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[themightyspazz]

Do you know how addictive New Vegas can be? I didn't.

From gavin62truck:

Does your pups' mood affect you? Or does your mood affect the way you play your pups?

Comments

[damncompass]

There is only one way I can answer this question, and that's from the sage words of my most beloved of former characters:

Perhaps it is impossible to wear an identity without becoming what you pretend to be. ~Valentine Wiggin

Character bleed is such a reality for me. Joshua's been making me really hella hyper lately, and making me get so many ideas for so many projects. I have had times where the bleed goes the other way, but mosly I take emotion from what my headvoices are doing.

... let's not talk about Val's miscarriage. That was one hell of a day.

[herr_bookman]

Eee, you played Valentine! ...Augh, miscarriage. That's grief, no matter who it is.

[genarti]

When I'm actively writing, or actively immersing myself in a character headspace, then yes, their mood affects mine. Not deeply, but I don't think it's possible (at least for me) to spend a long time thinking hard about the exact sensations and dimensions of someone's joy or despair or excitement without it bleeding over at least a bit. That's mitigated if I'm multitasking a bunch of threads with different moods, of course.

I say a bit for a reason, though. It doesn't generally touch my state of mind deep down. And a really fun thread will bring me joy and adrenaline even if the character is having a horrible time of it. But some superficial minor bleed-over, sure.

My mood doesn't really affect the way I play them, though, I don't think. It affects whether I'll have the energy for RP that night, but in general if I'm up for RP I can write my characters happy or sad or whatever. Switching to that thread and maybe rereading previous tags is what puts me in the right headspace for it, and then I switch to another thread and change gears for that one in turn.

[bjornwilde]

In several ways yes. At least for me I can't write it if I don't feel it. If Ben is feeling grumpy or down, it will touch me. It won't make me depressed like he has been but it will darken my mood.

Conversely, Val always seems to lighten my mood, even if she is going through a rough patch. So perhaps it's more the pups outlook on life effects my mood?

My mood can also be effected if I am unable to play the pup I am in the mood for, for whatever reason. It adds a layer of frustration which makes me grumpy.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Yes. Yes I do. Which is part of why I have to get back to the Notes From New Vegas series in my mun journal. I owe that to people.

As far as mood goes I tend to have more bleed over from when I'm putting my pups through something awful than from me into the pup, at least in my experience. I've had more than a few Gordon threads where I've wound up with RL sniffles or worse going on, and I"m not ashamed to admit that.

[bjornwilde]

Oh I am a terrible sap and bawled on just about ever bit of Fear Itself I wrote for Ben. =]

[not_my_sandbox]

Yeah, sometimes Amascut gets a bit too intense and creepy to keep on playing without stepping away for a breather. I don't know if it works the other way around, I am far too emotionally stable to know for sure. Well, I guess that takes some of the emotional edge off anyone I want to play, a bit. It might make a pup duller and less interesting :(

[kd7sov]

I think the best available answer is "yes".

Although I've sometimes EPed an annoyed Felix when I myself was annoyed, mostly my own mood only affects whether and which pups I play. Their mood, though...

Do you remember the Allpocalypse? When I had Felix's sword break in -01, I simply broke down. But it also goes in other directions - I've been simply giddy for the last couple of weeks over Felix's girlfriend getting apped come April. This is a girl who fits very few of my physical preferences, and who comes from a game that for all its wordiness does very little with characterization, so this is all Felix's mood. (Aided and abetted, I should mention, by comments from the bits of another Felix's headvoice that seems to be in a state of quantum flux.)

[12goingon113]

I don't know what you're talking about. I never do something as sappy as cry when threading. Or overuse muppety-flailing arms when thematically appropriate.

Ever.

Nope.

Not me.

Stalwart in my resolve is me.

(Is anyone buying this?)

[lunamystic]

MUPPET ARMS.

Also, sometimes there is cackling. From both of us, I mean.

[leeshajoy]

Am I the only one who frequently suffers from reverse characterbleed? I have to consciously remind myself not to push my own opinions and biases onto my characters, and I'm not always successful in that.

[bjornwilde]

I do find myself wondering from time to time if I am having too mellow an effect on Ben as he's typically so ready to throw down in the comics but I just can't imagine him in bar any other way.

[herr_bookman]

Nope, not the only one. "You mean we actually have to stick to canon?" seems to be my mantra lately. Good luck separating things out!

[the_gene_genie]

No, not really. Weirdly, the only character bleed I get comes when I play Harry with his mum. That shit is painful, yo.

If I'm in a good/bad mood, I might EP a pup in the same mood just because that's where my headspace is at. It doesn't affect what their IC decisions are, I hope.

[misslucyjane]

Oh, good lord yes. It mostly runs from character -> me.

[crabbycustomer]

...if I let Karkat's bad moods affect me it would be seriously unhealthy for me to play him. Karkat is more or less permanently functioning in a state of unfocused volatile ire that I have experienced before, but really don't want to revisit. Even in his best mood, it's easy for him to suddenly drop over the edge into blackout rages and unimaginable stupidity.

(Sometimes, on the far side of deep grinding depression, when you have to find a reason to keep going and nothing obvious presents itself, spite is as good as reason to get up in the morning as any.

And it's a good sign, in a way--it's a step away from a total black hole of emotion, it's something active, something actually explosive. Hopefully other, less destructive and irrational emotions follow. In my experience that phase has lasted a couple of weeks.

...Karkat is now into his second decade...)

[herr_bookman]

Am I correct in assuming that you've heard about the fear-proof exoskeleton? (Trigger warning for a bizarrely hilarious description of depression.)

*also, offers awkward hugs*

[crabbycustomer]

Yep, I've seen that! It's hilarious (and true).

[mighty_avenger]

Well my mood definitely affects whether I'm up for tagging at all. This is invisible to anyone who's not lunamystic, but I tag much faster than average when I'm at her place because there is good company and kittens and such things that have a positive effect on my mood.

If I'm feeling down, it's easier to play Mary than Carol because Mary is tragically immune to happiness at her current point in canon, whereas Carol is a frakking Avenger and kind of a weirdo.

Some fun RP can definitely lighten the mood as well. Carol and Alanna threads are particularly good for this because I maybe enjoy Carol's glee in teasing Alanna. Also Mary and Mike threads, because we really should never have let them near each other XD

[lunamystic]

*grins* You know I am always up for Carol and Alanna!

...she says, owing you a tag.

(Sasha says hi.)

[mighty_avenger]

(Hi Sasha!!)

Well, you know, whenever Alanna makes it back to the bar there will be SO MUCH "I told you so"ing going on, what with the makeouts with Jon. Muahahahaha.

[wanderlustlover]

Never. Not evens slightly. >_>

[gavin62truck]

Yes. Which is why I asked this. :p Good to see I'm not alone, hah.

"Rescue Me" is already an emotionally charged show, so I kind of knew what I was getting into when I chose to play Tommy, except I didn't. Because focusing on playing him as my main character gets really emotionally draining sometimes. Lately, and obviously, it's been his ups and downs with Kate that have been messing with my head. And subsequently, when his stuff gets me down, I want to put him through even more painful shit. Sorry not sorry, Tommy.

[afullmargin]

Tommy gives *me* feels, big time. Every time I read the threads I get a little misty, I won't lie.

And he reminds me of why I don't drink anymore.

[inlovewithwords]

Yes. Me in a funk means not playing/playing less heartily. Me in a good mood usually means picking happy things. Getting in their headspaces changes things. Sometimes a good thread, especially with their friends and/or canonmates boosts my mood. Don't feel like going into detail.

[ceitfianna]

Oh yes, its not as bad as it was when I started out playing, but that was also a hard year for other reasons. I haven't been able to manage the Pirate King's energy and joy for life in a while as he takes something out of me. Also Tiwa hasn't shown up as much in the sandboxes because her life as a teacher has reflected my reality too much.

I've been playing William more since his self-doubt and worry fits my own state while Charles keeps me balanced. Its complicated but I'm better at managing it. My first year, character bleed would knock me for a loop as it combined with struggling with my masters. Now it helps me deal with the struggles for my job.

[lunamystic]

It depends on the pup whether or not their mood has any effect on mine, but I am definitely more likely to play certain pups if I'm feeling one way or another. Alanna I can write in a variety of moods (hers or mine), possibly because I've been playing her so long. Grace, for some reason, really gets to me when she's feeling on edge. I get fidgety and wish I could do half the things she does. (Let me stress: half.) She's also a good one to play if I'm already feeling anxious and keyed up.

Jim and Thayet are both very calming.

Lizzie... is not. I do best with her when I'm cranky.

*shifty* I don't suppose it's a surprise to anyone that I need to be in a profoundly silly mood to play Doctor Evil. This is why slowtimes and Doctor Evil rarely mix.

If I'm really loving a thread, I get rather giddy about it. I love most of my threads, so it is safe to say Milliways makes me happy on a regular basis. :D

[balancingminds]

If I'm really loving a thread, I get rather giddy about it. I love most of my threads, so it is safe to say Milliways makes me happy on a regular basis. :D

This, a good thread in Milliways can improve a day for me as I look forward to the next tag and think about it.

[afullmargin]

All of the Fallout universe, built to take over your mind. Honest. I love it so very much.

My mood *definitely* changes how I play my pups - and there are some I can only play in very special moods. Michael is probably my most flexible, but otherwise it's pretty easy to tell my moods by the emphasis of my character's moods.

Their moods *can* affect me, particularly writing highly emotional stuff, but not nearly as much.

[hey35andholding]

No, thankfully, but Ash gets the closest.