaningful way. but that's not what's happening in veilguard. they do the opposite. with everyone, the qunari and the elves and the dwarves and even the humans. they get reduced to generic, bland, homogeneous, nonreligious groups that all get along amongst themselves. the dalish elves are either just dead in the background (which to be fair has always been a consistent feature of these games lol) or absorbed into the veil jumpers, who are a huge mix of humans and qunari and elves, etc. kal-sharok gets literally Nothing despite one of the main companion quests taking place there-- there are no dwarven politics like we've seen previously, the kal-sharok aren't even especially isolationist nor do they take any time to explore their proximity to tevinter (and what they did to keep trading with them), or the blight and darkspawn (and how it's changed them and their relationship to orzammar). the qunari are all antaam, just faceless bodies for rook and co to kill because they needed more enemy variety, and what we do see with shathann and taash does not cohere with what we've learned previously about gender in the qun. the chantry is basically nonexistent despite two games setting up this massive conflict between mages and templars, despite veilguard literally revolving around massive revelations of faith… and i know we're in northern thedas so the chantry and templars do function differently, but our only two templars we get a lot of interactions with are "good guys" (and rana specifically can get up on her high horse about it with neve with no option for us to give her the third degree like she's not a fantasy cop whose coworkers are paid off by rich magisters lol) like... these are huge, glaring changes that do not align with a lot of what we've seen in previous games and also have nothing to do with complex branching choices.

[gabrielchangx]

What does your designation mean to you?  What does it mean to be A Dominant?  A Switch? Or a submissive?

@callmemissmia

A dominant is a person who likes to have the perceived power in a situation.  Usually, they’re the one controlling the experience, directing a partner and delivering sensations and stimulation. Some people might like engaging in these dynamics during BDSM play or sex only, while others like to incorporate them into their relationship and overall lifestyle. Most dominants in media are portrayed as cruel and unreasonable or troubled and insecure, so if you’re looking to mainstream media to find your gold star example... you’ve gone to the wrong place.. I don’t think there has been a healthy representation of what a stable, sane dominate can be. If you’re out to cause real harm to people, exploring dominance is not for you. Power play is about exploring safety within boundaries, in a mutually beneficial dynamic. It is never about simply doing whatever you please with someone" Since so many misconceptions about Doms exist in the media, questions like this can be helpful in learning about BDSM, in all its forms.

There are a myriad of ways to navigate a Dom experience. However, whatever role or dynamic is unfolding, the most important aspect to keep in mind is consent. People exploring Dom/sub dynamics and BDSM play have some of the most involved conversations about consent and include many safety measures to ensure everyone is happy and taken care of. 

One of the "traps" associated with being dominant in a BDSM relationship (which is also a common pitfall for many a novice Dom or Domme) is placing far too much emphasis on expectations and fantasies without stopping to consult or confer or even pay attention to those of the other person. We think "Dominant" and immediately fantasize about power and control and exercising those desires, without acknowledging the reality that we are not the only person here. Somehow that can get lost and we assume that "Dominant" means just that, and the other person is just a replaceable prop we are playing with. Then, to make matters worse, we have the potential to get angry when said person voices an objection — in this case, a perfectly reasonable, nay, important gesture — and we react as such.

There is a huge misconception that dominant and submissive dynamics do not include consent — one person simply gives all power to the other. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Prioritizing consent and healthy boundaries is super important in fully understanding Dom play and activities. Although it can sometimes seem as if a Dom wants complete control over their partner(s), oftentimes, Dom sex or play is about perceived control in a roleplaying or dynamic. People who explore dominance are rarely wanting to actually control another person completely. (Though some do, and this falls into 24/7 play and is still NOT about that control, the control is a side effect) Rather, most play that incorporates power dynamics is about roleplaying scenarios and subverting societal norms, like traditional gender roles. Someone who enjoys being dominate is exploring their fantasies of control and what it would be like to have authority over someone. From subverting gender norms to exploring control fantasies, being a Dom or incorporating dominance into your sex or romantic life can be an empowering way to recreate societal power dynamics.

I think of being a Dominant in the same way that some people think of being a parent. Whoever it is that is submitting to you is basically your ward, and you are charged with making sure they stay happy and healthy. You want to teach them and train them, stripping away any bad habits and replacing them with healthy ones. You want to make sure that they are fulfilling their obligations, and that they aren’t stretching themselves too thin. If they have trouble, you want to help them without giving them the answer yourself because you want them to learn and grow. What they do reflects on who you are as a Dominant-- a bad parent and a bad Dominant look bad in the same ways and can be abusive or neglectful in the same ways. Of course, I don’t view Submissives as children, but the analogy is the easiest way that I find to explain how I view the impact and importance of a D/s. I fully believe that the two types of people that will affect and change a Submissive the most are their family and their Dominant. 

And it’s when you consider the fact that a Dominant is as important as a parent in shaping a Submissive as a whole that you realize how important it is to be a responsible Dominant. Nobody can fuck up a Submissive more than their family and their Dominant. Nobody is trusted as much and nobody is more responsible. A Dominant has to be able to think clearly, even through the fantasy, in order to maintain the order and control that those involved in the moment have previously agreed upon. This doesn’t just mean sex either; you can’t get overzealous when it comes to service of any kind. Being a Dominant means being mature enough to put oneself second, even when it feels like you’re the one that is on top and you should be able to do anything because “you’ve got the power position.” Because whoever it is that happens to be submitting to trusts you, and they trust you to follow the rules that you laid out before things began. It is a Dominant’s responsibility to make sure that there is always proper care given, that no steps are skipped over (like consent conversations or aftercare). 

That isn’t to say that being a Dominant means that you are perfect or that you must strive for perfection. Some of us can’t help it or still wish to find it, but it’s not all on us. Although BDSM can look different for everyone, healthy Dom/Sub dynamics are always built on consent and communication. From enjoying the perceived control to wanting to subvert gender roles, Doms can take on many forms. And while Doms may be the ones calling the shots, Dom/sub sex isn’t all about them. Remember it's not about being bossy, it's about being the boss. Being the boss means taking care of everything below you so that the foundation of everything keeping you on top doesn’t fall. There is no domination without someone that is willing to submit to you. 

Here are three key factors a Dominant must keep in mind at all times when embarking on a BDSM relationship with a Submissive.

1. The Dominant is not (really) in charge.

It doesn't need to be this way. Not at all, not ever, and especially not with someone who trusts you enough to be "in charge" of a scene or fantasy. Because it must be emphasized repeatedly: as a Dominant you are not in charge. At best, you are a co-author in this story and as such, you need to be aware of your partner as much as you are of yourself.

Do not be a jerk.

Do not abase yourself by acting like a tyrant. It's easy to power trip as a Dominant during a scene, and there are altered states that may happen to you (known variously as dom-space, top-space, other various terms).

The power dynamic is important here. As a dominant, you are deriving your sensual experience and potency from being in that role, but being a Dominant isn't just calling yourself Master or Mistress and flogging someone. In fact, being a dominant might not include any traditional elements of dominant play at all; it can reside in a look, a facial expression, a heavy breath or a selection of choice words that evoke a sense of power, strength and authority.

By and large, communication is the priority.

A good dominant knows when to listen, when to take action, and when to step back. This is just as important to you as it is to whoever you are within the scene, if not more so. The Dominant is the one who has to be in control not only of the scene but of themselves, at least for the duration of the scene. Your play partner is the one who is trusting you to be a safe person and to create a safe space for them to express their own pleasures, their own pain, their own desires and their own shadows.

They are trusting your sense of control over yourself.

2. Dominants must practice safety and self-control.

The first part of this consideration is safety.

There's the obvious side of safety in kink and in sex in general. The submissive partner — whether known as a bottom, a sub or some other term — is trusting you with their physical safety. And believe me, there's a whole associated cluster of both power-triggered arousal, euphoria and fear that comes packaged in with it. Even as a Dominant you can, and likely will, experience fear, anxiety, concern, and awkwardness. This is normal. 

Have contraception and safer sex been discussed? What tools will you be employing for this specific scene and how can the scene be as physically safe as possible within those boundaries and within that context?

While both partners are responsible for ensuring the scene proceeds faithfully and properly, the Dominant needs to be the one to remember to check in regularly during the scene using the agreed upon safewords and other methods of communication that should be established before the rope is even taken out of its bag.

Seriously, before you even try to set a scene, you need to know how to end it. Communication is key, even if a ball gag is in use.

Once the scene begins and emotions are flying around, endorphins start pumping through the blood and both of you become lost in your respective roles, so things can sour pretty quickly if both parties forget what they are doing.

As the Dominant, you must be fully aware of your actions and your partner's reactions. Always.

There should also be safety scissors if necessary, such as if you are doing any sort of bondage play, just in case either partner start feeling a lack of circulation in their limbs — or need to be cut/untied immediately.

You may have heard the phrase "safe, sane, and consensual" when hearing about kink. That's a good one, but I'd like to off the guiding phrase we use as a subsititute: RACK.

RACK stands for risk-aware consensual kink and is often used to describe situations in which some risk is known. Perhaps your play partner is autistic or under treatment for depression. Perhaps they get panic attacks every now and then, and while they are eager to play, want to talk about what you can do if they start a panic attack in the middle of playtime. Or perhaps you have back pain or an old ankle injury you need to adjust for.

Other aspects of risk are included as well; with things like flogging or hot wax or rope. When pain and pleasure blend together, it's always possible to forget you are in fact causing harm for the sake of ecstasy. There's a line there can be crossed easily if you don't always keep that in mind.

Any possible risk factor, including prescription medications, STIs, and/or pregnancy, must be discussed and mitigated. How you discuss this and what you decide to do about it is up to you and your partner. Sometimes it only takes a few words. Sometimes a longer conversation takes place. And sometimes there is a continuing dialogue. This ties into the second point.

The second part of this conversation is personal. The prospective Dominant must be self-aware.

Skills and limitation awareness may seem like a no-brainer, but in early days as a Dominant, I’ve seen people handle tools awkwardly because they were afraid of them due to personal baggage surrounding bondage and gender roles. Once they unpacked their feelings about WHY they were handling their tools awkwardly, they become a much more capable Dominant. It also helps that to certain to handle your tools first — feeling how the rope holds knots when tied to your arm or wrists first, for example, before applying untested rope to your partner during play.

We've seen prospective Dominants who think that all they need to do to be dominant is to shout at or threaten your partner and have gear like chains or rope or a gag.

We all have read about a certain trashy novel that suggested that chains and cable ties are a good thing. No, they're not. And an experienced Dom will know this. They will be familiar and comfortable with their toys and tools. They will observe their subs and act according to what makes them feel comfortable. Dominants may shout at their partners, certainly, but only within the boundaries the partners set together in advance.

This goes for being aware of their own individual shortcomings and faults as well. Know thyself, the saying goes, and a Dominant should at least be on a journey to know themselves and what they want in order to best nurture their submissives.

If you're interested in becoming a Dominant, you don't need to have all the answers, but you do need to be willing to explore where your baggage comes from and what you can do about it. You need to take responsibility for your own actions. Will you make mistakes? Yes, you're a human.

People are going to make some mistakes along the way, sooner or later. That's part of gaining experience and leveling up.

This also means that if there are risk factors or hard limits YOU have, you must discuss them with your prospective partners as well. Just because you are the Dominant in the relationship that doesn't mean your partner has no agency or power of their own.

Do you want your partner to be able to look you in the eye and tell you something is wrong or that something you did or said bothers them? Does the submissive partner — if the D/s dynamic is maintained outside of the bedroom — have a choice (or an expectation) to call you after?

Are there other protocols that might help you and your partner feel secure?

3. Remember that all people practice D/s a bit differently.

The third key thing to keep in mind as a Dominant is to be aware that people are all different.

Even if there are two Dominants using similar tools (say, both use flogging) who come from similar backgrounds, they are still two distinct people. There are many types of dominance and submission play, and Dominants also have different flavors, even if the tools they use are the same. What bothers one may not bother another. One person's hard limit may be a non-issue for someone else, and so on.

What this means is that you need to start at ground zero with communication and introspection with each and every new partner.

One example of variation is what the Dominant is called and what language they might use. Some Dominants prefer the use of particular terminology to address them and the terminology itself may have a particular meaning.

For example, a Dominant partner may insist on being called "Sir," with the first letter capitalized to symbolically represent the power dynamic when in a scene or discussing a scene. Another Dominant may be simply "Jane," while another Dominant may not use their given name at all during a scene but instead a title. Some Dominants pay close attention to how titles can be loaded with gender norms and expectations, and/or with racial supremacy undertones. "Master" can carry very different connotations than "Mistress" and unpacking those titles and feelings about them may be useful.Feel "Sir" is too masculine for you and want to go by "Ser" instead? Sure.Really like how being called "Your Majesty" makes you feel? Go right ahead.Don't want to use an honorific at all? Sure. This goes for tools too. Just because a Dominant might use one particular tool does not mean every dominant who uses that tool takes the same approach.

[caithyra]

Vampire Game Reviews Part 1

This Halloween I sat down and played a bunch of vampire themed games and decided to review them. First up, Vampire Legends: The True Story of Kisilova, Dracula: Origin and Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines. I might get around to Vampire the Masquerade: Redemption and Dracula: Love Kills in a later post.

I use my own 5-scale gradation in this:

0: Either I couldn’t force myself to finish it, or I was more relieved it was over than anything else. 1: I had no fun, but there might have been something fun in there… maybe…? 2: More bad than good. 3: About evenly good and bad. I actually start having more fun than not. 4: A solid entertainment piece. Has it’s blemishes, but despite that I like it. 5: Almost perfect (perfection is a myth). I had lots of fun and am satisfied.

(Semi-minor spoilers below. Unless you’ve gone quite far into the games, you likely wont suss out what’s happening until it’s happening.)

Vampire Legends: The True Story of Kisilova: You’re an investigator for the Hapsburg Empire going to the small town of Kisilova, recently beset by a killer leaving bloodless victims behind them. Rumors of vampires abound. After a series of mishaps the rumors do not feel so farfetched. Especially not when a mysterious, young woman enters the picture.

(Left: The Beginning of the Adventure with our buddy and hint machine. Right: The first of many, many hidden objects screens in this game.)

Okay, it is a point-and-click visual novel adventure thing that’s really short (less than 5 hours, and I think I left the game — and the clock — running for a while at some point), and also cheap. It was enjoyable enough, the music was forgettable but good enough, the graphics nice and atmospheric enough and the story was short and serviceable. The problems mainly came through the game-play; this game relied faaar too heavily on hidden object minigames, and those were unskippable, while all others were skippable after a short while. Fortunately, your partner can give hints to speed things along. As for my final decision in the winter-themed bonus chapter? Well, it was Halloween so I thought “why not?” and that was that for Europe. I always try to pick the most supernatural decision whenever I can lol (see Squirrel Elves in the Witcher franchise, or picking spell-sneaking classes in the Elder Scrolls).

My biggest problem with this game, however, is that I need to resize the resolution on my ultrawide monitor to play it without horizontal stretching distorting the art. The Options menu is seriously lacking in Options (actually, that whole menu is a mess that looks more at home in a Free-to-Play mobile game).

All in all, I generally liked it and its short nature meant that except for the hidden objects minigame, most of it didn’t outstay its welcome and it was really cheap (less than 4€ when I bought it, which is about the right price IMO. I think regular price is something like 9.99€?) so worth it. 3/5.

Dracula: Origin: You are Van Helsing. Yeah. That guy. And you have a missing friend, Harker, who had something to do with Dracula, and you have a pretty friend named Mina who ends up targeted by Dracula and now you must rush across the Old World to save her from a curse.

(Left: Yup, same dev as the Sherlock Holmes games. Middle: Vampires don’t like garlic breath. Right: Dammit Mina, I gave you ONE job. One. Job. All of this slow walking could have been avoided!)

Ah. Frogware. I generally like their Sherlock Holmes games, but this game… It felt more like a waste of my time. Oh, I’m sure there is a good game in there that isn’t a waste of time. Unfortunately, it is hidden behind the biggest time-sinks in the game: Van Helsing walks at half the speed of a normal person at all times and speaks really slowly, in conversations that has no branches, yet they will periodically be interrupted so that you can click on the next topic in the list (that wont reveal the next topic until you’ve listened to the topic listed before it). There’s this scene during a cave in when he says something like “quickly, we must make haste to escape!” and then you click on the exit and he waaaaaaaaalks slooooooooooooowlyyyyyy through it. It certainly doesn’t help that he must cross the entire span of the screen and backtrack locations many times and… AGH! RUN YOU FOOL!!

And, well, Frogware adventure game with its strange clues and non-clues and objects. There’s this bit in the first outdoor area when you have to capture some flies. Now, if you have followed the story logically, you will have a jar and a lid in your inventory. Easy, peasy, just click the flies with the jar, right? Nope. You must find a mourning veil hidden in the cemetery (that is large and that Van Helsing waaaaalks sloooooowlyyyyy through), use it on the flies and then combine the fly-ridden veil with the jar to get a jar of flies (I wont say what for because of spoilers, but, well, I don’t recommend eating during the Cemetery/Mansion part of the story if you have a phobia against bugs). There are also several objects that are basically five pixels on the screen because of the angle we’re viewing them at that we must find to pick up, and on the whole, I had more frustrations than fun with this story. Like, there’s even this puzzle minigame with a picture of Minos, the Labyrinth and the Minotaur and you find thread/string in the same house and wouldn’t you know it! The thread/string has nothing to do with the minigame and the minigame has nothing to do with the legend of the Minotaur!

On top of that, well, lets just say that the Egyptian section has quite a bit of stereotyping (think Victorian stereotypes of Egypt and its people in a modern game. Also, potential racism against white people must be prevented at all costs, including lying to a bereaved family), and when we run into our first, unliving female vampire she of course wears a top made of strips of cloth and a sheer skirt (you’d think a rich vampire’s favorite mistress would own a nice dress at least, but nope), and every woman (including dead of non-vampiric variety) have their beauty commented upon (and, of course, a young, pretty girl’s defilement/death is a tragedy, which is why it is so important to include that she was pretty).

And, well, this game markets itself heavily with Dracula at the forefront, not Van Helsing, yet while Dracula is the main antagonist, he only has a few, brief scenes, which were disappointing. All in all it was a 1/5.

Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines: You are a fledgling of one of the Camarilla clans, recently thrust into the secret world hidden by darkness, and more specifically into one of the most fucked cities of the World of Darkness. After your illicit embrace into the undead by your executed sire, the Prince of the City has graciously offered to adopt you, provided you prove yourself worthy to the exacting clan of rulers. Except the prince’s domain is built on quicksand, and this is Los Angeles; the birthplace of the modern Anarchs, and one of the domains of the Kindred of the East, on top of the eternal, political dance all Kindred must dance, and you, baby vampire as you are, have no allies and no clue as how to proceed except to survive.

(Left: Told ya Velvet is a mascot in this game. Middle: Did you know that Mercurio was meant to handle the Voerman sisters and we wouldn’t have to go through sewers and a haunted hotel if he did his job? Right: Apparently the Chinese are masters of Japanese swords and the Ventrue need no neckbones...)

Here’s the thing about VtM:B: It is a very enjoyable game and definitely the definite vampire game out there. It also has no story for your character. “What about the Ankaran Sarcophagus?”, well, your character participates, but it does nothing to answer the questions we are immediately confronted with in the opening of the game: Why would our unknown sire, an upstanding member of Kindred society, break one of the Traditions (pretty much laws set in stone for all Kindred over the entire world) to embrace us? Why would the prince, whose sole job is to uphold the Traditions, then break one of the Traditions and allow the ill-begotten progeny live?

Except for the opening of the game, we never hear from our sire again, nor the questions raised during the opening. And that makes our player character a bit superfluous when any random neonate could serve just as well.

So if not story-telling, what does VtM:B do that makes people sing its praises? In short? Characters and the World. It is incredibly atmospheric and while characters don’t develop (vampires are static by nature in this world, and most characters in the game are entrenched in their places and wont be shaken by some random baby vampire showing up), they are all very distinct and written in different tones. However, if you’re not role-playing as an ignorant fledgling, but meta-playing with some Vampire the Masquerade lore known, you will feel extremely railroaded (if your character had any inkling of who Smiling Jack is in the World of Darkness, they would never believe his coarse but kind uncle-figure thing he’s got going on. Because even before a certain hugely Biblical spoiler got involved, Jack was an imposer, liar, manipulator and mass-murderer who has sired many, many thin-blooded vampires and abandoned them to their fates. There’s a reason why only ignorant neonates like Nines’ gang admires and likes him. What I just said is not a spoiler for the game, btw, because it never comes up because your character is an ignorant fledgling being manipulated and deceived by literally everyone. Maybe Velvet and Bertram don’t, but Velvet might seem so sweet when she convinces you to be her knight because of Presence and acting, and Bertram is a Nossie and they have major secrets within secrets).

And while it is easy to sink into the world of the game and roleplay, thus mitigating the railroading feeling above. This game was clearly written with an audience of White Male Teens in mind. We have Velvet (of the fashion-conscious Toreador clan) show up at the prince’s court in Elysium in only a lacy basque, g-string and thigh high fishnets, tall heels and not as much as a peignoir thrown on top. Yeah, she attends an important society function in her fetish underwear. Then we have the explicit sex life of game cover-girl Jeanette (yeah, the one dressed like a dilapidated school girl), and those two are THE female mascots of the game.

The less said about the Orientalism and the Kindred of the East the better, but that segues into how around the time you reach Chinatown, the game starts losing its luster and strengths. Okay, so if you’re sensitive to that kinda thing, you might notice it a little bit in Hollywood, but by the time Chinatown rolls around, you might notice how it is less immersive and how it starts to feel more and more gamey (specifically, Action gamey), and you get less options that isn’t some variant of “kill it”.

On top of that the game has technical issues if you do not use the fan-made patch (I always use Patch Plus, which restores cut content and quests, as well as ReShade for better anti-aliasing and sharpness), and it still has a few cropping up from time to time. At least it works perfectly well in ultrawide resolutions?

Still it has that charm, and despite its flaws and how I can think of a dozen complaints at the drop of a dime, I still love playing it. So it’s a 4/5 from me.

[fistofthesun]

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 29, 30, 34, 35, 36, 40, 43, and 44.~

                  Character Development Questions: Hard Mode. | accepting.

I kept this short on purpose because… safcjk. Have to put it under read more too because it’s hella long.

2. What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?Like most children Khashin had always adored his mother who took good care of him despite of her rather weak health condition. She taught him the practical things of life - at least those aspects he needed as young boy – for example how to take care of their cattle or how to sew basics things. She was surprisingly soft for being an oroniri woman; yet somewhat childish which can be explained due to her extremely young age.  

Khashin really loved these few years with her. She was always nice to him –not as strict as his father- and after his daily work she would always set down with him to play for him on her Morin Khuur and also sing for him. Or, what she also loved to do, was to play hide-and-seek which often ended with her scolding her son for running too far away during their play. Yet this was that part of the day he was always looking forward to; these moments when he could laugh with his mother.

Her death when he was just scarcely six years old was a true shock for him. It was the last day when he had shed tears.

3. What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like?His father is well respected within the Oronir’s tribe – known for his formidable hunting skills and his archery. He was called a prodigy with the fine art of archery ever since a young age, albeit his hunting did not improve until he had already grown into a man. Nonetheless, albeit he is not the strongest, he has received the honor to be invited to the Dawn Throne. Suffice to say, his father had always been strict with Khashin. He had expected him to become as good in using the bow like he was – yet Khashin had no talent for it whatsoever. Unfortunately his father was blind for this very truth for very long; only frustrating his son and himself with his harsh training methods. Of course Khashin started to dislike the very usage of the bow very quickly, though he bore it until very late.

After the death of his mother and the birth of his younger sister, his father took over the responsibility to take care over her instead. Khashin, at this point already six years old, was expected to live on his own now. The boy often suffered hunger and wounds no one took care of – and his father never asked him for his well-being as well. In fact, considering how much of a disappointment Khashin had been as son until then, he was not allowed to get too close to his sister until he can prove himself worthy. Nonetheless Khashin never felt hatred towards his father, obeying to him. For the boy it sounded perfectly normal that his newborn sister required more attention; and naturally, as oroniri boy, he understood well enough that he had to become stronger.

Since Khashin proved to be completely worthless in the usage of the bow even many years later (partly the reason why he completely gave up on it), his father never spoke to him anymore. The relationship is still incredibly complicated.

4. Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?

Generally speaking, he had two of these moments who ‘changed’ him. His mother’s death had been quite traumatic to him, naturally – but it was not what ultimately changed him. It was the moment when he realized that he was no good but still had to struggle; the moment when he realized that he needed a complete different approach if he wants to keep his mother’s promise. This moment was when he was covered in mud laying in front of his entire tribe, defeated. They were not laughing, but their piercing eyes on him and the disappointment inside his father’s eyes is something he will never forget. He was twelve years old then.

The second moment was when he realized that he lost any feeling inside both of his hands. Before that point he had been relentlessly honed his skills, albeit he was still quite naïve to think that he could obtain true strength without sacrifices. After losing any feeling, however, noticing that he had completely worn out himself and broken his bones maybe too often, he started to care even less about himself. Before that point he was slightly egoistical, maybe, becoming selfless by not caring too much about himself, anyone’s opinion of him or whether he is alive or dead.

As Warrior of Light there were several of these moments. It is why I roleplay him differently compared to any other verse then; even his traveling one. Khashin, in his original-verse (Steppe) but also in his travelling lacks some compassion. Not that it is not there – because it is there – but he rarely shows it. He lacks a general kindness in his actions and words towards strangers, which is what he quickly changes as Warrior of Light, however. He sees too much pain, despair and regret along the way and wants to treat (most) people with kindness therefore.

5. On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets?Steppe/Traveling: He always has a knife to skin beasts. He never has too many things with him; not even in the traveling verse. WoL: He does not have too many different things on him as well. It highly depends on the timeline/area. Sometimes he carries a few potions with him to give it to other people who might need it.

7. Does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares?Khashin rarely does dream to begin with. As child he had them more frequently; and particularly after his mother’s death he would often see her pale, cold face in front of him. For a boy, who loved his mother above anything, this was truly a nightmare. As he became older, however, he was becoming used to rarely sleep at all and if only little. Mayhap due to this he was not truly able to dream at all; but his nightmares, if happening, are always a dark, pitch black pit he is falling in with his loved one’s faces fading.

10. Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?Generally he does enjoy to wear little clothes. This is easily explained that he loves to have more freedom for his movements; often finding the clothes unfitting for his style of combat. Naturally he is most of time, particularly in the Steppe-verse which is often very cold as well, wearing clothes – but he often finds himself stripping at least his top for fighting.

17. What was your character’s favorite toy as a child?Like many children Khashin took a liking to ‘Ail ger’, a game played with only stones. Basically it is a ‘doll game’, just with stones. You place stones in a circle to represent the yurt and then play with the other stones accordingly. His mother often played this with him, often finding new, unique stones to add to their collection.  

18. Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others?As someone who was born as Oronir, he highly values to have ambition. Without it none of them would become worthy of their Dawn Father’s radiance. Naturally this also applies to other people – even in his non-Steppe verses. Wisdom becomes more important to him once he left the Steppe, but it plays overall still a minor role unless he is WoL.

19. What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?His biggest flaw is probably the very fact that he is a quite jealous and possessive type of person. It is not that he forbids his partner to have super deep friendships with others or meeting them, not at all, but if he’s there he likes to ‘show’ who his partner truly belongs to. If someone touches his partner with the attempt of flirting with them, this person has to be prepared to face the consequences – which usually are broken bones. In fact Khashin becomes quite…intimidating, not to say scary, when it comes to chasing people away from them who might become romantically or sexually interested in his partner.

Since Khashin never had a relationship before, it was not an issue yet LOL.

24. How quick is your character to trust someone else?Trust is only proved by loyalty and actions over time. Particularly Steppe-Khashin does not easily trust people and they have to earn his trust first. He’s like this in his traveling-verse as well; in his Warrior of Light-verse he’s only for a little trusting everyone a bit more from the start.

25. How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person?He is, by nature, a semi-skeptical person to begin with. Since he does not get emotionally attached to anyone for extremely long, he is quite neutral and open to all ends. If actions prove as much, he will draw the natural conclusion and suspect someone. However, he is extremely loyal towards his friends and loved ones. Something extremely major needs to happen for him to suspect them then. He does not easily trust people to begin with, after all.

29. What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true?He always wanted to become respected among the Oronir. This has yet to be fulfilled.

30. What does your character find repulsive or disgusting?There is barely anything he finds disgusting to begin with. Even things which most might find disgusting are fine with him, considering his background. He’s kinda tough in that sense.

34. Is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method?One has to know that Khashin is incredibly stubborn. If there is a door, he’ll use the wall at times instead. He will stick to his principles and methods, no matter what. Unless it really does not work his way – then he’ll adapt to different methods.

35. How does your character behave around people they like?Khashin is a really closed up person; he’ll more frequently talk about himself with people he likes. His arrogant façade is also dropping, at least a little, and he does show this extreme caring side of him he wasn’t before. Also, one will realize that his constant teasing is also a way to show his affection. Particularly since his way to tease people is slightly changing once he starts to like them.

36. How does your character behave around people they dislike?He’s literally arrogant asshole. And will threaten them.

40. How does your character treat people in service jobs?He’s not unfriendly to them. He in fact never is, not even to strangers – albeit this probably depends on how one interprets his arrogance and sass.

43. Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?Esugen really helped him out when he was much smaller. When his mother died, Esugen was already a young man who was quite used to everyone belittling him. Fortunately he is  quite kind by nature, especially for an oroniri man, so he often took care for Khashin when no one else was. He was of course not able to replace the family Khashin had lost, but he will never forget his kindness.

44. How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it?Khashin has an incredibly tough time to even fall in love with someone; let alone realizing that he is in love. This is not due to his oroniri beliefs, as one could assume – albeit, to admit as much, he had always thought that someday he will marry –but because he is also not looking for anyone. He does not waste any thoughts to this, which also shows that he merely has flings in his traveling/WoL-verses as well. This is by no means an intentional thought – as I said, he does not think about it – but he would consider himself quite unworthy of anyone as he is right now. In most verses, partly even in his WoL-verse, he still seeks strength. His life is dedicated to his tribe, his family – his sister to be precise; and unless he has proven that he is capable of protecting the remaining persons he loves, he will not waste too many thoughts about it. He also has literally zero experience when it comes to be or fall in love, so if it happens he will not realize it. To realize as much will take him the longest time ever as well.

[vieuxnoyesrp]

Addie. We’ve been hard-pressed for a Hayley for a while now, to stir things up in the bayou. Your portrayal really hit home for us, especially with how much attention to detail and thought you have clearly put into her app. Hayley’s headcanons did a wonderful job of hinting at the human beyond the wolf, and at the complexities of Hayley’s emotional landscape. We liked that you understood the value and potential of her relationship to Kira, and that you are brave enough to develop her roots in this roleplay even while she lacks the ready-made connections that she has on the show. Also, you steered clear of the tropes commonly associated with her character. Of equal significance was the fact that you recognized how much room Hayley has to grow before she fits the shoes of a leader, and that you balance out her virtues with consideration of the shortcomings that will challenge her development along the way. We trust we’ve placed our spitfire into very capable hands and we can’t wait to have you on the dash!

Addison, thank you very much for applying. As for Hayley…

             ⚜ ~ WELCOME TO VIEUX NOYÉS!!! ~ ⚜

Wondering what to do next? Click here and let the good times roll!

⚜ Roleplayer:

⤜ Name/alias: Addison (Addie works too) ⤜ Pronouns: Female ⤜ Age: 20

⤜ Timezone: EST ⤜ Activity: 7-8. I’d say during the week I’m able to get on a fair amount, enough to get out two or three sets of replies a day. Though, there are days I may not get all replies out as well. Weekends are a lot more open for me, so I’m able to do the most during that time. ⤜ Best form of contact: I’d say tumblr, but I’ll happily provide a skype if it’s needed for another form of contact. ⤜ Any Triggers? No. ⤜ How did you find Vieux Noyés? I came across it in the tags, but I’ve also heard about it from a few other members of the rp community and decided it was time to check it out for myself. ⤜ What drew you to the RP? I’m most interested in the way that the shows have been incorporated together. I enjoy the way they’ve been weaved and knit together to make a cohesive tale.

⤜ What is one subplot/element from the Plot page that you are particularly looking forward to seeing in this roleplay? I’m most intrigued by the witches plot line. I think it will be interesting not only for those within the species but also those along the sidelines. It will be entertaining to watch how alliances form or deteriorate as the story and players change. Who knows who will end up on top, and until that’s determined, it’s essentially placing your bets and seeing what pays off.

⚜ Desired Character: Hayley( Marshall )Labonair

⤜ Why do you want this character?

I want to play Hayley because I think her character has a lot of room to grow. In the actual show, she had connections that helped her grow and realize who she was. But here, she’s been thrown quite literally to the wolves, and she’s got no earthly clue what she’s doing. She has no one looking out for her or anyone besides Jackson that has her full trust. I want to go through all the character building that needs to be done to make her into an alpha that’s worthy of leading the pack on her own accord. I want to expand her ability to let others in because there’s no way she’ll be able to do anything without them. She needs to learn that people aren’t the enemy, and that no matter how it’s been in the past, she’s not invincible and immune to failure. I think it’ll be rewarding to help with the transition from a loner into an alpha that isn’t in power because of her namesake, but because she’s capable and able to lead the pack to a better tomorrow.

⤜ What are your future plans for this character?

I’m interested in the transition to alpha for Hayley. It’s definitely a role she hasn’t been groomed for in any way other than her lineage. I think it’ll be fun to have her sweat it out a bit. They’ll be successes and losses, I’m sure, but I want to use those to develop her as a person. I want to take her from someone who dreamt up this daydream where she found her pack to the reality. I want her to know what it’s like to love and be loved in the familial sense and to learn to not only think of herself. She needs that responsibility to mend all of the tendencies her early life has instilled in her. I also want to expand her social network. Hayley doesn’t trust many people farther than she can throw them, and I think it’d be good for her to be a little more open to people, even if they don’t become best friends. Her sarcasm and wit are defense mechanisms, and I want to play her against someone that pushes through those things to expose the more fragile side of Hayley Labonair.

⤜ Put yourself in your character’s shoes. Give us a few lines to describe a day in the life of your character… Where do they live? Where and how do they spend their time? (feel free to refer to our locations page that can be found in the navigation)

Hayley spends most of her time in the Bayou. She has a decent sized cabin to call her own, but the girl prefers to be outdoors, even if it is just on the porch. Hayley’s not the type to sleep in, and as a result, she’s normally up pretty early in the day. Hayley will more often than not go for a morning run and come home an hour or so later to shower. After that, she’ll cook up breakfast and eat it out on the porch and watch as the rest of the world comes to life. A little later on, she’ll walk around and chat with a few other wolves and see what’s going on for the day. If it’s nothing that needs her present, Hayley will venture into the Quarter to see what she can see. Whether it’s hanging out at the bar or down where the witch community congregates, the wolf likes seeing what there is to see. It’s not quite surveillance, but it helps to stay in the know—especially because news doesn’t exactly spread to the Bayou at god-speed. When she’s satisfied with that, she may seek out Tyler, Elijah, or a bottle of something strong to occupy her for the rest evening until she returns home for the night.

⤜ Give us three headcanons regarding your character of choice.

1. Hayley’s not done digging for information on her parents. While she’s gotten more information than she ever has, the wolf wants more. Hayley wants to know who they were, how they met, and just the little intricacies of their lives. Maybe it’s for her own closure or maybe just curiosity, but Hayley’s created so many scenarios of who they were and what paths had brought them to each other in her head. She wants to know everything she can because it’s the closest she’ll ever get to having them in her life.

2. After the curse, Hayley hasn’t turned willingly even though she has the ability. The girl used to treasure her wolf form. It was sacred-and while it stripped her of her adoptive family, it was the place she’d felt the most like herself. But that has all been tainted now that someone had condemned her to it for months. She knows she’ll have to turn again soon, but she’s not looking forward to it. She prefers to be in control, and while the curse seems to be gone, she still can’t shake the feeling that she’s more defenseless than powerful in her wolf form.

3. Hayley’s actually handy with a hammer and nails. It’s an odd talent she truly has no use for, but she’s always been good at repairs and woodwork. It keeps her hands and mind busy. When she’s stressed or angered, there’s a good chance she’ll end up doing some DIY remodeling on her cabin.

⤜ What are some plots you’d like to explore with your character?

I’m most interested in Hayley’s connection to Kira. I think it will be good for her to tap into some of the supernatural unknown as well to test the bounds of her social abilities. Hayley’s definitely not a naturally warm and social person. I want to play out how she fumbles and possibly succeeds in making a friend of the younger girl and learning more about what she is. Another plot line I’d like to write through it Hayley’s connection to Caroline and Tyler. I think the banter and sly comments revolving around the three characters will be refreshing and amusing for Hayley—a good stress reliever after a long day of being a leader. Finally, I want to see Hayley interact with some of the other wolves in the roleplay aside from Jackson like Derek Hale, Scott, and Quentin. I’d like to explore how she deals with other packs both as an alpha and as a wolf. I think it will be good for her to try to learn more about the wolf community outside of those in the Bayou and figure out if there’s a way for them all to form an alliance to bring the species back to the New Orleans supernatural table.

⤜ Para sample:

(Retained for Privacy)

⤜ Would you like to be considered for another character if not accepted as your primary choice? Not at this time!

⤜ Have you read the rules?: I have ⤜ Anything else? I honestly can’t think of anything else at the moment.