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Fursonae and Characters
18 years ago
Hello, folks. Please pardon the ramblings of a slightly confuzzled Kitsune here.
Now, I don't know if anyone else has run across this, or been troubled by it, but I have:
I have a fairly large stable of characters, from Mika (who is a front for me, though is patently at the same time NOT me) up to several others, not all of which I want associated directly with Mika.
Nonetheless, these are characters, not me.
I recently pointed out to someone that my character is patently not me. This elicited a response of "But... Wha? Then, how the heck can I possibly TRUST anything you say? Or you?!"
I don't know about you folks, but this terribly disturbed me.
Is it so impossible in the fandom to separate the concept of character from the player? Is it so necessary that people must of needs assume automatically that a character MUST automatically be a fursona (ie. "me with fur")?
I am, at heart, a gamer, one who predates console RPG's by something like 10 years or so. I've played all sorts of tabletop dice-and-paper role playing games. I've played ones with lots of rules, no rules, a few rules, and all in between. My characters are, in the end, altered, changed reflections of me, and, like a fun-house mirror, don't necessarily reflect the true me.
Like an actress on screen for a film, or on television, or a character in a book, the person behind the makeup and the mask, behind the fur and the laughter, is NOT the character seen on-screen any more than television or movies are real.
At the same time, if someone asks me a question out of character (OOC), I'll give them my honest, real-life, true-to-me answer, no acting.
I'd thought I'd made this abundantly clear, as all of my descriptions include a warning that the character and player are different people. Yet, still, I get shocked, stunned responses when people find this out.
I just do not get it. Is this concept of fursona so inextricably linked in the fandom that to deviate from it seems unthinkable to folk? Is there something I'm not seeing? Because if there is, I'd like to hear about it.
I've been told by some that I should not be, indeed in two cases MUST not be human, or enjoy my IRL status of being such. I don't know about anyone else, but I find that almost as equally disturbing, if not more so.
I am quite pleased with being human in real life, and I enjoy that status immensely, thanks. I do NOT identify myself 100% with the lovely (if insanely over-busty) anthropomorphic vixen with nine tails and much magic that is Mika.
I'd love to hear what folk have on this matter, to hear what they think, what they philosophize. I think understanding here is important to me as a lover of this fandom o the whole.
Thank you all for listening to these markedly confused ramblings.
Yours all in respect,
Mika Kyubi
Kitsune-at-Large
Now, I don't know if anyone else has run across this, or been troubled by it, but I have:
I have a fairly large stable of characters, from Mika (who is a front for me, though is patently at the same time NOT me) up to several others, not all of which I want associated directly with Mika.
Nonetheless, these are characters, not me.
I recently pointed out to someone that my character is patently not me. This elicited a response of "But... Wha? Then, how the heck can I possibly TRUST anything you say? Or you?!"
I don't know about you folks, but this terribly disturbed me.
Is it so impossible in the fandom to separate the concept of character from the player? Is it so necessary that people must of needs assume automatically that a character MUST automatically be a fursona (ie. "me with fur")?
I am, at heart, a gamer, one who predates console RPG's by something like 10 years or so. I've played all sorts of tabletop dice-and-paper role playing games. I've played ones with lots of rules, no rules, a few rules, and all in between. My characters are, in the end, altered, changed reflections of me, and, like a fun-house mirror, don't necessarily reflect the true me.
Like an actress on screen for a film, or on television, or a character in a book, the person behind the makeup and the mask, behind the fur and the laughter, is NOT the character seen on-screen any more than television or movies are real.
At the same time, if someone asks me a question out of character (OOC), I'll give them my honest, real-life, true-to-me answer, no acting.
I'd thought I'd made this abundantly clear, as all of my descriptions include a warning that the character and player are different people. Yet, still, I get shocked, stunned responses when people find this out.
I just do not get it. Is this concept of fursona so inextricably linked in the fandom that to deviate from it seems unthinkable to folk? Is there something I'm not seeing? Because if there is, I'd like to hear about it.
I've been told by some that I should not be, indeed in two cases MUST not be human, or enjoy my IRL status of being such. I don't know about anyone else, but I find that almost as equally disturbing, if not more so.
I am quite pleased with being human in real life, and I enjoy that status immensely, thanks. I do NOT identify myself 100% with the lovely (if insanely over-busty) anthropomorphic vixen with nine tails and much magic that is Mika.
I'd love to hear what folk have on this matter, to hear what they think, what they philosophize. I think understanding here is important to me as a lover of this fandom o the whole.
Thank you all for listening to these markedly confused ramblings.
Yours all in respect,
Mika Kyubi
Kitsune-at-Large
It tells me you're not a crazy "OMG I REALLY AM A HALF DRAGON HALF FOX HALF TIGER HALF GUINEA PIG!" psycho who just thinks life is cruel and she's "trapped' in a human body.
Yours,
Mika
I too remember the days of yore before internet and atari was the best you could get out of a console, when kids played outside...god, I miss those days.
Anyway...regardless of what happens, Ilkarin (as much a reflection as the character is of myself), there are qualities between me and him that I must say are different. He has qualities I aspire to achieve.
I know most people have only seen Ilkarin within the fur fandom but I have a TON of characters who probably haven't seen the light of day. =P
Take care of yourself. I always knew that regardless of what goes on inside that little text box is a HUMAN being.
Time for me to get back to rolling some dice.
It follows along the same concept as real life, though. A man much wiser than I said alot of times when you meet someone, you're meeting their representative, not the real them.
Yes, dear. I have been told, more than once, patently and unquestioningly, with all the surety one would reserve for stating obvious and incontrovertible fact, that I am not and indeed could not possibly be human.
I have also had it said to me that I could not possibly have created the character of Mika Kyubi, that instead I utterly and unquestionable (depending on whom said it at the moment) either am Mika (as in Kitsune spirit in a human body with either past-life memories or currently possessed by Mika as a host for her) or that I must be channeling Mika (who must therefore be a real Kitsune whispering in her favorite human's ear). Needless to say, I find being told that to be insanely insulting to me as a living being and to my ability to imagine and create things.
Go figure.
Yours,
Mika
Now, I -will- take a hit on the defense for some of these people. I have met folks who don't RP, they don't create characters, they just play themselves on the net, and slap on a furry avatar 'cause it's what they're into, y'know? On a hypothetical standpoint, the person you were speaking to may have taken your statement to an extreme level and thought you were -always- playing a character, and never showing your true self at any time, with no realization of what In Character and Out of Character are. Yes, there are folks who have never heard of 'RP' or Role-play.
Outside of naivety on the subject, if the person knows the difference, and chooses to identify with their character, or just play themselves vicariously through their online personification, that's perfectly fine. You're emphasizing on those that wholly and truly believe they're a furry or lycanthrope or a whatever kin. If they look in a mirror and can't tell otherwise that they're a human being like eeeverybody else on the planet, then they need to seek professional help for either being delusional, having schizophrenia, or having a bad case of the sub arterial hemmorhaging. 'Course, a good smack upside the head sometimes helps too.
-Rhennessa
As for the matter of those who have never heard of RP, this, too, I can understand. However, to immediately assume that one never is OOC, or for that matter may switch between OOC and IC speech, that tends to be disconcerting. I was quite honest with him when I pointed out that I can, will, and do drop OOC frequently, and I think that is what shook him the most.
As for a slap upside the head, thet, too, has merit.
Love,
Mika
I guess it's bad luck on your part that you encounter those kinds of crazies.
And kind of creepy.
I mean, I love being a furry, and am empassioned in it, but at the same time, there is the recognition that I'm a human, and am in fact, proud and empassioned in that as well.
Anyone who tells you that you cannot enjoy being human when you're a furry needs to get punched. Really. It's insanity.
As some have said already, this only gains more trust in you. n~n
As for the others? I do believe a frying pan is in order. Or...well, I could loan you some of my vehicles I made in 3D? XD;
Indeed, dear heart, indeed. There needs to be some separation involved, as far as I can tell. Sadly, it seems to often be not present.
Many many thanks for the commentary, love. I'll see you on SL, and maybe pass on a prototype vehicle to you.
Yours with love (especially 3D love)
Mika
And you're welcome! c: And I'll see you there, and maybe get a request from you for something. I love building weapons, so let me know if you want a Mika Custom. :3
I've played tabletop RPGs as well (mostly D&D though) and I think the idea of "role-play" has been watered down somewhat from what it was for that sort of thing. The GM would create the world and setting, the PCs would create unique characters and together they would form the events and history of the world as well as develop the characters into more than just a bunch of statistics and a name.
Nowadays, like SL for example, it seems more superficial and any "role-play" is pretty much reserved for *ahem* private interactions sadly. The concept of creating a completely original and different character from who you are and actually being that character online seems completely lost to some.
I suppose there's also people who don't want their little fantasy world online ruined. They would prefer to pretend they're actually talking to say, for example, Roxikat or Zig Zag and just kinda turn a blind eye at the idea that there's a RL human being deciding how the online character interacts with you.
I'm guessing that the well-endowed thing is part of the problem with attracting these types of people too. This sort of thing was actually something I was worried about when approaching you and Rhen online...
And the thought of someone who can't distinguish between IC and OOC or thinks they should be the same 100% really scares the heck out of me. o.O
on a serious note, i think what it is, is that there's a wave of individuals that are extremely young. like. i'm talking 14-16 year olds. that haven't run into the concept of characters. all they've known up to that point is the concept of a fursona when it comes to the fandom.
they're usually the same people that only have one character. their fursona. and no others.
One of the craziest comments I've received was not too long ago, when someone pulled a gun on one of my characters... in text... and threatened to shoot him up if THE PURPLE CARTOON BUNNY RABBIT didn't put on some dang pants.
I repeat: he pulled a gun on a half-naked, purple cartoon bunny.
Why he wanted permission to continue watching my gallery, I'll never know. I often post lewd furry people. Well, as long as he doesn't get too triggered from now on, or at least keep it to himself.