That RP meme
Better late than never, right?
1 - How did you first get into MUSHing? What pulled you in and kept you engaged?
I'd done tabletop RP before, as well as some chatroom RP in the mid nineties (lol AOL). I'm not sure what caught my attention or where I was on the net that led me to it, but my first MU** experience was at Shoujo-Ai. Someone on there recommended Shangrila since it was a more 'open' theme (and also one where dude characters would not be shunned for the sin of having a peener). I was pretty content there for a bit because I met some fantastic players who wanted to do more than all TS all the time, and after a couple of years I was pointed towards Gate. The idea of not being paged with 'lol nice desc, wanna fuck??' was amazing and I jumped on it. Never looked back. B)
2 - Name the MUSH genres/fandoms you've written in.
Anime mashup (Shoujo Ai), everything gets sexualized and ridiculous (Shangrila), multitheme (Gate), urban fantasy?? (Persona).
3 - What's your calling: FCs or OCs? Both?
I've played both OCs and FCs, but I feel that the range of FCs I can happily and convincingly play is pretty narrow. I've only got OCs these days and am pretty happy with them!
4 - Do you have a favourite or "muse" character, that speaks to you more than others, or you find easier to write? Who are they?
The characters that I RP as the most are the most likely to act as muses for me. It comes from thinking about them more often than non-active characters. For an example, Eithne hasn't been my active muse in months, even though she was my strongest for a long while, since I haven't /played/ her in months. Right now I have Ran and Yoko coexisting pretty peacefully... Ran is the more active muse.
5 - Heroes or villains? Or shades of grey?
Heeeeerooooooooes. I have a problem playing as antagonists or villains... Eithne's the closest I've ever played to a villain, because of her 'unique' moral code (is it bad? kill it!).
6 - Tropes - We all got them, what shows up commonly in your characters and scenes?
Comedic nudity!! More seriously, I have a fixation for scenes that happen in or near hot water. Why haven't I had more onsen scenes?? As for what actually does show up, it's usually a mixture of 'durp' and surpring insights.
7 - When you write, do you prefer writing male or female characters?
I think I'm too female in my own head to ever be really comfortable playing as a male character in the long-term.
8 - Typecasts - do you have them? Is there a particular kind of character you prefer to play? What traits appear often among your rosters, and why? Are there any character types you'd never play?
My characters all tend to have a few things in common besides biology...nimriye said it best, I think, when she noted that I tend to play strong female characters with their own complexes and issues. In Eithne's case, her issues were 'forced maturity from a young age competing with childish impulses', 'holding grudges', and 'jealousy'. Ran's issues (lack of direction, exerting control over the one person she thought still needed her) were mostly addressed in her TV Dungeon. Yoko is dealing with 'mental illness' and 'feeling alone in the world'.
9 - When writing OCs, what do you do to make certain they're not Mary Sues? If you have only written FCs, have you ever come up with having to deal with a less-than-complex or unlikeable character?
I think the most 'perfect' character I've ever played was an FC... Cutey Honey on GateMUSH. She didn't have a lot of issues, was pretty powerful and adaptable, and despite her occasional lapse into loveable blond goofball, was a seasoned warrior.
For OCs, I tend to think of a generalized concept first, then issues that I feel are natural or believable for their personality type or circumstances. There have been a couple of times where I've had to scale back imperfections to actually make a character enjoyable to play (Yoko), just as there have been times where I've needed to introduce flaws (Eithne).
10 - Pairings - do you seek out or specifically engage in "relationship RP"? Is it a necessary or important part of RP for you? What have been your favourite pairings to write?
I don't always go out hunting for it, but I think relationship RP can be really amazing if done between characters who have chemistry and players who click well. Ran and Shinjiro is my current OTP... the characters play off of each other well. They aren't very much alike at all, and they complement each other's strengths and weaknesses in more than just the csys. Needless to say,nimriye and I get along well too. We both enjoy cracked-out ideas, UST, and character-driven roleplay (as well as grimdark, hoooo boy).
Eithne and Jade are an example of a pairing that just never quite got off the ground. While ianthefira and I get along great, the fact that Eithne and Jade were so slow to attempt any kind of 'not-just-BFFs' relationship kind of blew up in their faces when Gate went mostly idle. (That being said, I love the friendship that's developing between Minako and Ran on Persona! A+++ WOULD FRIEND AGAIN <3).
11 - Pairings - When this does occur, is it largely through the collusion and cooperation of players OOCly, or do you prefer to have the nature of intimacy gestate purely via the direction of RP?
I think this needs a fine balancing act. It's always a bit sad when players decide to get their characters together, but there's no chemistry involved. On the opposite side of the coin, it can get awkward if your character is in a relationship with a character whose player you aren't too fond of or familiar with, as there can be problems down the road.
12 - Genre - do you prefer certain genres of scenes when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
I freakin' love grimdark horror/suspense scenes and it's a good thing those are pretty rare or all my characters would be little lumps of psychosis in a very short time. Still, I do get bored of unending trauma. The best fluff is the fluff that comes after a harrowing adventure. And I love comedic scenes!
13 - Ratings - how high are you comfortable with going? Have you ever written higher? What ratings have you found work best for a communal MUSH environment?
I cut my MUSHing teeth at Shangrila. I can do G through XXX. I prefer PG-13 for everyday RP.
14 - Warnings - What do you feel it most important to warn for, and what's the strangest thing you've warned for in a scene?
I don't know about the strangest, but I think I've warned for sexy and 'badtouch' before. It was probably Ran's dungeon. AND THEN nimriye'S DUNGEON BLEW IT OUT OF THE WATER, LOL :D
15 - Where do you get the most inspiration for your scenes/plots from?
I get a lot of ideas from things around the internet. I don't really watch much TV, so a lot of inspiration comes from books, pictures, jokes, and memes.
16 - What qualities do you look for in other MU*ers? What qualities do you avoid?
SANITY PLEASE. A great sense of humor, a willingness to push comfort boundaries, and someone that throws hooks all over the place. Someone who can make their character emote instead of just acting.
17 - Long poses or short poses? What is your general preference, and why?
I think a happy medium needs to be sought here. Long poses are fine for when it's just two to three characters interacting deeply. In larger scenes, or when people aren't making very deep connections, I think shorter poses (like a paragraph or so) will serve just fine without overwhelming everybody or making them wait a long time.
18 - What's your opinion on the use of meta in poses? Do you find it helpful or a hindrance in establishing atmosphere for a scene?
I love meta!!! HOWEVER, I really do prefer meta to be the useful 'what so and so is thinking about' kind and not the 'OMG CHARACTER B SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKS AND IS A WHORE, LOLOLOL HEY I DIDN'T SAY ANY OF THAT OUT LOUD SO NO FAIR RESPONDING TO IT 'K??' kind. For players like myself that don't put a lot of little body-language 'tells' in our poses, meta can help characters make intuitive leaps about the prevailing mood of a scene.
19 - Music - Do you listen to music while you write? Do you make playlists to get into a certain "mood" to write? Do you need noise in general? Or do you need it completely quiet?
Most of my characters have specific playlists that I've crafted for them. Yoko's is ethereal and sort of downtempo; there are many songs referencing water and intuition in it (PJ Harvey, Gorillaz, the Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie). Ran's has a mixture of 90s grunge, Brit pop, and 'anime themesongs' (Megumi Hayashibara, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, a few Beatles covers). Enya's soundtrack is almost completely stuff like Tori Amos, Loreena McKennitt, and a few single tracks from Siouxie and the Banshees.
In larger scenes, however, I tend to turn off the music just so my head doesn't explode from too much input.
20 - What is the oddest thing you've had to research for a MUSH?
Oh geez. An abbreviated history of political tension in 20th century Ireland. Childhood-onset schizophrenia.
21 - Where is your favorite place and/or time of day to MU*? Anything in particular help supply inspiration?
I like to RP at home, with no distractions. I'm a night owl by nature, so I'm usually settled down and ready to go whenever the sun's going down. Since I live on the west coast now, that's no longer quite as advantageous!
22 - What is your current roster of alts on their given MU*s?
Ran itoh & Yoko Nakashima on Persona MUSH, technically Eithne Sullivan on Gate MUSH, a small assortment of idlers on Shangrila, and hopefully soon Yenna Srivasgerald on SRT.
23 - What are your future plans, if any?
More TS, of course. B)
1 - How did you first get into MUSHing? What pulled you in and kept you engaged?
I'd done tabletop RP before, as well as some chatroom RP in the mid nineties (lol AOL). I'm not sure what caught my attention or where I was on the net that led me to it, but my first MU** experience was at Shoujo-Ai. Someone on there recommended Shangrila since it was a more 'open' theme (and also one where dude characters would not be shunned for the sin of having a peener). I was pretty content there for a bit because I met some fantastic players who wanted to do more than all TS all the time, and after a couple of years I was pointed towards Gate. The idea of not being paged with 'lol nice desc, wanna fuck??' was amazing and I jumped on it. Never looked back. B)
2 - Name the MUSH genres/fandoms you've written in.
Anime mashup (Shoujo Ai), everything gets sexualized and ridiculous (Shangrila), multitheme (Gate), urban fantasy?? (Persona).
3 - What's your calling: FCs or OCs? Both?
I've played both OCs and FCs, but I feel that the range of FCs I can happily and convincingly play is pretty narrow. I've only got OCs these days and am pretty happy with them!
4 - Do you have a favourite or "muse" character, that speaks to you more than others, or you find easier to write? Who are they?
The characters that I RP as the most are the most likely to act as muses for me. It comes from thinking about them more often than non-active characters. For an example, Eithne hasn't been my active muse in months, even though she was my strongest for a long while, since I haven't /played/ her in months. Right now I have Ran and Yoko coexisting pretty peacefully... Ran is the more active muse.
5 - Heroes or villains? Or shades of grey?
Heeeeerooooooooes. I have a problem playing as antagonists or villains... Eithne's the closest I've ever played to a villain, because of her 'unique' moral code (is it bad? kill it!).
6 - Tropes - We all got them, what shows up commonly in your characters and scenes?
Comedic nudity!! More seriously, I have a fixation for scenes that happen in or near hot water. Why haven't I had more onsen scenes?? As for what actually does show up, it's usually a mixture of 'durp' and surpring insights.
7 - When you write, do you prefer writing male or female characters?
I think I'm too female in my own head to ever be really comfortable playing as a male character in the long-term.
8 - Typecasts - do you have them? Is there a particular kind of character you prefer to play? What traits appear often among your rosters, and why? Are there any character types you'd never play?
My characters all tend to have a few things in common besides biology...nimriye said it best, I think, when she noted that I tend to play strong female characters with their own complexes and issues. In Eithne's case, her issues were 'forced maturity from a young age competing with childish impulses', 'holding grudges', and 'jealousy'. Ran's issues (lack of direction, exerting control over the one person she thought still needed her) were mostly addressed in her TV Dungeon. Yoko is dealing with 'mental illness' and 'feeling alone in the world'.
9 - When writing OCs, what do you do to make certain they're not Mary Sues? If you have only written FCs, have you ever come up with having to deal with a less-than-complex or unlikeable character?
I think the most 'perfect' character I've ever played was an FC... Cutey Honey on GateMUSH. She didn't have a lot of issues, was pretty powerful and adaptable, and despite her occasional lapse into loveable blond goofball, was a seasoned warrior.
For OCs, I tend to think of a generalized concept first, then issues that I feel are natural or believable for their personality type or circumstances. There have been a couple of times where I've had to scale back imperfections to actually make a character enjoyable to play (Yoko), just as there have been times where I've needed to introduce flaws (Eithne).
10 - Pairings - do you seek out or specifically engage in "relationship RP"? Is it a necessary or important part of RP for you? What have been your favourite pairings to write?
I don't always go out hunting for it, but I think relationship RP can be really amazing if done between characters who have chemistry and players who click well. Ran and Shinjiro is my current OTP... the characters play off of each other well. They aren't very much alike at all, and they complement each other's strengths and weaknesses in more than just the csys. Needless to say,nimriye and I get along well too. We both enjoy cracked-out ideas, UST, and character-driven roleplay (as well as grimdark, hoooo boy).
Eithne and Jade are an example of a pairing that just never quite got off the ground. While ianthefira and I get along great, the fact that Eithne and Jade were so slow to attempt any kind of 'not-just-BFFs' relationship kind of blew up in their faces when Gate went mostly idle. (That being said, I love the friendship that's developing between Minako and Ran on Persona! A+++ WOULD FRIEND AGAIN <3).
11 - Pairings - When this does occur, is it largely through the collusion and cooperation of players OOCly, or do you prefer to have the nature of intimacy gestate purely via the direction of RP?
I think this needs a fine balancing act. It's always a bit sad when players decide to get their characters together, but there's no chemistry involved. On the opposite side of the coin, it can get awkward if your character is in a relationship with a character whose player you aren't too fond of or familiar with, as there can be problems down the road.
12 - Genre - do you prefer certain genres of scenes when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
I freakin' love grimdark horror/suspense scenes and it's a good thing those are pretty rare or all my characters would be little lumps of psychosis in a very short time. Still, I do get bored of unending trauma. The best fluff is the fluff that comes after a harrowing adventure. And I love comedic scenes!
13 - Ratings - how high are you comfortable with going? Have you ever written higher? What ratings have you found work best for a communal MUSH environment?
I cut my MUSHing teeth at Shangrila. I can do G through XXX. I prefer PG-13 for everyday RP.
14 - Warnings - What do you feel it most important to warn for, and what's the strangest thing you've warned for in a scene?
I don't know about the strangest, but I think I've warned for sexy and 'badtouch' before. It was probably Ran's dungeon. AND THEN nimriye'S DUNGEON BLEW IT OUT OF THE WATER, LOL :D
15 - Where do you get the most inspiration for your scenes/plots from?
I get a lot of ideas from things around the internet. I don't really watch much TV, so a lot of inspiration comes from books, pictures, jokes, and memes.
16 - What qualities do you look for in other MU*ers? What qualities do you avoid?
SANITY PLEASE. A great sense of humor, a willingness to push comfort boundaries, and someone that throws hooks all over the place. Someone who can make their character emote instead of just acting.
17 - Long poses or short poses? What is your general preference, and why?
I think a happy medium needs to be sought here. Long poses are fine for when it's just two to three characters interacting deeply. In larger scenes, or when people aren't making very deep connections, I think shorter poses (like a paragraph or so) will serve just fine without overwhelming everybody or making them wait a long time.
18 - What's your opinion on the use of meta in poses? Do you find it helpful or a hindrance in establishing atmosphere for a scene?
I love meta!!! HOWEVER, I really do prefer meta to be the useful 'what so and so is thinking about' kind and not the 'OMG CHARACTER B SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKS AND IS A WHORE, LOLOLOL HEY I DIDN'T SAY ANY OF THAT OUT LOUD SO NO FAIR RESPONDING TO IT 'K??' kind. For players like myself that don't put a lot of little body-language 'tells' in our poses, meta can help characters make intuitive leaps about the prevailing mood of a scene.
19 - Music - Do you listen to music while you write? Do you make playlists to get into a certain "mood" to write? Do you need noise in general? Or do you need it completely quiet?
Most of my characters have specific playlists that I've crafted for them. Yoko's is ethereal and sort of downtempo; there are many songs referencing water and intuition in it (PJ Harvey, Gorillaz, the Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie). Ran's has a mixture of 90s grunge, Brit pop, and 'anime themesongs' (Megumi Hayashibara, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, a few Beatles covers). Enya's soundtrack is almost completely stuff like Tori Amos, Loreena McKennitt, and a few single tracks from Siouxie and the Banshees.
In larger scenes, however, I tend to turn off the music just so my head doesn't explode from too much input.
20 - What is the oddest thing you've had to research for a MUSH?
Oh geez. An abbreviated history of political tension in 20th century Ireland. Childhood-onset schizophrenia.
21 - Where is your favorite place and/or time of day to MU*? Anything in particular help supply inspiration?
I like to RP at home, with no distractions. I'm a night owl by nature, so I'm usually settled down and ready to go whenever the sun's going down. Since I live on the west coast now, that's no longer quite as advantageous!
22 - What is your current roster of alts on their given MU*s?
Ran itoh & Yoko Nakashima on Persona MUSH, technically Eithne Sullivan on Gate MUSH, a small assortment of idlers on Shangrila, and hopefully soon Yenna Srivasgerald on SRT.
23 - What are your future plans, if any?
More TS, of course. B)