Permissions Meme
Name: Georgia "George" Louise Lass
Age: 18
Date of Birth: September 9th
Eyes: brown
Hair: blonde
Height: 5'3"
Build: on the slender side, with a small waist and hips and approximately 34-B size breasts
Can I shapeshift/bodyswap/spit at/step on/etc?: I prefer to keep camp effects such as genderswitching, deaging, and turning into someone ( Read more... )
Age: 18
Date of Birth: September 9th
Eyes: brown
Hair: blonde
Height: 5'3"
Build: on the slender side, with a small waist and hips and approximately 34-B size breasts
Can I shapeshift/bodyswap/spit at/step on/etc?: I prefer to keep camp effects such as genderswitching, deaging, and turning into someone ( Read more... )
I'm audience. I've been wanting to say something about George for a while now - sorry to invade her journal, but I never see you post on cfud_concrit so.
There are a few things bothering me about George.
Now to preface this, I have not watched the canon. I have no idea. What I'm nitpicking are just general things, though, not canon-specific, so I figured it was okay to go ahead and give my two cents.
That said... okay, so. George has not brought the funny in a long time. Honestly, it's frustrating to read her commenting. We have characters like Ari, who admittedly has a low self-esteem, yet still manages to keep the rp amusing. George unfortunately seems to be on a neverending cycle of "pity me, woe is me, don't have a boyfriend, blah blah mom sucks." I think it's possible to have a depressing (and/or depressed) character but still crack people up. I mean. Yumichika popping off Barbie!Rey's head. Comedy gold right there.
Okay... now. This sort of ties in to the previous point - George is played seriously, blah blah, whatever. But it also feels like you're playing George solely for the romance. Which again, is okay, but it just seems excessive. We had Naruto. And then Xander. And then Ikkaku. And now Renji (who is massively OOC in my opinion). That's great, but is George this fixated on the boyfriend ideal in canon?
I'd just say sit back, remind yourself you're in a crack rp, and try not to focus so much on the romance and angst. It's really making George a frustrating read.
If you read all this, thanks!
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No, I generally don't post to the concrit comm. If someone has an issue, I'd prefer that they come to me directly either through IRC or AIM, both of which I'm almost always signed onto while playing. That being said.
She's really not the "ha-ha" crack funny type, more of a sarcastic, grousing, snarky sort of humor. That's when she isn't complaining about how, yes, she thinks that her life sucks, she's frustrated about things she can't control (but tries to control anyway), how she tries to find some meaning in her life and death and consistently fails, and just when she thinks that maybe things are turning around? It turns out that, no, they're not.
Canon has a constant "one step forward, two steps back" progression in how she grows and matures and it takes her at least two years in canon to reach a point of being comfortable with herself and what she is. Please bear in mind, she's only been at camp for one year.
As for the romance angle, while in canon there's not as much emphasis, in canon there's no reason for emphasis. There are no potential partners among her fellow cast regulars and while there are four love interests in canon (all of whom fall into that same two year time span, three of them being within a space of about 9 months or less?), none of them work out. And all of them cause a significant amount of angst, confusion, frustration, and depression.
Also, please bear in mind that relationships seem to be a huge part of daily life at camp. Someone's always falling in love and wanting to talk about it, upset about love and wanting to talk about it, being humiliated by their computers thanks to pornography, walling each other, trying to feel each other up, making polls to find out who is gay and who isn't, or something similar. Consider two of the most common camp cures, kissing and being groped? Sexuality and romance are huge parts of camp.
She proves in canon on many occasions that she's capable of being swayed by peer pressure, jealousy, and loneliness. And she also gets angry and frustrated when it seems as though everyone has someone other than her. So while, yes, there's some emphasis on finding someone to love and to be loved by----not just a "boyfriend"----it's not unlikely given the environment she's currently in.
Crack is not my strongest point. I freely admit this. I feel more comfortable with playing drama and darkness and snarky sarcasm, simply because these are what I'm interested in. This could just be a matter of personal preference?
If you wish to discuss this further, I'd prefer that you speak to me personally if at all possible. If not, thanks for reading this response.
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That's totally fine if you're not into the crack. But uuh. I thought it was a /crack rp/. Not a dark drama one. I don't understand the necessity to differentiate. I mean... Itachi is one crazy mofo. He's dark and depressing all in a neat package. But apparently he also (perhaps excessively) digs turning into a chick. And Ari and Nishi - a very twisted relationship - but their snark is always fun to read. Even without the crack there, it's a great thing to follow.
Yeah, kissing and rroooomaaannssuuu is a MAJOR thing. But uh, still. FIVE? (I'd forgotten about Rikuou, my bad.) Five nonboyfriends in a humorous setting? With the resulting angst, whininess, whatever. Not fun at all.
If there's so little romance in canon, why play it up so much in camp? You can have plenty of fun without that - I mean, Yuusuke, for serious. I just don't see how everyone else is doing it justifies throwing George at one guy after another. Sure, she's lonely, and jealous, and yes I can see - to an extent - how that would affect her in camp. But uuhh. Again, /five/.
Not to say that in the real world that's completely unheard of. It's just, there's always /so/ much drama, /so/ much angst. And don't get me wrong - I love me some angst (I'm hooked on Grey's Anatomy, for chrissakes) but it's just something that needs to be handled carefully. You tend to go overboard.
Again, just some constructive criticism.
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I'm well aware that it's a crack rp. However, there are many, many characters at this point who are not all happy-funny-zany, at least not all the time. And I never said that I was trying for a "dark, drama one," just something that suited the character's canon, as well as my own strengths and interests.
What suits them is something like what I've been trying my best to achieve: something where there is uncertainty and a fair amount of pain, but also something where there's at least some hope for something better, even if that something better isn't clearly obvious at the time, with a large amount of sarcasm and cynicism thrown in.
As for the issue of how many "nonboyfriends" she's had, I can think of several others within camp who have had as many within a similar amount of time, with plenty of their own angst. Earlier, you specifically mentioned the situation with Yumichika and Rey as something that was funny. However, the ultimate fall-out with Rey getting his hand broken wasn't particularly funny. Compelling reading, yes, but funny? Not especially.
And, I believe I mentioned that there were four instances in which romance became an issue in canon. One was a fairly brief thing caused by her parents' divorce, but the other three? Two of them had entire episodes devoted to them. The beginning, the reasons why, the reasons why it wouldn't work out, and the pain that resulted.
The third was a three episode arc in which George falls hard, spends a great deal of time worrying over whether or not she could have a future with the man in question, an equal amount of time acting silly and giddy and like a typical young woman in love for the first time, loses her virginity, is given the brush-off immediately afterwards, and goes into a downward spiral of pain, frustration, loneliness, and despair that culminates in her being arrested for vandalism and later swearing off all chances of living anything like a "normal" life, with someone to love and the usual sources of happiness.
You say that there's so much drama and so much angst, when frankly speaking it could've been far worse. Even after everything that's happened, she has not given up. Despite----perhaps because of appearances otherwise.
In fact, I've gone out of my way over the past month to try to avoid angst due to RL issues. But when situations like the recent one with Panthera trying to turn her against Lupin by playing to her insecurities come up, I have no choice but to try and roll with the punch. Sometimes, it works better than others.
So, to sum up, I do understand your concerns and I do plan to keep them in mind. However, I also have to do what I think is best according to my understanding of the character and what camp chooses to throw at her in any given week. I'd appreciate your understanding in this matter.
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Let me try this: too many whiny romance intrigues, not enough funny.
You're right; the Yumichika/Rey thing WAS compelling. I've just yet to see that level of roleplay with George. Again, you just tend to go overboard.
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And, frankly, I think we might be at an impasse at this point. I've tried my best to explain why canon backs up what I've done so far, and to be even more frank? Given the fact that what happens in an episode generally takes place in approximately 24 hours or less, I could've pushed things even more given the fact that camp is more of a real-time environment. Those "whiny romance intrigues" that seem to bother you so have taken much, much longer to develop.
And consider Speed's recent flirtation with George. If I was as bad as you think, she'd already be all over him, but she doesn't feel that she knows him well enough to take that kind of leap and there are people she's not only attracted to, she also cares deeply for. Speed has yet to achieve the second quality.
I've also shown your comments and my responses to those who both know the canon and know the game and their opinion was that I have been proceeding in a way that makes sense, given the character's personality, canon, and what her camp experiences have been thus far.
I've also tried to reassure you that I'm trying to keep your opinion in mind, but apparently that's not enough either? Honestly, now----and I don't intend this to be rude----but if you dislike watching George's play, why continue? It seems almost like hitting your thumb with a hammer, simply to complain about the pain. And I'll certainly admit that there are characters I simply can't or won't watch anymore, either due to a loss of interest or other factors. I think the same could be said for every other player and audience member out there and there's no rule that you must read every single thread involving every single character.
It's especially difficult given the fact that you've admitted to not knowing the canon, so much of this is boiling down to what you think versus what I think. And it seems as though you're not budging on that, even though I've tried to explain where the play is coming from and why it can be tied into what we know of the character and her responses in canon to similar situations.
You are welcome to your opinion. You're welcome to stop reading George's threads at any time. Through this exchange, I've been trying very hard to explain where the situations come from and why, while also treating your opinions with respect. Please do me the honor of allowing me the same courtesy.
Thank you.
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I think what's going on here are two different arguments: you're defending voice and canon, and from there to the point I'm driving at - story-telling. I'm sorry if I've sounded curt -- I'm sure George is completely in character and has responded thusly in each situation you've thrown her in.
I'm just saying there needs to be more discipline, as it were -- balancing the romance with say, heaven forbid, a funny post or whatever. Just like using the same virus gimmick over and over again -- allowing your character to fall into the same romantic foible just cheapens the effect.
It might sound like I'm contradicting myself -- my first comment was to say relax and lighten up, and now I'm asking for discipline? It just seems like you /have/ to force yourself to step back, eyeball the situation and figure out if this is the best way to go. It's just like stepping back to review canon. There's something to be said for just letting the characters roam free, and great rp happens because of it -- it's just not so great in the long haul.
And I hope George gets with the funny sometime soon.
Although, yah, I have stopped reading George's threads, actually. I haven't read anything about Speed's flirting. Again, I just wanted to let you know about these issues I've noticed!
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And, honestly, there hasn't been any real "relationship drama" with the weeping and the crying and the woe-is-me'ing in quite some time. She knows what the score is with the fellows she's interested in and since she's been burned, she's not in a huge hurry to get into the same situation again. Her attitude now is more resigned to the fact that, no, she's not likely to find someone any time soon and no, there's nothing that can be done for that.
When she discusses it, it's generally not something that she just starts in on for fun, it's because someone else says something about her being pretty or cute or how someone would be lucky to be with her, and given the past year of course she's going to react negatively to that. Also, it's impossible to deny that she does care deeply for three of the fellows in question and she will do what she can to be there for them and appreciates their efforts in response.
What have her recent threads involved? Discussing Thanksgiving traditions with Chloe and Heather, getting Lupin's demon baby foisted upon her, defending Kio against Seimei's allegations, discussing whether or not Canada's pop idols are actually space aliens and the value of realistic pessimism with Katou, telling Rabi about why sticking a bear in a small cage is a Bad Idea, promising to help convince Santa that Tomo has been a good girl, discussing the potential conquest of Canada and what being a dead girl walking involves with Kid, tying up Lupin and dragging him to a therapy session with Harley and Panthera, trying to convince Panthera to give Lupin another chance and later teaming up with him to plot an ice cream excursion with Ikkaku, trying to determine how many campers are "living-challenged" and considering the odds of a winter formal with Oscar, making peace with Buffy, being assigned the role of "she who shall dump a bucket of water on Kon if he passes out during the wedding ceremony," tormenting Ranma at the wedding ceremony, telling Impulse that if she gets married, she'll make him wear a yellow taffeta party dress with crinolines, teasing Ari over teasing Rikuou, getting angry that someone would steal from Ari's store, plotting ways to catch the culprit, and offering to be there for an obviously dejected Ari, talking to Heero about wedding pictures gone awry, welcoming Jak back to camp, and potentially being recruited for Quiddich by Oliver. And, yes, having Serious Discussions with Rikuou at the wedding and Ikkaku during the group therapy session.
Those are just things from the past week or so. Granted, perhaps they're not as bust-a-gut laughworthy as some threads, but it's not the endless relationship drama you're focusing on.
I don't want you to think that I'm not taking your concerns seriously. I am. It's just that they've already been addressed to a large extent and unless something Huge and Dramatic happens, I can't see why the trend wouldn't continue.
Also, I'm intending this to be my last word on the subject, since I have discussed it with other players who do know the canon and know me well enough to have no problem telling me if George's play goes out of line.
Continuing further will end in the discussion going around and around in circles, but not really achieving anything.
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I will start things off by saying I am not cruel, nor mean, nor evil. K-team here: Ikkakukiatanukid, the relatively harmless. Also here to talk. I have biscuits.
So camp's a crack RP. This would be...because it is a zombie summer camp. Featuring tentacles and purple gorillas and...yes. The setting's made up of crack. Gag jokes and the like. George fits right in, being a snarky grim reaper and all--but as far as characters go she's very multifaceted--what I'm trying to say is, okay, the setting's totally cracked out but that doesn't mean the characters are. As a character she doesn't have to be ICly hilarious, bringing on the chuckles because it's George's personality as writ--if she's down then she's down and she's not obligated to be comical about it if the player doesn't feel it's IC.
Serious play is serious business and here the players are really quite good at emulating their characters in the kinds of situations their characters get thrown in. ICly toiletseat_girl's had a hell of a couple months (no thanks to Ikkaku, HAHAHA, I am the worst) and...if you need reasoning, well, just look at what she's been writing you but--
The point is. Yes, the RP is supposed to be all in all funny but you might have noticed--we're fixated on our characters' relationships, our characters' development, how they're doing in this kind of environment. There's always slapstick comedy to fall back on, sure, but George's character is not really cracked out by nature in the way you think would fit best in camp--and everyone here's got a right to roleplay seriously, regardless of how they exercise it. She doesn't have to bring on the funny in order to be as well-played as she is. Some of us don't have a whole lot of control over where our characters end up emotionally, and a lot of the time that's freaking awesome--it's part of the fun of RPing--and sometimes it's really trying if your character is emotionally retarded, but they have to pull through in their own ways, you know? Multifaceted and all.
...and that made little to no sense but, yeah, I'm always up for talkin' if you are, hon. Just my two cents. Or my two hundred cents. Either, or.
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I do agree with you to a point, but again, I don't think you should let characters do whatever, EVEN IF IC. Say umm... character A has a mommy complex. Character A meets up with Character B, who has a nurturing personality. Now A decides, o hay replacement!!11 and attaches self emotionally to B. Something happens, profit, whatev. Process begins again. Now this could certainly be nothing but in character for the two people! But what I said in my last comment up there -- using the same hook just cheapens the character and makes for bad ffnet fare. I think it's necessary to reign in the knee-jerk response for your character and think about how these actions would impact the "story" in the long run.
I just don't get why there's no humor here, in a humor-based rp. D: There are endless ways of bringing comedy to the table - it doesn't necessarily HAVE to be crack. Something with her sarcasm, maybe? Letterman's a smartass - he's really damn funny at times.
Yeah, it's about the relationships, but holy decomposing bodies, batman! Again, there's a real need for balance.
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