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Empatheias Mods ([personal profile] simpathis) wrote2014-05-25 12:34 am
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[ application: original characters ]

— APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN AND WILL BE PROCESSED ON WEEKENDS —

Canon Applications are here


IMPORTANT! We are officially in endgame until August 31, 2020. Applications are on a rolling basis. There is a small "block" period from the 1st through the 4th of every month to allow a bulk of apps to be submitted, and then applications can be submitted at any time during the month. Notices will be sent out all at once after the first "block" period, and then between 24 hours to the end of the weekend depending on how many and our schedule. Applications are guaranteed to be processed during the weekends.

IMPORTANT: Only the following types of original characters are allowed to be applied for—

  • Pure OC. These are the typical kind of OC that everyone is familiar with. They are characters that are the player's own creation with their own world that is also of the player's design. There is zero relation to any pre-existing canon.

  • MMO OC. MMOs, or Massively Multiplayer Online games, particularly those with a lot of roleplay and character build-up, have existing world building and lore that they have to follow. These characters are created by the player and can have their own story, but they have to follow the rules of the game lore. We consider "main hero" characters as those who are one of many in a great group that influenced the storyline, rather than the singular Great Hero character. This is to help multiple MMO OCs from the same game to have stories that mesh well together. In the sake of fairness to current FFXIV OC players and consistency with previous mod teams' decisions, we do not currently allow FFXIV Warriors of Light.

  • Blank Slate Canon Protagonists. For our criteria, these types of characters are those which you control throughout the game and essentially make the player the main character. They may have a name and a couple of personality traits, but everything else is up to the player to interpret. Examples of these are most of the main characters from Dragon Age, Skyrim, Pokémon, etc. Important: Please note that this category ONLY pertains to the protagonists of canons. This does not allow side characters or other support NPCs as they have set stories and personalities. This section has nothing to do with how much headcanon is used and is only about the purpose and design of the protagonist character.

The following would not be allowed:

  • Fanon/AU OCs. Characters that are based off pre-existing canons or an alternate version of the canon. We would not allow these OCs not because we are against them on principle, but it could cause unwanted confusion and complications with current existing casts. This type of OC would have needed to be allowed from the very beginning so players would know what they were getting into.

  • Game Native OCs. Currently the game is not ready for such a type of character, as it would introduce other complications and worldbuilding that the interested player would have to be aware of. In addition, it would require more close connection with us the mods than we are currently ready for.


Before applying, please be sure to read the following:

  • Read the Rules and the Game Information.
  • RETURNING PLAYERS! You only need to submit any old application. Does not matter how long ago, as long as it was accepted and you have good standing (ie, not banned), it will be valid.
  • Suggestion: Find some character sheets that have questions directly related to character building. These will help flesh out your application and give some guidelines as to how to write about your character.
  • Feel free to use the most recent test drive both for practice as well as to use for samples. IMPORTANT! If you submit threads as samples, you must submit the application with that character journal. This is the only way we can ensure that the samples are from you and not someone else.
  • Linked samples must have been made within the past year.
  • You may apply for up to two characters per cycle.
  • Do not plagiarize. If we find that the information provided was directly taken by either another player or some other source material, the application will be rejected immediately. If we find this after processing the application, we will revoke the application and have you removed from the game with potential ban.
  • Reusing your own applications from other games is allowed. We only ask any original written samples to conform to our game. That is, we don't want to read samples that are set specifically for another game's premise. Note: this does not apply to threads linked from other games used as samples.
  • If you are rejected, you cannot reapply for the same character for two weeks. However, you can apply for a different character in that same period.
  • Those accepted must fill out all of the required entries within a week to be considered part of the game. Otherwise, we will consider it a revocation of the application.
  • Fill out the form and comment to this entry! All applications must be posted directly to this entry; no linked-in applications allowed.


We have compiled sample applications from our players to show what the mod team and the application moderators are looking for in terms of writing quality and depth. We hope you find these samples useful!


⌈ PLAYER SECTION ⌉

Player:
Contact: Journal/Plurk/AIM — anything to help identify since someone might share your name handle.
Age: You must be at least 13 years old to apply.
Current Characters: If a new player, just put "N/A"


⌈ CHARACTER SECTION ⌉

Character:
Age:
OC Type: Indicate whether this OC is a Pure, MMO, or Blank Protagonist type of OC. If it is a Blank Protagonist, indicate the canon here.
Point Taken: A sense of time when the character is taken. More applicable to MMO and Blank Protagonist OCs.

World Building:This is separate from the character's personal history. This section is to provide us with information about the character's “canon” in general. We will have no idea what kind of world that the character is coming from, and this is the only place we can learn about it. We don't want an encyclopedia, but we will need to know important details about it so that we can understand the culture the character is coming from and how that will affect how they think and behave. What countries are important? What kind of geography or political climate? Are there any social conflicts that would impact the character or would influence how they view others? For MMO and Blank Protagonist OCs, linking us to wikis will suffice, but feel free to add more to it.

Backstory: While we don't need a play-by-play, what we would like to see includes how the character lived, what choices they've made and why, what events occurred that developed them, and other important facts that will help us understand the character. For MMO OCs: Most MMORPGs will have a set storyline that the player character has the opportunity to play through. Keep in mind that rather there being a singular "Great Hero," all MMO OCs are to be seen as a part of a large group of heroes if you choose to follow the main storyline. Also keep in mind that all MMO OCs will have to follow their game’s canon lore. For example: A character could not save the NPC that canonly died, nor could a mission fail if it is set to succeed. However, your character could have died and or had difficulty fulfilling the mission. It is also possible that your character had no part in the overall game's story and had their own adventures in the world instead. Finally, there can be no romantic or familial relationships with named NPCs.

Personality: We're looking for how they think, why they act the way they do, their strengths, their weaknesses, their thought processes, their opinions, their conflicts, what makes them feel the way they do, their significant traits. When writing your character, be careful! We want to avoid characters that are the super invincible almighty hero that can do no wrong. The one who can charm anyone with a smile, can easily trick and deceive, has the power to bend wills with ease. All characters have flaws—no one is perfect. But more importantly, such infallible characters are not interesting to play and interact with. In short, the character should be realistic, balanced, and well thought out. If we feel that your character does not meet this standard, then we may ask for a revision or reject if it cannot be changed.

Abilities: If there are any particular abilities the character has supernatural or otherwise, list them here. Referencing to a wiki list is acceptable if applicable. However, if there are any particular abilities that need to be weakened or removed, note them here.

Alignment: Please refer to the Alignment entry to choose which alignment your character would most likely fall under. Include a brief (a couple of sentences max) just to help explain why you think your choice is the best fit.

Other: Anything else you'd like to mention.


⌈ SAMPLE SECTION ⌉

Sample: We have two sample requirements.

General Sample: We should see examples of the character's dialogue as well as some introspection or additional narrative to further show how you intend to write the character. This is the most important part of the sample and where most of the weight will be.

Emotion Sample: This is our "game setting" requirement. Essentially we want to ensure that you have a basic grasp of the game's premise, especially with the use of emotions. It can be a small scene, even incidental to the main sample. A reminder that apathetic characters will also create effects, such as loss of color, surface distortion, holes forming. This section doesn't have to be lengthy, but the effect must be clear for us to see.

The emotion sample can be part of the general character sample. If so, please link directly or directly quote that portion so that it's easier for us to quickly find it.

The samples can be "written" in three different ways and you can choose which one will work best for you:

  1. Test Drive. You can utilize our test drive to cover both requirements of the sample. So long as there is enough character portrayal and a scene with an emotional reaction, be it within the prompt or done during the thread, then it can be used for both.
  2. Link out + Written. You can link to threads/entries from other games, memes, or museboxes to show character portrayal, and then write an additional short scene for the emotion portion of the sample.
  3. Original Sample. You can write a complete sample that shows both character portrayal and a scene involving emotion use. This can be one sample or two separate samples. If you opt to write an original sample, you are welcome to use any prompts from any of our Test Drives, Intro Logs, Task Board, and even past events. You are also free to change things up and are not restricted to any of these prompts. They are just here to help offer ideas.

Format wise, you can use either [ brackets ] OR narrative prose. We do require that the writing at least be coherent, have proper sentence structure, and is mostly grammatically correct (we realize that writing styles can be loose/creative in [ bracket ] form so we're giving a bit more leeway). One last suggestion we have is try to have the character interacting with the environment and try thinking of the sample less of a narrative piece but more like a post or thread prompt you might make in the game. That will help the sample show not only how you will write the character, but also how you will play them in practice.


Questions: If you have any questions, ask them here.



Clean copy and paste form here:

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only
maskedsmile: (.63)

Shi Yamato | OC 1/4?

[personal profile] maskedsmile 2019-04-05 04:53 am (UTC)(link)
⌈ PLAYER SECTION ⌉

Player: Berri
Contact: [personal profile] taiyakinonaku
Age: 28
Current Characters: Satou Kuroneko (OC)


⌈ CHARACTER SECTION ⌉

Character: Yoshiya "Shi" Yamato
Age: 16
OC Type: Pure OC
Point Taken: Age 15: After failing a heroic deed attempt

World Building:
The world of spirits is a modern fantasy, flavored by the existence of, well, spirits. By this world's definition, a spirit is a soul with no physical body to attach itself to. The term contrasts definitions such as human, which is a soul with a physical body to attach itself to.

Because spirits have no physical form, they are unbound by physical laws and rules. On the negative side, this means that a spirit cannot feel, smell, or taste. And though they can see and hear, they cannot be seen or heard. It isn't uncommon for a spirit to not even be able to interact with other spirits: They live long, lonely existences without the guarantee of acknowledgment.

On the plus side, spirits are not bound by physical laws. While a human soul is attached to its body, a spirit can possess any physical object. Through this object, they can potentially experience some of the physical world. An object that a spirit possesses is called a 'shrine.'
Shrines aren't limited to only physical objects either. They can be a person, for example, or a concept. The most common form of shrine is a mystery. When a spirit inhabits a mystery, they can gain magic powers over it. This turns them from a spirit to a Kami. And the strength of their magic is determined by faith.

The easiest way to illustrate this concept is by example.

A spirit who inhabits the mystery of agriculture becomes the Kami of Agriculture. The new Kami is able to manifest in small ways with magic, thus alerting humans to their existence. The more that humans believe that agriculture is controlled by this particular Kami, the stronger that Kami's influence over agriculture actually becomes.

This cycle of dependence once benefited all parties. In the 'Golden Age of Kami, the world was really ruled by the Kami that humans believed in. The Kami were seen briefly, they were heard, and most of all... They had an impact on the world they were born into.

But there is a drawback: Once a mystery is solved, the Kami loses their shrine. When humans discovered the science of agriculture, they solved the mystery and destroyed the Kami's shrine. And gradually, that Kami would lose faith until they reverted back to a lonely spirit existence. As scientific advances swept human civilization, the Golden Age of Kami gave way to the 'Era of Forgetting.'

By the 21st Century, Kami and Spirits are folktales and legend. The very few who believe have managed to keep their Kami in existence, but their power is only a percentage of what it once was. Mysteries are hard to come by, and it isn't uncommon for spirits to fight each other over the chance to inhabit a mystery.

There was, however, one last shrine available to spirits. A secret kind of magic that even the Kami affected by it didn't understand: Naming Magic. If a spirit was given a name out of love, and for as long as someone called them by that name, they could use it as a shrine. It's a very tricky kind of shrine. Once you know it is a name, its mysterious power disappears. You also cannot consciously use naming magic... and all of this relies on you being able to see spirits, love them, and being able to have their name heard. So it is a very rare kind of magic.

The life of spirits is further complicated by the existence of Spirit Hunters. While every hunter has their own reasoning, the vast majority simply believe that spirits and kami should not exist. There is a story passed down about how all souls, spirit and human, are fighting for the right to exist. It is believed that the overpopulation of spirits, who cannot die natural deaths, is quickly overloading and destroying the planet.

Spirit Hunting in the 21st Century is a quiet business, but a threat none the less. They solve mysteries as scientists, and use ancient magicks to destroy spirits all together. They will even destroy the Kami who still reside in unsolved mysteries.
maskedsmile: (Default)

2/4

[personal profile] maskedsmile 2019-04-05 05:00 am (UTC)(link)
Backstory:
Marion Wing was born in the 21st Century of his world: A 'Modern Era of Spirits,' where the mere idea of them was kept to legend and folktales. His mother and father were both entirely normal humans, and their son was initially just the same. However, Marion was born with strange white hair and unnaturally bright cyan eyes. A trait credited to spirits being interested in the boy, who was born with the ability to see them.

His strange appearance frightened his parents. To his father, it was a sign that Marion was the son of another man. It was the reason that his father walked out on them before Marion was even three years old, leaving his mother to raise a son she did not want.
To his mother, his creepy looks were a sign that Marion was not even human. Granted, the young woman would have accepted any reason to abandon her burdensome son. When the topic of spirits began picking up attention, his mother determined that Marion was a spirit sent to curse her. She decided she could repent for her sinful early life by taking Marion to an active shrine and abandoning him.

Meanwhile, Marion was an exceptionally bright boy. At age five, he understood that the spirits he saw were not normal. He also understood why his mother thought he was a curse, that she hated him, and that he had made her life very difficult. So when he was left on the steps of an oceanside shrine, Marion made no attempt to follow his mother. He even promised never to tell anyone about her, and allowed his mother to escape him.

Fortunately, the shrine in question was not abandoned like Marion was. It was dedicated to the Kami of the Ocean, who was still worshiped by the nearby fishing village. Some of the elders found Marion in the morning, and they were mystified by how he could see the spirits they worshiped. They believed that Marion was the Ocean Kami themselves, and took him back to the village. There he adopted the name "Shiro," for his white hair, because he refused to give up his birth name. After all, he didn't want anyone to link him to his mother.

For three years, Shiro lived in the village as a Kami... but he was not actually a Kami. The real Ocean Kami was still attached to the shrine, and her power was fading. The villagers believed in their Kami, but only to lay blame on her. They blamed the Kami for every poor fishing season, every bad storm, every sinking ship... As a result, their Kami only had the ability to do terrible things with her spirit magic. She hoped that Shiro would change their opinion of her.

That never came to pass. Instead, the villagers began to blame Shiro. He was isolated from children his age due to his supposed status, and the adults only treated him well out of self-interest. When that good treatment turned to outrage and abuse, Shiro believed he deserved it. He was called 'The Curse of the Sea,' and it was believed that Shiro had come to destroy the village.

At age nine, the villagers finally had enough of him. They contacted a spirit hunter about the little Kami that had come to curse them. Spirit Hunters snuck in one night, took Shiro to the shrine, and murdered him. At least no one had the will to disrespect the child's body: He was left with a stab in the back, completely aware of how hated he was.

This was the shrine of the Ocean Kami. She was outraged to see what the villagers did to the poor boy, who did not actually possess the power they blamed him for. The Ocean Kami threw a fit, creating huge storms and killing fish with her evil powers.
However, no one connected the punishment with their crime. Instead, they believed that it was Shiro cursing them. They cursed him in return, blaming Shiro for every disaster that had ever befallen any of them and officially thinking of him as The Curse Kami.

Faith is miraculous. And sometimes, miracles are cruel.

In this case, the miracle was Shiro's revival. His spirit became a Kami, and his shrine became his own human body. Shiro woke up in his corpse, but was unable to feel pain from the stab or see the wound at all. He simply believed he had been lucky somehow.
This shocked the Ocean Kami. She could feel her own power fading and understood that Shiro was replacing her, but felt no ill will towards the child. Rather, she felt oddly maternal towards the young boy. She didn't want for him to know he had died, so lied to him. But she also urged him to flee from the village, before they found out he was still alive.

Shiro did not doubt the Ocean Kami. In fact, he immediately trusted the beautiful spirit woman before him. Shiro began calling her "Princess" because she was so beautiful, with the address eventually shortening to "Prinny."
Unknown to both of them, this nickname became Name Magic, and the new name became Prinny's shrine. Prinny led Shiro away from the shrine, but the entire time she expected to be chained to her physical shrine. She was surprised when she was able to leave the village behind. But Prinny never questioned it, and instead decided to make raising Shiro her top priority.

The two of them arrived at Asteria City, where they met "Tina the Tourism Kami." Tina's shrine was a tourism mascot for the town, and she had a lot of faith thanks to the children in Asteria. She allowed them to live in the attic of the tourism bureau. Initially, no one else in town could see Prinny... But Shiro spoke of her so confidently that even the adults began to believe that he really did have a beautiful older sister.

Thanks to Shiro's sincere love for his two new sisters, they both came to inhabit powerful name shrines. Tina and Prinny both became physical illusions, who got part-time jobs and started renting a real home for Shiro.

Though not conscious of name magic, they began calling him "Shi" and their family "The Yamato Family." Stories of "Shiro the Curse Kami" were beginning to filter into the modern city of Asteria, and they feared anyone making the connection. As much as possible, the girls wanted Shi to live a normal life. The now-sisters enrolled Shi in public school (because apparently it was illegal not to let him go to school or something,) and the three enjoyed a quiet, happy life.

It was happiness that did not last. Because despite trying to rename Shiro, his curse powers caught up to him. Not because anyone knew "Shi" was "Shiro," but because he himself still believed that he was a curse. Shi was a Kami, but his human body allowed him to create his own faith: And his own self-fulfilling prophecy.
It started small, but once it did begin it quickly snowballed. Broken mirrors turned to broken computers, lights flickering if he touched them, people getting sick if they sat with him... His school friends became wary, and even the adults began to wonder why Shi was plagued with tragedy. When spirit hunters wandered through Asteria, they recognized the now twelve year old boy as the one they had tried to kill years before.

This time, Shi was not killed. When Prinny and Tina realized the family was in danger, they packed a bag for Shi and told him to run. They promised to follow after him, but that they would throw the spirit hunters off his trail. He agreed and took off to a nearby forest.

Neither sister succeeded in coming after him.

After waiting for the entire night, Shi went back to check on his family. He found their home burnt to the ground, Tina's mascot self vandalized, and that all local spirits had been destroyed. He himself was discovered by some townspeople, and was fortunate enough that they were kind people. They were people who had adored Tina and Prinny, and adored Shi too. Even when they knew he was the Curse Kami Shiro, they could not hate him. They gave Shi money and supplies, then urged him to run away before anyone discovered him. When the twelve year old boy asked how he could repay them, he received a confusing answer:

"Just find a place where you can smile again."

Though confused by the request, Shi agreed. He left Asteria and began traveling on foot. Along the way, he continued to meet spirits and befriend them. With every town he stayed in, Shi made friends and created lasting name shrines. He also left a trail of destruction in his wake. Those who were kind to him suffered grave misfortunes, the places he lingered in were struck with natural disasters, and there was a clear media trail documenting terrible things that happened along his traveling path. The number of people who cursed Shi only grew, and with the stronger blame game came even stronger powers. It was a cycle that he could not escape.

As Shi was growing up, the world around him was also growing. And it was changing. Spirits and Kami were becoming mainstream again. Popular rumors had turned to televised sightings, which then turned to actual Kami appearing on television. By the time that Shi was fifteen years old, the idea of spirits was so mainstream that regular people could catch glimpses of them. Spirits appeared as brilliant orbs of light, which appeared in flickers to those who believed.

As this Era of Changing continued, humans blamed or praised Kami even more than this ever. It was this increase in faith that allowed Kami to appear more publicly, which started a positive cycle for their rising powers. This cycle also pushed spirit hunters to train themselves more, as they realized Kami and spirits were becoming more threatening. Finally, it also created a wave of popularity in the media.

Kami often appeared as superheroes. There were cartoons and tv shows produced about these supernatural beings, which could help or harm the world in whole. Shi longed to be one of the "good guys," but was burdened by all the proof that he was a villain. He decided to change his name again, this time to "Yoshiya Yamato," and become a "good guy." He wanted to redefine the story of Shiro, and his powers, by being a superhero.

At Yoshiya's current canon point, he is trying to be a hero. He lives alone and tries to fight crime at night, though clumsily so due to his powers. Even has he optimistically tries to change his self-image, he is afraid of attending school or going anywhere that he might hurt others. He continues to be his own self fulfilling prophecy, and accidentally causes more harm than good.

maskedsmile: (.83)

3/4

[personal profile] maskedsmile 2019-04-05 05:01 am (UTC)(link)
Personality:
. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: sweet. cute. polite. considerate.
First impressions can be deceiving. While it is true a portion of Shi's outer personality is an act, it is just as true that he has his genuine highlights. That said, Shi gives off the impression of being akin to a shoujo manga heroine: He's a nice person who smiles a lot and powers through his hardships. His initial instinct is to be polite and considerate. Shi also comes off as being shy, linked to how overly conscious is of those around him.



He's also the type to smile a lot. When he's in a neutral mood (ex.: not afflicted with recent trauma,) then he will almost consistently be smiling. It is pretty plain that this kid has a talent for optimism, as he seems able to drag himself out of the angsty pit of despair no matter how deeply he may fall. And in his rush to look after others, Shi is often throwing himself under the bus-- noticeably so.


A lot of this stems from honest factors of his personality. Shi is definitely someone who cares deeply about the people around him. He hands out his love and trust like free samples, and does it with the motivation that you'll be a repeat customer. And yes, he does possess the inner strength to get through tragedy and come out smiling.


But like all characters whose personality sections become threatening light novels, there is more going on under the surface. I'm so sorry.


. GRATEFUL FOR LIFE
A huge motivating factor for this kid is the fact that he is glad to be alive. He knows he is in a blessed situation and is very glad for it. His blessed situation is something a lot of humans take for granted, which does make his gratefulness seem weird out of context: Shi is glad to exist physically.


This means that Shi obsesses over physical things. He is freakishly happy that he can taste food, glad that people can see his face, happy he can hug a soft stuffed animal, grateful when you hear him... Where Shi is from, a Spirit does not have these things. Existing in a physical form is a luxury to Spirits and Kami, and Shi is very aware of that.


This results in Shi coming off as kind of weird. He gets excited over trivial and weird things: For example, he would probably enjoy touching a slimey animal because HE CAN FEEL SLIME! Shi also forgives painful things, such as being yelled at or injured, because he feels he should be glad to feel anything at all.


His appreciation of these trivial things reflects in how he treats other people. Firstly, he understands that normal humans don't have the same respect for their physical existence as he does. That's fine. He never holds it against them. To be so spoiled by a luxury is enviable, and he doesn't hate people for complaining.


What he does do is try to help people appreciation their blessing as best he can. He also tries really hard to leave physical, lasting evidence of his existence. Shi's hobbies include things like composing music, playing various instruments, baking and cooking, and light sewing. He wants people to be happy they have ears, taste buds, and a body they can dress up. He also wants to leave things behind, so when he inevitably vanishes he won't be lost forever.


. HAPPY BY CHOICE
Shi's happiness and grateful personality is genuine. He is not pretending to love his life... all the time. The truth is that this kid has many reasons to be sad and he didn't just magically get rid of them. He chose to get rid of them. It's as unhealthy as it sounds.


For as his appreciation for his life, Shi is also burdened with guilt over it. A lot of people who he has loved, and still loves, died to get him where he is now. Shi knows that his life is precious. When he gets upset, particularly when he's mad about the cards life gives him, Shi worries he's throwing salt in his dead loved one's wounds.


So while he is almost always going to smile in the end, know that he doesn't always smile for the right reasons. Sometimes, Shi is just smiling because he thinks it is his job. He thinks that, as a Spirit gone Kami, he doesn't have the right to complain about his physical life. There are Spirits who envy his position and he doesn't want to hurt them by complaining about a gift. Once again, he's very considerate. Too considerate.


He lets it define him in a very unhealthy way. Shi can be taken advantage of and hurt over and over AND OVER, because he doesn't want to ever think ill of his lot in life. He does not entirely understand that you can be happy to be alive, but sad about the life you love.


. POOR ANGST MANAGEMENT
He's in his teens now, but Shi can be very childish. Particularly regarding how he understands and handles his emotions. Now, I will briefly rise to his defense in two ways. For one, Shi died when he was ten years old. His emotional development got thrown off track very drastically.


Secondly, Shi has never had a stable figure in his life to raise him. His decided family and role models come and go through a fast moving revolving door. They are rarely around long enough to teach Shi the things we take for granted, like how to grieve or how to be angry at someone. Likewise, Shi hasn't had anyone to teach him to properly distinguish the evils of the world. He's naive and easily tricked, which leads him to easily fall into situations where he wants to scream or cry.


His mechanisms for dealing with these things are self-taught, by a physically dead kid who feels pressured into smiling. Shi tries to bottle up negative feelings for as long as humanly possible. He will change topics, tell smiling lies, and ignore his negativity. And he's very rarely going to let anyone help him deal it. When he reaches his breaking point, Shi will flee and vent privately. He does not want anyone to see him as being ungrateful to live, and he thinks taking more than a few minutes to deal with sadness equates to him wasting his precious life. It's not healthy, but he's never learned it is the wrong way to handle himself.


. NARCISSTIC
The way that Shi is perceived is incredibly important to him. This kid is practically homeless for a large portion of his life, but he won't be caught dead looking it. That's actually part of his problem: He doesn't want to be caught dead. Shi is a Kami piloting his own corpse. His body is dead. There's even a gorey stab wound on his back. Yet Shi does not look like your classic zombie child: I purposefully colour his icons with blush on his cheeks, eyeshadow around his eyes, and sometimes I add frickin eyelashes. No one looks like that rolling out of grave. The kid spends his bits of money on cosmetics and meticulously maintains his make-up, hygeine, fashion, and aesthetic to look lively and healthy.


Shi cares A LOT about how he looks. He cares about how other people look too. He's downright narcissistic. His big sister, Prinny, got her name because she looked like a 'Princess' to Shi. He attached that narcissistic, appearance-based name to her so hard it became a magical shrine. While part of his naming ability is do to him loving the Spirits and their personalities, it shouldn't be ignored that Shi creates shrines that are attractive. The names he picks usually relate to something physical. Looks matter a lot to this kid.


Granted, Shi also grows in an environment where being physically seen is a great gift. Spirits lament the fact that no one can see them. A Spirit that can be seen by humans and have a physical body is considered blessed (and has probably transcended to being a Kami, but ssh.) Shi was also harassed and murdered because of his appearance. His Kami name, Shiro, comes from his deathly white hair. The only reason he hasn't changed his hair colour is because it is an aspect of his mortal life, which is a concern I will cover shortly.


. SEEKING APPROVAL
Physical appearances aren't all that matter to Shi. He cares a lot about how people perceive his personality as well. Shi is one of those kids who is constantly seeking for approval. He has always wanted to be someone people like. Even before he as labeled a Curse Kami, before his home village ganged up to murder him, and before he was abandoned by his mother, 'Marion' wanted to be liked. Now moreso than ever, he understands that the way people perceive you is important.


As a Kami, Shi's existence is largely dictated by how humans see him. He is a Curse Kami precisely because so many people have cursed his very existence. He understands that he causes even more trouble when more people label him as a "curse." And that trouble will lead him to losing people, places, and happiness.


So Shi puts a lot of effort into how people perceive him. Before delving into how Shi wants to be seen, I should point out that "wanting to be liked" makes him overly cautious and he usually just comes off as shy. He's watching his every word, every action, and every reaction to get a positive response. When he's not sure how to proceed, he hangs his head and stutters in a quiet, nervous voice. That's not at all how he wants people to see him, but hey. If we all came off how we want to, the world would be weird.


. DESIRE TO BE PERCEIVED AS "KNIGHTLY"
What Shi wants to project is the image of someone confident, polite, happy, and self-reliant. Read his writing samples now and laugh at how far off the mark he actually is. Shi will tell blatant lies to people, thinking he is somehow covering his trail. His lies are meant to throw people off the scent of how lonely, scared, and dependent he actually is. Sometimes, Shi does find himself in a situation where he can project his desired image. When he gets the ball rolling, Shi tries to flower his speech with "fancy" speech. More like, he sounds like he read one Shakespeare play and thinks he now fluently speaks ye olden English. When he's got the act going, he smiles politely and behaves like a gentleman. He wants to be like a fairytale knight.


But Shi is not a fairytale knight. The fact he wants it so badly just goes to show how aware of that fact he is. Shi is a Curse Kami. He is a Spirit of a young boy who was tossed to Kami status.... because people hated him too much to let him rest in peace. The very fact he is able to exist and struggle for happiness is linked to how much people hate him. That's a hard fact to live with. It's even harder to live with it while choosing to smile. The way Shi lives with his Curse Kami existence is really a testament to his strong will. Shi probably could be some form of fairytale knight, if he wasn't so caught up on the Curse Kami reality.


. SELF HATRED
Being a Curse Kami scares him. Shi hates it. He may live with it, but he is never happy with it. While he might smile a lot and while he has the potential to be a cute and goofy child, the fact he is a Curse always exists. Shi knows that he can get people killed just by hanging around them. His craving to be liked and in good company contradicts his kind hearted love for everyone around him: He wants to be with people, but he knows that it wrong. So Shi often plays an annoying game of tug-of-war with people when he first meets them. He is simultaneously trying to be a good boy and push them away, for their safety, while trying to give them chances to tug him over, for his sake.


Inevitably, Shi is probably always going to let himself be tugged over. His desire to love others for selfish reasons keeps outweighing any selfless love. He has accepted this, since he is a Curse Kami, and decided that the most he can do is "be careful." He tries very hard not to let his friends get TOO close. Like an emo, edgy anime boy, Shi tries to hold people are arms' length. He would rather not hurt people and prove to them he's a curse... For his sake as much as theirs.



As I close this personality, I will end it with the fact that Shi doesn't like himself. He's trying his best to be happy. He really does want to achieve a happiness that justifies all the lives lost to save his... but he's tired. That revolving door of relationships took its toll on him already, and now he is just standing there letting it slap him in the face. Shi believes too strongly that 'love and happiness' exist, even for Curses.


Because Shi also believes that he's a Curse. He has seen too much proof that this is true. He might deny facts that get in the way of his ability to enjoy his life, but that doesn't mean he thinks highly of himself. This self hatred are also, ironically, what make him such a dangerous Curse. A Kami is defined by humans, and Shi's mortal body-- the shrine his Spirit is attached to-- is still capable of defining Kami. So as long as Shi holds the belief that he is a Curse Kami, that is not going to change.


FORTUNATELY, a few good relationships and some consistency in his life can right that. Or could. If he stopped getting people killed. But eh. Some cycles are doomed to repeat themselves.

maskedsmile: (.12)

4/4

[personal profile] maskedsmile 2019-04-05 05:04 am (UTC)(link)
Abilities:
Kami Status:
Shi is what his world calls a 'Kami.' He is a spirit that has become exceptionally powerful. Typically, spirits just float around and belong no where. A Kami has a place to belong and ability to gather power. Spirits and Kami both gather power from human faith. When you tell a ghost story, you are potentially giving a spirit power by somewhat believing it. Likewise, most early civilizations created Kami by believing there was a higher power controlling their lives.

This creates a cycle, where humans believe in Kami and thus make Kami real. Kami do gain real power through faith, and can then really control the things humanity believes they do. In a similar vein, a Kami can lose their powers when humans stop believing in them. When humans learned there was a science to agriculture, the agricultural Kami would lose their power.

All of this applies to Shi, but with a slight twist:

Sacred Child/Spirit Medium Status:
Shi is simultaneously a Kami and his own Spirit Medium. His spirit is possessing his real human body. This is exceptionally rare: Most humans do not get so strongly associated with the supernatural that their spirits can become Kami after death. Even fewer are actually able to return to their original bodies, much less appear to be alive.

But Shi is well loved. For all of the people who hate and curse him, there are just as many who love him. It also helps that his human self died under very unusual circumstances. What this means for Shi is that he can create his own power. He can also freely interact with the physical world, which is what all spirits wish for.
Moving back to the Kami thing:

He's DEAD like a CORPSE:
At the end of the day, Shi is DEAD. His body is a corpse. He died when he was ten. Every sign of life this body displays is essentially an illusion that Shi himself puts on.

This means a number of things. For one, Shi's senses are a total mess. Most everything he experiences is something his Spirit experiences. In this world, spirits are only observers: They can see, hear, and smell. For those two senses are just fine for Shi.

What spirits cannot go is experience: They cannot touch, taste, or feel. So for Shi, these experiences are wonky. He can move his corpse to experience these things, but it's like using a stick to experience the world. There's a separation and his experiences are 'dulled.' He cannot feel the stark differences in warmth or huge amounts of pain, for example. Fortunately, he can taste due to taste being linked to smell. So at least he has that.

Also, he's kind of dead. His life is an illusion. Shi appears lifelike because he wants to. He wants his body to breath and he wants a heart that beats, and he wants to look alive. But he does not necessarily need these things. You can throw him in a lake or stab him through, and his spirit is still going to pilot his corpse.

Shi lacks a few gifts of life. He heals abnormally slow, for example, sporting wounds for way too long. He also suffers from slow growth. He's sixteen, but he still looks cute and small. Shi also cannot reattached limbs.

Curse Powers:
Shi is a Curse Kami. He exists as a being who collects and spreads misfortune. This power is something that Shi does not have much control over, because he does not have the heart to control it. In theory, Shi could determine that he wants an accident to cause a house to burn down by specifically cursing a place. In reality, Shi accidentally causes accidents when his curses soak into an area. The longer he stays somewhere, the more his curses soak in and the more likely a tragedy is to occur.

His curse power can be visualized as a dark fog. It can also be seen by anyone with the ability to perceive magical things like souls, spirits, power, etc., since that dark fog is essentially a manifestation of his spirit and power. Shi can see it only if he's trying, and he would rather not be aware of it.

In a roleplay setting, his curse power will manifest in him being very unlucky. Those around him can optionally use Shi as an excuse to have their character suffer sudden bad luck as well. The danger is that the more people associate Shi with bad luck and curses, the stronger and less predictable his powers become. He tries to keep quiet about it, because he knows his power can snowball.
On the plus side, his curse power can be used to his benefit. It is statistically harder to hurt Shi, because he is cursing people and lowering their accuracy. He can willingly curse others, but it is very hard for him. Not due to a lack of power, but a lack of resolve to cause purposeful harm.

Fortunately, his bad luck can be 'mopped up.' Some spiritual items can absorb it like a sponge and religious 'misfortune barriers' can keep it at bay. Likewise, those things can hurt Shi. He gets tired because they are literally soul draining, or he will pass out at the base of a barrier. Lucky for him, they will not kill him so much as temporarily annoy him.

Spirit Powers:
There's been a lot of negativity about being a spirit, but it isn't entirely bad. Because spirits are non-physical, they are not bound by physical law. Even a spirit with a medium or shrine can use their "Spirit Powers."

Spirit Powers are similar to aura, chi, or shounen anime martial arts energy. They reflect a spirit's unbound will. A spirit can train their 'aura' to do many things. A well trained spirit can even enact little "miracles" on the world with their aura, though it can be exhausting to the point of spiritual death. For example, using all of their power to create a long overdue rainstorm during a drought, or helping someone win the lottery.

In Shi's case, he uses his spirit powers primarily to heal his physical body. He could also potentially use it to create small shields for himself or pops of explosive energy. What holds Shi back is that Spirit Power is not well known. Books aren't printed on it, except in the context of myth or legend, and spirits don't typically interact enough to share their experiences. He's learning on his own and defining what he can do for himself.

For Shi, this means that he currently doesn't think his Spirit Power can be used for anything good. However, an RP environment could change this. Shi is likely to seek guidance on the subject and come to mimic other characters.

Some limitations will always remain: Namely, the fact Spirit Power is reflective of the spirit's will and existence. If he does anything 'too powerful' then he might snuff himself out like a candlelight. Even small tasks can be very draining, because they require Shi defy his negative self perception. He's likely to only be able to use Spirit Power for two or three positive acts a day before he passes out.

Spiritual Death:
Spirits are hard to kill. Because Shi has already been separated from his mortal body once and it now possessing it, he becomes especially difficult to kill. If Shi is separated from his body by any sort of spirit repelling powers, then he becomes an invisible ghost. Because he is a Kami, that ghost will retain a human-like appearance for any with the supernatural ability to see it. He can be injured and destroyed in this form.

Just killing his body is technically not enough. He just won't be able to return to it, unless he has the power to heal the wounds (ex.: He heals the stab wound that originally killed him, but he would not know how to repair a missing head.) Even if his 'shrine' is damaged, Shi could potentially attach to something else. But that is such a can of worms that I won't bother with it in an rp setting. If his body is beyond repair, it is permadeath. If his body can repaired with his power, he will do that.

The most important thing to note is the fact that Shi's canon allows him to literally be saved by the Power of Love. It is the fact that Prinny loved him so much that allowed him to survive death in the first place. As long as there are people who love him enough to give him a place in their hearts, his spirit can rest there and recover.

The Power of Love:
No really. He would do so well in a magical girl game.

Shi is noted throughout his history for having an exceptional talent for naming spirits. This isn't some truly magical power that only comes on the full moon to the main character of a TV series: It is a display of love. Shi's greatest claim to fame is his almost superhuman ability to love people with all his heart. So for any character who needs a power of love battery, it is worth noting that Shi is just that. He can pour his heart and soul into relationships like no one's business. Likewise, the music he plays and art he paints carry so much love that it is striking. And obnoxious.


Alignment: Elios: Shi is hated throughout his story. It would be very easy for him to choose to hate the world in return, but Shi actively chooses love instead.

Other: Nothing really! His cursed powers obviously require a permissions post, though.


⌈ SAMPLE SECTION ⌉

Remember that we ask for samples that show 1) core character portrayal and 2) some use of emotions, such as environmental effect. You can also use the same sample source for both, just make sure to directly link or quote the emotion portion. We highly encourage using the Test Drive, and you can use prompts from the Test Drives, Intro Logs, and the Task board if you need them. Refer to the main application page for links and more suggestions.

General Sample: TMD

Emotion Sample:
Since arriving, Shi had been plagued by the idea that his emotions could manifest. He did his best to keep
a smile on his face, and the last thing that he wanted was to let anyone know his true emotions. He didn't want for anyone to know how terrified he was, or how much he wanted to go home, or how afraid he was to be touched.

Yet, there he was. Someone had tried to help him stand up after Shi fell to the ground, and his emotions took form. He had his arms held up to guard his face, while spikes of ice formed a protective barrier around his body. He was forcing the stranger to keep their distance. If he had been more in control, Shi would have liked to smile and stand up on his own... He would pretend to be fine, and friendly, and good. Instead, it was physically apparent that he was trying to keep people distant.

"S, So... Sorry!" He squeaked, scrambling to his feet. Then, unsure of how to actually fix the ice-- and too scared to explain,-- he turned to run. "Forget that you saw anything!"

Questions: n/a! Thanks for reviewing the app!
helpatheias: (Default)

CLARIFICATION

[personal profile] helpatheias 2019-04-07 01:29 am (UTC)(link)
Two ages are listed for this character between the age field and canon point; please clarify which age the character will be upon entering the game.
maskedsmile: (.63)

[personal profile] maskedsmile 2019-04-07 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
AH THIS IS EMBARRASSING. It’s 15! I forgot to change that after deciding to take him from an earlier point. Sorry! Thanks for catching that! I can count, I promise!
helpatheias: (Default)

Accepted!

[personal profile] helpatheias 2019-04-07 02:14 am (UTC)(link)
Congratulations! We are happy to announce that your application has been accepted.

Please follow these next few steps to officially be considered part of the game. Remember that you have one week to do all this, otherwise we will consider it a revocation of the application.

➟ Reply to this comment with the journal you will be joining with, then join the following communities:
➟ Please comment to the appropriate Taken Characters list: Canons A-M | Canons N-Z.
➟ You are required to create an information post on your character journal for easy player reference. Using your application is perfectly fine! You are also free to use one of our Info Post Templates.
➟ When your journal is added by the mod journal, comment to the Player Contact list.
➟ Introduce yourself in our Player Intro post and start playing!
➟ Use the Character Introduction Log for your character intro!
➟ Please note that while we will create a character tag for you, you will need to type it in the first time you use it in each community for it to show up on the list.


Some optional things:
➟ Review the Game Info, Emotions, Amulet, and Island information pages.
➟ Check the monthly mod post for some announcements and an idea of what's in store for the month.
➟ Make sure you understand how the Network works. Remember, Empatheias uses telepathy as communication!
➟ Feel free to make an Inbox post for any private messages that could be sent via messenger bird.
➟ Check this month's plotting post.
➟ Follow the mod plurk ([plurk.com profile] simpathis) for game announcements.
➟ Join the game's Discord chat. You can join it by following the link here.

If you have any questions at any time, feel free to contact us! Once again, we welcome you to Empatheias, and we hope you enjoy the game!
maskedsmile: (.12)

Thank you!

[personal profile] maskedsmile 2019-04-07 02:17 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you so much! This will be Shi’s journal!
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