Moving all the tl;dr details here, and if the person I'm paired with would like even more options, I can come up with them then.
Me: 'Sail Character/series: Avitus (OC) from the Legacy of Kain series Comfort level: Bring it on. (I'm more concerned with what the other person might be comfy with/want.)
Mundane memories - Preening out his wings' feathers - Fighting with his naturally very curly hair to make it straighten out and behave so he can put it in that lil ponytail he keeps it in, so no one realizes it's curly. - Getting annoyed at actual birds because he can understand what they're saying. Worse: they're often vapid, repetitive, and petty. (It's like high school! Oh god.... orz) - Carrying a large serving platter on his head with one hand, as a human servant (slave) - Grinding up something with a mortar and pestle, to make pigment - Sitting out on his castle's (second floor) balcony's windowsill, reading a (fantasy) book, the Citadel and more of its castle outside, some of the hunters of his kind hanging out on a balcony nearby - shopping in the Citadel's markets, and feeling really uneasy at the deference the humans showed him, unable to shake the feeling that they really shouldn't.
Traumatic/important memories (CW: death, uncomfy sex stuff) - Sleeping in, cuddled up with one of his brothers (sfw happy fluff) - Having a bit of a laughter-breakdown on a bed while everyone's depressed (due to news of death/genocide of their clan. Grim situation, but he was overjoyed with it.) - Getting nervous and too drunk at a party and leaving (while others were heading to bed with each other, he hid and snuck out rather than get involved as expected. He was a human slave at the time....) - His own murder as a human (should be obvious! ...at least it was quick? Also, was the last time he tried to stand up firmly for himself; it directly led to this, at least in his mind.)
Skills (offering three each; someone can pick, I guess?) Mundane skills: - art (a multitude of smaller things here: drawing, painting, stained glass, how to make his own paintbrushes and paints, how to take care of brushes/other tools to keep them nice, prep canvases, etc) - sense of balance (specifically, balancing things on his head, like trays and baskets and whatnot... and walking in high-heeled shoes/sandals.) - highly literate/educated (mostly self-taught, but he hasn't been idle, and he's had a long life. Not so big on modern science/tech or economics, but he knows math (geometry, mostly) and several scripts really well, plus a fair bit of Latin, some geology (architectural relevance.)) Unique skills: - artist/architect (thousands of years of study and practice) - telekinesis (not well practiced, unfortunately) - understanding birdsong (an instinctive and largely emotive language)
Traits/quirks: - Lacks self-confidence (difficulty standing up for himself, easily intimidated. A bit shy, especially with groups; arguably afraid of crowds if he might be the focus of attention. (Back of the audience is fine; on stage is usually not.)) - tends to hold his hands in front of him and rub the back of his nails (polishing them) or preens his wing feathers (human equivalent: combing hair with fingers) as a comforting fidget, chews the inside of his lower lip when thinking or nervous/uneasy, hugs his wings around himself (human equivalent: using arms instead of wings) for security - fondness for sweets (hard candy, ice cream, syrup, juice, etc) - tends to give sort of a bob/curtsey-type bow, rather than shake hands or bow from the waist - usual facade is a faint smile, quiet and pleasant to others as if in a vaguely good mood - optimistic? He does try to be in a good mood, deliberately puts aside his feelings when he isn't.... (the logic is, if he fakes it long enough, he can convince himself. Denial and self-delusion are his way of life.) - cries when mad, has difficulty expressing himself in words then - doesn't say "maybe" ("perhaps" or "it's possible" or the like instead) or "cool" ("that's great" or "congratulations" or some other remark/compliment) avoids "just" (unless talking about fairness; otherwise, "merely" "simply" "only" etc) and tends toward vaguely older-style/formal speech, lacking in modern slang. For example, he may say something is "absolutely incredible" or "rather fantastic", but he doesn't mean "great", he means he doesn't believe it, or finds it difficult to believe, respectively. - reserved body language: not all that emphatic with his gestures, keeps his extremities to himself, tends toward acting a bit subservient, polite, somewhat formal. Pays less attention to his stance when off his guard/distracted; his wings are a fair indicator of that then (holds them tucked up tightly when he's being more self-aware. In theory, his wings are like a second pair of arms, but he doesn't like deliberately using them for much.) - constantly keeping others in mind and discounting himself (likes doing thoughtful little things for his friends, and will go out of his way to be helpful or cheer someone up, if he notices they need it) Basically, in his mind, he's sort of secondary to others. - self-deprecatory, with a side of hero-worship: though realistic about his skills (art especially), he hasn't gotten a remotely big head about it. To him, it was simply something he had to learn, and if anything, he's convinced his role model was better. (Keeps them up on a pedestal, for better or worse.) Doesn't tend to think he's really worth all that much, though he won't much downplay the importance of the role(s) he might take on. - vaguely uneasy about forming attachments to others: there's this back-of-his-mind notion that they'll all leave him eventually anyway, and that self-imposed isolation might mean he misses out on the potential good, but it'll spare him the certain heartbreak. - afraid of heights... and cats. - prefers escapist fiction (fantasy especially) over nonfiction - poor with expressing things he hasn't rehearsed/stuff that's personal. He ends up going "I mean--" "um" "well" etc a lot, may start over, trail off, generally be unsure of what to say/how to say it and get flustered. He's so used to putting aside his own views/opinions and telling people what they want to hear (including outright lying about stuff) that it's difficult for him to sort himself out and communicate honestly about personal things.
Avitus
Me: 'Sail
Character/series: Avitus (OC) from the Legacy of Kain series
Comfort level: Bring it on. (I'm more concerned with what the other person might be comfy with/want.)
Mundane memories
- Preening out his wings' feathers
- Fighting with his naturally very curly hair to make it straighten out and behave so he can put it in that lil ponytail he keeps it in, so no one realizes it's curly.
- Getting annoyed at actual birds because he can understand what they're saying. Worse: they're often vapid, repetitive, and petty. (It's like high school! Oh god.... orz)
- Carrying a large serving platter on his head with one hand, as a human servant (slave)
- Grinding up something with a mortar and pestle, to make pigment
- Sitting out on his castle's (second floor) balcony's windowsill, reading a (fantasy) book, the Citadel and more of its castle outside, some of the hunters of his kind hanging out on a balcony nearby
- shopping in the Citadel's markets, and feeling really uneasy at the deference the humans showed him, unable to shake the feeling that they really shouldn't.
Traumatic/important memories (CW: death, uncomfy sex stuff)
- Sleeping in, cuddled up with one of his brothers (sfw happy fluff)
- Having a bit of a laughter-breakdown on a bed while everyone's depressed (due to news of death/genocide of their clan. Grim situation, but he was overjoyed with it.)
- Getting nervous and too drunk at a party and leaving (while others were heading to bed with each other, he hid and snuck out rather than get involved as expected. He was a human slave at the time....)
- His own murder as a human (should be obvious! ...at least it was quick? Also, was the last time he tried to stand up firmly for himself; it directly led to this, at least in his mind.)
Skills (offering three each; someone can pick, I guess?)
Mundane skills:
- art (a multitude of smaller things here: drawing, painting, stained glass, how to make his own paintbrushes and paints, how to take care of brushes/other tools to keep them nice, prep canvases, etc)
- sense of balance (specifically, balancing things on his head, like trays and baskets and whatnot... and walking in high-heeled shoes/sandals.)
- highly literate/educated (mostly self-taught, but he hasn't been idle, and he's had a long life. Not so big on modern science/tech or economics, but he knows math (geometry, mostly) and several scripts really well, plus a fair bit of Latin, some geology (architectural relevance.))
Unique skills:
- artist/architect (thousands of years of study and practice)
- telekinesis (not well practiced, unfortunately)
- understanding birdsong (an instinctive and largely emotive language)
Traits/quirks:
- Lacks self-confidence (difficulty standing up for himself, easily intimidated. A bit shy, especially with groups; arguably afraid of crowds if he might be the focus of attention. (Back of the audience is fine; on stage is usually not.))
- tends to hold his hands in front of him and rub the back of his nails (polishing them) or preens his wing feathers (human equivalent: combing hair with fingers) as a comforting fidget, chews the inside of his lower lip when thinking or nervous/uneasy, hugs his wings around himself (human equivalent: using arms instead of wings) for security
- fondness for sweets (hard candy, ice cream, syrup, juice, etc)
- tends to give sort of a bob/curtsey-type bow, rather than shake hands or bow from the waist
- usual facade is a faint smile, quiet and pleasant to others as if in a vaguely good mood
- optimistic? He does try to be in a good mood, deliberately puts aside his feelings when he isn't.... (the logic is, if he fakes it long enough, he can convince himself. Denial and self-delusion are his way of life.)
- cries when mad, has difficulty expressing himself in words then
- doesn't say "maybe" ("perhaps" or "it's possible" or the like instead) or "cool" ("that's great" or "congratulations" or some other remark/compliment) avoids "just" (unless talking about fairness; otherwise, "merely" "simply" "only" etc) and tends toward vaguely older-style/formal speech, lacking in modern slang. For example, he may say something is "absolutely incredible" or "rather fantastic", but he doesn't mean "great", he means he doesn't believe it, or finds it difficult to believe, respectively.
- reserved body language: not all that emphatic with his gestures, keeps his extremities to himself, tends toward acting a bit subservient, polite, somewhat formal. Pays less attention to his stance when off his guard/distracted; his wings are a fair indicator of that then (holds them tucked up tightly when he's being more self-aware. In theory, his wings are like a second pair of arms, but he doesn't like deliberately using them for much.)
- constantly keeping others in mind and discounting himself (likes doing thoughtful little things for his friends, and will go out of his way to be helpful or cheer someone up, if he notices they need it) Basically, in his mind, he's sort of secondary to others.
- self-deprecatory, with a side of hero-worship: though realistic about his skills (art especially), he hasn't gotten a remotely big head about it. To him, it was simply something he had to learn, and if anything, he's convinced his role model was better. (Keeps them up on a pedestal, for better or worse.) Doesn't tend to think he's really worth all that much, though he won't much downplay the importance of the role(s) he might take on.
- vaguely uneasy about forming attachments to others: there's this back-of-his-mind notion that they'll all leave him eventually anyway, and that self-imposed isolation might mean he misses out on the potential good, but it'll spare him the certain heartbreak.
- afraid of heights... and cats.
- prefers escapist fiction (fantasy especially) over nonfiction
- poor with expressing things he hasn't rehearsed/stuff that's personal. He ends up going "I mean--" "um" "well" etc a lot, may start over, trail off, generally be unsure of what to say/how to say it and get flustered. He's so used to putting aside his own views/opinions and telling people what they want to hear (including outright lying about stuff) that it's difficult for him to sort himself out and communicate honestly about personal things.