"They Fit Just Like an Old Glove..."

Slightly later than intended, but here is my half-Resurgence, half-general gaming post.

After the Resurgence game on Sunday, I was trying to find the best way to write about it; whether I was going to write a letter or a stream of consciousness or a conversation or...something...

And actually, all I could think about was "Awh, it was so easy to get back into character...even after all these months...", which got me thinking.


I have played an assortment of characters over the years, ranging from temptress bards, to evil villains, to leaders of cities and nations, to teenage vampires and betrothed priests...and there are some who definitely, without a shadow of a doubt...just...fit. There are some characters I can go for months without touching, who, the moment I return to their game, I just instantly get.

Emily was one. Due to being out of area for most of the year, I was able to play her perhaps once every three months, if I was lucky. And yet, the moment I walked through the door in character, her stride, her posture and her mannerisms came flooding back; "Good evening Herald Gladstone, it is good to see you this evening. I must say, the hosts have laid out such an elaborate affair, don't you think? The decor is particularly fetching..."; the slight tilt of the head to those she regarded as less important, and the minor curtsey to those she felt demanded more respect or she considered more highly. She walked tall and almost haughtily in some regards; she tried to claim respect. In some ways she used to remind me of a puffed up bird, making itself look larger than it was to both scare predators away and entice people towards her at the same time.

Desdemona was another; my evil Dungeons and Dragons character I played as a way to escape the stereotyping I experienced of being expected to forever play the "kind, sweet, girl-next-door". Her voice was sultry and menacing, varying from deafening roars to acidic hisses, her stride was long and her shoulders arched back, making her look tall and intimidating. Even though she was a tabletop character, when I played her my arm movements were fluid and precise, exacting and clear. She was a character who had really clear mannerisms, which was part of the fun of playing her!

Lunetta too, has her own particular way of acting. Every time I enter the field as Lunetta, she walks in with her eyes downcast and hands either curled around her books/box or clasped in front of her. She is very deliberate and precise in her first steps on field each game, and this only changes once she meets Felix...where she suddenly relaxes and loosens up. She is one of the few characters I have played who has a clear divide between the way she reacts when with friends compared to the rest of those on field. Again Lunetta also has a distinct voice; less sharp and prim than Emily's, with warmth and thought in her words. She spends much of her time keeping her thoughts to herself, forming her own judgements and opinions in her own mind, allowing others to do the same.

Ali...has changed. She's gone from her military, structured, "follow orders and go" mindset into...well... this.

Ali...but not as we know her.

Because of her choice to join the Paladins, she has changed costume (silver and white taking over from the combats and khaki), and looks...somewhat less human!

And yet...walking down to the first encounter with my brother (oh yes, I have got him LARPing!) and Nat's player (yes, the two of them met up again!) Ali fitted like a glove. It was like welcoming an old friend back and going out for a pint...except the pint was combat and the old friend is a character I played...she just fit. Her mannerisms and her behaviour were almost second nature, and while her attitude had changed slightly, she was still the same old comfy character I had left three or four months ago. 

Sometimes, there's a very clear item or set of events that lead to that "switch" into character. For instance, with Desdemona, it was the moment her little black-clad model came out of its deceptively white and innocent case. With Lunetta, it's getting that gold and red costume on and the jewellery and hairnet (which, interestingly, according to a few people I know, is the piece of costume they most associate with Lunetta!) I should probably note, as a point of interest, that with regard to Lunetta's letters, I read them mentally in the voice of the character that wrote them, so that acts a kind of entranceway to Lunetta's thought processes, weirdly enough.

Yep, very much in character here!

With Ali...I don't have a physical "anchor" as such. Emily's became her corset and skirt, eventually, after several costume changes through the four years I played her, as wonderfully illustrated in this amazing piece of artwork by one of my favourite artists:

Emily, as drawn by Naniiebim (her comics and illustrations are fabulous!)

Ali has no such anchors I can think of. She had no set costume, no real make-up requirements or anything (until now)...the closest I can possibly think of is perhaps the shield she carries. Ali is perhaps the only character of mine I don't really require one for.

How about you? Are there characters you have played that you can "walk" into and out of without thought...or any clear "anchors" for them you've noticed?

Josée